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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).

Researchers identify new behavior for the human macrophage

Researchers at the Institute of Human Virology of the University of Maryland School of Medicine have identified a new behavior for the human macrophage that provides new explanations for several features of HIV biology, including how the virus persists within the body indefinitely, how quiescently infected CD4+ T-cells arise, and how the infection leads to depletion of CD4+ T-cells.

19 Jul 2012

Estrogen may mediate low incidence of HCC in women

Study findings suggest that estrogen may have a suppressive effect on hepatocellular carcinoma, potentially explaining its lower incidence in women.

18 Jul 2012

Wake Forest, UCSD develop new genetic test for prostate cancer

Karim Kader, MD, PhD, associate clinical professor at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, together with a team of researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, have developed a genetic test to predict a man's risk for prostate cancer. Use of the test could reduce the need for repeat biopsies in men who have had a negative biopsy.

18 Jul 2012

Illumina launches new kits for targeted resequencing studies

Illumina, Inc. today introduced Nextera Exome and Custom Enrichment kits, the Company's latest targeted resequencing solutions offering sample preparation and enrichment in a single, integrated workflow.

From Illumina, Inc. 17 Jul 2012

Researchers begin to uncover important clues about SCAD

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a tear of the layers of the artery wall that can block normal blood flow into and around the heart, is a relatively rare and poorly understood condition. It often strikes young, otherwise healthy people -- mostly women -- and can lead to significant heart damage, even sudden death.

17 Jul 2012

Activating NOTCH and AKT gene may trigger cholangiocarcinoma

A rare type of cancer thought to derive from cells in the bile ducts of the liver may actually develop when one type of liver cell morphs into a totally different type, a process scientists used to consider all but impossible. UCSF researchers triggered this kind of cellular transformation-and caused tumors to form in mice-by activating just two genes.

17 Jul 2012

BRAF L597 mutation in melanoma patients responds to MEK inhibitor drugs

An uncommon mutation of the BRAF gene in melanoma patients has been found to respond to MEK inhibitor drugs, providing a rationale for routine screening and therapy in melanoma patients who harbor the BRAF L597 mutation.

17 Jul 2012

Cadherin-catenin-actin structure exerts force inside and between cells in living tissues

If you place certain types of living cells on a microscope slide, the cells will inch across the glass, find their neighbors, and assemble themselves into a simple, if primitive tissue. A new study at Stanford University may help explain this phenomenon, and then some, about the mechanical structure and behavior of complex living organisms.

17 Jul 2012

UMMS scientists identify new genetic mutation that causes familial ALS

A new genetic mutation that causes familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurological disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, has been identified by a team of scientists led by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS).

16 Jul 2012

Researchers link newly discovered gene mutations to ALS

Researchers have linked newly discovered gene mutations to some cases of the progressive fatal neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Shedding light on how ALS destroys the cells and leads to paralysis, the researchers found that mutations in this gene affect the structure and growth of nerve cells.

16 Jul 2012

WUSM receives NHLBI grant to study heart disease in patients with diabetes

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a $4.7 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to investigate heart disease in patients with diabetes.

14 Jul 2012

Researchers define interaction between two essential proteins that control inflammation

Researchers at the IRCM, led by geneticist Dr. Jacques Drouin, recently defined the interaction between two essential proteins that control inflammation.

14 Jul 2012

Five rare mutations in single gene increase chances of boys developing ASD

Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have identified five rare mutations in a single gene that appear to increase the chances that a boy will develop an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

13 Jul 2012

New tool for pharmaceutical industry: VCD from BioTools

Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), a new tool for determining the absolute configuration of chiral molecules, was a key highlight of the recent 24th International Symposium on Chirality, held June 10-13 in Fort Worth, Texas. VCD pioneer, BioTools (Jupiter, FL) was on hand, not only sponsoring the exhibitor’s luncheon and the poster awards, but also proudly awarding the Best Poster Given by a Young Scientist for the thirteenth year.

12 Jul 2012

BGI, BioMed Central launch GigaScience journal

BGI, the world's largest genome sequencing institute, and their publishing partner BioMed Central, a leader in scientific data sharing, announce the launch of a new journal, GigaScience, which publishes large-scale biological research in a unique format.

12 Jul 2012

New drug combination could offer hope to children with neuroblastoma

A new drug combination could offer hope to children with neuroblastoma - one of the deadliest forms of childhood cancer - by boosting the effectiveness of a promising new gene-targeted treatment.

12 Jul 2012

New York Times examines how CIA's decision to use vaccination team affecting polio eradication efforts

The New York Times examines how the CIA's 2011 decision to use a vaccination team to collect DNA samples and information from residents of Osama bin Laden's compound damaged efforts to vaccinate children for polio in Pakistan.

12 Jul 2012

Dolutegravir-based regimen demonstrates superiority over Atripla in treatment-naive adults with HIV-1

Shionogi-ViiV Healthcare LLC today announced that initial results have been received from the Phase III SINGLE (ING114467) study of the investigational integrase inhibitor dolutegravir in treatment-naive adults with HIV-1.

12 Jul 2012

OncoSec establishes UCSF as second enrolling site for OMS-I110 Phase II Merkel cell carcinoma trial

OncoSec Medical Inc., a company developing the advanced-stage OncoSec Medical System (OMS) ElectroOncology therapies to treat solid tumors, announces it has established the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) as the second enrolling site for its Phase II Merkel cell carcinoma clinical trial (OMS-I110).

11 Jul 2012

Microbiologists reveal how T. brucei’s key proteins organize to replicate its mtDNA

A group of diseases that kill millions of people each year can't be touched by antibiotics, and some treatment is so harsh the patient can't survive it. They're caused by parasites, and for decades researchers have searched for a "magic bullet" to kill them without harming the patient. Now, a team of microbiologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has made an advance that could one day lead to a new weapon for fighting parasitic diseases such as African sleeping sickness, chagas disease and leishmaniasis.

11 Jul 2012