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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).

Health watch: When you eat just as vital to what you eat

When you eat may be just as vital to your health as what you eat, found researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Their experiments in mice revealed that the daily waxing and waning of thousands of genes in the liver—the body's metabolic clearinghouse—is mostly controlled by food intake and not by the body's circadian clock as conventional wisdom had it.

25 Nov 2009

Emerging cancer vaccines: Forecasts, new developments and pipeline analysis

The H1N1 vaccine has spurred media interest in vaccines, as well as predictions of vaccines for a host of new diseases. According to Kalorama Information, certain cancers may be added to the list of diseases for which vaccinations will be employed.

25 Nov 2009

Bioniche Life Sciences announces the issuance of MCC patents in Japan

Bioniche Life Sciences Inc., a research-based, technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company, today announced the issuance of a number of patents in Japan for its proprietary Mycobacterial Cell Wall-DNA Complex (MCC) composition.

25 Nov 2009

LRI awards $3.6 million grants to drive innovative science in lupus and related diseases

The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) today named 12 new grant recipients for 2009. The awards, totaling $3.6 million, recognize innovative work across a broad spectrum of lupus research. All were selected for their creativity, novelty, and potential to drive scientific discovery to ultimately prevent, treat, and cure the complex disease of systemic lupus.

24 Nov 2009

Ocimum Biosolutions' Biotracker awarded caBIG Bronze Compatibility Certification

Ocimum Biosolutions today announced that its specialty life science Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), Biotracker™ has been awarded the prestigious caBIG® (cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid®) Bronze Compatibility Certification by the National Cancer Institute, an institute of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

24 Nov 2009

Roche, Spanish Department of Health to collaborate in Medical Genome Project

Roche and the Department of Health of Junta de Andalucía, Spain have signed an agreement for a cooperation in the Medical Genome Project (MGP), a research project created to analyse the genomes of people with rare diseases and identify the defective gene or genes causing the disease and its behaviour.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 24 Nov 2009

Developmental and behavior problems in individuals with autism associated DNA imbalance characterized

Researchers at Signature Genomic Laboratories, which performs diagnostic genetic testing of chromosome abnormalities in individuals with unexplained physical and developmental disabilities, including autism, recently characterized a broad spectrum of developmental and behavior problems in individuals with a DNA imbalance that has been associated with autism.

24 Nov 2009

Clavis Pharma signs drug development and commercialisation agreement with Clovis Oncology

Clavis Pharma ASA, the clinical stage oncology focused pharmaceutical company, and Clovis Oncology, Inc., the newly formed oncology company led by former Pharmion Corporation executives, announced today an agreement for the further development and commercialisation of the Clavis Pharma drug candidate, CP-4126, currently in Phase II development in pancreatic cancer.

24 Nov 2009

Absolute Match DNA specimen verification test introduced by AIBioTech

American International Biotechnology Services™ announces the launch of its Absolute Match™ DNA specimen verification test. The test, which will be performed through AIBioTech’s Fairfax Identity Laboratories™ division, provides absolute confidence for a patient undergoing a biopsy procedure that their specimen and diagnosis is their own.

23 Nov 2009

FDA grants Fast Track designation for ARCA biopharma's Gencaro

ARCA biopharma, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated as a Fast Track development program the investigation of GencaroTM, the Company’s investigational, pharmacologically unique beta-blocker and mild vasodilator, for the reduction of cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular hospitalizations in a genotype-defined heart failure population.

23 Nov 2009

Human Genome Sciences commences patient dosing in its HGS1029 inhibitor trial

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. and Aegera Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that HGS has initiated dosing in a Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of its lead IAP inhibitor, HGS1029, as monotherapy in patients with advanced lymphoid tumors.

23 Nov 2009

EraGen Biosciences to have access to Illumina’s BeadXpress platform

EraGen Biosciences Inc., a developer of novel molecular reagents for the in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) market, and Illumina Inc., a global company that develops, manufactures and markets integrated systems for analysis of genetic variation and biological function, today announced the formation of a strategic partnership and the execution of non-exclusive licensing agreements.

From Illumina, Inc. 23 Nov 2009

Gene deletion can increase common complication of bone marrow transplants

A commonly inherited gene deletion can increase the likelihood of immune complications following bone marrow transplantation, an international team of researchers reports in the November 22 advance online issue of Nature Genetics.

23 Nov 2009

Discovery holds promise in fighting cancer, AIDS and autoimmune disorders

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have uncovered the genetic identity of a cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody, a discovery that sheds new light on infection control and immune disorders.

21 Nov 2009

Emotionally abused children may face accelerated cellular aging as adults

Children who suffer physical or emotional abuse may be faced with accelerated cellular aging as adults, according to new research from Butler Hospital and Brown University.

21 Nov 2009

FISH technology accurate in measuring the HER-2 receptor in human breast tumors

The debate on how to select patients who will respond best to costly drug treatments for aggressive breast cancer now favors fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to measure the HER-2 receptor found in human breast tumors, according to a leading pathologist presenting at the Association for Molecular Pathology annual meeting.

20 Nov 2009

Genta announces preliminary results from study of Genasense Injection for advanced melanoma

Genta Incorporated announced preliminary results that show a high objective response rate in a pilot study of patients with advanced melanoma that incorporates the Company’s lead oncology product, Genasense® (oblimersen sodium) Injection, administered for the first time as a 1-hour high-dose intravenous (IV) infusion.

20 Nov 2009

Inovio Biomedical announces positive test results of its consensus influenza vaccines

Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today that a combination of its synthetic consensus H1N1, H2N2, H3N2, and H5N1 influenza vaccine candidates achieved protective antibody responses against several different influenza sub-types and strains in ferrets.

20 Nov 2009

Detrimental bacterial DNA identification method for use in winemaking developed

In winemaking, grape juice is turned to wine during the fermentation process by the action of a number of essential beneficial microorganisms -namely bacteria. Sometimes, though, harmful bacteria also populate the fermentation vat, spoiling the wine in the process.

20 Nov 2009

Scientists closer to unraveling the mechanisms of gene regulation

A team led by Penn State's Ross Hardison, T. Ming Chu Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has taken a large step toward unraveling how regulatory proteins control the production of gene products during development and growth.

20 Nov 2009