Gene Test May Spot Which Kidney Transplants More Likely to Fail

Researchers suggest it could be way to spot trouble earlier. TUESDAY, Nov. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A preliminary gene test may help identify kidney transplant patients at risk of organ rejection, researchers report.   Organ rejection occurs in 15 percent to 20 percent of kidney transplant patients, even when they are given drugs to suppress their immune system.   Typically, an increase in serum creatinine -- a sign of kidney...

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MicroRNAs in kidney physiology and disease

 Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression. They have important roles during kidney development, homeostasis and disease. In particular, miRNAs participate in the onset and progression of tubulointerstitial sclerosis and end-stage glomerular lesions that occur in various forms of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therefore, miRNAs represent potential new therapeutic targets for a debilitating...

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Mother’s Microbes Protect Baby’s Brain

Bacteria in the gut of a pregnant mouse strengthen the blood-brain barrier of her developing fetus. V. ALTOUNIAN/SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINEThe brain—the most exalted and enigmatic of organs, which is closed off from the rest of the body by a largely impermeable barrier—could not seem more disconnected from the intestine. Yet, according to a paper published today (November 19) in Science Translational Medicine, it’s thanks to the contents...

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Cystic fibrosis genetics: from molecular understanding to clinical application

Abstract The availability of the human genome sequence and tools for interrogating individual genomes provide an unprecedented opportunity to apply genetics to medicine. Mendelian conditions, which are caused by dysfunction of a single gene, offer powerful examples that illustrate how genetics can provide insights into disease. Cystic fibrosis, one of the more common lethal autosomal recessive Mendelian disorders, is presented here as an example....

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