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DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA).

Scientists describes new advantageous way to detect different immune cells in the blood

When a person becomes sick or is exposed to an unwelcome substance, the body mobilizes specific proportions of different immune cells in the blood. Methods of discovering and detecting those profiles are therefore useful both clinically and in research. In a new paper in the journal Genome Biology, a team of scientists describes a new and uniquely advantageous way to detect them.

6 Mar 2014

New drug is effective against superbug MRSA

"I routinely call hospitals and request their yearly antibiotic susceptibility testing data," said Washington University in St. Louis' Timothy Wencewicz. "The log might say, for example, that they've treated hundreds of patients for Acinetobacter baumanni, a bacterium brought into U.S. hospitals by soldiers wounded in the Iraq war, with 30 different antibiotics.

6 Mar 2014

Scientists reveal how a genetic code variation results in devastating brain diseases

New findings reveal how a mutation, a change in the genetic code that causes neurodegeneration, alters the shape of DNA, making cells more vulnerable to stress and more likely to die.

6 Mar 2014

Low-dose oral interferon may reduce risk of HCV relapse in patients with mild liver fibrosis

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to serious diseases such as cirrhosis and cancer of the liver, so viral clearance and prevention of relapse are important treatment goals.

6 Mar 2014

Study to understand role of bacterium in heart valve disease

A disease-causing bacterium found in the mouth needs manganese, a trace mineral, in order to cause a serious heart infection, according to a preclinical study led by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Philips Institute for Oral Health Research in the School of Dentistry.

6 Mar 2014

Curie-Cancer, DNA Therapeutics renew partnership to identify new class of cancer drugs

Curie-Cancer, the body responsible for developing Institut Curie’s industry partnership activities, and DNA Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company that is developing a new class of cancer drugs, are renewing their partnership.

5 Mar 2014

Study highlights efficacy of TPF 50 to prevent skin sun damage and non-melanoma skin cancer

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (JDD) today released a clinical study highlighting the efficacy of Triple Protection Factor Broad Spectrum Sunscreen, TPF 50, to prevent skin sun damage and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC).

5 Mar 2014

Set of genes appear to predict which tumors can evade detection by immune system

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a set of genes that appear to predict which tumors can evade detection by the body's immune system, a step that may enable them to eventually target only the patients most likely to respond best to a new class of treatment.

5 Mar 2014

Medical diagnoses, DNA sequencing can be made faster through gel electrophoresis

Medical diagnoses and DNA sequencing can be made cheaper, faster and more reliable using a new miniaturized technique for gel electrophoresis based on conducting polymer materials, according to researchers at Link-ping University in Sweden.

5 Mar 2014

Researchers identify genes that appear to predict tumors that can evade detection by immune system

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a set of genes that appear to predict which tumors can evade detection by the body’s immune system, a step that may enable them to eventually target only the patients most likely to respond best to a new class of treatment.

5 Mar 2014

Chemotherapy induces long-lasting epigenetic changes in survivors' blood cells

Many breast cancer survivors experience fatigue and other debilitating symptoms that persist months to years after their course of treatment has ended.

5 Mar 2014

Studies identify gene signals involved with BMI and their connection to: heart disease, diabetes

Two recent genetic studies expand the list of genes involved with body fat and body mass index, and their connection to major Western health problems: heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

5 Mar 2014

Two genetic studies expand list of genes connected to major Western health problems

Two recent genetic studies expand the list of genes involved with body fat and body mass index, and their connection to major Western health problems: heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. One study showed that higher body mass index (BMI) caused harmful effects on the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and inflammation, while another study found gene signals linked to higher levels of body fat metrics, without showing causality.

5 Mar 2014

The Gordon & Llura Gund Foundations donates $3M to support Autism Speaks' Aut10K program

Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today announced that The Gordon & Llura Gund Foundation and The Gordon & Llura Gund 93 Foundation have donated a combined $3 million to support Autism Speaks' Autism Ten Thousand Genomes (Aut10K) program to sequence the world's largest collection of whole genomes of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their family members.

5 Mar 2014

Nanomedicine – Past, Present and Future

News-Medical speaks to Frank Boehm about the fundamentals of nanomedicine and the nanotechnologies of the future.

4 Mar 2014

Oxford Gene Technology announces acquisition of Cytocell

Oxford Gene Technology, a provider of innovative genetics research solutions, today announced the acquisition of Cambridge-based Cytocell Limited, a leading provider of DNA technology for the detection of gene rearrangements related to inherited genetic disease and cancer.

From Oxford Gene Technology 4 Mar 2014

Novel scaffold protein regulates mu opioid receptor induced signaling activation

Researchers found initial confirmation that a novel scaffold protein previously unassociated with the mu opioid receptor (MOR) regulates MOR-induced signaling activation.

4 Mar 2014

Arrowhead receives approval to initiate Phase 2a clinical trial of ARC-520 for chronic HBV infection

Arrowhead Research Corporation (NASDAQ: ARWR), a biopharmaceutical company developing targeted RNAi therapeutics, today announced that it received regulatory approval to begin a Phase 2a clinical trial of ARC-520, its RNAi-based drug candidate for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

4 Mar 2014

New theory on the causation of type 2 diabetes

At 85, Nobel laureate James D. Watson, the co-discoverer of the double-helix structure of DNA, continues to advance intriguing scientific ideas. His latest, a hypothesis on the causation of type 2 diabetes, is to appear 7 pm Thursday US time in the online pages of The Lancet, the prestigious British medical journal.

4 Mar 2014

Research roundup: Medicaid peer support; doctor Jokes; ACA's asset rules for coverage

Since 2009, the eight states (Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin) participating in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Maximizing Enrollment program have worked to streamline and simplify enrollment systems, policies, and processes for children and those eligible for coverage in 2014. ... States [focused] on five key areas: 1) applications, 2) eligibility determinations, 3) renewals and transfers, 4) notices, and 5) business processes.

3 Mar 2014

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Scientists describes new advantageous way to detect different immune cells in the blood

New drug is effective against superbug MRSA

Scientists reveal how a genetic code variation results in devastating brain diseases

Low-dose oral interferon may reduce risk of HCV relapse in patients with mild liver fibrosis

Study to understand role of bacterium in heart valve disease

Curie-Cancer, DNA Therapeutics renew partnership to identify new class of cancer drugs

Study highlights efficacy of TPF 50 to prevent skin sun damage and non-melanoma skin cancer

Set of genes appear to predict which tumors can evade detection by immune system

Medical diagnoses, DNA sequencing can be made faster through gel electrophoresis

Researchers identify genes that appear to predict tumors that can evade detection by immune system

Chemotherapy induces long-lasting epigenetic changes in survivors' blood cells

Studies identify gene signals involved with BMI and their connection to: heart disease, diabetes

Two genetic studies expand list of genes connected to major Western health problems

The Gordon & Llura Gund Foundations donates $3M to support Autism Speaks' Aut10K program

Nanomedicine – Past, Present and Future

Oxford Gene Technology announces acquisition of Cytocell

Novel scaffold protein regulates mu opioid receptor induced signaling activation

Arrowhead receives approval to initiate Phase 2a clinical trial of ARC-520 for chronic HBV infection

New theory on the causation of type 2 diabetes

Research roundup: Medicaid peer support; doctor Jokes; ACA's asset rules for coverage

eBook: A guide to RNA sequencing eBook

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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