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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 develop new method for DNA sequencing analysis

Up to today, researchers have been limited to running just a few DNA samples at a time, at a cost of SEK 100,000 per run. Now researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have hit upon a new method that allows 5,000 samples to be run at the same time and at the same price.

8 Mar 2011

Two studies show how laminin plays a central role in breast cancer development

Laminin, long thought to be only a structural support protein in the microenvironment of breast and other epithelial tissues, is "famous" for its cross-like shape.

8 Mar 2011

New study reveals role of INK4, ARF proteins in Burkitt's lymphoma

Burkitt's lymphoma is one of the most aggressive tumors affecting humans. Multiple alterations in genes that regulate cell proliferation rate explain its aggressive behavior.

8 Mar 2011

Ambry, RainDance enter new collaboration to develop and commercialize ADME screening

RainDance Technologies, Inc. and Ambry Genetics, today announced a new collaboration focused on the development and commercialization of a comprehensive drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion genetic screening panel for use on next-generation sequencing systems.

8 Mar 2011

Down’s syndrome could be detected in mother’s blood test

European researchers have devised a blood test that could help pregnant women avoid the invasive procedures now used to diagnose Down syndrome prenatally and make the diagnosis with 100% accuracy. The study report was published this Sunday in Nature Medicine.

7 Mar 2011

Solasia, ZIOPHARM enter license and collaboration agreement for darinaparsin product

ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc., an oncology small molecule and synthetic biology drug development company, and Solasia Pharma K.K., a developer of Western oncology pharmaceuticals in-licensed for commercialization in Asian markets, announced today that they have entered into a license and collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize ZIOPHARM's darinaparsin product and related organic arsenic molecules in specified Pan-Asian/Pacific territories.

7 Mar 2011

Inovio initiates VGX-3100 Phase II trial in patients with cervical cancer

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that it is initiating a Phase II clinical trial for its VGX-3100 DNA vaccine for cervical dysplasia and cancer caused by human papillomavirus.

7 Mar 2011

Study uncovers 13 new genes that increase risk of heart attacks

The largest-ever study of its type into coronary heart disease, involving scientists from the University of Leicester, has uncovered 13 new genes that increase risk of heart attacks.

7 Mar 2011

Scientists discover SNPs linked with high risk of sick sinus syndrome

Scientists at deCODE genetics and academic colleagues from Iceland, The Netherlands, Denmark, USA and Illumina, Inc., today report the discovery of single-letter variants in the sequence of the human genome associated with high risk of sick sinus syndrome.

6 Mar 2011

Study links 13 new gene regions to coronary atherosclerosis

Thirteen new gene regions have been convincingly linked to coronary atherosclerosis in a massive, new, international genetics study involving investigators from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

6 Mar 2011

CDI announces publication of footprint-free iPSCs production method in PLoS ONE journal

Cellular Dynamics International, the world's largest producer of human tissue cells for drug discovery and safety testing, today announced the publication of research demonstrating an efficient and scalable method of creating DNA integration-free, or footprint-free, induced pluripotent stem cells under a feeder-free condition using chemically defined media.

5 Mar 2011

New HQ of David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research officially dedicated

The new seven-story headquarters of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, where scientists and engineers are working together to pursue new ways to treat, detect and prevent cancer, will be officially dedicated today at 4 p.m.

5 Mar 2011

Scientists detail role of TDP-43 in ALS pathology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as ALS or more popularly, Lou Gehrig's disease, is a notorious neurodegenerative condition characterized by the progressive deterioration of brain and spinal cord neurons, resulting in the gradual but catastrophic loss of muscle control and ultimately, death.

5 Mar 2011

Article outlines role of transcriptional mutagenesis in tumor development

DNA provides the instruction manual for all life forms. Occasionally, instructions are not carried out properly, and bad messages are sent leading to the creation of mutant proteins and possible tumor development.

5 Mar 2011

Research findings likely to improve understanding of gene regulation in humans

Many multi-cellular animals use sex chromosomes to determine sex. In fruit flies and in humans, this produces XX for females and XY for males. Cellular mechanisms then kick into gear to compensate the two-to-one imbalance of X-linked genes in females and males.

4 Mar 2011

Sangamo's preclinical ZFN-gene modification studies for HIV/AIDS treatment presented at CROI

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced that data from its programs to develop ZFN-based therapeutic approaches for the treatment of HIV/AIDS were discussed in four oral presentations at the 18th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, held in Boston from February 27 to March 2, 2011.

4 Mar 2011

Cancer patients' willingness to undergo tests bodes well for future of personalized medicine

Cancer patients are willing to undergo many tests to receive advanced experimental treatment in clinical trials, according to a new study by Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale Healthcare and the Translational Genomics Research Institute.

4 Mar 2011

Triptolide isolated from Chinese medicinal plant blocks gene control machinery in cells

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have discovered that a natural product isolated from a traditional Chinese medicinal plant commonly known as thunder god vine, or lei gong teng, and used for hundreds of years to treat many conditions including rheumatoid arthritis works by blocking gene control machinery in the cell. The report, published as a cover story of the March issue of Nature Chemical Biology, suggests that the natural product could be a starting point for developing new anticancer drugs.

4 Mar 2011

Enhancing function of protein CNT1 increases effectiveness of cancer-killing drugs in pancreatic tumors

New University of Georgia research has identified a protein that can be modified to improve the effectiveness of one of the most common drugs used to treat pancreatic cancer.

4 Mar 2011

Hemispherx, Chronix jointly file US patent application for CFS blood test

Chronix Biomedical announced today that it filed a provisional United States patent application jointly with Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. on a blood test for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

4 Mar 2011

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers develop new method for DNA sequencing analysis

Two studies show how laminin plays a central role in breast cancer development

New study reveals role of INK4, ARF proteins in Burkitt's lymphoma

Ambry, RainDance enter new collaboration to develop and commercialize ADME screening

Down’s syndrome could be detected in mother’s blood test

Solasia, ZIOPHARM enter license and collaboration agreement for darinaparsin product

Inovio initiates VGX-3100 Phase II trial in patients with cervical cancer

Study uncovers 13 new genes that increase risk of heart attacks

Scientists discover SNPs linked with high risk of sick sinus syndrome

Study links 13 new gene regions to coronary atherosclerosis

CDI announces publication of footprint-free iPSCs production method in PLoS ONE journal

New HQ of David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research officially dedicated

Scientists detail role of TDP-43 in ALS pathology

Article outlines role of transcriptional mutagenesis in tumor development

Research findings likely to improve understanding of gene regulation in humans

Sangamo's preclinical ZFN-gene modification studies for HIV/AIDS treatment presented at CROI

Cancer patients' willingness to undergo tests bodes well for future of personalized medicine

Triptolide isolated from Chinese medicinal plant blocks gene control machinery in cells

Enhancing function of protein CNT1 increases effectiveness of cancer-killing drugs in pancreatic tumors

Hemispherx, Chronix jointly file US patent application for CFS blood test

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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