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Health Professionals and Modern Human Research Ethics
Published in Howard Winet, Ethics for Bioengineering Scientists, 2021
Research funded to unprecedented levels (Malerba and Orsenigo 2001) by NIH, NSF and emerging scientific institutes enabled scientists using animal models to uncover physiological mechanisms underlying functions compromised by disease. Advances in cell biology, enzymology and pharmacology provided understandings of the mechanism of action of existing drugs, and some basis for predicting potential effectiveness of variations in their chemical structure (Malerba and Orsenigo 2001). As a result, the random screening approach to drug development transformed to drug design. Molecular genetics and methodologies like recombinant DNA formed a foundation for advance to the third major epoch of the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology. In 1976, a pattern began in which academic scientists partnered with venture capitalists to form medical product development companies. Herbert Boyer Ph.D. (a co-developer of recombinant DNA methodology at UCSF) and Robert Swanson formed the first new biotechnology company, Genentech.
No Safe Dose
Published in Kenneth L. Mossman, Radiation Risks in Perspective, 2006
Molecular biology and molecular genetics studies suggest that carcinogenesis is a very complex pathologic process with multifactorial features involving the interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Our current understanding of cancer development would suggest that a single photon or a single molecule is not sufficient, in itself, to cause cancer. To say that a single photon can result in cancer ignores the importance of other host and environmental factors that contribute to risk. As shown in Figure 3.3, carcinogenesis involves a sequence of genetic changes in cells. Colon cancer is an example where a number of sequential mutations and cellular changes occur over a long period of time. What is important is that mutational damage is accumulated over time, not the specific sequence of mutational events that occurs.
Plant Biotechnology
Published in Firdos Alam Khan, Biotechnology Fundamentals, 2020
Plants are widely used for ornamental purposes, so it is not surprising that considerable attempts have been made to develop varieties that have flowers of new colors, shapes, and growth properties. Pigmentation in flowers is mainly due to three classes of compounds: the flavonoids, the carotenoids, and the betalains. Of these, the flavonoids are the best characterized with much information now available concerning their chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular genetics. Experiments are underway to expand the spectrum of coloring of certain floral species by introducing genes for the entire pigment biosynthesis pathway. A blue rose was never obtained because rose plants lack the enzymes that synthesize the pigment for blue flower coloration. However, introducing the genes for blue color gave very few successful results. This is because of a phenomenon called co-suppression, in which an extra copy of the gene suppresses the expression of the endogenous genes. An experiment was performed in which a second copy of a petunia pigment gene was introduced into a petunia plant with colored flowers. It was expected that increased production of the encoded enzyme might produce flowers with a deeper purple color. However, white-colored flowers were produced because of co-suppression. Co-suppression has now been demonstrated in numerous other systems. It does not appear to be a dosage effect resulting from competition for TFs, nor is it a result of a system that detects specific duplicate plant genes. Rather, it appears to be the result of a homology-dependent interaction between homologous sequences.
A Classification Model for Predicting Fetus with down Syndrome – A Study from Turkey
Published in Applied Artificial Intelligence, 2020
Alptekin Durmuşoğlu, Memet Merhad Ay, Zeynep Didem Unutmaz Durmuşoğlu
Our purpose and data retrieval was approved by the local committee of ethics (Gaziantep University). The patient records and data were gathered from different departments of the hospital such as obstetrics and gynecology clinic, biochemistry laboratory, and molecular genetics laboratory of the hospital. Maternal serum samples that had AFP, hCG, uE3 levels, and maternal age, were taken from the triple screening test results saved by the biochemistry laboratory. Since, the patients with higher risk of having a fetus with DS, are forwarded to amniocentesis, records of corresponding triple test results were matched by accessing the amniocentesis report of each patient from the molecular genetics laboratory.