�An array of broken, missing, and overactive genes -- some implicated for the showtime time -- have been identified in a transmitted survey of glioblastoma, the most common and lethal form of adult mastermind cancer, report scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, together with their collaborating investigators at 18 institutions and organizations.
The large-scale combing of the brain cancer genome confirms the key roles of some previously known mutated genes and implicates a mixture of other genetic changes that may be targets for future therapies.
The findings, posted online by Nature on Thursday, Sept. 4, help solidify and expand the "parts list" of genetic flaws linked to glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Lynda Chin, MD, at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD, at Dana-Farber, HMS, and Broad, co-led the writing effort for the starting time summary of data from the $100 million pilot project of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The data are released to the public at TCGA's website as they ar generated.
Systematic multidimensional genomic studies of patient samples of glioblastoma began in 2006 as the first TCGA program. The pilot is designed to determine the feasibility of a full-scale effort to systematically explore the universe of discourse of genomic changes mired in all types of human cancer and to demonstrate the values of such efforts in forward cancer research and improving patient care.
The current paper in Nature summarizes the interim analyses of data gathered in the GBM pilot study. "The findings of pregnant mutations in genes that have implications for healing development exemplify precisely how unbiased and systematic genus Cancer genome analyses can tether to paradigm-shifting discoveries," aforesaid Chin, world Health Organization chairs the GBM disease working group within TCGA.
An exciting instance, Chin aforesaid, is an unanticipated observation of a link between DNA methylation of specific genes and DNA vivify defects, leading to a hypothesis around a voltage mechanism of resistance to a common chemotherapy drug used for brain cancer.
The Nature paper complements a parallel cogitation by Johns Hopkins researchers of 22 GBM tumors, which was also published on Sept. 4 in the journal Science.
"These information show that this glide slope, of looking at at turgid numbers of tumors and a magnanimous number of genetic factors, can be done and the results are actually valuable," said Meyerson. "We have made significant novel findings, and the reproducibility of the data is high."
Collaborating teams analyzed 206 specimens of glioblastoma tissue donated by patients at four medical centers. Their approach was "multidimensional" -- looking for several categories of flaws simultaneously.
These included mutations -- "typos" in the DNA code of a cistron that alters its function; too many or too few copies of a given factor; damage to chromosomes causation loss or dislocation of pieces; factor activity that is higher or glower than normal; and changes in DNA methylation -- turning genes on or off without affecting their structure.
The researchers also had access to information on how the patients wHO donated the samples had fared, including how they responded to certain drugs.
Automated machines at three Genome Sequencing Centers, including the Broad Institute center lED by Eric S. Lander, Broad Institute director, were set to work reading material the DNA messages in the cancer cells' nuclei. Of the roughly 20,000 protein-coding genes in the tumour cells, 601 genes were selected by the GBM disease working group for detailed sequencing -- determinative the parliamentary law of chemical "letters" in the DNA -- and comparison. A second instalment of genes is already being sequenced, and Chin and her group are working on additional factor lists for mutational analyses.
Five major factor mutations have previously been identified in glioblastoma cells; the new sequencing sweat revealed three that hadn't been discovered. One mutation affects the NF1 factor, which causes neurofibromatosis. A second genetic mutation is in the ERBB2 gene known to be involved in breast malignant neoplastic disease. The third affects a gene in the PIK3 signaling pathway that is abnormally excited in a number of cancers, just this fussy gene, PIK3R1, had been only seldom implicated in any cancer. "Each of these mutated genes defines a new target for glioblastoma treatment," said Meyerson.
As they examined the data, the researchers found that three signal pathways -- networks of genes and proteins that act together to run out a cellular function -- were disrupted in more than three-quarters of the GBM tumors. They are known as the cyclin-dependent kinase/retinoblastoma pathway that regulates cell division; the p53 tumor suppressor footpath, which is involved in response to DNA impairment and cubicle death; and the receptor tyrosine kinase pathway that carries signals that control cell growth.
Chin said that the most exciting finding is that this multipronged study design also enabled the scientists to take a potentially important connection between a methylation alteration in the glioblastoma cells and which drugs should be ill-used for discourse. Brain tumors that contain a methylated, or silenced, form of a cistron known as MGMT are known to be more susceptible to cancer drug temozolomide (Temodar). Therefore, Temodar is routinely given along with radiation to patients with MGMT methylation.
But the analysis of methylation in the glioblastoma tumors, when matched with the patients' medical history, revealed a cautionary sign. When such patients were treated with Temodar and subsequently had a return of the tumor, it was very likely to become resistant to treatment because of "hypermutation" -- an increased rate of gene changes that light-emitting diode to the tumor's power to skirt the drugs.
"This could throw immediate clinical applications," said Chin.
The discoveries in the paper are only the tip of an expected iceberg, aforesaid the authors. The "about powerful wallop" is expected to issue forth from further research studies carried extinct by scientists who make use of the data released freely by TCGA, they said.
More than 21,000 new cases of brain cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year, and more than 13,000 people ar likely to die from the disease.
"These impressive results from TCGA provide the most comprehensive view to date of the complicated genomic landscape of this deadly malignant neoplastic disease," said NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D. "The more we learn nigh the molecular basis of glioblastoma multiforme, the more swiftly we can develop better ways of portion patients with this awful disease. Clearly, we should move onwards and put on the power of large-scale, genomic research to many other types of cancer."
Chin is co-principal investigator of a TCGA center with Raju Kucherlapati of HMS, and Meyerson is head teacher investigator of a TCGA Cancer Genome Characterization Center at the Broad Institute. Chin is the scientific director of the Belfer Cancer Genomics Center in the Center for Applied Cancer Science at Dana-Farber, and Meyerson directs the Center for Cancer Genome Discovery at Dana-Farber.
The research was funded by grants from the NIH.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (hypertext transfer protocol://www.dana-farber.org/) is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and is among the leading cancer research and precaution centers in the United States. It is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.
The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard was founded in 2003 to bring the mogul of genomics to biomedicine. It pursues this mission by empowering creative scientists to ct new and robust tools for genomic medicine, to make them accessible to the global scientific community, and to apply them to the understanding and discussion of disease. The Institute is a research coaction that involves faculty, professional staff and students from throughout the MIT and Harvard academic and medical communities. It is conjointly governed by the deuce universities. Organized around Scientific Programs and Scientific Platforms, the unique structure of the Broad Institute enables scientists to collaborate on transformative projects across many scientific and medical disciplines. For farther information around the Broad Institute, go to http://www.broad.mit.edu/.
Source: Bill Schaller
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
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Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Pulp - Movie Reviews Death Race
Several critics are making the precise point just about Death Race that Elizabeth Weitzman makes in the New York Daily News, to wittiness "It knows what it is and doesn't rationalise for it. What it is, incidentally, is junk." That's OK by Kyle Smith of the New York Post , who writes "Nice to know that there is still somewhere to sour for gratuitous violence, fuel-inefficient action and rude one-liners." And Rafer Guzm�n in Newsday remarks " Death Race may be a meretricious, lowbrow piece of pulp, but it's also crackling entertainment -- the very definition of a inexpensive thrill." But David Hiltbrand in the Philadelphia Inquirer asks "What do you get when you boost Roger Corman's 1975 B-movie Death Race 2000? A fried cheeseball." Michael Sragow in the Baltimore Sun dismisses the movie just as "garbage." Critics must love movies like this. It gives them the opportunity to invent new zingers to let fly. Take Roger Ebert's possibility comments in the Chicago Sun-Times "It is an assault on all the senses, including common. Walking out, I had the impression I had exactly seen the video game and was still waiting for the movie." And Peter Hartlaub in the San Francisco Chronicle compares the motion-picture show to the lunch offerings in a school cafeteria "Individual ingredients are recognizable, but the finished product is shapeless glop. While it might be filling, no one with whatsoever taste could possibly call it good."
22/08/2008
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Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Dermatology: Effect Of Regular Sauna On Epidermal Barrier Function And Stratum Corneum Water-Holding Capacity In Vivo In Humans A Controlled Study
�Sauna has a longstanding tradition on the Northern hemisphere, with Scandinavia and Russia look back over more than 2,500 years of using sauna as a popular process to cleanse and reclaim the body. Over the last few years, sweat room has become the epitome of health, with many studies proving its positive influence on general wellness. However, although sauna appears to benefit the hide, as every aficionado will happily expound, this had never been scientifically proved until now. Recently however, a group of researchers at the University of Jena has demonstrated that regular sauna leads to a more stable epidermic barrier role, an growth in stratum corneum hydration as well as a faster recovery of both elevated piss loss and skin pH. What is more, they also proven that heart beat rate and ionic concentration in sweat as well as epidermal line perfusion showed a grooming effect under regular sauna: the more you go, the more your skin and your heart appear to benefit!
S. KARGER AG
Allschwilerstrasse 10
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CH-4009 Basel
http://www.karger.com
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S. KARGER AG
Allschwilerstrasse 10
P.O Box
CH-4009 Basel
http://www.karger.com
More info
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
Carsten Schnell
Artist: Carsten Schnell
Genre(s):
Electronic
Discography:
Acoustic Delusion
Year:
Tracks: 10
EQUIPTO and Andre Nickatina
Monday, 23 June 2008
Jamie Lynn Spears To Give Birth Today?
Jamie Lynn Spears is reportedly set to give birth to a baby girl today.
Sources tell the National Enquirer that an ultrasound performed last week revealed that the 17-year-old's baby may be in the breach position, so doctors have decided to schedule her c-section for today.
Jamie's older sister Britney Spears has fuelled rumours that the Zoey 101 star will give birth sooner rather than later by jetting home to Kentwood, Louisiana.
The troubled singer - who was last in Kentwood for her sister's baby shower last month - took an early morning flight with her brother Bryan and her father Jamie from Los Angeles to New Orleans on Wednesday.
Jamie Lynn and father Casey Aldridge are said to be planning to give their girl a name that is a combination of both their names - Cailynn or Cassie.
Sources tell the National Enquirer that an ultrasound performed last week revealed that the 17-year-old's baby may be in the breach position, so doctors have decided to schedule her c-section for today.
Jamie's older sister Britney Spears has fuelled rumours that the Zoey 101 star will give birth sooner rather than later by jetting home to Kentwood, Louisiana.
The troubled singer - who was last in Kentwood for her sister's baby shower last month - took an early morning flight with her brother Bryan and her father Jamie from Los Angeles to New Orleans on Wednesday.
Jamie Lynn and father Casey Aldridge are said to be planning to give their girl a name that is a combination of both their names - Cailynn or Cassie.
Sunday, 15 June 2008
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Usher Wanted Lil Wayne And Beyonce's 'Love In This Club' Remix To Be 'Crazier Than The Original'
Usher has been making some boss moves for his latest LP, Here I Stand. Who else can commandeer appearances from both Jay-Z and Beyoncé, not to mention Will.I.Am, Young Jeezy and Lil "This is th-the remix baaaa-baaaay" Wayne?
"The remix to 'Love in This Club' features the Queen and ... one of the illest," Usher began to tell MTV Base of the version featuring Wayne and Beyoncé, whom he's dubbed the Queen of R&B.
Trumpeting Weezy F. Baby, he said, "Wayne, pound
for pound, is one of the illest in the game, and I wanted it to be something that would be a surprise, be a shock. Have shock value. That's what the remix is all about. 'Damn, did you hear the remix? It's crazier than the original. I like it more.' I just think it's great. Plies actually did a verse on it as well. He came with it. Everybody basically did their thing, and I am very happy that I was able to put that one in."
Although it's still unclear whether or not Ush will be dropping a video for his mega-reworking, he just let loose a video for another single, "Moving Mountains." The clip starts exactly where the video for the original "Love in This Club" ends, with Ush walking out of a steamy nightspot only to see everything around him — including the venue he just exited — in shambles. In "Moving Mountains," he has to climb to the highest peak to find his love.
Here I Stand comes out on Tuesday (May 27). The singer also confirmed to MTV Base what Polow Da Don told MTV News several weeks ago: that Polow was responsible for putting Young Jeezy on "Love in This Club," a move Usher obviously didn't mind.
"Jeezy is one of the greatest rappers of our generation," the singer noted.
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Witherspoon set to marry Jake Gyllenhaal?
Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal are set to marry, according to reports.
Gyllenhaal reportedly proposed to Witherspoon during the couple's vacation in Rome last October.
However, Witherspoon, who won an Oscar for her appearance in 'Walk The Line', is said to have initially declined his offer so soon after her split from Ryan Phillippe.
Now the San Francisco Chronicle is reporteding that she has said 'yes' after consulting with close friends.
The newspaper qotes a friend of the actress as saying: "Not only were they (her friends) crazy about Jake, they could see he was absolutely nuts about her. But you've got to understand - Reese is a one-man woman who hates playing the field.
"When Jake proposed in Rome, he knew Reese needed time, and didn't really expect her to say 'yes' right away. He just wanted her to know that he was serious about their relationship - serious enough to make her his wife."
Witherspoon ended her eight-year marriage to Phillippe with divorce last year.
Gyllenhaal reportedly proposed to Witherspoon during the couple's vacation in Rome last October.
However, Witherspoon, who won an Oscar for her appearance in 'Walk The Line', is said to have initially declined his offer so soon after her split from Ryan Phillippe.
Now the San Francisco Chronicle is reporteding that she has said 'yes' after consulting with close friends.
The newspaper qotes a friend of the actress as saying: "Not only were they (her friends) crazy about Jake, they could see he was absolutely nuts about her. But you've got to understand - Reese is a one-man woman who hates playing the field.
"When Jake proposed in Rome, he knew Reese needed time, and didn't really expect her to say 'yes' right away. He just wanted her to know that he was serious about their relationship - serious enough to make her his wife."
Witherspoon ended her eight-year marriage to Phillippe with divorce last year.
Sean Combs - Combs Maybach Hit By Drunk Driver
Rap superstar SEAN COMBS' luxury car has been damaged after a collision with a drunk driver in New York.
The hip-hop mogul's $400,000 (GBP200,000) Maybach was parked outside Manhattan's 1 Oak nightspot last Friday (06Jun08) when Charles Lorenzo ploughed his car into the expensive vehicle, causing damage to the back end of Combs' car.
A number of other high-end vehicles were also hit in the incident.
Lorenzo was later arrested by police for driving under the influence, according to TMZ.com.
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Amy Winehouse - Winehouse And Ronson Revive Bond Theme Plans
Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson have resumed work on a planned theme song for the new James Bond movie.
The Rehab star and the popular producer had begun to collaborate on a theme for Quantum of Solace, the 22nd 007 film, only for Ronson to scrap the project earlier this month.
He had claimed Winehouse, 24, may not be "ready to work on music yet" and said he doubted the song would ever be released.
But speaking at the Ivor Novello awards on Thursday, the English-American music producer and the Grammy-winning singer confirmed they were reviving their Bond theme bid.
"I've written the song," Winehouse told the Mirror newspaper. "If they like it they like it, if they don't they don't."
Ronson, 32, added: "If I talk about it Daniel Craig will whack me in the eyes."
He added: "Amy wrote the song on an acoustic guitar. It was my job to help with the arrangement and realise the sound that we were going for. So that was my role."
Londoner Winehouse has struggled with alleged drug addiction and been beset with legal troubles in recent months but her spokesman said earlier this month that these issues were not the reason for the project originally stalling.
He said: "Mark has presented a track to Amy, but she had other ideas about the direction it should take. She has always made her own decisions about her music."
24/05/2008 16:43:43
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Jeff Greinke and Anisa Romero
Artist: Jeff Greinke and Anisa Romero
Genre(s):
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Omen
Year: 2001
Tracks: 9
Hana
Year: 1999
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Brule'
Artist: Brule'
Genre(s):
New Age
Discography:
The Collection
Year: 2004
Tracks: 15
Star People
Year: 2001
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One Nation
Year: 1999
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Lakota Piano
Year: 1997
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We The People
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Iona
M.C. Sar and The Real Mccoy
Artist: M.C. Sar and The Real Mccoy
Genre(s):
Dance
Discography:
It's On You (Maxi)
Year: 1990
Tracks: 5
Will Ferrell to be honoured by UCD
Top Hollywood actor Will Ferrell will tonight be honoured by University College Dublin.
The A-list star will be given the James Joyce Award by the university's Literary and Historical Society.
He joins other public figures honoured by the L&H, including United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix, academic Noam Chomsky and former South African president FW De Klerk.
Every Irish Taoiseach and President has also addressed the society.
The Californian-born actor, who commands $20m per film, is being honoured for his achievements in entertainment.
Ferrell's laugh-a-minute roles have earned him global movie stardom which began in 2003 with the hit comedy 'Elf', in which he played an oversized elf.
He won critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination for his role in 'Stranger Than Fiction' in 2006, where he played an IRS auditor who suddenly becomes the subject of an ongoing commentary only he can hear.
In 2007 he starred as a high profile ice skater in the comedy 'Blades of Glory'.
Ferrell has spent the past two weeks holidaying around Ireland.
The A-list star will be given the James Joyce Award by the university's Literary and Historical Society.
He joins other public figures honoured by the L&H, including United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix, academic Noam Chomsky and former South African president FW De Klerk.
Every Irish Taoiseach and President has also addressed the society.
The Californian-born actor, who commands $20m per film, is being honoured for his achievements in entertainment.
Ferrell's laugh-a-minute roles have earned him global movie stardom which began in 2003 with the hit comedy 'Elf', in which he played an oversized elf.
He won critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination for his role in 'Stranger Than Fiction' in 2006, where he played an IRS auditor who suddenly becomes the subject of an ongoing commentary only he can hear.
In 2007 he starred as a high profile ice skater in the comedy 'Blades of Glory'.
Ferrell has spent the past two weeks holidaying around Ireland.
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