Latest Chromosome 21 Stories

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online Geneticists from the University of Washington won a key victory in the battle against genetic diseases by successfully removing the extra chromosome 21 from cells derived from a person with Down syndrome, according to the team’s report in the journal Cell Stem Cell. Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. In addition to the tell-tale facial features such as an abnormally small chin and...

7,000 Different Rare Diseases and Disorders Comprise 65 Page RARE List(TM), 95% of the Medical Conditions Included on RARE List(TM) Have No FDA Approved Treatments DANA POINT, Calif., Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The R.A.R.E. Project (http://RAREproject.org), a leading patient advocacy organization representing the rare disease community, today issued the RARE List(TM), a stunning 65 page alphabetical listing of roughly 7,000 known rare diseases and disorders. The rare diseases...

Chromosome aberrations happen in pairs when it comes to cancer, TAU research finds A healthy genome is characterized by 23 pairs of chromosomes, and even a small change in this structure — such as an extra copy of a single chromosome — can lead to severe physical impairment. So it's no surprise that when it comes to cancer, chromosomal structure is frequently a contributing factor, says Prof. Ron Shamir of the Blavatnik School of Computer Science at Tel Aviv University. Now Prof....

[ Watch the Video ] A novel study involving fruit flies and mice has allowed biologists to identify two critical genes responsible for congenital heart defects in individuals with Down syndrome, a major cause of infant mortality and death in people born with this genetic disorder. In a paper published in the November 3 issue of the open access journal PLoS Genetics, researchers from UC San Diego, the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., and the University of...

A protein associated with Alzheimer's disease clogs several motors of the cell transport machinery critical for normal cell division, leading to defective neurons that may contribute to the memory-robbing disease, University of South Florida researchers report.In a new study published online in the journal Cell Cycle, scientists at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute. the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, and Indiana University also suggest that the protein beta amyloid...

Researchers from Cyprus report that a simple blood test can predict whether a baby is likely to have Down Syndrome. DNA differences between the mother and the fetus can be shown to accurately predict which fetuses are at risk of developing the syndrome, Reuters reports."We believe we can modify this test and make it much easier and simple... (and then) we can have something ready to be introduced into the clinic," Philippos Patsalis, medical director of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and...

CHICAGO, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New Jersey Governor First Lady Mary Pat Christie will host a reception and dinner to benefit Research Down Syndrome (RDS) and the rapidly advancing area of Down syndrome cognitive research, on Saturday September 25, 2010, at Drumthwacket, the official residence of the Governor of New Jersey. Mrs. Christie is the Honorary Chair and Keynote Speaker, with Special Guests and Speakers to also include New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Roger...

Reducing a protein called beta-amyloid in young mice with a condition resembling Down syndrome improves their ability to learn, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found."This preliminary study in the animal model raises the intriguing possibility that drugs that lower beta-amyloid levels might offer some benefit to children with Down syndrome," said Dr. Craig Powell, assistant professor of neurology at UT Southwestern and co-lead author of the study, which is...

CHICAGO, March 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Research Down Syndrome (RDS) has launched an international outreach program to focus awareness and support for the rapidly advancing area of biomedical research leading to safe and effective approved medical therapies to treat cognitive impairment in individuals of all ages with Down syndrome -- improving memory, learning and communication. Until the past decade, research to understand and treat the cognitive impairments associated with Down...

Over-expression of gene regulator spurs development of leukemia in babies with Down syndromeBetween 5 and 10 percent of babies with Down syndrome develop a transient form of leukemia that usually resolves on its own. However, for reasons that haven't been clear, 20 to 30 percent of these babies progress to a more serious leukemia known as Down syndrome acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (DS-AMKL), which affects the blood progenitor cells that form red blood cells and platelets. Now, researchers...