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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).

GIND scientists identify major role of TDP-43 in two neurodegenerative diseases

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) have identified the reason a key protein plays a major role in two neurodegenerative diseases.

13 Jan 2010

Scientists go beyond single-gene models to probe inborn heart defects

Studying genes that regulate early heart development in animals, scientists have solved a puzzle about one gene's role, finding that it acts in concert with a related gene. Their finding contributes to understanding how the earliest stages of heart development may go awry, resulting in congenital heart defects in humans.

12 Jan 2010

Abraxis Bioscience awards John Wayne Cancer Institute $1M grant for identifying new cancer biomarkers

A $1 million grant from Abraxis Bioscience, Inc. to a world-famous research laboratory at John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John’s Health Center could help save lives of cancer patients by helping doctors more rapidly assess whether a treatment is working or not.

12 Jan 2010

Life Technologies to acquire AcroMetrix

Life Technologies Corporation, a provider of innovative life science solutions, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire AcroMetrix, for an undisclosed amount.

12 Jan 2010

Older patients with acute myeloid leukemia may benefit from decitabine drug

Older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) might benefit from a drug that reactivates genes that cancer cells turn off, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and collaborating institutions.

12 Jan 2010

4SC commences treatment in its resminostat Phase II trial for HL

4SC AG, a drug discovery and development company focused on autoimmune and cancer indications, today announced the treatment of the first patient in a Phase II study evaluating resminostat (4SC-201), an oral pan-histone-deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor in relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL) patients.

12 Jan 2010

QIAGEN N.V. announces acquisition of ESE GmbH for $19 million

QIAGEN N.V. today announced that it has acquired ESE GmbH, a privately held developer and manufacturer of UV and fluorescence optical measurement devices. ESE is based in Stockach, Germany. The transaction is valued at up to US$19 million in cash.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 12 Jan 2010

New blood test to identify changes in DNA linked with colorectal cancer now available in the U.S.

A new blood test that identifies changes in DNA associated with colorectal cancer is now available in the U.S. through Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading cancer diagnostics company. The test is designed to aid the detection of colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths.

12 Jan 2010

NetApp, Stanford Genome Technology Center build gastric cancer registry powered by NetApp storage technology

Gastric cancer is the number two cancer killer worldwide and one of the top cancer killers in the U.S., but gastric cancer research gets the least federal funding of any type of cancer research. According to a CBS News analysis of data released by the American Cancer Society, for every cancer-related death in the U.S., only $1,168 federal research dollars are spent on gastric cancer, versus $18,870 for cancer of the cervix and $14,095 for breast cancer.

12 Jan 2010

PhotoMedex, Galderma Laboratories enter into co-promotion agreement for photodynamic therapy application

PhotoMedex and Galderma Laboratories, L.P. have entered into a co-promotion agreement for Galderma’s photodynamic therapy application for the treatment of actinic keratoses (“AK”).

11 Jan 2010

Sangamo BioSciences initiates two new clinical trials of ZFP Therapeutics

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced the initiation of two new clinical trials of ZFP Therapeutics, a Phase 2b study in diabetic neuropathy (DN) and a Phase 1 trial in glioblastoma, as well as the renewal of $3.0 million in funding for the Phase 2b trial by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF).

11 Jan 2010

NIH renews grant to continue cell growth regulation research

The new year began on a high note for Alan Leonard and Julia Grimwade, professors of biological sciences at Florida Institute of Technology, when they learned their National Institutes of Health grant, which they have held for the last 11 years, had been renewed for four more years. The competitive renewal brings them $1,024, 944 to continue their research into the regulation of cell growth and division.

11 Jan 2010

Inovio Biomedical expands existing license agreement with the University of Pennsylvania

Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today that it has expanded its existing license agreement with the University of Pennsylvania, adding exclusive worldwide licenses for technology and intellectual property for novel DNA vaccines against pandemic influenza, Chikungunya, and foot-and-mouth disease.

11 Jan 2010

WuXi AppTec enters into partnership with QIAGEN

WuXi AppTec Inc. today announced that it has entered into a partnership with QIAGEN to provide an integrated single solution for molecular biomarker development, validation and personalized healthcare targets to their respective client bases.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 11 Jan 2010

Variations in SNPs involved in modulating electrical impulse that govern working of heart discovered

Scientists at deCODE genetics today report the discovery of seven novel and common single-letter variations in the sequence of the human genome (SNPs) that are involved in modulating the electrical impulses that govern the working of the heart.

11 Jan 2010

Researchers identify treatment to reduce health problems associated with enzyme defect

An experimental compound repaired a defective alcohol metabolism enzyme that affects an estimated 1 billion people worldwide, according to research supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

10 Jan 2010

New breakthroughs in AS genome-wide association study

Work done in part by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has led to the discovery of two new genes that are implicated in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), an inflammatory and potentially disabling disease. In addition, the international research team pinpointed two areas along stretches of DNA that play an important role in regulating gene activity associated with the arthritic condition.

10 Jan 2010

Gene therapy may help correct molecular flaws that cause brain disease

Neuroscientists have forged an unlikely molecular union as part of their fight against diseases of the brain and nervous system.

9 Jan 2010

Impulse Accelerated Technologies' FPGA compiler used to deploy DNA biotechnology genome search algorithm

Impulse Accelerated Technologies today announced that its CoDeveloper C-to-FPGA compiler has been used to develop and deploy a DNA biotechnology genome search algorithm on a new, modular FPGA acceleration platform created by Pico Computing, of Seattle, Washington. The Xilinx FPGA-accelerated bioinformatics algorithm, written in C, performs sequence analysis and pair-match scoring of DNA runs with lengths of 25 base pairs.

9 Jan 2010

Plexxikon commences dosing in PLX4032 Phase 3 trial for metastatic melanoma

Plexxikon Inc. announces that enrollment has been initiated and the first patient has been dosed in a pivotal Phase 3 trial of PLX4032 (RG7204) in patients with metastatic melanoma. PLX4032 is a novel, oral and highly targeted drug that is designed to inhibit the BRAF cancer-causing mutation that occurs in about 50 percent of melanomas and about eight percent of all solid tumors. The randomized, controlled, Phase 3 “BRAF Inhibitor in Melanoma” (BRIM3) trial in previously untreated patients is part of the planned registration program for PLX4032.

9 Jan 2010