Category: Genetics

Trial results show treatment-resistant advanced non-small cell lung cancer responds to new drug, rociletinib

Barcelona, Spain: A new drug that targets not only common cancer-causing genetic mutations in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but also a form of the mutation that causes resistance to treatment, has shown promising results in patients in a phase I/II clinical trial. The research will be presented on Friday at the 26th […]

Damaging legacy: mothers who smoke affect the fertility of their sons

Mothers who smoke while they are pregnant or breast feeding may be damaging the future fertility of their sons, according to new findings from research in mice published online in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. The study is the first comprehensive animal model to show the mechanism by which […]

Discovery of new genes involved in food preferences will revolutionise diets and improve health

Milan, Italy: New understanding of the genes involved in taste perception and food preferences could lead to personalised nutrition plans effective not just in weight loss but in avoiding  diseases such as cancer, depression, and hypertension, Italian researchers told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG). Knowing why individuals prefer certain […]

Genetic researchers take a major step towards better diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis

Milan, Italy: A new target that may be critical for the treatment of osteoporosis, a disease which affects about 25% of post-menopausal women, has been discovered by a group of researchers in The Netherlands and in Germany. Professor Brunhilde Wirth, Head of the Institute of Human Genetics, University of Cologne, Germany, told the annual conference […]

New genetic sequencing methods mean quicker, cheaper, and equally accurate embryo screening

Milan, Italy: Results from the first study of the clinical application of next generation DNA sequencing (NGS) in screening embryos for genetic disease prior to implantation in patients undergoing in-vitro fertilisation treatments show that it is an effective reliable method of selecting the best embryos to transfer. The research was presented at the annual conference […]

Proposed amendments to EU Regulation on Medical Devices are counter to patients’ interests and unworkable, says ESHG

Recent amendments to the proposed Regulation on In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices (IVDs) currently before the European Parliament will restrict the rights of patients and doctors to carry out essential genetic testing, says the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) today (Monday 7 April 2014). Furthermore, an independent legal opinion now shows that the European […]

Genetic testing may improve selection of women with ER+ breast cancer for ten rather than five years of hormonal therapy

Glasgow, UK: Genetic analyses of results from 1125 postmenopausal women being treated for oestrogen responsive breast cancer have shown that some of them are more likely than others to have a late recurrence of their cancer and might benefit from ten years of hormone therapy rather than five. Prof Mitch Dowsett told the opening press […]

Anti-cancer drug T-DM1 benefits women with advanced breast cancer who have failed several previous treatments: results from TH3RESA trial

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: First results from a phase III clinical trial of the combination drug, T-DM1, show that it significantly improves the length of time before the disease worsens in women with advanced HER2 positive breast cancer whose cancer has recurred or progressed despite previous treatments, including trastuzumab and lapatinib. In a late-breaking presentation to […]

First randomised trial of targeted cancer medicine in all tumour types to be presented at ECC2013; results will pave the way for personalised treatment

A further step along the road to the personalisation of cancer medicine, where treatment is based on the individual molecular characteristics of tumours rather than their primary site, will be presented at the 2013 European Cancer Congress (ECC2013), which starts on Friday 27 September in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Dr Christophe Le Tourneau, Head of the […]

Large study reveals increased cancer risks associated with family history of the disease

A family history of cancer increases the risk of other members of the family developing not only the same cancer (known as a concordant cancer) but also a different (discordant) cancer, according to a large study of 23,000 people in Italy and Switzerland. The research, published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1], […]