Chromosome 4 News and Research

RSS

Humans normally have 46 chromosomes in each cell, divided into 23 pairs. Two copies of chromosome 4, one copy inherited from each parent, form one of the pairs. Chromosome 4 spans more than 191 million DNA building blocks (base pairs) and represents more than 6 percent of the total DNA in cells.

Identifying genes on each chromosome is an active area of genetic research. Because researchers use different approaches to predict the number of genes on each chromosome, the estimated number of genes varies. Chromosome 4 likely contains between 1,300 and 1,600 genes.

Genes on chromosome 4 are among the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 total genes in the human genome.

Whitehead Institute scientists identify genetic cause of hemifacial microsomia

Whitehead Institute scientists have identified a genetic cause of a facial disorder known as hemifacial microsomia (HFM). The researchers find that duplication of the gene OTX2 induces HFM, the second-most common facial anomaly after cleft lip and palate.

12 May 2014

3 pioneering cell biologists win 2014 E.B. Wilson Medal from American Society for Cell Biology

If cells were cars, then the three pioneering cell biologists just named winners of the 2014 E.B. Wilson Medal, the highest scientific honor of the American Society for Cell Biology, helped write the essential parts list.

8 May 2014

ARIAD provides update on corporate developments, reports Q1 2014 financial results

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the first quarter of 2014, including revenue from sales of Iclusig® (ponatinib) and licensing agreements. The Company also provided an update on corporate developments.

7 May 2014

Puzzle in breast cancer solved

In a new study published in Cell Reports, scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center demonstrate that mice lacking one copy of a gene called CTCF have abnormal DNA methylation and are markedly predisposed to cancer.

5 May 2014

Researchers detect correlation between loss of Y chromosome and risk of cancer mortality

...

29 Apr 2014

BRCA gene loss may accelerate cancer-promoting chromosome rearrangements

Inherited mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes are by far the most frequent contributors to hereditary cancer risk in the human population, often causing breast or ovarian cancer in young women of child-bearing age.

29 Apr 2014

Physical activity reduces hippocampal atrophy in elders at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease

A study of older adults at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease shows that moderate physical activity may protect brain health and stave off shrinkage of the hippocampus- the brain region responsible for memory and spatial orientation that is attacked first in Alzheimer's disease.

25 Apr 2014

91% of Americans know genetic information has important utility in managing health

23andMe, the leading personal genetics company, is celebrating National DNA Day by taking an in-depth look at what Americans know about their DNA and how genetics play a role in our everyday lives. The survey found that 91 percent of Americans know that their genetic information has important utility in managing their health.

23 Apr 2014

Study: Added benefit of turoctocog alfa is not proven

Turoctocog alfa (trade name: NovoEight) has been approved since November 2013 for the prevention and treatment of bleeding in patients with haemophilia A.

23 Apr 2014

SIRT1 protein necessary for telomere elongation and genome integrity during cell reprogramming

Cell reprogramming converts specialised cells such as nerve cells or skin cells towards an embryonic stem cell state. This reversal in the evolutionary development of cells also requires a reversal in the biology of telomeres, the structures that protect the ends of chromosomes; whilst under normal conditions telomeres shorten over time, during cell reprogramming they follow the opposite strategy and increase in length.

22 Apr 2014

RMANJ releases new fertility checklist for early diagnosis and treatment options

With over seven million men and women in the United States impacted by infertility, information about early diagnosis and various infertility treatment options like in vitro fertilization (IVF), preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), and comprehensive chromosome screening (CCS) can offer help to many patients looking to overcome infertility.

22 Apr 2014

Researchers reveal connection between Down syndrome and acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Although doctors have long known that people with Down syndrome have a heightened risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during childhood, they haven't been able to explain why. Now, a team of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators has uncovered a connection between the two conditions.

21 Apr 2014

Study sheds light on how extra chromosome 21 upsets equilibrium of entire genome in Down syndrome

Occurring in about one per eight hundred births, Down syndrome - or trisomy 21 - is the most frequent genetic cause of intellectual disability. It results from a chromosomal abnormality where cells of affected individuals contain a third copy of chromosome 21 (1% of the human genome).

18 Apr 2014

Genetic evidence confirms role of group of virus-fighting genes in cancer development

Researchers have found a major piece of genetic evidence that confirms the role of a group of virus-fighting genes in cancer development.

15 Apr 2014

Two candidate mTOR therapy biomarkers identified in RCC

Two genes, TSC1 and MTOR, warrant further investigation as biomarkers for treatment benefit with rapalogs in patients with renal cell carcinoma, indicate study results published in Clinical Cancer Research.

14 Apr 2014

Comprehensive genomic analysis of low-grade brain tumors sorts into three categories

Comprehensive genomic analysis of low-grade brain tumors sorts them into three categories, one of which has the molecular hallmarks and shortened survival of glioblastoma multiforme, the most lethal of brain tumors, researchers reported at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2014.

10 Apr 2014

Stressful upbringings can leave imprints on genes of African American children

Stressful upbringings can leave imprints on the genes of children as young as age 9, according to a study led by Princeton University and Pennsylvania State University researchers. Such chronic stress during youth leads to physiological weathering similar to aging.

10 Apr 2014

Scientists uncover surprising link between brain development and gene tied to breast cancer

Scientists at the Salk Institute have uncovered details into a surprising-and crucial-link between brain development and a gene whose mutation is tied to breast and ovarian cancer.

9 Apr 2014

Study examines links between parental obesity and risk of autism developmental in child

Several studies have looked at possible links between maternal obesity during pregnancy and the risk of developmental disorders in the child. However, paternal obesity could be a greater risk factor than maternal obesity, according to a new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

8 Apr 2014

Researchers generate 3D model of human malaria parasite genome

A research team led by a cell biologist at the University of California, Riverside has generated a 3D model of the human malaria parasite genome at three different stages in the parasite's life cycle - the first time such 3D architecture has been generated during the progression of the life cycle of a parasite.

7 Apr 2014