If claims made by scientists come out true then days are not far away when they will come out with a portent weapon to cure patients with HIV infection, as a new study shows them way to remove the virus from infected cells, bringing a glimmer of hope for the more than 40 million people infected worldwide.

Actually, researchers have engineered an enzyme that attacks the DNA of the HIV virus, cutting it out of the infected cells.

Throwing more light on the hope, which this study has sprouted Alan Engelman of Harvard University’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, writes:

A customized enzyme that effectively excises integrated HIV-1 from infected cells in vitro might one day help to eradicate (the) virus from AIDS patients.

Well, it would be too premature to become very enthusiastic about this new finding as the enzyme is still far from being ready to use and hasn’t even been tested in animals yet. However, one thing could certainly be said that this new way would revolutionize the way HIV-infected patients are treated.

In a ground breaking research organized by United States National Human Genome Research Institute the scientists are on the verge of start rethinking everything about the genes and their behavior. The research conducted with 35 groups from 80 organizations around the World concluded with the speculation that the human genome might not be a tidy collection of independent genes at all, with each sequence of DNA linked with a single function, such as heart disease or as a predilection to diabetes etc. Instead genes appear to operate in a complex network and interact and overlap with one another and with other components in a not completely understood way.

The human genome project was one of the most exciting and challenging part of modern science. But according to the institute, after this research, scientists from all over the World may need to start rethinking everything afresh. These findings will certainly challenge scientists’ long held views about the genes and how they behave.

The network effect of genes is not a new one in the world of biology. Biologists have been noticing this interesting fact from quite a log time in other organisms. They were linked with some other creatures; so our human world carefully avoided them.

The genes operate individually, this is the most fundamental belief in the field of genetics. This presumption has been established since 1976 with the establishment of the first biotech company. Now this experiment may have an effect of nullifying the previous factor and it is a possibility that everything may need to be started afresh.

The fundamental principle of molecular biology says that each gene in living organisms, from human to bacteria, carries the information needed to construct one single protein. Proteins are the driver of the cells, and finally the organism. In 1960s, scientists discovered that a gene producing one type of protein in one organism will produce a similar protein in some other organism. This similarity has made insulin acquired from pigs as a life saving treatment for diabetes.

In the year 2005 a study showed that more than 4000 human genes have been patented in US alone, and this is a very less fractional amount of the entire amount of patents issued to genes found in other organisms. In light of the recent research, the defensibility of those patents is under fire.

Scholars all over the world have come out with their comments about this matter. According to some, the biotech industry has adopted a pre-matured commercial agenda in the very beginning of a particular field. It is possible that what we have known long might be incomplete or erroneous.

With the recent research and its result, the biotech industry may have to start experimenting with the more vivid reaction of their products.

Whatever be the solution, the World needs to choose the right alternative among many of them available. According to Prof. Heinemann, a professor of molecular biology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and director of its Center for Integrated Research in Biosafety, many companies have already carried a kind of gene profile research. But they are not required to submit them to regulatory bodies, so they do not submit. For this action research on this particular field is still in a stagnant position.

He further said:

Something that is front and center in the biosafety community in New Zealand now is whether companies should be required to submit their gene-profiling data for hazard identification. With no such reporting requirements, companies and regulators alike will continue to blind themselves to network effects.

Source: NYTimes

Scientists have developed a new technique by which they are able to create cloned sperms. In future this technique could enable men with very low sperm counts to become fathers.

This technique has been tested in mice where a single healthy mouse sperm was injected into a mouse egg from which all the genetic material was removed. The sperm then was able to make more sperms on its own. Scientists have stated that further refinement of the technique will make it fit for humans as well.

Some experts have however raised safety concerns as some mice made from cloned sperms were abnormal. However, still four of these offspring had grown into normal adults.

Researchers now will need to figure out why some mice were born abnormal. They however believe that the technique had enough potential to be used in humans.

Fertility is a common problem and one in every seven couples attempting a first pregnancy face this problem and out of these couples male fertility is the reason in 40% cases.

In such a case researchers will use one of the sperm and inject it into the egg from where the genetic material will be removed, once there the sperm will develop more sperms in an effort to guarantee that the implanted embryo is healthy.

Before using the technique in humans, researchers will have to check the next generation of mice born from clone-made rodents as there might be some genetic disorders which might affect the future generations of these mice.

In major breakthrough, researchers from the University of Dana-Farber Institute, at Harvard University in Massachusetts, have found a protein called; p53 that they believe could help protect against skin cancer along with tanning your skin.

Actually, protein p53 is activated when the sun’s ultraviolet rays damage DNA. As a result, alpha-MSH (a hormone that makes the pigment melanin) is produced, which assists in the tanning of skin.

I see this finding as a significant one because it raises hope of better treatment for patients with melanoma skin cancer, the fastest-increasing form of cancer in the world. Moreover, it provides researchers with a strong base upon which they may find way to tan skin without the use of the Sun or artificially made products.

A study on DNA “bar coding” put forth by the Canadian researchers is being anticipated to the unearthing of myriad number of new species. The study researchers foresee a kind of handheld device that would allow anyone to identify any species of plants or animals along with their biological characteristics within no time.

Paul Hebert, study co-author and director of the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario at the University of Guelph said:

Any person equipped with a bar-coder can walk through the forest and identify the life around them. Bar-coding is revealing legions of unrecognized species, and it’s going to change the species count for the planet.

Bar coding endeavors to segregate a tiny piece of DNA and have it characterized as a discrete numerical sequence that is about 650 digits long. The study also discovered sets of DNA “twins”. The handheld device that is likely to be the size of a global positioning system is expected to meet realism in around 10 years.

A revolutionary home test reveals an unborn baby’s sex at six weeks! Is the phenomenon, an advancement of medical science or a kind of bane on the human existence?

About two years ago, the Early Baby Gender Mentor DNA test was launched. It purportedly tested for fetal DNA in maternal blood to see if there was any DNA from the Y chromosome - yes means boy, no means girl. Now another similar test is being sold called the Pink or Blue test.

The consequences would be- Babies were being aborted simply for being the ‘wrong’ sex!

The cost of the entire kit is around $376. Its opponents fear that it might create a massive leap in abortions if would-be parents are not having the gender they want.

Previously the gender of a baby could be known at the 20-week scan, four weeks before the legal limit for an abortion. However, the new home test would explode the conventional test which confirms the gender of the unborn.

The Pink or Blue Early Test Kit, launched on the internet this week by DNA Worldwide, is claimed to be 98 per cent reliable.

Would be moms are suppose to give a sample of their blood by pricking their fingers, the sample is then is taken on a filter paper and send it to lab for testing.

Lab technicians determine the sex by looking for the Y chromosome found in males in three tests. Each works because an unborn baby’s DNA is present in the mother for six weeks.

David Nicholson, director of DNA Worldwide said, Parents are excited by the pregnancy and want to know the sex of their baby. A lot even build an extra room or redecorate one for the baby — and they don’t want to wait until their 20-week scan to find the sex.

Cancer particularly of the stomach, colon and liver is listed among the top 20 causes of mortality around the world. With a lot of research into newer and newer drugs to tackle it, science has bought to the forefront the role of naturally-occurring compounds from plants and more recently from animals in aborting the progression of cancer.

One such compound which has caught the attention of members of scientific community is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Typically CLA is a fatty acid and has been shown to be similar to a fatty acid - linoleic acid. However, CLA has been found to be beneficial as opposed to linoleic acid since it prevents the progression of cancer unlike linoleic acid, which has been found to promote cancer.

The sources of CLA in nature are meat and dairy products obtained from grazing animals, particularly feeding more on grass rather than grains. In the market however, diet supplements available contain synthetic CLA with meager health benefits as compared to the naturally occurring compound. Earlier studies into health benefits of CLA have shown that it is effective against diabetes and obesity as well.

The research pertaining to CLA is still in its nascent stages and there is a long way to go before its long term beneficial effects to human health are established however, the few trials conducted so far look quite promising particularly in tackling some of the common cancers like breast and colon cancers.

With a lot of naturally-occurring compounds exhibiting the potential to tackle cancer more avenues for cancer research and treatment should be explored.

t is easy to pop vitamin-pills to get the nutrients we need while ignoring the incredible package nature provides us in the form of fruits. Try to include fruits in your everyday diet as they are a wonderful source of nutrients. It is nature’s way of providing you a great defense for fighting diseases.

Today, let’s check out what Apricots have in store for us.

These lovely, yummy orange colored Apricots are rich with vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, fiber, potassium and antioxidants; Apricots also make it to the top ten beta-carotene sources.

Fights cancer: Dried apricots are an excellent source of lycopene, the cartenoid that fights prostrate and breast cancer. The beta-carotene in the apricots reduces the risk of stomach and intestinal cancers. Health experts suggest having about 30 dried apricots a day should help you get these benefits.

Good for heart: Since apricots are rich in potassium, it helps control the blood pressure and thereby preventing heart diseases. The fiber content helps reduce cholesterol and the chances of clogging your arteries.

Great for vision: In a data reported in the Archives of Opthamology, it was found that three or more servings of this fruit actually reduces the risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary causeof vision loss in older adults. This means apricots are good for your eyes.

Secret to long life: If you enjoy life and are looking to hit the century mark, then apricots must be a part of a regular diet. Since they fight all age -related diseases like memory loss, high blood pressure, heart diseases, ARMD, cancer and cholesterol, and Alzheimer’s disease, you are naturally healthy and are sure to celebrate your 100th birthday.

Eat them fresh or dried; toss them in your salad or your deserts. Eat them anyway and reap in the benefits!

Efforts of health experts to bring down the number of patients with dementia may face severe setback with England fast heading to be the fattest nation on the planet.

Experts estimate that if obesity goes on soaring like this, then around 2.5 million Britons would be suffering from dementia or other brain distorting diseases by 2051 because several studies have linked middle-age obesity to dementia in later life. Actually, obesity stirs up higher blood pressure and cholesterol and both these things are known to increase the chances of dementia by interrupting the blood supply to the brain. Confirming this fact, further Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, said:

It was now unarguable that blood pressure, cholesterol levels and other factors associated with an increased risk of heart disease played an important role in the onset of dementia.

Keeping this fact in mind, it could be said that situation is bound to go from worse to worst, as an estimate states that in the coming few years, about 14 million of the British individuals, from the youngest to the oldest are likely to turn obese by 2010.

This would be a further blow to Britain’s health machinery, as already there are around 700,000 people with Alzheimer’s disease with number of people with dementia likely to touch 1.5 million marks in the next 40 years.

This would be a further blow to Britain’s health machinery, as already there are around 700,000 people with Alzheimer’s disease with number of people with dementia likely to touch 1.5 million marks in the next 40 years. If we look at this situation in wider aspect, then we could say that dementia situation is likely to take a serious turn around the globe in the coming years, which already costs around $315 billion worldwide annually with total number of people with dementia soars up to more than 29 million.

This is quite a serious issue, which needs to be addressed earnestly because threat of dementia is not the only one that swells with rise in obesity but many other problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even cancer also get aggravated due to this.

Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered the first inherited gene mutation that increases the risk for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), a cancer of the lymphocytes, is the most common type of leukaemia. It is a blood and bone-marrow disease and mainly affects people over 60. And it occurs more often in men than women.

The study revealed that the inherited mutation greatly reduces the gene’s protective activity. Furthermore, a second kind of change occurs later that turns the gene off altogether, leading to leukaemia. This latter alteration is a chemical change called DNA methylation and it is not inherited. Healthy cells use this process to silence unneeded genes. But abnormal DNA methylation can turn off genes that control cell growth, and that lead to tumour growth.

John C. Byrd, professor of internal medicine and a CLL specialist, said

“Our findings identify for the first time a gene that appears to be associated with hereditary CLL,”

“They also show the importance of the gene in the pathogenesis of CLL, and direct us to target this gene with therapies that might re-activate it.”

Researchers examined a family in which the father, four sons, a grandson, and a distant female relative developed this form of leukaemia. The mutation was identified in a gene called DAPK1. DAPK1 or death-associated protein kinase 1 is a tumour suppressor which helps trigger the death of cells before they become cancerous.

Albert de la Chapelle, professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics and a researcher with the Ohio State human cancer genetics program, said

“This inherited change is remarkably subtle. It does not shut down the gene, but just lowers its expression somewhat. Recently, many cancer geneticists have come to believe that such subtle changes are common causes of cancer, and this is one of the first, strong examples of that principle,”

The findings could help identify people at risk for chronic leukaemia, but they also may provide new insights into the process of natural cell death. They may even lead to new strategies for treating the disease. The findings also provide evidence that some genes might contribute to cancer even when they are not silenced entirely.