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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).

ImmuneRegen's Homspera with Scancell's ImmunoBody technology improves immune response for cancer

ImmuneRegen BioSciences, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of IR BioSciences Holdings, Inc. today announced that treatment with its lead compound, Homspera, in combination with a DNA vaccine utilizing Scancell's ImmunoBody technology significantly improved the immune response of the vaccine in an animal model.

8 Sep 2010

NIH announces $161.3 million for expansion of Pharmacogenomics Research Network

The National Institutes of Health plans to spend $161.3 million over the next five years to expand the Pharmacogenomics Research Network (PGRN), a nationwide collaborative of scientists focused on understanding how genes affect a person's response to medicines.

8 Sep 2010

La Jolla Pharmaceutical seeks clinical product for lupus treatment

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company provided an update today that the Company is actively seeking and evaluating potential pharmaceutical products for in-licensing or acquisition and has engaged consultants to determine whether there is any potential for the further development of Riquent for the treatment of lupus.

8 Sep 2010

UC San Diego researchers receive grant to study pharmacogenomics for bipolar disorder

An international team, led by University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers, has been awarded a $6.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the pharmacogenomics of a key mood-stabilizing drug used to treat bipolar disorder.

8 Sep 2010

Silence Therapeutics receives two patents for RNA interference therapeutics

Silence Therapeutics plc announces the issuance of two new patents by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) which are broadly directed to double-stranded short interfering RNA (siRNA) sequences against the validated cancer targets epidermal growth factor receptor related protein (EGFR-RP) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1).

8 Sep 2010

NIH expands funding for Baylor College of Medicine Human Microbiome Project

The National Institutes of Health today announced expanded funding of the Baylor College of Medicine Human Microbiome Project clinical program initiated last year at Texas Children Hospital.

8 Sep 2010

Penn receives $12M NIH grant to study pharmacogenetics of nicotine addiction treatment

A variety of smoking cessation treatments are currently available for the more than 18 million adult Americans try to quit smoking each year, but success rates vary widely. Despite the importance of quitting smoking, more personalized approaches to smoking cessation treatment are needed to help smokers pick the right method that will work best for them. A major new personalized medicine clinical trial, led by addiction researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, will study how a smokers' genetic make-up influences their quitting success.

8 Sep 2010

Further evidence on adverse effects of smoking on fertility

Two new studies have shed more light on how smoking may damage fertility, and give further weight to advice that mothers and fathers-to-be should stop smoking before attempting to conceive. The research is published online in the reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction today (Wednesday 8 September).

8 Sep 2010

GE Global Researchers receive award from NIH for human microbiome study

Researchers from GE Global Research have been awarded a $538,000 human microbiome project from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop new technology that would allow for the study of individual cells growing inside and outside the body believed to have a significant impact on human health.

8 Sep 2010

Stratos Genomics closes Series-A financing deal

Stratos Genomics Inc. today announced it has closed a Series-A financing deal of $4 million to continue development of its ultra-low-cost nucleic acid sequencing method for whole genome analysis and molecular diagnostics. The round was led by Fisk Ventures and included Stratos Group LLC.

8 Sep 2010

UCSF scientists to receive two grants for personalized medicine research

UCSF scientists will receive two grants totaling $15.1 million over the next five years to expand their research into how genes affect an individual's response to medication and to strengthen a global network of researchers involved in these efforts.

7 Sep 2010

Tikcro reports $3.2 million net loss for second-quarter 2010

Tikcro Technologies Ltd. today reported results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2010.

7 Sep 2010

Complete Genomics, SAIC-Frederick collaborate to validate somatic mutations from pediatric cancer cases

Complete Genomics Inc., a life sciences company focused on human genome sequencing, today announced a collaboration to identify and validate somatic mutations from 50 pediatric cancer cases from multiple research centers across the United States.

7 Sep 2010

Positive immune responses elicited from Scancell's DNA vaccine in combination with ImmuneRegen's Homspera

Scancell Holdings Plc, the developer of therapeutic cancer vaccines, announces that a treatment utilising a DNA vaccine based on its ImmunoBody® technology, in combination with ImmuneRegen BioSciences, Inc.®'s lead compound, Homspera®, has significantly improved the immune response of the vaccine in an animal model. Follow-up studies are currently being performed to optimize the effects of Homspera in enhancing the next generation of Scancell's cancer vaccines.

7 Sep 2010

University of Maryland School of Medicine orders AVANCE III 950 US2 NMR spectrometer from Bruker

Bruker Corporation announces a major order from the University of Maryland School of Medicine for its ultra-high field AVANCE III 950 US2 NMR spectrometer. The 950 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance magnet and spectrometer will help University of Maryland researchers to unravel the mysteries of molecules and develop new agents to treat cancer, AIDS and other diseases.

7 Sep 2010

Accipiter to nominate two individuals for election on Orchid Cellmark Board

Orchid Cellmark, Inc and Accipiter Capital Management, LLC today jointly announced that Orchid Cellmark and Accipiter (together with its affiliates) have reached an agreement in connection with the nomination of candidates for election to Orchid Cellmark's Board of Directors.

7 Sep 2010

Precision receives stay for patent infringement litigation by Cellectis

Precision BioSciences, Inc., today announced that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina has granted Precision's request to stay patent infringement litigation brought against Precision by Cellectis, SA.

7 Sep 2010

Researchers to develop new treatment strategy for cancer

Cancer is a difficult disease to treat because it's a personal disease. Each case is unique and based on a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Conventional chemotherapy employs treatment with one or more drugs, assuming that these medicines are able to both "diagnose" and "treat" the affected cells. Many of the side effects experienced by chemotherapy patients are due to the fact that the drugs they are taking aren't selective enough.

7 Sep 2010

Myconostica's MycAssay Aspergillus for serum granted CE marking

Myconostica Ltd, the UK-based medical diagnostic company developing and commercialising rapid and highly specific tests for life-threatening fungal infections, today announces the CE marking of its lead product MycAssay™ Aspergillus for detection of Aspergillus DNA in serum.

6 Sep 2010

Gene containing 'minisatellite' plays key role in driving human DNA diversity

One of the key drivers of human evolution and diversity, accounting for changes that occur between different generations of people, is explained by new research published today (Sept 5) by world-renowned scientist Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, who discovered DNA fingerprinting at the University of Leicester.

6 Sep 2010