| Glossary |
Mutation
A change in the sequence of chemical bases that makes up the DNA code. Mutations occur naturally at a low rate, but can also be induced by radiation and some chemicals.
Articles using this Glossary Item
1/15 
| 23 January 2012 - by |
|
Two independent studies have suggested new targets for treating neurodegenerative diseases...[Read More] |
 |
| 23 January 2012 - by |
|
Mutations in a single gene could be used to identify breast cancer tumours that can be tackled with cholesterol-lowering statins, a recent study has found. Scientists identified a link between a cholesterol-building mechanism in the body and disorganised cell growth indicative of cancer...[Read More] |
| |
|
Myriad Genetics acquires patent on another breast cancer-linked gene |
| 23 January 2012 - by |
|
Myriad Genetics, a leading US molecular diagnostic company, has been granted exclusive rights to an analysis of the RAD51C gene. Mutations of the gene have been associated with an increased risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and the company now hopes to develop a commercial test for RAD51C....[Read More] |
| |
| 23 January 2012 - by |
|
The gene causing a skin disorder which predisposes to oesophageal cancer has been identified. More than nine out of ten people with tylosis, which causes thickening of the skin on the palms and soles, will develop oesophageal cancer before the age of 65, but until now the reason for this was obscure...[Read More] |
| |
| 23 January 2012 - by |
|
An experimental genetic technique to prevent serious diseases from passing between mother and child is to receive £5.8 million funding. The Wellcome Trust is contributing £4.4 million to the new Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University...[Read More] |
| |
| 16 January 2012 - by |
|
A rare gene variant that could increase the risk of prostate cancer has been identified by researchers in the USA. Although the variant accounts for only a small fraction of all prostate cancers, the study found it was more common in men with an inherited form of the cancer and in those who are diagnosed before the age of 55...[Read More] |
| |
|
Multiple sclerosis and vitamin D linked by rare genetic variant |
| 12 December 2011 - by |
|
A rare genetic variant causing lower levels of vitamin D has been linked to multiple sclerosis (MS), according to scientists...[Read More] |
| |
|
UK cancer charity launches project to develop personalised medicines |
| 28 November 2011 - by |
|
An initiative has been launched to collect genetic data from NHS cancer patients in the hope of developing new, personalised treatments....[Read More] |
| |
|
Successful trial of genetic test to guide personalised cancer therapy |
| 14 November 2011 - by |
|
A new genetic test that will help to tailor drugs to cancer patients' individual tumours has been successfully trialled in the US...[Read More] |
| |
| 14 November 2011 - by |
|
If you could design your child right down to the smallest detail, what characteristics would you pick? This is the choice that Dr and Mrs Klaesson face in Peter James' latest novel, when they visit Dr Dettore, a renegade scientist who offers couples designer babies...[Read More] |
| |
| 31 October 2011 - by |
|
Taking a daily aspirin has been recommended for people with a high risk of an inherited form of bowel cancer. Results published in The Lancet suggested the risk for those with Lynch syndrome could be cut by 63 percent...[Read More] |
| |
| 17 October 2011 - by |
|
Each year around 2,800 people in the UK have a stem cell transplant, without which they would have shortly faced death, usually from a blood cancer or another blood disorder. The race of a patient is a real factor in how likely they are to match with a donor....[Read More] |
| |
| 17 October 2011 - by |
|
A genetic mutation known to increase a woman's risk of cancer could also increase their fertility, research suggests. Women with mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which are associated with a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer, were found to have larger families when compared to control groups...[Read More] |
| |
|
Severe hypoglycaemia linked to mutation in insulin signalling gene |
| 10 October 2011 - by |
|
Mutations in a single gene have been identified as the cause of a severe and life-threatening form of hypoglycaemia...[Read More] |
| |
| 03 October 2011 - by |
|
A gene associated with increased lifespan in a number of organisms is now thought to have no effect on longevity after a second look revealed significant flaws in the original studies on which the assumptions were based. The findings will disappoint the manufacturers of many anti-ageing creams that claim to work by activating the gene, but are unlikely to put a stop to research...[Read More] |
| |
|
Book Review: My Beautiful Genome - Exposing Our Genetic Future One Quirk at a Time |
| 03 October 2011 - by |
|
My Beautiful Genome is the story of DNA told through one woman's quest to find out if the secret to her depression lies in her genes...[Read More] |
| |
| 26 September 2011 - by |
|
Researchers have identified a strong link between a genetic fault and two common neurological disorders. Two independent studies have found that the mutation is common in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), particularly if the disease is familial...[Read More] |
| |
|
Safeguarding consent and confidentiality in clinical genetic practice |
| 26 September 2011 - by |
|
Suppose you have just had a genetic test for a condition that you suspect runs in your family. Aside from the possible implications for your own health, could – or should – your results be used to help to interpret tests done on other members of your family?...[Read More] |
| |
| 26 September 2011 - by |
|
The success of a new gene therapy trial represents a significant step towards a 'functional cure' for HIV, US researchers announced this week. By mimicking the effects of a naturally occurring gene mutation that makes an individual resistant to infection, this therapy aims to reduce or eliminate the dependency of HIV patients on antiretroviral drugs....[Read More] |
| |
|
Book review: Ethical and Legal Requirements for Transnational Genetic Research |
| 26 September 2011 - by |
|
First, here is the bad news. Readers attracted by this title are in for a stormy and depressing journey. The writing, both in choice of language and sentence construction, is turgid. The problems of 'plain English' start in the six-page introduction, reach a low point in the ethical chapter and only improve slightly in the legal section...[Read More] |
| |
1/15
Events using this Glossary Item
| Mutants and What to Do About Them |
| 09 February 2011 7.30pm Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL, UK |
| The 2011 British Humanist Association/South Place Ethical Society Darwin Day Lecture, given by Armand Marie Leroi...[Read More] |
| |
| The Blind-Drunk Mutant Mouse: A Model for Schizophrenia? |
| 19 November 2009 12midday Francis Crick Auditorium, Wellcome Trust Conference Centre, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1RQ, UK |
| A discussion introduced by Professor Kay Davies, Head of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at the University of Oxford...[Read More] |
| |
| Techniques and Applications of Molecular Biology |
| 13 July 2009 Department of Biological Sciences, Gibbet Hill Campus, Gibbet Hill Road, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL |
| A course for those who wish to develop their understanding of genetic engineering techniques...[Read More] |
| |
| Progress Educational Trust, 140 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8AX, UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7278 7870 Email: Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 Charity registered in England and Wales no 1139856 | Website developed and built by Face to Face |
© 1999, 2012
BioNews