IMAGE:Laboratory fruit flies live in special glass containers. view more Credit: Photo: Michael Bernkopf/Vetmeduni Vienna The information encoded in the DNA of an organism is not sufficient to determine the expression pattern of genes. This fact has been known even before the discovery of epigenetics, which refers to external modifications to the DNA that turn genes "on" or "off". These modifications do not change the DNA sequence, but instead, they affect how genes are expressed. Another, less known mechanism called canalization keeps organisms robust despite genetic mutations and environmental stressors. If an organism experiences environmental or genetic perturbations during its development, such as extreme living conditions or genetic mutations, canalization acts as a way of buffering these disturbances. The organism remains stable and can continue to develop without recognizable changes. A comfort zone in the fly genome Christian Schltterer at the Institute of Population Genetics and his colleagues studied the mechanism of canalisation in fruit flies. The researchers subjected two genetically distinct strains of fruit flies, Oregon and Samarkand, to different temperatures (13C, 18C, 23C and 29C). Subsequently, they analysed the variation in gene expression in response to the different temperatures. The results revealed a homogenous pattern of gene expression … Continue reading →

Washington, DC (PRWEB) February 26, 2015 Today, the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, released the report Genes, Culture, and Health: Ensuring the Best Health Outcomes for All. The report reviewed available research and found that while dramatic advances are being made in genetics and their clinical applications, the promise of personalized medicine is not being realized by all. A lack of inclusion in genetic research is creating a genomic divide putting the frontiers of science and medicine at risk. Without a dramatic reversal in the quality of genetic studies, the benefits of personalized medicine will not be realized by all, said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the Alliance. Ensuring that all patients benefit from discoveries in genetic science and personalized medicine is critical to our nations health. The FDA is committed to working with diverse partners on the road forward for access to the best science and treatment, said Dr. Jonca Bull, Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) Office of Minority Health. Dr. Bull added, The report issued today is an important update on the status of genetic research and personalized medicine. It calls on … Continue reading →

Bengaluru:Feb 27, 2015, DHNS Two courses of stem cell therapy have helped Ashok Kumar, 59, who suffered from tremors and rigidity due to Parkinsons disease, recover completely, much to the joy of his family. The man was brought inside my cabin in a wheelchair. He was unable to even sit on the chair without support. Today, he walks independently. Stem cell therapy has made it possible for him, said Dr Naseem Sadiq, Director, Plexus Neuro and Stem Cell Research Centre, who began treating Kumar in October, last year. Previously, medication and surgical procedure were the only treatment option for Parkinsons disease. Medication in the long-term often lacks effectiveness and may cause side effects, while surgery is not always feasible. Lately, stem cell therapy has turned out to be a boon for patients with Parkinsons, Dr Sadiq said. Kumar is among the few who have benefited from stem cell therapy. However, though the State has been reporting an increase in the number of registered stem cell donors, it is far behind sufficient as the genetic match between donor and recipient could be anywhere between one in 10,000 and one in two million, according to experts. Speaking to Deccan Herald, Raghu Rajgopal, … Continue reading →

Bengaluru, Feb 25, 2015, dhns: Two courses of stem cell therapy have helped Ashok Kumar, 59, who suffered from tremors and rigidity due to Parkinsons disease, recover completely, much to the joy of his family. The man was brought inside my cabin in a wheelchair. He was unable to even sit on the chair without support. Today, he walks independently. Stem cell therapy has made it possible for him, said Dr Naseem Sadiq, Director, Plexus Neuro and Stem Cell Research Centre, who began treating Kumar in October, last year. Previously, medication and surgical procedure were the only treatment option for Parkinsons disease. Medication in the long-term often lacks effectiveness and may cause side effects, while surgery is not always feasible. Lately, stem cell therapy has turned out to be a boon for patients with Parkinsons, Dr Sadiq said. Kumar is among the few who have benefited from stem cell therapy. However, though the State has been reporting an increase in the number of registered stem cell donors, it is far behind sufficient as the genetic match between donor and recipient could be anywhere between one in 10,000 and one in two million, according to experts. Speaking to Deccan Herald, Raghu … Continue reading →

Durham, NC (PRWEB) February 25, 2015 A new study published in the latest issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine reveals how a particular type of stem cell generated from fat tissue may outperform other types of stem cells in speeding up the healing of wounds caused by type 1 diabetes. In the study, ulcers in a mice model treated with these cells healed significantly faster than those treated with general types of stem cells. Slow-healing wounds present one of the most common and perplexing complications associated with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. If left untreated, they can lead to amputation, and even death. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputation in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. Despite this, there are very few consistently effective treatments for speeding the wound-healing process in patients. Addressing this issue, researchers at the University of Tokyo (UT) School of Medicine partnered with colleagues at the Research Center for Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Ibaraki, Japan) to test whether a type of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) called Muse, which is harvested from adult adipose tissue (that is, fat), might … Continue reading →