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NEWS:
The Genetics Of Cancer
University of Delaware molecular biologist Mona Batish and collaborators at Harvard Medical School and University of California, Los Angeles, have identified a new circular ribonucleic acid (RNA) that increases tumor activity in soft tissue and connective tissue tumors.
Finding this new genetic unit has the potential to advance understanding of the genetics of cancer and how cancer is identified and treated.
The researchers recently reported their findings in a new paper in Cell Research, a Nature journal. Batish was a co-author on the team that included Jlenia Guarnerio, the paper’s lead author and assistant professor of biomedical sciences at UCLA and at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Pier Paolo Pandolfi, the Aresty Endowed Chair of Medicine and professor of medicine and pathology at Harvard Medical School; and colleagues from Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Cent
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Results Announced For Pioneering Research On The Effect Of Mutant Genes On Stuttering Therapy
Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI), a national center for stuttering research and therapy innovation, just completed another research initiative in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study is the first to evaluate stuttering therapy outcomes among a group of stutterers who possess one of four mutant genes for stuttering in comparison to a group who do not carry the same mutant genes.
Findings revealed significant fluency outcomes for both groups following participation in HCRI's 12-day stuttering therapy program. At the same time, results suggested stuttering is slightly more resistant to therapy in individuals who carry a stuttering gene mutation. While dysfluency measures after therapy were similar for both groups, personal perceptions of fluency among the carrier group were weaker. The results of the study are published in the 2019 July/Augu
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New Federal Guidelines For BRCA Testing: Should You Be Screened?
Eager to learn about her family tree, Dorothy Pomerantz sent a saliva sample to an online testing company last summer. To her "utter shock," the results revealed that she has a gene mutation called BRCA1, which greatly increases her risk for breast and ovarian cancer.
Despite the challenges of dealing with the genetic information and its aftermath, she said she is grateful that she learned about the mutation before cancer struck.
"I was able to be proactive and take steps that will help me stay healthy for many years to come," said the journalist, 48, who subsequently underwent preventive surgeries to remove her breasts and ovaries.
More women than ever are being encouraged to undergo screening for BRCA gene mutations, based on newly announced U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations. The task force's major recommendations are:
•All women of Ashkenazi Jewish descent should
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Scientists Identify Gene As A Master Regulator In Schizophrenia
Using computational tools to investigate gene transcription networks in large collections of brain tissues, a scientific team has identified a gene that acts as a master regulator of schizophrenia during early human brain development. The findings may lay the groundwork for future treatments for the highly complex neuropsychiatric disorder.
“Because hundreds, or even thousands, of genes may contribute to the risk of schizophrenia, it is crucial to understand which are the most important ones, orchestrating core networks in the disease,” said study leader Kai Wang, PhD, of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics (CCMT) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). “Pinpointing master regulators may help guide us toward priority targets for novel treatments in the future.”
The study appeared online
