Stem Cell Research
The NIH wants to expand the number of embryonic stem cell lines that can be used by researchers using federal money. And the move could help advance the work of Advanced Cell Technology and academic investigators looking to test a new therapy for macular degeneration. Story
The Indian Council of Medical Research is setting up a new body to regulate stem cell research in the country. Report
HHMI researcher George Daley says that stem cell scientists still face a number of challenges. Release
Genetic
The genome sequencing company Complete Genomics says it now has more than 30 customers and a pipeline with booked orders exceeding 500 human genomes. Release
A genome-wide analysis has revealed how strep throat eludes the human immune system. Report
New evidence is being presented that infectious diseases in the general population depend to a large extent on underlying genetic vulnerabilities. Release
In order to better understand the genetic diversity to be found around the globe, scientists sequenced the genomes of four Bushmen and one Bantu in Africa. To date, most of the genes sequenced have been from Europeans or individuals of European descent. Story
An international research team has identified a common gene variant associated with a form of the irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation. Release
Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have learned how an interval of DNA in an unexplored region of the human genome increases the risk for coronary artery disease. Release
Cancer drugs
Scientists say they can now identify an individual cancer's genetic fingerprint and track its likely development over time. Story
Scientists have extracted stem cells from prostate cancer tissue, saying they can be used to study new therapies for the disease. Report
Researchers have a new tool to understand how cancers grow--and with it a new opportunity to identify novel drugs. They've been able to break apart human prostate tissue, extract the stem cells in that tissue, and alter those cells genetically so that they spur cancer. Release
Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, Cornell University in New York, Weil Medical College in New York and the Center for Neural Tumor Research in Los Angeles, have for the first time identified a key mechanism that makes certain cells become tumorous in the brain. Release
And Finally... New research in a mouse model of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder suggests that the root of the psychiatric disorder might be the over-activity of a protein that regulates dopaminergic pathways. Release