Epigenetic modifications as therapeutic targets

Nature Biotechnology, Volume: 28 ,Pages: 1069–1078,Year published:(2010)
DOI:10.1038/nbt.1678, Published online 13 October 2010

Theresa K Kelly, Daniel D De Carvalho & Peter A Jones Departments of Urology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.

The paper focus on recent examples in which epigenetic modifications have been used to evaluate disease risk, progression and clinical response. It provide a broad overview of the accomplishments, remaining challenges and unrealized potential of epigenetic therapies in a range of diseases, with a particular emphasis on cancer.

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On the Trail of the Epigenetic Code: Test System on Drosophila Should Provide the Key to Histone Function

ScienceDaily (Oct. 12, 2010) — Test system on Drosophila should provide the key to histone function. The genetic inherited material DNA was long viewed as the sole bearer of hereditary information. The function of its packaging proteins, the histones, was believed to be exclusively structural. Additional genetic information can be stored, however, and passed on to subsequent generations through chemical changes in the DNA or histones. read more

Original paper: A genetic system to assess in vivo the functions of histones and histone modifications in higher eukaryotes

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Kinematic analysis of lingual movements during consonant productions in dysarthric speakers with Friedreich's ataxia: A case-by-case analysis.

Clin Linguist Phon. 2010 Oct 8. [Epub ahead of print]

Folker JE, Murdoch BE, Cahill LM, Delatycki MB, Corben LA, Vogel AP.

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

An in Vivo Method for Characterization of Protein Interactions within Sulfur Trafficking Systems of E. coli

J. Proteome Res., Just Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1021/pr100920r
Publication Date (Web): October 11, 2010

Heather May Bolstad and Matthew James Wood

KEYWORDS: iron-sulfur clusters, in vivo method, mass spectrometry, iron-sulfur biogenesis, general tool for the determination of sulfur trafficking mechanisms.

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Dizziness in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Practice: History and Physical Examination

The Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy
Vol. 13 No. 4 (2005), 222 - 251

Paul Vidal, PT, MHSc, DPT, OCS, MTC
Peter Huijbregts, PT, MSc, MHSc, DPT, OCS, MTC, FAAOMPT, FCAMT


Physical therapy (PT) differential diagnosis of patients complaining of dizziness centers on distinguishing those patients who might benefit from sole management by the physical therapist from those patients who require referral for medical-surgical differential diagnosis and (co) management.....

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Microchip Technology Rapidly Identifies Compounds for Regrowing Nerves in Live Animals

ScienceDaily (Oct. 11, 2010) — Scientists have long sought the ability to regenerate nerve cells, or neurons, which could offer a new way to treat spinal-cord damage as well as neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. Many chemicals can regenerate neurons grown in Petri dishes in the lab, but it's difficult and time-consuming to identify those chemicals that work in live animals, which is critical for developing drugs for humans. read more

Evaluation of neuropsychological functions in patients with Friedreich ataxia before and after cognitive therapy

Funct Neurol. 2010 Apr-Jun;25(2):81-5.
Ciancarelli I, Cofini V, Carolei A.

Keywords: Friedreich ataxia (FA, severe disability, cognitive functions, mood disorders, conflicting results, role of cognitive rehabilitation therapy, MMSE, Rey 15-item Memorization Test, Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices, the Phonemic Verbal Fluency Test, the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Zung scale.

Remarkably Efficient New Method For Generating Human Stem Cells

Medical News Today, Article Date: 02 Oct 2010 - 0:00 PDT

The ability to efficiently generate patient-specific stem cells from differentiated cells and then reliably direct them to form specialized cells (like neurons or muscle) has tremendous therapeutic potential for replacing diseased or damaged tissues... read more


Technology Review, Friday, October 1, 2010

A New Way to Make Stem Cells

Using RNA instead of DNA could avoid the health risks--and the political pitfalls--of stem-cell treatments.

A Harvard researcher has developed a way to make pluripotent stem cells that solves several of the major impediments to using them to treat human diseases. read more...

Normal and Friedreich ataxia cells express different isoforms of frataxin with complementary roles in iron-sulfur cluster assembly.

J Biol Chem. 2010 Oct 2. [Epub ahead of print]

Gakh O, Bedekovics T, Duncan SF, Smith DY 4th, Berkholz DS, Isaya G.
Mayo Clinic, United States.

Keywords: frataxin (FXN), Fe-S cluster, FXN mRNA, FXN42-210, FXN81-210, levels of both isoforms are relevant, FXN81-210/FXN42-210 molar ratio, replacement therapies.

PGC-1 Coactivators in Cardiac Development and Disease

Circulation Research. 2010;107:825-838
doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.110.223818

Daniel P. Kelly, Guest Editor
Glenn C. Rowe, Aihua Jiang, Zolt Arany

From the Cardiovascular Institute at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.

Key Words: PGC-1 • metabolism • heart failure • mitochondria