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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).

Henry Ford study identifies 23 microRNAs for laryngeal cancer

A Henry Ford Hospital study has identified 23 microRNAs for laryngeal cancer, a discovery that could yield new insight into what causes certain cells to grow and become cancerous tumors in the voice box.

14 Sep 2011

BGI, Merck collaborate to focus on biomarkers and genomic technologies

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and BGI, the world's largest genomics center, announced today that they have established a collaboration to focus on the discovery and development of biomarkers and genomic technologies.

13 Sep 2011

LabCorp extends previously announced cash tender offer for Orchid Cellmark shares

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings today announced that LabCorp is extending until 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 7, 2011 LabCorp's previously announced cash tender offer for all outstanding shares of the common stock of Orchid Cellmark Inc..

12 Sep 2011

Scientists successfully disrupt function of MYC cancer gene

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists have successfully disrupted the function of a cancer gene involved in the formation of most human tumors by tampering with the gene's "on" switch and growth signals, rather than targeting the gene itself.

12 Sep 2011

Preliminary research shows how Fusarium microbes travel through the air

Preliminary research on Fusarium, a group of fungi that includes devastating pathogens of plants and animals, shows how these microbes travel through the air. Researchers now believe that with improvements on this preliminary research, there will be a better understanding about crop security, disease spread, and climate change.

12 Sep 2011

Common genetic variant may predispose people to acute dissections

Richard Holbrooke, John Ritter, Lucille Ball, Jonathan Larson and Great Britain's King George II were all taken by the same silent killer: an acute aortic dissection. Now, scientists led by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Baylor College of Medicine have found an association with a common genetic variant in the population that predisposes people to acute dissections and can approximately double a person's chances of having the disease.

12 Sep 2011

Scientists identify 28 blood pressure-associated genetic variants

A new report from scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and their colleagues in centers around the world finds that common variants in 28 regions of DNA are associated with blood pressure in human patients.

12 Sep 2011

Researchers identify 29 DNA sequence variations linked with blood pressure

A study involving more than 200,000 people worldwide has identified 29 DNA sequence variations in locations across the human genome that influence blood pressure.

12 Sep 2011

Researchers discover 16 new gene regions that influence blood pressure

Findings, published today in Nature and Nature Genetics by the International Consortium for Blood Pressure Genome-Wide Association Studies represent a major advance in our understanding of the inherited influences on blood pressure and offer new potential therapeutic targets for prevention of heart disease and stroke - the biggest cause of death worldwide.

12 Sep 2011

Chemical biology researchers to meet at Scientific Oktoberfest in München

The "Scientific Oktoberfest" will be this year's meeting point for some of the internationally most distinguished researchers in the field of Chemical Biology. The so-called "CIPSM Fest of Chemical Biology" will be held from the 15th to the 16th of September in the Department of Chemistry of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München.

9 Sep 2011

Study on insect species associated with Tibetan medicinal fungus, O. sinensis

A team of researchers from the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Xiao-Liang Wang and Yi-Jian Yao), summarized all the available information on the insect species associated with the Tibetan medicinal fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis through an extensive literature survey and analyzed their relationships with the fungus. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.

9 Sep 2011

Fewer doses of Cervarix vaccine may be as efficacious as standard three-dose regimen

Fewer than three doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Cervarix may be just as effective as the standard three-dose regimen when it comes to preventive measures against cervical cancer, according to a new study published September 9 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

9 Sep 2011

Scientists discover new gene mutation responsible for late-onset Parkinson's

Less than two months after publishing findings about a new gene linked to late-onset Parkinson's disease, the same team of scientists at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute have discovered another gene responsible for the neurodegenerative disease - providing yet another target for potential treatments.

9 Sep 2011

Weight Watchers more effective alternative to primary care for obese adults

A new, one-year global study published today in The Lancet indicates that overweight and obese adults referred to Weight Watchers, a community based provider of weight-loss services, lost more than twice as much weight when compared with those who received standard care.

9 Sep 2011

LabCorp, UnitedHealthcare extend partnership

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings announced today that it has extended the term of its agreement with UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, an affiliate of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated for an additional two years. The agreement, which was effective January 1, 2007, will now continue through the end of 2018.

8 Sep 2011

Dysregulated neuronal RNA transport may cause Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome

SUNY Downstate scientist Ilham Muslimov, MD, PhD, along with senior author Henri Tiedge, PhD, professor of physiology and pharmacology and of neurology, published a study suggesting that cellular dysregulation associated with certain neurodegenerative disorders may result from molecular competition in neuronal RNA transport pathways.

8 Sep 2011

ATA announces five recipients of 2011 thyroid cancer research grants

The American Thyroid Association (ATA) announced the five recipients of its 2011 research grants, each of whom will receive up to $25,000 annually for up to two years. Three of the five recipients were awarded special ATA ThyCa grants for research projects that focus on thyroid cancer. These grants are funded by ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors, Inc.

8 Sep 2011

IFT member explains facts about antioxidants

IFT Member Claudia Fajardo-Lira, PhD, Professor of Food Science and Nutrition at California State University-Northridge, explains the facts about antioxidants.

8 Sep 2011

Biochemists reveal interaction between tumor suppressor protein and chaperone

Every cell has thousands of proteins whose activity and lifetime must be regulated to control the cellular life cycle from cell division to cell death. The heat shock protein Hsp90 plays a key role in this process. It is a so-called chaperone, a quality controller, as it were. It monitors and controls the quality and activity of many important signal proteins and helps them take on the right form. When the cell is exposed to high stress levels from heat or a lack of oxygen, Hsp90 is produced in larger quantities to shield its partner proteins from damage.

8 Sep 2011

New surprising discovery on division of mitochondria within cells

A surprising new discovery by the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of California, Davis regarding the division of tiny "power plants" within cells known as mitochondria has implications for better understanding a wide variety of human diseases and conditions due to mitochondrial defects.

8 Sep 2011