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Blame it on genes for mens infidelity, Men reach peak of infidelity at 55
London: Men's tendency to be unfaithful may be influenced by their genes, suggests a new research.
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Rare and deadly childhood cancer gene found
Researchers have found a gene that causes most inherited forms of neuroblastoma, a rare and deadly form of childhood cancer, and say the discovery points to new treatments.
Mutations in a gene called ALK were strongly linked to neuroblastoma, the researchers from the United States, Italy and Belgium reported on Sunday. They said several companies already are working on drugs that target this gene, which is also mutated in some cases of lung cancer and lymphoma.
His discovery enables us to offer the first genetic tests to families affected by the inherited form of this disease," said Dr. Yael Mosse of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who worked on the study.
"Furthermore, because there already are drugs in development that target the same gene in adult cancers, we can soon begin testing those drugs in children with neuroblastoma." Neuroblastoma accounts for 15 percent of childhood cancer deaths, with just a 40 percent survival rate, even though it only causes about 7 percent of all pediatric cancers.
Writing in the journal Nature, the team at Children's Hospital, the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, and elsewhere said they studied 20 families with one or more children with neuroblastoma. They found mutations in the ALK gene that cause it to be constantly active in helping cells proliferate. Out-of-control proliferation is the hallmark of cancer. Researchers have found a gene that causes most inherited forms of neuroblastoma, a rare and deadly form of childhood cancer, and say t... more -
'Sputnik,' the virus-infecting virus fuels definition of life debate
The discovery of a massive virus that suffers from another virus has reignited debate over whether the microscopic agents of infection should be considered living things rather than bags of genes.
Earlier this month scientists reported a new strain of giant virus called mamavirus, which was first detected in amoebas from a water-cooling tower in Paris.
In a recent study, electron microscopy revealed a much smaller virus attached to the mamavirus, which the study authors say made the host virus grow abnormally and damaged its ability to replicate.
The tiny satellite virus, dubbed Sputnik, is the first described virophage—so named because its behavior resembles that of bacteria-targeting viruses known as bacteriophages. The discovery of a massive virus that suffers from another virus has reignited debate over whether the microscopic agents of infection... more -
'Horror film gene' explains why some laugh while others scream
Different versions of a single gene linked to feelings of anxiety can explain why some people simply cannot stand horror movies, while others find the suspense and gore enjoyable, scientists claim.
The new research results may explain why it is that over the past 35 years people have had wildly different reactions to the classic horror film, The Exorcist.
A particular variant of the 'COMT' gene affects a chemical in the brain that is linked to anxiety, scientists found. People who have two copies of one version of the gene are more easily disturbed when viewing unpleasant pictures. That version of the gene weakens the effect of a signalling chemical in the brain that helps control certain emotions. Those carrying two copies of it were significantly more startled by frightening images than others. By contrast, those who had one copy of the gene and one copy of another version were able to keep their emotions in check far more readily.
Psychologist Christian Montag, one of the researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany, explained that a single gene variation could account for only some of people's anxiety differences: "This single gene variation is potentially only one of many factors influencing such a complex trait as anxiety," he said. "Still, to identify the first candidates for genes associated with an anxiety-prone personality is a step in the right direction." Different versions of a single gene linked to feelings of anxiety can explain why some people simply cannot stand horror movies, while... more -
GMO containment?
The CBC's national news takes a look at how GM crops are being monitored in Canada.
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Blame the genes for getting buzz from the first cigarette
Anyone who has ever tried smoking probably remembers that first cigarette vividly. For some, it brought a wave of nausea or a nasty coughing fit. For others, those first puffs also came with a rush of pleasure or "buzz." Now, a new study links those first experiences with smoking, and the likelihood that a person is currently a smoker, to a particular genetic variation. The finding may help explain the path that leads from that first cigarette to lifelong smoking. The new finding also adds to growing suspicion surrounding the role of a particular nicotine-receptor gene in smoking-related behaviors and in lung cancer. Other researchers have already linked variations in the same genetic region to smokers' level of dependence on nicotine, to the number of cigarettes smoked per day and to a far higher risk of lung cancer — the ultimate outcome of a lifetime of smoking. Anyone who has ever tried smoking probably remembers that first cigarette vividly. For some, it brought a wave of nausea or a nasty co... more
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Voting : its in your genes
Heading to the polls on Nov. 4? If so, your genes may be driving you there, a new study suggests.
In fact, as much as 50 percent of whether you vote or not may be genetically determined, says a team at the University of California, San Diego. Genes may even be more important to your tendency to cast a ballot than family political history.
"Both nature and nurture play a role in voting," said lead author James H. Fowler, an associate professor of political science. "We expected genes would play a little bit of a role, but we were surprised how strong [a] role they played."
Previously, experts primarily focused on the environmental factors that pushed people to vote. "For a long time, they thought that parents and children have pretty much the same behavior when it comes to voting," Fowler said. "If they voted, it's likely you will go to the polls Heading to the polls on Nov. 4? If so, your genes may be driving you there, a new study suggests. ... more -
Is There a Laziness Gene?
Have you ever wondered why you can't get off the couch and exercise — despite paying for an expensive gym membership, despite your New Year's resolutions, even despite the doctor's scolding at your last checkup? Turns out that your inertia may be coded right into your genes.
Based on some intriguing preliminary studies in animals, J. Timothy Lightfoot, a kinesiologist, and his team at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, suggest that genetics may indeed predispose some of us to sloth. Using mice specially bred and selected according to their activity levels, Lightfoot identified 20 different genomic locations that work in tandem to influence their activity levels — specifically, how far the animals will run. Lightfoot's team is the first to identify these genetic areas and the first to figure out that they function in concert. The researchers say the areas they found on the mouse genome may have analogs in humans, and the UNC team is now gearing up to conduct a similar study in men and women. "We have put forward a fairly complete genomic map of the areas that are associated with regulation of physical activity," says Lightfoot, whose study is published in the current issue of the Journal of Heredity.
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Read the rest at link. Have you ever wondered why you can't get off the couch and exercise — despite paying for an expensive gym membership, despite you... more -
Obesity gene 'affects appetite'
Children carrying the first gene that has been clearly linked to obesity find it harder than others to tell when they are full, London-based researchers say. Children carrying the first gene that has been clearly linked to obesity find it harder than others to tell when they are full, London... more
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Researchers discover gene that regulates and blocks ovulation
A group of Canadian and European researchers have unlocked the mystery of a gene with the potential to both regulate and block ovulation. The new study — a collaboration between the Universite de Montreal in Canada and the Institut de genetique et biologie moleculaire et cellulaire of the Universite de Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France — is published in the latest issue of the journal Genes & Development.
"Our findings demonstrate that the Lrh1 gene is essential in regulating ovulation," said Bruce D. Murphy, director the Animal Research Centre at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and an adjunct professor of and obstetrics and gynaecology at the Faculty of Medicine of the Universite de Montreal. "Until this point, the role of Lrh1 in female fertility was unclear, but we have found the gene regulates multiple mechanisms of ovulation and may affect fertilization."
To reach their conclusions, the research team developed a new type of genetically modified mouse whose Lrh1 gene was selectively blocked in the ovary. They found that deletion of the Lrh1 gene effectively stopped ovulation. "This discovery means we can envision new contraceptives that selectively stop ovulation," said Dr. Murphy. "If created, these new contraceptives would be more effective and produce less side-effects than current steroid-based forms of birth control."
What’s more, the findings could lead to the development of pharmaceuticals that activate the Lrh1 gene, which may prove critical in giving infertile couples hope in producing children. "This is an important development, since 15 percent of couples are infertile," said Dr. Murphy. "The widespread role of this gene in the ovary indicates that it may be targeted to stimulate ovulation and, eventually, conception."
http://www.umontreal.ca/english/index.htm A group of Canadian and European researchers have unlocked the mystery of a gene with the potential to both regulate and block ovulati... more -
women at 100 could give birth with new fetility treatment.
In 30 years time women could conceive at any age and infertility could be eradicated, say scientists Woman will soon be able to give birth at the age of 100 due to advances in fertility treatment, scientists have predicted. Within three decades, women of any age - from children to pensioners - could successfully conceive as infertility is effectively eradicated, it is claimed.
Parents would then be able to choose a so-called 'designer' baby, selecting their perfect child based on characteristics such as hair colour and height to intelligence and disease-free genes.
The forecast, reported in Nature, were made by leading scientists who were asked to anticipate advances in reproduction by 2038 to mark the 30th birthday of Louise Brown, the world's first test-tube baby.Experts say advances in germ cell technology in which skin cells are used to create sperm and eggs and then combined to make human embryos will soon allow women to start a family at any time in their lives.
The technology is still to be developed, but biologists believe that treatments using cells from skin called induced pluripotent stem cells could replace IVF In 30 years time women could conceive at any age and infertility could be eradicated, say scientists Woman will soon be able to give b... more -
Two genes may prevent HIV infection
Scientists have isolated two genes which may prevent people from contracting HIV or at least slow the rate at which they develop AIDS, a new study has found.
The genes were isolated by comparing the genetic profiles of people in their first year of HIV infection with those who managed to resist infection despite repeated exposure to the virus.
The "good" versions of the two genes were present in 12.2 percent of those who resisted infection compared with only 2.7 of patients in primary HIV infection.
Researchers are not yet sure how this protection works.
One of the genes codes for a receptor on the surface of the immune system's natural killer cells which destroy infected cells in the body.
The other codes for a protein which binds the first gene and dampens the natural killer cell activity.
The most likely explanation is that HIV prevents the protein that dampens the killer cell activity from being expressed, allowing the killer cells to destroy cells infected with HIV. Scientists have isolated two genes which may prevent people from contracting HIV or at least slow the rate at which they develop AIDS,... more -
The women who make men gay: the genetic link
"Scientists have discovered that gay men’s mothers, sisters and maternal aunts tend to have significantly more children than the norm — and that many of their nephews and male cousins are also gay.
The findings suggest that the same genes that trigger homosexuality in men also promote fertility in women, and that this could explain how they survive in the population when gay men themselves are unlikely to breed. The genes are instead passed on through the female line and the enhanced fertility they confer on these women ensures that they are inherited by plenty of children.
Some of these sons will grow up to be homosexual themselves. The study also revealed that gay men are more likely than heterosexuals to have a gay male relative, though only on their mother’s side of the family.
The results, from the University of Padua, in Italy, offer strong support for the theory that homosexuality is at least partly determined by a person’s genetic make-up, and is not just about personal choice or upbringing and environment. It also suggests an elegant solution to the biggest problem with this hypothesis — the “Darwinian paradox” that any genes that favour homosexuality ought to have died out through natural selection, as those that inherited them had fewer and fewer offspring.
Andrea Camperio-Ciani, who led the research, said: “Our data resolve this paradox by showing that there might be hitherto unexpected reproductive advantages associated with male homosexuality.”
The work also points to a likely location for the genes that have this effect: they almost certainly lie on the X chromosome, the package of DNA that men always inherit from their mothers.
In the study, published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society, Dr Camperio-Ciani’s team interviewed 98 homosexual and 100 heterosexual men in detail about their extended families. In total, more than 4,600 individuals were thus indirectly involved. They found that both the mothers and maternal aunts of the homosexuals were significantly more fertile than those of the straight men: the mothers had an average of 2.69 children compared with 2.32, and the aunts 1.98 children compared with 1.51.
Fertility rates among paternal relatives and among male relatives on the mother’s side were similar for both groups.
All this points to genes that influence both male homosexuality and female fertility being passed down along the maternal line. “The results hypothesise that genetic factors, transmitted in the maternal line, increase both the probability of being homosexual in males and fecundity in females,” Dr Camperio-Ciani said.
The study did not investigate lesbianism. The notion that homosexuality has at least some basis in biology is not now seriously disputed by scientists, though there is little consensus on what the causes might be. Some scientists think that genetics are critical, while others believe that conditions in the womb are all-important.
The question of what causes homosexuality has long divided both the gay community and social conservatives who regard same-sex partnerships as wrong. Many gay activists think that identifying biological factors that contribute to homosexuality will prove that their sexual orientation is perfectly natural and encourage tolerance. Others fear that it will lead to greater hostility, with the risk that being gay will again be seen as a disorder that might one day be “cured”." "Scientists have discovered that gay men’s mothers, sisters and maternal aunts tend to have significantly more children than the ... more -
Designer DNA: Should we be able to reprogram our genes?
This month, Just Imagine focused on the future of nature and the ways in which it can inspire solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing humanity today.
Yet as scientists gain a greater understanding of biological processes, they're also gaining a greater understanding of how to manipulate them, including the very essence of what makes us human -- our DNA.
Biotechnology advances are already helping scientists find groundbreaking ways to create personalized medicine, detect illnesses and eradicate disease.
And this, according to futurist Ray Kurzweil, is only the beginning. In the future, humans will be able to reverse the aging process, replace dying organs with younger ones grown from an individual's own DNA and even genetically engineer unborn children, he said.
But some, like the UK-based group Human Genetics Alert, worry the ability to reprogram our biochemistry could lead mankind into unknown territory with dangerous ramifications for the future, including genetic discrimination and even a redefinition of what it means to be human. This month, Just Imagine focused on the future of nature and the ways in which it can inspire solutions to some of the greatest challe... more -
Gene which protects against Malaria could promote HIV transmission
"...the new finding, if confirmed, was intriguing because it pointed to the many ways in which the body’s receptors have been shaped by pathogens. Although HIV is too recent an infection to have left an evolutionary mark on the genome, human ancestors would have been exposed to malarial parasites and to SIV, the AIDS virus that infects monkeys, and the genome still bears the marks of these challenges to survival. Better knowledge of these adapations will help understand the biology of HIV infection" "...the new finding, if confirmed, was intriguing because it pointed to the many ways in which the body’s receptors have been sha... more
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Your Mama's so fat, she made you fat!
That's right, you're getting fat even in the womb!
Excerpts:
"The obesity crisis could deepen as the womb chemicals of increasingly overweight mothers set their baby's future risk, say US scientists.
"Epigenetic" tags, which affect the function of our genes, may be responsible, they say.
However, the researchers countered this effect in the mice through diet.
Our genes alone do not fully explain why we turn out the way we do - why some people will develop cancer or Alzheimer's disease, while others become obese.
Researchers increasingly believe that the effect of conditions in the womb on the developing foetus can play an important role in setting our future health.
"There is now a lot of information that foetal environment - be it malnourished or over-nourished - has an permanent impact on the metabolism of that foetus as it tries to cope." That's right, you're getting fat even in the womb! Excerpts: ... more -
Anorexia 'overlooked in boys'
Disorders such as anorexia are much more common in girls - only one in ten diagnosed cases are in boys.
Almost half of all child mental health experts asked by the BBC said they felt that more boys were coming forward with the problem.
However, they said that GPs and parents were missing vital clues that boys had developed an eating disorder. Disorders such as anorexia are much more common in girls - only one in ten diagnosed cases are in boys. ... more -
Relaxation Techniques Let Your Mind Control Stress Genes
Researchers have come out and stated that relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, prayer, etc. can actually turn off genes which are linked to stress.
The new study was led by Dr. Herbert Benson of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind, Body Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
For the study, Benson and his colleagues looked at the gene patters of 19 long-term practicioners, as well as 20 new people, and 19 healthy control participants.
They all went through 8-weeks of relaxation-response training.
Researchers found that when you take part in relaxation techniques, the actual genes which cause stress are turned off.
What they discovered is that your mind actually has the power to turn on and turn off genes.
The study, which researchers believe is the first to look at how the mind can impact genes, has been published in the journal PLoS One. Researchers have come out and stated that relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, prayer, etc. can actually turn off genes whi... more -
Genetics of childhood trauma
Can genes protect abused children from future emotional turmoil?
Have you ever wondered why some people are so much more resilient than others? Why some can bounce back from trauma, whereas others are doomed to a lifetime of depression and other mental angst? A new study indicates that genes may have something (read: a lot) to do with it. Researchers report in the Archives of General Psychiatry that children who are physically and emotionally abused but have the most protective variant of CRHR1, a gene that controls the body's response to stress hormones, are less likely to suffer depression as adults. The finding could pave the way for new antidepression therapies, says lead study author Kerry Ressler, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine's Center for Behavioral Neuroscience. "We know that childhood abuse and early-life stress are among the strongest contributors to adult depression, and this study again brings to light the importance of preventing them," Ressler said. "But when these tragic events do occur, studies like this one ultimately can help us learn how we might be able to better intervene against the pathology that often follows." (Archives of General Psychiatry) Can genes protect abused children from future emotional turmoil? ... more
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