GBP Health / Biotech News 06-05-2009

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.   


Source - EurekAlert – Biology


Public Release: 4-Jun-2009
Cancer Cell
Study gives clues to how adrenal cancer forms
When telomeres -- the bits of DNA at the end of chromosomes -- become dysfunctional, it can trigger cancer, researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have found. The study was done in a mouse model that targeted the extremely rare adrenal cancer.
Garry Betty Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Research Foundation
Contact: Nicole Fawcett
nfawcett@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

Public Release: 4-Jun-2009
Retrovirology
'Shock and kill' research gives new hope for HIV-1 eradication
Latent HIV genes can be "smoked out" of human cells. The so-called "shock and kill" technique, described in a preclinical study in BioMed Central's open-access journal Retrovirology, might represent a new milestone along the way to the discovery of a cure for HIV/AIDS.
Contact: Graeme Baldwin
graeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.com
44-787-741-1853
BioMed Central

Public Release: 4-Jun-2009
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Engineered pig stem cells bridge the mouse-human gap
Researchers have created a line of embryonic-like stem cells from adult pigs. As pigs are large animals with a physiology very similar to humans, this work provides a valuable model to study the clinical potential of this new "induced pluripotent stem cell" technology.
Contact: Nick Zagorski
nzagorski@asbmb.org
301-634-7366
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Public Release: 4-Jun-2009
Journal of Investigative Dermatology
Promising antimicrobial attacks virus, stimulates immune system
A promising antimicrobial agent already known to kill bacteria can also kill viruses and stimulate the innate immune system, according to researchers at National Jewish Health.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Adam Dormuth
dormutha@njc.org
303-398-1082
National Jewish Medical and Research Center

Public Release: 4-Jun-2009
Cell Stem Cell
Sleuths follow lung stem cells for generations to shed light on healing
More than one kind of stem cell is required to support the upkeep and repair of the lungs, according to a new study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell. Scientists at Duke University Medical Center painstakingly followed and counted genetically labeled cells in the mouse lung for over a year, under differing conditions, to learn more about natural renewal and healing processes. This information may shed light on what goes wrong in conditions like lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and asthma.
National Institutes of Health, Parker B. Francis Fellowship
Contact: Mary Jane Gore
mary.gore@duke.edu
919-660-1309
Duke University Medical Center

Public Release: 4-Jun-2009
Cell Stem Cell
Ottawa scientists discover new way to enhance stem cells to stimulate muscle regeneration
Ottawa scientists have discovered a powerful new way to stimulate muscle regeneration, paving the way for new treatments for debilitating conditions such as muscular dystrophy. The research, to be published in the June 5 issue of Cell Stem Cell, shows for the first time that a protein called Wnt7a increases the number of stem cells in muscle tissue, leading to accelerated growth and repair of skeletal muscle.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Muscular Dystrophy Association, National Institutes of Health, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stem Cell Network, Canada Research Chairs Program
Contact: Jennifer Paterson
jpaterson@ohri.ca
613-614-5253
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Public Release: 4-Jun-2009
American Journal of Human Genetics
Scientists identify gene for deadly inherited lung disease
A rare, deadly developmental disorder of the lungs called alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins (ACD/MPV) that usually kills the infants born with it within the first month of life results from deletions or mutations in the FOXF1 transcription factor gene, said a consortium of researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, National Association of Rare Disorders, Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health Research, Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust, Trachea-Esophageal Fistula Support, others
Contact: Glenna Picton
picton@bcm.edu
713-798-4710
Baylor College of Medicine

Public Release: 4-Jun-2009
Science
A new lead for autoimmune disease
A major challenge in treating autoimmune disorders has been suppressing inflammatory attacks on body tissues without generally suppressing immune function. Now, a drug from Chinese medicine shows potential for easing these disorders. In both mice and humans, it selectively inhibits development of Th17 cells, newly-recognized immune cells that were recently implicated in inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, eczema and psoriasis. It also eased a multiple-sclerosis-like autoimmune disease in mice.
National Institutes of Health, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Cancer Research Institute
Contact: Rob Graham
rob.graham@childrens.harvard.edu
617-919-3110
Children's Hospital Boston

Public Release: 2-Jun-2009
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
GEN reports on efforts to quickly develop swine flu vaccine
Scientists around the world are accelerating their efforts to develop a vaccine against the H1N1 influenza virusas rapidly as possible, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News.
Contact: John Sterling
jsterling@genengnews.com
914-740-2196
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

Public Release: 2-Jun-2009
Nature
Genetically corrected blood cells obtained from skin cells from Fanconi anemia patients
A collaboration research carried out by Spanish researchers has resulted in the generation of blood cells from skin cells of patients with a genetic disease known as Fanconi anemia. The process is based on gene therapy and cell reprogramming techniques in which cells similar to embryonic stem cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells can be generated. The research article was published in this week's digital version of Nature.
Contact: Maria Jesus Delgado
MariaJesus.Delgado@uab.cat
34-935-814-049
Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona


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.

Stem Cells Cultured On Contact Lens Restore Sight In Patients With Blinding Corneal Disease
In a world-first breakthrough, medical researchers have used stem cells cultured on a simple contact lens to restore sight to sufferers of blinding corneal disease. Sight ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605081151.htm
 
Sleuths Follow Lung Stem Cells For Generations To Shed Light On Healing
June 5, 2009 — More than one kind of stem cell is required to support the upkeep and repair of the lungs, according to a new study. Scientists painstakingly followed and counted genetically labeled cells in the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604144336.htm
 
Hitting Where It Hurts: Exploiting Cancer Cell 'Addiction' May Lead To New Therapies
June 5, 2009 — A new study uncovers a gene expression signature that reliably identifies cancer cells whose survival is dependent on a common signaling pathway, even when the cells contain multiple other genetic ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601121657.htm
 
Needle Biopsies Safe In 'Eloquent' Areas Of Brain, Study Suggests
June 5, 2009 — Scientists have concluded that performing a stereotactic needle biopsy in an area of the brain associated with language or other important functions carries no greater risk than a similar biopsy in a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603180930.htm
 
Promising Antimicrobial Attacks Virus, Stimulates Immune System
June 5, 2009 — A promising antimicrobial agent already known to kill bacteria can also kill viruses and stimulate the innate immune system, according to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604095121.htm
 
Two-drug Combination Appears Safe And Active In Metastatic Kidney Cancer
June 5, 2009 — Investigators report that a two-drug blockade of mTOR signaling appears safe in metastatic kidney cancer in a phase I trial. Early data suggests that a combination of temsirolimus and bryostatin may ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090531141331.htm
 
New Imaging Technique: Toward Spinal Cord Regeneration?
June 5, 2009 — Scientists have revealed the interaction between the regrowth of axons inside the spinal cord and the development of blood vessels in cases of spinal cord injury in mice. The result was obtained ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605091854.htm
 
Advanced Image Analysis Can Provide Better Risk Assessment In Hardening Of The Arteries
June 5, 2009 — Ultrasound examination of the carotid artery is a patient-friendly and inexpensive method for assessing atherosclerosis and thereby predicting the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Researchers have ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605112331.htm
 
First Heart Patients Implanted With Next-generation Mechanical Heart Pump
June 4, 2009 — Three patients have just been implanted with a next-generation artificial heart pump called the DuraHeart Left-Ventricular Assist ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602133557.htm
 
Electronic Pill Shows Its Smarts By Measuring pH Levels In Digestive Tract
June 4, 2009 — An electronic diagnostic tool called the SmartPill is swallowed by patients in order to take measurements as it travels through the gastrointestinal tract. A new study by physician-scientists used ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603180926.htm
 
Common Diabetes Drug May 'Revolutionize' Cancer Therapies: Unexpected T-cell Breakthrough
June 4, 2009 — Researchers have discovered that a widely used anti-diabetic drug can boost the immune system and increase the potency of vaccines and cancer ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603131433.htm
 
Mobile Health Care: Preventative Medicine Returns $36 For Every Dollar Invested, Study Suggests
June 4, 2009 — Researchers have developed a prototype "return on investment calculator" that can calculate the value of prevention services delivered by mobile health clinics. Using a Boston-based mobile health ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601211423.htm
 
New Way To Enhance Stem Cells To Stimulate Muscle Regeneration
June 4, 2009 — Scientists have discovered a powerful new way to stimulate muscle regeneration, paving the way for new treatments for debilitating conditions such as muscular dystrophy. The research shows for the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124025.htm
 
Ruptured Brain Aneurysms: Minimally Invasive Stroke Treatment Produces Better Patient Outcomes Than Surgical Operation, Study Finds
June 3, 2009 — While minimally invasive coil treatments for those with a ruptured brain aneurysm have proved to be a more effective technique than traditional surgical operation in selected patients, the superior ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529132123.htm
 
Scientists Uncover Mode Of Action Of Enzyme Linked With Several Types Of Cancer
June 3, 2009 — Scientists have discovered a key mechanism used by cells to efficiently distribute chromosomes to new cells during cell ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603131435.htm
 
Slicing Chromosomes Leads To New Insights Into Cell Division
June 2, 2009 — By using ultrafast laser pulses to slice off pieces of chromosomes and observe how the chromosomes behave, biomedical engineers have gained pivotal insights into mitosis, the process of cell ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529183252.htm
 
Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: June 5, 2009

• Susan Boyle Leaves Mental Health Clinic
• Puerto Rico Has High HIV Infection Rate: Study
• Big Differences Among States in Drug Abuse, Mental Illness: Report
• EPA Investigating Safety of Rubber Playgrounds, Sports Fields
  

U.S. Response to Swine Flu Called Good
But report said the health-care system would be overburdened if an outbreak were more severe

Clinical Trials Update: June 5, 2009

• Cardiac Surgery
• Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD - Adults)
• Depression
• Migraine
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Osteoarthritis of the Hip
  

Researchers Detect Blood-Clotting Mechanism
Finding could help those with potentially deadly conditions

Clinical Trials Update: June 4, 2009

• Gastroparesis
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Arthritis
• Cancer/Tumors
• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (Enlarged Prostate)
• Parkinson's Disease
  

Clinical Trials Update: June 3, 2009

• Constipation
• Epilepsy
• Crohn's Disease
• High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
• Coronary Artery Disease
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:
 
Novavax shares jump on NIH swine flu agreement ">http:/biz.yahoo.com/ap/090604/us_novavax_mover.html?.v=2>  - AP - Thu 2:09 pm ET
Novavax Inc. stock surged Thursday after the company said it is working with the National Institutes of Health to evaluate a potential swine flu vaccine.
 
Japanese National Institute of Infectious Diseases Scientists Identify Hemispherx Biopharma's Drug Technology as the "Most Promising Mucosal Adjuvant for Influenza" ">http:/biz.yahoo.com/pz/090604/166653.html?.v=2>  - GlobeNewswire - Thu 9:30 am ET

Incyte rises following drug trial clarification ">http:/biz.yahoo.com/ap/090529/us_incyte_mover.html?.v=3>  - AP - Fri May 29
Shares of Incyte Corp. climbed Friday after the company gave Wall Street more details about the planned design of a trial for a drug designed to treat myelofibrosis, a bone marrow disease.


Source - Google Health News:

Fears of Avian Flu Said to Help US Prepare for Swine Flu
New York Times - United States
After the H5N1 avian flu emerged widely in Asia in 2003, killing about 60 percent of those infected by it, many countries took steps to head off the crisis ...
 
WHO closer to declaring H1N1 flu outbreak a pandemic
News-Medical.net - Sydney,Australia
The money expands upon the World Bank's preexisting $500 million credit line created in 2006 to help countries to deal with the H5N1 (bird) flu. ...
 
Diseased cells could be 'fixed' and mass produced
New Scientist - UK
But if efforts to make this step safer succeed, the technique could provide a limitless supply of healthy, personalised iPS cells, says team member Inder Verma.
 
Cancer Vaccines Show Promise in Therapeutic Studies
Voice of America - USA
"I think this is another step along the way that we are seeing some daylight with a cancer vaccine, inducing a big phase-three randomized study some benefit ...

 
 
Source - Medical News Today:
 
 
Eating Curry Every Week 'could Prevent Dementia'
Eating a curry once or twice a week could help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The magic ingredient in curry is curcumin, a component of the spice, turmeric.   Professor Murali Doraiswamy, director of the Mental Fitness Laboratory at the Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Carolina, told delegates at the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Annual Meeting in Liverpool that curcumin prevented the spread of amyloid plaques, found outside brain cells.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152768.php
 
Nanoparticle To Treat Cardiovascular Disease In Mice Tested By Reasearchers
Scientists and engineers at UC Santa Barbara and other researchers have developed a nanoparticle that can attack plaque - a major cause of cardiovascular disease. The new development is described in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.   The treatment is promising for the eventual development of therapies for cardiovascular disease, which is blamed for one third of the deaths in the United States each year. Atherosclerosis, which was the focus of this study, is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease. In atherosclerosis, plaque builds up on the walls of arteries and can cause heart attack and stroke.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152788.php
 
'Shock And Kill' Research Gives New Hope For HIV 1 Eradication
Latent HIV genes can be 'smoked out' of human cells. The so-called 'shock and kill' technique, described in a preclinical study in BioMed Central's open access journal Retrovirology, might represent a new milestone along the way to the discovery of a cure for HIV/AIDS.  Dr. Enrico Garaci, president of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (the Italian Institute of Health) and Dr. Andrea Savarino, a retrovirologist working at the institution, worked with a team of researchers to study the so-called "barrier of latency" which has been the main obstacle to HIV eradication from the body.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152737.php
 
Stopping Fatty Change In Heart Cells
Heart failure is one of the world's most frequent causes of death - caused by conditions such as diabetes  and obesity . With people who are overweight, the heart has to do more work in order to pump the blood through the circulatory system and this causes an increase in blood pressure. The heart itself becomes enlarged as the myocardial muscle cells increase in mass. To enable the heart to grow there also has to be an increased supply of energy and oxygen. However, the myocardial muscle cells suffer from a lack of oxygen and energy until such time as there are enough blood vessels to support the tissue.  This is the critical moment in which the cells convert their metabolism. A healthy heart burns fat. But the abnormally enlarged heart cells burn sugar in the form of glucose because this form of energy is quickly available. The protein HIF1-alpha is responsible for this conversion to sugar combustion. This has been demonstrated in research work done by Jaya Krishnan from the group of Wilhelm Krek, Professor of Cell Biology at ETH Zurich. His research has just been published in the online journal "Cell Metabolism".
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152730.php
 
Cancer Therapy Success May Be Determined Using MRI And Oxygen
A simple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test involving breathing oxygen might help oncologists determine the best treatment for some cancer patients, report researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.   Prior research has shown that the amount of oxygen present in a tumor can be a predictor of how well a patient will respond to treatment. Tumors with little oxygen tend to grow stronger and resist both radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Until now, however, the only way to gauge the oxygen level in a tumor, and thus determine which treatment might be more effective, was to insert a huge needle directly into the cancerous tumor.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152588.php
 
New Drug Hope For Advanced Melanoma
Early results of a trial found that a new drug that targets a genetic mutation found in over half of melanoma cases and some other cancers caused tumors to shrink and patients to live around 6 months longer without their disease getting worse, including those whose cancer had spread to the liver, lung and bone.  The results of the phase I trial on the experimental drug PLX4032 were released earlier this week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Orlando, Florida. The drug is being developed by Roche and Plexxikon.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152375.php
 
Revolutionising The Diagnosis Of Serious Disease
Revolutionary ultrasonic nanotechnology that could allow scientists to see inside a patient's individual cells to help diagnose serious illnesses is being developed by researchers at The University of Nottingham. The new technique would utilise ultrasound technology - more commonly used to look at whole bodies such as fetal scanners - to look inside cells. The components of the new technology would be many thousand times smaller than current systems.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152397.php


Source - MIT's Technology Review

A startup aims to develop a minimally invasive neural prosthesis for disabled patients.
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22739/?nlid=2073

Getting Arsenic Out of Water
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22729/

GBP Health / Biotech News 06-02-2009

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.   

Source - EurekAlert – Biology

Public Release: 2-Jun-2009
Cell Metabolism
Researchers engineer metabolic pathway in mice to prevent diet-induced obesity
Though obesity has defied much of the research and treatments developed thus far, researchers at UCLA Engineering and UCLA's School of Medicine may have discovered a completely new way to approach the problem. In a new study to be released June 3, a research team at UCLA shows how they successfully constructed a non-native pathway in mice to increase fatty acid metabolism that results in a resistance to diet-induced obesity.
Contact: Wileen Wong Kromhout
wwkromhout@support.ucla.edu
310-206-0540
University of California - Los Angeles

Public Release: 2-Jun-2009
Mucosal Immunology
Enzyme involved in inflammatory bowel disease discovered at Penn State College of Medicine
Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine, working with biochemists, geneticists and clinicians at the University of Bern, Switzerland and in the United Kingdom, have discovered that the enzyme meprin has a key role in inflammatory bowel disease.
Contact: Matthew G. Solovey
msolovey@hmc.psu.edu
717-531-0003 x287127
Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine

 
Public Release: 2-Jun-2009
Nature
Genetically corrected blood cells obtained from skin cells from Fanconi anemia patients
A collaboration research carried out by Spanish researchers has resulted in the generation of blood cells from skin cells of patients with a genetic disease known as Fanconi anemia. The process is based on gene therapy and cell reprogramming techniques in which cells similar to embryonic stem cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells can be generated. The research article was published in this week's digital version of Nature.
Contact: Maria Jesus Delgado
MariaJesus.Delgado@uab.cat
34-935-814-049
Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona

Public Release: 2-Jun-2009
'Shunt' makes mice super fat burners
By inserting a molecular shunt into the livers of mice, researchers have shown they can make the animals burn more fat. That so-called glycoxylate shunt consists of two metabolic enzymes normally found in bacteria and plants, but not in mammals, according to the report in the June issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press

Public Release: 2-Jun-2009
How to get obese mice moving -- and cure their diabetes
Mice lacking the fat hormone leptin or the ability to respond to it become morbidly obese and severely diabetic -- not to mention downright sluggish. Now, a new study in the June Cell Metabolism shows that blood sugar control in those animals can be completely restored by returning leptin sensitivity to a single class of neurons in the brain, which account for only a small fraction of those that normally carry the hormone receptors.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press

Public Release: 1-Jun-2009
Cancer Cell
Most common brain cancer may originate in neural stem cells
University of Michigan scientists have found that a deficiency in a key tumor suppressor gene in the brain leads to the most common type of adult brain cancer. The study, conducted in mice that mimic human cancer, points the way to more effective future treatments and a way to screen for the disease early.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Nicole Fawcett
nfawcett@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

Public Release: 1-Jun-2009
Journal of Clinical Investigation
The immune response to influenza virus isn't 'all good'
How infection with influenza virus makes an individual sensitive to pneumonia-causing bacterial infections is clinically important but not well understood. New research now indicates that key mediators of the antiviral immune response initiated by infection with influenza virus impair the ability of mice to mount an adequate immune response to subsequent pneumonia-causing bacterial infection. These data might provide a new avenue of research for those developing ways to combat pneumonia following infection with influenza virus.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Karen Honey
press_releases@the-jci.org
215-573-1850
Journal of Clinical Investigation

Public Release: 1-Jun-2009
PLoS Biology
Targeting breast cancer stem cells in mice
In this week's PLoS Biology, researchers have identified roles for the gene PTEN, well known for its ability to suppress tumor growth, and for several pathways linked to PTEN in the growth of cells that give rise to breast cancer. The work also reports that a drug that interferes with the activity of one of these pathways leads to a 90 percent decrease in the number of cells able to form tumors in mice.
Contact: Sally Hubbard
press@plos.org
Public Library of Science

Public Release: 1-Jun-2009
Cancer Research
UCLA cancer researchers first to link intestinal inflammation with systemic chromosome damage
UCLA scientists have linked for the first time intestinal inflammation with systemic chromosome damage in mice, a finding that may lead to the early identification and treatment of human inflammatory disorders, some of which increase risk for several types of cancer.
NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America
Contact: Kim Irwin
310-206-2805
University of California - Los Angeles

Public Release: 1-Jun-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Researchers find breast cancer gene that's blocked by blood pressure drug
Researchers have identified a gene that is overexpressed in up to 20 percent of breast cancers and that could be blocked in the lab by a currently available blood pressure drug, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
US Department of Defense, Early Detection Research Network Biomarker Devleopmental Lab, University of Michigan, Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, others
Contact: Nicole Fawcett
nfawcett@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

Public Release: 1-Jun-2009
FASEB Journal
New device detects heart disease using less than one drop of blood
Testing people for heart disease might be just a finger prick away thanks to a new credit card-sized device created by a team of researchers from Harvard and Northeastern universities in Boston. In a research report published online in the FASEB Journal, they describe how this device can measure and collect a type of cells needed to build vascular tissue, called endothelial progenitor cells, using only 200 microliters of blood.
Contact: Cody Mooneyhan
cmooneyhan@faseb.org
301-634-7104
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

Public Release: 31-May-2009
Nature
Combined stem cell-gene therapy approach cures human genetic disease in vitro
A study led by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, has catapulted the field of regenerative medicine significantly forward, proving in principle that a human genetic disease can be cured using a combination of gene therapy and induced pluripotent stem cell technology. The study, published in the May 31, 2009, early online edition of Nature, is a major milestone on the path from the laboratory to the clinic.
Contact: Gina Kirchweger
Kirchweger@salk.edu
858-453-410-01340
Salk Institute

Public Release: 28-May-2009
12th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy
UF makes gene therapy advance in severe genetic disorder
A dog born with a deadly disease similar to glycogen storage disease type 1A has survived for nearly two years after receiving gene therapy at the University of Florida. The achievement puts scientists a step closer to finding a cure for the disorder in children.
Children's Fund for Glycogen Storage Disease Research
Contact: April Frawley Birdwell
afrawley@ufl.edu
352-273-5817
University of Florida

Public Release: 28-May-2009
Science
UCSF discovers new glucose-regulating protein linked with diabetes
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, and collaborators at Harvard Medical School have linked a specialized protein in human muscles to the process that clears glucose out of the bloodstream, shedding light on what goes wrong in type 2 diabetes on a cellular level.
National Institutes of Health, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Fondation Recherche Medicale in France, UCSF School of Medicine
Contact: Kristen Bole
kbole@pubaff.ucsf.edu
415-476-2557
University of California - San Francisco

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.
 
Combined Stem Cell-Gene Therapy Approach Cures Human Genetic Disease In Vitro
Scientists have catapulted the field of regenerative medicine significantly forward, proving in principle that a human genetic disease can be cured using a combination of gene therapy and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090531141321.htm
 
Surgery Not Necessary For Most Late-stage Colorectal Cancers, Study Finds
June 2, 2009 — A new study shows that a large majority of patients who present with advanced colorectal cancer that has spread to other organs don't require immediate surgery to remove the primary tumor in the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090530094458.htm
 
Goopy Ear Wax And Unpleasant Body Odors Signal Breast Cancer Risk
June 2, 2009 — If having malodorous armpits (called osmidrosis) and goopy earwax isn't bad enough, a discovery by Japanese scientists may add a more serious problem for women facing these cosmetic calamities. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601102025.htm
 
Improved DNA Stool Test Could Detect Digestive Cancers In Multiple Organs
June 2, 2009 — Researchers have demonstrated that a noninvasive screening test can detect not only colorectal cancer but also the common cancers above the colon -- including pancreas, stomach, biliary and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602092251.htm
 
Silver Nanoparticles Show 'Immense Potential' In Prevention Of Blood Clots
June 2, 2009 — Scientists are reporting discovery of a potential new alternative to aspirin, ReoPro, and other anti-platelet agents used widely to prevent blood clots in coronary artery disease, heart attack and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601110403.htm
 
Enhancing The Effects Of Platinum-based Anti-cancer Drugs
June 2, 2009 — Researchers have now identified a way to enhance the in vitro anticancer effects of the commonly used platinum-based drug cisplatin and hope that it might be possible to translate these data into the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601182708.htm
 
Small Molecule Inhibitor Shows Promise In Trastuzumab-resistant Metastatic Breast Cancer
June 2, 2009 — Researchers report that a combination of trastuzumab and neratinib a novel small molecule inhibitor of the HER2 receptor appears active in women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who have ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528203821.htm
 
Predicting Higher Risk For Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
June 1, 2009 — High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) carries a high predictive value for future diagnosis of prostate cancer. New research has shown that 41.8 percent of patients whose extended ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090526202732.htm
 
New 'Microcapsules' Put More Medication Into The Bloodstream To Treat Disease
June 1, 2009 — Scientists are reporting a potential solution to a problem that limits the human body's ability to absorb and use medications for heart disease, Type-2 diabetes, cancer and other conditions. It is a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601091926.htm
 
To Spread, Skin Cancer Attacks Immune Dendritic Cells
June 1, 2009 — Dendritic cells are the sentinels of the immune system. When they're alert and on guard, they will marshal the body's immunosoldiers, T cells, to battle at the sight of harmful pathogens. But some ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090530173546.htm
 
Compliance And Cost: Bitter Pills To Swallow In The Age Of Oral Chemotherapy
June 1, 2009 — Though the growing shift toward oral chemotherapy agents offers cancer patients greater freedom and independence during their treatment, physicians say use of the new medications also poses more ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528151626.htm
 
Bird Flu Virus Remains Infectious Up To 600 Days In Municipal Landfills
June 1, 2009 — Amid concerns about a pandemic of swine flu, researchers report for the first time that poultry carcasses infected with another threat — the "bird flu" virus — can remain infectious in ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601110251.htm
 
Pathway Linked To Breast Cancer Stem Cells
June 1, 2009 — A gene well known to stop or suppress cancer plays a role in cancer stem cells, according to a new study. The researchers found that several pathways linked to the gene, called PTEN, also affected ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601211427.htm
 
Even With No Treatment Available, Cancer Patients Want To Know Metastasis Risk
June 1, 2009 — If you had cancer and a genetic test could predict the risk of the tumor spreading aggressively, would you want to know -- even if no treatments existed to help you? An overwhelming majority of eye ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601182826.htm
 
Stem Cell Protein Offers A New Cancer Target
June 1, 2009 — Stem cell researchers have shown that a protein that keeps embryonic stem cells in their stem-like state, called LIN28, is also important in cancer. It offers a new target to attack, especially in ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601140930.htm
 
Hitting Where It Hurts: Exploiting Cancer Cell 'Addiction' May Lead To New Therapies
June 1, 2009 — A new study uncovers a gene expression signature that reliably identifies cancer cells whose survival is dependent on a common signaling pathway, even when the cells contain multiple other genetic ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601121657.htm
 
Eight Newly Identified Genes Help Predict A Melanoma Patient's Response To Treatment
May 31, 2009 — Eight newly identified genes help predict a melanoma patient's response to treatment, a new study ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090530172216.htm
 
New Broad-spectrum Vaccine To Prevent Cervical Cancer Induces Strong Responses In Animals
May 31, 2009 — Mice and rabbits immunized with a multimeric-L2 protein vaccine had robust antibody responses and were protected from infection when exposed to human papillomavirus type 16 four months after ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090526162842.htm
 
New Treatment Combination Proves Safe For Head And Neck Cancer Patients, Study Suggests
May 30, 2009 — Patients undergoing treatment for advanced head and neck cancers may respond well to the addition of gefinitib to chemotherapy, according to a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090531083621.htm
 
Gene Therapy Advance: Dog With Severe Human-like Genetic Disorder Survives
May 29, 2009 — A dog born with a deadly disease similar to glycogen storage disease type 1A has survived for nearly two years after receiving gene therapy. The achievement puts scientists a step closer to finding a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528161401.htm
 
Cottonseed-based Drug Shows Promise In Treating Severe Brain Cancer
May 29, 2009 — An experimental compound showed good results for months in patients with glioblastoma multiforme, researchers say. After undergoing other treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528110621.htm
 
Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: June 2, 2009

• FDA to Warn of Antidepressants' Impact on Tamoxifen: Report
• Slower Growth in Health Spending Would Boost U.S. Economy: Report
• Experts Concerned About Popularity of Electronic Cigarettes
• Possible Link Between Air Pollution and Abdominal Pain: Study
  

Heart Drug Combos Raise Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Specialists should consider risks vs. benefits, researcher says

Simple Test Could Detect More Gastrointestinal Cancers
One stool sample can be used to perform several screens, researchers say

Cervical Cancer Vaccine Not Just for Teens
Uninfected women aged 24 to 45 still may benefit from HPV vaccine, study finds
Clinical Trials Update: June 2, 2009

• High Cholesterol
• Renal Impairment
• Insomnia
• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
• Osteoarthritis
• Alzheimer's Disease
  

Mini-Stroke Can Mean Major One Within Hours  
If full-blown stroke occurs, it often comes within a day, study shows

Clinical Trials Update: June 1, 2009

• Bladder Disorders
• Seizure Disorders
• Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
• Postherpetic Neuralgia (Pain from Shingles)
• Type 2 Diabetes
• ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
  

Clinical Trials Update: May 29, 2009

• High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
• Post-Menopausal Symptoms
• Kidney Disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
• Memory Loss
  

Clinical Trials Update: May 28, 2009

• Sprains
• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Diabetic Erectile Dysfunction
• Pediatric Acid Reflux
  

Clinical Trials Update: May 27, 2009

• Healthy Volunteers
• Depression or Anxiety with Insomnia (Females)
• Osteoarthritis of the Knee
• Keratoses
• Melanoma
• Migraine and Cluster Headaches
  

Clinical Trials Update: May 22, 2009

• Smoking
• IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
• Psoriasis
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD - Adults)
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:
 

Immune therapies finally working against cancer  - AP - Sun May 31
First there was surgery, then chemotherapy and radiation. Now, doctors have overcome 30 years of false starts and found success with a fourth way to fight cancer: using the body's natural defender, the immune system.
 
Amylin loses key board members in proxy fight  - AP - 2 hours, 12 minutes ago
Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. lost its chairman and another key board member in a proxy fight with Carl Icahn and Eastbourne Capital Management, the biotechnology company said Tuesday, revealing a larger-than-previously reported victory for the activist investor.
 
Glaxo signs deal with Concert on early stage drugs  - AP - 2 hours, 46 minutes ago
GlaxoSmithKline PLC signed a potential $1 billion deal with U.S. biotech company Concert Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday to access deuterium-containing medicines, a deal that will beef up its pipeline of early stage drugs.
 
Pfizer ends Sutent breast cancer study early  - AP - Mon 6:22 pm ET
Pfizer Inc. said Monday it called an early halt to a trial of its drug Sutent as a primary treatment for breast cancer because it was clear it would not meet its primary goal.

Source - Google Health News:

Swine flu: What you need to know
Food Consumer - Lisle,IL,USA
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against this new flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause ...
 
Scientists develop basis for bird flu vaccine
Reuters UK - UK
GENEVA (Reuters) - Scientists using virus samples from Egypt have developed the basis of a vaccine against H5N1 bird flu, which is more toxic than the H1N1 ...
 
France Considers Mandatory Flu Vaccinations
Prison Planet.com - USA
The contaminated product, a mix of H3N2 seasonal flu viruses and unlabeled H5N1 viruses, was supplied to an Austrian research company. ...
 
ASGT 12th Annual Meeting: Gene therapy controls HIV, research shows
PRLog.Org (press release) - TX,USA
“This study was the first phase II randomized, controlled, double-blind study for cell-delivered HIV gene therapy and the first controlled HIV gene therapy ...


Source - Medical News Today:
 

Diabetologists Sound Caution Over Extended Role Of New Drugs
The Association of British Clinical Diabetologists cautioned against indiscriminate use of new classes of medication for Britain's increasing number of people with diabetes .   ABCD, which represents more than 500 consultants physicians and registrars in Britain specialising is diabetes, said oral gliptins and injectable incretin mimetics needed "careful adoption" to meet their full treatment potential.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152272.php
 
Model For New Generation Of Blood Vessels Challenged
In-growth and new generation of blood vessels, which must take place if a wound is to heal or a tumor is to grow, have been thought to occur through a branching and further growth of a vessel against a chemical gradient of growth factors. Now a research team at Uppsala University and its University Hospital has shown that mechanical forces are considerably more important than was previously thought. The findings, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, open up a new field for developing treatments.   New generation of blood vessels takes place in normal physiological processes, such as when a wound heals, children grow, or the mucous membrane of the womb is built up to be able to receive a fertilized egg. It is also a crucial mechanism in tumor diseases, rheumatism, and certain eye disorders, for example.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152231.php
 
New Surgical Technique Shows Promising Results For Patients With Cervical Cancer
A new surgical technique could allow surgeons to perform a radical hysterectomy in patients with early-stage cervical cancer-with fewer complications, reduced morbidity, and a lower risk of local tumour recurrence than current surgical methods, according to an Article published Online first and in the July edition of The Lancet Oncology.  The technique, called total mesometrial resection (TMMR), is a modified version of the traditional radical hysterectomy and involves more accurate, anatomically based resection of the cancer to prevent damage to the pelvic autonomic nervous system and to minimise surgical trauma.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152110.php
 
Herceptin Improves Survival In Stomach Cancer Patients
A new study showed that the breast cancer drug Herceptin improved survival in patients with HER2-positive stomach cancer, an aggressive form of the disease.  The study (called the ToGA study) was led by Eric Van Cutsem, a professor at the University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium and was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology which is being held in Orlando Floriday from 29 May to 2 June.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152054.php
 
Non-Surgical Treatment For Pre-Cancerous Condition Of Esophagus Is Effective And Reduces Risk For Cancer Development
Results from a clinical study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine reveal that ablative therapy using the HALO system (BARRX Medical, Inc.) is highly effective for complete eradication of a pre-cancerous condition of the esophagus called Barrett's esophagus afflicting more than 3.3 million Americans. Additionally, ablative therapy using the HALO system reduced the risk of progression to cancer in the highest risk cohort studied (compared to control) from 19.0% to 2.4%.   The study entitled "Radiofrequency Ablation in Barrett's Esophagus with Dysplasia" is authored by lead investigator Nicholas J. Shaheen, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152050.php
 
New HIV Microbicide Developed-- And A Way To Mass Produce It In Plants
In what could be a major pharmaceutical breakthrough, research published online in The FASEB Journal describes how scientists from St George's, University of London have devised a one-two punch to stop HIV. First the report describes a new protein that can kill the virus when used as a microbicide. Then the report shows how it might be possible to manufacture this protein in quantities large enough to make it affordable for people in developing countries.   "We desperately need to control the spread of HIV, particularly in developing countries," said Julian Ma of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at St. George's and the senior researcher involved in the work. "A vaccine is still some way off, but microbicides could provide a more immediate solution, provided we can overcome major hurdles of high efficacy, low cost, and wide availability - all of which we address in this study."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/151871.php
 

Source - MIT's Technology Review:

Gene Defect Corrected in Human Stem Cells
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22724/?nlid=2065
 
Getting Arsenic Out of Water
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/22729/?nlid=2065
 
Gene therapy to make cells sensitive to light takes a step toward clinical use
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22720/?nlid=2062
 
An ultrasound lens could be used for high-resolution clinical imaging.
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22710/