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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).

BACH2 gene may play a central role in the development of allergic and autoimmune diseases

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health, and their colleagues, have discovered that a gene called BACH2 may play a central role in the development of diverse allergic and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, asthma, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and type-1 diabetes.

4 Jun 2013

New approach may reduce time to identify Salmonella strains, say researchers

A new approach may be able to reduce by more than half the time it takes health officials to identify Salmonella strains, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

4 Jun 2013

Research lays foundation for genetic test to identify hip dysplasia in newborns

Research from Thomas Jefferson University is laying the foundation for a genetic test to accurately identify hip dysplasia in newborns so that early intervention can be initiated to promote normal development.

4 Jun 2013

Lung cancer patients are likely to fare better if treated with targeted therapy than with chemotherapy

Thousands of patients with an advanced form of lung cancer that carries a specific dysfunctional gene are likely to fare better if treated with a targeted therapy than with traditional chemotherapy, report Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers and a team of international collaborators.

3 Jun 2013

Novel technique for manufacturing short, single-stranded DNA molecules

A new method of manufacturing short, single-stranded DNA molecules can solve many of the problems associated with current production methods. The new method, which is described in the scientific periodical Nature Methods, can be of value to both DNA nanotechnology and the development of drugs consisting of DNA fragments.

3 Jun 2013

Study finds HER2 irregularities in 14 different advanced solid tumors

The HER2 growth-factor gene is known to be over-active in breast and gastro-esophageal cancers. But now, irregularities in the genes's expression - among them mutations, amplifications, substitutions, and translocations - have been found in 14 different advanced solid tumors.

3 Jun 2013

Partners of HPV-related oral cancer patients have no increased prevalence of oral infections: Study

Spouses and long-term partners of patients with mouth and throat cancers related to infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV) appear to have no increased prevalence of oral HPV infections, according to results of a multicenter, pilot study led by Johns Hopkins investigators.

3 Jun 2013

Study shows utility of cfDNA blood tests for breast cancer patients

Researchers from Chronix Biomedical and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced that results from a pilot study demonstrating the utility of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) blood tests as a companion diagnostic for breast cancer patients are to be reported in a poster presentation titled "Modulation of breast cancer cell-free DNA with surgical resection" (Abstract #11060) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO 2013) being held from May 31 through June 4, 2013 in Chicago. The blood test detects cfDNA that is released into the blood stream by damaged and dying cancer cells.

1 Jun 2013

Nearly 2/3 of solid tumors carry at least one mutation that may be targeted by existing compound

Nearly two-thirds of solid tumors carry at least one mutation that may be targeted, or medicated, by an existing compound, according to new findings from researchers Fox Chase Cancer Center that will be presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology on June 3.

1 Jun 2013

International researchers find how brain cancer cells survive and drive tumor growth

An international team of researchers - led by principal investigator Paul S. Mischel, MD, a member of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine - has found that a singular gene mutation helps brain cancer cells to not just survive, but grow tumors rapidly by altering the splicing of genes that control cellular metabolism.

1 Jun 2013

Theoretical mathematical models offer insights into therapeutic, prevention strategies for HIV

The first few hours to days following exposure to human immunodeficiency virus can be of critical importance in determining if infection occurs in a patient. But the low numbers of viruses and infected cells at this stage makes it very difficult to study these events in humans or animal models.

1 Jun 2013

Viral load: A new technique that helps doctors diagnose chronic viral diseases

To test the severity of a viral infection, clinicians try to gauge how many viruses are packed into a certain volume of blood or other bodily fluid. This measurement, called viral load, helps doctors diagnose or monitor chronic viral diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

31 May 2013

Scientists identify new markers for obesity treatment

Would you be more likely to try a diet and exercise regimen if you knew in advance if it would actually help you lose weight? Thanks to a new report published in the June 2013 issue of The FASEB Journal, this could become a reality.

31 May 2013

Scientists move closer to understanding HIV-1 infection

Scientists have long been unable to fully explain how infections attack the body, but now a team of researchers, including one from the University of Central Florida, has taken a step closer to understanding how the process works in HIV-1. The results mean that one day that knowledge may prevent infection.

31 May 2013

Safer, more effective treatment option for ovarian cancer

A novel, targeted approach to chemotherapy that makes ovarian cancer cells more susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of an antitumor drug may offer a safer, more effective treatment option for this often deadly form of cancer.

31 May 2013

Ruthenium complexes could pave way for cancer treatments, say UT Arlington researchers

A team of UT Arlington researchers has identified two ruthenium-based complexes they believe could pave the way for treatments that control cancer cell growth more effectively and are less toxic for patients than current chemotherapies.

30 May 2013

Scientists find that 'junk DNA' could promote cancer progression

Scientists at The University of Nottingham have found that a genetic rogue element produced by sequences until recently considered 'junk DNA' could promote cancer progression.

30 May 2013

$2 million grant to provide instrumentation, core facilities devoted to synthetic biology

The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust has awarded a $2 million grant to the Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Under the leadership of Principal Investigator Dr. Huimin Zhao and co-Principal Investigator Dr. Christopher Rao, the grant will be disbursed over two years to provide instrumentation and core facilities for a new research theme devoted to the new scientific subdiscipline of synthetic biology.

29 May 2013

Medical researchers identify genetic marker associated with sporadic breast cancer

Medical researchers at the University of Alberta have pinpointed a genetic marker for sporadic breast cancer - one of a handful identified to date in Caucasians.

29 May 2013

Chromatrap® ChIP assay kit enriches epigenetic marks from primary human tissue cells

A new application note from Porvair Sciences details a protocol for its Chromatrap® ChIP assay kit that has been developed to enrich epigenetic marks from primary human tissue cells.

From Chromatrap® - Porvair Sciences Ltd 28 May 2013

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

BACH2 gene may play a central role in the development of allergic and autoimmune diseases

New approach may reduce time to identify Salmonella strains, say researchers

Research lays foundation for genetic test to identify hip dysplasia in newborns

Lung cancer patients are likely to fare better if treated with targeted therapy than with chemotherapy

Novel technique for manufacturing short, single-stranded DNA molecules

Study finds HER2 irregularities in 14 different advanced solid tumors

Partners of HPV-related oral cancer patients have no increased prevalence of oral infections: Study

Study shows utility of cfDNA blood tests for breast cancer patients

Nearly 2/3 of solid tumors carry at least one mutation that may be targeted by existing compound

International researchers find how brain cancer cells survive and drive tumor growth

Theoretical mathematical models offer insights into therapeutic, prevention strategies for HIV

Viral load: A new technique that helps doctors diagnose chronic viral diseases

Scientists identify new markers for obesity treatment

Scientists move closer to understanding HIV-1 infection

Safer, more effective treatment option for ovarian cancer

Ruthenium complexes could pave way for cancer treatments, say UT Arlington researchers

Scientists find that 'junk DNA' could promote cancer progression

$2 million grant to provide instrumentation, core facilities devoted to synthetic biology

Medical researchers identify genetic marker associated with sporadic breast cancer

Chromatrap® ChIP assay kit enriches epigenetic marks from primary human tissue cells

Understanding the DNA Damage Response in Innate Immunity eBook

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