GBP Health / Biotech News 08-07-2009

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: 6-Aug-2009
Angewandte Chemie
New cancer drug delivery system is effective and reversible
Cancer drugs must be effective. But they must also target cancer cells and spare healthy cells. And -- ideally -- they'll come with an easy antidote. University of Illinois researchers report that they have developed a cancer drug delivery system that achieves all of the above.
National Science Foundation, Siteman Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence, Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology
Contact: Diana Yates
diya@illinois.edu
217-333-5802
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
Cell
Yale researchers find key to keeping cells in shape
Yale University researchers have discovered how a protein within most cell membranes helps maintain normal cell size, a breakthrough in basic biology that has implications for a variety of diseases such as sickle cell anemia and disorders of the nervous system.
National Institutes of Health, Leducq Foundation
Contact: Bill Hathaway
william.hathaway@yale.edu
203-432-1322
Yale University

Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
Women often opt to surgically remove their breasts, ovaries to reduce cancer risk
Many women at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer are choosing to undergo surgery as a precautionary measure to decrease their cancer risk, according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Contact: Tara Yates
tara.yates@aacr.org
267-646-0558
American Association for Cancer Research

Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
Science
Penn researchers show that protein unfolding is key for understanding blood clot mechanics
Fibrin, the chief ingredient of blood clots, is a remarkably versatile polymer. On one hand, it forms a network of fibers -- a blood clot -- that stems the loss of blood at an injury site while remaining pliable and flexible. On the other hand, fibrin provides a scaffold for thrombi, clots that block blood vessels and cause tissue damage, leading to cardiovascular disease. The answer is a process known as protein unfolding.
NIH/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Science Foundation, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Contact: Karen Kreeger
karen.kreeger@uphs.upenn.edu
215-349-5658
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
Cell
More insulin-producing cells, at the flip of a 'switch'
Researchers have found a way in mice to convert another type of pancreas cell into the critical insulin-producing beta cells that are lost in those with type I diabetes. The secret ingredient is a single transcription factor, according to the report in the Aug. 7 issue of Cell, a Cell Press journal.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press

Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
Cell Stem Cell
Johns Hopkins researchers make stem cells from developing sperm
The promise of stem cell therapy may lie in uncovering how adult cells revert back into a primordial, stem cell state, whose fate is yet to be determined. Now, cell scientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have identified key molecular players responsible for this reversion in fruit fly sperm cells. Reporting online this week in Cell Stem Cell, researchers show that two proteins are responsible redirecting cells on the way to becoming sperm back to stem cells.
Contact: Audrey Huang
audrey@jhmi.edu
410-614-5105
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

Public Release: 6-Aug-2009
Cell Host and Microbe
Got influenza? Blood genomic signature provides clues to etiology of respiratory infections
Scientists have shown that they can identify and characterize an individual's response to a respiratory viral infection by examining the pattern of gene expression in their blood. The research, published by Cell Press online on Aug. 6 in the journal Cell Host and Microbe, is the first step toward a blood test that may someday be used to decide who would benefit from an antiviral versus antibiotic treatment and possibly even determine prognosis after viral infection or therapeutic intervention.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press

Public Release: 5-Aug-2009
Sensitizing tumor response to cancer therapy
University of Arizona researchers are working to find natural, biologically active compounds that will sensitize cancerous tumors to therapy without damaging normal tissue.
Contact: Johnny Cruz
cruzj@email.arizona.edu
520-621-1879
University of Arizona

Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Chemists explain the switchboards in our cells
Our cells are controlled by billions of molecular "switches" and chemists at UC Santa Barbara have developed a theory that explains how these molecules work. Their findings may significantly help efforts to build biologically based sensors for the detection of chemicals ranging from drugs to explosives to disease markers.
Contact: Gail Gallessich
gail.g@ia.ucsb.edu
805-893-7220
University of California - Santa Barbara

Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Epilepsy halted in mice
Scientists in Leeds have prevented epilepsy caused by a gene defect from being passed on to mice offspring -- an achievement which may herald new therapies for people suffering from the condition.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Contact: Jo Kelly
jokelly@campuspr.co.uk
44-113-258-9880
University of Leeds


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.

Gene Shut-down May Offer Early Warning Of Chronic Leukemia
August 7, 2009 — A new study shows that certain genes are turned off early in the development of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), before clinical signs of the disease appear. The study examined cancer cells from ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805164919.htm

Common Trigger In Cancer And Normal Stem Cell Reproduction Found
August 7, 2009 — Researchers have discovered, for the first time, a common molecular pathway that is used by both normal stem cells and cancer stem cells when they reproduce ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806121722.htm

New Alzheimer's Gene Discovered
August 7, 2009 — A new study has found that a gene called TOMM40 appears twice as often in people with Alzheimer's disease than in those without it. Alzheimer's, for which there is no cure, is the leading cause of ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806201916.htm

Finding Key To Cancer Drug Gleevec's Limitations
August 7, 2009 — Researchers have learned why imatinib, marketed as Gleevec, helps patients with chronic myeloid leukemia survive longer, but does not keep the disease from returning if treatment ends. The team is ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805084953.htm

Cancer Cells Are Protected By Our Own Immune System
August 7, 2009 — During the very first few days of development of a cancer, our immune system recognizes cancer cells not as abnormal cells requiring eradication but as cells of the body that need to be ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807091437.htm

High Cholesterol In Midlife Raises Risk Of Late-life Dementia, Study Finds
August 6, 2009 — Elevated cholesterol levels in midlife -- even levels considered only borderline elevated -- significantly increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia later in life, according to a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804071408.htm

All-in-One Nanoparticle: A 'Swiss Army Knife' For Nanomedicine
August 6, 2009 — Nanoparticles are being developed to perform a wide range of medical uses -- imaging tumors, carrying drugs, delivering pulses of heat. Rather than settling for just one of these, researchers have ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727191923.htm

Decoding Leukemia Patient Genome Leads Scientists To Mutations In Other Patients
August 6, 2009 — Scientists have sequenced the complete genome of a patient with acute myeloid leukemia, discovering a suite of genetic changes in the cancer cells. Their research has revealed that one of these ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805171107.htm

MRI May Help Physicians Diagnose, Stage And Treat Diabetes
August 6, 2009 — Noninvasive imaging may aid physicians in the early diagnosis, staging and treatment of diabetes, according to a new study. This is the first study of its kind to apply noninvasive imaging techniques ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805110732.htm

Cardiovascular Risk After Ischemic Attack Predicted By Ultrasound
August 6, 2009 — Ultrasound can be used to determine a patient's heart risk after a transient ischemic attack. An evaluation of transcranial and extracranial Doppler ultrasonography has shown that both future stroke ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729203652.htm

Tumor Mutations Can Predict Chemo Success
August 6, 2009 — Cancer biologists show that the interplay between two key genes that are often defective in tumors determines how cancer cells respond to chemotherapy. The findings should have an immediate impact on ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806170723.htm

Promising Candidate Protein For Cancer Prevention Vaccines
August 5, 2009 — Researchers have learned that some healthy people naturally developed an immune response against a protein that is made in excess levels in many cancers, including breast, lung, and head and neck ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804111730.htm

Unraveling How Cells Respond To Low Oxygen
August 5, 2009 — Scientists have elucidated how the stability of the REDD1 protein is regulated. The REDD1 protein is a critical inhibitor of the mTOR signaling pathway, which controls cell growth and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805164915.htm

Cardiovascular Diseases: Researchers Have Found A Way To Treat Ischemic Pathologies
August 5, 2009 — Scientists have developed a new area of research which looks extremely promising regarding the development of new therapeutic responses to ischemic pathologies and cardiovascular diseases in ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805075753.htm

'Brain Exercises' May Delay Memory Decline In Dementia
August 4, 2009 — People who engage in activities that exercise the brain, such as reading, writing, and playing card games, may delay the rapid memory decline that occurs if they later develop dementia, according to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803172940.htm

Tiny Device To 'Sniff Out' Disease, Heart Attacks, Poison And Environmental Pollution Developed
August 4, 2009 — Scientists have coupled biological materials with an electrode-based device to create a customizable sensor that can detect pathogens and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803132744.htm


Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: Aug. 7, 2009

• FDA Head Promises Stronger Enforcement Of Food/Drug Safety
• Scientists Identify Itch-Transmitting Cells
• Ground Beef Recalled Over Salmonella Concerns
• Seasonal Flu Vaccines Shipped Early
• Clinton-Brokered Deal to Bring Low-Cost HIV Meds to Poorer Nations
  

Stroke Doubles Risk of Hip, Thigh Fractures
Preventive measures urgently needed, researcher says.

Rapid Swine Flu Test Misses Many Infections
Doctors should diagnose based on symptoms and strains in circulation, experts say

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 6, 2009

• Major Depression
• High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
• Osteoarthritis
  

U.S. Spending on Mental Health Care Soaring
Rate of increase now outstrips that for heart disease, cancer, data shows

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 5, 2009

• Overactive Bladder
• Healthy Male Volunteers
• Pain After Shingles
  

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 4, 2009

• High Cholesterol and High Triglyceride
• Endometriosis
• Atrial Fibrillation
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:


When a $6M Company Signs a Potentially $50M Deal... - Indie Research - 1 hour, 35 minutes ago
Opexa shares quadrupled on news of a deal that could be worth almost ten times its market cap from yesterday.

Celgene slips as analyst doubts Revlimid sales - AP - Thu 1:07 pm ET
Shares of Celgene Corp. gave up some of their recent gains Thursday after an analyst downgraded the stock, saying the biotechnology company and its cancer drug Revlimid may not meet Wall Street's expectations.

Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Announces Initiation of Phase I/II Clinical Trial of Novel Vaccine for Patients With Advanced Prostate Cancer - PR Newswire - Thu 8:00 am ET
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced dosing of the first patient in a Phase I/II clinical trial of BP-GMAX-CD1, a novel pharmacologically regulated dendritic cell vaccine for the treatment of prostate cancer.

President Clinton, Pfizer, and Mylan Announce New Agreements to Lower Prices of Medicines for Patients with Drug-Resistant HIV in Developing Countries - Business Wire - Thu 12:30 pm ET
NEW YORK----President Bill Clinton announced two important and complementary agreements today to enable better, more affordable treatments for patients on second-line antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS in the developing world.


Source - Google Health News:


How Safe Is The Swine Flu Vaccine?
Free Internet Press
In 2004, a new type of killer bird flu virus known as H5N1 made headlines when it became known that the resulting illness was fatal in 60 percent of those ...

WHO sees swine flu vaccination from next month
Reuters
Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research, said manufacturers had initially reported poor yields in making vaccine, ...

Gene therapy
The Engineer
Patients suffering from a rare congenital liver disease could be cured with a technique that delivers gene therapy directly to the organ. ...

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Awards 100 Projects, $30 ...
Media Newswire (press release)
... awards that fund more than 100 studies in gene therapy, robotics, public education, neurological disorders, tobacco's effect on health and more. ...

Stemming Sickle Cells
ColorsNW
The third type of treatment is gene therapy, one of the areas of research being conducted at UW. Sickle cell, Blau explains, is caused by a mutation in one ...

Testing Gene Therapy to Improve Brain Function in Alzheimer's ...
UCSD Medical Center
... of California San Diego are about to launch a Phase 2 clinical trial to test a gene therapy treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) called CERE-110. ...

'Batman' cancer treatment lands U of M funding for clinical trial
KARE
Pluhar, a veterinary surgeon at the College of Veterinary Medicine's Veterinary Medical Center, and Ohlfest, head of the neurosurgery gene therapy program ...

Nanoparticles an Option Over Viruses in Gene Therapy
Medgadget.com
Viruses are popular delivery vehicles for gene therapy applications, but they suffer from numerous potential side effects. In order to bypass their use ...

Source - Medical News Today:

Breakthrough Breast Cancer Scientists Reveal New Sensitive Method For Identifying Additional Women Who Could Benefit From Herceptin
Research by Breakthrough Breast Cancer scientists has revealed a new sensitive method that may help identify additional women who could benefit from the drug trastuzumab (Herceptin ). Results published in the Journal of Pathology on Friday 6 August suggest that the way in which HER2 positive breast cancers are currently identified may miss a small number of patients that could benefit from targeted therapies against HER2. HER2 positive breast cancer makes up about one in five of the nearly 46,000 cases of the disease diagnosed in the UK each year. Herceptin is a targeted therapy for this type of breast cancer.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160136.php

WHO Maintains That 2B Worldwide Could Get H1N1
The WHO on Tuesday maintained that roughly two billion people could become infected with the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, Reuters reports. "By the end of a pandemic, anywhere between 15-45 percent of a population will have been infected by the new pandemic virus," WHO spokeswoman Aphaluck Bhatiasevi said, adding that 30 percent, or 2 billion people worldwide, is the mid point of that estimate. "But the estimate comes with a big health warning: no one knows how many people so far have caught the new strain ... and the final number will never be known as many cases are so mild they may go unnoticed," the news service writes (Lynn, 8/4). Also on Tuesday, the WHO reported that the H1N1 virus has claimed the lives of 1,154 worldwide since the virus emerged in April, including "338 deaths reported in the week leading up to last Friday," the Associated Press/Washington Post reports. "More than 300 of the new deaths were in the Americas, bringing the death toll in that region to 1,008 since the virus first emerged in Mexico and the United States, and developed into the global epidemic," the news service writes (8/4).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159982.php

Fountain Of Youth? Cutting Calories May Add Years To Your Life
Growing scientific evidence indicates that people who adhere to a special calorie-restricted diet can improve their health and could potentially add years to their lifespan, according to an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine. C&EN contributing editor Laura Cassiday notes in the article that researchers have known for decades that calorie restriction - reducing calorie intake without compromising nutrition - slows aging, extends lifespan, and fights disease in animals. Mice fed a calorie-restricted diet, for example, had a 30 percent increase in lifespan, while calorie-restricted monkeys were healthier and had a three-times lower rate of death from age-related causes than controls, the article notes. Recent studies suggest that people on these diets may gain similar benefits.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159917.php

First Human Demonstration Of Significant, Persistent Antibody Response Using Electroporation-Delivered DNA Vaccine Published In Human Gene Therapy
Inovio Biomedical Corporation (NYSE Amex: INO), a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today new data representing what Inovio believes to be the first demonstration of a significantly increased and persistent level of antibody response generated by a DNA vaccine delivered using electroporation. The results, generated in a clinical study conducted by Inovio's collaborators, the University of Southampton and The Institute of Cancer Research in the U.K., were published in the medical journal Human Gene Therapy, July 20, 2009, in a paper entitled, "DNA vaccination with electroporation induces increased antibody responses in patients with prostate cancer." The DNA vaccine is designed to induce a strong helper T-cell response, with the aim of enhancing induction of a cytotoxic T-cell response against tumor cells. Measuring antibody (humoral) responses against the helper sequence in the vaccine may help judge the vaccine's potential performance. It may also allow predictions of vaccine performance in other settings, for example, against viral and bacterial diseases, where strong antibody responses are imperative in providing protection.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159908.php

Largest Lung Cancer Study, MAGRIT, Shows Collective Commitment To Development Of Tailored Cancer Therapy
Data presented on Sunday at the The International Society of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 13th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in San Francisco highlight the screening of over 3,000 patients for MAGRIT (MAGE-A3 as Adjuvant Non-Small Cell LunG CanceR ImmunoTherapy)1, the largest-ever treatment trial in lung cancer. The rapid screening of patients into the MAGRIT trial is unprecedented given so few eligible lung cancer patients (less than 1% in the U.S.2) traditionally enter clinical trials and benefit from the potential hope of novel treatments. MAGRIT is a phase III study investigating the efficacy of MAGE-A3 (Melanoma AntiGEn-A3) Antigen-Specific Cancer Immunotherapeutic (ASCI) in preventing cancer relapse, when given after tumor resection in patients with MAGE-A3-positive stages IB, II and IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). The large trial population also provides a unique opportunity for translational research on other important questions about the prognosis and treatment of NSCLC.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159893.php

University Of Miami Researchers Demonstrate How Stem Cell Line Regenerates New Cardiac Cells
As the field of stem cell based therapies has progressed, there have been numerous questions about the exact way one of the most promising lines of adult stem cells works to repair damaged heart muscle. Although cells obtained from adult bone marrow are proving to be useful to treat heart disease, there has been a major controversy over whether they are true stem cells capable of forming new heart muscle. Cardiologists at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have definitively shown that mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow do in fact form new heart muscle and blood vessels, leading to major degrees of tissue repair in hearts damaged by a heart attack. Their findings have been published in the August 3 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159786.php

Researchers Identify New Method To Selectively Kill Metastatic Melanoma Cells
An international team of researchers has identified a new method for selectively killing metastatic melanoma cells, which may lead to new areas for drug development in melanoma - a cancer that is highly resistant to current treatment strategies. Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University, in collaboration with a team of researchers led by Maria S. Soengas, Ph.D., with the Spanish National Cancer Research Center in Madrid, Spain, found that activation of a specific molecular pathway triggers melanoma cells to begin a process of self-destruction - through self-digestion and programmed cell death. The study is published in the August 4 print issue of the journal Cancer Cell.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159739.php

Source - MIT's Technology Review:

Cell on a Chip
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23122/

Rapid TB Detector
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23110/

GBP Health / Biotech News 08-03-2009

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: 3-Aug-2009
Nanomedicine
A 'super sensor' for cancer and CSIs
Tel Aviv University's Prof. Rishpon has coupled biological materials with an electrode-based device to create a customizable sensor that can detect pathogens and biomarkers.
Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Cancer Cell
Researchers identify new method to selectively kill metastatic melanoma cells
An international team of researchers has identified a new method for selectively killing metastatic melanoma cells, which may lead to new areas for drug development in melanoma -- a cancer that is highly resistant to current treatment strategies.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Sathya Achia Abraham
sbachia@vcu.edu
804-827-0890
Virginia Commonwealth University

Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Cancer Cell
La Jolla Institute discovers novel tumor suppressor
La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology researchers studying an enzyme believed to play a role in allergy onset, instead have discovered its previously unknown role as a tumor suppressor that may be important in myeloproliferative diseases and some types of lymphoma and leukemia. Myeloproliferative diseases are a group of disorders characterized by an overproduction of blood cells by the bone marrow and include chronic myeloid leukemia. Lymphoma and leukemia are cancers of the blood.
Contact: Bonnie Ward
contact@liai.org
619-303-3160
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology

Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Integrative Cancer Therapies
Groundbreaking study shows exercise benefits leukemia patients
A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that exercise may be an effective way to combat the debilitating fatigue that leukemia patients experience.
UNC Lineberger Internal Grants Award, UNC Junior Faculty Development Award, UNC Institute of Aging, Stimulus Grant in Aging, UNC Hospitals
Contact: Ellen de Graffenreid
edegraff@med.unc.edu
919-962-3405
University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Pediatrics
Millions of US children low in vitamin D
Seven out of 10 US children have low levels of vitamin D, raising their risk of bone and heart disease, according to a study of over 6,000 children by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.
Contact: Deirdre Branley
sciencenews@aecom.yu.edu
718-430-2923
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Public Release: 3-Aug-2009
Viral mimic induces melanoma cells to digest themselves
Recent research has uncovered an unexpected vulnerability in deadly melanoma cells that, when exploited, can cause the cancer cells to turn against themselves. The study, published by Cell Press in the August issue of the journal Cancer Cell, identifies a new target for development of future therapeutics aimed at selectively eliminating this aggressive skin cancer which is characterized by a notoriously high rate of metastasis and treatment-resistance.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press

Public Release: 2-Aug-2009
Nature Medicine
Stem cell 'daughters' lead to breast cancer
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists have found that a population of breast cells called luminal progenitor cells are likely to be responsible for breast cancers that develop in women carrying mutations in the gene BRCA1.
Victorian Breast Cancer Research Consortium, Susan G. Komen Foundation, National Breast Cancer Foundation, National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Stem Cell Centre, US Department of Defense, Australian Cancer Research Foundation
Contact: Penny Fannin
fannin@wehi.edu.au
61-393-452-345
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute

Public Release: 29-Jul-2009
Nature
Little-known protein found to be key player
Italian and US scientists have found that a little-understood protein previously implicated in a rare genetic disorder also plays critical role in building and maintaining healthy cells. Even more surprising, the research published online this week in Nature shows that the protein builds structures by fusing intracellular membranes in a fundamentally new way. The research was conducted at Eugenio Medea Scientific Institute in Conegliano, Italy, and Rice University in Houston.
National Institutes of Health, Mathers Charitable Foundation, Telethon Italy, Italian Ministry of Health, Foundation Compagnia di San Paolo
Contact: Jade Boyd
jadeboyd@rice.edu
713-348-6778
Rice University


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.

Virulence Of Pandemic H1N1 Virus In Swine Populations
August 3, 2009 — Laboratory studies are making headway in the effort to control the pandemic H1N1 virus. Researchers are developing better testing tools, creating a "diagnostic arsenal" to use if H1N1 were to spread ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730111200.htm

Targeted Therapy Delivers Chemo Directly To Ovarian Cancer Cells
August 3, 2009 — With a novel therapeutic delivery system, scientists have successfully targeted a protein that is over-expressed in ovarian cancer cells. Using the EphA2 protein as a molecular homing mechanism, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729170644.htm

Scientists Program Blood Stem Cells To Become Vision Cells
August 3, 2009 — Researchers were able to program bone marrow stem cells to repair damaged retinas in mice, suggesting a potential treatment for one of the most common causes of vision loss in older people. The ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090731085823.htm

Scientists Uncork Potential Secret Of Red Wine's Health Benefits
August 3, 2009 — Scientists have unraveled a mystery that has perplexed scientists since red wine was first discovered to have health benefits: How does resveratrol control inflammation? New research not only ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730103742.htm

Ovarian Cancer Tests 'Woefully Ineffective' According To Researchers
August 3, 2009 — Current diagnostic tests for ovarian cancer are woefully ineffective for early detection of the disease, say researchers. A new study finds that in order to make a significant dent in the mortality ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727203609.htm

Stem Cells: Environmental Factors Instruct Lineage Choice Of Blood Progenitor Cells
August 3, 2009 — Scientists have developed a new bioimaging method for observing the differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) at the single-cell level. With this method the researchers were able to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090715075140.htm

Heavy Drinkers Face Significantly Increased Cancer Risk
August 3, 2009 — Heavy drinkers of beer and spirits face a much higher risk of developing cancer than the population at large, say epidemiologists and cancer researchers. Heavy consumption of beer and spirits have ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803122726.htm

Switch To Digital Mammography Leads To Increased Cancer Detection Rates
August 3, 2009 — The use of digital mammography equipment alone is responsible for an increased number of breast cancers detected at a community-based mammography facility, according to a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803110956.htm

Synthetic Biology: Opportunities And Risks
August 3, 2009 — The new research field of synthetic biology will, in the medium term, open up a great deal of potential for combining novel genetic methods with engineering principles. This will facilitate the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803084010.htm

Dementia Induced And Blocked In Parkinson's Fly Model
August 2, 2009 — Researchers have modeled Parkinson's-associated dementia for the first time. Scientists showed that a single night of sleep loss in genetically altered fruit flies caused long-lasting disruptions in ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090801092731.htm

Common Diabetic Therapy Reduces Risk Of Pancreatic Cancer
August 2, 2009 — Taking the most commonly-prescribed anti-diabetic drug, metformin, reduces an individual's risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 62 percent, according to new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090801092715.htm

Antibody Targeting Of Glioblastoma Shows Promise In Preclinical Tests
August 2, 2009 — Cancer researchers have successfully tested a small, engineered antibody they say shuts down growth of human glioblastoma tumors in cell and animal studies. Glioblastoma is the deadliest of brain ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090731085821.htm

Virus Linked To Some Cases Of Common Skin Cancer
August 1, 2009 — A virus discovered in a rare form of skin cancer has been found in people with squamous cell carcinoma, a common skin cancer. Researchers identified the virus in more than a third of 58 SCC patients ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730121048.htm

Advanced Targeted Therapies Effective As First-line Treatment For Lung Cancer
August 1, 2009 — Several new studies show that targeted therapies, as first-line treatment, have the potential to slow cancer growth and improve patient ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090801133135.htm

Natural Born Killers: How The Body's Frontline Immune Cells Decide Which Cells To Destroy
July 31, 2009 — The mechanism used by "natural killer" immune cells in the human body to distinguish between diseased cells, which they are meant to destroy, and normal cells, which they are meant to leave alone, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727203741.htm

Artificial Intelligence Used To Diagnose Metastatic Cancer
July 31, 2009 — When doctors are managing care for women with breast cancer, the information available to them profoundly influences the type of care they recommend. Knowing whether a woman's cancer has ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090728083249.htm

Nanoparticle-delivered 'Suicide' Genes Slowed Ovarian Tumor Growth
July 31, 2009 — Nanoparticle delivery of diphtheria toxin-encoding DNA selectively expressed in ovarian cancer cells reduced the burden of ovarian tumors in mice, and researchers expect this therapy could be tested ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730073607.htm

Hunt For The Blood Test To Determine Melanoma Survival Rates
July 31, 2009 — New research will be breaking new ground in the search for a simple blood test that could tell whether a patient with melanoma has the condition in an aggressive form. Melanoma is the most aggressive ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075447.htm

High Blood Pressure May Lead To 'Silent' Strokes
July 30, 2009 — "Silent" strokes, which are strokes that don't result in any noticeable symptoms but cause brain damage, are common in people over 60, and especially in those with high blood pressure, according to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727191241.htm


Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: Aug. 3, 2009

• Clarcon Skin Products Pose Health Threat: FDA
• FDA Approves Avastin for Most Common Kidney Cancer
• Blocking Protein May Prevent Premature Labor
• Pneumonic Plague Outbreak In China Claims Second Victim
  

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 3, 2009

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Testosterone and Pain
• High Cholesterol (Hypercholesterolemia)
  

Plastic Surgeons Stay Busy in Recession
Tight job market fuels interest in cheaper, less-invasive procedures, survey shows
Breast CT Scanner Could Improve Cancer Screen Comfort
Researchers study system designed for diagnosis as way to treat disease

After Neuroblastoma, Chronic Problems Often Await
Survivors are found to have more health and social issues years later

Response Times Vary for In-Hospital Heart Attacks
Uneven results seen with defibrillation delays, researchers say

Clinical Trials Update: July 31, 2009

• Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
• Opioid-Induced Constipation
• High Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Disease or Type 2 Diabetes
  

Clinical Trials Update: July 30, 2009

• Painful Diabetic Neuropathy
• High Cholesterol
• Depression
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

Repros shares fall, Proellex development halted - AP - 1 hour, 3 minutes ago
Shares of Repros Therapeutics Inc. plunged Monday after the company said it is halting development of its experimental drug Proellex because of an increase in liver enzymes in patients.

Biotech Drug Company Preparing for Worst Case H1N1 Flu Scenario Using Extremely Promising New Technology (NYSE Amex: CVM) - Marketwire - Fri Jul 31


Source - Google Health News:


Swine Flu: Bringing the Pandemic Out of the Box
The Faster Times
  Another diverse influenza A virus, H5N1 (bird flu) caused global alarm in recent years. Like swine flu, bird flu can infect humans. ...

Swine Flu Mandate US Government puts states on notice
Examiner.com
In February they have found that the vaccine was contaminated by the H5N1 - Avian flu virus, which is on the list of the possible biological weapons and is ...

Treating Parkinson's Disease - Investment Opportunities and Challenges
Seeking Alpha
In addition to implantable pump delivery technology, gene therapy is considered one of the most promising approaches to developing a novel effective ...

Nanotech Therapy Delivers Suicide Gene To Ovarian Cancer Cells
RedOrbit
The study is just one demonstration of the potential uses for nanoparticles in non-viral gene therapy, Anderson said. The team also plans to study ...

International team in the midst of developing gene therapy to ...
HealthJockey.com
An international team of experts have come together to try and develop a gene therapy for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa. This particular therapy is ...

Gene therapy shows HIV promise
SX
The largest clinical trial yet staged to test a gene therapy for HIV/AIDS has shown promise, reports the journal Nature Medicine. ...

Construction of a MUC-1 promoter driven, conditionally replicating ...
7thSpace Interactive (press release) (press release)
IntroductionThe sodium iodide symporter (NIS) directs the uptake and concentration of iodide in thyroid cells. This in turn allows for radioiodine imaging ...


Source - Medical News Today:

7 Out Of 10 American Children Low In Vitamin D
New research suggests that 7 out of 10 children in the US have low levels of vitamin, nudging millions of them toward higher risk of bone disease, high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease. The study was led by Dr Michal L. Melamed, assistant professor of medicine and of epidemiology and population health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York, and is published in the 3 August online issue of Pediatrics.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159636.php

Obama Issues Directive To Enact New Embryonic Stem Cell Research Rules
President Obama on Thursday issued a directive to federal agencies to begin following new NIH guidelines on federally funded embryonic stem cell research, Reuters/New York Times reports (Reuters/New York Times, 7/30). NIH announced the final guidelines earlier this month. The guidelines assess whether newly created embryonic stem cell lines can be used for federally funded research, as well as clarify how old lines will be evaluated (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 7/7). In March, Obama overturned President George W. Bush's policy limiting federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. In a statement Thursday, Obama said, "I hereby direct the heads of executive departments and agencies that support and conduct stem cell research to adopt these guidelines, to the fullest extent practicable in light of legal authorities and obligations" (Reuters/New York Times, 7/30).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159560.php

Breakthrough Breast Cancer Audit Reveals Striking Differences In Breast Cancer Treatment Based On Age
Older breast cancer patients are not receiving a full range of treatment options, according to a report published in the British Journal of Cancer. Data from the Breast Cancer Clinical Outcome Measures (BCCOM) Project, a pioneering audit of breast cancer treatment funded by Breakthrough Breast Cancer, also suggests regional differences in breast cancer care.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159512.php

Americans Spend $34 Billion A Year On Complementary And Alternative Medicine
According to a new report based on a government survey in 2007, in the previous 12 months Americans had spent a total of $33.9 billion out of their own pockets on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The report was compiled by Dr Richard L. Nahin of the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and colleagues and was published in the 30 July issue of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Health Statistic Report.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159419.php

Avastin(R) (bevacizumab) Now Approved For Use In Combination With Docetaxel For The First Line Treatment Of Metastatic Breast Cancer, UK
More patients with metastatic breast cancer could benefit from Avastin (bevacizumab) as a result of a broader label announced by the European Commission that allows bevacizumab to be combined with either docetaxel or paclitaxel chemotherapy1. This is an important announcement, as although bevacizumab has been approved for use in the UK in combination with paclitaxel for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer since March 2007, a higher proportion of metastatic breast cancer patients in the UK are treated with docetaxel. This new licence extension provides physicians who may have used docetaxel alone to treat their metastatic breast cancer patients with an additional treatment option - the data for which show that half of patients were alive without their disease progressing for at least 10 months when treated with bevacizumab plus docetaxel (compared to 8 months with docetaxel alone). Nearly two thirds of patients (64%) receiving bevacizumab-based therapy also experienced major shrinkage in their tumour2. These data re-enforce previous findings that show bevacizumab in addition to paclitaxel increased progression free survival to 11.3 months compared to 5.8 months with paclitaxel alone3.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159368.php

Sirona Biochem Starts Testing First Batch Of Drug Candidates Designed To Combat Diabetes And Obesity
Sirona Biochem Corp. (TSX-V: SBM), an emerging biotech company focused on diabetes and obesity , announced today that it has now taken delivery of its first batch of unique SGLT compounds from its French partner TFChem (Rouen, France) for screening and evaluation. "The successful production of these new molecules marks a significant company milestone," said CEO, Dr. Howard Verrico. Sirona Biochem owns the worldwide product rights to a library of sodium glucose transporter (SGLT) inhibitors to treat diabetes and obesity. SGLT Inhibitors block the reuptake of excess sugars from urine in the kidney which can then reduce high blood sugar to normal levels.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159343.php

Higher Intensity Physical Exercise Can Reduce The Likelihood Of Death From Cancer
People who are more active and exercise harder are less likely to develop cancer and die, suggests research published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. A higher use of oxygen consumption during physical activity is linked to a reduction in the level of illness in a person and their likelihood of dying from cancer. Researchers from the universities of Kuopio and Oulu in Finland studied 2,560 men aged between 42 and 61 from eastern Finland with no history of cancer and assessed their leisure time physical activity over a 12-month period.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159225.php


Source - MIT's Technology Review:

Nanotube-Powered X-Rays
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23107/