Genome

Researchers cataloging the genetic codes of deadly human brain and pancreatic cancers say they have found several dozen defective genes that appear to work in concert to set off the tumor growth that eventually kills their victims. The team, at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, said their discoveries provide new insights that could lead to earlier detection of such tumors through genetic blood tests and to new cancer-fighting drugs. The findings also could lead to more efficient strategies for interrupting the genetic processes that lead to tumor growth.

Johns Hopkins researchers who studied the genomes of people in Iceland and Utah say they may have found a clue to why people are increasingly prone to disease as they age. The answer may not lie specifically in the person's genes, but in chemical changes occurring around the genes that help determine which are active and which are silent. As a result, a person could become more prone to heart disease, cancer and other diseases of aging because certain genes that used to function no longer do so - or vice versa.

Gov. Martin O'Malley unveiled yesterday a proposal to invest $1.1 billion over the next decade to cement Maryland's status as a pre-eminent hub for biotechnology research, including stem-cell studies aimed at finding breakthrough medical advances. The funding, which would build on existing tax credits and grant programs, would be used to create a biotechnology center, finance capital projects and make equity investments in start-up companies. O'Malley, a Democrat, said the money could transform Maryland - where the human genome was mapped in 2001 - into a global leader in personalized medicine or the use of genetics to tailor treatments.

WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives passed legislation yesterday barring the use of genetic information in job and health insurance decisions, moving the government to the cusp of enacting the first federal law dealing with DNA-based medical care. "It really is the law catching up to science," said Rep. Judy Biggert, an Illinois Republican who helped lead the 13-year fight for the legislation. The House approved the measure 414-1, with Rep. Ron Paul, a Texas Republican, the lone dissenter.

Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to map your genome may be the latest fad to glean the future. But for all the billions spent on research, genetic testing isn't a cure-all for what might ail you, and it could lead to significant trouble for individuals and society if misused. Researchers and businesses are eager to profit by selling genetic tests to assess everything from paternity or sexual computability to an individual's susceptibility to disease. For some, such tests can be a blessing.

Last week's $400 million deal by Teva Pharmaceutical to buy CoGenesys Inc. will enrich CoGenesys insiders and create a great launching pad for the Rockville company's drugs. Some shareholders of Human Genome Sciences, however, wonder why they aren't getting more of the action. Two years ago Human Genome's president and chief financial officer started CoGenesys by taking some of Human Genome's best scientists and ideas out the door. Now, in this edition of "Flip This Biotech," they and others who invested with them will walk away with most of the money.

Annual utility bills likely to rise an average of $100 BGE rates to go up 5.5% Baltimore Gas and Electric residential customers will pay an estimated 5.5 percent more for electricity starting in June, largely as a result of federal rules that are driving wholesale energy prices higher. The increase will add about $100 to the average customer's annual utility bill. CoGenesys being sold CoGenesys Inc. is being sold for $400 million to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Inc., an Israeli company that specializes in generic drugs.

He raced the government to map the human genome - and tied. He deciphered the genetic code for the fruit fly, the mouse and even his pet poodle, Shadow. And he has sailed around the world, collecting water samples in order to map the genomes of aquatic organisms. So yesterday's announcement that J. Craig Venter, 61, had reached a major benchmark in the quest to synthesize artificial life came as little surprise to those familiar with his work. "He's a fascinating person because he doesn't fit into the typical mold of the scientist," said Aravinda Chakravarti, the director of the Center for Complex Disease Genomics at the Johns Hopkins University.

Shares in Human Genome Sciences Inc., a 15-year-old Rockville biotech company that has yet to get a drug on the market, plummeted to their lowest level since 1995 yesterday after disclosing that serious side effects emerged during a clinical trial of a potentially lucrative hepatitis treatment when patients received high doses. The share price dropped nearly $4.40 to $5.62, or almost 44 percent. Human Genome Sciences officials said they were still optimistic that Albuferon would win approval - and have market success - at a lower dose.

Dr. Victor A. McKusick, a Johns Hopkins professor widely considered the father of medical genetics, has been awarded the prestigious Japan Prize in Medical Genetics and Genomics and the $470,000 that goes with it. McKusick, one of the leading figures at the medical school, was recognized for more than a half-century of work deciphering and cataloging inherited disorders, and for laying the foundation for what became the Human Genome Project. "I'm terribly excited about it.