Česká Genetická Banka

NATURE: 16. - 22. 11. 2012

Chemical biology: DNA's new alphabet

"DNA has been around for billions of years — but that doesn't mean scientists can't make it better.

When Steven Benner set out to re-engineer genetic molecules, he didn't think much of DNA. “The first thing you realize is that it is a stupid design,” says Benner, a biological chemist at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution in Gainesville, Florida."

http://www.nature.com/news/chemical-biology-dna-s-new-alphabet-1.11863

Injectable gels spring into shape

"Sponge-like polymer gels 'remember' and regain their shape after being injected into mice, demonstrating their potential to deliver drugs and cells for tissue repair and regeneration.

A team led by David Mooney at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, made the hydrogels — porous structures that absorb water — out of alginate, a complex…"

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v491/n7425/full/491499a.html

Parkinson's protein spreads

"Injecting the abnormal protein associated with Parkinson's disease into the brains of mice causes key symptoms of the disorder, seemingly by spreading from one neuron to another. The findings point to a causal link between the misfolded protein, α-synuclein, and the neurodegeneration seen in Parkinson's."

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v491/n7425/full/491499c.html

Reproductive biology: Stem cells bear eggs

"Researchers have coaxed cultured embryonic stem cells to develop into eggs that then give rise to normal offspring. The discovery should help to decode the molecular basis of gamete formation and might lead to treatments for infertility."

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v491/n7425/full/491535a.html

Science: Genetic Influences on Disease Remain Hidden

"The quest to find genes that strongly influence whether people will develop common diseases is turning out to be even more difficult than some researchers had expected. At the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, several huge DNA sequencing studies aimed at ferreting out genetic variants behind diseases such as diabetes and heart disease reported initial findings. This work shows that a popular hypothesis in the field—that the general population carries somewhat rare variants that greatly increase or decrease a person's disease risk—is not yet panning out."

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/338/6110/1016.summary