Originally posted in Cystic Fibrosis News From Medical News Today

In a new study published in the journal Nature, scientists discovered an entirely new way to change the genetic code. The findings, though early, are significant because they may ultimately help researchers alter the course of devastating genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and many forms of cancer…

Originally posted in Cystic Fibrosis News From Medical News Today

Mutations in genes essential to survival are behind so-called orphan diseases, explaining in part why these diseases are rare and often deadly, according to a study appearing in The American Journal of Human Genetics…

Originally posted in Cystic Fibrosis News From Medical News Today

Exclusive licenses to gene patents, most of which are held by academic institutions and based on taxpayer-funded research, do more to block competition in the gene testing market than to spur the development of new technologies for gauging disease risk, say researchers at the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy (IGSP)…

Originally posted in Cystic Fibrosis News From Medical News Today

An inexpensive, fast, accurate DNA test that reveals a person’s risk of developing certain diseases is expected to become a reality, thanks to technology developed at the University of Edinburgh. Scientists have developed a method of pinpointing variations in a person’s genetic code at critical points along the DNA chain. The technique could be used to analyse DNA in a drop of saliva…

Originally posted in Cystic Fibrosis News From Medical News Today

A faster and cheaper way to find disease genes in the human genome that is being developed by researchers in the US has passed its initial “proof of concept” test by finding previously unknown gene mutations for Freeman-Sheldon syndrome, a rare Mendelian disorder, in unrelated affected individuals. Researchers from the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle wrote about their work in a paper that appears in the 16 August issue of Nature.