GBP Health / Biotech News 06-23-2009

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: 23-Jun-2009
Cancer Research
Biomarkers predict brain tumor's response to therapy
A report in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, highlights a new biomarker that may be useful in identifying patients with recurrent glioblastoma, or brain tumors, who would respond better to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, specifically cediranib.
Contact: Tara Yates
tara.yates@aacr.org
267-646-0558
American Association for Cancer Research

Public Release: 23-Jun-2009
Molecular Psychiatry
ADHD genes found, known to play roles in neurodevelopment
Pediatric researchers have identified hundreds of gene variations that occur more frequently in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder than in children without ADHD. Many of those genes were already known to be important for learning, behavior, brain function and neurodevelopment, but had not been previously associated with ADHD.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Juliann Walsh
Walshj1@email.chop.edu
267-426-6054
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Public Release: 23-Jun-2009
Journal of Neurochemistry
New research discovers link between smoking and brain damage
New research which suggests a direct link between smoking and brain damage will be published in the July issue of the Journal of Neurochemistry.
Contact: Ben Norman
Benorman@wiley.com
44-124-377-0375
Wiley-Blackwell
 
Public Release: 23-Jun-2009
Zoonoses and Public Health
Study shows Chronix technology using serum DNA can identify early presence of disease
A new publication confirms the potential diagnostic and prognostic utility of using circulating fragments of DNA, known as serum DNA, to detect early stage disease. Chronix has developed technology that can find and identify serum DNA sequences, enabling very early detection of an underlying disease state or of a change in response to treatment. Using Chronix technology, researchers identified specific signature sequences in serum DNA before clinical symptoms appeared in animals experimentally infected with BSE.
Contact: Barbara Lindheim
212-918-4650
BioCom Partners

Public Release: 23-Jun-2009
Experimental Biology and Medicine
Children's Hospital Oakland scientists first to discover new source for harvesting stem cells
A groundbreaking study conducted by Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland is the first to reveal a new avenue for harvesting stem cells from a woman's placenta, or more specifically the discarded placentas of healthy newborns. The study also finds there are far more stem cells in placentas than in umbilical cord blood, and they can be safely extracted for transplantation.
Contact: Diana Yee
dyee@mail.cho.org
510-428-3120
Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland

Public Release: 22-Jun-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Bioengineers develop a microfabricated device to measure cellular forces during tissue development
A Penn-led collaboration studying the physical forces generated by cells has created a tiny micron-sized device that measures and manipulates cellular forces as assemblies of living cells reorganize themselves into tissues.
National Institutes of Health, ARO Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, University of Pennsylvania, US Department of Energy, National Science Foundation
Contact: Jordan Reese
jreese@upenn.edu
215-573-6604
University of Pennsylvania

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.

Tumor Suppressor Gene In Flies May Provide Insights For Human Brain Tumors
June 23, 2009 — In the fruit fly's developing brain, stem cells called neuroblasts normally divide to create one self-renewing neuroblast and one cell that has a different fate. But neuroblast growth can sometimes ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622112802.htm
 
Cancer Researchers Develop Model That May Help Identify Cancer Stem Cells
June 23, 2009 — Researchers, on a quest to find lung cancer stem cells, have developed a unique model to allow further investigation into the cells that many believe may be at the root of all lung ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616103323.htm
 
New Research Unravels How Proteins Help Repair DNA
June 23, 2009 — A person's DNA is often damaged by a number of different chemical contaminants, and if not repaired properly, it can lead to the development of cancer and other diseases. Researchers have now ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615171519.htm
 
Blocking A Muscle Growth-limiting Hormone Protects Against Obesity And Atherosclerosis
June 23, 2009 — Knockout of myostatin, a growth factor that limits muscle growth, can decrease body fat and promote resistance against developing atherosclerosis, or "hardening" of the arteries, according to a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611112557.htm
 
Curb A Cancer's Deadliness? Potent Metastasis Inhibitor Identified
June 23, 2009 — Researchers have isolated a potent metastasis inhibitor produced by tumor cells, one that could potentially be harnessed as a cancer treatment. The protein, prosaposin, reduced metastases by 80 ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622171406.htm
 
Cancer Is Second Most Frequent Cause Of Death In Individuals With Schizophrenia
June 23, 2009 — People with schizophrenia die from cancer four times as often as people in the general population. The study's results suggest that extra efforts should be made to improve cancer prevention and early ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622064815.htm
 
Melatonin: The Fountain Of Youth?
June 23, 2009 — Melatonin can slow down the effects of aging. Scientists have found that a treatment based on melatonin can delay the first signs of aging in a small ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622064807.htm
 
Non-invasive Brain Surgery: Successful Neurosurgery With Transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound
June 23, 2009 — Medical researchers have achieved a world first break through in MR-guided, non-invasive neurosurgery. Ten patients have been successfully treated by means of transcranial high-intensity focused ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622064711.htm
 
Mouse Model Of Parkinson's Reproduces Nonmotor Symptoms
June 23, 2009 — Nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson's include digestive and sleep problems, loss of sense of smell and depression. A mouse with a mutation in a gene responsible for packaging neurotransmitters like ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623091123.htm
 
Student’s Design Helps Piece Together Parts Of The Alzheimer’s Puzzle
June 23, 2009 — Extensive research in care homes across South East England has prompted a student to design a jigsaw puzzle especially for people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The puzzle, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623090659.htm
 
Survivors Of Childhood Central Nervous System Cancer Face Persistent Risks As Adults
June 22, 2009 — Long-term survivors of childhood central nervous system malignancies remain at risk for death and are at increasing risk for developing subsequent cancers and chronic medical conditions over time, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617191335.htm
 
Engineered Pig Stem Cells Bridge The Mouse-human Gap
June 22, 2009 — Researchers have created a line of embryonic-like stem cells from adult pigs. As pigs are large animals with a physiology very similar to humans, this work provides a valuable model to study the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604095125.htm
 
New Lasers Drive Powerful Applications
June 22, 2009 — Telecoms, healthcare and display technology will be the major beneficiaries of a new generation of semiconductor lasers developed in a massive research effort. Better cancer treatment, wider ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622194229.htm
 
Targeting Helpers Of Heat Shock Proteins Could Help Treat Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease
June 22, 2009 — Dissecting how heat shock protein 90 gets steroid receptors into shape to use hormones like estrogen and testosterone could lead to targeted therapies for hormone-driven cancers, such as breast and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622112800.htm
 
Does Study Design Influence Clinical Outcome?
June 22, 2009 — Response and remission rates to antidepressants are significantly affected by study type and duration. Clinicians and researchers must consider the study design when interpreting and designing RCTs ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622064703.htm
 
Punching Holes Into Herpes Viruses
June 20, 2009 — Scientists have completed the first description of the mechanics of so-called nuclear herpes virus ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611194127.htm
 
Is Nanotechnology Safe? Interactions Between Nanomaterials And Biological Systems Explored
June 20, 2009 — Tremendous growth in the development of nanomaterials with enhanced performance characteristics which are being used for commercial and medical applications prompts researchers to take a proactive ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619152134.htm
 
New Vaccination Strategy May Protect Against Both Lethal 1918 And H5N1 Influenza Viruses
June 20, 2009 — A new study suggests that vaccination with 1918 H1N1 influenza virus-like particles not only protected mice and ferrets against the lethal 1918 influenza virus, but also displayed cross-reactive ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619112429.htm

Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: June 23, 2009

• FDA Warns About Salmonella-Tainted Pistachios
• Americans Now Have Higher Out-of-Pocket Costs: Report
• Nutrient May Protect Babies' Brains From Alcohol
• U.S. Study Will Target Vitamin D, Fish Oil
  

Eat Well, Live Longer
Age-old advice to eat healthy pays off in longevity, study finds.
Clinical Trials Update: June 23, 2009

• Conjunctivitis, Bacterial
• Neuropathy
• Bladder Disorders
• High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
• Type 2 Diabetes and Weight Loss
• High Cholesterol
  

HIV 'Atlas' Shows Virus Targeting Minorities
80% of U.S. cases occur in just 20% of counties, report finds
Promising Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Experimental drug beat back inoperable cancer in two patients, study claims

Clinical Trials Update: June 22, 2009

• Osteoarthritis of the Hip
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Osteoarthritis of the Knee or Hip
• Staphylococcal Infections
• Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD - Adults)
• Alzheimer's Disease
• 
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

 
Advanced Life Sciences' Restanza(TM) Shows 100% Survival In Confirmatory Anthrax Study - PR Newswire - Tue 9:00 am ET
Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc. , today announced that a second non-human primate study involving its novel, once-a-day, oral antibiotic Restanza , showed that a 14-day course of Restanza achieved a 100% survival rate against an inhaled lethal dose of anthrax.
 
Medarex shares jump on report on just 2 patients  - AP - Mon 2:48 pm ET
Shares of drug developer Medarex Inc. jumped Monday after an unusual report that two men in a study of its experimental prostate cancer drug had their tumors shrink dramatically. The report gave no information on how other men in the study fared.
 
Responses After Completion of Therapy Increase Pixantrone Complete Remission (CR)/Unconfirmed Complete Remission (CRu) Rate to 24% and Overall Response Rate (ORR) to 40% Compared to 7% and 14% for Comparator Agents in Phase III EXTEND Trial  - PR Newswire - Mon 1:30 am ET
 
Source - Google Health News:

Targeted Genetics Announces Continued Clinical Study at University ...
Market Wire (press release) - USA
This revised protocol was reviewed and approved by the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, ...
 
Dog undergoing gene therapy may save at risk children
Examiner.com - USA
The dog being treated at the University of Florida underwent gene therapy when it was first born and responded positively for the first several weeks, ...
 
Gene therapy gets under the skin
ETH Life - Switzerland
Vaseline, a known molecule from apples and a gene network encapsulated in algal gelatin are the components of a possible gene therapy which literally gets ...
 
New Targeted Therapy Could Eradicate HIV, Study Finds
Kaiser Family Foundation - Menlo Park,CA,USA
Researchers from Oregon State University's Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI) Florida and the University of Montreal say they have discovered a ...

Source - Medical News Today:
 
The Alliance For The Advancement Of Adult Stem Cell Therapy And Research Announces Successful Treatment Of End-Stage Heart Disease With Stem Cells
Zannos Grekos, MD, Associate Clinical Professor at Nova Southeastern University, has announced six month follow-up results for a patient treated with adult stem cells  in a clinical study of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. The clinical study is a collaborative effort among physicians at Regenocyte Therapeutic, an American stem cell therapy clinic; researchers and scientists from Theravitae, a biotechnology company from Israel; and physicians from the American Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Dominican Republic.  Leonard Narracci, 71 from Venice, Florida, underwent the adult stem cell therapy in October 2008. Since being diagnosed with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure, Narracci's ejection fraction was severely reduced at 18% (with normal being over 55%). Within three months of the treatment, his ejection fraction improved to 40% and it is now at 51%.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155014.php
 
New Online Tool Maps HIV, AIDS Prevalence By County, Other Statistics
The National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) today launched an online tool  that maps the prevalence of HIV and AIDS by county, age, gender and ethnicity in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the San Francisco Chronicle  reports. The HIV/AIDS Atlas is based on 2006 data collected from states and cross-checked with CDC data. The NMQF partnered with George Washington University's School of Public Health and Health Services to collect and analyze the data. Gary Puckrein, chief executive officer of NMQF, said the new tool will help improve data collection and analysis, prevention initiatives, early diagnosis and routine testing efforts in areas most affected by HIV/AIDS (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/21).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154953.php
 
Multiple Sclerosis: Hope Through New Oral Therapeutics
"The immunomodulating and immunosuppressive therapies for multiple sclerosis available today are only partially effective. We need a better use of the existing therapies - inter alia through early treatment and innovative approaches - in order to more efficiently help our patients," says Professor Giancarlo Comi of Milan, Italy, Chairperson of the meeting of the European Neurological Society (ENS) currently held in his home town. This major meeting in European neurology gathers more than 2,900 experts from all over the world. Professor Comi: "One interesting development involves new drugs highly active that can be taken orally."   More than 400,000 people in Europe suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common neurological disease leading to permanent disability in young adults. MS attacks the central nervous system and is considered an auto-immune disease, but other possible causes are also under discussion. "Multiple sclerosis is still not curable. A number of new findings have been made in recent years with regard to the origins of the disease and new therapeutic strategies," says Professor Comi. "These new insights can help us to mitigate the course of the disease and delay the development of permanent disabilities. Moreover some new treatments which will be available soon will enhance the possibility to control the disease evolution, opening new positive perspectives for patients."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154917.php
 
Stem Cell Discovery May Bring Tissue Repair Closer
The goal of creating adult blood stem cells  from human embryos to prepare a patient for tissue and organ transplant has been brought a step closer by research carried out at the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit at Oxford University.   Blood, or haematopoietic, stem cells (HSCs), are a type of adult stem cell that can produce several different types of blood cell, including those of the immune system that are involved in tissue rejection. Scientists have so far been unable to generate HSCs from embryonic stem cells, largely because they have not known how the embryo makes these cells.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154864.php
 
Covidien Features New Devices For Minimally Invasive Surgery And Soft Tissue Repair At ASMBS 2009
Covidien (NYSE: COV), a leading global provider of healthcare products, will showcase a number of its most recent innovations in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and soft tissue repair at the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) annual meeting on June 21-26, 2009, in Grapevine, Texas. These state-of-the-art innovations underscore Covidien's commitment to working in partnership with the surgical community to develop surgical instruments designed to optimize patient outcomes.   A number of prominent surgeons also will address key industry issues at the Covidien exhibit, including sleeve gastrectomy, the impact of bariatric surgery on patients with Type 2 diabetes , Allergan LAP-BAND AP® Adjustable Gastric Banding System and the next generation of MIS technology.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154822.php

Source - MIT's Technology Review:
 
Search Me
http://www.technologyreview.com/web/22834/?nlid=2123
 
A Better Fit for Hearing Aids
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22905/
 
New publications, experiments and breakthroughs in biomedicine--and what they mean.
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22835/
 
  

GBP Health / Biotech News 06-19-2009

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: 19-Jun-2009
New supplement may help slow sight loss in elderly
Queen's University Belfast academics have helped develop an antioxidant supplement which may slow down sight loss in elderly people. The supplement may help those affected by the leading cause of blindness in the Western World, a five-year research program has found.
Dr. Mann Pharma, Bausch and Lomb, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
Contact: Andrea Clements
a.clements@qub.ac.uk
Queen's University Belfast


Public Release: 19-Jun-2009
Cancer Prevention Research
Green tea may affect prostate cancer progression
According to results of a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, men with prostate cancer who consumed the active compounds in green tea demonstrated a significant reduction in serum markers predictive of prostate cancer progression.
Contact: Tara Yates
tara.yates@aacr.org
267-646-0558
American Association for Cancer Research

 
Public Release: 18-Jun-2009
Chemical Research in Toxicology
Improved method developed to test carcinogen risk
Researchers at Oregon State University recently completed the largest animal study ever done in the field of toxicology, and the findings challenge some basic concepts about how to determine what level of a cancer-causing compound can be considered safe.
NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Contact: George Bailey
george.bailey@oregonstate.edu
541-737-3164
Oregon State University

 
Public Release: 18-Jun-2009
PLoS ONE
Cancer-causing protein can also help fight the tumors it causes
Tel Aviv University research uses the Ras protein to fight its own malign effects.
Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

 
Public Release: 18-Jun-2009
Cell Stem Cell
Johns Hopkins researchers edit genes in human stem cells
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have successfully edited the genome of human- induced pluripotent stem cells, making possible the future development of patient-specific stem cell therapies. Reporting this week in Cell Stem Cell, the team altered a gene responsible for causing the rare blood disease paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, or PNH, establishing for the first time a useful system to learn more about the disease.
Stem Cell Research Foundation, Johns Hopkins Institute for Cell Engineering, National Institutes of Health, Maryland Stem Cell Research Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Massachusetts General Hospital
Contact: Audrey Huang
audrey@jhmi.edu
410-614-5105
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

 
Public Release: 17-Jun-2009
Nano Letters
Nonstick and laser-safe gold aids laser trapping of biomolecules
Biophysicists at JILA have made gold more precious than ever -- at least as a research tool -- by creating nonstick gold surfaces and laser-safe gold nanoposts to aid in trapping and fixing individual biomolecules for study.
W.M. Keck Foundation, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Contact: Laura Ost
laura.ost@nist.gov
303-497-4880
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)


 
Public Release: 17-Jun-2009
PLoS Biology
Discovery of the cell's water gate may lead to new cancer drugs
The flow of water into and out from the cell may play a crucial role in several types of cancer. Scientists at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have now found the gate that regulates the flow of water into yeast cells. The discovery, which will be published in the journal PLoS Biology, raises hopes of developing a drug that inhibits the spread and growth of tumors.
Contact: Krister Svahn
krister.svahn@science.gu.se
46-031-786-4912
University of Gothenburg

 
Public Release: 17-Jun-2009
Journal of Translational Medicine
Fallopian tubes offer new stem cell source
Human tissues normally discarded after surgical procedures could be a rich additional source of stem cells for regenerative medicine. New research from BioMed Central's open-access Journal of Translational Medicine shows for the first time that human fallopian tubes are abundant in mesenchymal stem cells which have the potential of becoming a variety of cell types.
Contact: Charlotte Webber
charlotte.webber@biomedcentral.com
44-203-192-2129
BioMed Central



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 Inhibition May Help Normalize Type 2 Diabetes
June 19, 2009 — In research that could lead to new approaches for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, scientists have found that suppressing a liver enzyme that induces glucose production helped diminish the symptoms ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618173246.htm
 
Vaccinating Children May Be Effective At Helping Control Spread Of Influenza
June 19, 2009 — Targeting children may be an effective use of limited supplies of flu vaccine, according to new research. The study suggests that, used to support other control measures, this could help control the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617080120.htm
 
Cerebrospinal Fluid Shows Alzheimer's Disease Deterioration Much Earlier
June 19, 2009 — It is possible to determine which patients run a high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and the dementia associated with it, even in patients with minimal memory ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618093240.htm
 
Genes Edited In Human Stem Cells
June 19, 2009 — Researchers have successfully edited the genome of human- induced pluripotent stem cells, making possible the future development of patient-specific stem cell therapies. They altered a gene ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618124942.htm
 
Donor Stem Cell Transplantation Associated With Survival Benefit For Patients With Leukemia
June 19, 2009 — An analysis of previous studies indicates that allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT -- stem cells from a compatible donor) is associated with significant overall and relapse-free survival ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609215941.htm
 
Immunology: Interleukin-21 Keeps Defense Cells In Good Trim
June 19, 2009 — Interleukin-21 plays a crucial role in fighting off chronic viral infections, scientists recently concluded. The discovery offers hope for specific treatments against HIV, hepatitis C and B, and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619090456.htm
 
Study May Redefine How A Chronic Auto-immune Disease Is Diagnosed
June 18, 2009 — New research may redefine how chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy is diagnosed. The study may help doctors more effectively diagnose and treat ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610124821.htm
 
'Motion-frozen' Technology Meets High-definition PET: Helping Heart Patients
June 18, 2009 — Combining high-definition positron emission tomography (PET) and "motion-frozen" technology provides enhanced cardiac ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144325.htm
 
3D Printing For New Tissues And Organs
June 18, 2009 — A more effective way to build plastic scaffolds on which new tissues and even whole organs might be grown in the laboratory is being ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618085752.htm
 
Less Invasive CT-scan Based Colorectal Cancer Screening Method Shows Good Accuracy
June 18, 2009 — Computed tomographic colonography may offer patients at increased risk of colorectal cancer an alternative to colonoscopy that is less-invasive, is better-tolerated and has good diagnostic accuracy, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616163952.htm
 
Structures From The Human Immune System's Oldest Branch Shed Light On A Range Of Diseases
June 18, 2009 — How molecules of the oldest branch of the human immune system have interconnected has remained a mystery. Now, two new structures, both involving a central component of an enzyme important to the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617123437.htm
 
AIDS: Clues To Virus-cancer Link Uncovered
June 18, 2009 — Scientists have uncovered clues to the development of cancers in AIDS ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617131402.htm
 
Telemedicine Expands Reach Of Care For Parkinson's Patients
June 18, 2009 — A unique and innovative telemedicine project is providing distant nursing home patients with Parkinson's disease access to neurologists. A pilot study of the project demonstrates that the system can ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617123654.htm
 
Nearly Half Of Older Patients Projected To Die While Waiting For Kidney Transplant
June 18, 2009 — Forty-six percent of patients over age 60 currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant will die before they receive an organ from a deceased donor, reports a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618173033.htm
 
Targeting Tumor Behavior May Lead To New Liver Cancer Drugs
June 18, 2009 — Cancer researchers have used computational and genomic methods to identify possible anti-cancer agents that target multiple genes simultaneously. The researchers were seeking agents that might ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618124952.htm
 
Potential For Non-invasive Brain Tumor Treatment
June 17, 2009 — Engineers have taken a first step toward a minimally invasive treatment of brain tumors by combining chemotherapy with heat administered from the end of a ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616103309.htm
 
New Nanoparticles Could Lead To End Of Chemotherapy
June 17, 2009 — Specially engineered nanoparticles could someday target and destroy tumors, sparing patients from toxic, whole-body ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616121343.htm
 
Early and Easy Detection Of Alzheimer's Disease?
June 17, 2009 — A new diagnostic technique which may greatly simplify the detection of Alzheimer's disease has been discovered. There is currently no accepted blood test for Alzheimer's, and the diagnosis is usually ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616122113.htm
 
Single Gene Found To Control Growth Of Some Cancers
June 17, 2009 — A single gene can control growth in cancers related to the Epstein-Barr virus and that existing therapeutics can inactivate it, according to new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612092739.htm
 

 
Source - Health Day:
 
Health Highlights: June 19, 2009

• Cookie Dough Linked to E. Coli Cases
• Bayer Threatened With Lawsuit Over Men's Vitamin Claims
• Trainers Urge Halt to Two-a-Day Football Practices in August
• Food Safety Bill Clears House Committee
  

New Prostate Cancer Biomarker Discovered
Finding also might apply in other types of cancer, researcher says

Study Finds Possible Genetic Indicator of Colorectal Cancer
If perfected, screening method could make disease detection easier, experts say

Clinical Trials Update: June 19, 2009

• Neuropathy
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Bladder Disorders
• Overactive Bladder
• Healthy Volunteers (Females 18-40)
• Keloids (Raised Scars)
  

Artificial Ankle Takes Giant Step Forward
Newly approved device allows pain-free mobility, experts say

Clinical Trials Update: June 18, 2009

• Schizophrenia
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Oral Contraceptive (Female Healthy Volunteers)
• Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorders
• Healthy Patient Studies
• Rash
  

Clinical Trials Update: June 17, 2009

• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Asthma
• Chronic Migraine
• Hysterectomy
• Lower Back Pain
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:

 
Amarillo Biosciences Announces Completion of Screening Process for Influenza Study in Australia
 
FDA Action Sends Stem Cell Stocks Moving  - Indie Research - Thu 10:25 am ET
News from the FDA spurred some action among stem cell stocks on Thursday.


 
Source - Google Health News:

 
The Signature Features of Influenza Pandemics — Implications for ...
New England Journal of Medicine (subscription) - MA,USA
Although the A/H5N1 influenza subtype has spread to avian populations in more than 30 countries and infected nearly 400 persons, with a case fatality rate ...
 
 
A Robust Response
Alibaba News Channel - New York,NEW YORK,USA
The H5N1 avian flu virus is highly pathogenic but not very contagious. The A/H1N1 virus is just the opposite. If these two viruses combine, the result could ...
 
 
The Promise of a Cure: 20 Years and Counting
Science Magazine (subscription) - USA
But even after so much hard work, not a single therapy based on the CF gene has reached the market. Some promising treatments, especially gene therapy, ...

 
New gene therapy cuts of tumour's blood, nutrient supply in mice
Newspost Online - Baroda,India
Researchers at the University of Florida in the US have come up with a novel gene therapy that can cut off a tumour's blood and nutrient supply. ...
 
 
Study might pave way for hemophilia gene therapy
SmartBrief - Washington,DC,USA
The researchers hope the findings will lead to successful human trials and eventually the development of a gene therapy for hemophilia A. Forbes (06/16
 


Source - Medical News Today:
 
 
Swine Flu Expected To Continue Through The Summer, US
Health officials said on Thursday that it looks like the novel H1N1 swine flu virus will continue to spread in the US through the summer months, and then resurge in the autumn. This is different to the previous expectation that the swine flu virus would follow a seasonal flu pattern: abate in the northern hemisphere as it approached the summer, spend a few months in southern hemisphere countries that are now approaching winter, and then return to the northern hemisphere in the fall.  Two senior officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta held a telebriefing with journalists yesterday and spoke about the pattern of swine flu transmission in the US and also about infections among health workers and the need for more rigour in H1N1 infection control in health care settings.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154588.php
 
Actual Imaging Use Far Below President's Recommend 95 Percent Utilization Rate For Medicare
The amount of time imaging equipment is in use in outpatient settings does not approach use rates President Obama and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recommend Medicare utilize to calculate reimbursement for imaging, according to data recently collected by the Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA), a national association of business professionals in radiology.   The RBMA data, which consist of 261 imaging machines in 46 centers, show, using current Medicare assumptions, that imaging equipment in rural regions of the country operates only 48 percent of the time an office is open, while equipment in non-rural areas operates 56 percent of the time a center is open for business. Neither rural nor urban non-hospital diagnostic imaging providers operate equipment at rates anywhere near the levels the President or MedPAC recommend the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) use to base reimbursements. President Obama recently recommended CMS base its reimbursement formula on a 95 percent utilization rate for advanced imaging equipment. MedPAC has recommended a 90 percent utilization rate for equipment that costs more than $1 million.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154664.php
 
Scientists Discover Possible Link Between Missing DNA And Neuroblastoma, A Deadly Childhood Cancer
Discovering for the first time that copy number variation or CNV, where a strip of DNA is duplicated or missing, may increase risk of developing cancer, US scientists found a link between a particular CNV and neuroblastoma, a deadly cancer that mostly affects children.  The study was led by Dr John M Maris, chief of Oncology and director of the Cancer Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and is published in the 18 June issue of the journal Nature. Maris is also on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and scientists from several other research centres worked on the research with him.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154412.php

Cancer Immunotherapy Can Use Small Numbers Of Stem-Like Immune Cells To Destroy Large Tumors In Mice
A new approach to stimulating immune cells enhances their anticancer activity, resulting in a powerful anti-tumor response in mice, according to a study by researchers at the National Cancer Institute, a part of the National Institutes of Health. This work represents an important advance in the development of immunotherapy for cancer and appears online June 14, 2009 in Nature Medicine.   Researchers found that a subset of immune cells, T lymphocytes called CD8+ memory stem cells , were capable of mediating strong anti-tumor immune response. These potent cells were generated in the laboratory by stimulating anti-tumor T cells in the presence of drugs designed to mimic an important signaling pathway called Wnt, which is a complex network of proteins whose interactions are essential during development and stem cell maintenance. Under the influence of Wnt, T lymphocytes acquired stem-cell-like properties of multipotency and self renewal; that is, they generated differentiating daughter cells while regenerating themselves when transferred back to mice from the lab. These stem-like qualities enabled tiny numbers of T cells (about 40,000 cells) to trigger the destruction of large melanoma tumors (containing about one billion malignant cells).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154467.php
 
They Are Young And Need The Job: A Second Chance For Dangerous T-cells
The immune system's T-cells react to foreign protein fragments and therefore are crucial to combating viruses and bacteria. Errant cells that attack the body's own material are in most cases driven to cell death. Some of these autoreactive T-cells, however, undergo a kind of reeducation to become "regulatory T-cells" that keep other autoreactive T-cells under control. A group led by immunologist Professor Ludger Klein of LMU Munich has now shown that the developmental stage of an autoreactive T-cell is decisive to its ultimate destiny. Young autoreactive T cells are very readily reeducated into regulatory T-cells. Under identical conditions, however, older T cells become fully activated and can cause damage they are in a way resistant to reeducation. "We now intend to study at the molecular level what makes a T-cell accessible for reeducation," said Klein, "because then it may be possible to convert even normal adult T-cells, which can be obtained easily and in great numbers from blood. Possibly, they could then be used as regulatory T-cells in therapies for autoimmune diseases such as type-1 diabetes  or multiple sclerosis: these are diseases that are triggered by uncontrolled autoreactive T-cells." (PNAS, 10 June 2009)  During their development in the thymus gland, a kind of 'T-cell school', every T-cell is fitted out with its own personal receptor. The diversity of these receptors allows the immune system to respond to nearly all pathogens. Since T-cell receptors are all randomly constructed, there is also a constant production of T-cells in the thymus that may recognize and attack the body's own structures. "Most of these dangerous autoreactive T-cells, though, are sorted out in a screening process before they leave the thymus," Klein reported. "This negative selection, that is the elimination of autoreactive T-cells that would otherwise attack their own organism, is an important requirement for immune tolerance."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154406.php
 
University Of Central Florida Researcher's Nanoparticles Could Someday Lead To End Of Chemotherapy
Nanoparticles specially engineered by University of Central Florida Assistant Professor J. Manuel Perez and his colleagues could someday target and destroy tumors, sparing patients from toxic, whole-body chemotherapies.  Perez and his team used a drug called Taxol  for their cell culture studies, recently published in the journal Small, because it is one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic drugs. Taxol normally causes many negative side effects because it travels throughout the body and damages healthy tissue as well as cancer cells.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154232.php

 
Source - MIT's Technology Review:


A Skin Test for Alzheimer's Disease
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22892/
 
A Stem-Cell Therapy for Blindness  
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22871/

GBP Health / Biotech News 06-16-2009

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: 16-Jun-2009
Ultrsonic Imaging
Potential for non-invasive brain tumor treatment
Duke University engineers have taken a first step toward a minimally invasive treatment of brain tumors by combining chemotherapy with heat administered from the end of a catheter.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Richard Merritt
richard.merritt@duke.edu
919-660-8414
Duke University

 
Public Release: 16-Jun-2009
69th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association
TGen and USC researchers find genetic markers to help fight diabetes
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and University of Southern California (USC) scientists have identified five genetic biomarkers that could help lead to improved treatments, with fewer side effects, for patients with diabetes.
Contact: Steve Yozwiak
syozwiak@tgen.org
602-343-8704
The Translational Genomics Research Institute

Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Breakthrough in understanding severe asthma has potential for new treatment
Scientists from King's College London and Imperial College London believe they have discovered a key element in the development of chronic asthma. Their research has been published in a new paper in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences to explain why the structure and function of asthmatic airways are changed or ''remodeled'' and how this contributes to chronic asthma.
Medical Research Council, Dr. Hadwen Trust for Humane Research, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, King's College London, Asthma UK
Contact: Kate Moore
kate.moore@kcl.ac.uk
44-020-784-84334
King's College London

Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Scientists identify gene vital to early embryonic cells forming a normal heart and skull
New research from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center highlights the critical role a certain gene and its protein play during early embryonic development on formation of a normal heart and skull.
National Institutes of Health
Contact: Jim Feuer
jim.feuer@cchmc.org
513-636-4656
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

 
Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
BMC Neuroscience
Could hormones explain gender differences in neurological disease?
Neurological diseases including Parkinson's, Tourette's, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Alzheimer's and schizophrenia are all associated with alterations in dopamine-driven function involving the dopamine transporter (DAT). Research published today in the open-access journal BMC Neuroscience suggests that a number of estrogens acting through their receptors affect the DAT, which may explain trends in timing of women's susceptibility to these diseases.
Contact: Charlotte Webber
charlotte.webber@biomedcentral.com
44-203-192-22129
BioMed Central

Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
Nature Physics
New method separates cancer cells from normal cells
Northwestern University researchers have demonstrated a novel and simple method that can direct and separate cancer cells from normal cells. The device, which takes advantage of a physical principle called ratcheting, is a very tiny system of channels for cell locomotion. Based on this method, they have proposed that cancer cells possibly could be sequestered permanently in a sort of "cancer trap" made of implantable and biodegradable materials.
NIH/National Cancer Institute
Contact: Megan Fellman
fellman@northwestern.edu
847-491-3115
Northwestern University

Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
ChemBioChem
TRAPping proteins that work together inside living cells
Researchers trying to understand how and which proteins work together have developed a new crosslinking tool that is small and unobtrusive enough to use in live cells. Using the new crosslinker, the scientists have discovered new details about a well-studied complex of proteins known as RNA polymerase. The results suggest the method might uncover collaborations between proteins that are too brief for other techniques to pinpoint.
US Department of Energy
Contact: Mary Beckman
mary.beckman@pnl.gov
509-375-3688
DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

 
Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
Nature
Major breakthrough in early detection and prevention of AMD
A team of researchers led by Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati at the University of Kentucky has discovered a biological marker for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in older adults. The marker, a receptor known as CCR3, shows strong potential as a means for both the early detection of the disease and for preventive treatment. The findings were reported in an article published online Sunday by the prestigious journal Nature.
NIH/National Eye Institute, Research to Prevent Blindness
Contact: Keith Hautala
keith.hautala@uky.edu
859-323-6363
University of Kentucky

 
Public Release: 15-Jun-2009
SNM's 56th Annual Meeting
SPECT provides high-quality images of small tumors
A new study shows that combining high resolution and high sensitivity collimation provides better quality images when using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans, said researchers at SNM's 56th Annual Meeting.
Contact: Amy Shaw
ashaw@snm.org
703-652-6773
Society of Nuclear Medicine

Public Release: 11-Jun-2009
'Designer molecules' being developed to fight disease
Researchers in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Leicester are developing a new way to make protein based drugs with potential applications in stroke, vascular inflammation, blood vessel formation, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
Contact: Shikha Sharma
ss349@le.ac.uk
01-162-525-898
University of Leicester

Public Release: 11-Jun-2009
Stem Cells
Assessment of safety and efficacy of human embryonic stem cell therapy
Advanced Cell Technology and its collaborators at OHSU reported today the long-term safety and efficacy of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium produced under manufacturing conditions suitable for human clinical trials. The research, which appears online ahead of print in the journal Stem Cells, shows long-term functional rescue using hESC-derived cells in both the RCS rat and Elov14 mouse, animal models of retinal degeneration and Stargardt disease, respectively.
Contact: Kathy Singh
ksingh@advancedcell.com
508-756-1212 x653
Advanced Cell Technology


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.

Popular Alzheimer's Theory May Be False Trail
June 16, 2009 — Researchers have discovered that inflammation of microglia -- an abundant cell type that plays an important supporting role in the brain -- does not appear to be associated with dementia in ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144209.htm
 
New Strategy Proposed For Designing Antibody-based HIV Vaccine
June 16, 2009 — Most vaccines that protect against viruses generate infection-fighting proteins called antibodies that either block infection or help eliminate the virus before it can cause disease. Attempts to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090614153248.htm
 
Reengineering A Food Poisoning Microbe To Carry Medicines And Vaccines
June 16, 2009 — Scientists have used genetic engineering to tame one of the most deadly food poisoning microbes and turn it into a potential new way of giving patients medicine and vaccines in pills rather than ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615093923.htm
 
What The Immune System Reveals About Breast Cancer
June 16, 2009 — Researchers have identified the prognostic significance of the immune system in breast tumors. The research results show that patients with certain breast tumors have a better prognosis when more ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616080145.htm
 
Advances In Medical Technology: What Does The Future Hold?
June 16, 2009 — Major challenges and opportunities will arise in the health sector in the future. Although sophisticated medical technology is already available in health systems in developed countries, further ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616080133.htm
 
Researchers Test Nanoparticle To Treat Cardiovascular Disease In Mice
June 15, 2009 — Scientists and engineers have developed a nanoparticle that can attack plaque -- a major cause of cardiovascular ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604155619.htm
 
Protein Linked To Alzheimer's Disease Doesn't Act Alone
June 15, 2009 — Neuroscientists are steadily uncovering the role that amyloid precursor protein (APP) -- the protein implicated in development of Alzheimer's disease -- plays in normal brain function. They have ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609220549.htm
 
Human Embryonic Stem Cells Could Safely Treat Eye Diseases, Research Suggests
June 15, 2009 — Advanced Cell Technology and its collaborators at OHSU report the long-term safety and efficacy of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium produced under manufacturing ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611174054.htm
 
HIV-1's 'Hijacking Mechanism' Pinpointed
June 15, 2009 — Researchers may have found a chink in the armor of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), the microorganism which causes ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610154501.htm
 
Vast Majority Won’t Have Access To Antivirals In Pandemic, But Generic Drugs Could Help Prevent Deaths
June 15, 2009 — Almost 90 percent of the world's population will not have timely access to affordable supplies of vaccines and antiviral agents in the current influenza pandemic. But it is possible that inexpensive ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612122451.htm
 
Fifty-one Genes Predict Breast Cancer Survival
June 15, 2009 — It may be possible in the future to use a specimen from the tumor to determine which patients with breast cancer have a good chance of overcoming the disease, and which patients should be given more ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610160908.htm
 
Hungry Cells: Tumor Metabolism Discovery Opens New Detection And Treatment Possibilities For Rare Form Of Colon Cancer
June 15, 2009 — People who suffer from Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, a rare inherited cancer syndrome, develop gastrointestinal polyps and are predisposed to colon cancer and other tumor types. Carefully tracing the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615171521.htm
 
Second Chance For Dangerous T-cells
June 15, 2009 — Any of the immune system's T-cells that could attack the body's own tissue are either driven to cell death or reeducated to become a kind of law enforcer that could actually be used in therapies. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615161713.htm
 
Topical Application Of Chemotherapy Drug May Improve Appearance Of Aging Skin
June 15, 2009 — Topical application of the chemotherapy medication fluorouracil appears to reduce potentially precancerous skin patches and improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin, according to a new ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615161703.htm
 
New Skin Cancer Patch: Possible Alternative To Surgery
June 15, 2009 — A new study shows that a radioactive skin patch can safely and successfully treat basal cell carcinoma, one of the most common types of skin ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144335.htm
 
Research Leads To Advanced Trials Of New Cancer Treatment
June 15, 2009 — Research by a Hebrew University of Jerusalem professor has led to the development of a product that has been shown in clinical trials to be successful in halting the growth of various types of cancer ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615111434.htm
 
Prototype Breast Cancer Imaging System May Improve Patient Care
June 15, 2009 — A prototype breast imaging system combining positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging technologies could greatly improve breast cancer imaging capabilities, according to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615093931.htm
 
How A Common Genetic Mutation Makes Cancer Radiation Resistant
June 14, 2009 — Many cancerous tumors possess a genetic mutation that disables a tumor suppressor called PTEN. Now researchers have shown why inactivation of PTEN allows tumors to resist radiation ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610091349.htm
 
Waste Disposal Protein Is Mechanism Behind Cancer Tumor Suppression
June 13, 2009 — Investigators have discovered that a waste disposal protein is the key to cancer tumor suppression in a process known as autophagy -- a process in which cancer cells eat ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611160658.htm
 
How Cancers Spread To The Brain
June 13, 2009 — Research has shown for the first time how cancers that spread to the brain establish themselves and begin to ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090613064344.htm
 
Red Wine Compound Resveratrol Demonstrates Significant Health Benefits
June 12, 2009 — Resveratrol shows therapeutic potential for cancer chemoprevention as well as cardioprotection. Resveratrol may aid in the prevention of age-related disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases, ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611174052.htm
 

Source - Health Day:
 
Health Highlights: June 16, 2009

• FDA Targets Bogus Treatments for H1N1 Swine Flu
• Experts Challenge Benefits of Moderate Alcohol Consumption
• Obama Calls U.S. Health-Care System a 'Time Bomb'
• Proper Training, Guidelines Lacking at Many VA Clinics: Report
• Weight Loss Surgery Increases Fracture Risk: Study
  

Colonoscopy Risks Increase With Age and Illness
Other screening methods for colon cancer may be safer for some older patients, researchers say.

Psoriasis Raises Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke, Death
Inflammation looks like common thread, researcher says
Drug May Stem Slide Into Alzheimer's for Some  
Aricept did not help others with mild memory loss, study finds

Chemo Drug May Help Sun-Damaged Skin
Small study finds it also may reduce precancerous lesions

Clinical Trials Update: June 16, 2009

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Diabetic Neuropathy
• Epilepsy
• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)
  

Clinical Trials Update: June 15, 2009

• Obesity
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Lupus
• Osteoarthritis
• Depression
• Severe Hypertension
  

Clinical Trials Update: June 11, 2009

• Overactive Bladder
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Asthma
• Breast Cancer - Adults
• Bladder Disorders
• Rash
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:


Genzyme Temporarily Interrupts Production at Allston Plant  - Business Wire - Tue 8:30 am ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.----Genzyme Corporation today announced that it has detected a virus that impairs cell growth in one of six bioreactors at its Allston Landing manufacturing facility.
 
Pluristem Therapeutics Receives European Regulatory Approval for Placental-Derived Stem Cell Clinical Trial  - Business Wire - Tue 3:00 am ET
HAIFA, Israel----Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. , a bio-therapeutics company dedicated to the commercialization of unrelated donor-patient cell therapy products for a variety of disorders, announced today that the Paul Ehrlich Institute , the German competent authority in the European Union, has approved the Company's Clinical Trial Application and granted approval to begin clinical trials with its placental-derived adherent stromal cell product, termed PLX-PAD, for the treatment of critical limb ischemia , the end-stage of peripheral artery disease .
 
Celgene arthritis drug improves symptoms in study  - AP - Mon 6:28 pm ET
Celgene Corp. said Monday that its drug candidate apremilast improved symptoms of psoriatic arthritis compared with a placebo in a midstage study.
 
 
 

 
Source - Google Health News:

 
GlaxoSmithKline ups vaccine production
Hays Pharma - London,Greater London,UK
The drug giant has also offered to convert its intended 50 million dose donation of H5N1 pre-pandemic vaccine to the new swine flu vaccine once production ...
 
 
GlaxoSmithKline Update: A (H1N1) influenza
BioResearch Online (press release) - Horsham,PA,USA
GSK has offered to convert its intended donation to the WHO of 50 million doses of H5N1 pre-pandemic vaccine to the new candidate A (H1N1) adjuvanted ...
 
 
WHO declares first 21st century flu pandemic
Reuters - USA
For now the virus was "pretty stable," but Chan warned that it could still change into a more deadly form, perhaps mixing with the H5N1 bird flu virus ...
 
 
More Than 100 Cases of Swine Flu in Israel
Arutz Sheva - Israel
The British glaxosmithkline pharmaceutical giant told AFP on Friday that it is willing to convert 50 million doses of its H5N1 bird flu vaccine that have ...
 
 
Swine flu could grow far deadlier, says WHO adviser
Independent - London,England,UK
Drugs companies are already racing to come up with a vaccine. GlaxoSmithKline claims it will be ready within weeks to begin large-scale vaccine production. ...
 
 
Coming Soon: Lung-Cancer Spray?
Forbes - NY,USA
MONDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists may someday be able to fight lung cancer using gene therapy delivered by an inhalable spray. In a new study, ...
 
 
New Gene Therapy Cuts Off Blood and Nutrient Supply to Tumors in Mice
MedIndia - Chennai,India
The researchers have revealed that the new therapy disrupt cancer growth by using a synthetic protein to induce blood clotting. They tested the technique on ...
 

Cancer May Be Stopped In Its Tracks By MicroRNA Replacement Therapy
Medical News Today (press release) - UK
They delivered the microRNA to the mice using a virus that has been


Gene therapy technique thwarts cancer by cutting off tumor blood ...
University of Florida - Gainesville,FL,USA
University of Florida researchers have come up with a new gene therapy method to disrupt cancer growth by using a synthetic protein to induce blood clotting ...


Fighting Muscular Dystrophy with gene therapy
KRCG - Jefferson City,MO,USA
AP Video BACKGROUND: Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a disorder that gradually degenerates the body's muscles which control movement. It is an inherited disease ...


Source - Medical News Today:
 

Many In Congress Hold Stakes In Health Industry
"Almost 30 key lawmakers helping draft landmark health-care legislation have financial holdings in the industry, totaling nearly $11 million worth of personal investments in a sector that could be dramatically reshaped by this summer's debate," The Washington Post  reports. The list of members includes "Congress's most powerful leaders and a bipartisan collection of lawmakers in key committee posts." For example, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., "has at least $50,000 invested in a health-care index" (fund), and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-NH, "a senior member of the health committee, has between $254,000 and $560,000 worth of stock holdings in major health-care companies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck." The data was part of a "release of financial disclosure forms for the House and Senate" on Friday.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154054.php
 
New Diabetes Device Waves Good-Bye To Paper Log Books
Roche Diagnostics announces launch of new Accu-Chek Smart Pix diabetes  management system for consumers. Traditionally, Accu-Chek Smart Pix has been an information management tool used by healthcare specialists in clinics, but now people with diabetes can benefit from this advanced technology for home use. With this brand new device, manual log books become a thing of the past, and patients remain fully in control of their diabetes at all times.   The Accu-Chek Smart Pix reads results from the blood glucose meter or insulin pump, then displays them in easy-to-understand charts on the computer[i]. For the 2.5 million people diagnosed with diabetes[ii], tight glucose management is still the best way to manage fluctuations in blood sugar levels which can lead to complications like blindness and amputation[iii]. The speed and simplicity with which Smart Pix works allows patients to create reports, easily spot out-of-range readings and track patterns they may not have otherwise spotted. This can lead to better management of their condition and ultimately more freedom in their lifestyle. The results can be shared with healthcare professionals to enhance patient care.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154082.php
 
New Strategy Proposed For Designing Antibody-Based HIV Vaccine
Most vaccines that protect against viruses generate infection-fighting proteins called antibodies that either block infection or help eliminate the virus before it can cause disease. Attempts to create a vaccine that induces antibodies that prevent HIV infection or disease, however, have so far been unsuccessful. But several recent studies suggest promising new research directions for the development of an antibody-based HIV vaccine, according to John R. Mascola, M.D., deputy director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues.   These studies demonstrate that, contrary to widespread belief, it is not uncommon for people infected with HIV to naturally make antibodies that can neutralize a variety of HIV strains. These antibodies do not protect people from the virus because they arise years after HIV infection is established. However, if a vaccine could prime the body to make these broadly neutralizing antibodies before exposure to HIV, they could potentially prevent infection or hold the virus at bay until an army of immune cells assembles to limit viral replication.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153937.php
 
Expert: Adults Need To Revisit Childhood Vaccinations
"Vaccines are not just for children any more."  That is the important, and potentially life-saving message, that Geisinger Health System pediatric gastroenterologist William Cochran, M.D., vice chairman of the Janet Weis Children's Hospital, wants to deliver. And this is a message that comes from personal experience. "I am a physician, and I didn't realize that adults needed to be revaccinated for what are considered childhood diseases such as pertussis (whooping cough)," said Dr. Cochran. "And I found that out the hard way by contracting that very disease."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153810.php
 
New Treatment Option At The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center Provides Hope For Inoperable Tumors
The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center (SCCC) at Centennial Medical Center last week began treating patients with a new non-invasive weapon in the battle against cancer. The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center is the first and only cancer center in Middle Tennessee to offer image-guided robotic stereotactic radiosurgery.  "The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center is proud to continue delivering on its promise to provide the highest quality, most advanced cancer treatment options in our region with the addition of the CyberKnife(R) stereotactic radiosurgery system," said Rocky Billups, administrator for The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center Network. "With this new image-guided robotic technology, we are giving new hope to those whose tumors were previously thought to be inoperable and untreatable."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153795.php


Source - MIT's Technology Review:
 

Hospital to Collect Patients' Genomic Data
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22799/?nlid=2098

Antibody Drugs Customized by Genotype
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22795/?nlid=2098

The Human Genome: Yours for $48,000
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22793/?nlid=2098