Cytosine News and Research

RSS

Report finds development of multiple myeloma is tied to 'hypomethylation'

DNA methylation - a modification of DNA linked to gene regulation - is altered with increasing severity in a blood cancer called multiple myeloma, according to a study by Mayo Clinic and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

1 Oct 2010

Researchers unveil mechanism of candida infections

More than half of all people are hosts to Candida albicans in their bodies. This species might be located on their skin or mucous membranes or in the intestines frequently without causing any symptoms. However, it can be dangerous to patients whose immunological system has been weakened such as after organ transplants or chemotherapy with cancer. Then, this fungus penetrates into deeper layers of tissue and uses the blood system to spread throughout the body. In Germany alone, several thousand people die from systemic candida infections every year.

29 Sep 2010

Diagenode releases two monoclonal antibodies to enrich 5-hmC epigenetics research

Diagenode announced today that it has released two additional 5-hmC antibodies to complement its original 5-hmC (rat) monoclonal antibody. The two new 5-hmC monoclonal antibody (mouse) and polyclonal antibody (rabbit) antibodies give researchers additional choices for enriching and analyzing 5-hmC in their methylation studies.

23 Sep 2010

Xcelligence System provides real-time detection of neuronal cell death

Time course analyses of neuronal cell death and its underlying mechanisms require laborious experiments and multiple endpoint assays, often involving labelling with irritating compounds and cell disruption. A recent study used the xCELLigence System of Roche to investigate the response of the neuronal-like cell line HT-22 and cultured primary rat cortical neurons to different cell death stimuli and neuroprotectants.

18 Aug 2010

New DNA sequencing method can lead to effective individualized medicine

In experiments with potentially broad health care implications, a research team led by a University of Washington physicist has devised a method that works at a very small scale to sequence DNA quickly and relatively inexpensively.That could open the door for more effective individualized medicine, for example providing blueprints of genetic predispositions for specific conditions and diseases such as cancer, diabetes or addiction.

17 Aug 2010

Researchers develop new method for producing image of individual DNA molecules' genetic make-up

A completely new method for producing an image of individual DNA molecules' genetic make-up has been developed by researchers in Sweden and Denmark. The results are published in the latest issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS).

19 Jul 2010

Epigentek develops new approach for identification of "sixth DNA base" 5-hmC

Research experts in the epigenetic field from Epigentek have developed a new, breakthrough approach for the identification of the "sixth DNA base," 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC). This technology is based on a high throughput, strip-well format and is also incorporated into the first commercially available product, the MethylFlash(TM) Hydroxymethylated DNA Quantification Kit, for rapidly quantifying hydroxymethylated DNA.

30 Jun 2010

An innovative genetic prediction algorithm

A University of Toledo doctoral candidate in biomedical sciences recently combined the inspiration he received from his grandfather, values learned from his mother, insights gleaned from his mentors and processing power tapped from a supercomputer to unlock a few of the many secrets of the human genome.

29 Jun 2010

Combination therapy appears to improve outcome of women with late-stage ovarian cancer

The combination of decitabine and carboplatin appears to improve the outcome of women who have late-stage ovarian cancer. In an upcoming issue of the journal Cancer (online today), Indiana University researchers report four of 10 patients who participated in a phase I clinical trial had no disease progression after six months of treatment. One patient experienced complete resolution of tumor tissue for a period of time.

10 Jun 2010

FDA approves City of Hope's neural stem cell-based therapy study for recurrent high-grade gliomas

City of Hope researchers received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct the first-in-human study of a neural stem cell-based therapy targeting recurrent high-grade gliomas, the most aggressive type of brain tumor. Karen S. Aboody, M.D., associate professor in City of Hope's Department of Neurosciences, leads the research team that developed this treatment strategy. Jana Portnow, M.D., assistant professor and assistant director of the Brain Tumor Program at City of Hope, is the principal investigator for the clinical trial.

9 Jun 2010

Iowa State University researcher works on faster method to detect salmonella from contaminated foods

Using technology available through a local company, an Iowa State University researcher is working on a faster method to detect and genetically identify salmonella from contaminated foods.

5 May 2010

Carbon nanotube: A viable alternative for rapid DNA sequencing

Faster sequencing of DNA holds enormous potential for biology and medicine, particularly for personalized diagnosis and customized treatment based on each individual's genomic makeup.

4 Jan 2010

New treatment options for leukemia and myeloproliferative disorders introduced

Leukemia and myeloproliferative disorders are serious and often deadly blood cancers. Research presented today at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology introduces potential new treatment options and improved diagnostic methods for patients suffering from acute promyelocytic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and myelofibrosis that are based on a better understanding of the underlying genetic causes of these conditions.

6 Dec 2009

Researchers find compound that reverses type 1 myotonic dystrophy

A compound already used to treat pneumonia could become a new therapy for an inherited muscular wasting disease, according to researchers at the University of Oregon and the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York.

7 Nov 2009

UCSF scientists receive grants to advance stem cell based strategies for diabetes and brain tumors

Two teams of UCSF scientists have received grants from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to advance their stem cell based strategies for treating diabetes and brain tumors.

30 Oct 2009

pDCs promote growth and survival of malignant myeloma cells

Multiple myeloma cancer cells thwart many of the drugs used against them by causing nearby cells to turn traitor - to switch from defending the body against disease to shielding the myeloma cells from harm - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists report in the October issue of Cancer Cell.

6 Oct 2009

Researchers to focus on abnormal fetal growth and chronic kidney disease

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University two grants totaling $3.5 million to study epigenetic changes - chemical modifications of genes caused by stress, diet or other environmental influences - and how they contribute to human diseases and biological processes.

18 Sep 2009

Small molecule blocks aberrant pathway associated with myotonic dystrophy

Researchers at the University of Illinois have designed a small molecule that blocks an aberrant pathway associated with myotonic dystrophy type 1, the most common form of muscular dystrophy.

8 Sep 2009

Backtracking and proofreading in DNA transcription

Accuracy is essential for life, so in converting the information stored in DNA into a form in which it can be used, a high level of precision is required. Dr Tanniemola Liverpool from the University of Bristol Department of Mathematics, working with colleagues from the University of Leeds, has developed a mathematical model for how the required accuracy is achieved.

23 Jun 2009

DNA template could explain evolutionary shifts

Rearrangements of all sizes in genomes, genes and exons can result from a glitch in DNA copying that occurs when the process stalls at a critical point and then shifts to a different genetic template, duplicating and even triplicating genes or just shuffling or deleting part of the code within them, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in a recent report in the journal Nature Genetics.

22 Jun 2009