The Human Dynasty

Discovery moves scientists a significant step closer to preventing blindness. Scientists have created the first genetic research model for a microscopic part of the eye that when missing causes blindness. The research appears in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

(JAMA and Archives Journals) Variation of a gene for a protein hormone that is secreted by fat cells is associated with a decreased colorectal cancer risk, according to a study in the Oct. 1 issue of JAMA.

(University of Alabama at Birmingham) It has already been proven that obesity is influenced by genetics, and colon cancer is influenced by genetics. A new JAMA study by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is the first to make a three-way scientific connection between genetic variation, obesity and colon cancer risk.

(NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute) Researchers have identified two new genes — and confirmed the role of a third gene — associated with increased risk of higher levels of uric acid in the blood, which can lead to gout, a common, painful form of arthritis. Combined, the three genetic variations were associated with up to a 40-fold increased risk in developing gout.

(Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard) Researchers at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT have received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to map the epigenomes of a variety of medically important cell types, including human embryonic stem cells. The work aims to transform the understanding of an exquisite control system — a code of so-called “epigenetic” cues that specify when and where in the body genes are made active.

(Massachusetts General Hospital) Researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology Service report that women with vulvar carcinoma whose tumors have extra copies of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene are at increased risk of dying from their cancer. The EGFR pathway is known to be critical in several types of cancer and alterations to the pathway can serve as genetic fingerprints revealing candidates for targeted therapies.

(Inderscience Publishers) A paper published Oct. 1 in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution, explains how a DNA test can be used to detect harmful algal blooms across the globe.

(University of Oklahoma) A team of scientists at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center has created the first genetic research model for a microscopic part of the eye that when missing causes blindness. The research appears in a recent issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Researchers decode the DNA sequence of the fungus which produces penicillin, ahead of the 80th anniversary of its discovery.

A study, based on DNA-sequence comparison of thousands of bacterial samples collected from human patients and animal carriers, found that 97 percent of campylobacteriosis cases sampled in Lancashire, UK, were caused by bacteria typically found in chicken and livestock.