Latest News in Genetics
- Form of severe malnutrition linked to DNA modification Dec 19, 2019
- Researchers identified significant differences at the epigenetic level between two clinically distinct forms of acute childhood malnutrition known as edematous severe acute malnutrition (ESAM) and non-edematous SAM (NESAM).
- Mechanism may have therapeutic bone healing applicationsDec 9, 2019
- SA study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell reveals a new mechanism that contributes to adult bone maintenance and repair and opens the possibility of developing therapeutic strategies for improving bone healing.
- Scientists create ‘epigenetic couch potato’ mouseDec 2, 2019
- A new Baylor College of Medicine led study in mice shows for the first time that a different molecular level of regulation – epigenetics – plays a key role in determining one’s innate drive to exercise.
- Baylor researchers Wang, Lichtarge named 2019 AAAS FellowsNov 26, 2019
- Two Baylor College of Medicine researchers have been named 2019 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
- How maternal Zika infection results in newborn microcephalyNov 14, 2019
- A new study revealed how in utero Zika virus infection can lead to microcephaly in newborns. The team discovered that the Zika virus protein NS4A disrupts brain growth by hijacking a pathway that regulates the generation of new neurons.
- Evenings with Genetics discusses autism, genetic testing Nov 5, 2019
- On Tuesday, Nov. 12, Evenings with Genetics will spotlight current knowledge regarding genetic testing for autism as well as new directions for research and clinical studies.
- Research collaboration focuses on CDKL5 Deficiency DisorderOct 30, 2019
- The Loulou Foundation, Baylor College of Medicine and the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital have launched a research collaboration focused on CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder.
- Connecting gene mutations, rare genetic diseasesOct 24, 2019
- Investigators at the Human Genome Sequencing Center have developed new approaches for large-scale analysis of rare genetic diseases, known as Mendelian disorders.
- Research improves understanding of atrial fibrillationOct 21, 2019
- A group of researchers used a mouse model system to investigate how noncoding DNA regions that increase atrial fibrillation risk in humans work to predispose to the condition.
- Dr. Peggy Goodell elected to National Academy of MedicineOct 21, 2019
- Dr. Margaret “Peggy” Goodell, chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Baylor College of Medicine, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
- Researchers to study liquid biopsy test for cancerOct 15, 2019
- Researchers at Baylor Genetics and Miraca Research Institute are working to develop a minimally invasive tool that could diagnose cancer with a blood test.
- DNA fracturing rewires gene control in cancerOct 15, 2019
- A new study has brought attention to genomic structural variation as a previously unappreciated mechanism involved in altering DNA methylation, a form of gene control, in human cancers.
- Researchers discover new intellectual disability syndromeOct 10, 2019
- An international group reports a new neurological syndrome that appears to be especially common in countries where marriages between genetically related individuals, such as cousins, are prevalent.
- Tau-mediated RNA splicing errors linked to Alzheimer’sOct 8, 2019
- A collaborative study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine provides evidence for a new molecular cause for neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.
- NIH grant funds Brittle Bone Disorder ConsortiumOct 3, 2019
- The NIH has awarded a $7 million grant to fund the Brittle Bone Disorders Consortium for five more years.
- Dr. Christophe Herman wins NIH Pioneer AwardOct 1, 2019
- Dr. Christophe Herman, professor of molecular and human genetics and molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor, has been awarded the National Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award.
- New insights into heart's healing capacitySep 26, 2019
- A group of researchers reveals new insights into the recently discovered healing capacity of the heart involving the Hippo cellular pathway.
- Evenings with Genetics spotlights osteogenesis imperfectaSep 10, 2019
- On Tuesday, Sept. 17, Evenings with Genetics will highlight the current research and resources available to those living with osteogenesis imperfecta.
- Postnatal overnutrition linked to agingAug 26, 2019
- Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have found a new answer to an old question: how can overnutrition during infancy lead to long-lasting health problems such as diabetes?
- Study builds roadmap for collecting, sequencing genetic dataAug 22, 2019
- The National Institutes of Health has conducted a four-year study to harmonize and standardize clinical genetic reporting.
Genetics in the News: April 2019 - June 2019
- Olga Dudchenko named one of the MIT Technology Review "35 Innovators under 35"
Olga Dudchenko, with the Aiden Laboratory, was named one of the 35 Innovators under 35 by MIT Technology Review for her work in creating a faster and cheaper way to sequence a genome.
- Patent issued for osteoarthritis gene-therapy product
A potentially disease-modifying therapy for osteoarthritis (OA) has reached a key milestone. A U.S. patent has been issued for FX201, a gene-therapy product candidate licensed by Flexion Therapeutics based on work led by Baylor College of Medicine researchers.
- A treasure map to understanding epigenetic causes of disease
In a report published in Genome Biology, Dr. Robert Waterland and his team have identified special regions of the genome where a blood sample can be used to infer epigenetic regulation throughout the body, allowing scientists to test for epigenetic causes of disease
- New computational tool improves gene identification
In a study that appears in Bioinformatics, a team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has developed a new bioinformatics tool that analyzes CRISPR pooled screen data and identifies candidates for potentially relevant genes with greater sensitivity and accuracy than other existing methods.
- Colon cancer proteins, genes uncover potential treatments
A multi-institutional study, published in Cell, supports comprehensive characterization of tumor tissues as a means to guide further research leading to early diagnostic strategies and new treatments.
- Research improves understanding of cell-cell communication
The National Institutes of Health Common Funds Extracellular RNA Communication Consortium, which includes researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, created the exRNA Atlas resource, the first detailed catalog of human exRNAs in bodily fluids. The study that details this resource appears in the journal Cell.
- Dr. Hsiao-Tuan Chao named new McNair Scholar
Dr. Hsiao-Tuan Chao, assistant professor of pediatrics and molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine has been named the newest McNair Scholar.
- New strategy fights bacterial antibiotic resistance
In a study in Molecular Cell, researchers in the Rosenberg lab at Baylor College of Medicine, reveal how bacteria evolve mutations that lead to antibiotic resistance and that this process can be hindered with an FDA-approved drug.
Genetics in the News: January 2019 - March 2019
- Unveiling disease-causing genetic changes in chromosome 17
In a study appearing in Cell, a group of researchers in the Lupski Lab at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered that there is much more to 17p11.2 syndromes than deletions and duplications.
- High-fructose corn syrup promotes intestinal tumors in mice
In a study, published in Science, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine showed that consuming a daily modest amount of high-fructose corn syrup accelerates the growth of intestinal tumors in APC-model mice.
- Discovery improves understanding of Lou Gehrig's disease
A collaborative study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children’s Hospital improves our understanding of how amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, develops.
- Two Independent Mechanisms Involved in Tuberous Sclerosis
In a study published in a February issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, found another mechanism involved in the development of Tuberous Sclerosis.
- Researchers uncover intracellular longevity pathway
Dr. Meng Wang and her colleagues report in the January issue of Developmental Cell, the discovery of an intracellular pathway that mediates metabolic adjustments that promote health and longevity in the worm, Caenorhabditis elegans.
- Discovery explains breast cancer cells’ ability to adapt, survive
A team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has discovered that breast cancer cells can shift between two forms of the cell surface molecule CD44: CD44s and CD44v.
- Bacteria help discover human cancer-causing proteins
A team led by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and University of Texas at Austin applied an unconventional approach that used bacteria to discover human proteins that can lead to DNA damage and promote cancer. Reported in the journal Cell, the study also proposes biological mechanisms by which these proteins can cause damage to DNA, opening possibilities for future cancer treatments.
