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UH scientist evaluates microRNAs as potential treatment strategy for ovarian cancer

The day when an ovarian cancer patient can treat her tumor with a single, painless pill instead of a toxic drug cocktail is the ultimate goal of the pioneering research of a University of Houston scientist.

22 Dec 2010

Genome is one more factor to blame for unwanted pounds

In addition to fast food, desk jobs, and inertia, there is one more thing to blame for unwanted pounds-our genome, which has apparently not caught up with the fact that we no longer live in the Stone Age.

16 Dec 2010

Charité begins implementation of MGN1601 clinical phase I/II study in renal cancer

The Charité - Medical University of Berlin has today begun the implementation of the clinical study phase I/II with the renal cancer medication MGN1601 (ASET Study). With this MOLOGEN AG product, an innovative cell-based gene therapy for the treatment of advanced renal cancer is entering the first important test phase.

15 Dec 2010

Researchers introduce new class of drugs for HCV patients

To improve the care for individuals infected with the hepatitis C virus, a major health problem and a leading cause of chronic liver disease around the world, nearly 200 international hepatitis experts have taken an important step in escalating the introduction of a new class of targeted therapies for HCV – direct-acting antivirals.

15 Dec 2010

German Research Foundation opens four new research units

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is establishing four new Research Units. The decision was made by the DFG Senate at its December session in Bonn. The establishment of the Research Units will enable researchers to explore prevailing topical questions and generate new approaches in their respective fields.

15 Dec 2010

Silicon Biosystems' newly formed subsidiary to commercialize DEPArray technology platform

Silicon Biosystems, S.p.A., a provider of specialized molecular and cell biology technology, today announced that it has formed a U.S. subsidiary operation, Silicon Biosystems, Inc., to be headquartered in San Diego, California. The newly formed business will focus on commercial operations and the development of the North American research and clinical diagnostics markets for the company's DEPArray™ technology platform.

13 Dec 2010

Origin of Haiti cholera epidemic traced to South Asia

The strain of cholera currently sweeping through post-earthquake Haiti originated in South Asia, conclude scientists who did a rapid genetic analysis of bacteria collected from Haitian patients. The finding supports the notion that the cholera bacteria fueling the outbreak arrived on the island via recent visitors.

13 Dec 2010

Researchers develop statistical model to predict severity of seasonal influenza

Researchers have developed a statistical model for projecting how many people will get sick from seasonal influenza based on analyses of flu viruses circulating that season. The research, conducted by scientists at the National Institutes of Health, appears today in the open-access publication PLoS Currents: Influenza.

9 Dec 2010

AltheaDx partners with Compendia Bioscience to launch Breast Cancer Segregation Panel Assay

AltheaDx, Inc. today announced the formation of a strategic partnership with Compendia Bioscience to combine their respective core capabilities in assay development, validation and bioinformatics. The two companies will jointly create novel products and services focused on cancer biomarker discovery and subsequent development of tests that predict patient outcomes in clinical trials.

9 Dec 2010

New analysis shows that common diseases are not lined to genetic factors

The case for a substantial role of genes in susceptibility to the major human diseases is now scientifically refuted argues a groundbreaking new analysis published by the public interest science organization, The Bioscience Resource Project.

7 Dec 2010

Progress in developing new pig breeds with a desirable combination of both leanness and flavor

Perhaps you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, but scientists are reporting progress in pulling off the same trick with the notoriously bland flavor of pork. They are reporting new insights into the biochemical differences in the meat of an Italian swine renowned for its good flavor since the ancient Roman Empire and the modern "Large White" or Yorkshire hog, whose roots date back barely 125 years. Their study appears in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research.

3 Dec 2010

Quintiles, London Genetics enter strategic alliance to offer pharmacogenetics solutions for personalized medicine

Quintiles, the world's leading biopharmaceutical services company, and London Genetics, an expert in the use of pharmacogenetics in drug discovery and development, today announced a strategic alliance to offer the biopharmaceutical industry innovative pharmacogenetics solutions to advance personalized medicine. Financial terms were not disclosed.

30 Nov 2010

IRIS announces product acquisition from BioMicro Systems

IRIS International, Inc., a leading manufacturer of automated in-vitro diagnostics systems and a provider of high value personalized medicine products and testing services, announced today that it has acquired the assets of a multi-purpose, bench-top instrument platform for automating highly repetitive, manual laboratory protocols for (F)ISH (fluorescence in-situ hybridization) testing and other slide-based cytogenetic applications.

30 Nov 2010

Researchers suggest that genetic screening may predict heart attack risk

Testing for 11 specific genetic variations in hundreds of people with no history of heart disease provided information that led to revision of their estimated heart attack risk, say Mayo Clinic researchers.

17 Nov 2010

New OncoMap technique can detect point mutation in ovarian cancer

Researchers have shown that point mutations mis-spellings in a single letter of genetic code that drive the onset and growth of cancer cells can be detected successfully in advanced ovarian cancer using a technique called OncoMap. The finding opens the way for personalised medicine in which every patient could have their tumour screened, specific mutations identified, and the appropriate drug chosen to target the mutation and halt the growth of their cancer.

17 Nov 2010

Two-dimensional crystals from DNA origami tiles

DNA is more than just a carrier for our genetic information; DNA is also an outstanding nanoscale building material, as researchers led by Ned Seeman discovered thirty years ago. Seeman and his colleagues at the New York University (USA) have now used cross-shaped DNA tiles to produce an amazingly large grid structure that resembles woven fabric. As the researchers report in the journal Angewandte Chemie, these two-dimensional crystals attain dimensions of about 2×3 micrometers.

16 Nov 2010

New stem cell-infused patch improves heart function after myocardial infarction

University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have found that applying a stem cell-infused patch together with overexpression of a specific cell instruction molecule promoted cell migration to damaged cardiac tissue following heart attack and resulted in improved function in animal models.

16 Nov 2010

OtoSCOPE method offers single-run genetic testing for hearing loss

Pinpointing the exact genetic cause of inherited deafness has always involved sequencing one gene at a time, a process that can take up to a year and cost roughly $1,000 per gene. It would cost around $75,000 to test all known deafness causing genes using this approach. Now University of Iowa researchers working with colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine have developed a test that can screen all of the genes known to cause deafness in a single run, in one to three months and for about $2,000.

16 Nov 2010

Scientists uncover DNA sequence variations associated with cardiac electrical activity

Scientists studying genetic data from nearly 50,000 people have uncovered several DNA sequence variations associated with the electrical impulses that make the heart beat. The findings, reported in Nature Genetics, may pave the way for a greater understanding of the mechanisms for abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death.

15 Nov 2010

Genetic region linked to survival in patients with advanced bowel cancer

Scientists have discovered a genetic region linked to survival in patients with advanced bowel cancer, according to a study being presented at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference today (Tuesday).

9 Nov 2010