Tackling A Hard-to-treat Childhood Cancer By Targeting Epigenetic Changes Nov 18, 2008
A pharmaceutical DOT1L inhibitor hasn't yet been found, but when the researchers suppressed DOT1L indirectly through RNA interference techniques, the abnormally activated genes were turned off. "Based on these data, we are searching for small molecules or drugs that inhibit DOT1L," says Armstrong. (Science Daily)
Conference report highlights new research into drug delivery to treat eye disease Nov 18, 2008
Group explores alternatives to surgery and intravitreous injection ... His group is focused on using a family of acid-sensitive polymers to help deliver one of the latest drugs, silencing RNA (siRNA) ... A safer alternative to direct intravitreous injections might be transscleral delivery into the vitreous using subconjunctival injections, said Michael Robinson, MD, adding that researchers needed a clear understanding of the dynamic barriers for the technique to work in treating retinal... (EurekAlert!)
Blood test could help track cancer Nov 17, 2008
Inside, they found fragments of ribonucleic acid, or RNA, including messengers related to cell growth and immune response. When they exposed these exosomes to normal cells in the lab, the tumor RNA delivered its genetic message into the cells. (Boston Globe)
No Clear Answer On Why HIV Vaccine Candidates Did Not Lower Risk Of Acquiring HIV Nov 17, 2008
HIV RNA levels approximately 8 to 12 weeks after diagnosis of infection were generally similar in the vaccine and the placebo groups. The geometric means of the HIV RNA levels in the blood of infected individuals, the standard measure of ongoing HIV replication, were approximately 40,000 copies/mL in the 24 volunteers in the vaccine group who developed HIV infection and approximately 26,000 copies/mL in the 21 volunteers in the placebo group who developed infection ... The HVTN is an... (Science Daily)
Tiny sacs released by brain tumor cells carry information that may guide treatment Nov 17, 2008
In their report in the December 2008 Nature Cell Biology, which is receiving early online release, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers describe finding tumor-associated RNA and proteins in membrane microvesicles called exosomes in blood samples from glioblastoma patients ... "Glioblastomas release exosomes in sufficient quantities to pass the blood-brain barrier. We were able to isolate them, analyze the RNA transcripts and show how they might be used as biomarkers to guide targeted... (EurekAlert!)
Eat less, live longer Nov 16, 2008
One shows that cutting calorie intake by 20 percent cut damage in DNA and RNA caused by oxidation in half compared to control groups ... "It may be unlikely that it will extend human lifespan significantly," said Jan Vijg, a scientist at the Buck Institute for Age Research who recently co-authored an overview article on ageing in the London-based journal Nature. (iAfrica.com)
Key contributor to Alzheimer's disease Nov 16, 2008
They revealed that a fragment of ribonucleic acid (RNA), once thought to be no more than a by-product, plays a crucial role in regulating inflammation and the development of Alzheimer's disease. The tiny piece of RNA, or microRNA, called miRNA-146a was found in increased amounts in stressed human brain cells and Alzheimer's disease. (India Times, India)
By Combining Technologies, Researchers Rapidly Hunt Down And Find New Genes That Lead To Cancer Nov 15, 2008
Twelve of those genes had never been linked to cancer before, according to the report published online in the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, on November 13th ... They then identified mouse versions of 301 of those human genes and obtained so-called short hairpin RNAs (shRNA) corresponding to each of those ... shRNA is a sequence of RNA that makes a tight hairpin turn and that can be used to silence genes in a process known as RNA interference. (Science Daily)
Researchers Say Identification of Women With HPV Types 16, 18 and 45 Could Improve Early Intervention to Stop Cervical Cancer Nov 14, 2008
Sample technologies are used to isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from biological samples such as blood or tissue, and assays make these isolated molecules visible to facilitate such vital activities as biological research and detection of disease. QIAGEN has developed and markets more than 500 products as well as instruments that make their use more efficient and accurate. (PR Newswire)
Genetic clues may explain why tumors spread Nov 14, 2008
Study: When a bit of RNA goes missing, cancer gets more aggressive ... They found that when a bit of ribonucleic acid or RNA known as microRNA-101 goes missing, a protein called EZH2 starts to proliferate ... "What this study shows is why that protein is elevated in metastatic cancers," said Dr. Arul Chinnaiyan of the University of Michigan, whose study appears in the journal Science. (MSNBC -- Health)
New Urine Test ID's Prostate Cancer Nov 14, 2008
The test, from San Diego-based Gen-Probe, is approved in some European countries but not in the U.S. It detects genetic material -- RNA -- from prostate cancer gene 3 or PCA3 ... Prostate cancer cells express 60 to 100 times more PCA3 RNA than normal cells. (Yahoo News -- Prostate Cancer)
Epstein-Barr Virus Associated With Inflammatory Diseases Of The Mouth Nov 14, 2008
Using a variety of methods, the OHSU team found the Epstein-Barr virus DNA and RNA in significantly higher percentages (43 ... Human cytomegalovirus DNA and RNA were found in measurable numbers in both endodontic patients (15 ... Journal of Endodontics, 03 November 2008. (Science Daily)
Nanoparticles Trigger Cell Death? Nov 14, 2008
His research lab has first demonstrated the delivery of RNA using single-walled carbon nanotubes and invented the use of lysophospholipids for obtaining biocompatible nanomaterials. Professor Ilpo Vattulainen: The Biological Physics Group of 26 people located at the Department of Physics at Tampere University of Technology, Finland, is directed by Prof. (Science Daily)
Plants Can Accumulate Nanoparticles In Tissues Nov 14, 2008
The results were published in a cover article in the Journal of Environmental Monitoring and also were highlighted in Chemical Biology, a journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry ... Xiao, who directs the Center for Spintronics and Biodetection at the University of Delaware, noted that the magnetometer used in his physics research is similar to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses a powerful magnetic field and radio-frequency pulses to produce images of internal structures in the human... (Science Daily)
AIDS patient is reported cured Nov 14, 2008
The case was described last week in The Wall Street Journal ... For example, Irvin S. Y. Chen, director of the AIDS Institute at UCLA , is working on using RNA "hairpin scissors" to cut out the bits of genetic material in blood stem cells that code for the receptors ... 2008 the International Herald Tribune All rights reserved. (International Herald Tribune)
LSUHSC research identifies key contributor to Alzheimer's disease process Nov 14, 2008
Walter J. Lukiw, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Ophthalmology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, is the lead author of a paper identifying, for the first time, a specific function of a fragment of ribonucleic acid (RNA), once thought to be no more than a byproduct, in regulating inflammation and the development of Alzheimer's disease. The paper, An NF-kB-sensitive micro RNA-146a-mediated inflammatory circuit in Alzheimer's disease and in stressed human brain cells, will be... (EurekAlert!)
Novel regulatory step during HIV replication Nov 14, 2008
HIV begins its assault by injecting its core that contains a single-stranded RNA into a host cell. Once inside, the viral RNA is converted into double-stranded DNAa process known as reverse transcriptionand the original viral RNA is degraded ... LTRs flank the viral genome and function like "sticky ends", which integrase uses to insert the HIV genome into the host DNA. But they also acts as promoters, regulatory regions that interact with cellular and viral factors to trigger gene expression... (EurekAlert!)
Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation Announces Third Quarter 2008 Operating Results and Provides Program Update Nov 13, 2008
Dr. Mark J. Murray, Tekmira's President and CEO, said, "Our internal product development programs remain on track and we expect to file Investigational New Drug (IND) applications and begin human clinical trials for our two lead proprietary products in 2009. Our partner Alnylam is also proceeding on schedule to file an IND using Tekmira's SNALP technology and we continue to expand the number of pharmaceutical companies using our leading technology." ... "We are continuing to focus on developing... (CCNMatthews Press Releases)
How much can we blame DNA for who we are? Nov 13, 2008
- International Herald Tribune ... It's also about DNA's chemical cousin RNA, doing complicated things it wasn't supposed to do ... Not long ago, RNA was seen as a bureaucrat, the middle molecule between a gene and a protein, as exemplified by the tidy aphorism, "DNA makes RNA makes protein." Now we find cases of short clips of RNA acting like DNA, transmitting genetic secrets to the next generation directly, without bothering to ask permission. (International Herald Tribune)
Hologic Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2008 Operating Results Nov 12, 2008
-- First Selenia Dimensions "Tomosynthesis/3-D" digital mammography systems installed internationally and recognized as revenue while building a backlog for delivery in future quarters ... When analyzing the Company's operating performance, investors should not consider these non-GAAP measures as a substitute for net (loss) income and (loss) earnings per share prepared in accordance with GAAP. During the fourth quarter, Hologic recognized as revenue the sale of 452 Selenia full-field digital... (PR Newswire)
The Gene Is Having an Identity Crisis Nov 12, 2008
Posted by kdawson on Tuesday November 11, @06:06PM from the more-complicated-than-you-thought dept. writes "New large-scale studies of DNA are causing a . A typical gene is no longer conceived of as a single chunk of DNA encoding a single protein. It turns out, for example, that several different proteins may be produced from a single stretch of DNA. Most of the molecules produced from DNA may not even be proteins, but rather RNA. The familiar double helix of DNA no longer has a monopoly on... (Slashdot)
Long-term study evaluates boosted PREZISTA* vs. lopinavir/ritonavir as part of HIV combination therapy in treatment-naive adults Nov 12, 2008
At 48 weeks, the primary objective of ARTEMIS was reached when PREZISTA demonstrated non-inferiority to lopinavir/r based on the proportion of patients that achieved an undetectable viral load (HIV RNA below 50 copies/mL) ... (2) The main objective of the study was to demonstrate non-inferiority of once-daily PREZISTA/r versus lopinavir/r in proportion of patients achieving virologic response, defined as confirmed HIV-1 RNA (below 50 copies/mL. Non-inferiority of PREZISTA/r vs. lopinavir/r was... (Canada Newswire)
The promise and power of RNA Nov 11, 2008
RNA turns out to be far more important than previously thought. Left, messenger RNA, active in protein production; right, silencing RNA turns off the gene that makes the purple pigment in this petunia ... But a powerful new approach, called RNA interference, may surmount that obstacle. (International Herald Tribune)
Now: The rest of the genome Nov 11, 2008
It turns out, for example, that several different proteins may be produced from a single stretch of DNA. Most of the molecules produced from DNA may not even be proteins, but another chemical known as RNA. The familiar double helix of DNA no longer has a monopoly on heredity ... Graphic: A bestiary of RNA ... To make a protein from a gene, a cell had to read it and build a single-stranded copy known as a transcript out of RNA. This RNA was then grabbed by a cluster of molecules called a... (International Herald Tribune)
Without enzyme, biological reaction essential to life takes 2.3 billion years Nov 11, 2008
In 1995, Wolfenden reported that without a particular enzyme, a biological transformation he deemed "absolutely essential" in creating the building blocks of DNA and RNA would take 78 million years. "Now we've found a reaction that again, in the absence of an enzyme is almost 30 times slower than that," Wolfenden said. (EurekAlert!)
OHSU finds association between Epstein-Barr virus, inflammatory diseases of the mouth Nov 11, 2008
A new study, published in the Journal of Endodontics, finds a link between Epstein-Barr virus and the microorganisms that cause irreversible pulpitis and apical periodontitis ... The findings are published online () in the Journal of Endodontics, one of the leading peer-reviewed endodontology journals ... The study also is expected to be published in the December 2008 (volume 34, issue 12) issue of the Journal of Endodontics. (EurekAlert!)
Herpes drug inhibits HIV replication Nov 8, 2008
The drug specifically targeted RT, the key HIV enzyme that converts the virus' RNA into DNA so it can be replicated ... These findings appeared in Journal of Biological Chemistry online Friday. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Study Finds Fears Of HIV Transmission In Families With Infected Parent Nov 7, 2008
The findings will be published in the November issue of the peer-reviewed journal Pediatrics ... 3, 2005) A genetic analysis of viral RNA from 10 heterosexual couples, in which one partner has sexually transmitted HIV to the other, provides the first documentation of some differences in how the virus. (Science Daily)
Bird flu dupes our bodies Nov 6, 2008
Pieces of protein inside the virus form tube-like structures that obscure strands of RNA formed as host cells are attacked, according to the study ... Images from a cryo-electron microscope revealed that the proteins interact to create tiny tubes, hiding the RNA generated during infection that would normally prompt the body's immune system activate ... The study was published in the London-based science journal Nature. (iAfrica.com)
Protein 'tubules' free avian flu virus from immune recognition Nov 6, 2008
A protein found in the virulent avian influenza virus strain called H5N1 forms tiny tubules in which it "hides" the pieces of double-stranded RNA formed during viral infection, which otherwise would prompt an antiviral immune response from infected cells, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in an online report in the journal Nature. Two domains or portions of the protein NS1 combine to form tiny tubules where double-stranded RNA is hidden from the immune system, said Dr. B. V. Venkataram... (EurekAlert!)
Human Genes: Alternative Splicing Far More Common Than Thought Nov 4, 2008
4, 2008) Scientists have long known that it's possible for one gene to produce slightly different forms of the same protein by skipping or including certain sequences from the messenger RNA. Now, an MIT team has shown that this phenomenon, known as alternative splicing, is both far more prevalent and varies more between tissues than was previously believed ... "A decade ago, alternative splicing of a gene was considered unusual, exotic ; but it turns out that's not true at all it's a nearly... (Science Daily)
Former Telomolecular CEO Clarifies SEC Settlement Nov 3, 2008
With the help of his partners, the company established internal manufacturing capacity and began to sell nanotechnology based cosmetic goods just before his departure ... The company had also made advances in the delivery of intact RNA to cells through a process known as RNA protein shielding, it had recently begun to work on the development of therapeutics for diseases of the mitochondria, and it had developed new kinds of biodegradable nanoparticle based gene delivery technologies ... Business... (Yahoo News -- Press Releases)
New method provides panoramic view of protein-RNA interactions in living cells Nov 3, 2008
Forced to look elsewhere, scientists turned to RNA, a direct yet more complex transcript of DNA. But methodological problems have historically plagued the study of RNA regulation in living cells, limiting not only the accuracy of results but also our understanding of RNA's role in human disease ... By adapting techniques mastered in the test tube and combining them with high throughput technology, the team has developed a genome-wide platform to study how specialized proteins regulate RNA in... (EurekAlert!)
Substance tackles skin cancer from 2 sides Nov 3, 2008
It was created and tested by an international team of researchers led by the University of Bonn ... A close relative of the nuclear DNA, known as RNA, served them as therapy ... It has only been known for a few years that small RNA molecules can basically be used to target certain genes and switch them off. (EurekAlert!)
Anadys Pharmaceuticals Announces Single Dose Safety and Pharmacokinetics Results for ANA598 in Healthy Volunteers Nov 2, 2008
Data will also be presented demonstrating synergy between ANA598 and cytokines induced by ANA773, Anadys' TLR7 agonist oral prodrug, also in development for hepatitis C. These data strongly support the potential for ANA598 to be used in combination with multiple other agents approved or under investigation for hepatitis C. -- In a poster titled "Antiviral Efficacy of the HCV RNA Polymerase Inhibitor ANA598 in the Chimpanzee Model of HCV Infection", Anadys will present data showing that ANA598... (PR Newswire)
Motor Protein Found That Rewinds DNA Nov 2, 2008
The two molecular biologists initially discovered that this motor protein burns energy in the same way as enzymes called helicases and, like helicases, attached to the dividing sections of DNA. But while helicases use their energy to separate two annealed nucleic acid strands such as two strands of DNA, two strands of RNA or the strands of a RNA-DNA hybrid the scientists found to their surprise that this protein did the opposite; that is, it rewinds sections of defective DNA and thus seals the... (Science Daily)
By Imaging Live Cells, Researchers Show How Hepatitis C Replicates Nov 1, 2008
What the researchers discovered in the hepatitis C virus may also prove to be true for related single-strand RNA viruses in the Flaviviridae family, W ... Journal of Virology, 2008; 82 (21): 10519 DOI. (Science Daily)
Roche Receives FDA Approval for Hepatitis C Viral Load Test on Its Fully Automated Real-Time PCR Platform Oct 31, 2008
The test uses Roche's proprietary real-time PCR technology to quantify the amount of Hepatitis C RNA in a patient's blood ... "We are pleased to offer this new solution for laboratories and physicians to optimize their turnaround time, workflow and patient care with simultaneous processing of HIV and HCV patient samples." The new test offers a broad dynamic range from high levels of virus in a patients blood to the "undetectable" low levels of viremia -- the goal of therapy. (PR Newswire)
Pervasive Network Discovered Driving Protein Production And Placement In Cells Oct 31, 2008
In a study to be published on Oct. 27 in the journal Public Library of Science-Biology, investigators led by Pat Brown, PhD, professor of biochemistry and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, and Dan Hogan, a graduate student in Brown's lab, have accumulated persuasive evidence that certain proteins guide the fates of the molecules conveying genetic instructions from cells' nuclei to the diverse intracellular destinations where these instructions are to be carried out ... It's been... (Science Daily)
UC Davis researchers discover a key to aggressive breast cancer Oct 31, 2008
The researchers next conducted a series of laboratory experiments using human breast cancer cell lines and a technique called RNA interference that allows for selective depletion of cellular proteins. Interestingly, they found the same results in the human breast cancers that they found in mice. (EurekAlert!)
Scientists Identify Single MicroRNA That Controls How Heart Chambers Form Oct 30, 2008
The discovery of the role of a microRNA called miR-138, could offer strategies for the treatment of congenital heart defects ... MicroRNAs are very small RNAs of 20 to 25 nucleotides that regulate numerous gene functions ... Approximately 650 human miRNAs are known, but only a few have yet been studied to determine what they actually do in a cell. (Science Daily)
Novel Genetic Screens Provide Panoramic Views Of Cellular Systems Oct 29, 2008
They even use cutting-edge RNA interference (RNAi) technology to knock down one gene at a time ... Now, researchers at Harvard Medical School, the Institute for Cancer Research, and the Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona have widened the lens, using RNAi to systematically knock down pairs of genes in fruit fly cells ... "Data from our novel double RNAi screens provide panoramic views of cellular processes," says senior author Norbert Perrimon, who is an HMS professor of genetics and an... (Science Daily)
Newly Discovered Mechanism Can Explain Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome Oct 28, 2008
The findings, published in the journal Molecular Cell, have implications in understanding the human disorder Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome ... If a gene is active on the maternal chromosome, the corresponding gene is usually active also on paternal chromosome ... When part of this domain is transcribed a long RNA molecule, Kcnq1ot1-RNA, is formed. (Science Daily)
Novel Marker Of Colon Cancer Oct 28, 2008
A research article to be published on October 14, 2008 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. In this research, by using the combined methods of laser microdissection (LMD), P27-based RNA amplification, and polypeptide, They evaluated differentially expressed genes between early carcinoma and lymph node metastatic patients ... The results were confirmed at the level of RNA and gene expression. (Science Daily)
New Antibiotic Target And Antibiotic Mechanism Identified; Discoveries Hold Promise For Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Oct 28, 2008
The researchers showed how three antibiotics myxopyronin, corallopyronin and ripostatin block the action of bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP). RNAP is the enzyme that transcribes genetic information from DNA into RNA, which, in turn, directs the assembly of proteins, the building blocks of all biological systems ... Blocking bacterial RNAP kills bacterial cells. (Science Daily)
Chinese scientists win Gates grants Oct 28, 2008
Gao Qian, at Fudan's medical college, said two of his students came up with the ideas focusing on researching the role of MicroRNA - a short single-stranded RNA molecule that is now recognized as playing an important role in gene regulation - in the transition from latent to activated tuberculosis. Chen Zhiwei, director of the AIDS Institute at the University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, is aiming for an AIDS vaccine capable of inducing neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1... (Xinhuanet, China)
Long-Term Study Evaluates Boosted PREZISTA(R) Vs. Lopinavir/Ritonavir as Part of HIV Combination Therapy in Treatment-Naive Adults Oct 27, 2008
About the ARTEMIS study ARTEMIS (AntiRetroviral Therapy with TMC114 examined in naive subjects) is an international ongoing, randomized, controlled, open-label non-inferiority phase 3 trial that compares the efficacy and safety of PREZISTA/r with lopinavir/r in treatment-naive HIV-1-infected adult patients with viral load greater than 5,000 copies/mL. Patients were randomized to receive PREZISTA/r 800 mg/100 mg once daily or, based on approved dosing in each country, either lopinavir/r 800... (PR Newswire)
Analysis of Long-Term Vicriviroc Data Provides Evidence of Sustained Viral Suppression, Increased CD4 Cell Counts and Tolerability in Treatment-Experienced HIV-Infected Patients Oct 27, 2008
Virologic response to regimens containing vicriviroc was evidenced within 12 weeks by a significant decrease in virus (HIV RNA) detectable in the blood and was sustained long-term. Median change from baseline viral load (HIV RNA) was -2 ... References (1) Coakley E, et al. Second International Workshop Targeting HIV Entry. (PR Newswire)
Why Binge Drinking Is Bad For Your Bones Oct 26, 2008
Callaci is co-author of the study, published recently in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research ... They found that alcohol affected the amounts of RNA associated with these genes ... (RNA serves as the template for making proteins, the building blocks of bones and other tissue. (Science Daily)
Study Shows How Antibiotic Sets Up Road Block To Kill Bacteria Oct 26, 2008
Scientists already knew that this antibiotic inhibited the actions of an enzyme called RNA polymerase, which sets gene expression in motion and is essential to the life of any cell ... In the case of myxopyronin, the antibiotic binds to RNA polymerase in a way that interferes with the enzyme's ability to use DNA to start the process of activating genes so they can make proteins ... "This is the first antibiotic that we know that inhibits polymerase before it even starts RNA synthesis," said... (Science Daily)
Binge drinking 'bad for bones' Oct 26, 2008
And, according to the researchers, the findings could help in the development of new drugs to minimise bone loss in alcohol abusers, the 'Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research' journal reported ... The researchers focused on genes responsible for bone health -- they found that alcohol affected the amounts of RNA, which serves as the template for making proteins, the building blocks of bones and tissue, associated with these genes ... With some genes, alcohol increased the amount of RNA.... (Times of India)
Cause Of Weakness In Marine Animal Hybrids Discovered Oct 25, 2008
They further pinned the problem area to a single enzyme, called "RNA polymerase," for the failed trigger. "In hybrids we found that these genes don't turn on in response to stress, which means the animals don't have enough energy, and that leads to low survivorship," said Burton. (Science Daily)
Merck's Free Radical Oct 24, 2008
The first fruits of Rosetta's technology began to emerge with a 2002 article in the New England Journal of Medicine ... 1 billion in cash to buy tiny Sirna Therapeutics, a leader in a field called RNA silencing, which uses small molecules to shut off genes. (Forbes -- Business)
Common Respiratory Syncytial Virus May Hide In The Lungs, Lead To Asthma, Researchers Report Oct 23, 2008
Dr. Ramilo said the team's findings contradict the current thinking that ribonucleic acid viruses like RSV are easily destroyed. "Whether RSV persists in children remains to be seen, but the fact that the virus persists in mice is amazingly powerful," he said. (Science Daily)
Evolution Of Genes That Trigger The Body's Immune Response To Viral Infection Oct 23, 2008
22, 2008) Virginia Commonwealth University Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers have traced the evolutionary origin of two genes that serve as primary cellular sensors of infection with RNA viruses, such as influenza, poliovirus, West Nile virus, and HIV, which may ultimately provide researchers with insight into a possible new pathway for the development of innate immunity. See also. (Science Daily)
Nobel Laureate Confirms Importance of Adjuvants in Controlling Devastating Diseases Oct 23, 2008
Luc Montagnier, a winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, confirms the importance of adjuvants in a current article in the Wall Street Journal (Oct ... Ampligen(r) and Oragens represent experimental RNA nucleic acids being developed for globally important debilitating diseases and disorders of the immune system. (Primezone Releases)
Palo Alto-based Intradigm targets cancer's genetic switch Oct 23, 2008
Intradigm targets cancer's genetic switch - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal ... Subscribe to Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal ... Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - by. (San Jose Business Journal, CA)
Mapping a clan of mobile selfish genes Oct 23, 2008
" As mutations gradually blur the features of older Alu elements, some become unable to make copies of themselves. To identify the Alu retrotransposons that are still capable of moving around, Devine and graduate student E. Andrew Bennett, who is first author, divided them into families and tested a representative of each family in the laboratory. The results are published online and are scheduled to appear in the December issue of the journal Genome Research. Laboratories at Emory, the... (EurekAlert!)
Alternative methods to analyse the impact of HIV mutations on virological response to antiviral therapy Oct 23, 2008
We used a subset of 87 patients with a complete baseline genotype and plasma HIV-1 RNA available at baseline and at week 12. PCA and PLS components were determined with all mutations that had prevalences >0. (BioMed Central)
New Urine Test ID's Prostate Cancer Oct 22, 2008
The test, from San Diego-based Gen-Probe, is approved in some European countries but not in the U.S. It detects genetic material -- RNA -- from prostate cancer gene 3 or PCA3 ... Prostate cancer cells express 60 to 100 times more PCA3 RNA than normal cells. (Yahoo News -- Prostate Cancer)
'Junk' DNA May Have Important Role In Gene Regulation Oct 21, 2008
The findings, which increase understanding of how humans differ from other animals, including non-human primates, appear Oct. 17 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics ... A type of transposon called retrotransposons are transcribed into RNA and then reintegrated into the genomic DNA. The most common form of retrotransposons in the human genome are Alu elements, which have more than one million copies and occupy approximately 10 percent of the human genome ... D., assistant professor of... (Science Daily)
New Natural Products Act Against Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria Oct 21, 2008
Today, the scientists publish their results in the distinguished journal "Cell" ... The origin of the current success story is outlined by HZI biologist Dr. Herbert Irschik: "In our fundus we have three substances myxopyronin, corallopyronin and ripostatin which were isolated and characterised chemically and biologically. Already many years ago we recognized their unusual antibiotic effect. It was directed in an unknown manner against the bacterial RNA polymerase, i.e. the enzyme that reads the... (Science Daily)
Hemispherx Biopharma to Present At 48th Annual ICAAC Conference Oct 21, 2008
Ampligen(r) and Oragens(r) represent experimental RNA nucleic acids being developed for globally important debilitating diseases and disorders of the immune system. Hemispherx's platform technology includes large and small agent components for potential treatment of various severely debilitating and life threatening diseases. (Primezone Releases)
A molecule with a momentous effect Oct 20, 2008
Now, the tiny genetic thermostats first discovered in the Peter Pan worms, molecules called microRNAs, are seen as having a crucial role to play in everything from stem cells to cancer. "This was a form of regulation of gene expression that we simply hadn't known existed until recently, and that has the power to modify cellular processes in really quite profound ways," said David Baltimore, a Nobel laureate and professor of biology at the California Institute of Technology who works with... (Boston Globe)
Evolution Of Virulence Regulation In Staphylococcus Aureus Oct 19, 2008
The research, published by Cell Press in the October 10th issue of the journal Molecular Cell, may lead to strategies for developing more effective therapeutics against the human pathogen responsible for most of the antibiotic-resistant infections contracted in the community ... The agr system initiates rapid target gene expression when bacterial cell density reaches a threshold level, exerting its effect through RNAIII. Phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs), which play an important role in the ability... (Science Daily)
