Modified Bacteria Shrinks TumorsPet dogs have helped researchers show that a special bacteria can seemingly fight cancer, causing tumors to shrink. A modified version of Clostridium novyi bacteria, when injected into solid soft tissue tumors, will eat away at the cancerous cells without harming surrounding healthy tissue. Red the full report here Fat and EpigeneticsA team from Lund University have shown just how eating fatty acids is not only bad for your waistline, but can induce epigenetic alterations that contribute to impaired insulin secretion and Type 2 Diabetes.
The Swedish researchers investigated the effect of fatty acids on genome wide transcription and DNA methylation by treating human pancreatic islet cells with Palmitate, a long chain saturated fatty acid, for 48hrs and then analyzing the results on both mRNA and DNA methylation. As it turns out, Palmitate caused significant epigenetic and transcriptomic changes. The Origins and Genetic Side to Blonde HairA team at Stanford University found the Single Nucleotide Polymorph "KITLG" to be an important factor in determining skin darkness in stickleback fish. The team turned their attention to mice, changing the base of the SNP to test their hypothesis that KITGL was important in determining follicle complexion.
Genome Editing Is Being Explored to Possibly Reverse the "Bubble Boy" DiseaseA new kind of gene therapy involves "editing" rather than replacing faulty genes in patients is being explored in the laboratory and on a 4-month old patient.
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), or the Bubble Boy Disease, causes severe defect in the T and B lymphocyte systems, usually resulting in one or more serious infections within the first few months of life. |
Researchers Cut Out HIV Genetic Material From Human CellsResearchers from the Temple University School of Medicine used a molecular tool to actively find and snip genetic material from the HIV virus in humans cells. This may pave the way for healthcare professionals to treat HIV at the molecular level.
More than 33 million people around the world have HIV, including more than 1 million in the United States. Each year, 50,000 Americans are infected with the virus, according to the CDC. Video here Read the full report here Stunning Amount of Genetic Diversity is Found in the People of MexicoA genetic blueprint created by scientists at the Stanford University studies 20 Mexican ethnic groups, and found that groups living extremely close together are as genetically different as two populations from Japan and Germany.
The team collaborated with Mexico's National Institute of Genomic Medicine to studied the effects of intermingling on the individuals' genomes. This local diversity could help researchers trace the history of the country’s different indigenous populations and help them develop better diagnostic tools and medical treatments for people of Mexican descent living all over the world. Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital Make Headway for 3D-Printed Blood VesselsResearchers were able to successfully construct microchannel networks with working architectural features and embed them inside a wide range of commonly used hydrogels at different concentrations.
This new breakthrough holds high hope for 3D printing technology's use in the medical field. 3D printing may be used to develop functional tissues customized to each patient's needs or even be used outside of the human body to develop safe and effective drugs. |
Aarhus University Developed Technology That Uses the HIV Virus Against Hereditary Diseases That Uses "Cut and Paste" Strategy Researchers at Aarhus University have found a way to manipulate the HIV virus particles to to repair genomes in a new way.
The new technology supposedly enables engineers to cut out the part of the genome that is causing the illness, then safely patch the gap that arises. |
IBM to Use Supercomputer "Watson" to Analyze Genomic Data for Treatment of Tumorous Brain Cells IBM announced that it would be using Watson, the famous Jeopordy Game Show champion, to choose treatments for cancer. The company hopes to encourage the development of personalized medicine.
CEO Robert Darnell called the program "not purely clinical and not purely research." Rather than seeking to gather new data about the mutations that drive cancer, the effort will attempt to determine if Watson can go through genome data and use it to recommend treatments. _The project would start with 20 to 25 patients who are suffering from glioblastoma. Samples from patients (including both healthy and cancerous tissue) would be subjected to extensive DNA sequencing, including both the genome and the RNA transcribed from it. |