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 'genetic engineering'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:08:54 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174803&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1065-The-Transhumanism-Trap.html is out there.  I am seeing it more and more often. SpliceIf you do not know what transhumanism is let alone know that it has a logical trap into which the average person is likely to fall, don't worry.  Most people don't.   Transhumanism is a movement that wants to use technology to go beyond curing or preventing disease or disability.  Transhumanists hunger for technology that will take an otherwise healthy individual and enhance him or her beyond normal human ability.  Transhumanism seeks not just to cure disease but to change the very nature of man.  To make him more than human, even immortal, with whatever means are available, whether it is with nanotechnology, artificial limbs, artificial intelligence, or genetic enhancement.  Transhumanism is a in... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174803 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:09:00 +0100 5174803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976115&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1036-Good-News-for-Gene-Therapy.html Gene therapy is the kind of genetic engineering Catholics can get behind.  Gene therapy would deliver a copy of a normal gene into the cells of a patient with defective genes to cure or slow the progress of disease. The added gene would produce a protein that is missing or defective in the diseased patient.  It has proven to be not such an easy thing to do however because the gene has to be targeted to the right spot and our bodies have a lot of ways to prevent foreign DNA from inserting itself into our genome.  And even if a new gene is inserted properly, it often does not make it into a daughter cell when the cell divides.  Scientists have announced that they have found a way to get a normal blood clotting gene into mice with hemophilia and keep it there.  From The Scientist: Using ... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976115 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:04:38 +0100 4976115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872338&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1014-Controlling-Human-Genetic-Engineering-Before-it-Controls-Us-Part-2.html Cartoon S. HarrisControlling Human Genetic Engineering Before it Controls Us Part 1 was all about the distinction between gene therapy and genetic enhancement.  I want to delve deeper into the world of human genetic engineering in Part 2 and discuss somatic and germ-line genetic modifications. I know that for some of you the words "somatic" and "germ-line" have made your eyes glass over and I am about to lose you (if I haven't already). Stick with me! This will not be as painful as it sounds and you might actually enjoy knowing more about human genetic engineering than 99.9% of the general populaceThe distinction between somatic and germ-line modifications is just as important as the distinction between gene therapy and genetic enhancement. Somatic is a fancy scientifi... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872338 Fri, 27 May 2011 20:53:00 +0100 4872338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862493&cid=t_104790_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2Fcanadian-court-ruling-allows-donor-offspring-to-find-biological-parents Many of us have at least heard of controversies over open vs. closed adoption laws, and the efforts by many to make adoption more open so children can find out about their biological parents. One of many arguments for open adoptions relates to health – children may want or need to find out about their family history and risk for medical conditions that may affect them. Until recently, I hadn’t heard that the same debate is raging with regards to “donor offspring” – people conceived as the result of sperm, egg, or embryo donation. It makes sense – many of the same issues are raised in a donor situation, including what hereditary medical issues are important to watch out for. Last week, the Supreme Court of British Columbia (Canada) ruled in favor of jou... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862493 Mon, 23 May 2011 22:05:03 +0100 4862493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780435&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1013-Controling-human-genetic-engineering-before-it-controls-us-Part-1.html I have not had much time lately to write so here is a repost for my readers of a guest piece at Creative Minority.www.chrismadden.co.ukMore and more movies depicting a dystopian future are playing on big screens everywhere.  They are usually cautionary tales of how technology ends up dominating human existence, our choices, our families, our relationships, our lives.  These tales are not new.  From GATTACA to The Island, from Surrogates to Limitless, what begins as man wielding his superior intellect to mold his world and harness nature ends up as individuals losing their humanity and becoming slaves to technology. As in Surrogates, often the technology is developed as a way to cure disease or help the disabled, but applied to the common man it changes who we are and how we interact wit... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780435 Tue, 03 May 2011 20:18:00 +0100 4780435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4771076&cid=t_104790_107_f&fid=38577&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbiosingularity.com%2F2011%2F04%2F22%2Fcan-hobbyists-and-hackers-transform-biotechnology%2F For most of us, managing our health means visiting a doctor. The more serious our concerns, the more specialized a medical expert we seek. Our bodies often feel like foreign and frightening lands, and we are happy to let someone with an MD serve as our tour guide. For most of us, our own DNA [...] (Source: Biosingularity) Biosingularity blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4771076 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:21:06 +0100 4771076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658514&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1011-3-Parent-Babies-Could-Be-Conceived-in-UK-Next-Year.html Yes.  Thats right a three genetic parent baby maybe on the way in the UK within the next year.  Why would scientists want to engineer an embryo with the genetic material from 3 people?  To "prevent" the inheritance of mitochondrial disease.  Not all of our DNA that we inherit is in the nuclei of the egg and sperm that join at fertilization.  In the cytoplasm of our mother's egg are mitochondria.  Mitochondria have their own DNA called mtDNA.  We inherit our mtDNA only from our mother because sperm's mitochondria are dumped at conception.  There are genetic mutations that cause disease in mtDNA and a woman with a such a mutation cannot help but pass this mutation on to her children.This is where the three parent embryos come in.  Here is how it works.  Scientists took th... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658514 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:45:12 +0100 4658514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522231&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1006-Jim-A-movie-about-genetic-enhancement.html This movie looks phenomenal.  I am hoping it delivers.  Jim is a movie about genetic enhancement, taking otherwise normal humans and genetically engineering them to be more than human.  After crushing life experiences, Jim decides to order up a child who is enhanced to handle all of the troubles that he could not.  There is another story line of a distant future where a genetically enhanced super race controls a race of clones.  Here is the trailer:<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/14282384">Jim Theatrical Tr... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522231 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:37:18 +0100 4522231 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249179&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F996-Do-you-know-what-the-Catholic-Church-teaches-about-human-genetic-engineering.html Would you be surprised to find out that the Catholic Church teaches that some genetic engineering of humans is morally acceptable?  Read here to find out what kinds of human genetic engineering are ethical.  Think you don't need to know?  Think again.  The genetic engineering of humans is around the corner.  Gene therapy trials have already begun.  Find out what is ethical and what is not before human genetic engineering is out of control. (Source: Mary Meets Dolly) Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249179 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 18:22:06 +0100 4249179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3476000&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F957-3-parent-human-embryos-created-in-the-UK.html Previously, I blogged about 3 parent monkeys that were created to "cure" mitochondrial disease.  I warned that there was a push to create 3 parent human embryos for the same purpose.  Well less than a year later, scientists in the UK announced they have created human embryos with 3 genetic parents. Why would scientists want to engineer an embryo with the genetic material from 3 people?  To "prevent" the inheritance of mitochondrial disease.  Not all of our DNA that we inherit is in the nuclei of the egg and sperm that join at conception.  In the cytoplasm of our mother's egg are mitochondria.  Mitochondria have their own DNA called mtDNA.  We inherit our mtDNA only from our mother because sperm's mitochondria are dumped at conception.  There are genetic mutation... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3476000 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:18:22 +0100 3476000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366427&cid=t_104790_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FAivY3Hc3qck%2F A trial gets under way today involving a former Pfizer biologist who claims she was illegally fired for claiming she was intermittently paralyzed by a genetically engineered virus to which she was exposed, and the proceedings are being closely watched because the alleged incident raises questions about safety practices in genetic engineering, The Hartford Courant writes. Organizations involved in workplace safety and responsible genetic research say the lawsuit filed by Becky McClain is an example of what they claim is evidence that risks caused by genetic manipulation have outstripped more slowly evolving government regulation of laboratories, the paper continues. McClain suspects she was inadvertently exposed, through work by a former Pfizer colleague, to an engineered form of the lentiv... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366427 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:25:33 +0100 3366427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283506&cid=t_104790_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2Fh7eQIpWbePw%2Fdiy-synthetic-biology-more-than.html A few years in his book, A Many-Colored Glass, Freeman Dyson envisioned that the domestication of biotechnology would result in a new art form, as creative as painting or sculpture and would give rise to an explosion of new diverse creatures, few of which will be masterpieces, but “all will bring joy to their creators and variety to our flora and fauna.”  Now, college biology students are competing to see who can create new, living tools to address the planet's problems (e.g., bacteria that   The comments and reactions to the article range from go-get-'em to we-are-destroying-ourselves-and-the planet to philosophical: Sample comment 1:  Genetic engineering by experienced professionals is dangerous enough. Genetic engineering by students is a spectacularly bad idea. S... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283506 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:47:25 +0100 3283506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236010&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F933-Surrogates-movie-a-comment-on-enhancement-vs.-therapy.html Last night I saw the latest Bruce Willis flick Surrogates.  It is a story about a world where most everyone uses a robotic surrogate to go about their daily business.  Crime and disease disappear as people no longer interact face to face, but through their synthetic double.  Even husband and wife living in the same house use their surrogates to relate. I won't spoil the movie by giving away the plot details, but I wanted to talk about how most things in science and technology that threaten our humanity begin: as a way to help the sick.  The man who designed the surrogate in this movie did it as a way to help disabled people live a better life.  His vision was taken and used by people who did not need it.  It was used for vain and selfish reasons.The real world is no different.  Whi... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236010 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:40:07 +0100 3236010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807801&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F877-What-is-the-Catholic-view-on-genetic-engineering-Updated.html **According to statistics, this earlier entry on the Catholic Church's Teaching on genetic engineering is pretty popular.  I have updated it to include more references from the recently released Dignitas Personae.**The genetic engineering of humans is not yet a reality.  But, with advancements in gene therapy and cloning, it will be.  I think it is critical that Catholics be ahead of the rhetorical curve on this one, instead of behind.  Now is the time to look at the genetic engineering of humans and what the Church says on the issue.  Now is the time to understand what we as Catholics can embrace and what we should reject.First, under the umbrella of "genetic engineering" we must make a strong distinction between gene therapy and genetic enhancement. These concepts are ofte... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807801 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:10:38 +0100 2807801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766213&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F2BEtNQ7gafI%2F Through the wonders of genetics, we might have a wonder drug that let us eat anything we want -without ever gaining a single pound! We can eat fatty and sugary food and we won’t even need to exercise to lose all those calories.   I’m not sure that’s such a good idea but that drug may exist in the near future, with the recent discovery of the so-called “obeso-genes”. The key lies in a gene called IKKE that acts as a master switch that control obesity, by producing a protein kinase that turns other proteins on or off. When a body is fed a high fat diet, the IKKE kinase slows down metabolism and burns less calories, and weight increases. When the gene IKKE (and thus the kinases) are deleted, metabolism speeds up and the body burns more calories. Knock-off mice that didn’t c... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766213 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:16:24 +0100 2766213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2741527&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F868-Why-genetic-enhancement-is-NOT-a-liberal-ideal.html Liberals and libertarians often bristle at the idea of regulating the fertility industry and, by extension, the genetic engineering of offspring that is sure to be available to parents in the coming decades.  Most other enlightened countries have banned inherited genetic modification (genetic engineering that is passed on from one generation to the next), but the United States is still grappling with the idea that parents can have whatever children they can order in whatever why they want and if that includes genetically enhancing their children then so be it.The argument is always that to regulate the way in which parents have children and how they conceive them is limiting the parents civil liberties.  Putting regulations in place to limit reproductive technologies would be to impose s... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2741527 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:21:47 +0100 2741527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2716151&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fu5LFLPo9kmU%2F 45 breaks and fractures , 16 screws and 2 plates in lower right leg , 3 screws in right knee , 2 screws in left knee , 4 pins and 2 screws in right wrist , 2 screws and a load of wire in left elbow that’s about it. Ouch. That sounds like major ‘machinery’ repair to me. When bones break into several pieces, usually the only repair would be screws, pins and plates. But that could all be a thing of the past with this medical breakthrough – Scientists created a synthetic glue for repairing broken bones using the genes of a marine worm! The sandcastle worm is a marine animal that builds its home from sand and broken shells by gluing the pieces together using a glue-like substance that it secretes. Scientists were able to clone the genes of the natural adhesive and manufacture syn... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2716151 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2716151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699745&cid=t_104790_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdental-medical-news-stem-cells-grow-replacement-tooth-in-mouse%2F This is a breakthrough that could lead to a major overhaul in dental prosthetics and, more importantly, organ regeneration. The Wall Street Journal covered a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in which Tokyo University of Science researches implanted a “tooth germ” into a mouse’s empty tooth socket. The “tooth germ” consisted of cells with a genetic map of how to build a tooth. Taken from Tokyo University of Science press release. After 11 weeks, the tooth had grown from bud to maturity. The durability, shape, and natural stress responses mimicked that of a natural tooth. It also functioned like nature intended for a healthy tooth. Human testing has not been announced. Read the full article here. Stem cell research is bounding forward. If you’re ... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699745 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:27:19 +0100 2699745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2637959&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F-Akq6-PAgBs%2F I was just reading about how prenatal screening can eradicate genetic disease (and reported it too) when I read another article that casts doubt on the entire procedure of pre-implantation genetic diasnosis (PGD). Used with in vitro fertilization, PGD is a biopsy of the developing embryos to look for signs of abnormalities. Obviously, only normal embryos are then implanted into a woman’s uterus to ensure that no abnormality will be present in the child. However, new studies on mice suggested that PGD can affect fetal, neonatal and adult development. The scientists found that biopsied embryos implanted after PGD result in lesser number of births. Adult mice that have been biopsied as embryos also showed neurodegenerative disorders disorders like Alzheimers and Down Syndrome, according ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2637959 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:46:00 +0100 2637959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2571009&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F849-Japanese-scientists-to-breed-super-tuna.html From the Telegraph UK:Japanese scientists will have bred a new "super-tuna" within a decade that will be stronger, more resistant to disease and taste better than the bluefin presently in the oceans. The tuna - stocks of which are in global decline - would be raised in farms to meet surging demand around the world for the traditional Japanese delicacy.A team from Japan’s Fisheries Research Agency, The University of Tokyo and Kyushu University is close to completing the genome sequence of the bluefin tuna to unravel the secrets of the chemical building blocks of the fish and expects to be able to start a breeding programme next year. “We have already completed two computer sequencing runs and have around 60 per cent of the tuna genome,” said Dr. Kazumasa Ikuta, director of res... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2571009 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:46:19 +0100 2571009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469810&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F822-Glow-in-the-Dark-Dogs.html I am with very funny Doug Speirs on glow-in-the-dark dogs:But today I am going to draw a line in the sand and take a bold and courageous stand. The stand I have decided to take is: This has to stop! And by "this" I am referring to the current worldwide trend in which scientists take genetic material from one animal and stick it into another animal because -- and you will have already seen this coming -- it gives the second animal the ability to glow in the dark.You will think I am kidding about this major scientific trend, but, sadly, I am not. I first became aware of it about three years ago when I wrote an insightful column announcing that Canada had lost the race to develop the world's first glow-in-the-dark pig.In that case, Taiwanese researchers extracted genetic material fr... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469810 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:46:11 +0100 2469810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469813&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F819-Genetic-modification-and-the-Brave-New-USA.html Via Biopolitical Times, I found this BioPolicy Wiki page run by the Center for Genetics and Society that has information on the "laws and policies governing the use of human genetic and reproductive technologies throughout the world."  Before I get to the information I have complied from BioPolicyWiki, I want to discuss the announcement that brought me there.Last week, scientists in Japan published they genetically modified a marmoset.  So what is so special about this genetic engineering announcement?  Well, not only did researchers genetically modify a primate, but the genetic modification was inherited.  Inherited genetic modification (IGM) in humans is not yet a reality, but this announcement is a warning flag to us that it is coming, especially if we do not have legislat... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469813 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:58:23 +0100 2469813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2458375&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FRdUHmqA3XeA%2F My heart breaks when I see photos of children suffering from genetic disorders, such as the nine babies from this story. But this story also lauds to the use of genetically modified organisms for producing drugs for treatment. Recently, scientists discovered a new genetic disorder in nine newborn to 2-week old babies. The infants had swollen bone tissues, bone pain and deformity, and rashes that can range in size from small fluid-filled blisters or pustules to blisters that covered the whole body. The researchers immediately realized they were looking at an unrecognized auto-inflammatory syndrome, where recurring episodes of inflammation occur without any pathogens or immune cells triggering the reaction. All nine babies had mutations of IL1RN, a gene involved in the immune response whic... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2458375 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:34:11 +0100 2458375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442306&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FsG4v5D5FRSo%2F A transgenic animal is one where its genome has been changed to carry the genes from another organism. In the medical sciences, transgenic animals can be used to model human diseases or develop strategies for gene therapy. Using transgenic monkeys allows researchers to study genetic diseases in systems that resemble humans as close as possible, and implement strategies and experiments toward treatment or intervention. Last year for example, a transgenic rhesus macaques was created to model Huntington’s disease. Scientists inserted a virus vector carrying part of the mutated human gene for Huntington HTT and a fluorescent marker gene into unfertilized monkey egg cells. This allowed the virus to be integrated into the egg’s genome. Three newborns carried between two and four copies of th... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442306 Fri, 29 May 2009 03:50:00 +0100 2442306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2390175&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FNEmnSTQkrV4%2F Last month I told you about an innovative partnership that brings community healthcare into the 21st century. The Genomic Medicine Institute was launched at Silicon Valley’s El Camino Hospital together with DNA Direct to enable physicians and their patients access to leading-edge genomic services. Physician studying DNA radiograph. Image: Newscom Genomic Medicine Institute was created so that patients can be better directed in their decisions about their medical conditions, especially when it comes to using genetic tests and counseling. For example, when someone finds out she has breast cancer, one of the questions that is asked is will she pass it to her daughter? Should she tell her sisters about it? Should she have mastectomy? Should her daughter have mastectomies? Difficult quest... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2390175 Wed, 06 May 2009 17:42:41 +0100 2390175 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353771&cid=t_104790_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E5%2Fhqv8t1Sk0bg%2Fembedded_player.swf From the Onion (no further comment needed :>) :Disney Lab Unveils Its Latest Line Of Genetically Engineered Child Stars (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353771 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:50:21 +0100 2353771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353998&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FuasOYsIqjDo%2F It may be unconventional to post a promo trailer on a genetics site, but I’ve been waiting for this film since I first heard of it. “My Sister’s Keeper” is the story of two young sisters whose lives would be intertwined beyond their control. Kate is the older sister – beautiful, graceful and living with a rare genetic disease called acute promyelocytic leukemia. Anna is three years younger – genetically engineered and conceived to be a genetic match for Kate. Whatever Kate’s body needs – cord blood, blood, bone marrow, kidney – Anna is the donor. How many times can you save your sister’s life? Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin and Sofia Vassilieva star in “My Sister’s Keeper”. Image: Bauer Griffin “Genetically engineered to be a donor” sounds so unethical and f... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353998 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:33:42 +0100 2353998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2295368&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F774-Nanotechnology-to-treat-drug-addiction.html For decades, scientists have hoped that gene therapy would be the answer to a multitude of conditions.  What is gene therapy?  Well, it isn't psychoanalysis for your designer denim.  Many diseases, disorders, and undesirable conditions are genetic in nature.  And by genetic, I do not just mean inherited genetics.  I mean that sometimes a cell is not expressing the right genes in the right amount or is expressing mutated genes.  Gene therapy seeks to correct the problem by introducing genetic material to the cell.  There are endless possibilities.  Gene therapy could be used to insert a normal gene into cells that are expressing a defective gene.  Or gene therapy could use genetic material to silence a gene that is causing trouble.Gene therapy is the kind of human genetic engineeri... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2295368 Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:26:35 +0100 2295368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2147594&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F727-Warning%21-Jesuit-writings-used-to-condone-genetic-enhancement.html Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a Jesuit paleontologist who wrote Phenomenon of Man a controversial work that explored the future of human evolution.  Teilhard de Chardin's work was sufficiently suspect so that in 1962, the Holy Office released this statement:"Prescinding from a judgement about those points that concern the positive sciences, it is sufficiently clear that the above-mentioned works abound in such ambiguities and indeed even serious errors, as to offend Catholic doctrine.For this reason, the most eminent and most revered Fathers of the Holy Office exhort all Ordinaries as well as the superiors of Religious institutes, rectors of seminaries and presidents of universities, effectively to protect the minds, particularly of the youth, against the dangers presented by the wo... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2147594 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:13:33 +0100 2147594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2096035&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FQq383G3GN4w%2F The first of the world’s “designer babies” have been born, and the baby girl is selected to be free of a genetic risk of breast cancer, the  Times reports. The girl was born after embryos were screened to exclude the faulty BRCA1 gene. All the father’s female relatives had developed breast cancer caused by BRCA1. The program is run by the University College Hospital in London. Genetic screening of fetus for serious genetic condition is part of the maternal health care and highly recommended for pregnant women over 35. However, only genetic risks of Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis and chromosomal abnormalities are tested. Women can then make the choice to continue with (or terminate) a pregnancy. Recently, genetic testing of individuals for risk of certai... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2096035 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:39:22 +0100 2096035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011175&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FVMF5FyX4uzs%2F This new study is along the lines of vaccine-producing bananas. One of the best uses of genetic engineering of plants is producing rare proteins with medical use in larger quantities. Interleukin-12 is one of those proteins that our bodies produce in regulated quantities, but is very essential for the function of the immune system. Certain immune diseases are the result of having either too little or too much interleukin-12. If scientists can harness enough of the protein for research and therapeutic development, then perhaps certain diseases can be controlled better. New findings published in the journal Biotechnology and Bioengineering found a way for interleukin-12 to be produced artificially inside genetically-modified tobacco in a more efficient way using nutrient mist bioreactors. ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011175 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:49:51 +0100 2011175 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1968898&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F706-What-is-the-Catholic-view-on-genetic-engineering.html The genetic engineering of humans is not yet a reality.  But, with advancements in gene therapy and cloning, it will be.  I think it is critical that Catholics be ahead of the rhetorical curve on this one, instead of behind.  Now is the time to look at the genetic engineering of humans and what the Church says on the issue.  Now is the time to understand what we as Catholics can embrace and what we should reject.First, under the umbrella of "genetic engineering" we must make a strong distinction between gene therapy and genetic enhancement. These concepts are often confused and lumped together, but there are important moral differences.For many years scientists have envisioned using gene therapy to cure devastating disease.  Gene therapy would deliver a copy of a normal gene... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1968898 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:27:17 +0100 1968898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1960818&cid=t_104790_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F450627011%2Ftreacherous-kisses.html Our weekly guest post from Jonathan Javitt, author of Capitol Reflections:Genetically modified (GM) beet sugar is generally used to make Hershey's Kisses – but that will no longer be the case in Brazil. The company recently announced it won't use GM beet sugar in its Brazilian-made products, but Hershey has not made any such promises for its US products. In light of this, a number of consumer watch-dog groups in the US are urging people to take action; several years ago, Hershey told U.S. consumers it would not use genetically engineered sugar. But now genetically modified sugar beets are being planted commercially in the US and Hershey is utilizing sugar made from these plants for their hugely popular “Kisses” candy. Additionally, the nation's largest sugar manufacturer, Crystal... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960818 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:54:01 +0100 1960818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924536&cid=t_104790_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F415252154%2Fthis-little-piggy-went-to-market-or-not.html We're pleased to have a guest post today by Jonathan Javitt, author of Capitol Reflections, who wrote this for the Women's Bioethics Blog: Imagine a cleaner pig. Thanks to researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario, you don't have to imagine – they've engineered them. It has nothing to do with their appearance – the look just like any other pig – but the difference can be found in their genetic makeup, specifically in their “cleaner” manure. Your typical pig doesn't have the capacity to break down phytate - found in much of the food that pigs eat – thus going undigested, ending up in their manure and subsequently, in other places as well. It can get into the water supply, leading to algae growth, and it can get into the air – especially when a large number of p... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924536 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:01:42 +0100 1924536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1918051&cid=t_104790_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E5%2F435001777%2F4UPw_bFqwng Meow. (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1918051 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:31:14 +0100 1918051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382489&cid=t_104790_107_f&fid=38577&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbiosingularity.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F12%2Fcan-genetic-information-be-controlled-by-light%2F DNA, the molecule that acts as the carrier of genetic information in all forms of life, is highly resistant against alteration by ultraviolet light, but understanding the mechanism for its photostability presents some puzzling problems. A key aspect is the interaction between the four chemical bases that make up the DNA molecule. Researchers at Kiel [...] (Source: Biosingularity) Biosingularity blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382489 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:15:18 +0100 2382489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1870883&cid=t_104790_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F417882145%2Fwill-genetic-engineering-ruin-sports.html I will have to begin in mentioning that I am not a sports nut. I do like to watch the occasional baseball and football game. Despite this, the topic of sports is going to be may main topic. But not just sports in curiosity who will win the next Superbowl, but sports in concern with genetics. Where will the idea of sports go with the introduction (and advancement) of genetic engineering? Will such technology, which has high hopes in enhancing ourselves to be better humans, ruin the very idea of sports? With the playing field be fair? Or will it destroy the very structure of competition? If so, will the law forbid such technology, or forbid any altered child from entering sport?I'm sure most of our readers have heard of the recent headlines of steroid use in the MLB. The uproar of the use of... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1870883 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:49:47 +0100 1870883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382512&cid=t_104790_107_f&fid=38577&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbiosingularity.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F06%2Fconsortium-develops-new-method-to-manipulate-genetic-material%2F A multi-institutional team of researchers, including scientists at the University of Minnesota Medical School, have developed a powerful tool for genomic research and medicine. The robust method will allow researchers to generate synthetic enzymes that can target and manipulate DNA sequences for inactivation or repair. The potential for discovery is great, said Dan Voytas, Ph.D., director [...] (Source: Biosingularity) Biosingularity blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382512 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:50:21 +0100 2382512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1723479&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F660-Where-is-the-outrage-about-the-genetic-engineering-of-humans.html This story highlights the anger and frustration many of us feel about what appears to us as an out of control biotech industry. Unfortunately, violence is never the answer to "big biotech" but some people just don't get it. In 2001, the Earth Liberation Front set fire to a University of Washington facility where they believed engentically engineered trees were being produced. From the Seattle Times:A Spokane woman who helped set the a 2001 fire that destroyed the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture has been sentenced to three years in prison. Lacey Phillabaum, 33, was one of five members of the Earth Liberation Front arrested in connection with the attack.The Earth Liberation Front had targeted the UW office of Toby Bradshaw, whom arsonists mistakenly believed... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1723479 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:06:52 +0100 1723479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696233&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F656-Gene-silencing-may-become-new-treatment-for-HIV.html I think molecular biology is amazing. Here is another example of all the great things that are coming from the biotech industry. From WebMD:A new gene silencing technique stops HIV cold in mouse studies and promises to become a potent new AIDS therapy with few side effects.The technique uses short interfering RNA, also called silencing RNA or siRNA. These tiny snips of RNA are designed to stick to specific genes, which are then rendered inoperative or "silent."Researchers have previously shown that siRNA aimed at HIV can shut down the AIDS virus in the test tube. It can also target the T cells HIV loves to infect, shutting the window through which HIV enters.Now Priti Kumar, PhD, Premlata Shankar, MD, and colleagues have linked siRNA to an antibody that delivers them directly to ... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696233 Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:01:04 +0100 1696233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1582036&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F649-Creating-artificial-DNA.html Researchers in Japan have created artificial DNA building blocks that act like the adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine, we all know and love. From RSC.com:Japanese researchers have made artificial DNA that acts like the real thing, even forming right-handed duplexes with complementary artificial strands. The team, led by Masahiko Inouye at the University of Toyama, made the new strands from four artificial DNA bases, which they attached to a sugar backbone using ethyne bonds.The researchers hope one day to use the artificial DNA to create a new biological information storage system that functions in a test tube rather than the cell. The artificial DNA would be 'restrictively read out in order to make proteins and eventually to maintain living organisms,' says Inouye. 'In this sense, we ... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1582036 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:12:27 +0100 1582036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1566918&cid=t_104790_77_f&fid=37259&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horizonpress.com%2Fblogger%2F2008%2F07%2Fxanthan-biosynthesis.html from Anke Becker and Frank-Jörg Vorhölter in Microbial Production of BiopolymersPlant-pathogenic bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas are able to produce the acidic exopolysaccharide xanthan gum. Because of its physical properties, it is widely used as a viscosifer, thickener, emulsifier or stabilizer in both food and non-food industries. Xanthan consists of pentasaccharide repeat units composed of D-glucosyl, D-mannosyl, and D-glucuronyl acid residues in a molar ratio of 2:2:1 and variable proportions of O-acetyl and pyruvyl residues. The xanthan polymer has a branched structure with a cellulose-like backbone. Synthesis originates from glucose as substrate for synthesis of the sugar nucleotides precursors UDP-glucose, UDP-glucuronate, and GDP-mannose that are required for building ... Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1566918 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:09:00 +0100 1566918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1458590&cid=t_104790_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=1439451&cid=t_104790_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2Fgenetically-altered-embryo-not-as-big.html The story of the first supposedly genetically altered human embryo is making headlines around the world. From the story:The study appears to be the first report of genetically modifying a human embryo. It was presented last fall at a meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, but didn't draw widespread public attention then. The result was reported over the weekend by The Sunday Times of London, which said British authorities highlighted the work in a recent report.Rosenwaks and colleagues did the work with an embryo that had extra chromosomes, making it nonviable. Following a standard procedure used in animals, they inserted a gene that acts as a marker that can be easily followed over time. The embryo cells took up the gene, he said.The goal was to see if a gene introduce... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1439451 Tue, 13 May 2008 16:35:00 +0100 1439451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1377969&cid=t_104790_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fgenetic-engineering-and-autism%2F As far as I know, all of the arguments about the increase in autism diagnoses being too rapid to be purely genetic are based on an assumption of randomness in the process. From that perspective I must admit that it seems unlikely that you could explain the increase in autism diagnoses purely to genetics. But is this really a random process? This thought occurred to me yesterday when I heard a teaser for yesterday’s Talk of the Nation on NPR, on which they had a segment titled Genetically Engineering a ‘Perfect’ Baby. In the teaser, they played a quote from one of the guests in which he said something along the lines of: We’ve been engaged in genetic engineering for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It happens every night in bars and clubs and every where around ... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1377969 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:29:50 +0100 1377969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1566931&cid=t_104790_77_f&fid=37259&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horizonpress.com%2Fblogger%2F2008%2F04%2Fmetabolic-engineering-of-microorganisms.html A huge variety of biopolymers, such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides, are naturally produced by microorganisms. These range from viscous solutions to plastics and their physical properties are dependent on the composition and molecular weight of the polymer. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms opens up an enormous potential for the biotechnological production of biopolymers with tailored properties suitable for high-value medical application such as tissue engineering and drug delivery.Microorganisms naturally produce a wide variety of carbohydrate molecules, yet large-scale manufacturing requires production levels much higher than the natural capacities of these organisms. Metabolic engineering efforts generate microbial strains capable of meeting the industrial deman... Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1566931 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:19:00 +0100 1566931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1277915&cid=t_104790_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=1271851&cid=t_104790_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=1230371&cid=t_104790_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_104790_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=1207463&cid=t_104790_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=1194805&cid=t_104790_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=1180118&cid=t_104790_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=1179687&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F615-Scientist-creates-synthetic-genome.html Craig Venter is best known for his push to sequence the entire human genome. Once you have done that, where do you go from there? Synthesizing an entire artificial genome. Venter has announced that he has created all the genetic material for a bacteria from the simple building blocks of DNA. This is different from genetic modification where existing DNA is modified. Venter made this genome from scratch. From Philly.com:In a major step toward the creation of artificial life, scientists said today that they assembled the entire genetic code for a simple bacterium from scratch. The technique used to duplicate a real organism's DNA could allow the fashioning of novel organisms designed to, say, pump out new biofuels or absorb carbon dioxide, the researchers said. And by exploring the boundarie... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1179687 Sat, 26 Jan 2008 19:23:47 +0100 1179687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173243&cid=t_104790_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=1166415&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F220372857%2F Early embryos yield stem cells,(photo courtesy of BBC news www.bbc.co.uk/news)  The Uk’s fertility regulator Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has given the green light to two teams of scientists for the creation of hybrid human-animal embryos. Scientists, research institutions and patient groups have challenged the UK government for much of the last year: the Department of Health wanted to prevent the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos - which would be used to create stem cells for medical research - but scientists argued it would slow down crucial work into treatments for diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and diabetes. Reason eventually triumphed and the government has now backed down. Scientists from King’s College London and ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1166415 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:31:31 +0100 1166415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1163243&cid=t_104790_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=1152548&cid=t_104790_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=1146390&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F607-Chinese-breed-glow-in-the-dark-pigs.html File this one under strange and unnatural:Scientists in China have successfully created a florescent green pig and claim that the animal is passing its glow to some of its offspring.Last year DNA from jellyfish was added to fertilized pig embryos resulting in a piglet that glowed green.Now a similar pig has passed on its florescence to two of its 11 offspring. "The smooth birth of these green pigs testifies to the mature development of our country's use of somatic cell nuclear transfer technology to produce transgenic pigs," said Liu Zhonghua, a professor at Northeast Agricultural University in Harbin. (Source: Mary Meets Dolly) Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146390 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 19:52:49 +0100 1146390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146424&cid=t_104790_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=1143477&cid=t_104790_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=1132178&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F212104559%2F    Male Down’s Syndrome with trisome at chromosome 21 People with Down’s Syndrome are less likey to get solid tumor cancers, research from Johns Hopkins University has revealed. Up to 95% of Down’s syndrome cases are caused by “trisomy 21″, in which the baby has three, rather than two, copies of chromosome 21, and the hundreds of genes it contains. Advances in medical management of Down’s Syndrome patients has increased life expectancy from around 30 years of age to over 60 years of age.  This increase led to some studies finding that adults with Down’s syndrome appear to have less chance of developing certain cancers which involved “solid” tumors. On mouse studies, the Johns Hopkins team pinpointed a single gene, Ets2, and found t... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1132178 Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:13:30 +0100 1132178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1127361&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F210437965%2F    (Stylized rendering of a cross section of the AIDS virus) New HIV infections are averaging around 2.5m per annum worldwide, and growing. Most people infected with HIV produce antibodies against the virus within several weeks following infection, these antibodies rarely prevent the infection from progressing to symptomatic AIDS. However a recent study involving a group of women from Mombasa, Kenya at risk of HIV infection identified one woman who carried an AIDS virus that was easily inactivated by antibodies. Analyzing this woman’s virus, they found that it contained mutations in four amino acids in the envelope protein, two of which, when introduced into unrelated strains of HIV in the laboratory, conferred sensitivity to inactivation by a number of antibodies produced in peo... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1127361 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:12:56 +0100 1127361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1122543&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F208833766%2F   Being able to sequence a human genome for $1,000 or less (which is the price most insurance companies are willing to pay) could open a new era in personal medicine, making it possible to precisely diagnose the cause of many diseases and tailor drugs and treatment procedures to the genetic make-up of an individual. Professor Aleksei Aksimentiev at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaignhas demonstrated a strategy for sequencing DNA by driving the DNA molecule back and forth through a nanopore capacitor in a semiconductor chip. As DNA passes through the nanopore, the DNA molecule’s electric field induces sequence-specific electrostatic potentials that can be detected at the top and bottom layers of the capacitor membrane. “Despite the tremendous interest in using nanopo... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1122543 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 08:11:01 +0100 1122543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1121280&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F207949694%2F Brain cells  I just love this following article which tells us that there could be enough computing ability in just one brain cell to allow human and animals to feel! There is one question that springs to mind, though … if we have so many billion neurons each with the capability of storing vast amounts of information … why am I increasingly unable to retain the simplest of facts?  Think I need to upgrade my brain model! The brain has 100 billion neurons but scientists had thought they needed to join forces in larger networks to produce thoughts and sensations. The complexity of the human brain and how it stores countless thoughts, sensations and memories are still not fully understood. However, a research team from the Humboldt University in Germany and the Erasmus Medical... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1121280 Sat, 29 Dec 2007 09:01:28 +0100 1121280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1119875&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F207418977%2F Further to my article on Fragile X Syndrome the BBC health website has posted this article: “Genetic engineering has been used to alleviate symptoms Fragile X in mice, which is a leading cause of inherited learning difficulties and autism. There is currently no treatment for Fragile X syndrome, also linked to epilepsy and abnormal body growth, but the new work raises hopes of progress. A Massachusetts team were able to trigger big improvements in the mice by tweaking just one gene, FMRP. The researchers, from the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, examined mice which lack the FMRP gene, and show many of the symptoms associated with fragile X. They also created mice that not only lacked FMRP, but also had a 50% reduction in mGluR5. This... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1119875 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 07:51:54 +0100 1119875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1096682&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F200731286%2F   My team and I at Opaldia are reeling with the amazing world-wide press we have received for partnering and supporting the development and distribution of DiaGenic’s  breast cancer early detection test, through our national network of breast clinics. The Scientific Team at DiaGenic, headed up by MD Erik Christensen, are developing a number of disease specific gene signatures, the first of which to become commercially available  is an expression array for the early detection of breast cancer from a blood sample. The simplest explanation of the DiaGenic test is that it works by ‘tapping’ into the body’s own genetic based alarm system for breast cancer.  When the body detects cancerous cells it will switch on genes to defend itself against the cancer.  By ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1096682 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:40:36 +0100 1096682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1088737&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F199131945%2F There is increasing evidence that there is a genetic link between schizophrenia and cancer, providing a surprising possible scientific explanation for lower rates of cancer among patients with schizophrenia - despite having poor diets and high rates of smoking - and their parents.  It would seem that many of the genes associated with schizophrenia are the same as the genes associated with cancer, but that the cells that have these genes use them in opposite ways in the two disorders. While cancer results from changes in the genes that cause cells to go into metabolic overdrive and multiply rapidly, those same genes cause cells in schizophrenia to slow to a crawl.  Like a ‘yin and yang’. Dr. Daniel Weinberger of NIMH says “Some of the genes showing this yin-yang effect ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1088737 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:12:11 +0100 1088737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1085651&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F198607638%2F  A sickle cell compared with with a normal red blood cell Further to my blog on retrieving stem cells from skin cells , scientists in Alabama and Massachusetts have reported a key next step when they used the stem cell technique to give mice with sickle cell anemia a healthy new blood supply. Lead researcher Tim Townes, molecular genetics chief at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, created a strain of mice bearing the human genes for sickle cell, a devastating inherited disease of deformed red blood cells that can’t carry enough oxygen. Townes paired with prominent stem cell scientist Rudolf Jaenisch of the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Mass., to reprogram skin from those mice into embryonic-like stem cells. They coaxed the newly engineered cells to grow into blood-producin... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1085651 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:24:25 +0100 1085651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1085652&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F198593157%2F    There’s a widely held belief that Humans have slowed, if not come to a grinding halt in terms of evolution.  Not so says Professor Henry Harpending, an author of a study from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, US.  His study findings indicate that in the past 5,000 years, genetic change has occurred at a rate roughly 100 times higher than any other period.  Around 7% of human genes are currently going through rapid evolution. Prof Harpending comments in a BBC interview “The dogma has been these [differences] are cultural fluctuations, but almost any temperament trait you look at is under strong genetic influences. “Genes are evolving fast in Europe, Asia and Africa, but almost all of these are unique to their continent of origin,” he added. “W... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1085652 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:45:57 +0100 1085652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1085653&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F198587021%2F NASA has let it be known that its robot rover ‘Spirit’ disturbed an area on the planet Mars’s surface which revealed evidence of silica deposits.  See the picture below. The deposits were probably produced when hot spring water or steam came into contact with volcanic rocks.  This type of environment would be perfect for microbial life. NASA scientists remain excited for the potential of this discovery takes us one step closer to inhabiting this planet. Picture: courtesy of NASA Elaine Warburton Share This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1085653 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:32:40 +0100 1085653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1084241&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F198270797%2F Yay!  At last common sense prevails! The UK’s Human Genetics Commission (HGC) has just issued an enormous tome on the subject of genetic testing called ‘More Genes Direct’ (recommended weekend read!) The report discusses the imminent explosion of genetic testing and the fact there is very little regulation or independent validation about test claims.  The HGC is concerned that in the wrong hands, genetic testing could do more harm than good. This has also been highlighted by the FDA but the FDA has made huge inroads in reviewing, analysing and assessing genetic tests in order to produce gold standard protocols.  This I have discovered first hand when I met them in Washington recently and they used Agendia’s Mammaprint breast cancer prognostic microarray as a... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1084241 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:04:16 +0100 1084241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1060036&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F192667486%2F Embryonic stem cells are derived from human embryos.  They are valued as they are shown to be ‘pluripotent’ - having the capability to become any of the 220 types of cell in the human body. They have the potential to generate new heart, liver, brain, muscle and bone tissue to replace diseased or damaged tissue in people who are ill with cardiovascular, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and a whole range of other diseases including diabetes. Thew topic of stem cell research and using stem cells from embryos has provoked serious ethical debates over the last few years.  However, these debates may well draw to a close following this latest discovery. A team of researchers at Wisconsin University, Madison in the US have reported that they have reprogramed human skin cells t... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1060036 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:48:27 +0100 1060036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1024310&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F184343021%2F The death cap mushroom produces a nasty poisonous toxin called Alpha-amanitin. This toxin inhibits the enzyme necessary for the expression of most genes.  Without the ability to make new proteins, cells quickly grind to a halt. It was previously thought that a large gene must be responsible for making the enzyme producing alpha amanitin.  However, latest gene sequencing technology has shown that it is a remarkably small gene that produces the toxin, which has surprised scientists. Elaine Warburton Genetics and Health correspondent www.geneticsandhealth.com Share This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1024310 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:16:13 +0100 1024310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1024311&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F184343022%2F The Zaire species of Ebolavirus (ZEBOV) is the most virulent strain of the known species.  It is responsible for 88% of human deaths from hemorrhagic fever since 1976. Until now it was unknown how Ebola arose and most theories point to a genetic history dating back to 1976 with subsequent outbreaks dating back from this time - LINEAGE A. However, between 2001 and 2006 gorilla and chimpanzee carcasses were discovered in the Republic of Congo.  All had died from the virulent strain of Ebola.  Research showed that these primates died of a new genetic lineage of ZEBOV, called LINEAGE B. It was then discovered outbreaks between 2001 and 2003 fell into Lineage B. Scientists have therefore concluded that like the HIV virus, wild strains of Ebolavirus are capable of exchanging genetic material ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1024311 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:10:29 +0100 1024311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1003640&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F180024585%2F Each year more than 1 million people worldwide die of lung cancer. Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common cause of lung cancer. An article in Nature reports a study by MIT and Harvard and part-funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) which has identified a specific proto-oncogene called NKX2-1 on chromosome 14 that appears in as many as 12% of lung adenocarcinomas.  This gene is essential in the development of cells that line the alveoli of the lungs.  Without the gene, death will occur at birth because of the inability to breathe.  As it is a proto-oncogene, it can mutate into a gene that promotes the development of cancer. The research team also found 57 frequent genomic changes in their analysis of the genetics of tumors taken from lung cancer patients. For more... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1003640 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:35:59 +0100 1003640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=985634&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F176164320%2F The whole topic of ‘junk DNA’ fascinates me.  How can any part of DNA be considered junk?  It must have had a role at some stage. DNA is too perfect to have junk parts! I found this article in Science Daily about junk DNA and the subsequent finding that a part of it played a major role in controlling genes. Excepts of the article are as follows .. “A study by researchers at the ‘Yale Stem Cell Center’ for the first time demonstrates that piRNAs, a recently discovered class of tiny RNAs, play an important role in controlling gene function. These piRNAs are mainly derived from so -called junk DNA and had escaped the attention of generations of geneticists and molecular biologists when Haifan Lin, Director of Yale’s Stem Cell Center discovered them in mam... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=985634 Sun, 28 Oct 2007 10:24:26 +0100 985634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=983280&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F175776348%2F Dr James Watson, one of the discoverers of the structure of DNA is a man I have admired for many years. Without him and his co-discoverers Dr Rosalind Franklin and Dr James Crick, I and thousands of other genetics fans would not be here today. Dr Watson has recently come under intense criticism for his somewhat outspoken opinions on inherited intelligence traits shown by differing cultures which he published in his latest book.  He has subsequently apologised for those comments and retired from his Cold Spring Harbor laboratory. A tarnished end to a brilliant career. Just to say thanks, farewell and enjoy your retirement! Elaine Warburton Share This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=983280 Sat, 27 Oct 2007 10:57:08 +0100 983280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=983281&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F175772755%2F Cardiff University, Wales and Wellcome Trust, the UK’s largest medical research charity have embarked on a project to scan the entire human genome in search of genes that pre-dispose people to, or protect them from developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The team led by Professor Julie Williams will use a technique known as ‘genome-wide association scanning’ to analyse DNA samples taken from 14,000 people - 6,000 with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease and 8,000 healthy ‘control’ samples from the UK and US. It is very likely that they will find some unexpected associations as certain genes are involved in more than one form of dementia and that even genes that affect cholesterol levels can be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s. For further informat... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=983281 Sat, 27 Oct 2007 10:40:50 +0100 983281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=949697&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F169698787%2F Fabio, a first time visitor to Genetics and Health has asked  me the age old question ‘Can we cure cancer through genetic innovation?’ Millions of hours of research has gone into finding cures for cancer but in my humble opinion, a cure for cancer is some way off.  That said, I firmly believe that cancer will, in the next few years, become a chronic disease and managed  and treated accordingly - a bit like diabetes or hypertension (high blood pressure).  Advances in early detection and drug targeting and delivery will mean doctors will be able to treat this disease while a person continues with their everyday life.  We are already seeing cancer survival rates improving and there is no reason why this trend won’t continue. A more radical perspective is that cancer ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=949697 Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:24:19 +0100 949697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=949698&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F169695298%2F deCODE genetics in Iceland has announced the launch of deCODE MI(TM), a reference laboratory test for variations in the genome (called SNPs) that the company has associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction, or heart attack. The SNPs are located on chromosome 9 and were discovered by deCODE earlier this year. As described in the journal Science in July, deCODE scientists found that people who carry two copies of these variants are at double the risk of suffering an early heart attack — before the age of 50 in men and 60 in women — than are those who do not carry them. deCODE validated the role of these variants in five groups of patients and controls from Iceland and the United States, and other researchers have replicated this finding in several European, US, and Ca... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=949698 Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:01:15 +0100 949698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894201&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F601-Deadly-Medicine-Creating-the-Master-Race.html This article almost floored me. It is about the new exhibit in Cleveland called "Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race." The exhibit forces the public to ask tough questions about where we are going with genetic testing and genetic engineering by looking back at the atrocities of Nazi Germany.The article is one of the best and most succinct histories of the eugneics movement and how it led to the gas chambers in the Holocaust. I want to quote the whole thing, but here are my favorite parts: "Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race" imprints the faces of individual victims and the horrifying stories of survivors on our hearts and minds even as it keeps an accounting of the staggering evil of the period. In a world where advances in genetic engineering again provide... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894201 Sun, 23 Sep 2007 20:10:55 +0100 894201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=882647&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F595-Womans-death-maybe-linked-to-gene-therapy.html This is a terrible story in USAToday about a women who was enrolled in a gene therapy study for arthritis and dies a few weeks later. The idea behind gene therapy is that researchers use an engineered virus to deliver a functioning gene into a cell that has a defective gene. The problem is there is a chance that the engineered virus may do more than it is supposed to:Jolee Mohr fell ill the day after her right knee was injected with trillions of genetically engineered viruses in a voluntary experiment to find out if gene therapy might be a safe way to ease the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. She was dead three weeks later.Jolee Mohr signed a 15-page consent form Feb. 12. "Knowing her, she probably didn't read through it," her husband said.The form mentioned some scary possibilities... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=882647 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:39:00 +0100 882647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=858386&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F154675449%2F Our saliva may have played an important role in establishing world domination for humans. Research from the University of California has shown that humans have been found to carry many more copies of the salivary amylase gene than our ape relatives.  Amylase is an enzyme that digests starch. The findings add weight to the idea that starch from vegetables was a crucial addition to the diet of early man after cooking was discovered. Penny Harrington b5 media Health and Genetics correspondent Share This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=858386 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 17:44:50 +0100 858386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=858387&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F154670016%2F Cell magazine reports on a study by Johns Hopkins University, USA showing that one of the main genes associated with Schizophrenia, DISC1, plays a normal role in the adult human brain. How the gene that has been pegged as a major risk factor for schizophrenia and other mood disorders that affect millions in the world contributes to these diseases remains unclear. But this reports sheds further light on this subject. The report states “It turns out that DISC1 makes a protein that serves as a sort of musical conductor for newly made nerve cells in the adult brain, guiding them to their proper locations at the appropriate tempo so they can seamlessly integrate into our complex and intertwined nervous system. If the DISC1 protein doesn’t operate properly, the new nerves go hyp... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=858387 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 17:30:57 +0100 858387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=853140&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F154144870%2F The Holocaust Museum in Houston, Texas is running a new exhibit and lecture series, “Medical Ethics and the Holocaust”.  The series is being opened by James Watson the Nobel Prize-winning scientist whose 1953 co-discovery of DNA’s structure culminated this decade in the mapping of the human genome. Watson heads an impressive roster of speakers, who include three Nobel laureates and such prominent figures as Dr. Francis Collins, the head of the Human Genome Project, and Leon Kass, the former director of President Bush’s Council on Bioethics. Topics range from pre-implantation genetic diagnosis to euthanasia in the movies to performance-enhancing drugs in sports to the United States’ history with eugenics. For further information:  http://www.chron.com/disp/st... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=853140 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 09:53:37 +0100 853140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=853141&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F154138278%2F Scientists at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Researchhave identified a critical gene that increases a person’s risk for rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, and may be involved with other autoimmune diseases. Genetic mapping enabled them to identify STAT4 located on chromosome 2 as a culprit in susceptibility to both diseases. Peter K. Gregersen, MD, head of The Feinstein Institute’s Robert S. Boas Center for Genomics & Human Genetics says “About 22 percent of people in the United States inherit this particular form of STAT4. Having this variant of STAT4 confers a 30 percent increased risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis. People with two copies of STAT4 have a 60 percent increased risk, Dr. Gregersen said. Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=853141 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 09:32:19 +0100 853141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=853143&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F154115938%2F Ugh! Nothing worse than a urinary tract infection (UTIs). Painful and embarrasing with all those visits to the bathroom. Some people get them time and time again, often starting in childhood.  They can get so severe that it results in pelvic and kidney damage and at the very worst, life-long renal dialysis. Doctors having been looking for some means of identifying kids at risk of going on to develop severe symptoms compared to those kids where the diagnosis is really a simple UTI.  This would have the effect of reducing the need for intrusive and painful testing in kids. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden believe they have found this risk marker gene. The gene in question produces a protein that is involved in the immune defense system. It regulates the migration of white blood ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=853143 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 07:43:47 +0100 853143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=853144&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F154112661%2F You will have noticed that my posts have slightly dwindled this last week.  I’ve been heavily involved in the merge of two junior schools which has been a fascinating exercise not to mention that attorneys can be your best friends but also so damn infuriating! Luckily both schools are pro the merge and that now includes staff and parents. Makes life easier! While I was reviewing the academic syllabuses it made me realize that kids just aren’t told about genetics and the huge role it will play in their lives.  Genetics is a scary subject for most people … you just have to think of the cloned ewe ’Dolly the Sheep’ and it conjures up freaky images.  It’s the same at Medical School.  Our ‘would be’ physicians come out knowing zilch about g... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=853144 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 07:28:45 +0100 853144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=830974&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F150092862%2F I’ve been asked by some of you as to what is this new ‘buzz’ word ‘EPIGENETICS’ that keeps cropping up. I am using the definition as laid down by one of the European Epigenetics Research Community. Epigenetics was originally defined as ‘the interactions of genes with their environment that bring the phenotype into being’. Today, the term is used to describe the study of heritable changes in genome function that occur without a change in DNA sequence. This includes; the study of how patterns of gene expression are passed from one cell to its descendants, how gene expression changes during the differentiation of one cell type into another, and how environmental factors can change the way genes are expressed. There are far-reaching implications of ep... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=830974 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:35:38 +0100 830974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=830976&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F150085174%2F Yet another gene has been found that appears to be associated with the development of breast cancer. Tip60 is a so-called tumor suppressor gene - it helps to hold the growth of cells in check. Low Tip60 activity appears to be particularly associated with aggressive tumors. When we are born we inherit a copy of the gene from our mother and our father. Typically with tumor suppressor genes, both copies must be faulty for the function to be lost.  However the Tip60 gene stops working if only one copy is faulty.  This is unusual.  There’s still a long way to go in understanding the role Tip 60 plays in the development of breast cancer but this discovery all adds to the bigger picture of how breast cancer develops. Penny Share This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=830976 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:12:08 +0100 830976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=815193&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F146870410%2F I was leafing through Nature’s website when I read this potentially quite scary piece of research on how scientists have managed to erase a rat’s long-term memory for a month. Scientists at the Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, trained rodents to associate a particular smell with illness. They then injected the rat brains up to a month later with a polypeptide called ZIP which caused the rats to completely forget the unpleasant memory. It has been previously thought that long-term messages get stored in a brain’s ’safe-house’ ready to be retrieved at a later date.  However, this research suggests that the process of storing long-term memories is maintained by an ever-active process which can be over-ridden. Whilst there are benefits for this resea... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=815193 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:09:26 +0100 815193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=808677&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F145894411%2F Two related papers in ‘The Neuron’ report new insights into the pathology underlying a recently identified neurological disorder that strikes middle-aged adults that is caused by alterations in the same gene that causes fragile X syndrome. Fragile X is a family of genetic conditions, which can impact individuals and families in various ways. These genetic conditions are related in that they are all caused by gene changes in the same gene, called the FMR1 gene. Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common cause of inherited mental impairment. This impairment can range from learning disabilities to more severe cognitive or intellectual disabilities. (Sometimes referred to as mental retardation.) FXS is the most common known cause of autism or “autistic-like” behaviors... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=808677 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 21:11:01 +0100 808677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=802264&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F144670845%2F Further to my article on MRSA’s ability to rapidly mutate as a means of increasing resistance to antibiotics, there’s an article on the BBC website about using Stalin’s preferred method of fighting gangrene and infection in his troops - in the fight to treat MRSA infections.  All his army took a pack of bacteriophages with them in their kit bags.  Bacteriophages are viruses that eat bacteria. They enter a body, latch onto a bacteria, inject DNA into the bacteria making the bacteria produce more bacteriophages.  In the process the bacteria dies and the bacteriophages then self destruct. Perfect! In the West bacteriophages fell out of favour with the introduction of antibiotics, however they are still widely used in parts of Russia as a means of treating deep roo... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=802264 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 06:32:47 +0100 802264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=800086&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F144314384%2F Following on from my blog on genetics and evolution, Dukes University, USA  has just published a fascinating piece of research on what genetic factors set us apart from primates. In genetic terms man is 99% the same as primates so why have we evolved over the last million years?  It is all about gene regulation.  Think of the keys on a piano, they can be played in millions of combinations, each combination producing a different piece of music.  This is the same for our genes.  In man, gene regulation is making a different piece of ‘music’ to primates.  This evolution has enabled us to eat differently, develop a complex language, invent amazing technology etc etc. The Dukes research led by Ralph Haygood, a post doc fellow in Professor Gregory Wray’s team, have... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=800086 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 07:52:06 +0100 800086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=797104&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F580-Genetic-engineering-to-prevent-iron-deficiency.html I love to read these stories about possible ways genetic engineering can improve the lives of those most in need.  From ScienceDaily:Using selective plant breeding and genetic engineering could be used to reduce the incidence of iron deficiency worldwide by improving the quality of dietary iron, conclude authors of a Seminar in The Lancet.Dr Michael Zimmerman, Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, and colleagues have reviewed published literature worldwide, mainly from the last five years, to prepare the Seminar, which looks at the issue of nutritional iron deficiency in both industrialised and developing countries.The authors say: “Iron deficiency is one of the leading risk factors for disability and death worldwide, affecting an estimated 2 bill... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=797104 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:10:21 +0100 797104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=791363&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F142652894%2F The recent Tour de France drug violations show further evidence that sport is rife with illegal drug taking to enhance performance and achieve that ‘extra mile’.  There are mega bucks at stake alongside the dream of become a World and Olympic champion.  I imagine that if you’ve invested your entire life to your chosen sport the lure of taking banned performance enhancing drugs to help you achieve your dreams is with you night and day. The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) in Montreal, Canada is charged with monitoring the conduct of athletes.  It is working with investigators around the globe to develop a test that would ’out’ competitors for injecting themselves with genetic material capable of enhancing body mass or performance.  At present there ar... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=791363 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:40:39 +0100 791363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=780684&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F140993037%2F The South of England is reeling with the news that there has been another foot and mouth outbreak, halting the transport of all UK livestock.  The EU has also stepped in with various embargoes.  This comes only a few years after the farming community was nearly decimated from a foot and mouth outbreak in the North of England. It cost the industry nearly US$16 billion. Since the last foot and mouth epidemic was eradicated, farmers have been ultra cautious in hygiene, cleanliness and infection control.  There is growing disquiet within the community from the test results that this strain of foot and mouth is the same as the strains used two week’s previously at both a private lab and government lab only four miles away.  By all accunts these bugs may have travelled from the a... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=780684 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:18:17 +0100 780684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=771634&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F139518860%2F MRSA or Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or ‘Hospital Super Bug’ is one of the current scourges of hospitals.  A genuinely held belief that decades of poor hygiene practices and over-use of antibiotics have contributed to increasing antibiotic resitance of this bug appears to hold true.  In genetic terms MRSA is truly amazing in so much that it can mutate at a moment’s notice to create resistance to so many antibiotics.  Interestingly in the last few weeks there is evidence that natural products may help in the fight to kill this bug.  These include instant steam (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6919473.stm) and garlic, well known for its astringent/sterilisating/healing qualities. Here is an article on how scientists watched the MRSA bug mutate da... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=771634 Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:12:55 +0100 771634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=768994&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F139122764%2F People worry unnecessarily about cancer in their family because they do not realise only a small number of cancers are hereditary, a survey has found. The poll found 91% of people falsely believe that if a family member has had cancer, they are at greater personal risk of the disease. In fact, the likelihood of an increased risk is small, as nine out of ten cancers appear by chance. The survey was carried out by information charity Cancerbackup The poll, of over 1,000 people conducted through the Genes Reunited website, found a quarter of people thought that between 50% and 100% of cancers are hereditary. The majority of people (74%) wrongly thought that if several members of their family have had different types of cancer, it means that there is a strong chance of an inherited genetic lin... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=768994 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:00:40 +0100 768994 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=768942&cid=t_104790_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F31%2Finsulin-grown-in-tobacco-plants%2F Filed under: Type 1, Drugs, ResearchYes, the title conjures up images of a futuristic world in which diabetics puff their way back to health. "New! Insulin Cigarettes!" In fact, it's rather more innocuous than that: scientists have engineered a type of insulin-containing tobacco plant that could - in theory, at least - be used as a diabetes treatment. A study has just been completed of its use. Once freeze-dried and broken down into powder, the insulin-containing tobacco leaves were administered to mice. The scientists who came up with the plant (and who are based at the University of Central Florida), found the powder successfully prevented diabetes symptoms in the mice after eight weeks. It seems pretty safe to assume, they speculate, that humans with type 1 diabetes could get similar re... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=768942 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 768942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=767591&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F138859686%2F Chronic itching is a widespread problem. It can be caused by skin disorders like eczema, or it can stem from a deeper problem such as kidney failure or liver disease. It can be a serious side effect of cancer therapies or powerful painkillers like morphine. For some people, chronic itching can be very disruptive, interfering with sleep or giving rise to scratching that leads to scarring. Effective treatment options for itchy patients are limited. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified the first gene for the itch sensation in the central nervous system. The discovery could rapidly lead to new treatments directly targeting itchiness and providing relief for chronic and severe itching. The “itch gene” is GRPR (gastrin-releasing peptide ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=767591 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:44:56 +0100 767591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=767592&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F138855170%2F On July 24, 2007 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was informed by Targeted Genetics Corporation of Seattle about the death of a patient who received an investigational gene therapy product in a clinical trial for the treatment of active inflammatory arthritis. The product that was being studied uses a particle called a vector that is designed to deliver treatment genes to target cells. The vector used is a recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) derived vector and delivers the gene for Tumor-Necrosis Factor -Receptor, with the intent to inhibit a key mediator of inflammation. In the study, the gene therapy was administered into the joint affected by the disease to reduce inflammation and disease in patients with active inflammatory arthritis. More than 100 subjects have been en... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=767592 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:40:56 +0100 767592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=767593&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F138853492%2F A specific genetic variation may be tied to an increased risk for severe premenstrual depression, scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the National Institute of Mental Health have found. Known medically as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, this psychiatric condition affects roughly 8 percent of women in their childbearing years. It’s characterized by bouts of major depression and/or anxiety and severe irritability during the second half of the menstrual cycle. Symptoms subside with the onset of each menstrual period. While PMDD has been thought to be linked to hormonal changes over the course of the menstrual cycle, until now an explanation for the susceptibility to hormone-related mood changes has been elusive. The team discovered four specific g... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=767593 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:35:31 +0100 767593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=767594&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F138843645%2F  What are SNPs? Single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs (pronounced “snips”) are DNA sequence variations that occur when a SINGLE nucleotide (A,T,C,or G) in the genome sequence is altered. For example a SNP might change the DNA sequence AAGGCTAA to ATGGCTAA.  For a variation to be considered a SNP, it must occur in at least 1% of the population. SNPs, which make up about 90% of all human genetic variation, occur every 100 to 300 bases along the 3-billion-base human genome. Two of every three SNPs involve the replacement of cytosine (C) with thymine (T). SNPs can occur in both coding (gene) and non-coding regions of the genome. Many SNPs have no effect on cell function, but scientists believe others could predispose people to disease or influence their response to a drug. Al... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=767594 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:50:36 +0100 767594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=765774&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F138834479%2F Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an incurable disease of the nervous system affecting hundreds of thousands of people across the world. People with MS often worry about what caused it, and particularly whether it will affect their children, so a better understanding of the role of certain genes is good news.  Here is a summary of the latest published research on identifying the genetic faults that may lead to developing MS.  It is only the beginning of the journey but new technology should speed up the identification of the other genetic variations. Penny The first new genes for three decades linked to multiple sclerosis have been identified by UK and US researchers.   The finding, published in both the New England Journal of Medicine and Nature Genetics, will not lead directly to new test... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=765774 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:14:43 +0100 765774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=755624&cid=t_104790_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F24%2Flow-sugar-watermelons-a-guilt-free-treat%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Diet, Daily News, ProductsThe low-sugar watermelon is creating a big buzz in the news right now. The watermelon, developed by plant breeders at the US Department of Agriculture, contains less than half the sugar of regular melons. It may fit the bill perfectly for diabetics who crave a generous helping of that luscious summer treat. Brilliantly, beneficial concentrations of vitamin A, potassium and the antioxidant lycopene stay the same in the low-cal version. Don't rush to the local supermarket looking for it though: the seeds have only just become available to melon growers, so mature fruits has not yet hit the market.The beauty of the low-cal melon is that it's all-natural. Okay, okay. It took some genetic engineering to get there. Still, noshing on a big st... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=755624 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 755624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=750242&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F136450442%2F Courtesy of Medical News Today http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/genetics/ Penny Share This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=750242 Mon, 23 Jul 2007 10:54:29 +0100 750242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=750243&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F136427824%2F Tutorial 2 categorizes the types of genetic disorders and looks at how genes affect our lives. Penny Tutorial 2: What are genetic disorders? In the 50 odd years since since Watson, Crick, Franklin and Wilkins first discovered the structure of DNA in 1953, knowledge of how genes play a role in health, disease and disability has rapidly grown.  These days we are bombarded with stories about genetics in the news and not a day goes by without an announcement describing a new genetic test or breakthrough. There are two categories of genetic disorder - Single Gene Disorders and Complex (multifactoral) Diseases. 1. Single Gene Disorders Single Gene Disorders are where there is one faulty gene causing disease regardless of the environment.  There are over 10,000 different single gene disorders, ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=750243 Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:11:51 +0100 750243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=750244&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F136418164%2F I’ve been asked to provide ’mini tutorials’ on various genetic topics  My tutorials are directed to those wishing to bring themselves up to speed on the basics of genetics.  So apologies to all genetics specialists who have spent lifetimes researching, publishing and commenting on this subject.  That said, I would welcome your comments, views and updates! Penny TUTORIAL 1: Genes and how they work What is a gene? Genes are the biological information inherited from your parents. They affect the way your body grows, works, and looks. Every single cell of your body is a tiny building block and contains all the information you inherited. The information is contained in 46 chromosomes (23 pairs) within the core (nucleus) of each cell. Chromosomes are like containers... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=750244 Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:30:31 +0100 750244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=750245&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F136413272%2F Let’s start this week’s Genetics and Health blog with a contentious subject - screening embryos for known mutations. In the UK, the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority has just licenced University College Hospital, London to screen embryos for the BRCA breast cancer single gene mutations.  The BRCA genes raise the lifetime risk of breast cancer to between 60 and 80 per cent, and also raise the risk of ovarian cancer to 40 per cent. In men, they are linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer. Some women who know that they have inherited the gene opt for a mastectomy in order to reduce their risk, but even this cannot eliminate it completely. The test is the first to be sanctioned in the UK for a gene that does not always cause disease in adults but carries a he... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=750245 Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:04:59 +0100 750245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=736313&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F134119788%2F Hi to all b5 bloggers! This is Penny Harrington here, I’m your new genetics blogger all the way from Europe!  I’m totally into genetics and health and pretty much have the low down on what’s going on around the world in this field and boy is there a lot going on!  My passion is to check out new technologies that will detect a disease in the early stages of development … even before that, so that something can be done to treat it early or manage the risk of getting a disease.  My mantra is “early diagnosis, better prognosis”.  But I’m not into stuff that’s not properly scientifically and clinically sorted - waste of your money and potentially dangerous too. Oh yes.. good info about the test and all its upsides and downsides is key an... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=736313 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 07:21:11 +0100 736313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=723226&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F569-The-Case-Against-Perfection.html William Saletan has a wonderful review in the New York Times of Michael J. Sandel's book The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering. Sandel has some interesting ideas about genetic engineering in humans that has me nodding my head.  Saletan writes:Sandel’s critique is refreshingly sophisticated. Opponents of eugenic technologies usually complain that they’re unsafe, coercive, exploitative, nontherapeutic or unavailable to the poor. Sandel rebuts these objections, pointing out that they’re selectively applied and can be technically resolved. His deeper worry is that some kinds of enhancement violate the norms embedded in human practices. Baseball, for example, is supposed to develop and celebrate an array of talents. Steroids warp the game. Parents are suppose... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=723226 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 21:27:35 +0100 723226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=517749&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F529-Got-Alcoholic-Milk.html Japanese scientists have created cows that produce alcoholic milk:Japanese "Sake Cows" produce wine gene - 01-Apr-2007 Scientists in Japan claim to have discovered a gene which simulates the effects of yeast fermentation inside the udders of “Sake Cows” enabling them to produce the base ingredients for wine. The wonders of genetic engineering allow scientists to replace the gene for making lactose with an artificial gene that produces pure alcohol.  Dr Shuji Sakegami, a researcher in the Bio-Engineering department at Kyoto University came up with the idea of replacing milk in the udders with another liquid because his two year old daughter, Nowai Sakegami didn’t respond well to the transition from human to animal milk. Although alcohol is clearly not suitable for young Nowai ... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=517749 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 02:45:20 +0100 517749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=517751&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F527-Sheep-that-are-15-human-envisioned-for-organ-transplants.html Researchers at the University of Nevada have made sheep that have human cells in their organs.  The sheep are about 15% human.Now why would anyone want to do this?  It is elementary my dear Watson: ORGAN TRANSPLANTS.  From ThisisLondon:Scientists have created the world's first human-sheep chimera - which has the body of a sheep and half-human organs.The sheep have 15 per cent human cells and 85 per cent animal cells - and their evolution brings the prospect of animal organs being transplanted into humans one step closer.Professor Esmail Zanjani, of the University of Nevada, has spent seven years and £5million perfecting the technique, which involves injecting adult human cells into a sheep's foetus.He has already created a sheep liver which has a large proportion of human cells and eve... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=517751 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 00:33:35 +0100 517751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=516577&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F106136077%2F Layering DNA is a hot technique. Over the weekend, I wrote about coating organs with DNA to improve transplant success. University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have also developed nanoscale films made up of DNA and water-soluble polymers. The design allows them to deliver DNA directly into cells as a form of gene therapy. The DNA film can be manipulated by adding multiple layers with each layer capable of carrying a different type of DNA sequence. The time point of release can be manipulated by altering the polymer structure. Thus far, they’ve applied the DNA films to cardiac stents which are typically used in angioplasties to open clogged arteries. Some types of cardiac stents have a coating of drugs that help to prevent the growth of smooth muscle cells over the stent (restenosis... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=516577 Mon, 02 Apr 2007 22:35:01 +0100 516577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=514727&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F105766658%2F Organ transplants save lives but even after the difficult task of finding a donor match, there’s still the possibility of the recipient’s body rejecting the organ. Dutch researchers have developed a technique of coating organs with DNA to improve the chances of a transplant’s success. The coating of DNA is applied by layers and has thus far proven successful in cell cultures and animal experiments. Coating organs with DNA helps to: Reduce the immune response leading to organ rejection Specific to bone implants, phosphate groups found in DNA can speed up the attachment to bone tissue. DNA can be enriched with biologically active factors such as those that promote the formation of bone tissue and blood vessels. In related news, a gene expression profiling (GEP) test, Allo... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=514727 Sun, 01 Apr 2007 10:12:27 +0100 514727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=500108&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F104296403%2F How much do college students understand about the genome revolution and its implications for society? I’m asking because I found this opinion article written by Adam Stanisic, News Editor of The University of Hartford Informer, and couldn’t stop shaking my head. First, he mentions the story in the New York Times last weekend about Katharine Moser, who tested positive for a variation of the huntingtin gene that causes Huntington’s disease. He fails to mention her name then says the disease was Hutchinson’s disease. He makes that mistake not once but TWICE. Did he read the article or not?! It also appears that he doesn’t understand that genes are not destiny and wonders what it would be like to be perfectly beautiful, smart, and talented with perfect genes. He c... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=500108 Sun, 25 Mar 2007 15:25:50 +0100 500108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486422&cid=t_104790_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F102788730%2F The British Society for Gene Therapy (BSGT) is holding a Public Open Day today at The University of Warwick. As I write this, they should be in the midst of discussing whether gene therapy can be used to treat haemophilia, cystic fibrosis, cancer, and muscular dystrophy. Of particular interest to some of us, science and media will also be discussed along with a workshop on gene therapy in the news. Last year’s program and presentations are also available. More later when this year’s is posted online. Concurrently, the BSGT Annual Conference starts today and will last until March 21. BBC News reports from the meeting on gene therapy for fetuses. Dr Simon Waddington of University College London: There are several advantages. For example, in cystic fibrosis, lung damage is actual... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486422 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:27:33 +0100 486422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=487004&cid=t_104790_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2006%2F09%2Fgenetically-engineering-for-deafness.html I had the TV on MSNBC this evening for about 2 minutes, during Tucker Carlson's show. Here's (a paraphrase of) what I heard Tucker say:Some deaf parents want to be able to test for deafness. They want to make sure that their children are deaf like them. [blah blah blah] Now, it's one thing to genetically engineer the sex of your kids, but can't you agree that genetically engineering your kids so that they are born deaf is just wrong? His guest, of whom I know nothing about, hedged and didn't really answer. I'm not even really sure what the show was about (like I said, I only saw about 2 minutes and didn't pay a whole lot of attention). But, given the discussions I've been involved in through this blog, those couple of lines just kind of jumped out. Got me thinking.I think I'll wait to disc... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=487004 Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:04:00 +0100 487004