Although mutations in a gene dubbed "the guardian of the genome" are widely recognized as being associated with more aggressive forms of cancer, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have found evidence suggesting that the deleterious health effects of the mutated gene may in large part be due to other genetic abnormalities, at least in squamous cell head and neck cancers.

The study, published online August 3 in the journal Nature Genetics, shows that high mortality rates among head and neck cancer patients tend to occur only when mutations in the tumor suppressor gene coincide with missing segments of genetic material on the cancer genome's third chromosome.

The link between the two had not been observed before because the mutations co-occur in about 70 percent of head and neck tumors and because full genetic fingerprints of large numbers of cancer tumors have become available only recently.

"These two genetic malfunctions are not two separate stab wounds to the body," said co-senior author Trey Ideker, PhD, chief of the Division of Genetics. "One exposes the Achilles tendon and the other is a direct blow to it."

To patients with these cancers, the study's results mean that there may be therapeutic value in testing tumors for the two genetic identifiers, known as a TP53 mutation (short for tumor protein 53) and a 3p deletion (short for deletions of genetic information on the short arm "p" of the third chromosome).

TP53 plays a key role in regulating cell growth, detecting and fixing DNA, and directing cell apoptosis (death) if the DNA damage is irreparable. Because of this, the TP53 protein is sometimes called the "guardian of the genome."

The study's findings suggest that if both markers are present, treatment should be intensified. If only one mutation is present, treatment might be de-intensified because the TP53 mutation alone is less deadly than previously thought. The latter would have immediate benefits in reducing deaths caused by complications related to medical care.

"We are in the early stages of being able to personalize head and neck cancer treatments based on the tumor's actual biology, the same as what's done with breast cancers," said co-senior author Quyen Nguyen, MD, PhD, associate professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. "In the past, treatments have been based largely on the size and location of the tumor. Now, we know that some large tumors may respond to less aggressive treatment while some small tumors may need intensified treatment. This will have a huge impact for patients."

The study analyzed the complete genomic signatures of 250 cases of squamous cell head and neck cancer extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas, a repository of sequenced cancer genomes for more than 20 different types of human cancers maintained by the National Institutes of Cancer. All of the tumors were from patients younger than 85 years of age.

Of these, 179 had both mutations; 50 had one of the two mutations; and 22 had neither mutation. Comparisons with patient outcome data showed that half of patients with both mutations would likely die of cancer within 2 years, while 66 percent of patients with one or neither mutation would be expected to live five years or more. These survival statistics were independent of the patients' clinical cancer stage.

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Tumor suppressor mutations alone don't explain deadly cancer: Biomarker for head and neck cancers identified

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Call A Stem.MD Health Advisor Now (561) 287 3018

Stem.MD

National Regenerative Medical Practice

Mets sign Bartolo Colon, 41, to a 2 year $20mm deal after being treated with the Stem MD proprietary BMAC procedure.

Stem MDs foundation is built on the combined knowledge of the most trusted and effective sources and practitioners in regenerative medicine today. Leveraging our vast resources and collective experience, Stem MD offers a treatment plan tailored specifically to each patients needs. Our Health Consultants carefully assess your case and work with you and our doctors to ensure you get the treatment you deserve. We are committed to the best possible solution, which means knowing where breakthrough regenerative medicine can be used effectively, and only performing invasive surgery as a last resort. Read more about the Stem MD patient experience.

Dr. Joseph Purita is a pioneer within the worldwide orthopaedic surgery community. He has lectured on five continents and has been instrumental in helping some countries design their policies concerning the use of regenerative medicine. Dr. Purita graduated from Georgetown University Medical School and completed his residency at University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Hospital. Like all Stem.MD physicians, Dr. Purita prides himself on offering the latest surgical and non-surgical techniques to our clients, which range from celebrities to weekend athletes to the elderly. Read more about Stem MD.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H5oxvt6Gt4[/youtube]

In 2010, MLB player, Bartolo Colon received stem cell injections from Dr. Purita after half a decade struggle with shoulder and elbow injuries. Dr. Purita treated him and in a comeback that was nothing short of miraculous, Colon went on to pitch his signature 95-mile-an-hour fastball the next season.

Stem MDs meticulously developed treatment plans are tailored to specific conditions and needs. Our most commonly treated conditions include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis and torn ACL, joint degradation, COPD and more. For information regarding your particular condition, give us a call at (561) 287 3018.

Keep your shoulder swinging free and painless with regenerative medicine.

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Dr Felix new protocol on Stem Cell therapy
Dr. FELIX molecular biologist , medical doctor developed world first protocol using peptides with Stem Cell therapy to improve patients outcome.

By: Soraya Felix

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Dr Felix new protocol on Stem Cell therapy - Video

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American Health Journal: Jerome Rotter MD Personalized Medicine segment
Personalized Medicine featuring Dr. Jerome Rotter.

By: LA BioMed

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American Health Journal: Jerome Rotter MD Personalized Medicine segment - Video

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Study Regenerative Medicine or Biomedical Gerontology
Study regenerative medicine or biomedical gerontology. Aging is tragic. Studying about biomedical gerontology or regenerative medicine might enable you to co...

By: Michael Ten

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Study Regenerative Medicine or Biomedical Gerontology - Video

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Let It Grow - High School Stem Cell Researchers - City of Hope
http://www.cirm.ca.gov Through a grant funded by California #39;s Stem Cell Agency (CIRM), high school students across California spent their summer getting hand...

By: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

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here is epidemiological evidence that links type B coxsackie virus (CVB) infection with heart disease, and research published on July 31st in PLOS Pathogens now suggests a mechanism by which early infection impairs the heart's ability to tolerate stress at later stages of life.

CVB infection is very common and affects mostly children. The symptoms range widely: over half of the infections are thought to be asymptomatic, the majority of children who get sick have only a mild fever, and a very small proportion get inflammation of the heart or brain. On the other hand, 70 -- 80% of patients with heart failure show signs of a previous CVB infection but have no history of viral heart disease, raising the possibility that even a mild earlier infection makes them more vulnerable to get heart disease later on.

To investigate this, researchers from San Diego State University, USA, led by Roberta Gottlieb and Ralph Feuer, first established a mouse model of mild juvenile CVB infection. Mice infected with a non-lethal dose of the virus shortly after birth did not develop any heart disease symptoms during the infection or into adulthood, but they had a predisposition to heart disease later in life.

Detailed analysis of the mice after infection showed that the virus does indeed target the heart and is found in cardiac stem cells. When comparing the numbers of cardiac stem cells in previously infected adult mice with uninfected ones, the researchers found significantly smaller numbers in the infected mice.

To test whether the childhood infection and stem cell depletion had any effect on the adult heart, the researchers exposed infected mice to two different types of cardiac stress. They treated some of the mice with a drug known to overstimulate the heart, and they challenged another group by making them swim for 90 minutes every day for 14 days. Following both treatments, the infected mice showed clear signs of early heart disease whereas uninfected controls showed little or no symptoms.

Analyzing the stressed mice in more detail, the researchers found that the hearts from previously infected mice had impaired ability to re-arrange their heart blood vessels and grow new ones. This process, called vascular remodeling, is critical for the heart to respond to changes in the environment, including stress.

As discussed in the article, important open questions remain. For example, does CVB infection affect cardiac stem cells at any age, or is there a vulnerable period in early childhood? It is also not clear whether other strains of CVB have similar properties to the one used here, which was isolated from a patient with heart disease.

Nonetheless, the researchers conclude that their results "support the hypothesis that a mild CVB3 infection early in development can impair the heart's ability to undergo physiologic remodeling, leading to heart disease later in life." They also suggest that "the subtle cardiac alterations might go undetected under normal circumstances but emerge in the setting of increased demand such as intense exercise or chronic high blood pressure."

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by PLOS. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Childhood coxsackie virus infection depletes cardiac stem cells, might compromise heart health in adults

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MONTREALA Quebec womans desperate online plea for a compatible stem-cell donor in her bid to fight cancer a second time is shedding light on the lack of minorities on official lists in Canada and abroad.

Mai Duong finds herself battling leukemia again and doctors say they would like to proceed with a transplant of bone marrow or cord blood stem cells within a month.

But Duong, 34, has discovered that locating the right person can be a needle-in-a-haystack challenge, particularly for those who are from a non-Caucasian background.

This is a global problem, Duong, who is of Vietnamese origin, said in an interview from her room at Montreals Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital.

We cant do a scavenger hunt every time someone has this type of problem.

Duong, who returned home a few days after being interviewed, said a recent bone marrow biopsy showed no signs of cancer. She will now begin four weeks of maintenance chemotherapy, which is given in lower doses to assist in prolonging a remission.

The mother of a 4-year-old girl, Duong successfully fought off acute leukemia in 2013 with chemotherapy. She had to terminate a 15-week pregnancy to undergo the treatment. Duong was in remission until a blood test revealed leukemia had returned this past May.

Seventy per cent of people who had that type of leukemia were just cured with chemotherapy, and unfortunately Im in the 30 per cent, she said.

The diagnosis and a lack of a match in her family have touched off a mad scramble to find a fellow Vietnamese donor. An online campaign has taken that hunt global.

I have cancer, I had a relapse, I dont have a bone marrow (donor) these are things I cannot change, Duong said. So I said, what can I do about it?

Visit link:
Quebec womans leukemia battle highlights need for minority bone marrow and stem cell donors

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SINGAPORE - Singapore's life-saving Bone Marrow Donor Programme celebrated its 100th donor and new patron, Minister for Law and Foreign Affairs K Shanmugam, on Thursday.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

Here is the statement from the Bone Marrow Donor Programme:

The Bone Marrow Donor Programme (BMDP) celebrates 21 years of saving lives through an extraordinary gift of kindness and generosity as ordinary Singaporeans commit to helping a fellow human being.

As bone marrow transplants become the preferred treatment for a wide number of blood related diseases such as leukaemia and lymphoma, the new BMDP Patron, Minister K Shanmugam, Minister for Law and Foreign Affairs and MP for Nee Soon GRC gave an award to the 100th Singaporean bone marrow donor, Lim Yun Song a 27 year-old Engineer and NTU graduate. This was in recognition of the commitment he and all the other bone marrow donors have made in a purely voluntary capacity to give of themselves a priceless gift of bone marrow (blood stem cells) to save the life of a stranger.

The BMDP manages Singapore's only registry of bone marrow donors and can literally be the last chance of survival for patients with terminal blood-related illnesses. Sadly, though, the chance of finding a donor whose DNA profile is a match to the patient is an alarming 1 in 20,000. With Singapore's unique and rapidly changing demographic, it is more important than ever to recruit more volunteers to join the registry and make sure that each patient is given this last chance of survival.

In conjunction with the 21st anniversary and office inauguration, the BMDP shared a number of significant milestones achieved in recent months.

In addition to reaching the 100th local donor, the number of local donors identified as a patient match increased from 38 in 2012 to 73 last year and year-to-date 64 donors were called up for Confirmatory Typing.

In tandem, the number of volunteers actually going through to make their life-saving donation has increased from seven in the whole of 2013, to nine in the first half of this year with more scheduled.

Minister Shanmugam says, "Bone marrow donors are heroes. They are given a chance to help a fellow human being through a simple yet selfless act of kindness - and they take it. This opportunity is available to everyone but so few rise to the challenge and I hope that more young people - the future of Singapore - will be inspired by what we are seeing here today and will sign up as volunteer bone marrow donors. I'm honoured to join the BMDP as their Patron, and look forward to working with them to build our community of heroes".

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Bone marrow donor programme celebrates 100 donors and new patron

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Health and Medicine for Seniors

Aging Immune System May Get Kick-Start from Discovery of Molecular Defect

Old stem cells are not just sitting there with damaged DNA ready to develop cancer, as it has long been postulated

"The decline of stem-cell function is a big part of age-related problems. Achieving longer lives relies in part on achieving a better understanding of why stem cells are not able to maintain optimal functioning."

Emmanuelle Passegu, PhD

July 31, 2014 - There's a good reason seniors over 60 are not donor candidates for bone marrow transplantation. The immune system ages and weakens with time, making the elderly prone to life-threatening infection and other maladies, and a UC San Francisco research team now has discovered a reason why.

"We have found the cellular mechanism responsible for the inability of blood-forming cells to maintain blood production over time in an old organism, and have identified molecular defects that could be restored for rejuvenation therapies," said Emmanuelle Passegu, PhD, a professor of medicine and a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF.

Passegu, an expert on the stem cells that give rise to the blood and immune system, led a team that published the new findings online July 30, 2014 in the journal Nature.

Blood and immune cells are short-lived, and unlike most tissues, must be constantly replenished. The cells that must keep producing them throughout a lifetime are called "hematopoietic stem cells."

Through cycles of cell division these stem cells preserve their own numbers and generate the daughter cells that give rise to replacement blood and immune cells. But the hematopoietic stem cells falter with age, because they lose the ability to replicate their DNA accurately and efficiently during cell division, Passegu's lab team determined.

See more here:
Aging Immune System May Get Kick-Start from Discovery of Molecular Defect

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press Published Saturday, August 2, 2014 8:56AM EDT

MONTREAL -- A Quebec woman's desperate online plea for a compatible stem-cell donor in her bid to fight cancer a second time is shedding light on the lack of minorities on official lists in Canada and abroad.

Mai Duong finds herself battling leukemia again and doctors say they would like to proceed with a transplant of bone marrow or cord blood stem cells within a month.

But Duong, 34, has discovered that locating the right person can be a needle-in-a-haystack challenge, particularly for those who are from a non-Caucasian background.

"This is a global problem," Duong, who is of Vietnamese origin, said in an interview from her room at Montreal's Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital.

"We can't do a scavenger hunt every time someone has this type of problem."

Duong, who returned home a few days after being interviewed, said a recent bone marrow biopsy showed no signs of cancer. She will now begin four weeks of maintenance chemotherapy, which is given in lower doses to assist in prolonging a remission.

The mother of a four-year-old girl, Duong successfully fought off acute leukemia in 2013 with chemotherapy. She had to terminate a 15-week pregnancy to undergo the treatment. Duong was in remission until a blood test revealed leukemia had returned this past May.

"Seventy per cent of people who had that type of leukemia were just cured with chemotherapy and unfortunately I'm in the 30 per cent," she said.

The diagnosis and a lack of a match in her family has touched off a mad scramble to find a fellow Vietnamese donor. An online campaign has taken that hunt global.

See the rest here:
Cancer fight shows lack of minorities on donor lists

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Babies born with so-called "bubble boy" disease can often be cured with a stem cell transplant, regardless of the donor -- but early treatment is critical, a new study finds.

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), as the condition is medically known, actually refers to a group of rare genetic disorders that all but eliminate the immune system. That leaves children at high risk of severe infections.

The term "bubble boy" became popular after a Texas boy with SCID lived in a plastic bubble to ward off infections. The boy, David Vetter, died in 1984 at the age of 12, after an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant -- an attempt to give him a functioning immune system.

Today, children with SCID have a high chance of survival if they receive an early stem cell transplant, researchers report in the July 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

In the best-case scenario, a child would get stem cells -- the blood-forming cells within bone marrow -- from a sibling who is a perfect match for certain immune-system genes.

But that's not always an option, partly because kids with SCID are often their parents' first child, said Dr. John Cunningham, director of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital. He was not involved in the study.

In those cases, doctors typically turn to a parent -- who is usually a "half" match, but whose stem cells can be purified to improve the odds of success. Sometimes, stem cells from an unrelated, genetically matched donor can be used.

The good news: Regardless of the donor, children with SCID can frequently be cured, according to the new findings. But early detection and treatment is vital.

"These findings show that if you do these transplants early -- before [the age of] 3.5 months, in a child without infection -- the results are really quite comparable to what you have with a matched sibling," said lead researcher Dr. Richard O'Reilly, chief of the pediatric bone marrow transplant service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

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Early Stem Cell Transplant Vital in 'Bubble Boy' Disease

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

"Bubble boy" David Vetter lived in a protective environment designed by NASA engineers. He died of complications after receiving a bone marrow transplant in 1984, at the age of 12. Baylor College of Medicine Photo Archives

Babies born with so-called "bubble boy" disease can often be cured with a stem cell transplant, regardless of the donor -- but early treatment is critical, a new study finds.

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), as the condition is medically known, actually refers to a group of rare genetic disorders that all but eliminate the immune system. That leaves children at high risk of severe infections.

The term "bubble boy" became popular after a Texas boy with SCID lived in a plastic bubble to ward off infections. The boy, David Vetter, died in 1984 at the age of 12, after an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant -- an attempt to give him a functioning immune system.

15 Photos

Immune disorder forced David Vetter to live in bubble - but breakthroughs from his story now enable similar kids to live free

In the best-case scenario, a child would get stem cells -- the blood-forming cells within bone marrow -- from a sibling who is a perfect match for certain immune-system genes.

But that's not always an option, partly because kids with SCID are often their parents' first child, said Dr. John Cunningham, director of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital. He was not involved in the study.

In those cases, doctors typically turn to a parent -- who is usually a "half" match, but whose stem cells can be purified to improve the odds of success. Sometimes, stem cells from an unrelated, genetically matched donor can be used.

The good news: Regardless of the donor, children with SCID can frequently be cured, according to the new findings. But early detection and treatment is vital.

See the article here:
Early stem cell transplant may cure "bubble boy" disease

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Albany, NY (PRWEB) August 01, 2014

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) is a biotechnology company. The company develops biomarkers. Its products include CytoSure heamatological cancer +SNP Array, CytoSure ISCA arrays, CytoSure ISCA +SNP Array, CytoSure ISCA UPD array, CytoSure ISCA sample tracking spike-ins and CytoSure syndrome Plus v2 array. OGT offers services, such as targeted sequencing services, SureSeq Solid Tumour Panel Sequencing Service, RNA-Seq service, miRNA analysis, gene expression analysis, cytosure services and aCGH for CNV analysis. The companys customers include Agilent Technologies, University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK, Alberta Childrens Hospital, Bioarray and many more. OGT is headquartered in Begbroke, Oxfordshire, the UK.

To view the table of contents for this market research report please visit :http://www.researchmoz.us/oxford-gene-technology-product-pipeline-analysis-2014-update-report.html.

This report is a source for data, analysis, and actionable intelligence on the companys portfolio of pipeline products. The report provides key information about the company, its major products and brands.

The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage.

Scope:

Reasons to Buy:

All Repoers of this Category Here: http://www.researchmoz.us/medical-equipments-market-reports-109.html

About ResearchMoz

ResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.

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Oxford Gene Technology Market Size, Share, Analysis, Trends and Forecasts 2014

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Scientists at Centre for Applied Genomics in Philadelphia, US, discovered that people carrying the gene variant p.Tyr362His were able to function on fewer than five hours of sleep per night.

The researchers studied 100 sets of twins to find out which genetic variants were responsible for changes in sleep patterns.

The study revealed that those with the variant chose to sleep for less time than those without it, and were also far better at mental tasks after being deprived of sleep for 38 hours.

One twin with the gene mutation had 40 percent fewer lapses of performance during 38 hours without sleep and required less recovery sleep afterward sleeping only eight hours after the period of extended sleep deprivation compared with his twin brother, who slept for 9.5 hours.

This study emphasizes that our need for sleep is a biological requirement, not a personal preference, said American Academy of Sleep Medicine President Dr Timothy Morgenthaler.

Most adults need at least seven hours of quality sleep each night for optimal health, productivity and daytime alertness.

Charles Moore, Thatchers official biographer, said it was impossible to know if the former prime minister had a special gene that made her less susceptible to tiredness, but said much of her ability stemmed from a drive to prove herself.

I do not know whether or not she had a gene of this sort. I suppose one would know that only by conducting a genetic test.

I think she found it hard: she wanted to show she didn't need much sleep. In fact, she needed more than she said. It was part of her desire, as the first and only woman, to beat the men.

Though it is true that she could work very long hours and did need less sleep than most of us.

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'Thatcher gene' is key to needing less sleep

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USC Institute of Genetic Medicine Exhibition "Molecular and Social Systems"
Molecular and Social Systems: Learning through Creative Exploration The University of Southern California University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine Institute for Genetic Medicine...

By: Professor Marcela Oliva

Link:
USC Institute of Genetic Medicine Exhibition "Molecular and Social Systems" - Video

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Read the article in full.

From the Telegraph Genomics are not overhyped: they really can change medicine

It is correct that science has not made as much progress as had been hoped in unlocking the genetic factors that contribute to most common diseases. But quite staggering progress has been made elsewhere. In three areas in particular cancer, rare congenital diseases and infections the plummeting cost of reading DNA and sciences growing ability to interpret it is already transforming medical practice. The Genomics England project is about bringing these benefits to NHS patients, and enabling further scientific discoveries to emerge from their care.

Read the article in full.

From the Guardian What we can all gain from personal genetics

Learning about your genetics enables you to optimize your health. It will take us decades to understand all 3bn base pairs in the human genome, but today we already know what thousands of important genetic differences mean for individuals.

We know that genes affect your risk for conditions like cystic fibrosis and breast cancer, and we know how your genes affect your responses to drugs like Warfarin. As genetic testing becomes more affordable, more people can benefit from understanding their genetics and use that understanding to improve their health, help them prevent the harmful side-effects of some drugs and potentially avoid preventable deaths.

For example, roughly 8 per cent of people with European ancestry have a genetic variant that puts them at higher than average risk for blood clots. There are a number of easy ways to minimize this risk, ranging from avoiding oral contraceptives to staying hydrated and maintaining mobility during airplane flights.

Read the article in full.

From Huffingon Post Personal Genomics for All

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Genomics: what it could mean for the future of medicine

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63281949 story Posted by timothy on Saturday August 02, 2014 @12:08AM from the looking-for-the-true-descendants-of-arthur dept. mrspoonsi (2955715) writes A project aiming to revolutionise medicine by unlocking the secrets of DNA is under way in centres across England. Prime Minister David Cameron has said it "will see the UK lead the world in genetic research within years". The first genetic codes of people with cancer or rare diseases, out of a target of 100,000, have been sequenced. Experts believe it will lead to targeted therapies and could make chemotherapy "a thing of the past". Just one human genome contains more than three billion base pairs the building blocks of DNA. Prof Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said: "I can see a future where genetics is going to come into every bit of medicine from cardiology to oncology to infectious diseases." "Twenty years from now there's going to be a plethora of those, we will have a series of mutations which academics and industry will have developed therapies for, which will be targeted at you and specific for that cancer." He said chemotherapy, which attacks all dividing cells in the body, would be replaced with such therapies. "We will look back in 20 years' time and think of blockbuster chemotherapy [as] a thing of the past and we'll think 'Gosh, what an era that was'." David Cameron has announced a series of investments across government, industry and charities totalling 300m ($500m). You may like to read: Post

When you don't know what to do, walk fast and look worried.

Working...

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DNA Project 'to Make UK World Genetic Research Leader'

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Let #39;s Play The Sims 3 - Perfect Genetics Challenge - Episode 32
VampireClan #VampireClan4Life.

By: vampiregirl101101101

Continued here:
Let's Play The Sims 3 - Perfect Genetics Challenge - Episode 32 - Video

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2014 World TSC Conference: Genetics, Reproductive Issues and Impact on Relationships
From July 3-6, the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance hosted the 2014 World Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) Conference in Washington, DC. This session video featur...

By: tsalliance

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2014 World TSC Conference: Genetics, Reproductive Issues and Impact on Relationships - Video

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Sims 3 Create a Sim Tutorial - Creating Unique Pretty Sims Using Genetics
Do you love creating pretty sims but they all end up looking the same or similar? In this sims 3 create a sim tutorial I will show you how to create pretty and unique sims using genetics!

By: Sims Wishes

Originally posted here:
Sims 3 Create a Sim Tutorial - Creating Unique & Pretty Sims Using Genetics - Video

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By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Babies born with so-called "bubble boy" disease can often be cured with a stem cell transplant, regardless of the donor -- but early treatment is critical, a new study finds.

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), as the condition is medically known, actually refers to a group of rare genetic disorders that all but eliminate the immune system. That leaves children at high risk of severe infections.

The term "bubble boy" became popular after a Texas boy with SCID lived in a plastic bubble to ward off infections. The boy, David Vetter, died in 1984 at the age of 12, after an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant -- an attempt to give him a functioning immune system.

Today, children with SCID have a high chance of survival if they receive an early stem cell transplant, researchers report in the July 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

In the best-case scenario, a child would get stem cells -- the blood-forming cells within bone marrow -- from a sibling who is a perfect match for certain immune-system genes.

But that's not always an option, partly because kids with SCID are often their parents' first child, said Dr. John Cunningham, director of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital. He was not involved in the study.

In those cases, doctors typically turn to a parent -- who is usually a "half" match, but whose stem cells can be purified to improve the odds of success. Sometimes, stem cells from an unrelated, genetically matched donor can be used.

The good news: Regardless of the donor, children with SCID can frequently be cured, according to the new findings. But early detection and treatment is vital.

"These findings show that if you do these transplants early -- before [the age of] 3.5 months, in a child without infection -- the results are really quite comparable to what you have with a matched sibling," said lead researcher Dr. Richard O'Reilly, chief of the pediatric bone marrow transplant service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Continued here:
Early Stem Cell Transplant Vital in 'Bubble Boy' Disease

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

31-Jul-2014

Contact: Meng Zhao eic@nrren.org 86-138-049-98773 Neural Regeneration Research

Advances in stem cell research will provide enormous opportunities for both biological and future clinical applications. Basically, stem cells could replicate any other cells in the body, offering immense hope of curing Alzheimer's disease, repairing damaged spinal cords, treating kidney, liver and lung diseases and making damaged hearts whole. The potential for profit is staggering. Prof. Jinhui Chen from Indiana University in USA considered that this field of research still faces myriad biological, ethical, legal, political, and financial challenges. The eventual resolution of these conflicts will determine the success of the research and potentially the face of medicine in the future. The relevant study has been published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 9, No. 7, 2014).

###

Article: " A brief review of recent advances in stem cell biology " by Jinhui Chen1, Libing Zhou2, Su-yue Pan3 (1 Stark Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurological Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 2 Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration (GHMICR), Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; 3 Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China)

Chen JH, Zhou LB, Pan SY. A brief review of recent advances in stem cell biology. Neural Regen Res.2014;9(7):684-687.

Contact: Meng Zhao eic@nrren.org 86-138-049-98773 Neural Regeneration Research http://www.nrronline.org/

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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Recent advances in stem cell biology

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Glendale teen recovering from spinal cord injury
A Glendale teen is recovering from a spinal cord injury he suffered while on vacation in Hawaii.

By: ABC15 Arizona

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Glendale teen recovering from spinal cord injury - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Most cardiovascular diseases, such as ischemic heart disease and cardiomyopathy, are associated with loss of functional cardiomyocytes. Unfortunately, the heart has a limited regenerative capacity and is not able to replace these cardiomyocytes once lost. In recent years, stem cells have been put forward as a potential source for cardiac regeneration. Pre-clinical studies that use stem cell-derived cardiac cells show promising results. The mechanisms, though, are not well understood, results have been variable, sometimes transient in the long term, and often without a mechanistic explanation. There are still several major hurdles to be taken. Stem cell-derived cardiac cells should resemble original cardiac cell types and be able to integrate in the damaged heart. Integration requires administration of stem cell-derived cardiac cells at the right time using the right mode of delivery. Once delivered, transplanted cells need vascularization, electrophysiological coupling with the injured heart, and prevention of immunological rejection. Finally, stem cell therapy needs to be safe, reproducible, and affordable. In this review, we will give an introduction to the principles of stem cell based cardiac repair.

Keywords: Stem cell, Regeneration, Heart, Cardiomyocytes

Repairing the injured body with its own tissue as a substrate has captured human fascination for a long time. In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was a serpent-like creature with multiple heads that regenerated each time they were cut off and Prometheus, a titan punished by Zeus for stealing fire, had a liver that was able to regenerate each night after it was eaten by an eagle. In 1740, Abraham Tembley discovered that microscopic, freshwater animals had the ability to regenerate their head after amputation, later followed by others who discovered that amphibians have the ability to regenerate their tails, limbs, jaws, and eyes.[1],[2] It took scientists until 1933 before they discovered that some human organs, such as the liver, also have the ability to regenerate.[3]

Regenerative therapies are of major interest in cardiovascular medicine. Most cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease and cardiomyopathy, are associated with loss of functional cardiomyocytes and in other diseases, such as sick sinus syndrome, specific cardiac cell properties are missing. Unlike the Lernaean Hydra or the human liver, the heart does not have the ability to regenerate itself spontaneously once damaged. Cardiomyocytes are terminally differentiated and have a limited proliferative capacity. Lost cardiomyocytes are replaced by fibroblasts and connective tissue with the remaining cardiomyocytes becoming hypertrophic, which may eventually lead to heart failure. On the contrary, stem cells proliferate indefinitely and can be directed to differentiate into specialized cell types such as cardiomyocytes. The goal of stem cell-based regenerative medicine in cardiovascular disease, therefore, is to create healthy, functional cardiac cells that are able to integrate in the injured heart and restore its function.

In the past decades, several stem cell types have been discovered. These stem cells can be subdivided based on their differentiation capacity. Pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), are able to differentiate into all three embryonic germ layers, whereas multipotent stem cells can differentiate into a number of closely related cell types of a single embryonic germ layer. Cardiomyocytes were derived from several stem cell sources (). Other types of stem cells do not differentiate into cardiomyocytes themselves, but support cardiac repair by different mechanisms (). In this review, we will refer to all stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and differentiated cell types enriched for cardiomyocytes as stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (SCD-CMs), while we will refer to non-cardiomyocyte derivatives (such as vascular cells) as stem cell-derived cardiac support cells (SCD-CSCs).

Summary of stem cells used for cardiac repair.

Characteristics of stem cells studied for cardiac regeneration potential.

In this review, we will give an introduction to the principles of stem cell-based cardiac repair. Our aim is to give a concise up-to date overview of the therapeutic possibilities of stem cells for cardiac injury. First, we describe general requirements for stem cell therapy. After that, we will discuss in more detail the different stem cell sources and their therapeutic effects, since these vary for each cell type.

In order to be suitable for cardiac repair, stem cell-derived cardiac cells should resemble the original cardiac cell types and be able to integrate in the damaged heart. Integration requires administration of stem cell-derived cardiac cells at the right time using the right mode of delivery. Once delivered, transplanted cells need vascularization, electrophysiological coupling with the injured heart, and prevention of immunological rejection. Ideally there would also be beneficial effects on the host myocardium, for example, by stimulating proliferation or differentiation of local progenitors, neovascularization or by inhibiting apoptosis. The minimum requirement for the donor cells is to have no adverse effects. Finally, stem cell therapy needs to be safe, reproducible, and affordable. Each of these requirements will be discussed separately. ()

Read more:
Stem cells for cardiac repair: an introduction

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith