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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).

Study: New genetic marker predicts warfarin dose in African-Americans

A newfound genetic marker promises to better predict warfarin dose in African-Americans, according to a study published online today in The Lancet. If confirmed in further studies, the finding may help to avert more of the bleeds and blood clots that come when a patient's starting dose misses the drug's narrow safety window.

5 Jun 2013

Six top scientists studying psoriasis receive NPF research grants to discover new treatments for chronic diseases

Six of the top scientists studying psoriasis-the most common autoimmune disease in the country, affecting 7.5 million Americans-and psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory joint and tendon disease affecting up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis, received National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) research grants totaling $450,000 for projects that aim to discover new treatments and a cure for these chronic diseases.

5 Jun 2013

State highlights: Ore. mental health could see expansion, Calif. lawmakers take up health law 'loophole'; N.Y. abortion proposal hits obstacles

When Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward walked into a committee meeting, she didn't plan to reveal to the world that she has suffered from major depression for 15 years. "If I go two days without taking my medication, I can't walk in the door of this building," Steiner Hayward, D-Beaverton, told colleagues. "I can't get up in the morning. I can't take a shower. I can't function as a normal human being." Steiner Hayward is coming forward as a public voice for mental health at a time when Oregon lawmakers are considering Senate Bill 823, which would significantly expand mental health care in Oregon (Zheng, 6/3).

5 Jun 2013

New plug-in optical sensor can help diagnose Kaposi's sarcoma

As antiretroviral drugs that treat HIV have become more commonplace, the incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma, a type of cancer linked to AIDS, has decreased in the United States.

5 Jun 2013

Better understanding of breast milk variability, strategies for optimizing neonatal diet

The composition of breast milk varies from mother to mother, and genetic factors may affect the levels of protective components in breast milk that could influence a newborn's outcomes.

5 Jun 2013

CSIRO scientists develop test to identify unsafe iPS cells

CSIRO scientists have developed a test to identify unsafe stem cells. It is the first safety test specifically for human induced pluripotent stem cells - as published today in the international journal Stem Cells.

5 Jun 2013

Research provides insights into potential new strategies to detect, treat and prevent breast cancer

New research provides critical insights into how normal breast precursor cells may be genetically vulnerable to develop into cancer. The research is published June 4th in the inaugural issue of Stem Cell Reports, an open-access journal from the International Society of Stem Cell Research published by Cell Press.

5 Jun 2013

First Edition: June 4, 2013

Today's headlines include a report about what the Democrats' health law strategy might be as the 2014 mid-term elections approach.

4 Jun 2013

Researchers identify a new mechanism that appears to suppress tumor growth

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues at the University of Rochester Medical Center, have identified a new mechanism that appears to suppress tumor growth, opening the possibility of developing a new class of anti-cancer drugs.

4 Jun 2013

BACH2 gene may play a central role in the development of allergic and autoimmune diseases

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health, and their colleagues, have discovered that a gene called BACH2 may play a central role in the development of diverse allergic and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, asthma, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and type-1 diabetes.

4 Jun 2013

New approach may reduce time to identify Salmonella strains, say researchers

A new approach may be able to reduce by more than half the time it takes health officials to identify Salmonella strains, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

4 Jun 2013

Research lays foundation for genetic test to identify hip dysplasia in newborns

Research from Thomas Jefferson University is laying the foundation for a genetic test to accurately identify hip dysplasia in newborns so that early intervention can be initiated to promote normal development.

4 Jun 2013

Lung cancer patients are likely to fare better if treated with targeted therapy than with chemotherapy

Thousands of patients with an advanced form of lung cancer that carries a specific dysfunctional gene are likely to fare better if treated with a targeted therapy than with traditional chemotherapy, report Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers and a team of international collaborators.

3 Jun 2013

Novel technique for manufacturing short, single-stranded DNA molecules

A new method of manufacturing short, single-stranded DNA molecules can solve many of the problems associated with current production methods. The new method, which is described in the scientific periodical Nature Methods, can be of value to both DNA nanotechnology and the development of drugs consisting of DNA fragments.

3 Jun 2013

Study finds HER2 irregularities in 14 different advanced solid tumors

The HER2 growth-factor gene is known to be over-active in breast and gastro-esophageal cancers. But now, irregularities in the genes's expression - among them mutations, amplifications, substitutions, and translocations - have been found in 14 different advanced solid tumors.

3 Jun 2013

Partners of HPV-related oral cancer patients have no increased prevalence of oral infections: Study

Spouses and long-term partners of patients with mouth and throat cancers related to infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV) appear to have no increased prevalence of oral HPV infections, according to results of a multicenter, pilot study led by Johns Hopkins investigators.

3 Jun 2013

Study shows utility of cfDNA blood tests for breast cancer patients

Researchers from Chronix Biomedical and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced that results from a pilot study demonstrating the utility of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) blood tests as a companion diagnostic for breast cancer patients are to be reported in a poster presentation titled "Modulation of breast cancer cell-free DNA with surgical resection" (Abstract #11060) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO 2013) being held from May 31 through June 4, 2013 in Chicago. The blood test detects cfDNA that is released into the blood stream by damaged and dying cancer cells.

1 Jun 2013

Nearly 2/3 of solid tumors carry at least one mutation that may be targeted by existing compound

Nearly two-thirds of solid tumors carry at least one mutation that may be targeted, or medicated, by an existing compound, according to new findings from researchers Fox Chase Cancer Center that will be presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology on June 3.

1 Jun 2013

International researchers find how brain cancer cells survive and drive tumor growth

An international team of researchers - led by principal investigator Paul S. Mischel, MD, a member of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine - has found that a singular gene mutation helps brain cancer cells to not just survive, but grow tumors rapidly by altering the splicing of genes that control cellular metabolism.

1 Jun 2013

Theoretical mathematical models offer insights into therapeutic, prevention strategies for HIV

The first few hours to days following exposure to human immunodeficiency virus can be of critical importance in determining if infection occurs in a patient. But the low numbers of viruses and infected cells at this stage makes it very difficult to study these events in humans or animal models.

1 Jun 2013

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Study: New genetic marker predicts warfarin dose in African-Americans

Six top scientists studying psoriasis receive NPF research grants to discover new treatments for chronic diseases

State highlights: Ore. mental health could see expansion, Calif. lawmakers take up health law 'loophole'; N.Y. abortion proposal hits obstacles

New plug-in optical sensor can help diagnose Kaposi's sarcoma

Better understanding of breast milk variability, strategies for optimizing neonatal diet

CSIRO scientists develop test to identify unsafe iPS cells

Research provides insights into potential new strategies to detect, treat and prevent breast cancer

First Edition: June 4, 2013

Researchers identify a new mechanism that appears to suppress tumor growth

BACH2 gene may play a central role in the development of allergic and autoimmune diseases

New approach may reduce time to identify Salmonella strains, say researchers

Research lays foundation for genetic test to identify hip dysplasia in newborns

Lung cancer patients are likely to fare better if treated with targeted therapy than with chemotherapy

Novel technique for manufacturing short, single-stranded DNA molecules

Study finds HER2 irregularities in 14 different advanced solid tumors

Partners of HPV-related oral cancer patients have no increased prevalence of oral infections: Study

Study shows utility of cfDNA blood tests for breast cancer patients

Nearly 2/3 of solid tumors carry at least one mutation that may be targeted by existing compound

International researchers find how brain cancer cells survive and drive tumor growth

Theoretical mathematical models offer insights into therapeutic, prevention strategies for HIV

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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