Health Problems

DNA damage leads to genetic diseases and cancer

Scientists have reported that many inheritance mutations are caused by DNA damage rather than errors in DNA doubling. The study was conducted by an international research group and published in Nature Genetics. Unfortunately, the reasons for mutations in normal cells that have not been exposed to ultraviolet, smoke or other external mutagens are understudied. According […]

Personal Health

Novel genetic study sheds new light on risk of heart attack

Loss of a protein that regulates mitochondrial function can greatly increase the risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack), Vanderbilt scientists reported Oct. 3 in the journal eLife. The study illustrates how “integrative genomics,” a combination of basic research, a human biobank linked to electronic health records and novel computational genetic approaches can identify genetically determined […]

Personal Health

Stray proteins cause genetic disorders

The seizures typically begin in the first months of life. It often takes years, however, before those suffering from the rare glucose transporter type 1 (Glut1) deficiency syndrome obtain a correct diagnosis. If the disorder goes untreated, affected children experience developmental delay and frequently have neurological problems. Various defects in one gene underlie the syndrome. […]

Health Problems

Blood cancer patients benefit from breakthrough genetic testing service

Cutting-edge DNA sequencing technology has been used by QUT researchers at the new Australian Translational Genomics Centre (ATGC) to identify genetic mutations in 100 patients with blood cancers, with this testing providing clinically important information to doctors about prognosis and likely treatment responses for the majority of patients. Launched in July last year, the ATGC […]

Health Problems

New assay to detect genetic abnormalities in sarcomas outperforms conventional techniques

Sarcomas are rare tumors that are often misdiagnosed. Specific recurrent chromosomal rearrangements, known as translocations, can serve as essential diagnostic markers and are found in about 20 percent of sarcomas. Identification of these translocations helps establish a correct diagnosis and guides treatment. A report in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics describes a new assay, anchored […]