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/. 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.
2010 AAAS Annual MeetingCU physicists use ultra-fast lasers to open doors to new technologies unheard of just years ago
For nearly half a century, scientists have been trying to figure out how to build a cost-effective and reasonably sized X-ray laser that could, among other things, provide super high-resolution imaging. And for the past two decades, University of Colorado at Boulder physics professors Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn have been inching closer to that goal.
Contact: Margaret Murnane
murnane@jila.colorado.edu
303-492-7839
University of Colorado at Boulder
2010 AAAS Annual MeetingGeorge Daley to discuss challenges and opportunities facing stem cell scientists
On Feb. 20, HHMI investigator George Daley will describe the current climate facing stem cell researchers in the United States. He will also discuss his current viewpoint on whether induced pluripotent stem cells have the same potential therapeutic utility as human embryonic stem cells.
Contact: Jennifer Michalowski
michalow@hhmi.org
301-215-8576
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
NeuronHow nerve cells grow
Brain researcher Hiroshi Kawabe has discovered the workings of a process that had been completely overlooked until now, and that allows nerve cells in the brain to grow and form complex networks. The study shows that an enzyme which usually controls the destruction of protein components has an unexpected function in nerve cells: it controls the structure of the cytoskeleton and thus ensures that nerve cells can form the tree-like extensions that are necessary for signal transmission in the brain.
Max Planck SocietyContact: Hiroshi Kawabe
kawabe@em.mpg.de
49-551-389-9720
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
American Journal of Human GeneticsUCLA study reveals how genes interact with their environment to cause disease
A UCLA study reveals how human genes interact with their environment to boost disease risk. Published in the Feb. 18 online edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics, the findings shed light on why the search for specific gene variants linked to human diseases can only partly explain common disorders.
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, American Heart AssociationContact: Elaine Schmidt
eschmidt@mednet.ucla.edu
310-794-2272
University of California - Los Angeles
ScienceChemical tags likely to affect metabolism, cancer development
Research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that the addition or removal of a certain type of chemical tag -- called an acetyl group -- onto metabolic enzymes plays a key role in how cellular metabolism is regulated. The finding gives researchers vital clues to understand how normal cells respond to nutrient changes and how the process by which normal cells turn cancerous, and could one day lead to new drugs that starve cancer cells into submission.
National Institutes of HealthContact: Les Lang
llang@med.unc.edu
919-966-9366
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
2010 AAAS Annual Meeting Science Translational MedicinePersonalizing cancer: Creating biomarkers from tumor DNA
Researchers have developed a new technique for tracking cancer by identifying personalized biomarkers from tumor DNA, reports a new study in the Feb. 24, 2010, issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, published by AAAS, the nonprofit science society. The findings show that next-generation sequencing technology is poised become an important tool in the new era of personalized management of cancer patients.
Contact: Natasha Pinol
npinol@aaas.org
202-326-7088
American Association for the Advancement of Science
ScienceNIH stem cell guidelines should be modified, UCSF team reports
A UCSF team, led by bioethicist Bernard Lo, M.D., recommends that the National Institutes of Health ethics guidelines for embryonic stem cell research be modified to better protect the rights of individuals donating egg or sperm to patients undergoing in vitro fertilization.
Contact: Jennifer O'Brien
jobrien@pubaff.ucsf.edu
415-476-2557
University of California - San Francisco
Small liquid sensor may detect cancer instantly, could lead to home detection kit
What if it were possible to go to the store and buy a kit to quickly and accurately diagnose cancer, similar to a pregnancy test? A University of Missouri researcher is developing a tiny sensor, known as an acoustic resonant sensor, that is smaller than a human hair and could test bodily fluids for a variety of diseases, including breast and prostate cancers.
Contact: Kelsey Jackson
JacksonKN@missouri.edu
573-882-8353
University of Missouri-Columbia
Seminars in Fetal & Neonatal MedicineFetal surgery continues to advance
Repairing birth defects in the womb. Inserting a tiny laser into the mother's uterus to seal off an abnormal blood flow and save fetal twins. Advancing the science that may allow doctors to deliver cells or DNA to treat sickle cell anemia and other genetic diseases before birth. Practitioners at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia describe the current state of the science in fetal surgery in a special issue of Seminars in Fetal & Neonatal Medicine.
Contact: Joey McCool Ryan
McCool@email.chop.edu
267-426-6070
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
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. 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.
Cellular Mechanism That Protects Against Disease Discovered
February 21, 2010 — Researchers have discovered a new mechanism within human cells that constantly protects us against ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100215174208.htm
Personalized Blood Tests for Cancer Using Whole Genome Sequencing
February 19, 2010 — Scientists have used data from the whole genome sequencing of cancer patients to develop individualized blood tests they believe can help physicians tailor patients' treatments. The genome-based ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218141754.htm
Phase II HIV Gene Therapy Trial Has Encouraging Results
February 19, 2010 — In a new phase II study using gene therapy to combat HIV, seven of eight subjects experienced a decrease in viral load set point and one subject experienced prolonged, complete control of HIV viremia ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218191736.htm
NIH Stem Cell Guidelines Should Be Modified, Researchers Urge
February 19, 2010 — A group of scientists recommends that the National Institutes of Health ethics guidelines for embryonic stem cell research be modified to better protect the rights of individuals donating egg or ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218173321.htm
Genomic Map Spanning Over Two Dozen Cancers Charted
February 18, 2010 — Researchers have created a genome-scale map of 26 different cancers, revealing more than 100 genomic sites where DNA from tumors is either missing or abnormally duplicated compared to normal tissues. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100217131130.htm
Fluorescent Probes Light Up Cancerous Tumors
February 18, 2010 — Building on Nobel Prize-winning work creating fluorescent proteins that light up the inner workings of cells, a team of researchers has developed biological probes that can stick to and light up ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216182031.htm
Using Gold Nanoparticles to Hit Cancer Where It Hurts
February 18, 2010 — Scientists have shown that by directing gold nanoparticles into the nuclei of cancer cells, they can not only prevent them from multiplying, but can kill them where they ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216140402.htm
Drug for Advanced Kidney Cancer Shrinks Tumors Prior to Surgery
February 18, 2010 — Physicians found that therapy before surgery with the drug sorafenib can reduce the size of large tumors and could be safely undertaken administered without adding significantly to the risks of ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100217152329.htm
'Secret Weapon' of Retroviruses That Cause Cancer
February 17, 2010 — Oncogenic retroviruses are a particular family of viruses that can cause some types of cancer. Scientists have now identified a "virulence factor" that inhibits the host immune response and allows ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100215130341.htm
Researchers Find Biomarkers in Saliva for Detection of Early-Stage Pancreatic Cancer
February 17, 2010 — The genetic biomarkers of pancreatic cancer are present in human saliva, researchers report. The finding could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of this most lethal of human cancers. Early ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216163343.htm
Attacking Cancer Cells With Hydrogel Nanoparticles
February 17, 2010 — Researchers are using hydrogels -- less than 100 nanometers in size -- to sneak a particular type of small interfering RNA into cancer cells. Once in the cell the siRNA turns on the programmed cell ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216140404.htm
Health Highlights: Feb. 19, 2010
- Big Hike in Premiums for Medicare Advantage Plan
- Put Safety First, Crib and Toy Makers Told
- Medical Marijuana Benefits MS, Spinal Cord Patients: Report
- Exjade to Carry Warning
- Fake Pills Can Have Real Effect: Experts
Surgery Alone May Thwart Stage 1 Lung Cancer
Chemo, radiation may not be necessary for early malignancy, study finds
Scientists Spot Genetic 'Fingerprints' of Individual Cancers
Discovery could help doctors track course of disease, treatment response
Clinical Trials Update: Feb. 19, 2010
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Smoking Cessation
Clinical Trials Update: Feb. 18, 2010
- Schizophrenia
- High Cholesterol
- GERD
GenVec signs vaccine development contract with DHS - AP - Fri 10:47 am ET
GenVec said Friday it signed a new contract with the federal government to develop vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease.
Novavax presents swine flu vaccine data - AP - Fri 7:39 am ET
Novavax Inc. said Friday it presented study results for its swine flu vaccine at The World Health Organization conference in Geneva.
GSK and Orphan Diseases: Doing the Right Thing is Also Good Business
Gerson Lehrman Group
Pushing forward with gene therapy and other novel treatments for children will also lead to advances in adult therapeutics. What is learned treating ...
Ark signs Merck agreement
GrowthBusiness.co.uk
Gene therapy developer Ark Therapeutics has signed a non-binding preferred supplier memorandum with US drug giant Merck. The fully listed company says the ...
New vaccine storage technology could revolutionize immunization in the ...
Los Angeles Times (blog)
... on an adenovirus (the family that includes cold viruses and viruses used in gene therapy) and one on a poxvirus (the family that includes smallpox). ...
A protective polymer shell enhances virus-mediated in vivo gene delivery
Nanowerk LLC
(Nanowerk News) Modified viruses that transfer genetic material into cells are attractive as tools for gene therapy, regenerative medicine and vaccination. ...
Fetal Surgery Continues to Advance
PR Newswire (press release)
The greatest future impact of fetal treatments probably lies in non-surgical approaches -- prenatal stem cell therapy and gene therapy. ...
How Genes And Environment Interact To Cause Disease
A new study from the US has revealed how genes and environment interact synergistically to boost disease risk and why looking for gene variants may only partly explain how diseases arise. You can read about the study, which was funded by the The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the American Heart Association, and led by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in an article published online on 18 February in The American Journal of Human Genetics.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/179672.php
Phase II HIV Gene Therapy Trial Data At CROI 2010 Presented By Penn Researchers
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine presented the results from an ongoing Phase I/II open-label clinical trial of Lexgenleucel-T at the 16th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco, CA. Lexgenleucel-T is a cell and gene therapy product being investigated for the treatment of HIV infection. The current study examined the effect of Lexgenleucel-T infusions in HIV-1 infected individuals prior to being taken off their antiretroviral treatment (HAART) regimens as part of the study design's scheduled treatment interruption. In the study, seven of eight evaluable subjects experienced a decrease in viral load set point and one subject experienced prolonged, complete control of HIV viremia for more than 14 weeks in the absence of HAART. Viral load set point is the HIV RNA value specific for each infected individual in absence of anti-retroviral drug control. Higher viral load set point is correlated with more rapid disease progression to AIDS . "We are excited to see these responses using autologous transfer of CD4+ T lymphocytes genetically modified with VRX496TM, a HIV-based lentiviral vector encoding for a RNA antisense targeting HIV env. These are subjects who were taken off of their antiretroviral treatment and are showing a better control of their infection as demonstrated by reduced viral load set points," said Pablo Tebas, M.D., director of the Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, who presented the results at CROI. "Further study is needed to see whether these types of results will translate into a delay in disease progression."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/179756.php
Pittsburgh Neurosurgeons Explore Use Of Drug That Illuminates Brain Tumor Cells To Guide Surgery
Neurosurgeons at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) are exploring use of a drug that illuminates brain tumor cells to determine if the experimental visualization technique will enhance their ability to surgically excise tumors and improve patient survival. AGH is one of just three medical centers in the country approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate the efficacy of an oral fluorescent compound, called 5-aminoevulnic acid (ALA), in a clinical trial of patients diagnosed with a glioma, the most common form of primary brain tumor.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/179662.php
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