GBP Health/Biotech 01-20-2010

GBP Health / Biotech News 01-20-2010:

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Source - EurekAlert - Biology:

Public Release: 20-Jan-2010
Oral COTI-2 is effective in a second animal model of human pancreatic cancer <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-01/coti-oci012010.php>
Oral COTI-2 is effective in a second animal model of human pancreatic cancer as a single agent and in combination with Abraxane. This new series of experiments adds to the impressive data package for COTI-2, demonstrating efficacy both as a single agent and in combination with current first line therapies, as well as low toxicity in several different animal models of human cancers.
Contact: Michael Barr
mbarr@criticaloutcome.com <mailto:mbarr@criticaloutcome.com>
519-858-5157
Critical Outcome Technologies Inc <http://www.eurekalert.org/bysubject/www.criticaloutcome.com>



Public Release: 20-Jan-2010
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
First evidence that blueberry juice improves memory in older adults <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-01/acs-fet012010.php>
Scientists are reporting the first evidence from human research that blueberries -- one of the richest sources of healthful antioxidants and other so-called phytochemicals -- improve memory. A report on the study appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org <mailto:m_bernstein@acs.org>
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society <http://www.acs.org/>



Public Release: 20-Jan-2010
Journal of Neuroscience
Brain abnormalities in Parkinson's patients develop before symptoms occur <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-01/nsij-bai012010.php>
Scientists who have identified brain networks damaged in Parkinson's disease have new evidence that these systems become abnormal a few years before symptoms appear. And what's more, parts of the network appear to respond in a last ditch attempt to rescue the brain.
Contact: Jamie Talan
jtalan@nshs.edu
516-562-1232
North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System <http://www.northshorelij.com/>



Public Release: 20-Jan-2010
Nature Biotechnology
New way to generate abundant functional blood vessel cells from human stem cells discovered <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-01/nyph-nwt012010.php>
In a significant step toward restoring healthy blood circulation to treat a variety of diseases, a team of scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College has developed a new technique and described a novel mechanism for turning human embryonic and pluripotent stem cells into plentiful, functional endothelial cells, which are critical to the formation of blood vessels.
Starr Foundation
Contact: Andrew Klein
ank2017@med.cornell.edu <mailto:ank2017@med.cornell.edu>
212-821-0560
New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College <http://www.med.cornell.edu/>



Public Release: 18-Jan-2010
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
New nanoparticles target cardiovascular disease <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-01/miot-nnt011510.php>
Researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have built targeted nanoparticles that can cling to artery walls and slowly release medicine, an advance that potentially provides an alternative to drug-releasing stents in some patients with cardiovascular disease.
National Institutes of Health, Agency for Science, Technology and Research
Contact: Jen Hirsch
jfhirsch@mit.edu <mailto:jfhirsch@mit.edu>
617-253-1682
Massachusetts Institute of Technology <http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice>



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.




Researchers Find a Treatment for Deadly Brain Tumor <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119154713.htm>
January 20, 2010 — New research has identified a treatment in animal models for glioblastomas -- deadly brain tumors which, once diagnosed, offer a poor prognosis and relatively short life expectancy. Using a synthetic ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119154713.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119154713.htm>


When the Smoke Clears: Molecular Link Between Tobacco Carcinogen and Cancer <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119172745.htm>
January 20, 2010 — New research has uncovered a potential mechanism by which the tobacco-specific carcinogen NNK promotes lung tumor formation and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119172745.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119172745.htm>


Three Esophageal Cancer Cell Lines Commonly Used in Research Prove to Be from Other Cancers <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100114162243.htm>
January 20, 2010 — Three frequently used human esophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines used for research were confirmed as being from other tumor types. Two of the cell lines have been used in 11 US patents and more than ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100114162243.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100114162243.htm>


An Alternative Method of Pancreatic Biopsy <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100115093849.htm>
January 19, 2010 — A research team from Taiwan assessed the safety, yield, and clinical utility of percutaneous transgastric computed tomography-guided biopsy in patients with pancreatic masses. They found that ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100115093849.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100115093849.htm>


Drowsiness, Staring and Other Mental Lapses May Signal Alzheimer's Disease <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100118161943.htm>
January 19, 2010 — Cognitive fluctuations, or episodes when train of thought temporarily is lost, are more likely to occur in older persons who are developing Alzheimer's disease than in their healthy peers, according ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100118161943.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100118161943.htm>


Promising Candidates for Malaria Vaccine Revealed <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100118204041.htm>
January 19, 2010 — Researchers have uncovered a group of proteins that could form the basis of an effective vaccine against malaria. These new findings support the development of a vaccine against the blood-stage of ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100118204041.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100118204041.htm>


How Anticancer Immune Responses Are Suppressed <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119224803.htm>
January 19, 2010 — Immune cells known as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) keep other immune cells in check. They have been found to accumulate in individuals with cancer, where they are thought to contribute to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119224803.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119224803.htm>


Scientists Show How Brain Tumors Outsmart Drugs <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119172800.htm>
January 19, 2010 — Researchers have shown one way in which gliomas, a deadly type of brain tumor, can evade drugs aimed at blocking a key cell signaling protein, epidermal growth factor receptor, that is crucial for ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119172800.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119172800.htm>


First Successful Use of Expanded Umbilical-Cord Blood Units to Treat Leukemia <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100117150820.htm>
January 18, 2010 — Scientists have cleared a major technical hurdle to making umbilical-cord-blood transplants a more widely-used method for treating leukemia and other blood ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100117150820.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100117150820.htm>


Lung Cancer: Drug With Unique Disruption of Tumor Blood Flow Shows Promise <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100112165110.htm>
January 18, 2010 — Phase II study results of the agent ASA404 showed promise in patients with either squamous or non-squamous non-small cell lung ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100112165110.htm <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100112165110.htm>



Source - Health Day:




Health Highlights: Jan. 20, 2010 <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=635154>

• Too Much Sitting May Harm Health
• Graco Strollers Recalled Because of Amputation Risk
• California Sets Doctor Appointment Wait Limits
• Recalled Dorel Asia Cribs Linked to Infant's Death
• Exercise Increases Memory-Related Brain Cells: Study
  

No Role Found for Birds in Swine Flu Pandemic <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=635113>
Chickens injected with 1918 and 2009 H1N1 strains didn't get sick, study found


Stem Cells Become Functioning Neurons in Mice <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=635083>
Finding moves research closer to helping people with spinal injuries, experts say


Clinical Trials Update: Jan. 19, 2010 <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=635119>

• Pediatric Meningococcal Vaccine
• Depression with Painful Symptoms
• Diabetic Gastroparesis
  

Clinical Trials Update: Jan. 18, 2010 <http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=635080>

• Adult Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD)
• Osteoarthritis of the Knee or Hip
• Flu Symptoms
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:



Lexicon diabetes drug candidate meets study goals <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/finance/industry/news/mostpop/*http:/biz.yahoo.com/ap/100120/us_lexicon_pharmaceuticals_study.html?.v=1> - AP - Wed 8:24 am ET
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals said Wednesday that a diabetes treatment under development improved blood-sugar levels in patients during a midstage study.


GSK offers scientists labs, data to fight malaria <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/finance/industry/news/mostpop/*http:/biz.yahoo.com/ap/100120/glaxo_fighting_malaria.html?.v=7> - AP - Wed 11:38 am ET
Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline said Wednesday it will open up its research cupboards and labs to JNJ Tastes <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/finance/industry/news/mostpop/*http:/biz.yahoo.com/zacks/100120/29512.html?.v=1>


GenVec Stands to Gain $213M in Novartis Hearing Loss Pact <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.bioworld.com/servlet/com.accumedia.web.Dispatcher%3Fnext%3DbioWorldHeadlines_article%26forceid%3D53338&ct=ga&cd=xbKo2Y5HbK8&usg=AFQjCNFi7Dje0_LTLIsNqgwRQWvgHko4Iw>
BioWorld Online
Novartis' knowledge and experience in the gene therapy field made it the "partner of choice," Swirsky pointed out. The Swiss drugmaker had acquired the ...



Source - Google Health News:


Oxford BioMedica's UshStat For Usher Syndrome Gets European Orphan Drug ... <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx%3FId%3D1184149%26SMap%3D1&ct=ga&cd=xbKo2Y5HbK8&usg=AFQjCNFEGzjjRsRdjh_lZN48gcHLLYnT3w>
RTT News
L: News ) said that UshStat, the company's gene therapy for the treatment of Usher syndrome 1B, has received orphan designation from the Committee for ...


'Sleeping Beauty' -- Molecule of the Year <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.physorg.com/wire-news/25362915/sleeping-beauty-molecule-of-the-year.html&ct=ga&cd=xbKo2Y5HbK8&usg=AFQjCNGcUWGQ_Mfau9odVyOL7QQY0-DySw>
PhysOrg.com (press release)
According to the jury, it was selected out of 15 molecules nominated in the contest because "this molecule holds great promise for gene therapy". ...


$1.5 billion in public money for biotech hasn't paid off yet <http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/1-5-billion-in-public-money-for-biotech-186076.html&ct=ga&cd=xbKo2Y5HbK8&usg=AFQjCNGntfrkBmiD5MoJSi16t4mjnYwgUA>
Palm Beach Post
St. Lucie County — home of Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute Florida and Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies — counted only seven private biotech ...



Source - Medical News Today:



"Nanoburrs" To Clear Arteries, Fight Heart Disease <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176523.php>
"Nanoburrs" are nanoparticles coated with a sticky protein that makes them cling onto artery walls while they slowly release drugs: the US researchers who are developing them hope they will one day provide an alternative to drug-releasing stents in fighting heart disease. The researchers, based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (MIT) and Harvard Medical School, wrote about how they developed and tested the nanoburrs as potential drug-releasing agents for targeting and repairing damaged blood vessels in a paper that was published online on 19 January in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176523.php <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176523.php>


Tanning Beds: FDA To Debate Tougher Cancer Warning <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176491.php>
Advisors to the US Food and Drug Administration are planning hold a public debate in the spring to discuss the pros and cons of stricter regulations on the use of tanning beds, including stronger warnings on cancer <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/cancer-oncology/whatiscancer.php> risks and reclassifying them. According to an Associated Press report earlier today, FDA UV radiation specialist Sharon Miller said the agency doesn't recommend the use of tanning beds at all, but:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176491.php <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176491.php>


Cardiovascular Disease Targeted By New Nanoparticles <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176404.php>
Researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have built targeted nanoparticles that can cling to artery walls and slowly release medicine, an advance that potentially provides an alternative to drug-releasing stents in some patients with cardiovascular disease. The particles, dubbed "nanoburrs" because they are coated with tiny protein fragments that allow them to stick to target proteins, can be designed to release their drug payload over several days. They are one of the first such particles that can precisely home in on damaged vascular tissue, says Omid Farokhzad, associate professor at Harvard Medical School and an author of a paper describing the nanoparticles in the Jan. 18 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176404.php <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176404.php


Source - MIT's Technology Review:

Cosmetics Testing without Animals <http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24384/>
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24384/ <http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24384/>