ISCB Computational Biology Focus | Scicasts

Functional Genomics Gets Tiny

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:35:35 +0000

Cambridge, MA (Scicasts) – A little more than a decade ago, researchers discovered an ancient mechanism that cells use to silence genes. Like a dimmer switch turning down a light, RNA interference (RNAi) dials down gene activity in simple organisms as well as in humans.

New Research Challenges Assumption that Raising HDL Lowers Heart Disease Risk

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:06:56 +0000

Cambridge, MA (Scicasts) – A team led by researchers from the Broad Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has reported findings that challenges the assumption that raising a person’s HDL ― the so-called “good cholesterol” ― will necessarily lower the risk of a heart attack.

RNA Modification Influences Thousands of Genes

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:28:50 +0000

New York, NY (Scicasts) – Over the past decade, research in the field of epigenetics has revealed that chemically modified bases are abundant components of the human genome and has forced us to abandon the notion we've had since high school genetics that DNA consists of only four bases.

Fighting Bacteria's Strength in Numbers

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:59:57 +0000

Nottingham, UK (Scicasts) – Scientists at The University of Nottingham have opened the way for more accurate research into new ways to fight dangerous bacterial infections by proving a long-held theory about how bacteria communicate with each other.

Research Provides New Clues on How ApoE4 Affects Alzheimer's Risk

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:34:55 +0000

Bethesda, MD (Scicasts) – Common variants of the ApoE gene are strongly associated with the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease, but the gene's role in the disease has been unclear.

Zebrafish Study Isolates Gene Related to Autism, Schizophrenia and Obesity

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:02:58 +0000

Durham, NC (Scicasts) – What can a fish tell us about human brain development? Researchers at Duke University Medical Center transplanted a set of human genes into a zebrafish and then used it to identify genes responsible for head size at birth.

Delivery of Gene-therapy for Heart Disease Boosted 100-fold; Now in 100-patient Trial

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:47:10 +0000

San Diego, CA (Scicasts) – Cardium Therapeutics has announced a late-breaking poster presentation at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 15th Annual Meeting being held May 16-19, 2012 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Brain-computer Interface Used to Control Robotic Arms in Paralyzed Patients

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:52:49 +0000

Providence, RI (Scicasts) – On April 12, 2011, nearly 15 years after she became paralyzed and unable to speak, a woman controlled a robotic arm by thinking about moving her arm and hand to lift a bottle of coffee to her mouth and take a drink. [video]

Researchers ID Gene Variants that Speed Progression of Parkinson's Disease

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:22:15 +0000

Los Angeles, CA (Scicasts) – UCLA researchers may have found a key to determining which Parkinson's disease patients will experience a more rapid decline in motor function, sparking hopes for the development of new therapies and helping identify those who could benefit most from early intervention.

Delivery System for Gene Therapy May Help Treat Arthritis

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:52:29 +0000

Augusta, GA (Scicasts) – A DNA-covered submicroscopic bead used to deliver genes or drugs directly into cells to treat disease appears to have therapeutic value just by showing up, researchers report.

Cancer Vaccine Combination Therapy Promising for Breast Cancer

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:44:19 +0000

Sacramento, CA (Scicasts) – A team of UC Davis investigators has found that a vaccine that targets cancer cells in combination with the drug letrozole, a standard hormonal therapy against breast cancer, significantly increased survival when tested in mice.

Key Genes and Prototype Predictive Test for Schizophrenia Identified

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:16:52 +0000

Indianapolis, IN (Scicasts) – An Indiana University-led research team, along with a group of national and international collaborators, has identified and prioritized a comprehensive group of genes most associated with schizophrenia that together can generate a score indicating whether an individual is at higher or lower risk of developing the disease.

New Biosensor Promising for Medical Diagnostics

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:20:47 +0000

West Lafayette, IN (Scicasts) – Researchers have created an ultrasensitive biosensor that could open up new opportunities for early detection of cancer and "personalized medicine" tailored to the specific biochemistry of individual patients.

Identification of a microRNA Prognostic Marker in Acute Leukaemia

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:05:01 +0000

Columbus, OH (Scicasts) – A study has identified microRNA-3151 as a new independent prognostic marker in certain patients with acute leukaemia. The study involves patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and normal-looking chromosomes(CN-AML).

Different Mechanisms of Pain Revealed

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:42:37 +0000

Leeds, UK (Scicasts) – Researchers at the University of Leeds have found a previously unknown mechanism through which pain is signalled by nerve cells – a discovery that could explain the current failings in the drug development process for painkillers and which may offer opportunities for a new approach.

Novel Drug candidates Offer New Route to Controlling Inflammation

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:43:53 +0000

Princeton, NJ (Scicasts) – Pursuing a relatively untapped route for regulating the immune system, an international team of researchers has designed and conducted initial tests on molecules that have the potential to treat diseases involving inflammation, such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke and sepsis.

Genetic Test Identifies Eye Cancer Tumours Likely to Spread

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:25:37 +0000

St. Louis, MO (Scicasts) – Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a genetic test that can accurately predict whether the most common form of eye cancer will spread to other parts of the body, particularly the liver.

Molecular Subtypes and Genetic Alterations May Determine Response to Lung Cancer Therapy

t.hamilton@desciner.com (Teacha Hamilton) — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:51:21 +0000

Chapel Hill, NC (Scicasts) – Cancer therapies targeting specific molecular subtypes of the disease allow physicians to tailor treatment to a patient’s individual molecular profile. But scientists are finding that in many types of cancer the molecular subtypes are more varied than previously thought and contain further genetic alterations that can affect a patient’s response to therapy.