http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. As many as 35 percent of Mexican young adults may have a genetic predisposition for obesity, said a University of Illinois scientist who conducted a study at the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosί. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-genetic-obesity-mexican-young-adults.html Overweight and Obesity Tue, 21 May 2013 15:12:14 EST news288367926 Cancer research has taken a huge leap forward with scientists now able to identify more than 80 genetic markers found to increase the risk of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. The COGS international research initiative is believed to be the largest of its kind. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-massive-cancers-markers.html Genetics Wed, 15 May 2013 09:50:02 EST news287827652 A new study looking at the genomes of more than 13,000 men identified four new genetic variants associated with an increased risk of testicular cancer, the most commonly diagnosed type in young men today. The findings from this first-of-its-kind meta-analysis were reported online May 12 in Nature Genetics by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-genetic-factors-testicular-cancer.html Genetics Sun, 12 May 2013 13:00:24 EST news287575870 (Medical Xpress)—Scientists from The University of Manchester have identified 14 new genes which could have important consequences for future treatments of childhood arthritis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-discovery-genes-childhood-arthritis-treatment.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:05:34 EST news285836724 One of the most controversial topics in neurology today is the prevalence of serious permanent brain damage after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Long-term studies and a search for genetic risk factors are required in order to predict an individual's risk for serious permanent brain damage, according to a review article published by Sam Gandy, MD, PhD, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in a special issue of Nature Reviews Neurology dedicated to TBI. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-experts-prevalence-neurological-dysfunction-injury.html Neuroscience Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:13:34 EST news284400696 Researchers have identified genetic risk factors that may accelerate a teen's progression to becoming a lifelong heavy smoker. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-genetics-smokers.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:00:01 EST news283614819 More than 80 genetic 'spelling mistakes' that can increase the risk of breast, prostate and ovarian cancer have been found in a large, international research study within the framework of the EU Network COGS. For the first time, the researchers also have a relatively clear picture of the total number of genetic alterations that can be linked to these cancers. Ultimately the researchers hope to be able to calculate the individual risk of cancer, to better understand how these cancers develop and to be able to generate new treatments. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-unique-reveals-genetic-common-cancers.html Cancer Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:07:33 EST news283604832 "Are there genetic risk factors for PCa? Yes, and BRCA2 and HOXB13 are useful for predicting high-risk disease," said Jack Cuzick (GB) president of the International Society for Cancer Prevention (ISCaP), referring to the two genes implicated in high-risk prostate disease. Cuzick gave a report on the Consensus Statement for Prostate Cancer Prevention at the closing plenary session of the 28 Annual EAU Congress held in Milan, Italy from March 15 to 19. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-genetics-age-ethnicity-factors-pca.html Cancer Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:50:08 EST news283081802 (HealthDay)—For women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), clinical and genetic factors including higher pre-pregnancy body mass index are associated with development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a study published online March 7 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-key-variables-gestational-diabetes-advance.html Diabetes Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:10:01 EST news282833900 Work by researchers at The University of Western Australia could revolutionise testing for Type 1 diabetes around the world. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-diabetes-cheaper-faster.html Diabetes Mon, 11 Mar 2013 07:15:14 EST news282204905 For the first time, scientists have discovered that five major psychiatric disorders—autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia—share several common genetic risk factors. In particular, variations in two genes involved in the balance of calcium in brain cells are implicated in several of these disorders and could be a target for new treatments. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-largest-reveals-major-psychiatric-disorders.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:30:01 EST news281206769 In a study to be presented on February 14 at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in San Francisco, researchers will report that variation in a gene involved in inflammation is associated with developmental problems after preterm birth in females, but not males. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-genetic-predisposition-brain-injury-preterm.html Health Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:08:11 EST news279799675 Researchers have found a genetic variant that doubles the likelihood that people will have calcium deposits on their aortic valve. Such calcification, if it becomes severe, can cause narrowing or a blockage of the aortic valve, a condition called aortic stenosis. The study is the first large-scale, genome-wide association study to uncover a genetic link to aortic valve calcification. An article detailing the findings is published in the February 7, 2013 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-genetic-variation-aortic-valve-calcification.html Cardiology Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:00:07 EST news279387963 Dartmouth scientists showed that more than half of all the SNPs associated with breast cancer risk are located in distant regions and bound by FOXA1, a protein required for estrogen receptor-α (ER) function according to a paper published in the journal Nature Genetics in November. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-snps-breast-cancer-affinity-factor.html Cancer Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:17:02 EST news278180216 Early life exposure to normal bacteria of the GI tract (gut microbes) protects against autoimmune disease in mice, according to research published on-line in the January 17 edition of Science. The study may also have uncovered reasons why females are at greater risk of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus compared to males. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-gi-tract-bacteria-autoimmune-disease.html Immunology Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:00:20 EST news277652965 Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have established a link between elevated levels of a stress hormone in adolescence—a critical time for brain development—and genetic changes that, in young adulthood, cause severe mental illness in those predisposed to it. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-mouse-links-adolescent-stress-severe.html Neuroscience Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:00:09 EST news277653353 Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center investigators have identified three new genetic "hotspots" linked to colorectal cancer. These variants, reported Dec. 23 in an Advanced Online Publication in Nature Genetics, provide new insight into the biology of colorectal cancer – and could represent new therapeutic targets for the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-genetic-links-colorectal-cancer.html Cancer Sun, 23 Dec 2012 13:00:05 EST news275488698 Biotech pioneer Amgen Inc., in a bid for a big edge in using people's genetic information to find better ways to attack diseases, is buying human genetics research and analytics leader deCODE Genetics for $415 million. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-amgen-decode-genetics-million.html Genetics Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:41:16 EST news274369261 The University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) participated in the largest genetic study of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) to date. Researchers from the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D Consortium report the identification of 15 genetic regions newly associated with the disease, bringing to 46 the number of regions associated with CAD risk. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-largest-coronary-artery-disease-evidence.html Genetics Mon, 03 Dec 2012 10:17:38 EST news273752229 About 10.6% of the inherited genetic risk for developing coronary artery disease (CAD) can be explained by specific DNA variations, according to research reported today at the American Society of Human Genetics 2012 meeting. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-dna-variants-percent-inherited-genetic.html Genetics Thu, 08 Nov 2012 13:30:01 EST news271583304 Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) – inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract – have puzzled the scientific community for decades. Ten years ago, researchers recognized that both genes and the environment contributed to these diseases but knew little about precisely how and why illness occurred. To begin to narrow in on the key pathways involved, they would need thousands of patients' samples, millions of data points, and the commitment of physicians and scientists at dozens of institutions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-genetic-links-inflammatory-bowel-disease.html Genetics Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:11:57 EST news270914505 Uterine fibroids are the most common type of pelvic tumors in women and are the leading cause of hysterectomy in the United States. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) are the first to discover a genetic risk allele (an alternative form of a gene) for uterine fibroids in white women using an unbiased, genome-wide approach. This discovery will pave the way for new screening strategies and treatments for uterine fibroids. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-genetic-uterine-fibroids.html Genetics Thu, 04 Oct 2012 12:04:42 EST news268571064 (Medical Xpress)—Over the past decade, researchers have made great strides in identifying genes that lead to an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which result in a continuum of social deficits, communication difficulties and cognitive delays. But it's still critical to determine how exactly these genetic risk factors impact the brain's structure and function so that better treatments and interventions can be developed. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-common-gene-mutation-affects-kids.html Autism spectrum disorders Fri, 14 Sep 2012 08:59:37 EST news266831918 Stomach cancer doesn't get the same publicity as lung or breast cancer, but it is a health threat to be taken very seriously. "Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of worldwide cancer mortality, with an annual death rate of over 700,000 individuals," explains Patrick Tan of the A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore. He notes that this disease is especially prevalent in Asia; gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer amongst Singaporean men. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-bonanza-genomic-sequence-valuable-insights.html Genetics Wed, 12 Sep 2012 08:45:51 EST news266658344 Two papers that will appear in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, both receiving advance online release, may help identify gene variants that contribute to the risks of developing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or Tourette syndrome (TS). Both multi-institutional studies were led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators, and both are the first genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the largest groups of individuals affected by the conditions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-gwas-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-tourette-syndrome.html Genetics Tue, 14 Aug 2012 06:10:01 EST news264143328 As you prepare to watch the world's best athletes competing at the London 2012 Olympics, have you thought about what distinguishes elite sprinters from long-distance athletes? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-lessons-gene.html Other Thu, 26 Jul 2012 07:39:17 EST news262507145 Autism has a strong genetic basis, but so far efforts to identify the responsible genes have had mixed results. The reason for this is that autism is influenced by many different genes, and different genes are involved in different individuals, making it hard to find the common genetic ground between patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-genetic-disrupted-autistic-brain.html Genetics Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:02 EST news255089144 An assistant professor at Sam Houston State University, College of Criminal Justice is working to unlock the mysteries surrounding the role that genetics and environmental influences play on criminal and antisocial behavior. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-biosocial-antisocial-behavior.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:42:06 EST news249050514 Among women with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer, patients having a germline (gene change in a reproductive cell that could be passed to offspring) mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes was associated with improved 5-year overall survival, with BRCA2 carriers having the best prognosis, according to a study in the January 25 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-women-ovarian-cancer-brca-gene.html Cancer Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:00:08 EST news246642947 (Medical Xpress) -- Two genome wide studies involving more than 50,000 participants have identified new genetic risk factors for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The research was conducted by over 250 scientists from more than 20 countries – one of the largest collaborative efforts in psychiatry to date. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-powerful-genetic-psychosis-date.html Genetics Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:09:19 EST news239350146