The Don Quixote of the lost children

Micah’s DNA (Photo credit: micahb37)

DNA (Photo credit: Gravitywave)

Dr José A Lorente is a scientist specialized in forensic genetics. His career shifted toward an humanitarian mission when he travelled for the needs of an enquiry in Peru as it is stated by Suzanne Daley in her column written in the August 4-5 edition of the International Herald Tribune.
Looking at the stray children in the streets of Lima he wondered if his science could help.
And now his best reward, although he has had identified the remains of more greater people like Christopher Columbus and Simon Bolivar, is to see the gratitude in the eyes of a mother whose stolen baby daughter he has helped to find. Dr Lorente concludes: “you don’t make money at this, but you do feel proud” report the journalist.

His foundation DNA-Prokids furnishes for free DNA identifying kits to countries willing to fix the problem of stray children in the streets and lacking from financial resources.

Related articles

• The Saturday Profile: Spanish Scientist Puts Genetics to Work to Find Missing Children (nytimes.com)

Choosing the fetal genome: the summit of the consumerism

Sequencing the next generation

American searchers ( who else?) have just discovered the mean for future parents to know in advance the entire genome of the not yet borne child. Of course without any harm neither for the not yet mother neither the not yet newborn ( only a few thousands dollars to spend) . The embarrassing aspect of this discovery is the inevitable dilemma of choice which will automatically stem from the results. Marfan syndrome ? Blues eyes? Athletically built? That is the kind of choice that future parents may will have to do. I do not envy them and I would not want to be at their place.
Click here to access to the abstract of the article in the journal Science Translational Medicine, University of Washington research team supervised by associate professor of genome science Jay Shendure.

Reference for Citation:
J. O. Kitzman, M. W. Snyder, M. Ventura, A. P. Lewis, R. Qiu, L. E. Simmons, H. S. Gammill, C. E. Rubens, D. A. Santillan, J. C. Murray, H. K. Tabor, M. J. Bamshad, E. E. Eichler, J. Shendure, Noninvasive Whole-Genome Sequencing of a Human Fetus. Sci. Transl. Med. 4, 137ra76 (2012).

Related articles

• Tests of Parents Are Used to Map Genes of a Fetus (nytimes.com)
• Blood and saliva are used to map a fetus’ genome (mercurynews.com)
• Whole fetal genome sequenced before birth (newscientist.com)
• Baby’s DNA constructed before birth (thechart.blogs.cnn.com)
• Scientists Sequence Fetal Genome (newsy.com)

Citation: J. O. Kitzman, M. W. Snyder, M. Ventura, A. P. Lewis, R. Qiu, L. E. Simmons, H. S. Gammill, C. E. Rubens, D. A. Santillan, J. C. Murray, H. K. Tabor, M. J. Bamshad, E. E. Eichler, J. Shendure, Noninvasive Whole-Genome Sequencing of a Human Fetus.Sci. Transl. Med. 4, 137ra76 (2012).

The gene sequencing start up is not for sale (even for $5.7 billion)

Molecular medicine.

BioCamp participants getting insights into the pharmaceutical industry (Photo credit: Novartis AG)

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Roche implements a strategy to treat the chronic diseases at a molecular level. To do so it has to acquire the start-us that possesses the relevant knowledge. Molecular engineering, including the DNA molecule, is far from the usual chemistry to which the traditional drugs makers are accustomed. In order to complete this goal the Swiss Drug maker leads a policy of takeover bid for American High Tech Companies settled in California (e.g. San Diego, for Illumina, Inc. or San Francisco for Genentech, Inc.) or Arizona ( Tucson for Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.). For now, Illumina has not yet been bought by Roche but it would be only a matter of time according to financial analysts. From a medical point of view Genentech makes human antibodies which are human molecules targeting the antigens located on the cell membrane. The action of such antibodies results in various therapeutic effects in chronic diseases. But unfortunately, as soon as the treatment is stopped the symptoms reappears. Ventana makes also antibodies, but for diagnosis purpose. The molecular diagnostic tests it produces aims to classified cancer cells in order to refine the individual prognosis of the disease (and to indicate the targeted treatment that is needed). More deeper in the molecular level, clerly in the heart of the cell and the identity of the person, Illumina discovered the method to sequence the genotype of the patient. It’s of the greatest importance for Roche to buy this start-up because in the future, treatment will be prescribed not only with regard of the condition diagnosed by the Doctors but also relatively to the genome of the patient.

Related articles

• Roche takes £3.7bn tilt at US gene firm Illumina (independent.co.uk)
• Roche plans a tender offer for DNA co Illumina (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Roche plans a tender offer for Illumina (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Roche plans a tender offer for Illumina (seattlepi.com)
• Weighing Roche’s Alternatives to an Illumina Deal (dealbook.nytimes.com)
• Roche $5.7 Billion Illumina Bid Exected to Rise (thestreet.com)
• Five Reasons Illumina Should Fight Roche’s Insulting Low-Ball Bid (xconomy.com)
• Roche Goes Hostile For Gene Sequencer Illumina (blogs.wsj.com)
• Illumina urges investors to shun $5.7B Roche bid (fiercebiotech.com)
• Roche Goes Hostile For Illumina: A Timeline & Chart (blogs.wsj.com)