Tag Archives: dna

Blood test to locate gene defects associated with cancer may not be far off

The findings are based on research led by Raghu Kalluri, M.D., Ph.D., chairman and professor in MD Anderson’s Department of Cancer Biology. The research results appear in the current online edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. "At the present time, there is no single blood test that can screen for all cancer related DNA defects," said Kalluri. "In many cases, current protocols require a tumor sample to determine whether gene mutations and deletions exist and therefore determine whether the tumor itself is cancerous or benign. …

Epigenetics enigma resolved

The finding is important for the field of epigenetics because Tet enzymes chemically modify DNA, changing signposts that tell the cell’s machinery "this gene is shut off" into other signs that say "ready for a change." Tet enzymes’ roles have come to light only in the last five years; they are needed for stem cells to maintain their multipotent state, and are involved in early embryonic and brain development and in cancer. The results, which could help scientists understand how Tet enzymes are regulated and look for drugs that manipulate them, were published online on Dec. …

DNA clamp to grab cancer before it develops

Toward a new generation of screening tests An increasing number of genetic mutations have been identified as risk factors for the development of cancer and many other diseases. Several research groups have attempted to develop rapid and inexpensive screening methods for detecting these mutations. "The results of our study have considerable implications in the area of diagnostics and therapeutics," says Professor Francesco Ricci, "because the DNA clamp can be adapted to provide a fluorescent signal in the presence of DNA sequences having mutations with high risk for certain types cancer. …

Helping cancer researchers make sense of deluge of genetic data

The tool, called the Gene Expression Barcode 3.0, is proving to be a vital resource in the new era of personalized medicine, in which cancer treatments are tailored to the genetic makeup of an individual patient’s tumor. Significant new improvements in the Gene Expression Barcode 3.0 are reported in the January issue of the journal Nucleic Acids Research, published online ahead of print. Senior author is Michael J. Zilliox of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. …

Cancer ‘avalanche effect’ refuted

Cancer is due to changes in the DNA of cells, which causes them to divide in an uncontrolled manner. It is also true that the cancer cells in certain common tumours, such as in colon cancer, can have over 100 chromosomes instead of the 46 chromosomes normally present in a human cell. But does a single, initial change in the number of chromosomes set off a sequence of unstoppable changes that lead to cancer? The answer to this question is important; in order to ensure that cancer research is on the right track…

Key role of protein in segregation of genetic material during cell division

Cell-cycle Cells in all organisms grow and divide into two daughter cells by an ordered sequence of events called "cell cycle." Basically , the cells have to complete four main processes during the cell cycle : growth ( G1 and G2 phases ) , doubling the DNA ( S phase ) , segregate chromosomes ( M phase , mitosis) and divide ( cytokinesis ) . …