"Science and Biotechnology Books Made Simple" |
"Science and Biotechnology Books Made Simple" |
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Source- BBC
Online 7/30//02
"Deadlier Bacteria" Have Viruses In Their Genome Scientists from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease have found viruses, known as bacteriophages, in deadly bacteria. These viruses do not invade human cells but replicate in specific bacteria. The researchers studied a bacterium called group A streptococcus, which can cause a wide variety of illnesses, including sore throats and scarlet fever and the most deadly "flesh-eating" necrosis and toxic shock. They examined the genetic code of strain M3 of the bacteria and compared it to its less virulent strains. The scientists found that the virulent strain contained genes that are linked to bacteriophages. Viruses cannot reproduce on their own. They rely on a host cell to make copies of themselves. During this process, it is possible that some bacteriophage's genetic code are picked up from another organism. In some cases, these new genes may affect the bacterium. These changes can be either an advantage or a disadvantage for the bacterium. According to Professor Mark Bailey, an expert in virology and microbiology at Oxford University, "There is real potential to use bacteriophages in therapies in the future."
7/18//02
Gene
Variant Protects Against Cardiovascular Diseases A team of scientists headed by Dr. David Schwartz at Not only could the variant TLR4 be used as a screening marker, but also to aid scientists in finding new therapies against cardiovascular diseases. Source- BBC
Online 7/15//02
Anti-HIV Gene Found in Humans Researchers at King's College London and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that humans possess a gene that helps the body defend against HIV infection. HIV virus interferes with the function of the gene, known as CEM14, by producing the protein called Vif. However, once Vif is removed from the virus, the CEM15 gene stops the HIV virus from replicating. Finding ways to block the action of Vif is important in preventing HIV from spreading. The researchers hope that their work will lead to new treatments in the next ten years. Source- San
Diego Union Tribune 7/6//02
Deactivating Gene Prevents Cancer in Mice Scientists at Stanford University have shown that manipulating a single gene, known as myc, can kill bone cancer cells in mice. Myc gene is from the family of oncogenes or tumor-suppressor genes that regulate cell growth. Cancer usually results when mutations in these regulatory genes are accumulated. In their study, when the gene was allowed to operate normally again 10 days after treatment, it did not reactivate the cancer. However, in cases where the disease eventually did return, repeating the 10-day treatment was enough to stop the cancer from recurring. The brief turn-off time needed to kill cancer cells opens the way for new cancer therapies. Source- BBC
News 6/21//02
Anti-Cancer Tomato Scientists
at Purdue University in Indiana, USA, have developed a tomato that is rich
in a chemical called lycopene, the pigment that makes the tomato red.
Lycopene causes the tomato to ripen later. The chemical is an anti-oxidant
and a study of thousands of men
found that eating 10 or more servings of tomato sauce or tomatoes a week
reduced prostate cancer risk by 45%. Lycopene given as a drug alone
doesn't work as well. The
lycopene-rich tomato was developed through the insertion of a
yeast-derived gene into tomato plants. This gene is involved in the
product of chemicals which help build lycopene. The
scientists will use the yeast gene approach to increase other nutrient
content in fruits and vegetables. Source- Unisci.com
6/19//02
Neighboring genes Are Expressed Together Scientists at Howard Hughes Medical Institute and University of California Berkeley have found that some groups of 15 genes located next to each other are expressed together. Although these genes are not structurally or functionally related, they are turned on and off at the same time only because they are located next to each other on the chromosome. These studies were done on the genome of the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. The scientists found over 200 large groups of adjacent and similarly expressed genes. Each group contained between 10 and 30 genes which accounted for about 20% of the genes in the fruitfly's genome. According to the researchers, the "sloppy" regulation of gene expression may be used when the amount of protein produced is not critical. However, when the protein level becomes critical, precise control of the gene becomes necessary. Source- Yahoo
Online 6/10//02
Melanoma Gene Defect Discovered Scientists at Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, England have discovered a spontaneous change in a certain gene involved in melanoma and other types of cancer. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. It kills about 40,000 people a year worldwide. The gene, known as B-RAF, is involved in cell growth and division. When mutated, B-RAF stays switched "on" all the time and ignores prompts to turn itself off. Cells containing the mutation keep multiplying which then lead to cancer. The researchers found that the mutation was found in 70 percent of melanoma patients. It was, also, found in about 10 percent of colon cancers and other types of cancer. The discovery may lead to promising drugs that would stop only those
cells with the mutation from growing and dividing.
Source- Reuters
Health 5/30/02
Male Infertility in Mice is Corrected through the Use of Gene Therapy Dr. Viany Tergaonkar and his colleagues at The Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, reported using gene therapy to correct a mutation in a gene that caused infertility in mice. The mice in the study had a mutation in their Sertoli cells (these are cells that help turn germ cells into sperm). The researchers corrected the mutation with a gene carried through a deactivated virus similar to HIV. The disease causing properties of the virus were removed, allowing it to be used as a vehicle to carry repair genes. Two months after injections with the virus carrying repaired Sertoli cell gene, the mice started to produce sperms. The researchers were able to create embryos by injecting individual sperm directly into eggs. Eventually, 13 baby mice were born. The pups (baby mice) were tested, and none had inherited the repaired gene or showed any signs of infection with the mutated HIV. "We've shown that you can deliver a gene without side effects and with sustained expression," Tergaonkar said. The new research may eventually lead to treatments for men with some
types of fertility problems. Source-
ctnow.com 5/18/02
A Gene Mutation
is Linked to Osteoporosis In the latest issue of the New
England Journal of Medicine, scientists at Yale University Medical School
and University of Connecticut Health Center report the discovery of a
genetic defect that causes several members of a Danbury family to develop
high bone density. Genetic
testing on several members of the family showed a mutation on a gene that
codes for LRP5, or low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5, a
protein associated with bad cholesterol. Other studies have shown a
different mutation in that gene that caused a severe form of osteoporosis,
implying that LRP5 may play a role in both bone formation and bone loss.
The scientists at Yale found another protein known as Dkk that acts on
LRP5, causing the formation of new bone. The new discovery may shed light on
restoring bone in osteoporosis.
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