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Gene of immune system linked to severe adverse drug reaction called Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)

In a study of Han Chinese patients, researchers have for the first time directly linked a gene of the immune system to a severe adverse drug reaction called Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), according to a Duke University Medical Center medical geneticist and collaborators in Taiwan.

1 Apr 2004

Scientists have discovered that a non-genetic molecular process can effect cell behaviour

Genetic mutations, sudden, random and usually harmful changes to the structure of a gene, are only one factor that determines the ultimate fate of a cell. Chicago scientists have discovered that a non-genetic molecular process also can play a role, and that experimenters can influence this process in bacteria, they report in the April 1 issue of the journal Nature.

1 Apr 2004

Oxford Biomedica to win Department of Health gene funding

Oxford spinout Oxford Biomedica was yesterday awarded £0.5 million by the Department of Health to conduct the first British gene therapy haemophilia trial.

31 Mar 2004

How rat's genetic blueprint stacks up against those of mice and humans

An international research team, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced it has completed a high-quality, draft sequence of the genome of the laboratory rat, and has used that data to explore how the rat's genetic blueprint stacks up against those of mice and humans.

31 Mar 2004

SARS virus vaccine stimulates protective immune response

An experimental vaccine prevents the SARS virus from replicating in laboratory mice, according to a new report in the April 1 issue of Nature. Scientists at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health, developed the vaccine. The vaccine was tested in a mouse model of SARS infection recently validated by other NIAID investigators.

31 Mar 2004

Gene-rich human Chromosome 19 sequence completed

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and Stanford University report today the completion of the sequencing of human chromosome 19, the most gene-rich of all the human chromosomes.

31 Mar 2004

Scientists seek cause for what makes good cell go bad

Genetic mutations--sudden, random and usually harmful changes to the structure of a gene--are only one factor that determines the ultimate fate of a cell. Chicago scientists have discovered that a non-genetic molecular process also can play a role, and that experimenters can influence this process in bacteria, they report in the April 1 issue of the journal Nature.

31 Mar 2004

Research team has found a new way to streamline gene isolation to determine their functions

A single strand of plant or animal DNA may contain tens of thousands of genes, each programmed to produce a specific protein essential for the growth or survival of the organism. The challenge for geneticists is to isolate individual genes and determine their function -- a painstaking process often requiring years of laboratory trial and error.

31 Mar 2004

Embryonic stem cells attached to a gel matrix instead of suspended in solution

30 Mar 2004

Natural compound in snake venom for treatment of malignant tumours

Researchers at the University of South Australia have made a major discovery using a natural compound in snake venom that shows very promising anti-cancer effects. The compound works by activating the destruction of cells which make up the blood vessels that supply nutrients to tumours, according to Associate Professor Tony Woods from UniSA’s School of Pharmaceutical, Molecular and Biomedical Sciences.

30 Mar 2004

Scientists find parallels between human speech and bird song which gives clues to human speech disorders.

The research by a team led by Stephanie White, UCLA assistant professor of physiological science, supports the theory that two genes shared by humans and songbirds, FoxP1 and FoxP2, may play a critical role in human speech, and speech disorders. The study is published March 31 in the Journal of Neuroscience.

30 Mar 2004

Discovery of novel gene profile that may identify colon stem cells

Researchers at Jefferson Medical College have uncovered a novel pattern of gene expression in the stem cell-rich bottom of tiny “crypts” in the tissue lining the colon. By identifying these patterns, the scientists hope to be able to identify mechanisms through which stem cells contribute to the development of colon cancer.

30 Mar 2004

£1.6m for research into a possible cure for muscular dystrophy

A consortium which includes Oxford researchers has won £1.6m in government funding for ground-breaking research into a possible cure for muscular dystrophy.

30 Mar 2004

Extraction of RNA from Archived Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissue

For the first time, Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have demonstrated the ability to extract RNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples archived for up to five years. What's more, the technology used retrieves high-quality samples, allowing researchers to identify cancer-related genetic changes. Accepted as a "late-breaking" abstract, the research was presented today at the 95th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research by Renata Coudry, M.D., a research pathologist at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

30 Mar 2004

New storage method amplifies cells available for science

Like many other kinds of cells used in biomedical research, human embryonic stem cells are stored and transported in a cryopreserved state, frozen to -320 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of their liquid nitrogen storage bath. But when scientists thaw the cells for use in the lab, less than 1 percent awake from their frigid slumber and assume their undifferentiated state. This 'blank slate' form is characteristic of stem cells and essential for the basic science required before the promising cells are ready for the clinic.

30 Mar 2004

New Australian collaboration to discover new drugs targeting epilepsy and anxiety

Bionomics Limited and Southern Cross University announced today that they had established a collaboration to discover new drugs targeting epilepsy and anxiety. Under the arrangement, Southern Cross University will provide Bionomics with extracts from its collection of Australian-based natural products, together with expertise in natural products chemistry.

30 Mar 2004

Method of Bone Analysis May Clarify Human Origins

Bones, it is said, tell tales, but in the case of the bones of hominids or human ancestors the story has become complex and convoluted, as paleoanthropologists try to decipher relationships between a host of similar species with subtly shifting characteristics in a spotty fossil record.

30 Mar 2004

Air pollution effects Cystic Fibrosis Sufferers

University of Washington (UW) researchers have shown for the first time that air pollution has adverse effects on people with cystic fibrosis (CF). The research results are published in the April 1 edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

29 Mar 2004

New research to predict patient response to cancer chemotherapies

Timothy J. Yeatman, M.D., Moffitt's Associate Center Director for Clinical Investigations at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, and the Sarasota-based DNAPrintTM genomics, Inc., have formed a joint research program to develop and implement new clinical tests for predicting patient response to cancer chemotherapies.

29 Mar 2004

New Zealand researcher awarded largest renal failure grant ever

With the incidence of kidney failure on the increase in this country, it is timely that the NZ Kidney Foundation has recently awarded a $76,000 grant to Professor Zoltan Endre to further research into renal failure. The grant is the largest single amount awarded by the NZ Kidney Foundation and has been largely funded from funds donated via an ongoing nationwide telephone appeal.

29 Mar 2004