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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).

NIH awards $3.1 million to further fund Inovio's universal SynCon flu vaccine development

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that Inovio Pharmaceuticals and the University of Pennsylvania have received a grant of $3.1 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's Office to further fund Inovio's universal SynCon™ flu vaccine development.

30 Sep 2010

Genotoxic impurities in prescription drugs

Drug manufacturers have been adjusting to strict new government standards that limit the amount of potentially harmful impurities in medicine, according to the cover story of the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine. The impurities are "genotoxic," capable of damaging the DNA in genes.

30 Sep 2010

Scientists use NMR technology to improve protein purification in drug development

The purification of drug components is a large hurdle facing modern drug development. This is particularly true of drugs that utilize proteins, which are notoriously difficult to separate from other potentially deadly impurities. Scientists within the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to understand and improve an important protein purification process.

30 Sep 2010

Triple negative breast cancer patients with BRCA gene mutations have low risk of recurrence: Research

Patients with triple negative breast cancer that also have mutations in the BRCA gene appear to have a lower risk of recurrence, compared to those with the same disease without the deleterious genetic mutation, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

30 Sep 2010

First direct genetic link to ADHD

The latest study shows evidence of a genetic link to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. The researchers from Cardiff University, Wales said the disorder was a brain problem like autism and not due to bad parenting. The paper appeared in the acclaimed journal Lancet.

30 Sep 2010

Medivation and Astellas commence MDV3100 second Phase 3 clinical trial in advanced prostate cancer

Medivation, Inc. and Astellas Pharma Inc. today announced treatment of the first patient in a second Phase 3 clinical trial of the investigational drug MDV3100, which expands the Phase 3 development of the novel, triple-acting oral androgen receptor antagonist into an earlier-stage patient population. Known as PREVAIL, the trial will evaluate MDV3100 in men with advanced prostate cancer who have not yet received chemotherapy. Initiation of the PREVAIL trial triggers a milestone payment to Medivation under its collaboration agreement with Astellas.

29 Sep 2010

NIAID study utilizes Biojector B2000 system to explore syringe, needle benefits

Bioject Medical Technologies Inc., a leading developer of needle-free injection therapy systems, today announced that its unique Needle-Free Injection Therapy (NFIT) system, the Biojector 2000, is being utilized in a study sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) which is part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).

29 Sep 2010

Omicsoft's Next Generation Sequencing tools integrated with GeneGo's MetaCore data mining suite

GeneGo, Inc., the leading systems biology tools company and Omicsoft Corporation, the leader in the OMIC repository and analysis field, announced today integration of Omicsoft's Next Generation Sequencing tools with GeneGo's MetaCore data mining suite.

29 Sep 2010

NIH trial selects Inovio's PENNVAX-G DNA vaccine candidate to evaluate HIV-1 prevalent

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that a Phase I study, called RV262, recently began to evaluate a combination DNA prime/MVA vector boost regimen that was developed to protect against diverse subtypes of HIV-1 prevalent in North America, Europe, Africa, and South America.

29 Sep 2010

AACR to host Third Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities

The American Association for Cancer Research will host its Third Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities at the Loews Hotel in Miami from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, 2010.

29 Sep 2010

ANDalyze sensor/Fluorimeter platform solution introduced in China and Australia

ANDalyze sensor/Fluorimeter platform solution for simplifying the on-site testing and analysis of water for heavy metal contamination is now being sold in China and Australia as a replacement to more time consuming testing methods such as electrochemical and reagent testing methods that require significant training.

29 Sep 2010

MRSA survivors to share experience at World MRSA Day kickoff event

No one needs to explain to the people who have experienced it the danger posed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the antibiotic-defying bacterium commonly known as MRSA. No one needs to explain to the people who have experienced it the danger posed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the antibiotic-defying bacterium commonly known as MRSA.

29 Sep 2010

microRNA may provide quick diagnosis of bladder cancer

Scientists may have discovered a way to diagnose bladder cancer at its earliest and, therefore, most treatable stages by measuring the presence or absence of microRNA using already available laboratory tests.

29 Sep 2010

New genetic screening program to reduce risk associated with Plavix

Beginning this month, all patients undergoing cardiac catheterization at Vanderbilt University Medical Center will be tested for a genetic variation that can affect their response to Plavix, the most commonly prescribed clot-preventing drug for heart patients and one of the most commonly prescribed drugs worldwide.

29 Sep 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

National Jewish Health's liposome-based vaccine receives US patent

National Jewish Health has received a US patent for a new kind of vaccine, which uses a small lipid bubble to deliver an antigen and DNA adjuvant. Chairman of Pediatrics Erwin Gelfand, MD, and former National Jewish Health Professor of Medicine Steve Dow, PhD, developed the new liposome-based adjuvant.

29 Sep 2010

Loss of INPP5A gene can predict cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma progression

The loss of a gene known as INPP5A could predict the onset, and track the progression, of an aggressive type of skin cancer, according to a study published today by the Mayo Clinic, Arizona Cancer Center, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

29 Sep 2010

Scientists discover way of shrinking tumours in cancers

Australian and American scientists have found a way of shrinking tumours in certain cancers - a finding that provides hope for new treatments.

29 Sep 2010

Scientists identify genetic contribution to sense of smell

Scientists at the Monell Center have used a well-known example of individual differences to identify a genetic contribution to the sense of smell. Most people detect a distinct sulfurous odor in their urine shortly after eating asparagus. However, there are some who seemingly do not notice the unpleasant odor.

29 Sep 2010

Covaris enters co-marketing partnership with Illumina for DNA shearing technologies

Covaris Inc. today announced that it has signed a co-marketing agreement with Illumina, Inc. making Covaris DNA shearing technologies the recommended method of shearing with Illumina next-generation sequencing product lines, including HiSeq, HiScanSQ, and Genome Analyzer.

From Illumina, Inc. 29 Sep 2010