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Source - EurekAlert – Biology
Public Release: 16-Jun-2009
Potential for non-invasive brain tumor treatment
Duke University engineers have taken a first step toward a minimally invasive treatment of brain tumors by combining chemotherapy with heat administered from the end of a catheter.
Contact: Richard Merritt
richard.merritt@duke.edu
919-660-8414
Duke University
Public Release: 16-Jun-2009
TGen and USC researchers find genetic markers to help fight diabetes
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and University of Southern California (USC) scientists have identified five genetic biomarkers that could help lead to improved treatments, with fewer side effects, for patients with diabetes.
Contact: Steve Yozwiak
syozwiak@tgen.org
602-343-8704
The Translational Genomics Research Institute
Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
Breakthrough in understanding severe asthma has potential for new treatment
Scientists from King's College London and Imperial College London believe they have discovered a key element in the development of chronic asthma. Their research has been published in a new paper in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences to explain why the structure and function of asthmatic airways are changed or ''remodeled'' and how this contributes to chronic asthma.
Contact: Kate Moore
kate.moore@kcl.ac.uk
44-020-784-84334
King's College London
Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
Scientists identify gene vital to early embryonic cells forming a normal heart and skull
New research from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center highlights the critical role a certain gene and its protein play during early embryonic development on formation of a normal heart and skull.
Contact: Jim Feuer
jim.feuer@cchmc.org
513-636-4656
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
Could hormones explain gender differences in neurological disease?
Neurological diseases including Parkinson's, Tourette's, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Alzheimer's and schizophrenia are all associated with alterations in dopamine-driven function involving the dopamine transporter (DAT). Research published today in the open-access journal BMC Neuroscience suggests that a number of estrogens acting through their receptors affect the DAT, which may explain trends in timing of women's susceptibility to these diseases.
Contact: Charlotte Webber
charlotte.webber@biomedcentral.com
44-203-192-22129
BioMed Central
Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
New method separates cancer cells from normal cells
Northwestern University researchers have demonstrated a novel and simple method that can direct and separate cancer cells from normal cells. The device, which takes advantage of a physical principle called ratcheting, is a very tiny system of channels for cell locomotion. Based on this method, they have proposed that cancer cells possibly could be sequestered permanently in a sort of "cancer trap" made of implantable and biodegradable materials.
Contact: Megan Fellman
fellman@northwestern.edu
847-491-3115
Northwestern University
Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
TRAPping proteins that work together inside living cells
Researchers trying to understand how and which proteins work together have developed a new crosslinking tool that is small and unobtrusive enough to use in live cells. Using the new crosslinker, the scientists have discovered new details about a well-studied complex of proteins known as RNA polymerase. The results suggest the method might uncover collaborations between proteins that are too brief for other techniques to pinpoint.
Contact: Mary Beckman
mary.beckman@pnl.gov
509-375-3688
DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
Major breakthrough in early detection and prevention of AMD
A team of researchers led by Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati at the University of Kentucky has discovered a biological marker for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in older adults. The marker, a receptor known as CCR3, shows strong potential as a means for both the early detection of the disease and for preventive treatment. The findings were reported in an article published online Sunday by the prestigious journal Nature.
Contact: Keith Hautala
keith.hautala@uky.edu
859-323-6363
University of Kentucky
Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
SPECT provides high-quality images of small tumors
A new study shows that combining high resolution and high sensitivity collimation provides better quality images when using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans, said researchers at SNM's 56th Annual Meeting.
Contact: Amy Shaw
ashaw@snm.org
703-652-6773
Society of Nuclear Medicine
Public Release: 11-Jun-2009
'Designer molecules' being developed to fight disease
Researchers in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Leicester are developing a new way to make protein based drugs with potential applications in stroke, vascular inflammation, blood vessel formation, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
Contact: Shikha Sharma
ss349@le.ac.uk
01-162-525-898
University of Leicester
Public Release: 11-Jun-2009
Assessment of safety and efficacy of human embryonic stem cell therapy
Advanced Cell Technology and its collaborators at OHSU reported today the long-term safety and efficacy of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium produced under manufacturing conditions suitable for human clinical trials. The research, which appears online ahead of print in the journal Stem Cells, shows long-term functional rescue using hESC-derived cells in both the RCS rat and Elov14 mouse, animal models of retinal degeneration and Stargardt disease, respectively.
Contact: Kathy Singh
ksingh@advancedcell.com
508-756-1212 x653
Advanced Cell Technology
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.
Popular Alzheimer's Theory May Be False Trail
June 16, 2009 — Researchers have discovered that inflammation of microglia -- an abundant cell type that plays an important supporting role in the brain -- does not appear to be associated with dementia in ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144209.htm
New Strategy Proposed For Designing Antibody-based HIV Vaccine
June 16, 2009 — Most vaccines that protect against viruses generate infection-fighting proteins called antibodies that either block infection or help eliminate the virus before it can cause disease. Attempts to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090614153248.htm
Reengineering A Food Poisoning Microbe To Carry Medicines And Vaccines
June 16, 2009 — Scientists have used genetic engineering to tame one of the most deadly food poisoning microbes and turn it into a potential new way of giving patients medicine and vaccines in pills rather than ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615093923.htm
What The Immune System Reveals About Breast Cancer
June 16, 2009 — Researchers have identified the prognostic significance of the immune system in breast tumors. The research results show that patients with certain breast tumors have a better prognosis when more ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616080145.htm
Advances In Medical Technology: What Does The Future Hold?
June 16, 2009 — Major challenges and opportunities will arise in the health sector in the future. Although sophisticated medical technology is already available in health systems in developed countries, further ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616080133.htm
Researchers Test Nanoparticle To Treat Cardiovascular Disease In Mice
June 15, 2009 — Scientists and engineers have developed a nanoparticle that can attack plaque -- a major cause of cardiovascular ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604155619.htm
Protein Linked To Alzheimer's Disease Doesn't Act Alone
June 15, 2009 — Neuroscientists are steadily uncovering the role that amyloid precursor protein (APP) -- the protein implicated in development of Alzheimer's disease -- plays in normal brain function. They have ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609220549.htm
Human Embryonic Stem Cells Could Safely Treat Eye Diseases, Research Suggests
June 15, 2009 — Advanced Cell Technology and its collaborators at OHSU report the long-term safety and efficacy of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium produced under manufacturing ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611174054.htm
HIV-1's 'Hijacking Mechanism' Pinpointed
June 15, 2009 — Researchers may have found a chink in the armor of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the microorganism which causes ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610154501.htm
Vast Majority Won’t Have Access To Antivirals In Pandemic, But Generic Drugs Could Help Prevent Deaths
June 15, 2009 — Almost 90 percent of the world's population will not have timely access to affordable supplies of vaccines and antiviral agents in the current influenza pandemic. But it is possible that inexpensive ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612122451.htm
Fifty-one Genes Predict Breast Cancer Survival
June 15, 2009 — It may be possible in the future to use a specimen from the tumor to determine which patients with breast cancer have a good chance of overcoming the disease, and which patients should be given more ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610160908.htm
Hungry Cells: Tumor Metabolism Discovery Opens New Detection And Treatment Possibilities For Rare Form Of Colon Cancer
June 15, 2009 — People who suffer from Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, a rare inherited cancer syndrome, develop gastrointestinal polyps and are predisposed to colon cancer and other tumor types. Carefully tracing the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615171521.htm
Second Chance For Dangerous T-cells
June 15, 2009 — Any of the immune system's T-cells that could attack the body's own tissue are either driven to cell death or reeducated to become a kind of law enforcer that could actually be used in therapies. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615161713.htm
Topical Application Of Chemotherapy Drug May Improve Appearance Of Aging Skin
June 15, 2009 — Topical application of the chemotherapy medication fluorouracil appears to reduce potentially precancerous skin patches and improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin, according to a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615161703.htm
New Skin Cancer Patch: Possible Alternative To Surgery
June 15, 2009 — A new study shows that a radioactive skin patch can safely and successfully treat basal cell carcinoma, one of the most common types of skin ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144335.htm
Research Leads To Advanced Trials Of New Cancer Treatment
June 15, 2009 — Research by a Hebrew University of Jerusalem professor has led to the development of a product that has been shown in clinical trials to be successful in halting the growth of various types of cancer ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615111434.htm
Prototype Breast Cancer Imaging System May Improve Patient Care
June 15, 2009 — A prototype breast imaging system combining positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging technologies could greatly improve breast cancer imaging capabilities, according to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615093931.htm
How A Common Genetic Mutation Makes Cancer Radiation Resistant
June 14, 2009 — Many cancerous tumors possess a genetic mutation that disables a tumor suppressor called PTEN. Now researchers have shown why inactivation of PTEN allows tumors to resist radiation ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610091349.htm
Waste Disposal Protein Is Mechanism Behind Cancer Tumor Suppression
June 13, 2009 — Investigators have discovered that a waste disposal protein is the key to cancer tumor suppression in a process known as autophagy -- a process in which cancer cells eat ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611160658.htm
How Cancers Spread To The Brain
June 13, 2009 — Research has shown for the first time how cancers that spread to the brain establish themselves and begin to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090613064344.htm
Red Wine Compound Resveratrol Demonstrates Significant Health Benefits
June 12, 2009 — Resveratrol shows therapeutic potential for cancer chemoprevention as well as cardioprotection. Resveratrol may aid in the prevention of age-related disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611174052.htm
Source - Health Day:
Health Highlights: June 16, 2009
- FDA Targets Bogus Treatments for H1N1 Swine Flu
- Experts Challenge Benefits of Moderate Alcohol Consumption
- Obama Calls U.S. Health-Care System a 'Time Bomb'
- Proper Training, Guidelines Lacking at Many VA Clinics: Report
- Weight Loss Surgery Increases Fracture Risk: Study
Other screening methods for colon cancer may be safer for some older patients, researchers say.
Psoriasis Raises Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke, Death
Inflammation looks like common thread, researcher says
Drug May Stem Slide Into Alzheimer's for Some
Aricept did not help others with mild memory loss, study finds
Chemo Drug May Help Sun-Damaged Skin
Small study finds it also may reduce precancerous lesions
Clinical Trials Update: June 16, 2009
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Diabetic Neuropathy
- Epilepsy
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)
- Obesity
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Lupus
- Osteoarthritis
- Depression
- Severe Hypertension
- Overactive Bladder
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Asthma
- Breast Cancer - Adults
- Bladder Disorders
- Rash
Source - Yahoo Biotech News:
Genzyme Temporarily Interrupts Production at Allston Plant
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.----Genzyme Corporation today announced that it has detected a virus that impairs cell growth in one of six bioreactors at its Allston Landing manufacturing facility.
Pluristem Therapeutics Receives European Regulatory Approval for Placental-Derived Stem Cell Clinical Trial
HAIFA, Israel----Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. , a bio-therapeutics company dedicated to the commercialization of unrelated donor-patient cell therapy products for a variety of disorders, announced today that the Paul Ehrlich Institute , the German competent authority in the European Union, has approved the Company's Clinical Trial Application and granted approval to begin clinical trials with its placental-derived adherent stromal cell product, termed PLX-PAD, for the treatment of critical limb ischemia , the end-stage of peripheral artery disease .
Celgene arthritis drug improves symptoms in study
Celgene Corp. said Monday that its drug candidate apremilast improved symptoms of psoriatic arthritis compared with a placebo in a midstage study.
Source - Google Health News:
GlaxoSmithKline ups vaccine production
Hays Pharma - London,Greater London,UK
The drug giant has also offered to convert its intended 50 million dose donation of H5N1 pre-pandemic vaccine to the new swine flu vaccine once production ...
GlaxoSmithKline Update: A (H1N1) influenza
BioResearch Online (press release) - Horsham,PA,USA
GSK has offered to convert its intended donation to the WHO of 50 million doses of H5N1 pre-pandemic vaccine to the new candidate A (H1N1) adjuvanted ...
WHO declares first 21st century flu pandemic
Reuters - USA
For now the virus was "pretty stable," but Chan warned that it could still change into a more deadly form, perhaps mixing with the H5N1 bird flu virus ...
More Than 100 Cases of Swine Flu in Israel
Arutz Sheva - Israel
The British glaxosmithkline pharmaceutical giant told AFP on Friday that it is willing to convert 50 million doses of its H5N1 bird flu vaccine that have ...
Swine flu could grow far deadlier, says WHO adviser
Independent - London,England,UK
Drugs companies are already racing to come up with a vaccine. GlaxoSmithKline claims it will be ready within weeks to begin large-scale vaccine production. ...
Coming Soon: Lung-Cancer Spray?
Forbes - NY,USA
MONDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists may someday be able to fight lung cancer using gene therapy delivered by an inhalable spray. In a new study, ...
New Gene Therapy Cuts Off Blood and Nutrient Supply to Tumors in Mice
MedIndia - Chennai,India
The researchers have revealed that the new therapy disrupt cancer growth by using a synthetic protein to induce blood clotting. They tested the technique on ...
Cancer May Be Stopped In Its Tracks By MicroRNA Replacement Therapy
Medical News Today (press release) - UK
They delivered the microRNA to the mice using a virus that has been
Gene therapy technique thwarts cancer by cutting off tumor blood ...
University of Florida - Gainesville,FL,USA
University of Florida researchers have come up with a new gene therapy method to disrupt cancer growth by using a synthetic protein to induce blood clotting ...
Fighting Muscular Dystrophy with gene therapy
KRCG - Jefferson City,MO,USA
AP Video BACKGROUND: Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a disorder that gradually degenerates the body's muscles which control movement. It is an inherited disease ...
Source - Medical News Today:
Many In Congress Hold Stakes In Health Industry
"Almost 30 key lawmakers helping draft landmark health-care legislation have financial holdings in the industry, totaling nearly $11 million worth of personal investments in a sector that could be dramatically reshaped by this summer's debate," The Washington Post
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154054.php
New Diabetes Device Waves Good-Bye To Paper Log Books
Roche Diagnostics announces launch of new Accu-Chek Smart Pix diabetes
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154082.php
New Strategy Proposed For Designing Antibody-Based HIV Vaccine
Most vaccines that protect against viruses generate infection-fighting proteins called antibodies that either block infection or help eliminate the virus before it can cause disease. Attempts to create a vaccine that induces antibodies that prevent HIV infection or disease, however, have so far been unsuccessful. But several recent studies suggest promising new research directions for the development of an antibody-based HIV vaccine, according to John R. Mascola, M.D., deputy director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues. These studies demonstrate that, contrary to widespread belief, it is not uncommon for people infected with HIV to naturally make antibodies that can neutralize a variety of HIV strains. These antibodies do not protect people from the virus because they arise years after HIV infection is established. However, if a vaccine could prime the body to make these broadly neutralizing antibodies before exposure to HIV, they could potentially prevent infection or hold the virus at bay until an army of immune cells assembles to limit viral replication.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153937.php
Expert: Adults Need To Revisit Childhood Vaccinations
"Vaccines are not just for children any more." That is the important, and potentially life-saving message, that Geisinger Health System pediatric gastroenterologist William Cochran, M.D., vice chairman of the Janet Weis Children's Hospital, wants to deliver. And this is a message that comes from personal experience. "I am a physician, and I didn't realize that adults needed to be revaccinated for what are considered childhood diseases such as pertussis (whooping cough)," said Dr. Cochran. "And I found that out the hard way by contracting that very disease."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153810.php
New Treatment Option At The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center Provides Hope For Inoperable Tumors
The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center (SCCC) at Centennial Medical Center last week began treating patients with a new non-invasive weapon in the battle against cancer. The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center is the first and only cancer center in Middle Tennessee to offer image-guided robotic stereotactic radiosurgery. "The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center is proud to continue delivering on its promise to provide the highest quality, most advanced cancer treatment options in our region with the addition of the CyberKnife(R) stereotactic radiosurgery system," said Rocky Billups, administrator for The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center Network. "With this new image-guided robotic technology, we are giving new hope to those whose tumors were previously thought to be inoperable and untreatable."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153795.php
Source - MIT's Technology Review:
Hospital to Collect Patients' Genomic Data
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22799/?nlid=2098
Antibody Drugs Customized by Genotype
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22795/?nlid=2098
The Human Genome: Yours for $48,000
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22793/?nlid=2098
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