DNA News and Research

RSS

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).

Researchers investigate how gene regulation affects evolution and development

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has received EUR 900,000 for three years to investigate, jointly with the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), how gene regulation affects evolution and development.

3 Apr 2014

ABL enters into licensing agreement with CRP-Santé for COMET software

Advanced Biological Laboratories (ABL) S.A., a Luxembourg-based company today announced that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with CRP-Santé, a Luxembourg-based public research center active in the field of clinically oriented biomedical research, for its COMET (COntext-based Modeling for Expeditious Typing) software, a tool designed to rapidly analyze and optimally subtype large genetic data sets arising from epidemiological or antiretroviral resistance in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) fields.

2 Apr 2014

Synthon’s SYD985 ADC demonstrates anti-tumor activity, outperforms leading anti-HER2 ADC

Synthon Biopharmaceuticals today announced the results of a head-to-head comparative program of its antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) SYD985 with Roche's market leading anti-HER2 ADC, T-DM1 (Kadcyla).

2 Apr 2014

Study: Obesity causes changes in colon that may lead to colorectal cancer

Obesity, rather than diet, causes changes in the colon that may lead to colorectal cancer, according to a study in mice by the National Institutes of Health. The finding bolsters the recommendation that calorie control and frequent exercise are not only key to a healthy lifestyle, but a strategy to lower the risk for colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.

2 Apr 2014

Researchers identify possible mechanism for re-growing damaged nerve fibres in central nervous system

A new discovery suggests it could one day be possible to chemically reprogram and repair damaged nerves after spinal cord injury or brain trauma.

1 Apr 2014

New research shows obesity is linked to our ability to digest carbohydrates

New research indicates that obesity in the general population may be genetically linked to how our bodies digest carbohydrates.

1 Apr 2014

Trinean, Sony DADC sign manufacturing and supply agreement to develop microfluidic disposables

Trinean, the leading provider of microfluidic spectrophotometry platforms, today announced that it entered into a manufacturing and supply agreement with Sony DADC for the production of microfluidic disposables fit for storage and micro-cuvette analysis of droplet-sized biological samples.

1 Apr 2014

New research implicates that RNA processing is central to ALS disease process

In work supported by The ALS Association, researchers have discovered a new ALS-causing gene and have linked its function to that of another prominent disease gene. The study was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

1 Apr 2014

NCCN ORP awarded grant to study effectiveness of enzalutamide in solid tumors

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network Oncology Research Program has been awarded a $2.2-million grant from Astellas Pharma, Inc. and Medivation, Inc. to develop a program to scientifically evaluate and define the clinical effectiveness of enzalutamide in solid tumors, including bladder, breast, endometrial, hepatocellular, ovarian, and prostate cancers.

1 Apr 2014

Novel proteins may lead to new ways to combat venereal disease

Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered novel proteins in, or on the surface of the bacteria that causes gonorrhea, which offer a promising new avenue of attack against a venereal disease that is showing increased resistance to the antibiotics used to treat it.

1 Apr 2014

NxStage Medical receives American Red Cross Northeast Chapter's Workplace Hero Award

NxStage Medical Inc., a leading manufacturer of home dialysis products, today announced the Company has been awarded the 2014 Workplace Hero Award by the Northeast Chapter of the American Red Cross.

31 Mar 2014

Genetic markers could help predict heart attack in patients with heart disease

Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City have identified a biological process that may help physicians predict when someone with heart disease is likely to have a heart attack in the near future.

31 Mar 2014

Otsuka inks agreement with Eisai to acquire rights to hematological cancer treatment Dacogen

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has announced an agreement with Eisai Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd. to acquire rights to the hematological cancer treatment Dacogen and to an enzyme inhibitor, E7727.

31 Mar 2014

Clinigen Group announces acquisition of SAVENE oncology support therapy from SpePharm

Clinigen Group plc ('Clinigen' or the 'Group') the specialty global pharmaceutical company today announces the acquisition of SAVENE® (dexrazoxane) from SpePharm AG, a majority owned affiliate of Norgine B.V. The Financial terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed.

From Clinigen Group 31 Mar 2014

New gene-editing system holds potential for treating many genetic disorders

Using a new gene-editing system based on bacterial proteins, MIT researchers have cured mice of a rare liver disorder caused by a single genetic mutation.

31 Mar 2014

Carb breakdown gene linked to obesity, researchers find

Researchers at King's College London and Imperial College London have discovered that people with fewer copies of a gene coding for a carb-digesting enzyme may be at higher risk of obesity. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, suggest that dietary advice may need to be more tailored to an individual's digestive system, based on whether they have the genetic predisposition and necessary enzymes to digest different foods.

31 Mar 2014

Johns Hopkins neuroscientists identify cause of brain degeneration in Huntington's disease

Working with genetically engineered mice, Johns Hopkins neuroscientists report they have identified what they believe is the cause of the vast disintegration of a part of the brain called the corpus striatum in rodents and people with Huntington's disease: loss of the ability to make the amino acid cysteine.

29 Mar 2014

Genetic variations influence risk for developing choline deficiency symptoms

What is now considered to be the "right" amount of the essential nutrient, choline, might actually be "wrong," depending on who you are. That's because scientists have found that the "right" amount of choline needed by an individual is influenced by a wide range of factors, including gender, life stage, race and ethnicity of the individual.

29 Mar 2014

Certain inherited DNA sequences may affect prognosis of bladder cancer patients

While patients diagnosed with bladder cancer usually face a favorable prognosis, many experience recurrence after treatment. Because frequent, painful screenings are needed to identify recurrences, the ablility to identify patients at high risk of recurrent cancer could help to improve quality of life for all bladder cancer patients.

29 Mar 2014

Biogen Idec's ALPROLIX receives FDA approval for hemophilia B treatment

Today Biogen Idec announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved ALPROLIX [Coagulation Factor IX (Recombinant), Fc Fusion Protein], the first recombinant, DNA derived hemophilia B therapy with prolonged circulation in the body.

29 Mar 2014