Researchers find smallest cellular genome

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Mapping the Cancer Genome

Pinpointing the genes involved in cancer will help chart a new course across the complex landscape of human malignancies. “If we wish to learn more about cancer, we must now concentrate on the cellular genome.” Nobel laureate Renato Dulbecco penned those words more than 20 years ago in one of the earliest public calls for what would become the Human Genome Project. “We are at a turning point,” Dulbecco, a pioneering cancer researcher, declared in 1986 in the journal Science. Discoveries in preceding years had made clear that much of the deranged behavior of cancer cells stemmed from damage to their genes and alterations in their functioning. “We have two options,” he wrote. “Either try to discover the genes important in malignancy by a piecemeal approach. [lien] [EN]

Whole-Genome Sequencing: Any Useful Data?

Whole-Genome Sequencing - Any Useful Data? July : Posted by Bertalan Meskó in 0$ Genome, Genetic screening, Genome, Personalized medicine, Scifoo. I met George Church at this year’s Scifoo event in San Francisco and we talked about how useful the data is that was obtained from whole genome sequencing methods. There are almost 0 people in the world right now whose genomes were sequenced like that but the number of useful genomes is very low (e.g. who made it public) . That’s one reason why the ClinSeq project is really promosing. ClinSeq is a pilot project to investigate the use of whole-genome sequencing as a tool for clinical research. By piloting the acquisition of large amounts of DNA sequence data from individual human subjects. [lien] [EN]

Researchers identify new function of protein in cellular respiration

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have found that the protein Stat3 plays a key role in regulating mitochondria, the energy-producing machines of cells. This discovery could one day lead to the development of new treatments for heart disease to boost energy in failing heart muscle or to master the abnormal metabolism of cancer. In the study, published online Jan8 in Science Express, researchers reported that Stat, a protein previously known to control the activity of genes by acting in the cell nucleus, also plays a key role in cellular energy production. The team examined oxygen consumption in cultured cells and hearts of mice. They discovered that when Stat 3 protein was missing, cells consumed less oxygen and produced less ATP, the key molecular form of cellular energy. [lien] [EN]

Scientists map key landmarks in human genome

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers have developed a powerful method for charting the positions of key gene-regulating molecules called nucleosomes throughout the human genome. The mapping tool could help uncover important clues for understanding and diagnosing cancer and other diseases, the scientists say. Moreover, it may shed light on the role of nucleosomes in the process of “reprogramming” an adult cell to its original embryonic state, which is a critical operation in cloning. David E. Fisher, MD, PhD, and his Dana-Farber colleagues describe their findings in Nature Biotechnology, which has published the paper as an advanced online publication on its Web site, www.nature.com/nbt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/index.html. “This study presents the first global view of human nucleosome positioning. [lien] [EN]

Genome code cracked for breast and colon cancers

Scientists have completed the first draft of the genetic code for breast and colon cancers. Their report, published online in the September 7 issue of Science Express, identifies close to 200 mutated genes, now linked to these cancers, most of which were not previously recognized as associated with tumor initiation, growth, spread or control. “Just as sequencing the human genome laid the groundwork for subsequent research in genetics, these data lay the foundation for decades of research on colon and breast cancers,” says Victor Velculescu, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Although gene discoveries by independent scientists scattered around the world have provided clues, Velculescu says relatively few genes have been shown to be altered in cancers. [lien] [EN]

Researchers identify gene as protector of DNA, enemy of tumors

A single gene plays a pivotal role launching two DNA damage detection and repair pathways in the human genome, suggesting that it functions as a previously unidentified tumor suppressor gene, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in Cancer Cell. The advance online publication also reports that the gene - called BRIT1 - is under-expressed in human ovarian, breast and prostate cancer cell lines. Defects in BRIT1 seem to be a key pathological alteration in cancer initiation and progression, the authors note, and further understanding of its function may contribute to novel, therapeutic approaches to cancer. “Disruption of BRIT1 function abolishes DNA damage responses and leads to genomic instability,” said senior author Shiaw-Yih Lin, Ph. [lien] [EN]

Genomic screen nets hundreds of human proteins exploited by HIV

In some ways, HIV resembles a minimalist painter, using a few basic components to achieve dramatic effects. The virus contains just nine genes encoding 15 proteins, which wreak havoc on the human immune system. But this bare bones approach could have a fatal flaw. Lacking robust machinery, HIV hijacks human proteins to propagate, and these might represent powerful therapeutic targets. Using a technique called RNA interference to screen thousands of genes, Harvard Medical School researchers have now identified 273 human proteins required for HIV propagation. The vast majority had not been connected to the virus by previous studies. The work appears online in Science Express on Jan. 10. Drugs currently used to treat the viral infection interact directly with the virus itself, and it's quite simple for the rapidly mutating virus to avoid destruction by altering how it interacts with these chemicals. [lien] [EN]

US stands to lose a generation of young researchers

Five consecutive years of flat funding the budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is deterring promising young researchers and threatening the future of Americans' health, a group of seven preeminent academic research institutions warned today. In a new report released here, the group of concerned institutions (six research universities and a major teaching hospital) described the toll that cumulative stagnant NIH funding is taking on the American medical research enterprise. And the leading institutions warned that if NIH does not get consistent and robust support in the future, the nation will lose a generation of young investigators to other careers and other countries and, with them, a generation of promising research that could cure disease for millions for whom no cure currently exists. [lien] [EN]

Personalized Genetics: Research in the News

When I started to share the most recent news and improvements of personalized genetics or genomic medicine, it wasn’t an easy job to find 4-5 articles a week. Now, my bookmark is totally full and I have to write posts focusing on different aspects of this special field of medicine. This time, while a whole genome sequencing costs less than 60,000$, genomic research should be in the focus: · This week in the genetic blogosphere has been centered around an article published in JAMA (Putting Genomic Medicine Together With Clinical Practice). Consumers also lack confidence and knowledge about genetic testing. They are generally concerned with privacy and the possibility of discrimination in health insurance and employment. However, consumers were interested in the genomic technology that can lead to better diagnosis and care for certain diseases . [lien] [EN]

Researchers Unveil Near-complete Protein Catalog For Mitochondria

Imagine trying to figure out how your car’s power train works from just a few of its myriad components: It would be nearly impossible. Scientists have long faced a similar challenge in understanding cells’ tiny powerhouses — called “mitochondria” — from scant knowledge of their molecular parts. Now, an international team of researchers has created the most comprehensive “parts list” to date for mitochondria, a compendium that includes nearly 1,100 proteins. By mining this critical resource, the researchers have already gained deep insights into the biological roles and evolutionary histories of several key proteins. In addition, this careful cataloging has identified a mutation in a novel protein-coding gene as the cause behind one devastating mitochondrial disease. [lien] [EN]

Researchers Discover Gene Related to the Appearance of Aging

Scientists in Atlantic Canada have found a gene that may play a role in skin aging. Researchers were investigating the genetic cause of a rare disorder known as cutis laxa type 2 (CL2), which causes skin on the hands, feet and face to be loose and older looking, as well as growth and developmental delays including effects on the brain. In the process, researchers found some interesting correlations with the synthesis of proline, a chemical associated with skin and joint health. The findings are published in the current online issue of American Journal of Human Genetics (http/www.cell.com/AJHG), and are part of the Atlantic Medical Genetic and Genomics Initiative (AMGGI), an ambitious, multi-partner gene-discovery project, managed by Genome Atlantic, and funded by Genome Canada/Genome Atlantic. [lien] [EN]

Researchers reveal missing link in a heart disease pathway

University of Michigan scientists and their colleagues have helped characterize a previously unknown link in the chain of biochemical reactions implicated in some forms of heart disease. The finding provides a new target for future drug therapies. A team led by U-M structural biologist John Tesmer obtained a high resolution image of three proteins caught in the act of transferring chemical signals inside a cell. Two of the proteins in the complex had previously been linked to heart disease, and Tesmer’s team was able to resolve “the missing link” between them, he said. “We’ve trapped all three proteins together, and we’ve learned how they interact. Essentially, it’s a previously unrecognized pathway that one could target to treat cardiovascular disease,” said Tesmer, a research associate professor at the Life Sciences Institute and an associate professor at the Medical School. [lien] [EN]

Researchers Find Promising New Targets for Antibiotics

University of Illinois at Chicago researchers have identified new sites on the bacterial cell’s protein-making machinery where antibiotics can be delivered to treat infections. “The primary challenge of antibiotic therapy has been fighting infections caused by the pathogens which became resistant to antibiotics,” says Alexander Mankin, professor and associate director of UIC’s Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and lead investigator of the study. “Not a single class of drugs has escaped the inevitable emergence of resistance.” At present, Mankin said, “the constant development of new drugs is the only available strategy to keep up with the ever-growing variety of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.” Mankin and his research team are looking for new vulnerable sites on bacteria where drugs can be delivered to fight the infections. [lien] [EN]

Research identifies sirtuin protein instrumental in fat production and metabolism

A new Joslin Diabetes Center-led study has identified a protein found in fat cells that may play a major role in how fat is produced and stored, offering a new target for treatments to prevent obesity and reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. This latest research appears in the August 2007 issue of Cell Metabolism. The study examined the role of a protein called Sirt2, a member of the sirtuin family of seven cellular proteins. These proteins have recently been shown to be important in the control of aging and metabolism. Previous studies have focused on one member of this family, Sirt1, which is activated by high doses of resveratrol, a substance found in red grapes, which can prevent diabetes from developing and also prolong life. This finding generated tremendous attention, leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to begin developing drugs and supplements to harness this effect. [lien] [EN]