Chromosome 4 News and Research

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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.

New research shows obesity is linked to our ability to digest carbohydrates

New research indicates that obesity in the general population may be genetically linked to how our bodies digest carbohydrates.

1 Apr 2014

Otsuka inks agreement with Eisai to acquire rights to hematological cancer treatment Dacogen

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has announced an agreement with Eisai Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd. to acquire rights to the hematological cancer treatment Dacogen and to an enzyme inhibitor, E7727.

31 Mar 2014

Study suggest that women are resistant to mutations that contribute to autism

It takes more mutations to trigger autism in women than in men, which may explain why men are four times more likely to have the disorder, according to a study published 26 February in the American Journal of Human Genetics1.

25 Mar 2014

Rare abnormality in chromosomes increases risk of rare childhood leukaemia

Researchers have found that people born with a rare abnormality of their chromosomes have a 2,700-fold increased risk of a rare childhood leukaemia. In this abnormality, two specific chromosomes are fused together but become prone to catastrophic shattering.

24 Mar 2014

Scientists unlock one of mysteries of modern genetics

Scientists at Indiana University have unlocked one of the mysteries of modern genetics: how acquired traits can be passed between generations in a process called epigenetic inheritance. The new work finds that cells don't know to silence some genes based on information hardwired into their DNA sequences, but recognize heritable chemical marks that are added to the genes. These chemical tags serve as a form of molecular memory, allowing cells to recognize the genes and remember to silence them again in each new generation.

21 Mar 2014

Two new risk loci for bipolar disorder identified

Researchers have found two new risk loci for bipolar disorder in a genome-wide association study of 2.3 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms.

19 Mar 2014

Study provides better understanding of why chromosome errors are high in women's eggs

A new study from the University of Southampton has provided scientists with a better understanding of why chromosome errors are high in women's eggs.

19 Mar 2014

Findings reveal potential drug targets for small cell lung cancer

Cancer cells undergo extensive genetic alterations as they grow and spread through the body. Some of these mutations, known as "drivers," help spur cells to grow out of control, while others ("passengers") are merely along for the ride.

17 Mar 2014

UC Davis MIND Institute named Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center

The UC Davis MIND Institute has been named an Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, through a prestigious grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health - a distinction held by only a handful of neurodevelopmental centers nationwide committed to the diagnosis, prevention, treatment and amelioration of developmental disorders such as autism, fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome.

14 Mar 2014

Study: Musical aptitude is affected by a combination of genes involved in auditory pathway

Multiple regions in the human genome are reported to be linked to musical aptitude, according to a study published this week in Molecular Psychiatry.

13 Mar 2014

Six in every ten serious heart defects in foetuses go undetected in ultrasound scans

Over six in every ten serious heart defects in foetuses go undetected in the ultrasound scans given to all pregnant women. According to research at Linköping University in Sweden, one reason why malformations are not found is obesity in the expectant mother.

13 Mar 2014

Study finds gene expression differences in male and female athletes with ACL injuries

Female athletes are two-to-eight times more likely to suffer an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury than males. And while there have been reports about possible anatomic, hormonal and neuromuscular factors that may place females at greater risk for these injuries, little research has looked specifically at the role of genetics.

13 Mar 2014

Researchers discover two new gene regions connected to bipolar disorder

First on top of the world and then in the depths of despair - this is what the extreme mood changes for people with bipolar disorder are like. Under the direction of scientists from Bonn, Mannheim and Basel, an international collaboration of researchers discovered two new gene regions that are connected to the prevalent disease. In addition, they were able to confirm three additional suspect genes.

11 Mar 2014

Takeda works with UCL to drive research into tackling muscle disorders

Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda will work with University College London (UCL) to drive research into tackling muscle disorders, in particular muscular dystrophy.

10 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

Biostatistics provides clues to understanding autism: an interview with Dr Knut M. Wittkowski, The Rockefeller University

The incidence of autism spectrum disorders has increased sharply since it was first described 60 years ago. Today, ASD affects more than 1% of all children in the U.S. and about half of them develop a life-long disability.

3 Mar 2014

cfDNA testing lowers false positive rates and higher predictive values in general obstetric population

A study in this week's New England Journal of Medicine potentially has significant implications for prenatal testing for major fetal chromosome abnormalities. The study found that in a head-to-head comparison of noninvasive prenatal testing using cell free DNA (cfDNA) to standard screening methods, cfDNA testing (verifi- prenatal test, Illumina, Inc.) significantly reduced the rate of false positive results and had significantly higher positive predictive values for the detection of fetal trisomies 21 and 18.

From Illumina, Inc. 27 Feb 2014

Pharmacyclics total revenue for fourth quarter 2013 increases 113% to $123.6 million

Pharmacyclics, Inc. today reported financial results and recent developments for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2013.

20 Feb 2014

Researchers identify gene variants that substantially increase risk for schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has long been known to be highly heritable and is present in approximately 1% of the population. Researchers have been following two paths in their pursuit of identifying schizophrenia risk genes.

20 Feb 2014

Pediatric Cancer Genome Project identifies genetic alteration in brain tumor ependymoma

The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital-Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has identified the most common genetic alteration ever reported in the brain tumor ependymoma and evidence that the alteration drives tumor development. The research appears February 19 as an advanced online publication in the scientific journal Nature.

20 Feb 2014

Chromosome 4 News and Research

Further Reading

New research shows obesity is linked to our ability to digest carbohydrates

Otsuka inks agreement with Eisai to acquire rights to hematological cancer treatment Dacogen

Study suggest that women are resistant to mutations that contribute to autism

Rare abnormality in chromosomes increases risk of rare childhood leukaemia

Scientists unlock one of mysteries of modern genetics

Two new risk loci for bipolar disorder identified

Study provides better understanding of why chromosome errors are high in women's eggs

Findings reveal potential drug targets for small cell lung cancer

UC Davis MIND Institute named Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center

Study: Musical aptitude is affected by a combination of genes involved in auditory pathway

Six in every ten serious heart defects in foetuses go undetected in ultrasound scans

Study finds gene expression differences in male and female athletes with ACL injuries

Researchers discover two new gene regions connected to bipolar disorder

Takeda works with UCL to drive research into tackling muscle disorders

Oxford Gene Technology announces acquisition of Cytocell

Biostatistics provides clues to understanding autism: an interview with Dr Knut M. Wittkowski, The Rockefeller University

cfDNA testing lowers false positive rates and higher predictive values in general obstetric population

Pharmacyclics total revenue for fourth quarter 2013 increases 113% to $123.6 million

Researchers identify gene variants that substantially increase risk for schizophrenia

Pediatric Cancer Genome Project identifies genetic alteration in brain tumor ependymoma

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