Category Archives: Genetic Engineering

Will Gene Therapy Cure Cancer?
Follow me for new videos. Gene Therapy Exampl. Gene therapy, an alteration of genes within the body to fight or prevent disease, has sparked a revolution in ...

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

6-Feb-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 x2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, February 6, 2014The ability to reprogram adult cells so they return to an undifferentiated, pluripotent statemuch like an embryonic stem cellis enabling the development of promising new cell therapies. Accelerating progress in this field will depend on identifying factors that promote pluripotency, such as the Brg1 protein described in a new study published in BioResearch Open Access, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the BioResearch Open Access website.

In "BRG1 Is Required to Maintain Pluripotency of Murine Embryonic Stem Cells," Nishant Singhal and coauthors, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Mnster, and University of Mnster, Germany, demonstrate the critical role the Brg1 protein plays in regulating genes that are part of a network involved in maintaining the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells. This same network is the target for methods developed to reprogram adult somatic cells.

"This work further clarifies the role of the Brg1 containing BAF complex in regulating pluripotency and has important implications for all cellular reprogramming technologies," says BioResearch Open Access Editor Jane Taylor, PhD, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

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About the Journal

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in promising areas of science and biomedical research, including, DNA and Cell Biology, Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Development, Human Gene Therapy, HGT Methods, and HGT Clinical Development, and AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

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Critical factor (BRG1) identified for maintaining stem cell pluripotency

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

5-Feb-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ruehle kruehle@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, February 5, 2014Human behaviors such as violence depend on interactions in the brain between genetic and environmental factors. An individual may be more vulnerable to developing violent behaviors if they have predisposing factors and are then exposed to stress, abuse, or other triggers, especially early in life. The latest research on how differences between the male and female brain contribute to sex differences in violence is explored in Violence and Gender, a new peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Violence and Gender website at http://www.liebertpub.com/vio.

The article "Not Hardwired: The Complex Neurobiology of Sex Differences in Violence" describes the complex and flexible biological mechanisms in the brain that lead to the development of behaviors. These include interconnected neural networks, multiple genes, and chemical signals such as hormones and neurotransmitters, which can be modified by environmental factors. Brain structure, function, and connectivity can all differ between men and women, affecting how they may change on exposure to stressful or abusive triggers.

"Neurobiologist Dr. Debra Niehoff explains the amazing interaction of how our brains, genetics, and environmental influences can interact and serve as the genesis for violent behavior," says Editor-in-Chief of Violence and Gender Mary Ellen O'Toole, PhD, Forensic Behavioral Consultant, and Senior FBI Profiler/Criminal Investigator Analyst (ret.). "This holistic view of the origin of violence means that reducing violence will not be a simple fix because it does not have a single origin or cause. The temptation to delineate a male and female brain must be resisted because there is overlap between the two. With more research will come greater insight and knowledge about the biological and environmental causes of violence. With more knowledge will come answers; answers will lead to solutions, and with solutions will come prevention."

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About the Journal

Violence and Gender is the only peer-reviewed journal focusing on the understanding, prediction, and prevention of acts of violence. Through research papers, roundtable discussions, case studies, and other original content, the Journal critically examines biological, genetic, behavioral, psychological, racial, ethnic, and cultural factors as they relate to the gender of perpetrators of violence. Led by Editor-in-Chief Mary Ellen O'Toole, PhD, Forensic Behavioral Consultant and Senior FBI Profiler/Criminal Investigative Analyst (ret.), Violence and Gender explores the difficult issues that are vital to threat assessment and prevention of the epidemic of violence. Violence and Gender is published quarterly online with Open Access options and in print, and is the official journal of The Avielle Foundation.

About the Publisher

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Is the male or female brain more vulnerable to triggers of violent behavior?

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

5-Feb-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ruehle kruehle@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, February 5, 2014Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers has announced the publication of six articles from Violence and Gender, a new peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the understanding, prediction, and prevention of violence and spearheaded by Mary Ellen O'Toole, PhD, Forensic Behavioral Consultant and Senior FBI Profiler/Criminal Investigative Analyst (ret.). The Journal is the international forum for the critical examination of biological, genetic, behavioral, psychological, racial, ethnic, and cultural factors as they relate to the gender of perpetrators of violence, and explores the difficult issues that are vital to threat assessment and violence prevention. The articles are available free on the Violence and Gender website at http://www.liebertpub.com/vio.

Among the published articles is "Why Do Young Males Attack Schools? Seven Discipline Leaders Share Their Perspectives," which offers an unprecedented look into the reasons for the high incidence of school shootings in the U.S., and addresses the reasons we see mostly young males (15-29) committing these types of crimes. The article delves into what motivates these perpetrators, including the potential role of the copycat phenomenon in behavior. Sharing their perspectives are world-renowned experts Jorge Folino, MD, PhD, National University of La Plata (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina); James Garbarino, PhD, Loyola University Chicago (IL); Steven Gorelick, PhD, Hunter College, City University of New York (New York, NY); Helin Hkknen-Nyholm, PhD, PsyJuridica Ltd. (Espoo, Finland); J. Reid Meloy, PhD, University of California, San Diego (La Jolla, CA); Stanton Samenow, PhD, Alexandria, VA; and Yuki S. Nishimura, MD, PhD, Keio University (Yokohama City, Japan).

"Violence is complicated, and too often misunderstood, myth-based, and stereotyped; we are shocked when we see the 'nice guy' next door arrested for serial murder, or the quiet loner go on a shooting rampage," says Dr. O'Toole. "Many of us even default to using terms like 'monster' and 'evil' to explain such behavior and the people responsible. These archaic terms don't educate us or explain the violence but rather catapult us back in time. It's time for change in how we view violence."

Other published articles include an insightful roundtable discussion with Christopher Kilmartin, PhD, University of Mary Washington (Fredericksburg, VA), and Col. Jeffery M. Peterson, USMC (ret.) and Center for Naval Analyses (Alexandria, VA), entitled "Sexual Assault in the Military: A Discussion of the Current Status and Future Prevention;" the Review article "The Mission-Oriented Shooter: A New Type of Mass Killer," by Editor-in-Chief Mary Ellen O'Toole, PhD; and a Perspective entitled "Understanding Brain Health Can Prevent Another Sandy Hook Shooting," by Jeremy Richman, PhD, Founder and CEO of The Avielle Foundation (Sandy Hook, CT).

"The imperative for this journal is urgent," said publisher Mary Ann Liebert, "we must stem the tide, and the papers in Violence and Gender have a most important mandate."

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The full inaugural issue of Violence and Gender will be published in Spring 2014.

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Articles from groundbreaking new Violence and Gender journal published

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STANFORD, CA Water is in increasingly short supply in many parts of the United States. Here in California, where most of the state is experiencing extreme drought, 2013 was the driest year on record, and we have had no relief during what should be the height of the rainy season. Moreover, theres no end in sight: The Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Serviceforecaststhat the drought will persist or intensify at least through April.

Reservoir levels are dropping, the snow pack is almost nonexistent, and many communities have already imposed restrictions on water usage. In the city of Santa Cruz, for example, restaurants can no longer serve drinking water unless diners specifically request it; Marin County residents have been asked not to clean their cars or to do so only at eco-friendly car washes; and there are limitations on watering lawns in towns in Mendocino County.

But it is the states premier industry farming that will feel the pinch most. In an average year, farmers use 80 percent of the water used by people and businesses, according to the Department of Water Resources.

During a January 19 press conference at which he declared a water emergency, Governor Jerry Brown said of the drought, This is not a partisan adversary. This is Mother Nature. We have to get on natures side and not abuse the resources that we have.

Drought may not be partisan, but it does raise critical issues of governance, public policyand how best to use the states natural resources. It also offers an example of the Law of Unintended Consequences: Ironically, Santa Cruz, Mendocino and Marin counties all of which boast politically correct, far-left politics are among the local jurisdictions that have banned a key technology that could conserve huge amounts of water.

The technology is genetic engineering performed with modern molecular techniques, sometimes referred to as genetic modification (GM) or gene-splicing, which enables plant breeders to make old crop plants do spectacular new things, including conserve water. In the United States and about 30 other countries, farmers are using genetically engineered crop varieties to produce higher yields, with lower inputs and reduced impact on the environment.

Even with R&D being hampered by resistance from activists and discouraged by governmental over-regulation, genetically engineered crop varieties are slowly but surely trickling out of the development pipeline in many parts of the world. Cumulatively, over 3.7 billion acres of them have been cultivated by more than 17 million farmers in 30 countries during the past 15 years without disrupting a single ecosystem or causing so much as a tummy ache in a consumer.

Most of these new varieties are designed to be resistant to herbicides, so that farmers can adopt more environment-friendly no-till farming practices and more benign herbicides; or to be resistant to pests and diseases that ravage crops. Others possess improved nutritional quality. But the greatest boon of all both to food security and to the environment in the long term will likely be the ability of new crop varieties to tolerate periods of drought and other water-related stresses. Where water is unavailable for irrigation, the development of crop varieties able to grow under conditions of low moisture or temporary drought could both boost yields and lengthen the time that farmland is productive.

Even where irrigation is feasible, plants that use water more efficiently are needed. Because irrigation for agriculture accounts for roughly 70 percent of the worlds fresh water consumption, the introduction of plants that grow with less water would allow much of it to be freed up for other uses. Especially during drought conditions, even a small percentage reduction in the use of water for irrigation could result in huge benefits.

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Can Genetic Engineering Mitigate California's Drought?

Cybernetics, Teleportation, and TransEvolution of Humanity with Daniel Estulin
TransEvolution and the imminent cybernetic future where artificial intelligence, life extensions, brain enhancement, genetic engineering, and teleportation w...

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Cybernetics, Teleportation, and TransEvolution of Humanity with Daniel Estulin - Video

"Genetic Engineering" Fan Video
Fan video of "Genetic Engineering" by Acetate. Created using Video Star: http://VideoStarApp.com/FREE.

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"Genetic Engineering" Fan Video - Video

Racial Alchemy, Alien-Human Hybrids
Racial Alchemy, Genetic Engineering, Eugenics, making Alien-Human Hybrids.

By: Big Head Scientist

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Racial Alchemy, Alien-Human Hybrids - Video

News Release

Short DNA sequences known as PAM (shown in yellow) enable the bacterial enzyme Cas9 to identify and degrade foreign DNA, as well as induce site-specific genetic changes in animal and plant cells. The presence of PAM is also required to activate the Cas9 enzyme. (Illustration by KC Roeyer.)

A central question has been answered regarding a protein that plays an essential role in the bacterial immune system and is fast becoming a valuable tool for genetic engineering. A team of researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California (UC) Berkeley have determined how the bacterial enzyme known as Cas9, guided by RNA, is able to identify and degrade foreign DNA during viral infections, as well as induce site-specific genetic changes in animal and plant cells. Through a combination of single-molecule imaging and bulk biochemical experiments, the research team has shown that the genome-editing ability of Cas9 is made possible by the presence of short DNA sequences known as PAM, for protospacer adjacent motif.

Our results reveal two major functions of the PAM that explain why it is so critical to the ability of Cas9 to target and cleave DNA sequences matching the guide RNA, says Jennifer Doudna, the biochemist who led this study. The presence of the PAM adjacent to target sites in foreign DNA and its absence from those targets in the host genome enables Cas9 to precisely discriminate between non-self DNA that must be degraded and self DNA that may be almost identical. The presence of the PAM is also required to activate the Cas9 enzyme.

With genetically engineered microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, playing an increasing role in the green chemistry production of valuable chemical products including therapeutic drugs, advanced biofuels and biodegradable plastics from renewables, Cas9 is emerging as an important genome-editing tool for practitioners of synthetic biology.

Understanding how Cas9 is able to locate specific 20-base-pair target sequences within genomes that are millions to billions of base pairs long may enable improvements to gene targeting and genome editing efforts in bacteria and other types of cells, says Doudna who holds joint appointments with Berkeley Labs Physical Biosciences Division and UC Berkeleys Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Department of Chemistry, and is also an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).

Jennifer Doudna and Samuel Sternberg used a combination of single-molecule imaging and bulk biochemical experiments to show how the RNA-guided Cas9 enzyme is able to locate specific 20-base-pair target sequences within genomes that are millions to billions of base pairs long. (Photo by Roy Kaltschmdit)

Doudna is one of two corresponding authors of a paper describing this research in the journal Nature. The paper is titled DNA interrogation by the CRISPR RNA-guided endonuclease Cas9. The other corresponding author is Eric Greene of Columbia University. Co-authoring this paper were Samuel Sternberg, Sy Redding and Martin Jinek.

Bacterial microbes face a never-ending onslaught from viruses and invasive snippets of nucleic acid known as plasmids. To survive, the microbes deploy an adaptive nucleic acid-based immune system that revolves around a genetic element known as CRISPR, which stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. Through the combination of CRISPRs and RNA-guided endonucleases, such as Cas9, (Cas stands for CRISPR-associated), bacteria are able to utilize small customized crRNA molecules (for CRISPR RNA) to guide the targeting and degradation of matching DNA sequences in invading viruses and plasmids to prevent them from replicating. There are three distinct types of CRISPRCas immunity systems. Doudna and her research group have focused on the Type II system which relies exclusively upon RNA-programmed Cas9 to cleave double-stranded DNA at target sites.

What has been a major puzzle in the CRISPRCas field is how Cas9 and similar RNA-guided complexes locate and recognize matching DNA targets in the context of an entire genome, the classic needle in a haystack problem, says Samuel Sternberg, lead author of the Nature paper and a member of Doudnas research group. All of the scientists who are developing RNA-programmable Cas9 for genome engineering are relying on its ability to target unique 20-base-pair long sequences inside the cell. However, if Cas9 were to just blindly bind DNA at random sites across a genome until colliding with its target, the process would be incredibly time-consuming and probably too inefficient to be effective for bacterial immunity, or as a tool for genome engineers. Our study shows that Cas9 confines its search by first looking for PAM sequences. This accelerates the rate at which the target can be located, and minimizes the time spent interrogating non-target DNA sites.

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Running with genetic scissors: how a breakthrough technology works

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

31-Jan-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 x2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, January 31, 2014In recognition of his seminal work on adenoviral vectors, which accelerated the translation of gene therapy from the research laboratory to the clinic, Ronald G. Crystal, MD (Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York City), has received a Pioneer Award from Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. Human Gene Therapy is commemorating its 25th anniversary by bestowing this honor on the leading 12 Pioneers in the field of cell and gene therapy selected by a blue ribbon committee* and publishing a Pioneer Perspective by each of the award recipients. The article by Dr. Crystal is available on the Human Gene Therapy website.

Currently it is standard practice to use a modified virus as a transport vehicle to deliver therapeutic genes to patients. But this concept was new, innovative, and technically challenging when Dr. Crystal began developing the molecular tools and methods in the late 1980s. In the Pioneer Perspective "Adenovirus: The First Effective In Vivo Gene Delivery Vector," Dr. Crystal provides historical insights on the many years of research and testing needed to design, optimize, manufacture, and evaluate the performance of adenoviral vectors. He describes the first in vivo studies, the first human studies, and the many current applications of this useful gene delivery system.

"Ron led the way in the clinical translation of adenoviral vectors in the very early days of gene therapy," says James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Human Gene Therapy, and Director of the Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

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*The blue ribbon panel of leaders in cell and gene therapy, led by Chair Mary Collins, PhD, MRC Centre for Medical Molecular Virology, University College London, selected the Pioneer Award recipients. The Award Selection Committee selected scientists that had devoted much of their careers to cell and gene therapy research and had made a seminal contribution to the field--defined as a basic science or clinical advance that greatly influenced progress in translational research.

About the Journal

Human Gene Therapy, the official journal of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, French Society of Cell and Gene Therapy, German Society of Gene Therapy, and five other gene therapy societies, is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly in print and online. Human Gene Therapy presents reports on the transfer and expression of genes in mammals, including humans. Related topics include improvements in vector development, delivery systems, and animal models, particularly in the areas of cancer, heart disease, viral disease, genetic disease, and neurological disease, as well as ethical, legal, and regulatory issues related to the gene transfer in humans. Its sister journals, Human Gene Therapy Methods, published bimonthly, focuses on the application of gene therapy to product testing and development, and Human Gene Therapy Clinical Development, published quarterly, features data relevant to the regulatory review and commercial development of cell and gene therapy products. Tables of content for all three publications and a free sample issue may be viewed on the Human Gene Therapy website.

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Ronald Crystal, M.D., receives Pioneer Award