Researchers say genes located in a large chromosomal aberration associated with autism interact with each other to modulate the variable symptoms of the disease. A Penn State–led team tested the role of these genes individually and in tandem by reducing the amount of the genes expressed in a fruit fly…

Changes in gut bacteria have been linked with the development of age-related disorders and chronic diseases, and research suggests that targeting the microbiome as part of the gut–brain axis (GBA) may represent a therapeutic approach against some age-related conditions. Scientists at McGill University in Montreal have now shown how a…

New evidence from investigators at the University of Tokyo and Tohoku University in Japan has revealed a molecular mechanism that controls how lifestyle choices and the external environment affect gene expression. This mechanism includes potential targets for next-generation drug discovery efforts to treat metabolic diseases including diabetes and obesity. The…

When President Obama announced the Precision Medicine Initiative at the State of the Union in 2015, it recognized more than a decade of work that scientists and medical researchers had already committed to identifying the underlying genetic causes of diseases and specific pathways to treatment. To date, there have been…

A common variant of the gene for the liver hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) genetically predisposes carriers to eat more sugar and consume more alcohol, but it is also, perhaps counterintuitively, associated with lower total body fat, according to the findings of a study headed by researchers at the…

Using newborns as a long-term gauge for maternal cardiac health may seem like a far-fetched idea, but a new study from investigators at McGill University and the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center has found that women who give birth to infants with congenital heart defects may have an increased…

The NIH is partnering with Inova Health System to launch a two-year pilot project designed to connect researchers to individuals with genotypes of interest and examine the genes and gene variants’ influence on their phenotypes. Through The Genomic Ascertainment Cohort (TGAC), the NIH plans to establish a new database of 10,000…

As so many scientific roads are leading to, or at the very least through, the microbiome, scientists are anxious to understand the multitude of factors that shape these essential microbial populations. Study after study has found that our microbiome affects nearly every aspect of our health—and its microbial composition, which…

The choices that children make when it comes to snacking could have a strong genetic foundation. A new study from investigators at the University of Guelph in Ontario looked at connections between the genes of taste receptors and linked them to snacking patterns among preschoolers. Findings from the study were…

Few scientists earn a repeat invitation to keynote the Molecular Medicine Tri-Con (TRICON) event, especially not 23 years apart. But Lee Hood is an exception. Kicking off the 25th anniversary edition of TRICON in San Francisco earlier this week, Hood reflected on his mission to promote “P4 medicine”, illustrating with…

Researcher led by a team of investigators at the University of Bonn, Germany, have found that the immune system reacts to a high-calorie, Western-style diet in a way similar to how it reacts to bacterial infections, by setting in motion inflammatory response and long-term stimulate of the innate immune system…

Investigators at UCLA have demonstrated that tea, and in particular black tea, may promote weight loss and other health benefits by changing bacteria within the gut. Findings from the new study—published recently in the European Journal of Nutrition, in an article entitled “Decaffeinated Green and Black Tea Polyphenols Decrease Weight…

The International Phenome Centre Network (IPCN), a worldwide consortium of research centers focused on disease prevention, detection and treatment by better understanding the dynamic interactions of our genes and our environment in the development and progression disease, launched November 29 with the goal of tackling pressing global health challenges including autism,…

In a new commentary, published recently in Trends in Pharmacological Sciences—through an article entitled “Introducing the Microbiome into Precision Medicine”—two University of Chicago researchers frame a persuasive argument that studies of the microbiome should be integral to future precision medicine initiatives.  A continuously growing body of research shows the microbiome—the…

A new large-scale study involving more than 160 international researchers from 17 countries—members of the Early Growth Genetics (EGG) Consortium—and led by investigators from University of Exeter Medical School have identified key genetic differences that may help explain why some babies are born bigger or smaller than others. The new…