Jeffery Schloss, Ph.D., director of the Division of Genome Sciences at NHGRI, has retired after a successful career leading NHGRI's DNA Sequencing Technology Development Program and launching the Centers of Excellence in Genomics Sciences (CEGS) program. Known for his intellect, leadership and dedication, Dr. Schloss shares the story of his career path and the significant contributions he and his team achieved while at NHGRI.
Newly identified genes and genetic pathways in primary melanoma - the most serious form of skin cancer - could give researchers additional targets for developing new, personalized treatments for melanoma and, potentially, other cancers. Learning how these genes are expressed - turned on or off - could be used in the future to predict how and when the cancer cells will spread to other parts of the body and how fast they will grow. Read the study in the February 6, 2017, online issue of Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research.
In the February The Genomics Landscape, NHGRI Director Eric Green reports on an NHGRI and National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) workshop held in October, which addressed the use of race and ethnicity data in genomics, and biomedical and clinical research. Also included: A new policy for the protection of human subjects, newborn sequencing, the next phase of ENCODE and a new fellowship now available in genomic medicine program management.
Despite immense promise, adoption of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in biomedical research and medicine has been slowed by concerns that these cells are prone to increased numbers of genetic mutations. A new study by NHGRI scientists suggests that iPSCs do not develop more mutations than cells that are duplicated by subcloning. Read the study in the early edition of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. for February 6, 2017.
Behçet's disease is a disease that destroys blood vessels through systemic inflammation, manifesting as painful oral and genital ulcers, as well as vision destroying inflammation of the eyes. Research suggests the disease develops due to pathogen exposure, along with a mix of genetic and environmental risk factors, but their interaction is poorly understood. The study appears in the February 6, 2017 online version of Nature Genetics.
