[Cross-posted from our new Energy and Environment blog.]

One of the strange things about being human beings is that we are highly conscious of our surroundings, yet are oblivious to the molecular machinations within our own bodies. Sure, we monitor ourselves were hungry, were tired, were squirrelly, weve got the sewing-machine leg, we shoulda tried the decaf. Those of us who focus on our breathing can find our psychic zone of serenity, where we can feel superior to other people who breathe less immaculately and more clumsily. But whatever: Were not aware of whats happening at the cellular level, down there where the ribosomes are taking information from DNA and manufacturing proteins that somehow serve specific functions simply through their three-dimensional structure.

We certainly dont pause to consider that, thanks to the trillions of bacteria we host, most of the genetic information in our bodies is not actually human. Were a composite organism. Life is basically the weirdest and most astonishing thing ever.

And now, increasingly, human beings are at the controls through genetic engineering and other advanced laboratory technologies. This is the age of synthetic life.

GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are a source of enduring controversy, and its not simply a matter of science. There are economic and political issues here, with huge corporations like Monsanto looming over a discussion that touches on ownership of novel species and the question of who, exactly, will benefit from these technologies.

But lets cut to a basic question: Are GMOs safe?

Nothing controversial there! Seriously, you can answer this question round or square depending on which experts and activists you contact. Generally, though, scientists hold that food containing GMOs are just as safe to consume as food that comes from crops modified through traditional breeding techniques. Just because it comes out of a lab doesnt make it dangerous. The American Association for the Advancement of Science opposed the 2012 Proposition 37 California referendum that would have required GMO labeling. The AAAS board of directors said this would unnecessarily alarm consumers.

But what about the environment? Do GMOs pose an ecological risk?

The answer to that is controversial, said David Guston, a professor of politics and global studies and co-director of the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University. He noted a much-publicized case where superweeds had developed a resistance to the herbicide Roundup as a result of heavy Roundup use on genetically modified, Roundup-resistant crops.

Any particular change is part of a larger system. You can say that the Roundup-resistant weeds, the superweeds, arent a direct effect of the genetic modification of the BT-resistant corn, but theyre a consequences of the agricultural practices that surround the Roundup-ready crop, Guston said. Some of this is foreseeable, and some of this is not foreseeable.

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Welcome to Science Tuesday Mid-Afternoon: Should we be worried about synthetic organisms cooked up in laboratories?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

One of the strange things about being human beings is that we are highly conscious of our surroundings, yet are oblivious to the molecular machinations within our own bodies. Sure, we monitor ourselves were hungry, were tired, were squirrelly, weve got the sewing-machine leg, we shoulda tried the decaf. Those of us who focus on our breathing can find our psychic zone of serenity, where we can feel superior to other people who breathe less immaculately and more clumsily. But whatever: Were not aware of whats happening at the cellular level, down there where the ribosomes are taking information from DNA and manufacturing proteins that somehow serve specific functions simply through their three-dimensional structure.

We certainly dont pause to consider that, thanks to the trillions of bacteria we host, most of the genetic information in our bodies is not actually human. Were a composite organism. Life is basically the weirdest and most astonishing thing ever.

And now, increasingly, human beings are at the controls through genetic engineering and other advanced laboratory technologies. This is the age of synthetic life.

GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are a source of enduring controversy, and its not simply a matter of science. There are economic and political issues here, with huge corporations like Monsanto looming over a discussion that touches on ownership of novel species and the question of who, exactly, will benefit from these technologies.

But lets cut to a basic question: Are GMOs safe?

Nothing controversial there! Seriously, you can answer this question round or square depending on which experts and activists you contact. Generally, though, scientists hold that food containing GMOs are just as safe to consume as food that comes from crops modified through traditional breeding techniques. Just because it comes out of a lab doesnt make it dangerous. The American Association for the Advancement of Science opposed the 2012 Proposition 37 California referendum that would have required GMO labeling. The AAAS board of directors said this would unnecessarily alarm consumers.

But what about the environment? Do GMOs pose an ecological risk?

The answer to that is controversial, said David Guston, a professor of politics and global studies and co-director of the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University. He noted a much-publicized case where superweeds had developed a resistance to the herbicide Roundup as a result of heavy Roundup use on genetically modified, Roundup-resistant crops.

Any particular change is part of a larger system. You can say that the Roundup-resistant weeds, the superweeds, arent a direct effect of the genetic modification of the BT-resistant corn, but theyre a consequences of the agricultural practices that surround the Roundup-ready crop, Guston said. Some of this is foreseeable, and some of this is not foreseeable.

In their 2012 statement, the AAAS board of directors offered a much stronger endorsement of GMO crops:

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Scientists are actually creating microscopic life in laboratories. Should you worry?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Already, this genetic mapping and analysis, a key component of the emerging medical specialty known as precision medicine, is being practiced at various academic centers and private specialist doctors' offices. With a trained practitioner and the appropriate diagnostics, you can learn if you have a genetic predisposition to early menopause, for instance, allowing you the chance to decide whether to get pregnant now, or to freeze your eggs. Or if you're in danger of a heart attack, even though you are a triathlete. Or if you have a predisposition to a disease, that in your case can be sparked by stress, giving you the time to explore meditation, if not medication.

Read More Obama defiantly pushes agenda in State of the Union

This proactive and deeply personalized approach is clearly the future of medicine. But with President Obama's announcement of a new precision medicine Initiative during his State of the Union address, we may see an acceleration of both the funding and availability for this wealth of genetic data.

The president gave little detail.

He said: "Tonight, I'm launching a new Precision Medicine Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes and to give all of us access to the personalized information we need to keep ourselves and our families healthier."

Read MoreDrug deal to target cancer at genetic level: CEO

The White House has promised more information about what all of this means. But a few things are apparent:

First, the attention and funding that could come to this field will be of tremendous benefit to vitality and life spans. Twenty-first century technology and its interpretation by adept clinicians will allow individuals to drill down beneath their surfaces, deep into the complex cellular substance of life and the genetic material that makes each of us a uniquely functioning laboratory.

Second, expanded precision medicine availability will be a colossal disruptor of many health-care system components, from family doctors to hospital systems to medical insurers. Once this approach takes hold in the popular perception, the health-care consumer particularly the baby boomers will seek greater ownership of their personal health destiny.

Lastly, complex raw data require expert analysis, and there will be a wide and frustrating gap, especially at first, between the promise of what can be done with genetic information and the realities of understanding the data and making it actionable. Already, this has occurred with 23andMe, the mail-in genetic reporting kit that had to stop selling part of its service due to FDA objections. The raw data need expert translation to be meaningful.

Read more:
Taking genetic mapping to the next level

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Timeout Testers by RedEyed Genetics
Lush Lightings Dominator 2x XL and Timeout Testers at about a month from seed. Flipping any day now....

By: FattyMcDoobs

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Timeout Testers by RedEyed Genetics - Video

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Genetics DNA Debbi Coleen Jan 15, 2015 Part 3 of 3
Been wondering about earth #39;s energetic changes and how that influences human DNA and our genetics? This was such an interesting chat...you can watch Part 1 ...

By: Catherine Whelan Costen

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Genetics & DNA Debbi Coleen Jan 15, 2015 Part 3 of 3 - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Update on the room and north genetics
Hope you enjoy.

By: Hort Hydro

See the rest here:
Update on the room and north genetics - Video

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SCI 230 Week 5 Assignment Genetics Worksheet - Fast Delivery
Search for more tutorials here - http://homework-tutorials.com/product/sci-230-week-5-assignment-genetics-worksheet/ Complete the Genetics Worksheet located on the student website Learn...

By: Anthony Edwards

Originally posted here:
SCI 230 Week 5 Assignment Genetics Worksheet - Fast Delivery - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of genetics during the past 15 years

BETHESDA, MD - The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Steven Henikoff, PhD (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center) has been awarded the Genetics Society of America Medal in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of genetics during the past 15 years. Dr. Henikoff will receive the award at the 56th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, organized by GSA, March 4-8, 2015 in Chicago, IL.

"Dr. Henikoff's research has moved the entire field of genetics forward through a combination of technical innovations and fundamental discoveries," said Dan Gottschling, PhD, a principal investigator in the Division of Basic Sciences at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. "His selection as the recipient of the GSA Medal is a fitting honor to a scientist who inspires so many of us in so many different fields."

Dr. Henikoff is recognized in the genetics community for his visionary and influential contributions to a range of areas. These include Drosophila genetics and epigenetics, Arabidopsis genetics and epigenetics, population and evolutionary genetics, genomic technologies, computational technologies, chromatin biology and transcription. He has made numerous breakthroughs in these areas, many of which altered perspectives and had major biological implications - for example, he proposed a fundamentally different model of chromatin structure and revealed the unexpected remodeling effects of transcription on chromatin structure. He has developed methods, both experimental and computational, with widespread utility for the research community, including highly cited methods for targeted genetic deletions, reverse genetics, mapping DNA methylation genome-wide, and protein sequence alignment. His current research focuses on nucleosome dynamics, transcriptional regulation, centromeric chromatin and centromere evolution, and epigenomic technologies. Overall, Dr. Henikoff's technological and mechanistic advances have changed our understanding of genome biology.

Dr. Henikoff is a longtime GSA member who has served on numerous editorial boards, including that of GSA's flagship journal GENETICS for several years. He has authored nearly 300 scientific publications, including many reviews covering new developments in genetics. He is praised by his peers for his generosity and service to the community, for example through his organization of important conferences, and his training of many young scientists who now have their own successful careers. He has been honored by the community through numerous keynote lectures, election to the National Academy of Sciences in 2005, and as 2015 Chair-Elect of Biological Sciences at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

"The GSA Medal recognizes highly meaningful contributions to modern genetics," added Jasper Rine, PhD, 2015 GSA President and Professor of Genetics, Genomics and Development at the University of California, Berkeley. "It is inspiring to see the breadth and depth of landmark research that Dr. Henikoff has produced in just the last 15 years."

The Genetics Society of America Medal, established in 1981, is awarded to an individual for outstanding contributions to the field of genetics in the last 15 years. Recipients of the GSA Medal are recognized for elegant and highly meaningful contributions to modern genetics, and exemplify the ingenuity of GSA membership.

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To learn more about the GSA awards, and to view a list of previous recipients, please see http://www.genetics-gsa.org/awards.

Founded in 1931, the Genetics Society of America (GSA) is the professional scientific society for genetics researchers and educators. The Society's more than 5,000 members worldwide work to deepen our understanding of the living world by advancing the field of genetics, from the molecular to the population level. GSA promotes research and fosters communication through a number of GSA-sponsored conferences including regular meetings that focus on particular model organisms. GSA publishes two peer-reviewed, peer-edited scholarly journals: GENETICS, which has published high quality original research across the breadth of the field since 1916, and G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, an open-access journal launched in 2011 to disseminate high quality foundational research in genetics and genomics. The Society also has a deep commitment to education and fostering the next generation of scholars in the field. For more information about GSA, please visit http://www.genetics-gsa.org.

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Genetics Society of America names Steven Henikoff as recipient of GSA Medal

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

DNA can help guide the conservation of rare species

DNA analysis is helping conservation biologists reintroduce genetic variation in populations of wild African cheetahs and other endangered wildlife. Credit: Ed Yourdon, Flickr CC

Dear EarthTalk: How are scientists using DNA to conserve wildlife? -- Jake Summerlin, Newark, NJ

Traditionally, conservation biologists have relied on field observation and sample and statistical analysis to help them understand the dynamics behind species loss, but today genetics is taking on an increasingly important role in helping quantify the biodiversity around us and even save some threatened species.

According to researchers at King Saud University who reviewed various DNA analysis technologies used in wildlife conservation for the Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, the newly emerging discipline of conservation genetics has proven instrumental in creating better management plans for so-called genetically deteriorated wildlife populations. Accurate classification of these threatened species allows understanding of the species biology and identification of distinct populations that should be managed with utmost care. They add that DNA analysis can be instrumental in preventing illegal hunting and poaching and for more effective implementation of the laws for protection of the endangered species.

Conservation genetics is particularly useful for clarifying whether a particular wildlife population needs special protection as a genetically distinct sub-species. According to Susan Haig of the U.S. Forest Service, conservationists are using DNA analysis to determine kinship lineage in selecting which individuals to reintroduce to a population for recovery. DNA sequencing procedures ... allow for identification of parentage, more distant relatives, founders to new populations, unidentified individuals, population structure, effective population size, population-specific markers, etc. reports Haig, adding that the result is more sophisticated information crucial to setting species recovery priorities.

One way genetics is being used is to help endangered African cheetahs. The 10,000 that are left share 99 percent of their DNA between individuals, reports biologist and blogger Christina Smyth, adding that the low genetic diversity makes the cheetah population highly susceptible to disease and extinction. By using genetic analysis to look at how closely related individual cheetahs are, cheetah breeding projects are able to breed selectively as an attempt to reintroduce genetic variation back into the population.

Another favorite example of Smyths is how geneticists are helping estimate past population sizes of whales to help manage and conserve current populations. They are using current levels of genetic diversity along with known mutation rates to look at what the whale population was like before whaling. So far their numbers have increased previous estimates by up to ten times! These numbers could completely change our thoughts and approaches to whale related conservation and management.

The non-profit Revive and Restore is best known for its advocacy of so-called de-extinctionthat is, bringing back extinct wildlife species and reintroducing them to the landscapes they used to call homebut also aims to provide genetic assistance to existing threatened wildlife species.

Endangered species that have lost their crucial genetic diversity may be restored to reproductive health, reports the group. Those threatened by invasive diseases may be able to acquire genetic disease-resistance. The group is hoping to apply what it learns from a pilot project restoring genetic diversity to an endangered population of black-footed ferrets to other species recovery efforts.

Read this article:
Better Living through Conservation Genetics

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Siblings Sam and Max Drohan both have autism and struggle with social interactions and communicating with others.

"It was really devastating to have them both being diagnosed at the same time, it was more devastating knowing our youngest son really was on a great trajectory and then all of a sudden something went awry," their mother Jenn Drohan, told CBS News.

Autism is know to run in families, so for some time experts have believed that when more than one offspring develops the disorder it's due to the same genetic mutations. But new research funded by the advocacy group Autism Speaks suggests the genetics of autism are more complicated than previously thought.

In the largest-ever autism genome study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers sequenced 340 genomes from 85 families with two affected children.

The researchers focused on 100 different genetic variations in the genomes sequenced. They found 70 percent of siblings had little or no overlap in the gene variations that contribute to autism.

10 Photos

New study suggests "facial geometry" of common neurodevelopmental disorder

"We frequently refer to them as snowflakes. Snowflakes are very unique from flake to flake and autism is very much the same thing at a genetic level," Dr. Robert Ring, chief science officer at Autism Speaks, told CBS News. "Each child is very different."

The researchers say they are now making the 1,000 genome maps from their study available to other scientists around the world through the Google Cloud platform, as a way to crowd-source and encourage more progress in autism genetic research.

"There is probably not one autism. There are probably hundreds of different autisms," said Ring.

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Genetics of autism more complicated than thought, study finds

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

DUBLIN, January 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/p54ckt/the_market_for) has announced the addition of the "The Market for Personalized Gene Therapy Treatments for Cancer" report to their offering.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130307/600769 )

The Market for Personalized Gene Therapy Treatments for Cancer

This report, The Market for Personalized Gene Therapy Treatments For Cancer provides an exhaustive review of the market potential for relatively new approach in cancer research. It involves modification of genes instead of using a surgical method or chemical drug product. Essentially, gene therapies replace an abnormal gene with a normal gene, or changes the response of a gene (turn on or off). Not all of the approaches to gene therapy are the same, and different cancers appear to respond better to different therapies.

Several gene therapy technologies have the ability to work in combination with other treatment options to enhance the effectiveness of a therapeutic regimen. Gene therapy is also designed to target specific cells making treatment much less damaging to healthy cells.

This report discusses those treatments and estimates market size and market potential for personalized medicine using gene therapy. As part of its data offering, the report provides disease incidence, gene therapy product developments and market forecasts for the following types of cancer:

In addition the report provides:

Historically, cancer treatments have been very invasive and detrimental process to the body. However, there are numerous new techniques available for those with cancer that are not as invasive and detrimental to the body as a whole. These treatments range from the severely alternative to the more traditional. Newer alternative treatments are more precise and much less invasive as some of the traditional methods. Gene therapy is the most prominent new form of these alternative treatments. It is being studied as a way to change how a cell functions, for example, by stimulating the cells of the immune system to attack cancer cells.

Companies discussed in this report include those which have registered trials in Phase I through Phase III development and have promising development activities.

Read more from the original source:
The Market for Personalized Gene Therapy Treatments for Cancer

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

DUBLIN, January 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/pfd99m/recombinant) has announced the addition of the "Recombinant Coagulation Factors 2015: Maturation Of Recombinant Clotting Factor Pipeline And Emergence Of Gene Therapy And Alternative Procoagulants" report to their offering. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130307/600769 )

A Pipeline Landscape Analysis and Comparative Assessment of Key Players

This report provides an update of recombinant coagulation factors used for controlling bleeding of hemophilia A and B and other bleeding disorders. 2013 sales figures and 2014 nine-month sales data are analyzed to evaluate commercial development of the market under the light of a strong pipeline and entry of new competitor products into the market. The profiles of drug candidates in development are presented in details not only for recombinant coagulation factors VIII, IX and VII, but also for emerging alternative procoagulants, gene therapeutics and immune tolerance inducing agents.

The competitve landscape of classical recombinant coagulation factors and of new emerging treatment modalities of hemophilia and other severe bleeding orders is analyzed. The emergence of new treatment modalities brings many new stakeholders to the field of hemophilia. Among them are the established hemophilia portofolio companies, but also new entrants from Big Pharma and Big Biotech, specialty pharmaceutical companies, biosimilar companies, and new technology providers as half-life prolongation technologies are no longer in the focus of major interest.

A short- to mid-term outlook into the field is provided and the trends driving the future of this therapeutic segment are identified and described. Preparation of this report is based on information stored in La Merie Publishing's proprietary data base and news archive, on scientific literature, and on corporate disclosures. The data are presented, analyzed and assessed in a comprehensive manner by an experienced author with an independent view writing the fifth edition of this report series.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary

2. Recombinant Coagulation Factor Markets 2.1 Recombinant Factor VIII (rFVIII) Product Sales and Market Size 2.2 Recombinant Factor IX (rFIX) Product Sales and Market Size 2.3 Recombinant Factor VII (rFVII) Product Sales and Market Size 2.4 Recombinant Thrombin Product Sales and Market Size 2.5 Total Recombinant Coagulation Factor Market Size

3. Pipeline Update of Recombinant Coagulation Factors 3.1 Factor VIII Pipeline Changes and Drug Profile Updates 3.2 Factor IX Pipeline Changes and Drug Profile Updates 3.3 Factor VII Pipeline Changes and Drug Profile Updates 3.4 Pipeline Update for Other Recombinant Coagulation Factors 3.5 Pipeline Update for Alternative Procoagulants 3.6 Pipeline Update for Gene & Cell Therapy 3.7 Immune Tolerance Inducing (ITI) Agents

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Recombinant Coagulation Factors 2015: Maturation Of Recombinant Clotting Factor Pipeline And Emergence Of Gene Therapy ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Sliced sections from two brains. On the left is a normal brain of a 70-year-old, whereas on the right is the brain of a 70-year-old with Alzheimers disease which is atrophied with a loss of cortex and white matter. Photograph: Jessica Wilson

People who carry a mutated gene linked to longer lifespan have extra tissue in part of the brain that seems to protect them against mental decline in old age.

The finding has shed light on a biological pathway that researchers now hope to turn into a therapy that slows the progression of Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia.

Brain scans of more than 400 healthy men and women aged 53 and over found that those who carried a single copy of a particular gene variant had a larger brain region that deals with planning and decision making.

Further tests on the group found that those with an enlarged right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC), as the brain region is known, fared better on a series of mental tasks.

About one in five people inherits a single copy of the gene variant, or allele, known as KL-VS, which improves heart and kidney function, and on average adds about three years to human lifespan, according to Dena Dubal, a neurologist at University of California, San Francisco.

Her latest work suggests that the same genetic mutation has broader effects on the brain. While having a larger rDLPFC accounted for only 12% of the improvement in peoples mental test scores, Dubal suspects the gene alters the brain in other ways, perhaps by improving the connections that form between neurons.

To put our findings in perspective, we found that carrying one copy of the KL-VS allele confers a decade of resilience against the expected decline in structure and function of this important brain region, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, she said.

The genetic mutation leads to higher levels of a protein called klotho, which is made in the kidney and brain, but affects scores of biological processes in the body. In work published last year, the US team showed that boosting levels of klotho in mice made them smarter at memory and learning tasks, and they also lived longer.

The latest study, published in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, suggests those who are lucky enough to inherit a single copy of the mutated gene may have some natural protection against brain diseases that often strike in old age. Though their brains still deteriorate with age, their mental faculties may decline more slowly because they have better functioning brains to begin with.

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Gene linked to long life also protects against mental decline in old age

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Pluripotent stem cells are cells capable of indefinite expansion and then differentiation into any and all of the cell types of the human body. Examples of pluripotent stem cells are human embryonic stem cells (hES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. These stem cells potentially offer a new technology platform for the manufacture of a wide array of cell types designed to be transplanted into the body to restore healthy tissue function.

BioTime and its subsidiaries are focused on developing and commercializing a broad portfolio of innovative cellular therapeutics and diagnostic products, while also continuing to build value in other ways, such as through the addition of new patents to our industry-leading intellectual property estate, said Dr. Michael D. West, Ph.D., BioTimes Chief Executive Officer. We are making significant strides in patenting our core platform of pluripotent stem cell technology and strengthening our competitive position in regenerative medicine. For the first time in history, pluripotent stem cells offer a means of manufacturing previously rare and valuable human cell types in a cost-effective manner and on an industrial scale. We plan to utilize our strengthened patent position to drive value for our shareholders as the field of regenerative medicine begins to address the large and growing markets associated with chronic and age-related degenerative disease.

New Patents Owned by BioTime or one of its subsidiaries:

European patent 1809739 This issued patent claims cell culture media for the proliferation and scale-up of hES cells. The patent issuing in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and Sweden provides a propagation medium for culturing hES cells in the laboratory such that the cells proliferate without differentiating as defined in the claims. The technology allows the user to rapidly produce high-quality embryonic stem cells for use in therapy and drug discovery, in a cost-effective and controlled manner, from defined or commercially available reagents. The patent is therefore useful for manufacturing products from hES cells. Patents in the same family have previously issued in the United States, Australia, UK, Israel, Singapore and Hong Kong, with additional applications pending.

Canada patent 2559854 and China patent ZL200580008779.0 These patents claim a differentiation method for making high purity heart muscle preparations from pluripotent stem cells such as hES cells suitable for use in regenerative medicine. The issued claims cover methods wherein the pluripotent stem cells are treated with specific growth factors and differentiation conditions to manufacture beating heart muscle cells. The patents are therefore useful in the manufacture and commercialization of heart muscle cells for research, for the testing of drugs on the heart, and potentially for regenerating heart muscle following a heart attack or heart failure. Patents in the same family have previously issued in the United States, Australia, UK, Israel, Japan and Singapore, with additional applications pending.

South Korea patent1543500B The patent titled, Hematopoietic Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells, claims methods for using pluripotent stem cell technology for inducing immune tolerance of cells transplanted into a patient (that is, in helping to prevent the rejection of transplanted cells). As such, the patent claims may be useful in commercializing diverse types of transplantable cells. Patents in the same family have previously issued in Australia, UK, Israel, Japan and Singapore, with additional applications pending.

Canada patent 2468335 The patent describes cartilage-forming cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells such as hES cells. The claims in the patent relate to a system of making the cartilage-forming cells using factors of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) family, of immortalizing the cells with the human telomerase gene, pharmaceutical formulations of the cells for therapeutic use in arthritis, as well as other claims. The patent is therefore useful for the manufacture of such cells for use in research and potentially in therapy for a number of applications in orthopedic medicine. Patents in the same family have previously issued in the United States, Australia, Singapore, Israel and South Korea, with additional applications pending.

Israel patent208116 The patent titled, Differentiation of Primate Pluripotent Stem Cells to Hematopoietic Lineage Cells, claims methods for the manufacture of dendritic cells from primate pluripotent stem cells. Dendritic cells are cells that trigger an immune response to a particular molecule. Often their role is to stimulate the immune system to attack microorganisms such as bacteria. BioTimes subsidiary Asterias Biotherapeutics is developing hES cell-derived dendritic cells modified to trigger an immune response to specific antigens related to cancer. A patent in the same family has previously issued in the United States, with additional applications pending.

Singapore patent 188098 The patent titled, Synthetic Surfaces for Culturing Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes, claims certain polymers upon which heart muscle cells derived from pluripotent stem cells may be cultured. The patent is potentially useful for the manufacture of human heart muscle cells for drug screening and toxicity testing and for use in the manufacture of such cells for transplantation into human subjects for the treatment of heart disease. A patent in the same family has previously issued in the United States, with additional applications pending.

Singapore patent 176957 The patent titled, Differentiated Pluripotent Stem Cell Progeny Depleted of Extraneous Phenotypes, claims methods for the purification of pluripotent stem cell-derived oligodendrocytes by the removal of contaminating cells that display an antigen called epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). This method is potentially useful in the purification of such oligodendrocytes prior to their use in research or human therapy. Patents in the same family have previously issued in the United States and China, with additional applications pending.

Continued here:
BioTime Announces Issuance of 14 New Patents in the Fields of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Technology, and Cancer ...

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

IMAGE:CDK6 is needed for leukemic stem cell activation (left). When CDK6 is absent, the LSC remains in a quiescent state and leukemia formation is prohibited (right). view more

Credit: Angelika Berger / Vetmeduni Vienna

Despite enormous progress in cancer therapy, many patients still relapse because their treatment addresses the symptoms of the disease rather than the cause, the so-called stem cells. Work in the group of Veronika Sexl at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna has given a tantalizing clue to a solution. In the current issue of Blood, the scientists report that the cell-cycle kinase CDK6 is required for activation of the stem cells responsible for causing leukemia.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are normally inactive, i.e. quiescent. When new blood cells are needed, for example to replace blood that has been lost, HSCs start to multiply and develop into mature blood cells. If the process is initiated at an inappropriate time, hematopoietic diseases such as leukemia may result and leukemic stem cells may develop. These represent a major challenge to leukemia therapy: they are quiescent and thus protected from elimination by the immune system and from treatment such as chemotherapy. Leukemic stem cells frequently cause relapse in cancer patients, often years or even decades after an apparently successful treatment.

Working with stem cells isolated from mice, Ruth Scheicher and colleagues at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna have investigated possible differences between leukemic stem cells and the healthy stem cells in the body. They looked in particular at the function of the CDK6 protein, which is known to be involved in controlling the cell cycle. Surprisingly, CDK6 was also found to regulate the activation of hematopoietic and leukemic stem cells, which it does by inhibiting the transcription factor Egr1. Upon loss of CDK6, Egr1 becomes active and prevents stem cells from dividing. In a further twist to the tale, the mechanism operates only when hematopoietic stem cells are stressed, e.g. in leukemia, and not in the normal physiological situation.

Scheicher is quick to note the significance of her finding. "CDK6 is absolutely necessary for leukemic stem cells to induce disease but plays no part in normal hematopoiesis. We thus have a novel opportunity to target leukemia at its origin. Inhibiting CDK6 should attack leukemic stem cells while leaving healthy HSCs unaffected".

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Service: The article 'CDK6 as a key regulator of hematopoietic and leukemic stem cell activation' by Scheicher R, Hoelbl-Kovacic A, Bellutti F, Tigan AS, Prchal-Murphy M, Heller G, Schneckenleithner C, Salazar-Roa M, Zchbauer-Mller S, Zuber J, Malumbres M, Kollmann K and Sexl V. was published in the journal Blood. http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/125/1/90.long?sso-checked=true

About the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna

The University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna in Austria is one of the leading academic and research institutions in the field of Veterinary Sciences in Europe. About 1,300 employees and 2,300 students work on the campus in the north of Vienna which also houses five university clinics and various research sites. Outside of Vienna the university operates Teaching and Research Farms. http://www.vetmeduni.ac.at

Excerpt from:
Keeping the Kraken asleep

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

The British cell biologist Professor Amanda Gay Fisher of Imperial College London (ICL) has been honored with the Helmholtz International Fellow Award for her excellent research. Fisher is one of seven outstanding researchers from abroad who received the award, each of which is endowed with 20,000 euros. According to the Helmholtz Association, Germany's largest scientific organization, the award also includes an invitation to visit one or several Helmholtz research centers. Professor Fisher wishes in particular to strengthen her existing collaborations with the Berlin Institute of Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) of the Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch.

In her research, Professor Fisher focuses on gene regulation, a fundamental process of life which controls every biological function, including cell division, cell differentiation and regeneration. Professor Fisher, who started her research career in the 1980s, has earned an international reputation in this field. She is known for her pioneering work on HIV, the AIDS virus, describing the function of several of its genes. She also is an expert in epigenetic gene regulation - a process in which molecular biological information not contained in the DNA regulates which genes are turned on and which genes are kept silent. She also has an expertise in T lymphocyte development (immune cells) and in embryonic stem cells.

Professor Fisher is director of the MRC (Medical Research Council) Clinical Sciences Centre (CSC), which forms part of the Institute for Clinical Sciences (ICS) at Imperial College London. In addition, she is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), which was founded by the MDC and the Charit - Universittsmedizin Berlin in 2013. All these institutions have a strong interest in "bench-to-bedside" research employing translational and systems biological approaches.

In 2014 Professor Fisher was elected Fellow of the Royal Society for her outstanding achievements in biomedical research. In 2010 she received the Women of Outstanding Achievement in SET (Science, Engineering & Technology) Award, and in 2003 she became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in Britain. In 2002 she was honored with the EMBO Gold Medal for her AIDS research.

Since 2012 a total of 43 Fellows including the seven scientists of this selection round have received the Helmholtz International Fellow Award.

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A photo of Professor Fisher can be downloaded from the internet at: https://www.mdc-berlin.de/44046890/en/news/2015

Contact: Barbara Bachtler Press Department Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch in the Helmholtz Association Robert-Rssle-Strae 10; 13125 Berlin; Germany Phone: +49 (0) 30 94 06 - 38 96 Fax: +49 (0) 30 94 06 - 38 33 e-mail: presse@mdc-berlin.de http://www.mdc-berlin.de/en

Further information:

http://www.helmholtz.de/en/ http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/courses/clinical-sciences/ http://csc.mrc.ac.uk/ https://www.mdc-berlin.de/13800178/en/bimsb

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Helmholtz International Fellow Award for Prof. Amanda Fisher from London

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ASCoN International Sports Event - 2014, Bangladesh
Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports Association (NSCISA) took a team of 10 wheelchair athletes if Nepal in their maiden international participation in Wheelchair...

By: Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports Association

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ASCoN International Sports Event - 2014, Bangladesh - Video

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Scientists at the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Saskatoon, Canada, led by Dr. Joseph Fomusi Ndisang have determined that upregulating heme-oxygenase with hemin improves pericardial adipocyte morphology and function. It does so by enhancing the expression of proteins of repair and regeneration such as beta-catenin, Oct3/4, Pax2 as well as the stem/progenitor-cell marker cKit, while concomitantly abating inflammatory/oxidative insults and suppressing extracellular-matrix/profibrotic and remodeling proteins. Visceral adiposity like pericardial fat is correlated to insulin resistance and cardiac disease, and this is amongst the major causes of cardiac complications in obese individuals. By virtue of its anatomical and functional proximity to the coronary circulation, pericardial adiposity can lead to myocardial inflammation, left ventricular hypertrophy and coronary artery disease through paracrine mechanisms that include increased production of inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species and other atherogenic factors.

These findings, which appear in the January 2015 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, used a laboratory animal model characterized by obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesteromia, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and excessive pericardial adiposity, all of which are major pathophysiological causes of heart failure and related cardiac complications in patients with obesity. Dr. Ndisang and co-worker underscored the protective role of heme-oxygenase in obesity and related cardiometabolic complications.

"The rising incidence of obesity and related cardiometabolic complications poses a great health challenge of considerable socioeconomic burden with costs that may become unsustainable to healthcare systems. Thus preventive strategies as well as novel therapeutic remedies are needed" states Dr. Ndisang. "In this study, we showed that treatment with the heme-oxygenase inducer, hemin, suppresses hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesteromia; reduces pericardial adiposity; abates pericardial adipocyte hypertrophy; attenuates adipocyte inflammation and oxidative insults; decreases the excessive levels of profibrotic extracellular matrix; while concomitantly potentiating heme-oxygenase, stem/progenitor cells and proteins of regeneration in the pericardial adipose tissue. These results suggest that substances capable of potentiating heme-oxygenase may be explored for the design of novel remedies against cardiac complications arising from excessive adiposity."

Future studies are needed to determine if preemptive application of hemin to the animals used in this study will retard/and or delay the manifestation of cardiometabolic complications.

Dr. Steven R. Goodman, Editor-in-Chief of Experimental Biology and Medicine, said "These studies by Dr. Ndisang and colleagues provide promise for the future testing of heme-oxygenase inducers as potential therapeutics to limit cardiac injury related to excess adiposity in obese individuals. As obesity continues to grow globally, in adults and children, better therapies to control the downstream clinical sequelae are desperately needed, in parallel with preemptive education on diet and exercise."

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Experimental Biology and Medicine is a journal dedicated to the publication of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research in the biomedical sciences. The journal was first established in 1903. Experimental Biology and Medicine is the journal of the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine. To learn about the benefits of society membership visit http://www.sebm.org. If you are interested in publishing in the journal please visit http://ebm.sagepub.com/.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Hemin improves adipocyte morphology and function by enhancing proteins of regeneration

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Scientists at the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Saskatoon, Canada, led by Dr. Joseph Fomusi Ndisang have determined that upregulating heme-oxygenase with hemin improves pericardial adipocyte morphology and function. It does so by enhancing the expression of proteins of repair and regeneration such as beta-catenin, Oct3/4, Pax2 as well as the stem/progenitor-cell marker cKit, while concomitantly abating inflammatory/oxidative insults and suppressing extracellular-matrix/profibrotic and remodeling proteins. Visceral adiposity like pericardial fat is correlated to insulin resistance and cardiac disease, and this is amongst the major causes of cardiac complications in obese individuals. By virtue of its anatomical and functional proximity to the coronary circulation, pericardial adiposity can lead to myocardial inflammation, left ventricular hypertrophy and coronary artery disease through paracrine mechanisms that include increased production of inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species and other atherogenic factors.

These findings, which appear in the January 2015 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, used a laboratory animal model characterized by obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesteromia, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and excessive pericardial adiposity, all of which are major pathophysiological causes of heart failure and related cardiac complications in patients with obesity. Dr. Ndisang and co-worker underscored the protective role of heme-oxygenase in obesity and related cardiometabolic complications.

"The rising incidence of obesity and related cardiometabolic complications poses a great health challenge of considerable socioeconomic burden with costs that may become unsustainable to healthcare systems. Thus preventive strategies as well as novel therapeutic remedies are needed" states Dr. Ndisang. "In this study, we showed that treatment with the heme-oxygenase inducer, hemin, suppresses hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesteromia; reduces pericardial adiposity; abates pericardial adipocyte hypertrophy; attenuates adipocyte inflammation and oxidative insults; decreases the excessive levels of profibrotic extracellular matrix; while concomitantly potentiating heme-oxygenase, stem/progenitor cells and proteins of regeneration in the pericardial adipose tissue. These results suggest that substances capable of potentiating heme-oxygenase may be explored for the design of novel remedies against cardiac complications arising from excessive adiposity."

Future studies are needed to determine if preemptive application of hemin to the animals used in this study will retard/and or delay the manifestation of cardiometabolic complications.

Dr. Steven R. Goodman, Editor-in-Chief of Experimental Biology and Medicine, said "These studies by Dr. Ndisang and colleagues provide promise for the future testing of heme-oxygenase inducers as potential therapeutics to limit cardiac injury related to excess adiposity in obese individuals. As obesity continues to grow globally, in adults and children, better therapies to control the downstream clinical sequelae are desperately needed, in parallel with preemptive education on diet and exercise."

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Hemin improves adipocyte morphology, function by enhancing proteins of regeneration

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Newswise SEATTLE The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) was recently recognized for outperforming its anticipated one-year survival rate for allogeneic transplant patients. The new performance results were calculated by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) and published in the 2014 Transplant Center-Specific Survival Report. The annual report is designed to provide potential stem cell transplant recipients, their families, and the public with comparative survival rates among transplant centers. This is the second consecutive year the Fred Hutch Bone Marrow Transplant Program at SCCA has achieved higher than expected one-year survival rates, an accomplishment that only 12 other institutions have achieved.

Credited with pioneering the clinical use of bone marrow and stem cell transplantation more than 40 years ago, the Fred Hutch Bone Marrow Transplant Program at SCCA has performed over 14,000 bone marrow transplants more than any other institution in the world. Dr. E. Donnall Thomas groundbreaking work in transplantation won the Nobel Prize in 1990 and many current SCCA and Fred Hutch transplant experts have trained alongside Dr. Thomas.

To arrive at its findings, CIBMTR independently examined the survival rates of 20,875 transplants performed to treat blood cancers at U.S. centers in the NMDP network between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012. During this three-year period, 757 allogeneic transplants were performed at SCCA.

Although centers are required to report their data, the process of comparing transplant centers is complex and must address a number of variables, such as cancer type and stage, patients age, and preexisting medical issues. The intensive findings allow researchers to compare themselves to other centers, leading to improved outcomes. The report also provides patients and their families with valuable information necessary when evaluating where to undergo treatment.

The information provided in the report is invaluable to patients faced with making difficult treatment decisions, explains Dr. Marco Mielcarek, medical director of the Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Fred Hutch and SCCA. While we are happy our patients outcomes exceeded expectations over a three-year period, we are always working to further improve the transplantation process.

Allogenic transplants use stem cells from a donor who may or may not be related to the patient. Stem cell transplants, including bone marrow transplants, are used to treat a wide range of leukemias and lymphomas, as well as other diseases including severe aplastic anemia and sickle cell disease.

These findings reflect our teams continued efforts to improve patients outcomes by investigating every aspect of the transplant process, said Dr. Fred Appelbaum, Deputy Director at Fred Hutch. Im pleased that our transplant patients continue to have high survival rates, but there is still more work to do.

SCCAs success in helping patients survive a wide range of cancers continues to be recognized by National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) rankings. SCCA has ranked at the top of NCDB patient survival rankings since 2002.

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Fred Hutch Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Recognized Nationally for Outstanding ...

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PAR Skincare, the specially formulated skincare brand designed for outdoor enthusiasts, has been named as the Official Skincare Supplier of the European Senior Tour.

PAR Skincare products are anti-aging and protect the skin from UV radiation. They are based on the latest skincare technology, Edelweiss plant stem cells, and comprise a formulation specific for outdoor enthusiasts. PAR Skincare efficacy has been proven in clinical tests.

Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: We are very pleased to announce PAR Skincare as the Official Skincare Supplier of the European Senior Tour and we believe this partnership will be a superb fit over the next three years.

Our players spend a great deal of time outdoors in varying weather conditions, so it is important that they look after their skin, and they will benefit from our association with PAR Skincare.

Christoph Schfer, General Manager of PAR Skincare, Switzerland, said: The European Senior Tour is our ideal partner. Golf players need to protect and rejuvenate their skin while playing and practicing the game outdoors. Golf players who have tried our products valued them as easy to use and performing.

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PAR Skincare named official supplier to Senior Tour

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By Trisha Gladd, editor, Pharmaceutical Online and BioProcess Online Follow Me On Twitter @pharmaonline and @bioprocessol

As we move into 2015, cell therapy as a viable and profitable market is becoming more of a reality, especially with the increased focus on unmet indications offering the potential for small companies to find their niche in the industry. However, one of the challenges with working with cells, at both the research and clinical level, is the issue of variability that can occur during the thawing of cryopreserved cells.

The most common thawing method today is the use of a water bath; however, this method can lead to issues with viability, contamination, and inconsistent results. Because of the sensitivity of the cell samples, it is nearly impossible to completely eliminate variability; however, with standardized handling practices, it can be lowered enough that it will not have an impact on the efficacy of a cell-based therapy.

The Risks Of The Water Bath

Dr. Karim Lee has been working in the Transplantation Research Lab at the Universityof California, San Francisco since 2008 studying the application of regulatory T cells in order to establish long-term acceptance of transplanted organs. Conventionally, we have used the water bath-based thawing protocol, says Lee. But we have two problems: first, the recovery and cell viability after thawing are quite variable; second, we dont want to spend too much time for constant monitoring of a water bath to achieve temperature consistency and sterility due to FDA regulations. Because all of our cell therapy products have to be manufactured in a clinical facility, which is a GMP facility, all the instruments and all the reagents have to be documented and closely monitored.

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Cell Thawing: Are You Risking GMP Compliance With The Water Bath Method?

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IMAGE:BioResearch Open Access is a bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal led by Editor-in-Chief Robert Lanza, MD, Chief Scientific Officer, Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. and Editor Jane Taylor, PhD.... view more

Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

New Rochelle, NY, January 26, 2015--The promise for using mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to repair cartilage damage caused by osteoarthritis depends on the MSC being able to attach efficiently to the defective cartilage. A novel laboratory model in which artificially created cartilage lesions and labeled MSC were used to test factors that might improve MSC binding and the effectiveness of future MSC-based therapies is described in BioResearch Open Access, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the BioResearch Open Access website.

In the article "1 Integrins Mediate Attachment of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Cartilage Lesions," D. Zwolanek, PhD, and coauthors, University of Veterinary Medicine (Vienna, Austria), University of Cologne Medical Faculty (Germany), University Medical Center Rotterdam (The Netherlands) present the results of experiments using a combination of ex vivo and in vivo model systems of defective cartilage. They studied the effects of serum, plasma hyaluronic acid, and various cell adhesion-related proteins such as integrins on the attachment of MSC to the extracellular matrix of the cartilage.

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About the Journal

BioResearch Open Access is a bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal led by Editor-in-Chief Robert Lanza, MD, Chief Scientific Officer, Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. and Editor Jane Taylor, PhD. The Journal provides a new rapid-publication forum for a broad range of scientific topics including molecular and cellular biology, tissue engineering and biomaterials, bioengineering, regenerative medicine, stem cells, gene therapy, systems biology, genetics, biochemistry, virology, microbiology, and neuroscience. All articles are published within 4 weeks of acceptance and are fully open access and posted on PubMed Central. All journal content is available on the BioResearch Open Access website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many areas of science and biomedical research, including DNA and Cell Biology, Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Development, Human Gene Therapy, HGT Methods, and HGT Clinical Development, and AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Integrins are essential in stem cell binding to defective cartilage for joint regeneration

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A new genetic study shows even siblings with autism often have very different DNA mutations from one another a finding that strengthens the evidence that autism is often just genetic bad luck.

The deep dive into the DNA of 170 people with autism spectrum disorder shows that more than 69 percent of brothers and sisters with autism had different DNA mutations underlying their disorders, Dr. Stephen Scherer of The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada and colleagues found.

"It's random mutation in these families. It just happens to be lightning striking twice," Scherer said.

"It just happens to be lightning striking twice."

The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, add to other research that shows "autism" is a broad term for a range of developmental disorders that are barely related to one another. The catchall name could be making it seem like one disorder is affecting many kids, when in fact it's a range of conditions.

"It is largely just a random effect," Scherer said. "Everybody in the population accumulates new mutations in the genome when they are conceived."

Autism spectrum disorder can range from the mild social awkwardness, including Asperger's syndrome, to profound mental retardation, debilitating repetitive behaviors and an inability to communicate. There's no cure, but experiments with early treatment suggest it can help.

Autism is becoming more and more common among U.S. kids, and researchers don't quite understand why. The last survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed 2 percent of U.S. children have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder one in 68 kids.

Studies also show it's clear that genetic mutations are responsible for a lot of it. Autism can run in families.

Scherer's team set out to see if siblings with autism were inheriting some common pattern of mutations from their parents. They recruited 85 families where more than one child had been diagnosed, and sequenced everyone's entire genome.

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Autism Genes Randomly Mutated, Study Finds

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Less than a third of autistic brothers and sisters share the same genetic risk factors. Photograph: Jane Bown

A major study of autism in families has found that brothers and sisters who have the condition often carry different genetic risk factors that make them prone to the disorder.

Research on 85 families found that siblings with autism had the same genetic risk factors less than one third of the time. In nearly 70% of cases, tests on the siblings revealed little or no overlap in the mutations known to contribute to the condition.

The findings challenge the presumption that the same genetic risk factors are at work when autism runs in families. We knew that there were many differences in autism, but our recent findings firmly nail that down, said Stephen Scherer at the University of Toronto.

This means we should not be looking just for suspected autism-risk genes, as is typically done in diagnostic genetic testing, Scherer added. Instead, he said a full assessment of a persons genome was needed if genetic information was ever going to inform their treatment.

In years of research, scientists have identified more than 100 genetic mutations that seem to contribute to autism, suggesting that a wide variety of biological processes are involved in the behavioural disorder.

In the latest study, known autism-risk genes were found in 42% of the families who took part. Brothers and sisters who shared autism-related mutations displayed more similar symptoms than those who did not, according to a report in Nature Medicine.

The genomes gathered for the study have become the first to be added to a database run by the charity, Autism Speaks, which aims to make at least 10,000 full genomes from people with autism available for researchers to work on.

Judith Brown at the National Autistic Society said the study added to scientists appreciation of the substantial and complex role that genetics played in autism, but that more work was needed to truly understand autisms genetic make-up.

The findings suggest that there is significant genetic diversity among people which autism, she said. This reaffirms the importance of viewing each person with autism as an individual and identifying support appropriate to their needs, rather than approaching all people in the same way.

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Autism cases in same family more often carry different genetic risks study

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