The genes are composed of DNA and are carried on the chromosomes. Genes direct the production of all the molecules that form the structures that of a cell. Genes determine the inherited characteristics that distinguish one individual from another. Each human has an estimated 90,000 genes.
DNA could reveal your surname; Research by University of Leicester has implications for forensics as well as genealogy. – Scientists at the world-leading Department of Genetics at the University of Leicester ? where the revolutionary technique of genetic fingerprinting was invented by Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys – are developing techniques which may one day allow police to work out someone’s surname from the DNA alone.
Breast stem cell fate is regulated by notch. Errant expression leads to uncontrolled breast ductal cell growth. – A normal developmental protein that sometimes goes awry has been implicated in breast cancer. This discovery indicates the mechanism by which inappropriate expression of the Notch pathway may contribute to breast cancer.
Researchers looked at a UK sample of patients with AMD and controls, and screened 32 genes potentially involved in the condition. Results suggest an association with the SERPING1 gene. – A new genetic association is established with the eye condition age-related macular degeneration (AMD), revealed by researchers.
23andMe – Personal Genetics Leader to Focus on Building DNA-based Community For Women Impacted by Breast Cancer. – 23andMe, Inc., the industry leader in personal genetics, announced that it is embarking on a world-wide effort to assemble the largest cohort of women whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer and to build an infrastructure, based on genetics, that will accelerate consumer-based research of the disease.
Three genes are associated with increased risk of higher levels of uric acid in the blood, which can lead to gout. – Researchers have identified two new genes ? and confirmed the role of a third gene ? associated with increased risk of higher levels of uric acid in the blood, which can lead to gout, a common, painful form of arthritis.
JAMA study a first to connect obesity, genetics and colon cancer risk. Gene variation associated with decreased risk of colorectal cancer. – A new study reveals the first-ever genetic link between obesity and colon cancer risk, a finding that could lead to greater accuracy in testing for the disease, said a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
Researchers revealed that having a family history of cancerous brain tumors puts you at a higher risk of developing the same kind of brain tumor. – People with a family history of cancerous brain tumors appear to be at higher risk of developing the same kind of tumors compared to people with no such family history, according to a study published in the September 23, 2008, issue of Neurology?, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
A promising new chemotherapy target for a deadly form of leukemia has been discovered by researchers at the Stanford University Medical Center, US. – Cancer researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered a promising new chemotherapy target for a deadly form of leukemia. Their discovery hinges on a novel “double agent” role for a molecular signal that regulates cell growth.
Genetic variation can be used to predict an individual’s pair-bonding behavior; Gene associated with pair-bonding in animals has similar effects in human males. – Variation in the gene for one of the receptors for the hormone vasopressin appears to be associated with how human males bond with their partners, according to an international team of researchers.
Contraceptive pills may cause change in women’s natural ability to choose a right partner, result in difficulties when trying to conceive, an increased risk of miscarriage and long intervals between pregnancies. – The contraceptive pill may disrupt women’s natural ability to choose a partner genetically dissimilar to themselves, research at the Universities of Liverpool and Newcastle has found.
About one-third of colorectal cancers are inherited, but the genetic cause of most of these cancers is unknown. The genes linked to colorectal cancer account for less than 5 percent of all cases. – Scientists at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and colleagues have discovered a genetic trait that is present in 10 to 20 percent of patients with colorectal cancer. The findings strongly suggest that the trait is a major contributor to colorectal cancer risk and likely the most common cause of colorectal cancer to date.
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) welcomes advances in stem cell research, and stresses continued importance of pursuing all promising areas of research. – Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement regarding the news that researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute created 20 disease-specific stem cell lines thru the new induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) technique:
