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EurekAlert - Biology: Public Release: 1-Jul-2010  Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesUVA 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 HealthContact: Lauren Woods lauren.woods@nyumc.org 212-404-3555 NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine Public Release: 1-Jul-2010 ScienceDNA 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. Public Release: 1-Jul-2010 ScienceGenetic 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 HealthPublic Release: 1-Jul-2010 Cell Stem CellWork-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. Public Release: 1-Jul-2010 American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care MedicineStem-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 TherapeuticsPublic Release: 1-Jul-2010 Genes & DevelopmentCSHL 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. Public Release: 30-Jun-2010 NatureStanford 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 FoundationPublic Release: 29-Jun-2010 Nature BiotechnologyTurning 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. 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. 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. 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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" ... 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 ... June 27, 2010 — Researchers have found that cyclosporine treatment is a significant risk factor for the development of de novo cancer in liver transplant ... Source - Health Day: · · 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 · 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 : 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, 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 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. 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. Source - MIT's Technology Review : |
Sunday, July 4, 2010
GBP Health / Biotech News Digest 07-02-2010
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