A gene discovery has explained why current Alzheimer’s drugs don’t work for lots of patients, and why so many new drugs fail in clinical trials. The acetylcholine receptor α7nAChR has long been a target of interest for Alzheimer’s drugs. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine is involved in memory and learning processes. Despite acetylcholine being linked to the […]
Genetic factors contribute to how likely you are to own a dog, a new study has revealed. Evidence points to dogs being domesticated as early as 15,000 years ago. However, there is not much understanding to how this happened and if genetic factors had any influence. There is also debate if genetic influences could contribute […]
A rare and difficult to cure bone cancer in children has been found to have significant genetic similarities with the same type of cancer in dogs. This insight could improve understanding of the disease and lead the development of more effective treatments. Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare bone cancer in children, but relatively common in […]
Scientists have engineered proteins to form fractal geometric shapes with never-ending patterns, closely resembling those found in nature. The protein patterns could have applications in next-generation biomaterials. Fractal geometric shapes make extremely useful biomaterials as they have large surface to volume ratios, allowing rapid exchange of materials. This makes them ideal for applications both in […]
Scientists have developed tattoos that change colour depending on the interstitial fluid concentration of key biomarkers. The development is a step towards developing quicker diagnostics. The biomarkers studied were pH, glucose and albumin. Variation of blood pH can be indictive of a range of health conditions and glucose sensing is extremely useful for monitoring diabetes. […]
As it is announced that Boris Johnson will be the next UK Prime Minister, the UK government has released their genomic policies for the 2020s. The policies aim to ‘build on [the Uk’s] position as a world leader in genomics.’ From 2023-2034 the NHS aims to analyse five million genomes and fully sequence one million […]
A genomics study has revealed that a strain of malaria resistant to both drugs used for treatment has spread rapidly across Asia. Malaria causes approximately a million deaths worldwide in each year and is a serious public health issue, particularly in Asia. The widely used anti-malarial drugs dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine have been relatively effective treatments […]
Front Line Genomics brought together thought leaders from around the world to discuss New Approaches to the Old Hunt for NASH Therapies, available to watch on-demand. The conversation was moderated by Donna Cryer, the President and CEO of the Global Liver Institute. The panel discussed why there has been limited progress in therapies for nonalcoholic […]
The largest scale genomic study in Africa has identified a new gene that is linked to the onset of diabetes in African populations. Interestingly, the gene has not been found to be linked to diabetes in European populations. In type 2 diabetes the body is able to produce insulin but the body’s cells do […]
The inaccuracy of a genetic test that gave false positives to patients has resulted in doctors calling for a crackdown on genetic testing. If a woman’s BCRA gene is faulty, her risk of breast and ovarian cancer is much higher than average. People with a family history of these cancers are often tested to identify […]
The Digital DNA series will explore the role of large-scale genetic testing in science, industry and society. We aim to understand both the benefits and risks of this emerging technology and see what the future may hold. In the first of our Digital DNA series, we talked to Dr. Peter Ney, a researcher in the […]
Scientists have genetically engineered neurons in mice to give them hallucinations. The research could help identify why certain people experience hallucinations, associated with several mental illnesses, and inform new treatments. Two genes were inserted into the neuron cells of the mice’s visual cortex, the part of the brain that processes visual information. One coded for […]
Although it has been known that different genes determine different characteristics in male and females, new research suggests that differences in gene expression has a much larger impact than previously thought. Many diseases and traits show difference between the sexes. For example, autism is more common in males than females, but multiple sclerosis is more […]
An evolutionary survival mechanism that helped early humans avoid starvation could be behind the obesity epidemic in society today. Starvation puts considerable stress on cells. The body responds with a mechanism that blocks fat from burning when the body is starving, injured or cold. This enables energy to be conserved so people can survive longer, […]
Researchers have revealed the first vaccine purely designed by artificial intelligence (AI). This has the potential to revolutionise the drug discovery process by making it quicker, cheaper and producing more effective drugs. From target discovery to market, the drug discovery process takes on average nine years and millions of dollars. The majority of this time […]
