GBP Health / Biotech News 09-09-2009

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: 9-Sep-2009
BMC Medical Genetics
Michigan Tech scientists identify genes linked to Lou Gehrig's disease
Their discovery could provide scientists with valuable clues as they search for a cure. It can't come any too soon. Lead researcher Shuanglin Zhang started showing symptoms of the disease himself four years ago.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Marcia Goodrich
mlgoodri@mtu.edu
906-487-2343
Michigan Technological University

Public Release: 9-Sep-2009
Nano Letters
Toward a nanomedicine for brain cancer
In an advance toward better treatments for the most serious form of brain cancer, scientists in Illinois are reporting development of the first nanoparticles that seek out and destroy brain cancer cells without damaging nearby healthy cells. The study is scheduled for the Sept. 9 issue of ACS' Nano Letters, a monthly journal.
Contact: Michael Woods
m_woods@acs.org
202-872-6293
American Chemical Society

Public Release: 9-Sep-2009
Journal of Natural Products
'Dung of the devil' plant roots point to new swine flu drugs
Scientists in China have discovered that roots of a plant used a century ago during the great Spanish influenza pandemic contains substances with powerful effects in laboratory experiments in killing the H1N1 swine flu virus that now threatens the world. Their report is scheduled for the Sept. 25 issue of ACS' Journal of Natural Products, a monthly publication.
Contact: Michael Woods
m_woods@acs.org
202-872-6293
American Chemical Society

Public Release: 9-Sep-2009
Nature
New type of adult stem cells found in the prostate may be involved in prostate cancer development
A new type of stem cell discovered in the prostate of adult mice can be a source of prostate cancer, according to a new study by researchers at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
Contact: Elizabeth Streich
eas2125@columbia.edu
212-305-6535
Columbia University Medical Center

Public Release: 9-Sep-2009
Surgeons General, STOP Obesity Alliance announce America has reached tipping point on obesity
The two most recent Surgeons General of the United States, David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., FAAFP, FACPM, FACP and Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., FACS, today led the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance in urging policymakers to take direct action in health reform to address obesity and the chronic diseases associated with it.
sanofi-aventis, Amylin Pharmaceuticals
Contact: Tom Murphy
tmurphy@ccapr.com
202-368-8571
Chandler Chicco Agency

Public Release: 7-Sep-2009
Measuring the next successful antennas for in-body health monitoring devices
Antennas for the latest implanted medical devices are being developed by Queen Mary University of London and tested through a unique piece of kit at the UK's National Physical Laboratory.
Contact: Joe Meaney
joe@proofcommunication.com
44-845-680-1864
National Physical Laboratory

Public Release: 6-Sep-2009
Society for General Microbiology Autumn 2009 Meeting
Making bacteria make useful proteins
By adapting a single protein on the surface of the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, researchers at the University of British Columbia have turned it into a protein production factory, making useful proteins that can act as vaccines and drugs. Dr. John Smit presented the findings at the Society for General Microbiology's meeting at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
Contact: Dianne Stilwell
diannestilwell@me.com
44-795-720-0214
Society for General Microbiology


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.

Scientists Identify Genes Linked To Lou Gehrig's Disease
September 9, 2009 — Researchers have linked three genes to the most common type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), generally known as Lou Gehrig’s ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909122110.htm

Plants On Steroids: Key Missing Link Discovered Could Improve Understanding of Major Human Diseases
September 9, 2009 — Researchers have discovered a key missing link in the so-called signaling pathway for plant steroid hormones. This discovery marks the first such pathway in plants for which all the steps have been ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908151338.htm

Malignant Signature May Help Identify Patients Likely To Respond To Therapy
September 9, 2009 — A molecular signature that helps account for the aggressive behavior of a variety of cancers such as pancreatic, breast and melanoma may also predict the likelihood of successful treatment with a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090906161055.htm

Gene Predicts Post-surgical Survival From Brain Metastasis Of Breast Cancer Patients
September 9, 2009 — Researchers have identified a gene that may play a role in breast cancer metastasis to the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901132804.htm

Could Salmonella Bacteria Kill Tumors?
September 8, 2009 — Salmonella is regarded as a bad guy. Hardly a summer passes without reports of severe salmonella infections via raw egg dishes or chicken. But salmonella may not only harm us -- in the future, it may …
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908104001.htm

Infections May Lead To Faster Memory Loss In Alzheimer's Disease
September 8, 2009 — Getting a cold, stomach bug or other infection may lead to increased memory loss in people with Alzheimer's disease, according to new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907162306.htm

First Evidence Of Virus In Malignant Prostate Cells: XMRV Retrovirus Linked To More Aggressive Tumors
September 8, 2009 — In a finding with potentially major implications for identifying a viral cause of prostate cancer, researchers have reported that a type of virus known to cause leukemia and sarcomas in animals has ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907162310.htm

Lung Cancer Oncogene Holds Key To Turning Off Cancer Stem Cells
September 8, 2009 — Scientists have found that the lung cancer oncogene PKCiota is necessary for the proliferation of lung cancer stem cells. These stem cells are rare and powerful master cells that manufacture the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908132233.htm

Narrow-band Imaging Increases Specificity Of Early Lung Cancer Detection
September 7, 2009 — Researchers have found that narrow-band imaging bronchoscopy increases the specificity of bronchoscopic early lung cancer detection and can serve as an alternative detection ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133641.htm

Diabetes Advance: Researchers Find Gene That Causes Resistance To Insulin
September 7, 2009 — A breakthrough by an international team of researchers in Canada, France, the UK and Denmark has uncovered a new gene that could lead to better treatment of type 2 diabetes, as well as a better ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090906161104.htm

Cancer Drug May Improve Memory In Alzheimer's Patients
September 6, 2009 — A drug now used to treat cancer may also be able to restore memory deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907013816.htm

Two New Antibodies Found To Cripple HIV: 'Achilles' Heel On Virus For AIDS Vaccine Researchers To Exploit
September 5, 2009 — Researchers have discovered two powerful new antibodies to HIV that reveal what may be an Achilles heel on the virus. Researchers will now try to exploit the newfound vulnerability on the virus to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163730.htm


Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: Sept. 9, 2009

• Baby Boomers' Hospital Care Costs Mounting: Report
• Poor Trial Results a Setback for First Stem Cell Drug
• HHS' Sebelius Counsels Kids With Asthma on Swine Flu
  

Metabolic Syndrome May Raise Risk of Peripheral Artery Disease
Women much more likely to develop PAD if they had constellation of other symptoms, researchers found
Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 9, 2009

• Healthy Volunteers (Ages 18-40)
• Osteoporosis
• Gout
  

Scientists Spot Clue to Cancer's Aggressiveness
They hope molecular signature shows when disease will respond to cancer drug

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 8, 2009

• Nocturia
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
• Bipolar Disorder
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

Targeted Genetics sells assets to Genzyme - AP - 2 hours, 5 minutes ago
Biotechnology company Targeted Genetics Corp. said Wednesday it is selling a series of assets to Genzyme Corp. for $7 million in cash.

Sinovac Obtains Lot Release Certificate for Its First Batch of H1N1 Vaccine - PR Newswire - Tue 9:00 am ET
Sinovac Biotech Ltd. , a leading provider of vaccines in China, today announced that the first lot of PANFLU.1, its H1N1 vaccine, has passed the lot release process of China's National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products and obtained the Certificate for the Release of Biological Products, which means the released vaccines are ready for delivery.


Source - Google Health News:

Flu pandemic giving tiny companies big stage
Reuters
But while the vaccine rush has given companies new opportunities for grants and some the chance to test their technologies on people, few will actually have ...

Vaxart Awarded NIH Grant to Support Development of Orally ...
PR Newswire (press release)
... Infectious Disease (National Institutes of Health) to support development of its first product, an orally-delivered vaccine for H5N1 Avian influenza. ...

Boosting our best shot
Nature.com (subscription)
Pulendran has applied this principle most recently to create experimental vaccines against the H1N1 'swine flu' virus and the H5N1 'bird flu' virus. ...

Gene therapy could cut new Alzheimer's cases by a fifth
Belfast Telegraph
Gene scientists have taken a “leap forward” in Alzheimer's research with the potential to cut rates of the disease by a fifth, it has been revealed. ...


Source - Medical News Today:

New Chapter In Drug Development Opened By Cell Discovery
British scientists have uncovered new details about how the cells in our bodies communicate with each other and their environment: findings that are of fundamental importance to human biology. Cells 'talk' to each other through a complex process called 'signalling'. When these signals go wrong, it can lead to all kinds of diseases, including cancer , diabetes and arthritis , to name but a few.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163363.php

Pancreatic Tumor Rejection Can Be Induced By Autoimmune Response
Immune responses are capable of killing tumors before they can be directed toward normal body tissue, according to new scientific findings published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. "There are extremely precise mechanistic methods augmenting the ability of the immune system to distinguish between normal tissues and tumors," said lead researcher Richard G. Vile, Ph.D. "Understanding the multiple checks and safeguards against autoimmunity should allow us to understand more closely how to generate antitumor immunity."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163358.php

'Second Hit' Pushes Noninvasive Breast Cancer Towards Deadly Metastasis
A new study identifies a molecule that acts cooperatively with a well known oncoprotein to drive progression of noninvasive breast cancer to metastatic, life-threatening disease. The research findings, published by Cell Press in the September issue of the journal Cancer Cell, could have a significant impact on therapeutic decisions by facilitating identification of high risk patients. Elevated ErbB2, a well known invasion and metastasis promoting protein, is found in about one quarter of invasive breast cancers (IBC) and is associated with poor patient survival. However, ErbB2 is also overexpressed in more than half of noninvasive ductal carcinomas in situ (DCIS). DCIS, which is characterized by proliferation of malignant cells within mammary ducts with no invasion into surrounding tissues, is a precursor of IBC.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163314.php

Dementia Mysteries Unveiled By Largest Ever Alzheimer's Gene Study
The results, from the largest ever Alzheimer's genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 16,000 individuals, are published in Nature Genetics. They are the first new genes found to be associated with the common form of Alzheimer's disease since 1993. The Alzheimer's Research Trust spoke of "a leap forward for dementia research", the MRC's Sir Leszek Borysiewicz praised "a huge step towards achieving an earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's", and the Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan hailed the Cardiff-led study as "a real feather in the cap of Welsh science".
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163227.php


Source - MIT's Technology Review:

Clues to Blast-Related Brain Injury
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23368/

New DNA Markers for Alzheimer's
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23379/

GBP Health / Biotech News 09-04-2009

Since August, 2005, this news digest has been a complimentary service of GBP Capital, a private equity firm investing in early to mid-stage life science companies. See www.gbpcap.com. The digest is published two to four days a week. If you have colleagues who would be interested in receiving this digest by email, they can be added to the list at: http://www.gbpcap.com/ . Also, the complete history of the entire content of all news articles in our digests since August, 2005 is searchable with Google's enterprise search engine at the same site.


Source - EurekAlert – Biology:

Public Release: 4-Sep-2009
HortScience
Anticancer compound found in American mayapple
A common weed called American mayapple may soon offer an alternative to an Asian cousin that's been harvested almost to extinction because of its anti-cancer properties. The near-extinct Asian plant, Podophyllyum emodi, produces podophyllotoxin, a compound used in manufacturing etoposide, the active ingredient in a drug used for treating lung and testicular cancer. Podophyllyum emodi is a cousin of the common mayapple weed found in the United States.
Contact: michael W. Neff
mwneff@ashs.org
703-836-4606
American Society for Horticultural Science

Public Release: 4-Sep-2009
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Einstein scientists move closer to a safer anthrax vaccine
Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have identified two small protein fragments that could be developed into an anthrax vaccine that may cause fewer side effects than the current vaccine.
Contact: Deirdre Branley
sciencenews@einstein.yu.edu
718-430-3101
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Public Release: 4-Sep-2009
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Syracuse University research team discovers switch that causes the body to produce cancerous cells
A team of Syracuse University researchers discovered a second molecular switch within the Mixed Lineage Leukemia protein complex that they believe could be exploited to prevent the overproduction of abnormal cells that are found in several types of cancer, including leukemia.
Contact: Judy Holmes
jlholmes@syr.edu
315-443-8085
Syracuse University

Public Release: 4-Sep-2009
Cell
U-M researchers find gene that protects high-fat-diet mice from obesity
University of Michigan researchers have identified a gene that acts as a master switch to control obesity in mice. When the switch is turned off, even high-fat-diet mice remain thin.
National Institutes of Health, American Diabetes Association
Contact: Jim Erickson
ericksn@umich.edu
734-647-1842
University of Michigan

Public Release: 3-Sep-2009
PLoS Pathogens
How to improve vaccines to trigger T cell as well as antibody response
Most successful vaccines stimulate antibodies that attack and kill viruses as they scoot from one cell to another. But what about viruses and other pathogens that never leave the cell? A new theory of how the immune system recognizes pathogens suggests ways to make vaccines that trigger both antibodies and a T cell response, targeting extracellular as well as intracellular pathogens. UC Berkeley and Aduro BioTech scientists report results supporting new hypothesis.
NIH/ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Contact: Robert Sanders
rsanders@berkeley.edu
510-643-6998
University of California - Berkeley

Public Release: 3-Sep-2009
Science
2 new antibodies found to cripple HIV
Researchers at and associated with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, at the Scripps Research Institute and at the biotechnology companies Theraclone Sciences and Monogram Biosciences have discovered two powerful new antibodies to HIV that reveal what may be an Achilles heel on the virus. They published their work in Science this week.
Contact: Rachel Steinhardt
rsteinhardt@iavi.org
212-847-1045
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative

Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
New England Journal of Medicine
Hedgehog trial results suggest antitumor activity in basal cell skin cancer
Study results published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate effectiveness of the drug GDC-0449 for advanced skin cancer, as well as potential use for other cancers. The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare in Scottsdale, Ariz., was lead site for the "Hedgehog" clinical trial. Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, chief scientific officer at Scottsdale Healthcare and physician-in-chief at Translational Genomics Research Institute, was principal investigator and lead author of the paper.
Contact: Keith Jones
kjones@shc.org
480-882-4412
Scottsdale Healthcare


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.

HPV Vaccine Could Prevent Some Forms Of Breast Cancer, Australian Research Suggests
September 4, 2009 — Vaccinating women against the human papillomavirus may prevent some forms of breast cancer and save tens of thousands of lives each year, new Australian research ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903093153.htm

Scientists Begin To Untangle Root Cause Of Alzheimer's Disease
September 4, 2009 — "N60" might not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Alzheimer's disease, but thanks to researchers from the United States, South Korea and France, this might change. That's ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163907.htm

Transplanted Human Stem Cells Prolong Survival In Mouse Model Of Rare Brain Disease
September 4, 2009 — A new study finds substantial improvement in a mouse model of a rare, hereditary neurodegenerative disease after transplantation of normal human neural stem cells. The research findings show that the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163556.htm

Researchers Examine Mechanisms That Help Cancer Cells Proliferate
September 4, 2009 — A process that limits the number of times a cell divides works much differently than had been thought, opening the door to potential new anticancer therapies, researchers ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901122639.htm

Researchers Induce HIV-neutralizing Antibodies That Recognize HIV-1 Envelope Protein, Lipids
September 3, 2009 — For the first time, researchers have experimentally induced antibodies that neutralize HIV-1 and simultaneously recognize both HIV-1 envelope protein and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901143319.htm

Novel Anti-cancer Drug Yields Positive Response In People With Advanced Skin And Brain Cancer
September 3, 2009 — The Hedgehog signaling pathway is involved in a preliminary study and case report describing positive responses to an experimental anticancer drug in a majority of people with advanced or metastatic ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902195242.htm

Avastin Dramatically Improves Response, Survival In Deadly Recurrrent Glioblastomas, Study Finds
September 3, 2009 — A study has found that targeted therapy Avastin, alone and in combination with the chemotherapy drug CPT-11, significantly increased response rates, progression-free survival times and survival rates ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902161122.htm

Discovery Holds Promise For New Effective Cancer Therapies
September 3, 2009 — Researchers in Canada have discovered a new target that may be instrumental in the development of new, more effective cancer ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133633.htm

Early, Aggressive Treatment Recommended For Critically Ill Patients With Hematological Malignancy
September 2, 2009 — A study of 7,689 admissions from 178 adult intensive care units in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has revealed the factors associated with a higher mortality rate in hematological malignancy. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824204116.htm


Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: Sept. 4, 2009

• Glaxo Cervical Cancer Vaccine Up for Approval
• ADHD Drug Approved for Children and Teens
• One-Dose Swine Flu Vaccine Looks Promising
  

Swine Flu Vaccine Seems Safe: Experts
So far, trials show no problems and shot should be as safe as that for seasonal flu, officials say.
Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 4, 2009

• Alzheimer's Disease
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation
  

Nightly Snacking May Speed Weight Gain
Mice fed high-fat diets got fatter if fed during their normal 'sleep time'

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 3, 2009

• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Gout
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:


Stem Cell Data Jitters Could Presage Big Gains - Indie Research - 2 hours, 26 minutes ago
Phase III data could make or break Osiris stock, and one analyst says investors are betting on a coin flip.

Sinovac: China orders 3.3M swine flu vaccine doses - AP - Fri 8:51 am ET
Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech Ltd. said Friday that China's government ordered 3.3 million doses of its swine flu vaccine, which was approved by regulators on Thursday.


Source - Google Health News:


Single flu dose or two? Why doctors aren't sure
The Associated Press
Back in 2006, the same problem occurred when scientists tested a vaccine against the notorious Asian bird flu, or H5N1 flu. It took two very high doses to ...

Swine flu worries persist
Danville News
With those fears, agriculture officials are racing to distribute a swine flu vaccine for hogs at the same time public health officials are working to make a ...

UN warns over swine flu in birds
BBC News
So far there have been no cases of H5N1 bird flu in flocks in Chile. However, Dr Lubroth said: "In Southeast Asia there is a lot of the (H5N1) virus ...

New hope for Tay-Sachs
Jewish Advocate
The families provided the seed money for gene therapy research by an international consortium of doctors that has proven so promising that the National ...

Antibiotic is gene therapy 'off' switch
United Press International
2 (UPI) -- University of Florida scientists say they've found a common antibiotic can become an "off switch" for a gene therapy being developed for ...


Source - Medical News Today:


IAVI: Two New Antibodies Found To Cripple HIV
Researchers at and associated with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), at The Scripps Research Institute, and at the biotechnology companies Theraclone Sciences and Monogram Biosciences have discovered two powerful new antibodies to HIV that reveal what may be an Achilles heel on the virus. They published their work in Science this week. Rearchers will now try to exploit the newfound vulnerability on the virus to craft novel approaches to designing an AIDS vaccine. Moreover, the global collaboration and process that led to the discovery of the two new broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) are likely to produce more such antibodies, which may in turn reveal additional vulnerabilities of HIV, adding still more vitality to the effort to develop a vaccine against AIDS.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163038.php

H1N1 Vaccine To Cost Countries $2.50 - $20 Per Dose
The H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine will cost countries between $2.50 and $20 per dose, based on their ability to pay, according to the director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research at the WHO, Marie-Paule Kieny, Agence France-Presse/Khaleej Times reports. During an interview published in the September issue of the WHO Bulletin , Kieny "also warned that there would not be enough vaccines for the world's population and that people should not rely entirely on the vaccine," the news service writes (9/2). ieny stressed that it was neither possible nor necessary to vaccinate every person against the H1N1 flu, which has killed some pregnant women and people with other diseases such as diabetes but caused manageable flu symptoms in most patients," Reuters writes. "We should not be 'hypnotized' by vaccines," Kieny said. "There are other measures, such as social distancing, school closure, avoidance of large gatherings, antibiotics and personal hygiene," she said, adding, "This is not like rabies, which is 100 percent fatal. We are talking about a disease from which most people recover very well" (MacInnis, 9/2).

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162998.php


Safer Bone Marrow Transplants For Sick Children

A minimal-intensity conditioning (MIC) regimen using antibodies instead of high dose chemotherapy may reduce the short and long term toxicity associated with stem cell transplants in children-and enable successful transplantation even in the sickest children. These are the conclusions of an Article published Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet. The Article is written by Dr Persis J Amrolia, Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, London, UK, and colleagues. Children with primary immunodeficiencies (PID) suffer from genetic defects of their immune systems that render them susceptible to infection and other complications. Without a stem cell transplant many such children will die in childhood. Stem-cell transplants can cure these diseases by replacing the defective immune system with one derived from healthy normal donor bone marrow. Around 50 children with PID are transplanted each year in the UK.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162890.php


Source - MIT's Technology Review:


The Singularity and the Fixed Point
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23354/

GBP Health / Biotech News 09-02-2009

Since August, 2005, this news digest has been a complimentary service of GBP Capital, a private equity firm investing in early to mid-stage life science companies. See www.gbpcap.com. The digest is published two to four days a week. If you have colleagues who would be interested in receiving this digest by email, they can be added to the list at: http://www.gbpcap.com/ . Also, the complete history of the entire content of all news articles in our digests since August, 2005 is searchable with Google's enterprise search engine at the same site.


Source - EurekAlert – Biology:

Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
Toxicology Letters
Diesel exhaust is linked to cancer development via new blood vessel growth
Scientists here have demonstrated that the link between diesel fume exposure and cancer lies in how diesel exhaust induces the growth of new blood vessels that supply solid tumors. The researchers found that in both healthy and diseased animals, more new blood vessels sprouted in mice exposed to diesel exhaust than did in mice exposed to clean, filtered air. This suggests that previous illness isn't required to make humans susceptible to the damaging effects of the diesel exhaust.
Health Effects Institute, National Institutes of Health
Contact: Qinghua Sun
sun.224@osu.edu
614-247-1560
Ohio State University

Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
ACS Chemical Biology
Powerful new 'molecular GPS' helps probe aging and disease processes
Scientists in Michigan are reporting the development of a powerful new probe for identifying proteins affected by a key chemical process important in aging and disease. The probe works like a GPS or navigation system for finding these proteins in cells. It could lead to new insights into disease processes and identify new targets for disease treatments, the researchers say. Their study is scheduled for the Sept. 18 issue of ACS Chemical Biology, a monthly journal.
Contact: Michael Woods
m_woods@acs.org
202-872-6293
American Chemical Society

Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
Cell Metabolism
DNA mutations linked to diabetes
Genes that regulate the energy consumption of cells have a different structure and expression in type 2 diabetics than they do in healthy people, according to a new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet published in Cell Metabolism. The researchers believe that these "epigenetic mutations" might have a key part to play in the development of the disease.
Contact: KI Press Office
pressinfo@ki.se
46-852-486-077
Karolinska Institutet

Public Release: 1-Sep-2009
PLoS Currents
H1N1 pandemic virus does not mutate into 'superbug' in UMd lab study
In the first study to examine how the H1N1 pandemic virus interacts with other flu strains, laboratory research by the University of Maryland found no evidence of "reassortment" to form a more virulent "superbug," but did demonstrate the heightened communicability of the pandemic form responsible for the so-called swine flu. The pandemic virus prevailed over and out-competed the other strains in ferrets, reproducing, on average, twice as much.
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Contact: Neil Tickner
ntickner@umd.edu
301-405-4622
University of Maryland

Public Release: 1-Sep-2009
Molecular Cancer Research
Scientists identify gene that predicts post-surgical survival from brain metastasis of breast cancer patients
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute have identified a gene that may play a role in breast cancer metastasis to the brain, according to a report in Molecular 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: 1-Sep-2009
Cell Metabolism
From fat to chronic inflammation
Researchers may have found a key ingredient in the recipe that leads from obesity to chronic low-grade inflammation, according to a report in the September issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication.
Contact: Cathleen Genova
cgenova@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press

Public Release: 1-Sep-2009
Cancer Research
Computational process zeroes in on top genetic cancer suspects
Johns Hopkins engineers have devised innovative computer software that can sift through hundreds of genetic mutations and highlight the DNA changes that are most likely to promote cancer.
Susan G. Komen Foundation, Virginia and D. K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health
Contact: Phil Sneiderman
prs@jhu.edu
443-287-9960
Johns Hopkins University

Public Release: 1-Sep-2009
ACS Nano
Promise of nanodiamonds for safer gene therapy
A team of Northwestern University researchers has introduced the power of nanodiamonds as a novel gene delivery technology that combines key properties in one approach: enhanced delivery efficiency along with outstanding biocompatibility. The researchers engineered surface-modified nanodiamond particles that successfully and efficiently delivered DNA into mammalian cells. The delivery efficiency was 70 times greater than that of a conventional standard for gene delivery. The new hybrid material could impact many facets of nanomedicine.
National Science Foundation, Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, V Foundation for Cancer Research
Contact: Megan Fellman
fellman@northwestern.edu
847-491-3115
Northwestern University

Public Release: 31-Aug-2009
FASEB Journal
Finding the ZIP-code for gene therapy: Scientists imitate viruses to deliver therapeutic genes
A research report featured on the cover of the September 2009 print issue of the FASEB Journal describes how Australian scientists developed a new gene therapy vector that uses the same machinery that viruses use to transport their cargo into our cells. As a result, therapeutic DNA can be transferred to a cell's nucleus more efficiently than in the past, raising hopes for more effective treatment of genetic disorders and some types of cancers.
Contact: Cody Mooneyhan
cmooneyhan@faseb.org
301-634-7104
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology


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.

Weight Gain In Adulthood Associated With Prostate Cancer Risk; Patterns Differ By Ethnicity
September 2, 2009 — Body mass in younger and older adulthood, and weight gain between these periods of life, may influence a man's risk for prostate cancer. This risk varies among different ethnic populations, according ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901132802.htm

Why Don't Brain Tumors Respond To Medication?
September 2, 2009 — Malignant brain tumors often fail to respond to promising new medication. Researchers in Germany have discovered a mechanism and a tumor marker for the development of this resistance. A "death ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901104850.htm

Protein–telomere Interactions Could Be Key In Treating Cancer
September 2, 2009 — Researchers have shown that a large noncoding RNA in mammals and yeast plays a central role in helping maintain telomeres, the tips of chromosomes that contain important genetic information and help ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831213216.htm

Fine-tuning An Anti-cancer Drug
September 2, 2009 — Biochemists have illuminated a reaction pathway that blocks the action of proteasomes, vital intracellular waste-processing plants. They report insights that could potentially lead to development of ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818130433.htm

Cardiac Surgeons Implant World's First New DeBakey Heart Assist Device
September 2, 2009 — At the end of July 2009, a team of cardiac surgeons in Germany was the first in the world to implant the HeartAssist 5 ventricular assist device, the modern version of the DeBakey VAD. The device ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817142741.htm

How Much Omega-3 Fatty Acid Do We Need To Prevent Cardiovascular Disease?
September 1, 2009 — Scientists found the dose of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that is "just right" for preventing cardiovascular disease in healthy men. In a new study, they show that 200 mg of DHA per day is enough to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831130751.htm

Study Reveals How A Common Virus Eludes The Immune System
September 1, 2009 — Viruses have numerous tricks for dodging the immune system. New research reveals a key detail in one of these stratagems, identifying a protein that enables cytomegalovirus to shut down an antiviral ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831130049.htm

New Hope For Deadly Childhood Bone Cancer: Surprising Discovery Made By Studying 'Junk DNA'
September 1, 2009 — Researchers have shed new light on Ewing's sarcoma, an often deadly bone cancer that typically afflicts children and young adults. Their research shows that patients with poor outcomes have tumors ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831080955.htm

New Genetic Culprit In Deadly Skin Cancer Revealed
September 1, 2009 — Drawing on the power of DNA sequencing, researchers have identified a new group of genetic mutations involved in the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma. This discovery is particularly ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831212427.htm

Surprising Rate Of Recurring Heart Attacks, Strokes Globally
September 1, 2009 — Despite medicines for patients with vascular disease, a large international study shows these patients have a surprisingly high rate of recurring strokes, heart attacks and hospitalizations as well ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831130051.htm

Circulating Tumor Cells A Must Watch
September 1, 2009 — The presence of tumor cells circulating in the blood is associated with shortened survival. Now, researchers in Japan have developed a simple imaging system to detect circulating tumor cells, which ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901172828.htm

Promising New Target Emerges For Autoimmune Diseases
September 1, 2009 — Scientists have uncovered an important way that aggressive immune cells normally are held in check so they don't attack the body's own cells. The findings open a new avenue of research for future ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901122641.htm

Cardiac Arrest Casualties Form Valuable Source Of Donor Kidneys
August 31, 2009 — A pilot study of a system for harvesting kidneys from non-heart-beating donors where attempts of resuscitation after a witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest have failed (uncontrolled NHBDs) ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827192326.htm

Human Breast Cancer Hit For Six: Key Role For Six1 In Tumor Development And Metastasis
August 31, 2009 — Researchers have provided new insight into breast cancer development using mouse models and analysis of human cells, implicating the protein Six1 as central to this ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825084948.htm

Project Zero Delay Accelerates Drug's Path To Clinical Trial
August 31, 2009 — A phase I clinical trial enrolled its first patient only two days after US Food and Drug Administration clearance of the experimental drug for a first-in-human cancer trial, a milestone that normally ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803173243.htm

Rheumatism Video Discloses Center Of Inflammation At An Early Stage
August 29, 2009 — It can strike anyone: rheumatism occurs just as often as diabetes, arteriosclerosis and cancer combined. Approximately one percent of the population is stricken with the rheumatoid arthritis. Now ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824205742.htm


Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: Sept. 1, 2009

• 2-in-1 Heart Device Cuts Heart Failure
• Communities Can Do More to Stop Childhood Obesity: Report
• Tobacco Makers Sue Over FDA Oversight
• Docs to Watch for Guillain-Barré After H1N1 Vaccine
• Workouts Trump Angioplasty for Heart Woes, Experts Say
  

Keep Your Flu Shots Straight This Fall
What you need to know about vaccinations for swine flu, regular flu.

New Technique Offers Hope for Kids With Immune Deficiency
Stem-cell transplant without chemo can help avoid treatment toxicity, research shows.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 2, 2009

• Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Osteoarthritis
• Atrial Fibrillation
  

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 1, 2009

• Painful Diabetic Neuropathy (DPN)
• Gout
• Restless Legs Syndrome
  

Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 31, 2009

• Heart Disease
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:


Interim Phase II Data Presented at XIV World Congress of Neurological Surgery Supports Potential of Peregrine's Cotara(R) for Treatment of Brain Cancer - PR Newswire - Wed 7:30 am ET

Life Technologies to Sell Mass Spectrometry Business to Danaher for $450 Million in Cash - Business Wire - Wed 7:07 am ET
CARLSBAD, Calif.----Life Technologies Corporation today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its ownership stake in its mass spectrometry business, operated as a joint venture, to Danaher Corporation for $450 million in cash.


Source - Google Health News:


The H1N1 Virus - Varied Local Responses to a Global Spread
Global Arab Network - English News
Due to the high fatality rate of H5N1 – once considered the most likely candidate for the next flu pandemic, the WHO pandemic alert system focuses on the ...


Canada's flu strategy flawed: CMAJ
Globe and Mail
... reasons Canada went with an adjuvant strategy is because non-adjuvant vaccine didn't work as well in the clinical trials for the H5N1 avian flu strain. ...


New approach to the flu
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Park said the Food and Drug Administration had put out word that the upcoming vaccine would be "a simple strain change from the regular formula. ...

Common Antibiotic Can Act As An 'Off Switch' For Parkinson's Therapy
MedIndia
Taken together, the findings have indicated that gene therapy to enable the brain to retain its ability to produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that falls ...


H1N1 (Swine) Flu Jumps to Turkeys
About - News & Issues
The fear is that the H1N1 virus may recombine with the avian H5N1 virus, an influenza virus of birds. The H5N1 virus more lethal, but not as contagious to ...

Scientists Develop Gene Therapy Method to Prevent Some Inherited ...
MedIndia
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University's Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) believe they have developed one of the first forms of ...


Source - Medical News Today:


ASCO Calls On Medicare To Abandon Proposed Cuts To Cancer Care
In formal comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) , the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) called on CMS to abandon proposed cuts to reimbursement for physicians who provide cancer care to millions of Medicare patients. The cuts would jeopardize access to care for patients nationwide - more than 80 percent of Americans with cancer receive care from local, community-based oncology practices. "The proposed cuts would put the American cancer care system into crisis, at a time when the need for access to cancer care is growing fast," said ASCO President Douglas W. Blayney, MD. "Cancer incidence is projected to rise quickly among Medicare-aged patients in the coming years, and the supply of oncologists is already failing to keep pace with growing demand. ASCO is calling on CMS to abandon these cuts and preserve seniors' access to care."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162680.php

Detecting Circulating Tumor Cells
As the presence of tumor cells circulating in the blood is associated with shortened survival, a method to detect circulating tumor cells could help clinicians hoping to predict a patient's chances of survival and/or monitor a patient's response to treatment. Now, Toshiyoshi Fujiwara and colleagues, at Okayama University Hospital, Japan, have developed a simple imaging system able to do just that. Specifically, they developed an approach to visualize live tumor cells circulating in the peripheral blood of humans and found that the number of live circulating tumor cells reflected the tumor burden, as they decreased in number upon complete surgical removal of primary tumors. The authors therefore hope that their technology will prove to be of immense clinical benefit.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162668.php

Stent For Life Initiative
Primary angioplasty (with stent implantation) is the most effective therapy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but it is not available to many patients, even though most European countries have sufficient resources (ie, catheterisation laboratories) for its wider use. The Stents 4 Life initiative was a study aiming to analyze the use of primary angioplasty in the treatment of AMI in 27 European countries. Data were collected from national infarction or angioplasty registries, on AMI epidemiology and treatment and on angioplasty centres and procedures
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162585.php

Heart Failure: More Or Less Malignant Than Cancer?
A recently completed analysis of over one million hospital cases in Sweden during the period 1988 to 2004 has revealed that heart failure , relative to most common forms of cancer specific to men and women, represents a major health burden in respect to the risk of being hospitalised for the first time, poor overall survival and the number of premature life-years lost. Heart failure is a debilitating and deadly syndrome that commonly occurs in those who have suffered high blood pressure over a long period of time and/or suffered a heart attack . As the term suggests, heart failure means that the heart is permanently damaged leading those who are affected to experience debilitating symptoms and remain at high risk of being hospitalised and/or suffer a premature death.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162555.php

Chemotherapy Resistance: Checkpoint Protein Provides Armor Against Cancer Drugs
Cell cycle checkpoints act like molecular tripwires for damaged cells, forcing them to pause and take stock. Leave the tripwire in place for too long, though, and cancer cells will press on regardless, making them resistant to the lethal effects of certain types of chemotherapy, according to researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Their findings, published in the Aug. 28 issue of Molecular Cell, help explain how the checkpoint exit is delayed in some cancer cells, helping them to recover and resume dividing after treatment with DNA-damaging cancer drugs.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162555.php


Source - MIT's Technology Review:


A More Sensitive Cancer Breathalyzer
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23331/

Modeling Diabetes with Stem Cells
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23335/

A Simulator for Brain Surgeons
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23337/