Scientists at NPL develop new technique for detecting disease biomarkers

Tests to diagnose Alzheimer's disease and cancer at the molecular level are being developed by scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in London...[Read More]

Study questions screening for Fragile X Syndrome

Genetic counselling for women and parents undergoing Fragile X syndrome (FXS) screening needs improvement, according to a recent review. The review also called for more studies into the benefits of population-wide screening for FXS...[Read More]

Study reveals complex interactions between disease genes

A US study looking at the relationship between genes known to cause a rare genetic disease has shown that common and rare genetic variants interact to make symptoms more or less severe...[Read More]

Gene therapy as a treatment for HIV patients

A human RNA-based gene therapy trial to combat HIV has passed the first safety test. US researchers modified human blood stem cells to make them resistant to the virus....[Read More]

Human embryonic stem cells (ES cells) cultured, say scientists

Researchers have developed a method of creating large amounts of human embryonic stem (ES) cells using a new technique, which could help to treat a variety of diseases, according to new research published in the journal Nature Biology....[Read More]

Gene linked to fetal abnormalities identified

A newly identified genetic defect may help reduce fetal abnormalities such as Meckel-Gruber and Joubert syndromes, according to a new study in the journal Nature Genetics....[Read More]

First synthetic cell created in a laboratory

For the first time artificial life has been created in a laboratory, in the form of a bacterium. US researchers have chemically synthesised the DNA of the simple bacterium Mycoplasma mycoides...[Read More]

Cell division genes published

The results of a huge multinational project to pinpoint all the genes and related proteins essential for cell division are to be made publically available for other researchers to use...[Read More]

Small RNAs help stem cells change state

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, have discovered that microRNA (miRNA) play a key role in the switch in state between a stem cell and a mature, differentiated cell...[Read More]

Gene therapy for muscle wasting conditions shows promise

Research published in the journal Science Translational Medicine last week shows gene therapy can improve muscle size and strength in monkeys. The technique holds promise as a therapy for several neuromuscular disorders, and researchers hope that clinical trials will start next year....[Read More]