Genetics

Spontaneous Mutations Play a Key Role in Congenital Heart Disease
05/14/2013 - 09:00

Every year, thousands of babies are born with severely malformed hearts, disorders known collectively as congenital heart disease. Many of these defects can be repaired though surgery, but researchers don’t understand what causes them or how to prevent them. New research shows that about 10 percent of these defects are caused by genetic mutations that are absent in the parents of affected children.

 

more
Endometrial cancer findings emerge from genome sequencing study
05/10/2013 - 11:23

Investigators from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network, including several scientists from the Broad Institute, have published the most comprehensive genomic analysis of endometrial cancer to date. Their study, which appeared in the May 2 issue of Nature, classified the tumors into four novel sub-types and identified molecular similarities between some of these sub-types and other forms of cancer, including ovarian, breast, and colorectal cancers. The findings provide new clues about the molecular pathways that may contribute to the disease, and could help identify which patients might benefit from aggressive treatment.

 

more
Scientists Find Key to Gene-Silencing Activity
05/10/2013 - 10:28

A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has found how to boost or inhibit a gene-silencing mechanism that normally serves as a major controller of cells’ activities. The discovery could lead to a powerful new class of drugs against viral infections, cancers and other diseases.

 

more
Scientists assemble genetic playbook for acute leukemia
05/01/2013 - 13:48

A team of researchers led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified virtually all of the major mutations that drive acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a fast-growing blood cancer in adults that often is difficult to treat.

 

more
Big-Data Analysis Identifies Prognostic RNA Markers in a Common Form of Breast Cancer
04/29/2013 - 13:58

A Big-Data analysis that integrates three large sets of genomic data available through The Cancer Genome Atlas has identified 37 RNA molecules that might predict survival in patients with the most common form of breast cancer.

 

more
Couch Potatoes May Be Genetically Predisposed to Being Lazy
04/08/2013 - 16:30

Studies show 97 percent of American adults get less than 30 minutes of exercise a day, which is the minimum recommended amount based on federal guidelines. New research from the University of Missouri suggests certain genetic traits may predispose people to being more or less motivated to exercise and remain active. Frank Booth, a professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, along with his post-doctoral fellow Michael Roberts, were able to selectively breed rats that exhibited traits of either extreme activity or extreme laziness. They say these rats indicate that genetics could play a role in exercise motivation, even in humans.

 

more