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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).

Genetic variations in Sonic Hedgehog pathway associated with response to standard immunotherapy

Genetic variations in the Sonic Hedgehog pathway increase the likelihood of recurrence, reduce survival time and limit response to therapy for people with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, scientists from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reported today at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference.

10 Dec 2009

Robarts researcher identifies protein which regulates cell suicide

When cells experience DNA damage, they'll try to repair it. But if that fails, the damaged cells are supposed to self-destruct, a process called apoptosis. A cancer researcher at Robarts Research Institute at The University of Western Ontario has identified a protein that regulates apoptosis, a new discovery which has implications for both the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Caroline Schild-Poulter's findings are now published online in the journal Molecular Cancer Research.

10 Dec 2009

Scientists identify potential drug development target for epilepsy seizures

A team of scientists from The University of Alabama used worms to reel in information that they hope will lead to a greater understanding of cellular mechanisms that may be exploited to treat epilepsy.

10 Dec 2009

MLL team finds 454 Sequencing technology promising for leukemia genetic characterization

This week at the 51st American Society for Hematology Annual Meeting, a team of researchers from the MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory presented results from a series of groundbreaking studies which explore alternative, high-throughput 454 Sequencing methods for distinguishing and characterizing the many forms of leukemia and myeloproliferative disorders.

9 Dec 2009

Preliminary data from Phase 2 clinical trial of ZFP Therapeutic program presented

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced today the presentation of preliminary data from the Phase 2 clinical trial of its ZFP Therapeutic(TM) program to develop SB-509 as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at a Work in Progress session at the 20th International Symposium on ALS/MND held in Berlin, Germany.

9 Dec 2009

Smokers taking the Respiragene test try to quit smoking, reveals study

Smokers who see their own personal risk of developing lung cancer after genetic-based testing show stronger intention and take more action on quitting smoking, according to clinical trial results presented to an American Association of Cancer Research conference.

9 Dec 2009

Statewide blood screening program identifies infants with T-cell lymphopenia

The testing of DNA from a statewide blood screening program for newborns in Wisconsin was able to identify infants with T-cell lymphopenia, a blood disorder that affects the child's immune system, a disease in which early identification is important, according to a study in the December 9 issue of JAMA.

9 Dec 2009

Pharming Group NV's pre-BLA meeting with the FDA for Rhucin

Biotech company Pharming Group NV today confirmed its interactions in a pre-BLA meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a proposed marketing application (BLA or Biologics License Application) to obtain marketing approval for Rhucin for the treatment of acute attacks of HAE (Hereditary Angioedema).

9 Dec 2009

TMZ and small molecule combination appears to lower tumor resistance

University of Florida researchers have found a way to use just a fraction of the normal dosage of a highly toxic, debilitating chemotherapy drug to achieve even better results against colon cancer cells.

9 Dec 2009

Transgenomic's SURVEYOR Scan K-RAS mutation detection kit launched

Transgenomic, Inc. announced today the launch of its SURVEYOR Scan K-RAS kit, the first in a family of mutation detection kits the company plans to offer featuring its proprietary SURVEYOR Nuclease and WAVE® HS DHPLC platform. SURVEYOR Scan technology is a novel approach to mutation detection that uses a PCR amplification reaction and hybridization to form heteroduplex DNA molecules in samples with K-RAS mutation.

9 Dec 2009

New room temperature-based liquid formulation for storage of tissues and cells

Biomatrica, the leader in room temperature biological sample stabilization, today announced the release of DNAgard(TM), the first room temperature-based liquid formulation for stabilization and storage of tissues and cells. The new DNAgard product adds to Biomatrica's portfolio of solutions for room-temperature storage, archiving, stabilization and transportation of biological samples.

8 Dec 2009

West Nile Virus can become more widespread in Europe than previously thought, says new report

Potentially fatal mosquito-borne West Nile fever (WNF) can become much more widespread in Europe than previously thought, say scientists in a new report just out in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology(1).

8 Dec 2009

Enrollment of patients for Phase I/IIa clinical study of Interleukin-7 commenced

Cytheris SA, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on research and development of new therapies for immune modulation, today announced that it has begun enrolling patients in its Phase I/IIa clinical program evaluating the company’s investigative immune-modulator, recombinant human Interleukin-7 (CYT107), in combination with standard antiviral treatment and vaccination in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B-infected (HBV) patients.

8 Dec 2009

Positive data from Onconova Therapeutics' ON 01910.Na trial for advanced MDS

Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. today announced promising results from two clinical trials in patients with advanced Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) treated with ON 01910.Na. These trials are being conducted at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in Bethesda, MD, and St. Vincent’s Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York.

8 Dec 2009

New genetic approach may hold promise for sickle cell disease

A new genetic approach to treating sickle cell disease is showing promising results in mice, report researchers from Children's Hospital Boston. By inactivating a gene they previously discovered to be important in the laboratory, they were able to boost production of a healthy fetal form of hemoglobin in the mice, potentially compensating for the defective adult hemoglobin that causes red blood cells to "sickle" and obstruct blood flow.

8 Dec 2009

Study: Genetic variations in miRNA pathway may be used to predict secondary tumor in head and neck cancer patients

Eighteen single-point genetic variations indicate risk of recurrence for early-stage head and neck cancer patients and their likelihood of developing a second type of cancer, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reported at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference.

8 Dec 2009

CAM314 randomized Phase 3 clinical trial results released

Genzyme Corporation announced data from its CAM314 randomized Phase 3 clinical trial comparing Campath (alemtuzumab) in combination with Fludara (fludarabine phosphate) (FluCAM) to Fludara alone in patients with relapsed and refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) demonstrated that the FluCAM regimen significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death compared to single-agent Fludara.

8 Dec 2009

BD Diagnostics receives FDA clearance on Amplified DNA Assays

BD Diagnostics, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), announced today it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to utilize its BD ProbeTec(TM) Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) Qx and BD ProbeTec(TM) Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) Qx Amplified DNA Assays with samples collected during women's routine liquid-based Pap testing for cervical cancer screening.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 8 Dec 2009

Study suggests sustained health risks linked to adverse childhood experiences

Research from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London has found that negative experiences in childhood may alter not only mental health but also physical health, into middle age and beyond.

8 Dec 2009

Cytometry system to precisely control cell movement using sound waves

Applied Biosystems, part of Life Technologies Corporation today announced its entry into the flow cytometry instrumentation market with the debut of the Attune™ Acoustic Focusing Cytometer, a first of its kind cytometry system designed to use sound waves to precisely control the movement of cells.

7 Dec 2009