Apr 18, 2014

In Nature this week: Down's syndrome analysis, and more. Papers of Note McFadden, Papagiannakopoulos, et al. Cell A genome sequencing study by researchers from Massachusetts provides a peek at the processes behind small-cell lung carcinoma development and progression. The team developed a genetically engineered mouse model of the small-cell lung carcinoma missing two of the genes that have previously been shown to be oft-mutated in human forms of the disease. By sequencing the genomes or exomes of primary or metastatic tumors that developed in six of the mice, together with matched normal tissue sample, the investigators narrowed in on recurrent copy number changes, rearrangements, and somatic mutations in the mouse models of small-cell lung carcinoma. They also tracked down patterns associated with metastasis, including sequential alterations in tumors that spread to other parts of the body. RNA editome in rhesus macaque shaped by purifying selection Chen, Peng, et al. PLOS Genetics A Peking University-led team describes RNA editing patterns they detected by sequencing DNA and RNA from multiple rhesus macaque tissues. Using data from one rhesus macaque, the researchers narrowed in on some 31,250 examples of RNA editing. Most of those appeared to be adenine to guanine swaps, they note, apparently due to adenosine deamination. "[T]he macaque editome reported here highlights RNA editing as a widespread functional regulation in primate evolution," they conclude, "and provides an informative framework for further understanding RNA editing in human. " People on the Move CollabRx has appointed Paul Billings to its board of directors. Billings is a board certified internist and clinical geneticist and most recently served as chief medical officer for Life Technologies. He is executive chairman of Melanoma Diagnostics, a director of Trovagene, and a co-founder and past medical director of the Cordblood Registry. He was also a senior vice president for corporate development at Laboratory Corporation of America and a co-founder of Omicia. Billings also currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the US Food and Drug Administration, the Genomic Medicine Advisory Committee at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Genomics. Kathy Hibbs, former senior VP and general counsel at Genomic Health, has joined 23andMe as chief legal and regulatory officer. Hibbs joins 23andMe while the firm is in the midst of regulatory discussions with the US Food and Drug Administration regarding its Personal Genome Service. Hibbs has also worked at Monogram Biosciences and Varian Medical Systems, and is actively engaged in a number of industry groups, such as the American Clinical Laboratory Association, the Coalition for 21st Century Medicine, and the Personalized Medicine Coalition. Stephen Rusckowski has been named chairman of the American Clinical Laboratory Association's board of directors. Rusckowski has served as Quest Diagnostics' president and CEO since May 2012. Before joining Quest Diagnostics he was CEO of Philips Healthcare. ProteinSimple has appointed Joe Keegan and Chris van Ingen to its board of directors. Keegan was previously the CEO of ForteBio and Molecular Devices. Van Ingen was previously president of Agilent Technologies' bio-analytical measurement business. He currently serves on the boards of Bruker, Accelrys, and Promega. Upcoming Events