Pharmacogenetics rules the R&D landscape at some drug companies and this ever-evolving science is keeping its players quite busy. Pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenetics are used interchangeably and no consensus has been made to distinguish them. In general, however, pharmacogenetics is aimed at understanding how the response to a drug can be affected by an individual’s genotype.…
Regulatory Mechanism for Cell Identity and Behavior in Forming Organs
Two proteins interact in a previously unknown molecular mechanism that may have broad implications in future studies looking the causes of defective organs in fetuses, metastatic cancers and other diseases, according to researchers at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center. Reporting their work in the Nov. 1 Genes & Development, the researchers said the mechanism coordinates…
Protein-RNA Interactions in Living Cells
DNA, it has turned out, isn’t all it was cracked up to be. In recent years we learned that the molecule of life, the discovery of the 20th century, did not — could not — by itself explain the huge differences in complexity between a human and a worm. Forced to look elsewhere, scientists turned…
Brave New R & D World
Is “virtual man” science fiction or a scientific necessity for drug development? Analysts share their vision of future technologies and practices. In 2020, when John Doe’s doctor asks if he would be willing to participate in a study for a new treatment for AD3, the subtype of Alzheimer’s disease with which he was recently diagnosed,…
A Fair Exchange
Researchers looking to separate proteins and peptides focus on ion exchange chromatography to meet their needs and IEC developers look to help them. Ion exchange chromatography (IEC) has been around for decades. And this powerful tool has been used for every application imaginable from removing heavy metals from drinking water to separating proteins in biological…
The Old Western
Automation, new detection methods give the old favorite Western blotting a new look. Calling it a ”Western blot” was a joke, actually. It was inspired by the “Northern blot”, which itself is a play on “Southern blot,” invented by Edwin Southern in 1975—and sensibly named after him. So it’s sort of like the joke made…
Toxic Genes Kill Pancreatic Cancer Cells
A research team, led by investigators at the Department of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson, has achieved a substantial “kill” of pancreatic cancer cells by using nanoparticles to successfully deliver a deadly diphtheria toxin gene. The findings—to be published in the October issue of…
Developing Nations Home-Grow Genomics Research
Developing countries that want the benefits of cutting-edge health care possibilities based on the genetic variation of individual citizens and sub-populations need to foster the new science at home, says a Canadian study. In a supplement to Nature Reviews Genetics, researchers from the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health (MRC), Toronto, say four countries with emerging…
Type 1 Diabetes: When Good Genes Behave Badly
New research from Stanford University scientists suggests that type 1 diabetes may not be due to bad genes but rather to good genes behaving badly. Because type 1 diabetes typically runs in families, scientists have looked for inborn genetic errors or gene variants passed on from generation to generation. Although this search has failed to…
Micro-Sized Genetics Testing
Using new “lab on a chip” technology, a University of Virginia researcher hopes to create a hand-held device that may eventually allow physicians, pharmacists, even the general public, to quickly and inexpensively conduct DNA tests from almost anywhere, without need for a complex and expensive central laboratory. “We are simplifying and miniaturizing the analytical processes…
Gene Therapy Trial for Chronic Pain Initiated
University of Michigan scientists began a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of cancer-related pain, using a novel gene transfer vector injected into the skin to deliver a pain-relieving gene to the nervous system. In this clinical trial, the investigators will use a vector created from herpes simplex virus (HSV) to deliver the gene…
Link Between Brain Protein and Alzheimer’s Disease
Investigators at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) announced a link between the brain protein KIBRA and Alzheimer’s disease, a discovery that builds on a previous TGen-led study published in Science, which showed a genetic link between KIBRA and memory in healthy adults. In the new study, TGen researchers found that carriers of a memory-enhancing…
Stem Cell Regeneration Repairs Congenital Heart Defect
Mayo Clinic investigators have demonstrated that stem cells can be used to regenerate heart tissue to treat dilated cardiomyopathy, a congenital defect. Publication of the discovery was expedited by the editors of Stem Cells and appeared online in the “express” section of the journal’s Web site at Stem Cells. The study expands on the use…
Gene Maps to Navigate Future Cancer Research
Three epic studies, separately published in the September 4, 2008 issues of Science and Nature, aimed to improve our understanding of cancer genetics. One of these studies, published in Nature, was conducted by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network, a collaborative effort funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Human Genome…
RNA Analysis Solutions
Applied Biosystems Inc. is developing a sequencing-based molecular tool for the genomic analysis of whole transcriptomes. This technology provides detailed characterization of expressed protein-encoding genes, identifies many non-coding RNAs, and includes sample multiplexing capability. This offering will expand the company’s RNA expression analysis solutions portfolio for use with its SOLiD System. The SOLiD Whole Transcriptome…
Cleaning Up DNA Samples
Emerging and available DNA preparation methods designed for forensic and other sample types help to remove inhibitors and improve PCR efficiency. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a very common technique used in many fields including biological research, forensics, and drug discovery. A major weakness of PCR, in general, is that the polymerase enzyme used to…
Technology in Action: The Hunt for miRNA
The discovery of microRNA opened new doors for drug research. Now, tools are helping researchers study even more regulatory RNA molecules. In the past few years, researchers have discovered hundreds of small, non–coding RNAs called microRNAs (miRNAs) that are involved in controlling expression of genes throughout eukaryotic genomes. These single-stranded RNA sequences are produced endogenously,…
Over the Rainbow
Membrane proteins are difficult to purify, but wizards of protein purification may send this process on a one-way trip to easy-land. click to enlarge click to enlarge Schematic drawing of an Affinity Grid (top), which features a dried lipid monolayer containing Ni-NTA lipids. His-tagged membrane proteins will specifically adsorb to the Ni-NTA lipids on the…
Black Raspberries Slow Cancer By Altering Hundreds Of Genes
New research strongly suggests that a mix of preventative agents, such as those found in concentrated black raspberries, may more effectively inhibit cancer development than single agents aimed at shutting down a particular gene. Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center examined the effect of freeze-dried black raspberries on genes altered by a…
Technology in Action: Express Yourself
Fundamentals of codon optimization unlock the secrets behind gene sequence design and protein expression. click to enlarge Protein gel analyzing expression levels of six codon-optimized scFv variants (in triplicate) and one vector only negative control. (Source: DNA2.0) The expression of recombinant proteins in heterologous hosts (e.g., expression of a human protein in Escherichia coli)…
Medco, FDA Collaborate on Personalized Medicine
Medco Health Solutions, Inc., the pharmacy benefit manager, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have entered into a research partnership to study genetic testing and the impact of genetics on the efficacy of prescription drugs. Under the partnership, Medco and the FDA will jointly develop research projects, programs, and strategies in the area of…
Amplifying Cell Death Signals Causes Precancerous Cells to Self-destruct
When a cell begins to multiply in a dangerously abnormal way, a series of death signals trigger it to self-destruct before it turns cancerous. Now, in research to appear in Genes & Development, Rockefeller University scientists have figured out a way in mice to amplify the signals that tell these precancerous cells to die. The…
Personalized Immunotherapy to Fight HIV/AIDS
For a long time, the main obstacle to creating an AIDS vaccine has been the high genetic variability of the HIV virus. Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy and his team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), in collaboration with Dr. Rafick Sékaly from the Université de Montréal, have overcome this difficulty by…
Technology in Action: One Signal, Two Signals, 3D Signals
FISH and automated cell image analysis reduce manual counting fatigue and errors. Dr. Maria Athelogou, Senior Research Scientist, Definiens AG Prof. Joachim Diebold, Head of the Institute for Pathology at the Kantonspital Luzern, Switzerland. Dr. Tamara Manuelian, Solution Engineer Life Sciences, Definiens AG Dr. Guenter Schmidt, Senior Research Scientist, Definiens AG Dr. Alexander Schipf, Assistant…
Maelstrom Quashes Jumping Genes
Scientists have known for decades that certain genes (called transposons) can jump around the genome in an individual cell. This activity can be dangerous, however, especially when it arises in cells that produce eggs and sperm. Such changes can threaten the offspring and the success of a species. To ensure the integrity of these cells,…