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Study confirms healthy lifestyle has the biggest impact on cardiovascular health

Two large studies from Northwestern Medicine confirm a healthy lifestyle has the biggest impact on cardiovascular health. One study shows the majority of people who adopted healthy lifestyle behaviors in young adulthood maintained a low cardiovascular risk profile in middle age.

16 Nov 2010

New mathematical method predicts dominant strain of influenza virus

Rice University scientists have found a way to predict rapidly whether a new strain of the influenza virus should be included in the annual seasonal flu vaccine. While it sometimes takes new flu strains up to three years to become dominant worldwide, the new method can predict whether they will become dominant as little as two weeks after the sequence first appears in the GenBank database, the National Institutes of Health's collection of all publicly available DNA sequences.

16 Nov 2010

Epizyme announces publication of EZH2 enzyme for lymphoma in PNAS

Epizyme, Inc., a company leading the discovery and development of first-in-class, targeted cancer therapeutics against epigenetic targets, today announced the publication of breakthrough new research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). The discovery, centered on the epigenetic enzyme EZH2, illuminates a clear path for the translation of basic science into targeted therapies for the safe and effective treatment of specific forms of human lymphomas.

16 Nov 2010

Researchers identify pattern of brain activity that may develop ASD

An autism study by Yale School of Medicine researchers using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has identified a pattern of brain activity that may characterize the genetic vulnerability to developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Published today in the early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study could eventually lead to earlier and more accurate autism diagnosis.

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

Children's Hospital pediatric immunologist collaborates with European gene therapy researchers to study WAS syndrome

A pediatric immunologist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia collaborated with European gene therapy researchers who achieved marked clinical improvements in two young children with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, a very rare but often severe immunodeficiency disorder.

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

Fisetin slows onset of motor problems, delays death in three models of Huntington's disease: Study

Fisetin, a naturally occurring compound found in strawberries and other fruits and vegetables, slows the onset of motor problems and delays death in three models of Huntington's disease, according to researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The study, published in the online edition of Human Molecular Genetics, sets the stage for further investigations into fisetin's neuroprotective properties in Huntington's and other neurodegenerative conditions.

16 Nov 2010

Review: Mercury likely plays role in development of AD

Mercury likely plays a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a review of relevant scientific literature published this month in The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Dr. Joachim Mutter of Germany, Dr. Richard Deth of the United States, and other esteemed researchers collaborated on the groundbreaking article Does Inorganic Mercury Play a Role in Alzheimer's Disease? A Systematic Review and an Integrated Molecular Mechanism, which clarifies the need for continuing research to understand the cause of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's.

16 Nov 2010

Scientists discover new genetic variants linked to bowel cancer

Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have discovered four new genetic variants linked to bowel cancer by combining data from three major genome studies, reveals a study published in Nature Genetics.

16 Nov 2010

NPR reports on dengue vaccine progress

NPR's Shots blog examines progress in the search for a vaccine to protect against the dengue virus. WHO estimates that 2.5 billion people worldwide are at risk of getting dengue, and most of them are in Asia and Latin America, the blog writes.

16 Nov 2010

New investigational drug is well tolerated in children with nmCF

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the publication of data from a Phase 2a clinical trial of ataluren in children with nonsense mutation cystic fibrosis (nmCF) in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

15 Nov 2010

PGxHealth presents results from studies using FAMILION genetic testing at 2010 AHA

Clinical Data, Inc., today announced that results of studies using its FAMILION® genetic testing were presented at the 2010 American Heart Association (AHA) meeting. PGxHealth, a division of Clinical Data, together with its collaborators, presented results from the largest, most comprehensive studies of genetic variation associated with certain cardiac conditions that were revealed using FAMILION testing.

15 Nov 2010

Occurrence of atrial fibrillation in first-degree relatives increases AF risk factors

An examination of the heritability of atrial fibrillation (AF) among more than 4,000 participants in the Framingham Heart Study finds the occurrence of AF in first-degree relatives was associated with AF risk after adjustment for established AF risk factors and AF-related genetic variants, according to a study that will appear in the November 24 issue of JAMA.

15 Nov 2010

Science and precedent do not support biosimilar approach for plasma protein therapies

The current science and experience does not support the safety and efficaciousness of a biosimilar pathway for plasma protein therapies. At a public hearing last week, the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA) urged the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make patient safety its top priority by adopting a global approach in its evaluation of plasma protein therapies for the biosimilars process.

15 Nov 2010

Talecris announces publication of A1PI studies for AAT deficiency in Respiratory Research journal

Talecris Biotherapeutics announced today the publication of combined data from two studies demonstrating that augmentation therapy with Alpha(1)-Proteinase Inhibitor (Human) (A1PI) significantly reduces lung tissue loss in patients with emphysema related to Alpha(1)-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency.

15 Nov 2010

Spontaneous mutations can cause mental retardation

Dutch geneticists affiliated with the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre present as a novel research paradigm that spontaneous mutations are an important cause of mental retardation.

15 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

Researchers find link between genetic defect and sticky mucus in cystic fibrosis

An imbalance of salt and water in patients with cystic fibrosis makes their lungs clog up with sticky mucus that is prone to infection. The cause of the offending imbalance is a well-known genetic error, one that blocks the molecular expressway for tiny chloride ions to move across the surface of the lungs.

15 Nov 2010

Research on E.Coli bacteria could help develop new vaccine for urinary tract infection

Urinary tract infections are a painful, recurring problem for millions of women. They are also getting more dangerous as bacteria develop resistance to the most common treatments.

15 Nov 2010

Genetic News and Research

Study confirms healthy lifestyle has the biggest impact on cardiovascular health

New mathematical method predicts dominant strain of influenza virus

Epizyme announces publication of EZH2 enzyme for lymphoma in PNAS

Researchers identify pattern of brain activity that may develop ASD

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

Children's Hospital pediatric immunologist collaborates with European gene therapy researchers to study WAS syndrome

OtoSCOPE method offers single-run genetic testing for hearing loss

Fisetin slows onset of motor problems, delays death in three models of Huntington's disease: Study

Review: Mercury likely plays role in development of AD

Scientists discover new genetic variants linked to bowel cancer

NPR reports on dengue vaccine progress

New investigational drug is well tolerated in children with nmCF

PGxHealth presents results from studies using FAMILION genetic testing at 2010 AHA

Occurrence of atrial fibrillation in first-degree relatives increases AF risk factors

Science and precedent do not support biosimilar approach for plasma protein therapies

Talecris announces publication of A1PI studies for AAT deficiency in Respiratory Research journal

Spontaneous mutations can cause mental retardation

Scientists uncover DNA sequence variations associated with cardiac electrical activity

Researchers find link between genetic defect and sticky mucus in cystic fibrosis

Research on E.Coli bacteria could help develop new vaccine for urinary tract infection

Sequencing & Genomics: Elevating Science and Healthcare eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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