PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Genetic make-up of children explains how they fight malaria infection

2012-09-12
(Press-News.org) Researchers from Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center and University of Montreal have identified several novel genes that make some children more efficient than others in the way their immune system responds to malaria infection. This world-first in integrative efforts to track down genes predisposing to specific immune responses to malaria and ultimately to identify the most suitable targets for vaccines or treatments was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by lead author Dr. Youssef Idaghdour and senior author Pr. Philip Awadalla, whose laboratory has been performing world-wide malaria research for the past 13 years.

"Malaria is a major health problem world-wide, with over 3 billion individuals at risk and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually, a majority of which are African children under the age of 5. Why are some children prone to infection, while others are resistant and efficiently fight the disease? These are the questions we sought to answer with our study", Idaghdour says.

However, to succeed where many other studies have failed, the team used an approach different from the classic in vitro one, where the genome is analyzed using cells grown in a laboratory. Instead, they used an in vivo approach, analyzing blood samples of children from the Republic of Benin, West Africa, collected with the help of collaborators in the city of Cotonou and the nearby village of Zinvié. "This approach allowed us to identify how the "environment" engages in an arms race to define the clinical course of the disease, in this case the environment being the number of parasites detected in the child's blood running against the genetic make-up of the infected child", Idaghdour explains.

"We used an innovative combination of technologies that assessed both genetic variation among children and the conditions in which their genes are "expressed". By doing so, we increased the power of our analysis by permitting us not only to detect the mutations, but also to capture their effect depending on how they affect genes being turned "on" or "off" in presence of the parasite", Awadalla explains. "Our approach made us successful, where million-dollar studies have failed in the past. There has never been this many genes associated with malaria discovered in one study."

This major milestone in understanding how the genetic profile affects the ability of children to cope with infection could pave the way to the development of low-cost genetic profiling tests in a not so far future. "Accurate diagnosis of the infectious agent is critical for appropriate treatment, of course. However, determining a patient's genetic predisposition to infection would allow us to be more aggressive in our treatment of patients, whether we are speaking of vaccines or preventive drugs", Awadalla says.

### About the researchers

Dr. Philip Awadalla Principal investigator, Research Centre at Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal Principal investigator and scientific director, CARTaGENE

Dr. Youssef Idaghdour Post-doctoral researcher, Research Centre at Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre

Video: http://youtu.be/6Bc0cVflnEU

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Scientists discover how the brain ages

2012-09-12
The ageing process has its roots deep within the cells and molecules that make up our bodies. Experts have previously identified the molecular pathway that react to cell damage and stems the cell's ability to divide, known as cell senescence. However, in cells that do not have this ability to divide, such as neurons in the brain and elsewhere, little was understood of the ageing process. Now a team of scientists at Newcastle University, led by Professor Thomas von Zglinicki have shown that these cells follow the same pathway. This challenges previous assumptions ...

Uncertain about health outcomes, male stroke survivors more likely to suffer depression than females

2012-09-12
Philadelphia, PA, September 12, 2012 – Post-stroke depression is a major issue affecting approximately 33% of stroke survivors. A new study published in the current issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation reports that the level to which survivors are uncertain about the outcome of their illness is strongly linked to depression. The relationship is more pronounced for men than for women. "Male stroke survivors in the US who subscribe to traditional health-related beliefs may be accustomed to, and value highly, being in control of their health," says ...

Information theory helps unravel DNA's genetic code

2012-09-12
DNA consists of regions called exons, which code for the synthesis of proteins, interspersed with noncoding regions called introns. Being able to predict the different regions in a new and unannotated genome is one of the biggest challenges facing biologists today. Now researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi have used techniques from information theory to identify DNA introns and exons an order of magnitude faster than previously developed methods. The researchers were able to achieve this breakthrough in speed by looking at how electrical charges are ...

Going with the flow

2012-09-12
Scientists who study tissue engineering and test new drugs often need to sort, rotate, move, and otherwise manipulate individual cells. They can do this by prodding the cells into place with a mechanical probe or coaxing them in the desired direction with acoustic waves, electric fields, or flowing fluids. Techniques that rely on direct physical contact can position individual cells with a high level of precision while non-contact techniques are often faster for sorting large numbers of cells. An international team of researchers has now developed a way to manipulate cells ...

Less wear, longer life for memory storage device

2012-09-12
Probe storage devices read and write data by making nanoscale marks on a surface through physical contact. The technology may one day extend the data density limits of conventional magnetic and optical storage, but current probes have limited lifespans due to mechanical wear. A research team, led by Intel Corp., has now developed a long-lasting ultrahigh-density probe storage device by coating the tips of the probes with a thin metal film. The team's device features an array of 5,000 ultrasharp probes that is integrated with on-chip electronic circuits. The probes write ...

Weizmann Institute's mathematical model may lead to safer chemotherapy

2012-09-12
Cancer chemotherapy can be a life-saver, but it is fraught with severe side effects, among them an increased risk of infection. Until now, the major criterion for assessing this risk has been the blood cell count: if the number of white blood cells falls below a critical threshold, the risk of infection is thought to be high. A new model built by Weizmann Institute mathematicians in collaboration with physicians from the Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba and from the Hoffmann-La Roche research center in Basel, Switzerland, suggests that for proper risk assessment, it is ...

New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council Presents Train Ride to Success: Networking on the Railroad on Friday, September 14

2012-09-12
The New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council (The Council) takes networking on the road on Friday, September 14 when corporate supplier diversity executives and minority business owners ride a New Jersey Transit train to New Brunswick at the annual "Train Ride to Success." The Council's highly anticipated annual event kicks-off at New York Penn Station at 9:30am when the New York group meets to board the reserved railroad car. "Train Ride to Success" event concludes at 3:00pm in New Brunswick. At "Train Ride to Success, ...

Lee Enterprises Consulting Group Adds Maritime Expert

2012-09-12
Lee Enterprises Alternative Fuels Consulting is pleased to announce the addition of Gerry Ellis as its maritime projects expert. Ellis has a B.Sc. in Nautical Science from Liverpool University in Liverpool, United Kingdom. He is the President of Miami based Ellis Maritime Consulting and one of the world's top experts in the maritime industry. Ellis is a Master Mariner, Class 1 (Unlimited) with over 30 years' experience in the marine industry. He has served as the VP of Marine & Technical Operations, Director of Compliance, Director of Port Development, Director of New ...

Free E-Book For Dating And Relationship Advice

2012-09-12
Author Jacquee Kahn lays out a simple, successful formula for rescuing relationships in trouble, and helping single women find and keep Mr. Right. Girlfriend 911 is chock full of dating and relationship advice. A proven program that empowers women of all ages -- regardless of their relationship status -- to adjust their attitudes and change their behavior in order to attract and maintain a long-term, healthy and successful relationship. The Girlfriend 911 Proven Program: • How to stop making decisions based on the fear of being alone 
 • How to set standards ...

Gospel Artist, TV Host Vandarray Release New Single "I Made It" on the Heels of Tragic Auto Accident That Almost Claimed Her Life

2012-09-12
Exciting, gospel singer, songwriter and TV personality Vandarray is back on the gospel music scene with her new single "I Made It" but not before a literal brush with death. The bubbly Atlanta-based artist not only dealt with her own critical injuries but also experienced the turmoil and distress of seeing her teenage daughter in a coma. The life-changing experience brings new meaning to her uptempo, praise song, "I Made It" which is the first single and title track from her sophomore CD project on JacksO Records. Penned by Vandarray and Khristian ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Fig trees convert atmospheric CO2 to stone

Intra-arterial tenecteplase for acute stroke after successful endovascular therapy

Study reveals beneficial microbes that can sustain yields in unfertilized fields

Robotic probe quickly measures key properties of new materials

Climate change cuts milk production, even when farmers cool their cows

Frozen, but not sealed: Arctic Ocean remained open to life during ice ages

Some like it cold: Cryorhodopsins

Demystifying gut bacteria with AI

Human wellbeing on a finite planet towards 2100: new study shows humanity at a crossroads

Unlocking the hidden biodiversity of Europe’s villages

Planned hydrogen refuelling stations may lead to millions of euros in yearly losses

Planned C-sections increase the risk of certain childhood cancers

Adults who have survived childhood cancer are at increased risk of severe COVID-19

Drones reveal extreme coral mortality after bleaching

New genetic finding uncovers hidden cause of arsenic resistance in acute promyelocytic leukemia

Native habitats hold the key to the much-loved smashed avocado’s future

Using lightning to make ammonia out of thin air

Machine learning potential-driven insights into pH-dependent CO₂ reduction

Physician associates provide safe care for diagnosed patients when directly supervised by a doctor

How game-play with robots can bring out their human side

Asthma: patient expectations influence the course of the disease

UNM physician tests drug that causes nerve tissue to emit light, enabling faster, safer surgery

New study identifies EMP1 as a key driver of pancreatic cancer progression and poor prognosis

XPR1 identified as a key regulator of ovarian cancer growth through autophagy and immune evasion

Flexible, eco-friendly electronic plastic for wearable tech, sensors

Can the Large Hadron Collider snap string theory?

Stuckeman professor’s new book explores ‘socially sustainable’ architecture

Synthetic DNA nanoparticles for gene therapy

New model to find treatments for an aggressive blood cancer

Special issue of Journal of Intensive Medicine analyzes non-invasive respiratory support

[Press-News.org] Genetic make-up of children explains how they fight malaria infection