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Source - EurekAlert – Biology:
Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
New cancer drug delivery system is effective and reversible
Cancer drugs must be effective. But they must also target cancer cells and spare healthy cells. And -- ideally -- they'll come with an easy antidote. University of Illinois researchers report that they have developed a cancer drug delivery system that achieves all of the above.
Contact: Diana Yates
diya@illinois.edu
217-333-5802
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
Yale researchers find key to keeping cells in shape
Yale University researchers have discovered how a protein within most cell membranes helps maintain normal cell size, a breakthrough in basic biology that has implications for a variety of diseases such as sickle cell anemia and disorders of the nervous system.
Contact: Bill Hathaway
william.hathaway@yale.edu
203-432-1322
Yale University
Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
Women often opt to surgically remove their breasts, ovaries to reduce cancer risk
Many women at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer are choosing to undergo surgery as a precautionary measure to decrease their cancer risk, according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Contact: Tara Yates
tara.yates@aacr.org
267-646-0558
American Association for Cancer Research
Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
Penn researchers show that protein unfolding is key for understanding blood clot mechanics
Fibrin, the chief ingredient of blood clots, is a remarkably versatile polymer. On one hand, it forms a network of fibers -- a blood clot -- that stems the loss of blood at an injury site while remaining pliable and flexible. On the other hand, fibrin provides a scaffold for thrombi, clots that block blood vessels and cause tissue damage, leading to cardiovascular disease. The answer is a process known as protein unfolding.
Contact: Karen Kreeger
karen.kreeger@uphs.upenn.edu
215-349-5658
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
More insulin-producing cells, at the flip of a 'switch'
Researchers have found a way in mice to convert another type of pancreas cell into the critical insulin-producing beta cells that are lost in those with type I diabetes. The secret ingredient is a single transcription factor, according to the report in the Aug. 7 issue of Cell, a Cell Press journal.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
Johns Hopkins researchers make stem cells from developing sperm
The promise of stem cell therapy may lie in uncovering how adult cells revert back into a primordial, stem cell state, whose fate is yet to be determined. Now, cell scientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have identified key molecular players responsible for this reversion in fruit fly sperm cells. Reporting online this week in Cell Stem Cell, researchers show that two proteins are responsible redirecting cells on the way to becoming sperm back to stem cells.
Contact: Audrey Huang
audrey@jhmi.edu
410-614-5105
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
Got influenza? Blood genomic signature provides clues to etiology of respiratory infections
Scientists have shown that they can identify and characterize an individual's response to a respiratory viral infection by examining the pattern of gene expression in their blood. The research, published by Cell Press online on Aug. 6 in the journal Cell Host and Microbe, is the first step toward a blood test that may someday be used to decide who would benefit from an antiviral versus antibiotic treatment and possibly even determine prognosis after viral infection or therapeutic intervention.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Public Release: 5-Aug-2009
Sensitizing tumor response to cancer therapy
University of Arizona researchers are working to find natural, biologically active compounds that will sensitize cancerous tumors to therapy without damaging normal tissue.
Contact: Johnny Cruz
cruzj@email.arizona.edu
520-621-1879
University of Arizona
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Chemists explain the switchboards in our cells
Our cells are controlled by billions of molecular "switches" and chemists at UC Santa Barbara have developed a theory that explains how these molecules work. Their findings may significantly help efforts to build biologically based sensors for the detection of chemicals ranging from drugs to explosives to disease markers.
Contact: Gail Gallessich
gail.g@ia.ucsb.edu
805-893-7220
University of California - Santa Barbara
Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Epilepsy halted in mice
Scientists in Leeds have prevented epilepsy caused by a gene defect from being passed on to mice offspring -- an achievement which may herald new therapies for people suffering from the condition.
Contact: Jo Kelly
jokelly@campuspr.co.uk
44-113-258-9880
University of Leeds
Source - Science Daily:
Please note: Due to the format restrictions of Science Daily articles, you must click on the URL (web address) below the article summary, rather than the article title.
Gene Shut-down May Offer Early Warning Of Chronic Leukemia
August 7, 2009 — A new study shows that certain genes are turned off early in the development of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), before clinical signs of the disease appear. The study examined cancer cells from ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805164919.htm
Common Trigger In Cancer And Normal Stem Cell Reproduction Found
August 7, 2009 — Researchers have discovered, for the first time, a common molecular pathway that is used by both normal stem cells and cancer stem cells when they reproduce ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806121722.htm
New Alzheimer's Gene Discovered
August 7, 2009 — A new study has found that a gene called TOMM40 appears twice as often in people with Alzheimer's disease than in those without it. Alzheimer's, for which there is no cure, is the leading cause of ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806201916.htm
Finding Key To Cancer Drug Gleevec's Limitations
August 7, 2009 — Researchers have learned why imatinib, marketed as Gleevec, helps patients with chronic myeloid leukemia survive longer, but does not keep the disease from returning if treatment ends. The team is ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805084953.htm
Cancer Cells Are Protected By Our Own Immune System
August 7, 2009 — During the very first few days of development of a cancer, our immune system recognizes cancer cells not as abnormal cells requiring eradication but as cells of the body that need to be ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807091437.htm
High Cholesterol In Midlife Raises Risk Of Late-life Dementia, Study Finds
August 6, 2009 — Elevated cholesterol levels in midlife -- even levels considered only borderline elevated -- significantly increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia later in life, according to a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804071408.htm
All-in-One Nanoparticle: A 'Swiss Army Knife' For Nanomedicine
August 6, 2009 — Nanoparticles are being developed to perform a wide range of medical uses -- imaging tumors, carrying drugs, delivering pulses of heat. Rather than settling for just one of these, researchers have ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727191923.htm
Decoding Leukemia Patient Genome Leads Scientists To Mutations In Other Patients
August 6, 2009 — Scientists have sequenced the complete genome of a patient with acute myeloid leukemia, discovering a suite of genetic changes in the cancer cells. Their research has revealed that one of these ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805171107.htm
MRI May Help Physicians Diagnose, Stage And Treat Diabetes
August 6, 2009 — Noninvasive imaging may aid physicians in the early diagnosis, staging and treatment of diabetes, according to a new study. This is the first study of its kind to apply noninvasive imaging techniques ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805110732.htm
Cardiovascular Risk After Ischemic Attack Predicted By Ultrasound
August 6, 2009 — Ultrasound can be used to determine a patient's heart risk after a transient ischemic attack. An evaluation of transcranial and extracranial Doppler ultrasonography has shown that both future stroke ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729203652.htm
Tumor Mutations Can Predict Chemo Success
August 6, 2009 — Cancer biologists show that the interplay between two key genes that are often defective in tumors determines how cancer cells respond to chemotherapy. The findings should have an immediate impact on ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806170723.htm
Promising Candidate Protein For Cancer Prevention Vaccines
August 5, 2009 — Researchers have learned that some healthy people naturally developed an immune response against a protein that is made in excess levels in many cancers, including breast, lung, and head and neck ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804111730.htm
Unraveling How Cells Respond To Low Oxygen
August 5, 2009 — Scientists have elucidated how the stability of the REDD1 protein is regulated. The REDD1 protein is a critical inhibitor of the mTOR signaling pathway, which controls cell growth and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805164915.htm
Cardiovascular Diseases: Researchers Have Found A Way To Treat Ischemic Pathologies
August 5, 2009 — Scientists have developed a new area of research which looks extremely promising regarding the development of new therapeutic responses to ischemic pathologies and cardiovascular diseases in ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805075753.htm
'Brain Exercises' May Delay Memory Decline In Dementia
August 4, 2009 — People who engage in activities that exercise the brain, such as reading, writing, and playing card games, may delay the rapid memory decline that occurs if they later develop dementia, according to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803172940.htm
Tiny Device To 'Sniff Out' Disease, Heart Attacks, Poison And Environmental Pollution Developed
August 4, 2009 — Scientists have coupled biological materials with an electrode-based device to create a customizable sensor that can detect pathogens and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803132744.htm
Source - Health Day:
Health Highlights: Aug. 7, 2009
- FDA Head Promises Stronger Enforcement Of Food/Drug Safety
- Scientists Identify Itch-Transmitting Cells
- Ground Beef Recalled Over Salmonella Concerns
- Seasonal Flu Vaccines Shipped Early
- Clinton-Brokered Deal to Bring Low-Cost HIV Meds to Poorer Nations
Preventive measures urgently needed, researcher says.
Rapid Swine Flu Test Misses Many Infections
Doctors should diagnose based on symptoms and strains in circulation, experts say
Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 6, 2009
- Major Depression
- High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
- Osteoarthritis
Rate of increase now outstrips that for heart disease, cancer, data shows
Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 5, 2009
- Overactive Bladder
- Healthy Male Volunteers
- Pain After Shingles
- High Cholesterol and High Triglyceride
- Endometriosis
- Atrial Fibrillation
Source - Yahoo Biotech News:
When a $6M Company Signs a Potentially $50M Deal...
Opexa shares quadrupled on news of a deal that could be worth almost ten times its market cap from yesterday.
Celgene slips as analyst doubts Revlimid sales
Shares of Celgene Corp. gave up some of their recent gains Thursday after an analyst downgraded the stock, saying the biotechnology company and its cancer drug Revlimid may not meet Wall Street's expectations.
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Announces Initiation of Phase I/II Clinical Trial of Novel Vaccine for Patients With Advanced Prostate Cancer
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced dosing of the first patient in a Phase I/II clinical trial of BP-GMAX-CD1, a novel pharmacologically regulated dendritic cell vaccine for the treatment of prostate cancer.
President Clinton, Pfizer, and Mylan Announce New Agreements to Lower Prices of Medicines for Patients with Drug-Resistant HIV in Developing Countries
NEW YORK----President Bill Clinton announced two important and complementary agreements today to enable better, more affordable treatments for patients on second-line antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS in the developing world.
Source - Google Health News:
How Safe Is The Swine Flu Vaccine?
Free Internet Press
In 2004, a new type of killer bird flu virus known as H5N1 made headlines when it became known that the resulting illness was fatal in 60 percent of those ...
WHO sees swine flu vaccination from next month
Reuters
Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research, said manufacturers had initially reported poor yields in making vaccine, ...
Gene therapy
The Engineer
Patients suffering from a rare congenital liver disease could be cured with a technique that delivers gene therapy directly to the organ. ...
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Awards 100 Projects, $30 ...
Media Newswire (press release)
... awards that fund more than 100 studies in gene therapy, robotics, public education, neurological disorders, tobacco's effect on health and more. ...
Stemming Sickle Cells
ColorsNW
The third type of treatment is gene therapy, one of the areas of research being conducted at UW. Sickle cell, Blau explains, is caused by a mutation in one ...
Testing Gene Therapy to Improve Brain Function in Alzheimer's ...
UCSD Medical Center
... of California San Diego are about to launch a Phase 2 clinical trial to test a gene therapy treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) called CERE-110. ...
'Batman' cancer treatment lands U of M funding for clinical trial
KARE
Pluhar, a veterinary surgeon at the College of Veterinary Medicine's Veterinary Medical Center, and Ohlfest, head of the neurosurgery gene therapy program ...
Nanoparticles an Option Over Viruses in Gene Therapy
Medgadget.com
Viruses are popular delivery vehicles for gene therapy applications, but they suffer from numerous potential side effects. In order to bypass their use ...
Source - Medical News Today:
Breakthrough Breast Cancer Scientists Reveal New Sensitive Method For Identifying Additional Women Who Could Benefit From Herceptin
Research by Breakthrough Breast Cancer scientists has revealed a new sensitive method that may help identify additional women who could benefit from the drug trastuzumab (Herceptin
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160136.php
WHO Maintains That 2B Worldwide Could Get H1N1
The WHO on Tuesday maintained that roughly two billion people could become infected with the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, Reuters
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159982.php
Fountain Of Youth? Cutting Calories May Add Years To Your Life
Growing scientific evidence indicates that people who adhere to a special calorie-restricted diet can improve their health and could potentially add years to their lifespan, according to an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine. C&EN contributing editor Laura Cassiday notes in the article that researchers have known for decades that calorie restriction - reducing calorie intake without compromising nutrition - slows aging, extends lifespan, and fights disease in animals. Mice fed a calorie-restricted diet, for example, had a 30 percent increase in lifespan, while calorie-restricted monkeys were healthier and had a three-times lower rate of death from age-related causes than controls, the article notes. Recent studies suggest that people on these diets may gain similar benefits.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159917.php
First Human Demonstration Of Significant, Persistent Antibody Response Using Electroporation-Delivered DNA Vaccine Published In Human Gene Therapy
Inovio Biomedical Corporation (NYSE Amex: INO), a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today new data representing what Inovio believes to be the first demonstration of a significantly increased and persistent level of antibody response generated by a DNA vaccine delivered using electroporation. The results, generated in a clinical study conducted by Inovio's collaborators, the University of Southampton and The Institute of Cancer Research in the U.K., were published in the medical journal Human Gene Therapy, July 20, 2009, in a paper entitled, "DNA vaccination with electroporation induces increased antibody responses in patients with prostate cancer." The DNA vaccine is designed to induce a strong helper T-cell response, with the aim of enhancing induction of a cytotoxic T-cell response against tumor cells. Measuring antibody (humoral) responses against the helper sequence in the vaccine may help judge the vaccine's potential performance. It may also allow predictions of vaccine performance in other settings, for example, against viral and bacterial diseases, where strong antibody responses are imperative in providing protection.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159908.php
Largest Lung Cancer Study, MAGRIT, Shows Collective Commitment To Development Of Tailored Cancer Therapy
Data presented on Sunday at the The International Society of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 13th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in San Francisco highlight the screening of over 3,000 patients for MAGRIT (MAGE-A3 as Adjuvant Non-Small Cell LunG CanceR ImmunoTherapy)1, the largest-ever treatment trial in lung cancer. The rapid screening of patients into the MAGRIT trial is unprecedented given so few eligible lung cancer patients (less than 1% in the U.S.2) traditionally enter clinical trials and benefit from the potential hope of novel treatments. MAGRIT is a phase III study investigating the efficacy of MAGE-A3 (Melanoma AntiGEn-A3) Antigen-Specific Cancer Immunotherapeutic (ASCI) in preventing cancer relapse, when given after tumor resection in patients with MAGE-A3-positive stages IB, II and IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). The large trial population also provides a unique opportunity for translational research on other important questions about the prognosis and treatment of NSCLC.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159893.php
University Of Miami Researchers Demonstrate How Stem Cell Line Regenerates New Cardiac Cells
As the field of stem cell based therapies has progressed, there have been numerous questions about the exact way one of the most promising lines of adult stem cells
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159786.php
Researchers Identify New Method To Selectively Kill Metastatic Melanoma Cells
An international team of researchers has identified a new method for selectively killing metastatic melanoma cells, which may lead to new areas for drug development in melanoma - a cancer that is highly resistant to current treatment strategies. Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University, in collaboration with a team of researchers led by Maria S. Soengas, Ph.D., with the Spanish National Cancer Research Center in Madrid, Spain, found that activation of a specific molecular pathway triggers melanoma cells to begin a process of self-destruction - through self-digestion and programmed cell death. The study is published in the August 4 print issue of the journal Cancer Cell.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159739.php
Source - MIT's Technology Review:
Cell on a Chip
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23122/
Rapid TB Detector
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23110/
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