DNA News and Research

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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).

Predicting a person's tall stature from DNA is feasible, shows new study

Predicting adult body height from genetic data is helpful in several areas such as pediatric endocrinology and forensic investigations. However, despite large international efforts to catalogue the genes that influence the stature of humans, knowledge on genetic determinants of adult body height is still incomplete. Now DNA-based prediction of taller-than-average body height is feasible, as reported by researchers from the Netherlands and Sweden in an article published in Springer's journal Human Genetics

21 Nov 2013

Findings show how cancer and aging are tightly interconnected

Researchers from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth have found that epigenetic changes to DNA are associated with aging in disease-free breast tissues and are further altered in breast tumors. Epigenetic changes describe heritable alterations caused by mechanisms other than by changes in DNA sequence. The discovery, published in the February 2014 issue of Epigenetics, illustrates how cancer and aging are tightly interconnected processes by identifying epigenetic alterations present in the normal aging breast that may increase disease risk in cancer-free individuals.

21 Nov 2013

Researchers discover new human enzyme that facilitates DNA repair during DNA copying process

Every day, the human body produces new cells to regenerate tissues and repair those that have suffered injury. Each time this happens, the cells make copies of their DNA that they will pass on to the resulting daughter cells. This process of copying the DNA, also called replication, is very delicate, given that it can generate severe alterations in the DNA that are associated with malignant transformation or ageing.

21 Nov 2013

Using radiation models to improve cancer therapies: an interview with Adrian Treverton, COO of Xstrahl and Jean-Pierre Wery, President of Crown Bioscience

What we are trying to do is take a cancer model like the PDX model (patient-derived tumor xenograft), which is a human-derived cancer growing in an in vivo model and apply radiation to that model.

From Xstrahl 20 Nov 2013

DNA vaccine demonstrates potential to prevent and treat deadly MERS coronavirus

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that preclinical testing of a DNA synthetic vaccine for the virulent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS) induced robust and durable immune responses, demonstrating the potential for a SynCon DNA vaccine to prevent and treat this deadly virus.

20 Nov 2013

Parkinson's Institute, Population Diagnostics discover new genes relevant to Parkinson's disease

The Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center announced today that they, in partnership with Population Diagnostics, Inc., have discovered a number of new genes relevant to the cause of Parkinson's disease.

20 Nov 2013

DNA-damaging drug and MK2 inhibitor combination could be effective against cancer

About half of all cancer patients have a mutation in a gene called p53, which allows tumors to survive and continue growing even after chemotherapy severely damages their DNA.

20 Nov 2013

Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria anticipates and turns immune defenses against the host

Around 20 percent of all humans are persistently colonized with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, a leading cause of skin infections and one of the major sources of hospital-acquired infections, including the antibiotic-resistant strain MRSA.

20 Nov 2013

Rapid DNA biochip tests for screening disease-causing bacteria

Patients affected by a bacterial infection can usually be treated with an antibiotic. But sometimes a resistant bacterial strain is causing the infection. In a hospital setting, doctors ideally want to know if they are dealing with such bacteria and which drugs they should choose. But if the doctor runs a test it can take days to get a result. Now, a European project is paving the way for much more rapid tests using DNA biochips. The aim is to rapidly screen disease-causing bacteria using a microarray to spot which resistant genes are present in bacteria.

20 Nov 2013

New approach may help researchers find new drugs for human diseases

A team of biochemists and mathematicians have developed a sophisticated geometric model to predict how a biological molecule will interact with water molecules, computing the results up to 20 times faster than other existing approaches. This new approach may help researchers find new drugs to treat human diseases, said the team, who described their theoretical approach in the Journal of Chemical Physics, which is produced by AIP Publishing.

20 Nov 2013

Gene-based method for selecting doses of warfarin no better than standardized dosing methods

A new study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has determined that a gene-based method for selecting patients' doses of the popular heart medication warfarin is no better than standardized dosing methods. The study was presented today at the 2013 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.

20 Nov 2013

MO BIO Laboratories announces launch of PowerClean Pro DNA and RNA Clean-Up Kits

MO BIO Laboratories, Inc., the leader in microbial, stool, plant, and soil nucleic acid purification, announces the launch of the PowerClean Pro DNA and RNA Clean-Up Kits, featuring a fast, 7 minute protocol for removal of amplification inhibitors including humic substances, polysaccharides, polyphenolics, heme, and lipids from purified DNA or RNA.

20 Nov 2013

Study shows bacteria can passively integrate damaged DNA in their own genome

From a bacteria's perspective the environment is one big DNA waste yard. Researchers have now shown that bacteria can take up small as well as large pieces of old DNA from this scrapheap and include it in their own genome.

20 Nov 2013

Researchers discover new genetic risk factor for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder

Investigators at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have discovered a new genetic risk factor for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder called NDST3. The findings are published online in Nature Communications.

20 Nov 2013

Penn researchers advance towards new DNA sequencing technique using graphene nanoribbon

The instructions for building all of the body's proteins are contained in a person's DNA, a string of chemicals that, if unwound and strung end to end, would form a sentence 3 billion letters long. Each person's sentence is unique, so learning how to read gene sequences as quickly and inexpensively as possible could pave the way to countless personalized medical applications.

19 Nov 2013

Curie-Cancer inks partnership agreements with Meiogenix to develop SpiX technology

Curie-Cancer, the body responsible for developing Institut Curie's industry partnership activity, today announces two three-year partnership agreements with Meiogenix, a French SME. Meiogenix develops SpiX technology under license from Institut Curie and Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique.

19 Nov 2013

Study confirms therapeutic potential of inhibiting Aurora-A in cancer treatment

Aurora-A is a protein involved in the cell division process that is highly expressed or synthesised in a large number of human cancers, especially in those associated with a bad prognosis. Several pharmaceutical companies have recently developed these protein inhibitors, although the therapeutic and physiological effects that blocking Aurora-A might have on adult tissues are still unknown.

19 Nov 2013

Manipulating PRH protein can help prevent cancer cells from unnecessary migration

Understanding how and why cancer cells move away from their original location is important to find ways to stop the spread of the disease. New findings, published in the Nature journal Oncogene, reveal how a protein, called 'PRH', is normally able to prevent cells from unnecessary migration. It is likely that this protein is less effective in cancer cells allowing the cells to venture away.

19 Nov 2013

Scientists use new method to draw map of cancer's family tree

A new method to take the DNA fingerprint of individual cancer cells is uncovering the true extent of cancer's genetic diversity, new research reveals.

19 Nov 2013

Mutations affecting immune system play important role in breast cancer

Mutations in the genes that defend the body against cancer-related viruses and other infections may play a larger role in breast cancer than previously thought, according to a study at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

19 Nov 2013

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Predicting a person's tall stature from DNA is feasible, shows new study

Findings show how cancer and aging are tightly interconnected

Researchers discover new human enzyme that facilitates DNA repair during DNA copying process

Using radiation models to improve cancer therapies: an interview with Adrian Treverton, COO of Xstrahl and Jean-Pierre Wery, President of Crown Bioscience

DNA vaccine demonstrates potential to prevent and treat deadly MERS coronavirus

Parkinson's Institute, Population Diagnostics discover new genes relevant to Parkinson's disease

DNA-damaging drug and MK2 inhibitor combination could be effective against cancer

Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria anticipates and turns immune defenses against the host

Rapid DNA biochip tests for screening disease-causing bacteria

New approach may help researchers find new drugs for human diseases

Gene-based method for selecting doses of warfarin no better than standardized dosing methods

MO BIO Laboratories announces launch of PowerClean Pro DNA and RNA Clean-Up Kits

Study shows bacteria can passively integrate damaged DNA in their own genome

Researchers discover new genetic risk factor for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder

Penn researchers advance towards new DNA sequencing technique using graphene nanoribbon

Curie-Cancer inks partnership agreements with Meiogenix to develop SpiX technology

Study confirms therapeutic potential of inhibiting Aurora-A in cancer treatment

Manipulating PRH protein can help prevent cancer cells from unnecessary migration

Scientists use new method to draw map of cancer's family tree

Mutations affecting immune system play important role in breast cancer

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