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Genome Engineering
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- October 2, 2012
- 04:37 AM
- 3,769 views
GM cow could cut babies’ milk allergies
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
New Zealand researchers have used gene silencing (RNA interference or RNAi) to create the world’s first cow to produce potentially hypoallergenic and high protein milk. Daisy the cow, bred at AgResearch in Ruakura, produces less beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) in her milk, a protein not in human breast milk that can cause allergic reactions, and is behind a large number of the 2-3% of babies who are allergic to cow’s milk.... Read more »
Anower Jabed, Stefan Wagner, Judi McCracken, David N. Wells, & Goetz Laible. (2012) Targeted microRNA expression in dairy cattle directs production of β-lactoglobulin-free, high-casein milk. PNAS. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1210057109
- March 14, 2013
- 05:12 AM
- 3,196 views
You are what your mother ate…
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
What your mother ate around your conception could have affected your genes, or at least how they function, by switching certain genes on and off through DNA methylation.... Read more »
Robert A. Waterland, Richard Kellermayer, Eleonora Laritsky, Pura Rayco-Solon, R. Alan Harris, Michael Travisano, Wenjuan Zhang, Maria S. Torskaya, Jiexin Zhang, Lanlan Shen.... (2010) Season of Conception in Rural Gambia Affects DNA Methylation at Putative Human Metastable Epialleles. PLoS Genetics, 6(12). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1001252.g001
- December 15, 2011
- 11:45 PM
- 3,173 views
Yaaaawwwwwnnnn – is it genetic?
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
Yawning is contagious, especially around the dinner table after a particularly large Christmas lunch. I’m even yawning just thinking about it. Yawns seem to be particularly easily passed around the family – so is it genetic?... Read more »
Norscia, I., & Palagi, E. (2011) Yawn Contagion and Empathy in Homo sapiens. PLoS ONE, 6(12). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028472
Campbell, M., & de Waal, F. (2011) Ingroup-Outgroup Bias in Contagious Yawning by Chimpanzees Supports Link to Empathy. PLoS ONE, 6(4). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018283
Helt, M., Eigsti, I., Snyder, P., & Fein, D. (2010) Contagious Yawning in Autistic and Typical Development. Child Development, 81(5), 1620-1631. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01495.x
Joly-Mascheroni, R., Senju, A., & Shepherd, A. (2008) Dogs catch human yawns. Biology Letters, 4(5), 446-448. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2008.0333
- December 13, 2011
- 06:00 AM
- 3,161 views
A magic bullet for haemophilia B
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
Haemophilia B is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by a mutation to the gene for factor IX, a blood clotting factor. It is X-linked and recessive, so it generally affects males but can be carried silently by females and passed onto their male offspring. Haemophilia B can be life-threatening, shortens lifespan, and makes daily life complicated. Researchers at University College London and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital have created a gene therapy and shown it to be effective in ea........ Read more »
Nathwani, A., Tuddenham, E., Rangarajan, S., Rosales, C., McIntosh, J., Linch, D., Chowdary, P., Riddell, A., Pie, A., Harrington, C.... (2011) Adenovirus-Associated Virus Vector–Mediated Gene Transfer in Hemophilia B. New England Journal of Medicine, 2147483647. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1108046
BIGGS R, DOUGLAS AS, MACFARLANE RG, DACIE JV, PITNEY WR, & MERSKEY. (1952) Christmas disease: a condition previously mistaken for haemophilia. British medical journal, 2(4799), 1378-82. PMID: 12997790
- December 12, 2011
- 05:39 AM
- 2,835 views
Gene provides link between multiple sclerosis and vitamin D
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease where the protective coverings of the nerves (myelin sheaths) are damaged, causing damage to the nerves below. MS has been linked with vitamin D, and in a study published in Annals of Neurology, researchers have found a rare gene variant that leads people to have lower levels of vitamin D in their bodies.... Read more »
Ramagopalan, S., Dyment, D., Cader, M., Morrison, K., Disanto, G., Morahan, J., Berlanga-Taylor, A., Handel, A., De Luca, G., Sadovnick, A.... (2011) Rare variants in the CYP27B1 gene associated with multiple sclerosis. Annals of Neurology. DOI: 10.1002/ana.22678
Hayes CE, Cantorna MT, & DeLuca HF. (1997) Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (New York, N.Y.), 216(1), 21-7. PMID: 9316607
Ramagopalan SV, Maugeri NJ, Handunnetthi L, Lincoln MR, Orton SM, Dyment DA, Deluca GC, Herrera BM, Chao MJ, Sadovnick AD.... (2009) Expression of the multiple sclerosis-associated MHC class II Allele HLA-DRB1*1501 is regulated by vitamin D. PLoS genetics, 5(2). PMID: 19197344
- August 18, 2011
- 11:06 AM
- 1,326 views
New drugs for old?
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
Drug repositioning ‘repurposes’ older drugs for new indications, to cut drug development costs, speed up time to approval, extend drug lifecycles and create new patents, rescue a development candidate that’s not doing well in its original indication, or just create a new indication for a safe and well-studied drug. Discovering a candidate for drug repositioning can be serendipity or it can be through many hours of research and screening. Researchers have put genomic data to wor........ Read more »
Sirota, M., Dudley, J., Kim, J., Chiang, A., Morgan, A., Sweet-Cordero, A., Sage, J., & Butte, A. (2011) Discovery and Preclinical Validation of Drug Indications Using Compendia of Public Gene Expression Data. Science Translational Medicine, 3(96), 96-96. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3001318
Dudley, J., Sirota, M., Shenoy, M., Pai, R., Roedder, S., Chiang, A., Morgan, A., Sarwal, M., Pasricha, P., & Butte, A. (2011) Computational Repositioning of the Anticonvulsant Topiramate for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Science Translational Medicine, 3(96), 96-96. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3002648
- September 2, 2011
- 04:10 AM
- 1,228 views
A pox on cancer
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
An engineered virus could be the next route to combating metastatic cancer and has been assessed in early clinical trials. The vaccinia poxvirus, which has been engineered to target cancer cells and express a transgene has now been studied in patients with advanced cancer. The results showed that it was safe and well-tolerated, with cancer-selective and dose-related expression of the inserted gene.... Read more »
Caroline J. Breitbach,, James Burke,, Derek Jonker,, Joe Stephenson,, Andrew R. Haas,, Laura Q. M. Chow,, Jorge Nieva,, Tae-Ho Hwang,, Anne Moon,, Richard Patt,.... (2011) Intravenous delivery of a multi-mechanistic cancer-targeted oncolytic poxvirus in humans. Nature, 99-102. info:/10.1038/nature10358
- September 13, 2011
- 06:00 AM
- 1,061 views
High pressure science: Genes and hypertension
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
Hypertension (high blood pressure) seems to run in families, and a number of studies have linked genes and high blood pressure. A major study involving data from more than a quarter of a million people has linked variants in regions of DNA to this life-threatening condition, opening the way to understanding how existing drugs work and developing new ones.... Read more »
Ehret, G., Munroe, P., Rice, K., Bochud, M., Johnson, A., Chasman, D., Smith, A., Tobin, M., Verwoert, G., Hwang, S.... (2011) Genetic variants in novel pathways influence blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature10405
Wain, L., Verwoert, G., O'Reilly, P., Shi, G., Johnson, T., Johnson, A., Bochud, M., Rice, K., Henneman, P., Smith, A.... (2011) Genome-wide association study identifies six new loci influencing pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure. Nature Genetics. DOI: 10.1038/ng.922
- August 15, 2011
- 06:00 AM
- 1,004 views
The worm turns – a new amino acid
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
There are 20 amino acids found in nature, but scientists have engineered a nematode worm to create a 21st – an entirely artificial amino acid.... Read more »
Greiss S, & Chin JW. (2011) Expanding the Genetic Code of an Animal. Journal of the American Chemical Society. PMID: 21819153
- November 23, 2011
- 06:13 AM
- 961 views
Lynn Margulis (1938-2011)
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
According to some blog reports, Lynn Margulis, Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, died on 22 November 2011, aged 73, following a stroke. Margulis developed the endosymbiotic theory of the evolution of the prokaryotic cell.... Read more »
Sagan, L. (1967) On the origin of mitosing cells. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 14(3), 225. DOI: 10.1016/0022-5193(67)90079-3
- September 24, 2011
- 06:00 AM
- 956 views
Gene links ALS and dementia
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be a lot in common between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and dementia. ALS affects motor neurones, leading to muscle twitching, weakness and paralysis. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD; also known as Pick’s disease) is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, and causes disinhibition (inappropriate behaviour) and cognitive problems. However, two groups of scientists have (independently) discovered a genetic link........ Read more »
Vance, C. (2006) Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with frontotemporal dementia is linked to a locus on chromosome 9p13.2-21.3. Brain, 129(4), 868-876. DOI: 10.1093/brain/awl030
Neumann, M., Sampathu, D., Kwong, L., Truax, A., Micsenyi, M., Chou, T., Bruce, J., Schuck, T., Grossman, M., Clark, C.... (2006) Ubiquitinated TDP-43 in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Science, 314(5796), 130-133. DOI: 10.1126/science.1134108
Renton, A., Majounie, E., Waite, A., Simón-Sánchez, J., Rollinson, S., Gibbs, J., Schymick, J., Laaksovirta, H., van Swieten, J., Myllykangas, L.... (2011) A Hexanucleotide Repeat Expansion in C9ORF72 Is the Cause of Chromosome 9p21-Linked ALS-FTD. Neuron. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.09.010
DeJesus-Hernandez, M., Mackenzie, I., Boeve, B., Boxer, A., Baker, M., Rutherford, N., Nicholson, A., Finch, N., Flynn, H., Adamson, J.... (2011) Expanded GGGGCC Hexanucleotide Repeat in Noncoding Region of C9ORF72 Causes Chromosome 9p-Linked FTD and ALS. Neuron. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.09.011
- August 12, 2011
- 06:00 AM
- 952 views
A twin gene?
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
Twinning runs in families, but twins tend to be smaller and lighter, and cause more problems during childbirth, so it’s hard to see why it would be an evolutionary advantage – but recent research shows that women who give birth to twins also have heavier (and therefore often healthier) single babies.... Read more »
Rickard IJ, Prentice AM, Fulford AJ, & Lummaa V. (2011) Twinning propensity and offspring in utero growth covary in rural African women. Biology letters. PMID: 21831878
- November 9, 2011
- 12:35 PM
- 946 views
X-linked candidate gene for autism
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a delayed development disorder, including social, communication and cognitive problems. ASD seems to have strong genetic links – the concordance rate of fraternal to identical twins is 10 to 1 – and is three to four times more common in boys than girls, which suggests a link to the X chromosome. Researchers in the USA have found an X-linked gene that may play a role in ASD risk.... Read more »
Chung RH, Ma D, Wang K, Hedges DJ, Jaworski JM, Gilbert JR, Cuccaro ML, Wright HH, Abramson RK, Konidari I.... (2011) An X-chromosome-wide association study in autism families identifies TBL1X as a novel autism spectrum disorder candidate gene in males. Molecular autism, 2(1), 18. PMID: 22050706
- August 5, 2011
- 02:52 AM
- 944 views
A genetic fingerprint?
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
... Read more »
Nousbeck J, Burger B, Fuchs-Telem D, Pavlovsky M, Fenig S, Sarig O, Itin P, & Sprecher E. (2011) A Mutation in a Skin-Specific Isoform of SMARCAD1 Causes Autosomal-Dominant Adermatoglyphia. American journal of human genetics, 89(2), 302-7. PMID: 21820097
- September 26, 2011
- 06:00 AM
- 940 views
Aging gene not clear cut
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
Eating less makes you live longer. Despite the jokes that it just makes it seem longer, it’s true – animal studies, including in nematodes and rats show an up to 50% increase in lifespan, and the Calorie Restriction Society believes that it can work for people too. The CALERIE study at Duke University is a two year study to assess its practicality and safety. Researchers had linked the lifespan extension to the gene SIR2, which codes for sirtuins, but a paper in Nature has cast doubt........ Read more »
Burnett, C., Valentini, S., Cabreiro, F., Goss, M., Somogyvári, M., Piper, M., Hoddinott, M., Sutphin, G., Leko, V., McElwee, J.... (2011) Absence of effects of Sir2 overexpression on lifespan in C. elegans and Drosophila. Nature, 477(7365), 482-485. DOI: 10.1038/nature10296
- October 14, 2011
- 06:00 AM
- 926 views
Reconstructing the Black Death
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
The Black Death, an epidemic of the plague, killed 30 million, 50 million, or even as many as 100 million people (around 30-60% of Europe’s population) in the 14th Century, between 1347 and 1351. The plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, which are Gram-negative members of the Enterobacteriaceae family, and researchers have reconstructed the Y pestis genome for the first time.... Read more »
Bos, K., Schuenemann, V., Golding, G., Burbano, H., Waglechner, N., Coombes, B., McPhee, J., DeWitte, S., Meyer, M., Schmedes, S.... (2011) A draft genome of Yersinia pestis from victims of the Black Death. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature10549
- October 6, 2011
- 06:00 AM
- 923 views
Creating stem cells: reprogramming somatic cells
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
It was very apt that the latest breakthrough on stem cells, the creation of stem cells from somatic cells, was announced on 5 October 2011, Stem Cell Awareness Day.... Read more »
Noggle, S., Fung, H., Gore, A., Martinez, H., Satriani, K., Prosser, R., Oum, K., Paull, D., Druckenmiller, S., Freeby, M.... (2011) Human oocytes reprogram somatic cells to a pluripotent state. Nature, 478(7367), 70-75. DOI: 10.1038/nature10397
- September 8, 2011
- 06:00 AM
- 915 views
Gene fusions in colorectal cancer
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
Fusion proteins are produced when mutations combine coding sequences from two separate genes. These proteins can be oncogenic, and a team of researchers from the USA, Israel and Spain have discovered gene sequences that could produce fusion proteins in colorectal cancer.... Read more »
Bass, A., Lawrence, M., Brace, L., Ramos, A., Drier, Y., Cibulskis, K., Sougnez, C., Voet, D., Saksena, G., Sivachenko, A.... (2011) Genomic sequencing of colorectal adenocarcinomas identifies a recurrent VTI1A-TCF7L2 fusion. Nature Genetics. DOI: 10.1038/ng.936
- October 31, 2011
- 02:30 AM
- 910 views
Poverty: Changing our genes?
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
It’s long been known that coming from a disadvantaged socio-economic position (SEP) has an impact on lifespan and health in adult life. However, recent research published in International Journal of Epidemiology suggests that it might also have an impact on our genes.... Read more »
Borghol, N., Suderman, M., McArdle, W., Racine, A., Hallett, M., Pembrey, M., Hertzman, C., Power, C., & Szyf, M. (2011) Associations with early-life socio-economic position in adult DNA methylation. International Journal of Epidemiology. DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyr147
- November 23, 2011
- 06:11 AM
- 893 views
Genetically-engineered proteins could be antibiotic alternatives
by Suzanne Elvidge in Genome Engineering
Antibiotic resistance is increasing worldwide. AvidBiotics is creating genetically-engineered Avidocin proteins as an alternative to antibiotics and has shown their potential efficacy in the prevention and treatment of serious bacterial infections such as E coli, which can have severe and fatal consequences, especially once resistance develops.... Read more »
Ritchie JM, Greenwich JL, Davis BM, Bronson RT, Gebhart D, Williams SR, Martin D, Scholl D, & Waldor MK. (2011) An Escherichia coli O157-Specific Engineered Pyocin Prevents and Ameliorates Infection by E. coli O157:H7 in an Animal Model of Diarrheal Disease. Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, 55(12), 5469-74. PMID: 21947394
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