http://www.physorg.com/health-news/genetics/ en-us PhysOrg.com provides the latest news on genetics, genetic science, genetic research, genetic engineering, genetic studies and genes. (PhysOrg.com) -- A team led by Penn State's Ross Hardison, T. Ming Chu Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has taken a large step toward unraveling how regulatory proteins control the production of gene products during development and growth. Working with collaborators including Drs. Mitchell Weiss and Gerd Blobel at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, they focused specifically on the complex process of producing red blood cells (erythrocytes). These cells contain large amounts of hemoglobin, a molecule essential for transporting oxygen throughout the body. Abnormalities in hemoglobin figure in many serious diseases, such as sickle-cell disease, and abnormalities in producing blood cells can lead to leukemias. The work will be published in the December 2009 issue of the journal Genome Research. http://www.physorg.com/news177865776.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:40:21 EST news177865776 A whirlwind of activity is under way to apply the findings of the $3 billion Human Genome Project to improve health care in the United States and around the world. http://www.physorg.com/news177788607.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:30:01 EST news177788607 A well-known Eastern medicine supplement may help avoid the most common cause of liver transplantation, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding came as a surprise to the scientists, who used a number of advanced genetic and genomic techniques in mice to identify a molecular pathway that counters acetaminophen toxicity, which leads to liver failure. http://www.physorg.com/news177703404.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:10:03 EST news177703404 (PhysOrg.com) -- Two genes containing mutations known to cause rare familial forms of parkinsonism are also associated with the more common, sporadic form of the disease where there is no family history, researchers have found. http://www.physorg.com/news177683398.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:03 EST news177683398 (PhysOrg.com) -- UW researchers have successfully used a method called exome sequencing to quickly discover a previously unknown gene responsible for a rare disorder. The finding demonstrates the usefulness of exome sequencing in studying the 7,000 plus rare genetic disorders affecting millions of people. http://www.physorg.com/news177670903.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:10:04 EST news177670903 In the largest, most comprehensive genetic analysis of childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an international research team has identified five new gene regions, including one involved in a biological pathway that helps drive the painful inflammation of the digestive tract that characterizes the disease. http://www.physorg.com/news177515874.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:59:14 EST news177515874 (PhysOrg.com) -- If you've ever wondered why a close group of friends might like completely different types of music, blame their genes. A study by Nokia and Kings' College London into the musical tastes of nearly 4,000 twins reveals genetic influences on the music people like varies with genre. http://www.physorg.com/news177233156.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:26:29 EST news177233156 A team led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has found a clear link between living to 100 and inheriting a hyperactive version of an enzyme that rebuilds telomeres - the tip ends of chromosomes. The findings appear in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. http://www.physorg.com/news177186096.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:22:39 EST news177186096 (PhysOrg.com) -- If humans are genetically related to chimps, why did our brains develop the innate ability for language and speech while theirs did not? http://www.physorg.com/news177168331.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:26:18 EST news177168331 (PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists in Australia have identified a single gene that strongly influences whether you have curly or straight hair. http://www.physorg.com/news177063334.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:16:43 EST news177063334 (PhysOrg.com) -- Becoming "hard of hearing" is a standard but unfortunate part of aging: A syndrome called age-related hearing loss affects about 40 percent of people over 65 in the United States, and will afflict an estimated 28 million Americans by 2030. http://www.physorg.com/news177007147.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:30:11 EST news177007147 (PhysOrg.com) -- The gnawing pain of rheumatoid arthritis is a signal that the body`s immune system has hit the wrong target: its own cartilage and bone. http://www.physorg.com/news176978059.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:35:22 EST news176978059 The loss of a gene through deletion of genetic material on chromosome 15 is associated with significant abnormalities in learning and behavior, said a consortium of researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears online today in the journal Nature Genetics. http://www.physorg.com/news176908780.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:21:46 EST news176908780 (PhysOrg.com) -- An international team including researchers with the National Institutes of Health has discovered that mutations in either of two related genes cause a severe and rare form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in young children. http://www.physorg.com/news176658665.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:20:03 EST news176658665 (PhysOrg.com) -- A gene associated with longevity in roundworms and humans has been shown to affect the function of stem cells that generate new neurons in the adult brain, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The study in mice suggests that the gene may play an important role in maintaining cognitive function during aging. http://www.physorg.com/news176651173.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:48:34 EST news176651173 Results of a long QT syndrome (LQTS) study published in the current issue of Circulation play an important role in understanding genetic testing's role in diagnosing disease, according to the senior author, Michael Ackerman, M.D., Ph.D. A pediatric cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Ackerman directs Mayo's Long QT Syndrome Clinic and is the director of the Mayo Clinic Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory. http://www.physorg.com/news176649132.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:30:02 EST news176649132 (AP) -- Britain is using genetic tests on some African asylum seekers in an effort to catch those who are lying about their nationality, drawing criticism from scientists and provoking outrage from rights groups. http://www.physorg.com/news176636210.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:20:01 EST news176636210 Scientists have an ambitious new strategy for untangling the evolutionary history of humans and their biological relatives: Create a genetic menagerie made of the DNA of more than 10,000 vertebrate species. The plan, proposed by an international consortium of scientists, is to obtain, preserve, and sequence the DNA of approximately one species for each genus of living mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. http://www.physorg.com/news176564031.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:50:01 EST news176564031 In this week's Nature, Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) scientists report a technological advance in the study of gene expression and regulation in the genome's three-dimensional folding and looping state through the development of a novel technology. http://www.physorg.com/news176564162.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:36:30 EST news176564162 Like all tissues in the body, the eye needs a healthy blood supply to function properly. Poorly developed blood vessels can lead to visual impairment or even blindness. While many of the molecules involved in guiding the development of the intricate blood vessel architecture are known, only now are we learning how these molecules work and how they might affect sight. http://www.physorg.com/news176131738.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:29:29 EST news176131738 (PhysOrg.com) -- Two genetic mutations that may put individuals at increased risk of fungal infections have been identified by scientists from UCL and Radboud University, increasing understanding about the genetic basis of these infections and potentially aiding the development of new treatments. http://www.physorg.com/news175969184.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:30:02 EST news175969184 Prozac works wonders for some depressed people, but not for others. In some cases, patients derive little benefit and at worst, it can lead to bizarre hallucinations and fits of rage. Researchers and doctors remain puzzled as to what causes the wide range of reaction to Prozac and similar antidepressants. http://www.physorg.com/news175862631.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:10:01 EST news175862631 Your genetic make up may predispose you to drink more but may not increase your genetic risk for alcoholism (alcohol dependence). Research published in the open access journal, BMC Biology, pinpoints genetic pathways and genes associated with levels of alcohol consumption but not with alcohol dependence in rats and humans. http://www.physorg.com/news175807067.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:22:26 EST news175807067 A rare form of testicular tumour has provided scientists with new insights into how genetic changes (mutations) arise in our children. The research, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Danish Cancer Society, could explain why certain diseases are more common in the children of older fathers. http://www.physorg.com/news175702626.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:17:49 EST news175702626 An international team of researchers led by geneticist Jonathan Sebat, Ph.D., of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), has identified a mutation on human chromosome 16 that substantially increases risk for schizophrenia. http://www.physorg.com/news175701803.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:05:48 EST news175701803 Soon you could be genetically screened for mitochondrial disorders quickly and comprehensively. Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal, Genome Medicine, outlines an innovative clinical diagnostic test for the early identification of a wide range of mitochondrial disorders. Mutations to one of the mitochondrial genes, or to a number of nuclear genes with roles in mitochondrial function, can cause diseases which have very similar symptoms, making them difficult to diagnose and treat. http://www.physorg.com/news175458133.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:30:09 EST news175458133 A new study uses a creative structure-based remodeling strategy to design a therapeutic protein that exhibits significant advantages over currently available treatments for a rare disease that often leads to cardiac and renal failure. The research, published by Cell Press on October 22nd in the American Journal of Human Genetics, describes a new and highly promising candidate for enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for Fabry disease. http://www.physorg.com/news175436202.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:30:06 EST news175436202 Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have uncovered a new genetic signature that correlates strongly with autism and which doesn't involve changes to the DNA sequence itself. Rather, the changes are in the way the genes are turned on and off. The finding may suggest new approaches to diagnosis and treatment of autism. http://www.physorg.com/news175374486.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:09:37 EST news175374486 An international team led by a National Institutes of Health researcher has found that carriers of a rare, genetic condition called Gaucher disease face a risk of developing Parkinson's disease more than five times greater than the general public. The findings were published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. http://www.physorg.com/news175364749.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:27:08 EST news175364749 Researchers at North Carolina State University have found a genetic "switch" in fruit flies that plays an important role in making flies more tolerant to alcohol. http://www.physorg.com/news175347713.html Medicine & Health - Genetics Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:44:07 EST news175347713