[News release] Activating genes on demand

In these images, the ability of the new Cas9 approach to differentiate stem cells into brain neuron cells is visible. On the left, a previous attempt to direct stem cells to develop into neuronal cells shows a low level of success, with limited red–colored areas indicating low growth of neuron cells. On the right, the new Cas9 approach shows a 40–fold increase in the number of neuronal cells developed, visible as red-colored areas on the image. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

 

From the 3 March 2015 Wyss Institute press release

New mechanism for engineering genetic traits governed by multiple genes paves the way for various advances in genomics and regenerative medicine 

When it comes to gene expression – the process by which our DNA provides the recipe used to direct the synthesis of proteins and other molecules that we need for development and survival – scientists have so far studied one single gene at a time. Anew approach developed by Harvard geneticist George Church, Ph.D., can help uncover how tandem gene circuits dictate life processes, such as the healthy development of tissue or the triggering of a particular disease, and can also be used for directing precision stem cell differentiation for regenerative medicine and growing organ transplants.

The findings, reported by Church and his team of researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School in Nature Methods, show promise that precision gene therapies could be developed to prevent and treat disease on a highly customizable, personalized level, which is crucial given the fact that diseases develop among diverse pathways among genetically–varied individuals. Wyss Core Faculty member Jim Collins, Ph.D. was also a co-author on the paper. Collins is also the Henri Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering & Science and Professor in the Department of Biological Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

…

 

Related articles

• New nanodevice defeats drug resistance
• Researchers Generate a Reference Map of the Human Epigenome
• Junk DNA Is Not Junk After All
• SCOTUS: Human Genes Cannot Be Patented, Unless Synthetically Created
• Epigenomics of Alzheimer’s disease progression
• Sneaky ‘nanobeacon’ delivers smackdown to cancer cells’ defenses
• Quantum dots combined with antibodies as a method for studying cells in their native environment
• New study findings could improve targeted chemo drug delivery
• Possible stem cell progress against Parkinson’s
• Whole organs on a chip coming to diagnostic centers near you

[Press release] Researchers unravel health/disease map

From the 18 February 2015 Simon Fraser University press release

hotos: http://www.sfu.ca/mbb/People/Jones/

Researchers affiliated with several organizations, including Simon Fraser University, have realized a major scientific achievement that will advance understanding of how the information in our cells is used and processed.

Steven Jones and Marco Marra, SFU Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry professor and adjunct professor, respectively, were among dozens of scientists on the pioneering project. Both SFU alumni, they are also with theCanada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre and BC Cancer Agency.

The scientists are globally celebrating their completion of 20 manuscripts that describe their generation and analysis of reference epigenome maps.

Epigenomes are chemical modifications of DNA and proteins that control the structure and activity of our genome. Ultimately, they cause our genome to stay healthy or develop diseases because they code for cellular properties that distinguish one cell type from another.

The journal Nature has issued a special publication to showcase the researchers’ collection, which contains molecular mark-up language for translating the epigenomes of 111 distinct human cell and tissue types.

“The DNA that makes up a human genome is essentially the same in every cell,” explains Jones, a co-author on the manuscript that integrates all 111 epigenomes into a single comparative analysis.

The project, called the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap Epigenomics Mapping Consortium, provides a core set of data, methodology and infrastructure for studying the epigenome’s role in human health and disease. The original goal was to map 25 normal reference epigenomes, but new technology allowed the team to produce 111 highly detailed maps on how the epigenome varies and operates in different settings.