Dusted Off

A Fix for Life Sciences Development in Florida and the US

2010-11-22T10:04:00.004-05:00

Under the leadership of former governor Jeb Bush, the state of Florida rightly recognized the future growth opportunities for the life sciences industry. After all, health care is now 20% of US GDP spending, and the US and the rest of the world has a large and aging population. However, simply giving away a billion dollars and tax incentives to move jobs from research institutes to Florida does not create a wealth of new businesses with a high multiplier effect. It’s possible for this to happen, but much more needs to be put in place. The same is true for the rest of the US.

The plan which was launched in Florida has provided over $1B and other incentives to expand in Florida the research facilities of a number of the world’s leading research organizations, including Scripps Research Institute, Torrey Pines, The Burnham Institute, and The Max Planck Institute, among others.

In the state of Florida, only a handful of new businesses have been created from the research coming out of these institutes, and most of these are starving for cash, or have been looking to move to other states where funding is more readily available, hardly what Jeb Bush had envisioned.

So, what can be done to remedy the situation so that more products are brought to the market more efficiently, while creating new jobs? The US leads the world in the innovation of life sciences on most fronts by a large margin, and we have a plethora of developments spinning out of NIH grants. But, how do we close the funding gap between well-meaning initiatives like those in the state of Florida and the NIH and bringing a product to the market?

The benefit of these organizations attracted to Florida is they do fundamental research and development on leading edge life sciences. The disadvantage from an economic development standpoint is that most of this research and development is 10-20 years from being ready for the market, and hence, the huge funding gap. The same is true of the $30B spent annually by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the form of over 40,000 grants, essentially free venture capital for promising next generation life science developments.

There are two solutions. One, provide an additional level of funding for the most promising developments that come out of individual state initiatives, such as Florida, and the NIH grants and research institutes, thereby reducing the time and cost to market. The second solution is to streamline the approval process for these products.

Both in Florida and nationally, these investments do not have a form of bridge financing to bring them to the market. There is nothing to fill the 10-20 year void. Many of the most promising development muddle along on skimpy grants for many years, until finally a fortunate few are close enough to market for a venture fund to develop.

Part of the problem is systemic and part is economic.

Systemically, it cost more and it takes more time to gain approval from the US FDA than its counterparts in every other major country in the world. Hence, it’s cheaper to gain approval and begin developing revenues outside the US than in the US. Effectively, this means many of the best developments that result from the $30B of NIH grants end up being exported abroad before they come to market in the US. In turn, this creates an industry of medical tourism, where Americans are forced to go abroad for the most advanced therapies. Since investors do not want to wait 10-20 years for their returns, one fix is to streamline the approval process at the FDA on all fronts. There is no good reason for much of the time it takes to gain FDA approval of medical advancements. This would cut several years off the time to market.

To cut several more years off the time to market, another approach is to create an NIH superfund. Such a fund would provide larger investment amounts, some of which could be in the form of matching funding for the most promising ideas that come out of the tens of thousands of NIH grants. In Singapore, the Economic Development Board (EDB) provides 25% non-dilutive funding to the most promising projects. The rest of the money needs to come from other sources. One vertical market government venture fund in Singapore specializes in advancing medical devices, while another favors therapeutics. In addition, there is a private venture capital industry to fill in the remainder. This deleverages the risk for investors, while speeding along developments to market, thereby creating more jobs more quickly and making Singapore a vibrant, attractive center for life science development.

Furthermore, Singapore has established its own non-profit contract research organization (CRO), the SCRI, whereby 50% of the CRO cost for a clinical trial is paid for by the government. This is forward thinking, and it has attracted many of the world’s largest medtech companies that need to deliver real products to the market in the next few years, not a decade or two away.

Essentially, what Florida and the rest of the US needs to do to better to leverage its billions of dollars of investment in life science R&D is build upon the Singapore model. This will serve to shrink the gap to market, since developers will not have to muddle along, sometimes for decades, dependent on small grants from the NIH or whatever particular state in which they happen to reside.

However, this is just a part of the solution. Another important component to bridge the gap to market is to lower taxes on early to mid-stage venture capital gains. After all, the money is taking a higher risk for a longer period of time. The highest multiplier jobs are not in hamburger stands, but rather in manufacturing and housing. Investing wisely in innovation drives both of these important parts of our economy.

Building more public sources of funding for the most promising of ideas, streamlining the FDA and lowering the capital gains tax on early to mid-stage venture capital will serve to attract many tens of billions to life science venture capital and create millions of the right kind of jobs for the US. Otherwise, our present system is highly wasteful and only serves to export innovation to countries better positioned to build upon our discoveries.

Proof that this system works lies in the fact that despite having no natural resources, Singapore has turned a profit in nine of the last ten years, while lowering corporate income tax from 27% to 17%. They do it by smartly guiding their economy with government support strategically placed in the right ways. The US can do this, too.

By the way, while the US spends 20% of its GDP on healthcare, Singapore spends just 4.5%. Before you think that perhaps the quality of health in Singapore may be less, according to the World Health Organization, Singapore ranks 6th in overall health in the world, while the US ranks 30th – a definite sign the US can do much better on the healthcare front.

Perhaps we should take a few notes from Singapore.

For GBP Capital's Health and Biotech News Digest

2010-10-13T21:36:00.004-04:00

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Best,

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What the US can learn from Singapore

2010-10-03T04:04:00.017-04:00

The Us can learn a great deal from Singapore, as it provides a far superior model for building a successful economy. Consider these facts:

Singapore's Personal income tax rates

Individuals resident in Singapore are taxed on a progressive tax rate as listed below. Filing of personal tax return is mandatory if your annual income is S$22,000 or more. You do not need to pay tax if your annual income is less than S$22,000. However, you may still need to file a tax return if you have been informed by Singapore tax department to submit your tax return.

All resident individual tax payers will be given a one-off income tax rebate of 20%, upto a cap of S$2,000, for the tax payable for YA 2009.

Singapore's Single-tier income tax system

Since January 1, 2003, Singapore has adopted a single-tier corporate income tax system, which means there is no double-taxation for stakeholders. Tax paid by a company on its chargeable income is the final tax and all dividends paid by a company to its shareholders are exempt from further taxation.

There is no tax on capital gains in Singapore. Examples of capitals gains include gains on sale of fixed assets, gains on foreign exchange on capital transactions, etc.

Income tax rates and general tax exemptions

Highest Tax Rate

Singapore's headline corporate tax rate is a flat 18% at present, and it has declined steadily over the last decade from 27%. Effective 2010, the corporate income tax rate will be further reduced to 17%.

Headline income tax rate in Singapore as in many other jurisdictions does not necessarily provide an accurate indication of effective corporate tax rate. The effective rate is normally lower than the headline tax rate due to applicable tax exemptions and tax incentives, depreciation rules, etc.

Source: SIAC

If and when the US gets a proper leadership system, Thomas Friedman should be a special advisor.

See: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/opinion/03friedman.html?_r=1&hp

As Friedman points out, America is badly broken, and it’s because of the ossification, as he puts it, of both political parties. We need a new constitutional convention. Our constitution is obsolete in our present day and age, as it was written for a world that no longer exists. Our butts are getting kicked by Asian economies that are far more nimble and run much more like businesses than governments. It is not just their labor cost advantage. The people in Singapore and Hong Kong make as much or more than Americans. I have seen Singapore, Hong Kong and China up close, and much of it is refreshing, vibrant, and they are highly profitable. Singapore and Hong Kong have the clear advantage over China of much cleaner air, but China will clean up their air with time. Much of the rest of the industrialized world went through times of severe air pollution, acid rain, undrinkable water, rivers that have caught on fire, etc.

Singapore is an intelligently directed economy, where politicians are paid high salaries to lead the country in the proper business direction. They have a clear vision of which opportunities to pursue to optimize growth. As evidence, their stock market was up 18% in Q2, while they have consistently reduced corporate income taxes over the last decade. Coincidence? They have constructed their economy to drive it uncompromisingly in the direction of profitable growth. It is far more nimble than any country I have seen, but certainly it’s smaller size makes that easier. However, I refuse to believe that Singapore's system cannot be scaled.

Singapore's average population is much better educated than the US and over 80% are bilingual. It is a country with almost zero natural resources, yet it is extremely profitable, primarily because it is run like a real business. One key is that Singapore heavily leverages government owned venture funds, two of which are over $100B in size. This is impressive for a country with a population of just 5.5M. The US needs to do the same thing, except Washington cannot get out of its own way. We do not elect politicians who know how to run a business. Instead, over 70% of our politicians are lawyers, who have never run a profitable business.

One could argue that the US NIH’s $30B per year of grants is a form of government directed venture capital, and it is, but it is a partial solution. By contrast, Singapore has a large biotech park, larger than any such biotech park in the US, called Biopolis, with a government sponsored CRO (Contract Research Organizations for running clinical trials). This CRO is not-for-profit and its costs are 50% paid for by the government. This makes Singapore far more attractive for running clinical trials than any country on earth. Biopolis has been so successful in attracting leading biotech companies from around the world that Biopolis II is in the planning stages. Quality housing, restaurants, shopping, etc for biotech workers are part and parcel of the Biopolis complex.

To complicate matters worse, the US is hamstrung by an FDA that creates unnecessarily high hurdles for companies to overcome. It is far more expensive to bring a medical product to market in the US than any other country in the world. This is one of the big reasons the US spends 1.5 times more per capita than any other nation on healthcare.

Much of the $30B a year of NIH grants is wasted as a source for US product development and innovation, since scientists cannot afford to bring their innovations to market. There is a huge funding void in the US to bring these innovations from the laboratory to the market. As a result, it’s far more affordable for US-based VC’s to find attractive biotech developments that have been funded by US NIH grants and bring them to market abroad. This means US taxpayers are effectively funding the exportation of our innovation. Put another way, the US system has created a market inefficiency that results in exporting innovation at a time when we desperately need to create jobs in the US.

Further fueling these flames is that capital gains taxes have been as high for US VC-backed firms as for established companies. Obama’s recent proposed tax break for capital investments in small companies is a step in the right direction, but it is too little too late, and the GOP have been an inexplicable impediment to this legislation – more to Friedman’s point of political ossification.

The US deserves a lot better, and Singapore can provide some guidance as to how to best get there.

GBP Health / Biotech News Digest 08-26-2010

2010-08-28T07:31:00.001-04:00

EurekAlert - Biology:

Public Release: 25-Aug-2010
Neuron
Scripps Research scientists uncover new mechanism of memory formation
Scientists from the Florida campus of the Scripps Research Institute have discovered a mechanism that plays a critical role in the formation of long-term memory. The findings shed substantial new light on aspects of how memory is formed, and could lead to novel treatments for memory disorders.

Contact: Mika Ono
mikaono@scripps.edu
858-784-2052
Scripps Research Institute

Public Release: 25-Aug-2010
Journal of Comparative Neurology
Research heralds potential for early diagnosis of degenerative brain disorders
A team of American scientists claim that a new method of testing for neurological diseases could provide doctors with a rapid and noninvasive method of diagnosing degenerative disorders. The research, published in The journal of Comparative Neurology, reveals that magnetic resonance spectroscopy can distinguish between different disorders in patients, allowing earlier diagnosis.

Contact: Ben Norman
Lifesciencenews@wiley.com
44-124-377-0375
Wiley-Blackwell

Public Release: 25-Aug-2010
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Liver cells created from patients' skin cells
By creating diseased liver cells from a small sample of human skin, scientists have for the first time shown that stem cells can be used to model a diverse range of inherited disorders. The University of Cambridge researchers' findings, which will hopefully lead to new treatments for those suffering from liver diseases, were published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council

Contact: Genevieve Maul
Genevieve.maul@admin.cam.ac.uk
44-122-376-5542
University of Cambridge

Public Release: 25-Aug-2010
Nature
Use the common cold virus to target and disrupt cancer cells?
A novel mechanism used by adenovirus to sidestep the cell's suicide program, could go a long way to explain how tumor suppressor genes are silenced in tumor cells and pave the way for a new type of targeted cancer therapy, report researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in the Aug. 26, 2010, issue of Nature.

Contact: Gina Kirchweger
kirchweger@salk.edu
858-453-410-01340
Salk Institute

Public Release: 25-Aug-2010
Faraday Discussions
Microneedle, quantum dot study opens door to new clinical cancer tools
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed extremely small microneedles that can be used to deliver medically-relevant nanoscale dyes called quantum dots into skin -- an advance that opens the door to new techniques for diagnosing and treating a variety of medical conditions, including skin cancer.
National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health

Contact: Matt Shipman
matt_shipman@ncsu.edu
919-515-6386
North Carolina State University

Public Release: 23-Aug-2010
Nature Precedings
Health diagnosis made simpler
ASU researchers have developed and tested instrumentation they say will make disease diagnosis technically simpler, quicker and less costly. Using the shape of a drop biological fluid to focus a beam from a light-emitting diode, the device enables diagnosis of infectious diseases and unhealthy levels of protein.

Contact: Joe Kullman
joe.kullman@asu.edu
480-965-8122

Arizona State University

Public Release: 23-Aug-2010
Biomaterials
A cluster bomb for cancer care
Dr. Dan Peer and Professor Ramona Margolit of Tel Aviv University have developed a nano-sized vehicle that can deliver chemotherapy drugs directly into cancer cells while avoiding interaction with healthy cells. "The vehicle is very similar to a cluster bomb," Dr. Peer says, and can be used to treat many different types of tumors, including lung, blood, colon and brain cancers.

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

Antiviral Gene Helps Suppress Jumping of AIDS Viruses Between Host Species

August 25, 2010 — The human AIDS viruses originated as viruses of apes and monkeys, respectively, yet little is known about whether or how these invaders adapted to the new genetic "environment" encountered in humans. ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100824171616.htm

Microneedle, Quantum Dot Study Opens Door to New Clinical Cancer Tools

August 25, 2010 — Researchers have developed extremely small microneedles that can be used to deliver medically-relevant nanoscale dyes called quantum dots into skin -- an advance that opens the door to new techniques ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100825093301.htm

Putting the Squeeze on Alzheimer's

August 25, 2010 — Brain cells exposed to a form of the amyloid beta protein, the molecule linked to Alzheimer's disease, become stiffer and bend less under pressure, researchers have ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100820101408.htm

Researchers Zero in on Protein That Destroys HIV

August 25, 2010 — Using a $225,000 microscope and the wisdom of Yogi Berra, researchers have identified the key components of a protein called TRIM5a that destroys HIV in rhesus monkeys. The finding could lead to ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100824121022.htm

Applying Stem Cell Technology to Liver Diseases

August 25, 2010 — Great excitement greeted the discovery a few years ago that certain cells from mice and humans could be reprogrammed to become inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) as they hold promise for ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100825131542.htm

Gene Therapy to Treat Epilepsy a Step Closer

August 25, 2010 — Current antiepileptic drugs have many side-effects, among others slowing down brain activity, which in turn reduces patients’ ability to react. These side-effects could be eliminated if genes ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100825093541.htm

New Cardiac Imaging Device Pioneered

August 24, 2010 — Researchers have for the first time developed a way to visualize coronary artery plaques vulnerable to rupture using multicolor computed tomography, an innovation that will lead to better and earlier ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100816110459.htm

Health Diagnosis Made Simpler: Bioengineers Design Device to Help Detect Diseases Quickly

August 24, 2010 — Researchers have developed and tested instrumentation they say will make disease diagnosis technically simpler, quicker and less costly. Using the shape of a drop biological fluid to focus a beam ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100823172333.htm

Math from the Heart: Simulating Stent Design and Coating

August 24, 2010 — Using computer models to study the strengths and weaknesses of different stent structures could help manufacturers optimize stent design and help doctors choose the right stents for their ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100823121937.htm

Double-Therapy Approach Effectively Inhibited Brain Cancer Recurrence

August 24, 2010 — Researchers have identified a novel approach of combining chemotherapy with a targeted therapy to decrease the recurrence of glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and aggressive brain ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100824132347.htm

Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: Aug. 26, 2010

� Seniors Face Large Drug Cost Increases: Report

� Epidurals During Labor Protect Muscles: Study

� FDA Warns About TimeOut Capsules

� Traffic Crashes Cost $99 Billion Annually: Report

� Millions Of Seniors May Have To Change Medicare Drug Plans: Analysis

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 26, 2010

� Osteoarthritis of the Knee

� Schizophrenia

� Depression

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 25, 2010

� Tinnitus

� Hot Flashes (Postmenopausal Women)

� Daily Aspirin Use

Source - Google Health News:

In Early Trial, Targeted Therapy Fights Advanced Melanoma
Experimental drug could help patients whose tumors carry particular gene mutation

Gene therapy firm seeks partners
Witney Gazette
By Maggie Hartford � GENE THERAPY company Oxford BioMedica is seeking partners to develop two of its potential treatments after half-year losses rose to ...

Scientists Look to Gene Therapy as Way to Boost Immune System Response to HIV
TheBody.com
The Los Angeles Times reports on the recent efforts of scientists to use gene therapy to strengthen the ability of patients living with HIV to fight off the ...

Non-Viral Gene Therapy Retards Retinal Degeneration
Medgadget.com
Bringing forth a more potent and enduring result will move us closer to clinical application of non-viral gene therapy,” said Kumar-Singh. ...

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

Investors Eye Stem Cell Shares Amid Court Dispute - Indie Research - Thu 9:14 am ET
Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth hit the brakes an executive order aimed to remove "barriers to responsible research involving human stem cells," by ruling that millions in government grants can't be made.

Summary Box: J&J recalls 2 hip replacement systems - AP - 20 minutes ago
PERPETUAL PROBLEM: Johnson & Johnson announces its 11th recall of products since last September -- the second disclosed this week

Source - Medical News Today :

Insulin Resistance, Type 2 Diabetes Linked To Plaques Associated With Alzheimer's Disease

People with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes appear to be at an increased risk of developing plaques in the brain that are associated withAlzheimer's disease, according to new research published in the August 25, 2010, issue of Neurology�, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Insulin resistance, or the stage before diabetes, happens when insulin, a hormone in the body, becomes less effective in lowering blood sugar.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/198973.php

Novel Stem Cell Therapy From Cellonis Biotechnologies Can Help Children With Diabetes Get Back Their Normal Lives

Cellonis Biotechnologies, a Beijing and HK-based medical research and application company, has recorded some remarkable results in the treatment of a twelve-year-old boy with diabetes using their stem cell therapy in aBeijing partner hospital. He has completely regained his normal life, enjoying sports and school activities just like every other person his age, and has been free from injections and drugs for more than half a year. "Our whole family is delighted with this outcome," his mother commented in a Cellonis interview. "He is now no different from any other child at his school. There is no sign of diabetes anymore. He previously coughed a lot in spring and winter, but after the therapy we haven't seen him coughing at all. We are very pleased."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/198840.php

Nano-Vehicle To Deliver Chemotherapy Treatments On Target

Chemotherapy, while an effective cancer treatment, also brings debilitating side effects such as nausea, liver toxicity and a battered immune system. Now, a new way to deliver this life-saving therapy to cancer patients - getting straight to the source of the disease - has been invented by Dr. Dan Peer ofTel Aviv University's Department of Cell Research and Immunology and the Center for Nano Science and Nano Technology together with Prof. Rimona Margalit of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/198736.php

Source - MIT's Technology Review :

Artificial Cornea Offers Long-Term Vision

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/26115/

GBP Health / Biotech News Digest 08-04-2010

2010-08-05T10:44:00.000-04:00

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: 4-Aug-2010
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Caltech biologists discover microRNAs that control function of blood stem cells
One key to fighting diseases such as leukemia and anemia is gaining an understanding of the genes and molecules that control the function of hematopoietic -- or blood -- stem cells, which provide the body with a constant supply of red and white blood cells and platelets. Biologists at Caltech have taken a large step toward that end, with the discovery of a novel group of molecules that are found in high concentrations within hematopoietic stem cells and appear to regulate their production.
Cancer Research Institute, NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Science Foundation, NIH/National Cancer Institute

Contact: Kathy Svitil
ksvitil@caltech.edu
626-395-8022
California Institute of Technology

Public Release: 4-Aug-2010
Nature
NIH genomic mapping study finds largest set of genes related to major risk factor for heart disease
Scanning the genomes of more than 100,000 people from all over the world, scientists report the largest set of genes discovered underlying high cholesterol and high triglycerides -- the major risk factors for coronary heart disease, the nation's number one killer. Taken together, the gene variants explain between a quarter and a third of the inherited portions of cholesterol and triglyceride measured in the blood.
National Institutes of Health

Contact: NHLBI Communications Office
nhlbi_news@nhlbi.nih.gov
301-496-4236
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

Public Release: 4-Aug-2010
Nature
Gene for cholesterol and cardiovascular disease identified through genome scan
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, the Broad Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., are some of the first to prove that a gene linked to a disease trait by genome-wide association studies can be clinically relevant and an important determinant of disease risk.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Contact: Jessica Mikulski
Jessica.mikulski@uphs.upenn.edu
215-349-8369
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Public Release: 3-Aug-2010
Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Fluorescent probe for oral cancer
The probe stimulates molecules in the patient's tissues with a laser. Some of these molecules naturally respond by re-emitting fluorescent light. The device rapidly detects and analyzes this light using a process called "time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy." By using sensitive measurements of the change in fluorescence over time, surgeons can see the tumor margins even as they are cutting the tissue.

Contact: Andy Fell
ahfell@ucdavis.edu
University of California - Davis - Health System

Public Release: 3-Aug-2010
Biomedical Optics
New imaging technique could help physicians ease the aftermath of breast cancer
A new study of breast cancer survivors may help physicians ease a common side effect of cancer treatments. The collaborative research by Eva Sevick, Ph.D., director of the Center for Molecular Imaging at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, and Caroline Fife, M.D., director of the Memorial Herman Wound Care Clinic at UTHSC, could bring relief to millions.

Contact: Lyndsay Basista
lbasista@osa.org
202-416-1930

Optical Society of America

Public Release: 2-Aug-2010
Apoptosis
Scientists discover how neuroglobin protects against Alzheimer's
The researchers developed predictions from computational modeling and validated them with biological experiments. They found that neuroglobin binds to cytochrome c and prevents it from forming an apoptosome. In Alzheimer's disease, a toxic type of protein accumulates in brain neurons and leads to mitochondrial rupture and cell death. The finding suggests that high neuroglobin levels may buffer neurons against the effect of this protein by preventing apoptosomes from forming.

Contact: Holly Ober
hjober@ucdavis.edu
University of California - Davis - Health System

Public Release: 1-Aug-2010
Nature Neuroscience
Epileptic seizures may be linked to an ancient gene family
New research points to a genetic route to understanding and treating epilepsy. The research has identified an ancient gene family that plays a role in regulating the excitability of nerves within the brain.
National Institutes of Health

Contact: Barbara K. Kennedy
science@psu.edu
814-863-4682
Penn State

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.

Gum Inflammation Linked to Alzheimer's Disease

August 4, 2010 — Dental researchers have found the first long-term evidence that periodontal disease may increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction associated with Alzheimer's disease in healthy individuals as well ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100803112811.htm

Revascularization in Elderly Seniors May Help Survival Rates After Heart Attack

August 4, 2010 — Revascularization procedures in very elderly patients after heart attacks may be responsible for improved survival rates after one year, a new study ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100803132732.htm

'Designer Protein' Opens New Door in Cancer Research

August 4, 2010 — A major breakthrough in how to target and destroy the most malignant and aggressive brain cancer cells has been made by researchers. Scientists have identified a way to target and destroy ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100803112813.htm

New Diagnostic Chip Able to Generate Single-Cell Molecular 'Fingerprints' for Brain Tumors

August 4, 2010 — Given the clinical need for improved in vitro molecular diagnostic technologies for brain tumor biopsies, the research team combined the advantages of microfluidics and microscopy-based cell imaging ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100803101926.htm

Fighting Infections With Blood Clots

August 4, 2010 — Clot formation within small blood vessels helps in the fight against pathogenic microbes, researchers in Germany have shown. At the molecular level, clot formation turns out to be intimately ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100803101920.htm

Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Becoming Tools for Brain Tumor Imaging and Treatment

August 3, 2010 — Tiny particles of iron oxide could become tools for simultaneous tumor imaging and treatment, because of their magnetic properties and toxic effects against brain cancer cells. In mice, researchers ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100802165455.htm

Boosting the Efficacy of Anticancer Vaccines

August 2, 2010 — Researchers have now developed a way to overcome some of the hurdles that limit the efficacy of therapeutic anticancer vaccines and found that their new approach is associated with longer overall ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100802125817.htm

Research Defines Timeframes, Factors to Deem Early Stage Lung Cancer Cured

August 2, 2010 — In patients with non-small cell lung cancer, five-year disease-free survival is currently the benchmark of cure. However, there are two issues that remain with the follow-up standards: when can cure ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100802131130.htm

Novel Bee Venom Derivative Forms a Nanoparticle 'Smart Bomb' to Target Cancer Cells

August 2, 2010 — The next time you are stung by a bee, here's some consolation: a toxic protein in bee venom, when altered, significantly improves the effectiveness liposome-encapsulated drugs or dyes, such as those ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100802101817.htm

Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: Aug. 4, 2010

Loving Siblings Help Shield Against Depression: Study
Large Drop In Heart Bypass Surgery Deaths: U.S. Report
Iams and Eukanuba Dry Dog Foods Recalled
New Rules Would Improve Medical Device Safety: FDA
7 Hours Of Sleep Optimal For Heart Health: Study

Patients With Hepatitis B May Face Greater Risk of Blood Cancer
Study finds twice the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Patient's Pulmonary Valve May Substitute for Donor Aortic Valve
Procedure led to improved survival, quality of life, study found

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 4, 2010

� Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (Females Age 40-65)

� Depression and Physical Pain

� Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 3, 2010

� Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

� Depression

� Menstrual Migraine

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

Dendreon shares rise on Provenge sales - AP - Wed 12:11 pm ET
Shares Dendreon Corp. rose Wednesday after the company reported increased prescriptions for its new prostate cancer drug Provenge.

Amplimmune, GlaxoSmithKline enter development deal - AP - 2 hours, 54 minutes ago
Drug developer Amplimmune Inc. said Wednesday it has entered a development agreement with British drug company GlaxoSmithKline PLC that could be worth more than $500 million if certain milestones are met.

Source - Google Health News:

TroVax trial on prostate cancer patients
Witney Gazette
By Maggie Hartford � GENE THERAPY company Oxford Biomedica has received permission from US regulators to test its treatment on prostate cancer patients. ...

Gene makeovers
Boston Globe
By Karen Weintraub A 17-year-old Cambridge biotechnology firm is betting $35 million in new financing on the success of its budding gene therapyprogram. ...

Ben Bova: Gene therapy will one day cure diseases ... It's the 'law'
Naples Daily News
Gene therapy is another example. Half a century after biologists determined the structure of DNA and the molecular code that guides every living cell's ...

Source - Medical News Today :

Discovery Of New, Harmful Fat Cell

As if fat weren't troublesome enough, a research team at the University of Colorado School of Medicine has discovered a new type of fat cell with potentially harmful characteristics. The new fat cells arise from stem cellsin the bone marrow that travel through the blood stream to fat tissue. They are termed bone marrow progenitor-derived adipocytes. The discovery also revealed that male and female subjects accumulate the new fat cells differently. The research also may help to explain the link between types ofobesity and heart disease and other illnesses.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196670.php

Brain Tumor Imaging And Treatment Employing Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Tiny particles of iron oxide could become tools for simultaneous tumor imaging and treatment, because of their magnetic properties and toxic effects against brain cancer cells. In mice, researchers from Emory University School of Medicine have demonstrated how these particles can deliver antibodies to implanted brain tumors, while enhancing tumor visibility via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The results are published online by the journal Cancer Research.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196669.php

FDA Approves First Embryonic Stem Cell Trial

On Friday, FDA announced that it has lifted a hold on the first human test of a treatment derived from embryonic stem cells , the New York Timesreports. Experts are calling the trial -- developed by Geron Corporation and the University of California-Irvine -- a milestone in health research because it will provide the first look at the safety and efficacy of embryonic stem cell therapy. Although stem cell therapies have been lauded for their "vast medical promise," they also have been "embroiled in political and ethical controversy" because the technology involves the destruction of human embryos. FDA approved the trial in January 2009 but later suspended it after rats injected with stem cells in a testing phase developed cysts(Pollack, New York Times, 7/30). FDA officials did not comment on why they removed the hold on the trial, but Geron officials said the company determined that the cysts "did not lead to any adverse consequences to the animals" and Geron changed its procedures "to minimize the likelihood of cyst formation" (Johnson, Contra Costa Times , 7/30).

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196595.php

Source - MIT's Technology Review :

Clear CT Scans with Less Radiation

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25919/

Growing Organs and Helping Wounds Heal

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25918/

GBP Health / Biotech News Digest 07-28-2010

2010-07-28T19:39:00.000-04:00

GBP Health / Biotech News 07-28-2010

EurekAlert - Biology:

Public Release: 28-Jul-2010
American Journal of Pathology
Morphine blocks tumor growth
Current research suggests that taking morphine can block new blood vessel and tumor growth. The related report by Koodie et al, "Morphine suppresses tumor angiogenesis through a HIF1�/p38MAPK pathway," appears in the August 2010 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

Contact: Angela Colmone, Ph.D.
acolmone@asip.org
301-634-7953
American Journal of Pathology

Public Release: 28-Jul-2010
Nature
Molecular mechanism triggering Parkinson's disease identified in Stanford study
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a molecular pathway responsible for the death of key nerve cells whose loss causes Parkinson's disease. This discovery not only may explain how a genetic mutation linked to Parkinson's causes the cells' death, but could also open the door to new therapeutic approaches for the malady.
National Institutes of Health, McKnight Foundation, Beckman Foundation, Sloan Foundation

Contact: Bruce Goldman
goldmanb@stanford.edu
650-725-2106
Stanford University Medical Center

Public Release: 28-Jul-2010
Diabetes
One molecule, many more insulin-producing cells to treat diabetes, says Pitt team
With a single stimulatory molecule, human insulin-producing beta cell replication can be sustained for at least four weeks in a mouse model of diabetes, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Diabetes. They also found several cocktails of molecules that drive human beta cells to replicate, as well as important differences between mouse and human beta cells that could influence how these approaches are best used to treat diabetes.
NIH/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Pam and Scott Kroh and the Don and Arleen Wagner family foundations

Contact: Anita Srikameswaran
SrikamAV@upmc.edu
412-578-9193
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences

Public Release: 27-Jul-2010
Nature Nanotechnology
Nanoblasts from laser-activated nanoparticles move molecules, proteins and DNA into cells
Using chemical "nanoblasts" that punch tiny holes in the protective membranes of cells, researchers have demonstrated a new technique for getting therapeutic small molecules, proteins and DNA directly into living cells.
National Institutes of Health

Contact: John Toon
jtoon@gatech.edu
404-894-6986
Georgia Institute of Technology Research News

Public Release: 27-Jul-2010
Nature Communications
Multifunctional nanoparticle enables new type of biological imaging
By combining a nanoparticle's magnetic and thermal properties, researchers have created a new technique that virtually eliminates the background noise from non-radioactive medical imaging.
National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health

Contact: Hannah Hickey
hickeyh@uw.edu
206-543-2580

University of Washington

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.

Leap Forward in Efforts to Develop Treatments for Huntington's Disease

July 28, 2010 — Research reveals that an enzyme linked with multiple disorders -- including stroke, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis -- is also involved in the generation of toxic protein fragments in Huntington's ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100728121323.htm

Where Do the Drugs Go?

July 28, 2010 — Drug delivery inside the body is a complicated process. Compounds travel through a maze of aqueous solutions, lipid membranes, and barriers between the blood and tissues like the brain. New research ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100727174913.htm

Millions of Americans in Early Stages of Kidney Disease Need Stroke Monitoring, Research Finds

July 28, 2010 — Millions of Americans in the early stages of chronic kidney disease are at an increased risk of having atrial fibrillation -- a major risk factor for stroke -- according to new ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100728121333.htm

New Criteria for T-Cell Lymphoma Diagnosis

July 28, 2010 — Researchers in Italy have discovered new diagnostic criteria to differentiate peripheral T-cell lymphomas ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100728120910.htm

New HIV Treatment Guidelines Indicate Importance of Early, Individualized Antiretroviral Treatment

July 27, 2010 — Advances in antiretroviral treatment have shown that the progressive immune system destruction caused by HIV infection, including AIDS, can be prevented, indicating the importance of beginning ART ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100718204739.htm

HIV's Sugar Coating Offers New Vaccine Approach

July 27, 2010 — The chains of sugar molecules, or carbohydrates, that cover the outside of the highly variable HIV virus remain constant, are different from those found on human cells, and could form the basis of a ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100723130141.htm

Noninvasive MR Imaging of Blood Vessel Growth in Tumors Using Nanosized Contrast Agents

July 26, 2010 — Scientists have incorporated nanotechnology, material science, and the clinical imaging modality MRI, to create a nanosized probe capable of noninvasively visualizing and quantifying the blood vessel ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100723123938.htm

How Key Enzyme Repairs Sun-Damaged DNA

July 26, 2010 — Researchers have long known that humans lack a key enzyme -- one possessed by most of the animal kingdom and even plants -- that reverses severe sun damage. For the first time, researchers have ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100725142614.htm

Treatments for Blocked Carotid Arteries Vary by US Region

July 26, 2010 — Medicare beneficiaries in some parts of the United Statesappear more likely to receive carotid endarterectomy, a surgical procedure to clear blockages in the artery supplying blood to the head, ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100726162115.htm

Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: July 28, 2010

� White House OKs Limited Enrollment Periods For Children's Health Insurance

� Major Differences Between States In Rates Of Uninsured

� Cost Of Treating Back Problems Doubles Over 10 Years: Report

� Major Food Safety Violations At Many U.S. Stadiums

� BPA Found On Cash Register Receipts: Study

Implantable Sensor Measures Blood Sugar Levels

Wireless device transmitted accurate readings in pigs for more than a year, study shows.

Clinical Trials Update: July 28, 2010

� Insomnia

� Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

� Healthy Volunteers (Ages 18-55)

Technology May Explain Mammogram's Poorer Performance in Younger Women
Worse detection rate not due to tumor biology in women under 50, study suggests.

Longer Time Frame for Clot-Busting Drug May Help Beat Stroke
Expanding the time limit from 3 to 4.5 hours doesn't appear to delay treatment, study suggests

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

Advanced Life Sciences Applies for FDA Fast-Track Designation for Restanza in CABP - PR Newswire - Wed 8:00 am ET
Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc. , a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, oncology and respiratory diseases, today announced that the Company has applied to the U.S.

GlaxoSmithKline to Implement New Compensation Program for U.S. Sales Professionals - PR Newswire - Mon Jul 26
GlaxoSmithKline today confirmed that it will implement a new system for evaluating and compensating its sales professionals beginning in 2011.

Source - Google Health News:

Novel Therapies for Advanced Heart Failure
Construction Equipment
The first-in-human trial to utilize this novel gene therapy, CUPID (Calcium Up-regulation by Percutaneous administration of gene therapy In cardiac Disease) ...

Gene Transfer May Correct Monogenic Blood Disease in Young Patients
Medscape
As the report explains: "Correction of �-thalassemia by gene therapyrequires gene transfer in stem/progenitor cells and high levels of �-globin gene ...

Watching Genetically Engineered Cells Kill Cancer In Real Time
Singularity Hub (blog)
Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center are usinggene therapy to teach immune cells how to attack cancer, but that's now all....

Source - Medical News Today :

Hospira Begins Phase I U.S. Clinical Trial Of Biosimilar Erythropoietin In Renal Patients

Hospira, Inc. (NYSE: HSP), the world leader in generic injectable pharmaceuticals, announced the start of a U.S. Phase I clinical trial of its biosimilar erythropoietin (EPO) in patients with renal (kidney) dysfunction who have anemia , an important step on the road toward introducing a biosimilar product in the United States. Erythropoietin is a treatment for anemia associated with chronic renal failure and chemotherapy. The controlled, randomized trial of patients on hemodialysis who have already been treated with Amgen's Epogen(R) (epoetin alfa), is taking place at 20 different hemodialysis centers across the United States. Patients in the trial will be treated with both Epogen and Hospira's EPO, with each patient receiving one drug first and then being switched to the second drug. The goal of the Phase I trial is to test safety and pharmacokinetics, or measurements of the drug's blood level and distribution in the body, compared with the reference product. Pending successful completion of the Phase I trial, Hospira would launch an expanded Phase III trial in 2011, also comparing safety and efficacy of Hospira's EPO with Epogen.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196120.php

Proposed Lowering Of PSA Threshold For Biopsy Could Result In Increased Overdiagnosis And Overtreatment Of Prostate Cancer, Study

New research from the US suggests that most American men diagnosed withprostate cancer receive aggressive treatment, even if their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level is below the current recommended 4.0 nanograms per milliliter threshold for biopsy and their diagnosis indicates low-risk disease; the researchers argue against lowering the threshold, suggesting there is no evidence that waiting for PSA to reach the current threshold before doing a biopsy leads to significant increases in non-curable cases, whereas lowering it is likely to lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Dr Yu-Hsuan Shao, of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, and colleagues report their findings in a paper that was published online on 26 July in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA/Archives journal.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196014.php

Canadian Researchers Testing Unique Vaccines For Prion Diseases And Common Cancers

Several Canadian researchers have come together to help control the relentless spread of a prion disease, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk, through vaccines. At the same time they aim to generate safe and effective therapies for common cancers . This simultaneous research is possible thanks to a unique connection they have discovered between the two unrelated diseases. The project builds on links between prion proteins present in certain prion diseases like CWD in animals and common cancers in people like melanoma and lymphoma . The multi-provincial research is made possible by Vancouver-based PrioNet Canada's Bootstrap program and involves three scientists along with two industry partners, Toronto-based Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd. and Saskatoon-based PREVENT - the Pan Provincial Vaccine Initiative.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/195975.php

Starve A Cancer

Researchers at Boston College, MA, have found that reducing calorie intake can restrict the growth and spread of brain cancer . Writing in ASN NEURO, Laura Shelton and colleagues report success with mice suffering from glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive and invasive form of primary human brain cancer.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/195776.php

Source - MIT's Technology Review :

Speeding Up Diagnosis of Infectious Disease

A startup is developing sequencing-based tests that could detect infections within 24 hours.

Genetic Tests Get Bad Grades

A federal investigation finds conflicting test results and false marketing claims.

GBP Health / Biotech News Digest 07-13-2010

2010-07-16T11:01:00.001-04:00

GBP Health / Biotech News 07-13-2010:

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: 13-Jul-2010
Human Gene Therapy
Innovation and current status of prostate cancer gene therapy featured in Human Gene Therapy
Improved delivery methods and better testing systems are needed to advance promising gene therapy strategies for treating prostate cancer, according to a series of review articles in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert Inc. The articles and an accompanying editorial are available free online.
Contact: Vicki Cohn
vcohn@liebertpub.com
914-740-2156
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

Public Release: 13-Jul-2010
UK National Stem Cell Network annual science conference
Improving clinical use of stem cells to repair heart damage
Presenting at the UK National Stem Cell Network annual science conference July 13, Professor Michael Schneider describes a new approach to treating heart attack and cardiomyopathy using stem cells.
British Heart Foundation, European Research Council, European Union, Leducq Foundation, Medical Research Council
Contact: Nancy Mendoza
ukpo@uknscn.org
01-793-413-355
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Public Release: 12-Jul-2010
Archives of Neurology
Vitamin D levels associated with Parkinson's disease risk
Individuals with higher levels of vitamin D appear to have a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Contact: Paul Knekt, D.P.H.
paul.knekt@thl.fi
JAMA and Archives Journals

Public Release: 12-Jul-2010
Archives of Neurology
Eating foods rich in vitamin E associated with lower dementia risk
Consuming more vitamin E through the diet appears to be associated with a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Contact: Monique M. B. Breteler, M.D., Ph.D.
m.breteler@erasmusmc.nl
JAMA and Archives Journals

Public Release: 11-Jul-2010
UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Conference
Top professor will report new way to discover drugs that aid regenerative medicine
Professor Fiona Watt will today give the Anne McLaren Memorial Lecture at the UK National Stem Cell Network annual science meeting and will detail a new approach to screening for drugs that target stem cells. To begin with, this is being developed for adult skin stem cells, giving hope for new drugs to promote wound healing and aid the use of stem cells to, for example, treat severe burns.
Contact: Nancy Mendoza
ukpo@uknscn.org
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Public Release: 7-Jul-2010
Gene Therapy
Genetically reprogrammed HSV given systemically shrinks distant sarcomas
Scientists have used a genetically reprogrammed herpes virus and an anti-vascular drug to shrink spreading distant sarcomas designed to model metastatic disease in mice -- still an elusive goal when treating humans with cancer, according to a study in the July 8 Gene Therapy. The study results are even more significant because the oncolytic herpes virus was given to the mice systemically to attack tumors via the blood stream instead of being injected directly into tumors
Cincinnati Children's Division of Hematology/Oncology, teeoffagainstcancer.org, Katie Linz Foundation, Limb Preservation Foundation, American Cancer Society, National Institutes of Health
Contact: Nick Miller
nicholas.miller@cchmc.org
513-803-6035
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

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 3-D Imaging Techniques for Improved Lung Cancer Drug Development
July 13, 2010 — Advanced imaging technologies that promise to improve effective drug development to treat lung cancer are the focus of the current issue of Optics Express. Research outlines standardized approaches ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707122038.htm

Mechanism That Determines Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness Uncovered
July 13, 2010 — A team of investigators has identified a series of proteins that might make it easier for doctors to better diagnose the more metastatic forms of prostate ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712121836.htm

Scientists Create Army of Tumor-Fighting Immune Cells and Watch as They Attack Cancer
July 13, 2010 — Researchers created a large, well-armed battalion of tumor-seeking immune system cells and watched, in real time using positron emission tomography (PET), as the special forces traveled throughout ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712154430.htm

Radiation Device Allows for Targeted Breast Radiation to Control Cancer, Study Finds
July 13, 2010 — A new study of breast cancer patients at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center and the Arizona Oncology Services shows that after almost two years, the radiation given with the Strut-Adjusted Volume Implant ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712162634.htm

Universal HIV Testing and Immediate Treatment Could Reduce but Not Eliminate HIV/AIDS Epidemic
July 12, 2010 — Implementing a program of universal HIV testing and immediate antiretroviral treatment for infected individuals could have a major impact on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Washington, D.C., but a new study ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100709155514.htm

Stem Cell Transplantation Successfully Treats Therapy-Resistant Chronic Leukemia, German Study Finds
July 12, 2010 — The transplantation of stem cells from a healthy donor (allogeneic) offers the chance of cure for patients with an aggressive form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), irrespective of genetic ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712103337.htm

Breakthrough in Terahertz Remote Sensing: Unique THz 'Fingerprints' Will Identify Hidden Explosives from a Distance
July 12, 2010 — A major breakthrough in remote wave sensing by a team of researchers opens the way for detecting hidden explosives, chemical, biological agents and illegal drugs from a distance of 20 ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100711155911.htm

Arsenic Shows Promise as Cancer Treatment, Study Finds
July 12, 2010 — Miss Marple notwithstanding, arsenic might not be many people's favorite chemical. But the notorious poison does have some medical applications. Specifically, a form called arsenic trioxide has been ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712154428.htm

Sirtuin1 May Boost Memory and Learning Ability; Discovery Could Lead to New Drugs to Fight Alzheimer's, Other Neurological Diseases
July 11, 2010 — The same molecular mechanism that increases life span through calorie restriction may help boost memory and brainpower, researchers ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100711155908.htm

Neural Stem Cells Attack Glioblastoma Cells
July 9, 2010 — Scientists in Germany have demonstrated how the brain's own stem cells and precursor cells control the growth of glioblastomas. Of all brain tumors, glioblastomas are among the most common and most ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706103410.htm

Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: July 13, 2010
· Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner Dies Of Heart Attack
· Do More to Cut Blood Infections In Hospital Patients: Survey
· New Type Of Smallpox Vaccine Added To U.S. Stockpile
· Obesity At Age 20 Takes 8 years Off Men's Lives: Study
· FDA Has Concerns About New Weight Loss Drug's Side Effects
· Fewer Young Africans Being Infected With HIV: U.N.
Alzheimer's Research Spotlights Protein 'Tangles' in Brain
Studies in animals suggest buildup of 'tau' can be repressed, but will it help curb the disease?

Could Having a Bigger Head Help Slow Alzheimer's?
Larger brains may have more cells in reserve when the disease strikes, research suggests

Clinical Trials Update: July 12, 2010
· Ulcerative Proctitis
· Osteoarthritis/Rheumatoid Arthritis
· Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

Clinical Trials Update: July 9, 2010
· Diabetes
· Healthy Volunteers (Females 12-18 Years of Age)
· Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

Life's Leukemia Test in Europe - Zacks.com - Tue 11:22 am ET
Life Technologies and Asuragen Inc. have achieved the CE Mark for BCR/ABL1 Quant Test to determine the most effective treatment option for chronic myeloid leukemia. The test has been launched in Europe.

Bristol-Myers Squibb starts recall of Coumadin - AP - Mon 4:00 pm ET
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. said Monday it is recalling eight production lots of its anti-clotting drug Coumadin because the amount of the active ingredient in the drug could change.

Source - Google Health News:

Electroporation's Efficiency Improved, May Help DNA Delivery For Gene Therapy
North County Times (blog)
Gene therapy depends on getting the DNA of interest past the cell membrane, a difficult task. New research from Virginia Tech and Purdue shows how to ...

Parkinson's gene therapy step closer
New Zealand Herald
By Martin Johnston Surgical gene therapy for Parkinson's disease - one of a series of breakthroughs in Professor Matthew During's research career - has ...

Researchers Report Discovery of Powerful HIV-Zapping Antibodies
Wall Street Journal (blog)
But, as the WSJ reports, while converting the discovery into an actual vaccine, preventative therapy or even gene therapy will require some technical doings ...

Source - Medical News Today :

Possible New Approach For Diabetes Therapy
Nutrition experts at Oregon State University have essentially "cured" laboratory mice of mild, diet-induced diabetes by stimulating the production of a particular enzyme. The findings could offer a new approach to diabetes therapy, experts say, especially if a drug could be identified that would do the same thing, which in this case was accomplished with genetic manipulation.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/194560.php

Use Of Nanoparticles To Shrink Tumors In Mice Holds Important Implications For Cancer Therapy
The application of nanotechnology in the field of drug delivery has attracted much attention in recent years. In cancer research, nanotechnology holds great promise for the development of targeted, localized delivery of anticancer drugs, in which only cancer cells are affected. Such targeted-therapy methods would represent a major advance over current chemotherapy, in which anticancer drugs are distributed throughout the body, attacking healthy cells along with cancer cells and causing a number of adverse side effects.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/194382.php

Researcher Developing Novel Therapy For Alzheimer's Disease
A University of Oklahoma researcher is developing a novel therapy for Alzheimer's disease using "biopharmaceutical proteases" to attack the toxic plaque that builds up in the brain of an Alzheimer's patient - an approach that he predicts will be lower in cost and higher in effectiveness than current therapies. Peter J. Heinzelman, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical, Biological and Mechanical Engineering, recently received a $75,000 grant from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology to pursue this research, which includes the development of a library of biopharmaceutical proteases for public use.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/194301.php

Source - MIT's Technology Review :

A Turning Point for Genetic Testing
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25793/

A Simpler Way to Spy on Rogue Molecules
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25778/

GBP Health / Biotech News Digest 07-08-2010

2010-07-09T09:29:00.000-04:00

GBP Health / Biotech News 07-08-2010:

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: 8-Jul-2010
Molecular Cell
DNA discovery opens new door to develop tools, therapies for hereditary cancers
McMaster University researchers have revealed new avenues to develop assessment tools and alternative treatments for people living with hereditary colorectal cancers.
National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, German Science Foundation
Contact: Veronica McGuire
vmcguir@mcmaster.ca
90-552-591-402-2169
McMaster University

Public Release: 8-Jul-2010
American Journal of Pathology
Professor discovers way to slow the growth of malignant melanoma
New Queen's University research has shown that the growth of melanoma, one of the most deadly forms of skin cancer, can be slowed when a little known gene called microRNA 193b is added. "This is the first step in a long road towards finding a melanoma cure," says Professor Victor Tron.
Contact: Michael Onesi
Michael.Onesi@queensu.ca
613-533-6000 x77513
Queen's University

Public Release: 8-Jul-2010
Cell
Housing upgrade shrinks tumors in mice with cancer
When mice with cancer get a boost in their social life and an upgrade in living conditions, their tumors shrink, and their cancers more often go into spontaneous remission Reported in the July 9 issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, these findings offer powerful new evidence of the critical role that social connection and an individual's mental state, may play in cancer.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press

Public Release: 8-Jul-2010
Cell
A chemical to make brain cells grow
Scientists have identified a chemical that makes new neurons grow. The substance works specifically in a part of the brain that is integral to learning and memory.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press

Public Release: 8-Jul-2010
Cell
Small molecule boosts production of brain cells, protects new cells from dying
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found a compound that preserves newly created brain cells and boosts learning and memory in an animal study.
National Institutes of Health, Hartwell Foundation, NARSAD, Staglin Family Fund, UT Southwestern, Morton H. Meyerson Family Tzedakah Fund, Simons Foundation, et al.
Contact: Aline McKenzie
aline.mckenzie@utsouthwestern.edu
214-648-3404
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Public Release: 7-Jul-2010
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
High blood levels of vitamin E reduces risk of Alzheimer's
High levels of several vitamin E components in the blood are associated with a decreased risk for Alzheimer's disease in advanced age, suggesting that vitamin E may help prevent cognitive deterioration in elderly people. This is the conclusion reached in a Swedish study published in the July 2010 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Contact: Ulla Bredberg
pressinfo@ki.se
Karolinska Institutet

Public Release: 7-Jul-2010
Gene Therapy
Genetically reprogrammed HSV given systemically shrinks distant sarcomas
Scientists have used a genetically reprogrammed herpes virus and an anti-vascular drug to shrink spreading distant sarcomas designed to model metastatic disease in mice -- still an elusive goal when treating humans with cancer, according to a study in the July 8 Gene Therapy. The study results are even more significant because the oncolytic herpes virus was given to the mice systemically to attack tumors via the blood stream instead of being injected directly into tumors
Cincinnati Children's Division of Hematology/Oncology, teeoffagainstcancer.org, Katie Linz Foundation, Limb Preservation Foundation, American Cancer Society, National Institutes of Health
Contact: Nick Miller
nicholas.miller@cchmc.org
513-803-6035
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Public Release: 6-Jul-2010
Analytical Chemistry
Multicolor quantum dots aid in cancer biopsy diagnosis
The tunable fluorescent nanoparticles known as quantum dots make ideal tools for distinguishing and identifying rare cancer cells in tissue biopsies. Researchers at Emory and Georgia Tech have learned how multicolor quantum dots linked to antibodies can distinguish the Reed-Sternberg cells that are characteristic of Hodgkin's lymphoma.
NIH/National Cancer Institute
Contact: Holly Korschun
hkorsch@emory.edu
404-727-3990
Emory 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.

Pinpoint Precision: Delivering a Biochemical Payload to One Cell
July 8, 2010 — Researchers use precise electrical "tweezers" to place nanowires on predetermined spots on single cells. The technique eventually could produce new ways to deliver ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707102441.htm

Turning Back the Cellular Clock: Method Developed for Tracking Adult Stem Cells as They Regress
July 8, 2010 — For the first time, scientists have succeeded in tracking the progression of reprogrammed stem cells through live imaging to learn more about how they are reprogrammed, and how the new cells evolve ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100629122950.htm

Revolutionary Medical Dressing Uses Nanotechnology to Fight Infection
July 8, 2010 — Researchers are using nanotechnology to develop a medical dressing which will detect and treat infection in wounds. Scientists in the UK are working together with teams across Europe and Australia to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707211621.htm

Cancer Deaths Continue to Drop
July 7, 2010 — The continued drop in overall cancer mortality rates over the last 20 years has averted more than 767,000 cancer deaths, according to a new report from the American Cancer ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707112429.htm

Scientists Design New Delivery Device for Gene Therapy
July 7, 2010 — Scientists have designed a nanoparticle that appears to effectively deliver genetic material into cells with minimal toxic effects. In lab experiments, the researchers have found that this device, a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706161801.htm

Patients With Treatment-Resistant CLL Respond Positively to Stem Cell Transplants
July 7, 2010 — Allogeneic (donor-derived) stem cell transplant may be a promising option for patients with treatment-resistant chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), regardless of the patient's underlying genetic ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100702092205.htm

Best Tests for Predicting Alzheimer's Disease Identified
July 7, 2010 — New research has identified the memory and brain scan tests that appear to predict best whether a person with cognitive problems might develop Alzheimer's ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630162351.htm

Novel Protein Being Tested as Potential Target in Alzheimer's Treatment
July 7, 2010 — Scientists have discovered a previously unreported mitochondrial protein that interacts with a protein known to play a role in Alzheimer's ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707221744.htm

New 3-D Imaging Techniques for Improved Lung Cancer Drug Development
July 7, 2010 — Advanced imaging technologies that promise to improve effective drug development to treat lung cancer are the focus of the current issue of Optics Express. Research outlines standardized approaches ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707122038.htm

Neural Stem Cells Attack Glioblastoma Cells
July 6, 2010 — Scientists in Germany have demonstrated how the brain's own stem cells and precursor cells control the growth of glioblastomas. Of all brain tumors, glioblastomas are among the most common and most ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706103410.htm

Researchers Identify Factors Behind Blood-Making Stem Cells
July 6, 2010 — Researchers have made significant progress in the understanding of blood-producing (hematopoietic) stem cells. The study identifies factors that control the production of hematopoietic stem cells and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706150620.htm

How Loss of Key Protein Promotes Aggressive Form of Leukemia
July 4, 2010 — New research illuminates in fine detail one of the genetic paths that leads to a particularly aggressive form of leukemia. A team discovered a new tumor-suppressing function of p53, distinct, for ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701131449.htm

Source - Health Day:
Health Highlights: July 8, 2010
· Docs Perform 1st Face Transplant Including Eyelids, Tear Ducts
· Obesity Leads to Inactivity in Kids: Study
· New Rules May Ease Veterans' Claims for PTSD Compensation
· FDA OKs Mini Eye Telescope for Macular Degeneration
Many Docs Deliver Cancer Diagnosis Badly: Study
Devastating news relayed by phone, in public hospital locations, survey finds

Clinical Trials Update: July 8, 2010
· Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)
· Chronic Low Back Pain
· Gout
Clinical Trials Update: July 7, 2010
· Malaria Vaccine
· Chronic Pain
· Psoriasis
Clinical Trials Update: July 6, 2010

· Flu Symptoms (Ages 55-80)
· Alzheimer's Disease (Ages 50+)
· Major Depression

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

Merck Details Plans to Advance Integration of R&D, Manufacturing and Business Operations Worldwide - Business Wire - Thu 9:00 am ET
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J.----Merck & Co., Inc. , known outside the U.S. and Canada as MSD, today provided further detail on integration plans for the company's research and development, manufacturing and other business operations as part of a global restructuring program announced following the November 2009 merger of Merck and Schering-Plough.

Source - Google Health News:

Study Shows Hope for Gene Therapy
HealthNewsDigest.com
By Wall Street Journal Online (HealthNewsDigest.com) - Researchers have launched a new gene-therapy trial for children with a rare disease known as "bubble ...

Cancer Treatment Advancements
KULR-TV
The Billings Clinic Cancer Research Center is focusing on immuno and gene therapy. "The information that we've learned about cancer is doubling every few ...

Study Shows Hope for Gene Therapy
Wall Street Journal
By AMY DOCKSER MARCUS Researchers have launched a new gene-therapy trial for children with a rare disease known as "bubble boy syndrome," reflecting fresh ...

Scientists Hope to Use Gene Therapy to Treat HIV
Tech Jackal
Scientists have learned there may be a way to prevent the spread of HIV by using genetic therapy. The process has been tested on mice and will hopefully ...

UAB scientists working on gene therapy that may cure sickle cell
al.com (blog)
(Illumina) Scientists at UAB say they're edging closer to a possible cure for sickle cell disease, one that uses gene therapy to repair diseased cells and ...

Source - Medical News Today :

HIV Prevention Strategy Key To Curbing Epidemic And Cutting Long-Term Treatment Costs
Increasing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) treatment for people with HIV/AIDS will provide significant cost savings over a relatively short period of time, according to a formal economic analysis led by researchers at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) at Providence Health Care and the University of British Columbia (UBC). The analysis of HAART coverage in British Columbia, published recently in AIDS , the official journal of the International AIDS Society (IAS), is the first comprehensive economic evaluation of the net benefit of HAART in the province. HAART lowers viral load, stopping HIV from progressing to AIDS in individuals and helping to prevent HIV transmission. The study's key finding shows that while expanding HAART use is cost-effective for individual patients, the benefits become exponentially greater when HAART's ability to prevent HIV transmission is considered.
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/194108.php

Are Doctors Giving Patients The Best Vaccines Or The Vaccines With The Best Price?
Yesterday, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking for an antitrust investigation into drug companies that offer significant discounts to doctors for providing patients with only that company's vaccines. CREW sent its letter after learning that Sanofi Pasteur and Merck require physician healthcare groups purchasing their vaccines to enter into contracts prohibiting them from purchasing vaccines made by other companies. CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan stated, "Patients presume that doctors choose vaccines based on the patient's best interests. Now we learn that's not always true. In some cases, doctors are choosing vaccines based on the discounts offered by the drug manufacturer."
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/194027.php

Researchers Explore Novel Protein As Potential Target In Alzheimer's Treatment
A South Dakota State University researcher and his colleagues elsewhere have discovered a previously unreported mitochondrial protein that interacts with a protein known to play a role in Alzheimer's disease . The discovery adds to what is known about the memory-inhibiting disease as researchers continue to search for ways to treat it.
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193752.php

Source - MIT's Technology Review :

Multiplying DNA One Drop at a Time
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25762/

Multistep Diagnostics on Paper
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25760/

Targeting a Master Regulator of Disease
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25703/

Biosensors Comfortable Enough to Wear 24-7
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25701/

GBP Health / Biotech News Digest 07-02-2010

2010-07-04T09:27:00.001-04:00

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: 1-Jul-2010
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
UVA radiation damages DNA in human melanocyte skin cells and can lead to melanoma
A new study by researchers at NYU School of Medicine found that UVA radiation damages the DNA in human melanocyte cells, causing mutations that can lead to melanoma. Melanocytes, which contain a substance called melanin that darkens the skin to protect it from the ultraviolet rays of the sun, are more vulnerable to UVA radiation than normal skin cells because they are unable to repair themselves as efficiently.
National Institutes of Health

Contact: Lauren Woods
lauren.woods@nyumc.org
212-404-3555
NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine

Public Release: 1-Jul-2010
Science
DNA mutation rates raise curtain on cause of cancer
What if we could understand why cancer develops? One idea that has emerged is that for a cell to transform into a cancer cell it must suffer a large number of mutations affecting different genes needed to control cell growth. In a study published this week in Science, Brandeis University researchers have found that the process of repairing DNA damage also unexpectedly increases the rate of mutations and changes the kinds of mutations that arise.

Contact: Laura Gardner
gardner@brandeis.edu
781-736-4204
Brandeis University

Public Release: 1-Jul-2010
Science
Genetic regulator opens new avenues to AIDS, immune system research
Researchers have discovered a genetic regulator that plays a key role in the formation of "T cells," a type of white blood cell. The discovery suggests that some types of immune function might be influenced by manipulation of this genetic regulator. This could be a target for drug development, and could open the door to new immune system-based therapies for everything from diseases of T cells, such as HIV/AIDS, to autoimmune disorders and allergies.
National Institutes of Health

Contact: Mark Leid
mark.leid@oregonstate.edu
541-737-5809
Oregon State University

Public Release: 1-Jul-2010
Cell Stem Cell
Work-life balance: Brain stem cells need their rest, too
Stem cells in the brain remain dormant until called upon to divide and make more neurons. However, little has been known about the molecular guards that keep them quiet. Now scientists from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified the signal that prevents stem cells from proliferating, protecting the brain against too much cell division and ensuring a pool of neural stem cells that lasts a lifetime.

Contact: Gina Kirchweger
kirchweger@salk.edu
45-341-001-340
Salk Institute

Public Release: 1-Jul-2010
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Stem-cell therapy may provide new approach to fight infection
A new study shows that treatment with mesenchymal stem cells can triple survival rates in mice with sepsis, a deadly condition that can occur when an infection spreads throughout the body. The treatment reduced the damaging effects of inflammation and increased the body's ability to clear the infection. Mesenchymal stem cells are found in adult bone marrow and they have been used extensively in clinical trials in humans for other conditions.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Northern Therapeutics

Contact: Jennifer Paterson
jpaterson@ohri.ca
613-798-5555 x73325
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Public Release: 1-Jul-2010
Genes & Development
CSHL team shows how loss of key protein promotes aggressive form of leukemia
New research by scientists at CSHL illuminates in fine detail one of the genetic paths that leads to a particularly aggressive form of leukemia. A team discovered a new tumor-suppressing function of p53, distinct, for instance, from apoptosis, and somewhat related to senescence. They showed that it has the ability to reinforce cell-fate and differentiation programs. In AML, p53 loss leads to cancer by disabling this reinforcement.

Contact: Peter Tarr
tarr@cshl.edu
516-367-8455
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Public Release: 30-Jun-2010
Nature
Stanford study shows key enzyme in fetal heart development also involved in adult heart disease
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified for the first time an enzyme that plays vital roles in both fetal heart development and in causing cardiac hypertrophy -- an enlargement of the heart -- in adults. The discovery could be used in the future to try to develop new treatments for heart disease.
National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, Children's Heart Foundation, March of Dimes Foundation, University of California, California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Kaiser Foundation, Baxter Foundation

Contact: Tracie White
traciew@stanford.edu
650-723-7628
Stanford University Medical Center

Public Release: 29-Jun-2010
Nature Biotechnology
Turning back the cellular clock
For the first time, scientists at Tel Aviv University in collaboration with researchers at Harvard University have succeeded in tracking the progression of reprogrammed stem cells through live imaging to learn more about how they are reprogrammed, and how the new cells evolve over time. This will allow researchers to develop techniques and choose the right cells for replacement therapy and give invaluable insight into how these cells will eventually react in the human body.

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

Public Release: 28-Jun-2010
A pacemaker for your brain
A Tel Aviv University team led by Prof. Matti Mintz of TAU's Psychobiology Research Unit is delving deep into human behavior, neurophysiology and engineering to create a chip that can help doctors wire computer applications and sensors to the brain. The chip will provide deep brain stimulation precisely where and when it's needed.

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

Melanoma-Initiating Cell Identified

July 1, 2010 Scientists have identified a cancer-initiating cell in human melanomas. The finding is significant because the existence of such a cell in the aggressive skin cancer has been a source of debate. It ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630132754.htm

Gene Regulating Human Brain Development Identified

July 1, 2010 With more than 100 billion neurons and billions of other specialized cells, the human brain is a marvel of nature. It is the organ that makes people ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701131159.htm

Cancer Stem Cells Are Not 'One Size Fits All,' Lung Cancer Models Show

July 1, 2010 Cancer stem cells have enticed scientists because of the potential to provide more durable and widespread cancer cures by identifying and targeting the tumor's most voracious cells. Now, researchers ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701131447.htm

Reprogrammed Human Blood Cells Show Promise for Disease Research

July 1, 2010 Cells from frozen human blood samples can be reprogrammed to an embryonic stem-cell-like state, according to new research. These cells can be multiplied and used to study the genetic and molecular ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701131207.htm

Cancer Drug Shows Promise for Treating a Wide Range of Inflammatory Diseases

June 30, 2010 Those looking for a new treatment for a range of inflammatory diseases like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and lupus may need to look no further than a drug already ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630101026.htm

How Dietary Supplement May Block Cancer Cells

June 30, 2010 A new study shows how a substance produced when eating broccoli and Brussels sprouts can block the proliferation of cancer cells. Earlier evidence indicates that the substance indole-3-carbinol may ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100629131316.htm

Nano-Sized Advance Toward Next Big Treatment Era in Dentistry

June 30, 2010 Scientists are reporting an advance toward the next big treatment revolution in dentistry -- the era in which root canal therapy brings diseased teeth back to life, rather than leaving a "non-vital" ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630132842.htm

Pathologists Call for New Training Program to Support Personalized Medicine

June 30, 2010 Doctors have issued "a call to action" for the medical profession to catch up with the technology and business communities in the application of genomics to personalized health ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630111043.htm

Higher Cancer Rates Found in Liver Transplant Patients Receiving Cyclosporine for Immunosuppression

June 27, 2010 Researchers have found that cyclosporine treatment is a significant risk factor for the development of de novo cancer in liver transplant ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100624112312.htm

Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: July 1, 2010

· West Nile Cases Lower in 2009

· VA Facility Should Be Investigated: Senators

· 40 Million Expired Swine Flu Vaccine Doses to Be Destroyed

· EPA Way Behind on Air Pollution Regulations: Report

· Americans With Pre-Existing Conditions to Get Health Coverage

PSA Test Does Cut Prostate Cancer Deaths, Study Finds
Swedish report adds to controversy over the usefulness of the blood screen

Clinical Trials Update: July 1, 2010

· High Cholesterol

· Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

· Iron-Deficiency Anemia

Predicting Alzheimer's Risk in Patients With Cognitive Problems
Abnormal results on memory test, PET scan linked to 12-fold increase in risk, study shows

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

Summary Box: Medicare reviews Dendreon's Provenge - AP - 25 minutes ago
WHAT'S HAPPENING: Medicare will spend a year deciding whether to cover Dendreon Corp.'s prostate cancer therapy Provenge, which costs $93,000 for a course of treatment.

Dendreon Statement on CMS National Coverage Analysis - PR Newswire - Wed 7:48 pm ET
Dendreon Corporation announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services today initiated a National Coverage Analysis of PROVENGE® , an autologous cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer .

Source - Google Health News:

Oncolytic vaccine therapy shows promise in melanoma, SCC studies
ModernMedicine
"OncoVEX GM-CSF represents an entirely new approach designed to combine the best aspects of gene therapy, oncolytic virus therapy and autologous cancer ...

Immunovaccine Signs Agreement With Oncothyreon To Develop Cancer Vaccine
MarketWatch (press release)
Oncothyreon's ONT-10 is a synthetic MUC1-based liposomal glycolipopeptide cancer vaccine. Immunovaccine's DepoVax(TM) platform is a lipid in oil-depot ...

Source - Medical News Today :

40 Million Swine Flu Vaccines Written Off As Trash, USA

Approximately 40 million doses of swine flu vaccine, worth around US$260 million are to be burned. Jerry Weir, Vaccines Research and Review, FDA (Food and Drug Administration,USA) commented that by historical standards "It's a lot". One quarter of USA's stocks of swine flu vaccine expired yesterday and will be burned, authorities inform. This is about four times as much as the leftover from seasonal flu vaccines, and is probably a record.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193622.php

KIMS, GE Healthcare And Varian Medical Systems Join Forces To Increase Cancer Care Access

Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), GE Healthcare and Varian Medical Systems today are announcing a cooperative working relationship to jointly address the growing oncology needs in rural India. Under the cooperative relationship, KIMS plans to establish 10 "See and Treat" oncology centers with an investment of Rs.200 crores to acquire latest technology for these centres. The proposed network of centers will have one advanced GE Discovery PET/CT Molecular Imaging Systems each for detecting the disease at its earliest possible stage and 3 centrally located cyclotrons for producing FDG bio-markers required for the disease detection. Several of these centers will be equipped with radiotherapy and radio-surgery technology from Varian Medical Systems for treating patients. These first-of-its-kind, stand-alone, "See and Treat" cancer care centers are targeted for:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193418.php\

Original HIV Infection Lurks Within Despite Countless Changes

Scientists have been surprised to learn that, despite thousands of changes that viruses like HIVundergo in rapid fashion to evade the body's immune system, the original version that caused the infection is still present in the body months later. The finding, published in the June issue of theJournal of Virology, is the result of an uncommonly detailed look at the cat-and-mouse action that takes place in an organism shortly after infection. The work is aimed at understanding the earliest stages of infection by HIV more thoroughly, to help scientists develop ways either to quash the infection outright or to develop a vaccine to prevent infection.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193395.php

Artificial Pancreas Could Be Available In A Few Years

Researchers speaking at an annual conference suggested that research into making an artificial pancreas so patients with type 1 diabetes can better control glucose levels, is progressing rapidly and that the technology could be commercially available in just a few years. On Sunday, as part of the 70th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) that is running from June 25 to 29 in Orlando, Florida, scientists from the ADA and the international charity Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) spoke in a joint session about how quickly research into treatments for type 1 diabetes and its complications is progressing, with particular emphasis on the Artificial Pancreas Project.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193163.php

Source - MIT's Technology Review :

Genes for Extreme Longevity

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25693/?a=f

Drug Device for Hearing Loss

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25683/?a=f

Building a Substitute Pancreas for Diabetics

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25659/

GBP Health / Biotech News Digest 06-28-2010

2010-06-29T10:26:00.000-04:00

GBP Health / Biotech News 06-28-2010:

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: 28-Jun-2010
Cell
'Copy-and-paste DNA' more common than previously thought
Researchers at the University of Leicester have demonstrated that movable sequences of DNA, which give rise to genetic variability and sometimes cause specific diseases, are far more common than previously thought.
Wellcome Trust

Contact: Dr. Richard Badge
rmb19@leicester.ac.uk
44-116-252-5042
University of Leicester

Public Release: 28-Jun-2010
BMC Medicine
Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure
For people with hypertension, eating dark chocolate can significantly reduce blood pressure. Researchers writing in the open-access journal BMC Medicine combined the results of 15 studies into the effects of flavanols, the compounds in chocolate which cause dilation of blood vessels, on blood pressure.

Contact: Graeme Baldwin
graeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.com
44-203-192-2165
BioMed Central

Public Release: 28-Jun-2010
Nature Genetics
International study identifies 12 new genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes
An international consortium including Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen and the German Diabetes Center, Duesseldorf, has identified 12 new gene variants which impact the individual's risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study represents a major contribution towards elucidating the complex pathogenesis of this important widespread disease. Nature Genetics has published the findings of this study in its current issue.

Contact: Sven Winkler
presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de
49-989-318-73946
Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health

Public Release: 27-Jun-2010
Nature Nanotechnology
Carbon nanotubes form ultrasensitive biosensor to detect proteins
Boston College researchers have used carbon nanotubes and molecular imprinting to develop a biosensor capable of detecting proteins, according to a report in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
Seaver Institute, NIH/National Cancer Institute

Contact: Ed Hayward
ed.hayward@bc.edu
617-552-4826
Boston College

Public Release: 25-Jun-2010
Journal of Molecular Diagnostics
New diagnostic test for bladder cancer
Researchers from the Danish Cancer Society and the Herlev University Hospital of Copenhagen have developed a novel assay to test for multiple tumor markers in bladder cancer. The related report by Serizawa et al, "Custom-designed MLPA using multiple short synthetic probes: application to methylation analysis of five promoter CpG islands in tumor and urine specimens from patients with bladder cancer," appears in the July 2010 issue of The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

Contact: Angela Colmone, Ph.D.
acolmone@asip.org
301-634-7953
American Journal of Pathology

Public Release: 24-Jun-2010
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Researchers at UH work to prevent neurological diseases
Many diseases of brain function, such as epilepsy and schizophrenia, are caused by problems in how neurons communicate with each other. University of Houston researchers are analyzing these commands and connections in an attempt to prevent those diseases. Dr. Jan-Åke Gustafsson describes his team's findings in a paper appearing in the current online issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Contact: Lisa Merkl
lkmerkl@uh.edu
713-743-8192
University of Houston

Public Release: 24-Jun-2010
Gene therapy a step closer to mass production
Researchers in Latvia and Finland have synthesized and studied a range of organic compounds able to carry genetic material into individual cells where it can remedy the diseases caused by defective genes. Still under development, these compounds are much more readily produced than the viral carriers now in use and avoid their side-effects. Most importantly, they are much more effective than other organic carrier substances developed so far.
EUREKA

Contact: Piotr Pogorzelski
piotr.pogorzelski@eurekanetwork.org
322-777-0979
EUREKA

Public Release: 23-Jun-2010
Blood
To predict atherosclerosis, follow the disturbed blood flow
A new animal model of atherosclerosis shows that "disturbed flow" in an artery leads to inflammation followed by clogging of the artery. The model provides insight into how bad blood flow initiates atherosclerosis or good flow such as that improved by aerobic exercise protects against the disease and allows the identification of hundreds of genes turned on or off in atherosclerosis' initial stages.
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Ada Lee and Pete Correll Professorship at Emory and Georgia Tech, Ewha Womans University

Contact: Holly Korschun
hkorsch@emory.edu
404-727-3990
Emory 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.

Do Spending Cuts Cost Lives?

June 28, 2010 — Radical cuts to social welfare spending to reduce budget deficits could cause not just economic pain but cost lives, warn experts in a new ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100624214312.htm

Scientists Grow New Lungs Using 'Skeletons' of Old Ones

June 28, 2010 — Tissue engineers' progress toward growing new lungs for transplantation or research has long been frustrated by the problem of coaxing stem cells to develop into the varied cell types that populate ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100624092522.htm

Immune System Important in Fight Against Stomach Cancer

June 28, 2010 — Researchers have identified cells in the immune system that react to the stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori, one of the risk factors for the development of stomach cancer. This discovery ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100628075752.htm

Higher Cancer Rates Found in Liver Transplant Patients Receiving Cyclosporine for Immunosuppression

June 27, 2010 — Researchers have found that cyclosporine treatment is a significant risk factor for the development of de novo cancer in liver transplant ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100624112312.htm

Profiling Prostate Cancer

June 27, 2010 — A large scale genetic analysis of multiple prostate cancer samples is providing exciting new insight into the disease and may lead to more effective treatment strategies. In addition, the freely ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100624121944.htm

Novel Radiotracer Shines New Light on the Brains of Alzheimer's Disease Patients

June 26, 2010 — A trial of a novel radioactive compound readily and safely distinguished the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients from healthy volunteers on brain scans and opens the doors to making such imaging ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100624214318.htm

Ingredient in Red Wine May Prevent Some Blinding Diseases

June 26, 2010 — Resveratrol -- found in red wine, grapes, blueberries, peanuts and other plants -- stops out-of-control blood vessel growth in the eye, according to vision researchers. The discovery has implications ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100625101106.htm

Detecting Eye Injury

June 26, 2010 — Scientists have developed a noninvasive imaging technique to detect early stages of eye ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100625101100.htm

Consumer-Grade Camera Detects Cancer Cells in Real Time

June 25, 2010 — Using an off-the-shelf digital camera, biomedical engineers have created an inexpensive device that is powerful enough to let doctors easily distinguish cancerous cells from healthy cells simply by ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100624122100.htm

Alzheimer's Disease: Some Cells More Prone to Death

June 25, 2010 — Scientists have discovered that hyperploid neurons, which have greater than the normal number of chromosomes, are more prone to cell death in Alzheimer's ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100625124544.htm

Immune Cells and Atherosclerosis

June 25, 2010 — Researchers demonstrate that neutrophils may contribute to ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100625124501.htm

Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: June 25, 2010

Hot Cars Can Be Deadly for Children, Experts Warn
More American Women Childless: Study
House Approves Plan To Reverse Doctors' Medicare Fee Cuts
Family Ties Improve Obesity Surgery Results: Study

Diabetes Drug Avandia Ups Heart Risk, Reviews Conclude

Two studies published in advance of FDA hearing on drug's fate.

Combo Vaccine Raises Risk of Fever-Related Seizures in Kids

MMR, varicella vaccines given separately seem safer, though real risk still rare, study finds.

Artificial Pancreas Continues to Show Promise
New research finds it improves blood sugar control overnight in type 1 diabetics

U.S. Report Finds Too Few Clinics Target Diabetes, Obesity
Local centers need to face growing threat, federal researchers say

Clinical Trials Update: June 28, 2010

· Ulcerative Colitis

· Type 2 Diabetes

· Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Clinical Trials Update: June 25, 2010

· Menstrual Migraines

· Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

· Overweight Volunteers

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

CEL-SCI Collaborator Presents Data Showing LEAPS Vaccine Technology Generates Dendritic Cells That Can Protect Animals against Viral Illness and Other Diseases- Business Wire - 2 hours, 50 minutes ago
VIENNA, Va.----CEL-SCI Corporation and researchers at the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy jointly announced today that a LEAPSTM–based vaccine study has demonstrated the technology’s potential using dendritic cells to stimulate the immune system to fight viral illnesses and other diseases.

Alnylam Scientists and Collaborators Publish Research in Nature Chemical Biology on a Novel Mechanism for Regulation of Gene Expression with Anti-Gene RNAs (agRNAs)- Business Wire - Mon 8:00 am ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.----Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it has published a new paper in the journal Nature Chemical Biology with collaborators at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center .

Source - Google Health News:

Children's Hospital on cusp of gene therapy breakthrough
Cincinnati.com
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has gotten permission from the US Food and Drug Administration to test a gene therapy treatment against ...

Gene Therapy Reverses Type 1 Diabetes in Mice
Fars News Agency
Using gene therapy, the team from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston tried to counter the two defects that cause Type 1 diabetes: autoimmune attack and ...

Fat and muscle turned into bone and cartilage
Telegraph.co.uk
The gene therapy technique takes advantage of a defect that is found in patients suffering from an extremely rare disease, known as fibrodysplasia ...

Blind Mice See Again
U.S. News & World Report
By Gwenyth Dickey, Science News Researchers have restored sight to blind laboratory mice by using gene therapy. The new treatment, published online June 24 ...

New gene therapy effective in treating severe heart failure
The Virtual Medical Centre
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have developed a new gene therapy that is safe and effective in reversing advanced heart failure. ...

AGTC and Icagen Announce Technology Transfer Agreement
MarketWatch (press release)
Under the terms of the agreement, Icagen has assigned ownership of the patents to AGTC, which intends to use the patented technology for gene therapy as a ...

Source - Medical News Today :

Living, Breathing, Human Lung-On-A-Chip Developed By Researchers

Researchers from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston have created a device that mimics a living, breathing human lung on a microchip. The device, about the size of a rubber eraser, acts much like a lung in a human body and is made using human lung and blood vessel cells. Because the lung device is translucent, it provides a window into the inner-workings of the human lung without having to invade a living body. It has the potential to be a valuable tool for testing the effects of environmental toxins, absorption of aerosolized therapeutics and the safety and efficacy of new drugs. Such a tool may help accelerate pharmaceutical development by reducing the reliance on current models, in which testing a single substance can cost more than $2 million.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/192994.php

Potential For Early Noninvasive Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's Disease

The nerve cell-damaging plaque that builds up in the brain with Alzheimer's disease also builds up in the retinas of the eyes - and it shows up there earlier, leading to the prospect that noninvasive optical imaging of the eyes could lead to earlier diagnosis, intervention and monitoring of the disease, according to new research. Scientists discovered characteristic amyloid plaques in retinas from deceased Alzheimer's disease patients and used a noninvasive optical imaging technique to detect retinal plaques in live laboratory mice genetically modified to model the human disease. The combined results suggest the possibility that noninvasive retinal imaging may be helpful in early diagnosis of the disease.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193008.php

Surgery To Treat High Cholesterol?

Gastric bypass surgery can help lower cholesterol and improve the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol, according to a new study presented here at the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). The study reported that within just six months of gastric bypass, nearly all patients with high cholesterol had normal blood cholesterol levels and 91 percent of patients who were on statins or other lipid-lowering drugs before surgery no longer needed them. Even after six years, all patients were off medication. Patients, who before surgery had an average body mass index (BMI) of 50, lost nearly 40 percent of their body mass index or 80% of their excess body weight .

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/192985.php

Efforts To Make Medicine Cheaper, More Efficient Underway

The Minneapolis Star Tribune : "One of Minnesota's largest providers of supportive housing for seniors will begin testing telemedicine and sensor technology to help frail seniors stay healthier and delay institutional care under an $8 million grant announced Wednesday. It will be the largest project of its kind in the nation, involving about 1,600 clients in 40 rural cities." That's according to the grant recipient, the Good Samaritan Society (Wolfe, 6/23). The Highlands Ranch (Colo.) Herald : "Urgent care facilities are becoming a popular alternative to primary care doctors and emergency rooms for treating common ailments. These centers offer convenience and can be an attractive, affordable option for uninsured patients. More than 600 facilities opened in the United States between 2008 and 2010, according to the Urgent Care Association of America" (Sackett, 6/24).

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/192955.php

Source - MIT's Technology Review :

Building a Substitute Pancreas for Diabetics

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25659/

GBP Health/Biotech 06-17-2010

2010-06-24T11:24:00.001-04:00

GBP Health / Biotech News 06-17-2010:

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: 16-Jun-2010
Chaos
Understanding robustness in organisms -- a potential weapon against infectious diseases
"Robust" is an adjective appreciatively applied to certain vintage wines, but when describing viruses and pathogens, robustness is a property that may be much less desirable. It evokes drug resistant microbes and other superbugs that can wreak havoc as researchers struggle to deal with new pandemics. How can we undercut this robustness? A new study in the AIP journal Chaos examines the ability of organisms to survive in the face of various kinds of change.

Contact: Jason Socrates Bardi
jbardi@aip.org
301-209-3091
American Institute of Physics

Public Release: 16-Jun-2010
Nature
Defects in immune system enzyme may increase risk of autoimmune disorders
A multi-institutional research team has found that rare variants in the gene coding an enzyme that controls the activity of a key immune cell occur more frequently in individuals with autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes. Their report identifies a pathway that could be a therapeutic target and may present a model for future investigations of the role of rare gene variants in common disorders.
National Institutes of Health, Alliance for Lupus Research

Contact: Sue McGreevey
smcgreevey@partners.org
617-724-2764

Massachusetts General Hospital

Public Release: 14-Jun-2010
Journal of Thoracic Oncology
TGen-VARI-SHC research helps predict success with cancer drugs
Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute, the Van Andel Research Institute and the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare have discovered a biomarker that could help in the treatment of patients with an aggressive type of lung cancer.
American Cancer Society, a Sylvia Chase Pilot Grant and the IBIS Foundation of Arizona

Contact: Steve Yozwiak
syozwiak@tgen.org
602-343-8704
The Translational Genomics Research Institute

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.

New Combination Effective Against Pancreatic Cancer: Substance in Broccoli Supports Cancer Therapy, Study Finds

June 16, 2010 — The new cancer medication sorafenib looks promising. Sorafenib is used for advanced liver and kidney cancer and also appears to be effective against cancer stem cells in pancreatic cancer. ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100615105243.htm

Association of Genetic Factors and Brain Imaging Findings in Alzheimer's Disease

June 16, 2010 — By investigating the association between genetic loci related to Alzheimer's disease and neuroimaging measures related to disease risk, researchers may have uncovered additional evidence that several ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100614161436.htm

Many Clinicians May Be Screening for Cervical Cancer Too Frequently

June 16, 2010 — Clinical guidelines recommend screening low-risk women for cervical cancer every three years after age 30, but most primary care clinicians report that they would advise testing for the disease more ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100614161353.htm

Tumor Target Suggests Personalized Treatment for Melanoma

June 16, 2010 — IKK-beta, a component of a pathway involved in melanoma development, may offer new leads for developing targeted melanoma therapies, researchers at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100615191753.htm

Heart Attack: Could Giving Oxygen Be Doing More Harm Than Good?

June 16, 2010 — There is no evidence that the common practice of giving patients oxygen to inhale during a heart attack is beneficial, according to a new review by researchers. Until further research is carried out, ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100615191651.htm

Apple Juice Improves Behavior but Not Cognition in Alzheimer's Patients, Study Finds

June 16, 2010 — Apple juice can be a useful supplement for calming the declining moods that are part of the normal progression of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease, according to a new ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100614160239.htm

Experts Explore Emerging Evidence Linking Diabetes and Cancer

June 16, 2010 — A new consensus statement of experts assembled by the American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society reviews emerging evidence that suggests cancer incidence is associated with ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100616090023.htm

Carotid Artery Ultrasound Is an Effective Alternative to More Invasive Coronary Angiography, Study Finds

June 15, 2010 — New research shows that a simple, inexpensive and noninvasive carotid artery ultrasound of the neck can be used as a preliminary diagnostic tool for coronary artery disease (CAD). This may be an ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100614171909.htm

Taking Aim at Metastatic Lung Tumors

June 15, 2010 — A new study uses a sophisticated genomic analysis to unravel some of the complex cellular signals that drive the deadly invasive spread of lung cancer. The research identifies specific molecules ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100614121552.htm

Are Senile Plaques, the Characteristic Pathological Markers of Alzheimer’s Disease, Really Spherulites?

June 15, 2010 — Scientists believe they may have identified the true in vivo structure of the senile plaques that are characteristically found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100610104726.htm

Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: June 16, 2010

'Female Viagra' Pill Has Little Effect on Libido: FDA
Men Less Likely To Seek Routine Health Care: Study
Oil Spill Health Concerns Could Last Years: Experts
McNeil Expands Odor-Related Recall of Medicines
FDA Warns Against Too Much Vitamin D For Infants
FDA Web Site Offers Safety Reports on New Drugs

Gene Therapy for HIV Inches Forward
Viable treatment is still a long way off, researchers say.

Clinical Trials Update: June 16, 2010

Acne
High Cholesterol
Low Back Pain

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

Curis shares fall on colon cancer study - AP - 2 hours, 58 minutes ago
Shares of drug developer Curis Inc. fell Wednesday after the company said a potential colon cancer treatment failed to meet its goal in a midstage study.

FDA: 'Female Viagra' falls short
AP - 13 minutes ago

Source - Google Health News:

Agencies move to tap promise of gene therapy
ModernHealthcare.com
The FDA's program will work to develop an effective and timely pathway for the review and approval of new gene-therapy drugs. FDA and NIH officials said the ...

GenVec explores sale, other options
Bizjournals.com
GenVec discontinued an advanced trial of a gene-therapy drug called TNFerade in March after studies showed the treatment wouldn't provide enough benefit to ...

The Path to Personalized Medicine
New England Journal of Medicine (subscription)
Just as the NIH served as an initial home for human gene therapy, the Hatfield Center can provide specialized diagnostic services for rare and neglected ...

Source - Medical News Today :

New Combination Effective Against Pancreatic Cancer

The new cancer medication sorafenib looks promising. Sorafenib is used for advanced liver and kidney cancer and also appears to be effective against cancer stem cells in pancreatic cancer . The team led by Professor Dr. Ingrid Herr, Head of the Department of Molecular Oncosurgery, a group of the Department of Surgery at Heidelberg University Hospital, (Managing Director: Professor Dr. Markus W. Büchler) in cooperation with the German Cancer Research Center, tested the new substance in mice and pancreatic cancer cells. It inhibits resistant tumor stem cells and is also especially effective in combination with sulforaphane, an organic compound found in broccoli. The results has been published online in the prestigious medical journal Cancer Research. About 12,900 people in Germany develop pancreatic cancer every year. The disease is frequently noticed too late and very few people survive the diagnosis longer than one year. In particular, early precursor cells of the tumor known as cancer stem cells are responsible for uncontrollable growth of the cancer, metastasization to other organs, and recurrence shortly after surgery. They are extremely resistant to conventional therapy and are the focus of new treatment strategies.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/191875.php

Cancer Overtreatment Raises Concern; Physicians Tend To Use New Technology Even Before Solid Evidence Backs It

The Associated Press/Arizona Republic : "It's an unthinkable notion for a generation raised on the message that early cancer detection saves lives, but specialists say more tumors actually are being found too early. That is raising uncomfortable questions about how aggressively to treat early growths -- in some cases, even how aggressively to test -- along with a push for more of the informed-choice programs. ... Today's cancer screenings can unearth tumors that scientists say never would have threatened the person's life. The problem is there aren't surefire ways to tell in advance which tumors won't be dangerous. ... Work is under way to better predict that, and even the staunchest supporters of screening call overdiagnosis a problem that needs tackling. ... Nowhere is the disconnect more obvious than with prostate cancer screening. Most men over 50 have had a PSA blood test to check for it even though major medical groups don't recommend routine PSAs, worried they may do more harm than good for the average man" (Neergaard, 6/15). Meanwhile, Reuters reports that a lack "of solid evidence doesn't seem to hamper doctors' use of new technology, as long as they can get reimbursed for it, researchers said on Monday. They found that after the U.S. Congress had mandated Medicare coverage of a digital tool to help detect breast cancer , health providers were quick to pick it up even though it hadn't showed clear-cut benefits for the women. The technology, known as computer-aided detection, costs more than $100,000 to install, according to the researchers, whose findings are published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. ... Based on Medicare data, [Joshua J.] Fenton, of the University of California, Davis, and his colleagues found that in 2001, doctors used computer-aided detection in less than 5 percent of screening mammograms. Two years later, that number had swollen more than five times" (6/14).

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/191928.php

Cheap Injection Could Stop Thousands Of People Dying Of Severe Bleeding From Accidents, Injuries

Results from an international trial involving over 20,000 participants in 40 countries suggest that if recently injured patients with serious bleeding were to be given an injection of a cheap, widely available drug, it could save the lives of tens of thousands of people every year worldwide, including victims of traffic accidents, shootings, stabbings and land mine injuries. The results of the CRASH-2 study, a large, randomised trial involving over 20,000 adult patients in 274 hospitals in 40 countries, are published in the 14 June online issue of The Lancet, along with other information and an editorial commentary.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/191852.php

Source - MIT's Technology Review :

Startup to Offer Patients a Genetic Profile of their Cancer

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25593/

Plastic Antibodies Fight Toxins

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25591/?a=f