Hepatitis C Holy Grail

Researchers at the Duke University Medical Center have discovered a biomarker which has been compared to finding a “Holy Grail” (by David Goldstein of Duke’s Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy).

The biomarker is an innovation in Hepatitis C treatment which can be used to presage how different patients will react to treatment and also can be used to explain why different racial and ethnic groups fluctuate so much in their response to treatment.

The discovery of the marker, the result of a single letter change (C to T), has given patients and doctors valuable information in terms of deciding the best treatment for each individual. This information is so important as "The side effects of hepatitis treatment can be brutal, and about half the time, the treatment fails to eradicate the virus.” said Goldstein.

Review by Rachael Lee, 18.08.2009

from:

and:

Rearrangements of Multifunctional Genes Cause Cancer

A thesis presented by the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that several genes lie in the tumor diseases are involved in fundamental processes in the cell, this may be the cause that tumors arise early in life affect children and young people. The “FET” genes have been the main problem. They are in the form known as “fusion genes” in these tumors; they changed form into unusual fusion proteins which transform normal cells to cancer cells.

Human body has many specialized cells such as fat cells and nerve cells. Cancer arises when something is wrong in the process when those stem cells formed, and mature along different development paths. Scientists believe that the activity of FET fall as the cells grow, therefore those genes have an important impact on the early stages of cell maturation. When these genes contain FET arise, the maturation paths become blocked, thus a cancer cell can multiply in an uncontrolled behavior. Normally, it requires damage to different genes before cancer cells build up, however, FET genes are involved in normal cells processes, and scientists believe that in rearranged form, they can affect many control systems preventing a normal cell becoming a cancer cell. This gives rise to development of cancer and is the reason that tumors with FET fusion genes are often found in children and young people.

Thomas Chou(42054151)

Original article can be found at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090310120355.htm

How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?

Recently published research has located a gene on the human genome which is implicated in regulating the length of sleep the human being requires. Through extensive research, a gene mutation was discovered and is believed to be a result of repressed transcription of certain other genes andnimplicated in the regulation of circadian rhythms. Sleep still remains a biological phenomenon: though it is known that it is regulated largely by circadian rhythms and homeostasis.



This rare gene mutation was discovered in two members of a small extended family, with both mother and daughter having shorter long term sleeping requirements than the previous standard of eight hours sleep a night. Genetically engineered mice and flies which expressed the mutated human gene were studied, with results similar to the observations made in affected humans. The mice with the mutated human gene slept less over a 24 hour period as compared to the normal mice, and also needed less compensation after a sleep deprivation period.

This new research will lead to a further understanding of sleep and the human genome, and in the near future pathologies relating to sleep disturbance may be extinct. It will also lead to further mapping of other genes and mutations present in human beings in order to understand ourselves further.

Caitlin O'Hare
s41431782

Viral Evolution? Not a problem

The infamous swine flu virus is teetering on the edge of a world wide pandemic, with signs of resistance to the Governments stockpile of Tamiflu. It’s a relief to note the work being done in genetics to develop a new generation of antiviral drugs. Michael Goldblatt from the biotech company, Functional Genetics, is one of a group of researchers that believe they have found the key to viral evolution or at least preventing infection from slight mutations, which render conventional antiviral useless in treating the new strains. At present the antiviral blocks replication by binding to the viral protein, which relies on drug specificity for each individual strain of viral infection? The discoveries by Goldblatt rely on the basis that viruses are dependant on their hosts. They hijack normal host cells processes to facilitate viral propagation and deceive the host into making copies of the virus. Some of these host proteins that are in fact essential for the replication of the virus are not required by the cell for its normal functioning and survival. The proposal is to disable these proteins in order to block viral replication. Many viral strains are found to use the TSG101 protein, as it is involved in mediating intracellular transport and when hijacked plays a role in viral budding and release of the virus. By using this form of transport however is leaves a ‘fingerprint’ of human protein, one by which multiple viruses use as their mechanism for attack, and therefore is not specific mechanism to each virus. It has been found that there are many viral families that rely on this one mechanism for viral propagation, and as a result you have a therapeutic that can identify and block every virus that uses this mechanism.

Philip Thorpe, a pharmacologist at the University of Texas Medical Centre, has developed an antibody that is able to bind to these ‘fingerprinted’ infected cells, and destroys it to prevent further replication. The antiviral drugs on the market today do not take into consideration the ease in which the virus can mutate when the drug is interacting with the viral protein. It is not clear however, how a virus can mutate to such a great degree to change the mechanism by which they infect cells, which appears to be a far sure and more effective angle to approach to take when trying to prevent the spread of viral infection. There is the probability that a virus will eventually overcome this, but how far away that time is, is uncertain, and definitely not obvious.

By Dion Zunker (42063519)

Original Article: New scientist; Bob Holmes (10 August 2009); Magazine issue 2720; http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327200.100-how-to-cure-diseases-before-they-have-even-evolved.html

Perfect pearls for women!

Looking into your jewelry box, you might find that some pearl earrings or necklaces are not entirely perfect and shiny. If they do, it might have cost you a fortune to obtain such high quality pearls. But most women know it is worth to have them! Of all the jewels and precious stones that are dug out from the Earth, pearls are an exception. They are formed biologically inside a living organism, amazingly the oyster. If you are a pearl lover, you might find this good news to you!

Recent research at Townsville's James Cook University in north Queensland discovered a list of all the genes in the oyster which are responsible of producing a pearl. Project leader Dr Dean Jerry is taking the next step to identify the five or six fundamental genes out of about one million gene bases found in South Pacific pearl oysters. By working out the perfect gene combination and breed the genetically-modified pearl oysters, he hoped to grow high-quality pearls with the best characteristics like round, shiny and pure gold colour.

Dr Jerry said there was a small yield of high quality natural pearls; only 5 per cent to 10 per cent of oysters create the best products. He emphasized that they could manipulate the oyster’s genes combinations with the aid of the latest genetic engineering techniques and thus boost the production outcome of these perfect round pearls. Consequently, he stated that there would be substantial profits in the pearl industry.

According to Dr Jerry, culturing oysters to get high quality pearls can be very complicated and costly. It is a long process before a pearl farmer can obtain a few cultured pearls of substantially high quality out of many unsuccessful ones. However, by selective breeding, he hoped to yield a higher frequency of gem quality, high value pearls.


Related articles can be found at:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/05/2646298.htm
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20090708-19528.html

By 41911622

A GENE FOR A SHORT NIGHT'S SLEEP

Regardless to differences in age, gender or background, one thing that all humans have in common is the desire for a good night’s sleep. However for some people this is a truly challenging task, every night a new battle. Common sleeping disorders, such as insomnia and night terrors, have been clinically diagnosed as being caused by anxiety, chronic pain or sudden changes in lifestyle, but who would have thought genetics could be to blame? A new study has identified a particular gene that controls the amount of sleep required by people each night. Outcomes of the research have shown that people with a rare genetic variation of the gene, DEC2, will naturally sleep less during the night. Although scientists knew that the variation in people’s sleeping patterns could be genetically explained, this research is the first of its kind to actually identify and locate the gene.

The research involved two controlled experiments, the first conducted on humans, the second on mice and fruit flies. To collaborate information, scientists examined the genes of several people who naturally slept less than average. Eventually the DEC2 gene was located in two sleep-deprived women, a gene that was absent in the rest of their family members who slept normal hours. To confirm the accuracy of their findings, the scientists ran a second experiment, this time using recombinant DNA technology to insert the ‘short-sleep’ gene into mice and fruit flies. Results show that the mice and flies with the DEC2 gene slept less than those with the standard version of the gene. Although it is still unsure whether people with this gene require more sleep to lead healthy functioning lives, this research is definitely a breakthrough in understanding the complexities of sleep and how genetics account for more than we’ll ever know.

By Omotola Oladapo

Related article:
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/46390/title/A_gene_for_a_short_night’s_sleep

Advances for Infertility

Dramatic advances in the research of male fertility were recently made when scientists developed human sperm from embryonic stem cells. Researchers at the Newcastle University and North East England Stem Cell Institute have developed the method which involves cultivating male stem cells into germ line stem cells which are then prompted to undergo meiosis and form mature sperm, namely, “In Vitro Derived sperm”. The procedure was also attempted with female stem cells however after forming into early stage spermatagonia the process ceased, signifying to researches that the Y chromosome is necessary for meiosis and sperm maturation.

As the topic of stem cell research is still under debate, researchers have stated that the sperm will not be used in fertility treatment as it is prohibited in the UK and also holds no value to their study. Researchers are hoping that by gaining a comprehensive understanding of the formation of sperm they can provide new alternatives for couples suffering infertility problems, including helping them have a child that is genetically their own. It will also allow scientists to study how these cells are affected by toxins, possibly helping young boys who have become infertile due to medications they have had administered. Researchers believe that studying the formation of sperm could also lead to a better understanding of how genetic diseases are passed on. This research could ultimately bring relief to the frustrations of thousands of couples who struggle with infertility.

Newcastle University (2009, July 8). Human Sperm Created From Embryonic Stem Cells. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2009/07/090708073843.htm

41731400

Key 'sleep gene' found by scientists

A team of scientists reported in the August 14, 2009 issue of Science that they have discovered the first gene involved in regulating the optimal length of human sleep. They identified a mutated gene that allows a mother and daughter to thrive on 6 hours of sleep. This is an exception to most humans who need a minimum of eight hours sleep to maintain optimal health. Professor Ying-Hui Fu, senior author of the study, says that “this finding offers an opportunity to unravel the regulatory mechanism of sleep.” Although the mutation is rare, scientists believe it may be a key to further understanding the regulatory mechanisms of sleep quality and quantity. If successful this could lead to treatments that provide relief for pathologies associated with sleep disturbance.

In the current study a mother and daughter were discovered to have shorter daily sleep requirements than most individuals. Blood samples were taken from both women and studied in Fu’s lab. A mutation was identified in a gene known as hDEC2. To further discover the impact of the study, the scientists genetically engineered mice to express the mutated gene. They studied the impact on their behaviour and sleep patterns. Both the genetically engineered mice and normal mice were deprived of 6 hours of sleep. When comparing the response of the two, scientists found that the engineered mice did not need to compensate for their lost sleep as much as the normal mice. “These changes in the mutant mice could provide an explanation for why human subjects with the mutation are able to live unaffected by shorter amounts of sleep during their lives” says Fu. The professor says that the next step is to identify the exact role of DEC2, as well as any physiological conditions associated with the mutated gene.

The article is available from: http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/08/13/first.human.gene.implicated.regulating.length.human.sleep
For more information about the discovery, see the following article:
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-08-13-voa54.cfm

Rare Genetic Mutation Allows for Less Sleep Each Night.

Sleep has always been necessary for survival. We have all been told that we need 8-9 hours sleep each night to function correctly. Recently a mother and daughter have been found to have a genetic mutation on the gene DEC2 that allows them to have only about 6 hours sleep each night. Even though this mother and daughter only get approximately 6.25 hours sleep a night, they still appear to be completely healthy.

Investigations have been done on this gene using transgenic mice. A mutation of the DEC2 gene was introduced to a group of the mice and they were found to need about 1.2hours less sleep each night than the control mice. In addition when the gene was removed from the mice it had an opposite effect and they slept quite a lot more.

Regulation of sleep has always been quite a grey area in science and the discovery of this new mutation may lead to new research. An associate professor, Mehdi Tafti, at the Center for Intergrative Genomics said that "In normal sleepers, if you reduce their duration to six hours, after a few days you will see some negative impact." This has been found to be different in 5% of the general population.

Source - http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=genetic-mutation-sleep-less
Image - http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/wp-content/photos/sleep.jpg
Anna Di Mauro 42016663

Producing Better Crops

Soybeans are a widely used produce with a high global demand. There are several uses of soybeans, and these include, but are not limited to, various food additives and feed for livestock. In recent years over half the total harvest of soybean crops was genetically modified.

The three leading countries for soybean productions is the United States, Brazil and Argentina. The crops in the United States and Argentina are almost exclusively genetically modified. Due to their similarity, genetically modified soybeans are treated just like regular soybeans during harvesting, shipment, processing and storage.

Researchers are currently trying to determine ways of increasing and improving soybean crop longevity, size, durability, resilience and content. One example is the “Round Up Ready” soybeans which demonstrate these qualities. These particular soybeans have been modified to resist the weed killer, “Round up”. This allows the soybeans to continue growing once sprayed while neighbouring plants of different species are killed. These attributes are desired for better value on each harvest.

This is only one example of a genetically modified food, and there are many more that have had varying levels of success. This is due to the controversy that still surrounds the idea of genetic modification as some see it as ‘playing god’ and some countries have total bans on genetically modified foods.

Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden
42005519

Predicting Future Genes

Predicting Future Genes.

From Article: Molecular Ecology of Global Change
Article by: THORSTEN B. H. REUSCH and TROY E. WOOD

Recent studies on Global environmental change has found that there is evidence that it is altering the genetic traits for all biology; such information can be used to predict future genes in Organisms. The key factors as climatic variables and increase in CO2 concentration in the atmosphere were looked at. It was found that Genomes are susceptible to rapid evolution to global climate change at phenotypic genetic levels, as a response to changes in Ecological factors such as increase in CO2. The study finds that Genetic Traits that have mainly changed in model species are photoperiod responses, stress tolerance and traits associated with enhanced dispersal and reproduction. The genetic basis of changing traits with a defining role under climate change, stress tolerance and photoperiod behavior, is just recently starting to be understood for organisms, providing a point for selective gene approaches and future studies in targeted species.

The study has documented evolutionary changes are correlative, while in depth experiments that manipulate variables have been rare. These are Important for prediction because they provide large insight into heritable change to simulated conditions that exist today and may be present in the future. The growing knowledge available to molecular ecologists holds great promise for identifying the genetic basis of many more traits relevant to morph under global change. Moreover, knowledge of the genetic architecture of trait correlations should provide the necessary framework to aid understanding limits to phenotypic evolution; and allow greater understanding of metabolic costs and tolerance, in relation to climatic variations which forms linkages possibly causing negative trait correlations. Because adaptation to changing environment is always contingent upon the vast distribution of genes among earth’s species, high-resolution estimates of gene flow should be used to inform predictions of evolutionary changes that may be there to expect.


- Link to article:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/cgi-bin/fulltext/117989803/HTMLSTART
- Tables can be found via side tabs from article page


Student: Pranay Nath
42005854

Genetic Discovery To Eradicate Malaria?

Malaria is a disease that affects over 300 million people every year and causes over a million deaths. Current methods of control such as chemical sprays are proving ineffective, as seen in some areas of Africa, where malaria kills one child every 30 seconds.

Researchers have created a genetically modified (GM) mosquito that cannot pass on the malaria virus. By adding a gene into the mosquito's genome, the mosquito is resistant to the malaria virus and therefore cannot pass it on to a human or any other animal.

There is concern that these GM mosquitoes will not be able to compete with the malaria-carrying mosquitoes as the resistance gene will make them too weak to survive in the wild. However, tests have shown that GM mosquitoes slowly become the dominant species over time.

Scientists are currently focusing on methods to ensure the resistance genes are inherited by every offspring of the GM mosquitoes. If scientists can prove that the resistance genes will not have negative impacts on the environment, this may be a cheap and effective way to reduce the prevalence of the malaria virus.

Article Link:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/genetic-discovery-may-eradicate-malaria/2007/03/20/1174153063164.html

Annabelle Franklin
41754472

Noah the Gaur

A rare Asian ox called a Gaur was successfully cloned Sioux Center Iowa in 2003. It was successfully cloned and gestated in the womb of a cow which is a scientific first. The project was particularly interesting as it coupled cloning with that of interspecies birth. The researchers hope that technique may be able to to be used to shore up animal population.

The steps involved in this process are as follows.
1. Remove DNA from a unfertilized cow egg.
2. Insert full DNA strand from Gaur into the empty egg.
3. apply small electrical pulses to fuse.
4. Add chemicals to induce fertilisation events.
5. Place fertilized back inside cows uterus.

This process was repeated five times but only Noah made it to the late stages of fetal Development the other four were unfortunately spontaneously aborted. After Ten months of hard work by the scientists Noah the Gaur was born in Iowa. Unfortunately he died after 48 hours of life from Dysentry, "We don't think it had to do with the cloning,'Dysentery affects farm animals" Robert Lanza Vice president of scientific development at the center said.

Here is link to an interesting video on the cloning of Noah (warning video contains animal surgeries).

http://www.nature.com/stemcells/video/cloning/index.html

Skin Cells Cure Sickling in Red Blood Cells

Imagine if the cells of the largest organ in humans; skin cells could treat pateints with sickle cell anemia. This is no longer a possibility but a reality!

Sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disorder that causes the body to produce abnormally shaped red blood cells. People with this disease are born with two sickle cell genes, one inherited from each parent. It is caused by the substitutuion of an amino acid in the protein sequence of hemoglobin. As a result, normally round blood cells become shaped like a crescent or sickle. These cells have short life spans compared to normal blood cell which causes the person to be anemic. Also, due to the abnormal shape, sickle cells often block blood vessels and thus reduce blood flow. This causes severe pain and various complications due to organ damage.

In a study published in Science by AAAS in 2007, scientists found significant evidence that supported the use of skin cells to restore the function of sickled red blood cells. In this study, three groups of mice were examined; control (normal mice), untreated (mice with sickle cell anemia but no treatment) and treated (mice with sickle cell anemia and treatment). Mice injected with humainsed sickle globin genes developed typical disease symptoms such as "severe anemia, urine concentration defects and overall poor health". From these mice, skin cells  from the tail were reprogrammed with gene therapy and cloned into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). iPS cells are genetically and developmentally similar to embryonic cells, wich are able to turn into all cell types. The iPS cells correct the sickle cell mutation by specific gene targeting. The genetically corrected iPS cells are then transplanted into sickle cell affected mice.

According to the results, the mice treated with iPS cells recovered 8 weeks after the transplant. The results of blood smears showed that treated mice had significanly lower amount of elongated or sickled cells compared to the untreated mice. Also, the blood count tests showed that treated mice had noticeable increases in red blood cell count and hemoglobin. There was also a definite reduction in sickle cell hemoglobin protein in treated mice, 4 to 8 weeks after transplantation.

Using iPS cells as a means of treatment has various advantages listed as follows:

1. iPS cells able to repair genetic defects

2. No requirement for unmatched transplanted cells (skin cells used from same person who is infected and so no compatibility problems)

3. Ability to use and convert iPS cells into any cell type for therapy

In conclusion, the treatment of sickle cell anemia by iPS cells of mouse skin cells is definitely a promising advancement towards curing sickled red blood cells in humans. Further research in this area is currently taking place, with a specific focus on reprogramming techniques in an attempt to reduce risks and developing reliable protocols for human iPS cells.

Reference:

2007, Hanna, et al. "Treatment of Sickle Cell Anemia Mouse Model with IPS cells generated from Autologous Skin", Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, New York, Vol 318, pp1920-1923 < http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/318/5858/1920 >

DOI: 10.1126/science.1152092

Images from Google images

Student Name:  Manal Masood

Student Number: 42028349

Genetic Research & Human Behaviour

Current discoveries have placed genetic research in the limelight. Gone are the eras where cloning & designer babies were thought to be a science fictional fantasy. Now, genetic advances are front page news. However, rarely it is questioned whether people understand the barrages of information that is conveyed to them. Frequently, political correctness, miscommunication, ethical and social issues prevent people from seeing these ideas through open minds.
Former Harvard University president, Lawrence Summers, was scrutinised for questioning the underrepresentation of women in science and maths fields was due to innate differences between the sexes. Although this is a legitimate scientific question, many did not believe innate sex differences in science aptitude was a suitable hypothesis that should be voiced out aloud, let alone tested. Quite often the public view genetic causes in a fatalistic way. Many have erroneous conceptions of how genes influence behaviour, conceiving genes as merely just an ingredient in a recipe. However, they are anything but. Genes can influence the way people interact with, and thus shaped by, our environment. In the end, these simplified stories can misrepresent genetic explanations for behaviour.

Article Link
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/11/03/genetic_research_and_human_behavior/

Viruses to cure cancer?

Research is currently being undertaken at the University of Otago (Dunedin, NZ) to test if the calicivirus found in rabbits can be used as a carrier to deliver vaccines and treatments to fight tumors in humans. The type of calicivirus that infects rabbits has to date never infected humans. In rabbits the virus causes haemorrhaging, eventually leading to bleeding out of body orifices and ultimately death.



The idea behind packaging the vaccines and treatments (by way of tumor proteins) into viruses is to help them get across the barriers of the body. Ideally they would be administered through the skin or through the mucus cavities (ie, the nose). These vaccines and treatments would cause an immune system response, with the idea that the immune system will see tumors as foreign invaders and fight them off. Currently tumors are somewhat "tolerated" by the body as they create proteins which make them appear harmless to the body.



This research, however, is still very young. So far testing has been limited to petri dishes and computer models, but with promising results.

Oakes Holland 41741566

References:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2008/2208447.htm
http://microbiology.otago.ac.nz/dept/staff/young_sarah/