Study suggests gene linked to credit card debt
Our genetic make-up may influence the likelihood of running into debt, UK and US researchers have found, according to the LSE research magazine....
BioNews
Allele
Alternate forms of a gene or DNA sequence (genetic variant) at a particular chromosome location.
For example, different alleles of the ABO gene on human chromosome 9 determine ABO blood type.
71 articles
Gene-ecology interactions and psychological disorders
The models emerging from behavioural biology are increasingly sophisticated. They do not undermine the quest for candidate genes, but rather augment our understanding of why those genes might persist in populations and be differentially expressed across circumstances....
Cholesterol control gene could provide dementia protection
American scientists have found that a genetic variation could be associated with slower memory decline and a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The preliminary findings shed light on processes in the brain that could contribute to memory loss and dementia. The work was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last week....
TV Review: Is It Better to Be Mixed Race?
Channel 4, Monday 2 November 2009...
The new epigenetics
All cells in the body have the same complement of 25000 genes, yet different cells in different specific tissues - such as nerve, muscle or gut - have different characteristics phenotype. It follows that different subpopulations of genes within cells of differing function must be active or silenced depending on requirements for function in a particular tissue. Obviously, there will be genes concerned with metabolism, growth, and cell division - the so-cal
Gene associated with age-related blindness
Scientists working in China and the USA have identified a gene associated with dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). AMD is the most common form of visual impairment in the developed world. The research is the first time a gene has been linked with the disease, and will...
Major genetic cause of colorectal cancer identified
Scientists have identified one of the leading genetic causes of inherited colorectal cancer, reported in the journal Science. Research teams at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the Human Cancer Genetics Program at Ohio State University found that abnormal activity of the transforming growth factor-beta...
Gene clue to Alzheimer's disease
New research, published last month in the journal Cell, has identified a previously unknown gene, named CALHM1, that is linked with Alzheimer's disease. A certain allele, or version, of this gene, was found to be associated with an increased risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's. A large international...
Evidence for a genetic link to lung cancer
Scientists have found evidence that there is a strong genetic link to lung cancer. The findings, from three teams in Iceland, France and the US, will help understanding of the genetic basis of the disease and the role tobacco plays in its development. Lung cancer is the...
Two new genes linked to Multiple Sclerosis
After more than three decades of dead-ends and dismay for researchers and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers alike, two new genes have finally been identified that are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of MS: the most common neurological disease affecting young adults. Back in 1972, the...