Genomics
Gene Expression Data Yields Significant Tumor Breakthroughs
April 22, 2013 12:48 pm | News | CommentsA massive study analyzing gene expression data from 22 tumor types has identified multiple metabolic expression changes associated with cancer. The analysis also identified hundreds of potential drug targets that could cut off a tumor’s fuel supply or interfere with its ability to synthesize essential building blocks.
The Gene Therapy Renaissance
April 19, 2013 2:07 pm | News | CommentsIn 1999, researchers injected 19 people with a virus carrying a gene designed to correct a rare metabolic disease. Early results appeared promising: Among the first 17 adult subjects, the worst symptom was a fever, an expected response to the modified virus that carried the therapeutic gene. The 18th subject was Jesse Gelsinger, who died.
Scientists Decode DNA of ‘Living Fossil’ Fish
April 17, 2013 2:42 pm | by MALCOLM RITTER - AP Science Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsScientists have decoded the DNA of a celebrated “living fossil” fish, gaining new insights into how today's mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds evolved from a fish ancestor. The African coelacanth is closely related to the fish lineage that started to move toward a major evolutionary transformation, living on land.
Melanoma-prone Fish Get DNA Decoded
April 16, 2013 10:37 am | News | CommentsScientists have decoded the genome of the platyfish, a cousin of the guppy and a popular choice for home aquariums. Among scientists, the fish are meticulously studied for their tendency to develop melanoma and for other attributes more common to mammals, like courting prospective mates and giving birth to live young.
Gene Patenting a ‘Difficult’ Issue for US Court
April 15, 2013 1:56 pm | by JESSE J. HOLLAND - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Supreme Court seemed worried Monday about the idea of companies patenting genes that can be found inside the human body, as it heard arguments in a case that could profoundly reshape U.S. medical research and the fight against diseases like breast and ovarian cancer.
Next-gen Sequencing Finds Brain Tumor Mutations
April 15, 2013 11:02 am | News | CommentsResearchers have identified mutations responsible for more than half of a subtype of childhood brain tumor that takes a high toll on patients. Researchers also found evidence the tumors are susceptible to drugs already in development. The study focused on a family of brain tumors known as low-grade gliomas (LGGs).
Court to Hear Gene Patenting Case
April 15, 2013 3:38 am | by JESSE J. HOLLAND - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsDNA may be the building block of life, but can something taken from it also be the building block of a multimillion-dollar medical monopoly? The Supreme Court grapples Monday with the question of whether human genes can be patented. Its ultimate answer could reshape U.S. medical research, the the fight against diseases like breast and ovarian cancer and the multi-billion dollar medical and biotechnology business.
Healing by the Clock
April 10, 2013 11:26 am | by Harvard Medical School | News | CommentsCircadian rhythms keep time for all living things, from regulating when plants open their flowers to foiling people when they try to beat jet lag. Day-night cycles are controlled through ancient biological mechanisms, evolutionarily speaking, so in essence, a human has the same internal clock as a fly does.
Combo Therapy New Key to Treating Blindness
April 10, 2013 9:42 am | News | CommentsResearchers have discovered that using two kinds of therapy in tandem may be a knockout combo against inherited disorders that cause blindness. While their study focused on man’s best friend, the treatment could help restore vision in people, too.
Illusive Vel Blood Group Gene Uncovered
April 8, 2013 10:55 am | News | CommentsResearchers have uncovered the gene at the root of a human blood group that has remained a mystery for the past 60 years. They showed that a genetic deletion on this gene is responsible for the lack of this blood group in some people. With the discovery of the gene behind the Vel blood group, medical scientists can now develop a more reliable DNA test to identify people who lack this group.
Lung Cancer Has Genetic Vulerability
April 4, 2013 11:21 am | News | CommentsPhysician-researchers have identified a vulnerability of certain lung cancer cells– a specific genetic weakness that can be exploited for new therapies.
New System Provides Improved, Affordable DNA Sequencing
April 3, 2013 10:36 am | News | CommentsA sensing system is being commercialized in the UK for use in rapid, low-cost DNA sequencing, which would make the prediction and diagnosis of disease more efficient, and individualized treatment more affordable.
Study Reveals Mutant Histone Mechanism in Brain Cancer
April 1, 2013 10:36 am | News | CommentsMost cancer treatments are blunt. In an attempt to eradicate tumors, oncologists often turn to radiation or chemotherapy, which can damage healthy tissue along with the cancerous growths. New research may bring scientists closer to designing cancer therapeutics that can target tumors with pinpoint accuracy.
Code-reading Machinery Collisions Speed Gene Evolution
April 1, 2013 10:18 am | News | CommentsBacteria appear to speed up their evolution by positioning specific genes along the route of expected traffic jams in DNA encoding. Certain genes are in prime collision paths for the moving molecular machineries that read the DNA code, scientists explain.
New Gene Markers for Cancer Risk Found
March 27, 2013 12:28 pm | by MALCOLM RITTER - AP Science Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsA huge international effort involving more than 100 institutions and genetic tests on 200,000 people has uncovered dozens of signposts in DNA that can help reveal further a person's risk for breast, ovarian or prostate cancer, scientists reported Wednesday.
You Don't ‘Own’ Your Own Genes
March 27, 2013 11:00 am | News | CommentsHumans don't "own" their own genes, the cellular chemicals that define who they are and what diseases they might be at risk for. Through more than 40,000 patents on DNA molecules, companies have essentially claimed the entire human genome for profit.
Molecular Roots of Down Syndrome Unraveled
March 25, 2013 10:12 am | News | CommentsResearchers discovered that the extra chromosome inherited in Down syndrome impairs learning and memory because it leads to low levels of SNX27 protein in the brain.
Enzymes Allow DNA to Swap Info with Exotic Molecules
March 22, 2013 10:51 am | News | CommentsJohn Chaput has been hunting for a biological Rosetta Stone— an enzyme allowing DNA’s 4-letter language to be written into a simpler (and potentially more ancient) molecule that may have existed as a genetic pathway to DNA and RNA in the prebiotic world.
Misregulated Genes May Have Big Autism Role
March 21, 2013 12:09 pm | News | CommentsA new study finds that two genes individually associated with rare autism-related disorders are also jointly linked to more general forms of autism. The finding suggests a new genetic pathway to investigate in general autism research.
Map of ‘Shortcuts’ Between All Human Genes Created
March 20, 2013 11:30 am | News | CommentsA team of researchers have created a map of gene “shortcuts” to simplify the hunt for disease-causing genes.
Researchers Publish Improved Neanderthal Genome
March 19, 2013 6:32 pm | by FRANK JORDANS - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsResearchers in Germany said Tuesday they have completed the first high-quality sequencing of a Neanderthal genome and are making it freely available online for other scientists to study. The genome produced from remains of a toe bone found in a Siberian cave is far more detailed than a previous Neanderthal genome sequenced three years ago by the same team.
Culturing Technique Reveals Full Genome from Single Cell
March 18, 2013 10:59 am | News | CommentsA new technique for genetic analysis, “gel microdroplets,” helps scientists generate complete genomes from a single cell, thus opening the door to understanding the complex interrelationships of bacteria, viruses and eukaryotes that form “microbiome” communities in soil, in humans and elsewhere in the natural world.
The Importance of Genomics for Cancer Research
March 14, 2013 10:20 am | by Ruth Burton, PhD, Product Manager Genomic Solutions, Oxford Gene Technology | Articles | CommentsDespite significant advances, cancer remains one of the predominant causes of mortality in the modern world, and as such has remained a top research priority. It is a complex and continually evolving genetic disease and, as such, requires sophisticated tools for study.
Exploring New Uses for DNA Building Blocks
March 13, 2013 10:00 am | News | CommentsFor decades, Nadrian C. "Ned" Seeman has studied ways to assemble DNA strands into geometric shapes and 3-D crystals with applications in biology, biocomputing and nanorobotics. Now, his team studied DNA structures using smaller crystals in solution at room temperature.
MicroRNA Keeps Genetic ‘Clock’ Running in Embryo
March 12, 2013 9:44 am | News | CommentsNew research shows that a tiny piece of RNA has an essential role in ensuring that embryonic tissue segments form properly.
