The Mystery Behind Mens Commitment Problems: Bad Genes Sep 3, 2008
There are, of course, many reasons why a person might have relationship problems, but this is the first time that a specific gene variant has been associated with how men bond to their partners, Walum explained ... The team of scientists found that men who carry one or two copies of a variant of the allele 334 gene may have a different relationship behavior compared to men who lack this particular gene variant ... Furthermore, although the gene variant may be partly responsible for relationship... (eFluxMedia)
Marital crisis? Blame the male Sep 3, 2008
The gene variant, which is present in four of 10 Swedish men, can explain why some men are more prone to stormy relationships and bond less to their wives or girlfriends, a team of researchers at Stockholm's Karolinska Institute said. "There are, of course, many reasons why a person might have relationship problems, but this is the first time that a specific gene variant has been associated with how men bond to their partners," Hasse Walum, one of the researchers, said in a statement ... The... (iAfrica.com)
Link seen between men's gene variant, monogamy Sep 2, 2008
The finding is striking because it not only links the gene variant - which is present in 2 of every 5 men - with the risk of marital discord and divorce, but also appears to predict whether women involved with these men are likely to say their partners are emotionally close and available, or distant and disagreeable. The presence of the gene variant, or allele, also seems predictive of whether men get married or live with women without getting married. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Men who lack gene better at monogamy Sep 2, 2008
The finding is striking because it not only links the gene variant - which is present in two of every five men - with the risk of marital discord and divorce, but also appears to predict whether women involved with these men are likely to say their partners are emotionally close and available, or distant and disagreeable. The presence of the gene variant, or allele, also seems predictive of whether men get married or live with women without getting married ... Young and others concluded that the... (AZCentral -- News)
Gene Thwarts Dry Macular Degeneration Aug 29, 2008
Gene Variant Thwarts Dry Macular Degeneration ... Study Shows Gene Variant May Protect Against Dry Form of Age-Related Macular Degeneration By WebMD Health News Reviewed by ... Those tests showed that the TLR3 gene variant likely guards against dry AMD by suppressing the death of certain cells in the retina. (WebMD)
Why Jamaica Produces So Many Great Sprinters Aug 19, 2008
That's a significantly higher percentage than in the United States, where about 60 percent have the gene variant. A further 28 percent of Jamaicans are for the genewhich has the same effect, but to a lesser degreecompared with about 20 percent of Americans. (Slate)
Easily startled? Gene may be to blame Aug 13, 2008
The findings, reported in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience, mesh with past studies that have found a link between the gene variant and a higher risk of anxiety disorders ... To examine the relationship between COMT gene variants and the startle reflex, Montag's team recruited 96 young German women who were an average of 22 years old ... Montag's team found that when they showed the women an unpleasant image, those with two Met gene variants had a stronger startle response than those who... (MSNBC -- Health)
Gene Variant May Predispose Some to Anxiety Aug 13, 2008
Shown unpleasant pictures, they had exaggerated 'startle' response that was hard to turn off. Monday, August 11, 2008. (MEDLINEplus)
Smoking Addiction Could Be In Your Genes Aug 12, 2008
More exactly, they identified a gene variant that is more present in people who become addicted. The same gene variant has been implicated in the development of lung cancer as well, the researchers said in the August 8 issue of the journal Addiction. (eFluxMedia)
'Some scream while others laugh' Aug 12, 2008
Lead researcher Christian Montag said that he thought the gene variant linked to scaring more easily only recently evolved as it was not present in other primates and propensity to scare more easily could have offered humans an advantage. "It was an advantage to be more anxious in a dangerous environment," he said, adding that a single gene variation can account for only some of people's anxiety differences, or else up to half the population would be anxious. (India Times, India)
Terror gene to make you laugh Aug 11, 2008
Psychologist Christian Montag, one of the University of Bonn researchers, said he thought the gene variant linked to scaring more easily had only recently evolved, as it was not present in other primates like chimpanzees. More Health/Sci. (India Times, India)
Connections Between Genetics, Brain Activity And Preference Discovered Aug 9, 2008
8, 2008) A team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has used brain imaging, genetics and experimental psychology techniques to identify a connection between brain reward circuitry, a behavioral measurement of preference and a gene variant that appears to influence both. See also. (Science Daily)
Gene Variant May Decide Who Smokes and for How Long Aug 9, 2008
FRIDAY, Aug. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A gene variant that may influence a person's initial response to smoking and lifetime smoking habits has been identified by a team of researchers. The finding about the variant in the CHRNA5 nicotine receptor gene may help explain how someone goes from trying their first cigarette to becoming a long-term smoker. (Health-Finder)
Study finds connections between genetics, brain activity and preference Aug 7, 2008
A team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has used brain imaging, genetics and experimental psychology techniques to identify a connection between brain reward circuitry, a behavioral measurement of preference and a gene variant that appears to influence both. The report in the August 4 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry describes how variations in a gene involved with the brain's reward function are associated with the activity of a key brain structure and, in... (EurekAlert!)
Cutting The Brakes On The Immune System; Newly Discovered Gene Variant Implicated In Lupus Aug 4, 2008
In lupus patients with the gene variant, the immune system has trouble turning itself off, Gaffney said. "We suspect that the variant either doesn't make enough of the protein, or it makes a less effective protein," he said. (Science Daily)
Black AIDS Institute Says US Neglects Black People At Home Aug 1, 2008
Also, an international team of researchers discovered that blacks present a gene variant, which, while ensuring a higher level of protection against some types of malaria, increases the vulnerability to HIV infection. 2007 - 2008 - eFluxMedia Tags: , Share the News. (eFluxMedia)
Smart switching could solve communication tangle Jul 30, 2008
A common gene variant seems to play a part in female-to-male transsexuality, although upbringing also has a role, say researchers. For exclusive news and expert analysis every week to New Scientist Print Edition. (Yahoo News -- Instant Messaging)
Statin study could lead to test for gene variant Jul 25, 2008
Updated Jul 24, 2008 - 14:06:47 CDT. Web Search powered by YAHOO. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Gene variant linked to statin side effect Jul 24, 2008
$7 online stock trades. Test could be developed to determine who is at risk for muscle weakness. (MSNBC -- Health)
Gore challenges US to 100% renewable energy Jul 19, 2008
" Recent Science News Also In The News The government's computer systems will be the first in the world to go carbon neutral in just four years' time, it has been announced. A gene variant that evolved to protect people against malaria has been found to increase susceptibility to HIV infection by up to 40 per cent. A leading United Nations scientist has encouraged businesses to fly abroad less for meetings and to conduct them instead via video conferencing. 2008. (InTheNews.co.uk)
Genetic Variant Raises HIV Risk Jul 18, 2008
Now researchers in London and Texas say it may have something to do with a single gene variant that could account for 11%, or about 2 ... According to the paper, people with the gene variant were 40% more likely to become infected with HIV than people without it ... Intrigued, but unable to explain why the lack of the receptor increased HIV infection, Weiss teamed up with geneticists at the University of Texas and elsewhere to analyze how the gene variant impacts HIV rates in real populations. (TIME)
Newfound genetic clue to HIV rate in blacks Jul 18, 2008
(07-16) 09:04 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- An international team of AIDS scientists has discovered that a gene variant common in blacks protects against certain types of malaria but increases susceptibility to HIV infection by 40 percent ... Based on their analysis, the researchers estimated that this gene variant alone may account for 11 percent of the estimated 25 million HIV infections that have occurred in sub-Saharan Africa - roughly 2 ... Winkler, an expert in genetic factors that cause disease,... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Gene variant may raise AIDS risk Jul 17, 2008
WASHINGTON - A gene variant that emerged thousands of years ago to protect Africans from malaria may raise their vulnerability to HIV infection but help them live longer once infected, researchers said yesterday ... In Africa, the gene variant may account for 11 percent of HIV infections, the researchers said ... About 90 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have this gene variant, and about 60 percent of Americans of African descent also possess it, according to the researchers. (Boston Globe)
Common Gene Variant Ups HIV Risk Study Jul 17, 2008
com - Common Gene Variant Ups HIV Risk Study ... Common Gene Variant Ups HIV Risk Study ... WASHINGTON -- A gene variant that emerged thousands of years ago to protect Africans from malaria may raise their vulnerability to HIV infection but help them live longer once infected, researchers said on Wednesday. (Newsmax)
Does Gene Variant Make Women More Prone To Alcoholism? Jul 13, 2008
Does Gene Variant Make Women More Prone To Alcoholism ... Does Gene Variant Make Women More Prone To Alcoholism ... ScienceDaily (July 9, 2008) A particular gene variant might make women more susceptible to alcoholism. (Science Daily)
Mediterranean diet 'cuts cancer' Jul 2, 2008
Their findings raised the possibility that broccoli, or other "cruciferous" vegetables, such as cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, could help prevent or slow down the disease, particularly if the man had a particular gene variant - GSTM1. Professor Richard Mithen, who led the research, published in the Public Library of Science journal, said: "Eating two or three portions of cruciferous vegetables per week, and maybe a few more if you lack the GSTM1 gene - should be encouraged.". (BBC News -- Health)
Gene Variant May Contribute to Alzheimer's Disease Jun 27, 2008
The finding could open the door to improved treatments. Wednesday, June 25, 2008. (MEDLINEplus)
Hope And Doubt For Alzheimer's Jun 18, 2008
Meanwhile, in patients who had the APOE4 gene variant, which increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's by as much as tenfold, the drug had little benefit and increased risk of brain swelling due to leaky blood vessels, called vasogenic edema. Roughly half of Alzheimer's patients have the APOE4 gene variant. (Forbes -- Business)
Experts: Experimental meds option for Kennedy Jun 10, 2008
That vaccine is only for people who make it through standard chemo and radiation and have a specific gene variant. It's not known if Kennedy does. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Gene 'allows humans to walk on two feet' Jun 3, 2008
Two Turkish families with members who suffer from quadrupedal locomotion syndrome have the same gene variant, researchers have discovered ... Two other Turkish families with the condition do not share the same gene variant, and tests on Iraqi and Brazilian sufferers have identified different causal genes. (Telegraph.co.uk)
Childhood Asthma, Allergies Traced to Womb May 23, 2008
The authors found that among firstborn children, the presence of a particular gene strain -- known as the IL-13 gene variant -- was associated with a higher risk for having an "allergic response." This link continued to persist a decade later. By contrast, among second or later-born children no such association between IL-13 and higher risk was found. (MEDLINEplus)
First-born Babies' Higher Asthma And Allergy Rates Due To Pregnancy Conditions May 22, 2008
They found that among first-borns, the IL-13 gene variant was associated with a statistically significant higher relative risk of having increased cord-blood IgE, an indication of increased allergic response. This higher risk seemed to persist in older children; at four and ten the children with increased cord blood IgE were also more likely to have a positive skin prick test. (Science Daily)
Allergy risk 'may be set in womb' May 21, 2008
They found first borns were more likely to carry a gene variant which raised their risk of allergy. The study, to be presented to the American Thoracic Society, found this seemed to translate to a higher risk of allergy through to the age of ten. (BBC News -- Health)
Rapid, Dramatic 'Reverse Evolution' Documented May 16, 2008
"Having a lot of genetic variation in the population means that if the environment changes, there may be some gene variant that does better in that new environment than in the previous one, and so nature selects for it. Genetic variation increases the chance of overall survival of the species," she said. The researchers' findings challenge a widely held theory behind rapid evolutionary change, the idea of "phenotypic plasticity" -- when an organism can take on different characteristics... (Science Daily)
New Theory Suggests How Hepatitis C May Cause Rare Immune Disease May 14, 2008
(May 7, 2005) A common gene variant has been identified as the risk factor behind a number of common diseases by research scientists at Karolinska Institutet and the Centre for Molecular Medicine (CMM). According. (Science Daily)
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Share Some Genetic Risk Factors May 2, 2008
In the first study, researchers identified ECM1, a gene variant that encodes a protein secreted by cells to activate a key immune regulator as tied to the risk of colitis. They also found that five genes previously linked to the probability of developing Crohn's disease are also common to ulcerative colitis, while three others are not. (MEDLINEplus)
Gene Variant Boosts Risk for Stress-Related Ischemia Apr 23, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008. Patients 3 times more likely to suffer dangerous spike in blood flow to heart, study finds. (U.S. News & World Report)
Some doubt genome's value as health tool Apr 21, 2008
"The field is in such horrendous flux that you can't really say for sure that this gene variant is related to this disease and how much, and that will be a moving target for the next few years," said Dr. Muin Khoury, director of public health genomics at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A gusher of data on links between genes and disease has led to more than 30,000 scientific articles over the last six years, he said. (Boston Globe)
Gene Variant Protects Black Heart Failure Patients Apr 21, 2008
MONDAY, April 21 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have discovered a gene variant carried by about 40 percent of blacks that protects them after heart failure as much as widely used beta blocker drugs do ... About 2 percent to 3 percent of white Americans in the total group of 2,000 who were tested carried the gene variant, he said ... Beta blocker therapy did not increase the survival of individuals with the helpful gene variant. (Health-Finder)
Chicago in the News Apr 18, 2008
Genetic research conducted at the University in which a gene variant was found to be responsible for an increased risk for asthma, bronchial hyper-responsiveness and a decline in lung function was published in the Thaindian News, a publication in Bangkok, Thailand. Carole Ober, Professor in Human Genetics and the College, and lead author of the study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, said the discovery of the variant is exciting because it connects asthma... (Univeristy of Chicago Chronicle, IL)
Alzheimer's Starts Earlier For Heavy Drinkers, Smokers Apr 17, 2008
The researchers gathered information from family members on drinking and smoking history and determined whether the participants had the APOE-4 gene variant of the APOE gene, which increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease. People with the APOE-4 variant also develop Alzheimer's at an earlier age than those who do not have the gene variant ... People with APOE-4 developed the disease three years sooner than those without the gene variant. (Science Daily)
New research on genetics of height Apr 7, 2008
It is the same team that, last year, identified the first common gene variant to affect height, though the gene made a difference of only 0. 5 centimetres. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Genetic link to lung cancer is discovered Apr 4, 2008
People who have the gene variant face at least a 30% greater chance of developing the disease, three studies find. The discovery may help to explain why some smokers will never be afflicted. (Los Angeles Times)
Genetic link for lung cancer identified Apr 3, 2008
About 50% of the general population carries a single copy of this cancer gene variant, members of the three research groups suggest ... What's more, another 10% of the population is likely to carry two copies of this set of mutations, raising cancer risk by as much as 80% relative to people with equivalent lifestyles without the cancer-linked gene variant ... A third study, involving almost 6,000 cancer cases and led by Christopher Amos of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in... (Nature News Service)
Scientists nail 'smoking' gene Apr 3, 2008
deCODE, a private company, is planning to market a genetic test that would allow individuals to find out if they had the gene variant favouring lung cancer. The third study, led by Paul Brennan of the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, supported the other two in drawing a strong link between the disease and rs1051730, saying the genetic variant accounted for 14 percent of all lung cancer cases. (iAfrica.com)
Gene Variants Linked to Lung Cancer Identified Apr 3, 2008
" These variants are in genes that affect nicotine addiction, but they are also involved in making cells increase in number, which may increase the chances of development of a tumor, Brennan said. While the association between nicotine addiction and increased smoking and lung cancer seemed a likely explanation, Brennan's team rejected this hypothesis. "We tended to conclude that the association was primarily not due to tobacco addiction," he said. Brennan's team found that how much one smoked or... (Health-Finder)
Geneticists discover first race-specific gene Apr 2, 2008
The gene variant is the first known to boost the risk of colon cancer, the world's third most common form of cancer, in one population group but not in another, Malcolm Dunlop of the University of Edinburgh in Britain, who led the study, has been quoted as saying by the website. The discovery, says Nature, raises the possibility of race-specific tests to assess the risk of developing colorectal cancer, which is among the more easily treated cancers if the susceptibility is spotted early. (Hindu)
Race-specific cancer mutation found Mar 31, 2008
The gene variant is the first known to boost the risk of colon cancer, the world's third most common form of cancer, in one population group but not in another, says Malcolm Dunlop of the University of Edinburgh, UK, who led the study ... They sifted through more than half a million possible candidate gene variants to see which ones cropped up most often in patients compared to non-patients ... Another similar study, led by Richard Houlston of the Institute of Cancer Research in Sutton, UK, adds... (Nature News Service)
Vegetables Tied to Lower Breast Cancer Risk Mar 19, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cruciferous vegetables may help lower the risk of developing breast cancer, particularly for women who carry a particular gene variant linked to the disease, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among more than 6,000 Chinese women, those with the highest intake of Chinese cabbage and white turnips had a somewhat lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer than those with the lowest intake. (MEDLINEplus)
Gene 'linked to higher gout risk' identified Mar 10, 2008
They found that the gene variant raises the risk -- the results of the study have been published in the 'Nature Genetics' journal. According to them, the SLC2A gene and the protein it controls might one day be targeted by new gout drugs. (Hindu)
Genes Involved In Inflammation May Hold Clue To Age-related Macular Degeneration Mar 5, 2008
19, 2007) Researchers have found a gene variant that can more than double the risk of developing the degenerative eye disease, age-related macular. . (Science Daily)
Regular Drinking Raises Blood Pressure, Meta-Analysis Affirms Mar 5, 2008
" While the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) genotype is not associated with confounding factors, people who inherit two copies of the ALDH2 *2*2 variant tend to drink little because their body does not efficiently metabolize alcohol and they become flushed and nauseated after drinking, the researchers said. The meta-analysis included 10 studies reporting on associations between ALDH2 and hypertension or blood pressure. Most were cross-sectional; all were population-based. The studies were... (MedPage Today)
Degenerative Eye Disease More Than Doubles Heart Attack And Stroke Risk Mar 2, 2008
19, 2007) Researchers have found a gene variant that can more than double the risk of developing the degenerative eye disease, age-related macular. (Apr. (Science Daily)
Age-Related Macular Degeneration Doubles Heart Attack and Stroke Risk Mar 1, 2008
This gene variant has been previously linked with inflammatory diseases and cancer. If these findings hold up, the researchers think it could lead to genetic screening for AMD and possibly the development of medications to treat the disease. (MEDLINEplus)
Cigarette Smoking Linked Heart Attacks In Early 50's For People With Common Gene Variant Feb 15, 2008
Researchers say that as much as 60 to 70 percent of the population has a gene defect that delivers a one-two punch to smokers: In a recent published study, heavy smokers with this common gene variant experienced a heart attack around the age of 52 ... 18, 2001) Scientists have found that a common gene variant, when carried by cigarette smokers, can significantly increase the risk of coronary heart disease - Britain's single biggest killer. (Science Daily)
Gene variant predicts medication response in patients with alcohol dependence Feb 8, 2008
Patients with a certain gene variant drank less and experienced better overall clinical outcomes than patients without the variant while taking the medication naltrexone, according to an analysis of participants in the National Institutes of Health's 2001-2004 COMBINE (Combined Pharmacotherapies and Behavioral Interventions for Alcohol Dependence) Study. About 87 percent of patients with the variant who received naltrexone. (EurekAlert!)
Gene variant linked to moderated symptoms of beta-thalassemia Jan 31, 2008
Public release date: 30-Jan-2008. Contact: Megan Homer. (EurekAlert!)
Genes May Be Key to Lung Cancer Care Jan 18, 2008
This advantageous gene variant was more common in the homogeneous Japanese population than in the multiethnic American group. The study, according to Gandara, indicates that "the DNA of a host is [just as] important as the tumor DNA" in determining which course of treatment will be most successful. (Scientific American)
Autism Risk Higher In People With Gene Variant Jan 12, 2008
Inheriting the gene variant does not mean that a child will inevitably develop autism ... "It encodes a protein that's known to mediate interactions between brain cells and that appears to enable a crucial aspect of brain-cell development. A gene variant that altered either of these activities could have significant impact.". (Science Daily)
Deadly vCJD makes a comeback in Britain Jan 5, 2008
To date every person who has died from vCJD has carried a gene variant called MM of which 4 in 10 people have. Some experts suggest that in humans, only those people may ever have been vulnerable to vCJD however the latest death is the first recorded involving a different variant - VV - found in approximately 1 in 10 Britons. (News-Medical.net)
Hope for alcoholics in gene research Dec 27, 2007
December 27, 2007 12:43am AEDT. A NEWFOUND link between impulsive decisions and a faulty gene suggests some forms of addiction may be treatable with drugs already on the market for conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. (The Australian)
Advancing on MS: New drugs and hopes for a vaccine Dec 22, 2007
Thirty years ago, a gene variant was linked to MS in about half of patients. The next major genetic advance didn't come until four months ago, when an international research team identified variants of two more genes that significantly raise the risk of MS.. (Herald Online, SC -- Health)
Heart Attack Risk From Smoking Due To Genetics, Study Suggests Dec 21, 2007
18, 2001) Scientists have found that a common gene variant, when carried by cigarette smokers, can significantly increase the risk of coronary heart disease - Britain's single biggest killer. (May 15, 2007) Low tar "lite" cigarettes impair blood flow through the heart as severely as regular cigarettes, reveals a new small study. (Science Daily)
Gene Variant Tied to More Aggressive Prostate Cancer Dec 13, 2007
Men with differing version of tumor suppressor appear at increased risk, researchers say. Tuesday, December 11, 2007. (MEDLINEplus)
Scientists Discover Gene Varient that Makes Mice Alcoholics Dec 9, 2007
It is too early yet to know whether or not there is a gene variant in humans that is similar to the one in the mice and also has a similar effect on consumption ... It the studies that they plan on doing prove that there is a similar gene variant that has the same effect in humans that it does in mice, then there is a strong possibility that they will be able to develop that will be effective in treating those with dependence. (Associated Content)
