GBP Health / Biotech News 05-14-2010:
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.
EurekAlert - Biology:
Public Release: 14-May-2010
Journal of Biological Chemistry
A warm sensor maintains skin barrier
Japanese research group led by Prof. Makoto Tominaga and Dr. Takaaki Sokabe (National Institute for Physiological Sciences: NIPS) found that TRPV4 ion channel in skin keratinocytes is important for formation and maintenance of barrier function to prevent dehydration. Their finding was reported in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Contact: Dr. Takaaki Sokabe
sokabe@nips.ac.jp
81-564-595-287
National Institute for Physiological Sciences
Public Release: 13-May-2010Science Express
MicroRNA and host gene play key role in regulating cholesterol pathways
Massachusetts General Hospital researchers have identified tiny segments of RNA that may play an important role in the body's regulation of cholesterol and lipids. Their study found that the miR-33 familyof microRNAs suppress a protein known to be important for generation of HDL -- the "good cholesterol" that transports lipids to the liver for disposal -- and for the removal of cholesterol from peripheral tissues, including cells that form atherosclerotic plaques.
NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH/National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, American Heart Association, Fondation Leducq, Massachusetts General Hospital
Contact: Sue McGreevey
smcgreevey@partners.org
617-724-2764
Massachusetts General Hospital
Public Release: 13-May-2010
A recipe for hearing: Sensory hair cells made from stem cells
After ten years of effort, researchers reporting in the May 14 issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, say they have found a way to coax embryonic stem cells as well as reprogrammed adult cells to develop into sensory cells that normally reside in the mammalian inner ear. Those mechanosensitive sensory hair cells are the linchpin of hearing and balance.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Public Release: 13-May-2010Molecular Cell
Study identifies 1 of the mechanisms behind breast cancer metastasis
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center scientists help explain the paradox of the Akt molecular pathway.National Institutes of Health, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Contact: Bonnie Prescott
bprescot@bidmc.harvard.edu
617-667-7306
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Public Release: 13-May-2010
National Biotechnology Conference
Cutting-edge vaccine research to be showcased at AAPS National Biotechnology Conference
Novel vaccines for diseases ranging from the flu to HIV highlight a week's worth of biotechnology research at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists' National Biotechnology Conference. Scientists from academia, industry and government will gather at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square May 16-20 to share research and advances in biotherapeutics.
Contact: Joseph Catapano
catapanoj@aaps.org
703-248-4772
American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
Source - Science Daily 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.
Persistence of Melanoma Explained Through 'Dynamic Stemness'
May 14, 2010 — Scientists offer a new explanation for the tenacity of melanoma cells, one of the reasons why melanoma remains the deadliest form of skin cancer. The concept of the "dynamic stemness" of melanoma can ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100513123823.htm
Can Celebrex Prevent Cancer-Causing Colon Polyps?
May 14, 2010 — Researchers are testing whether celecoxib, known by its brand name Celebrex, can help prevent the growth of precancerous polyps that form in the colon, rectum and small intestine of children with an ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100513143538.htm
Low Oxygen Levels Prevent X Chromosome Inactivation in Human Embryonic Stem Cells
May 14, 2010 — Oxygen levels in the lab can permanently alter human embryonic stem cells, inducing X chromosome inactivation in female cells. Deriving and maintaining human ES cells at physiologic levels of oxygen ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100513123821.htm
Cardiac Procedure Significantly Reduces Risk of Alzheimer's Disease and Stroke, Researchers Find
May 14, 2010 — New findings reveal treatment of the most common heart rhythm disorder that affects more than two million Americans significantly reduces the risk of stroke, mortality, Alzheimer's disease and other ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100513123825.htm
Trials Begin on Potent New Hepatitis C Drug
May 14, 2010 — The first clinical trials have started on a new investigational drug which is being developed to treat infections caused by hepatitis C ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100514111235.htm
May 14, 2010 — Scientists have developed a 3D test for malignant melanoma that can identify problems not easily spotted in a standard two-dimensional view of the pattern on the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100514075157.htm
Generic Drug May Be Potential Treatment for Deadly Brain Cancer
May 13, 2010 — Medical researchers report evidence that the orphan generic drug dichloroacetate may hold promise as potential therapy for perhaps the deadliest of all human cancers: a form of brain cancer called ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100512141909.htm
Angiogenesis Inhibitors Are Safe Cancer Drugs Despite Hypertension Risk, Panel Concludes
May 13, 2010 — A new class of cancer drugs can be used effectively while minimizing hypertensive side effects if patients' blood pressure is closely monitored and controlled, a clinical panel has ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100511111927.htm
Novel Pouch Could Reduce Mother-to-Infant HIV Infection
May 13, 2010 — By using medications packaged just like fast-food ketchup, HIV-positive mothers in developing countries can more easily provide protection to newborn babies born at ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100513143540.htm
Genetic Pattern That Predicts Leukemia Relapse Discovered
May 12, 2010 — A genetic pattern that predicts the likelihood of relapse in patients with one of the most aggressive forms of childhood leukemia has been discovered. Researchers have identified a consistent pattern ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100511192244.htm
Genetic Variations Associated With Alzheimer's Disease, but Do Not Help Predict Risk
May 12, 2010 — Although genome-wide analysis identified two genetic variations associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), these variations did not improve the ability to predict the risk of AD, according to a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100511173709.htm
Cancer: Trapping the Escape Artist
May 12, 2010 — Cancer uses devious means to evade treatment and survive. One prime example is the way tumors express anti-cell death (anti-apoptotic) proteins to resist chemotherapy and radiation. However, new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100511151654.htm
Source - Health Day:
Health Highlights: May 14, 2010
- Heinz Cooks Up a Less Salty Ketchup
- 2.5 Million Step2 Toy Buggies Recalled
- E. Coli Outbreak Expands to Tennessee
- Changes Seen in Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions
- Osteoporosis Screenings Increase Dramatically
Treating Common Irregular Heartbeat Might Also Ward Off Alzheimer's
Atrial fibrillation affects 1 in 20 people over age 65, experts note
Source - Yahoo Biotech News
Cell Therapeutics Announces Agreement for Phase II Study of Pixantrone in Metastatic Breast Cancer - PR Newswire - Thu 1:30 am ET
Cell Therapeutics, Inc. today announced an agreement with the North Central Cancer Treatment Group to conduct a phase II study of pixantrone in patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer who have tumor progression after at least two, but not more than three, prior chemotherapy regimens.
Forest Labs Could Be Merger Timber - RealMoney by TheStreet.com - Thu May 6
Its pipeline and balance sheet make it a good target in a consolidating industry.
Source - Google Health News:
Birds of Prey Vaccination Against H5n1 at The Jurong Bird Park ...
By Youth Travel
The Jurong Bird Park remains vigilant in their approach towards H5N1, by conducting annual avian flu (H5N2) vaccinations for the 600 species.
Cellectis to Present at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy Annual Meeting
Earthtimes (press release)
Targeted approaches have emerged today as an alternative to current random insertion strategies for gene therapy. Meganucleases, the most specific ...
Lego-like gene delivery system is child's play
Chemistry World
Functionalised gold nanoparticles make a more efficient and versatile delivery system for use in gene therapy and cancer treatment, claim Korean scientists. ...
Does decline in Tay-Sachs mean fewer chances for a cure?
Medill Reports: Chicago
The first approach is to use gene therapy and replace the gene with a working copy of it that would produce the right enzyme to break down the fat that is ...
Source - Medical News Today :
Sale Of OTC Genetic Test Postponed By Walgreens
A decision by Walgreens to sell a genetic test, called The Insight Saliva Collection KitTM in many of its 7,000 US outlets has been reversed - the pharmacy chain has decided to postpone. For a few hundred dollars customers have been able to go online and buy this test from Pathway Genomic's web site. The company says it is a personal genetic testing kit which can give customers information about their genetics - which diseases they are at a higher risk of developing, which medications they would respond to best, and the likelihood of passing on susceptibility to certain diseases to their children. The kid is even supposed to provide information about a person's ancestry.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/188823.php
New Hope For Better Treatment For A Rising Cancer
Poor diet, too much alcohol, smoking and increasing obesity could be leading to an epidemic of oesophageal and upper stomach cancer , according to a leading UK team of specialists at The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals. The Nottingham Gastro-Oesophageal Cancer Research Group has been carrying out intensive research over the past five years to try to improve the treatment of this cancer. A major part of the research is published today in the British Journal of Cancer. The work has been prompted by a large increase in the incidence of cancer of the oesophagus (gullet) and upper stomach over the past 40 years.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/188698.php
Melanoma: Increasingly Common; Curable When Caught Early
Melanoma -- the most serious form of skin cancer -- is becoming increasingly common, according to the May issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. Just 45 years ago, 1 in 600 people in the United States had a chance of getting melanoma during his or her lifetime. By 1980, the lifetime risk had risen to 1 in 250. Today, 1 in 50 Americans can expect to face melanoma at some point. The increase likely stems from the increased exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun as well as better screening and detection. Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource covers the increasing prevalence of melanoma and other updates on the disease, including:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/188655.php
Boston Scientific Announces European Approval Of Platinum Chromium TAXUS(R) Element™ Stent System
Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) announced it has received CE Mark approval for its TAXUS® Element™ Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System, the Company's third-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) technology. This approval includes a specific indication for the treatment of diabetic patients. The TAXUS Element Stent System incorporates a platinum chromium alloy with an innovative stent design and an advanced catheter delivery system. The Company plans to launch the TAXUS Element Stent System next month in the European Union and other CE Mark countries. "In my experience, the platinum chromium alloy and new stent design used in the TAXUS Element Stent offer increased flexibility, visibility and deliverability," said Dean Kereiakes, M.D., Medical Director at The Christ Hospital Heart and Vascular Center and The Lindner Research Center in Cincinnati and the Principal Investigator for the PERSEUS clinical program. "The Element platform represents a significant advance in coronary stenting with performance improvements that could simplify procedures and allow treatment of a broader range of patients. The combination of the proven TAXUS drug and polymer with the new Element platform provides a welcome treatment option."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/188634.php
New Drug Type Designed To Kill Lymphoma Cells
Three researchers who are recipients of a collaborative grant from the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation have developed a new type of drug designed to kill non-Hodgkin lymphoma tumor cells. The breakthrough could lead to potential non-toxic therapies for cancer patients. The Foundation-funded investigators include Ari Melnick, M.D., of Weill Cornell Medical College, Alexander MacKerell, Ph.D., of the University of Maryland and Gilbert Privé, Ph.D., of the University of Toronto. The researchers, who published their findings in the April issue of Cancer Cell, have identified a drug that targets an oncogene known as BCL6. BCL6 functions as a master regulatory protein. "It's a protein that controls the production of thousands of other genes," said Dr. Melnick, an associate professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. "Because of that, it has a very profound impact on cells and is required for lymphoma cells to survive and multiply."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/188477.php
Source - MIT's Technology Review :
Training Computers to Combat Blindness
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25328/
Examining Individual Tumor Cells
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25327/
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