Genomics news from FierceBioResearcher
NewsNIH doles out $438M for daring research
The NIH is opening its purse to fund $438 million in new research projects that have the potential to make groundbreaking progress against some of the world's toughest medical challenges. Dr. Alan Read more...
Grape extract offers possible cancer treatment
Researchers have found that a grape skin extract plays a key role in fighting prostate cancer. This muscadine grape skin extract (MSKE), though, does not contain significant concentrations of Read more...
Pathway discovered to influence fat accumulationIn a remarkable breakthrough for weight research, scientists have reported the discovery of a neurochemical pathway that stimulates the accumulation of fat in animals laboring under chronically high stress and exposed to a diet of junk food. Inhibiting the pathway prevented weight gain in mice but selectively spurring the mechanism allowed for the strategic accumulation of weight--potentially opening a new pathway to mold larger breasts, firmer buttocks and younger faces. Zofia … Read more...Venter's latest revelation could save the worldThe Times' Anjana Ahuja takes J. Craig Venter's latest revelation and breaks it down to some easily understood concepts. Venter is focused on creating synthetic life, taking 400 or so genes and making a microbe of his own design. Built properly, the microbe could be used to create a new generation of clean fuels. And his patent on the work, if granted, would give Venter … Read more...Gene combo dramatically increases risk of Alzheimer'sNew work at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix has revealed that a copy of the APOE4 gene variant quadruples a person's chances of developing late-onset Alzheimer's. Couple that with the GAB2 variant and the chance of developing the disease rises to 16 times the average risk factor. The scientists believe that the combination of the two spurs the development of one of the proteins that afflicts the brains of people with Alzheimer's. In their work, the scientists … Read more...New drug controls body's signals for eatingA research team at Hebrew University on Jerusalem has developed a drug that mimics the activity of the hormone aMSH, which spurs the feeling of fullness. The hormone binds to a receptor in the brain that sends out the signal to the body that it is full. The researchers, led by a grad student, developed a synthetic peptide called BL-3020 that was able to enter the bloodstream, make its way to the receptor and emit the 'full' signal. Testing the therapy on mice over 24 hours, researchers … Read more...Gene therapy approach may work against EDTackling the problem of erectile dysfunction which occurs as a result of surgery, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh say they were able to cure the condition in rats using gene therapy to stimulate the growth of a crucial nerve. Nerve damage during bladder surgery or the removal of the prostate can cause ED, which cannot be treated with any currently available therapies. But the researchers were able to cure it by treating the nerves with nerve growth factors. The genes are … Read more...Gene therapy study relieves pain in RA mice modelScientists have successfully tested a new gene therapy approach to treating pain and other symptoms linked to rheumatoid arthritis. They took an adeno-associated virus--a standard delivery tool in gene therapy--to transport the mu-opioid receptor gene to the joints of afflicted mice. Those receptors facilitate the entry of the body's natural painkillers into cells and the more of them a patient has around affected joints the more responsive they are to the natural approach. Dr. Stephanos … Read more...First gene therapy for eye disease may offer a cureRobin Ali, a professor of human molecular genetics at University College London, is leading the world's first human trial of a gene therapy for an eye condition. A total of 12 patients with Leber's Congenital Amaurocis are being treated in the trial. Their photoreceptor cells misfunction due to a faulty RPE65 gene. That is an extremely rare condition, but investigators say that if this trial works they'll be able to use a similar approach to treating about 100 single-gene sight disorders … Read more...Venture group targets tech transfer deals in TexasEmergent Technologies garnered $27.1 million in venture capital to license biotech research programs from the University of Texas. ETI has been operating in Texas for several years now. It specializes in identifying promising biotech research, licensing the technology and then spawning small start-up companies to advance the work. The company typically makes relatively small investments in each start-up and looks to larger pharma companies to come in and partner with them, providing much … Read more... | Press ReleasesPRESS RELEASE: First Individual Diploid Human Genome Published By Researchers at J. Craig Venter Institute First Individual Diploid Human Genome Published By Researchers at J. Craig Venter Institute Sequence Reveals that Human to Human Variation is Substantially Greater than Earlier Estimates Independent Read more... |
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