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Meta- and Pooled Analysis of GSTT1 and Lung Cancer: A Huge-GSEC Review
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Raimondi S, et al.
Am J Epidemiol 2006 Sep 25

• The following are headlines from on-line news articles published during the past week.
• The headlines and lead sentence are exactly as they appear in the popular press and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or recommendations of CDC.
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“NIH Announces Two Integral Components of The Cancer Genome Atlas Pilot Project” (Oct 16) NIH News reports, “The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), both parts of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced another two of the components of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Pilot Project, a three-year, $100 million collaboration to test the feasibility of using large-scale genome analysis technologies to identify important genetic changes involved in cancer.”

“Study links red hair gene to skin cancer”
(Oct 19) China Economic Net reports, “A new study reveals that people, especially women, who carry the so-called "red hair color" gene have a greater risk of skin cancer.”

“High tech detectives screen thousands of genes, proteins to solve puzzle of lung disease”
(Oct 18) EurekAlert! reports, “Recent advances in computer and imaging technology allow the scanning of tens of thousands of genes and proteins in little more than a blink of an eye.”

“Solexa Announces Sequencing of a Human X-Chromosome”
(Oct 18) GEN reports, “Solexa, Inc. yesterday announced that its scientists, in collaboration with researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, have sequenced a human X-chromosome.”

“ZymoGenetics Begins Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial With IL-21 And Nexavar In Patients With Renal Cell Cancer”
(Oct 18) Medical News Today reports, “ZymoGenetics, Inc. today announced the start of a Phase 1/2 clinical study of Interleukin 21 (IL-21) in combination with Nexavar(R) (sorafenib) in patients with advanced renal cell cancer. The study will evaluate the safety and preliminary anti-tumor activity of IL-21 in combination with Nexavar.”

“Designer Babies, Genetic Engineering And Cloning Discussed In A Series Of Podcasts”
(Oct 18) Medical News Today reports, “In an effort to help the public make sense of an escalating number of news stories about “designer babies,” genetic engineering and cloning, the Women's Bioethics Project (WBP) today announced the launch of its first series of podcasts, titled “The Scientist & the Ethicist.”

“Successful one year gene therapy trial for Parkinson's disease announced by Neurologix”
(Oct 17) EurekAlert reports, “Trial demonstrated safety and statistically significant improvement in both motor function and brain metabolism at one year.”

“Habits more important than genes for longevity”
(Oct 17) China View reports, “Summing up their secrets for a long life, centenarians in China's largest commercial city Shanghai are adamant that good living habits are more important than genes.”

“Your smiles and grimaces may be in your genes”
(Oct 17) DailyIndia.com reports, “Your smile mirroring the image of your parents is not because over a period of time you have started mimicking their style, but more likely the result of your inheriting their genes.”

“Berkeley center to study tumor genomics”
(Oct 16) United Press International reports, “A new U.S. cancer center says it is embarking on a 3-year, $35 million project to identify genetic changes involved in lung, brain and ovarian cancers.”

“A nanoplasmonic molecular ruler for measuring nuclease activity and DNA footprinting”
(Oct 16) News-Medical.net reports, “The interactions between proteins and nucleic acids play a critical role in some of life's most crucial biochemical processes, including gene expression and protein production, and some promising anticancer agents exert their effects by interfering with these interactions.”

“Agencourt Genomic Services Is Key Collaborator In New Study On Breast And Colon Cancer Genes”
(Oct 13) Medical News Today reports, “Agencourt Bioscience Corporation, a Beckman Coulter company, has announced that its Genomic Services were integral in a breakthrough Johns Hopkins study on the genetic code for breast and colon cancers.”

“Novel Two-Gene Ratio Found to Be a Prognostic Indicator of Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk”
(Oct 12) Genetic Engineering News reports, “AviaraDx reported that a study conducted in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine further demonstrated the clinical utility of two novel genes for the identification of patients at higher risk for early breast cancer recurrence.”

Knowledge about the genetics of essential tremor in patients and their relatives
Prakash KM, et al.
Eur J Neurol 2006 Nov;13(11):1266-9

Genetic link found for premature birth risk
Hampton T
JAMA 2006 Oct;296(14):1713-6

Generation Scotland: the Scottish Family Health Study; a new resource for researching genes and heritability
Smith BH, et al.
BMC Med Genet 2006;7:74

Genetic predisposition and renal allograft failure: implication of non-HLA genetic variants
Khan F, et al.
Mol Diagn Ther 2006;10(4):205-19

Breast cancer treatment and ovarian failure: risk factors and emerging genetic determinants
Stearns V, et al.
Nat Rev Cancer 2006 Oct

Genetic Ancestry and Risk Factors for Breast Cancer among Latinas in the San Francisco Bay Area
Ziv E, et al.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006 Oct;15(10):1878-85

Statistical Genetics Concepts and Approaches in Schizophrenia and Related Neuropsychiatric Research
Schork NJ, et al.
Schizophr Bull 2006 Oct

Evaluation of epidemiologic evidence for primary adult brain tumor risk factors using evidence-based medicine
Fisher JL, et al.
Prog Neurol Surg 2006;19:54-79

Genes or environment to determine alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Day CP
Liver Int 2006 Nov;26(9):1021-8

A model of gene-gene and gene-environment interactions and its implications for targeting environmental interventions by genotype
Wallace HM
Theor Biol Med Model 2006 Oct;3(1):35

Application of Genome-Wide Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Typing: Simple Association and Beyond
Gibbs JR & Singleton A
PLoS Genet 2006 Oct;2(10)

Common genetic variants for breast cancer: 32 largely refuted candidates and larger prospects
Ioannidis JP
J Natl Cancer Inst 2006 Oct;98(19):1350-3

Analysis of High-Resolution HapMap of DTNBP1 (Dysbindin) Suggests No Consistency between Reported Common Variant Associations and Schizophrenia
Mutsuddi M, et al.
Am J Hum Genet 2006 Nov;79(5):903-9

Human pharmacogenomic variations and their implications for antifungal efficacy
Meletiadis J, et al.
Clin Microbiol Rev 2006 Oct;19(4):763-87

Genetic epidemiology of vitiligo: a study of 815 probands and their families from south China
Sun X, et al.
Int J Dermatol 2006 Oct;45(10):1176-81

Parkinson's disease in Africa: A systematic review of epidemiologic and genetic studies
Okubadejo NU, et al.
Mov Disord 2006 Oct

Violent behavior associated with hypocholesterolemia due to a novel APOB gene mutation
Edgar PF, et al.
Mol Psychiatry 2006 Oct

Spouse Resemblance in Body Mass Index: Effects on Adult Obesity Prevalence in the Offspring Generation
Jacobson P, et al.
Am J Epidemiol 2006 Oct

“Good early family life may counter depression gene”
(Oct 18) Daily Times reports, “A loving, supportive family can be enough to override a genetic vulnerability to depression, new research suggests.”

“Mutated gene raises autism risk, study finds”
(Oct 17) Reuters reports, “U.S. researchers said on Monday they had identified a genetic mutation that raises the risk of autism and could also explain some of the other symptoms seen in children with autism.”

“Breakthroughs In Genetic Research For Genealogy”
(Oct 13) Medical News Today reports, “Family Tree DNA, whose growing array of DNA tests for genealogical purposes has established them as the world leader in genetic genealogy, will introduce ground-breaking new X chromosome tests (X-STR) in early October.”

“Leading reason for corneal transplants comes into focus”
(Oct 12) EurekAlert reports, “Guided by families with an unusual number of cases, scientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered the genetic origins of at least one form of Fuchs corneal dystrophy, FCD, the leading reason for corneal transplantation in the United States.”

Heritability and major gene effects on left ventricular mass in the Chinese population: a family study Chien KL, et al.
BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2006;6:37

Association Between Lung Cancer Incidence and Family History of Lung Cancer: Data From a Large-Scale Population-Based Cohort Study, the JPHC Study
Nitadori J, et al.
Chest 2006 Oct;130(4):968-75

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) polymorphism 4G/5G is associated with prostate cancer among men with a positive family history
Jorgenson E, et al.
Prostate 2006 Oct

“Breast-Cancer Therapy May Benefit From Gene Testing, U.S. Says”
(Oct 18) Bloomberg.com reports, “Breast-cancer patients may be urged to undergo genetic testing before starting therapy with the drug tamoxifen, under a proposal U.S. regulators are considering to help predict the risk of a relapse.”

“Resistance and genetic sensitivity to sleeping sickness”
(Oct 13) EurekAlert reports, “Human African trypanosomiasis, more commonly called sleeping sickness, is induced by a parasite, the trypanosome, transmitted to humans by the bite of an insect, the glossinid tse-tse fly.”

“Genetic Research Offers Hope Against Sickle Cell Disease”
(Oct 12) iVillage reports, “Normal red blood cells are smooth and round, resembling a doughnut without a hole, which allows them to slide easily through the body.”

Attitudes of genetic counselors towards expanding newborn screening and offering predictive genetic testing to children
Hiraki S, et al.
Am J Med Genet A 2006 Oct

Articles that report on population prevalence of genotypes, gene-disease associations, gene-environment and gene-gene interactions and evaluation of genetic tests. For more information on HuGE, please visit the HuGENet™ home page

For the week ending October 18, 2006, there are HuGE articles in the following areas:

Gene Variant Frequency
Infectious and Parasitic Diseases
Neoplasms
Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases
Diseases of the Blood and Blood-Forming Organs Disorders
Mental Disorders
Diseases of the Nervous System and Sense Organs
Diseases of the Circulatory System
Diseases of the Digestive System
Diseases of the Genitourinary System
Complications of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium
Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue
Congenital Anomalies
Certain Conditions Originating in the Perinatal Period
Symptoms, Signs, and Ill-defined Conditions

For more information on HuGE, please visit the HuGENet™ home page

Q & A with J. Craig Venter  
J. Craig Venter sees the world in a different way than most people — through the eyes of a maverick scientist.

Yahoo! Database of Genetic Disorders  (last accessed 3/2007)