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FSU Study Links 'Warrior Gene' To Gang Membership, Weapon Use
Boys who carry a particular variation of the gene Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), sometimes called the "warrior gene," are more likely not only to join gangs but also to be among the most violent members and to use weapons, according to a new study from The Florida State University that is the first to confirm an MAOA link specifically to gangs and guns.
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Mapping Gene Expression With Gene Expression Atlas
Recently, researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory"s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) launched a new database, the Gene Expression Atlas, which allows scientists to search and compare gene expression data at unprecedented detail and scope. Observing how gene expression varies in different cell types, tissues and under disease conditions can help researchers understand gene function and to develop new drugs and therapies.
News of the day
Senate Confirms Goosby As U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator
The Senate on Friday confirmed President Obama"s U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator nominee Eric Goosby, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Goosby - who "served previously in the Clinton administration as director of HIV/AIDS policy in the Department of Health and Human Services and as chief adviser to the president on HIV-related issues" - will now "head the U.S. strategy for addressing HIV around the world, and oversee the implementation of the President"s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief" (PEPFAR), the newspaper writes. Goosby "has more than 25 years of experience treating HIV/AIDS," and most recently served as chief executive officer and chief medical officer of the Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation, which is affiliated with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, according to the San Francisco Chronicle (Doyle, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/20).
Oncology

One-Two Drug Punch Knocks Down A Lethal Cancer

In the battle against cancer, allies can come from unexpected s. Research at The Jackson Laboratory has yielded a new approach to treating leukemia, one that targets leukemia-proliferating cells with drugs that are already on the market. Jackson Adjunct Professor Shaoguang Li, M.D., Ph.D., who now has a laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, led a research team that identified a gene involved with the inflammatory response that could hold the key to treating or even preventing chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a lethal cancer. In research published in the journal Nature Genetics, the researchers also showed that an asthma medication for human patients is an effective treatment for CML in mice. The gene, Alox5, processes essential fatty acids to leukotrienes, which are important agents in the inflammatory response. But according to the researchers, Alox5 has a more sinister side. It is vital to the development and maintenance of cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are slow-dividing cells that are thought to give rise to a variety of cancers, including leukemia, and to be critical for maintaining them. Researchers theorize that cancer stem cells must be targeted for effective treatment of many cancers, but direct evidence is still lacking. The researchers found that CML did not develop in mice without Alox5 because of impaired function of leukemia stem cells. Also, Alox5 deficiency did not affect normal stem cell function, providing the first clear differentiation between normal and cancer stem cells. Li also treated mice with CML with Zileuton, an asthma medication that inhibits the Alox5 inflammation pathway, as well imatinib, commonly known as Gleevec, the most effective current leukemia medication. Imatinib effectively treated CML, but Zileuton was more effective. The two drugs combined provided an even better therapeutic effect. The Jackson Laboratory is seeking patent protection on the novel approach to treat CML that Li and colleagues have demonstrated. The exact mechanism for the Alox5 gene in regulating the function of leukemia stem cells but not normal stem cells needs further study, but it appears that the two types of stem cells employ different pathways for self-renewal and differentiation. The findings provide a new focus of study into how leukemia stem cells are distinct from normal stem cells and how they can be targeted in cancer therapies. A future clinical trial targeting Alox5 will provide the first anti-stem cell strategy in cancer therapy. It is likely that other cancer stem cells will have specific pathways that also differentiate them from their normal stem cell counterparts. Li conducted the research primarily at The Jackson Laboratory, with collaborators at UMass Medical Center and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard in Boston. Joyce Peterson Jackson Laboratory


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