GBP Health / Biotech News 04-07-2010:
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EurekAlert - Biology:
Public Release: 7-Apr-2010
Neurology
Does smoking compound other MS risk factors?
A new study shows that smoking may increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in people who also have specific established risk factors for MS. The research is found in the April 7, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Contact: Rachel Seroka
rseroka@aan.com
651-695-2738
American Academy of Neurology
Public Release: 6-Apr-2010Journal of Molecular Diagnostics
Chronix Biomedical's serum DNA assays monitor disease activity and treatment response in MS
Chronix's technology can identify disease-specific genetic fingerprints based on circulating DNA released by damaged and dying cells. This circulating DNA can be analyzed to provide a diagnostic window into ongoing changes in the genome associated with specific diseases -- changes that can be used to track the presence or absence of active disease. This MS study is the first to show the Chronix approach can be used to monitor the clinical status of a chronic disease
Contact: Barbara Lindheim
blindheim@biocompartners.com
917-355-9234
BioCom Partners
Public Release: 6-Apr-2010Journal of the National Cancer Institute
The cancer protective effect of fruits and vegetables may be modest at best
An analysis of dietary data from more than 400,000 men and women found only a weak association between high fruit and vegetable intake and reduced overall cancer risk, according to a study published online April 6, 2010, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Contact: Caroline McNeil
jncimedia@oxfordjournals.org
301-841-1286
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Public Release: 6-Apr-2010
What insulin (and leptin) say to the brain
A report in the April issue of Cell Metabolism offers new evidence to explain just what message insulin delivers to our brains. The study also shows that leptin, an appetite suppressant hormone produced in fat tissue, delivers at least a partially overlapping message to the neurons that critically control energy balance. It's only when both receptors go missing from those so-called POMC neurons in mice that the animals show signs of systemic insulin resistance as their blood sugar levels rise.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Public Release: 6-Apr-2010PLoS Medicine
Did seasonal flu vaccination increase the risk of infection with pandemic H1N1 flu?
In September 2009, news stories reported that researchers in Canada had found an increased risk of pandemic H1N1 influenza in people who had previously been vaccinated against seasonal influenza. Their research, consisting of four different studies, has now undergone further scientific peer review and is published in the open access journal PLoS Medicine.
Contact: Andrew Hyde
press@plos.org
44-122-346-3330
Public Library of Science
Public Release: 5-Apr-2010Cancer Prevention Research
Chip checks for oral cancer
The gentle touch of a lesion on the tongue or cheek with a brush can help detect oral cancer with success rates comparable to more invasive techniques, according to preliminary studies by researchers at Rice University.
NIH/National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research
Contact: David Ruth
druth@rice.edu
713-348-6327
Public Release: 5-Apr-2010Journal of Experimental Medicine
Peregrine reports new study from Duke shows anti-HIV potential of targeting PS on cells
In vitro data from Duke scientists shows that Peregrine's phosphatidylserine-targeting antibodies can block a key mechanism HIV uses to gain entry into certain blood cells. The antibodies blocked HIV from docking with its preferred entry point -- the CCR5 receptor -- by binding to monocytes and causing them to secrete chemokines, thereby preventing HIV infection 85 percent of the time. Additional studies assessing how this mechanism might be used to help prevent or treat HIV are underway.Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Veterans Affairs Merit Review Award, NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology
Contact: Barbara Lindheim
blindheim@biocompartners.com
212-918-4650
BioCom Partners
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.
Student Uses Skin as Input for Mobile Devices
A combination of simple bio-acoustic sensors and some sophisticated machine learning makes it possible for people to use their fingers or forearms --
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100406125547.htm
Worsening Memory Associated With Later Alzheimer's Disease
April 7, 2010 — Subjective memory impairment, or mild deficits in memory that may or may not cause worry for an individual, appear to predict progression to more advanced stages of cognitive impairment and dementia,
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100406205315.htm
Breast Cancer Patients With BRCA Mutations Four Times More Likely to Get Cancer in Opposite Breast
April 7, 2010 — Women with breast cancer before age 55 who carry an inherited mutation in the breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 are four times more likely to develop cancer in the breast opposite, or ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100405174946.htm
Brain Tumors: Tissue Stem Cell Turning Into Tumor Stem Cell
April 6, 2010 — Scientists have shown for the first time that malignant brain tumors arise directly from brain stem cells. Overproduction of the protein Tlx in mice stimulates the development of malignant brain ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100401100957.htm
Early Steps in Parkinson's Pathology Revealed
April 6, 2010 — Although the cause of Parkinson's disease remains a mystery, scientists now have a better understanding of the earliest stages of abnormal aggregation of a key disease-associated protein. The ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100406125541.htm
Cardiology: Protecting Heart Muscle Cells from Death
April 6, 2010 — A team of researchers has identified a role for the protein connexin 43 in protecting mouse heart muscle cells from death. The team therefore suggest that it might be an attractive target for ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100401220406.htm
Potential New Use for Cancer Treatment
April 6, 2010 — New research suggests anti-angiogenic drugs may help in the treatment of a range of diseases including visceral ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315172209.htm
April 6, 2010 — Alpha cells in the pancreas, which do not produce insulin, can convert into insulin-producing beta cells, advancing the prospect of regenerating beta cells as a cure for type 1 diabetes, according to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100405091926.htm
Identifying Molecular Targets for Diabetes-Related Erectile Dysfunction
April 6, 2010 — Researchers have identified some of the molecular changes that accompany the onset of diabetes-induced erectile dysfunction, which may lead to markers that will help identify ED risk as well as new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100406172650.htm
Clinical Trial to Test Whether Vaccine Can Effectively Treat Melanoma
April 6, 2010 — A nationwide Phase III clinical trial is under way to determine whether a promising vaccine for advanced melanoma can effectively treat the deadly skin ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100406141517.htm
Considering Diabetes Treatment, Experts Say One Size Does Not Fit All
April 5, 2010 — Patients with type 2 diabetes are generally treated similarly despite the fact that they may have underlying differences that could affect their therapeutic response. A group of experts has just ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100405072319.htm
Quick Nano-Bio-Chip Checks for Oral Cancer
April 5, 2010 — The gentle touch of a lesion on the tongue or cheek with a brush can help detect oral cancer with success rates comparable to more invasive techniques, according to preliminary ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100405152753.htm
New, Inexpensive Way to Predict Alzheimer's Disease
April 5, 2010 — Your brain's capacity for information is a reliable predictor of Alzheimer's disease and can be cheaply and easily tested, according to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100405111207.htm
Improved Device Provides More Rapid, Comprehensive Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells
April 2, 2010 — Technical improvements to a microchip-based device for detecting and analyzing tumor cells in the bloodstream are revealing cellular differences that may reflect a tumor's aggressiveness and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100331141619.htm
Source - Health Day:
Health Highlights: April 7, 2010
- Tennis Great Martina Navratilova Diagnosed With Breast Cancer
- Teens With Lung Problems Use Risky Inhalants
- Con Artists Using New Health Law to Sell Bogus Policies
- Young Adults Struggle After Leaving Foster Care: Study
- EPA Proposes Adding 16 Chemicals to Toxics List
Progress Made Against Tough-to-Treat Biliary Tract Cancers
Two-drug approach may extend life for those with tumors in bile duct, gall bladder
Clinical Trials Update: April 7, 2010
- Memory Loss
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Asthma
Clinical Trials Update: April 6, 2010
- Gout
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Depression
Source - Yahoo Biotech News:
Results From First Clinical Data On Lymphoma Studies By Pharmacyclics (PCYC) Seen As Remarkable; Recent Stock Performance Impressive- Wall Street Transcript - Tue 11:35 am ET
67 WALL STREET, New York - April 6, 2010 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This Special Feature contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs, Equity Analysts and Money Managers.
Source - Google Health News:
New study on promise of gene therapy for Leber congenital amaurosis
EurekAlert (press release)
Recently, there has been progress in gene therapy for this condition. In a recent study published in the current issue of the Journal of AAPOS, the Official ...
Future $710 million genetics lab in Collier may one day benefit residents here
Naples Daily News
“That is the result of gene therapy.” A year ago, 37 products have been developed for treating patients as a result of advancement with personalized ...
Gene therapy boosts recovery from heart attack
University of Bristol
Gene therapy could be an effective way to improve survival rates among heart attack patients, new research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) ...
Source - Medical News Today :
Researchers at Banner Sun Health Research Institute are about to start the first Phase 2 research study to test a gene transfer agent for Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is a degenerative and ultimately fatal disorder affecting as many as five million Americans and that number is expected to soar to more than 11 million by 2040. For the first time in AD research, scientists are about to test the efficacy of a gene transfer therapy called CERE-110. Previously, CERE-110 was studied in a small study to assess safety. These studies showed that CERE-110 can induce long-term production of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) by brain cells. Researchers are now seeking 50 study participants with mild to moderate AD for a Phase 2 clinical study at 12 U.S. research sites, including Banner Sun Health research Institute.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/184618.php
How A Novel Class Of Antibodies Inhibits HIV Infection
Scientists at Duke University Medical Center have identified a set of naturally occurring antibodies that can block one of the key ways the AIDS virus gains entry into certain blood cells. They say the discovery, published online in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, expands traditional notions about how the immune system fights HIV and offers a potential new strategy for HIV vaccine design. Researchers have been puzzled and frustrated for years by antibody responses to HIV. In most infections, antibodies that fight off invading pathogens show up quickly and get right to work. But with HIV, the most powerful antibodies typically don't materialize until weeks or even months after initial infection - way too late to be effective.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/184549.php
Deadly Skin Cancer Rates Soar For Generation Of Baby Boomers
People in their 60s and 70s are now over five times more likely to be diagnosed with malignant melanoma - the deadliest type of skin cancer - than their parents would have been 30 years ago, reveal new Cancer Research UK statistics1 to launch the 2010 SunSmart campaign today (Thursday). Of all ages, this generation has seen the biggest increase in incidence rates of melanoma , rising from seven cases per 100,000 people in the mid 1970s2 to 36 cases per 100,000 today3.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/184450.php
Source - MIT's Technology Review:
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25002/
Creating a Portable X-Ray Machine
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24985/
Tiny Drill Attacks Tough Tumors
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24984/
Two-Pronged Attack on Cancer
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24970/
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