Genomics & Health Weekly Update

This weekly update provides information about the impact of human genomic research on disease prevention & population health. Learn more about the Genomics & Health Weekly Update.

Thursday, November 19, 2009       Volume 23   Number 21

 

Spotlight

CDC, NIH, and Stakeholders Convene Successful Inaugural GAPPNet Meeting

Last month, CDC, NIH , and other stakeholders convened the inaugural meeting of the Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention Network (GAPPNet) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with more than 100 researchers and health professionals in attendance. This new collaborative initiative is working to effectively and responsibly move evidence-based genomic knowledge and applications into clinical and public health practice. Read more about the meeting and GAPPNet.

 

---

 

Announcements

• The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) releases new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines on routine breast cancer screening for women.  Family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer is one factor that may increase a woman’s risk. For more information, see CDC’s Web page on Breast and Ovarian Cancer and Family Health History. Read articles related to the new USPSTF guidelines in the November 17th issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.
• The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 goes into effect on November 21, 2009. Read guidelines for investigators. Read the fact sheet for researchers and health care professionals [PDF 35 KB].
• National Institutes of Health appoints Eric D. Green, MD, PhD, to be director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. Read the press release.
• The American College of Preventive Medicine now offers a continuing medical education program for primary care physicians to learn about genetic risk for diseases, genetic testing, and interventions. Learn more.
• CDC's Office of Public Health Genomics is seeking nominations for qualified individuals to serve on the EGAPP (Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention) Working Group. The membership term will begin in February 2010. The deadline for nominations is December 15, 2009. Read more.

Top of Page

---

 

Genomics In The News

• The following are headlines from on-line news articles published during the past week.
• The headlines and lead sentence are exactly as they appear in the popular press & do not necessarily reflect the opinions or recommendations of CDC.
• Free registration required for some articles.

Autoimmune Disorders

Researchers discover antibody receptor identity, propose renaming immune-system gene, Medical News Today, November 19

Cancer

Scientists find 'sibling' cancer genes work together to fight skin cancer, Medical News Today, November 17

Panel urges mammograms at 50, Not 40, The New York Times, November 16

Disease progression and survival of cervical cancer patients: genetic changes are important indicators, Medical News Today, November 13

Chronic Disease

Largest gene study in childhood IBD finds 5 new genes, Medical News Today, November 16

Diabetes

Low birth weight and diabetes have a common genetic background, Science Daily, November 13

Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI)

Law seeks to ban misuse of genetic testing, The News York Times, November 15

Family History

Genetics: Family history and risk assessment, Nursing Times, November 17

Genetic Testing

Genetics: Genetic counseling, Nursing Times, November 17

Genetics: Genetic testing, Nursing Times, November 17

Neurological Disorders

New neuroimaging analysis technique identifies impact of Alzheimer's disease gene in healthy brains, Medical NewsToday, November 19

Study examines challenges of diagnosing neurofibromatosis type 1–like syndrome, EurekAlert, November 17

Researchers identify gene mutations underlying risk for most common form of Parkinson's disease, NIH News, November 16

Haematopoietic stem cell gene therapy for ALD, PHG Foundation, November 13

Personalized Medicine

Genome advances promise personalized medical treatment, Kansas City.com, November 18

Need medical treatment? Get it your way, chron.com, November 14

Obesity

Gene-diet interaction influencing BMI and obesity replicated in three independent studies, News-Medical.Net, November 18

Other News

Women at risk from vitamin A deficiency, EurekAlert, November 18

How Cells Tolerate DNA damage - MDC researchers identify start signal for cell survival program, Medical News Today, November 17

NIH appoints Eric D. Green, M.D., Ph.D. to be Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH News, November 17

Study links genetic variation to individual empathy, stress levels, Medical News Today, November 17

Second Annual Consumer Genetics Conference - The spotlight shines on Boston June 2-4, 2010, CNBC, November 16

Sequencing, sequencing, sequencing, Bio IT World, November 12

---

 

Genomics in the Scientific Literature

Cancer

Genome-wide Association Studies in Cancer - Current and Future Directions
Chung CC, et al.
Carcinogenesis 2009 Nov

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1): not only inherited endocrine tumors
Falchetti A, et al.
Genet Med 2009 Nov

Our changing view of the genomic landscape of cancer
Bell DW
J Pathol 2009 Nov

Steroid 5-{alpha}-Reductase Type 2 (SRD5a2) Gene Polymorphisms and Risk of Prostate Cancer: A HuGE Review
Li J, et al.
Am J Epidemiol 2009 Nov

Chronic Disease

A genome-wide association study identifies three new susceptibility loci for ulcerative colitis in the Japanese population
Asano K, et al.
Nat Genet 2009 Nov

Common variants at five new loci associated with early-onset inflammatory bowel disease
Imielinski M, et al.
Nat Genet 2009 Nov

Genome-wide association studies - A summary for the clinical gastroenterologist
Melum E, et al.
World J Gastroenterol 2009 Nov;15(43):5377-96

Genome-wide association study of ulcerative colitis identifies three new susceptibility loci, including the HNF4A region
Barrett JC, et al.
Nat Genet 2009 Nov

Genetic mechanisms and modifying factors in hereditary hemochromatosis
Weiss G
Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2009 Nov

Epigenomics

MicroRNAs and cancer epigenetics: a macrorevolution
Davalos V & Esteller M
Curr Opin Oncol 2009 Nov

The potential role of epigenetic therapy in multiple myeloma
Smith EM, et al.
Br J Haematol 2009 Nov

Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI)

Attitude towards genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility: a comparison of affected and unaffected women
Bruno M, et al.
Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 2009 Nov

Family History

Age of onset in familial breast cancer as background data for medical surveillance
Brandt A, et al.
Br J Cancer 2009 Nov

Heredity, diet and lifestyle as determining risk factors for the esophageal cancer on Nanao Island in Southern China
Liu M, et al.
Fam Cancer 2009 Nov

Genetic Testing

Family Screening in Patients with Retinal Angiomatosis
Kreusel KM, et al.
Klin Monbl Augenheilkd 2009 Nov;226(11):939-43

Neurologic Conditions

Genome-wide association study identifies common variants at four loci as genetic  risk factors for Parkinson's disease
Satake W, et al.
Nat Genet 2009 Nov

Genome-wide association study reveals genetic risk underlying Parkinson's disease
Simon-Sanchez J, et al.
Nat Genet 2009 Nov

The genetics of Tourette syndrome: a review
O'Rourke JA, et al.
J Psychosom Res 2009 Dec;67(6):533-45

Newborn Screening

Newborn Population Screening for Classic Homocystinuria by Determination of Total Homocysteine from Guthrie Cards
Gan-Schreier H, et al.
J Pediatr 2009 Nov

Personalized Medicine

Enabling personal genomics with an explicit test of epistasis
Greene CS, et al.
Pac Symp Biocomput 2010:327-36

Progress towards personalized medicine
Bates S
Drug Discov Today 2009 Nov

Pharmacogenomics

Pharmacogenetics of breast cancer therapies
Hertz DL, et al.
Breast 2009 Oct;18S3:S59-S63

Polymorphism of Human Cytochrome P450 2D6 and Its Clinical Significance: Part II
Zhou SF
Clin Pharmacokinet 2009;48(12):761-804

Respiratory Disease

A genome-wide association study on African-ancestry populations for asthma
Mathias RA, et al.
J Allergy Clin Immunol 2009 Nov

Evaluation of candidate genes in a genome-wide association study of childhood asthma in Mexicans
Wu H, et al.
J Allergy Clin Immunol 2009 Nov

Other

Alerting the general population to genetic risks: The value of health messages communicating the existence of genetic risk factors for public health promotion
Smerecnik CM, et al.
Health Psychol 2009 Nov;28(6):734-45

Comparing apples and oranges: equating the power of case-control and quantitative trait association studies
Yang J, et al.
Genet Epidemiol 2009 Nov

Genome-wide Association Studies and Human Disease: From Trickle to Flood
Visscher PM & Montgomery GW
JAMA 2009 Nov;302(18):2028-9

Reporting and evaluating genetic association studies
Peters SP
Respir Res 2009 Nov;10(1):109

HuGE

For this week's human genome epidemiology articles, please visit the HuGE Navigator.

Top of Page

 

Send web sites that you would like to see included in a future update to cdcinfo@cdc.gov Sign-up for new Genomics and Health Weekly Updates through GovDelivery. You may return to GovDelivery to edit preferences. The CDC Office of Public Health Genomics makes available the above information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC.  Note that some links may become invalid over time.