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…

A new report from consulting firm Grandview Research predicts the global biomarker market, driven significantly by the growth of companion diagnostics and personalized medicine, will reach $78.2 billion by 2024. Factors anticipated to influence growth include the need for disease-specific biomarkers for the development of diagnostics, increasing research and development…

Researchers and physicians are increasingly learning that medical interventions can be more successful when they are tailored to the particular profile of the individual patient. Yet, defining that profile has proven tough, as it involves information on an individual’s genome, proteins, fats, and variety of other biomolecules that constitute the …

Thousands of genetic variants have been associated with different diseases, but these variants still retain their most treacherous secrets—the mechanisms by which they contribute to disease processes. The trick is these mechanisms typically involve multiple conspirators—not just genes, but also transcription factors, enhancers, and promoters. If these networks could be…

An exhaustive analysis of fatty acids from a diabetes-protected animal model has revealed a whole new class of molecules. These molecules, dubbed fatty acid hydroxyl fatty acids, or FAHFAs, enhance insulin sensitivity and glucose control. Better yet, they also reduce inflammation. Ordinarily, elevated fatty acids are associated with insulin resistance…

Stanford University School of Medicine researchers say they have developed an inexpensive, portable, microchip-based test for diagnosing type 1 diabetes that they believe could improve patient care worldwide and help researchers better understand the disease. Described in a paper (“A plasmonic chip for biomarker discovery and diagnosis of type 1…

In 2009 Mark Boguski and colleagues published a paper entitled “Customized care 2020: how medical sequencing and network biology will enable personalized medicine.” In the paper the authors described a model incorporating these pathways, annotation of disease networks and drug targets, and simulation of therapeutic interventions with virtual drugs or…

Vural Özdemir, M.D., Ph.D., is editor-in-chief of OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. He is also an associate professor of human genetics at the council of higher education in Ankara, Turkey, and an independent scholar in science studies and advisor to the office of…