Proteins produced by a living organism which act to bring about, or increase the rate of, a specific biochemical reaction.
A US study, published in the journal The Lancet last week, reported that all twelve Parkinson's patients who took part in the world's first gene therapy trial for brain disease improved markedly without experiencing side-effects. Under the care of Dr Michael Kaplitt and colleagues of the New...
A new study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, has identified new genes involved in bipolar disorder. The work may one day lead to better treatments for the disease.None of the genes discovered by researchers from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), in collaboration with...
All newborn babies in England will be offered screening for the rare metabolic disorder Medium Chain Acyl CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCADD). MCADD is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that is caused by a lack of an enzyme that converts fat into energy, affecting blood sugar levels. The...
Pharmacogenetics is not new. One of our authors famously can drink a bottle of wine with little effect. The other falls asleep after just one glass. Indeed, the speed at which alcohol is broken down in the body is partly genetically determined. This principle applies to most, if not all...
The first child patient to receive stem cells derived from fetal brain tissue is said to be doing well after the procedure. Daniel Kerner, a six year old from Orange County, California, US, who suffers from the rare brain disorder Batten's disease, underwent the risky and experimental...
Two US scientists have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for discovering a fundamental mechanism which regulates the expression of genes, called RNA interference (RNAi). Andrew Fire of the Stanford School of Medicine and Craig Mello of the University of Massachusetts Medical School won a shared...
The first trial for a proposed stem cell treatment for Batten's disease is about to begin. Researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University's (OHSU) Doernbecher Children's Hospital, US, plan to treat six children with the rare neurodegenerative disorder by using fetal stem cell transplants. Children with...
Researchers believe they have discovered why chronic exposure to passive smoking can cause some young people to go on to develop serious chest problems like asthma, while others are not as badly affected. They have warned that children who inherit a common gene defect face a heightened...
Research suggests a link between cannabis smoking and increased risk of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy...
A British couple have spoken of their heartbreak at having had three young sons diagnosed with the same rare terminal genetic condition. Scott and Nicola Smith, from Eyres Monsell, Leicester, have spoken to the press about discovering their sons' incurable brain disorder. Eight-year old Connor, six-year...
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