GBP Health / Biotech News 03-03-2010:
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EurekAlert - Biology:
Public Release: 3-Mar-2010
Nature Medicine
HIV vaccine strategy expands immune responses
Two teams of researchers -- including Los Alamos National Laboratory theoretical biologists Bette Korber, Will Fischer, Sydeaka Watson, and James Szinger -- have announced an HIV vaccination strategy that has been shown to expand the breadth and depth of immune responses in rhesus monkeys. Rhesus monkeys provide the best animal model currently available for testing HIV vaccines.
Contact: James E. Rickman
jamesr@lanl.gov
505-665-9203
DOE/Los Alamos National Laboratory
Public Release: 3-Mar-2010Journal of Neuroscience
How the demons of dementia possess and damage brain cells
A study from EPFL's Laboratory of Neuroenergetics and Cellular Dynamics in Lausanne Switzerland, published today in the Journal of Neuroscience, may lead to new forms of treatment following a better understanding of how amyloid-beta found in cerebral plaques, typically present in the brain of Alzheimer's patients, may lead to neurodegeneration.
Contact: Michael Mitchell
michael.mitchell@epfl.ch
41-798-103-107
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Public Release: 3-Mar-2010Journal of Proteome Research
New biomarkers for predicting the spread of colon cancer
Scientists in China are reporting discovery of two proteins present in the blood of people with colon cancer that may serve as the potential biomarkers for accurately predicting whether the disease will spread. Their study is in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research, a monthly publication.
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society
Public Release: 3-Mar-2010EMBO Molecular Medicine
Targeting leukemia cell's gene 'addiction' presents new strategy for treatment
An international team of scientists studying acute forms of leukemia have identified a new drug target to inhibit the genes which are vital for the growth of diseased cells.
Contact: Ben Norman
Lifesciencenews@wiley.com
44-124-377-0375
Wiley-Blackwell
Public Release: 2-Mar-2010
Using own skin cells to repair hearts on horizon
A heart patient's own skin cells soon could be used to repair damaged cardiac tissue thanks to pioneering stem cell research of the University of Houston's newest biomedical scientist, Robert Schwartz. His new technique for reprogramming human skin cells puts him at the forefront of a revolution in medicine that could one day lead to treatments for Alzheimer's, diabetes, muscular dystrophy and many other diseases.
Contact: Lisa Merkl
lkmerkl@uh.edu
713-743-8192
University of Houston
Public Release: 1-Mar-2010Nature Methods
Predicting the fate of stem cells
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered a new method for predicting -- with up to 99 percent accuracy -- the fate of stem cells. Using advanced computer vision technology to detect subtle cell movements that are impossible to discern with the human eye, Professor Badri Roysam and former student Andrew Cohen can successfully forecast how a stem cell will split and what key characteristics the daughter cells will exhibit.
National Science Foundation, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Contact: Michael Mullaney
mullam@rpi.edu
518-276-6161
Rensselaer Polytechnic 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.
Herceptin and Tykerb Effective Against a Subset of Gastric Cancers, Study Suggests
March 3, 2010 — A combination of two targeted therapies already shown to be effective in breast cancer packs an effective one-two punch against a subset of gastric cancers that have a specific genetic mutation, a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303092407.htm
Freezing Breast Tumors Helps Stop Cancer’s Spread in Mice, Study Finds
March 3, 2010 — Freezing a cancer kills it in its place, and also appears to generate an immune response that helps stop the cancer's spread, leading to improved survival rates over surgery, according to a new study ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303092403.htm
Foodborne Illness Costs US $152 Billion Annually, Landmark Report Estimates
March 3, 2010 — A new study estimates the total economic impact of foodborne illness across the U.S. to be a combined $152 billion ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303081834.htm
Alzheimer's-Associated Protein May Be Part of the Innate Immune System
March 3, 2010 — Amyloid-beta protein -- the primary constituent of the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients -- may be part of the body's first-line system to defend against infection. In a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302201656.htm
Challenges and Opportunities Facing Stem Cell Scientists
March 3, 2010 — What is the current climate facing stem cell researchers in the United States? Do induced pluripotent stem cells have the same potential therapeutic utility as human embryonic stem cells? These are ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100220184331.htm
MRI: Non-Invasive Diagnostic Tool for Diagnosing Testicular Cancer
March 2, 2010 — Researchers have found that non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a good diagnostic tool for the evaluation and staging of testicular cancer and may improve patient care by sparing some ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222121626.htm
New Subtype of Breast Cancer Responds to Targeted Drug
March 2, 2010 — A newly identified cancer biomarker could define a new subtype of breast cancer as well as offer a potential way to treat it, say ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100301173901.htm
Trial Launched to Test New Treatment for Pre-Invasive Breast Cancer
March 2, 2010 — Can a drug that has been used to treat malaria for years possibly be used to treat breast cancer before it becomes invasive? That's what researchers are now trying to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302123120.htm
Small Molecule With High Impact: Researchers Examine New Adjuvant to Improve Vaccinations
March 2, 2010 — Researchers in Germany have found a new molecule with the capacity of improving responses to vaccines. The synthetic compound, the so-called c-di-IMP, might be more than just a potent vaccine ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302111914.htm
Notch-Blocking Drugs Kill Brain Cancer Stem Cells, Yet Multiple Therapies May Be Needed
March 1, 2010 — Working with mice, scientists who tested drugs intended to halt growth of brain cancer stem cells -- a small population of cells within tumors that perpetuate cancer growth -- conclude that blocking ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100225172334.htm
Gene Therapy Reverses Effects of Lethal Childhood Muscle Disorder in Mice
March 1, 2010 — Reversing a protein deficiency through gene therapy can correct motor function, restore nerve signals and improve survival in mice that serve as a model for the lethal childhood disorder spinal ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100228131341.htm
Stroke Incidence Rising Among Younger Adults, Decreasing Among Elderly
March 1, 2010 — Stroke, often considered a disease of old age, is declining in the elderly and increasing at younger ages. The percentage of strokes occurring in people under age 45 has grown significantly since the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224165219.htm
Source - Health Day:
Health Highlights: March 3, 2010
- Alzheimer's Hope Fails in Drug Trial
- FDA Warns Food Makers of Label Violations
- Moms With Part-Time Jobs Have Healthier Children: Study
- New U.N. Program Seeks to Protect Women From HIV
Glaucoma Begins in Mid-Brain, Not in Eye, Research Shows
Animal study shows degeneration occurring in reverse order than commonly believed
Clinical Trials Update: March 3, 2010
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Depression
- Flu Symptoms
Study Questions Value of Test for Peripheral Artery Disease
Ankle-brachial index, and resulting aspirin therapy, may not be needed for healthier patients
Source - Yahoo Biotech News:
PTC, Genzyme muscular dystrophy drug falls short - AP - Wed 10:31 am ET
PTC Therapeutics Inc. and Genzyme Corp. said Wednesday their potential muscular dystrophy treatment did not meet its primary goal in a midstage study.
Dendreon rises; FDA says no meeting on Provenge - AP - Tue 3:33 pm ET
Shares of biotechnology company Dendreon Corp. jumped Tuesday after federal regulators said they don't plan to hold a public meeting on the company's prostate cancer treatment, possibly leading to quicker approval for the drug.
Source - Google Health News:
New gene therapy research helps battle Muscular Dystrophy, Glycogen Storage ...
WNDU-TV
Dr. Weinstein is the co-investigator of a study testing gene therapy as a treatment -- and possibly a cure -- for dogs and humans with glycogen storage ...
San Diego Biotechs Raise Cash for Novel Drugs to Treat Cancers, Broad Disease ...
Xconomy
—Tocagen, a San Diego biotech developing gene therapy treatments for terminally ill cancer patients, has raised $3 million by issuing almost 1.6 million ...
Inovio OK'd for avian influenza vaccine trial
Bizjournals.com
“Initiation of our H5N1 vaccine clinical trial marks an important milestone for our universal flu program,” said Dr. J. Joseph Kim, Inovio's president and ...
Multipurpose Molecule for Cancer Surgery
MIT Technology Review (blog)
But while some near-infrared methods seem promising, other approaches rely on viruses to insert a fluorescent marker (a gene-therapy like approach, ..
Source - Medical News Today :
Combination Therapy More Effective For Enlarged Prostate
Like any successful team effort, the best qualities of two drugs commonly prescribed for enlarged prostate yielded better results than either of the medicines alone, according to a new study from UT Southwestern Medical Center. The findings, published in a recent issue of the journal European Urology, compared treatments for three groups of study participants with enlarged prostates over four years. The study, which included more than 4,800 men, is one of the first to compare single and combo medication regimens in such a large group.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/180971.php
New Ways To Diagnose And Treat Alzheimer's Suggested By UMass Lowell Researchers' Findings
A team of researchers at UMass Lowell has found a new mechanism by which a key protein associated with Alzheimer's disease can spread within the human brain. The research, led by UMass Lowell biological sciences professor Garth Hall, gives new hope that the disease may someday be cured. It provides a new explanation of how the protein tau, a normal human protein that becomes toxic in Alzheimer's patients, can appear in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The findings of the team from the UMass Lowell Center for Cellular Neuroscience and Neurodegeneration Research appear in the February issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/180880.php
The largest randomised study to investigate the treatment and prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) has recruited the first of its 7500 patients, researchers announced last week during the 54th Congress for Thrombosis and Haemostasis ( Nuremberg, Germany). The phase III trial HOKUSAI VTE will evaluate the efficacy and safety of edoxaban, a direct oral factor Xa inhibitor, in the treatment and prevention of recurrent thromboembolic events in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/orpulmonary embolism (PE) being recruited at 450 clinical centres in 40 countries across the world.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/180923.php
Stanford Scientists First To Identify Wide Variety Of Genetic Splicing In Embryonic Stem Cells
Like homing in to an elusive radio frequency in a busy city, human embryonic stem cells must sort through a seemingly endless number of options to settle on the specific genetic message, or station, that instructs them to become more-specialized cells in the body (Easy Listening, maybe, for skin cells, and Techno for neurons?). Now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that this tuning process is accomplished in part by restricting the number of messages, called transcripts, produced from each gene. Most genes can yield a variety of transcripts through a process called splicing. Variations in the ways a gene is spliced can change the form and function of the final protein product. Nearly all our genes can be spliced in more than one way. This research is the first time, however, that splicing variety has been linked to the unprecedented developmental flexibility, or pluripotency, exhibited by embryonic stem cells.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/180837.php
Source - MIT's Technology Review :
Multipurpose Molecule for Cancer Surgery
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24667/
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