GBP Health / Biotech News 11-23-2009

Since August, 2005, this news digest has been a complimentary service of GBP Capital, a private equity firm investing in early to mid-stage life science companies. Please see www.gbpcap.com <http://www.gbpcap.com> for more information. The digest is published roughly biweekly. If you have colleagues who would be interested in receiving this digest, they can be added to the list at: www.gbpcap.com <http://www.gbpcap.com> . To search the archive of all published digests please visit: www.gpbcap.com/ja/news/news-digest-archive.html <http://www.gbpcap.com/ja/news/news-digest-archive.html>

Source - EurekAlert — Biology:

Public Release: 23-Nov-2009
Cell Transplantation
Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant may help lung, heart disorders
Two studies published in Cell Transplantation investigating the use of human umbilical cord blood stem cell (UCB) transplants for lung and heart disorders in animal models found beneficial results. When human UCB-derived mensenchymal cells were transplanted into newborn laboratory rats with induced oxygen-deprived injury, the effects of the injury lessened. A second study found that UCB mononuclear cells transplanted into sheep with a right ventricular malfunction beneficially altered the malfunction and enhanced diastolic function.
Korea Research Foundation, Medipost Research Institute

Contact: Won Soon Park
wonspark@skku.edu
Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair

Public Release: 23-Nov-2009
Nature Neuroscience
Upending textbook science on Alzheimer's disease
In a new study published in Nature Neuroscience, Dr. Inna Slutsky of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine finds that the amyloid-beta protein, currently the target of Alzheimer's drug research, is essential for normal information transfer through nerve cell networks in the brain. "If this protein is removed from the brain," says Dr. Slutsky, "it may cause an impairment of neuronal function, as well as a further and faster accumulation of amyloid-beta in Alzheimer's."

Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Public Release: 22-Nov-2009
Nature Medicine
New understanding about mechanism for cell death after stroke leads to possible therapy
Scientists at the Brain Research Centre, a partnership of the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, have uncovered new information about the mechanism by which brain cells die following a stroke, as well as a possible way to mitigate that damage. The results of the study were recently published online in Nature Medicine.

Contact: Melissa Ashman
mashman@brain.ubc.ca
604-827-3396
University of British Columbia

Public Release: 22-Nov-2009
Nature
Cancer metabolism discovery uncovers new role of IDH1 gene mutation in brain cancer
Agios Pharmaceuticals scientists have established, for the first time, that the mutated IDH1 gene has a novel enzyme activity consistent with a cancer-causing gene, or oncogene. The mutated form of IDH1 produces a metabolite, 2-hydroxyglutarate, which may contribute to the formation and malignant progression of gliomas, the most common type of brain cancers, through altered metabolic activity. This discovery appears to reverse the previously held belief that IDH1 was non functional for cancer-causing activity.
Agios Pharmaceuticals

Contact: Kathryn Morris
kathryn@kmorrispr.com
845-635-9828
Yates Public Relations

Public Release: 19-Nov-2009
Journal of Neurophysiology
Drug studied as possible treatment for spinal injuries
Researchers have shown how an experimental drug might restore the function of nerves damaged in spinal cord injuries by preventing short circuits caused when tiny "potassium channels" in the fibers are exposed.
National Institutes of Health, Purdue Research Foundation

Contact: Emil Venere
venere@purdue.edu
765-494-4709
Purdue University

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.

Adult Cell Self-Renewal Without Stem Cells?

November 23, 2009 — Is the indefinite self-renewal of adult cells possible without recourse to stem cell intermediates? Scientists have shown that it is possible, by achieving the ex vivo regeneration of macrophages, ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103838.htm

Bladder Cancer Risks Increase Over Time for Smokers

November 23, 2009 — Risk of bladder cancer for smokers has increased since the mid-1990s, with a risk progressively increasing to a level five times higher among current smokers in New Hampshire than that among ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116163208.htm

How Does Embryo's Pancreas 'Know' Which Cells Are to Produce Insulin?

November 23, 2009 — How does the developing pancreas in an embryo 'know' which cells are to produce insulin and which cells are to have other assignments? Researchers need to understand this if they want to be able to ...http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113174802.htm

New Cancer Target for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

November 23, 2009 — Physician-scientists have discovered a molecular mechanism that may prove to be a powerful target for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects lymphocytes, or white ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122161753.htm

New Research Shows Versatility of Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells

November 23, 2009 — For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that stem cells found in amniotic fluid meet an important test of potential to become specialized cell types, which suggests they may be useful for ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123083658.htm

Laser Therapy Can Aggravate Skin Cancer, Study Finds

November 20, 2009 — High irradiances of low-level laser therapy should not be used over melanomas. Researchers studied the pain relieving, anti-inflammatory "cold laser," finding that it caused increased tumor growth in ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193805.htm

First Reconstitution of an Epidermis from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

November 20, 2009 — Researchers in France have just succeeded in recreating a whole epidermis from human embryonic stem cells. The goal is to one day be able to propose this unlimited resource of cells as an alternative ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193811.htm

Reasonable Alternative to Invasive Biopsy of Palpable Breast Lesions With Benign Imaging Features Suggested by Study

November 20, 2009 — Short-term follow-up is a reasonable alternative to invasive biopsy of palpable (capable of being touched or felt) breast lesions with benign imaging features, particularly in younger women with ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120111551.htm

New Mechanism Identified for Beneficial Effects of Aspirin in Cardiovascular Disease

November 19, 2009 — New data in humans shows that all doses of aspirin used in clinical practice increase nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is released from the blood vessel wall and may decrease the development and ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116205246.htm

Drug Approvals Taking as Long as Ever, Despite New Information Technology at FDA

November 19, 2009 — Drug approvals are taking just as long as they ever did despite increased expenditure on new information technology at the Food and drug Administration. So says a statistical analysis of approval ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119101044.htm

Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: Nov. 23, 2009

• NFL May Change Concussion Policy
• Health Care Reform Bill Moves to Senate Floor for Debate
• U.S. Military Studying PTSD Risk Factors
• University of Nebraska May Restrict Stem Cell Research
• Trial of Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy for Eye Disease Planned

Quick Saliva Test May One Day Diagnose Diseases
Age-related protein changes offer clues to treatment advances, study finds

Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 23, 2009

• Psoriasis
• High Blood Pressure
• Bipolar Disorder

Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 20, 2009

• H1N1 Flu Vaccine
• Atrial Fibrillation
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

StemCells, Inc. Initiates Landmark Trial Targeting "Communication Highway" of the Brain - Business Wire - Mon 8:57 am ET
PALO ALTO, Calif.----StemCells, Inc. announced today that it has commenced patient recruitment for a Phase I clinical trial designed to test the safety and preliminary efficacy of its HuCNS-SC� purified human neural stem cells in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease , a neurological disorder that primarily afflicts children.

Dendreon's Provenge gets FDA review date - AP - Fri Nov 20
Biotechnology company Dendreon Corp. said Friday the Food and Drug Administration will make a regulatory decision on the potential prostate cancer vaccine Provenge by May 1.

Source - Google Health News:

Shedding light on how the brain works
Boston Globe
Now, by using gene therapy to insert light-sensitive proteins from algae and other organisms into brain cells, scientists are able to control specific brain ...

H1N1 pandemic highlights world health emergency vulnerabilities
Ethiopian Review
... something not as bad as H5N1, would your government have felt that it could say, let's broker a deal and give away 10 percent of our vaccine in wartime? ...

Source - Medical News Today:

Opiate Painkillers May Encourage Spread Of Cancer

New research from the US adds weight to the growing body of evidence that opiate-based painkillers like morphine, which has been used to treat postoperative and chronic cancer pain for two hundred years, encourage cancer cells to grow and spread. If confirmed with clinical studies, these findings could change the type of anasthetics given to cancer patients during surgery and the type of painkillers they use afterwards. Two new studies, presented last week at the "Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics" meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, held by the American Association for Cancer Research, the National Cancer Institute, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, showed how shielding lung cancer cells from opiates reduced cell proliferation, invasion and migration in cell cultures and in mice.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171900.php

Researchers Identify Role Of Gene In Tumor Development

Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers have identified a gene that may play a pivotal role in two processes that are essential for tumor development, growth and progression to metastasis. Scientists hope the finding could lead to an effective therapy to target and inhibit the expression of this gene resulting in inhibition ofcancer growth. According to Paul B. Fisher, M.Ph., Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, director of the VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine in the VCU School of Medicine, and program leader of Cancer Molecular Genetics at the Massey Cancer Center, the team has shown that astrocyte elevated gene-1, AEG-1, a cancer promoting gene, is involved in both oncogenic transformation, which is the conversion of a normal cell to a cancer cell, and angiogenesis, which is the formation of new blood cells. Oncogenic transformation and angiogenesis are critical for tumor development, growth and progression to metastasis.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171756.php

Stopping Tissue Stiffening Is Key To Preventing Aggressive Cancers

Scientists have identified an enzyme that is crucial for turning abnormal but non-malignant breast tissue into tumours, according to a study published today in Cell online. Blocking the enzyme lysyl oxidase (LOX) reduced the chance a tumour would form, and also meant tumours that did develop were smaller and less aggressive.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171678.php

Potential Strategy To Help Generate HIV-Neutralizing Antibodies

WHAT: New discoveries about anti-HIV antibodies may bring researchers a step closer to creating an effective HIV vaccine, according to a new paper co-authored by scientists at the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Scientists know that an HIV-neutralizing antibody called b12 binds to gp120, an HIV surface protein, at one of the few areas of the virus that does not mutate: the site where gp120 initially attaches to human immune cells (http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2007/b12antibody.htm). It was thought that exposing the human immune system to this site on gp120 would generate antibodies that, like b12, can neutralize HIV. Studies have found that for unknown reasons, however, the vast majority of antibodies that recognize this site do not block the virus from infecting cells. Now a new study solves this puzzle, suggesting that antibodies must home in precisely on the site of initial gp120 attachment to successfully neutralize HIV.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171716.php

Cancers' Sweet Tooth May Be Weakness

The pedal-to-the-metal signals driving the growth of several types of cancer cells lead to a common switch governing the use of glucose, researchers at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University have discovered. Scientists who study cancer have known for decades that cancer cells tend to consume more glucose, or blood sugar, than healthy cells. This tendency is known as the "Warburg effect," honoring discoverer Otto Warburg, a German biochemist who won the 1931 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Now a Winship-led team has identified a way to possibly exploit cancer cells' taste for glucose.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171556.php

Source - MIT's Technology Review:

Potential Treatment for Down Syndrome

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23979/

Enhancing Access to Genomic Medicine

http://www.technologyreview.com/business/23997/

GBP Health / Biotech News 11-18-2009

Since August, 2005, this news digest has been a complimentary service of GBP Capital, a private equity firm investing in early to mid-stage life science companies. Please see www.gbpcap.com <http://www.gbpcap.com> for more information. The digest is published two to four days a week. If you have colleagues who would be interested in receiving this digest, they can be added to the list at: www.gbpcap.com <http://www.gbpcap.com> . To search the archive of all published digests please visit: www.gpbcap.com/ja/news/news-digest-archive.html <http://www.gbpcap.com/ja/news/news-digest-archive.html>

Source - EurekAlert – Biology:


Public Release: 18-Nov-2009
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
Texas A&M Researchers Examine How Viruses Destroy Bacteria <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-11/tau-tar111809.php>
Viruses are well known for attacking humans and animals, but some viruses instead attack bacteria. Texas A&M University researchers are exploring how hungry viruses, armed with transformer-like weapons, attack bacteria, which may aid in the treatment of bacterial infections.
Contact: Sun Qingan
q-sun@neo.tamu.edu <mailto:q-sun@neo.tamu.edu>
979-862-7639
Texas A&M University <http://www.tamu.edu/>



Public Release: 18-Nov-2009
Journal of American Chemical Society
New on-off 'switch' triggers and reverses paralysis in animals with a beam of light <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-11/acs-no111809.php>
In an advance with overtones of Star Trek phasers and other sci-fi ray guns, scientists in Canada are reporting development of an internal on-off "switch" that paralyzes animals when exposed to a beam of ultraviolet light. The animals stay paralyzed even when the light is turned off. When exposed to ordinary light, the animals become unparalyzed and wake up.
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org <mailto:m_bernstein@acs.org>
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society <http://www.acs.org/>



Public Release: 18-Nov-2009
Science Signaling
Cancers' sweet tooth may be weakness <http://shared.web.emory.edu/whsc/news/releases/2009/11/cancers-sweet-tooth-may-be-weakness.html>
Cancer cells tend to take up more glucose than healthy cells and metabolize it in a process called glycolysis. An enzyme called PKM2 that governs cancer cells' preference for glucose may be a valuable anti-cancer drug target.
National Institutes of Health, American Cancer Society, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
Contact: Vince Dollard
vdollar@emory.edu <mailto:vdollar@emory.edu>
404-778-4580
Emory University <http://www.emory.edu/>



Public Release: 17-Nov-2009
Nature Cell Biology
Cross-country runabouts -- immune cells on the move <http://goto.mpg.de/mpg/news/20091116/>
In order to effectively fight pathogens, even at remote areas of the human body, immune cells have to move quickly and in a flexible manner.
Contact: Dr. Michael Sixt
sixt@biochem.mpg.de <mailto:sixt@biochem.mpg.de>
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft <http://www.mpg.de/>



Public Release: 17-Nov-2009
BMC Public Health
Immediate, aggressive spending on HIV/AIDS could end epidemic <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-11/bc-ias111609.php>
Money available to treat HIV/AIDS is sufficient to end the epidemic globally, but only if we act immediately to control the spread of the disease, according to research published in BMC Public Health. This approach defies conventional thinking, which recommends gradual spending over 15-20 years. The study was based on a mathematical model developed by mathematicians and biologists, who recently earned acclaim for a study on how best to handle a planetary invasion by zombies.
Contact: Charlotte Webber
charlotte.webber@biomedcentral.com <mailto:charlotte.webber@biomedcentral.com>
44-203-192-2129
BioMed Central <http://www.biomedcentral.com/>



Public Release: 17-Nov-2009
WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology
Small nanoparticles bring big improvement to medical imaging <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-11/nios-snb111709.php>
A joint research team, working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has discovered a method of using nanoparticles to illuminate the cellular interior to reveal the slow, complex processes taking place in a living cell.
Contact: Chad Boutin
boutin@nist.gov <mailto:boutin@nist.gov>
301-975-4261
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) <http://www.nist.gov/>



Public Release: 17-Nov-2009
Journal of Biomedical Materials Research
A second skin <http://www.aftau.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10955>
Tel Aviv University's Prof. Meital Zilberman has developed a new wound dressing, based on innovative fibers that can be loaded with antibiotics, then dissolve when the healing process is completed.
Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org <mailto:ghunka@aftau.org>
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University <http://www.aftau.org/>



Public Release: 16-Nov-2009
Nature Methods
Scientists guide immune cells with light and microparticles <http://www.opa.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=7082>
A team led by Yale University scientists has developed a new approach to studying how immune cells chase down bacteria in our bodies. They used holographic optical tweezers to guide "artificial bacteria" -- microparticles that mimic bacteria by giving off a chemical "scent," stimulating immune cells to respond. By controlling the chemical patterns produced, they were able to study how immune cells respond to and interact with these chemical signals.
German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation
Contact: Suzanne Taylor Muzzin
suzanne.taylormuzzin@yale.edu <mailto:suzanne.taylormuzzin@yale.edu>
203-432-8555
Yale University <http://www.yale.edu/>



Public Release: 15-Nov-2009
American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2009
Tiny particles can deliver antioxidant enzyme to injured heart cells <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-11/eu-tpc111309.php>
Researchers have developed microscopic polymer beads that can deliver an antioxidant enzyme made naturally by the body into the heart. Injecting the enzyme-containing particles into rats' hearts after a simulated heart attack reduced the number of dying cells and resulted in improved heart function days later.
Contact: Jennifer Johnson
jrjohn9@emory.edu <mailto:jrjohn9@emory.edu>
404-727-5696
Emory University <http://www.emory.edu/>


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.


Detonating Tumor-Killer Drug in Cancers on Command <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117190726.htm>
November 18, 2009 — A new delivery and trigger system has for the first time successfully placed TRAIL, a cancer-fighting protein, directly into solid tumors and on cue, turned it on. The treatment improved the 30-day ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117190726.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117190726.htm>


Parkinson's Disease: Findings Could Speed Development of New Drugs <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101357.htm>
November 18, 2009 — Scientists have significantly advanced our understanding of dopamine release from nerve cells, findings that should speed the development of more effective drugs for treating Parkinson's disease. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101357.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101357.htm>


Your Own Stem Cells Can Treat Heart Disease, Study Suggests <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117184541.htm>
November 18, 2009 — The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of patients with severe angina results in ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117184541.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117184541.htm>


World's First Delivery of Intra-Arterial Avastin Directly Into Brain Tumor <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117102048.htm>
November 17, 2009 — Neurosurgeons have performed the world's first intra-arterial cerebral infusion of Avastin (bevacizumab) directly into a patient's malignant brain tumor. This novel technique may expose the cancer to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117102048.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117102048.htm>


New Neuroimaging Analysis Technique Identifies Impact of Alzheimer's Disease Gene in Healthy Brains <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117143413.htm>
November 17, 2009 — Brain imaging can offer a window into risk for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. A new study has demonstrated that genetic risk is expressed in the brains of even those who are healthy, but carry ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117143413.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117143413.htm>


Targeting 'Normal' Cells in Tumors Slows Growth, Researchers Show <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116173205.htm>
November 17, 2009 — Targeting the normal cells that surround cancer cells within and around a tumor is a strategy that could greatly increase the effectiveness of traditional anti-cancer treatments, say ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116173205.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116173205.htm>


New Combination Therapy Could Deliver Powerful Punch to Breast Cancer <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116131723.htm>
November 17, 2009 — A powerful new breast cancer treatment could result from packaging one of the newer drugs that inhibits cancer's hallmark wild growth with another that blocks a primordial survival technique in which ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116131723.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116131723.htm>


On Your Last Nerve: Researchers Advance Understanding of Stem Cells <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117102034.htm>
November 17, 2009 — Researchers have identified a gene that tells embryonic stem cells in the brain when to stop producing nerve cells called neurons. The research is a significant advance in understanding the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117102034.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117102034.htm>


Tiny Particles Can Deliver Antioxidant Enzyme to Injured Heart Cells <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115191019.htm>
November 16, 2009 — Researchers have developed microscopic polymer beads that can deliver an antioxidant enzyme made naturally by the body into the heart. Injecting the enzyme-containing particles into rats' hearts ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115191019.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115191019.htm>


Biosensor to Help Enlist Cancer Resistance Fighters? <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111120722.htm>
November 16, 2009 — A powerful new biosensor will help identify cells in the immune system that actively suppress tumor growth, then put them to use. Enlisting the patient's own immune system would be like sending ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111120722.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111120722.htm>


Imaging Techniques May Help Predict Response to Head and Neck Cancer Treatment <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116165631.htm>
November 16, 2009 — A combination of imaging tests conducted six to eight weeks after patients complete chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer may help identify patients who will respond to treatment and those who ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116165631.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116165631.htm>


Ideal Nanoparticle Cancer Therapies Surf the Bloodstream <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142123.htm>
November 15, 2009 — Researchers are studying blood using computer models that simulate how the fluid and the cells it contains move around. One new study shows how components in blood line up to prepare for healing; ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142123.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142123.htm>


Source - Health Day:


Health Highlights: Nov. 18, 2009 <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=633243>

• Computer Simulation Mimics Cat Brain
• Hyper-Resistant Bacteria Major Health Threat: Experts
• Mini Pump Improves Heart Failure Patients' Survival: Study
• RockHard Dietary Supplement Recalled: FDA
• Microsoft Co-Founder Diagnosed With Lymphoma
  

Morphine May Help Tumors Spread in Cancer Patients <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=633194>
Lab study finds that common surgical painkillers help cancer cells thrive


Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 18, 2009 <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=633237>

• Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
• Ragweed Allergy
• Healthy Volunteers
  

Incidence of High Cholesterol Drops in U.S. <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=633124>
Down by 30 percent, but those with high levels often don't know it, study finds


Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 17, 2009 <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=633196>

• COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
• H1N1 Flu Vaccine
• Pediatric ADHD
  

Clinical Trials Update: Nov. 16, 2009 <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=633155>

• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• Depression
• Type 2 Diabetes
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:


CEL-SCI Announces Start of First Clinical Study of Investigational LEAPS-H1N1 Treatment for Hospitalized H1N1 Infected Patients at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/finance/industry/news/mostpop/*http:/biz.yahoo.com/prnews/091118/ph13360.html?.v=1> - PR Newswire - Wed 9:45 am ET
CEL-SCI Corporation , a developer of vaccines and therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and a late-stage oncology company, announced today the start of the Company's first clinical study for hospitalized H1N1 patients at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine .


Clinical Data, Inc. Initiates Phase III Trial of Stedivaze for Cardiac Stress Testing <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/finance/industry/news/mostpop/*http:/biz.yahoo.com/bw/091118/20091118005616.html?.v=1> - Business Wire - Wed 7:41 am ET
NEWTON, Mass.----Clinical Data, Inc. today announced that it has enrolled the first patient in its initial Phase III trial of Stedivaze™, a potential best-in-class vasodilator for use in cardiac stress testing.


Genzyme ends development of Renvela successor <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/finance/industry/news/mostpop/*http:/biz.yahoo.com/ap/091118/us_genzyme_renvela.html?.v=1> - AP - Wed 7:30 am ET
Genzyme Corp. said Wednesday it is canceling development of a successor to its kidney treatment Renvela, as the new drug did not work much better than Renvela.


Source - Google Health News:

Gene therapy may hold promise for cryptorchid individuals risking infertility <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091118/Gene-therapy-may-hold-promise-for-cryptorchid-individuals-risking-infertility.aspx&ct=ga&cd=x6Wi-pjVyZk&usg=AFQjCNHqDjiCXnNFQYX2sr8VPWPIfGR8bw>
News-Medical.net
Is gene therapy going to replace surgery? The purpose of early medical or surgical treatment of boys with undescended testes is to prevent the development ...



Vaccine Shortage Result of Old Production Tech, Slow Growing Virus <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.hstoday.us/content/view/11112/149/&ct=ga&cd=JxLRiuB9tOk&usg=AFQjCNGDEnhrKyL0f-7yzMGoi-e5Nw_QYw>
HSToday
by Anthony L. Kimery Had the H1N1 influenza pandemic instead been the feared H5N1 pandemic, the on-going shortages of H1N1 vaccine would mean the world ...


Brace yourself for swine flu 2 <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/2733317/Two-Scots-have-a-drug-resistant-form-of-swine-flu.html&ct=ga&cd=YQQAzj_p0pM&usg=AFQjCNHGa30qQ2VWiSZ9MZnuUjBKnTfl2g>
The Sun
About 21500 Scots are now estimated to have contracted the H5N1 bug - up from almost 17500 last week. But experts say it has now combined with another virus ...


Developments for Parkinson's Disease Ignite Investor Enthusiasm <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://seekingalpha.com/article/173459-developments-for-parkinson-s-disease-ignite-investor-enthusiasm&ct=ga&cd=_91g4F5x0-o&usg=AFQjCNEWiX7ucoARpBAvQflsnQiZVGNMGQ>
Seeking Alpha (blog)
We believe gene therapy is among the more promising delivery alternatives for companies seeking to restore abnormal cellular signaling, especially in ...


Breast Cancer Gene May Boost Heart Disease Risk, Study Shows <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news%3Fpid%3D20601124%26sid%3Daox.dDMgdwCw&ct=ga&cd=_91g4F5x0-o&usg=AFQjCNE1Y8P-VcEO3rBanBXItOvK2Rn0bA>
Bloomberg
15 (Bloomberg) -- A gene linked to breast cancer in 1 in 10 Jewish women may raise the risk of heart ailments, says a study in mice using gene therapy to ...


Modern strain similar to virus that caused 'Great Pandemic' of 1918 and killed ... <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_a289c0b2-d19a-11de-ae94-001cc4c002e0.html&ct=ga&cd=1BA14fa_iDw&usg=AFQjCNE9mS26WbM2xqiFb5TRN-J6WkW07A>
Billings Gazette
H5N1 influenza, the so-called “avian flu,” is a shifted form of the virus that scared a lot of people when it was detected in 1997. But, so far, H5N1 has ...


Gene therapy strengthens monkeys' muscles, may eventually work for human diseases <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/11/gene-therapy-strength-monkey-steroid-muscle.html&ct=ga&cd=kqCrgYTNink&usg=AFQjCNHt5LijsY1J9vSKfLzc-bvj4TNCsw>
Los Angeles Times
Many researchers have thus turned to gene therapy, but results have been mixed so far. Physiologist H. Lee Sweeney of the University of Pennsylvania has ...




Source - Medical News Today:


Vaccine To Treat Nicotine Addiction Steps Closer To Market As Companies Agree Option Deal <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171318.php>
An experimental vaccine called NicVAX, designed to treat nicotine addiction that works by stopping the drug from reaching the brain, moved a step closer to the market when the vaccine developer Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (Nabi), based in Rockville, Maryland, US agreed an option and licensing deal with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA (GSK), based in Brussels, Belgium.
The deal also covers the development of a second generation nicotine vaccine, so that even if GSK does not go ahead with its option to sell the current version of NicVAX, they get the right to develop the next generation themselves using Nabi's research and development knowledge.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171318.php <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171318.php>


Newer Heart Devices Significantly Improve Survival, Complication Rate And Quality Of Life <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171374.php>
new generation of implanted devices that help a failing heart function properly is significantly more effective than the previous version, making these new devices an appropriate permanent therapy for many of the more than 5 million Americans who suffer from heart failure <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156849.php> . A research team led by a University of Louisville cardiac surgeon published data to support these conclusions in the November 17, 2009 Online First edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. The results were simultaneously presented in a press briefing at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Fla.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171374.php <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171374.php>


New Technology Drives Therapies For Older Patients, Those With Alzheimer's <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171333.php>
Technology advances are making life better for the elderly and those with Alzheimer's disease <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159442.php> by allowing the older to stay in their homes and giving the ill a way to interact with society again. Kaiser Health News <http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2009/November/17/New-technology.aspx> , in collaboration with The Washington Post <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/16/AR2009111602900.html?hpid%3Dartslot&sub=AR> , reports on "high-tech but simple devices" that are giving older people a better chance at independence later in life as pilot projects in homes and retirement communities see if these approaches can lead to improved at-home patient monitoring. "The goal is to help control problems before they escalate and cut back on the need for costly long-term care and hospital admissions - especially repeat hospital visits for chronic conditions. … The hope is that by closely monitoring patients at home, some of these (major health) events can be avoided or managed better" (Olson, 11/17).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171333.php <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171333.php>


10 Technologies That Made News In 2009 And Warrant Watching In 2010 <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171211.php>
A first-of-its kind inhalable measles <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37135.php> vaccine for developing countries, where the disease remains a scourge. A "nanogenerator" that could recharge iPods and other electronic devices with a shake. And for Fido and Fluffy, a long-awaited once-a-month pill for both ticks and fleas.
It's list season, the time to prepare inventories of what stood out in 2009 and holds promise for the year ahead. Those three advances are among more than 250 research advances publicized in 2009 by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Office of Public Affairs. Here is a sampler:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171211.php <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171211.php>


The Use Of Stem Cells In Regenerative Medicine May Be Detrimental For Health <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170894.php>
The use of stem cells <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/stem_cell/whatarestemcells.php> in regenerative medicine is not always beneficial for human health, it may even be harmful according to a work done by the University of Granada and University of León. Scientists have demonstrated that transplantation of human mononuclear cells isolated from umbilical cord blood exerted a deleterious effect in rats with liver cirrhosis. Researchers aimed to investigate whether the mononuclear cell fraction of human cord blood (HUCBM cells), which contains stem cells, might be useful in hepatic regenerative medicine. Both histological and biochemical findings obtained in this research suggest that cell transplantation did not improve the health of sick animals but it induced a hepatorenal syndrome instead.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170894.php <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170894.php>



Source - MIT's Technology Review:


New Hope for Neuron Protection <http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23960/>
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23960/ <http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23960/>