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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).

Research: Chronic cocaine use may reduce body's ability to store fat

Chronic cocaine use may reduce the body's ability to store fat, new research from the University of Cambridge suggests. The scientists found that cocaine use may cause profound metabolic changes which can result in dramatic weight gain during recovery, a distressing phenomenon that can lead to relapse.

12 Aug 2013

Study of childhood epilepsies links two new genes to severe forms of disease

A genetic study of childhood epilepsies has linked two new genes to severe forms of disease and provides a novel strategy for identifying therapy targets. This study used a cutting-edge genetic technique, called exome sequencing, to search for new mutations that are not inherited.

12 Aug 2013

Study reveals genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's may play a role in death of brain cells

Researchers have discovered how genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's disease might play a key role in the death of brain cells, potentially paving the way for the development of more effective drug treatments.

12 Aug 2013

Scientists use nanoparticles to regulate DNA interactions in self-assembly, drug-delivery

A team of chemists in SU's Cf ollege oArts and Scientists has used a temperature-sensitive polymer to regulate DNA interactions in both a DNA-mediated assembly system and a DNA-encoded drug-delivery system.

12 Aug 2013

Four genetic variants in non-small cell lung cancer patients help predict survival, treatment response

Researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Center have identified four inherited genetic variants in non-small cell lung cancer patients that can help predict survival and treatment response. Their findings could help lead to more personalized treatment options and improved outcomes for patients.

9 Aug 2013

Research suggests blocking DNA repair complex helps fight therapy-resistant leukemia

New research posted online by the Nature journal Leukemia suggests blocking part of a DNA repair complex that helps some types of leukemia resist treatment can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and enhance survival.

9 Aug 2013

Children born by Caesarean section more vulnerable to allergies

Children who came into the world by Caesarean section are more often affected by allergies than those born in the natural way. The reason for this may be that they have a less diverse gut microbiota, according to a study by universities in Sweden and Scotland.

9 Aug 2013

GE, UW scientists to develop new medical device for detecting infectious disease

You've heard of on-demand TV, now imagine on-demand medical diagnosis - anytime, anywhere in the world. Scientists at GE Global Research, the technology development arm of the General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE), are working with a team based at the University of Washington to develop a new medical device, the size of a pack of playing cards, that can detect infectious disease by way of a simple nasal swab, in less than an hour.

9 Aug 2013

New reagent kits for intracellular staining from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences

PerFix-Expose1 and PerFix-nc1, innovative new reagent kits for intracellular staining from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, minimize sample manipulation for a streamlined workflow that delivers high quality results. Developed for use on Beckman Coulter’s Gallios1 and Navios2 series flow cytometers and compatible with all Beckman Coulter Life Sciences’ fluorochromes, the kits enable a clear focus on the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments of the cell.

8 Aug 2013

High mobility group (HMG) genes and cancer: an interview with Dr. Linda Resar, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

High mobility group A genes are highly expressed in all aggressive cancers studied to date. These genes encode the high mobility group A (HMGA) proteins. In other words, these genes provide the genetic “code” necessary to produce HMGA proteins.

8 Aug 2013

DASA Group to offer Natera's non-invasive prenatal test for detection of genetic syndromes

DASA Group and Natera today announced that DASA Group will begin offering Natera's non-invasive prenatal test Panorama for the detection of genetic syndromes common in the population, such as trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome ), trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) and monosomy X (Turner syndrome).

From Natera 8 Aug 2013

Penn State researchers find that protein changes can control gene functions

A Penn State-led research team has found that changes to proteins called histones, which are associated with DNA, can control whether or not a gene is allowed to function. The changes may be important in maintaining the genes' "expression potential" so that future cells behave as their parent cells did.

8 Aug 2013

Researchers unveil comprehensive portrait of the genome of world's first immortal cell line

A team from the University of Washington has unveiled a comprehensive portrait of the genome of the world's first immortal cell line, known as HeLa. The cell line was derived in 1951 from an aggressive cervical cancer that killed Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old African-American tobacco farmer and mother of five - the subject of the 2010 New York Times bestseller, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

8 Aug 2013

Cognitive decline with age is natural part of life, OSU researchers find

If you forget where you put your car keys and you can't seem to remember things as well as you used to, the problem may well be with the GluN2B subunits in your NMDA receptors.

8 Aug 2013

Eteplirsen offers great hope to patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Results from a clinical trial of eteplirsen, a drug designed to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, suggest that the therapy allows participants to walk farther than people treated with placebo and dramatically increases production of a protein vital to muscle growth and health.

8 Aug 2013

High-tech laser technique offers control of gene therapy and genetic engineering method

The applications of gene therapy and genetic engineering are broad: everything from pet fish that glow red to increased crop yields worldwide to cures for many of the diseases that plague humankind.

8 Aug 2013

DNA mutation 'signature' identified in urinary tract cancers linked to birthwort herb

Genomic sequencing experts at Johns Hopkins partnered with pharmacologists at Stony Brook University to reveal a striking mutational signature of upper urinary tract cancers caused by aristolochic acid, a plant compound contained in herbal remedies used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments such as arthritis, gout and inflammation.

8 Aug 2013

Cancer-linked mitosis: an interview with Professor Scott Kern, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Mitosis is the process by which a cell gives rise to two daughter cells. It’s the basis behind the growth of the human body, the renewal of the human body as it ages, and unfortunately, the growth of cancers.

7 Aug 2013

Findings may allow lower doses of chemotherapy, limit toxic side effects

In research recently published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Alessandro Vindigni, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University, discovered how cancer cells respond to the damage caused by an important class of anti-cancer drugs, topoisomerase I inhibitors.

7 Aug 2013

Genetic variations in genes could put patients at risk for statin-associated muscle injury: Study

Statins, a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol, are among the best selling drugs in North America and around the world. However, statin myopathy, which results in muscle pain and weakness, is a common side effect affecting up to 10 percent of statin users. A recent study led by Dr. Richard Kim of the Lawson Health Research Institute, in collaboration with Dr. Robert Hegele of Robarts Research Institute, and researchers from Vanderbilt University, found that commonly occurring genetic variations in a person's genes could put them at risk for statin-associated muscle injury.

7 Aug 2013

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Research: Chronic cocaine use may reduce body's ability to store fat

Study of childhood epilepsies links two new genes to severe forms of disease

Study reveals genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's may play a role in death of brain cells

Scientists use nanoparticles to regulate DNA interactions in self-assembly, drug-delivery

Four genetic variants in non-small cell lung cancer patients help predict survival, treatment response

Research suggests blocking DNA repair complex helps fight therapy-resistant leukemia

Children born by Caesarean section more vulnerable to allergies

GE, UW scientists to develop new medical device for detecting infectious disease

New reagent kits for intracellular staining from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences

High mobility group (HMG) genes and cancer: an interview with Dr. Linda Resar, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

DASA Group to offer Natera's non-invasive prenatal test for detection of genetic syndromes

Penn State researchers find that protein changes can control gene functions

Researchers unveil comprehensive portrait of the genome of world's first immortal cell line

Cognitive decline with age is natural part of life, OSU researchers find

Eteplirsen offers great hope to patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

High-tech laser technique offers control of gene therapy and genetic engineering method

DNA mutation 'signature' identified in urinary tract cancers linked to birthwort herb

Cancer-linked mitosis: an interview with Professor Scott Kern, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Findings may allow lower doses of chemotherapy, limit toxic side effects

Genetic variations in genes could put patients at risk for statin-associated muscle injury: Study

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