PLoS Genetics

Gene discovery points towards non-hormonal male contraceptive

A new type of male contraceptive could be created thanks to the discovery of a key gene essential for sperm development.

Genetics created May 24, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

A history lesson from genes: Using DNA to tell us how populations change

When Charles Darwin first sketched how species evolved by natural selection, he drew what looked like a tree. The diagram started at a central point with a common ancestor, then the lines spread apart as ...

Genetics created Jan 09, 2013 | popularity 4 / 5 (6) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Five genes have been found to determine human facial shapes

Five genes have been found to determine human facial shapes, as reported by researchers from the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia in the open-access journal PLOS Genetics.

Genetics created Sep 13, 2012 | popularity 4 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Scientists find new gene markers for cancer risk

A huge international effort involving more than 100 institutions and genetic tests on 200,000 people has uncovered dozens of signposts in DNA that can help reveal further a person's risk for breast, ovarian ...

Genetics created Mar 27, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 1

Mapping genes: Study finds new risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases

Using a new and powerful approach to understand the origins of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida are building the case that these diseases are primarily caused ...

Genetics created Jun 07, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers identify genetic markers for testosterone, estrogen level regulation

A research study led by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, in collaboration with a global consortium, has identified genetic markers that influence a protein involved ...

Genetics created Jul 20, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Do ovaries continue to produce eggs during adulthood?

A compelling new genetic study tracing the origins of immature egg cells, or 'oocytes', from the embryonic period throughout adulthood adds new information to a growing controversy. The notion of a "biological clock" in women ...

Genetics created Jul 26, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Starr collaboration illuminates mysterious pathway to immortality in cancer cells

(Medical Xpress) -- Cancer cells are immortal because they circumvent failsafe mechanisms that stop out-of-control cell proliferation. One of these mechanisms – the progressive shortening of chromosomes ...

Cancer created Jul 25, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Diabetic fruit flies support buzz about dietary sugar dangers

Regularly consuming sucrose—the type of sugar found in many sweetened beverages—increases a person's risk of heart disease. In a study published January 10 in the journal PLOS Genetics, researchers at San ...

Genetics created Jan 17, 2013 | popularity 4 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New genetic disorder of balance and cognition discovered

The family of disorders known as ataxia can impair speech, balance and coordination, and have varying levels of severity. Scientists from the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh have identified a new member of this group ...

Genetics created Dec 07, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

'Jack Spratt' diabetes gene identified

Type 2 diabetes is popularly associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. However, just as there are obese people without type 2 diabetes, there are lean people with the disease.

Genetics created Jun 01, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Cell contents may be key to controlling toxicity of Huntington's disease protein

New research into the cell-damaging effects of Huntington's disease suggests a potentially new approach for identifying possible therapeutic targets for treating the nerve-destroying disorder.

Genetics created Jun 06, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New cerebellar ataxia gene identified in dogs

Researchers at the University of Helsinki and the Folkhälsan Research Center, Finland, have identified the genetic cause of early-onset progressive cerebellar degeneration the Finnish Hound dog breed. The study, led ...

Genetics created Jun 18, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

New mouse model helps explain gene discovery in congenital heart disease

Scientists now have clues to how a gene mutation discovered in families affected with congenital heart disease leads to underdevelopment of the walls that separate the heart into four chambers. A Nationwide Children's Hospital ...

Genetics created Jun 26, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers identify role of FOXO1 gene in Parkinson's disease

A recent study led by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) revealed that the FOXO1 gene may play an important role in the pathological mechanisms of Parkinson's disease. These findings are published ...

Genetics created Jun 29, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast