http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. The offspring of women who were given micronutrient supplements (minerals needed in small quantities, such as iron, iodine and vitamin A) before they became pregnant had gene modifications at birth as well as when they were tested at 9 months. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-exposure-micronutrients-pre-pregnancy-gene-modifications.html Genetics Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:03:04 EST news249134560 DNA sequencing to detect genetic mutations can aid in the diagnosis and selection of treatment for cancer. Current methods of testing DNA samples, Sanger sequencing and pyrosequencing, occasionally produce complex results that can be difficult or impossible to interpret. Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have developed a free software program, Pyromaker, that can more accurately identify such complex genetic mutations. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-virtual-tool-accurate-diagnosis-genetic.html Genetics Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:27:49 EST news247721225 High blood pressure (hypertension) is a principal risk factor for heart disease and affects 1 billion people. At least half of them are estimated to be salt-sensitive; their blood pressure rises with sodium intake. New research released today shows important aspects of how sodium and potassium are regulated in the kidney. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-rare-kidney-disease-salt-potassium.html Medical research Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:14:53 EST news246546882 Being impulsive can lead us to say things we regret, buy things we really don't need, engage in behaviors that are risky and even develop troublesome addictions. But are different kinds of hastiness and rashness embedded in our DNA? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-ids-genetic-links-impulsivity-alcohol.html Genetics Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:04:32 EST news240674664 In 2009, the DNA alphabet expanded. Scientists discovered that an extra letter or "sixth nucleotide" was surprisingly abundant in DNA from stem cells and brain cells. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-patterns-dna-letter-brain-distinct.html Neuroscience Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:00:01 EST news239201556 For the first time, a specific microorganism has been found to be associated with human colorectal cancer. In two studies published online today in Genome Research, independent research teams have identified Fusobacterium in colon cancer tissue, a finding that could open new avenues for diagnosis and treatment of the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-link-bacterium-colon-cancer.html Cancer Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:00:05 EST news238080896 There is too little attention paid in national and international public policy circles to the digital divide in health and law enforcement databases, says a new article in this week's PLoS Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-health-forensic-databases-contribute-racial.html Other Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:27:14 EST news236968028 Researchers have identified an elusive gene responsible for Gray Platelet Syndrome, an extremely rare blood disorder in which only about 50 known cases have been reported. As a result, it is hoped that future cases will be easier to diagnose with a DNA test. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-anglo-french-team-elusive-gene-platelets.html Genetics Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:05:37 EST news230817906 (Medical Xpress) -- A study involving over 5,000 people living with the joint disorder ankylosing spondylitis has identified a series of genetic variants associated with increased susceptibility to the condition as well as providing new clues to how the condition may be treated in the future. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-scientists-genetics-joint-disorder-ankylosing.html Genetics Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:00:28 EST news229516067 UBC researchers have developed a DNA measurement platform that sets dramatic new performance standards in the sensitivity and accuracy of sample screening. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-megapixel-dna-replication-technology-faster.html Medical research Sun, 03 Jul 2011 13:00:11 EST news228916588 Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City have identified the first genetic mutation ever associated with a mysterious and potentially devastating form of heart disease that affects women in the final weeks of pregnancy or the first few months after delivery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-genetic-mutation-linked-heart-failure.html Cardiology Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:27:29 EST news227885160 The recent outbreak of an E. coli infection in Germany has resulted in serious concerns about the potential appearance of a new deadly strain of bacteria. In response to this situation, and immediately after the reports of deaths, the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf and BGI-Shenzhen began working together to sequence the bacterium and assess its human health risk. BGI-Shenzhen has just completed the sequence and carried out a preliminary analysis that shows the current infection is caused by an entirely new super-toxic E. coli strain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-bgi-sequences-genome-deadly-coli.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 02 Jun 2011 09:34:08 EST news226226032 Children whose mothers or grandmothers smoked during pregnancy are at increased risk of asthma in childhood, but the underlying causes of this are not well understood. Now a new study indicates changes in a process called DNA methylation that occurs before birth may be a root cause. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-maternal-fetal-dna.html Medical research Wed, 18 May 2011 11:06:22 EST news224935565 (Medical Xpress) -- Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered two mutations responsible for a devastating neurological condition they first identified 15 years ago. The researchers say their study -- appearing in Nature Genetics -- has revealed a new neural pathway that may help understand a variety of similar conditions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-genetic-neurodegeneration.html Genetics Sun, 01 May 2011 13:29:55 EST news223475372 Healthy people who contribute DNA samples for medical research see their relationship with researchers as sharing a trade secret, rather than participation in traditional medical research, according to a new study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-legal-counter-red-tape-boost.html Genetics Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:43:12 EST news222338356