Date:September 2, 2019 Source: Simons Foundation Summary:Congestion causes the mass of tubes and motors that form chromosome-dividing spindles to move at full speed instead of slowing to a crawl, new research reveals. Fleets of microscopic machines toil away in your cells, carrying out critical biological tasks and keeping you alive. By combining theory and experiment, researchers have discovered the...
Category: <span>Genetics</span>
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Forget single genes: CRISPR now cuts and splices whole chromosomes
Imagine a word processor that allowed you to change letters or words but balked when you tried to cut or rearrange whole paragraphs. Biologists have faced such constraints for decades. They could add or disable genes in a cell or even—with the genome-editing technology CRISPR—make precise changes within genes. Those capabilities have led to recombinant DNA technology, genetically modified organisms, and...
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Moles on the body largely influenced by genetics, finds new study
KING’S COLLEGE LONDON A study published this week in the journal Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research has found that genes have a greater influence than previously thought not only on the number of moles you have but also where they are on your body. Survival of skin cancer is known to be influenced by gender, with female patients demonstrating higher rates of survival linked...
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Genetic characteristics of peripheral artery disease
by Matt Batcheldor, Vanderbilt University Peripheral artery disease (PAD)—a narrowing of the arteries serving the legs and feet —affects as many as 12 million Americans and 200 million people worldwide. It is a manifestation of clogged arteries, but until now, scientists lacked information about why some people with the disease presented with problems with their...
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Genetic test can spot prostate cancer patients who would benefit from ‘seek and destroy’ treatment by looking for DNA errors
The promising ‘seek and destroy’ treatment uses highly specific radiation doses But it doesn’t work for all men – this test could make it easier to check Experts hope the therapy could benefit more than 5,000 men a year in the UK The eligibility test looks for a genetic fault linked to a certain type of tumour By SAM BLANCHARD SENIOR HEALTH REPORTER FOR MAILONLINE A test can work out...
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Beyond finding a gene: Same repeated stretch of DNA found in three neurodegenerative diseases
by University of Tokyo Four rare diseases are characterized by similar symptoms of neurodegeneration. Patients with three of the diseases — fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) and oculopharyngeal myopathy with leukoencephalopathy (OPML) — have similar MRI brain scan images. Patients with a fourth disease, oculopharyngodistal myopathy (OPDM), have normal brain scans, but their muscle tissue has a...
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DNA sequencing study suggests common genetic basis for epilepsy
by Abbey Bigler, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Epilepsy is one of the most widespread neurological disorders, but relatively little is known about the genes involved in the more common types. By examining all the genes of over 17,000 people, an international research group has found that more and less severe forms of epilepsy may...
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Exploring genetic “dark matter,” researchers gain new insights into autism and stroke
Posted Today With its elegant double helix and voluminous genetic script, DNA has become the of darling of nucleic acids. Yet, it is not all powerful. In order for DNA to realize its potential—for genes to become proteins—it must first be transcribed into RNA, a delicate molecule that requires intense care and guidance. “Gene expression is a lot more complicated...
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Landmark Gene-Editing Work May Help Restore Vision
Researchers will use CRISPR technology to try to help patients with rare disease By Newser Editors and Wire Services Posted Jul 25, 2019 12:42 PM CDT (NEWSER) – Patients are about to be enrolled in the first study to test a gene-editing technique known as CRISPR inside the body to try to cure an inherited...
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Cannabidiol-derived drugs and genetic testing provide hope for ‘intractable’ epilepsy in children
by Isabel Derera, The Conversation It can start with a vacant stare, what appear to be muscle twitches or a full-blown seizure. But no matter how it begins, any time a child is diagnosed with epilepsy is often a frightening time for families. About 470,000 children are living with epilepsy in the U.S. While there are over a...