Archive for February, 2012

The Hindu Shinya Yamanaka, Centre for iPS Cell Research and Application, Japan delivering a lecture in Chennai on Thursday. Photo: V. Ganesan

Many more diseases can be targeted, says expert

While applications of induced pluripotent stem cells in stem cell therapy may be limited to a few diseases, its applications in drug discovery are wide-ranging, and many more diseases can be targeted, Shinya Yamanaka, Director, Centre for iPS Cell Research and Application, Japan, has said.

The Japanese scientist, whose breakthrough was the creation of embryonic-like stem cells from adult skin cells, believes that the best chance for stem cell therapy lies in offering hope to those suffering from a few conditions, among them, macular disease, Type 1 Diabetes, and spinal cord injuries.

On the other hand, there were multiple possibilities with drug discovery for a range of diseases, and Prof. Yamanaka was hopeful that more scientists would continue to use iPS for studying this potential.

He currently serves as the Director of the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application and as Professor at the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences at Kyoto University. He is also a Senior Investigator at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) - affiliated J. David Gladstone Institutes.

An invited speaker of the CellPress-TNQ India Distinguished Lectureship Series, co-sponsored by Cell Press and TNQ Books and Journals, Prof. Yamanaka spoke to a Chennai audience on Tuesday evening about those “immortal” cells, that he originally thought would take “forever” to create, but actually took only six years.

“My fixed vision for my research team was to re-programme adult cells to function like embryonic-like stem cells. I knew it could be done, but just didn't know how to do it,” Prof. Yamanaka said.

Embryonic stem cells are important because they are pluripotent, or possess the ability to differentiate into any other type of cell, and are capable of rapid proliferation. However, despite the immense possibilities of that, embryonic cells are a mixed blessing: there are issues with post-transplant rejection (since they cannot be used from a patient's own cells), and many countries of the world do not allow the use of human embryos.

Dr. Yamanaka's solution would scale these challenges if only he and his team could find a way to endow non-embryonic cells with those two key characteristics of embryonic stem cells.

In 2006, he and his team of young researchers — Yoshimi Tokuzawa, Kazutoshi Takahashi and Tomoko Ishisaka — were able to show that by introducing four factors into mouse skin cells, it was possible to generate ES-like mouse cells. The next year, they followed up that achievement, replicating the same strategy and converted human skin cells into iPS cells. “All we need is a small sample of skin (2-3millimetres) from the patient. This will be used to generate skin fibroblasts, and adding the factors, they can be converted to iPS cells. These cells can make any type of cell, including beating cardiac myocytes (heart cells), Prof.Yamanaka explained.

iPS cells hold out for humanity a lot of hope in curing diseases that have a single cell cause. Prominent among them are Lou Gehrig's Disease or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease. Motor neurons degenerate and die, and no effective treatment exists thus far. One reason is that there have not been good disease models for ALS in humans. It is difficult to get motor neuron from human patients and motor neurons cannot divide.

“Now, iPS cells can proliferate and can be differentiated to make motor neurons in large numbers,” he explained. Already a scientist in Japan has clarified motor neuron cells from iPS. “We are hoping that in the near future we would be able to evolve drug candidates that will be useful for ALS patients.” Treatment of spinal cord injuries using iPS cells has showed good results in mice and monkey specimens, and it is likely that in two or three years, scientists will be ready to start treatment for humans.

Toxicology, or drug side effects, is another area where iPS cells can be of use. Testing drug candidates directly on patients can be extremely dangerous. However, iPS cells can be differentiated into the requisite cell type, and the drugs tested on them for reactions. And yet, as wonderful as they may seem, iPS cells do have drawbacks, and there are multiple challenges to be faced before the technology can be applied to medicine. Are they equivalent and indistinguishable from ES cells? For a technology that has been around for only five years, the questions remain about safety. Also to derive patient-specific iPS cells, the process is time, and money-consuming, Prof. Yamanaka pointed out.

There are however, solutions in the offing, for the man who made the world's jaw drop with his discovery. One would be to create an iPS cell bank, where iPS cells could be created in advance from healthy volunteers donating peripheral blood, and skin fibroblasts, apart from frozen cord blood. The process of setting a rigorous quality control mechanism to select the best and safest iPS clones is on and would be complete within a year or two. “Many scientists are studying iPS cells across the world, and I'm optimistic that because of these efforts, we can overcome the challenges of iPS, and contribute to newer treatments for intractable diseases,” Prof. Yamanaka said.

N. Ram, Director, Kasturi & Sons Limited, introduced the speaker. Mariam Ram, managing director, TNQ India; and Emilie Marcus, executive editor, Cell Press, spoke.

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“Wide-ranging applications for pluripotent stem cells”

By Maureen Salamon
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Treating stroke patients with stem cells taken from their own bone marrow appears to safely help them regain some of their lost abilities, two small new studies suggest.

Indian researchers observed mixed results in the extent of stroke patients' improvements, with one study showing marked gains in daily activities, such as feeding, dressing and movement, and the other study noting these improvements to be statistically insignificant. But patients seemed to safely tolerate the treatments in both experiments with no ill effects, study authors said.

"The results are encouraging to know but we need a larger, randomized study for more definitive conclusions," said Dr. Rohit Bhatia, a professor of neurology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, and author of one of the studies. "Many questions -- like timing of transplantation, type of cells, mode of transplantation, dosage [and] long-term safety -- need answers before it can be taken from bench to bedside."

The studies are scheduled to be presented Wednesday and Thursday at the American Stroke Association's annual meeting in New Orleans.

Stem cells -- unspecialized cells from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood or human embryos that can change into cells with specific functions -- have been explored as potential therapies for a host of diseases and conditions, including cancer and strokes.

In one of the current studies, 120 moderately affected stroke patients ranging from 18 to 75 years old were split into two groups, with half infused intravenously with stem cells harvested from their hip bones and half serving as controls. About 73 percent of the stem cell group achieved "assisted independence" after six months, compared with 61 percent of the control group, but the difference wasn't considered statistically significant.

In the other study, presented by Bhatia, 40 patients whose stroke occurred between three and 12 months prior were also split into two groups, with half receiving stem cells, which were dissolved in saline and infused over several hours. When compared to controls, stroke patients receiving stem cell therapy showed statistically significant improvements in feeding, dressing and mobility, according to the study. On functional MRI scans, the stem cell recipients also demonstrated an increase in brain activity in regions that control movement planning and motor function.

Neither study yielded adverse effects on patients, which could include tumor development.

But Dr. Matthew Fink, chief of the division of stroke and critical care neurology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, said that the therapy's safety is the only thing the two studies seemed to demonstrate.

"The thing to keep in mind is that these are really phase one trials," said Fink, also a professor of neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College. "I'm concerned that people get the idea that now stem cell treatment is available for stroke, and that's not the case."

Fink noted that the cells taken from study participants' hip bones can only be characterized as "bone marrow aspirates" since the authors didn't prove that actual stem cells were extracted.

"They haven't really analyzed if they're stem cells and what they turn into when they go into circulation," he added. "The best way to look at this is, it's very preliminary . . . when patients come to me to talk about it, I'm going to tell them it's years away before we know if this is going to work."

Studies presented at scientific conferences should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

SOURCES: Rohit Bhatia, M.D., professor, neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi; Matthew Fink, M.D., professor of neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, and chief, division of stroke and critical care neurology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York City; abstracts from American Stroke Association, annual meeting, Feb. 1-2, 2012, New Orleans

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Stem Cell Therapy Shows Promise for Stroke, Studies Say

This is one of the first examples in infectious disease of where an individual's genetic profile can determine which drug will work best for them – the idea of personalised medicine that is gradually becoming familiar in cancer medicine.

The scientists found that people generate an immune response to tuberculosis that is 'too much', 'too little' or 'just right', according to what versions they have of the LTA4H gene.

The findings indicate that patients are likely to benefit from different drug treatments depending on their LTA4H gene profile.

Furthermore, the researchers show that steroids used as part of the standard treatment for the most severe form of tuberculosis, TB meningitis, only benefit some patients.

The results of the study, part-funded by the Wellcome Trust, are published in the journal Cell.

Tuberculosis is a major cause of death worldwide, with an estimated 9.4 million cases and 1.7 million deaths in 2009. The disease is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria and differs according to where the infection takes hold. Most TB affects the lungs, but around 40% of cases involve disease elsewhere. In perhaps 1% of cases, TB affects the brain. This form of the disease, TB meningitis, is the most serious. It is hard to diagnose and treat, and even with treatment it is often fatal.

The standard treatment for TB meningitis involves a range of antibiotics to try and kill the bacteria, and the steroid dexamethasone to dampen inflammation – the body's response to tuberculosis infection that can be almost as much of a problem.

The new study combines work in zebrafish at the University of Washington, Seattle to identify genes and biological pathways involved in the immune response to TB, with clinical research work in collaboration with Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital, the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam.

The scientists identified a gene in zebrafish associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis, which controlled the balance of the inflammatory response. Variations in the DNA code in this gene could alter different biological pathways, leading either to too much inflammation or too little. Both too much and too little inflammation were problems, allowing the tuberculosis bacteria to thrive and multiply.

The researchers showed that blocking the appropriate biological pathway with drugs could restore just the right level of inflammatory response.

The researchers based in Vietnam then went back to samples from a previous clinical trial in over 500 patients with TB meningitis. They showed changes at a single position in the human LTA4H gene were associated with treatment response.

Only those having LTA4H genes that led to too much inflammation benefitted from the use of the steroid dexamethasone.

There is some suggestion that the steroid could have an adverse effect for those whose LTA4H genes already lead them to have a reduced inflammatory response, though the result is not statistically significant.

'It's like a "Goldilocks" gene. Depending on what versions of the LTA4H gene you have inherited, you could see an inflammatory response to tuberculosis that is "too much", "too little", or "just right",' explains Dr Sarah Dunstan Head of Human Genetics of Oxford University Vietnam. 'You are likely to benefit most from a treatment tailored to your own genes.'

Dr Guy Thwaites of King's College London and who lead the clinical study in Vietnam on a Wellcome Trust Fellowship says: 'This is a fundamental discovery. It is now possible to think about the use of simple but rapid genetic tests to determine how people will respond to tuberculosis infection and whether they would benefit from steroids.'

'The findings could apply much more widely than just in TB meningitis, or other forms of tuberculosis,' adds Dr Thwaites. 'Since the inflammation pathways governed by the LTA4H gene are central to many infections, there could be implications for many diseases.'

'This study highlights the power of really good clinical research supported through Wellcome Trust Fellowships and linked with some of the very best scientists in the world in Vietnam and the USA, which can bring immediate benefits to patients and also point the way to develop better, more targeted drugs to treat people with tuberculosis in the future,' says Professor Jeremy Farrar who leads the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam. 'The idea that a patient's genes can determine what treatment they will benefit from is pretty novel outside of cancer. Nothing like this has been seen before in infectious disease. Now we need to see if we can use this to help patients with this devastating disease'

More information: 'Host genotype-specific therapies can optimise the inflammatory response to mycobacterial infections', by David Tobin et al., Cell (2012).

Provided by King's College London (news : web)

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'Goldilocks' gene could determine best treatment for tuberculosis patients

Public release date: 2-Feb-2012
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Contact: Katherine Barnes
katherine.barnes@kcl.ac.uk
44-020-784-83076
King's College London

'Goldilocks' gene could determine best treatment for TB patients Tuberculosis patients may receive treatments in the future according to what version they have of a single 'Goldilocks' gene, says an international research team from Oxford University, King's College London, Vietnam and the USA.

This is one of the first examples in infectious disease of where an individual's genetic profile can determine which drug will work best for them ? the idea of personalised medicine that is gradually becoming familiar in cancer medicine.

The scientists found that people generate an immune response to tuberculosis that is 'too much', 'too little' or 'just right', according to what versions they have of the LTA4H gene.

The findings indicate that patients are likely to benefit from different drug treatments depending on their LTA4H gene profile.

Furthermore, the researchers show that steroids used as part of the standard treatment for the most severe form of tuberculosis, TB meningitis, only benefit some patients.

The results of the study, part-funded by the Wellcome Trust, are published in the journal Cell.

Tuberculosis is a major cause of death worldwide, with an estimated 9.4 million cases and 1.7 million deaths in 2009. The disease is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria and differs according to where the infection takes hold. Most TB affects the lungs, but around 40% of cases involve disease elsewhere. In perhaps 1% of cases, TB affects the brain. This form of the disease, TB meningitis, is the most serious. It is hard to diagnose and treat, and even with treatment it is often fatal.

The standard treatment for TB meningitis involves a range of antibiotics to try and kill the bacteria, and the steroid dexamethasone to dampen inflammation ? the body's response to tuberculosis infection that can be almost as much of a problem.

The new study combines work in zebrafish at the University of Washington, Seattle to identify genes and biological pathways involved in the immune response to TB, with clinical research work in collaboration with Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital, the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam.

The scientists identified a gene in zebrafish associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis, which controlled the balance of the inflammatory response. Variations in the DNA code in this gene could alter different biological pathways, leading either to too much inflammation or too little. Both too much and too little inflammation were problems, allowing the tuberculosis bacteria to thrive and multiply.

The researchers showed that blocking the appropriate biological pathway with drugs could restore just the right level of inflammatory response.

The researchers based in Vietnam then went back to samples from a previous clinical trial in over 500 patients with TB meningitis. They showed changes at a single position in the human LTA4H gene were associated with treatment response.

Only those having LTA4H genes that led to too much inflammation benefitted from the use of the steroid dexamethasone.

There is some suggestion that the steroid could have an adverse effect for those whose LTA4H genes already lead them to have a reduced inflammatory response, though the result is not statistically significant.

'It's like a "Goldilocks" gene. Depending on what versions of the LTA4H gene you have inherited, you could see an inflammatory response to tuberculosis that is "too much", "too little", or "just right",' explains Dr Sarah Dunstan Head of Human Genetics of Oxford University Vietnam. 'You are likely to benefit most from a treatment tailored to your own genes.'

Dr Guy Thwaites of King's College London and who lead the clinical study in Vietnam on a Wellcome Trust Fellowship says: 'This is a fundamental discovery. It is now possible to think about the use of simple but rapid genetic tests to determine how people will respond to tuberculosis infection and whether they would benefit from steroids.'

'The findings could apply much more widely than just in TB meningitis, or other forms of tuberculosis,' adds Dr Thwaites. 'Since the inflammation pathways governed by the LTA4H gene are central to many infections, there could be implications for many diseases.'

'This study highlights the power of really good clinical research supported through Wellcome Trust Fellowships and linked with some of the very best scientists in the world in Vietnam and the USA, which can bring immediate benefits to patients and also point the way to develop better, more targeted drugs to treat people with tuberculosis in the future,' says Professor Jeremy Farrar who leads the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam. 'The idea that a patient's genes can determine what treatment they will benefit from is pretty novel outside of cancer. Nothing like this has been seen before in infectious disease. Now we need to see if we can use this to help patients with this devastating disease'

###

For more information please contact:

Dr Sarah Dunstan of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam on: 84-90-810-7807 or sdunstan@oucru.org

Dr Guy Thwaites of King's College London on: 07818-040689 or guy.thwaites@btinternet.com

Professor Jeremy Farrar of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam on: 84-83-836-2225 or jfarrar@oucru.org

Or the University of Oxford press office on 44-1865-280530 or press.office@admin.ox.ac.uk

Notes to Editors

* The paper 'Host genotype-specific therapies can optimise the inflammatory response to mycobacterial infections' by David Tobin and colleagues is to be published in the journal Cell with the embargo of 17:00 UK time / 12:00 noon US Eastern time on Thursday 2 February 2012.

* The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust's breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk

* King's College London is one of the top 30 universities in the world (2011/12 QS World University Rankings), and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King's has nearly 23,500 students (of whom more than 9,000 are graduate students) from nearly 140 countries, and some 6,000 employees. King's is in the second phase of a ?1 billion redevelopment programme which is transforming its estate.

King's has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for British universities, 23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of British universities; over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in the UK in their field and can thus be classed as world leading. The College is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of nearly ?450 million.

King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine, nursing and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe; no university has more Medical Research Council Centres.

King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King's Health Partners. King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering global collaboration between one of the world's leading research-led universities and three of London's most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and comprehensive mental health services. For more information, visit: http://www.kingshealthpartners.org.

* Oxford University's Medical Sciences Division is one of the largest biomedical research centres in Europe, with over 2,500 people involved in research and more than 2,800 students. The University is rated the best in the world for medicine, and it is home to the UK's top-ranked medical school.

From the genetic and molecular basis of disease to the latest advances in neuroscience, Oxford is at the forefront of medical research. It has one of the largest clinical trial portfolios in the UK and great expertise in taking discoveries from the lab into the clinic. Partnerships with the local NHS Trusts enable patients to benefit from close links between medical research and healthcare delivery.

A great strength of Oxford medicine is its long-standing network of clinical research units in Asia and Africa, enabling world-leading research on the most pressing global health challenges such as malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS, Dengue and Influenza. Oxford is also renowned for its large-scale studies which examine the role of factors such as smoking, alcohol and diet on cancer, heart disease and other conditions.

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'Goldilocks' gene could determine best treatment for TB patients

Public release date: 1-Feb-2012
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Contact: Vicki Cohn
vcohn@liebertpub.com
914-740-2100
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY -- A variety of innovative products and technologies that promote healing of difficult, painful, and potentially life-threatening acute and chronic wounds are described in the premier issue of Advances in Wound Care, a bimonthly online publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com) and an Official Journal of the Wound Healing Society. The issue is available free online at http://www.liebertpub.com/wound

Several Technology Reports highlight products such as a negative pressure device that delivers a continuous subatmospheric pressure level to the wound bed to promote healing. Advanced dressings described in the reports can absorb fluid produced by the wound, cushion the surrounding area, and provide continuous cleansing to accelerate healing, reduce pain, and control swelling. Also featured are biological therapies that may include the delivery of growth factors, bioengineered cells, or components of the patient's own cells to stimulate the healing process.

"Thanks to the Wound Healing Society, Advances in Wound Care is a peer-reviewed forum where the essence of latest advances in science contributed by world-experts meets practical solutions in wound care," says Editor-in-Chief Chandan K. Sen, PhD, Professor of Surgery and Director of the Comprehensive Wound Center at The Ohio State University Medical Center.

###

Advances in Wound Care is a bimonthly online journal that reports the latest scientific discoveries, translational research, and clinical developments in acute and chronic wound care. Each issue provides a digest of the latest research findings, innovative wound care strategies, industry product pipeline, and developments in biomaterials and skin and tissue regeneration to optimize patient outcomes. The broad scope of applications covered includes limb salvage, chronic ulcers, burns, trauma, blast injuries, surgical repair, skin bioengineering, dressings, anti-scar strategies, diabetic ulcers, ostomy, bedsores, biofilms, and military wound care. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed online (http://www.liebertpub.com/wound).

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Tissue Engineering, Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, and Surgical Infections. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available at our website (http://www.liebertpub.com).

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
140 Huguenot St., New Rochelle, NY 10801-5215
http://www.liebertpub.com
Phone: 914-740-2100
800-M-LIEBERT
Fax: 914-740-2101

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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New high-tech wound care products speed healing of ulcers, burns, injuries and surgical wounds

02-11-2011 12:51 Selena shares her family's experience with Lynch syndrome. This workshop is part of a genomics curriculum for practicing healthcare providers developed by the Genomic Medicine Institute at El Camino Hospital, Genetic Alliance, and the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics. This workshop, the second in a 10-part series, covered genetic-testing technology; selecting appropriate genetic tests; ordering tests; pre- and post-test counseling; test costs; interpreting test results.

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Workshop 2: Fundamentals of Genetic Testing Part I - Selena Martinez - Video

23-12-2011 02:33 KXAN Medical Minute -- Texas Oncology http://www.texasoncology.com

More here:
Medical advice from Dr. Sandbach - Genetic Testing - Video

26-01-2012 09:21 Jared Taylor, editor of American Renaissance, explains the biological basis of race. Sources: Weiss, Rick, and Justin Gillis. "Teams Finish Mapping Human DNA." Washington Post 27 June 2000: A1. Print. Edwards, AWF "Human Genetic Diversity: Lewontin's Fallacy." BioEssays 25.8 (2003): 798-801. Web. http://www.goodrumj.com Lewontin, Richard C. "The Apportionment of Human Diversity." Evolutionary Biology 6 (1972): 391-98. Print. Risch, Niel J. et al. "Genetic Structure, Self-Identified Race/Ethnicity, and Confounding in Case-Control Association Studies." American Journal of Human Genetics 76.2 (2005): 268-75. Web. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Ousley, Stephen D. "Understanding Race and Human Variation: Why Forensic Anthropologists Are Good at Identifying Race." American Journal of Physical Anthropology 139 (2009): 68-76. Web. onlinelibrary.wiley.com Sauer, Norman J. "Forensic Anthropology and the Concept of Race: If Races Don't Exist, Why Are Forensic Anthropologists So Good at Identifying Them?" Social Science Medicine 34.2 (1992): 107-11. Print. Norton, Cherry. "Hidden Black Ancestry Linked to Rise in Sickle Cell Blood Disorder." Independent. 23 Oct. 1999. Web. http://www.independent.co.uk Motulsky, Arno G. "Frequency of Sickling Disorders in US Blacks." New England Journal of Medicine 288 (1973): 31-33. Print. "Hemochromatosis." PubMed Health. 12 Apr. 2010. Web. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Parker, Heidi G et al. "Genetic Structure of the Purebred Domestic Dog." Science 304 (2004): 1160-164. Print ...

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The Reality of Race - Video

CAMBRIDGE, MASS.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved KALYDECOTM (ivacaftor), the first medicine to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF), a rare, genetic disease. KALYDECO (kuh-LYE-deh-koh) is approved for people with CF ages 6 and older who have at least one copy of the G551D mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Approximately 1,200 people in the United States, or 4 percent of those with CF, are believed to have this mutation. KALYDECO was granted approval in approximately three months, making it one of the fastest FDA approvals ever and marking the second approval of a new medicine from Vertex in less than a year. The company has established a financial assistance and patient support program to help get KALYDECO to eligible patients for whom it is prescribed. KALYDECO was discovered as part of a collaboration with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, Inc., the nonprofit drug discovery and development affiliate of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

KALYDECO carton, bottle, and pills (Photo: Business Wire)

Vertex is ready to support the introduction of KALYDECO and will begin shipping it to pharmacies in the United States this week. The company will host a conference call for investors and media today, January 31, 2012, at 12:15 p.m. ET to provide more information on KALYDECO availability, price and the financial assistance and patient support program.

"More than 13 years ago we set out to change the lives of people with cystic fibrosis by developing new medicines that address the underlying cause of this rare and devastating disease," said Jeffrey Leiden, M.D., Ph.D., Vertex's incoming President and Chief Executive Officer. "KALYDECO represents a major advance in the treatment of cystic fibrosis for people with a specific type of this disease. But our work isn't done. With the ongoing support of doctors, patients and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, we're making progress toward our ultimate goal of developing additional medicines to help many more people with cystic fibrosis."

The approval of KALYDECO was based on data from two Phase 3 studies of people with CF who have at least one copy of the G551D mutation. Those who were treated with KALYDECO experienced significant and sustained improvements in lung function as well as other disease measures, including weight gain and certain quality of life measurements, compared to those who received placebo. People who took KALYDECO also experienced significantly fewer pulmonary exacerbations, which are periods of worsening in the signs and symptoms of the disease that often require treatment with antibiotics and hospital visits. Fewer people in the KALYDECO treatment groups discontinued treatment due to adverse events than in the placebo groups. The majority of adverse events associated with KALYDECO were mild to moderate. Adverse events commonly observed in those taking KALYDECO included headache, upper respiratory tract infection (common cold), stomach pain and diarrhea.

"Advances in cystic fibrosis treatment have helped manage symptoms of the disease, however people with cystic fibrosis still have a hard time staying healthy and being active," said Bonnie Ramsey, M.D., Director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research at Seattle Children's Research Institute and principal investigator for one of the Phase 3 KALYDECO trials. "KALYDECO is a fundamental shift in the way cystic fibrosis is treated. In people with a specific genetic mutation, KALYDECO helped them breathe more easily, gain weight and generally feel better."

"Together, we're changing the lives of people with cystic fibrosis," said Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. "We now have a medicine that treats the underlying cause of the disease in people with the G551D mutation. KALYDECO also provides us with a roadmap for exploring additional targeted approaches to treatment for all people with cystic fibrosis."

Cystic fibrosis is a rare, life-threatening genetic disease for which there is no cure. CF is caused by defective or missing CFTR proteins resulting from mutations in the CFTR gene. CFTR proteins act as channels at the cell surface that control the flow of salt and water across the cells. When the defective CFTR protein does not work properly at the cell surface, abnormally thick, sticky mucus builds up in the lungs. The digestive tract and a number of other organs are also affected. KALYDECO, an oral medicine known as a CFTR potentiator, helps the CFTR protein function more normally once it reaches the cell surface. KALYDECO targets the abnormal CFTR protein channels and opens them to allow chloride ions to move into and out of the cell, which helps thin the mucus so it can hydrate and protect the airways, and keeps them from getting clogged and then infected.

Because KALYDECO targets a specific genetic mutation, a person's genotype should be known before this new medicine is prescribed. Genetic testing is widely available and FDA-cleared tests are available for people with CF whose genotype is unknown. According to the 2010 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Patient Registry, nearly 92 percent of people with CF have already had their CF mutations identified.

KALYDECO by itself works in a subset of people with CF, but research is ongoing to explore a similar targeted approach using a combination of medicines, including KALYDECO, to treat the most common form of the disease.

Helping People with CF Get KALYDECO

The people who work at Vertex understand that medicines can only help patients who can get them. To that end, the company offers a comprehensive financial assistance and patient support program. A specially-trained and dedicated Vertex team will provide one-on-one support to help eligible patients who are prescribed KALYDECO understand their insurance benefits and the resources that are available to help them.

For eligible patients, the program also includes the following:

Free Medicine Program: Vertex will provide KALYDECO for free to people who do not have insurance and have an annual household income of $150,000 or less; and Co-Pay Assistance Program: For patients with commercial insurance plans that cover KALYDECO and who are enrolled in the Guidance and Patient Support, or GPS, program, there will be a minimal out-of-pocket obligation after which Vertex will help cover co-pay or co-insurance costs up to 30 percent of the list price of the medicine. There is no income limit to be eligible for this program.

Some patients are not eligible for company co-pay support because they have Medicare or Medicaid coverage or live in Massachusetts. There are independent non-profit copay assistance foundations that may be able to help those patients with their out-of-pocket costs.

More information about this program is available by calling 1-877-7-KALYDECO (877-752-5933) or visiting http://www.VertexGPS.com.

About KALYDECO

KALYDECO is the first treatment to target the underlying cause of CF. The Phase 3 studies evaluated KALYDECO in people with CF ages 6 and older who had at least one copy of the G551D mutation. PERSIST, a Phase 3, open-label, 96-week extension study, is underway to evaluate the long-term safety and durability of treatment with KALYDECO. This ongoing study enrolled people who completed 48 weeks of treatment in either Phase 3 study (placebo and KALYDECO treatment groups) and met other eligibility criteria. KALYDECO will be taken as one 150-mg tablet twice daily (every 12 hours).

Vertex retains worldwide rights to develop and commercialize KALYDECO. In October 2011, Vertex submitted a marketing authorization application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for KALYDECO and has received agreement from the EMA for accelerated assessment in Europe. The EMA regulatory review is ongoing.

Indication and Important Safety Information

KALYDECO is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients ages 6 years and older who have a certain mutation in their CF gene called the G551D mutation.

KALYDECO is not for use in people with CF due to other mutations in the CF gene. It is not effective in CF patients with two copies of the F508del mutation (F508del/F508del) in the CF gene.

It is not known if KALYDECO is safe and effective in children under 6 years of age.

KALYDECO should not be used with certain medicines, including the antibiotics rifampin and rifabutin; seizure medications (phenobarbital, carbamazepine, or phenytoin); and the herbal supplement St. John's Wort.

KALYDECO can cause serious side effects. High liver enzymes in the blood have occurred in patients taking KALYDECO. Regular assessment is recommended.

The most common side effects associated with KALYDECO include headache; upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) including sore throat, nasal or sinus congestion, and runny nose; stomach (abdominal) pain; diarrhea; rash; nausea; and dizziness.

These are not all the possible side effects of KALYDECO. Patients should tell their healthcare providers about any side effect that bothers them or doesn't go away.

Please see full Prescribing Information for KALYDECO at http://www.KALYDECO.com.

Conference Call for Media and Investors

Vertex will host a conference call and webcast today, January 31, 2012 at 12:15 p.m. ET to provide more information about today's approval, the price of KALYDECO and Vertex's new financial assistance and patient support program. The conference call will be webcast live and a link to the webcast may be accessed from the ‘Events & Presentations' page of Vertex's website at http://www.vrtx.com.

To listen to the live call on the telephone, dial 1-877-250-8889 (United States and Canada) or 1-720-545-0001 (International). To ensure a timely connection, it is recommended that users register at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled webcast.

The conference ID number for the live call and replay is 48426093.

The call will be available for replay via telephone commencing January 31, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. ET running through 5:00 p.m. ET on February 7, 2012. The replay phone number for the United States and Canada is 1-855-859-2056. The international replay number is 1-404-537-3406.

Following the live webcast, an archived version will be available on Vertex's website until 5:00 p.m. ET on February 14, 2012. Vertex is also providing a podcast MP3 file available for download on the Vertex website at http://www.vrtx.com.

About Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a rare, life-threatening genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 people in the United States and 70,000 people worldwide. Today, the median predicted age of survival for a person with CF is approximately 38 years but the median age of death remains in the mid-20s. There are more than 1,800 known mutations in the CFTR gene. Some of these mutations, which can be determined by a genetic, or genotyping test, lead to CF by creating non-working or too few CFTR proteins at the cell surface. The absence of working CFTR proteins results in poor flow of salt and water across cell membranes in a number of organs, including the lungs. This leads to the buildup of abnormally thick, sticky mucus that can cause chronic lung infections and progressive lung damage.

In some people, CFTR proteins are present at the cell surface but do not work properly. One type of this dysfunction is known as the G551D mutation. Approximately 4 percent of those with CF, or about 1,200 people in the United States, are believed to have this mutation. An estimated 1,000 people in Europe have the G551D mutation.

In people with the most common mutation in the CFTR gene, F508del, the CFTR protein does not reach the cell surface in normal amounts and the CFTR proteins that reach the surface do not work correctly. Nearly 90 percent of people with CF have at least one copy of the F508del mutation; approximately half of those with CF have two copies. KALYDECO is not effective in CF patients who have two copies of the F508del mutation in the CFTR gene.

Vertex's Ongoing CF Research and Development Program

KALYDECO has been approved by the FDA for people with CF ages 6 and older who have at least one copy of the G551D mutation. Vertex is planning to begin additional studies this year to evaluate KALYDECO in children with CF as young as 2 years old and in people with CF who have the R117H mutation or gating mutations that were not evaluated in the previous Phase 3 studies.

Enrollment is ongoing in the second part of a Phase 2 clinical trial of combination regimens of KALYDECO and VX-809, a CFTR corrector, in people with the most common mutation in CF, known as F508del. In addition, the company plans to begin Phase 2 development of VX-661, a second CFTR corrector, in the first quarter of 2012.

Collaborative History with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, Inc. (CFFT)

Vertex initiated its CF research program in 1998 as part of a collaboration with CFFT, the nonprofit drug discovery and development affiliate of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This collaboration was expanded to support the accelerated discovery and development of Vertex's CFTR modulators.

About the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the world's leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis. The Foundation funds more CF research than any other organization and nearly every CF drug available today was made possible because of Foundation support. Based in Bethesda, Md., the Foundation also supports and accredits a national care center network that has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health as a model of care for a chronic disease. The CF Foundation is a donor-supported nonprofit organization. For more information, visit http://www.cff.org.

About Vertex

Vertex creates new possibilities in medicine. Our team discovers, develops and commercializes innovative therapies so people with serious diseases can lead better lives.

Vertex scientists and our collaborators are working on new medicines to cure or significantly advance the treatment of hepatitis C, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy and other life-threatening diseases.

Founded more than 20 years ago in Cambridge, MA, we now have ongoing worldwide research programs and sites in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. Today, Vertex has more than 2,000 employees around the world, and Science magazine named Vertex number one on its 2011 list of Top Employers in the life sciences.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements regarding (i) Vertex being ready to support the introduction of KALYDECO and beginning to ship it to pharmacies this week; (ii) Vertex's financial assistance and patient support programs; (iii) the progress Vertex is making toward its ultimate goal of developing additional medicines to help many more people with cystic fibrosis; (iv) the roadmap provided by KALYDECO for exploring additional targeted approaches to treatment for all people with cystic fibrosis; (v) the ongoing research to explore a targeted approach using a combination of medicines, including KALYDECO, to treat the most common form of the disease and (vi) planned additional clinical trials of KALYDECO in children as young as 2 years old and people with CF who have the R117H mutation and gating mutations that were not evaluated in previous Phase 3 clinical trials. While the company believes the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are accurate, there are a number of factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to the commercialization of KALYDECO and development of additional medicines to treat cystic fibrosis and the other risks listed under Risk Factors in Vertex's annual report and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available through Vertex's website at http://www.vrtx.com. Vertex disclaims any obligation to update the information contained in this press release as new information becomes available.

(VRTX-GEN)

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FDA Approves KALYDECO (Ivacaftor), The First Medicine To Treat The Underlying Cause Of Cystic Fibrosis

Editor's Choice
Academic Journal
Main Category: Genetics
Also Included In: Bones / Orthopedics
Article Date: 02 Feb 2012 - 10:00 PST

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According to a study published in the online version of the journal The Oncologist, a genetic variation that increases the risk of individuals who take bisphosphonates, developing serious necrotic jaw bone lesions, has been identified by researchers at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.

Bisphosphonates are a common class of osteoclastic inhibitors that work by attaching to calcium in the bone and inhibiting osteoclasts, bone cells that disintegrate the bone's mineral structure. The finding opens the door for a genetic screening test to determine which individuals can take these medications safely.

At present, approximately 3 million women in the U.S. take oral bisphosphonates for the treatment or prevention of osteoporosis. Furthermore, each year, thousands of cancer patients are given intravenous bisphosphonates to prevent excess calcium (hypercalcemia) from gathering in the blood and to control the spread of bone cancer.

Lead researcher of the study, 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, explained:

"These drugs have been widely used for years and are generally considered safe and effective. 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."

Often, osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) results in painful and difficult-to-treat bone lesions, which can ultimately result in entire jaw loss. Among individuals taking bisphosphonates, ONJ usually occurs in those who go through invasive dental procedures or those with dental disease.

At present, figures on the incidence of ONJ in individuals taking oral bisphosphonates are unreliable. According to the American College of Rheumatology, estimates vary from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100,000 patients each year of exposure to the drug. Approximately 5% to 10% of cancer patients taking intravenous bisphosphonates are affected by ONJ.

According to prior investigations, genetic factors play a significant role in predisposing patients to ONJ. Dr. Zavras and his team conducted genome-wide examination of 30 individuals who have developed ONJ while taking bisphosponates and compared them with several disease free individuals who used bisphosphonates.

Results showed that individuals who has a small variation in the RBMS3 gene were 5.8 times more likely to develop ONJ than individuals without the variation. The researchers also identified small variations in two other genes that may contribute to ONJ risk - IGFBP7 and ABCC4.

Dr. Zavras, explained:

"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.

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."

Dr. Zavras, continued:

"At the moment, many women discontinue or avoid treatment for serious osteoporosis because they are afraid of losing their jaw bones. 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 researchers explain that additional studies are required in order to determine if the RBMS3 gene variation is seen in other racial groups, as the current investigation only examined Caucasians.

The study was supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

Written by Grace Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Visit our genetics section for the latest news on this subject. “Genomewide Pharmacogenetics of Bisphosphonate-Induced Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: The Role of RBMS3” Paola Nicoletti et al.
The Oncologist, First Published Online January 20, 2012; doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2011-0202

Source: Columbia University Medical Center

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Osteoporosis Drug Complications Linked To Genetic Factors

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM - News), a life sciences company providing innovative genetic analysis solutions, today announced that a new publication of an independent multi-center study on Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine's MaterniT21™ laboratory-developed test (LDT) appears today in the online issue of Genetics in Medicine. The study demonstrated the LDT can detect fetal trisomy 21, 18 and 13 with high accuracy from a maternal blood sample and will be published in the March issue. The full results of the study can be found online at http://journals.lww.com/geneticsinmedicine/.

"Together with the previously published results on the test's ability to detect trisomy 21 with high accuracy, this publication provides further evidence that this valuable non-invasive technology can identify nearly all cases of T18 and T13, as well as T21, at a low false positive rate," said Harry F. Hixson, Jr., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, Sequenom, Inc. "This research continues to validate the use of our MaterniT21 LDT as a valuable tool in the care of pregnant women who are at high risk for fetal aneuploidy."  

The published results represent a large international, multi-center study conducted at 27 prenatal diagnostic centers. Participating sites collected and processed maternal plasma samples from 4,664 pregnant women at high risk for fetal aneuploidy undergoing diagnostic testing in the late first and early second trimester. The results of a blinded testing of 212 pregnancies with trisomy 21 and their 1,484 matched controls were previously published in Genetics in Medicine. During that same testing period, blinded samples from pregnancies with trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 and their controls were also tested. Inclusion criteria were the same as for the earlier study of trisomy 21. 

A total of sixty-two trisomy 18 and twelve trisomy 13 pregnancies along with their matched controls (including the trisomy 21 cases and matched controls) were tested using the MaterniT21 LDT. When unblinded, the detection rate for trisomy 18 was 100 percent and for trisomy 13, was 91.7 percent, with false positive rates of 0.28 and 0.97 percent, respectively. 

The research was led by Jacob Canick, PhD, and Glenn Palomaki, PhD, of the Division of Medical Screening and Special Testing in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Women & Infants Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and included scientists at Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine, San Diego, CA, and an independent academic laboratory at the University of California at Los Angeles. The MaterniT21 test is available exclusively through Sequenom CMM as a testing service to physicians.

An estimated 1,330 cases of trisomy 18 and 600 cases of trisomy 13 are expected at term among the estimated 4.25 million pregnancies in the United States each year.

About Sequenom

Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM - News) is a life sciences company committed to improving healthcare through revolutionary genetic analysis solutions. Sequenom develops innovative technology, products and diagnostic tests that target and serve discovery and clinical research, and molecular diagnostics markets. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Sequenom maintains a Web site at http://www.sequenom.com to which Sequenom regularly posts copies of its press releases as well as additional information about Sequenom. Interested persons can subscribe on the Sequenom Web site to email alerts or RSS feeds that are sent automatically when Sequenom issues press releases, files its reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission or posts certain other information to the Web site.

About Sequenom CMM

Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine® (Sequenom CMM), a CAP accredited and CLIA-certified molecular diagnostics laboratory, is developing a broad range of diagnostics with a focus on prenatal diseases and conditions. These laboratory-developed tests provide beneficial patient management options for obstetricians, geneticists and maternal fetal medicine specialists. Sequenom CMM is changing the landscape in genetic disorder diagnostics using proprietary cutting edge technologies.

Forward-Looking Statement

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements regarding the use of the MaterniT21 test as a valuable tool in the care of pregnant women, expectations regarding the future performance, utility, and impact of the test, the Company's commitment to improving healthcare through revolutionary genetic analysis solutions, and Sequenom CMM changing the landscape in genetic disorder diagnostics, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the risks and uncertainties associated with market demand for and acceptance and use by customers of new tests such as the MaterniT21 LDT, reliance upon the collaborative efforts of other parties, the Company's financial position, its ability to position itself for product launches and growth and develop and commercialize new technologies and products, particularly new technologies such as noninvasive prenatal diagnostics, laboratory developed tests, and genetic analysis platforms, the Company's ability to manage its existing cash resources or raise additional cash resources, competition, intellectual property protection and intellectual property rights of others, government regulation particularly with respect to diagnostic products and laboratory developed tests, obtaining or maintaining regulatory approvals, litigation involving the Company, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, and other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that may change and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the issuance of this press release.

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Study Published In Genetics In Medicine Demonstrates Sequenom CMM MaterniT21 Test Accurately Detects Two Additional ...

Researcher: Genetics impacts everyone

BY AUDREY DWYER | FEBRUARY 02, 2012 7:20 AM

Popular genetics affects everyone.

That's the message of Spencer Wells, the director of the National Geographic Genographic Project, who described to University of Iowa students on Wednesday how genetic research uncovers hidden ties in society.

"It's a story about all of us," he said.

He is leading a global expedition to collect DNA samples from various indigenous human populations. These samples are being used to record history of human migrations that began in Africa and spread throughout the world.

"The average person doesn't think of genetics as being terribly relevant to her or him," he told The Daily Iowan. "I think what this study does is raise awareness about genetics to the average person who is not a genetics scientist."

Wells — who became curious in genetics when he was 10 years old in a biology lab with his mother — said the lecture was an opportunity to bring the excitement of genetics to students in all different areas of study.

He spoke at the Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., about his research experience in roughly 80 countries.

In Wells' research, scientists are able to study how the Y chromosome, found in most male mammals, traces ancestral lineage.

Dan Eberl, the director of the UI's interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in genetics, said the program helps train students to be independent thinkers.

"This enables us to expose our students to a wide variety of studies; these ideas are really important," he said.

Though the number of students in the program has remained steady over the past few years, averaging roughly 45 students, Eberl said the program has expanded significantly through the numerous interdisciplinary programs.

John Manak, a UI assistant professor of genomics and genetics, said several projects underway in the genetics program examine ways to improve medicine.

Manak stressed the importance of Wells' study in his explanation of human ancestry. The study helps answer the question of human identity and origin simply by looking at DNA.

The UI initially had a basic genetics program, but as developments in the field grew over time, the university expanded opportunities for students. Genetics has become an interdisciplinary field at the university, with officials hiring additional faculty through cluster hiring.

Lily Paemka, a graduate student in genetics, said while she feels genetics is obviously important, giving the community an opportunity to listen to a well-known researcher such as Wells may inspire future generations.

"Hopefully, we will also catch the attention of promising future scientists and maybe even convert some," she said.

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Researcher: Genetics impacts everyone

Signal Genetics, a closely held cancer testing company, agreed to buy ChipDX LLC to add diagnostic products in development for lung, breast and colon cancers.

The acquisition also adds closely held ChipDX’s technology to enable for remote interpretation of tests, New York-based Signal said today. Financial details weren’t disclosed.

Signal makes a prognostic test for multiple myeloma called MyPRS Plus, and will use its sales team to bring ChipDX’s products to market, the company said. ChipDX’s BreastGeneDX, ColonGeneDX and LungGeneDX products are designed to determine patients’ cancer risk levels.

“The acquisition of the intellectual property and patents of ChipDX dramatically expands and enhances our oncology pipeline,” Signal Chief Executive Officer Joe Hernandez said in a statement. “The addition of ChipDX’s bioinformatics capabilities drastically reduces our time to market with novel molecular tests designed to facilitate better patient outcomes at a lower cost profile.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Meg Tirrell in New York at mtirrell@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reg Gale at rgale5@bloomberg.net

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Signal Genetics Agrees to Purchase ChipDX to Gain Cancer Diagnostics

SAN MARINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Viral Genetics, Inc. (Pink Sheets: VRAL) today posted to its website a President’s Letter to Shareholders that reviews the past year and looks ahead to what 2012 holds for the Company. Highlights of the President’s letter, including key updates on the Company’s important cancer study and biofuel testing programs, are below. In particular, in 2011 our Metabolic Disruption technology (MDT) additives successfully produced significant algal oil yield increases in independent testing at larger-scale production environments; and, though later than announced, three of the Company’s most promising pharmaceutical products – its therapies for treatment-resistant cancer with MDT compounds, its treatment of HIV/AIDS with APi1177, and its treatment of Lyme disease with VGV-L – are anticipated to commence or follow up on prior FDA reviews at various times in 2012, including one clinical trial.

“2011 was a year of tremendous growth for our companies, full of accomplishments and advancements across the board, which brought along with them an exciting set of new challenges. As we have since our founding, we continue to limit our full time personnel to conserve capital with management focusing on funding our growth, while our advisory board focuses on continually and successfully advancing our science. Possibly the single most important event in 2011 was the evolution of our new subsidiary, VG Energy, Inc., which added diverse new potential areas of business for us through our majority position in VG Energy, Inc. We believe this has added tremendous current and future potential value as our shareholders now, in a sense, own two companies with equally significant potential. Understandably, launching a new company brings with it new management and fund-raising challenges and goals to be met – challenges we spent much of the latter part of 2011 addressing, putting us closer to attaining those goals,” said Haig Keledjian, President of Viral Genetics and VG Energy.

“Concurrently with the launch of our VG Energy business and its rapid growth, after years of effort by our dedicated researchers and advisory team, our drug development programs really took off and bore fruit as we found ourselves in the exciting and enviable position of having three drug candidates nearing FDA review and clinical trial status. On top of that, our oncology trial at Scott and White went from being a relatively small, single-site, more traditional 'physician’s study' to potentially a dual-site, larger study consisting of upwards of several dozen patients with a second (or 'co-') primary investigator that may be a Phase 1 or Phase 2 study. These are all accomplishments we have strived towards for years and they mark a potential new foundation for the coming years’ successes. Long-time shareholders will know that we spent many years almost exclusively focused on HIV/AIDS and to a large extent we developed our resources – including personnel – with an eye to focusing on preclinical or lab research. Last year, however, we found ourselves quickly advancing in several new areas including cancer and Lyme disease, and moving quickly towards clinical testing, meaning we required new resources and personnel. As a result of this, as is common with drug programs, we experienced some delays. New initiatives and modifications took time to work themselves out, and we had to recruit new clinical advisors. Looking ahead to 2012, however, we have an expanded team of advisors to assist management: notably, in terms of new clinical advisors for our planned clinical trials and at the board level on the VG Energy side as we recently announced. We think these efforts position the Company and VG Energy well to face what could be the most important and positive year in our history,” said Haig Keledjian.

Biofuel Testing – VG Energy

In 2011 we began the process of conducting independent testing of our MDT additives in industrial-scale algae production environments. We originally expected to conclude portions of this testing, including “dose response testing” and scale-up studies, within 2-3 months. Following successful preliminary results in the summer of 2011 which were previously announced, we decided to transition to new testing facilities because we were not satisfied with the degree of protection afforded our intellectual property rights during the ongoing product development and validation process in the initial testing. Protection of our intellectual property rights in this and other areas is critical to the Company’s long-term success. Although we believe that existing testing is sufficient to support some commercial implementation, testing and product development is ongoing and expected to continue at both contracted testing facilities and by potential commercial partners as we develop and refine MDT applications in this and other areas.

“As many of our shareholders know, there are a lot of very exciting developments going on in the biofuel industry. At the same time, the industry is still evolving and processes and products that will emerge as successes are being vetted in terms of process improvements, algae strains, genetic modifications vs. process improvement, for example. In the end, this will be determined by economics borne out through testing. Establishing those economics through testing in actual production environments is exactly what we are focused on,” continued Mr. Keledjian.

“Compared to one year ago, we now have independent and ongoing testing validating our early belief in this technology in many areas and our decision to launch VG Energy and fund this research. This testing continues as we reach out to research collaborators and potential partners, while Dr. Newell Rogers’ team continues their own work advancing this technology. Our goal now is to locate those producers that would benefit from introducing our additives to their process, which is precisely the focus of much of the ongoing testing we are conducting with third parties. So we are working through the various scenarios with as many producers or potential producers as we can, while protecting our intellectual property rights in the process,” continued Mr. Keledjian. “We have encountered situations where a potential partner’s method for enhancing algae yields using their own technology turned out to be incompatible on a molecular level with ours. For instance, in one case genetic modifications to a potential partner’s yeast strain intended to enhance yields blocked uptake of our additives. Therefore, one of the key elements of our business development model is to determine the industry players whose approaches work best with ours, thereby determining companies with whom we want to partner and reach commercial scalability, and ultimately cash flow. While this testing will continue throughout the year and we cannot guarantee an outcome, early indications of interest leave us confident that we may secure a commercial partner before the year is out.”

Scott and White Cancer Study

It is now being determined whether to commence with this study as an expanded Phase 1 or Phase 2 physician’s- initiated study with a second test site at a second hospital in addition to Texas A&M University Health Sciences Center-affiliated Scott and White Hospital. We originally expected to begin enrolling patients in the summer of 2011 for a physician’s IND (Investigational New Drug) study to be carried out exclusively at Scott and White. We also indicated that we expected this study to focus on certain types of cancer, including, amongst others, a form of brain cancer called glioblastoma. Following new interest from a potential co-primary investigator at a possible new test site – including potential expansion of the study to a more robust clinical trial under a more advanced protocol design involving more patients and other types of cancer – enrollment was delayed to accommodate finalization of the new developments including institutional reviews that are now underway. The study, which is funded in part by a grant of $1.5 million to Scott and White, will require approximately 6 to 8 weeks of treatment and 12 months of follow up and is expected to begin as soon as reviews are concluded at the new institution and, subsequently, the FDA. We currently believe this study will begin by the second quarter of 2012, possibly sooner. This study will test compounds that are part of our Metabolic Disruption (MDT) platform in combination with existing cancer treatments on patients with drug resistant forms of various types of cancers, most likely starting with ovarian cancer.

Additional details on both of these topics are available in the 2012 Letter to Shareholders at this link: http://www.viralgenetics.com/investors/2012-Letter-to-Shareholders.pdf.

Other Highlights

HIV/AIDS Program – APi1177

As a result of our pre-IND communication with the FDA in 2011, we initiated a search for and recently completed the securing of a manufacturer to produce GLP (Good Laboratory Practices) quality APi1177 for use in pharmacology, toxicology, and virology studies, and certain assay development work required to submit a full IND. We have identified contractors to carry out the preclinical testing and assays required and we intend to commence with the preclinical studies and assays once we are satisfied with the GLP product which we are now working at concluding. This progression will also accelerate several of our other programs as the molecule being used is substantially similar.

New Intellectual Property – DCA patents

In December 2011, a patent falling within our licensed MDT portfolio was awarded that is the first issued patent covering the use of dichloroacetic acid (“DCA”) in the treatment of cancer. We believe that this patent is “foundational” to the use and study of DCA for cancer treatment, an area many other companies and research entities, both in the US and internationally, have been increasingly studying. We intend to seek potential clinical trial or licensing opportunities for this patent this year. There are currently six FDA approved clinical trials in motion that have incorporated DCA into their drug regimen.

Other High Value Oils – VG Energy

In addition to the biofuel testing update above, we are pursuing other potential partnering opportunities with both commercial and research entities for a variety of uses of MDT additives in high value oils used in food, animal feed, cosmetics and nutraceuticals. The business and product development process for this area of VG Energy’s focus is similar to the biofuel process in that we are conducting testing with existing and potential producers to determine the fit of our compounds to their production methods. We believe it is possible for us to secure one or more commercial partners by the end of this year.

Lyme Disease

We have recently entered into an agreement with a physician associated with one of the leading medical centers in the country to act as the “clinical lead” for this drug program. This doctor will complete the clinical portions of the pre-IND including an outline of the clinical trial protocol, as well as possibly serve as primary investigator for the planned clinical trial of our Lyme disease compound. Other than the clinical portions (those dealing with use of the drug on humans, mostly in a clinical trial) the pre-IND for this study is ready to submit and we expect to do so imminently. Once we have finalized arrangements with the physician and his institution, we expect to be able to add more detail on these developments.

Multiple Sclerosis, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Sepsis

We continue to perform preclinical testing of these drug candidate compounds, and hope to be in a position to submit pre-INDs for each of them this year. We are also working at securing research partners, including clinical leads for these programs.

Fund Raising

Our goal is to raise $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 to achieve our 2012 goals which includes the budget of VG Energy. It is expected that this will be in the form of sales of equity or debt securities of the Company and/or VG Energy. We are also exploring raising funds by possibly commercial partnering and licensing with various third parties, and we will also continue to sponsor or support applications for grant funding of research towards the development of our products.

Annual Report

We recently filed our quarterly report for the period ending September 30, 2011 and we are now working to complete the 2011 annual report by late March or early April. The Company has recommitted to making its periodic reports available on a timely basis and intends to issue a monthly Letter to Shareholders going forward.

About Viral Genetics, Inc.

San Marino, California-based Viral Genetics discovers drug therapies from two platform technologies based on over 60 patents: Metabolic Disruption (MDT) and Targeted Peptides (TPT). Founded in 1994, the biotech company is researching treatments for HIV/AIDS, Lyme Disease, Strep, Staph and drug resistant cancer. A majority-owned subsidiary, VG Energy (www.vgenergy.net), is dedicated to exploring biofuel and agricultural applications for the MDT platform. For more information, visit http://www.viralgenetics.com.

About VG Energy

VG Energy Inc. is an alternative energy and agricultural biotech company that is a majority-owned subsidiary of Viral Genetics Inc. Using its Metabolic Disruption Technology (MDT), Viral Genetics' cancer research led to discoveries with major consequences in a wide variety of other industries, including production of biofuel and vegetable oils. VG Energy holds the exclusive worldwide license to the MDT patent rights for use in the increase of production of various plant-derived oils from algae and seeds. Application of MDT technology to the biofuel industry could potentially allow it to overcome its major obstacle in the area of production efficiency: namely, an increase in production yields leading to feasible economic returns on investment, allowing renewable biodiesel to be competitive with fossil fuels. For more information, please visit http://www.vgenergy.net.

SAFE HARBOR FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties associated with financial projections, budgets, milestone timelines, clinical trials, regulatory approvals, and other risks described by Viral Genetics, Inc. from time to time in its periodic reports, including statements about its VG Energy, Inc. subsidiary. None of Viral Genetics' drug compounds are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration or by any comparable regulatory agencies elsewhere in the world, nor are any non-pharmaceutical products of VG Energy, Inc. commercialized. While Viral Genetics believes that the forward-looking statements and underlying assumptions reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, including, but not limited to, the ability of Viral Genetics to establish the efficacy of any of its drug therapies in the treatment of any disease or health condition, the development of studies and strategies leading to commercialization of those drug compounds in the United States, the obtaining of funding required to carry out the development plan, the completion of studies and tests including clinical trials on time or at all, the successful outcome of such studies or tests, or the successful commercialization of VG Energy, Inc.’s non-pharmaceutical products. Therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Viral Genetics or any other person that the objectives and plans of Viral Genetics will be achieved.

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Viral Genetics Inc. Issues 2011 Year in Review and 2012 Outlook

01-02-2012 05:22 Specific challenges of avant-garde therapies Authorities/sponsors: being concomitantly on a learning curve Translational research: key success factors Case study: SAF-301

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Entering into the clinic with an intracerebral gene therapy product / Karen Aiach, Project Manager, - Video

Public release date: 2-Feb-2012
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Contact: ESC Press Office
press@escardio.org
33-049-294-8627
European Society of Cardiology

For cardiovascular scientists around the world London 2012 not only signifies the Olympics but also another major international event ? the second Frontiers in Cardiovascular Biology (FCVB) meeting. FCVB 2012 will show case the best and latest science from the cardiovascular arena, giving delegates unique insights into the future of cardiovascular medicine, and journalists great opportunities for covering ground breaking stories "The meeting brings together in one venue possibly the greatest concentration of cardiovascular scientists in the world," says Professor Sian Harding, the FCVB 2012 chairman of the Core Scientific Committee. "Delegates will find themselves right at the cutting edge, with opportunities to learn about innovations before they've even started along the translational science trajectory. There'll be lots of valuable networking possibilities for people at all stages of their careers."

The conference, organised by the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science (CBCS) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) together with eight ESC Working Groups and six European basic science societies, builds on the success of the first FCVB meeting, held in Berlin in 2010, which attracted over 700 delegates. With abstract submissions up 30% for FCVB 2012, the organisers (are expecting between 800 and 1,000 delegates. "With the venue having capacity for only 1,000 delegates we're hoping that we won't be forced to close registration early," cautions Harding, from Imperial College (London, UK). "We deliberately chose the South Kensington Campus of Imperial College in London to give a clear signal that it's an academic enterprise, projecting a strong ethos of the working scientist. All delegates should feel really comfortable in this setting," says Harding.

The conference, covering both cardiac and vascular science, has been designed to be cross disciplinary. "We've highlighted integrative scientific work that should be of interest to both cardiac and vascular researchers. To stimulate scientific progress it's vitally important to promote good communications between disciplines and avoid scientists becoming isolated in their specific niches. It's an approach that helps younger researchers to develop sustainable careers," says Professor Axel Pries, chairman of the ESC Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science.

Further synergy, he adds, has been created by the good mix of basic scientists and clinicians attending the meeting, with a strong translational component. "To allow advances to reach the bedside as quickly as possible we need to know from the outset the questions clinicians want answering. Equally clinicians need to understand from scientists the potential for basic science. To achieve the best outcomes we need to foster good two-way communications," says Pries, from the Charit? Hospital (Berlin, Germany).

The major themes running throughout the programme include bioimagining, degeneration and regeneration and inflammation.

Bioimaging: In recognition of Imperial College's world class bioimaging facilities, the congress will focus on advances allowing new ways to image cardiac myocytes as well as atherosclerotic plaques, and the movement of blood and formation of clots. Regenerative medicine: The programme will explore advances in pluripotent stem cells and highlight progress towards clinical treatments. Sessions will consider the potential for cells taken from the skin, teeth and hair follicles of patients to be transformed into cardiac myocytes, and the new concept of "disease in a dish" that uses stem cells to test new ideas and drugs. Inflammation: Two symposia will present new insights in the central role of inflammation in development of atherosclerosis, emphasising the potential for translation into novel therapeutic strategies.

Altogether 25 symposia have been organised at FCVB 2012 across three parallel sessions, with hot topics for reporters including genetics, vascular remodeling in ageing, therapeutic targets in calcium handling, and mitochondria biogenesis. In the symposia, presentations from invited speakers will be mixed with shorter talks relevant to the area, selected from submitted abstracts, ensuring that the latest data is presented in every field. "This format enables the inclusion of both the most recent data and strong involvement from younger investigators who'll find themselves speaking on the same platform as their heroes," says Harding. "Particular emphasis has been placed on participation from young investigators because they're the people who're continually revitalizing the science base."

There will be a range of internationally acclaimed key note speakers including:

Professor Salvador Moncada (London, UK) talking about competition in scientific research; Professor Deepak Srivastava (San Francisco, USA) giving exciting information on transdifferentiation of somatic cells into cardiomyocytes; Professor Peter Davies (Philadelphia, USA), giving an expert's view on gene regulation and blood flow; Professor Ron Heeren (Amsterdam, NL) showing sophisticated, new molecular imaging techniques of the heart; Professor Peter Carmeliet (Leuven, BE) discussing maturation of new blood vessels.

Other highlights of FCVB 2012 include a vibrant exhibition area, featuring the latest microscopic instrumentation, tissue culture and molecular biology equipment, and two satellite translational symposia featuring antiplatelet treatments in acute coronary syndromes and coagulation and anticoagulation. The lively social programme includes an informal party hosted at the student's union (Metric Club) giving delegates an opportunity to mingle with colleagues and friends on a "typical London night out".

###

Authors: ESC Press Office
Tel: 33-4-92-94-86-27
Fax: 33-4-92-94-86-69
Email: press@escardio.org

Notes to editor

Abstracts

Altogether 560 abstracts featuring the latest cardiovascular research will be presented at FCVB. In addition to abstracts featured in the 25 symposia, time has also been scheduled for six selected abstracts to be presented orally in a dedicated oral abstract session, and furthermore six finalists in the young investigator competition will have the opportunity to present their research orally.

Young scientists

Around 50 travel grants have been made available to encourage young scientists to attend FCVB, together will low registration fees for students.

About the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) represents more than 71,200 cardiology professionals across Europe and the Mediterranean. Its mission is to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Europe.

About Frontiers in CardioVascular Biology (FCVB)

Frontiers in CardioVascular Biology (FCVB) is a biennial meeting organised by the ESC Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science (CBCS) together with eight ESC Working Groups and six European basic science societies (Sister Societies). The ESC working groups include Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology; Cardiac Cellular Electrophysiology; Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Drug Therapy; Cellular Biology of the Heart; Coronary Pathophysiology and Microcirculation; Development, Anatomy and Pathology; Myocardial Function; and Thrombos
is. The sister societies include European Vascular Biology Organization; International Society for Heart Research;-European Section, European Council for Cardiovascular Research; European Society for Microcirculation; European Atherosclerosis Society; and Association for European Cardiovascular Pathology.

Frontiers in CardioVascular Biology 2012 30 Mar 2012 - 01 Apr 2012 , London - United Kingdom http://www.escardio.org/congresses/cardiovascular-biology-2012/Pages/welcome.aspx

About press registration

Free press registration is conducted online via "My ESC" supported by presentation of a press card or letter of assignment with proof of three published articles together with the filled in and signed embargo form.

Online registration is now open. http://www.escardio.org/congresses/cardiovascular-biology-2012/registration-hotels/Pages/registration.aspx#tabs-4

On-site registration opens 30 March 2012 at 7:30 hours in London

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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FCVB 2012: The scientific Olympics!

2 February 2012 Last updated at 08:31 ET

More than 100 police officers in Cornwall have signed up to become bone marrow donors.

Insp Dave Meredith, of Devon and Cornwall Police, had appealed to staff to register for the medical procedure.

So far, 110 officers in Cornwall have signed up to the register in three weeks, with a call to Devon officers due to follow.

Insp Meridith said: "I'm very impressed but I think this reflects on the goodwill of the officers and staff."

'Saving someone's life'

Insp Meredith said he decided to encourage registration after the donation method changed.

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

The bigger the pool, the bigger the chance”

End Quote Karen Archer Anthony Nolan charity

Donors register by providing a sample of saliva, and then 80% of those asked to donate, do so by giving blood, from which their stem cells are retrieved.

Insp Meredith said: "In light of those changes I thought I've really got to take one step forward.

"People were a little apprehensive at first but once they thought about it and realised the implication and that they were potentially saving someone's life they readily agreed."

Simon Wilcock, an officer in Newquay who had Hodgkin's Lymphoma ten years ago, said: "I was on chemotherapy at the time and it had worked to a point.

"But it had got to the stage where without a transplant there's no doubt that in a few months I probably wouldn't have survived."

The appeal to the force was issued three weeks ago with the volunteers required to be aged between 18 and 40, although those on the register remain on it until they turn 60.

Karen Archer from the charity, Anthony Nolan, said: "It takes one person to save a life so if we've got 110 people joining the register then that's amazing news.

"People can be waiting years for that one right person to join the register, but there are 1000s of people waiting at any one time.

"The bigger the pool, the bigger the chance."

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Police officers offer bone marrow

27-01-2012 09:48 From ASH 2011 - K. Stephen Suh, Ph.D., Director of Genomics and Biomarkers Program at the John Theurer Cancer Center at the Hackensack University Medical Center, discusses personalized medicine, genomics and biomarkers. For more information, please visit The John Theurer Cancer Center website at: http://www.humccancer.org

Original post:
Personalized Medicine, Genomics and Biomarkers - Interview with K. Stephen Suh, Ph.D. - Video

The car is crushed.

It challenged a semi-truck and lost. The driver barely survived.

"I woke up in neurological intensive care with a closed brain injury and lower spinal cord injury," Ryan Spencer said. "Doctors told me I may never walk again, let alone perform again."

Spencer is a magician. The accident happened as he was beginning his career.

"I spent the next year in physical and occupational therapy," Spencer said.

Spencer went through hardships.

The Cherokee Nation suffered hardships as well.

In 1838, close to 15,000 Cherokee Indians set off on the Trail of Tears. Men, women and children walked 1,000 miles in the middle of winter.

"How did they survive?" Freeman Owle asked. "What kind of medicine is necessary to survive something like that?"

ETSU's College of Public Health hosted its second annual event, "An evening of health, wellness and the arts," on Jan. 26. Mary B. Martin School of the Arts co-sponsored this year's event.

Spencer along with Owle, a Cherokee elder and historian, were the featured speakers.

"This is something that is so important for us to see where healthcare, science, the arts and wellness can come together," Anita DeAngelis, director of the Mary B. Martin School of the Arts, said.

Owle started the evening speaking of balance in one's life. Balance means being at peace with the earth and with yourself. Something he thinks the younger generation of Cherokee is losing.

"The younger generations are no longer learning the cures," Owle said. "They are no longer learning the ways."

The lack of balance is demonstrated in the way the different generations use medicine. Those Cherokee 60 or older use mostly natural medicines, the same medicines their ancestors used. People under 30 use modern medicine.

Owle sees this problem facing his people. He worries that balance is slowly disappearing.

"I think probably, within not too many years, the total amount of the culture will be lost," Owle said. "It's a sad thing."

The younger Cherokee struggle with the same problem other young people face — drugs. "We have a lot of kids that are OD'ing all the time," Owle said.

When a Cherokee teenager turns 18 they receive a check for about $4,000 a year. Drug dealers know this, so they give the users credit throughout the year. When the tribal payment is received, they usually sign it straight over to the drug dealer.

This causes great financial stress, especially for those with children.

"A lot of time these teenagers have babies already, and they have no money there for the child," Owle said. "So you find them hanging on a rope with a chair they've kicked out from under themselves."

Owle is distressed. The elders of the Cherokee nation are taking steps to keep their tradition alive. The future is bleak.

"It doesn't look good," Owle said. "We are going to try to teach them the language, but we cannot fight against that social need to become part of a gang or to become the TV image of a teenager. Sad. Pitiful."

Owle is followed by a short intermission. The crowd files out of the auditorium to view photographs taken by the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Dr. Randy Wykoff, dean of the College of Public Health, believes the arts are essential to wellness.

"We put the arts aside, thinking oh that's not important," Wykoff said. "What we have found is that the arts are a part of a person and it is essential to wellness."

The voice of students was also listened too.

"It was a collaborative effort," Jeremy Pickell, president of the GHHS, said. "Dr. Wykoff and I talked for six or seven months, tossing ideas back and forth."

After intermission, everyone heads back to their seats. As the lights dim, Spencer walks out onto the stage.

While rehabbing from his car wreck, Spencer realized something. Rehab was boring.

"When you're a long-term patient and they're having you do traditional therapeutic exercises that really have no point to them that you see, it's very hard to stay motivated to do those things," Spencer said. "So when I made it through my therapy I went to my director of rehab and said, ‘There's got to be a better way to do this. There's nothing about this that's fun.'"

So Spencer had an idea. He wanted to use magic as a way to help the therapeutic process.

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Spencer talks benefits of magic on therapy

29-01-2012 09:22 walkthelinetoscirecovery.com

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Paraplegic Spinal cord injury survivor Walks in Rifton Pacer at SCI recovery facility - Video

31-01-2012 18:50 http://www.singularityweblog.com This morning I interviewed Daniel Kraft for Singularity 1 on 1. I met Dr. Kraft at Singularity University where he is the Medicine and Neuroscience Chair and executive director of the FutureMed Program. Daniel is one of those people with an incredibly diverse spectrum of talents and interests for he is not only a medical doctor and oncologist but also an inventor, a technology and space enthusiast, an entrepreneur and an F-16 flight surgeon. During our conversation we discuss a variety of topics such as: Daniel's early interest and talent in technology and science; his original fascination with the Apollo Space program and eventual participation in International Space University; his passion for flying and being a pilot; his medical education and personal journey to becoming a faculty member at Singularity University; his desire to be an instigator, connector and motivator of innovation; the story behind as well as the purpose and structure of the FutureMed program; bone marrow harvesting, regenerative medicine and stem cell research; longevity and the future of medicine and health care; his greatest inspiration and concerns about the field of medicine and his belief that one doesn't have to be a doctor to improve health care.

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Daniel Kraft on Singularity 1 on 1 (part 1) - Video

31-01-2012 20:35 http://www.singularityweblog.com This morning I interviewed Daniel Kraft for Singularity 1 on 1. I met Dr. Kraft at Singularity University where he is the Medicine and Neuroscience Chair and executive director of the FutureMed Program. Daniel is one of those people with an incredibly diverse spectrum of talents and interests for he is not only a medical doctor and oncologist but also an inventor, a technology and space enthusiast, an entrepreneur and an F-16 flight surgeon. During our conversation we discuss a variety of topics such as: Daniel's early interest and talent in technology and science; his original fascination with the Apollo Space program and eventual participation in International Space University; his passion for flying and being a pilot; his medical education and personal journey to becoming a faculty member at Singularity University; his desire to be an instigator, connector and motivator of innovation; the story behind as well as the purpose and structure of the FutureMed program; bone marrow harvesting, regenerative medicine and stem cell research; longevity and the future of medicine and health care; his greatest inspiration and concerns about the field of medicine and his belief that one doesn't have to be a doctor to improve health care.

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Daniel Kraft on Singularity 1 on 1 (part 3) - Video

31-01-2012 08:03 The drug Kalydeco has been approved to treat patients with one of the mutations that cause cystic fibrosis. FDA's Stephen Spielberg, MD, Ph.D, tells how this targeted treatment represents how personalized medicine will revolutionize health care.

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Cystic Fibrosis Drug is Personalized Medicine - Video

18-11-2011 14:04 Rehabilitation Medicine Update, New "Regenerative Medical Rehabilitation" Management Procedure.The Prospective Role Of The Trans Cranial Magnetic Stimulation TCMS (TMS) Technique In Brain Regeneration And Re-education. According To The USA -- FDA In 2009 : Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Is A Procedure That Uses Magnetic Fields To Stimulate Nerve Cells In The Brain To Improve Symptoms Of Depression. TCMS - Universal Applicable Range * Applicable For A Wide Range Of Patients In Need Of Brain Functional Rehabilitation Ischemic Cerebrovascular Incidences : Cerebral thrombosis?lacunar infarction?vertebrobasilar insufficiency, Cerebrovascular insufficiency?cerebral arteriosclerosis?. * Brain Diseases: Functional rehabilitation on children with cerebral palsy, Senile Dementia?Parkinsonism. Craniocerebral injury?convalescence of cerebral infarction?after Craniocerebral Operation. Epilepsy?encephalatrophy? * Psychiosis: Depression?Neuropathic headache?Insomnia?Schizophrenia?

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Dr Aziz Denian Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation 2011 ForVideoRecordShrinked2 pptx - Video

01-02-2012 14:59 Sridhar Ramaswamy, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, discusses targeting dormant cancer cells and the possible role that they play in the development of drug resistance. Dormant cells appear in most patients with tumors. These cells are not rapidly proliferating and remain largely inactive. While these cells sleep, they are highly resistant to most types of therapy. Dormant cancer cells are intrinsically intriguing because the number of inherent mutations would denote that the cells should be rapidly proliferating. The mechanism that allows them to switch between dormant and active is yet unknown. The goal of the research is to discover the underlying cause of the dormancy, tumor progression, and the mechanism of resistance to various types of therapy.

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Dr. Ramaswamy on Targeting Dormant Cancer Cells - Video