NEW METHOD HELPS REVEAL GENETIC BASIS OF CANCER
Scientists have developed a powerful new tool for profiling the genetic basis of cancer and other diseases. Representational Oligonucleotide Microarray Analysis or ROMA was developed by researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Using ROMA, the researchers compared the DNA of normal cells and breast cancer cells, finding a striking collection of chromosomal amplifications and deletions likely to be involved in some aspect of breast cancer. Some of the DNA abnormalities detected in this study correspond to known oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, while others are likely to reveal new genes and cellular functions involved in breast cancer. The team also found large chromosomal deletions and duplications in normal DNA samples using ROMA. The scientists speculate such variations among individuals might well underlie many human traits, including resistance to disease. This study appears in the Sept. 15 online edition of Genome Research.
MUTATION IN CALCIUM REGULATING GENE TRIGGERS SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH
A defect in a gene that controls calcium levels is the likely trigger for sudden cardiac death. Researchers at the University of Wales College of Medicine report a defect in the ryanodine receptor blocks the body's ability to process calcium. This calcium overload, they say, sets up the erratic electrical signaling in the heart that causes it to suddenly stop beating. Moreover stress, such as the stress associated with competitive sports, sets up a demand on the calcium processing system. People who have a mutation in the ryanodine receptor cannot compensate for stress-induced demands on calcium channels, which leads to a dangerous build-up of calcium ions in heart muscle cells. The researchers wrote, "This discovery opens the possibility of designing specific treatments to reduce this risk in apparently healthy but susceptible people." The American Heart Association estimates 50 percent of men and 63 percent of women who died suddenly of coronary heart disease are victims of sudden cardiac death. The research is reported in the Sept. 18 issue of Circulation Research.
NEW THERAPEUTIC TARGET AGAINST RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Arthritis researchers report they have identified a new therapeutic target for treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Researchers from the St. Marianna University School of Medicine in Japan have identified an enzyme, called synoviolin, which is found in abnormally high levels in diseased joints. High levels of synoviolin cause an overgrowth of joint-destroying synovial cells, a key clinical feature of RA. Scientists hope that reducing the levels of synoviolin will halt the proliferation of synovial cells. To determine the function of synoviolin, the researchers engineered mice that produced an excess of the enzyme. These mice developed spontaneous arthritic joint disease. Mice engineered to produce half the normal amount of synoviolin were protected from developing arthritis when treated with a protocol that induces arthritis in normal mice. This study appears in the October 1 edition of Genes and Development.
NEW INSIGHT INTO THE GENETICS OF CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE
Scientists have identified a potential culprit for one of the most common human congenital heart malformations, called AVCD. Using a sophisticated approach to alter gene activity in a mouse embryo, a research team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Duke Medical Center found that proper expression of a single gene, called Bmp4, is essential for normal mouse embryonic heart development. Even a 50 percent reduction in this gene's expression results in AVCD-like defects. In its most severe form, AVCD is characterized by a large hole in the wall (septum) that partitions the heart into upper and lower chambers. The scientists observed a direct correlation between the level of Bmp4 activity and the ability of the septum to correctly partition the upper and lower heart chambers -- the less Bmp4 present in the embryonic heart muscle, the more severe the defect. The results of this study appear in the Oct. 1 edition of Genes and Development.
AMERICANS CONFUSED ABOUT GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS
Americans' knowledge of genetically modified foods remains low and their opinions about its safety are split. A new survey released by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology found only 34 percent of Americans have heard a "great deal" or "some" about genetically modified foods, a 10 point decline since 2001. When it comes to safety, 27 percent of consumers say genetically modified foods are "basically safe" -- while 25 percent say they are "basically unsafe." Results of the survey also suggest consumers want to see the Food and Drug Administration involved with a genetically modified food product before it is put on the market. As a whole, the survey found Americans are far more comfortable with genetic modifications to plants than animals, and particularly supportive of genetic modifications that improve health. The Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology released this survey on Sept. 18.
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(EDITORS: For CANCER, contact Peter Sherwood at (516) 367-6947 or [email protected]. For CALCIUM, contract Mary Leyshon at 44-29-2074 2752 or [email protected]. For ARTHRITIS and CONGENITAL HEART, contact Heather Cosel at [email protected]. For AMERICANS, contact Kimberly Brooks at (202) 347-9044 ext. 230 or [email protected])
