http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Dna-finger-printing-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 05:17:28 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-vaccine-and-duck-eggs-shields-from-hantavirus-disease-army-study-101715-1.htm Laboratory animals have been effectively safe-guarded from lethal hantavirus disease by administering a novel approach that combines DNA vaccines and duck eggs by army scientists and industry collaborators. The work appears in a recent edition of the online scientific journal iPLoS ONE/i, published by the Public Library of Science. According to first author Jay W. Hooper of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), this is the first time that the DNA vaccine/duck ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-vaccine-and-duck-eggs-shields-from-hantavirus-disease-army-study-101715-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-map-gene-sequence-of-drug-resistant-vrsa-101698-1.htm American scientists have mapped the gene sequence of all the known strains of drug resistant MRSA leading to hopes that new drugs can be developed to treat the infection caused by the bacteria. Antibiotic-resistant superbugs, including methicillin resistant Staph. aureus (MRSA), have become household words. Antibiotic resistance threatens health and lives. Since 2005, MRSA have killed over 18,000 people a year in the United States alone. To make matters worse, in 2002 a new MRSA ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-map-gene-sequence-of-drug-resistant-vrsa-101698-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-therapy-aids-kids-with-rare-untreatable-brain-disease-for-the-better-101550-1.htm Employing gene transfer methods initiated by University of Florida faculty, Taiwanese doctors have restored some mobility in four children confined to bed with a rare, critical neurological disease. The first-in-humans achievement may also be helpful for more common diseases such as Parkinson's that involve nerve cell damage caused by lack of a crucial molecule in brain tissue. The results are reported today (May 16) in the journal iScience Translational Medicine/i. The children in the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-therapy-aids-kids-with-rare-untreatable-brain-disease-for-the-better-101550-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/common-diseases-may-be-better-understood-by-studying-abundance-of-rare-dna-changes-following-population-explosion-101509-1.htm Recent research has revealed that one-letter switches in the DNA code occur much more frequently in human genomes than anticipated. The abundance of rare variations across the human genome is consistent with the population explosion of the past few thousand years, medical geneticists and evolutionary biologists report in the May 17 advanced online edition of IScience/I. "This is a dramatic example of how recent human history has profoundly shaped patterns of genetic variation," said ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/common-diseases-may-be-better-understood-by-studying-abundance-of-rare-dna-changes-following-population-explosion-101509-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-identifies-gene-that-causes-schizophrenia-obesity-101461-1.htm Researchers have identified the genes that are responsible for the size of the head at birth. Head size in human babies is a feature that is related to autism, a condition that recent figures have shown to be more common than previously reported, 1 in 88 children in a March 2012 study. Head size is also a feature of other major neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia. "In medical research, we need to dissect events in biology so we can understand the precise mechanisms that give ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-identifies-gene-that-causes-schizophrenia-obesity-101461-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/cracking-bile-duct-cancer-with-findings-of-new-gene-mutations-scientists-101432-1.htm An international scientists unit has made a momentous breakthrough in comprehending the cause of bile duct cancer, a fatal form of liver cancer. By identifying several new genes frequently mutated in bile duct cancers, researchers are paving the way for better understanding of how bile duct cancers develop. Their discovery is published online in INature Genetics/I. Bile Duct Cancer, or Cholangiocarcinoma, is a fatal cancer with a poor prognosis. Accounting for 10 to 25 per cent of all primary ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/cracking-bile-duct-cancer-with-findings-of-new-gene-mutations-scientists-101432-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/first-gene-therapy-against-aging-associated-decline-successfully-tested-101391-1.htm Scientists have proved that mouse lifespan can be boosted by gene therapy. The therapy has been found to be safe and effective in mice. The results are published today in the journal iEMBO Molecular Medicine/i. The CNIO team, in collaboration with Eduard Ayuso and Fatima Bosch of the Centre of Animal Biotechnology and Gene Therapy at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB), treated adult (one-year-old) and aged (two-year-old) mice, with the gene therapy delivering a "rejuvenating" effect in both cases, according to the authors....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/first-gene-therapy-against-aging-associated-decline-successfully-tested-101391-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-variants-that-speed-progression-of-parkinsons-disease-identified-101350-1.htm Scientists have discovered the specific variants of a gene that speed the progression of Parkinson's disease. In a study published May 15 in the peer-reviewed online journal iPLoS ONE/i, the researchers found that Parkinson's sufferers who possess two specific variants of a gene known to be a risk factor for the disease had a significantly speedier progression toward motor decline than patients without these variants. "This is a relatively small study, with 233 patients, but the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-variants-that-speed-progression-of-parkinsons-disease-identified-101350-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-nanoparticle-technique-may-help-treat-arthritis-101306-1.htm A DNA-covered microscopic bead used as a delivery system for gene therapy may help treat arthritis, report researchers. Within a few hours of injecting empty-handed DNA nanoparticles, Georgia Health Sciences University researchers were surprised to see increased expression of an enzyme that calms the immune response. In an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis, the enhanced expression of indoleomine 2,3 dioxygenase, or IDO, significantly reduced the hallmark limb joint swelling and ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-nanoparticle-technique-may-help-treat-arthritis-101306-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/successful-stem-cell-differentiation-requires-dna-compaction-study-101275-1.htm Chromatin compaction or DNA compaction is essential for proper embryonic stem cell differentiation to occur, say researchers. Chromatin, which is composed of histone proteins and DNA, packages DNA into a smaller volume so that it fits inside a cell. A study published on May 10, 2012 in the journal iPLoS Genetics/i found that embryonic stem cells lacking several histone H1 subtypes and exhibiting reduced chromatin compaction suffered from impaired differentiation under multiple scenarios ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/successful-stem-cell-differentiation-requires-dna-compaction-study-101275-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/missing-gene-in-decision-making-center-in-brain-lined-to-a-form-of-autism-101199-1.htm A new study by Yale University researchers has revealed that a recently evolved pattern of gene activity in the language and decision-making centers of the human brain is missing in one form of autism disorder. "This is the cost of being human," said Nenad Sestan, associate professor of neurobiology, researcher at Yale's Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, and senior author of the paper. "The same evolutionary mechanisms that may have gifted our species with amazing cognitive abilities have also ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/missing-gene-in-decision-making-center-in-brain-lined-to-a-form-of-autism-101199-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-sequencing-and-proper-diagnosis-101139-1.htm Diagnoses for seven children out of twelve who were experiencing developmental delays and congenital abnormalities for mysterious reasons has been provided by gene sequencing in a clinical setting. "I thought if we could obtain even a couple of relatively secure diagnoses out of the 12 patients, that would prove the value of deploying sequencing approaches systematically in patients with unknown but apparently genetic conditions," said David Goldstein, Ph.D., director of the Duke Center for ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-sequencing-and-proper-diagnosis-101139-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-that-leads-to-weight-gain-with-antipsychotic-treatment-identified-101022-1.htm Researchers have discovered the gene that ups weight gain in those treated with antipsychotic drugs. These findings were published in the May issue of iArchives of General Psychiatry/i. Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) were used as the treatment in this study. SGAs are commonly used to treat many psychotic and nonpsychotic disorders. However, it is important to note that these SGAs are associated with substantial weight gain, including the development of obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-that-leads-to-weight-gain-with-antipsychotic-treatment-identified-101022-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/human-brain-evolution-was-instantly-propelled-by-extra-gene-101002-1.htm Partial, replica of a gene seems to be accountable for the crucial features of the human brain that differentiates humans from their closest primate kin. The momentous gene duplication event occurred about two or three million years ago, at a critical transition in the evolution of the human lineage, according to a pair of studies published early online in the journal iCell/i, a Cell Press publication, on May 3rd. The studies are the first to explore the evolutionary history and function of any uniquely human gene duplicate....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/human-brain-evolution-was-instantly-propelled-by-extra-gene-101002-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-explains-how-disease-causing-gene-mutations-are-inherited-100949-1.htm Researchers have found reasons which may help explain on how certain disease-causing gene mutations are passed from mother to child. The research specifically focused on gene mutations in cell mitochondria that can cause several diseases, including forms of cancer, diabetes, infertility and neurodegenerative diseases. With this new information, we now better understand how and when these mutations are passed to children to improve diagnosis and prevention. The research will be published online ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-explains-how-disease-causing-gene-mutations-are-inherited-100949-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/prdm16-is-a-novel-gene-important-for-craniofacial-development-study-100932-1.htm A baby is born with a facial cleft every hour, of every day of the year, in the United States! These birth defects result from both gene mutations and environmental insults. PRDM16 is a transcription factor originally described as being aberrantly activated in specific types of leukemia's, and more recently as a master regulator of brown adipose tissue differentiation. Investigators have now shown that this transcription co-factor plays a critical role in development of the embryonic palate, in ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/prdm16-is-a-novel-gene-important-for-craniofacial-development-study-100932-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/risk-of-hot-flashes-high-in-female-smokers-who-have-gene-variant-100879-1.htm A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism suggests that women who are heavy smokers and have a specific gene variant had a higher risk of experiencing hot flashes once their reach menopause compared to non smokers. Researchers at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania observed nearly 300 women approaching menopause over a period of 11 years. The researchers found that those smokers who had specific genetic variants, single nucleotide ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/risk-of-hot-flashes-high-in-female-smokers-who-have-gene-variant-100879-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-show-how-a-gene-duplication-helped-our-brains-become-human-100865-1.htm A single gene duplication helped human brains become complex, reveals study. Surprisingly, the added copy doesn't augment the function of the original gene, SRGAP2, which makes neurons sprout connections to neighboring cells. Instead it interferes with that original function, effectively giving neurons more time to wire themselves into a bigger brain. "This appears to be a major example of a genomic innovation that contributed to human evolution," said Franck Polleux, a professor at The Scripps Research Institute....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-show-how-a-gene-duplication-helped-our-brains-become-human-100865-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-linked-to-missing-spleen-in-newborns-identified-100862-1.htm The first gene associated with a rare condition in which infants are born without a spleen has been discovered by researchers. The gene, Nkx2.5, was shown to regulate genesis of the spleen during early development in mice. The study, published online May 3 in IDevelopmental Cell,/I raises the hope that a simple genetic screening test for Nkx2.5 mutations can be developed that will alert parents that their developing child may be missing the organ, which could then be confirmed with a diagnostic scan....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-linked-to-missing-spleen-in-newborns-identified-100862-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-influences-sense-of-smell-100851-1.htm Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have discovered a gene that plays a vital role in deciding whether a plate of pork smells like a vanilla or urine and sweat. The researchers divided 23 participants into two groups, depending on whether they found the smell of pork offensive or not. On conducting genetic analysis of the participants, the researchers identified two copies of a gene known as OR7D4 in those who did not like the smell of a compound, androstenone, present in pork compared to just one copy among those who did like it....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-influences-sense-of-smell-100851-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/key-to-fertility-in-mammals-is-gene-involved-in-sperm-to-egg-binding-100781-1.htm Experts from Durham University have identified a new gene that could help the development of fertility treatments in humans in the future. Scientists from Durham University, UK, and Osaka University, Japan have discovered for the first time that a gene which makes a protein called PDILT enables sperm to bind to an egg, a process essential to fertilization. This discovery took place when they were looking at fertility in mice. The team found that when the gene was 'switched off' in male ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/key-to-fertility-in-mammals-is-gene-involved-in-sperm-to-egg-binding-100781-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/rigging-heart-specific-gene-pathway-perhaps-aids-in-treating-obesity-diabetes-100721-1.htm Premiering a demonstration by scientists of a heart that can regulate energy balance throughout the body, a result that may lead to effective treatments for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Using mice fed a high-fat diet, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers found that manipulating a heart-specific genetic pathway prevents obesity and protects against harmful blood-sugar changes associated with type 2 diabetes. "Obesity, diabetes, and coronary artery disease are major causes ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/rigging-heart-specific-gene-pathway-perhaps-aids-in-treating-obesity-diabetes-100721-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-that-inhibits-pancreatic-cancer-spread-identified-100699-1.htm A gene that inhibits the spread of pancreatic cancer tumours has been discovered by scientists. This key finding paves way for targeted treatment of one of the deadliest forms of the disease. After discovering the gene dubbed USP9X at work in a study of pancreatic cancer in mice, the international research team found it also played a role in humans. "We looked in human tumour specimens and we found that it was missing in a fraction of patients -- the patients that did very poorly ....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-that-inhibits-pancreatic-cancer-spread-identified-100699-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/broken-hearts-may-be-mended-by-gene-switch-100681-1.htm By converting injured cells into healthy beating muscle cells using microRNA, researchers have for the first time come up with a new approach to repair damaged hearts. After a heart attack, heart muscle doesn't easily regenerate and it accumulates scar tissue, made up of cells called fibroblasts - increasing risk for heart failure. "Researchers have tried various approaches, including the use of stem cells, to regenerate damaged heart muscle tissue," said Victor J. Dzau, M.D., the study's senior author and James B....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/broken-hearts-may-be-mended-by-gene-switch-100681-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-from-heart-cells-could-trigger-inflammation-in-heart-100675-1.htm An international team of researchers has found that inflammation of heart among people who have suffered from heart attacks is caused by the body's immune system that is accidentally activated by the DNA from heart cells. Scientists from King's College London and Osaka University Medical School in Japan showed that during heart failure, which affects 750,000 people in the UK alone, this 'rogue DNA' can prompt the body's immune cells into invading the heart, in a process called inflammation. ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-from-heart-cells-could-trigger-inflammation-in-heart-100675-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/south-carolinas-taxpayers-will-not-have-to-pay-for-abortions-in-rape-cases-100605-1.htm A budgetary rule approved by South Carolina's Senate subcommittee confirms that the state taxpayers will not have to pay for abortions in cases of rapes and incest unless the life of the mother is in danger. Sponsored by Senator Kevin Bryant, R-Anderson, the rule will start as a temporary measure for a period of one year and will apply to more than 417,000 people who come under the state's health insurance plan, reports thestate.com. Senator Bryant said that the rule will protect the interests of the unborn child which he said is a victim....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/south-carolinas-taxpayers-will-not-have-to-pay-for-abortions-in-rape-cases-100605-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-critical-to-development-and-spread-of-lung-cancer-identified-100546-1.htm Researchers have discovered a single gene that promotes initial development of most common form of lung cancer. The study, published in the journal on April 24, shows that MMP-10 is a growth factor secreted and then used by cancer stem-like cells to keep themselves vital. These cells then drive lung cancer and its spread, and are notoriously immune to conventional treatment. The findings raise hope for a possible treatment for non-small cell lung cancer, the leading cause of U.S....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-critical-to-development-and-spread-of-lung-cancer-identified-100546-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-says-violence-puts-wear-and-tear-on-kids-dna-100473-1.htm DNA of children who experience violence has been found to show wear and tear process normally associated with aging, finds study. "This is the first time it has been shown that our telomeres can shorten at a faster rate even at a really young age, while kids are still experiencing stress," said Idan Shalev, a post-doctoral researcher in psychology and neuroscience at the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences (and) Policy. Telomeres are special DNA sequences found at the tips of chromosomes; ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-says-violence-puts-wear-and-tear-on-kids-dna-100473-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/mrsa-superbug-driven-by-a-gene-100422-1.htm A gene points to the achilles heel in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), say researchers. So-called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major worry for hospitals because of its ability to hole up in wounds, tubes and surgical devices, infecting patients whose immune system is already weak. MRSA outbreaks happen in waves as new strains of the bacterium take over from older configurations. But how these epidemics become established is a process that genetically has until now been unclear....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/mrsa-superbug-driven-by-a-gene-100422-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/risk-of-relapse-in-lung-cancer-patients-may-be-identified-by-gene-signature-100393-1.htm In a study presented at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva, Spanish researchers revealed that they have identified a new genetic signature that could help doctors assess whether a patient with early stage lung cancer is at a greater risk of suffering from a relapse after surgery. Their work also opens new avenues for immunotherapy for lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer is a disease that is often not diagnosed until it has grown and spread throughout the body. Even those ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/risk-of-relapse-in-lung-cancer-patients-may-be-identified-by-gene-signature-100393-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-identifies-gene-behind-common-form-of-psoriasis-100382-1.htm Researchers have have identified the first gene directly linked to the most common form of psoriasis, a chronic skin condition. The research shows that rare mutations in the CARD14 gene, when activated by an environmental trigger, can lead to plaque psoriasis. This type of psoriasis accounts for 80 percent of all cases and is characterized by dry, raised, red patches covered with silvery scales that can be itchy and painful. The new findings also indicate that mutations in CARD14 can be ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-identifies-gene-behind-common-form-of-psoriasis-100382-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/iq-depends-on-a-single-gene-100193-1.htm A single gene has a measurable impact on a person's brain size as well as intelligence, say researchers. There is little debate about genetics being behind considerable variation in people's intelligence, but studies have constantly failed to zero in on any single gene that has a significant impact. Instead, researchers usually find that hundreds of genes contribute. A large-scale genetics study depending on fMRI brain scans and DNA samples from more than 20,000 people has revealed ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/iq-depends-on-a-single-gene-100193-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-flt3-valid-target-in-acute-myeloid-leukemia-treatment-100178-1.htm A group of American researchers have found that gene FLT3 can be a valid target in treating one of the most common forms of leukemia called the Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). The technique, developed by Pacific Biosciences, allows for the rapid and comprehensive detection of gene mutations in patients with AML. The findings, published online April 15 in iNature/i, are a result of collaboration among scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, Pacific Biosciences and Mount Sinai School of Medicine....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-flt3-valid-target-in-acute-myeloid-leukemia-treatment-100178-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-repair-pathway-score-to-predict-effectiveness-of-chemotherapy-in-ovarian-cancer-patients-100172-1.htm Researchers have developed a DNA repair pathway score that could show whether first-line platinum based chemotherapy can be effective in advanced stage ovarian cancer patients. The study is published April 13 in the iJournal of the National Cancer Institute/i. Most ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with advanced disease (stages III and IV). They undergo surgery to remove as much tumor as possible, and then undergo platinum-based chemotherapy. But tools to predict response to platinum-based ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-repair-pathway-score-to-predict-effectiveness-of-chemotherapy-in-ovarian-cancer-patients-100172-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/radical-gene-therapy-may-help-parkinsons-patients-100075-1.htm In a major boost to a possible treatment for Parkinson's disease, a British woman was able to write for the first time in 15 years after undergoing a radical gene therapy. Sheila Roy was diagnosed with Parkinson's more than 17 years ago and has struggled to perform even simple activities such as writing. She was chosen to be one of only 15 patients diagnosed with Parkinson's to undergo a radical treatment at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. The doctors injected the patients with a modified ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/radical-gene-therapy-may-help-parkinsons-patients-100075-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-tests-help-identify-unsafe-ingredients-in-chinese-therapies-100051-1.htm A host of illegal and unsafe ingredients showed up in DNA sequencing tests on 15 Chinese traditional medicines, say researchers. Such therapies have been used in China for more than 3,000 years, but have risen in popularity outside Asia in recent decades and now amount to a global industry worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year, according to the study in PLoS Genetics. Despite their popularity, little scientific evidence exists to prove the benefits of Chinese traditional medicines ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-tests-help-identify-unsafe-ingredients-in-chinese-therapies-100051-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/sensitivity-to-antifolate-therapy-influenced-by-kras-gene-mutation-and-amplification-status-100025-1.htm Response to treatment with antifolates may be predicted by testing patients with non-small cell lung cancer for both mutations and amplifications of the KRAS gene prior to therapy. These findings are contained in the updated results of a preclinical study presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012, held here March 31 - April 4. Patients, especially those with lung cancer, who have KRAS gene mutations have a worse prognosis and do not respond well to targeted therapies, according to Sarah Bacus, Ph....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/sensitivity-to-antifolate-therapy-influenced-by-kras-gene-mutation-and-amplification-status-100025-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/some-gene-mutations-can-be-corrected-by-diet-99979-1.htm Some unhealthy gene mutations can be corrected with diet, according to scientists. The new research report appears in the April 2012 issue of the journal IGENETICS/I (A HREF="http:www.genetics.org/"http:www.genetics.org//A). Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, determined variations and responses to vitamin treatment in the human cystathionine beta synthase gene, which when defective, causes the disease homocystinuria, an inherited metabolic disorder sometimes treatable with vitamin B6....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/some-gene-mutations-can-be-corrected-by-diet-99979-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-that-predicts-recurrence-of-head-and-neck-cancer-identified-99943-1.htm Squamous cell carcinoma us a type of head and neck caner that has a relatively low five-year survival rate and a high recurrence rate. Recently, the disease has become even more prevalent among adults 40 years of age or younger. These statistics underscore the need for a greater understanding of the molecular underpinnings of this form of cancer. Toward this goal, Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have identified a gene that predicts disease recurrence in individuals with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-that-predicts-recurrence-of-head-and-neck-cancer-identified-99943-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-gene-linked-to-early-onset-alzheimers-99911-1.htm A new gene that causes early-onset of Alzheimer's disease has been identified by scientists. Dominique Campion and his research team at the Insert unit 1079 "Genetics of cancer and neuropsychiatric diseases" in Rouen showed that in the families of 5 of 14 patients suffering from the disease, mutations were detected on the gene SORL1. This gene regulates the production of a peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease. Precise genetic mutations have been seen to play a part in early-onset forms of Alzheimer's disease....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-gene-linked-to-early-onset-alzheimers-99911-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-targets-for-new-colon-cancer-test-identified-99878-1.htm Researchers have discovered two gene targets for new noninvasive colorectal cancer test. The test can quickly detect both early stage cancer and precancerous polyps. "This study provided a means to refine our stool test and to minimize false-positive results, which can lead to unnecessary expense and cause patients undue stress," says principal investigator David Ahlquist, M.D., of Mayo Clinic. The study involved 500 patients, ages 50 to 80, who had no symptoms and who recently had a colonoscopy with normal results....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gene-targets-for-new-colon-cancer-test-identified-99878-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/emerging-malaria-drug-resistance-to-be-investigated-by-gene-chip-99872-1.htm A "gene chip" may help identify malaria drug resistance and help combat the devastating disease. The chip has been developed by developed by researchers from the University of Notre Dame's Eck Institute for Global Health. The team of researchers includes Notre Dame's Michael Ferdig, associate professor of biological sciences and doctoral student Becky Miller along with John Tan, managing director of the Genomics Core Facility, in collaboration with Tim Anderson of Texas Biomedical Research Institute and Francois Nosten, M....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/emerging-malaria-drug-resistance-to-be-investigated-by-gene-chip-99872-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-risk-influenced-by-rare-gene-glitches-99831-1.htm A new study has revealed that mutations in genes involved in wiring the brain may trigger development of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, while there is no simple explanation for ASD, the researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center identified a few genes as "genuine risk factors", raising hopes that they will be able to discover the underlying biological cause of these disorders. Numerous other genes are also strongly implicated based on their biological functions and roles in conditions related to ASD....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-risk-influenced-by-rare-gene-glitches-99831-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-marker-that-predicts-success-of-ovarian-cancer-treatment-identified-99747-1.htm Blood can actually help determine the best treatment plan for patients with ovarian cancer, according to researchers and doctors at the North Shore-LIJ Health System and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. More specifically, a genetic marker embedded in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), called microRNA, indicates if a patient with ovarian cancer has a benign or cancerous tumor, and that she will benefit from chemotherapy after surgery on the tumor. This data will be presented at the American ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-marker-that-predicts-success-of-ovarian-cancer-treatment-identified-99747-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/personalized-cancer-treatment-grounded-on-dna-sequencing-99708-1.htm Besides using powerful DNA sequencing technology by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to identify mutations at the root of a patient's tumor, regarded key to personalizing cancer treatment, it also maps the genetic evolution of disease and monitor response to treatment. "We're finding clinically relevant information in the tumor samples we''re sequencing for discovery-oriented research studies," says Elaine Mardis, PhD, co-director of The Genome Institute at the School of Medicine....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/personalized-cancer-treatment-grounded-on-dna-sequencing-99708-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/keying-driver-mutations-in-cancer-may-get-help-from-dna-sequencing-99656-1.htm Apart from powerful DNA sequencing technology helping spot mutations at the root of a patient's tumour, regarded vital for personalizing cancer treatment, it also helps map the genetic evolution of disease and monitor response to treatment, reveals new study. "We're finding clinically relevant information in the tumour samples we're sequencing for discovery-oriented research studies," said Elaine Mardis, PhD, co-director of The Genome Institute at the School of Medicine. "Genome analysis ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/keying-driver-mutations-in-cancer-may-get-help-from-dna-sequencing-99656-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/newborns-with-cystic-fibrosis-have-gene-variations-that-could-cause-intestinal-blockage-99626-1.htm Several regions of the genome that may predispose cystic fibrosis (CF) patients to develop an intestinal blockage even while in the womb have been identified by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers working as part of the International Cystic Fibrosis Consortium. A report of this international study appears online April 1, 2012 in the journal iNature Genetics/i. It was the work of the North America CF Gene Modifier Consortium, which brought together dozens of investigators ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/newborns-with-cystic-fibrosis-have-gene-variations-that-could-cause-intestinal-blockage-99626-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/even-consensual-sex-can-cause-vaginal-injuries-as-rape-99558-1.htm A new study has found that even consensual sex can cause vaginal injuries in women as they are in rapes. When police officers around the world investigate rape cases, the presence of lesions inside a woman's vagina is considered as an indicator of whether she has been assaulted. However, an in-depth study comparing rape victims with nursing students at the University of Southern Denmark reveals that vaginal injuries are just as likely to result from consensual sex as rape. "The findings ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/even-consensual-sex-can-cause-vaginal-injuries-as-rape-99558-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/abnormalities-in-embryo-dna-methylation-may-cause-early-pregnancy-loss-99524-1.htm bInsufficient maintenance methylation in the embryo, and not in the mother, is associated with abnormal embryonic development in human early pregnancy loss, according to a Chinese study published in the journal BMC Medicine. /b Early Pregnancy Loss (EPL) is the medical term for miscarriage or abortion within the sixth week of conception. Although chromosomal abnormality in the embryo, endocrine diseases in the mother, immunologic factors or even environmental influences may cause ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/abnormalities-in-embryo-dna-methylation-may-cause-early-pregnancy-loss-99524-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-gene-linked-to-breast-cancer-risk-identified-99520-1.htm Mutations in a gene called XRCC2 may lead to increased breast cancer risk, according to a new study. The study looked at families that have a history of the disease but do not have mutations in the currently known breast cancer susceptibility genes. Sean Tavtigian, Ph.D., a Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) investigator and associate professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah (U of U) is one of three co-principal investigators on the study, along with David Goldgar, Ph....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-gene-linked-to-breast-cancer-risk-identified-99520-1.htm