all Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT stories

Researchers ‘NOTCH’ a victory in war on cancer

404132862 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:09:01 -0500

Cancer cells fueled by the mutant KRAS oncogene, which makes them notoriously difficult to treat, can be killed by blocking a more vulnerable genetic partner of KRAS, report scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT.

Three-dimensional structure of human genome deciphered

404132862 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:40:21 -0400

Scientists have deciphered the three-dimensional structure of the human genome, paving the way for new insights into genomic function and expanding our understanding of how cellular DNA folds at scales that dwarf the double helix.

Three Harvard teams to receive $9 million each in federal funding for stem cell research

404132862 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:11:45 -0400

Three teams of Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers are slated to receive $27 million over seven years in National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) grants for the development of stem-cell based tools and treatments to understand and treat cardiovascular and blood disorders. The NHLBI Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium will consist of nine research hubs, each involving multidiscplinary teams from two academic medical centers.

Genome of Irish potato famine pathogen decoded

404132862 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:51:28 -0400

A large international research team has decoded the genome of the notorious organism that triggered the Irish potato famine in the mid-19th century and now threatens this season’s tomato and potato crops across much of the United States

Researchers discover chemical that kills cancer stem cells

705287540 — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:38:41 -0400

A new drug candidate that attacks the cell walls of tuberculosis bacteria offers a promising alternative in the fight against a disease that has been resurgent in the global age of AIDS, according to findings highlighted by a key researcher Friday (June 12) at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT.

Broad scientists to sequence multiple myeloma samples

50443248 — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:16:57 -0400

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) announced today a collaboration with the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT to systematically uncover the molecular changes underlying multiple myeloma by whole-genome sequencing of individual patient tumors. The MMRF will provide both patient samples for analysis as well as funding for the project.

New ALS gene identified

50443248 — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:33:39 -0500

A collaborative research effort spanning nearly a decade between Harvard researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and King’s College London (KCL) has identified a novel gene for inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Genes That Control Body's Salt Levels Are Identified

404132862 — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:54:59 -0500

Common gene variants increase risk of hypertension

404132862 — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:59:00 -0500

A new study has identified the first common gene variants associated with an increased incidence of hypertension — a significant risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. The report, receiving early online release in the journal Nature Genetics, identifies variants in genes for proteins involved with cardiovascular response to stress that also appear to influence blood pressure levels, an association previously seen in animals but not demonstrated in humans.

International study identifies gene variants associated with early heart attack

50443248 — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:48:40 -0500

The largest study ever completed of genetic factors associated with heart attacks has identified nine genetic regions — three not previously described — that appear to increase the risk for early-onset myocardial infarction. The report from the Myocardial Infarction Genetics Consortium, based on information from a total of 26,000 individuals in 10 countries, was given early online release today by Nature Genetics.

Hundred million dollar gift to launch innovative search for AIDS vaccine

404132862 — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:22:57 -0500

Harvard Medical School professor Bruce Walker, M.D. has been selected as the founding director of a unique new $100 million effort to finally develop a vaccine that can halt the global HIV/AIDS pandemic which, if it continues unchecked, is predicted to claim an additional 70 million lives by 2020.

Scientists uncover new class of mammalian genes with key functions

50443248 — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:05:47 -0500

A research team at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has uncovered a vast new class of previously unrecognized mammalian genes that do not encode proteins, but instead function as long RNA molecules.

Researchers find new molecule to block ‘Hedgehog’ signaling in cancer, development

404132862 — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:06:29 -0500

Researchers have achieved a feat drug developers had thought difficult, if not impossible, discovering a compound that blocks the functioning of a key developmental protein by binding to an “undruggable” target — an advance that may provide a new avenue to fight skin, pancreatic, prostate, and other cancers.