news archive genetic news - April 7, 2003

April 7, 2003

your information resource in human molecular genetics

-	Transplanted Organs Bear Perilous Passengers Tumor cells hidden in a transplanted organ can cause Kaposi sarcoma (KS) in the organ recipient.
-	Dysfunctional Gene Dooms Ovarian Tumors Small alterations in a gene required for responding to chemotherapy can result in drug-resistant ovarian cancer.
-	Target And Switch Two studies explain how immunoglobulin genes are uniquely identified to switch and why other genes aren't accidentally mangled.
-	p53 Ways To Kill A Cell The phosphatase PAC1 is necessary and sufficient to induce p53-dependent cell death.
-	Biology's Own 'Department Of Homeland Security' Structures of the human enzyme hCE1 suggest how hCE1 is able to bind to a wide range of substrates (drugs and chemical warfare agents).
-	Cancer Stems From Early Stem Cells Mathematical model suggests that some late-life cancers may be due to defects occurring in early development.
-	NCI Study Estimates More Than 2 Million Women Could Benefit From Tamoxifen Tamoxifen chemoprevention for women in the United States
-	Hydroxyurea Therapy Improves Survival in Most Severely Affected Sickle Cell Patients Sickle cell anemia patients who took the drug hydroxyurea over a 9-year period experienced a 40 percent reduction in deaths.
-	Accident in Animal Lab Raises Questions About a Chemical Used in Some Plastics A sudden increase in chromosome abnormalities in a mouse colony has raised questions about the safe level of exposure for bisphenol A.