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. See www.gbpcap.com. The digest is published two to four days a week. If you have colleagues who would be interested in receiving this digest by email, they can be added to the list at: http://www.gbpcap.com/ <http://www.gbpcap.com/> . Also, the complete history of the entire content of all news articles in our digests since August, 2005 is searchable with Google's enterprise search engine at the same site.
Source - EurekAlert - Biology:
Public Release: 17-Dec-2009
UR study reveals chemo's toxicity to brain, possible treatment <http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/index.cfm?id=2713>
Researchers have developed a novel animal model showing that four commonly used chemotherapy drugs disrupt the birth of new brain cells, and that the condition could be partially reversed with the growth factor IGF-1.
Contact: Leslie Orr and Leslie White
Leslie_Orr@urmc.rochester.edu <mailto:Leslie_Orr@urmc.rochester.edu>
585-275-5774
University of Rochester Medical Center <http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/>
Public Release: 17-Dec-2009
Umbilical cord could be new source of plentiful stem cells, say Pitt researchers <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/uops-ucc121709.php>
Stem cells that could one day provide therapeutic options for muscle and bone disorders can be easily harvested from the tissue of the umbilical cord, just as the blood that goes through it provides precursor cells to treat some blood disorders, say University of Pittsburgh researchers in the Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology.
Contact: Anita Srikameswaran
SrikamAV@upmc.edu <mailto:SrikamAV@upmc.edu>
412-578-9193
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences <http://www.upmc.com/communications/newsbureau>
Public Release: 17-Dec-2009
Researchers design a tool to induce controlled suicide in human cells <http://www.irbbarcelona.org/index.php/en/news/irb-news/scientific/researchers-design-a-tool-to-induce-controlled-suicide-in-human-cells>
Researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine have designed a new tool to study rescue signaling pathways and cell suicide in depth.
Contact: Sònia Armengou
sonia.armengou@irbbarcelona.org <mailto:sonia.armengou@irbbarcelona.org>
34-934-037-255
Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) <http://www.irbbarcelona.org/>
Public Release: 17-Dec-2009
Major breakthrough may pave the way for therapeutic vaccines <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/uu-mbm121709.php>
It should be possible to use therapeutic vaccines to create both cheap and effective drugs for diseases like cancer and allergies. One problem in developing such vaccines has previously been the lack of adjuvants, substances that make vaccines more effective. However, there has now been a major breakthrough in this area. The study, led by scientists at Uppsala University, is published in the December issue of the journal Vaccine.
Contact: Lars Hellman
lars.hellman@icm.uu.se <mailto:lars.hellman@icm.uu.se>
46-018-471-4532
Uppsala University <http://www.uu.se/>
Public Release: 17-Dec-2009
Studies generate hundreds of leads in the fight against the H1N1 pandemic <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/cp-sgh121409.php>
Scientists have generated hundreds of new leads in the fight against the H1N1 flu pandemic, according to two new studies published online Dec. 17 in the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication. Both research teams took comprehensive approaches to understanding the interaction of H1N1 strains with human cells, yielding results that point toward new targets for therapy and perhaps also new tools to speed vaccine production, the researchers say.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com <mailto:cgenova@cell.com>
617-397-2802
Cell Press <http://www.cellpress.com/>
Public Release: 17-Dec-2009
Researchers create new 'smart' nanocapsule delivery system for use in protein therapy <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/uoc--rcn121709.php>
Today protein therapy is considered the most direct and safe approach for treating diseases. However the effectiveness of this treatment has been limited by its low delivery efficiency and poor stability against proteases. UCLA researchers have recently unveiled a new novel intracellular delivery platform based on nanocapsules consisting of a single-protein core and a thin permeable polymeric shell that can be engineered to either degrade or remain stable for different size substrates.
Contact: Wileen Wong Kromhout
wwkromhout@support.ucla.edu <mailto:wwkromhout@support.ucla.edu>
310-206-0540
University of California - Los Angeles <http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/>
Public Release: 17-Dec-2009
Gene linked to a rare form of progressive hearing loss in males is identified <http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/news/releases/09/12_17_09>
A gene associated with a rare form of progressive deafness in males has been identified by an international team of researchers funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The gene, PRPS1, appears to be crucial in inner ear development and maintenance.
Contact: Robin Latham
lathamr@nidcd.nih.gov <mailto:lathamr@nidcd.nih.gov>
301-496-7243
NIH/National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders <http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/>
Public Release: 16-Dec-2009
Scientists use DNA sequencing to attack lung cancer <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/usmc-sud121509.php>
Aided by next-generation DNA sequencing technology, an international team of researchers has gained insights into how more than 60 carcinogens associated with cigarette smoke bind to and chemically modify human DNA, ultimately leading to cancer-causing genetic mutations.
Contact: Connie Piloto
connie.piloto@utsouthwestern.edu <mailto:connie.piloto@utsouthwestern.edu>
214-648-3404
UT Southwestern Medical Center <http://www.swmed.edu/>
Public Release: 15-Dec-2009
Heart cells on lab chip display 'nanosense' that guides behavior <http://releases.jhu.edu/2009/12/15/on-new-lab-chip-heart-cells-display-a-%E2%80%98nanosense%E2%80%99-that-guides-their-behavior/>
Biomedical engineers have produced a laboratory chip with nanoscopic grooves and ridges capable of growing cardiac tissue that more closely resembles natural heart muscle.
Contact: Mary Spiro
mspiro@jhu.edu <mailto:mspiro@jhu.edu>
410-516-4802
Johns Hopkins University <http://www.jhu.edu/>
Public Release: 14-Dec-2009
Nanoprobes hit targets in tumors, could lessen chemo side effects <http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2009b/091214IrudayarajEndosomes.html>
Tiny nanoprobes have shown to be effective in delivering cancer drugs more directly to tumor cells -- mitigating the damage to nearby healthy cells -- and Purdue University research has shown that the nanoprobes are getting the drugs to right cellular compartments.
Contact: Brian Wallheimer
bwallhei@purdue.edu <mailto:bwallhei@purdue.edu>
765-496-2050
Purdue University <http://www.purdue.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.
New MRI Safety Risk for Patients With Pacemakers Identified <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091214201005.htm>
December 18, 2009 — Researchers have found that certain cardiac pacemakers may inadequately stimulate a patient's heart while undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan due to the magnetic pulses mixing with the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091214201005.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091214201005.htm>
Stratifying Breast Cancer Without Biopsy: Researchers Identify Possible Imaging Method <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091217150842.htm>
December 18, 2009 — Scientists have discovered a possible way for malignant breast tumors to be identified, without the need for a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091217150842.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091217150842.htm>
Diet High in Methionine Could Increase Risk of Alzheimer's <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216121456.htm>
December 17, 2009 — A diet rich in methionine, an amino acid typically found in red meats, fish, beans, eggs, garlic, lentils, onions, yogurt and seeds, can possibly increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216121456.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216121456.htm>
DNA Sequencing Used to Attack Lung Cancer <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216131757.htm>
December 17, 2009 — Aided by next-generation DNA sequencing technology, researchers have gained insights into how more than 60 carcinogens associated with cigarette smoke bind to and chemically modify human DNA, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216131757.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216131757.htm>
Lack of Diversity in Embryonic Stem Cell Lines
December 17, 2009 — The most widely used human embryonic stem cell lines lack genetic diversity, a finding that raises social justice questions that must be addressed to ensure that all sectors of society benefit from ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216203453.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216203453.htm>
Lung Cancer and Melanoma Laid Bare <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216131751.htm>
December 17, 2009 — Researchers have generated the first comprehensive analysis of a malignant melanoma and a lung cancer genome. The results, which reveal essentially all the mutations in the genomes, will provide ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216131751.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091216131751.htm>
The Need for Cardio-Oncology: Treating Cancer and Protecting the Heart <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091210162220.htm>
December 17, 2009 — Cardiologists and oncologists must work together in an attempt to avoid or prevent adverse cardiovascular effects in patients from certain chemotherapies, especially for those who may be at a higher ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091210162220.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091210162220.htm>
Programmed Cell Death: Pores Finding Reveals Targets for Cancer and Degenerative Disease <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091218094700.htm>
December 17, 2009 — Scientists have identified a key step in the biological process of programmed cell death, also called apoptosis. The research is crucial to the development of drugs that can turn on apoptosis, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091218094700.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091218094700.htm>
Targeting Brain Cancer Cell Metabolism May Provide New Treatment <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215102216.htm>
December 16, 2009 — Inhibiting fatty acid synthesis in brain cancer cells may offer a new option to treat about 50 percent of deadly glioblastomas that are driven by amplified signaling of the epidermal growth factor ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215102216.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215102216.htm>
More Blood Vessels in Hormone-Resistant Prostate Tumors <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215101712.htm>
December 16, 2009 — Patients with advanced prostate cancer are often treated with hormones, but when the tumors start growing again they have more and different blood vessels, reveals research from Sweden. This ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215101712.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215101712.htm>
Researchers Find High Leptin Levels May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215173006.htm>
December 16, 2009 — Researchers have found that higher leptin (a protein that controls weight and appetite) levels were associated with a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The study may open pathways ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215173006.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215173006.htm>
Nanoprobes Hit Targets in Tumors, Could Lessen Chemo Side Effects <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091214152020.htm>
December 15, 2009 — Tiny nanoprobes have shown to be effective in delivering cancer drugs more directly to tumor cells -- mitigating the damage to nearby healthy cells -- and new research has shown that the nanoprobes ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091214152020.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091214152020.htm>
Tracking New Cancer-Killing Particles With MRI <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091214131130.htm>
December 15, 2009 — Researchers have created a single nanoparticle that can be tracked in real time with MRI as it homes in on cancer cells, tags them with a fluorescent dye and kills them with heat. The all-in-one ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091214131130.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091214131130.htm>
Source - Health Day:
Health Highlights: Dec. 18 2009 <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=634255>
- African, Asian Orphanages Provide Good Care: Study
- CDC Failed to Screen Vaccine Panel Experts: Report
- Eleven Infant Deaths Linked to Simplicity Cribs: CPSC
- Early Treatment for Tinnitus May Be Possible: Researchers
- Personality Affects Med Students' Success: Study
Immune system turns off antibodies that could block HIV, study finds
Clinical Trials Update: Dec. 18, 2009 <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=634252>
- HPV Vaccine (11-15 Years Old)
- Hepatitis C
- Acute Low Back Pain
- High Blood Pressure
- Osteoporosis
- Constipation
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)
- GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)
Source - Yahoo Biotech News:
Celgene's Revlimid meets cancer study goal <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/finance/industry/news/mostpop/*http:/biz.yahoo.com/ap/091218/us_celgene_study.html?.v=2> - AP - Fri 8:28 am ET
Celgene Corp. said Friday data from a late-stage study show Revlimid significantly slowed the progression of multiple myeloma in patients following a type of stem cell treatment.
Anadys hepatitis C drug meets key study goals <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/finance/industry/news/mostpop/*http:/biz.yahoo.com/ap/091217/us_anadys_pharmaceuticals_study.html?.v=1> - AP - Thu 11:15 am ET
Anadys Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Thursday its experimental hepatitis C drug is meeting key goals in a midstage clinical trial.
Cell Therapeutics Announces FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee to Review Pixantrone for the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, February 10, 2010 <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/finance/industry/news/mostpop/*http:/biz.yahoo.com/prnews/091217/sf27649.html?.v=1> - PR Newswire - Thu 1:30 am ET
Cell Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that on February 10, 2010 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee will review the New Drug Application for pixantrone for the treatment of relapsed/refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma .
Source - Google Health News:
EU Panel Backs DuoCover From Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091218-704618.html&ct=ga&cd=sx8mAUBvCT4&usg=AFQjCNGN5Q_7atALjGSy6gIA1vL8uV75gQ>
Wall Street Journal
Cerepro is a gene therapy medicinal product, intended for the treatment of high-grade glioma (a type of brain tumour). -The Committee adopted positive ...
90% Sickle Cell Patients Cured by Breakthrough Treatment <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://blog.taragana.com/health/stemcell/2009/12/17/90-sickle-cell-patients-cured-by-breakthrough-treatment-4003/&ct=ga&cd=sx8mAUBvCT4&usg=AFQjCNFNXioXxF-lisoD8EZgYqICFqFFEA>
Gaea Times (blog)
Scientists are hopeful that gene therapy will knock out the disease in near future while stressing on transplantation being the immediate solution to sickle ...
Boston University School of Medicine's pulmonary center receives $1.4 million ... <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/bumc-bus121609.php&ct=ga&cd=kyiHh2N9Ai4&usg=AFQjCNFe-hnffEC_Krkk8r-z0kuKDbjWBA>
EurekAlert (press release)
Kotton's research focuses on stem cell biology and gene therapy related to lung injury and repair. He is a principal investigator in the Boston University ...
Oxford BioMedica Receives Orphan Designation for Gene Therapy Treatment for ... <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/11368/oxford-biomedica-receives-orphan-designation-for-gene-therapy-treatment-for-stargardt-disease--11368.html&ct=ga&cd=EbH7ip1Jn20&usg=AFQjCNEGWCcdU4yapaj_rC>
Proactive Investors UK
Gene therapy developers, Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB) announced its StarGen therapy has received orphan treatment designation from the European Medicines ...
2009 in review <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/56215/&ct=ga&cd=EbH7ip1Jn20&usg=AFQjCNEWjPJj2o2pQwhRDhX1XLPVTyRHiQ>
Scientist (blog)
Results of two promising gene therapy trials, on top of a handful of recent successes, suggest the field is beginning to put its troubled past behind it.
GSK and Intercell team on patch that could make H5N1 vacc go further <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/Product-Categories/Drug-delivery-systems/GSK-and-Intercell-team-on-patch-that-could-make-H5N1-vacc-go-further&ct=ga&cd=SMTaAvLL--M&usg=AFQjCNGvMDeNwrot8rTh2QOOo4pRsyDqZQ>
In-PharmaTechnologist.com
And, although reports suggest that vaccine take-up rates worldwide are less than originally predicted when the H5N1 pandemic began, technologies that can ...
Source - Medical News Today:
Cell G <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174519.php> rowth Protein Discovery May Lead To New Cancer Therapies
Researchers in Canada and the US have found a protein that appears to help cancer <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/cancer-oncology/whatiscancer.php> develop by playing a key role in cell growth and proliferation; they said the discovery helps us better understand cancer physiology and opens the door to new cancer therapies, including diagnostic tools and personalized treatments. These are the findings of a study published online before print on 11 December in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The first author is Dr Armen Parsyan, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry and Rosalind Morris Goodman Cancer Centre in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University in Montreal in Quebec.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174519.php <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174519.php>
Researchers Announce Medical Breakthrough With Simple, Inexpensive Blood Test For Colon Cancer <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174260.php>
Medical researchers with EDP Biotech Corporation (EDP) have captured national attention with their revolutionary new technology for a simple blood test to detect early-stage colon cancer <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150496.php> . Following the success of its pre-clinical trials for the ColoMarker(TM) assay, EDP has filed a patent on the biomarker, CA11-19, and all aspects of its use. Via an inexpensive blood test, ColoMarker(TM) will detect colon cancer in its earliest, most curable stages.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174260.php <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174260.php>
Non-surgical Method For Diagnosing Breast Cancer Safe, Nearly As Effective As Surgical Biopsy, New Report Finds <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174209.php>
Some methods of minimally invasive biopsy for breast cancer <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37136.php> are nearly as accurate as surgical biopsy but have much less risk of harms, according to a new report funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The report, prepared by the ECRI Institute's Evidence-based Practice Center under contract to AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program, compares traditional surgical biopsies with various types of "core needle biopsies," which involve removing tissue through a special large hollow needle inserted through the skin.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174209.php <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174209.php>
Source - MIT 's Technology Review:
Synthetics Stop the Bleeding <http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24238/>
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24238/?a=f
Tests May Reveal Hidden Predictors of Heart Disease <http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24218/>
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24218/?a=f <http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24218/?a=f>
Artificial Red Blood Cells for Drug Delivery <http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24219/>
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24219/?a=f <http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24219/?a=f>
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