Longevity linked to good genes, good diet

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Published: Sept. 6, 2012 at 5:12 PM

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Researchers in Sardinia say the longevity of the world's oldest siblings -- nine brothers and sisters ages 105-78 -- was due to good genes and a good diet.

"Italian newspapers reported that the Melis family had been recognized by [Guinness World Records] as officially being the world's oldest siblings," Phil Lempert, a food industry analyst, trend watcher and creator of supermarketguru.com, said in a statement.

"Residing on the island of Sardinia the nine brothers and sisters total 818 years between them. Consolata, the oldest, just turned 105, followed by Claudia 99, Maria 97, Antonio 93, Concetta 91, Adolfo 89, Vitalio 86, Vitalia 81, and Mafalda 78. Consolata has nine children, 24 grand children and 25 great-grand children."

Researchers at the University of Sassari in Sardinia said the family's longevity might be due to genetics, strong family traditions and the seasonal fruits and vegetables -- particularly pears, prunes, or plums -- that they consumed as part of their Mediterranean diet.

For example, pears are high in flavonoids when eaten with the skin, which contains about half of the fruit's dietary fiber -- beneficial in preventing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. The pears are also high in phytonutrients as well carotenoids -- providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection, Lempert said.

"The high antioxidant content, combined with carotenoids in plums and prunes has been found to ward off macular degeneration, as well as being another good source of fiber," Lempert said.

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Longevity linked to good genes, good diet

'Junk' DNA: Not So Useless After All

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Junk. Barren. Non-functioning. Dark matter. Thats how scientists had described the 98% of human genome that lies between our 21,000 genes, ever since our DNA was first sequenced about a decade ago. The disappointment in those descriptors was intentional and palpable.

It had been believed that the human genome the underpinnings of the blueprint for the talking, empire-building, socially evolved species that we are would be stuffed with sophisticated genes, coding for critical proteins of unparalleled complexity. But when all was said and done, and the Human Genome Project finally determined the entire sequence of our DNA in 2001, researchers found that the 3 billion base pairs that comprised our mere 21,000 genes made up a paltry 2% of the entire genome. The rest, geneticists acknowledged with unconcealed embarrassment, was an apparent biological wasteland.

But it turns out they were wrong. In an impressive series of more than 30 papers published in several journals, including Nature, Genome Research, Genome Biology, Science and Cell, scientists now report that these vast stretches of seeming junk DNA are actually the seat of crucial gene-controlling activity changes that contribute to hundreds of common diseases. The new data come from the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements project, or ENCODE, a $123 million endeavor begun by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) in 2003, which includes 442 scientists in 32 labs around the world.

(MORE: Decoding Cancer: Scientists Release 520 Tumor Genomes from Pediatric Patients)

ENCODE has revealed that some 80% of the human genome is biochemically active. What is remarkable is how much of [the genome] is doing at least something. It has changed my perception of the genome, says Ewan Birney, ENCODEs lead analysis coordinator from the European Bioinformatics Institute.

Rather than being inert, the portions of DNA that do not code for genes contain about 4 million so-called gene switches, transcription factors that control when our genes turn on and off and how much protein they make, not only affecting all the cells and organs in our body, but doing so at different points in our lifetime. Somewhere amidst that 80% of DNA, for example, lie the instructions that coax an uncommitted cell in a growing embryo to form a brain neuron, or direct a cell in the pancreas to churn out insulin after a meal, or guide a skin cell to bud off and replace a predecessor that has sloughed off.

What we learned from ENCODE is how complicated the human genome is, and the incredible choreography that is going on with the immense number of switches that are choreographing how genes are used, Eric Green, director of NHGRI, told reporters during a teleconference discussing the findings. We are starting to answer fundamental questions like what are the working parts of the human genome, the parts list of the human genome and what those parts do.

(MORE: Why Genetic Tests Dont Help Doctors Predict Your Risk of Disease)

If the Human Genome Project established the letters of the human genome, ENCODE is providing the narrative of the genetic novel by fashioning strings of DNA into meaningful molecular words that together tell the story not just of how we become who we are, but how we get sick as well.

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New book reviews the biology of synapses

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Public release date: 6-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elizabeth Powers powerse@cshl.edu 516-422-4101 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Synapses are bulbous structures where two neurons communicate. Neurotransmitter molecules released from the presynaptic terminal of one neuron diffuse to the postsynaptic terminal on the other, binding to receptors that lead to propagation or modulation of the signal.

Written and edited by experts in the field, The Synapse from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press examines the highly complex structures of the pre- and postsynaptic regions, as well as the trafficking mechanisms that transport vesicles containing neurotransmitters. The contributors discuss how long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) of synaptic transmission form the basis of learning and memory. The roles of calcium signaling in regulating synaptic and cell function and techniques to study such signaling events are also covered.

This volume also includes discussions of synaptic dysfunction in disorders such as autism and Alzheimer's disease. It is an indispensable reference for neurobiologists, cell and developmental biologists, and anyone wishing to understand how the basic building blocks of the brain are put together and communicate.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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San Diego Dermatologist to Host 90 Day Challenge for Face and Body

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DEL MAR, CA--(Marketwire -09/06/12)- On Thursday, September 20th, Deborah H. Atkin, MD of Dermatology & Laser of Del Mar, is hosting a 90 Day Challenge for Face and Body event to give participants beautiful, younger skin and a more sculpted body in a matter of days. For this unique event, Dermatology & Laser of Del Mar will partner with SkinMedica and Zeltiq, the company behind the minimally invasive body contouring treatment known as Coolsculpting, to offer a special skin care program and body sculpting package.

From chemical peels to anti-aging serum, SkinMedica creates products designed to help people achieve healthy, vibrant skin. Dr. Atkin says she has trusted these products for years, which is why hosting an event like this is important to her and her practice. Each patient who participates in the event will receive a 90-day SkinMedica skin care package, as well as access to the resident SkinMedica-trained esthetician for a series of in-office Vitalize Peels. The peels are designed to combat sun damage, fine lines, and wrinkles, and can help restore vibrancy and balance to a patient's aesthetic appearance. The package is valued at nearly $1300; however, participants in the 90-day challenge will have access to the package for $795. After the 90-day challenge, the patient with the most visible results will receive another of the same package and regimen of skin treatment free of charge. "This is a great opportunity for existing patients and those who are new to our practice to participate in a jumpstart program to achieve healthier, better looking skin, and sculpt their way to the body they want."

The San Diego dermatologist says she is excited to share the effective developments in skin care, fat reduction, and body sculpting that are now available through these advanced procedures at Dermatology & Laser of Del Mar: She adds that the challenge will also include a "Treat to Complete" Coolsculpting package, which will utilize the new handpiece designed to treat two and a half times the area in half the time as the original procedure. "Coolsculpting provides a safe and effective method of fat reduction with minimal discomfort and no downtime. This is the answer to those unwanted bulges that never seem to budge with diet and exercise."

As a San Diego dermatology practice, Dr. Atkin focuses on a wide range of skin and body procedures designed to help increase her patients' aesthetic appearance and treat uncomfortable conditions that may affect confidence and daily routines. Through procedures such as CoolSculpting, she says patients have the opportunity to make a positive change in their lives by improving their self-esteem and revealing their natural beauty. Dr. Atkin says events like the one on September 20th provide an excellent chance for her to share the benefits of dermatological procedures, an experience she says is both rewarding and inspiring. She says she hopes to increase patient awareness and education about the advantages of minimally-invasive procedures in achieving successful results.

Dr. Atkin says she is looking forward to the challenge and hopes patients gain a unique understanding of the state-of-the-art technologies available in the field of dermatology. She says experiencing techniques like CoolSculpting offers patients the chance to gain invaluable knowledge in their pursuit of a younger, more vibrant appearance. As with any medical procedure, Dr. Atkin recommends her patients consult with a board-certified and qualified dermatologist before undergoing any treatment so as to ensure they receive the highest quality results possible.

This event will be held on September 20, 2012 from 5:30pm-7pm at Dermatology & Laser of Del Mar. The CoolSculpting presentation will be performed by Kaci K. Orosco, a board-certified Physician Assistant with five years of experience in the field. Kaci has performed hundreds of treatments on patients under the direct supervision of Dr. Atkin.

About Deborah H. Atkin, MD

Dr. Deborah Atkin earned her medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles with honors in surgery, receiving the UCLA School of Medicine Outstanding Community Service award. She completed her dermatology specialty training at the University of Arizona, Tucson after training during an internship in Internal Medicine at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation. Dr. Atkin is an active member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, and the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. She is an active volunteer with the American Cancer Society and the American Liver Foundation, receiving the 2004 Combined Health Agencies San Diego Volunteer of the Year Award.

Located at 12865 Pointe Del Mar Way Suite 160 in Del Mar, CA, Dermatology & Laser of Del Mar can be reached at (858) 350-7546. Dr. Atkin and her team can also be contacted online via the website dermdelmar.com or facebook.com/dermdelmar.

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Reports: 'Grey's Anatomy's' Kim Raver joins NBC's 'Revolution'

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WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) TVLine is reporting Grey's Anatomy and 24 actress Kim Raver will join NBC's new drama Revolution in a recurring role.

The site doesn't give much insight into Raver's character but does describe her role as "juicy."

According to NBC, Revolution takes 15 years in the future and shows the aftermath of a global blackout where the entire world lost power. The post-apocalyptic drama is filming in the Port City.

A special VIP screening of the pilot episode will be shown Thursday night at Thalian Hall. The event is free, but you need to have a ticket to get in. Make sure to get there early, because seating is first come, first serve.

If you didn't get a ticket to the screening, you can still watch the pilot episode before its television premiere on NBC September 17 at 10:00 p.m. Click here to watch the pilot episode now.

Raver, 43, most recently played Dr. Teddy Altman on Grey's Anatomy for three seasons before leaving the show in May.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.

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Body Maps: See All Your Parts, Skin Removal Not Required

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The interactive anatomy tool that facilitates patient-doctor communication and is "social media ready"

Phones won't ever replace doctors. An app for medical diagnosis can't put a gentle hand on your shoulder. It can't calm you with whispers and a warming embrace. Its fingertips aren't soft, smooth, inquisitive. It doesn't have the robust intuition, the seasoned experience, the authority to which you can surrender control...

But a new app from the good people at General Electricand Healthline can help doctors and patients get on the same page about anatomy -- what's hurting whom, and who's doing what where to help it. Among other things, it's designed to help physicians communicate as a visual aid in discussing diagnoses and treatment plans.That's something an app can do very well. It's called BodyMaps, and it involves this spinning apparition:

She does not grant wishes or respond to emotional cues. You can, though, make her spin around quickly (or slowly, slowly), so the app scores satisfactorily in the rubric for "imparts sense of omnipotence."

Beyond detailed anatomy, it also has 200 concise tutorials like "Why do I sneeze?"

Hint: It's related to the sneezing center.

The real highlight of BodyMaps, though, is the feature where you can annotate the images by drawing with your finger -- to illustrate your point. Because not all doctors are good with words, and not all words are good with doctors. You can only write in blue, black, or green. (Not red!)

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Aperio ePathology NETWORK to Improve Communication among Pathologists, Pathology Sub-Specialists and Other Physicians

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VISTA, Calif. & OXFORD, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Aperio, the global leader in ePathology solutions, bringing digital pathology into standard practice, is showcasing their intuitive, easy-to-use solution that connects pathologists across geographical boundaries and enables enhanced communication across the patient care team. Whether at the office or on the go, the Aperio ePathology NETWORK provides the access pathologists need to stay connected and supports applications for intraoperative consultation, as well as internal and external consultation. The unveiling of the Aperio ePathology NETWORK, is taking place at the European Congress of Pathology on September 8-11 in Prague, and at CAP 12The Pathologists Meetingin San Diego, September 9-12, 2012. Aperio expects to begin shipment of the new software to customers before the end of October.

Healthcare organizations are embracing ePathology, taking digital images into clinical use, said Jared N. Schwartz, M.D., Ph.D., F.C.A.P., Aperios chief medical officer. The Aperio ePathology NETWORK delivers a software solution that makes it easy to adopt ePathology into routine patient care by effectively connecting the care team across disparate hospital locations.

The Aperio ePathology NETWORK raises the bar in patient care by enabling very quick access to sub-specialty expertise for difficult cases. The patient has access to the right sub-specialist and the pathologist has peace of mind, said Dr. Olga Ioffe, professor of pathology at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine. An additional benefit of the NETWORK is that those pathologists covering surgery centers can interpret intraoperative consultations remotely, reducing or eliminating travel.

Aperio will also launch its newest ePathViewer, an easy-to-use application for viewing eSlide images anywhere, at any time, via an iPAD or iPhone. The Aperio ePathViewer will connect to the NETWORK and also supports several pre-configured websites including the Rosai Collection, Aperio eSlide Hosting and Aperio eSlideShare. The Aperio ePathViewer will be available in mid-September for download at the App Store.

We invite you to view the new Aperio ePathology NETWORK at ECP 12 booth #39 and CAP 12 booth #211.

About Aperio

For over a decade, Aperio has advanced the technology that enables glass slides to be digitized and securely shared with others. Aperio products are transforming the practice of pathology in hospitals, reference labs, and pharmaceutical and research institutions around the world. Aperio products are FDA cleared for specific clinical applications, and are intended for research and educational use for other applications. They are not approved by the FDA for primary diagnosis. The Aperio IOC solution should not be used when permanent sections on glass slides are not going to be available for a primary diagnosis. For clearance updates, specific product indications, and more information, please visit http://www.aperio.com.

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After-school program highlights cooking, nutrition

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Tuesday August 28, 2012

PITTSFIELD

Dr. Jacqueline Jones of Berkshire Pediatric Associates is partnering with The Nutrition Center to launch a new after-school kids cooking and nutrition education program in Pittsfield this school year.

The partners are acting under a $12,000 pediatric grant it received from CATCH (Community Access to Child Health), a national program of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Body Mass Index (BMI) screening data, 34 percent, or 2,559 children in the Pittsfield public school district are considered overweight or obese.

BMI is calculated by using a formula that compares a person's height and weight with a set of BMI standards by gender. If a person's BMI number is above the 85 percentile, they are considered to be at risk of obesity; a BMI above the 95th percentile is an indicator of obesity.

"Learning basic cooking skills during childhood has been shown to lead to life-long behavior changes for better health," said Peter Stanton, director of The Nutrition Center. He holds a master of science degree as a registered dietitian and is a state-licensed dietitian/nutritionist.

The nonprofit Nutrition Center provides community-based-nutrition education, cooking classes and clinical nutrition counseling for better health and disease prevention. This summer, it opened a new office and moved its administrative headquarters from Great Barrington to Pittsfield.

The

"[Obesity is] such a huge problem in our population. We want to give parents and kids tools to be healthy," said Jones.

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Mt. Lebanon district recognized for student nutrition

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A top Agriculture Department official will visit Mt. Lebanon on Friday to honor the school district for its commitment to student nutrition.

Janey Thornton, USDA deputy undersecretary, will meet with parents and school officials, dine with students and present the HealthierUS Schools Challenge award, a program started in 2004 to promote improved nutrition and healthier school environments.

The honor, shared with about 4,000 schools nationwide, covers a variety of criteria, Ms. Thornton said. Schools must show that a certain percentage of their students participate in school meals; that they've established a wellness policy with food guidelines; and that they offer nutrition education.

"It is more of a comprehensive approach to good nutrition and wellness throughout the school as opposed to just what's on the school menu that particular day," she said.

Mt. Lebanon has offered elementary students unlimited fruits and vegetables since the lunch program's inception. Before it started three years ago, elementary students either went home for lunch or brought food to school.

The district established the program to ensure students eligible for free or reduced-price meals were eating lunch, said Tazeen Chowdhury, district food service director.

Much of the produce served at the elementary schools is grown on local farms and arrives via a distributor. The district started a "farm of the month" program last year, and this month features fruits and vegetables from Laurel Vista Farms in Somerset.

The HealthierUS Schools Challenge application took about six months to compile. And in July, new national regulations took effect, requiring more fruits and vegetables for student lunches, among other changes.

The district's foresight, Ms. Chowdhury said, made the transition easier.

"We knew we were already on the ball with it," she said. "We were way ahead of the curve knowing that this is the direction we want to go."

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Q&A: U of Cambridge’s Sharon Peacock on Next-Gen Sequencing for Public Health Surveillance

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Name: Sharon Peacock Title: Professor of clinical microbiology, Departments of Medicine and Pathology at the University of Cambridge; Honorary consultant microbiologist at the Health Protection Agency and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust; Honorary faculty at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Education: BS in medicine, University of Southampton; MRCP, Royal College of Physicians, London; MS in medical microbiology, University of London; PhD, Oxford University and Open University Whole-genome sequencing has recently made strides as a tool that can be used in public health surveillance. Most recently, the National Institutes of Health published a study in which they used sequencing in real time during an outbreak to track transmission and make decisions about how to manage the outbreak (CSN 8/20/2012).

Earlier this summer, groups from the UK published studies in the New England Journal of Medicine and BMJ Open, demonstrating the ability of sequencing retrospectively to track MRSA outbreaks in hospitals (CSN 6/20/2012).

Sharon Peacock, an author of the NEJM study, has been making significant gains in bringing whole-genome sequencing into a public health setting.

Under grants from the UK Clinical Research Collaboration and the UK's Health Protection Agency she has been working alongside collaborators, such as Julian Parkhill's team at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and David Aanensen at Imperial College, to develop tools that will enable public health organizations to adopt sequencing for surveillance and diagnostics.

Peacock also published an editorial recently in PLoS Pathogens on the use of sequencing in public health microbiology.

She is currently working within the Cambridge UKCRC consortium to develop databases of pathogen genomes and create interpretation tools for public health organizations, diagnostic laboratories, and health care workers.

Recently, Peacock spoke with Clinical Sequencing News about her work in bringing whole-genome sequencing into clinical microbiology for public health surveillance.

What is the goal of the Cambridge UKCRC consortium?

Our objective is to try and translate whole-genome sequencing into diagnostic and public health microbiology where it's been shown to make a difference either to individual patient care or public health surveillance. At the moment, we're working particularly on [methicillin-resistant Streptococcus aureus], but we're just in the process of expanding this out to a range of other pathogens that are important for human infection.

Can you describe the work that you're doing with MRSA?

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UF to offer STEM degrees in Miami

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Community college students in Miami have a chance to earn microbiology degrees from UF without the six-hour drive.

The National Science Foundations undergraduate education division awarded to UF and Miami Dade College last month a $1.7 million grant to increase the number of students graduating with degrees in science, technology, engineering and math.

The foundation is looking for innovative ways to bring community college students, particularly minorities, to bigger universities for life science degrees, said grant writer Eric Triplett, chairman of the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences microbiology and cell science department.

[The foundation is] willing for people to take risks, he said.

The grant will expand the distance-learning program UF and Miami Dade faculty launched last Fall. Miami Dade is a full partner in the program, Triplett said.

Miami Dade students who earn an associate of arts degree there and get minimum grades in certain prerequisite courses are eligible for the program.

Almost all the microbiology courses are available online, Triplett said. Miami Dade students can also attend shortened lab sessions on UFs campus.

The five-year grant will fund 20 $1,250 scholarships each semester for students at Miami Dade, Triplett said. About 10 research stipends at UF labs throughout South Florida will also be available.

The grant will also provide career workshops to educate students about job options after graduating with a microbiology degree.

Theres more to life than medical school, Triplett said.

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Lost decades — Longevity gains decline for Blacks, Latinos and less educated

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5th September 2012 0 Comments

By Paul Kleyman Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Special from New America Media) The longevity gap between two Americas has widened since 1990, says a new study. One America is mostly white and well educated, and the other is ethnic or undereducated and dying about decade sooner than their more affluent counterparts.

The gap between college-educated whites and African Americans who did not complete high school is simply unbelievable, stated S. Jay Olshansky, lead author of the extensive new analysis published in the August issue of the prestigious health policy journal Health Affairs.

Former nurse Ollie Burton, shown last year at age 103 at the Kissito Healthcare's nursing home in Midland, Tex., represents the longevity exception.

The researchers, who crunched mortality numbers in key databases from 1990-2008, found that white men in the United States with 16 years or more of schooling had life expectancy at birth 14.2 years longer than African American males with fewer than 12 years of education. The gulf between well-educated white women and black women with low educational levels was 10.3 years.

The research study is published with the stark title, Differences in Life Expectancy Due to Race and Educational Differences Are Widening, and Many May Not Catch Up. It is the latest publication by a the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society, a roster of 15 leading academic experts in aging and longevity.

Low Education Shortens Life for All Groups

The report shows that lower educational levels marked declining life expectancy within every demographic group examined.

The gap between black women of high versus low educational levels was 6.5 years, and for Latinas the difference was 2.9 years. For males the longevity gaps were 12.9 years among whites, 9.7 years among blacks and 5.5 years for Hispanics.

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Scientists decode "junk" DNA to show complex inner workings of genes

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The 46 human chromosomes is where DNA resides. On Wednesday, scientists from around the world reported their findings on a nine-year project to study the 97 percent of the genome that's not, strictly speaking, made up of genes. (National Cancer Institute)

A colossal international effort has yielded the first comprehensive look at how our DNA works, an encyclopedia of information that will rewrite the textbooks and offer new insights into the biology of disease.

For one thing, the effort might help explain why complex diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and psychiatric disorders are so difficult to predict and, often, to treat.

The findings, reported Wednesday, reveal that the human genome is packed with at least 4 million on-off switches that tell our genes what to do and when. The switches reside in bits of DNA that once were dismissed as "junk" but turn out to play critical roles in controlling how cells, organs and other tissues behave.

The discovery, considered a major medical and scientific breakthrough, has enormous implications for human health because many complex diseases appear to be caused by tiny changes in hundreds of gene switches.

The findings are the fruit of an immense federal project, involving 440 scientists from 32 labs around the world. As they delved into the "junk" parts of the DNA that are not actual genes containing instructions for proteins they discovered it is not junk. At least 80 percent of it is active and needed.

The result is an annotated road map of much of this DNA, noting what it is doing and how. It includes the system of switches that, acting like dimmer switches for lights, control which genes are used in a cell and when they are used, and determine, for instance, whether a cell becomes a liver cell or a neuron.

The findings have applications for understanding how alterations in the non-gene parts of DNA contribute to disease, which might lead to new drugs.

They can also help explain how the environment can affect disease risk. In the case of identical twins, small changes in environmental exposure can slightly alter gene switches, with the result that one twin gets a disease and the other does not.

"It's Google maps," said Eric Lander, president and founding director of the Broad Institute of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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DNA data unlocks map to genetic disease

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A massive DNA database has generated a map of the genetic switches which impact everything from hair loss to cancer and opened the door to revolutionary treatments for a host of deadly diseases, researchers say.

'This is a major step toward understanding the wiring diagram of a human being,' said lead researcher Michael Snyder of Stanford University.

The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements - or ENCODE - has enabled scientists to assign specific biological functions for 80 per cent of the human genome and has helped explain how genetic variants affect a person's susceptibility to disease.

It also exposed previously hidden connections between seemingly unrelated diseases such as asthma, lupus and multiple sclerosis which were found to be linked to specific genetic regulatory codes for proteins that regulate the immune system.

A key insight revealed in a host of papers published in the journals Nature, Science and Cell is that many diseases result from changes in when, where and how a gene switches on or off rather than a change to the gene itself.

'Genes occupy only a tiny fraction of the genome, and most efforts to map the genetic causes of disease were frustrated by signals that pointed away from genes,' said co-author John Stamatoyannoupoulos, a researcher at the University of Washington.

'Now we know that these efforts were not in vain, and that the signals were in fact pointing to the genome's 'operating system.''

Another significant finding is that this blueprint of genetic switches can be used to pinpoint cell types that play a role in specific diseases without needing to understand how the disease actually works.

For instance, it took researchers decades to link a set of immune cells with the inflammatory bowel disease Crohn's. The ENCODE data was able to swiftly identify that the genetic variants associated with Crohn's were concentrated in that subset of cells.

This in-depth map of the human genetic code has also altered scientific understanding of how DNA works.

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ENCODE project sheds light on human DNA and disease

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When the human genome was sequenced a decade ago, scientists hailed the feat as a technical tour de force but they also knew it was just a start. The "HHA000078">DNA blueprint was finally laid bare, but no one knew what it all meant.

Now an international team has taken the crucial next step by delivering the first in-depth report on what the endless loops and lengths of DNA inside our cells are up to.

The findings, detailed Wednesday in more than two dozen reports in the journals Nature and Science and other publications, do much more than provide a straightforward list of genes. By creating a complicated catalog of all the places along our DNA strands that are biochemically active, they offer new insight into how genes work and influence common diseases. They also upend the conventional wisdom that most of our DNA serves no useful purpose.

Defining this hive of activity is essential, scientists said, because it transforms our picture of the human blueprint from a static list of 3 billion DNA building blocks into the dynamic master-regulator that it is. The revelations will be key to understanding how genes are controlled so that they leap into action at precisely the right time and place in our bodies, allowing a whole human being to develop from a single fertilized egg. In addition, they will help explain how the carefully choreographed process can go awry, triggering birth defects, diseases and aging.

"The human genome was a bit like getting 'War and Peace' in Russian: It's a great book containing all of human experience, but [if] I don't know any Russian it's very hard to read," said Ewan Birney, a computational biologist at the European Bioinformatics Institute in England who coordinated the analysis for the project. Now scientists are on their way to having the translation, he said.

More than 400 scientists have conducted upward of 1,600 experiments over five years to produce the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements, which goes by the nickname ENCODE. If graphically presented, the data it has generated so far would cover a poster 30 kilometers long and 16 meters high, Birney estimated.

Already, it is revealing surprises.

The results overturn old ideas that the bulk of DNA in our cells is useless albeit inoffensive junk just carried along for the evolutionary ride. Back in 2003, when the human genome was finished, scientists estimated that less than 2% carries instructions for making proteins, which become physical structures in our bodies and do the myriad jobs inside cells. The conventional wisdom was that the rest of the genetic code didn't do very much.

But the new analysis shows that more than 80% of the human genome is active in at least one biological process that the ENCODE team measured. Nearly all of it could turn out to be active when the data are more complete.

A huge chunk of that activity is wrapped up with gene regulation dictating whether the instructions each gene carries for making a unique protein will be executed or not. Such regulation is key, because pretty much every cell in the human body carries the entire set of 21,000 protein-making genes. To adopt its unique identity, each cell be it one in the pancreas that makes insulin or one in the skin making pigment or hair must activate only a subset of them.

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Applied DNA Sciences Contracts With SMT for SigNature(R) DNA on Electronics

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STONY BROOK, NY--(Marketwire -09/05/12)- Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (APDN), (Twitter: @APDN), a provider of DNA-based anti-counterfeiting technology and product authentication solutions, announced today an agreement with SMT Corporation of Sandy Hook, Connecticut (SMT). SMT, the well known electronics parts distributor, will begin SigNature DNA marking components that leave its facility. The botanical SigNature DNA mark is designed to provide customers with the assurance that its parts were sourced at a known and respected distributor.

The agreement between APDN and SMT follows closely on the heels of the mandate by the Defense Logistics Agency that microcircuits supplied to DLA be SigNature DNA-marked. The mandate appeared at an announcement on the DLA Internet Bulletin Board System on August 7.

Tom Sharpe, Vice President of SMT, is a recognized thought-leader of the anti-counterfeiting efforts launched by government and industry. He testified this past November before the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding counterfeit electronic parts in the U.S. military supply chain. He has focused on mitigating the counterfeit threat in high reliability electronics, and established a leading inspection resource to restrict entry of counterfeit obsolete chips.

Mr. Sharpe pointed out that the agreement includes, but goes beyond, the parts supplied by SMT to the military. "Our defense and aerospace customers can now engage with assured provenance back to SMT at any points further downstream in the supply chain. The SigNature DNA mark will also assure customers and users downstream that the chips have undergone the rigorous testing and inspection applied by SMT on components before they leave our facility."

The agreement comes just as the new federal electronics anti-counterfeiting laws are due to come into effect. In Section 818 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, the Department of Defense must require suppliers of electronics parts to "monitor and eliminate" counterfeits from the military supply chain. A key milestone is due at the end of this month, when the DoD is instructed to write the new anti-counterfeiting wording into the DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement, the main military procurement document). The APDN-SMT agreement is an effort toward early compliance with that law by an important player in the industry.

Sharpe stated: "We take great pride in stepping forward at the beginning of what promises to be a milestone in reducing counterfeit risk to the military and to private industry. We are determined to protect our warfighters by providing the highest reliability in materiel."

"I commend the unwavering diligence of the SMT Corporation in their systematic testing, and their first-to-market application of the SigNature DNA Provenance Mark," stated Janice Meraglia, Vice President, Government and Military Programs at APDN. "Tom Sharpe's willingness to take a proactive stand is in line with the integrity he and his team demonstrate on a daily basis."

President and CEO of Applied DNA Sciences, Dr. James A Hayward, called the agreement with SMT "a landmark step, and a model for the industry." Dr. Hayward pointed out that "Provenance Marking," as the company calls its program for SMT, combines with "Authentication Marking," as applied at electronic manufacturers to provide 360 degree, all-around coverage for the industry. Dr. Hayward added: "Together, they form an umbrella protection, which can provide assurance of originality from manufacturers when available, and assurance of provenance in other cases."

About Applied DNA Sciences

APDN is a provider of botanical-DNA based security and authentication solutions that can help protect products, brands and intellectual property of companies, governments and consumers from theft, counterfeiting, fraud and diversion. SigNature DNA and smartDNA, our principal anti-counterfeiting and product authentication solutions that essentially cannot be copied, provide a forensic chain of evidence and can be used to prosecute perpetrators.

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Applied DNA Sciences Contracts With SMT for SigNature(R) DNA on Electronics

Posted in DNA

Iran hosts stem cell biology congress

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Iran has held the 8th Congress on Stem Cell Biology and Technology, hosting scientists from nine countries in the capital city of Tehran, Press TV reports.

A group of fourteen scientists have participated in the event to discuss the importance of stem cell research and its ability to prevent genetic diseases.

Irans Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, Stem Cell Biology, and Technology is the countrys leading biomedical research center involved in stem cell technology and regenerative medicine.

Royan Institute researchers have used stem cell therapy to treat patients with cardiac arrest, chronic lower extremities ulcers, liver cirrhosis, and vitiligo.

They have also succeeded in cloning various farm animals, including a lamb named 'Royana', a goat named 'Hanna' and two calves called 'Bonyana' and 'Tamina'.

I think Iran has [made] quite a number of scientific contributions to both stem cell research and reproductive biomedicine and its a really good opportunity to be here and learn more about them, said Prof. Paul Tesar of the Case Western Reserve University, US.

Iran has also taken great strides in other scientific sectors including biotechnology, medical science and aerospace research.

TE/SS

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Iran hosts stem cell biology congress

Research and Markets: Essential Zebrafish Methods: Cell and Developmental Biology – Reliable Lab Solutions

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/kwt8xq/essential_zebrafis) has announced the addition of Elsevier Science and Technology's new report "Essential Zebrafish Methods: Cell and Developmental Biology. Reliable Lab Solutions" to their offering.

Due to its prolific reproduction and the external development of the transparent embryo, the zebrafish is the prime model for genetic and developmental studies, as well as research in genomics. While genetically distant from humans, nonetheless the vertebrate zebrafish has comparable organs and tissues which make it the model organism for study of vertebrate development. This book will provide overview of commonly used methods and a comprehensive collection of protocols describing the most powerful techniques. The methods and techniques in this volume were chosen by the editors of Methods in Cell Biology, whose goal was to provide fail-safe methods, tips, and "tricks of the trade? to experienced researchers and more junior members in the lab.

Key Topics Covered:

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/kwt8xq/essential_zebrafis

Source: Elsevier Science and Technology

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Research and Markets: Essential Zebrafish Methods: Cell and Developmental Biology - Reliable Lab Solutions

Major advances in understanding the regulation and organization of the human genome

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Public release date: 5-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Angela Hopp ahopp@asbmb.org 240-283-6614 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The National Human Genome Research Institute today announced the results of a five-year international study of the regulation and organization of the human genome. The project is named ENCODE, which stands for the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements. In conjunction with the release of those results, the Journal of Biological Chemistry has published a series of reviews that focus on several aspects of the findings.

"The ENCODE project not only generated an enormous body of data about our genome, but it also analyzed many issues to better understand how the genome functions in different types of cells. These insights from integrative analyses are really stories about how molecular machines interact with each other and work on DNA to produce the proteins and RNAs needed for each cell to function within our bodies," explains Ross Hardison of Pennsylvania State University, one of the JBC authors.

Hardison continued: "The Journal of Biological Chemistry recognized that the results from the ENCODE project also would catalyze much new research from biochemists and molecular biologists around the world. Hence, the journal commissioned these articles not only to communicate the insights from the papers now being published but also to stimulate more research in the broader community."

The human genome consists of about 3 billion DNA base pairs, but only a small percentage of DNA actually codes for proteins. The roles and functions of the remaining genetic information were unclear to scientists and even referred to as "junk DNA." But the results of the ENCODE project is filling this knowledge gap. The findings revealed that more than 80 percent of the human genome is associated with biological function.

The study showed in a comprehensive way that proteins switch genes on and off regularly and can do so at distances far from the genes they regulate and it determined sites on chromosomes that interact, the locations where chemical modifications to DNA can influence gene expression, and how the functional forms of RNA can regulate the expression of genetic information.

The results establish the ways in which genetic information is controlled and expressed in specific cell types and distinguish particular regulatory regions that may contribute to diseases.

"The deeper knowledge of gene regulation coming from the ENCODE project will have a positive impact on medical science," Hardison emphasizes. For example, recent genetic studies have revealed many genomic locations that can affect a person's susceptibility to common diseases. The ENCODE data show that many of these regions are involved in gene regulation, and the data provide hypotheses for how variations in these regions can affect disease susceptibility, adds Hardison.

The effort behind the ENCODE project was extraordinary. More than 440 scientists in 32 labs in United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Singapore and Japan performed more than 1,600 sets of experiments on 147 types of tissue. The results were published today in one main integrative paper and five other papers in the journal Nature, 18 papers in Genome Research and six papers in Genome Biology.

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Major advances in understanding the regulation and organization of the human genome