Public release date: 30-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, May 30, 2013Enrollment of women in clinical trials of new anti-HIV drugs is extremely low, representing only about 15% of all treatment-experienced patients. For women of color it is even lower. Why women, and especially women of color, are so poorly represented in HIV drug trials is the focus of an important article in AIDS Patient Care and STDs, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the AIDS Patient Care and STDs website at http://www.liebertpub.com/apc.

HIV-infected individuals that participated in the GRACE study, conducted from October 2006-December 2008, received antiviral therapy based on a darunavir/ritonavir drug cocktail. More than half of the trial participants completed a survey between 2010-2011 to evaluate their experiences, opinions, and outcomes. The survey showed that 76% of the respondents felt that the GRACE trial made them feel differently about their health/HIV care, 82% became more focused on their health, and 87% continued treatment after GRACE.

Access to treatment was reported as the most positive factor in patient enrollment, according to authors Kathleen Squires and colleagues from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia, PA), University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (OH), The Well Project, Inc. (Nellysford, VA), University of California, Los Angeles, Janssen Research & Development, and Janssen Services (Titusville, NJ).

Factors associated with difficulties in adherence to HIV medications, a critical part of maintaining healthy lives, included being the primary caregiver for children, unemployment, and transportation difficulties. These findings were reported in the article "Insights on GRACE (Gender, Race, and Clinical Experience) from the Patient's Perspective: GRACE Participant Survey."

"Identification of patients at high risk for suboptimal clinical trial outcomes through surveys such as these should help improve HIV medication compliance and retention," says Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Laurence, MD, Director of the Laboratory for AIDS Virus Research at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY.

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About the Journal

AIDS Patient Care and STDs is the leading journal for clinicians, enabling them to keep pace with the latest developments in this evolving field. Published monthly in print and online, the Journal spans the full spectrum of adult and pediatric HIV disease, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and education. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the AIDS Patient Care and STDs website at http://www.liebertpub.com/apc.

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Gender, race, and HIV therapy: Insights from the GRACE study

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This Muscle System Works with Your Body and Genetics...Not Against Them.
For More Information on this System Click Here: http://x.vu/thegeneticallyperfectphysique.

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AP Biology: Genetics Version 2

By: Kelly Roberts

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AP Biology: Genetics Version 2 - Video

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Gaston Guerra presidente Choise Genetics Argentina
CHOICE GENETICS desembarca en Argentina Con una amplia concurrencia de productores, veterinarios y empresarios del sector porcicultor de Argentina, se presen...

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Gaston Guerra presidente Choise Genetics Argentina - Video

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Raphaël Bertinotti, Director Pen Ar Lan Canada Inc. integrante de Choice Genetics
CHOICE GENETICS desembarca en Argentina Con una amplia concurrencia de productores, veterinarios y empresarios del sector porcicultor de Argentina, se presen...

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Raphaël Bertinotti, Director Pen Ar Lan Canada Inc. integrante de Choice Genetics - Video

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Vlad #39;s Grow Titan Genetics: Dawg #39;s Breath Ep. 12
Harvest time for #1 and #2. 70 days in flower. 2 days of total light dep prior to harvest. Test grow for Titan Genetics: (Stardawg x Alien Kush f2) X Tennesee Hawg #39;s Breath.

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Vlad's Grow Titan Genetics: Dawg's Breath Ep. 12 - Video

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03 - Genetics in Drug Therapy - Interview with Dr. David Flockhart
For additional information visit http://www.cancerquest.org/david-flockhart-interview. Dr. David Flockhart, Harry and Edith Gladstein Chair in Cancer Genomic...

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03 - Genetics in Drug Therapy - Interview with Dr. David Flockhart - Video

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Adrián Guillen, Director Técnico Pen Ar Lan Argentina S.A integrante de Choice Genetics
CHOICE GENETICS desembarca en Argentina Con una amplia concurrencia de productores, veterinarios y empresarios del sector porcicultor de Argentina, se presen...

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Adrián Guillen, Director Técnico Pen Ar Lan Argentina S.A integrante de Choice Genetics - Video

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Alfonso Aguilera Integrante de Choice Genetics
CHOICE GENETICS desembarca en Argentina Con una amplia concurrencia de productores, veterinarios y empresarios del sector porcicultor de Argentina, se presen...

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MALES #Blurp #Cheeseberry TheSocialGrow
Have only had 3 Males show their "Dingle Balls" from the RedLine Genetics and TheSocialGrow.com Experiments Some very good Genetics Female to Male ratios.....

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MALES #Blurp

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Blurp Females TheSocialGrow
RedLine Genetics BLURP is a Blueberry x GrandDaddyPurp Out of 5 seeds only 1 became a Male...these are the 4 Females under 1000wHPS Vert. Grow,under an 11/13...

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SALT LAKE CITY, May 30, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (MYGN) today announced that Jack Cuzick, Ph.D., of Queen Mary College University of London, will present data from five PROLARIS(R) clinical studies in patients with prostate cancer at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago.

"Myriad is a pioneer and global-leader in molecular diagnostic testing for cancer," said Peter D. Meldrum, president and CEO of Myriad. "PROLARIS is an excellent example of the great promise of personalized medicine for creating a better healthcare system that is equipped to meet the evolving needs of both patients and physicians."

PROLARIS Is the Dominant Predictor of Prostate Cancer Outcomes

Professor Cuzick will present data from an analysis of five clinical studies of PROLARIS on Sunday, June 2 at 9:30 a.m. in E Hall D2 at McCormick Place convention center in Chicago.

"Clinical data show that PROLARIS predicts prostate cancer outcome in multiple patient cohorts and in diverse clinical settings," said Professor Cuzick. "PROLARIS provides independent information beyond clinicopathologic variables and accurately differentiates aggressive prostate cancer from indolent cancer based on real oncologic outcomes."

PROLARIS is the molecular prognostic test for both newly diagnosed and post-prostatectomy prostate cancer patients. PROLARIS is being integrated into clinical practice by hundreds of urologists in the United States and has been ordered more than 3,000 times in the past 12 months.

Key clinical characteristics of PROLARIS include:

Myriad Is Trailblazing the Next Generation of Molecular Diagnostics for Cancer

Myriad Genetics is focused on answering patients' four key questions: What's my risk? Do I have disease? How aggressive is my disease? What therapy is best? Myriad is addressing these concerns by offering a range of products that assess risk of disease, ensure rapid and accurate diagnosis, predict disease progression and guide treatment decisions. Three pipeline candidates with the potential to transform diagnostic testing for cancer include myRisk(TM), myPath(TM) and homologous repair deficiency.

myRisk Hereditary Cancer(TM)

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Myriad Genetics to Present PROLARIS(R) Data at ASCO 2013, Continuing Its Commitment to Cancer Research

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Public release date: 30-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cody Mooneyhan cmooneyhan@faseb.org 301-634-7104 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

Bethesda, MDStent angioplasty saves lives, but there often are side effects and complications related to the procedure, such as arterial restenosis and thrombosis. In the June 2013 issue of The FASEB Journal, however, scientists report that they have discovered a new nanoparticle gene delivery method that may overcome current limitations of gene therapy vectors and prevent complications associated with the stenting procedure. Specifically, this strategy uses stents as a platform for magnetically targeted gene delivery, where genes are moved to cells at arterial injury locations without causing unwanted side effects to other organs. Additionally, magnetic nanoparticles developed and characterized in the study also protect genes and help them reach their target in active form, which also is one of the key challenges in any gene therapy.

"This study can help address a number of barriers to translation of experimental gene therapeutic approaches to clinical practice," said Michael Chorny, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Division of Cardiology at the Abramson Pediatric Research Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. "Bringing gene therapy closer to clinical use is a step toward developing safer and more effective ways for treating cardiovascular disease."

To make this technique possible, Chorny and colleagues used in vitro vascular cells to demonstrate the ability to effectively deliver genes using biocompatible nanoparticles and magnetic force without causing adverse effects. Although effective gene transfer in these cells has been difficult to achieve historically, this study demonstrated that magnetically guided "gene-impregnated" nanoparticles delivered their cargo effectively, especially compared to conventional gene delivery vectors. Next, researchers explored magnetically targeted gene delivery by applying these nanoparticles to stented arteries in rats. The nanoparticle-mediated expression of stent-targeted genes was shown to be greatly enhanced in treated animals when compared to control groups treated with nanoparticles without using the magnetic conditions, or with an equivalent dose of a conventional gene delivery vector. Genes delivered using the magnetically targeted nanoparticles were also expressed at considerably higher levels in the stented arteries compared to other organs and tissues.

"This approach is novel and exciting, and goes to show that investments in basic science across disciplines pay off in time," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "When the first nanoparticles were developed and when the first correctable human disease gene was identified, no one could have ever known that these two advances would come together in a way that might one-day save lives."

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Receive monthly highlights from The FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fjupdate.aspx. The FASEB Journal is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). It is among the most cited biology journals worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information and has been recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century.

FASEB is composed of 26 societies with more than 100,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States. Our mission is to advance health and welfare by promoting progress and education in biological and biomedical sciences through service to its member societies and through collaborative advocacy.

Details: Michael Chorny, Ilia Fishbein, Jillian E. Tengood, Richard F. Adamo, Ivan S. Alferiev, and Robert J. Levy. Site-specific gene delivery to stented arteries using magnetically guided zinc oleate-based nanoparticles loaded with adenoviral vectors. FASEB J June 2013 27:2198-2206; doi:10.1096/fj.12-224659 ; http://www.fasebj.org/content/27/6/2198.abstract

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New gene delivery method: magnetic nanoparticles

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Washington, May 30 (ANI): Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania have developed a new gene therapy to thwart a potential influenza pandemic in mice.

Specifically, investigators in the Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, directed by James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, demonstrated that a single dose of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) expressing a broadly neutralizing flu antibody into the nasal passages of mice and ferrets gives them complete protection and substantial reductions in flu replication when exposed to lethal strains of H5N1 and H1N1 flu virus.

These strains were isolated from samples associated from historic human pandemics - one from the infamous 1918 flu pandemic and another from 2009.

In addition to the Penn scientists, the international effort included colleagues from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg; the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg; and the University of Pittsburgh. Tretiakova is also the director of translational research, and Limberis is the director of animal models core, both with the Gene Therapy Program

"The experiments described in our paper provide critical proof-of-concept in animals about a technology platform that can be deployed in the setting of virtually any pandemic or biological attack for which a neutralizing antibody exists or can be easily isolated," Wilson said.

"Further development of this approach for pandemic flu has taken on more urgency in light of the spreading infection in China of the lethal bird strain of H7N9 virus in humans," he said.

The findings are published online in Science Translational Medicine.(ANI)

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New gene therapy can prevent potential influenza pandemic in mice

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WASHINGTON, May 29 -- U.S. researchers said Wednesday they have developed a new gene therapy that in animal studies can provide broad protection against flu viruses associated with historic human pandemics.

If confirmed in humans, the approach could be used to shield populations from an emerging pandemic, or protect the elderly and other high-risk populations from the seasonal flu.

The findings, described in a study in the journal Science Translational Medicine, involved using powerful molecules known as broadly neutralizing antibodies that can disable a wide range of viruses and packaged them into an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector, most commonly used to deliver genes in gene therapy.

Researchers then injected the virus vectors containing the antibodies into the nasal passages of mice that were exposed to lethal quantities of three strains of H5N1 and two strains of H1N1. All the strains were associated with historic human pandemics, including the infamous 1918 H1N1 that killed as many as 40 million people.

Flu virus rapidly replicated in untreated animals all of which needed to be euthanized. However, pretreatment with the AAV vectors virtually shut down virus replication and provided complete protection against all strains of flu in the treated animals.

The efficacy of this approach was also demonstrated in ferrets, which provide a more authentic model of human pandemic flu infection, the researchers said.

"The novelty of this approach is that we're using AAV and we're delivering the prophylactic vaccine to the nose in a non-invasive manner, not a shot like conventional vaccines that passively transfer antibodies to the general circulation," said Maria Limberis, assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the authors of the study, in a statement.

James Wilson, director of the gene-therapy study, said the accomplishment is a "critical proof-of-concept." "Further development of this approach for pandemic flu has taken on more urgency in light of the spreading infection in China of the lethal bird strain of H7N9 virus in humans," Wilson added.

Although the results are promising, the researchers noted more work is needed to determine the safety of this approach in humans and how long it offers protection before re-administration is needed.

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Eastday-Gene therapy may protect against pandemic flu strains

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Gene therapy protected mice influenza virus pandemic...

A dose of adeno-associated virus, which acts as an activator of the antibody that neutralizes the influenza pandemic strains in the nostrils of mice and ferrets (rodents), protected them from the flu.

A study by specialists at the University of Pennsylvania, in the United States (U.S.) revealed on Wednesday that a genes-related therapy protected mice against different influenza viruses that have caused pandemics such as the Spanish flu, that in the early twentieth century killed about 50 million people.

The authors of this study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine explained that a dose of adeno-associated virus, which acts as an activator of the antibody that neutralizes the influenza pandemic strains in the nostrils of mice and ferrets, protected the rodents from influenza.

Adeno-associated viruses were used to transfer genes that occur naturally in humans and primates, and are not pathogenic.

The analysis showed that the mice were completely protected from H5N1 and H1N1, highly pathogenic and responsible for deadly flu.

These strains were isolated from samples associated with various historical pandemics, including the 1918 and 2009.

"The experiments described in this study demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach in animals, which could be used to fight any pandemic or bioterrorism agent, for which antibodies are available and can be easily isolated," said James Wilson, of the University of Pennsylvania, author of the study.

The expert added that "the development of this genetic technology has become even more urgent with the recent surge in China's H7N9 bird flu, deadly to humans".

Meanwhile, Maria Lambris, University of Pennsylvania, found that the novelty of this approach is the use of adeno-associated virus to achieve a simple and effective prophylactic vaccine in the nasal passages.

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Gene therapy used in mice protect from influenza virus

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Researchers in the US used a gene therapy technique which worked well against the H5N1 and H1N1 flu virus.

Gene therapy is a new technique which uses genes to treat or prevent disease.

The idea behind it is that doctors can tackle a disorder by inserting a gene into a patient's cells instead of using drugs or surgery.

Investigators at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, used a liquid to place a gene replicating an antibody known to be effective against flu into the noses of mice and ferrets, and found it gave them protection against lethal strains of the virus.

The strains were isolated from samples associated with an infamous flu pandemic in 1918 and another in 2009.

One of the scientists, James Wilson, said: "The experiments described in our paper provide critical proof-of-concept in animals about a technology platform that can be deployed in the setting of virtually any pandemic or biological attack for which a neutralising antibody exists or can be easily isolated.

"Further development of this approach for pandemic flu has taken on more urgency in light of the spreading infection in China of the lethal bird strain of H7N9 virus in humans."

The technique establishes broad-based efficacy against a wide range of flu strains.

The treatment was tested in mice that were exposed to lethal quantities of three strains of H5N1 and two strains of H1N1, all of which have been associated with historic human pandemics (including the infamous H1N1 1918).

The flu virus rapidly replicated in untreated animals all of which needed to be put down.

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Gene therapy is 'new weapon' in fight against flu

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SAP HANA Revolutionizes Personalized Medicine
Listen to Rajiv, talk about the healthcare showcase at SAPPHIRENOW. Learn about how the image of healthcare will change while we work with premiere institute...

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Laura Hawthorne - Shea Stadium - Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day 2001

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Spinal Cord Injury Awareness - John Tassone
One of Four podcast created by some of our members aimed at helping reduce the incidence of SCI in school-aged children. This podcast was created by Dom Free...

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THE Davao Adventist Hospital is now offering services for autologous stem cell therapy.

Marketing officer Kim Endrei Go said the therapy is the first in Davao City and an alternative treatment for degenerative diseases of joints and bones caused by sports injuries and chronic pains.

Go said the treatment allows the patient to continue the normal routine even after the treatment. He said the therapy is non-surgical and has a healing period of only three days.

The modalities in extracting stem cells in the therapy are either through the Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and through Bone Marrow Aspiration Concentrate.

Go said autologous means that the stem cells will be extracted from the patient himself and will be regenerated through an equipment.

The hospital uses the Harvest technologies from the United States which introduced the SmartPrePtm2.

SmartPrePtm2 is used to redefine platelet concentrate systems. Its latest innovation will further expand and enhance the use of autologous bioactive proteins as well as help optimize the condition for healing.

Go said that the therapy session depends on the severeness of the patient's condition. He added that most patients had 3 sessions but some had once or twice.

He said the technology was first practice in their Cebu branch and is now adopted for Davao. He said that in Cebu there about almost 90 treatments since November last where it was launched.

Each session costs P80,000 where about 60 cc of platelet and stem cells will be collected from the patient.

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Adventist Hospital offers stem cell therapy

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Studies on lab animals have shown early success in a type of gene therapy that may prevent the spread of pandemic flu, including historic lethal strains from 1918 and 2009, researchers said Wednesday.

The method developed at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine delivered a broadly neutralizing flu antibody into the nasal passages of ferrets and mice, protecting them against potentially lethal flu.

The research is still in its initial stages, but could offer a new tool against influenza infections which kill 500,000 people globally each year, scientists said.

A single dose appeared to protect mice for as long as nine months against a range of flu strains, including three strains of H5N1, a deadly bird flu, and and two strains of H1N1, known widely as the "swine flu" that emerged in 2009.

Typically, influenza viruses evolve so rapidly that a new vaccine is created each year, offering only limited protection against the flu which can be lethal particularly in the elderly and those with weak immune systems.

The research published in the journal Science Translational Medicine did not experiment with the latest form of bird flu to emerge from China, H7N9, which has killed 37 of the 132 people infected since March.

According to a separate study in The Lancet on Tuesday, some H7N9 bird flu patients have already been found to be resistant existing antivirals, likely as a result of treatment with Tamiflu.

"The experiments described in our paper provide critical proof-of-concept in animals," said lead researcher James Wilson, of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Further development of this approach for pandemic flu has taken on more urgency in light of the spreading infection in China of the lethal bird strain of H7N9 virus in humans."

Scientists cloned a gene that encodes an antibody that works against many strains of flu, then engineered cells that line the nasal passages and express a broadly neutralizing antibody that wards off flu.

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Early progress in antibody protection from deadly flu

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Javascript is currently disabled in your web browser. For full site functionality, it is necessary to enable Javascript. In order to enable it, please see these instructions. 3 hours ago by Diana Yates A regulatory gene that aids learning and the detection of novelty in vertebrates increases in activity in the honey bee brain whenever it explores an unfamiliar environment. Credit: Public Domain Photo

(Phys.org) Honey bees don't start out knowing how to find flowers or even how to get around outside the hive. Before they can forage, they must learn how to navigate a changing landscape and orient themselves in relation to the sun.

In a new study, researchers report that a regulatory gene known to be involved in learning and the detection of novelty in vertebrates also kicks into high gear in the brains of honey bees when they are learning to how to find food and bring it home.

Activity of this gene, called Egr, quickly increases in a region of the brain known as the mushroom bodies whenever bees try to find their way around an unfamiliar environment, the researchers observed. This gene is the insect equivalent of a transcription factor found in mammals. Transcription factors regulate the activity of other genes.

The researchers found that the increased Egr activity did not occur as a result of exercise, the physical demands of learning to fly or the task of memorizing visual cues; it increased only in response to the bees' exposure to an unfamiliar environment. Even seasoned foragers had an uptick in Egr activity when they had to learn how to navigate in a new environment.

"This discovery gives us an important lead in figuring out how honey bees are able to navigate so well, with such a tiny brain," said Gene Robinson, a professor of entomology and neuroscience and director of the Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois. "And finding that it's Egr, with all that this gene is known to do in vertebrates, provides another demonstration that some of the molecular mechanisms underlying behavioral plasticity are deeply conserved in evolution."

Explore further: Researchers find high-fructose corn syrup may be tied to worldwide collapse of bee colonies

More information: The paper, "Activity-Dependent Gene Expression in Honey Bee Mushroom Bodies in Response to Orientation Flight," is available online. jeb.biologists.org/content/216/11/2031.full.pdf+html

A new study in Science suggests that thrill-seeking is not limited to humans and other vertebrates. Some honey bees, too, are more likely than others to seek adventure. The brains of these novelty-seeking bees e ...

Tricking honey bees into thinking they have traveled long distance to find food alters gene expression in their brains, researchers report this month. Their study, in the journal Genes, Brain and Behavior, is the ...

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Team finds gene that helps honey bees find flowers (and get back home)

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Washington, May 29 (IANS) The spectacular white coat of white tigers are caused by a single change in a known pigment gene, a study has found.

The research, to be published in the June issue of Current Biology, might help end decades of speculation that the trait is a genetic defect, reported Xinhua.

Researchers from China's Peking University mapped the genomes of a family of 16 tigers living in Chimelong Safari Park in southern China, including both white and orange individuals. They then sequenced the whole genomes of each of the three parents in the family.

In the end, the researchers found the white tiger carries a variant of a pigment gene called SLC45A2, which had already been associated with light colouration in modern Europeans and in other animals, including horses, chickens, and fish.

The variant of the gene primarily inhibits the synthesis of red and yellow pigments but has little to no effect on black, which explains why white tigers still show characteristic dark stripes, the researchers said.

"The genetic study solved the mystery about what makes those tigers white," Luo Shujin, author of the study said in an email interview with Xinhua. "It shows the white tiger morph is a naturally occurring feature and should be considered a part of the genetic diversity of tigers that is worth conserving."

White tigers were first discovered in the Indian jungle as a variant of Bengal tigers

but have now disappeared from the wild, Luo said.

Luo said that many white tigers in captivity are inbred in order to maintain the white coat trait and consequently suffer some health problems such as crossed eyes, leading to the controversial speculation that the white tiger mutation is perhaps a genetic defect.

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White tiger coat caused by single gene mutation

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4 hours ago May. 29, 2013 - 10:58 AM PDT

For $99, the company 23andMe can generate all of your basic DNA testing information: ancestral origins, disease predisposition and even if you are more likely to sneeze under a bright light. But it is the only company in the U.S. that can tell you if you carry a gene variant that makes you more likely to develop Parkinsons Disease.

Like many other companies in Silicon Valleys thriving biotechnology scene, 23andMe holds a patent for a human gene. Anyone who wishes to find if they carry the Parkinsons-related gene must use 23andMes testing kit. In fact, thats how Googles Sergey Brin, who also happens to be married to 23andMe co-founder AnneWojcicki, found out he has the gene.

It is a scenario that is common across the industry; companies pour money into research and then rely on patents to protect their discoveries and diagnostic tools, and to generate revenue. More than 40,000 patents cover 41 percent of the human genome, according to a Cornell University study released in March.

That could change this year. A case currently before the Supreme Court asks the justices to consider if a human gene should be patentable. At the center of the case is Myriad, a Utah company that holds two patents for genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer. Supporters say intellectual property protection makes it possible for companies to confidently sink millions into research. They also say the patents are issued for the minute segment of DNA that makes up a gene, which researchers must extract from a much larger strand. Once it is removed from the body and chemically altered, it becomes distinct.

They were never available to the world until Myriads scientists applied their inventive faculties to a previously undistinguished mass of genetic matter and created a new chemical entity, Myriad says in a Supreme Court brief.

Opponents say it is still the same gene, and isolating it does not constitute a patentable invention. They also say being able to patent genes makes genes inaccessible to research and raises testing costs for patients.I see Myriads claim that a gene should be patentable because they isolated and purified it away from its natural context to have no more validity than claiming that if you cut a leaf off a tree you have now created a new thing and should be able to patent it, said Robert Nussbaum, head of genomic medicine at University of California-San Francisco and founder of an open-access gene database. I see a gene that is isolated or patented as being a discovery of something in nature, not an invention.

The justices are expected to rule before the end of their term in June.

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Will the Supreme Court kill the gene-patent business?

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