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UT Southwestern offers advanced lung-cancer patients free screenings of tumors for genetic mutations

UT Southwestern Medical Center is the only site in North Texas participating in a national study that offers advanced lung-cancer patients free screenings of their tumors for genetic mutations, some of which might be targets for treatment with existing or experimental therapies.

10 May 2010

UT Southwestern researchers uncover core function of gene involved in Fragile X syndrome

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how the genetic mutation that causes Fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited mental retardation, interferes with the "pruning" of nerve connections in the brain. Their findings appear in the April 29 issue of Neuron.

10 May 2010

Double mastectomy best for long-term prognosis of breast cancer

When Cedric Skillom's mother, Lynda, 55, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, he was devastated by the news, but he never imagined that the largest cancer killer of women would strike his own health.

10 May 2010

Novel imaging techniques improve post heart attack survival rates in mouse model

Human adult stem cells injected around the damage caused by a heart attack survived in the heart and improved its pumping efficiency for a year in a mouse model, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online ahead of publication in Circulation Research.

10 May 2010

Animal study reveals intestinal bacteria can promote tumor growth

A team of University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers has discovered that common intestinal bacteria appear to promote tumor growths in genetically susceptible mice, but that tumorigenesis can be suppressed if the mice are exposed to an inhibiting protein enzyme.

10 May 2010

A cutting-edge symposium sheds light on the possibilities of molecular neuroimaging

SNM's Molecular Imaging Center of Excellence wrapped up its Molecular Neuroimaging Symposium today in Bethesda, Md., at the Natcher Auditorium of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

10 May 2010

Americans facing grievous harm from chemicals in the air, food and water

The U.S. President's Cancer Panel has come out with a new report on cancer risks and preventive measures, but policy makers don't seem interested. While the report is being praised by cancer awareness activists the majority of the government seems strangely unaffected by the new report. The President's Cancer Panel usually has three members appointed by the President but as of now there are only two people on the panel, namely Dr. Leffall and Dr. Margaret L. Kripke.

9 May 2010

Discovery of new genetic clues to breast cancer

Researchers at Cambridge University have identified five genetic clues for women who have a family history of breast cancer. The study brings up the number of common genetic variations linked to increased risk of breast cancer in women to 18. The study was published in Nature Genetics.

9 May 2010

Lawsuit over hepatitis C infections contracted from Doctor

Nearly 30 women got infected with Hepatitis C virus due to a breach in infection prevention protocols by an anaesthetist at a late-term abortion clinic. The incidents occurred at the Croydon Day Surgery in Melbourne's eastern suburbs during an 18-month period when James Latham Peters was working as an anaesthetist. The issue had come to light in the last few weeks. Now a multi million dollar lawsuit against the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria on behalf of the allegedly infected women is being planned.

9 May 2010

Chemical changes in genetic material regulate activity of many genes

Chemical changes in the genetic material, known as epigenetic modifications, regulate the activity of many genes. Thus, attachment of methyl groups to DNA often inactivates important cellular growth brakes. Therefore, this process called methylation is believed to be a major cause of uncontrolled division of cancer cells. Specific enzymes, the DNA methyltransferases, are responsible for methylation.

7 May 2010

Creator of California Tay-Sachs Disease Prevention Program among the honorees

A mere 40 years ago, parents didn't know they were carriers of the Tay-Sachs disease until after they'd given birth to a child with this fatal genetic disorder.

7 May 2010

First 3-year results of world's largest temporomandibular joint disorder study reported at APS meeting

Scientists with the University of Maryland Dental School and collaborators at three other major universities will report results from the first three years of the world's largest study yet of a mysterious yet common pain syndrome involving the jaw at 8:30 a.m.on May 7 at the annual scientific meeting of the American Pain Society (APS). This year it is being held at the Baltimore Convention Center.

7 May 2010

Fragile X syndrome iPS cells and embryonic stem cells behave differently: Study

In the last three years, a new technique for reprogramming adult cells has given scientists an easier and less controversial way to harness the power of embryonic-like stem cells to study human disease from its earliest beginnings in hopes of gleaning new insights into the root causes of disease and developing new therapies.

7 May 2010

DNA capture techniques enable sequencing of ancient Neandertal DNA

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute (MPI), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), Agilent Technologies Inc., and other prestigious institutions worldwide have shown that DNA capture techniques can greatly enable the sequencing of ancient Neandertal DNA, providing new insight into the nature of these prehistoric hominids.

7 May 2010

Gene patenting policies affect patient access to testing for disease-causing genes: Study

Policies allowing genes to be patented can make it more difficult for patients to access testing for important disease-causing gene mutations, according to a series of papers in a special online supplement published by Genetics in Medicine, the official peer-reviewed journal of The American College of Medical Genetics.

7 May 2010

Ohio scientists demonstrate existence of effective technology for nationwide newborn screening of SMA

Scientists in Ohio studying Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) have concluded that the technology now exists to carry out nationwide screening of newborn children and pregnant mothers. The study, published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, reveals that effective screening may allow parents to find proactive treatments before the symptoms become irreversible.

7 May 2010

Inadvertent reprogramming of genes in peripheral nervous system may cause chronic pain

Chronic pain severely limits patients' quality of life and is among the cost drivers in U.S. health care. Patients can suffer pain without an apparent cause and often fail to respond to available treatments. Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators now report that chronic pain may be caused by the inadvertent reprogramming of more than 2,000 genes in the peripheral nervous system. The research findings appear in the current issue of the journal Genome Research.

7 May 2010

ADDF awards $210,300 to Amicus Therapeutics to evaluate PCs for treating Alzheimer's disease

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation announced today that it has awarded a grant of $210,300 to Amicus Therapeutics (Cranbury, NJ) to evaluate small-molecule, orally delivered pharmacological chaperone compounds as a novel approach for treating Alzheimer's disease.

7 May 2010

Movements of satellite cells could help patients with muscular dystrophy: MU researchers

When muscle tissue experiences trauma or disease, such as muscular dystrophy, stem cells in the muscle known as "satellite cells" respond to repair and regenerate the muscle. These cells are particularly important in neuromuscular diseases, such as muscular dystrophy, which affect muscle stability and repair.

7 May 2010

DNA sequence of amphibian genome sheds light on the study of embryonic development

A pair of University of Houston researchers contributed to the assembly of the first comprehensive DNA sequence of an amphibian genome, which will shed light on the study of embryonic development, with implications for preventing birth defects and more effectively treating many human diseases.

7 May 2010

Genetic News and Research

UT Southwestern offers advanced lung-cancer patients free screenings of tumors for genetic mutations

UT Southwestern researchers uncover core function of gene involved in Fragile X syndrome

Double mastectomy best for long-term prognosis of breast cancer

Novel imaging techniques improve post heart attack survival rates in mouse model

Animal study reveals intestinal bacteria can promote tumor growth

A cutting-edge symposium sheds light on the possibilities of molecular neuroimaging

Americans facing grievous harm from chemicals in the air, food and water

Discovery of new genetic clues to breast cancer

Lawsuit over hepatitis C infections contracted from Doctor

Chemical changes in genetic material regulate activity of many genes

Creator of California Tay-Sachs Disease Prevention Program among the honorees

First 3-year results of world's largest temporomandibular joint disorder study reported at APS meeting

Fragile X syndrome iPS cells and embryonic stem cells behave differently: Study

DNA capture techniques enable sequencing of ancient Neandertal DNA

Gene patenting policies affect patient access to testing for disease-causing genes: Study

Ohio scientists demonstrate existence of effective technology for nationwide newborn screening of SMA

Inadvertent reprogramming of genes in peripheral nervous system may cause chronic pain

ADDF awards $210,300 to Amicus Therapeutics to evaluate PCs for treating Alzheimer's disease

Movements of satellite cells could help patients with muscular dystrophy: MU researchers

DNA sequence of amphibian genome sheds light on the study of embryonic development

Sequencing & Genomics: Elevating Science and Healthcare eBook

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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