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Gene Find Hope for Early Bowel Cancer Warnings:
9 July 2007
Scientists in Scotland have discovered a common genetic fault which increases the risk of bowel cancer- a major leap in the fight against the disease. The breakthrough, announced last night, could result in vulnerable patients being given preventative treatment to stop them developing the illness within 20 years.
Professor Malcolm Dunlop, Head of Colon Cancer Genetics, MRC Human Genetics Unit, said:
"We are getting to the root cause of bowel cancer. It is one step in a long flight of steps, but it is very exciting."
Winner of the 2008 Genetics Society Medal. Genetics Society News: July 2007. Issue 57
The GS medal is awarded annually to recognise outstanding research contributions in genetics and the Genetics Society is delighted to announce that the winner of the 2008 medal is Professor Nick Hastie FRS FRSE, MRC Human Genetics Unit, Edinburgh. Nick has made diverse contributions to genetic research during his career. Recently, much of his work has focussed on the Wilms’ tumour gene, WT1, where he has made many important contributions towards understanding gene function. These studies have encompassed human and mouse genetics, combined with some elegant molecular genetic studies that have illuminated our understanding of the mechanisms of WT1 action.
As well as this focussed approach to the study, of WT1, Nick is increasingly contributing to broader genetic studies that take either a transcriptome or an epidemiological approach. These holistic approaches reflect some of his earlier interests in genome organisation and gene expression. Important contributions- include: demonstration of telomere reduction in cancer and aging (1990); demonstration that alternative splicing contributes to protein isoform function and that WT1 is more than just a transcription factor (1995); using transgenesis with a human YAC to rescue a mouse phenotype and to demonstrate the importance of gene dosage (1996).
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Elected to the Royal Society: Veronica Van Heyningen, FRS
We were all delighted when Professor Veronica Van Heyningen was elected to the Royal Society. The essence of Veronica´s contribution to the field of human genetics is nicely encapsulated by the inscription on the plaque marking the delivery of her 2006 European Society of Human Genetics Award Lecture.
"For her elegant work which demonstrates how basic theoretical concepts can be systematically explored in the context of human genetic disease. Her versatile approach to genetic causes of malformations of the eye, combining careful genotype-phenotype analysis, comparative genomics and animal models to elucidate long range effects, non-Mendelian inheritance and gene-environment interactions, greatly inspires human geneticists and cell biologists in Europe and beyond.