Latest Womens Health News

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Male DNA and cells are commonly found in some women's brains and most likely come from male fetuses, according to a small new study.

The medical implications of male DNA and male cells in women's brains are unknown. Previous studies of microchimerism -- the presence of genetic material and cells that were exchanged between fetuses and mothers during pregnancy -- have linked it to autoimmune diseases and cancer in both helpful and harmful ways.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle analyzed brain autopsy specimens from 59 women who died between the ages of 32 and 101. Male DNA was detected in 63 percent of the women and was distributed in various brain regions. The oldest woman with male DNA was 94.

Thirty-three of the 59 women in the study had Alzheimer's disease. These women had a somewhat lower prevalence of male DNA, which was present in lower concentrations in regions of the brain most affected by Alzheimer's.

Because of the small number of women in the study and their largely unknown pregnancy history, it is not possible to establish a link between Alzheimer's disease and levels of male DNA and cells from a fetus, the researchers said in a cancer center news release.

They also added that the study does not show an association between male microchimerism in women's brains and their health or risk of disease. Further research is needed to investigate this area.

The study was published Sept. 26 in the journal PLoS One.

-- Robert Preidt

Copyright 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Some Women's Brains Contain Male DNA: Study

It isn't pretty, but it's a first for science. A dead body, burned beyond recognition, was discovered in the woods by Mexican police. Investigators had a lead on the identity of the victim, but the body was too damaged to provide DNA for analysis. That is, until scientists stepped in with an innovative and unorthodox solution: extracting DNA from maggots found on the corpse.

Pathologists from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, in San Nicolas, Mexico, dissected three maggot larvae found on the corpse and extracted the contents of their gastrointestinal tracts. They were then able to isolate the human DNA found within and find a match.

Police believed the victim to be a young woman who had been reported missing ten weeks earlier. The DNA from the maggots was compared to samples taken from the woman's father and found to be a 99.68 percent match.

The pathology team, led by Maria de Lourdes Chavez-Briones and Marta Ortega-Martinez, reported their work in the Journal of Forensic Science. The idea of extracting human DNA from insects has been studied for several years. But this was the first time the theory was put to practice in a criminal case.

The team hopes that their work will encourage law enforcement officials to pay more mind to insects found at crime scenes.

See original here:
Burn victim identified by DNA in maggots

In the first study of its kind, researchers have discovered that male DNA is commonly found in the brains of women a finding that could hold important implications for diseases like Alzheimers disease and cancer.

Male DNA is likely transferred to female brains during pregnancy, according to researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. During this time, mothers and fetuses exchange and harbor genetic material and cells in a phenomenon called microchimerism.

This means, if a mother is pregnant with a boy, she will end up with male DNA in her system potentially for the rest of her life. If the fetus is female, the mother will end up with genetic material from her daughter, though it is difficult for researchers to distinguish between two sets of female DNA in microchimerism studies.

What this means for treating diseases

Prior studies have observed fetal DNA in many other of the mothers tissues and organs, but this is the first to confirm fetal cells can cross the blood-brain barrier and reside in the mothers brain beyond pregnancy.

We were interested in looking at the human brain because its never been looked at before, and it was really unknown if the cells of fetal origin could reach the brain, study senior author Dr. Lee Nelson, a member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and professor of medicine at the University of Washington, told FoxNews.com. Nelson and her colleagues performed autopsies on 59 brains of deceased females and detected male microchimerism in 63 percent of them.

Male microchimerism was distributed across multiple regions of the female brain, including those affected by dementia, and could persist for decades potentially even an entire human lifespan. According to the study, the oldest female with microchimerism detected in her brain was 94.

The question naturally arises what role might the cells have in benefiting health and what role they play in diseases, Nelson added.

The researchers hope further studies on microchimerism might shed new light on various diseases that affect the brain, such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons or even brain tumors.

These cells have access to the brain could help us understand different treatment options for diseases that arent well treated, Nelson said. Its a very exciting new area that opens up different possibilities, such as, what if these cells have anti-tumor potential? For example, glioblastomas are deadly tumors, (which) have poor treatment options. Were very much in need of new potential options.

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Many female brains contain male DNA

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Scientific breakthroughs in the study of the human genome coupled with online access to massive genealogical records have opened the doors of ancestral investigation to include all those interested in unearthing their roots and, on October 26-27 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City, The Genealogy Event will feature exciting learning opportunities and resources for both novice and professional enthusiasts.

Technology has revolutionized genealogical research and can take you back more than 100,000 years, said Bridget Bray, organizer of the event. Uncovering the mystery and discovering your own history doesnt have to mean hours of pouring over dusty record books locked in courthouse basements. So much of your familys past has been right there in your own DNA, waiting for science to catch up and read it.

DNA testing and analysis has evolved dramatically in recent years casting the widest net possible to ones genetic matrix, said Ken Chahine, SVP and General Manager of AncestryDNA, sponsor of The Genealogy Event. AncestryDNA has merged this new technology with the millions of family trees and billions of records on Ancestry.com providing exciting new family history discoveries for those new to the hobby as well as the most dedicated researcher.

According to Family Tree DNA President Bennett Greenspan, exhibitor and speaker at The Genealogy Event, Through an examination of the Mitochondrial DNA for women the Y-Chromosome for men, we can look at the direct female and male linesgenealogically and anthropologicallyback to the first woman and man who lived in Africa more than 100,000 years ago.

The Genealogy Event will feature 40 expert speaking sessions including ones that demonstrate how an analysis of your DNA can also provide a breakdown of ethnic percentages and reveal the parts of the world from which an individuals ancestors came. Testing could even bring to light distant relations around the globe going back 400 years.

Attendees will also connect with a host of companies, organizations and societies that offer essential services to the genealogical industry.

According to Bray, People have always been fascinated by where they come from, telling and retelling the stories handed down from their elders. Popular shows like Finding Your Roots with Henry Gates, Jr. and Who Do You Think You Are? which trace the heritage of famous personalities have underscored this interest and demonstrated how science can help to expose unknown ethnicities, dispel family myths and reveal even more thrilling truths.

New York City is a melting pot within a melting pot and we are thrilled to present The Genealogy EventNYCs only event of its kindto put people in touch with their pasts. And its all for about the price of a movie ticket, she said.

For more information and to pre-register online for The Genealogy Event, visit http://www.thegenealogyevent.com. Tickets are available for $15 per day.

Link:
DNA Mapping Uncovers the Mystery to Family History

By Melissa Lee Phillips, ScienceNOW

Giving a whole new meaning to pregnancy brain, a new study shows that male DNA likely left over from pregnancy with a male fetus can persist in a womans brain throughout her life. Although the biological impact of this foreign DNA is unclear, the study also found that women with more male DNA in their brains were less likely to have suffered from Alzheimers disease hinting that the male DNA could help protect the mothers from the disease, the researchers say.

During mammalian pregnancy, the mother and fetus exchange DNA and cells. Previous work has shown that fetal cells can linger in the mothers blood and bone for decades, a condition researchers call fetal microchimerism. The lingering of the fetal DNA, research suggests, may be a mixed blessing for a mom: The cells may benefit the mothers health by promoting tissue repair and improving the immune system but may also cause adverse effects, such as autoimmune reactions.

One question is how leftover fetal cells affect the brain. Researchers have shown that fetal microchimerism occurs in mouse brains, but they had not shown this in humans. So a team led by autoimmunity researcher and rheumatologist J. Lee Nelson of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, took samples from autopsied brains of 59 women who died between the ages of 32 and 101. By testing for a gene specific to the Y chromosome, they found evidence of male DNA in the brains of 63 percent of the women. (The researchers did not have the history of the womens pregnancies.) The male DNA was scattered across multiple brain regions, the team reports online today in PLoS ONE.

Because some studies have suggested that the risk of Alzheimers disease (A.D.) increases with an increasing number of pregnancies, the team also examined the brains for signs of the disease, allowing them to determine whether A.D. correlated with the observed microchimerism. Of the 59 women, 33 had A.D. but contrary to the teams expectation, the women with A.D. had significantly less male DNA in their brains than did the 26 women who did not have A.D..

Whether that correlation means that fetal male DNA helps protect women against A.D. is unclear, however. To me, this suggests that the presence of fetal cells in the female brain prevents disease, says cardiologist Hina Chaudhry of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

In a study published online in Circulation Research late last year, Chaudhry and colleagues found that fetal cells in mice migrated to the mothers heart, differentiated into functioning cardiac cells, and accelerated repair to damaged heart tissue. So, Chaudhry says, a similar thing could be happening when fetal cells migrate to the brain. I would bet these cells are getting into the maternal brain and are able to differentiate into neurons.

A 2010 study in Stem Cells and Development showed that fetal cells can migrate to the brain of a mother mouse and mature into neurons, Nelson says. But, she adds, it remains unclear if something similar is happening in humans and its also difficult to reach any firm conclusions about a potential link between microchimerism and A.D. Part of the problem is that her team had little information about the pregnancy histories of the women in their study. We have to say we really dont know, she says. I hope that kind of work can be done in the future, but its very difficult to do with human samples.

This story provided by ScienceNOW, the daily online news service of the journal Science.

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Bearing Sons Leaves Male DNA Traces in Mom's Brain

27 September 2012 Last updated at 13:20 ET

Police forces in England and Wales have begun a large-scale operation to collect DNA samples from about 12,000 serious offenders who are not on the national DNA database.

Operation Nutmeg will see officers collect swabs from sex offenders and murderers living in the community.

Criminals are often not on the database if they were convicted before 1994, when sample-taking became routine.

The scheme has been launched after a successful pilot exercise in Hampshire.

Police hope the collection of thousands of new samples could help to solve so-called cold-cases, where a new sample is linked to a past crime.

Speaking at a briefing on Thursday, Amanda Cooper, director of information, science and technology at Thames Valley Police, said officers would approach individuals between now and next summer to collect the samples.

Police forces have been given lists of offenders living in their areas and will work though them to collect the samples.

The lists have been drawn up based on information from the Police National Computer, which was first used in the 1970s.

Alex Marshall, the chief constable of Hampshire police, said 167 samples were taken from a list of 471 convicted criminals during the pilot operation.

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New drive to take criminals' DNA

Male DNA has for the first time been found inside the female brain, according to new research led by a Canadian scientist.

No, the finding doesn't explain why women sometimes know what their husbands are thinking.

But it could lead to refining what "the self," biologically speaking at least, really means.

Plus, in an unexpected finding, the researchers found that women with Alzheimer's disease had less male DNA in their brains -- and in lower concentrations in the brain region's most affected by the memory-robbing disease -- than women without Alzheimer's.

Observers said the finding also raises the hypothesis that, if male DNA can infiltrate a woman's brain, it might have some "masculinizing" affect on the female brain.

And, if that's so, "what consequences does this have on how the brain functions -- in other words, thinking and behaviour?" said neuroscientist Dr. Sandra Witelson, a professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton.

Appearing in the latest edition of the journal, PLOS ONE, the study is the first to describe the presence of male "microchimerism" in women's brains.

Microchimerism is the "intermingling" of small numbers of cells or portions of DNA in a person or animal from a genetically different inpidual.

In this case, the male DNA found in women's brains most likely came from cells from a pregnancy with a baby boy.

But women can acquire male DNA without ever having a son. In women without boys, male DNA can come from sharing her mother's womb with a male twin, from a non-irradiated blood transfusion and possibly even from an older sibling.

See original here:
Male DNA found for first time in female brains

By Carol Cratty, CNN Senior Producer

updated 9:50 AM EDT, Wed September 26, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Washington (CNN) -- The FBI lab has made strides in cutting down its backlog of forensic DNA cases, according to a report released Tuesday by the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General.

As of March 2012 the backlog stood at 403 cases compared to 3,211 cases two years prior.

The report attributed the improvement to increased use of automation, more staff and a focus on using DNA analysis in situations in which it's most likely to yield useful results.

The FBI lab tests biological evidence found at crime scenes and items like envelopes, drinking glasses and articles of clothing. The lab does the work for not just the FBI but also for local police departments that don't have forensic labs.

FBI, Justice Department reviewing forensic evidence in thousands of cases

The report found the biggest reduction in cases came in the area of nuclear DNA, in which biological fluids like blood and semen are analyzed. There was not as large a drop in the backlog of cases involving mitochondrial DNA, which looks at such things as teeth, hair and highly degraded fragments of bones.

According to the inspector general, the FBI decided not to examine samples in 300 of the backlogged mitochondrial DNA cases that came from the FBI's Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center. The report said it had been policy to submit all hairs found on improvised explosive devices. "The FBI told us that there have been no documented instances for which probative results were generated from these mitochondrial DNA examinations," said the report. The FBI changed its policy on analyzing samples from all such cases.

Continue reading here:
FBI makes headway on DNA testing backlog, report says

26 September 2012 Last updated at 09:43 ET

A rapist has been jailed for six years after DNA from his victim's boyfriend led to his conviction.

Mold Crown Court heard the teenage girl had consensual sex with her boyfriend on the night Adam Stapleton raped her.

Stapleton, 48, from Acrefair, near Wrexham, denied rape but was found guilty after a jury heard the boyfriend's DNA was discovered on him.

Judge Niclas Parry also ordered Stapleton to register as a sex offender for life for the "unspeakable" offence.

The prosecution said the transfer of DNA had occurred during the rape.

Stapleton claimed it must have been an accidental transfer from a toilet seat, but the victim said she had not used the toilet.

He held his head in his hands and wept when he was convicted unanimously by the jury.

Sentencing, judge Parry said it was "a dreadful, unspeakable thing that you did".

He said the victim was vulnerable and Stapleton had taken advantage of her.

See the original post here:
DNA of victim's partner on rapist

Up to two male DNA profiles were recovered during the investigation into Corryn Rayney's murder that could not be matched to people in a national database, the trial of her estranged husband Lloyd Rayney has heard.

Forensic scientist Laurance Webb told the WA Supreme Court trial on Wednesday that the DNA profiles, one of which was only partial, were found but could not be matched.

Mr Webb said the DNA profile was weak and there was only a 'low level' indication of a second person.

The court heard Rayney, a prominent Perth barrister, could not be 'included or excluded' as a potential source of the DNA found on a handkerchief at Ms Rayney's grave site.

Under cross-examination, Mr Webb agreed that DNA results from a street directory inside Ms Rayney's car indicated at least three people, although it was unclear if Rayney was one of them.

He also agreed that DNA recovered from the CD button in Ms Rayney's car and from her debit card indicated a male who was not Rayney.

Mr Webb also gave evidence about a cigarette butt found outside the Rayney's home, which the court previously heard was DNA matched to a person 'well known to police'.

A full DNA profile was recovered from the butt, indicating that it had not been there for a long time, Mr Webb said.

The cigarette butt was among items found on a footpath during a police search on August 22, 2007.

The prosecution alleges Rayney murdered his estranged wife at their home in August 7, 2007 and then dragged her across the front yard to her car before burying her body head-first in a bush grave at Kings Park.

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DNA recovered during Rayney probe

By Dominique Debucquoy-Dodley, CNN

updated 7:35 PM EDT, Tue September 25, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- DNA evidence links a now-dead American convict to the murder of a Canadian teenager who disappeared in 1974, authorities in British Columbia said Tuesday.

Bobby Jack Fowler, who died in an Oregon prison in 2006, is responsible for the murder of 16-year-old Colleen MacMillen, Inspector Gary Shinkaruk of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said at a news conference.

Authorities said while the case is closed on MacMillen's death, investigations continue into the abductions and killings of other women in the same region of Canada, and the search is still on for information in those cases.

"Today's announcement and public plea for assistance is a significant milestone in our commitment to solving a series of missing and murdered women investigations in British Columbia," said Deputy Commissioner Craig Callens, commanding officer of the RCMP in British Columbia

On August 9, 1974, MacMillen disappeared near Highway 97 in Lac La Hache, British Columbia, according to Shinkaruk. She was found dead 47 kilometers (about 29 miles) south of her last known location.

A DNA profile of an unknown male was established in 2007 from evidence in her case, but Canada's National Crime Scene Databank did not turn up a match, Shinkaruk said. A higher quality sample was submitted to INTERPOL in 2012, and the new sample was matched with Fowler.

The development brings a close to one of 18 open cases in British Columbia involving women who went missing, with some later found murdered, stretching back to 1969. The cases are being investigated by a task force named Project E-Pana.

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Canadian police: DNA links now-dead U.S. prison inmate to 1974 murder of teen

ALBANY, GA -

DNA evidence leads to a suspect in a Dougherty County convenience store burglary nearly three years after the crime.

An Albany man, currently in prison for other crimes, is now charged with a 2009 break-in at a Fast Lane convenience store.

His DNA, put in a GBI computer database when he was incarcerated, matched DNA found at the store.

South Georgia law enforcement tells us the GBI crime lab is going through backlogged evidence of crimes looking again for DNA matches.

And investigators say they are finding more and more of them.

September 30, 2009, about 3 a.m. someone breaking into the then Express Lane convenience store and took a Money Gram Money Order machine. Crime scene photos show the blood left behind.

"The front glass window was broken and when the offender reached through the window to steal the money order machine, he was cut on the glass. We were able to recover some of the blood there at the scene," said Dougherty County Police Sergeant, Chad Kirkpatrick.

That blood was given to the GBI crime lab, but there was no match to identify the burglar. Until last week.

"We received information from the GBI that a new convicted offender who had just been sentenced to prison, that his DNA matched the DNA at our crime scene," said Kirkpatrick.

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New DNA evidence uncovers burglary suspect

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/knkv97/dna_microarray) has announced the addition of the "DNA Microarray 2012: A Focus on Sales Growth" report to their offering.

From the early use of miniaturised microarrays for the analysis of gene expression in the mid 1990s, this technique has established markets that are expected to reach $3 billion by 2015. However markets are also changing as new applications are developed and new instruments and competitive technologies such as PCR, are launched. Today, more than ever, developers and vendors in the microarray field are targeting their resources in those areas that best support their own sales and growth strategies.

Purpose

This report, based on an analysis of prevailing and emerging market conditions in the DNA microarray field, has been produced to assist marketing and sales, and the identification of new opportunities. It is the outcome of an extensive global study involving more than 200 experienced DNA microarray users. It's findings provide a focus on sales growth to developers and vendors in the microarray field, and the changes that are driving these developments.

Analysis

As part of this report, market areas outlined below have been analysed to provide information relevant to marketing and sales, new market opportunities, qualified sales leads, customer needs and future plans, competitive position, new and emerging applications, growing and declining areas and threats.

Key Topics Covered:

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Study Participants

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Research and Markets: DNA Microarray 2012: A Focus on Sales Growth

By Dominique Debucquoy-Dodley, CNN

updated 7:35 PM EDT, Tue September 25, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- DNA evidence links a now-dead American convict to the murder of a Canadian teenager who disappeared in 1974, authorities in British Columbia said Tuesday.

Bobby Jack Fowler, who died in an Oregon prison in 2006, is responsible for the murder of 16-year-old Colleen MacMillen, Inspector Gary Shinkaruk of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said at a news conference.

Authorities said while the case is closed on MacMillen's death, investigations continue into the abductions and killings of other women in the same region of Canada, and the search is still on for information in those cases.

"Today's announcement and public plea for assistance is a significant milestone in our commitment to solving a series of missing and murdered women investigations in British Columbia," said Deputy Commissioner Craig Callens, commanding officer of the RCMP in British Columbia

On August 9, 1974, MacMillen disappeared near Highway 97 in Lac La Hache, British Columbia, according to Shinkaruk. She was found dead 47 kilometers (about 29 miles) south of her last known location.

A DNA profile of an unknown male was established in 2007 from evidence in her case, but Canada's National Crime Scene Databank did not turn up a match, Shinkaruk said. A higher quality sample was submitted to INTERPOL in 2012, and the new sample was matched with Fowler.

The development brings a close to one of 18 open cases in British Columbia involving women who went missing, with some later found murdered, stretching back to 1969. The cases are being investigated by a task force named Project E-Pana.

Read the original here:
Police: DNA solves teen's 1974 murder

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

DNA Microarray 2012: A Focus on Sales Growth

http://www.reportlinker.com/p0980749/DNA-Microarray-2012-A-Focus-on-Sales-Growth.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Genetically_Modified_Organism,_GMO

Background

From the early use of miniaturised microarrays for the analysis of gene expression in the mid 1990s, this technique has established markets that are expected to reach $3 billion by 2015. However markets are also changing as new applications are developed and new instruments and competitive technologies such as PCR, are launched. Today, more than ever, developers and vendors in the microarray field are targeting their resources in those areas that best support their own sales and growth strategies.

Purpose

This report, based on an analysis of prevailing and emerging market conditions in the DNA microarray field, has been produced to assist marketing and sales, and the identification of new opportunities. It is the outcome of an extensive global study involving more than 200 experienced DNA microarray users. It's findings provide a "focus on sales growth" to developers and vendors in the microarray field, and the changes that are driving these developments.

Analysis

As part of this report, market areas outlined below have been analysed to provide information relevant to marketing and sales, new market opportunities, qualified sales leads, customer needs and future plans, competitive position, new and emerging applications, growing and declining areas and threats.

Market Areas

Read the original here:
DNA Microarray 2012: A Focus on Sales Growth

LEAMINGTON SPA, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - Sep 25, 2012) - DNA Dynamics, Inc. ( PINKSHEETS : DNAD ), a global developer and publisher of mobile video games and applications, announces today that it is to unveil the first of its new Sports Game at GDC Online in Austin in October.

The Company recently announced that it had hired Kevin Corti to head up studio operations. Kevin took responsibility on day one for reworking Warheads Battle to turn the 100,000 users into a more profitable part of the DNA Games business. Moreover, Kevin was given the task of developing the two exciting social mobile games that DNA is working on right now.One of these games, a Sports Based Social Mobile Game, is to be announced at GDC Online in Austin, TX this October.

This comes hot on the back of the decision to close down one of its subsidiaries, DNA Interactive Limited, the company responsible for the Naked Gun: ICUP license, as the game just failed to hit the numbers expected.

Talking of the experience of the Naked Gun game, CEO Ed Blincoe had this to say, "We learnt a lot of lessons working with the Naked Gun license, more than we had wanted to. After DNA initially being mis-sold the Naked Gun license by GameCentric Media and a widespread, but misplaced, belief that DNA had received AppBackr funds, the game itself just missed the mark. We were always frustrated when AppBackr's Backers thought we had received their funds -- we didn't receive a dime from AppBackr, though we understand that GameCentric Media may have received some of the pledged funds."

When talking about the quality of the game, Blincoe says: "In industry reviews as well as user reviews, the game was a real hit with an average rating of 4/5 stars in the AppStore.It just didn't gain enough traction to be a commercial success. Finally, we took the decision to cut the spending and have begun to pull the game. We believe this is in the interest of the business and its shareholders, we make tough decisions here, but ultimately we believe they are the best decisions."

Blincoe continued, "It's a difficult decision to close down a part of the business which isn't performing, but with the new impetus behind the social mobile execution of our business plan, we believe that DNA Dynamics, operating through DNA Games, has a fantastic future. We are very much alive, kicking and looking forward to a successful future."

About DNA Dynamics, Inc. Headquartered in Leamington Spa in the United Kingdom, DNA Dynamics is a worldwide developer and publisher of graphically rich, interactive entertainment currently delivered on iOS, Android, Apple Mac and PC.Through its operating subsidiaries, the Company has created, acquired or licensed a portfolio of highly recognizable or emerging brands that broadly appeal to its consumer demographics, ranging from children to adults and casual gamers to serious enthusiasts.For more information, please go to http://www.dnadynamics.net. You can also follow the Company on Facebook and Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management's view of DNA Dynamics, Inc.'s future expectations, plans and prospects. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," or "may," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the results of DNA Dynamics, its subsidiaries and concepts to be materially different than those expressed or implied in such statements. Unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on DNA Dynamics' future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. DNA Dynamics cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, DNA Dynamics undertakes no obligation to update these statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, and also takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by DNA Dynamics.

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DNA Dynamics Update on Sports Title

1:00 AM

By Ann S. Kim akim@mainetoday.com Staff Writer

PORTLAND -- Further testing of items from the 1988 murder of 12-year-old Sarah Cherry has yielded new DNA, but it's too early to know what the implications are for her convicted killer, Dennis Dechaine.

Dechaine is in the midst of a long-running attempt to win a new trial. To do so, he must convince a judge that a jury would not have convicted him had they known about DNA evidence found on Cherry's thumbnail.

The latest development in Dechaine's bid is the discovery of male DNA on the scarf that was used to strangle the girl, as well as her T-shirt and bra. The items had been tested previously in the case but were retested this summer using a scraping method that had not been employed. That DNA came from the same male, according to a report by Orchard Cellmark, the Dallas-based firm that performed the analysis.

The DNA has not yet been compared to any others samples, including DNA from Dechaine, individuals who worked on the investigation or the felons in a state database. A fresh blood sample was recently taken from Dechaine for comparison purposes.

"The thing we're hoping for -- of course, we could have it backfire on us -- is that this could prove it's not Dennis Dechaine," said Steve Peterson, Dechaine's court-appointed lawyer.

Dechaine, 54, is serving a life sentence for the murder of Cherry, a Bowdoin Central School student who was kidnapped while babysitting on July 6, 1988. He maintains he did not commit the crime. His defense contends the unidentified male DNA from a nail clipped from Sarah Cherry during her autopsy points to another suspect.

The prosecutor, Deputy Attorney General William Stokes, has argued that the state and jurors who convicted Dechaine already know who killed Cherry. He has described the thumbnail DNA as meaningless.

"We don't know what it means," he said Monday of the latest DNA testing.

Original post:
Defense claims new DNA evidence in Dechaine case

Posted: 10:50 PM Updated: 12:44 AM Samples from the body of Rita St. Peter match the DNA profile of Jay Mercier, an expert says.

By DOUG HARLOW/Morning Sentinel

SKOWHEGAN DNA samples taken from the body of Rita St. Peter in 1980 match the DNA profile of Jay Mercier of Industry, the man who is charged with sexually assaulting and killing her, a state witness said in court Monday.

click image to enlarge

Murder defendant Jay Mercier looks around the courtroom on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012 during his trial in Somerset County Superior Court for the death of Rita St. Peter 32 years ago..

click image to enlarge

Rita St. Peter in an undated file photo. She was 20 at the time of her death when her body was found off the Campground Road in Anson on July 5, 1980.

"Unless you have an identical twin, there is no one else in the world with your DNA," Kathy MacMillan, a forensic DNA analyst with the state police crime lab, told the jury in Somerset County Superior Court.

MacMillan said the possibility that DNA samples taken from St. Peter's body didn't come from Mercier is one in a trillion.

MacMillan's testimony came on the third day of the murder trial for Mercier, who was 25 when St. Peter's body was found off Campground Road in Anson on July 5, 1980.

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DNA in 1980 Maine murder case shown to match defendant

Researchers have created a new kind of barcode that uses DNA origami technology. Colored-dots can be arranged into geometric patterns or fluorescent linear DNA barcodes, and the combinations are almost limitless -- substantially increasing the number of distinct molecules or cells scientists can observe in a sample. Credit: Chenxiang Lin, Ralf Jungmann, Andrew M. Leifer, Chao Li, Daniel Levner, George M. Church, William M. Shih, Peng Yin, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard Medical School

Much like the checkout clerk uses a machine that scans the barcodes on packages to identify what customers bought at the store, scientists use powerful microscopes and their own kinds of barcodes to help them identify various parts of a cell, or types of molecules at a disease site. But their barcodes only come in a handful of "styles," limiting the number of objects scientists can study in a cell sample at any one time.

Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have created a new kind of barcode that could come in an almost limitless array of styleswith the potential to enable scientists to gather vastly more vital information, at one given time, than ever before. The method harnesses the natural ability of DNA to self-assemble, as reported today in the online issue of Nature Chemistry.

"We hope this new method will provide much-needed molecular tools for using fluorescence microscopy to study complex biological problems," says Peng Yin, Wyss core faculty member and study co-author who has been instrumental in the DNA origami technology at the heart of the new method.

Fluorescence microscopy has been a tour de force in biomedical imaging for the last several decades. In short, scientists couple fluorescent elementsthe barcodesto molecules they know will attach to the part of the cells they wanted to investigate. Illuminating the sample triggers each kind of barcode to fluoresce at a particular wavelength of light, such as red, blue, or greenindicating where the molecules of interest are.

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Researchers have created a new kind of barcode that uses DNA origami technology. Shown here are the color combinations resulting from attaching just three colors to a DNA nanotube using origami technology -- underscoring the potential of this new method. Credit: C. Lin, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University

Here's how it works: DNA origami follows the basic principles of the double helix in which the molecular bases A (adenosine) only bind to T (thymine), and C (cytosine) bases only bind to G (guanine). With those "givens" in place, a long strand of DNA is programmed to self-assemble by folding in on itself with the help of shorter strands to create predetermined formsmuch like a single sheet of paper is folded to create a variety of designs in the traditional Japanese art.

To these more structurally complex DNA nano-structures, researchers can then attach fluorescent molecules to the desired spots, and use origami technology to generate a large pool of barcodes out of only a few fluorescent molecules. That could add a lot to the cellular imaging "toolbox" because it enables scientists to potentially light up more cellular structures than ever possible before.

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Scientists engineer novel DNA barcode

By Ryan Flinn - 2012-09-24T04:01:00Z

Genetic mapping of hundreds of breast cancer tumors confirmed there are four main subtypes and discovered that one closely resembles ovarian cancer, suggesting the two may be attacked with similar therapies.

The study, in which the genomes of 825 breast tumors were sequenced, was the most comprehensive of its type involving the disease. It is part of a U.S. research project into the genetics of 20 types of cancers. Earlier this month, the group, called the Cancer Genome Atlas project, released a similar report on new DNA mutations affecting a type of lung malignancy.

The breast cancer findings were published yesterday in the journal Nature. They support the expanding medical view that cancers should be categorized by their genetic origins, rather than where theyre found on the body. The link between breast and ovarian cancer gives scientists added leverage to compare treatments and outcomes across both tumors.

There are certain mutations you can find across cancers in different organs, said Eric Topol, a professor at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, who wasnt involved in the research. This is a real transition point, and we have to move toward more sequencing to give patients the best shot toward curing their cancer.

The personalized medicine approach has fueled a move among drugmakers to identify treatments targeting genetic mutations, such as Roche Holding AGs (ROG) Zelboraf and Pfizer Inc.s Xalkori.

For years, doctors have classified breast cancers according to measures such as how they invade other tissues, their cellular variability, and their appearance when stained with certain chemicals, said Paul Billings, a geneticist who is medical director Life Technologies Corp. (LIFE), a maker of DNA sequencers in Carlsbad, California.

Thats the old world, Billings said. The new world is a diagnostic system that will be based on targetable DNA mutations present in breast cancer.

In the breast cancer study, a computer analysis suggests the form known as basal-like, named for its resemblance to basel skin cells, may be treatable with drugs that either cut off the tumors blood supply, prevent blood vessel growth or chemotherapy, according to a statement from the National Cancer Institute.

The research released yesterday backed up earlier work segmenting breast cancer into four groups according to genetic markers: HER2-enriched, Luminal A, Luminal B and basal-like.

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Breast Cancer DNA Study Yields New Targets for Therapy