MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'chromosomes'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:29:49 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538090&cid=t_118704_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-you-own-your-genome%2F2010.05.06 As the costs of sequencing our DNA shrink and the roles of digital media in our lives expand, we will need to understand who (or what) controls the ownership, access and use of our genomic information. From state regulation to Google to Facebook, who controls the acquisition, transmission and replication of our genomic information and material will become an important battle in the 21st century. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Phil Baumann* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538090 Thu, 06 May 2010 14:00:11 +0100 3538090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851966&cid=t_118704_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FZUeNu28vVNU%2F The normal human karyotype has two sets of chromosomes, one set inherited from each parent, so that we have 46 chromosomes (22 pairs, including either an XX if you’re a female, or XY if male). But sometimes during cell division of the zygote (early in fertilization), the chromosomes don’t divide properly into their respective cells and the developing fetus carries an abnormal number of chromosomes in all cells of the body (termed aneuploidy). Usually the fetus does not survive into full term, but in some cases when the baby does, a rare chromosome disorder happens. Trisomy happens when there are three copies of a chromosome, instead of the normal two copies. Take for example Down Syndrome, which is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, resulting in 47 chromosomes.  Every pe... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851966 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:59:26 +0100 2851966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832338&cid=t_118704_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F9r0qn2IL2dM%2F For many of us, GENETICS is a intimidating topic. Don’t worry, I feel the same way around technology and computer language. When we start reading sentences where half the words are foreign, then it can seem way over our heads. And I think people have an idea that genetics is important to medicine and health care, but what role it plays (and how genes act) might be where the questions are. So that’s why I’m adding a regular feature to explain the basics and call it “What we need to know to get genetics” or something like that. Obviously, this won’t be the “complete course in Genetics 101” or “Genetics for Dummies” (there’s a already a Genetics For Dummies (For Dummies (Math & Science))’ target=_blank>book on that) but hopefully the outlines below would be... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832338 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:39:47 +0100 2832338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2745595&cid=t_118704_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F-tKKRxn5gTI%2F Imagine having been born from a biological dad, and two biological moms. Wait. Don’t imagine. It’s already happened. For now in monkeys, but who knows someday in humans too. And based on your belief, it’s a “no way!” or a “way to go!”. How did a three-parent experiment happen? Scientists from the Oregon National Primate Research successfully transferred the nuclear DNA from one macaque into another cell which had it’s mitochondrial DNA removed (termed mitochondia gene replacement). The hybrid egg cell was fertilized by a sperm and implanted into the uterus of a surrogate mother. Out of the fifteen hybrid embryos, four baby macaques have survived through full term and seem to be thriving. And why is this experiment in monkeys so important for humans? This experiment open... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2745595 Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:37:48 +0100 2745595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712293&cid=t_118704_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FTKuPFIt7yqo%2F I read about Jessa Perrin’s story and was struck with how her world was turned upside down by a rare disease. Jessa Perrin was backpacking in Israel when she suddenly became ill. Her skin turned yellow and her liver, kidneys and lungs failed within a day of being admitted to the hospital. She wasn’t even diagnosed with anything yet, but she needed liver transplant fast, or else she was not going to last a week. The doctors finally diagnosed Jessa with Wilson’s Disease, a rare, recessive genetic disorder that shuts down the body’s ability to get rid of copper. Jessa inherited two abnormal copies of the ATP7B gene, one from each of her parents (who were carriers). Because it’s a recessive trait the carrying parents do not have any symptoms and have no known family history of the... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712293 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:05:07 +0100 2712293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699809&cid=t_118704_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F6PvCOl2D3Xc%2F It’s tough enough for a family to have someone suffer from a genetic disorder but to have three in the family is just heart-breaking. And that’s what the Shaffer family from Oregon is going through as their three young sons are treated for a rare genetic condition that affect the nervous systems (video). Two 8-year old twins and their younger brother have leukodystrophies (adrenoleukodystrophy or ALD), a disorder that causes damage to the membrane (myelin sheath) that surrounds nerve cells in the brain. Adrenoleukodystrophy is commonly inherited as an X-linked (or sex-linked) trait, as the gene is located on the X-chromosome and passed from mother to her children. If the mother is a carrier (say XX for one abnormal allele), then she will pass that defective gene to all her sons (XY).... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699809 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:33:18 +0100 2699809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2626206&cid=t_118704_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FvDrTKYxOMAI%2F What do you know when life hits you with a curve ball? Chicago Cub pitcher Ryan Dempster knows how to throw one in the field. And in real life, he is fighting hard as life hits his family with a curve ball. Dempster’s newborn daughter Riley has been diagnosed with DiGeorge Syndrome, a genetic disorder with very little resource around it. DiGeorge Syndrome is a congenital disorder caused by deletions in large portions of chromosome 22, resulting in the loss of several genes. The most common characteristic is an absent or nonfunctional thymus. The thymus is involved in producing mature immune cells, so persons with DGS are vulnerable to infections. However, the literatures also mention at least 45 genes are in this region, and as many as 186 symptoms associated with it, so there is also... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2626206 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:08:00 +0100 2626206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512406&cid=t_118704_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FMzM_dMlvsrQ%2F The elementary concept is that the father’s role in making babies is to only contribute the sperm, and the mother does all the work. That after fertilization, the development of the resulting embryo is at the mercy of the mother’s egg cytoplasm that received it. Well, recent studies show that dad’s sperm contains a set of instructions that make certain the embryo develops properly, and specifically that his genes get turned on at the right time. But let’s do a short tutorial first… Each chromosome is really just a single long DNA molecule, that can stretch out to an average 1 meter long. Those 23 long strands of human DNA must be packaged and coiled into a tiny nucleus. The proteins responsible for packaging them are called histones. Histone molecules repeatedly fold and coil... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512406 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:01:00 +0100 2512406 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2447986&cid=t_118704_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F0f-3s7dk4_4%2F Consider a hairy, moist armpit is a “rainforest” of bacteria, but the forearm is a desert. Scientists surveyed the types of micro-organism living on a healthy human skin and found that it’s much more diverse and crowded than originally thought. There’s a common notion that all bacteria on the skin are bad, but that’s not exactly true. Some bacteria are beneficial to us, but what they are and where they thrive on the skin has never been studied before. Enter the “Human Microbiome Project” of the NIH, which was created to find out the roles that bacterial communities play on keeping the skin healthy, and which of them cause diseases. Published on today’s issue of Science, researchers decoded the genes of over 100,000 bacteria from 20 different spots on the skin of 10 indiv... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2447986 Sat, 30 May 2009 11:55:00 +0100 2447986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419319&cid=t_118704_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F283183180%2F (Photo courtesy www.leukemia101.com)  Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center may have discovered a better way to distinguish acute leukemia patients who require aggressive treatment to prevent recurrence from those who need only standard therapy for cure. About 13,300 new cases of AML and 8,200 deaths from the disease are expected this year in the United States. In about half of cases, patients’ leukemia cells have chromosome changes that help doctors determine whether standard therapy will suffice to prevent recurrence, or whether the individual needs aggressive treatment such as a stem-cell transplant or an experimental therapy. The remaining patients have leukemia cells with chromosomes that look normal. Determining the best therapy for these individ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419319 Sun, 04 May 2008 08:26:48 +0100 1419319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1220856&cid=t_118704_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F232766268%2F This study provides the most comprehensive answer yet to the longstanding question of how kinship affects fertility in humans. For example, for women born between 1800 and 1824, those with a mate related at the level of a third cousin had an average of 4.04 children and 9.17 grandchildren, while those related to their mates as eighth cousins or more distantly had 3.34 children and 7.31 grandchildren. For women born in the period 1925-1949 with mates related at the degree of third cousins, the average number of children and grandchildren were 3.27 and 6.64, compared to 2.45 and 4.86 for those with mates who were eighth cousins or more distantly related. The findings hold for every 25-year interval studied, beginning with those born in the year 1800 up to the present day. Because of the stre... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1220856 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:30:19 +0100 1220856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1198005&cid=t_118704_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F228397465%2F   Nature constantly ”shuffles” our genes around in our genome, creating a genetic cocktail of human chromosomes and trying out different changes as it does so.  Some of these changes represent neither a positive nor a negative mutation or a competitive advantage.  One such ’shuffle’ is eye color. Originally we all had brown eyes.  Then about 6-10,000 years ago a genetic mutation in the OCA 2 gene arose causing a ’switch’ which literally switched off our ability to produce brown eyes. The OCA 2 gene codes for the so-called P gene which is involved in the production of melanin, the pigment that gives color to our hair, eyes and skin. The “switch”, which is located in the gene adjacent to OCA2 does not, however, turn off the gene entirely, ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1198005 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:05:29 +0100 1198005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1196726&cid=t_118704_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F227776114%2F   Human chromosomes (grey) capped by telomeres (white) We all know the benefits of regular exercise but scientists now have proof that it can really make you look younger! Telomeres, regions of highly repetitive DNA at the end of a linear chromosome shorten over time.  The shortening of telomeres is strongly correlated with ageing and it is believed that telomeres have a function in the ageing process. Latest research indictates that the rate of shortening of telomeres increases with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. A group of 2,401 white twins was studied by Lynn F. Cherkas, Ph.D., of King’s College London, and colleagues. The team administered questionnaires related to physical activity level, smoking habits, and social and economic factors. Notably, the participants also pro... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1196726 Sat, 02 Feb 2008 10:28:09 +0100 1196726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1119879&cid=t_118704_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F207419585%2F While 2007 saw the publication of new research into the genetics of autism, scientists do not yet know what combination of genes—some 30 to 100 have been pointed to—-are involved. The December 28th New York Times profiles children and their families who are in something of the opposite situation. Through newly available DNA testing, some families—-like those of 14-year-old Samantha Napier and 4-year-old Taygen Lane, and of Noa Ospenson, and of Jackson Dopp—have found out that their children have extremely rare genetic disorders resulting from a minute chromosonal aberration. Samantha and Taygen are among six children with the diagnosis “16p11.2.” Some 100 families have children like Noa who are “22q13.” Jackson, who was given a diagnosis of a... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1119879 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 07:56:56 +0100 1119879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=816834&cid=t_118704_107_f&fid=36045&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbayblab.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Faneuploidy-hampers-yeast-cell.html We recently discussed on the bayblab whether gross chromosomal abnormalities such as aneuploidy, frequently observed in cancer cells, are cause or consequence of tumor formation. A new paper from Torres et al. shows that yeast with extra chromosomes actually grow slower, suggesting that the relationship between aneuploidy and cancer might be a bit more complex (if the phenomenon holds true on human cells). Then again, maybe yeast are just, well...yeast. (Source: Bayblab) Bayblab blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=816834 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 20:32:00 +0100 816834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=793459&cid=t_118704_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F11%2Fbreaking-chromosomes-can-lead-to-cancer-tufts-study-says%2F Filed under: ResearchIn a study recently published in Molecular Cell, two molecular biologists at Tufts have used yeast artificial chromosomes to show that there is a highly flexible DNA sequence that increases fragility and stalls replication, causing the chromosome to break. The site that is prone to breaking lies in the middle of a tumor suppressor gene and breakage is highly associated with cancer.According to Catherine Freudenreich, lead author on the study, "If you delete that gene or delete part of that gene so it doesn't work anymore, that can lead to tumors. The fact that there is fragility in the same region that this gene is located is a bad coincidence."Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Cancer Blog... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=793459 Sat, 11 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 793459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=637971&cid=t_118704_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F25%2Fgenetic-marker-is-linked-to-prostate-cancer%2F Filed under: Prostate CancerBeing susceptible to a particularly aggressive form of prostate cancer could be in your genes, according to this. Scientists have identified a genetic marker called 8q24 that ups your chances of getting prostate cancer or having a family member that will by a significant amount. The presence of the marker can be determined by a blood test, and those with it will have to ensure they're more careful about getting screened for cancer. Furthermore, African American men are more likely to be carriers than those of European ancestry. I've had several family members who've been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and it's scary stuff, boys! Get yourself checked out for the sake of yourself and your loved ones.Read | Permalink | Email this | Li... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=637971 Fri, 25 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 637971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=612019&cid=t_118704_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F14%2Fchildhood-leukemia-cells-pattern-found%2F Filed under: Childhood Cancers, Leukemia, ResearchChildhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is being studied in a way to examine the chromosomes present in the diseased cells. Extra numbers of specific chromosomes are present and can arise according to a predictable pattern. What does this mean? Our chromosomes carry the genes in all cells, which normally have 46 chromosomes. The ALL cells that are being studied can have more than 80 chromosomes. This could help to understand what early events can cause this type of leukemia. The researchers also want to understand why children with ALL that have 51 or more chromosomes generally respond better to treatment than those with 50 or fewer chromosomes. One of the authors of the study, Nyla A. Heerema, professor of pathology, states "The fact ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=612019 Mon, 14 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 612019