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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).

New microfluidic chip more effective in detecting flu outbreaks

The H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009 underscored weaknesses in methods widely used to diagnose the flu, from frequent false negatives to long wait times for results. Now Boston University researchers have developed a prototype of a rapid, low-cost, accurate, point-of-care device that promises to provide clinicians with an effective tool to quickly diagnose both seasonal and pandemic strains of influenza, and thus limit the spread of infection.

28 Mar 2012

IU biologist to genetically modify variants of chlamydia

An Indiana University biologist has been awarded over $2.3 million from the National Institutes of Health to genetically modify variants of the human pathogen chlamydia in hopes of finding a vaccine for the most commonly reported bacterial infectious disease in the United States.

27 Mar 2012

Defects in schizophrenia-risk genes and environmental stress lead to abnormal brain development

Working with genetically engineered mice and the genomes of thousands of people with schizophrenia, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they now better understand how both nature and nurture can affect one's risks for schizophrenia and abnormal brain development in general.

27 Mar 2012

Nanoscale sensor can conduct individual DNA sequencing

Researchers have devised a nanoscale sensor to electronically read the sequence of a single DNA molecule, a technique that is fast and inexpensive and could make DNA sequencing widely available.

27 Mar 2012

Study reveals how HSV-1 virus overcomes intrinsic host defenses

New biological research reveals how an invading virus hijacks a cell's workings by imitating a signaling marker to defeat the body's defenses. By manipulating cell signals, the virus destroys a defensive protein designed to inhibit it. This finding, from studies in human cell cultures, may represent a broader targeting strategy used by other viruses, and may lay the scientific groundwork for developing more effective treatments for infectious diseases.

27 Mar 2012

Lowering LDL at younger age can reduce risk of CHD

Coronary atherosclerosis - a hardening of the arteries due to a build-up of fat and cholesterol - can lead to heart attacks and other forms of coronary heart disease (CHD). Lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol, reduces the risk of CHD, and researchers found that lowering LDL beginning early in life resulted in a three-fold greater reduction in the risk of CHD than treatment with a statin started later in life, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session.

27 Mar 2012

Australians misinformed regarding fertility

According to a latest survey many Australians do not know what age their fertility starts to decline. Experts warn both men and women could be “dangerously optimistic” about their chances of conceiving - and IVF is too often viewed as a “silver bullet”.

26 Mar 2012

Ariosa completes clinical validation study for Harmony Prenatal Test

Ariosa Diagnostics (formerly Aria Diagnostics), a molecular diagnostics company, today announced the completion of its clinical validation study for the Harmony Prenatal Test.

26 Mar 2012

USPTO issues patent to Inovio's SynCon H1N1 influenza vaccine

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted U.S. Patent No. 8,133,723, covering Inovio's SynCon universal vaccine related to H1N1 influenza.

26 Mar 2012

OncoSec to purchase $7.75M of securities in registered public offering

OncoSec Medical Incorporated, which is developing its advanced-stage OncoSec Medical System (OMS) ElectroOncology therapies to treat solid tumor cancers, announced today that it has entered into definitive agreements with institutional investors to purchase $7.75 million of securities in a registered public offering.

26 Mar 2012

Study reveals central role played by DBIRD protein complex in gene transcription

In a study published this week in the journal Nature, researchers at the University of Liège's GIGA Unit, together with English and German teams, reveal the central role played by a protein complex, unknown up to now, in gene transcription.

26 Mar 2012

Strong link between telomere shortening and heart disease risk

No one really wants the short end of the stick, in this case the short end of a chromosome. Telomeres, which are DNA-protein complexes at the ends of chromosomes, can be thought of as protein "caps" that protect chromosomes from deteriorating and fusing with neighboring chromosomes.

26 Mar 2012

MicroRNAs linked to imminent threat of heart attack

Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute have, for the first time ever, made a connection between tiny genetic molecules called microRNAs and the imminent threat of a heart attack, according to a new study.

26 Mar 2012

Heart attack may soon be predicted by a simple blood test

Researchers have found a simple test that could predict whether a patient is about to have a heart attack. They used a blood sample to detect cells that have sloughed off of damaged blood vessel walls to predict a heart attack.

25 Mar 2012

Genetic marker identifies tumors unable to repair DNA damage by platinum agents

Scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and their colleagues have found a genetic marker that predicts which aggressive "triple negative" breast cancers and certain ovarian cancers will likely respond to platinum-based chemotherapies.

23 Mar 2012

OncoSec to present data from head and neck cancer studies at two upcoming conferences

OncoSec Medical Incorporated., which is developing its advanced-stage OncoSec Medical System (OMS) ElectroOncology therapies to treat solid tumor cancers, today announced that the company has been selected to present data from its Phase III and IV head and neck cancer studies at two upcoming conferences.

23 Mar 2012