CSIRO AUSTRALIA Australia’s national science agency CSIRO has identified a new gene that plays a critical role in regulating the body’s immune response to infection and disease. The discovery could lead to the development of new treatments for influenza, arthritis and even cancer. The gene, called C6orf106 or “C6”, controls the production of proteins involved...
Category: <span>Genetics</span>
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Autism traits could be ‘edited’ out genetic trial suggests
Researchers are hailing a breakthrough after they used cutting-edge gene editing to significantly reduce repetitive behavior associated with the disorder. The study on mice used gold nanoparticles to target genes causing repetitive behaviour. CREDIT: SOLOMON BANDA The technique, which was performed on mice, could also be developed to treat conditions ranging from opioid addiction and neuropathic pain to schizophrenia...
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Scientists eradicate cancer cells through dual targeting of DNA repair mechanisms
Proteins are commonly known as BRCA—short for BReast CAncer susceptibility gene- serve a critical role in cellular DNA repair, but when mutated they allow genetic errors to replicate, facilitating cancer development. If the BRCA repair system is disabled in cancer cells, the cells simply turn to backup repair mechanisms and adapt to alternative repair pathways,...
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Recipe for perfect balance of breaks and repairs in our genome could help fight cancer
Scientists at the University of Sheffield have discovered what keeps the perfect balance of breaks and repairs in our DNA—something which could help improve the success of chemotherapy and combat neurodegeneration associated with aging. Our genome, where precious genetic information is stored, is challenged with thousands of breaks every day. Cells possess an army of...
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How ‘gatekeepers’ to a cell’s nucleus let genetic instructions pass through
New structural details emerge about one of the body’s biggest protein assemblages, the nuclear pore complex CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Standing guard between a cell’s nucleus and its main chamber, called the cytoplasm, are thousands of behemoth protein structures called nuclear pore complexes, or NPCs. NPCs are like the bouncers of a cell’s nucleus, tightly...
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Researchers identify new gene changes that point to elevated prostate cancer risk
Findings may help identify men who need early, regular screening CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY As the result of a six-year long research process, Fredrick R. Schumacher, PhD, a cancer epidemiology researcher at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and an international team of more than 100 colleagues have identified 63 new genetic variations that could indicate...
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Key cancer-fighting gene’s secret weapons revealed
The findings revealed that a special group of genes that function within the body’s normal DNA repair process were vital to the effectiveness of p53. This new information could help doctors to better identify patients with an increased risk of developing certain cancers. It could also help to develop safer, more effective treatments for patients....
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Killing bacteria by silencing genes may be alternative to antibiotics
A new approach to killing C. difficile that silences key bacterial genes while sparing other bacteria may provide a new way to treat the most common hospital-acquired bacterial infection in the United States, according to researchers. This photograph depicts Clostridium difficile colonies after 48hrs growth on a blood agar plate; Magnified 4.8X. C. difficile, an anaerobic...
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Study offers new hope for the fight against genetically determined obesity
UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN THE FACULTY OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SCIENCES Around two to six per cent of all people with obesity develop obesity already in early childhood; it’s in their genetic cards. Obesity-causal mutations in one of their ‘appetite genes’ gives them a strong genetic predisposition for developing obesity, also called monogenic obesity. Their experience...
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New method for finding disease-susceptibility genes
A new study has resulted in a novel statistical algorithm capable of identifying potential disease genes in a more accurate and cost-effective way. This algorithm is a possible approach for the identification of candidate disease genes, as it works effectively with less genomic data and takes only a minute or two to get results. Comparison...