MANILA, Philippines — The National Plant Genetics Resources
Laboratory (NPGRL) at the University of the Philippines at Los
Baños (UPLB) is undergoing a P5-million upgrading by the
Department of Agriculture (DA).

NPGRL is the country’s principal repository of genetic
resources for crops crucial to agriculture and food security.

Located at the Institute of Plant Breeding, College of
Agriculture (IPB-CA) of UPLB, the project is scheduled to be
completed by April.

Agriculture Assistant Scretary and National Rice Program
Cordinator Dante S. Delima said the project involves the repair
of facilities and equipment for seed processing
characterization and NPGRL in vitro units.

“NPGRL is at the forefront of plant genetic resources
management and conservation,” Delima said, “and repairs are
necessary to ensure the smooth flow of operations at the
laboratory which was damaged by a strong typhoon a few years
ago,” Delima said.

Project leader Visitacion Huelgas thanked DA for the support
and vowed to complete the repair, rehabilitation, electrical
work and purchase of needed equipment by April.

UPLB Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Ma. Victoria
Espaldon, UPLB Dean Domingo Angeles, and Director Jose
Hernandez also signed the letter.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala initiated the project
to upgrade research stations, stock farms, and experimental
stations in the countryside for possible funding.

“Ito ang magiging mukha ng ating kagawaran sa bawa’t lugar.
Ayusin natin ito at gawing sentro ng teknolohiya na ipamamahagi
sa mga magsasaka,” Alcala said.

The NPGRL is the national leader in plant genetic resource
activities. It identifies important and potentially useful
agricultural crops used by plant breeders and other researchers
in their crop improvement and breeding activities.

NPGRL holds the largest national germplasm collection in
Southeast Asia, comprised of more than 45,000 accessions of 600
agricultural crop species and their relatives such as corn,
mungbean, tomato, eggplant, yardlong bean, cowpea, and edible
and wild Musa, which includes banana and plantain, mongo and
root crops.

It also conducts research on the conservation and sustainable
use of agricultural biodiversity.

NPGRL also introduced and evaluated improved and superior
landraces of banana and identified cultivars that have good
potential in terms of yield and acceptability.

It was also identified as National Repository, Multiplication
and Distribution Center by Bioversity International, an
international non-profit organization that undertakes research
aimed at improving people’s lives through the use and
conservation of agricultural biodiversity.

ScienceDaily (Jan. 26, 2012) — For
years it was thought that a difficult birth and other perinatal
factors were the leading causes of cerebral palsy (CP), a group
of disorders that can involve brain and nervous system
functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing and
thinking. Now, researchers at Geisinger Health System find that
the majority of cerebral palsy causes may in fact be caused by
genetic abnormalities.

Published in the The Lancet Neurology, Geisinger
researchers find that CP -- the most common physical disability
of childhood -- is probably caused by multiple genetic factors,
similar to other neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism
and intellectual disability. The paper suggests physicians
should consider performing genetic testing when children
present with CP and CP-like conditions.

"There is a widespread misconception that most cases of CP are
caused by difficult delivery leading to birth asphyxia," said
Andres Moreno De Luca, M.D., research scientist at the Genomic
Medicine Institute, Geisinger Health System, and lead author of
the paper. "What we're finding is a growing body of evidence
that suggests mutations in multiple genes are responsible for
CP. In fact, we suspect these genetic abnormalities may also be
the cause of some difficult births to begin with."

Despite substantial improvements in obstetric and neonatal
care, the paper finds the worldwide prevalence of cerebral
palsy has remained stable at 2 to 3 per 1,000 livebirths for
more than 40 years. Inadequate oxygen supply to fetuses, known
as birth asphyxia, remains the most studied factor associated
with CP, though electronic fetal monitoring and other
technologies have been developed to detect fetal distress.

"What we're finding is even though more preventative efforts
have been put in place, like fetal monitoring, the incidence of
CP has not decreased," said David Ledbetter, Ph.D., chief
scientific officer, Geisinger Health System. "We've seen a
five-fold increase in the rate of caesarean sections, which are
done in part to avoid potentially difficult delivery, and
again, the CP rates remain steady. These findings lead us to
believe genetics play a much bigger role than previously
thought."

The paper also reports that even though most cases of CP are
not caused by birth asphyxia and those that are can rarely be
prevented by obstetric intervention, between 1999 and 2003 an
estimated 76 percent of obstetricians in the U.S. faced medical
malpractice litigation, most often for alleged birth
mismanagement resulting in CP.

"We now know of six genes that can cause CP when disrupted, and
we estimate that many other developmental brain genes probably
contribute to the genetic heterogeneity of this disorder," said
Dr. Moreno De Luca. "Many capable obstetricians face legal
action even though research is telling us genetics is the
likely cause of most cases of CP."

As the paradigm shift continues and more researchers,
clinicians, and the general population start to consider the
cerebral palsies as a group of neurogenetic disorders, the
paper states we will probably witness an increase in research
efforts, a change in the diagnostic approach, and eventually
novel therapies for treating CP.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted^[1] from
materials^[2] provided
by Geisinger Health System^[3], via
Newswise^[4].

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For
further information, please contact the source cited
above.

Journal Reference:

1. Andres Moreno-De-Luca, David H Ledbetter, Christa L Martin.
   Genomic insights into the causes and classification of
   the cerebral palsies. The Lancet Neurology,
   2012; DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(11)70287-3^[5]

Disclaimer: This article is not intended
to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views
expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily
or its staff.

References

1. ^{^} reprinted
   (webapps.geisinger.org)
2. ^{^} materials
   (www.newswise.com)
3. ^{^} Geisinger Health System
   (www.geisinger.org)
4. ^{^} Newswise
   (www.newswise.com)
5. ^{^} 10.1016/S1474-4422(11)70287-3
   (dx.doi.org)

ScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 2012) — New
York, NY (January 26, 2012) — Researchers at the Columbia
University College of Dental Medicine have identified a genetic
variation that raises the risk of developing serious necrotic
jaw bone lesions in patients who take bisphosphonates, a common
class of osteoclastic inhibitors. The discovery paves the way
for a genetic screening test to determine who can safely take
these drugs. The study appears in the online version of the
journal The Oncologist.

Oral bisphosphonates are currently taken by some 3 million
women in the United States for the prevention or treatment of
osteoporosis. In addition, intravenous bisphosphonates are
given to thousands of cancer patients each year to control the
spread of bone cancer and prevent excess calcium
(hypercalcemia) from accumulating in the blood. Bisphosphonates
work by binding to calcium in the bone and inhibiting
osteoclasts, bone cells that break down the bone’s mineral
structure.

“These drugs have been widely used for years and are generally
considered safe and effective,” said study leader Athanasios I.
Zavras, DMD, MS, DMSc, associate professor of Dentistry and
Epidemiology and Director of the Division of Oral Epidemiology
& Biostatistics at the Columbia University College of
Dental Medicine. “But the popular literature and blogs are
filled with stories of patients on prolonged bisphosphonate
therapy who were trying to control osteoporosis or
hypercalcemia only to develop osteonecrosis of the jaw.”

Osteonecrosis of the jaw, or ONJ, often leads to painful and
hard-to-treat bone lesions, which can eventually lead to loss
of the entire jaw. Among people taking bisphosphonates, ONJ
tends to occur in those with dental disease or those who
undergo invasive dental procedures.

There are no reliable figures on the incidence of ONJ in
patients taking oral bisphosphonates. Estimates range from 1 in
1,000 to 1 in 100,000 patients for each year of exposure to the
medication, according to the American College of Rheumatology.
ONJ is more common among cancer patients taking the intravenous
form of the drug, affecting about 5 to 10 percent of these
individuals, noted Dr. Zavras.

Studies have suggested that genetic factors play a major role
in predisposing patients to ONJ.
Delving deeper into this question, Dr. Zavras and his
colleagues performed genome-wide analyses of 30 patients who
were taking bisphosphonates and had developed ONJ and compared
them with several bisphosphonate users who were disease free.

The researchers found that patients who had a small variation
in the RBMS3 gene were 5.8 times more likely to develop ONJ
than those without the variation. The study also identified
small variations in two other genes, IGFBP7 and ABCC4, that may
contribute to ONJ risk.

“Our ultimate goal is to develop a pharmacogenetic test that
personalizes risk assessment for ONJ, a test that you could
give to people before they start to use bisphosphonates,” said
Dr. Zavras. “Those who are positive for this genetic variation
would select some other treatment, while those who are negative
could take these medications with little fear of developing
ONJ.”

“At the moment, many women discontinue or avoid treatment for
serious osteoporosis because they are afraid of losing their
jaw bones,” added Dr. Zavras. “There even are reports of
dentists who have refused to perform certain invasive
procedures in patients taking bisphosphonates. So there is a
great need for a pharmacogenetic screening test to determine
which patients are really at risk for ONJ.”

The current study looked only at Caucasians. Further studies
are needed to determine whether the RBMS3 gene variation is
seen in other racial groups, according to the researchers.

The paper is entitled, “Genome-wide pharmacogenetics of
bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw: the role of
RBMS3.” The lead authors are Paola Nicoletti of CUMC and
Vassiliki M. Cartsos of Tufts School of Dental Medicine. The
other contributors are Penelope K. Palaska of Tufts and Yufeng
Shen and Aris Floratos at the Columbia University Medical
Center Bioinformatics Department.

This research was supported by grant number 7R21DE018143-03
from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research.
Columbia University has filed a patent application with the
United States Patent and Trademark Office relating to a genetic
screening test for predisposition to ONJ, and, through its
technology transfer office, Columbia Technology Ventures, is
actively seeking partners to collaborate, license and
commercialize the technology.
-####-

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) was
established in 1916 as the School of Dental and Oral Surgery,
when the School became incorporated into Columbia University.
The College’s mission has evolved into a tripartite commitment
to education, patient care, and research. The mission of the
College of Dental Medicine is totrain general dentists, dental
specialists, and dental assistants in a setting that emphasizes
comprehensive dental care delivery and stimulates professional
growth; inspire, support, and promote faculty, pre- and
postdoctoral student, and hospital resident participation in
research to advance the professional knowledge base; and
provide comprehensive dental care for the underserved community
of northern Manhattan. For more information, please visit:
http://dental.columbia.edu/^[1]

Columbia University Medical Center provides international
leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, in
medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The
medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated
work of many physicians, scientists, public health
professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of
Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health,
the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the
biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions.
Established in 1767, Columbia's College of Physicians and
Surgeons was the first institution in the country to grant the
M.D. degree and is among the most selective medical schools in
the country. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the
largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State
and one of the largest in the United States.

Recommend this story on Facebook,
Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials^[2] provided
by Columbia
University Medical Center^[3], via
Newswise^[4].

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For
further information, please contact the source cited
above.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended
to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views
expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily
or its staff.

References

1. ^{^} http://dental.columbia.edu/
   (dental.columbia.edu)
2. ^{^} materials
   (www.newswise.com)
3. ^{^} Columbia University Medical
   Center (www.cumc.columbia.edu)
4. ^{^} Newswise
   (www.newswise.com)

Regenerative medicine company Juventas
Therapeutics^[1] is touting
the results from 12-month data of a phase 1 clinical trial of
heart failure patients.

At 12 months, heart failure patients treated with the company’s
stem cell therapy showed “significant” improvements in two key
measures — a six-minute distance-walking test, as well as the
Minnesota Living
with Heart Failure Questionnaire^[2], a
patient self-assessment of how heart failure affects daily
life.

Advertisement

Dr. Marc Penn^[3],
Juventas’ founder and chief medical officer, said the results of
the trial suggest the company’s therapy is “inducing fundamental
changes in the heart of treated patients,” according to a
statement from Cleveland-based Juventas.

The company’s technology, JVS-100^[4],
works by recruiting stem cells from the bone marrow to create
new blood vessels and prevent ongoing cell death at the site of
a patient’s injury.

Juventas has plans in the works for two phase 2 clinical
trials. It’s preparing to enroll heart failure patients in a
trial that it hopes further illustrates the efficacy of its
technology. In addition, Juventas has already begun enrollment
in a phase 2a trial that will assess the safety and efficacy of
JVS-100 in critical limb
ischemia^[5] patients.

Another Cleveland company founded by Penn, SironRX
Therapeutics^[6], is
developing the JVS-100 technology for a different application:
wound healing. The two companies share the same CEO, Rahul
Aras.

[Photo from flickr user kurtislizaandchauncey^[7]]

References

1. ^{^} Juventas Therapeutics
   (www.medcitynews.com)
2. ^{^} Minnesota Living with Heart
   Failure Questionnaire (qol.thoracic.org)
3. ^{^} Dr. Marc Penn
   (www.medcitynews.com)
4. ^{^} JVS-100
   (www.juventasinc.com)
5. ^{^} critical limb ischemia
   (www.vdf.org)
6. ^{^} SironRX Therapeutics
   (www.medcitynews.com)
7. ^{^} kurtislizaandchauncey
   (www.flickr.com)