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 'general genetics'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:53:31 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2674435&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FDxOYM1EYm0Y%2F Amelia Earhart may have lived more than 110 years ago, but she still holds as much (if not more) appeal when she died as when she was alive. For starters, she was the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and would have made the longest round-the-world flight had she not crashed somewhere in the Pacific. Her remains and that of her airplane were never found, although the skeletons of a tall, Caucasian female, some ound in Gardner Island (now Nikumaroro) in 1940. Unfortunately the skeletons were misplaced years later, and Amelia Earhart’s disappearance stayed unsolved through much of the 20th century. Some believe that Earhart survived the crash and lived on the island. With nothing but that theory, Ric Gillespie and the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2674435 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:03:00 +0100 2674435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2645476&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FSHq0DHhi37g%2F It looks like Proctor & Gamble scientists have just discovered the secret to youthful skin: it’s in 1,500 genes. Using data from the Human Genome Project, P&G scientists identified some 1,500 genes that are responsible for how skin ages. Of those, up to 700 genes control how skin collects and retains moisture. Genomics has key to keeping skin healthy and young. According to an article in the Daily Mail, there are separate ways that skin ages, and each of these are controlled by their own set of genes: Collagen (the protein that gives skin its structure and strength) degrades. Skin loses its ability to keep it hydrated. Fewer skin cells are produced with time. Wrinkles are produced when the skin becomes more inflamed. Age weakens our skin’s natural defense against free-radicals... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2645476 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:01:28 +0100 2645476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2517367&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FNjW4Ac0gbc4%2F I’m so excited about July’s episodes on NOVA ScienceNOW! The series has a great line-up of genetic and other science segments that can hold anyone’s interest. And it’s perfect if you want your kids to get some brain-juice flowing through the summer. So beginning June 30 and every Tuesday night at 9pm ET/PT, NOVA at PBS will feature “Super-Science Tuesdays” with new stories from genetics (!!), technology, science and medicine. Check out a couple of these episodes - June 30 (Tuesday) Episode 1. Remember the anthrax scare after 9-11 that took months to solve? Well now scientists are using genetic “fingerprinting” to trace the source of the strain, and other microbes responsible for epidemics or poisonings. And then, there’s a secret “diamond farm” that engineers arti... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2517367 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:23:10 +0100 2517367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473890&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fiz7BsoGHRsU%2F In this ultra-modern, health-conscious world, one would not have thought this to happen. But the World Health Organization has just declared a swine flu pandemic has begun. WHO declares Swine Flu Global Pandemic, 11 June 2009. Image: Newscom Although the WHO declared the danger as “moderate severity”, the agency stressed that the threat of the H1N1 virus needs to be taken seriously, as “the virus is now unstoppable.” The A(H1N1) virus is a combination of three viruses – human, swine and avian, and that made it particularly dangerous to humans as there is no immunity, nor vaccine (to date), to this strain. UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES As of June11, there are 28,774 people infected by the A(H1N1), and 144 have died. Most of those infected rapidly recovered, and did not need medical treat... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473890 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:11:05 +0100 2473890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442308&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fw9bjwy5bfkw%2F Francis Collins, one of the major players who cracked the genetic code, is in final talks for taking the helm of the National Institutes of Health, reports the Bloomberg News. As director of the National Human Genome Research Institutes (NHGRI) for 15 years, Collins spearheaded efforts to map the human genetic code. With a lot of help from J. Craig Venter at Celera, the project was completed ahead of schedule in 2003, and opened up a plethora of applications and implications for research into our genetic blueprint. Collins resigned from the NHGRI position last year, in his own words, to have “greater latitude than my current position allows to pursue other potential positions of service without encountering any possible conflicts of interest, whether real or perceived." Post from:... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442308 Tue, 26 May 2009 20:18:12 +0100 2442308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2295401&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F9HA-95gyzhk%2F Competition is certainly good for us. One by one, the big league universities in the Boston neighborhood are going OPEN ACCESS. Open access to publications. Image: sxc.hu Open access publishing means that research works can be read (online) and used freely by the public without paying subscription fees to journals and publishers. I know personally how expensive it is to subscribe to just one journal, and the information from abstracts are really so limited that having more open access journals is just good for the science. Last January, the University of California and publication giant Springer agreed to have articles written by UP-affiliated authors to be published immediately and in full, even if the rest of Springer’s articles remain subscription-only. In early February, Harvard Univ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2295401 Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:49:14 +0100 2295401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260153&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FyROCp-aZhY8%2F I got this off Senator John McCain’s Twitter (yes, he now tweets). Over the last few days, the Arizona lawmaker has been tweeting his version of “The Top Porkiest Projects” in the Omnibus spending bill. Here are science/genetics projects that Sen. McCain consider earmarks or pork-barrel: “$819, 000 for catfish genetics research in Alabama” “$1,427,250 for genetic improvements of switchgrass - I thought switchgrass genes were pretty good already, guess I was wrong.” “$1 million for mormon cricket control in Utah - is that the species of cricket or a game played by the brits?” “$650,000 for beaver management in North Carolina and Mississippi” “$250,000 to enhance research on Ice Seal populations” “$209,000 to improve blueberry production and efficiency in GA”... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260153 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:20:00 +0100 2260153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2241055&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FT0ECTFiK06k%2F “… something borrowed, something blue!” Nah, no one is getting married from Genetics and Health. But the quote is apt at describing the changes at this site in the next few weeks. Genetics and Health has been a terrific place to get information on (almost) every topic covered by the fields of genetics, health and medicine. But I am so thrilled about the upbeat direction that the site is headed, because it will reach a wider base of readers, be more reader-friendly and you will love the new look! Genetics can be intimidating (even I feel that way, believe me), and that’s what I want to change. At least I’ll try my best to. So we’ll have a weekly feature that explains genes in simpler terms. We’ll have fun with mini-quizzes and stuff that students can use. I’m interested ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2241055 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:20:53 +0100 2241055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200622&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FM85a_wepspI%2F Would it surprise you to know that American teenagers are interested in science, technology, engineering and math? A survey found that an “overwhelming majority – 85 percent to be exact - of teenagers expressed interest in how things work” in the sciences. The 2009 Lemelson-MIT Innovation Index (LMII) also found that 80 percent felt their schools prepared them for careers in the STEM fields. Unfortunately, that interest does not translate to pursuing higher studies or careers in the sciences. Why? These teenagers don’t know anyone working in the field or have a clue of what the fields are all about. Take home message? Taking a little time to mentor interested teenagers might increase our future crop of scientists someday. In “Help wanted: US teens need science and engineering... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200622 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 06:15:00 +0100 2200622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200624&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FvDJgd9vaGjg%2F Just these past weeks I read about three articles about misconduct of postdoctoral fellows and research scientists. The first was from a UCLA professor who falsified data on cancer treatment research, and used the data for grants and a publication. In 2005, Mai Nguyen was barred from conducting research for three years, but she has since published 10 articles under her married name, and continues to teach at UCLA. The second misconduct came from a UCSF postdoctoral fellow who changed her own data files (36 files!) and changed images from another researcher’s experiments. None of Nima Afshar’s results were published anywhere, and she is nowhere to be found at the time the report came out last week. The latest was from an NIH postdoctoral fellow who changed gel images to get the desire... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200624 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:04:00 +0100 2200624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2121780&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FDOA-DHPXJZM%2F Microorganisms and bacteria living in our intestines help with proper digestion of food by breaking down nutrients and helping our body absorb them better. Although much is known about the function of microorganisms, there is still much to study about the relationship between gut microorganisms and weight.  Scientists are particularly interested in the relationship between the kinds of gut microorganisms and amount of calories harvested from carbohydrates and sugars, as evidence to this could help with weight management. Researchers also want to find out how the various microorganism communities compare in different individuals. A new study appearing online this week found that gut microorganisms are linked with obesity. Researchers found that obese individuals carried more hydrogen-... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2121780 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:40:52 +0100 2121780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2110679&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FzYQTCtPnRjM%2F In the mad scramble to save the US economy with bailouts, tax cuts and recovery plans, it’s good to know that President Elect Barak Obama and the new Congress has recognized the need to invest in and further fund the scientific community. It may not be obvious, but putting money into the sciences has an immediate impact in the economy. Funding creates opportunities for hiring well-paying stable jobs in research and staffing. It allows the institutions to “pay it forward” by granting funds to universities, hospitals and independent research. “Each NIH grant yields seven new jobs and each NIH dollar spent is worth two in economic impact.” That’s why Congress has budgeted over $5.5 billion to go towards the different scientific institutes, including giving the National Institut... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2110679 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 05:18:32 +0100 2110679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2090026&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FtyqENga6kx8%2F Welcome to the new year and the first edition of Genetics and Health for 2009. Let’s get down to business and talk shop. The first genome wide association study of ADHD was published this week. Led by Stephen V. Faraone, the International ADHD Multicenter Genetics (IMAGE) project found one genetic marker (out of 600K) may be association with the ADHD symptoms. As usually is the case, there may other genes involved in ADHD but these have small effects that can not be seen with GWAS, the study suggests. *** “Researchers have identified nine genes that might make people more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.” In the study, genetic differences in about 500 people with Alzheimer’s were compared to 500 people without the disease. Lowered levels of Vitamin D ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2090026 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:23:22 +0100 2090026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2086995&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fzo4bcOvHNoQ%2F With the new administration comes a new NIH Director and the name that has been heard most often is none other than Francis Collins, former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. While with the NHGRI, Collins led the Human Genome Project that has become the foundation for almost every mapping project in the field. He also paved the way to have genetic data become open source and freely available to the wider scientific community. So, is Collins the shoo-in to head the bigger National Institute of Health leadership? When asked, all Collins replied was, “No comment.” What’s your take? Want Collins in or not? Take the poll at Genome Technology. Image: Newscom Tags: francis-collins, human genetics, human-genome-project, national institutes of health, re... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2086995 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:36:36 +0100 2086995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2086996&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FSiEUv3io1ZE%2F I know, right… Seven days late for the New Year’s bash! Where has this blogger been?! Lots of places and lots of events, unfortunately nothing related to blogging. But I’m excited for this new year and everything genetics! Never before has the common world been so open to the possibilities that our field has to offer. Likewise, genetics is in such a unique position to influence a greater aspect of the health decisions of the average person. So, here is a toast to DISCOVERY and APPLICATION. Happy 2009! Share This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2086996 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:05:11 +0100 2086996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027158&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FACC0sxeiOps%2F   A highly cited Nature paper that identified a long-sought receptor critical for mediating plant response to stress is being retracted after researchers were unable to reproduce the results. (The Scientist) The paper in question was the first to identify a receptor for abscicic acid (ABA), which regulates plant stress response. It has been cited some 120 times since its publication in 2006. Scientific experiments are not exact nor always produce results that are set in stone. Even the cleanest and best experiments will find changes in the future as methods and technology improve. But that’s the nature of science. We discover something new and report it, and other scientists test our methods and results. Now I suppose citing the retracted Nature paper is not a real problem unle... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027158 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:02:34 +0100 2027158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996385&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FtjK35aWAcVk%2F The day after Thanksgiving is the most important holiday before Christmas. It’s our signal to start shopping for holiday gifts! But what do you give someone who is crazy about genetics? Well, my friend, you came to the right store, if you need a gift for any of the following reasons: The holidays! What better way to say Merry XX-Mas! (or Merry XY-Mas!) Birthdays and anniversaries, graduate fellowships, employment, promotions, new discoveries, grant approval, postdoctoral work and all the major accomplishments in life! Something for your boss; your boss’ boss; your professor; your department head and all the important people who can sign your papers! Something for your laboratory head, technicians, the statisticians and programmers, and everyone who makes your life easier. Someth... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996385 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:59:49 +0100 1996385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984943&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F_T82znMw86k%2F Thanks for commenting on Genetics and Health. I appreciate each comment that you leave on on this blog and really would want to see a strong community for both health junkies, students and people needing medical/genetic issues/information. For everyone to know they can trust this site to be a clean and welcoming place to get involve, I’m putting together a COMMENT POLICY that I will strictly enforce. I love to know what you think and so welcome your comments, ideas, inquiries and musings. Be respectful of everyone, which includes myself, other people and their/our comments. In this site, we can disagree and talk about our disagreements and dislikes, and I welcome differing opinions. HOWEVER, please do so in a respectful manner. No sexual, lewd, and vulgar comments, references and exple... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984943 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 09:43:03 +0100 1984943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1918042&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fjvux56F3-bg%2F Malnourishment in a pregnant woman has a lasting effect on her child’s DNA. This was the implications of a new study on children born during the famine of World War II. Scientists studied the DNA of children who were born to women starved during the 1944 Hunger Winter in the Netherlands. They analyzed a gene called insulin-like growth factor 2 or IGF2, an important growth hormone. Methyl groups that attach to IGF2 very early in fetal development determine how much of the growth hormone is made later, and protect the DNA from damage. The scientists found that those children (now in their 60s)  who were exposed to famine in the first trimester of pregnancy had lesser methyl groups in the IGF2 gene than their siblings of the same sex. Loss of methylation in IGF2 has previously b... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1918042 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:00:46 +0100 1918042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1918043&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FbKNX86Ir9iw%2F I first learned of this rare recessive disorder mucopolysaccharidosis VI, or MPS VI from the story of 3-year old boy Trey Lane, who suffers from it. Mucopolysaccharidosis VI, or MPS VI is a rare unpredictable disorder resulting from a deficiency of arylsulfatase B, thus preventing the degradation of polysaccharides. The excessive amounts of polysaccharides in the affected person’s body compresses soft tissues and bones and hinders proper growth of the bones. Most affected individuals have short stature, deformed facial structures, stiff joints, and corneal clouding. Featured in the Arizona Central, Trey’s story captured media attention when his doctors told him that his $20,000-per-week treatment didn’t seem to be working (in delaying the progression of the disease). Tr... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1918043 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:09:37 +0100 1918043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1905958&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FAgvRqM1FSok%2F Being diagnosed with a genetic disease, and one that has no cure or treatment, is probably one of most heart-wrenching news ever. To be told that one has Alzheimer’s disease for example, or one is a very high risk or diagnosis of some incurable form of cancer, what does one do? How does one handle it? I read about Christina Applegate’s diagnosis of breast cancer, and her decision to have double mastectomy because of the high risk she carries. She kept it hidden from everyone but the closest family members and her make-up artist. I read of it weeks after her second surgery, and I have to admire her for what she did. She claims to be 100% cancer free after the surgery, and that is cause for a public applaud. Well, new findings at the National Institutes of Health reveal that th... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1905958 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:19:25 +0100 1905958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1889028&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fr8fMfElnjtQ%2F It’s the Sunday edition of Genetics and Health so let’s sum up some of the genetic research and news that came up this week. A grand rounds lecture "Molecular Genetics of Colorectal Cancer" by Vincent Yang presents an overview on the role of genes in colorectal carcinoma, and shares initial findings on a cell cycle modulator gene. The NY Times article, "Man Who Helped Set the Stage for Nobel-Winning Work Has Left Science" profiles Dr. Douglas C. Prasher, the scientist who provided the essential piece of evidence that helped the work of Nobel Price Chemistry winners Roger Y. Tsien and Martin Chalfie. You’ll be surprised to find out Dr. Prasher’s latest employment. A "pleasure" gene is behind an obese person’s insatiable desire t... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1889028 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:22:05 +0100 1889028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1873096&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FtQxVqesiHTY%2F The gene for male-pattern baldness (androgen receptor) has traditionally been linked to the X chromosome which means mom passes it on to her sons. Now, two new independent studies published yesterday at the Nature Genetics identified association between hair loss and chromosome 20. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) for male-pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, identified a new association at chromosome 20p11.22, between the PAX1 and FOXA2 genes, and confirmed a previous association with the gene encoding the androgen receptor in the X. Tim Spector and colleagues found that 1 in 7 men carry both the chromosome X and chromosome 20 variants, and that these men have a 7-fold risk of having pattern baldness. Another independent GWAS found overwhelming evidence for five SNPs on chr... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1873096 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:39:48 +0100 1873096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1865523&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FAGrw2Ka_zVs%2F A new study found that premature ejaculation is not purely psychological. Genetics has a lot to do with it. Scientists from Utrecht University in the Netherlands studied 89 Dutch men who had "primary premature ejaculation", which means they suffered from it from their first sexual contact. They were compared with 92 men who had no such history. In men with premature ejaculation, the serotonin was deficient in the area of the brain that controls ejaculation. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that controls body temperature, sleep, sexual activity, appetite and emotions such as anger, aggression and mood. A common polymorphism (5HTTLPR) within the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene has been shown to influence the amount and activity of serotonin, so the authors postul... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1865523 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:07:03 +0100 1865523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856103&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FatG12awvSBc%2F It’s Monday, and there’s plenty of catching up to do around the world of genetics. This week month - The Broad Institute received an astonishing $400 million endowment from the donors that bear its name. The Institute helped mapped the full complement of the human genes. This record-setting gift will fund genomics research. A melanoma cell line mistakenly identified as breast cancer cell line was used in more than 650 published breast cancer studies. The mistake happened 25 years ago, and could have implications for the cancer studies the cell line was used in. The NIH awarded $138M to 47 scientists for “deep innovation” in genomics proteomics and other molecular biology research efforts. Your genes can map your ancestry to your home country. Joseph Vanden Plas take... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856103 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:08:38 +0100 1856103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1677210&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FRwiET3PhRNw%2F This study provides the most evidence so far for Darwin’s prediction, thanks to the new complete ‘family tree’ for mammals, developed by Imperial biologists last year, and new comprehensive data on the location and make-up of different mammal communities worldwide. The new research focused on communities of three different types of mammals: new world monkeys (including marmosets, tamarins and spider monkeys), possums, and ground squirrels (including marmots, prairie dogs and chipmunks). For further information, click on: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_28-5-2008-10-20-29?newsid=37114 Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com Tags: Ancestry, biodiversity, EvolutionShare This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1677210 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:00:34 +0100 1677210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1502604&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F308131261%2F   Logo by Ricardo at My Biotech Life Gene Genie Genetics Carnival #33  is hosted by Mo from Neurophilosophy.   Mo has a great series of genetics related articles from all the best genetics blogs in the world.  In this edition, there is a strong emphasis on cancer. There’s also a focus on leukodystrophy, and a special section on personalized genetics. Well worth a read! Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com Tags: Blogroll, cancer, Genetics Blogging, genetics carnivals, leukodystrophyShare This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1502604 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:26:20 +0100 1502604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1502605&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F307849037%2F (Image credit: medicineworld.org)  This week b5 media’s Health and Wellness channel is focusing on celebrities health.  Our focus is not on ‘tittle tattle’  and hot gossip about Angelina, Brad or ’Tomkat’ but rather a serious look at health issues that high profile individuals share with all of us.  In the genetics world, our ‘celebrities’ are the likes of Craig Venter and James Watson - pioneering geneticists but basking in the eye of the media. The race to sequence genomes has resulted in some major PR, particularly for Craig and James. 454 is sequencing James Watson’s genome and Craig has announced some of his results in PLoS.  TV star Larry King, cosmologist Stephen Hawking, Google co-founder Larry Page, Microsoft co-founder Paul... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1502605 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:00:52 +0100 1502605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1502607&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F307556419%2F It’s celebrity health week at b5 media’s Health and Wellness channel! We will be taking a look at health issues which not only affect ourselves but also our celebrities.  Often, a celebrity who is suffering from a health related problem can do so much to support the cause and bring disease warning signs to the attention of the public.  Cancer survivors such as international singers Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton-John, cyclist Lance Armstrong and singer Sheryl Crowe have all shared their battles with us, to great effect. Their celebrity status earned through achievements in sports, entertainment, government and the arts brings the spotlight center stage to their anti-cancer message. Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com Tags: cancer, Genetics and Celebrities, kylie, lanc... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1502607 Sun, 08 Jun 2008 21:17:06 +0100 1502607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1501450&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F307526086%2F Enlarged hearts are found often, but not exclusively, in those who are obese, have diabetes or high blood pressure. People with none of these underlying problems can be affected, as can elite athletes.  For example, a post-mortem diagnosed the problem in Cameroon football midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe, who died in 2003 after collapsing during an international match in France. Elite runner Olympic hopeful Ryan Shay died of complications involving an enlarged heart - the very condition that made him a great runner. An international  research team headed up by Imperial College, UK say they have for the first time linked enlarged hearts with a gene, osteoglycin (Ogn). Work carried out on rodents and some 30 humans indicated that Ogn - which has never before been linked with heart function - ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1501450 Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:08:58 +0100 1501450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1488300&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F302899323%2F Kissing bug blood sample being taken from a giraffe (Photo courtesy www.bbc.co.uk)  Wildlife continues to make a revival in medical diagnostics and treatment - leeches are back in favor for blood letting and wound management along with maggots for cleaning wounds.  Now we have blood sucking bugs being used for blood collection. Kissing bugs are being used to collect blood from zoo animals in a pilot project underway at two London zoos.  This method has been used to successfully collect blood samples from a hippo, cheetah, giraffe, elephant and white rhino. The Kissing bug gets its label from silently and painlessly collecting blood from a human victim’s lips and eyelids. The Kissing bug crawls onto the animal and releases a pain-reducing enzyme as they bite and suck the blo... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1488300 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:40:59 +0100 1488300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1482089&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F301738945%2F The Genetics and Health article Genetically Modified Foods - Pros and Cons is a student’s favourite and has provoked huge debate both for and against GM foods.  With the food crisis looming Jeremy Cooke of the BBC News takes a look at whether our negative attitude to GM Foods may be about to change.  Another reference to help your studies, guys! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7426054.stm Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com Tags: Genetically Modified Foods, GM Foods, GMOsShare This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1482089 Sat, 31 May 2008 08:00:45 +0100 1482089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1480725&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F301486131%2F This article reported within the BBC website is fascinating and incredibly rare … An Australian mother has given birth to a healthy  baby daughter who developed in her ovary! The discovery was made during a  routine cesarean operation. Durga - meaning Goddess - was born at 38 weeks weighing 6lb 3oz (2.8 kg). Most ectopic pregnancies end in miscarriage or are terminated early because of the risk to the mother.  Just 1-2% of all pregnancies are ectopic, and in 95% of those cases the egg is fertilised in the fallopian tubes on its way to the uterus.  In 0.5% of cases, including this one, the baby grows inside the ovary itself. The ovary was so paper thin the baby’s head could be seen. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7427907.stm Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1480725 Fri, 30 May 2008 20:49:20 +0100 1480725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478018&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F300502200%2F P52 gene, arrows show locations of common mutations  (Image courtesy www.bioinf.org) Following on from my last article on using gene therapy for increasing survival in head and neck cancer, Professor Jack Roth, M.D., professor in M. D. Anderson’s Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery and colleagues are now focusing on ways to deliver p53 and other tumor-suppressing genes systemically - through intravenous delivery. The p53 gene is inactivated in many types of cancer. Its normal role is to halt the division of a defective cell and then force the cell to kill itself. Advexin has to be injected straight into the tumor, but that’s not workable for many cancers. Head and neck cancer kills patients by recurring, not spreading to other organs, but most cancer deaths in... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478018 Thu, 29 May 2008 11:47:11 +0100 1478018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478019&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F300493803%2F Thank you to Jennifer Texada at MD Anderson for bringing this great cancer treatment discovery to my attention…. (Image courtesy Introgen Therapeutics) A gene therapy invented at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is the first to succeed in a U.S. phase III clinical trial for cancer.  Introgen Therapeutics, Inc a spin out from MD Anderson, reported results of its phase III trial of Advexin, a modified adenovirus that expresses the tumor-suppressing gene p53, for end-stage head and neck cancer. The p53 gene is inactivated in many types of cancer. Its normal role is to halt the division of a defective cell and then force the cell to kill itself. “Cells become cancerous because p53 no longer functions. Restoring p53 works unlike any current cancer treatment bec... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478019 Thu, 29 May 2008 11:32:34 +0100 1478019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1466092&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F297223377%2F (Stem cells, photo credit www.nhnscr.org) How does a stem cell decide what specialized identity to adopt - or simply to remain a stem cell? A new study suggests that the conventional view, which assumes that cells are “instructed” to progress along prescribed signaling pathways, is too simplistic. Instead, it supports the idea that cells differentiate through the collective behavior of multiple genes in a network that ultimately leads to just a few endpoints - just as a marble on a hilltop can travel a nearly infinite number of downward paths, only to arrive in the same valley. A simplistic analogy to a complex pathway, for indepth information, click on … http://www.childrenshospital.org/newsroom/Site1339/mainpageS1339P1sublevel427.html Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsand... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1466092 Sat, 24 May 2008 14:24:16 +0100 1466092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1466093&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F297220505%2F Mutations in a gene called FIGLA cause premature ovarian failure in at least 1% of women who suffer from the disorder, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and Shandong University in China in a report that appears online in the American Journal of Human Genetics. Premature ovarian failure, which means that the ovaries lose function before age 40, not only causes infertility but also bone and heart problems.  Ovarian reserves are important for women’s health. FIGLA is one of four transcription factors found to control the differentiation of egg cells early in development. Transcription factors govern the activity of genes, turning them off and on and modulating the extent to which they are active.  The other genes involved include NOBOX, GDF9 and BMP 15.  Mu... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1466093 Sat, 24 May 2008 13:58:38 +0100 1466093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1466094&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F297231439%2F King Akhenaten (photo credit www.usu.edu)  The feminine features and elongated head of ancient Egypt’s King Akhenaten may be attributed to two genetic defects called aromatose excess syndrome and craniosynostosis, reports Yale School of Medicine dermatology Professor Irwin Braverman, M.D. Akhenaten, a pharaoh during Egypt’s 18th Dynasty credited with starting the practice of worshipping one God, fathered six children. He was often portrayed in sculptures and carvings with a thin neck, elongated head, large buttocks, breasts, and even a prominent belly, suggesting pregnancy. Aromatose excess syndrome can lead to feminine features in men and advanced sexual development in girls. Akhenaten’s daughters are depicted with breasts at age three and seven in some carvings. It ma... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1466094 Sat, 24 May 2008 12:00:08 +0100 1466094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1463842&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F296466518%2F (Image credit www.about.com)  A University of Carolina study monitoring 1200 newborns found that first borns were more likely to carry a gene variant which raised their risk of developing an allergy before the age of 10.  The study suggested that a first born experienced different conditions in the uterus from subsequent siblings. The researchers measured levels of an antibody called Immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the babies’ umbilical cord blood.  This is known to play a key role in the development of allergic responses.   First born babies were more likely to have high levels of IgE, and those that did were also more likely to show signs of an allergic response when they were subsequently tested, using a skin prick test, at the age of four and ten. The researchers also believe the... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1463842 Fri, 23 May 2008 10:22:01 +0100 1463842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1461013&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F295886713%2F (Photo credit: www.dailymail.co.uk)  The Academy for Medical Sciences at Cambridge University in their recent report “Brain science, addiction and drugs” have said that drugs for diseases such as Alzheimer’s were being used by healthy people to boost alertness and memory, including students sitting their exams. The AMS said in the future, regulation may have to be introduced to stop these treatments and future ones from giving people an unfair advantage in examinations and tests. Professor Sir Gabriel Horn, a Cambridge neurosciences expert said “We see similarities in the future use of cognition enhancers with the current use of performance enhancing drugs in sport.” But he added brain science technology also held the key to more effective addiction and men... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1461013 Thu, 22 May 2008 15:10:10 +0100 1461013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1458590&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F295120769%2F  (Tasmanian Tiger - photo credit www.bbc.co.uk/news) Using transgenic mice, Australian and American researchers have shown that they can “resurrect” a snippet of DNA from the genome of an extinct animal — the Tasmanian tiger — and test its biological function in a living animal.   The last Tasmanian Tiger died in an Australian zoo in 1936 having been hunted to extinction. Dr Andrew Pask, of the Department of Zoology at Melbourne University, who led the research, said it was the first time that DNA from an extinct species had been used to carry out a function in a living organism. “As more and more species of animals become extinct, we are continuing to lose critical knowledge of gene function and its potential,” he said.  “Up until now we have only been able t... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1458590 Wed, 21 May 2008 15:33:05 +0100 1458590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1458591&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F294436566%2F (Carbon nanotube picture credit: www.bbc.co.uk/news) Carbon nanotubes - the epitome of the nanotechnology industry - have been found to trigger diseases similar to asbestos in research undertaken on mice including lesions and inflammation.  Use of asbestos triggered a pandemic of lung disease in the 20th Century. These tiny carbon molecules have remarkable properties that could be used for advanced electronics and materials including medical diagnostics.  They are already known to be incorporated into products such as tennis rackets, bicycle handlebars and baseball bats, where they are used because of their strength and light weight. In a series of experiments, researchers injected different lengths of multi-walled nanotubes - which comprise two to 50 concentric cylinders - into the abd... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1458591 Tue, 20 May 2008 17:59:33 +0100 1458591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1451853&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F293059418%2F (Photo credit: Destiny Pharma www.destinypharma.com)  Researchers at UK’s Destiny Pharma believe they have developed a drug which can destroy the most virulent strains of MRSA.  They are testing the drug code named XF-73 in the hope it can be used in hospitals by 2011. Study results of the new drug, which is applied as a gel into patients’ noses, showed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) did not develop resistance to the compound despite being exposed to it 55 times. Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com Tags: cgenomics, drug therapy, MRSA, pharmaoShare This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1451853 Sun, 18 May 2008 21:34:34 +0100 1451853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1451854&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F293059422%2F Different types of skin cancer (Photo credit: http://melanoma.blogsome.com/category/skin-image-processing) University of Minnesota researchers looking to answer the question ‘why does ultraviolet light induce skin cancer?’ believe they have found how sun-induced skin cancer starts.  They found the cancer starts in receptor molecules or molecular “hooks” on the outer surface of cells that also pull cannabinoid compounds found in marijuana out of the bloodstream. These receptor molecules are protein structures that are components of a cell’s outer membrane. They act like receiving docks and catch specific compounds from the blood and enable the cells to engulf or  interact with the compounds. The researchers found that two receptors for cannabinoids also ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1451854 Sun, 18 May 2008 21:34:01 +0100 1451854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1451855&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F293059424%2F (Photo credit: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/PhotoGallery/Primates/7.cfm ) Scientists have long wondered why early primates inhabited forest canopies, given that climbing appears to consume more energy than walking. However Duke University researchers studying primates walking on treadmills found that there was no energy consumption difference in small primates. This suggests that ancestors of humans, apes and monkeys may have taken to the trees because of their small body size to exploit a new environment giving them an evolutionary advantage compared to fellow mammals. Early primates, which would have been about the size of large rats, then underwent a number of evolutionary changes as they adapted to their new environment. These changes included nails rather than claws and graspin... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1451855 Sun, 18 May 2008 21:33:35 +0100 1451855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1451856&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F293052814%2F Cambridge University researchers have identified a small molecule that appears to play a major role in making our body clocks tick.  Studies in mice have shown cAMP - a common signalling molecule - is involved in keeping the body clock “rhythms” going (circadian rhythms). The body’s internal clock is a highly sensitive mechanism able to anticipate changes in the environment and regulate a host of body functions, from sleep patterns to metabolism and behaviour. Disruption of these circadian rhythms have been shown to be linked with insomnia, depression, heart disease, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. At the beginning of the circadian day, genes are switched on which then produce proteins which in turn go on to switch off the same genes at the end of the day. The... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1451856 Sun, 18 May 2008 21:32:58 +0100 1451856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1451858&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F293017649%2F A team from The University of Alabama (UAB) have found that among billions of HIV variants only a few lead to sexual transmission. George M. Shaw Professor in the UAB departments of Medicine and Microbiology and senior author on the report, said the research sheds new light on potential vulnerabilities in the virus at a time when science, medicine and society are still reeling from the failure of a major HIV vaccine clinical trial. “We can now identify unambiguously those viruses that are responsible for sexual transmission of HIV-1. For the first time we can see clearly the face of the enemy. …Our findings allow us to identify not only the transmitted virus, but also viruses that evolve from it.” The study was performed by sequencing many copies of the HIV envelope gene... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1451858 Sun, 18 May 2008 20:09:17 +0100 1451858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1432547&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F286346111%2F   Which? magazine in the UK swabbed their Head Office computer keyboards and the results, with horror, revealed some computer keyboards had dangerously high levels of bacteria normally associated with a toilet.  In summary, 4 of the keyboards were so infested with germs they posed a health hazard that could give someone a bad stomach upset; two of them had “warning” levels of staphylococcus aureus, and one had 150 times the safe limit of bacteria, and was 5 times dirtier than the toilet seat. The main cause of a germ-ridden keyboard is eating lunch at your desk, because bits of food that get into the keys are ideal breeding ground for millions of bacteria.  The second cause is using the keyboard without washing your hands after going to the toilet or rest room, and a third c... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1432547 Thu, 08 May 2008 21:05:50 +0100 1432547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1432548&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F286339795%2F Researchers have found marked genetic differences between brains of men who committed suicide and the brains of men who did not. Of those individuals studied, all had been victims of child abuse. Even though the genetic sequence was the same in the suicide and non-suicide brains, researchers at the McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, led by Moshe Szyfa, discovered that epigenetic markings were different. That is, the researchers noted a chemical coating on genes that was influenced by environmental factors. In this unique study, the DNA of male suicide victims from Quebec was analysed. The 13 people who committed suicide all had been victims of child abuse. “It’s possible the changes in epigenetic markers were caused by the exposure to childhood abuse, although in humans it&#... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1432548 Thu, 08 May 2008 20:54:43 +0100 1432548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1426503&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F285268125%2F   Scientists and policy developers at the Translating ELSI, Ethical Legal Social Implications of Human Genetics Research conference have been mulling over the myriad of ethical arguments over testing and storing our kids’ DNA. The biggest driver for the advancement of genetic testing is the ‘early detection improves outcomes’ argument and if an individual is found to be at risk of a particular disease then life-long surveillance is a remedy. However, consider the scenario that you’ve just discovered that your 9 year old daughter has a risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer and your 6 year son is at risk of early-onset Alzheimer’s.  Where do you go for advice? What can you do? Another unique consideration is what happens to the biobank samples in... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1426503 Wed, 07 May 2008 10:15:58 +0100 1426503 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1426504&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F285259938%2F Following my recent article on ethical guidelines for informed consent in genomic studies, a group of scientists met at the Translating ESLI conference in Cleveland to debate this whole ethical argument. This issue is particularly critical for genome-wide association studies and in establishing and using large biobanks. It was universally acknowledged that consent forms are difficult to read for participants who do not have reading skills beyond middle school or high school, for example. As a result, these paticipants may be unaware of what exactly the research could mean to them. Laura Beskow, a researcher at Duke University’s Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy worked with the Association of American Medical Colleges to start a working group on informed consent issues and what ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1426504 Wed, 07 May 2008 09:57:34 +0100 1426504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1426505&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F285248002%2F (Image source:  www.livingwithcfs.wordpress.com)  Researchers from St George’s Hospital, University of London have identified a biological basis for 7 different genetic types of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). The St George’s study looked at 55 patients from the US and UK with the condition, and carried out a genetic analysis of them and 75 healthy blood donors. It identified the seven distinct subtypes of CFS/ME identified by a specific genetic pattern.  These were linked to specific symptoms. 1. Type one had the worst anxiety and depression levels, along with poor sleep and high pain levels, 2. Type two was characterised by significant post-exercise fatigue and joint and muscle pains, 3. Type three was the mildest form of the disease, 3. Type four is linked to moderate l... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1426505 Wed, 07 May 2008 09:36:10 +0100 1426505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423268&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F284178834%2F   Scientists from Imperial College London and other international institutions have discovered a gene sequence that is associated with a 2cm expansion in waist circumference, a 2kg gain in weight, and a tendency to become resistant to insulin, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. The sequence is found in 50% of the UK population. The study shows that the sequence is a third more common in those with Indian Asian than in those with European ancestry. This could provide a possible genetic explanation for the particularly high levels of obesity and insulin resistance in Indian Asians, who make up 25% of the world’s population, but who are expected to account for 40% of global cardiovascular disease by 2020. The new gene sequence sits close to a gene called MC4R (Melancortin-4 Receptor... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423268 Mon, 05 May 2008 20:40:22 +0100 1423268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419314&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F283215732%2F (Image courtesy of Ricardo Vidal at My Biotech Life)  Many thanks to Razib at Gene Expression for hosting Gene Genie#30, the carnival of genetics blogs. Click on the following link to get a great summary on all that is happening in the genetics blog word.  There are some great articles, including some from G&H. http://scienceblogs.com/gnxp/2008/04/gene_genie_30.php Here are links to all the previous Gene Genie Carnivals. Issue #1: Scienceroll Issue #2: Sciencesque Issue #3: Genetics and Health Issue #4: Sandwalk Issue #5: Neurophilosophy Issue #6: Scienceroll Issue #7: Gene Sherpa Issue #8: Eye on DNA Issue #9: DNA Direct Talk Issue #10: Genomicron Issue #11: Med Journal Watch Issue #12: My Biotech Life Issue #13: The Genetic Genealogist Issue #14: MicrobiologyBytes Issue #15: Can... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419314 Sun, 04 May 2008 09:55:15 +0100 1419314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419315&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F283206704%2F GNA  (Source: John Chaput, University of Arizona) Nanotechnology researchers are continually on the lookout for new building blocks to push innovation and discovery to scales much smaller than the tiniest speck of dust.  At present DNA nanotechnology researchers are basically limited by what they can buy off the shelf. In the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, researchers led by John Chaput, are building synthetic molecules that assemble like DNA, but have additional properties not found in natural DNA.  It’s called GNA. In the case of GNA, the sugar is the only difference with DNA. The five carbon sugar commonly found in DNA, called deoxyribose, is substituted by glycerol, which contains just three carbon atoms. In nature, many molecules important to life like DNA ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419315 Sun, 04 May 2008 09:34:06 +0100 1419315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419316&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F283201430%2F   Osteoporosis  (Image source: www.soylabs.com)  An extensive genome-wide search has been undertaken to find the genes linked to osteoporosis and fracture. Five regions of interest have been identified that appear to warrant further scientific investigation. The Garvan Institute for Medical Research collaborated with the Icelandic genetics company, deCode, in a project that looked at 1500 women from Garvan’s Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study as well as more than 12,000 women from Iceland and Denmark. The collaborative study examined more than 300,000 such markers and found 12 that were linked to bone mineral density and 6 linked to fragility fractures. Some of these SNPs are close to genes that are already known to be associated with osteoporosis. The next step will be identi... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419316 Sun, 04 May 2008 09:18:35 +0100 1419316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419317&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F283198125%2F (Photo source: www.female-alopecia.com) Until now, Female Hair Loss has been difficult to predict and diagnose. That changes with today’s announcement that HairDX, LLC pioneers of consumer-friendly genetic tests for hair loss, has introduced a screening test using genetic markers strongly associated with Female Hair Loss (Female Androgenetic Alopecia). The easy to understand test, which costs US$149, provides an accurate and understandable genetic analysis of a woman’s likelihood of developing this common type of hair loss. “Helping women assess their risk for Female Hair Loss early in the course of their hair loss enables them to learn about potential treatment options and how they may prevent further hair loss,”says Dr. Sharon Keene, Chief Medical Officer for H... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419317 Sun, 04 May 2008 09:05:46 +0100 1419317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419318&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F283191869%2F A nationwide team of researchers, funded in part by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has produced the first sequence-based map of large-scale structural variation across the human genome. Recently created maps such as the HapMap have catalogued the patterns of small-scale variations in the genome that involve single DNA letters, or bases.  A sequence-based map provides much finer resolution and location information. Researchers constructed the structural variation map by partially sequencing the genomes of eight people: four people of African descent, two of Asian descent and two of European descent. Sequence data were collected from each end of roughly 1 million random small pieces of DNA from each individual’s ge... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419318 Sun, 04 May 2008 08:52:50 +0100 1419318 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419319&cid=t_183945_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=1392532&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F275796141%2F (Photo: Breast cancer cell , courtesy www.hopeforcancer.com) Scientists believe they have identified a gene that may be able to limit the growth of breast cancer tumors. The US National Cancer Institute, led by geneticist Kent Hunter found in tests on mice that tumors containing the bromodomain 4  or Brd4 gene ended up 10 times smaller than ones that did not. In typically growing cells, Brd4 is a nuclear protein that’s associated with chromatin. It apparently influences DNA replication and cell cycle progression. Because of its previously identified physical interaction with an invasiveness-suppressing GTPase activating protein called Sipa1, Hunter and his colleagues decided to delve into Brd4’s role in breast cancer. The team then carried out research into 1,240 patients, split bet... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1392532 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:09:35 +0100 1392532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1389058&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F275242077%2F   KQED Public Broadcasting in San Francisco recently did a radio story about the UC San Francisco Canine Behavioral Genetics Project run in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania. The aims of the project are: 1. To explore the relationship between genes and behavior, both normal and abnormal, in domestic dogs. 2. To assess the amount and nature of genetic diversity in domestic dogs, both within and between breeds.  Melanie Chang of the CBG project Anyone wishing to send in their dog’s DNA can visit the site: http://www.k9behavioralgenetics.com/  Dog DNA samples waiting to be processed at the CBG project  However, it is often said dogs and their owners resemble each other. Now, researchers within this project are looking for those connections on a whole new level. ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1389058 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:12:24 +0100 1389058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1389059&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F275234763%2F (Courtesy www.earthbeatradio.org) April 22, 2008 is Earth Day in many parts of the world although some celebrate it on Spring Solstice Day.  A day for collective reflection and action to protect our precious planet.  Rather than blog on a ‘green’ topic, I have decided to have a philosphical moment on Genetics and Health and have reproduced the poem written by the founder of Earth Day, John McConnell. It is a poignant reminder that Mother Nature will take her revenge to restore balance and harmony on our Earth. HOIST THE SAILS! By John McConnell Four billion years ago Our lonely Earth Set sail on cosmic seas Guided by an unseen hand Of nature, God or chance. As life evolved Through endless eco-cycles Man was born, destined To destroy or enrich the Precious Ship. And no... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1389059 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:00:14 +0100 1389059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1389060&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F274677767%2F Charles Darwin Following my recent article about Darwin’s 150th Anniversary, the first draft of his book, “The Origin of Species” which changed the world’s attitude to evolution is available for the first time online.  Papers which led to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution were previously only available to scholars at Cambridge University’s library. This release makes his private papers, mountains of notes, experiments and research behind his world-changing publications available to the world for free. The online archive about Charles Darwin is so vast it would take someone two months to view it all if they downloaded one image per minute! Here’s the link…. http://darwin-online.org.uk/ Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com Tags: ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1389060 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:45:53 +0100 1389060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386858&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F274265211%2F Saturn’s moon Titan - three different views Courtesy NASA Titan, one of Saturn’s moons is like a genetic twin to Earth.  It enjoys many of the geological features of the Earth - volcanism, tectonics, erosion, deposition and atmosphere.  The rivers flowing across these plains are formed of a hydrocarbon soup with methane as its main ingredient. However the one main difference is that it is so cold so most of the water is solid. The true nature of this once mysterious world is now finally emerging, courtesy largely of the Cassini-Huygens mission, a joint US-European venture, which deposited a landing craft on Titan, and continues to send back data and pictures of Saturn, its rings and its 60-odd moons. The data coming back from the mission shows that on Titan it rains metha... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386858 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:07:21 +0100 1386858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386859&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F274260212%2F  Drosophila flies I just loved this article along with accompanying videos appearing in the BBC news website. Scientists have managed to give genetically modified fruit flies a sex-change just from a pulse of light to group of 2,000 brain cells responsible for directing courtship displays. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7350403.stm Oh that it was so easy in humans! Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com Tags: , Drosophila, Genes, Genetic adaptationsShare This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386859 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:49:29 +0100 1386859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386860&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F274254273%2F Dr Leonid Ponomarenko shows off a device with the transistor embedded (Photo courtesy of BBC News) Dr Kostya Novoselov and Professor Andre Geim from The School of Physics and Astronomy at The University of Manchester have built the world’s smallest transistor - one atom thick and 10 atoms wide - out of a material that could one day replace silicon. The transistor, essentially an on/off switch, has been made using graphene, a two-dimensional material first discovered only four years ago. Graphene is a single layer of graphite, which is found in the humble pencil. The transistor is the key building block of microchips and the basis for almost all electronics. Graphene has been hailed as a super material because it has many potential applications. It is a flat molecule, with only the th... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386860 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:37:53 +0100 1386860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386861&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F274240044%2F   MRI of a migraine Migraine is the most common cause of episodic headache, and by far the most common neurological cause of a doctor’s visit. It affects some 15% of the world’s population. Researchers from Helsinki University, Finland and the Sanger Institute, UK were able for the first time to convincingly demonstrate a genomic locus to be linked to migraine susceptibility in two diverse populations - 1700 patients from 210 Finnish and Australian families. This is especially interesting as Finnish and Australian populations are genetically distant.  It also tied together previous research, resulting in very robust evidence for pinpointing the susceptibility region. Researchers identified one gene locus on chromosome 10q23, which showed significant evidence of genetic l... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386861 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:05:46 +0100 1386861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1369701&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F269835053%2F   The Washington Post featured a series of thought-provoking articles in ‘The Science Century’ section of the newspaper.  Here are some of my favourites: The Post’s Joel Achenbach writes about how “the most important things happening in the world today…[will] be happening in laboratories — out of sight, inscrutable and unhyped until the very moment when they change life as we know it.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/11/AR2008041103328.html Ronald M. Green, the author of “Babies by Design: The Ethics of Genetic Choice,” asks, “Why should we think that the human genome is a once-and-for-all-finished, untamperable product? All of the biblically derived faiths permit human beings to improve on nature us... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1369701 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:56:29 +0100 1369701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1367939&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F268841505%2F G&H’s INTERVIEW WITH NAVIGENICS Navigenics approached Genetics and Health for an interview. With so much written about similar genomics companies such as 23andme, Knome, deCODE genetics, I was intrigued to learn more about this company.  In particular, Navigenics appears to be the only company within this industry genre who provides a comprehensive wellness model – a healthcare model that Opaldia, the genetic screening and health surveillance company I founded, endorsed whole-heartedly.  I interviewed Navigenics’ Medical Director Dr Michael A Nierenberg MD, clinical professor of medicine, emeritus at Stanford University to find out what makes Navigenics stand out amongst its competition.  He was most candid in his responses and the company has been open and transparent in ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1367939 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:00:08 +0100 1367939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1366717&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F268355754%2F Concluding G&H’s exclusive interview with Navigenics’ Medical Director Dr Michael Nierenberg, we explore the challenges faced by Navigenics to integrate its genomic services into mainstream medicine …  When founding my old company Opaldia, probably the single most challenging aspect of early adoption of genetic testing was physician barriers.  Mostly this was borne out of a genuine lack of understanding about the field of genetics but also concerns that testing was too much in its infancy and tests had not been subject to rigorous clinical evaluation.  Time and again the phrase ‘not undergone prospective trials’ was used as a defense against bringing genetic testing into mainstream medical practice.  I was interested to learn how Navigenics proposed to ove... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1366717 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:00:29 +0100 1366717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1366718&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F268294755%2F Continuing G&H’s exclusive interview with Navigenics’ Medical Director Dr Michael Nierenberg, we explore the whole issue of privacy, insurance, GINA and ethics….. One of the main consumer concerns is that of privacy of information, both in terms that a genetic test has been undertaken but also that the results of the test are kept private and out of the public domain.  At the time of writing, the controversial GINA (Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act) is being passed by the US Senate which will enable genetic testing information to be kept private and not be used to discriminate against an individual, particularly by the insurance industry.  The insurance industry is understandable against the Bill.  Dr Nierenberg. Navigenics’ Medical Director, ad... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1366718 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:00:40 +0100 1366718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1363748&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F267683420%2F In this fifth article in the series of articles originating from G&H’s exclusive interview with Navigenics’ Medical Director, Dr Michael Nierenberg, we explore the contentious issue of whole genomic testing. Navigenics uses Affymetrix’s gene chip which is able to test around 1 million genetic markers.  However Navigenics has initially focused on 18 specific, treatable diseases which form the foundation of its designated SNP panel.  This panel will expand over time.    I asked the question of what happened to a member’s DNA – whether it was disposed of or stored.  Dr Nierenberg explained that a member’s DNA was stored in anticipation of future advances in understanding how genes and the environment interact in disease development.   “As part of a member’... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1363748 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:43:10 +0100 1363748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1363749&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F267691582%2F In this fourth in the series of articles originating from G&H’s exlusive interview with Navigenics’ Medical Director Dr Michael Nierenberg, we look at the whole issue of low penetrance versus high penetrance gene testing.  SNPs are known as ‘low penetrance genes’ where it will only sometimes produce the symptom or trait with which it has been associated at a detectable level. In this case of low penetrance it is difficult to distinguish environmental from genetic factors.    Whereas ‘high penetrance genes’ such as the breast cancer genes BRCA 1 and 2 are those where the trait will almost always be shown by the individual carrying the faulty gene. In this case a BRCA 1 and 2 carrier will have over an 80% chance of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer in thei... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1363749 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:00:12 +0100 1363749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1360649&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F266938902%2F In this third article originating from G&H’s exclusive interview with Navigenics’ Medical Director, Dr Michael Nierenberg, we explore the whole issue of SNP testing and how SNPs can be used in disease risk assessment. Navigenics has focused on around 100 of the most definitive research papers on SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) that have been most strongly associated with 18 particular diseases such as breast cancer, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease.  The company has built an algorithm (mathematical computer program) that estimates the risk of a healthy person developing a disease if their genome has the relevant SNP.  The company has spent immense time and financial resources on engaging its panel of scientific and clinical experts to analyze the many hun... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1360649 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:32:39 +0100 1360649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1360650&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F266931371%2F This second article originating from G&H’s exclusive interview with Navigenics’ Medical Director Dr Michael Nierenberg takes a look at the service you will receive if you subscribe to Navigenics’ genomic wellness service. The Navigenics service  When you sign up to the Navigenics service you effectively enrol as a member and not as a patient or customer.   For US$2,500 you subscribe to an annual package which includes a genomic scan to identify your lifetime risk (compared to an average American male or female) of developing 18 core, treatable diseases such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s and type II diabetes.  Included in the package is on-line and telephone support from experienced genetic counselors who will hand-hold you throughout the process and be availab... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1360650 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:00:27 +0100 1360650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1354046&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F265642773%2F This is the first article originating from G&H’s exclusive interview with Navigenics’ Medical Director Dr Michael Nierenberg.  We take a look at the company and who is behind Navigenics. The much anticipated launch!  April 8th, 2008 Navigenics Inc launches its genomics service In New York.  It has branded its service as “Navigenics Health Compass”.   In its launch literature the company writes: “Navigenics aims to transform medicine from a ‘sick care’ model of ‘wait and see’ to the emergence of early risk detection.  It aims to empower individuals with opportunity and knowledge and to take preventative steps and a hands on approach to their family’s health and wellness”  Navigenics – a veritable who’s who in genetics and business  Navigeni... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1354046 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:00:15 +0100 1354046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1354048&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F265136581%2F  (Courtesy: BSIP VEM/Science Photo Library)  Researchers from the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University are suggesting some companies are using misleading claims to push tests that have limited clinical validation — something they say may ultimately hurt the pharmacogenetics field.  They recommend that this type of testing needs more oversight and are calling for more regulation of the pharmacogenetic testing industry.  For example, they noted, the US Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate most laboratory-developed tests, though clinical laboratories are certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA). In particular, they focused on tests for genetic variants in CYP450 genes. These genes code for enzymes involved in the metabolism... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1354048 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:19:34 +0100 1354048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1352096&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F264565356%2F   Scientists from Helicos BioSciences, Ohio University, and Stanford University have published a paper in Science describing the first single-molecule sequencing of a whole genome. The researchers used a single-molecule sequencing, sequencing-by-synthesis method, developed by Helicos, to sequence the roughly 7,000-nucleotide genome of the M13 virus.  In the company’s version of single-molecule sequencing, an approach first proposed in the late 1980s, nucleic acid templates that are created by digesting genomic DNA are hybridized to primers that are covalently anchored in random positions on a proprietary glass cover slip in a flow cell. Then, a polymerase and labeled DNA bases are added, one nucleotide at a time. After they are incorporated into a complementary strand, these lab... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1352096 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 13:03:22 +0100 1352096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1352097&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F264492856%2F Phylogenetics tree of the HIV and SIV viruses (Wikipedia) The HIV/AIDS epidemic in London in the 1990s was spread quickly and in clusters of groups of men having sex with each other within a relatively short period of time. Collecting cluster data in the traditional way by interviewing infected men has proved challenging, particularly when tracing the network of sexual partners. Instead phylogenetics was used to examine the level of genetic relation between the viruses obtained by different individuals. Collecting genetic data on HIV in individual patients is a part of determining an effective treatment regimen, so the Edinburgh University scientists were able to compare the sequences of genes in HIV from over 2,000 patients, largely men who have sex with men, who attended a large HI... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1352097 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:45:29 +0100 1352097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1349623&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F264009127%2F A research team comprising scientists from MD Anderson, Johns Hopkins University and the Insitutute for Cancer Research and the University of Cambridge, UK have identified two inherited genetic variations (SNPs) on chromosome 15 associated with increased risk of lung cancer for smokers and former smokers. Individuals who have ever smoked and who have one or two copies of either of these SNPs have increased risks ranging from 28% to 81% of developing lung cancer. The findings are a major step forward in identifying those at high risk for non-small cell lung cancer and for understanding how smoking and genetic factors interact to cause the disease. The team’s findings might also provide support for a growing body of evidence suggesting that nicotine, long known as the prime addictive c... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1349623 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:18:29 +0100 1349623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1349624&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F263545811%2F Icelandic company deCode Genetics has announced it has signed a Letter of Intent to offer its genetic testing products to US Preventative Medicine customers. US Preventative Medicine is a Dallas based company. The company has developed a suite of prevention, early detection and chronic condition management products and services that improve health outcomes while reducing health care costs.  It’s products are as follows: “The signing of the letter of intent with DeCode is significant because we will be the first entity in the US and internationally to offer a full continuum of geographically dispersed, comprehensive solutions for personalized medicine,” Christopher Fey, chairman and CEO of US Preventive Medicine, said in a statement. Elaine Warburton www.geneticsandhealth.com Ta... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1349624 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:24:25 +0100 1349624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1349625&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F263534364%2F   (Courtesy of WAMU 88.5 FM American University Radio, Washington, USA) This is a really interesting radio clip from The Diana Rehm Show on WAMU radio on the whole issue of personal genetics. http://wamu.org/programs/dr/08/04/01.php#20091 and click on either the real audio or windows media buttons “A growing number of people are turning to personalized genetic testing to learn about possible predisposition to some diseases, inherited behavioral traits, and clues to their family heritage. We’ll talk about what these tests can tell us and some of the new questions they raise.” Guests Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute Beth Peshkin, senior genetics counselor, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Cen... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1349625 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:59:28 +0100 1349625 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1329089&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F258610466%2F As readers of Genetics and Health know, I am vocal in my support of providing patients with a wealth of education, information and advice before, during and after they undergo a genetic test. With this in mind, Navigenics is a company I have had my eye on for some-while.  The company offers a comprehensive SNP based genetic risk assessment screen but has placed great emphasis on the ‘preventative health, wellness and ongoing support’ aspect for its customers and members. Navigenics kindly agreed to be interviewed on all aspects of the company’s service, its philosophy and also provided comment on the various ethical and scientific debates that are currently raging around the whole subject of genetic testing. Watch this space! …. Elaine Warburton  www.g... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1329089 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:07:44 +0100 1329089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1329090&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F258598373%2F It’s been quite a month for genetics and ethics!  There has been much commentary on GINA (Genetic Information Non discrimination Act) and now an influential academic group have developed an ethical framework of recommendations to encourage individuals to join whole-genome association studies. According to a large group of genomics scholars, researchers, ethicists, and policy designers and watchers, in order to live up to its potential, whole-genome research in the future should be built upon some ETHICAL foundation that will give people the confidence and trust they will need in order to become volunteers. The group of experts published a statement of consensus this week in PLoS Biology that is intended to serve as practical guidance for scientists involved in whole-genome assoc... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1329090 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:41:00 +0100 1329090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1329091&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F258598375%2F (Picture courtesy of BBC News) Scientists have discovered the oldest human remains in western Europe. A jawbone and teeth discovered at the famous Atapuerca site in northern Spain have been dated between 1.1 and 1.2 million years old. Scientists also found stone tools and animal bones with tell-tale cut marks from butchering by humans. Its small size suggests it could have belonged to a female. The finds provide further evidence for the great antiquity of human occupation on the continent, the researchers write in the journal Nature. Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com Tags: Ancestry, Evolution, Human fossil, Origin of lifeShare This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1329091 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:40:35 +0100 1329091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1329093&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F258561327%2F Following my article on GINA (Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act), the influential doctors’ group, the American College of Physicians (ACP), wants the GINA to become law. The ACP does not directly address the concerns of employers or health insurance companies, but sides with the GINA supporters on individual rights to insurance protections. The ACP agrees that insurance providers should not be able to use an individual’s genetic information to deny or limit health coverage or establish eligibility, enrolment, or to set requirements. In addition, ACP said insurers should be prohibited from setting different premium rates based on an individual’s genetic information. ACP also said it should be illegal for employers and insurers to require individuals or their families to ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1329093 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:20:31 +0100 1329093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1314161&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F254276298%2F Following my recent article titled “Genetic testing - ‘recreational genomics’ or the future of diagnostics”, I queried why doctors were finding it challenging to provide their patients with adequate information on genetic testing and I questioned whether there should be increased availability of training courses to help support doctors. On cue, a report published in JAMA concludes just that … although doctors know quite a bit about genomic medicine, it is still not being integrated into their clinical practice.  The report also argues that genomic medicine should be a part of the risk assessment and treatment of common chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. In this systematic review, Dr Maren T. Scheuner, M.D., M.... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1314161 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:13:21 +0100 1314161 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1314162&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F254259683%2F   Many gene studies focus on WHICH genes cause a person’s risk of developing a disease (forward genetics) but few focus on HOW those genes can lead to disease.  Researchers at Merck and Co, deCODE genetics and academic centres in the US and France have focused on the latter and shed light on the complexity of common disease causes where multiple genetic changes are involved (functional genetics). Two studies analysed DNA variations, patterns of gene expression in disease tissue, and clinical data on a large scale to identify which gene networks linked to metabolic disorders (a range of symptoms that are thought to cause obesity, diabetes and atherosclerosis or heart disease). The first study on mouse livers looked at finding genes that might be linked to obesity, diabetes and h... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1314162 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:37:22 +0100 1314162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1311105&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F253626281%2F In January, The New England Journal of Medicine published an article criticizing the popularization of genetic testing by companies such as 23andme, deCode, Navigenics and Knome who doctors believe are introducing genetic testing prematurely into a commercial setting and confusing public and medics alike.  The authors of this article coined the phrase ‘recreational genomics’ for this type of testing. While all of these companies claim that their tests should not be used as the basis for medical decisions, some physicians are concerned that customers for these tests will nevertheless begin seeking medical direction based on their results.  Doctors have been unprepared for the genetic advice they need to give their patients.  The British Medical Journal has also publi... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1311105 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:16:53 +0100 1311105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1311106&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F253626282%2F   I’ve known UK diagnostics company Lab-21 for some years now. My previous company Opaldia and Lab-21 effectively ‘grew up’ together.  Amgen Limited UK and Lab21 have announced their partnership to introduce a new genetic therapy test for advanced bowel cancer treatment. Under the terms of the agreement, Lab21 will provide a screening test to indicate which patients are likely to benefit from Amgen’s new drug for advanced bowel cancer Vectibix® (panitumumab). It is the first time that the European Commission (EU) has licensed a bowel cancer product with the stipulation that a predictive test should be carried out.  This is the start of companion diagnostics. The term companion diagnostic tests is used to describe diagnostic or prognostic tools that are spec... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1311106 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:16:33 +0100 1311106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1300351&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F250676426%2F Peripheral artery disease image showing ‘furring up’ of arteries  Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) can affect the arteries, the veins or the lymph vessels. The most common and important type of PVD is peripheral artery disease, which affects about 8 million Americans.  It becomes more common as a person gets older, and by age 65, about 12 to 20 % of the population has it. Diagnosis is critical, as people with peripheral artery disease have a four to five times higher risk of heart attack or stroke.  Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) results from fatty deposits (plaque) that build up in the arteries outside the heart (peripheral arteries); mainly the arteries supplying the legs and feet. This buildup narrows or blocks a person’s arteries and reduces the amount of... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1300351 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:21:13 +0100 1300351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1292281&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F249086618%2F ‘Clover structure’ of Transfer RNA  Transfer RNA (tRNA) is ancient. It is the most direct intermediary between genes and proteins. Like many other RNAs (ribonucleic acids), tRNA aids in translating genes into the chains of amino acids that make up proteins. The fact that tRNA is so central to the task of building proteins probably means that it has been around for a long time. Professor Gustavo Caetano-Anollés and Feng-Jie Sung of Univeristy of Illinois-Urbana Champaigne had a hunch that understanding the structural properties of tRNA would shed light on how organisms and viruses evolved. All tRNAs assemble themselves into a shape that, if flattened, resembles a cloverleaf. The team began by looking for patterns in this cloverleaf structure, using detailed data from hundreds... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1292281 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:35:57 +0100 1292281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1289304&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F248324387%2F   (Image courtesy of www.ustc.edu.cn)  Latest news from the GenomeWeb: “The Beijing Genomics Institute at Shenzhen announced that it is launching an International Giant Panda Genome Project. Scientists at BGI-Shenzhen plan to sequence a panda to be selected from the Chengdu and Wolong breeding centers using high-throughput sequencing technology. They hope to have a draft genome sequence assembled within six months. The giant panda genome is roughly the same size as the human genome and contains some 20,000 to 30,000 genes. The project is intended to provide new insights into panda ecology and evolution. This could shed light on the panda’s history, migration, and relationships to other animals, as well as information about panda fitness and diseases that may help protect the end... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1289304 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:25:35 +0100 1289304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1288420&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F247923715%2F   Galileo’s tomb  Over 360 years ago Galileo died living as a recluse in Italy, a convicted heretic.  His crime - he fell foul of the religious authorities of the day by arguing that the Earth revolved around the sun and not vice versa.  His theory was subsequently found to be perfectly true. Italian researchers, led by Prof Paulo Galluzzi, want to exhume his body from the city’s Basilica of the Holy Cross, for DNA tests to find the cause of the blindness that afflicted him. They also want to confirm, through DNA profiling, whether the body that shares his grave is that of Galileo’s beloved daughter, Sister Marie Celeste. The rector of the basilica is having none of it - describing the plan as disrespectful.  The debate continues. Elaine Warburton  www.geneti... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1288420 Sat, 08 Mar 2008 14:46:55 +0100 1288420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1286269&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F247295111%2F A broadly supported piece of legislation drafted to protect Americans from genetic discrimination in the workplace and by health insurance companies has passed in the US House of Representatives. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) passed in the House provides for equity of health insurance coverage for mental disorders and substance abuse-related disorders. “Given that most mental health diseases are genetically linked, GINA is natural addition” to the mental health bill, Rep. Louise Slaughter said in a statement. For a wealth of advice, information and latest mental health developments, do visit Alicia at Mental Health Notes Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com Tags: , Genetic Ethics, Genetic legislation, Genetic Testing, Genetics and the Law, House of Repres... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1286269 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 10:08:17 +0100 1286269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1283499&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F246756730%2F (Image courtesy of CIMA http://www.cima.es/areas1_neuro/areas1_neuro_english.html)  Data from one of the first genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which focused on Parkinson’s diseases and was funded in part by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), is now being made available to researchers through the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), both of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NHGRI hopes to speed up research by making previously unavailable GWAS data sets publicly available to the research community. The study, conducted by researchers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in collaboration with scientists at Perlegen Sciences, Inc., in Mountain View, Calif., was the ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1283499 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:48:23 +0100 1283499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1280781&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F246066611%2F   (The Smiling Faces of Boddhastavas, Cambodia) Ever the eternal optimist, here’s a piece of research which I can really relate to … Psychologists at the University of Edinburgh working with researchers at Queensland Institute for Medical Research in Australia found that happiness is partly determined by personality traits and that both personality and happiness are largely hereditary. Rating personalities with the ‘Five factor model’ the researchers found that people who do not excessively worry, and who are sociable and conscientious tend to be happier. The findings suggest that those lucky enough to have the right inherited personality mix have an ‘affective reserve’ of happiness which can be called upon in stressful times or in times of recovery... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1280781 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:14:17 +0100 1280781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1277915&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F245527067%2F   Geneticist Craig Venter has announced that he is creating a life form that feeds on climate-ruining carbon dioxide to produce fuel.  He disclosed his potentially world-changing “fourth-generation fuel” project at an elite Technology, Entertainment and Design conference in California. Among the audience were Al Gore and Google co-founder Larry Page. Biofuel alternatives to oil are third-generation. The next step, Venter says, is to re-engineer existing life forms that feed on CO2 and give off fuel such as methane gas as waste.  Simple organisms can be genetically re-engineered to produce vaccines or octane-based fuels as waste. Venter’s team is using synthetic chromosomes to modify organisms that already exist, not making new life.  The limiting part of the equati... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1277915 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:08:05 +0100 1277915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1274884&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F244918533%2F (Photo credit: Flu viruses among cilia - National Geographic magazine http://www.nationalgeographic.com/) US scientists have discovered a possible reason why the flu virus is seasonal and tends to infect people mostly in the winter. It has a jacket that melts in the summer causing the virus to die off, and stays hard in the winter, until it enters a host where it melts and gets to work. The discovery could lead to new ways to prevent and treat the flu. Neuroscientist Joshua Zimmerberg and colleagues, based at the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics (LCMB) in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), in Bethesda, Maryland have used Magnetic Resonance Imaging to examine the outer structure of the flu virus and other respiratory viruses.  The coats are... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1274884 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:51:27 +0100 1274884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1271848&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F244491116%2F HIV-2 Virus. Reference: http://www.csend.hu/magazin/0102/hiv2.jpg A team of researchers at the University of Alberta has discovered a gene that is able to block HIV, and in turn prevent the onset of AIDS.  Stephen Barr, a molecular virologist in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, says his team has identified a gene called TRIM22 that can block HIV infection in a cell culture by preventing the assembly of the virus. Stephen Barr (Courtesy of University of Alberta, Canada) Barr says “interestingly, when we prevent cells from turning on TRIM22, the normal interferon response (a natural defense produced by our cells to fight infection by viruses such as HIV) is useless at blocking HIV infection. This means TRIM22 is an essential part of our body’s ability to ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1271848 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:21:40 +0100 1271848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1271849&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F244491117%2F Further to my various articles on our ancestry, differences in gene expression levels between people of European versus African ancestry appear to affect how each group responds to certain drugs or fights off specific infections, report researchers from the University of Chicago Medical Center and the Expression Research Laboratory at Affymetrix Inc. of Santa Clara, CA. The researchers used lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from blood from 180 healthy individuals. They studied 60 nuclear families, including mother, father and child. Thirty of the families were Caucasians from Utah and 30 were Yorubans from Ibadan, Nigeria. Mainly focusing on cancer treatments, the researcher sought to understand why different populations experienced different degrees of toxicity when taking certain drugs... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1271849 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:21:21 +0100 1271849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1271850&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F244491118%2F All amino acids are “left handed” (Image courtesy of www.answersingenesis.com)  Scientists have long known that most compounds in living things exist in mirror-image forms. The two forms are like hands; one is a mirror reflection of the other. They are different, cannot be superimposed, yet identical in their parts. When scientists synthesize these molecules in the laboratory, half of a sample turns out to be “left-handed” and the other half “right-handed.” But amino acids, which are the building blocks of terrestrial proteins, are all “left-handed,” while the sugars of DNA and RNA are “right-handed”. Years ago Arizona State University’s Sandra Pizzarello and professor emeritus John Cronin analyzed amino acids from the Mur... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1271850 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:21:01 +0100 1271850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1271851&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F244485503%2F The Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists and others have revealed for the first time the electronic structure of single DNA molecules.  In their work, the researchers were able to decode the electronic structure of DNA and to understand how the electrons distribute into the various parts of the double helix, a result that has been pursued by scientists for many years, but was previously hindered by technical problems. The knowledge that has been acquired in this project may also be relevant for current attempts to develop new sophisticated, reliable, faster and cheaper ways to decode the sequence of human DNA. Finding the electronic structure of DNA was made possible by a collaboration between experimental and theoretical scientists who worked with long and homogeneous DNA molecules ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1271851 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:19:49 +0100 1271851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1271852&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F244466668%2F  (Courtesy Daniel P Urban DDS)  More than 12,000 people were interviewed in their homes and questioned about snoring. It is estimated that about 40% of adult males and 24% of adult females are habitual snorers.  For several years now, scientists have been aware of a relationship between snoring and cardiovascular disease.  However a team of Hungarian scientists interviewed 12,000 patients to assess any correlation. The research discovered that compared to the rest of the population, loud snorers had a 34% increased risk of having a heart attack, and a 67% greater chance of suffering a stroke. The researchers say that loud snoring with breathing pauses could be used to help identify people at risk from these diseases. The data also highlighted the fact that people who snore quietly ha... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1271852 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:27:20 +0100 1271852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1258220&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F241652652%2F   It is universally accepted that genetic testing is here to stay and will play a major role in health management.  Common sense dictates that it is good health management to understand what diseases an individual is susceptible to, so that steps can be taken, by that individual, if they so wish, to minimize the chance of developing a particular disease or diseases.  Genetic testing, although in its infancy, will eventually be robust enough to provide those answers. DNA testing best practice requires test results to be clearly explained to patients by a suitably qualified specialist, more often than not a genetic counselor.  If a patient is at risk of a particular disease then best practice dictates that the individual should be offered a health screening program to detect any a... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1258220 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:07:51 +0100 1258220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252846&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F240340912%2F   A Wellcome Trust study published in the journal Brain reports that a computer algorithm designed to diagnose Alzheimer’s from brain scans proved more accurate than the current standard — blood tests, family interviews, and clinicians looking at the brain scan themselves. The experiments were conducted by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuro-imaging at University College London.  Automated bio-imaging correctly diagnosed Alzheimer’s in 96% cases compared with 85% for standard testing. The method involves teaching a standard computer the difference between brain scans from patients with proven Alzheimer’s disease (a condition caused by the build-up of plaques and tangles of tissue in the brain) and people with no signs of the disease at all. The two... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252846 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:02:11 +0100 1252846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252847&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F240340913%2F   Leon Kass served as chairman of the bioethics council charged with advising US President George W. Bush on many “hot” bioscience issues such as stem cell research and cloning. Noted for his frankness and pretty much misogynistic ideals, once you cut through all this, his arguments do make some sense.  For example: “There’s a large cultural bias toward progress, a belief that innovation is good innovation. …  I’m inclined to a more classically tragic view in the sense that all the good comes with some bad.” AND “In the biomedical area, the people who are bringing you all the novelties occupy the moral high ground. They are human­itarians. They are interested in curing disease, ending suffering, extending life. If anybody says, “L... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252847 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:59:59 +0100 1252847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252848&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F240340915%2F This study was based on the analysis of more than 500,000 SNPs and nearly 400 copy number variants — sections of DNA that are repeated or duplicated in the genome — for 485 individuals. These samples, representing individuals from 29 different populations around the world, were obtained as part of the Human Genome Diversity Project. The results suggest East Africans are the most genetically diverse, while Native American genomes exhibit the lowest genetic diversity. Middle Eastern, Asian, and European populations, on the other hand, fall somewhere in between.  By following this decline in diversity, the Michigan team was able to retrace global human migration patterns. Consistent with previous archaeological date, language studies, and smaller genetic studies of mitochondrial DNA or a... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252848 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:59:34 +0100 1252848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252849&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F240332692%2F Molecular structure of Aspartame  I recently wrote an article on my first hand research experience on the potential carcinogenicity of Aspartame - the artificial sweetener used in thousands of everyday products, particularly diet products. It was titled “Aspartame is safe … really!” One of www.geneticsandhealth.com readers  author Carol Guilford sent me the following interesting link to a piece of research on aspartame carried out by scientist Victoria Inness-Brown.  I cannot comment on the science behind Victoria’s study as I have not investigated it.  However, the results are quite thought provoking. Here is the quoted introduction to Victoria’s research by Carol, followed by the link to Victoria’s results: “In any such study of even a few hun... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252849 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:59:12 +0100 1252849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252850&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F240296501%2F Family Tree DNA advises it is now offering DNA Traits a personal genomics service that specializes in DNA testing for specific diseases. This company offers individual tests, group tests, and even a membership plan, all for relatively cheap prices compared to the other companies offering genome-wide SNP scans. The difference between them and their competitors, they claim, is that the patient has to meet with a genetic counselor before he or she can directly access resulting data. Sorry, not a new service - Opaldia has been doing this for a number of years.  Opaldia’s difference is that customers also meet with a Consultant Specialist as well as a Genetic Counselor.  Also, if genetic variations are discovered and a customer’s risk of developing a disease is increased, a cu... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252850 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:40:55 +0100 1252850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252647&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F240280964%2F Hi everyone! Even the best of companies have IT problems and b5 media the group which www.geneticsandhealth.com is part of, is no exception.  An upgrade provided an array of glitches  and server crashes so I took the opportunity of having some time out. Spent quality time with the kids on their short school vacation, fine tuned the details on the sale of my company Opaldia, worked on the launch of my new biotech company (details on a later blog), oh  … and made strong representations to the UK’s Home Office to stop my favourite South African Headmaster and Headmistress from being deported because of a monumental admin error by said Government. …. all in a week’s work for a working Mom!! Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com Share This (Source: Genetics ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252647 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 08:43:05 +0100 1252647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1236972&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F236050921%2F   Our early human ancestors originated from a hot, humid climate where natural selection focused on dispersing heat.  As humans migrated to colder climates there would have been evolutionary pressure to adapt to their new settings by boosting the processes that produce and retain heat. Genes involved in energy metabolism are therefore likely to be central to heat and cold tolerance.  Researchers from the Dept of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, USA tested this theory by genotyping 873 tag SNPs in these ‘cold tolerance’ genes in 54 worldwide populations and found a correlation with climatic variations. Among the results were strongest signals from several SNPs, that had previously been associated with body evolution directly related to cold tolerance. One, a lept... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1236972 Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:52:32 +0100 1236972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1234657&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F235535689%2F   Genetic material has been analyzed from members of a large Swiss family, the majority of whom suffered from auto-somal dominant juvenile cataract.  From the DNA, researchers at ETH Zurich and the University Zurich identified the chromosomal location and exact molecular defect in the coding region of the gene responsible for the type of childhood cataract. Until now, no human disease could be associated with this gene. The corresponding protein arising from the gene belongs to a family of monocarboxylate transporters which move small molecules across cell membranes. Surprisingly, this genetic defect may also lead to the condition of renal glucosuria, a kidney defect which results in elevated levels of glucose in the urine, but not in blood. The researchers suspect that this genetic... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1234657 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:47:34 +0100 1234657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1231880&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F234947374%2F   Valentine’s Day  - the special day we get loved up and girls get the flowers, chocolates and meals out that we crave for the remaining 364 days of the year!! When you smokers reach out for that post-intimacy ciggie, best check out your genes to make sure it won’t be your last puff. New evidence emerges from the Heart Research Follow-up Program at the University of Rochester Medical Center, that a common defect in the gene CETP (cholesteryl ester transfer protein) significantly increases a smoker’s risk of an early heart attack. CETP is a protein found in all people that controls cholesterol metabolism.  Researchers say that as much as 60 to 70 percent of the population has this gene defect. Smokers with a common form of this gene are likely to suffer a heart attack... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1231880 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:11:43 +0100 1231880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1230371&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F234590176%2F   First there was Knome at $350,000 per genome sequenced, then HeliScope announced the $70K genome and now Visigen Biotechnologies have announced they have the capability of delivering the holy grail … the $1,000 genome … and by 2010. Have a look at how they propose to achieve this. http://visigenbio.com/technology_movie_streaming.html Visigen Biotechnologies quote: “The technology platform detects the interaction between a fluorescently-tagged polymerase and a fluorescently modified nucleotide. Polymerase is modified with a fluorescent donor molecule and immobilized on a glass slide.  Each nucleotide is color coded with an acceptor fluorescent moiety. During the extension reaction, when a nucleotide is incorporated into the growing polymer, energy transfers from the po... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1230371 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:46:14 +0100 1230371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1225355&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F233728772%2F   ‘Junk DNA’ could hold the key to the evolution of complex organisms . Vertebrates, animals that possess a backbone, are the most anatomically and genetically complex of all organisms, but explaining how they achieved this complexity has perplexed scientists since the conception of evolutionary theory. A study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,USA, claims to have solved this scientific riddle by analysing the genomics of primitive living fishes such as sharks and lampreys and their spineless relatives, such as the sea squirts. Alysha Heimberg of Dartmouth College, UK and her colleagues showed that microRNAs, a class of tiny molecules only recently discovered residing within what has usually been considered ‘junk DNA’, are hugely dive... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1225355 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:49:03 +0100 1225355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1223720&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F233376367%2F    Prostate cancer (Picture courtesy of BBC) UK scientists have found seven new sites in the human genome that are linked to men’s risk of developing prostate cancer.   Dr Ros Eales and Prof Doug Easton  from The Institute of Cancer Research and University of Cambridge respectively, found one gene called MSMB which could possibly be used in screening for prostate cancer and disease monitoring. Another of the sites harbors a gene called LMTK2 which might be a target for new treatments. The data suggests these newly identified genetic alterations are present in over half of all prostate cancer cases. They each increase a person’s risk of the disease by up to 60 per cent. The findings, in summary are: - The five new genetic regions found are on human chromosomes 3, 6, 7, 10, ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1223720 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:52:48 +0100 1223720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1221291&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F232777790%2F   12th February is the 150th birthday of Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882) whose theory of evolution titled ‘The Origin of Species’ still holds relatively firm in this modern age. Today, Darwin’s groundbreaking work on the origin of species forms the basis of modern evolutionary biology and is at the heart of biomedical research. Evolution happens every day, and it affects every species including us. Elaine Warburton   www.geneticsandhealth.com Share This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1221291 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:01:45 +0100 1221291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1220856&cid=t_183945_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=1215316&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F230864224%2F   Researcher Ali S. Khashan of the University of Manchester, England and colleagues  report that women who undergo an extremely stressful event during the first three months of pregnancy have an increased risk of having children who develop schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a disabling condition associated with abnormal brain structure and function, and it is believed to begin in early brain development. Risk of the condition is influenced by susceptibility genes that can interact with environmental factors that occur during pregnancy.   The researchers’ data was drawn from 1.38 million Danish births occurring between 1973 and 1995. A national registry linked mothers to close family members, and the registry identified if mothers had experienced stressful events during pregnancy ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1215316 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 09:36:16 +0100 1215316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1215317&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F230852878%2F Apologies to all readers for not being able to get into www.geneticsandhealth.com on 6th February 2008, the b5 media server was down all day and night. Keep smiling! Elaine Warburton Share This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1215317 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 09:08:46 +0100 1215317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1207463&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F229720416%2F   Scientists from Newcastle University, UK led by Professor Patrick Chinnery, have created an embryo with three separate parents.  The team believe the technique could help to eradicate a whole class of hereditary diseases, including some forms of epilepsy and ensure women with genetic defects do not pass the diseases on to their children. Ten severely deformed embryos, left over from traditional fertility treatment were created using DNA from a man and two women in lab tests. Within hours of their creation, the nucleus, containing DNA from the mother and father, was removed from the embryo, and implanted into a donor egg whose DNA had been largely removed. The only genetic information remaining from the donor egg was the tiny bit that controls production of mitochondria - around 16,0... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1207463 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:29:56 +0100 1207463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1199989&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F229042901%2F  Human Papilloma Virus  Further to my article on UK school girls being vaccinated against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), there is mounting evidence that the HPV immunization program should be extended to males. HPV is known to cause cervical cancer in women, and there are vaccination programs in many countries to immunize girls and young women against the strains of HPV that are thought to cause over 70 per cent of cervical cancers, for which there are 12,000 new cases and nearly 4,000 deaths in the US alone every year. Previous research has already shown there is a risk of a range of genital and oral cancers in men also resulting from HPV infection, but as yet there are no immunization programs for men against HPV.   A  study by researchers at John Hopkins University in the US su... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1199989 Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:22:57 +0100 1199989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1198005&cid=t_183945_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_183945_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=1194805&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F227299755%2F   Scientists from deCODE genetics have reported the discovery of two common, single-letter variants in the sequence of the human genome (SNPs) that regulate one of the principle motors of evolution. Versions of the two SNPs, located on chromosome 4p16, have a genome-wide impact on the rate of recombination - the reshuffling of the genome that occurs in the formation of eggs and sperm. Recombination is largely responsible for generating human diversity, the novel configurations of the genome that enable each species to adapt and evolve in an ever-changing environment. Yet remarkably, the versions of the SNPs that increase recombination in men decrease it in women, and vice versa. The deCODE team identified the SNPs through a genome-wide analysis of more than 300,000 SNPs in approximately ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1194805 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:27:51 +0100 1194805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1191406&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F226602104%2F   Most gems, such as diamonds, rubies and sapphires, are crystalline inorganic and inert materials. Within each crystal structure, the atoms have precise locations, which give each material its unique properties. Diamond’s renowned hardness and refractive properties are due to its structure — the precise location of its carbon atoms. Using just one kind of nanoparticle (gold), North West University researchers built two common but very different crystalline structures by merely changing one thing — the strands of synthesized DNA attached to the tiny gold spheres. A different DNA sequence in the strand resulted in the formation of a different crystal. DNA becomes the blueprint, contractor and construction worker to build a three-dimensional structure out of gold, a lif... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1191406 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:33:05 +0100 1191406 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1188637&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F225814260%2F Herpes simplex virusThere’s a high probability that people who are prone to herpes simplex virus (HSV) outbreaks can inherit that susceptibility through their genes, University of Utah researchers report in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Researchers have identified a region on the long arm of human chromosome 21 with high odds - at least 1,000-to-1 - of being linked to cold sore susceptibility. The researchers further say they pinpointed six specific genes in that chromosomal region as candidates for making people prone to outbreaks of cold sores (also called “fever blisters”). Cold sores occur when the herpes virus reactivates from its quiescent state within the nerve, infecting the lip, nose, or face. Discovery of the probable link could lead to the development of ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1188637 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:04:12 +0100 1188637 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1182837&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F224514644%2F   New research has shown evidence that genes have the ability to recognize similarities in each other from a distance, without any proteins or other biological molecules aiding the process. This discovery could explain how similar genes find each other and group together in order to perform key processes involved in the evolution of species. According to new research from Imperial College, UK published this week in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B, this ability to seek each other out could be the key to how genes identify one another and align with each other in order to begin the process of ‘homologous recombination’ - whereby two double-helix DNA molecules come together, break open, swap a section of genetic information, and then close themselves up again. Recombination i... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1182837 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:48:14 +0100 1182837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1180117&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F223954408%2F   I am a life-long sufferer of tinnitus but I consider myself to be one of the very lucky few.  Mine developed as a child and I adapted to it from a young age.  Although the noises, buzzing and whistling can be so loud I can’t hear people talking close up, it rarely, if ever, bothers me.  This is unlike my husband who, after years of hockey umpiring developed tinnitus from one too many player whistle reprimands and has caused him immense challenges ever since.  There is currently no cure. I recently came across this article on the BBC website: “Researchers at Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cambridge,UK  have discovered that lidocaine, the most commonly used anesthetic in the world, turns down the sound in two thirds of sufferers for roughly five minutes. Whilst the drug i... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1180117 Sun, 27 Jan 2008 11:49:57 +0100 1180117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1180118&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F223935213%2F Micrograph images of synthetic Mycoplasma genitalium  J Craig Venter and his team at the J Craig Venter Institute Rockville, Md. Venter continue to expand our horizons of what constitutes life.  They have built, from scratch, a synthetic chromosome containing all the genetic material needed to produce a primitive bacterium - this is considered a giant step toward the creation of artificial life. The feat is described in an online edition of the journal Science.  A team led by Dr. Hamilton Smith, director of the Venter Institute’s Synthetic Biology Group, has manufactured from laboratory chemicals a ring of DNA containing all the genes of Mycoplasma genitalium - the tiniest bacteria ever found. That means the team is incredibly close to creating an artificial form of life that... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1180118 Sun, 27 Jan 2008 10:52:47 +0100 1180118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173243&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F221584214%2F Much has been written about Genetically Modified (GM) foods in Genetics and Health and many readers have made some perceptive and well argued cases for and against the introduction of GM foods into the food chain as seen in the article Genetically Modified Foods - pros and cons.  Here is a further piece of research making the case for the introduction of GM Foods. A University of Queensland, Australia study ( UQ PhD ) recommends Australian states should not ban commercial production of genetically modified (GM) plants and food as the risks are alarmist and exaggerated. The study found the benefits of GM plants and food outweighed the risks, finding no compelling evidence of harm to humans from GM plants.  GM plants have been trialled in most states with South Australia, Tasmania and We... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173243 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:29:52 +0100 1173243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1169775&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F221543268%2F   Depression affects enormous numbers of people from across the world. One in four of us will suffer from it at some point in our lives; one in ten will in the next year, and about one in twenty of us is living with the condition right now. A new book, recently published, suggests depression may have persisted and evolved as an effective response to life challenges and could still represent a potentially successful strategy in today’s modern world.  Although depression is unpleasant and sometimes unbearable, it can have some long term benefits both for individuals and possibly for us as a species. In his new book “How Sadness Survived” Dr Paul Keedwell, a specialist in depression at the section of Neuroscience and Emotion, Institute of Psychiatry, London, proposes that... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1169775 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:00:21 +0100 1169775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1166414&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F220393932%2F   Fellow science blogger Pharyngula has blogged this but I just have to show Genetics and Health readers this wonderful video showing dolphins’ version of home entertainment! Elaine Warburton Share This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1166414 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:22:28 +0100 1166414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1163242&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F220008105%2F Embryonic stem cell  A study of twin four year old girls has identified a rogue cell as a culprit in childhood leukemia. Both twins were found to have the “pre-leukemic” cells in their bone marrow, although, to date, only one has developed leukemia. Researchers found they both have “pre-leukemic stem cells” containing a mutated gene, which forms when the DNA is broken and rejoined at another point. The pre-leukemic cells are transferred from one twin to the other in the womb through their shared blood supply. UK researchers reported in Science that a second genetic mutation is needed for full-blown disease to develop. One twin developed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, possibly developing the second mutation after an infection, when she was two-year’s old - bu... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1163242 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:53:16 +0100 1163242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1163243&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F219819179%2F (Merkel Skin Cancer - courtesy of DermIS, www.dermis.net) US researchers have recently discovered a new virus they believe may be linked to a rare but extremely lethal type of skin cancer. Merkel cell carcinoma mostly afflicts the elderly and people with weaker immune systems, including AIDS and transplant patients. The newly discovered virus belongs to the polyoma family, which scientists have studied for more than 50 years because other members of the family have been found to produce cancers in animals. Although polyoma viruses have been suspected of causing human cancers, conclusive proof has been lacking. Merkel cancer cases have tripled over the past 20 years to about 1,500 a year, and about half the patients with advanced stages of the cancer live only nine months. Two-thirds die wi... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1163243 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 12:01:35 +0100 1163243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1155896&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F217557075%2F                                 Caenorhabditis elegans (C.elegans) I’m sure like all of you with young kids, I don’t get enough sleep. I don’t need much naturally but an extra hour or so here and there would be great!  The roundworm C. elegans, a staple of laboratory research, may be key in unlocking one of the central biological mysteries: why do we sleep? Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine report in this week’s advanced online edition of Nature that the round worm has a sleep-like state, joining most of the animal kingdom in displaying this physiology. This research has implications for explaining the evolution and purpose of sleep and sleep-like states in animals. In addition, genetic work associated ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1155896 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:26:06 +0100 1155896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1152548&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F217135443%2F              In evolutionary terms bats and mice are separated by millions of years. An MD Anderson team led by Dr Richard Behringer successfully switched the mouse Prx1 gene regulatory element with the Prx1 gene regulatory region from a bat - the resulting transgenic mice displayed abnormally long forelimbs. While forelimb length is just one of several key morphological changes that occurred during the evolution of the bat wing, this unprecedented finding demonstrates that evolution can be driven by changes in the patterns of gene expression, rather than solely by changes in the genes, themselves. Dr. Behringer describes the significance of his finding as such: “Darwin suggested that “successive slight modifications” would ultimately result in the evolution ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1152548 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:24:42 +0100 1152548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1152549&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F217125517%2F   Common genetic variants linked to arthritis may also play a role in human height, a new study reports, published on-line in Nature Genetics. The international study co-led by the University of Michigan observed a connection between decreased height and increased risk of osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. Researchers speculate that both extremes of height may be associated with osteoarthritis for different reasons. Shorter bones and/or less cartilage may render the joints more susceptible to damage, while longer bones may produce greater levels of damaging stress on the joints. Many genes are involved in height but very few in osteoarthritis. The genomes of more than 35,000 people were examined and the researchers initially examined the effects of more than 2 million gene... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1152549 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:04:21 +0100 1152549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1152550&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F217109816%2F   The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a test that helps in assessing the risk of tumor recurrence and long-term survival for patients with relatively high-risk breast cancer. The TOP2A FISH pharmDx is the first approved device to test for the TOP2A (topoisomerase 2 alpha) gene in cancer patients. The TOP2A gene plays a role in DNA replication. Changes in the TOP2A gene in breast cancer cells mean there is an increased likelihood that the tumor will recur or that long-term survival will be decreased. The test is suitable for breast cancer patients who are premenopausal or for whom tumor characteristics, such as tumor size or lymph node involvement, suggest a higher likelihood of tumor recurrence or decreased survival. The FDA reviewed evidence that the test, manufa... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1152550 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:31:36 +0100 1152550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146423&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F215419191%2F A Cambridge University study has confirmed (what we all know deep down) that if you exercise regularly, drink in moderation, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and don’t smoke you have a chance of adding another 14 years to your lifespan.  The findings held true irrespective of how high an individual’s BMI (Body Mass Index) was or how poor they were. A group of 20,000 individuals from 45 to 79 and a range of social backgrounds were monitored over a ten year period.  At the time none was aware of having cancer or heart disease.  The individual’s were scored on whether they didn’t smoke (1 point), drank in moderation - 1 to 7 glasses of wine per week (1 point), weren’t inactive (1 point) and ate at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day (1 point). The ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146423 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 08:29:37 +0100 1146423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146424&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F215415157%2F Grace at Kids Health Notes and Kristina at Autism Vox have both written about the gene CNTNAP2 being unequivocally implicated in Type 1 Autism. In her article CNTNAP2, an autism susceptibility gene which I highly recommend,  Kristina writes a personal account of her ongoing experience with her son Charlie’s autism and discusses the recent research findings. Do read Grace’s article titled CNTNAP2 ‘unequivocally implicated’ in Type 1 autism which summarizes the three main pieces of research appearing in the American Journal of Genetics. For the scientists: Contactin Associated Protein-Like 2 is also known as CDFE; NRXN4; CASPR2; DKFZp781D1846. This gene encodes a member of the neurexin family which functions in the vertebrate nervous system as cell adhesion molecule... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146424 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 08:28:43 +0100 1146424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1143476&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F214887698%2F   Differences in spatial learning and memory (our ability to record and recall information about our environment) are common between men and women. It has been shown that men consistently outperform women on tasks requiring navigation (how often are us women told we’re useless at map reading!) and discovering hidden objects; whereas women are more successful at tests which require them to remember where those objects lie in a particular space (”where are my …?” is a cry I hear almost daily from my boys!). In a new study published in the journal Hippocampus, Dr Qazi Rahman, from Queen Mary’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences used virtual reality scenarios to investigate if spatial learning and memory in humans can be linked to sexual orientation. This is... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1143476 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:50:15 +0100 1143476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1143477&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F214874377%2F Over the last month I have written articles on the rapid advances in genome sequencing (Knowme) and SNP analyses (23andme and deCodeme), all of which are truly awesome.   So when Helicos Biosciences announced it is on track to ship its first next generation sequencing unit called the HeliScope, very soon, it came as no surprise. However …. what blew me away was that they have the capability of sequencing a genome for around $72,000 bringing the $1,000 sequence (considered the ‘Holy Grail’ for sequencing), many steps closer.   HeliScope (TM) Single Molecule Sequencer Helicos President and COO Steve Lombardi  announced at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference that the HeliScope can do whole-genome sequencing at 10x coverage in eight weeks at a cost of $72,000. He also ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1143477 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:20:25 +0100 1143477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1140975&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F214269236%2F My colleague Kristina at Autism Vox has written a great article about the genetic basis of Autism.  Research has indicated that either a deletion or a duplication of a section of chromosome 16 seems to contribute strongly to susceptibility to autism. I highly recommend you click on the following link to read more: http://www.autismvox.com/like-father-like-son/ Elaine Warburton Share This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1140975 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:23:37 +0100 1140975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1140976&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F214260818%2F    Pilgrim Fathers landing in US (Courtesy Mary Evans Online) I came across this very interesting article in Clinical Gatroenterology and Hepatology. Researchers from the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at The University of Utah, led by Dr Deborah Neklason, believe they may have found that a mutation of a gene carried by many Americans alive today can be traced to a common ancestor. This gene is probably responsible for a significant percentage of colorectal cancers in the US. The ancestors are a married couple who came over to the US from England in 1630. The Utah family investigated by Neklason and colleagues comprised 7,000 members spanning 9 generations. Their records were in the Utah Population Database (UPDB) a public research resource held at HIC. The data helped the researchers... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1140976 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:01:59 +0100 1140976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1140977&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F214245847%2F   Breast awareness and regular checking are important in early detection of breast cancer Further to my articles on the BRCA breast cancer genes, an American and Danish study has found the risk of developing cancer amongst carriers of the BRCA1 and 2 breast cancer gene mutations varies greatly.  The risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers has been examined in many studies, but relatively little attention has been paid to the degree to which the risk may vary among carriers.  This knowledge of risk is important when deciding cancer treatment and prevention. The study lead Dr Colin Begg of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York genotyped 2,098 women for mutations in BRCA1 and 2 genes.  The women were participants in the Women’s Environmental Cancer an... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1140977 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:26:35 +0100 1140977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1139820&cid=t_183945_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F213841647%2F   As a Mom who nearly lost her precious ten day old son to meningitis, I am delighted to report that a new experimental meningitis vaccine that protects against four strains of the bacterial disease has been successfully tested on babies in the UK and Canada. The study, which was sponsored by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, and carried out by Dr Matthew D. Snape of the Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). US public health statistics highlight that 10 to 14 per cent of the 1,400 to 2,800 Americans who contract invasive meningococcal disease every year will die. The US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends all 11 to 18 year olds receive a tetravalent vaccine (protects a... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1139820 Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:20:25 +0100 1139820