RSS Feeds

Earth Science

Space Science

Life Science

Fields of Scientific Study

Nanotechnology

Cancer

Definitions of The Fields of Scientific Study

Scientists find new agent to fight genetic disorders -- Zorro-Locked Nucleic Acid

April 30, 2007

A study to appear in the June 2007 issue of The FASEB Journal describes a new agent, called "Zorro-LNA," which has the potential to stop genetic disorders in their tracks. In the study, researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, describe how they developed Zorro-LNA to bind with both strands of a gene's DNA simultaneously, effectively disabling that gene. This development has clinical implications for virtually every human condition caused by or worsened by dominant defective genes. Examples include: Huntington's disease, familial high cholesterol, polycystic kidney disease, some instances of glaucoma and colorectal cancer, and neurofibromatosis, among others.

"Zorro-LNA is a new substance that targets DNA and turns off genes," said co-author Edvard Smith of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. "It has the potential of becoming a new drug for the treatment of human genetic disease."

The findings described in this article significantly raise the possibility that new therapies could arise where defective DNA is deactivated more completely and more thoroughly than ever before. For instance, Zorro-LNA could be used in combination with "RNA interference" (RNAi). Like Zorro-LNA, RNAi has the ability to deactivate genes, but does so by degrading the gene's RNA. In addition, Zorro-LNA could be used to deactivate certain genes in stem cells, which could eventually lead to the development of new cells, tissues, or organs. The discovery of RNAi was recognized by a Nobel Prize award in 2006 to two American scientists.

"This is a major development in the treatment not only of genetic diseases, but also of acquired diseases when microbes or toxins cause genes to go awry" said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "One might say these researchers have found a gene-hunter's Holy Grail for which scientists have been hunting for many years. Zorro-LNA should give us a new, safe way of blocking the effects of errors in our genetic repertoire."

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

Related Nucleic Acid Current Events and Nucleic Acid News Articles

Nucleic Acid Current Events and Nucleic Acid News RSS

Scientists at UA, collaborating institutions decode maize genome
Scientists from the University of Arizona led by Arizona Genomics Institute director Rod A. Wing and from collaborating institutions have deciphered the complete genetic code of the maize plant for the first time.

Designing drugs and their antidotes together improves patient care
Imagine a surgical patient on a blood-thinning drug who starts bleeding more than expected, and an antidote that works immediately - because the blood thinner and antidote were designed to work together.

Parasites ready to jump
Transposons are mobile genetic elements found in the hereditary material of humans and other organisms. They can replicate and the new copies can insert at novel sites in the genome.

Scripps research scientists find key culprits in lupus
The more than 1.5 million Americans with systemic lupus erythematosus (or lupus) suffer from a variety of symptoms that flare and subside, often including painful or swollen joints, extreme fatigue, skin rashes, fever, and kidney problems.

Hear! Hear! Texas wines fight cancer growth
Research now shows that wines produced in the Lone Star State share the anti-cancer traits known to exist in wines from other producing regions.

Scripps research team creates simple chemical system that mimics DNA
A team of Scripps Research scientists has created a new analog to DNA that assembles and disassembles itself without the need for enzymes.

Chlamydia that avoids diagnosis
New sequencing and analysis of six strains Chlamydia will result in improved diagnosis of the sexually transmitted infection.

Simulated gene therapy
In a recent issue of The Journal of Chemical Physics, published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP), a group of researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and Los Alamos National Laboratory describe the first comprehensive, molecular-level numerical study of gene therapy.

Researchers develop new way to see single RNA molecules inside living cells
Biomedical engineers have developed a new type of probe that allows them to visualize single ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules within live cells more easily than existing methods. The tool will help scientists learn more about how RNA operates within living cells.

NRL partners with industry to develop compact biosensor for wide-ranging applications
Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are partnering with industry to develop a sensor system for biomolecules that could make a significant contribution to a variety of fields such as healthcare, veterinary diagnostics, food safety, environmental testing, and national security.

More Nucleic Acid Current Events and Nucleic Acid News Articles

	Nucleic Acids: Structures, Properties, and Functions by Victor A. Bloomfield (Author), Donald M. Crothers (Author), Ignacio Tinoco (Author), John E. Hearst (Author), David E. Wemmer (Author), Peter A. Killman (Author), Douglas H. Turner (Author) Nucleic Acids presents an up-to-date and comprehensive account of the structures and physical chemistry properties of nucleic acids, with special emphasis on biological function. With a targeted audience of 1)molecular biologists, 2)physical biochemists, and 3)physical chemists, the book has been carefully organized to reach three different audiences while requiring only introductory physical chemistry and molecular biology as prerequisites. Nucleic Acids will serve as a textbook in physical biochemistry and biophysical chemistry classes, as well as a supplemental text in courses on nucleic acid biochemistry or molecular biology, and as a personal reference for students and researchers in these fields.
	Nucleic-A PROTEPLEX Moisturizing Shampoo, 1 Liter by Nucleic-A A moisturizing shampoo that restores and maintains the proper moisture balance to hair. Nucleic acids maintain the structure while reviving hair?s natural luster, sheen and flexibility. Contains a mixture of natural oils (soybean, corn, sesame) to smooth and repair dry and damaged hair.
	Nucleic Acids in Chemistry and Biology by G. Michael Blackburn (Editor), Michael J. Gait (Editor), David Loakes (Editor), David Williams (Editor) The structure, function and reactions of nucleic acids are central to molecular biology and are crucial for the understanding of complex biological processes involved. Revised and updated Nucleic Acids in Chemistry and Biology 3rd Edition discusses in detail, both the chemistry and biology of nucleic acids and brings RNA into parity with DNA. Written by leading experts, with extensive teaching experience, this new edition provides some updated and expanded coverage of nucleic acid chemistry, reactions and interactions with proteins and drugs. A brief history of the discovery of nucleic acids is followed by a molecularly based introduction to the structure and biological roles of DNA and RNA. Key chapters are devoted to the chemical synthesis of nucleosides and nucleotides,...
	Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid Epidemic Cause (Primary Contributor)
	Whatman FTA Kit; For Storing and Processing Nucleic Acid Samples by Whatman Extraction and Purification; DNA; Whatman; FTA Kit; For storing and processing nucleic acid samples; Includes 25 FTA Micro Cards, FTA Purification reagent, 2 x 25mL, 1.2mm Harris Uni-Core Punch, 2.0mm Harris Uni-Core Punch, cutting mat
	Techniques in Genetic Engineering 1: Nucleic Acid Techniques - an Overview [VHS] Starring: S. D. M. Brown
	Cellfood Dna-rna Cell Regeneration Formula, 1-Ounce Spray Bottle by Cellfood Cellfood DNA/RNA Cell Regeneration Formula is one of the most rejuvenating, immunity- enhancing, and tissue-supporting formulas ever developed. It is a proprietary blend of nucleic acid bases (the essential building blocks of DNA and RNA), methyl groups (which are considered by many scientific researchers to be the prime regulators and programmers of the aging process), ATP (the fundamental energy'currency' of the human body) and the original Cellfood formula. In Cellfood DNA•RNA, the life- and longevity-enhancing effects of these four special components have been combined for the very first time. And, it's been formulated in a spray, boosted with the remarkable Cellfood delivery system, and laser enhanced— all combining for optimal absorption and assimilation.
	Protein-Nucleic Acid Interactions: Structural Biology (RSC Biomolecular Sciences) by Phoebe A. Rice (Author), Phoebe A. Rice (Editor), Carl C. Correll (Editor) This book provides both in-depth background and up-to-date information in this area. The chapters are organized by general themes and principles, written by experts who illustrate topics with current findings. Topics covered include: - the role of ions and hydration in protein-nucleic acid interactions - transcription factors and combinatorial specificity - indirect readout of DNA sequence - single-stranded nucleic acid binding proteins - nucleic acid junctions and proteins, - RNA protein recognition - recognition of DNA damage. It will be a key reference for both advanced students and established scientists wishing to broaden their horizons.
	Nucleic-A Botanicals Daily Gentle Cleanse Shampoo, 8.5 oz. by Nucleic-A Formulated with a special blend of natural botanicals and proteins to thoroughly cleanse while adding bounce and shine to all hair types.
	Principles of Nucleic Acid Structure (Springer Advanced Texts in Chemistry) by Wolfram Saenger (Author) During the last decade the advances in molecular biology have increasingly emphasized the importance of the hydrogen bond in biological interactions. Hydrogen-bonding in assemblages of biological molecules examined from the structural point of view is a main focus of the present book. Hydrogen-bonding is thereby defined in its broadest sense, as many attractive interactions involving a covalently bonded hydrogen atom. The concept of the hydrogen bond structure is developed, as is the role of cooperativity, in stabilizing particular structures and hydrogen-bonding dynamics. The information presented is based on the extraordinary increase in quantitative structural data that has become available from X-ray and neutron diffraction studies of crystal structures involving small and large...