Latest Genes Stories

Colon cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States and causes more than 50,000 deaths each year. It has been known for some time that mutations in the APC gene occur in more than 85 percent of all sporadic colon cancers. Now researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah demonstrate in a study featured today in Cell the mechanism by which mutation of the APC gene affects a cellular process known as DNA methylation. DNA methylation is a chemical modification...

The findings could shed new light on human learning and neurological and psychiatric disordersA team led by a Scripps Research Institute scientist has for the first time identified a new gene that is required for memory formation in Drosophila, the common fruit fly. The gene may have similar functions in humans, shedding light on neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease or human learning disabilities.The study was published in the September 9, 2010 edition (Vol. 67, No. 5) of the...

Researchers at the Faculty of Health Sciences have succeeded in decoding the genetic key that gives particular intestinal cells their identity. With this knowledge of the complex network of genes the researchers now hope to stop colon cancer by activating special anti-cancer genes. Colon sloughs liningThe intestines have to work properly if we are to benefit from the food we eat. Digestive juices must be secreted, the food broken down into smaller components and then transported through the...

Scientists have identified a protein that may bring light to the addictive impact of cocaine on the brain. Researchers said a protein known as methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) mixes with a genetic material known as microRNA, which controls a person's motivation to take cocaine. The researchers from the Scripps Research Institute in Florida looked at the expression of MeCP2 in the brain being exposed to cocaine.  During the study, they found the expression was increased in animals...

When a certain protein is mutated or missing, symptoms of the neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome arise, causing a gradual loss of brain function during early development.This fact led Duke University Medical Center researchers to test a theory that the protein might also contribute to nerve-cell connection (synapse) changes in a fully formed adult mouse brain when exposed to psychostimulant use.In two experiments with mice, Anne West, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of...

Protein linked to mental retardation may be controlling factor in drug's effect in the brainScientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified a protein that may act as the trigger controlling the addictive impact of cocaine in the brain. The findings may one day lead to new therapies to treat addiction.The study was published on August 15, 2010, in the prestigious journal Nature Neuroscience.The results from the new study strongly suggest that a protein...

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Epitherix, LLC, a privately held company focused on the discovery and development of novel Wnt pathway small molecule inhibitors for epithelial and leukemic cancers, today announced that it has identified multiple chemical scaffolds that are potent and selective against colorectal carcinoma. "We're very encouraged by our in vitro and in vivo data, especially considering the difficulty in drugging this pathway to date," said Dr. Osman Kibar, CEO of...

FOX ISLAND, Wash., July 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Black Hawk Exploration, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BHWX), announces completion of the early segments of the Phase 2 exploratory drill program at its Dun Glen gold and silver property. Samples have been submitted to ALS Chemex for gold and silver analysis and pending initial results, select samples will undergo Fire Screen testing to detect for coarse gold nugget effect. "We are extremely satisfied with the quantity of samples extracted...

Australian scientists have identified the behaviour of the mutant protein "˜huntingtin' which leads to the fatal Huntington's disease providing potential targets to treat the disease, a University of Melbourne study reveals.Huntington's disease is a genetic disease with no cure, characterized by a steady decline in motor control and the dysfunction and death of brain cells. The cause of the disease has long baffled scientists.Symptoms tend to first appear when the person is in their thirties...

FOX ISLAND, Wash., July 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Black Hawk Exploration, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BHWX) releases 3rd quarter management report and significant activities and milestones attained over the last 150 day period from March 1, 2010 through current drilling activities at our Dun Glen gold exploration in progress. The Board of Black Hawk Exploration is pleased to announce the mobilization of drilling equipment at our Dun Glen gold and silver property in Nevada. Our focus is to...