GBP Health / Biotech News 08-18-2009

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: 18-Aug-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Scripps Research, UCSD, and University of Oslo team ties genetic variations to brain size
Using advanced brain imaging and genomics technologies, an international team of researchers co-led by Scripps Research Institute scientists has shown for the first time that natural variations in a specific gene influence brain structure. By establishing this link, the researchers have opened the door to a range of potential research efforts that could reveal gene variations responsible for a number of neurological conditions such as autism.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Mika Ono
mikaono@scripps.edu
858-784-2052
Scripps Research Institute

Public Release: 18-Aug-2009
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Fine-tuning an anti-cancer drug
Biochemists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen, in collaboration with researchers from San Diego-based Nereus Pharmaceuticals, have illuminated a reaction pathway that blocks the action of proteasomes, vital intracellular waste-processing plants. In the current issue of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, they report insights that could potentially lead to development of custom-tailored anti-cancer drugs with improved efficacy and safety.
No.
Contact: Patrick Regan
regan@zv.tum.de
49-892-892-2743
Technische Universitaet Muenchen

Public Release: 18-Aug-2009
2 software tools that improve identification of cancer biomarkers earn certification
Two new software programs that improve the process of identifying cancer biomarkers from gene expression data earned silver-level compatibility certification from the the NIH/National Cancer Institute's cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid, also known as caBIG.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Abby Vogel
avogel@gatech.edu
404-385-3364
Georgia Institute of Technology Research News

Public Release: 17-Aug-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Does sugar feed cancer?
Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah have uncovered new information on the notion that sugar "feeds" tumors. The findings may also have implications for other diseases such as diabetes. The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Contact: Linda Aagard
linda.aagard@hci.utah.edu
801-587-7639
University of Utah Health Sciences

Public Release: 17-Aug-2009
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Research points to new target for stopping colon cancer
New research led by scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have found a drug target that suggests a potent way to kill colon cancers that resist current drugs aimed at blocking a molecule found on the surface of cells.
NIH/National Cancer Institute, National Science Foundation, Korea Science and Engineering Foundation
Contact: Les Lang
llang@med.unc.edu
919-966-9366
University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Public Release: 17-Aug-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Engineered protein-like molecule protects cells against HIV infection
With the help of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and molecular engineering, researchers have designed synthetic protein-like mimics convincing enough to interrupt unwanted biological conversations between cells.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Sam Gellman
gellman@chem.wisc.edu
608-262-3303
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Public Release: 17-Aug-2009
Developmental Cell
Cancer's break-in tools possibly identified at Duke
A single cell in a 1-millimeter nematode worm is providing valuable new clues into cancer's deadliest behavior -- its ability to put down roots in new tissues after spreading throughout the body.
National Institutes of Health, Pew Scholars, Basil O'Connor
Contact: Karl Leif Bates
karl.bates@duke.edu
919-681-8054
Duke University

Public Release: 17-Aug-2009
Developmental Cell
Gene vital to brain's stem cells implicated in deadly brain cancer
Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a protein that activates brain stem cells to make new neurons -- but that may be hijacked later in life to cause brain cancer in humans. The protein called Huwe1 normally functions to eliminate other unnecessary proteins and was found to act as a tumor suppressor in brain cancer.
Contact: Elizabeth Streich
eas2125@columbia.edu
212-305-6535
Columbia University Medical Center

Public Release: 17-Aug-2009
Nature
Faster, cheaper way to find disease genes in human genome passes initial test
Researchers have successfully developed a novel genomic analysis strategy for faster, cheaper discovery of gene-disease links. The strategy was tested on the genomes of unrelated individuals with the same inherited disorder. The method might be extended to common medical conditions with complex genetics by making it possible to study the genomes of large groups of people.
National Insitutes of Health, NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Washington Research Foundation, Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research
Contact: Leila Gray
leilag@u.washington.edu
206-685-0381
University of Washington

Public Release: 17-Aug-2009
American Association for Cancer Research 97th Annual Meeting
Genome Research
New DNA test uses nanotechnology to find early signs of cancer
Using tiny crystals called quantum dots, Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a highly sensitive test to look for DNA attachments that often are early warning signs of cancer.
NIH/National Cancer Institute, National Science Foundation, Hodson Foundation, Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute
Contact: Phil Sneiderman
prs@jhu.edu
443-287-9960
Johns Hopkins University

Public Release: 16-Aug-2009
Nature Cell Biology
UGA researchers propose model for disorders caused by improper transmission of chromosomes
University of Georgia scientists have developed a model system for plants and animals that shows the loss of a key structural protein can lead to the premature separation of one DNA copy called a chromatid. The new model shows for the first time that the loss of this protein can lead to aneuploidy -- the name given to birth disorders caused by extra or too few chromosomes.
Contact: Kelly Dawe
kelly@plantbio.uga.edu
706-542-1658
University of Georgia

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.


Prion Protein Identified As Novel Early Pancreatic Cancer Biomarker
August 18, 2009 — Mad cow disease is caused by the accumulation of an abnormal protein, the prion, in the brain of an affected patient. Outside of the brain, very little is known about prions. Researchers have, for ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817184439.htm

New, Faster Way To Diagnose, Fight Flu
August 18, 2009 — Researchers are using a new and faster method of rapidly producing highly targeted monoclonal antibodies for use in diagnostic tests as well as a temporary therapy to stave off infectious diseases ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090802194524.htm

New Devices Harness Carbon Nanomaterials For Drug Delivery Systems, Oxygen Sensors
August 18, 2009 — Two nanoscale devices recently reported in two separate journals harness the potential of carbon nanomaterials to enhance technologies for drug or imaging agent delivery and energy storage systems, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817190745.htm

New Method To Selectively Kill Metastatic Melanoma Cells Identified
August 18, 2009 — Scientists have 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 ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803132742.htm

Needle-free, Inhalant Powder Measles Vaccine Could Save Thousands Of Lives
August 18, 2009 — The first inhalable vaccine for measles is moving toward clinical trials next year in India, where the disease still sickens millions of infants and children and kills almost 200,000 annually, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090816170913.htm

Cardiovascular Diseases: Researchers Have Found A Way To Treat Ischemic Pathologies
August 18, 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

Researchers Sequence 'Exomes' Of 12 People; New Strategy For Finding Disease Genes
August 17, 2009 — In a pioneering effort that generated massive amounts of DNA sequence data from 12 people, a team of researchers has demonstrated the feasibility and value of a new strategy for identifying
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090816171012.htm

Metastatic Cancer And Macrophages: Cells Thought To Protect Against Cancer May Actually Promote It
August 17, 2009 — The deadliest part of the cancer process, metastasis, appears to rely on help from macrophages, potent immune system cells that usually defend vigorously against disease, researchers ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810174303.htm

How To Make A Lung
August 17, 2009 — A tissue-repair-and-regeneration pathway in the human body, including wound healing, is essential for the early lung to develop properly. Genetically engineered mice fail to develop lungs when two ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817190648.htm

Nanomagnets Guide Stem Cells To Damaged Tissue
August 17, 2009 — Microscopic magnetic particles have been used to bring stem cells to sites of cardiovascular injury in a new method designed to increase the capacity of cells to repair damaged tissue, scientists ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817190640.htm

'Swiss Army Knife' Protein Plays Unexpected Role Protecting Chromosome Tips; Possible Tie To Metastatic Cancer
August 16, 2009 — A protein specialist that opens the genomic door for DNA repair and gene expression also turns out to be a multi-tasking workhorse that protects the tips of chromosomes and dabbles in a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142440.htm

Inherited Risk Factors Increase Odds Of Developing Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
August 16, 2009 — Scientists have identified inherited variations in two genes that account for 37 percent of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, including a gene that may help predict drug ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090816171005.htm



Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: Aug. 18, 2009

• Less Swine Flu Vaccine Than Expected by October, U.S. Says
• Vermont, Hawaii Tops in Healthy Behaviors
• German Doctors Implant World's Smallest Artificial Heart Pump
• FDA Approves New Drug for Gaucher Disease
  

Abnormal Protein May Signal Pancreatic Cancer
'Prion' could become diagnostic tool, researcher says

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 18, 2009

• High Cholesterol (Hypercholesterolemia)
• Diabetes
• Depression (Ages 18-65)
  

Antioxidants Pose No Melanoma Threat
Despite earlier study, new report finds no risk from common vitamin and mineral supplements

Pain Level May Predict Survival in Certain Cancer Patients
Discomfort should be monitored in those with head and neck malignancies, researchers say

Worries May Worsen Peripheral Arterial Disease
Distressed 'type D' personality associated with mortality risk, study suggests

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 17, 2009

• Overactive Bladder
• Psoriasis (Ages 18-65)
• Alcoholism (Opiate Dependence)
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:


Sinovac says it finished swine flu vaccine tests - AP - 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Chinese drugmaker Sinovac Biotech Ltd. said Tuesday it completed clinical testing of a swine flu vaccine and its product was successful at creating an immune system response to the virus.

NOVAVAX Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Protects Against 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Virus - PR Newswire - Tue 8:00 am ET
Novavax, Inc. announced positive preclinical results with Novavax's 2009 novel H1N1 influenza virus-like particle vaccine.

Amgen's Vectibix meets goal in colon cancer study - AP - Mon 5:54 pm ET
Biotechnology company Amgen Inc. said Monday its cancer drug Vectibix met the key treatment goals in a late-stage study focusing on patients with colon cancer.


Source - Google Health News:

Swine flu may hit Africa hardest
The Southern Times
Although H5N1 bird flu led to increased diagnostic and surveillance capacity in some countries, many still have no capacity and surveillance efforts cover ...

Goudsmit, - Crucell Receives NIH Award for the Development of ...
Ad-Hoc-News (Pressemitteilung)
They were also found to be active against the pandemic 'swine flu' H1N1 influenza viruses and the avian H5N1 'bird flu' viruses, which are still circulating ...

BioSante Pharmaceuticals Reports 100% Protection From H1N1 ...
Business Wire (press release)
... a BioVant-adjuvanted matrix protein M1 vaccine, and to H5N1 (bird flu), using a BioVant-adjuvanted H5N1 vaccine delivered via intranasal administration

GSK starts first trials for H1N1 vaccine in Germany
Pharmafocus
GSK said in clinical studies using the bird flu influenza strain (H5N1), its adjuvanted formulation has been shown to stimulate a higher immune response ...

H1N1 vaccine wars to plague world
PRESS TV
... a vaccine - as in mock-up vaccines for changing H5N1 to H1N1 - does not substantially affect the safety or level of protection offered by the vaccine. ...


Gene Therapy Treatment for Blindness Proves Safe--and Effective ...
Scientific American
By Katherine Harmon MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: Although some previous trials have gone awry, gene therapy appears to have been both safe and effective in this ...


Source - Medical News Today:

Second Wave Of Swine Flu Could Overwhelm Resources In Europe And North America Say Canadian Experts
A panel of experts in Canada has written an article in a leading medical journal suggesting that if the H1N1 pandemic swine flu follows the same disease pattern in the northern hemisphere this fall as it has in the southern hemisphere, then resources in North America and Europe could be overwhelmed. The experts say strong leadership will be needed to mobilize effective immunization and other campaigns and they also call for the appointment of national and local leaders and champions. The editorial article was written by Dr Paul Hébert, Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), and colleagues, and appears in the 17 August issue of the journal.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160981.php

Alarming Rise In Oral Cancer Rates Among Forty-somethings
Rates of oral cancers , such as cancers of the mouth, tongue and lip, have increased by around a quarter in the past decade among people in their 40s, according to figures from Cancer Research UK today. Oral cancer is largely a preventable disease with tobacco and alcohol use being the main risk factors.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160943.php

SVS Clarifies Surgeons' Role In Diabetic Foot Care
The Society for Vascular Surgery® (SVS) represents more than 3,000 practicing vascular surgeons in the United States, dedicated to the prevention and management of vascular disease. The Society is responding to President Barack Obama's remarks on August 11, 2009 at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire. President Obama stated "Right now if we paid a family if a family care physician works with his or her patient to help them lose weight, modify diet, monitors whether they're taking their medications in a timely fashion, they might get reimbursed a pittance. But if that same diabetic ends up getting their foot amputated, that's $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 immediately the surgeon is reimbursed." This statement obviously does not accurately reflect the actual reimbursement to the surgeon for this procedure; surgeons receive reimbursement of less than $1,000, which includes follow-up care provided for 90 days after the operation. Furthermore, surgeons perform amputations only as last resort in an effort to save a patient's life, when and only when all attempts at limb salvage are exhausted. SVS is dismayed by those remarks. As vascular surgeons, we have the privilege of caring for a large number of Medicare beneficiaries. We perform minimally invasive intervention and bypass procedures to improve circulation to the lower extremities, thereby preventing amputation in many situations. While caring for their patients, SVS members attempt to use the best available medical evidence on which to make treatment recommendations. Since questions remain regarding optimal treatment of some forms of advanced vascular disease, SVS supports the efforts of the Administration to fund comparative effectiveness research; SVS published a position paper to this effect in the Journal of Vascular Surgery®.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160914.php

FDA Approves New Cholesterol-Lowering Drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the 4 milligram maximum dose of Livalo (pitavastatin), a drug intended to improve blood cholesterol levels in persons with elevated or abnormal blood cholesterol levels. Like other statins, Livalo is intended for patients when diet and exercise fail to lower their cholesterol levels. Statins improve elevated blood cholesterol levels primarily by inhibiting a liver enzyme called HMG Co-A reductase, thus reducing the liver's ability to make cholesterol.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160898.php

Dermatologist Skin Examinations Detect More, Thinner Skin Cancers Than Patients Identify Themselves
Most melanomas detected in a general-practice dermatology clinic were found by dermatologists during full-body skin examinations of patients who had come to the clinic for different complaints, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In addition, cancers detected by dermatologists were thinner and more likely to be in situ (only on the outer layer of skin) than were cancers detected by patients. "Early melanoma detection is the cornerstone of effective treatment, but guidelines remain sparse regarding appropriate screening procedures for both the general population as well as high-risk patients," the authors write as background information in the article. "While it is known that screening identifies melanomas at an earlier stage than would be found otherwise and that physicians detect melanomas with less tumor thickness, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force states that current evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against routine screening. The population seen in skin cancer screenings differs markedly from that seen in a dermatology practice with a high-risk patient population."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160748.php

Delinquent Duo May Help Trigger Alzheimer's Disease
For close to a decade, pharmaceutical researchers have been in hot pursuit of compounds to activate a key nicotine receptor that plays a role in cognitive processes. Triggering it, they hope, might prevent or even reverse the devastation wrought by Alzheimer's disease . A new study from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, however, suggests that when the receptor, alpha-7, encounters beta amyloid, the toxic protein found in the disease's hallmark plaques, the two may actually go rogue. In combination, alpha-7 and beta amyloid appear to exacerbate Alzheimer's symptoms, while eliminating alpha-7 seems to nullify beta amyloid's harmful effects.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160765.php


Source - MIT's Technology Review:

Bone-setting Glue
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23270/

From the Labs: Biomedicine
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23176/

GBP Health / Biotech News 08-14-2009

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: 14-Aug-2009
PLoS Pathogens
New strategy for inhibiting virus replication
Viruses need living cells for replication and production of virus progeny. Thus far, antiviral therapy primarily targets viral factors but often induces therapy resistance. New improved therapies attempt to targets cellular factors that are essential for viral replication.
Contact: Dr. Ralf Bartenschlager
Ralf_Bartenschlager@med.uni-heidelberg.de
062-215-64569
University Hospital Heidelberg

Public Release: 14-Aug-2009
Science
Bionanomachines -- proteins as resistance fighters
Friction limits the speed and efficiency of macroscopic engines. Is this also true for nanomachines?
Max Planck Society
Contact: Florian Frisch
frisch@mpi-cbg.de
49-035-121-02840
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft


Public Release: 13-Aug-2009
Nature Chemistry
Molecules wrestle for supremacy in creation of superstructures
Research at the University of Liverpool has found how mirror-image molecules gain control over each other and dictate the physical state of superstructures.
Contact: Kate Spark
kate.spark@liv.ac.uk
01-517-942-247
University of Liverpool

Public Release: 13-Aug-2009
Molecular Cell
MRC scientists advance understanding of cell death
Medical Research Council scientists have made an important advance in understanding the biological processes involved when cells are prompted to die. The work may help scientists to eventually develop new treatments for the many common diseases and conditions which occur when cell death goes wrong.
Medical Research Council
Contact: Nicola Osmond-Evans
press.office@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
020-767-05138
University of Leicester

Public Release: 13-Aug-2009
Leukemia
New study suggests possible genetic links between environmental toxins and multiple myeloma
Several SNPs associated with bone disease in myeloma have been identified and reported in a paper in the current issue of Leukemia. Several of these SNPs are believed to be associated with toxin metabolism and/or DNA repair. Although these findings are still preliminary, they could explain an increasing incidence of myeloma, including the unexpected findings of myeloma among younger (under 45 years old) responders to the 9/11 World Trade Center site reported separately this week.
Contact: Jennifer Anderson
212-918-4642
BioCom Partners

Public Release: 13-Aug-2009
Nature Biotechnology
Technique enables efficient gene splicing in human embryonic stem cells
A novel technique allows for precise, efficient gene editing into the genomes of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. For years, scientists have easily swapped genes in and out of mouse ESC or iPS cell genomes, but have had a notoriously difficult time disrupting or inserting genes into their human equivalents. This hurdle has hampered efforts to create specific cell types for modeling genetic diseases, like Parkinson's.
National Institutes of Health, Life Sciences Research Foundation
Contact: Nicole Giese
giese@wi.mit.edu
617-258-6851
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

Public Release: 13-Aug-2009
First compound that specifically kills cancer stem cells found
The cancer stem cells that drive tumor growth and resist chemotherapies and radiation treatments that kill other cancer cells aren't invincible after all. Researchers reporting online on August 13 in the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, have discovered the first compound that targets those cancer stem cells directly.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press

Public Release: 13-Aug-2009
Cell
New method takes aim at aggressive cancer cells
A multi-institutional team has discovered a chemical that works in mice to kill the rare, aggressive cells within breast cancers that can seed new tumors. These cells, known as cancer stem cells, are thought to enable cancers to spread -- and to reemerge after seemingly successful treatment. Although work is needed to determine whether this chemical holds promise for humans, the study shows that it is possible to find chemicals that selectively kill cancer stem cells.
NIH/National Cancer Institute, Initiative for Chemical Genetics
Contact: Matt Fearer
fearer@wi.mit.edu
617-452-4630
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

Public Release: 13-Aug-2009
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
Cancer mortality rates experience steady decline
The number of cancer deaths has declined steadily in the last three decades. Although younger people have experienced the steepest declines, all age groups have shown some improvement, according to a recent report in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Contact: Jeremy Moore
jeremy.moore@aacr.org
267-646-0557
American Association for Cancer Research

Public Release: 12-Aug-2009
Annual Meeting of the Human Brain Mapping Organization
A window into the brain
Dr. Yaniv Assaf of Tel Aviv University has pioneered a new way to track the effect of memory on brain structure with a methodology called "Diffusion Imaging MRI."
Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University
Public Release: 12-Aug-2009
New England Journal of Medicine
Gene therapy 1 year later: Patients healthy and maintain early visual improvement
Three young adults who received gene therapy for a blinding eye condition remained healthy and maintained previous visual gains one year later, according to an August online report in Human Gene Therapy. One patient also noticed a visual improvement that helped her perform daily tasks, which scientists describe in an Aug. 13 letter to the editor in the New England Journal of Medicine.
NIH/National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health
Contact: National Eye Institute
neinews@nei.nih.gov
301-496-5248
NIH/National Eye Institute


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.

Cancer Mortality Rates Experience Steady Decline: Conventional Method May Underreport Declining Death Rate For All Age Groups
August 14, 2009 — The number of cancer deaths has declined steadily in the last three decades. Although younger people have experienced the steepest declines, all age groups have shown some improvement, according to a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142359.htm

White Tea Could Keep You Healthy And Looking Young
August 14, 2009 — Next time you're making a cup of tea, new research shows it might be wise to opt for a white tea if you want to reduce your risk of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or even just age-associated wrinkles. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810085312.htm

Discovery Brings Hope To Treatment Of Lymphatic Diseases
August 14, 2009 — Researchers have discovered the first naturally occurring molecule that selectively blocks lymphatic vessel ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810122141.htm

Novel, Orally Inhaled Migraine Therapy Is Effective, Study Shows
August 14, 2009 — A new study shows an investigational, orally-inhaled therapy is effective in treating migraines. The multi-center, phase three FREEDOM-301 trial for the orally-inhaled migraine therapy, LEVADEX, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090811143546.htm

Mediterranean Diet, Physical Activity Linked With Lower Risk Of Alzheimer Disease
August 13, 2009 — Elderly individuals who had a diet that included higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereal and fish, and was low in red meat and poultry and who were physically active had an ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090811161306.htm

Multiple Types Of White Blood Cells Made Directly From Embryonic And Adult Stem Cells
August 13, 2009 — In an advance that could help transform embryonic stem cells into a multipurpose medical tool, scientists have transformed these versatile cells into progenitors of white blood cells and into six ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810174223.htm

New No-needle Approach To Prevent Blood Clots
August 13, 2009 — Scientists have found a better way to prevent deadly blood clots after joint replacement surgery -- a major problem that results in thousands of unnecessary deaths each ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090811191705.htm

Estrogen-dependent Switch Tempers Killing Activity Of Immune Cells
August 13, 2009 — The sex hormone estrogen tempers the killing activity of a specific group of immune cells, the cytotoxic T cells, which are known to attack tumor cells and cells infected by viruses. The key player ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810104805.htm

Discovery Of A Mechanism Controlling The Fate Of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
August 13, 2009 — Hematopoietic stem cells are capable of manufacturing all types of blood cells. But which factors influence the production of a specific type of cell? Until now, it was thought that this was a random ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730233126.htm

Bypassing Bypass Surgery: New Blood Vessels Grown To Combat Heart Disease
August 13, 2009 — Although open-heart surgery is a frequent treatment for heart disease, it remains extremely dangerous. Now groundbreaking research has shown the potential for an injected protein to regrow blood ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142438.htm

New Method Takes Aim At Aggressive Cancer Cells
August 13, 2009 — Researchers have discovered a chemical that works in mice to kill the rare, aggressive cells within breast cancers that can seed new tumors. These cells, known as cancer stem cells, are thought to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142135.htm

MRI May Cause More Harm Than Good In Newly Diagnosed Early Breast Cancer
August 13, 2009 — A new review says using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before surgery to assess the extent of early breast cancer has not been shown to improve surgical planning, reduce follow-up surgery, or ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813083331.htm

Novel Tumor Suppressor Discovered
August 12, 2009 — 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 ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803122719.htm

Viral Mimic Induces Melanoma Cells To Digest Themselves
August 12, 2009 — 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 identifies a new target for ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803122717.htm

Cell Reproduction Research May Point To 'Off Switch' For Cancer
August 12, 2009 — New insight into how human cells reproduce could help scientists move closer to finding an "off switch" for cancer. Cancer cells divide uncontrollably and can move from one part of the body to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812163756.htm

Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: Aug. 14, 2009

• Fewer Full-Time, Low-Income Workers Have Insurance
• Fatty Foods Impair Memory and Exercise Performance: Study
• Stent Study Expanded
• Canadian Isotope Reactor Down Till 2010
  

Compound Targets, Destroys Cancer Stem Cells in Mice
Finding could lead to new therapeutic possibilities, researchers say

Device May Offer Alternative to Warfarin for Arrhythmia
Implantation in people at risk for stroke could reduce medication use, study suggests

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 14, 2009

• Atopic Dermatitis
• Erectile Dysfunction
• Insomnia
  

They Snooze Less, But They Don't Lose
Genetic mutation could explain why some function fine on six hours a night

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 13, 2009

• Acne
• Schizophrenia
• Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
  

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 12, 2009

• Chronic Knee Pain
• Adolescent Depression
• Smoking
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:


Schering-Plough gets FDA approval for Saphris - AP - 1 hour, 54 minutes ago
Schering-Plough Corp. says the Food and Drug Administration approved its drug Saphris for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.


Source - Google Health News:


Experts expect flu pandemic at some point
Coastal Courier
There is no current vaccine for the H5N1 avian virus but a new swine influenza vaccine has finished its trial run and will be available in a few months. ...

Vaccine R&D takes national priority
Bangkok Post
Vaccine research and development is being rushed on to the national agenda amid fears the absence of a vaccine against deadly diseases could affect national ...

Homeless people die after bird flu vaccine trial in Poland
Center for Research on Globalization
The suspects said that the all those involved knew that the trial involved an anti-H5N1 drug and willingly participated. The news of the investigation will ...

Gene Therapy Offers Hope Against Inherited Blindness
U.S. News & World Report
12 (HealthDay News) -- Gene therapy for an inherited form of blindness shows promise, a US study shows. The phase I trial included three patients, aged 22, ...

Cash for Cardiovascular: Who Might Be Next?
Seeking Alpha
Several of these approaches, including gene therapy and stem cell therapy, are making significant progress in the preclinical and clinical space. ...

Landmark finding on cystic fibrosis gave CWRU's Mitch Drumm an ...
The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com
The discovery raised hopes that the disease would soon be eliminated through gene therapy. So far, gene therapy for CF hasn't paid off. ...


Source - Medical News Today:

Scientists Develop Way To Seek And Destroy Cancer Stem Cells
Scientists in the US have developed a way of identifying chemicals that specifically seek and destroy cancer stem cells and showed it worked by finding a compound that was toxic only to breast cancer stem cells in mice. The study was the work of first author Dr Piyush B Gupta, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, both in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and colleagues, who wrote a paper about it in the 13 August online issue of the journal Cell.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160741.php

Wine May Provide Radioprotective Effect For Breast Cancer Patients
Drinking wine while undergoing radiation treatment for breast carcinoma may reduce the incidence of skin toxicity in breast cancer patients, according to a study in the August issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). Preventing radiation therapy-induced side effects is an important part of a patient's cancer treatment management. Several medications are available to help protect healthy organs from the effects of radiation, but they are often expensive, have side effects themselves and can provide protection to tumor cells as well as healthy cells.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160653.php

Human Genome Sequenced For Less Than $50K
With the help of two other people, the resources of one lab and a commercially available, refrigerator-sized machine, a US university professor has sequenced his entire genome at a cost of less than $50,000. In 2001 when scientists started mapping the DNA of humans, such a feat would have cost hundreds of million of dollars and involved enough people to fill half a jumbo jet, and even last year, the lowest reported cost for this was quarter of a million dollars and needed 200 people. Dr Stephen Quake, a professor of bioengineering at Stanford University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, California, and his two colleagues, research manager Dr Norma F Neff and doctoral student Dmitry Pushkarev, have written a paper about it in the 10 August online issue of Nature Biotechnology.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160563.php


Source - MIT's Technology Review:

Gene Therapy Creates a New Fovea
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23239/

Killing Cancer Stem Cells
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23222/

Molecular Condom Blocks HIV
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23214/

GBP Health / Biotech News 08-11-2009

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: 11-Aug-2009
FASEB Journal
High-fat diet affects physical and memory abilities of rats after 9 days
Rats fed a high-fat diet show a stark reduction in their physical endurance and a decline in their cognitive ability after just nine days, a study by Oxford University researchers has shown.
British Heart Foundation, Wellcome Trust
Contact: Genevieve Maul
Genevieve.maul@admin.cam.ac.uk
44-012-233-32300
University of Cambridge

Public Release: 10-Aug-2009
Journal of Neuroscience
Life and death in the living brain
Like clockwork, brain regions in many songbird species expand and shrink seasonally in response to hormones. Now, for the first time, neurobiologists have interrupted this natural "annual remodeling" of the brain and have shown that there is a direct link between the death of old neurons and their replacement by newly born ones in a living vertebrate.
NIH/National Institute of Mental Health
Contact: Joel Schwarz
joels@u.washington.edu
206-543-2580
University of Washington

Public Release: 10-Aug-2009
European Journal of Pharmacology
Taking the needle's sting out of diabetes
A new anti-Ras compound developed at Tel Aviv University may lead to the first tablet-based treatment for children and adults with type 1 diabetes.
Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Public Release: 10-Aug-2009
Stem Cells
STAT3 gene regulates cancer stem cells in brain cancer
Tufts researchers find that the STAT3 gene regulates the growth of cancer stem cells in the brain cancer Glioblastoma multiforme. This evidence is consistent with the controversial theory that a minority of cells within a tumor -- cancer stem cells -- are essential for tumor growth.
National Brain Tumor Society, National Institutes of Health
Contact: Siobhan Gallagher
617-636-6586
Tufts University, Health Sciences

Public Release: 10-Aug-2009
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Estrogen-dependent switch tempers killing activity of immune cells
The sex hormone estrogen tempers the killing activity of a specific group of immune cells, the cytotoxic T cells, which are known to attack tumor cells and cells infected by viruses. The key player in this process is a cytotoxic T cell molecule which has been known for a long time and which scientists have named EBAG9. Cancer researchers in Berlin, Germany, have now unraveled the function of EBAG9.
Deutsche Krebshilfe, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Contact: Barbara Bachtler
bachtler@mdc-berlin.de
49-309-406-3896
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres

Public Release: 10-Aug-2009
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Scientists make multiple types of white blood cells directly from embryonic and adult stem cells
In an advance that could help transform embryonic stem cells into a multipurpose medical tool, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have transformed these versatile cells into progenitors of white blood cells and into six types of mature white blood and immune cells.
Contact: Igor Slukvin
islukvin@wisc.edu
608-263-0058
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Public Release: 9-Aug-2009
Advanced Functional Materials
An HIV-blocking gel for women
University of Utah scientists developed a new kind of "molecular condom" to protect women from AIDS in Africa and other impoverished areas. Before sex, women would insert a vaginal gel that turns semisolid in the presence of semen, trapping AIDS virus particles in a microscopic mesh so they can't infect vaginal cells.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Lee Siegel
leesiegel@ucomm.utah.edu
801-581-8993
University of Utah

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 Therapy Trial Succeeds In Boosting Protective Protein In Patients With Hereditary Lung Disease
August 11, 2009 — Gene therapy researchers have safely given new, functional genes to patients with a hereditary defect that can lead to fatal lung and liver diseases, according to clinical trial findings. Three ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810174259.htm

Genetic Circuit That Regulates Behavior Of Stem Cells Discovered
August 11, 2009 — This circuit explains the fact that stem cells are always prepared to change into any type of cell. The discovery will greatly increase the ability of researchers to maintain embryonic stem cells in ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720083208.htm

Avian Influenza Strain Primes Brain For Parkinson's Disease
August 11, 2009 — At least one strain of the H5N1 avian influenza virus leaves survivors at significantly increased risk for Parkinson's disease and possibly other neurological problems later in life, according to new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810162146.htm

Potential Alzheimer's Disease Drug: New Class Of Compounds Discovered
August 11, 2009 — A new class of molecules capable of blocking the formation of specific protein clumps that are believed to contribute to Alzheimer's disease pathology has been discovered. By assaying close to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810162015.htm

Advanced Targeted Therapies Effective As First-line Treatment For Lung Cancer
August 11, 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

Physicians Bust Myths About Insulin
August 11, 2009 — People diagnosed with type 2 diabetes often resist taking insulin because they fear gaining weight, developing low blood sugar and seeing their quality of life decline. A study suggests that those ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090811015711.htm

A Step Toward Preventing Lung Cancer From Spreading To The Brain And New Clinical Trial Results
August 10, 2009 — Medical researchers have announced two significant advances in treating lung cancer. New research could eventually help prevent lung cancer from spreading to the brain. Researchers have also ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807135058.htm

Two Lines Account For Most Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Researcher Finds
August 10, 2009 — For the past eight years, scientists who wanted to use federal funds for research on human embryonic stem cells had to restrict their studies to 21 cell lines approved by the National Institutes of ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807141852.htm

Gene Signature For Cancer Stem Cells May Provide Drug Targets
August 10, 2009 — A subset of tumor cells that remain after a woman with breast cancer undergoes treatment with either anti-cancer or anti-hormone therapy shows a "gene signature" that could be used to define targets ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803172942.htm

New Cancer Drug Delivery System Is Effective And Reversible
August 10, 2009 — 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. Researchers report that they have developed a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806112359.htm

New DNA And RNA Aptamers Offer Unique Therapeutic Advantages
August 10, 2009 — A novel class of drugs composed of single strands of DNA or RNA, called aptamers, can bind protein targets with a high strength and specificity and are currently in clinical development as treatments ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805133021.htm

Basic Mechanism Of Skin Cancer Development Illuminated
August 10, 2009 — Scientists reveal the function of a protein in the Ras signalling pathway. Their findings provide the basis for research on novel therapeutic strategies in Ras-induced skin cancers, e.g. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803212053.htm

Metastatic Cancer And Macrophages: Cells Thought To Protect Against Cancer May Actually Promote It
August 10, 2009 — The deadliest part of the cancer process, metastasis, appears to rely on help from macrophages, potent immune system cells that usually defend vigorously against disease, researchers ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810174303.htm

Tumors Feel The Deadly Sting Of Nanobees
August 10, 2009 — When bees sting, they pump poison into their victims. Now the toxin in bee venom has been harnessed to kill tumor cells. Researchers attached the major component of bee venom to nano-sized spheres ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810174226.htm

New Light-emitting Biomaterial Could Improve Tumor Imaging, Study Shows
August 10, 2009 — A new material -- an oxygen nanosensor that couples a light-emitting dye with a biopolymer -- simplifies the imaging of oxygen-deficient regions of tumors. Such tumors are associated with increased ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810162107.htm

Study Identifies Risk Factors For Transformation Of Eye Growths Into Melanoma
August 10, 2009 — Eight factors may predict whether a choroidal nevus -- a benign, flat, pigmented growth inside the eye and beneath the retina -- may develop into melanoma, according to a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810161915.htm

What Makes Stem Cells Tick?
August 9, 2009 — Investigators have made the first comparative, large-scale phosphoproteomic analysis of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and their differentiated ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806141739.htm

Crystal Ball For Brain Cancer? New Method Predicts Which Brain Tumors Will Respond To Drug
August 8, 2009 — Researchers have uncovered a new way to scan brain tumors and predict which ones will be shrunk by the drug Avastin -- before the patient ever starts treatment. By linking high water movement in ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730073609.htm

Antibody Linked To Chemotherapy Drug Inhibits Ovarian Cancer In Lab
August 8, 2009 — A novel anticancer agent, consisting of a monoclonal antibody linked to a chemotherapy drug, showed substantial anti-tumor activity in ovarian cancer cell lines and in mice, according to a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729170642.htm


Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: Aug. 11, 2009

• Longest Single Heart-Transplant Survivor Dies of Cancer
• U.S., Canada, Mexico to Unite Against Swine Flu
• Antiviral Drugs Little Protection Against Flu Complications in Kids
• U.S. Birth Rate Declined in 2008
  

New Bone-Building Drug Promising Against Prostate Cancer
Monoclonal antibody denosumab counters effects of hormone therapy, study finds.

Stem Cell Advance May Further Disease Research
Uses for newly engineered white blood cells could include drug testing, researchers say

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 11, 2009

• Asthma
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• Migraine Study for Asthma Suffers
  

9/11 Responders May Be At Raised Myeloma Risk
Cases are appearing at a younger age than is normal, researchers note

Radiation for Brain Tumors May Affect Cognition
Whether finding applies to today's treatments remains unclear, experts say

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 10, 2009

• Osteoarthritis
• Overactive Bladder
• Diabetes Type 2
  

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 7, 2009

• Mild to Moderate Asthma
• Female Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (Low Libido)
• Psoriasis
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:


Studies Published in the New England Journal of Medicine Highlight Potential New Option in the Treatment of Bone Loss - PR Newswire - 2 hours, 35 minutes ago
Amgen Inc. today announced the publication of results from two pivotal Phase 3 studies investigating the safety and effectiveness of denosumab at reducing fracture risk in more than 7,800 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis and in more than 1,400 men with non-metastatic prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy leading to bone loss.

Anadys says hepatitis C drug shows potential - AP - 2 hours, 14 minutes ago
Anadys Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Tuesday its hepatitis C drug candidate ANA-773 could be extremely effective at treating the diseases.

Javelin pain drug misses key study goal - AP - Tue 8:53 am ET
Javelin Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Tuesday its pain treatment candidate Ereska failed to meet the key goal of reducing pain during a late-stage study on postoperative patients.


Source - Google Health News:

Inovio Biomedical and NIH Vaccine Research Center Sign Research ...
WELT ONLINE
... H3N2, and H5N1, which make up the majority of seasonal and pandemic influenza. A resulting vaccine could target seasonal as well as pandemic-potential ...


Scientists alter cells to produce insulin
United Press International
For reasons unknown, the gene therapy worked best on mice less than 1 month old, completely counteracting the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes, Collombat said. ...

Gene Therapy Trial Succeeds In Boosting Protective Protein In ...
Science Daily (press release)
"This trial represents a very important step toward a potential gene therapy for the 100000 or more Americans who suffer with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency ...

Combination Therapy Increasingly Popular for Mesothelioma Treatment
Blogger News Network
... and some of the combinations that may be used in this treatment include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, gene therapy, surgery, and immunotherapy. ...

Mesothelioma multimodality therapy gaining favor
TransWorldNews (press release)
These methods may include radiation therapy, surgery, gene therapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy. Treatment regimens can use a wide range of combinations. ...


Source - Medical News Today:

Researchers Identify Potential Target For Metastatic Cancer
The deadliest part of the cancer process, metastasis, appears to rely on help from macrophages, potent immune system cells that usually defend vigorously against disease, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University report. In a new study published online in PLoS ONE, Einstein cancer research specialist Jeffrey W. Pollard, Ph.D., and seven colleagues analyzed the movement of breast cancer cells in mice to show that a distinct population of macrophages helps malignant cells set up shop at distant sites. This process, known as metastasis, is the main reason cancer patients die.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160279.php

Dogs' Intelligence On A Par With 2-Year-Old Humans, Renowned Canine Researcher Says
Although you wouldn't want one to balance your checkbook, dogs can count. They can also understand more than 150 words and intentionally deceive other dogs and people to get treats, according to psychologist and leading canine researcher Stanley Coren, PhD, of the University of British Columbia. He spoke Saturday on the topic "How Dogs Think" at the American Psychological Association's 117th Annual Convention.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160242.php

Converting Noninsulin-Producing Alpha Cells In The Pancreas To Insulin-Producing Beta Cells
In findings that add to the prospects of regenerating insulin-producing cells in people with type 1 diabetes , researchers in Europe -- co-funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation -- have shown that insulin-producing beta cells can be derived from non-insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. In results of a study published in the journal Cell, the researchers, led by Patrick Collombat of the Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Germany and Ahmed Mansouri of the University of Göttingen in Germany, in collaboration with researchers at the JDRF Center for Beta Cell Therapy in Diabetes in Brussels, discovered in mice that new insulin-producing beta cells can be generated from alpha cells in the islets of the pancreas by modifying the expression of a specific gene (Pax4) in alpha cells. (Alpha cells generate the hormone glucagon in response to low blood sugar to restore normal blood sugar levels.) They also discovered that the alpha cells that give rise to new beta cells originate from progenitor cells in the pancreas. The newly formed beta cells result in better glucose control and prolonged survival of younger mice with diabetes.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160086.php

Common Trigger In Cancer And Normal Stem Cell Reproduction Discovered By Stanford Scientists
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine 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 themselves. In a paper published Aug. 7 in the journal Cell, Michael Clarke, MD, the Karel H. and Avice N. Beekhuis Professor in Cancer Biology, and his colleagues showed that breast cancer stem cells and normal breast stem cells turn down the creation of a specific group of cell signals when they are reproducing. Increasing the amount of one of these signals, called miR-200c, strongly suppressed the ability of both cancer stem cells and normal stem cells to divide and reproduce.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160132.php


Source - MIT's Technology Review:

Nanoconstruction with Curved DNA
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23155/