Pheochromocytoma: A Frequent Indicator for MEN 2

Pheochromocytoma is a frequent indicator of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A); in the 35 French MEN 2A families in which a pheochromocytoma occurred first in some affected members, 30% of the patients had a pheochromocytoma as the first manifestation constituting 45% of all patients with pheochromocytomas. The finding of a pheochromocytoma is a strong indication for a search for medullary thyroid carcinoma and for initiating family screening

Screening for Medullary Thyroid Cancer in France: A National Effort

Screening for medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) in France is based on a protocol that has been widely distributed nationally. A network of coordinators utilizing a common questionnaire provides for an effective national screening program. Calcitonin stimulation procedures are systematically used for all first-degree relatives of MTC patients. Pathological studies utilize special immunopathologic techniques. Genealogic information is obtained on all index cases, and blood specimens are collected for establishing permanent cell lines. The data collected are used not only to establish the diagnosis of the hereditary or sporadic form of the disease but also to expand the screening as appropriate. This common protocol has benefited patients and their families by improving early detection of cases, increasing the number of families available for follow-up, and improving the prognosis of this cancer. Studies on these families have contributed significantly to the localization of the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 gene

Identification of functional elements and regulatory circuits by Drosophila modENCODE

To gain insight into how genomic information is translated into cellular and developmental programs, the Drosophila model organism Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (modENCODE) project is comprehensively mapping transcripts, histone modifications, chromosomal proteins, transcription factors, replication proteins and intermediates, and nucleosome properties across a developmental time course and in multiple cell lines. We have generated more than 700 data sets and discovered protein-coding, noncoding, RNA regulatory, replication, and chromatin elements, more than tripling the annotated portion of the Drosophila genome. Correlated activity patterns of these elements reveal a functional regulatory network, which predicts putative new functions for genes, reveals stage- and tissue-specific regulators, and enables gene-expression prediction. Our results provide a foundation for directed experimental and computational studies in Drosophila and related species and also a model for systematic data integration toward comprehensive genomic and functional annotation

Comparative analysis of metazoan chromatin organization

Genome function is dynamically regulated in part by chromatin, which consists of the histones, non-histone proteins and RNA molecules that package DNA. Studies in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosoph ..

The past, present, and future of the Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS)

The Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS) is a community-driven standard for the organization of data and metadata from a growing range of neuroscience modalities. This paper is meant as a history of how the standard has developed and grown over time. We outline the principles behind the project, the mechanisms by which it has been extended, and some of the challenges being addressed as it evolves. We also discuss the lessons learned through the project, with the aim of enabling researchers in other domains to learn from the success of BIDS