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Source-BBC News

7/23/01

A Crucial Gene in the Developing Female Embryo

Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examined a gene called EED that keeps the X chromosome inherited from the father inactive in early formation of the placenta. The research was on female mice embryo. Without EED, the female embryo dies because it cannot form a placenta. The role of the gene is to tell cells where to go during development. A defective EED gene can result in birth defects.

Source- Lycos News

7/16/01

Your Secret DNA

There were over 25,000 DNA-based patents in 2000 filed by many companies, universities and government agencies. It can take up to five years until many patents are approved.

Scientists are keeping the information private to stay ahead of the competition so that they can later sell it with high dollar amount. This means that if you wanted to know your DNA sequence, you will not be able to find out!

Source- STL Today

7/9/01

Food That Contain Vaccines

Scientists are hopeful that one day edible vaccines cold stop the spread of many diseases, particularly in under-developed countries where vaccination is scarce. Mothers could vaccinate their children against cholera by feeding them banana chips. Kids drinking tomato juice might be protected against hepatitis- a liver disease caused by viral infection.

A prime candidate is an apple-based vaccine against the respiratory disease virus RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). RSV strikes very young children. The virus infects most children. About three out of 100 children are hospitalized.

Treatments for RSV are expensive and controversial. It will take many years of both animal studies and human clinical trials before a fruit RSV vaccine is available. There are no guarantees that the vaccine will be fully protective either.

Source- ABC News.com

7/9/01

World's Largest Gene Database in Britain

The UK Population Biomedical Collection will have DNA samples from 500,000 adult volunteers with lifestyle details and medical records.

The study will examine factors that may contribute to different diseases, such as cancer, asthma, heart disease, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's.

The DNA samples are from ethnically diverse population.

Professor Tom Meade, who is chairing the project, wants to find out "how genes on the one hand, and lifestyle and environmental factors on the other, interact with one another."

Confidentiality is a priority for Meade and his colleagues.

Source- The Dallas Morning News

7/2/01

Scientists Kill Messengers to Study Genes

Scientists have found that RNA interference is a process that turns genes off.

The genes in the DNA are the blueprints for making proteins. Messenger RNA (mRNA) carries a copy of each blueprint outside the nucleus where the final product will eventually be made. When RNA interference kills mRNA, building the final product is stopped.

RNA interference was first described in 1990 in plants. Plants invaded by viruses established resistance within a few days of infection. mRNA killing is their mode of defense.

Early in an infection, viral RNA has two strands. This double-stranded RNA is the trigger for RNA interference. Once detected, scissor-like proteins attach to it and cut it at certain places. The cut RNA with the proteins find other mRNA in the cell and splice it up. The process is very specific. The cut RNA with the protein stick only to mRNA carrying blueprints of its own gene. This will allow only the viral RNA to be destroyed.

RNA interference has been shown in lower animal forms, such as worms. Only recently, researchers have reported RNA interference in human cells grown in lab dish and in eggs from mice.

Scientists hope that RNA interference might one day be used for medical treatment, such as fighting off the AIDS virus or influenza virus.

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