International Genetics and Genomics of Diseases

The genetic basis of fertility, family and longevity Led by researchers from the University of Oxford’s Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science and the University of Iceland, the review explores how genetic variations can explain differences in reproductive health and longevity. The study provides the most comprehensive review of male and female genetic discoveries of reproductive traits to date, and provides new insights into how our DNA affects when we have children, the timing of menopause, and even how that is connected to how long we live. Genes at the heart of reproduction Using the GWAS Catalog , an online database of Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS), the researchers identified 159 genetic studies and 37 key genes that are linked to reproductive traits such as age at first childbirth, menopause timing, and hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone. These findings suggest that genetic factors play a significant role in broader health outcomes a...

Genetic research could help your favorite beans withstand climate change Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans … most of the beans you see in the grocery store today are varieties of a species known as the common bean. And in many parts of the world, growing common beans is getting harder as climate change causes increasingly hot, dry weather. So researchers have been studying another species called the tepary bean. Tepary beans are native to parts of the Sonoran Desert and grow well in hot, dry regions. Urrea: “They are able to grow under drought and high heat conditions.” Carlos Urrea is a dry edible bean breeding specialist at the University of Nebraska. He and his team have been working to identify the genes that give tepary beans drought and heat tolerance as well as disease resistance. And they’re working to breed these traits into common beans. Urrea: “Now we are able to move genes from the tepary beans to the common beans.” His team has created new varieties that are being ...

Research published in Nature opens door for advancements in MSU wheat genetics As defined by Nature, genome refers to, “the complete set of genetic information in an organism.” Modern bread wheat has three genomes: the A genome, B genome and D genome. When the D genome hybridized with the A and B genomes roughly 8,000-11,000 years ago to create what is now modern bread wheat, the process subsequently restricted wheat’s genetic diversity. By studying the genetic makeup of Tausch’s goatgrass and other wild wheat relatives, which are described in the paper as “genetic reservoirs,” breeders and geneticists can use the knowledge to improve modern bread wheat through the discovery and enhancement of genes — such as the one examined in this project Olson found during his doctoral research at Kansas State University. “My colleagues and I cloned a disease resistance gene I identified during my work at Kansas State University,” Olson said. “As a Ph.D. student, I did the genetic mapping and trans...

Genetic code deploys cancer mafia, new targeted drug gives them an offer they can’t refuse Findings from groundbreaking research could forge a path for new treatments that are able to target tumors in the first, most curable stages of disease. group of scientists at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center have revealed a new genetic code that acts like a cancer ringleader, recruiting and deploying a gang of tumor cells to incite a biological turf war by invading healthy organs and overpowering the normal cells. This discovery — published today, Dec. 9, in Nature Biotechnology — could unveil an entirely different understanding of the origins of cancer within the body, as well as offer groundbreaking insight into new treatment strategies that could target the growth of tumors in their earliest stages. The study authors have also developed an intravenous therapy that empowers healthy cells to mount an immune response and build up a defensive resistance against these invading tumor cells....

Current landscape of Cystic Fibrosis gene therapy Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening disease that is caused by mutations in CFTR, a gene which encodes an ion channel that supports proper function of several epithelial tissues, most critically the lung. Without CFTR, airway barrier mechanisms are impaired, allowing for chronic, recurrent infections that result in airway remodeling and deterioration of lung structure and function. Small molecule modulators can rescue existing, defective CFTR protein; however, they still leave a subset of people with CF with no current disease modifying treatments, aside from lung transplantation. Gene therapy directed to the lung is a promising strategy to modify CF disease in the organ most associated with morbidity and mortality. It is accomplished through delivery of a CFTR transgene with an airway permissive vector. Despite more than three decades of research in this area, a lung directed gene therapy has yet to be realized.  There is hope tha...

Needle-Free: New Nano-Vaccine Effective Against All COVID-19 Variants A new nano-vaccine developed by TAU and the University of Lisbon offers a needle-free, room-temperature-storable solution against COVID-19, targeting all key variants effectively. Professor Ronit Satchi-Fainaro’s lab at Tel Aviv University’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences has collaborated with Professor Helena Florindo’s lab at the University of Lisbon to develop a novel nano-vaccine for COVID-19. This nano-vaccine, a 200-nanometer particle, effectively trains the immune system against all common COVID-19 variants, performing as well as existing vaccines. Unlike other vaccines, it is conveniently administered as a nasal spray and does not require a cold supply chain or ultra-cold storage. These distinctive features pave the way for vaccinating populations in developing countries and the future development of simpler, more effective, and less expensive vaccines. The groundbreaking study was featured on the cov...

International Conference on Genetics and Genomics of Diseases