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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).

Inherited mutations in p53 gene put people at high risk of developing cancers

The understanding of how a powerful protein called p53 protects against cancer development has been upended by a discovery by Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers. More than half of human cancers carry defects in the gene for p53, and almost all other cancers, with a normal p53 gene, carry other defects that somehow impair the function of the p53 protein. Inherited mutations in the p53 gene put people at a very high risk of developing a range of cancers.

10 May 2013

Scientists identify new way to boost gene-silencing mechanism

A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has found how to boost or inhibit a gene-silencing mechanism that normally serves as a major controller of cells' activities. The discovery could lead to a powerful new class of drugs against viral infections, cancers and other diseases.

10 May 2013

Research findings have important implications for developmental and cancer biology

Researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah have discovered that while the genes provided by the father arrive at fertilization pre-programmed to the state needed by the embryo, the genes provided by the mother are in a different state and must be reprogrammed to match.

10 May 2013

Research could help battle stubborn bacterial infections that do not respond to antibiotics

Bacteria on a surface wander around and often organize into highly resilient communities known as biofilms. It turns out that they organize in a rich-get-richer pattern similar to many economies, according to a new study by researchers at UCLA, Northwestern University and the University of Washington.

10 May 2013

National Institutes of Health names University of Rochester a Center for AIDS Research

The University of Rochester was named a Center for AIDS Research by the National Institutes of Health, a designation that infuses $7.5 million into HIV/AIDS work across the University and places it amongst the best in the nation for research to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of the disease.

10 May 2013

Researchers reveal how genes are turned on and off during early human development

A large, multi-institutional research team involved in the NIH Epigenome Roadmap Project has published a sweeping analysis in the current issue of the journal Cell of how genes are turned on and off to direct early human development.

10 May 2013

Modifications in key epigenetic markers influence human embryonic stem cells

Scientists have long known that control mechanisms known collectively as "epigenetics" play a critical role in human development, but they did not know precisely how alterations in this extra layer of biochemical instructions in DNA contribute to development.

10 May 2013

Researchers discover novel mechanism of tumor hypoxia

An article published recently in Tumor Microenvironment and Therapy - an open access journal by Versita, defines a novel mechanism of tumor hypoxia induced by the longitudinal gradient of residual oxygen along tumor vessels as they transverse the tumor.

10 May 2013

Hidden HIV replication may be occurring within the body's tissue, researchers report

Scientists have long believed that measuring the amount of HIV in a person's blood is an indicator of whether the virus is actively reproducing.

9 May 2013

Meridian Health celebrates Paint the Town Pink to emphasize importance of annual mammography

This May, Meridian Health celebrates Paint the Town Pink - a community-wide effort taking place in 23 Monmouth and Ocean County towns that raises awareness of the importance of annual mammography, as early detection is a woman's best defense against breast cancer.

9 May 2013

UA researchers discover genetic mutations that cause severe epilepsies in children

Researchers at the University of Arizona have successfully determined the genetic mutations causing severe epilepsies in seven out of 10 children for whom the cause of the disorder could not be determined clinically or by conventional genetic testing.

9 May 2013

Researchers identify genetic mutations that appear to underlie rare syndrome

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Duke University have identified genetic mutations that appear to underlie a rare but devastating syndrome combining reproductive failure with cerebellar ataxia - a lack of muscle coordination - and dementia.

9 May 2013

Gene offers new insights into treatment strategies for deep-vein thrombosis

A gene associated with both protection against bacterial infection and excessive blood clotting could offer new insights into treatment strategies for deep-vein thrombosis -- the formation of a harmful clot in a deep vein.

9 May 2013

TRACK-HD study: A set of tests could help identify progression of Huntington's disease

Scientists have identified a set of tests that could help identify whether and how Huntington's disease is progressing in groups of people who are not yet showing symptoms.

9 May 2013

Idera to present data from Phase 2 trial of IMO-3100 in patients with psoriasis at IID 2013

Idera Pharmaceuticals today announced presentation of data from its randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial that showed improvements from baseline of up to 90% in Psoriasis Area Severity Index scores in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis following four weeks of treatment with the Toll-like Receptor antagonist IMO-3100.

8 May 2013

Research discovery may lead to effective new treatments for neurodegenerative disease

UCLA researchers led by Drs. Peiyee Lee and Richard Gatti at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have used induced pluripotent stem cells to advance disease-in-a-dish modeling of a rare genetic disorder, Ataxia Telangiectasia.

8 May 2013

New device extracts human DNA more quickly and efficiently

Take a swab of saliva from your mouth and within minutes your DNA could be ready for analysis and genome sequencing with the help of a new device.

7 May 2013

Mutations in phosphatase Wip1 could be a new target for treating cancer

Researchers have uncovered mutations in the phosphatase Wip1 that enable cancer cells to foil the tumor suppressor p53, according to a study in The Journal of Cell Biology. The results could provide a new target for the treatment of certain cancers.

6 May 2013

Tipsheet of story ideas from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

In an effort to better protect women from heart disease, Irene Pollin, a widely respected public health advocate who founded the nation's first organization dedicated to preventing heart disease in women, has donated $10 million to the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute.

6 May 2013

Scientists create animal models by altering specific genes associated with a given disease

Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch, who helped transform the study of genetics by creating the first transgenic mouse in 1974, is again revolutionizing how genetically altered animal models are created and perhaps even redefining what species may serve as models.

6 May 2013

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Inherited mutations in p53 gene put people at high risk of developing cancers

Scientists identify new way to boost gene-silencing mechanism

Research findings have important implications for developmental and cancer biology

Research could help battle stubborn bacterial infections that do not respond to antibiotics

National Institutes of Health names University of Rochester a Center for AIDS Research

Researchers reveal how genes are turned on and off during early human development

Modifications in key epigenetic markers influence human embryonic stem cells

Researchers discover novel mechanism of tumor hypoxia

Hidden HIV replication may be occurring within the body's tissue, researchers report

Meridian Health celebrates Paint the Town Pink to emphasize importance of annual mammography

UA researchers discover genetic mutations that cause severe epilepsies in children

Researchers identify genetic mutations that appear to underlie rare syndrome

Gene offers new insights into treatment strategies for deep-vein thrombosis

TRACK-HD study: A set of tests could help identify progression of Huntington's disease

Idera to present data from Phase 2 trial of IMO-3100 in patients with psoriasis at IID 2013

Research discovery may lead to effective new treatments for neurodegenerative disease

New device extracts human DNA more quickly and efficiently

Mutations in phosphatase Wip1 could be a new target for treating cancer

Tipsheet of story ideas from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Scientists create animal models by altering specific genes associated with a given disease

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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