Archive for February, 2012

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire -02/24/12)- A2Z Health Expo today announced it will hold its 5th annual Health Expo at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA on Thursday, March 22, 2012 from 4pm to 10pm. According to Dr. Ben Drillings, Director, the keynote speaker for the event will be the co-founder of the Samueli Foundation, Susan Samueli, PhD. Mrs. Samueli serves on the Board and Advisory Board of the Susan Samueli Center for Integrated Medicine (SSCIM) at UC Irvine. SSCIM promotes integrative medicine by providing education, scientific research and a model of clinical care that emphasizes healing of the whole person. Mrs. Samueli was honored with the UCI Medal in March 2000, the 2002 Ellen Cooperman Angel Award Recipient from the John Wayne Cancer Institute and the 2005 General William Lyon Crystal Vision Philanthropy Award from the Orangewood Children's Foundation. In 2006, Susan and Henry Samueli became the owners of the NHL franchise the Anaheim Ducks. The topic of Mrs. Samueli at the expo is: "Integrated Clinic in the 21st Century: Innovations, New Models & Challenges."

The A2Z Health Expo event is focusing on bringing together healthcare professionals, philanthropists, academicians, that are interested in learning more about the integrated clinic model. The expo aims to build a network relationship and sharing of ideas within the health community. Attendees include MDs, Chiropractors, Massage Therapists, Nutritionists, Schools & Spa owners, and general public.

Joining Mrs. Samueli are a bevy of prestigious speakers: Kerry Crofton, PhD., the author of the award-winning book, Wireless Radiation Rescue, and co-founder and executive Director of the International Advisory Board Doctors for Safer Schools; Dr. Nathan Newman, innovator of Stem Cell Lift -- cutting edge cosmetic surgery, without cutting;
And Ms. Alexa Zaledonis, who is the current chair of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork as well as the owner of Even Keel Wellness Spa.

Dr. Drillings is urging the healthcare community to come and learn about the integrated clinic model. This is a must see expo!

The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049. To register to the event, please visit http://www.a2zhealthexpo.com or email us at expo@a2zhealthexpo.com or call (818) 700-0286.

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Susan Samueli, PhD of the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine UC Irvine to Headline A2Z Health Expo in Los ...

TRENTON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BioNJ, the trade association for New Jersey’s biotechnology industry, will host its biggest and most interactive event to date for companies involved in diagnostics and personalized medicine on March 14, 2012 at Princeton University. The BioNJ Diagnostics & Personalized Medicine Innovation Summit and Funding Roundtable, part of BioNJ’s ongoing Diagnostics & Personalized Medicine Initiative, will bring together leaders from major global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, diagnostics companies and emerging “innovator” companies for a half-day, interactive summit meeting.

The focus of this half-day summit is to help participants identify opportunities for partnership, funding and growth while updating them on the latest trends, developments and challenges in the evolution and adoption of personalized medicine. All companies and individuals with an interest in diagnostics and personalized medicine are welcome to attend this event. The Summit will include company presentations and opportunities for one-on-one communication and interaction between leading global pharmaceutical companies, emerging diagnostics companies, funding organizations and life sciences company business development professionals.

“This event promises to be truly unique for those who attend,” said Debbie Hart, President of BioNJ. “Not only have we confirmed first-class speakers from all key constituencies involved with diagnostics and personalized medicine, we will also create opportunities for global life science leaders, smaller innovators and members of the investment community to network and establish partnerships that will advance the development and utilization of personalized medicine worldwide.”

Speaking at the Summit will be leaders from the global investment community, global life sciences companies and academia:

G. Steven Burrill
Chief Executive Officer, Burrill & Company

Joseph P. Hammang, Ph.D.
Senior Director, Worldwide Science Policy, Pfizer Inc.

Paul Kildal-Brandt
Global Alliance Leader, Janssen Diagnostics

Aydogan Ozcan, Ph.D.
The Scientist's Top Innovation Award Winner of 2011
Associate Professor, UCLA
Electrical Engineering & Bioengineering Department

The BioNJ Diagnostics and Personalized Medicine Committee, which created the BioNJ Diagnostics & Personalized Medicine Innovation Summit and Funding Roundtable, is also planning additional events focusing on diagnostics and personalized medicine, and will be announcing details for future events on its website.

“The increasing interest in diagnostics and personalized medicine, and its potential to transform medicine, is clear from the participation in the events that the BioNJ Diagnostics and Personalized Medicine Committee has offered so far,” said Steve Carchedi, Committee Co-Chair, Chief Marketing Officer, Medical Diagnostics, GE Healthcare. “The BioNJ Diagnostics & Personalized Medicine Innovation Summit and Funding Roundtable will be our biggest event ever, and I encourage anyone with an interest in diagnostics and personalized medicine to join us on March 14th at Princeton University,” he added.

About the BioNJ Diagnostics Committee

The BioNJ Diagnostics and Personalized Medicine Committee was created to advance personalized medicine through diagnostics by identifying and supporting partnerships with industry, academic, government and investors in the State of New Jersey.

The goal of the committee is to define and accelerate new areas of diagnostics, such as in vivo and in vitro tests, biomarkers, imaging, information systems and other innovative technologies.

About BioNJ

With more than 300 member companies, BioNJ is singularly focused on the growth and prosperity of New Jersey’s biotechnology cluster. Founded in 1994 by New Jersey industry CEOs, BioNJ serves as the voice of biotechnology companies located in New Jersey, seeks to advance their economic growth and development and works to encourage new and established companies from around the world to locate to New Jersey. BioNJ represents companies engaged in biopharmaceutical, biomedical, bioagricultural and bioremedial endeavors.

Link:
BioNJ Diagnostics & Personalized Medicine Innovation Summit and Funding Roundtable Taking Place at Princeton University

VANCOUVER - Marni Abbott-Peter has won three gold medals over years of playing basketball around the globe.

It wasn't until she got out of the game that she realized keeping her heart in good shape would feel like jumping through hoops.

The 46-year-old retired Paralympic athlete has used a wheelchair since crushing her spine in a downhill skiing accident at age 18.

She says her life, and many others with similar injuries, will be positively impacted by a $1.9 million research grant accepted on Friday by researchers to study the effects of exercise in people living with spinal cord injuries.

"I've been living with a spinal cord injury for 30 years, so for me, the spinal chord research that's based on finding a cure is not important to me now," she said in an interview after the federal health minister announced the funds in Vancouver.

"I know I'll never walk again. I want to know how I'll live a healthier, happy life."

Some 40,000 people in Canada have spinal cord injuries. Heart disease is their No. 1 killer, said Dr. Andrei Krassioukov, who will lead a team of 20 scientists, clinicians and health-care advocates in examining the best ways to shrink the number of fatalities.

The doctor is a principal investigator at the ICORD spinal injury centre, which is supported by the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health.

The five-year project, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, will design practical solutions for people with such injuries to improve their health.

For example, it will clinically test the impact of specific kinds of exercises, such as body weight support training on a tread mill and arm cycling. From there, the team may be able to tailor-make an exercise regime for those who are injured.

"Cardiovascular disease (is) occurring in people with spinal cord injuries at a young age and at higher rates than able-bodied individuals. It's a disaster," Krassioukov said. "There are obviously reasons for this."

Krassioukov led a major study of athletes during the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Games, and as part of the new study, he will head to London for the 2012 Summer Games to conduct further research.

Over a two-week time frame, his team will meet with paralympic athletes from around the world in an attempt to probe one particularly risky practice at the behest of the International Olympic Committee.

Krassioukov said some athletes with spinal cord injuries have discovered they can boost their competitive advantage by creating a spike in their own blood pressure before getting on the field.

Because spinal cord injuries are typically accompanied by low arterial blood pressure, some athletes will drink extra water before competition and then avoid going to the toilet. The result is a jump in blood pressure, and that kicks some extra energy into their body.

The practice of inducing what's called "autonomic dysreflexia" is prohibited at the Olympics, and can be life-threatening, Krassioukov said.

People who do so can suffer a stroke, bleeding in the brain or a heart attack, and ultimately it can lead to death.

"(It's) very dangerous," Krassioukov said. "But unfortunately this is a reality in the sport."

Abbott-Peter hasn't been training on the courts for seven years now. She said that without that goal of winning and a team to support her, it's been easy to neglect her fitness.

Her energy level is not what it once was, and she has also gained weight. She said the study's aim of getting out word about the importance of exercise will be valuable for people with spinal chord injuries.

"I think people with (injuries) are going to be really surprised when they hear some of the statistics."

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B.C. doctor to study heart health in people with spinal cord injuries

VANCOUVER, Feb. 24, 2012 /CNW/ - The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, today announced a new research project aimed at improving the cardiovascular health of people with spinal cord injuries.

The Minister was joined by Dr. Howard Feldman, Associate Dean of Research (Medicine), University of British Columbia (UBC); lead researcher Dr. Andrei Krassioukov, of the ICORD spinal cord injury research program at UBC and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute; and Ms. Marni Abbott-Peter, a three-time Paralympic gold medallist in wheelchair basketball.

"Our Government understands the importance of basic exercise in promoting good health," said Minister Aglukkaq. "We are proud to make investments that will allow both patients and doctors to find innovative ways to help people with spinal cord injuries become as active as possible, and lead healthier and happier lives."

The research project, entitled "Improving cardiovascular health for Canadians living with spinal cord injury: Effects of exercise and targeted education," was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

"CIHR is pleased to support this outstanding research project," said Dr. Jean Rouleau, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health.  This research will find practical solutions that will transform the lives of Canadians living with spinal cord injuries."

The announcement was made at the ICORD program at the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, located at Vancouver General Hospital

"We are extremely pleased to receive this support," said lead investigator Dr. Andrei Krassioukov.  "We have an extraordinary team of passionate clinicians and scientists working in collaboration from across the country as part of this grant. The knowledge we develop will directly translate to improving cardiovascular outcomes and the health in general of Canadians with spinal cord injury."

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

ICORD is a world leading health research centre focused on spinal cord injury. From the lab-based cellular level of understanding injury to rehabilitation and recovery, our researchers are dedicated to the development and translation of more effective strategies to promote prevention, functional recovery, and improved quality of life after spinal cord injury. Located at Vancouver General Hospital in the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, ICORD is supported by UBC Faculty of Medicine and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. Visit http://www.icord.org.

Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, a world leader in translational health research, is the research body of Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. VCH Research Institute includes BC's largest academic and teaching health sciences centres: Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, and GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre. The Institute is academically affiliated with UBC Faculty of Medicine and is one of Canada's top funded research centres, with $83.1 million in research funding for 2010/2011. In addition to major partnerships with national clinical trials, research networks, and industry, VCHRI co-hosts two national Centres of Excellence for Commercialization Research (CERC) and one National Centre of Excellence, and has 13 Canada Research Chairs and one Canada Excellence Research Chair. For more information visit http://www.vchri.ca.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is one of North America's largest public research and teaching institutions, and one of only two Canadian institutions consistently ranked among the world's 40 best universities. Surrounded by the beauty of the Canadian West, it is a place that inspires bold, new ways of thinking that have helped make it a national leader in areas as diverse as community service learning, sustainability and research commercialization.  UBC offers more than 55,000 students a range of innovative programs and attracts $550 million per year in research funding from government, non-profit organizations and industry through 7,000 grants.

Cailin Rodgers
Office of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq
613-957-0200
David Coulombe
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
613-941-4563
Lisa Carver
Communications
VCH Research
604-319-7533
email: lisa.carver@vch.ca

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Harper Government supports research on exercise for people with spinal cord injuries

Bar Harbor – Yijun Ruan, Ph.D., an American geneticist who has pioneered new techniques to sequence and map DNA to better understand cancer growth and stem cell properties, will be the first scientist to join the new Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine (JAX Genomic Medicine) in Farmington, Conn.

Ruan is currently associate director and senior group leader at the Genome Institute of Singapore and professor of biochemistry at the National University of Singapore. He is also an investigator with the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project, an international consortium of research groups funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute.
Ruan said he was attracted by The Jackson Laboratory’s famously collaborative research environment, and plans to “take a community approach to tackle genomic questions through intensive collaboration.” Through innovating new technologies and studying how the human and mouse genomes are regulated, he said his goal is to translate research findings into personalized medicine. Ruan has also been appointed director of JAX Genomic Sciences, and will be bringing his current research program and team with him to JAX Genomic Medicine.
JAX Genomic Medicine will unite doctors, patients, scientists and industry to find new ways to tailor disease diagnosis, prevention and treatment to each person’s unique genetic makeup, or genome. Ruan and other recruits will begin initial operations this year in leased space while a 173,000-square-foot permanent facility is designed and built. Construction will begin in 2013, and the new facility will open in 2014.
“Yijun’s broad interests in genome biology, coupled with his innovative approach to developing new research techniques, make him an ideal member of the new JAX Genomic Medicine research team,” said Bob Braun, Ph.D., Jackson’s associate director and chair of research.
After earning BS and MS degrees in microbiology from Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, China, Ruan obtained his Ph.D. in plant molecular biology from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he also conducted postgraduate research. Following scientific appointments at Monsanto Co. in St. Louis and Large Scale Biology Corp. in Vacaville, Calif., Ruan was recruited to the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) in 2002. Edison Liu, M.D., former director of GIS and now president and CEO of The Jackson Laboratory, credits Ruan for building the institute’s state-of-the-art genomic technology platforms and its award-winning genome biology programs.
Ruan is an author of 70 research papers and holds patents in Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom for the DNA analysis techniques he helped to develop. A U.S. citizen, Ruan is married and has two children.
In addition to recruiting research faculty, JAX Genomic Medicine is currently hiring a site director, science coordinator, senior human resources manager, facilities manager and senior financial analyst in Connecticut. Job announcements are on The Jackson Laboratory’s website at http://www.jax.org/careers/connecticut.html.
Braun notes that The Jackson Laboratory is expanding the research faculty at its headquarters campus in Bar Harbor, Maine, as well as recruiting faculty in Connecticut.
The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution and National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center based in Bar Harbor, Maine, with a facility in Sacramento, Calif., afuture institute in Farmington, Conn., and a total staff of about 1,400. Its mission is to discover the genetic basis for preventing, treating and curing human disease, and to enable research and education for the global biomedical community.

For more health news, pick up a copy of the Mount Desert Islander.

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First researcher joins The Jackson Lab for Genomic Medicine in Conn.

Newswise — The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is pleased to announce the winner of the 2012 McEwen Award for Innovation, a coveted prize in the field of stem cell research and regenerative medicine. The 2012 recipient is Rudolf Jaenisch, MD, Founding Member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in recognition of his pioneering discoveries in the areas of genetic and epigenetic control of development in mice that directly impact the future potential of embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells for therapeutic utility.

The McEwen Award for Innovation is supported by the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The $100,000 award honors original thinking and groundbreaking research pertaining to stem cells or regenerative medicine that opens new avenues of exploration towards the understanding or treatment of human disease or affliction.

“Rudolf Jaenisch has consistently contributed new and groundbreaking discoveries to stem cell biology and regenerative medicines that have changed the way stem cell research is conducted, said Fred H. Gage, PhD, ISSCR President. “Importantly, Rudolf not only has an uncanny sense of the next big question, but also conducts his experiments with such thoughtful and critical experimental design that his results have an immediate impact. This critical attention to detail and experimental design has greatly benefited the many gifted students that have passed through his lab and now populate many of the major stem cell centers throughout the world. Rudolf is very deserving of this award.”

Winner of the inaugural McEwen Award for Innovation in 2011, Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD, ISSCR President-Elect agrees. “Dr. Rudolf Jaenisch has always been on the cutting-edge of our field and his research has been a source of inspiration not only for myself, but has influenced the careers of some of our most esteemed colleagues.”

Dr. Jaenisch will be presented with the award at the ISSCR 10th Annual Meeting, in Yokohama, Japan, on Wednesday, June 13, 2012.
***
The International Society for Stem Cell Research is an independent, nonprofit membership organization established to promote and foster the exchange and dissemination of information and ideas relating to stem cells, to encourage the general field of research involving stem cells and to promote professional and public education in all areas of stem cell research and application.

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ISSCR Honors Stem Cell Research Pioneer with Prestigious McEwen Award for Innovation

NEW YORK & PETACH TIKVAH, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB: BCLI.OB - News), a developer of innovative stem cell technologies for neurodegenerative disorders, announced that NurOwn™, its autologous stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's Disease, was profiled yesterday on CNBC. In the Feature Story about the impact of Iran's nuclear threat, Israeli business and scientific leaders were interviewed about Israel's thriving economy and cutting edge technologies. Among those leaders that met with CNBC were Brainstorm’s President Mr. Chaim Lebovits and Prof. Dimitrios Karussis, Principal Investigator of Brainstorm's Phase I/II clinical trial currently underway at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.

Brainstorm recently announced positive initial results from the clinical trial, resulting in approval from Hadassah's Helsinki committee to proceed with the trial. Accordingly, additional patients have been enrolled in the study, and Brainstorm will announce additional results in the coming months.

To see the video online, follow the link at: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000074883

To read the Feature Story online, follow the link at: http://www.cnbc.com/id/46484576

Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute "forward-looking statements" and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.'s actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include risks associated with BrainStorm's limited operating history, history of losses; minimal working capital, dependence on its license to Ramot's technology; ability to adequately protect the technology; dependence on key executives and on its scientific consultants; ability to obtain required regulatory approvals; and other factors detailed in BrainStorm's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements made by us.

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BrainStorm Featured on CNBC

Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

Japan has made great strides in the fight against leukemia in the last two decades that have seen bone marrow transplants increase, while the implementation of a nationwide donor program also has contributed significantly.

But the donor pool still needs to be expanded further to give more patients on the waiting list a chance of finding a marrow match, and a better shot at undergoing the life-saving surgery.

As of the end of 2011, about 400,000 potential donors were registered with the Japan Marrow Donor Program and around 13,700 patients in total had received bone marrow transplants since its inception in 1991. Approximately 34,600 patients have sought transplants since the program started.

But many patients still die before a suitable donor match is found, and the program is looking to expand the donor pool through raising public awareness about bone marrow donations. Undergoing a transplant in time can eradicate the cancer, which attacks the body's blood-forming tissues, including bone marrow and the lymphatic system.

"I wish more people would join the program and that all patients could be given the chance to survive," said former leukemia patient Chikako Kimura, 39, who had one of the early bone marrow transplants during the program's first years.

Kimura was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia in 1991, a year after graduating from high school and starting to work. That spring, she felt constantly tired but shrugged it off as resulting from the rigors of her job.

That December, however, Kimura saw a doctor about swelling in her legs. She was immediately hospitalized and started to receive treatment, but didn't learn she had leukemia until several years later.

Kimura was not informed she had leukemia until spring 1993, when her doctor told her a donor with bone marrow matching her type had been found and encouraged to her to undergo a transplant. A year earlier, the doctor had put her on the waiting list of the fledgling bone marrow donor program.

Initially, she balked at the proposal as her condition had been stabilized through chemotherapy. But she eventually decided to take a chance.

"I was really lucky to find a matching donor so soon, given the small pool of donors at the time," Kimura recalled.

According to the foundation that set up the program, more than 527,000 people have registered as potential bone marrow donors since January 1992.

The donor pool swelled after a TV campaign was launched in July 2005 featuring Masami Ihara, a former captain of Japan's national soccer team, who appealed for more people to register. The high-profile campaign helped raise public awareness over the issue and led to a flood of inquiries to the four toll-free numbers the foundation set up.

"From the first day (of the TV ads), we had our hands full answering phone calls" from the public asking how to become donors, said Hidehiko Okubo of the foundation.

The TV campaign was later amended to use the images of actress Masako Natsume, who died of leukemia in 1985, and singer Minako Honda, who died in 2005.

The easing of criteria that must be met before being allowed to register as a donor and an increase in locations nationwide where people can register also helped to boost donor numbers.

The donor pool has now expanded to a level where more than 90 percent of leukemia patients on the waiting list can expect to find at least one suitable match.

But even if they find a potential donor, logistical or other reasons currently prevent about 40 percent of leukemia patients from actually receiving transplants. And it remains extremely difficult to find donors for some patients with rare white blood cell types.

The foundation's Okubo said trying to cure leukemia only by bone marrow transplants has its limits, and noted another kind of transplant was granted the green light in October 2010.

The procedure, which uses hematopoietic stem cells extracted from the blood of healthy people, had until 2010 only been allowed in Japan for transplants involving family members.

While 33 medical facilities are capable of performing such transplants, only two leukemia patients have been operated on so far.

The new procedure is expected to increase the number of people willing to become donors, as it involves fewer health risks than bone marrow transplants.

More than 18 years on from her transplant, Kimura now works as a nurse. "Many people have supported me. I wanted to be of some help to other people," she explained.

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More bone marrow donors sought

The method, developed over several years in the lab of Prof. Ehud Shapiro of the Institute's Biological Chemistry, and Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Departments, uses mutations in specific genetic markers to determine which cells are most closely related and how far back they share a common parent cell, to create a sort of family tree for cells. Shapiro and members of his lab, including Drs. Shalev Itzkovitz and Rivka Adar, together with Prof. Nava Dekel and research student Yitzhak Reizel of the Biological Regulation Department, used their method to see if ova could be descended from bone-marrow stem cells. Their findings indicated that any relationship between the two types was too distant for one to be an ancestor of the other.

These scientists also found, surprisingly, that the ova of older mice had undergone more cell divisions than those of younger mice. This could be the result of replenishment during adulthood, but an alternate theory holds that all eggs are created before birth, and those that undergo fewer divisions are simply selected earlier on for ovulation. Further experimentation, says Shapiro, will resolve the issue.

Cell lineage trees are similar to modern evolutionary and taxonomic trees based on genome comparisons between organisms. Shapiro and his team used mutations in cells that are passed on to daughter cells over an organism's lifetime (though not on to the next generation). By comparing a number of genetic sequences called microsatellites – areas where mutations occur like clockwork – they can place cells on trees to reveal their developmental history.

A number of papers published by Shapiro, his team and collaborators in recent months have demonstrated the power and versatility of this method. One study, for instance, lent support to the notion that the adult stem cells residing in tiny crypts in the lining of the colon do not harbor, as thought, "immortal DNA strands." Immortal strands may be retained by dividing stem cells if they always relegate the newly-synthesized DNA to the differentiating daughter cell and keep the original stand in the one that remains a stem cell.

A second study addressed an open question about developing muscle cells. Here they found that two kinds of progenitor cell - myogenic cells, which eventually give rise to muscle fiber, and non-myogenic cells – found within the same muscle are more closely related than similar cells in different muscles.

One immediate advantage of the cell lineage analysis method developed by Shapiro's team is that it is non-invasive and retrospective, and as such can be applied to the study of human cell lineages. Most other studies of development rely on genetically engineered lab animals in which the stem cells are tagged with fluorescent markers. In addition to providing a powerful new research method that does not rely on such markers, Shapiro believes that it could one day be adapted as a diagnostic tool that might, for instance, reveal the history of an individual's cancer and help doctors determine the best course of treatment.

Provided by Weizmann Institute of Science (news : web)

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Lineage trees reveal cells' histories

This video is not supported by your browser at this time.

Claire Cox: “The identification of the factors involved in controlling these populations and thus epidermal maintenance is highly valuable. Not only will it provide information as to how a complex tissue is organized and controlled, the principles that are learnt can be applied to other tissues. Through the work that I am completing, I hope that I can also gain a perspective as to what goes wrong in disease processes such as skin cancer. Skin cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world, and understanding what goes wrong and the factors involved could potentially lead to new ideas as to prevention and treatment.”

The image is 700µm in width – this is about the size of the full stop in this sentence. About 5000 cells would fit on the surface of a full stop.

Under the Microscope is a collection of videos that show glimpses of the natural and man-made world in stunning close-up. They are released every Monday and Thursday and you can see them here: http://bit.ly/A6bwCE

Provided by University of Cambridge (news : web)

Link:
Under the Microscope #10 - Mouse tail skin

NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Radiation Therapy in Oncology Drug Pipeline Update 2012

http://www.reportlinker.com/p0284931/Radiation-Therapy-in-Oncology-Drug-Pipeline-Update-2012.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Therapy

This drug pipeline update is structured around radiolabeled drugs, radiosensitizers and radioprotective compounds.

There are today 318 companies plus partners developing 335 radiation therapy drugs in 663 developmental projects in cancer. In addition, there are 6 suspended drugs and the accumulated number of ceased drugs over the last years amount to another 123 drugs. Radiation Therapy In Oncology Drug Pipeline Update lists all drugs and gives you a progress analysis on each one of them. Identified drugs are linked to 172 different targets. These targets are further categorized on in the software application by 51 classifications of molecular function and with pathway referrals to BioCarta, KEGG and NetPath.

How May Drug Pipeline Update Be of Use?

* Show investors/board/management that you are right on top of drug development progress in your therapeutic area.

* Find competitors, collaborations partners, M&A candidates etc.

* Jump start competitive drug intelligence operations

* Excellent starting point for world wide benchmarking

* Compare portfolio and therapy focus with your peers

* Speed up pro-active in-/out licensing strategy work

* Fast and easy way of tracking drugs using search engines; just one click from inside the application and you may search the World Wide Web and PubMed for any drug.

Drug Pipeline Update is delivered to you as a downloadable application, which requires no installation on your computer. Please read more about application features and system requirements below.

Drug Pipeline Update at a Glance

Investigators

Includes more than 318 principal investigators plus their collaborators. There is direct access from inside the application to web pages of all principal investigators.

Note: You are able to sort and find drugs according to investigators and partners from drop-down menus in the application. You may also sort and find drugs according to country of investigator.

Drug name & Synonyms

Lists commercial, generic and code names for drugs.

Developmental stage

This Drug Pipeline Update contains 335 radiation therapy drugs in development, which have a total of 663 developmental projects in cancer. In addition there are suspended and ceased drugs.

Pipeline Breakdown According to Number of Drugs

Marketed# 89

Registered# 1

Pre-registration# 5

Phase III# 36

Phase II# 93

Phase I# 66

Preclinical# 115

No Data# 1

Suspended# 6

Ceased# 123

Note: You are able to sort and find drugs according to developmental stage from drop-down menu in the application.

Indications

Included radiation therapy drugs are also in development for 245 other indications, where of 81 are different cancer indications.

Note: You are able to find and sort drugs according to type of indication from drop-down menu in the application.

Targets

Identified drugs are linked to more than 172 different targets, divided into 51 classifications of molecular function:

- ATPase activity

- Carboxypeptidase activity

- Catalytic activity

- Cell adhesion molecule activity

- Chaperone activity

- Chemokine activity

- Complement activity

- Cytokine activity

- Cytoskeletal protein binding

- DNA binding

- DNA repair protein

- DNA topoisomerase activity

- DNA-directed DNA polymerase activity

- DNA-methyltransferase activity

- Extracellular matrix structural constituent

- G-protein coupled receptor activity

- Glutathione transferase activity

- Growth factor activity

- Growth factor binding

- GTPase activator activity

- Hydrolase activity

- Intracellular ligand-gated ion channel activity

- Ion channel activity

- Kinase activity

- Ligand-dependent nuclear receptor activity

- Ligase activity

- Lipid kinase activity

- Lipid phosphatase activity

- Metallopeptidase activity

- MHC class I receptor activity

- Molecular function unknown

- Oxidoreductase activity

- Peptide hormone

- Phosphoric diester hydrolase activity

- Protease inhibitor activity

- Protein serine/threonine kinase activity

- Protein threonine/tyrosine kinase activity

- Protein-tyrosine kinase activity

- Receptor activity

- Receptor binding

- Receptor signaling complex scaffold activity

- Receptor signaling protein serine/threonine kinase activity

- Serine-type peptidase activity

- Structural constituent of cytoskeleton

- Superoxide dismutase activity

- Transcription factor activity

- Transferase activity

- Transmembrane receptor activity

- Transmembrane receptor protein tyrosine kinase activity

- Transporter activity

- Ubiquitin-specific protease activity

Identified targets are categorized into 20 different primary and alternate sub-cellular localizations:

- Cell surface

- Centrosome

- Clathrin-coated vesicle

- Cytoplasm

- Cytoskeleton

- Cytosol

- Endoplasmic reticulum

- Endosome

- Extracellular

- Golgi apparatus

- Integral to membrane

- Lysosome

- Microtubule

- Mitochondrion

- Nucleolus

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Identified targets have been cross referenced against their involvement in different cellular pathways, according to BioCarta, KEGG and NetPath.

- BioCarta# 216 Pathways

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Therapy Industry: Radiation Therapy in Oncology Drug Pipeline Update 2012

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Radiation Therapy in Oncology Drug Pipeline Update 2012

Public release date: 22-Feb-2012
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Contact: Genevieve Maul
Genevieve.maul@admin.cam.ac.uk
44-122-376-5542
University of Cambridge

The offspring of women who were given micronutrient supplements (minerals needed in small quantities, such as iron, iodine and vitamin A) before they became pregnant had gene modifications at birth as well as when they were tested at 9 months.

The changes to the genes, called methylation, have previously been associated with the development of the immune system, although this study did not provide direct evidence that the activity of these genes has changed. The research, funded by the BBSRC, was published today in the journal Human Molecular Genetics in advance online publication (DOI number DDS026).

Professor Nabeel Affara, lead author of the study from the University of Cambridge, said: "The mechanism by which micronutrients influence methylation changes is still to be worked out, but it is known from other work that the genes of the immune system undergo such changes as immune function develops, particularly in early postnatal stages and early childhood.

"These changes are part of the normal development of the immune system provided adequate nutrition is available. Where this is not the case, different patterns of methylation may occur, altering the activity of key genes and therefore potentially the effectiveness of the immune system. The result is likely to be reduced ability to fight infection and hence susceptibility to infectious diseases."

The study used DNA samples from a Medical Research Council (MRC) micronutrient supplementation trial where women attempting to get pregnant are given either a cocktail of micronutrients or a placebo until pregnancy is confirmed (approximately an 8 weeks period). The research was conducted in The Gambia where there is seasonal variation in the availability of micronutrients with an alternation between the dry season (when they harvest and food is plentiful) and the wet season (when there is less food available and therefore poorer nutrition). Individuals born in the wet, nutritionally poor season have been found to be more susceptible to infection.

Professor Affara added: "This has huge public health implications for regions of the world where food security is an issue. If we have an improved understanding of what nutrition is important and the mechanisms by which this important environmental factor interacts with gene function, we can target nutritional intervention to improve health in later life."

###

For additional information please contact:
Genevieve Maul, Office of Communications, University of Cambridge
Tel: direct, +44 (0) 1223 765542, +44 (0) 1223 332300
Mob: +44 (0) 7774 017464
Email: Genevieve.maul@admin.cam.ac.uk

Notes to editors:

1. The paper 'Periconceptional maternal micronutrient supplementation is associated with widespread gender related changes in the epigenome : a study of a unique resource in the Gambia will be published in the April 2012 edition of Human Molecular Genetics and as an on line advanced publication today, 22 February 2012.

2. About BBSRC - BBSRC is the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences and the largest single public funder of agriculture and food-related research.

Sponsored by Government, in 2010/11 BBSRC is investing around ?470 million in a wide range of research that makes a significant contribution to the quality of life in the UK and beyond and supports a number of important industrial stakeholders, including the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

BBSRC provides institute strategic research grants to the following:

The Babraham Institute, Institute for Animal Health, Institute for Biological, Environmental and Rural Studies (Aberystwyth University), Institute of Food Research, John Innes Centre, The Genome Analysis Centre, The Roslin Institute (University of Edinburgh) and Rothamsted Research.

The Institutes conduct long-term, mission-oriented research using specialist facilities. They have strong interactions with industry, Government departments and other end-users of their research.

For more information see: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk

3. For almost 100 years the Medical Research Council has improved the health of people in the UK and around the world by supporting the highest quality science. The MRC invests in world-class scientists. It has produced 29 Nobel Prize winners and sustains a flourishing environment for internationally recognised research. The MRC focuses on making an impact and provides the financial muscle and scientific expertise behind medical breakthroughs, including one of the first antibiotics penicillin, the structure of DNA and the lethal link between smoking and cancer. Today MRC funded scientists tackle research into the major health challenges of the 21st century. http://www.mrc.ac.uk

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Exposure to micronutrients pre-pregnancy associated with gene modifications in offspring

By Rachael Rettner
MyHealthNewsDaily

Scientists have identified a new gene that may increase the risk of breast cancer, according to a new study from Finland.

In the study, mutations in this gene, called Abraxas,were linked to cases of hereditary breast cancer.

Researchers have now identified more than 10 genes that increase breast cancer risk; perhaps the most well-known of these are the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. But only about 20 percent of women with a family history of breast cancer have mutations in BRAC1 or BRAC2 — meaning in many cases, it's likely other genes are at work.

The mutation does not appear to be common — it was found in 2.4 percent of families with a history of breast cancer. But importantly, the mutation was not found in anyone without breast cancer in the study.

Because the study was conducted in Finland, future studies will need to investigate how common the mutation is in other countries, said study researcher Roger Greenberg, an associate professor of cancer biology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

In the future, women with a family history of breast cancer might be tested for the Abraxas mutation, Greenberg said.

Greenberg and colleagues found the Abraxas mutation in three of 125 breast cancer patients from families with a history of the condition. This gene had been suspected to play a role in breast cancer risk because it interacts with BRCA1.

When the researchers looked at an additional 991 breast cancer patients, they found the Abraxas mutation in one woman, who also turned out to have breast cancer in her family. None of the 868 healthy patients in the study had the Abraxas mutation.

The mutated Abraxas gene prevents cells from fixing damaged DNA, increasing the risk that a cell will become cancerous. The gene may increase the risk of other cancers as well. Indeed, one patient in the study was diagnosed with both breast and endometrial cancer, and some patients with the Abraxas mutation had family members with lung cancer, lip cancer and lymphoma.

More research is needed to know exactly how much of an increase in breast cancer risk the Abraxas mutation brings. But Greenberg noted women in the study with this mutation were diagnosed around the same age as those with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations — in their mid-40s.

Women with a mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 are about five times more likely to develop breast cancer in their lifetimes compared with women who do not have this mutation, according to the National Cancer Institute.

"Identifying more of these mutations will make it easier for patients to know their risk of developing breast cancer," said Dr. Kristin Byrne, chief of breast imaging at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, who was not involved in the study. Such genetic information may even help doctors better diagnose breast cancer. Most patients with the Abraxas mutation in the study had a type of breast cancer called lobular carcinoma, which is harder to detect on a mammogram. Knowing that a patient has this mutation might mean doctors use additional screening methods, such as MRI, Byrne said.

The study is published today (Feb. 22) in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Follow MyHealthNewsDaily staff writer Rachael Rettner on Twitter@RachaelRettner.

Visit link:
New breast cancer gene discovered

Scientists have identified a new gene that may increase the risk of breast cancer, according to a new study from Finland.

In the study, mutations in this gene, called Abraxas,were linked to cases of hereditary breast cancer.

Researchers have now identified more than 10 genes that increase breast cancer risk; perhaps the most well-known of these are the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. But only about 20 percent of women with a family history of breast cancer have mutations in BRAC1 or BRAC2 — meaning in many cases, it's likely other genes are at work.

The mutation does not appear to be common — it was found in 2.4 percent of families with a history of breast cancer. But importantly, the mutation was not found in anyone without breast cancer in the study.

Because the study was conducted in Finland, future studies will need to investigatehow common the mutation is in other countries, said study researcher Roger Greenberg, an associate professor of cancer biology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

In the future, women with a family history of breast cancer might be tested for the Abraxas mutation, Greenbergsaid.

Greenberg and colleagues found the Abraxas mutation in three of 125 breast cancer patients from families with a history of the condition. This gene had been suspected to play a role in breast cancer risk because it interacts with BRCA1.

When the researchers looked at an additional 991 breast cancer patients, they found the Abraxas mutation in one woman, who also turned out to have breast cancer in her family. None of the 868 healthy patients in the study had the Abraxas mutation.

The mutated Abraxas gene prevents cells from fixing damaged DNA, increasing the risk that a cell will become cancerous. The gene may increase the risk of other cancers as well. Indeed, one patient in the study was diagnosed with both breast andendometrial cancer, and some patients with the Abraxas mutation had family members with lung cancer, lip cancer and lymphoma.

More research is needed to know exactly how much of an increase in breast cancer risk the Abraxas mutation brings. But Greenberg noted women in the study with this mutation were diagnosed around the same age as those with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations — in their mid-40s.

Women with a mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 are about five times more likely to develop breast cancer in their lifetimes compared with women who do not have this mutation, according to the National Cancer Institute.

"Identifying more of these mutations will make it easier for patients to know their risk of developing breast cancer," said Dr. Kristin Byrne, chief of breast imaging at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, who was not involved in the study. Such genetic information may even help doctors better diagnose breast cancer. Most patients with the Abraxas mutation in the study had a type of breast cancer called lobular carcinoma, which is harder to detect on a mammogram. Knowing that a patient has this mutation might mean doctors use additional screening methods, such as MRI, Byrne said.

The study is published today (Feb. 22) in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Pass it on: Some cases of hereditary breast cancer may be caused, in part, by mutations in a gene called Abraxas.

 

Copyright 2012 MyHealthNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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New breast cancer gene found

Public release date: 23-Feb-2012
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Contact: Don Campbell
dcampbell@utsc.utoronto.ca
416-208-2938
University of Toronto Scarborough

TORONTO, ON ? A University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) researcher is examining how environmental triggers might alter gene function in people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The research could lead to better insights into the disease and eventually to new treatments.

Patrick O. McGowan, professor in the department of biological sciences and director of UTSC's Laboratory for Epigenetic Neuroscience, is looking at how environmentally triggered changes to gene expression might alter immune function and stress response in ways that contribute to the disease.

McGowan's field of study is epigenetics ? long-term changes in gene function that do not change the underlying DNA sequence. An epigenetic change wouldn't change a gene itself, but would influence whether, when and how the gene is turned off. Epigenetic changes can be caused by environmental triggers such as infections, toxins, stress, nutrition, and even the social environment.

McGowan will conduct the study into the epigenetics of CFS with a grant from the CFIDS Association of America. As part of the grant, he will have access to the SolveCFS Biobank, a collection of biological samples from CFS patients.

CFS, also known as Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), is a complex and debilitating chronic illness that affects the brain and multiple body systems. Symptoms include incapacitating fatigue and problems with concentration and short-term memory. Millions of North Americans are thought to suffer from the disease.

McGowan will look specifically at the relationship between a system called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and immune function. The HPA axis is involved in the regulation of the stress response, and has effects on immune function and inflammation through cellular signaling mechanisms involving the steroid glucocorticoid.

McGowan's hypothesis is that there is an epigenetic mechanism in CFS that disrupts glucocorticoid signaling in white blood cells called lymphocytes. By studying tissue samples from the SolveCFS Biobank he hopes to pinpoint the mechanism.

###

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Research examines environmental triggers altering gene function in CFS patients

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has criticised non-governmental organisations that receive support from abroad for stalling the use of genetic engineering in agriculture and leading protests against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu.

In an interview published in the latest issue of journal Science, Dr. Singh pointed to the potential of biotechnology, saying “in due course of time we must make use of genetic engineering technologies to increase the productivity of our agriculture.”

But controversies had arisen. “There are NGOs, often funded from the United States and the Scandinavian countries, which are not fully appreciative of the development challenges that our country faces.”

Then, referring to the protests at Kudankulam, he said: “the atomic energy programme has got into difficulties because these NGOs, mostly I think based in the United States, don't appreciate need for our country to increase the energy supply.”

Asked whether nuclear power had a role in India despite the Fukushima disaster in Japan, he said, “Yes, where India is concerned, yes. The thinking segment of our population certainly is supportive of nuclear energy.”

On investment in R&D, he reiterated the view that such spending should be raised from about 1per cent of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to about 2 per cent. Public sector spending on research as a proportion of the GDP was “roughly the same” as that of other developing countries. “It is the private sector in our country which has to do a lot more.”

Over the next five years, the effort would be to gradually increase the proportion of money spent on R&D and at the same time “create a system of incentives which will induce the private sector to increase their spending on science and technology.”

To a question whether India was competing with China, he said the two countries were at a stage of development where both had to compete and cooperate.

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Manmohan criticises NGOs for protests in Kudankulam

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM - News), a life sciences company providing innovative genetic analysis solutions, today announced that it has filed a motion for preliminary injunction against Aria Diagnostics ("Aria") to stop Aria from making, using, selling or offering for sale, importing or exporting, infringing tests for detecting fetal chromosomal aneuploidy, such as Aria's Harmony Prenatal Test™, pending the ultimate resolution of the litigation.

Sequenom's request for preliminary injunction follows the lawsuit filed on January 24, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, which alleges that Aria infringes U.S. Patent No. 6,258,540 ("'540 patent").  Sequenom is requesting that the district court quickly intervene to stop Aria Diagnostics' continued infringement of the '540 patent.

Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine (Sequenom CMM) was the first to market a non-invasive prenatal diagnostics laboratory developed test (LDT) for chromosomal aneuploidy.  Sequenom CMM's MaterniT21™ PLUS LDT detects a genetic chromosomal anomaly known as Trisomy 21, the most common cause of Down syndrome, and also detects trisomies 18 and 13.  The test is available to physicians upon request in major metropolitan regions across the United States.

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 Center for Molecular Medicine

Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine (Sequenom CMM®) has two CAP accredited and CLIA-certified molecular diagnostics reference laboratories dedicated to the development and commercialization of laboratory developed test for prenatal and eye conditions and diseases.  Utilizing innovative proprietary technologies, Sequenom CMM provides test results that can be used as tools by clinicians in managing patient care.  Testing services are available only upon request to physicians.  Sequenom CMM works closely with key opinion leaders and experts in obstetrics, retinal care and genetics.  Sequenom CMM scientists use a variety of sophisticated and cutting-edge methodologies in the development and validation of tests.  Sequenom CMM is changing the landscape in genetic diagnostics. Visit http://www.scmmlab.com for more information on laboratory testing services.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements regarding the outcome or resolution of, or expectations regarding the motion for preliminary injunction, the ultimate resolution of the litigation, the Company's commitment to improving healthcare through revolutionary genetic analysis solutions, and Sequenom CMM's dedication to the development and commercialization of laboratory developed tests, and changing the landscape in genetic 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 products such as the MaterniT21 PLUS 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 newer 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.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20040415/SQNMLOGO)

Original post:
Sequenom, Inc. Files Motion for Preliminary Injunction Against Aria Diagnostics

Public release date: 22-Feb-2012
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Contact: Karen Honey
press_releases@the-jci.org
734-546-5242
Journal of Clinical Investigation

Two independent groups of researchers ? one led by Adrian Clark, at Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom; and the other led by Jean-Laurent Casanova, at The Rockefeller University, New York ? have now identified the disease-causing gene in patients with a complex inherited syndrome most commonly observed in the Irish Traveller community. As noted by Jordan Orange, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, in an accompanying commentary, the new data provide deep mechanistic insight into a complex human condition and expand our understanding of the human immune and endocrine systems, both of which are disrupted in patients.

Within the Irish Traveller community, several families have been found to suffer from an inherited condition characterized by failure of the adrenal glands to produce adequate amounts of steroid hormones, abnormal development (in particular, retarded growth), and a deficiency in immune cells known as NK cells. Both groups of researchers found that mutations in the MCM4 gene are responsible for this complex inherited condition. The MCM4 gene is responsible for templating a protein that is required for DNA to replicate itself, something that happens every time a cell divides. Consistent with this, both groups of researchers found that the MCM4 mutations associated with disease caused genomic instability, something that they suggest might possibly put affected individuals at increased risk for cancer.

###

TITLE: MCM4 mutation causes adrenal failure, short stature, and natural killer cell deficiency in humans

AUTHOR CONTACT:
Adrian J.L. Clark
Queen Mary University of London, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, United Kingdom.
Phone: 44.20.7882.6202; Fax: 44.20.7882.6197; E-mail: a.j.clark@qmul.ac.uk.

View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/60224?key=cb4664b3464dffe5841c

ACCOMPANYING ARTICLE
TITLE: Partial MCM4 deficiency in patients with growth retardation, adrenal insufficiency, and natural killer cell deficiency

AUTHOR CONTACT:
Jean-Laurent Casanova
The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA.
Phone: 212.327.7331; Fax: 212.327.7330; E-mail: jean-laurent.casanova@rockefeller.edu.

View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/61014?key=9c3e63bab008bc523ccd

ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY
TITLE: Unraveling human natural killer cell deficiency

AUTHOR CONTACT:
Jordan S. Orange
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Phone: 267.426.5622; Fax 267.426.0947; E-mail: orange@upenn.edu.

View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/62620?key=7b2cf2771a25813f75d8

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Uncovered: Genetic cause of complex disease seen in Irish Traveller community

Public release date: 23-Feb-2012
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Contact: Dr. Habibul Ahsan
habib@uchicago.edu
773-834-9956
Public Library of Science

A large-scale genomic study conducted in Bangladesh has discovered genetic variants that control arsenic metabolism and elevate the risk of skin lesions in people chronically exposed to arsenic. In PLoS Genetics, researchers from the University of Chicago, Columbia University, the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research in Bangladesh, and the University of North Carolina report that genetic variants found near the enzyme for metabolizing the chemical into a less toxic form are associated with an individual's risk of developing arsenic-related disease.

Since the installation of hand-pumped wells to tap groundwater sources in the 1970s, as many as 77 million people ? about half the population of Bangladesh ? have been accidentally exposed to dangerous levels of arsenic. The World Health Organization calls the exposure "the largest mass poisoning of a population in history" (WHO, 2000).

For over a decade, Habibul Ahsan and colleagues have studied the epidemiology of arsenic-related diseases such as skin lesions, diabetes, and cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses in this population, as well as the effectiveness of interventions to prevent toxicity. In this new study, nearly 3,000 Bangladeshis were genotyped for variants throughout the genome, in a search for answers as to why some individuals appear to be at higher risk for developing disease after arsenic exposure.

The research team found genetic variants associated with arsenic metabolite levels and skin lesion risk in the region of a likely candidate gene: arsenite methyltransferase, an enzyme critical for arsenic metabolism. A study of gene expression levels found that those same variants were associated with reduced expression of the enzyme. Boosting arsenic metabolism may be an effective intervention in individuals exposed to the toxin and at high genetic risk from arsenic-related disease.

"These results add clarity to the genetic architecture that is playing a role in the arsenic toxicity and its underlying biological basis," said Ahsan. "It's an important study for a major problem affecting millions of people around the world, and it opens up opportunities for genetic studies of other major public health problems in developing countries."

###

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: This work was supported by NIH Grants P42ES010349, R01CA102484, R01CA107431, and P30CA014599 and by Department of Defense grant W81XWH-10-1-0499. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

CITATION: Pierce BL, Kibriya MG, Tong L, Jasmine F, Argos M, et al. (2012) Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Chromosome 10q24.32 Variants Associated with Arsenic Metabolism and Toxicity Phenotypes in Bangladesh. PLoS Genet 8(2): e1002522. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002522

CONTACT:

Habibul Ahsan
University of Chicago
Health Studies, Medicine and Human Genetics and Cancer Research
AMB N102A (MC 2007)
5841 South Maryland Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois 60637

UNITED STATES
PHONE: 773-834-9956
FAX: 773-834-0139
EMAIL: habib@uchicago.edu

Disclaimer

This press release refers to an upcoming article in PLoS Genetics. The release is provided by journal staff, or by the article authors and/or their institutions. Any opinions expressed in this release or article are the personal views of the journal staff and/or article contributors, and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of PLoS. PLoS expressly disclaims any and all warranties and liability in connection with the information found in the releases and articles and your use of such information.

About PLoS Genetics

PLoS Genetics (http://www.plosgenetics.org) reflects the full breadth and interdisciplinary nature of genetics and genomics research by publishing outstanding original contributions in all areas of biology. All works published in PLoS Genetics are open access. Everything is immediately and freely available online throughout the world subject only to the condition that the original authorship and source are properly attributed. Copyright is retained by the authors. The Public Library of Science uses the Creative Commons Attribution License.

About the Public Library of Science

The Public Library of Science (PLoS) is a non-profit organization of scientists and physicians committed to making the world's scientific and medical literature a freely available public resource. For more information, visit http://www.plos.org.

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Read the original here:
Genetic variants affect arsenic metabolism and toxicity in Bangladesh

By MICHAEL SASSO | The Tampa Tribune
Published: February 23, 2012 Updated: February 23, 2012 - 12:00 AM

TAMPA --

The man who served for the last decade as chief of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute is leaving his post to lead Moffitt's genetic research lab and its new Personalized Medicine Institute.

The move is a new direction for Dr. William Dalton, rather than a promotion or demotion, he said. Dalton will focus on helping Moffitt capitalize on "personalized medicine" — finding ways to tailor cancer treatment to specific patients.

Dr. Alan List, a Moffitt executive vice president who leads its physicians group, will take over as Moffitt's chief executive officer in July.

"I just see it as a new journey for me at Moffitt," Dalton said.

A self-proclaimed "desert rat" from Arizona, Dalton came to Moffitt in 1997 to help lead its clinical research. He left for a spell in the early 2000s to lead the University of Arizona's medical school but returned to Moffitt in August 2002 as chief executive, a bio on Moffitt's website says.

Dalton has been very involved lately in Moffitt's innovative genetics lab, M2Gen, and his new post will let him focus on it even more.

M2Gen hasn't lived up to its promise, though. The lab has collected thousands of tumor samples in five years and studied their unique genetic makeup. Eventually, researchers may use the tumor research to find better treatments for cancer patients.

But it hasn't yet helped spawn a biomedical industry in Tampa, something civic leaders are counting on. Also, in November, M2Gen lost its second chief executive in two years.

Dalton insists the genetics lab has had a run of good news lately, persuading the drug giant Merck & Co. to continue as a partner for another year. Merck has been M2Gen's biggest financial supporter.

Two unnamed companies also signed deals with M2Gen to tap into its tumor research, Dalton said.

Aside from leading M2Gen, Dalton also will lead a new Personalized Medicine Institute at Moffitt, allowing him to get Moffitt's doctors and researchers more involved in M2Gen and personalized medicine.

Dalton is well-known in Tampa Bay-area business circles and is a member of an exclusive group of business leaders called the No Name Group. The group meets once a month at The Capital Grille in Tampa and other restaurants to talk community affairs.

People who have worked with Dalton praised his tenure as Moffitt's leader.

Robert Rothman, chairman of Moffitt's board, said it was Dalton's idea to switch to running M2Gen and personalized cancer care full-time.

"We concluded this is really a unique opportunity for the center," Rothman said. "We couldn't think of a better person to lead the effort than Bill."

Dalton negotiated a partnership with All Children's Hospital in the mid-2000s, where All Children's collaborates with Moffitt on pediatric cancer cases.

"Besides being a very good physician, he's also been a great person for us to work with," said All Children's President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Carnes.

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Moffitt chief to lead genetic research lab unit

Public release date: 23-Feb-2012
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Contact: Robert Mitchum
robert.mitchum@uchospitals.edu
773-795-5227
University of Chicago Medical Center

One of the first large-scale genomic studies conducted in a developing country has discovered genetic variants that elevate the risk for skin lesions in people chronically exposed to arsenic. Genetic changes found near the enzyme for metabolizing the chemical into a less toxic form can significantly increase an individual's risk for developing arsenic-related disease.

The discovery could point the way to new screening and intervention options for people who are exposed to groundwater with high levels of arsenic, said scientists at the University of Chicago Medicine, Columbia University, and in Bangladesh in a study published in PLoS Genetics.

"These results add clarity to the genetic architecture that is playing a role in arsenic toxicity and its underlying biology," said senior author Habibul Ahsan, MD, MMedSc, Louis Block Professor of health studies, medicine and human genetics at the University of Chicago Medicine. "It's a rare type of study for a major problem affecting millions of people around the world, and it opens up opportunities for genetic studies of other major public health problems in developing countries."

The group's genome-wide association study, or GWAS, was conducted in nearly 3,000 individuals exposed to arsenic for decades in Bangladesh. Since the widespread installation of hand-pumped wells to tap groundwater sources in the 1970s, as many as 77 million people ? about half the population of Bangladesh ? have been accidentally exposed to dangerous levels of arsenic. The World Health Organization calls the exposure "the largest mass poisoning of a population in history."

For more than a decade, Ahsan and colleagues have studied the epidemiology of arsenic-related disease, such as skin lesions, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses, in this population, as well as the effectiveness of interventions to prevent toxicity. In the new study, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Cancer Institute, the researchers sought genetic answers for why some individuals appear to be at higher risk for developing disease after arsenic exposure.

"Whatever the source of exposure, different individuals vary with respect to their susceptibility to the toxicity of arsenic," Ahsan said. "Even if they consume or are exposed to arsenic at the same dose and duration, some individuals will manifest toxicity phenotypes and others won't."

Researchers genotyped thousands of arsenic-exposed individuals from the group's main studies for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) throughout the genome, and looked for associations with arsenic metabolite levels and risk of skin lesions.

After ingestion, the body metabolizes inorganic arsenic into first monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and then dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). MMA is considered to be more toxic, while DMA is water-soluble and more easily excreted. Higher levels of DMA or lower levels of MMA measured from an individual's urine are associated with lower toxicity.

A research team led by Ahsan and Brandon Pierce, PhD, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Chicago Medicine, then used GWAS to search for SNPs associated with DMA and MMA levels. They found several significant genetic variants in the region of a likely candidate gene: arsenite methyltransferase (As3MT), an enzyme critical for arsenic metabolism. A second GWAS looking for SNPs associated with the development of skin lesions after arsenic exposure, pointed to many of the same variants. In a further study of gene expression levels, those same SNPs were associated with reduced expression of the arsenic metabolizing enzyme.

"This makes perfect sense," Ahsan said. "It gives us a very coherent story that we can now investigate in relation to other arsenic pathologies and in relation to a wide range of arsenic doses in this population."

"Now that we understand the molecular basis of some of this disease risk, it is conceivable to now think of incorporating this information into testing, evaluating, or potentially coming up with successful biomedical interventions," Ahsan continued. "By exploiting these metabolic pathways for a subgroup of individuals who will really be at higher risk for getting those diseases, we may be able to reduce fatal outcomes in this population."

The genetic findings provide strong evidence that efficient metabolism of arsenic through methylation protects against the toxin. Compounds that boost methylation, such as folic acid, could reduce arsenic toxicity ? a strategy currently being tested by co-author Mary Gamble, PhD, associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University.

"If we could somehow find a way to do that in Bangladesh, it would make individuals much better methylators of arsenic, and as this current study shows if you're a better methylator you're at a lower risk for disease," said co-author Joseph Graziano, PhD, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and Director of Superfund Research Program at the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University.

Risk variants may also help assess the potential toxicity of cancer chemotherapies which use arsenic or related compounds. SNPs associated with elevated sensitivity to arsenic toxicity could steer oncologists toward lower doses or alternative treatments in certain cancer patients, Ahsan said.

Beyond the clinical applications, the current study demonstrates that large-scale genomic studies are possible in a largely rural population of a developing country. The study offers a rare example of a GWAS result with clear, immediate potential for translational impact.

"Many genomic signals that we see are not robust enough or do not pertain to a large population," Ahsan said. "But in this study, that is not the case. The finding is robust, and the impact is massive."

###

The study, "Genome-wide association study identifies chromosome 10q24.32 variants associated with arsenic metabolism and toxicity phenotypes in Bangladesh," will be published online February 23rd by PLoS Genetics. For a full list of authors, see xxx.

Funding for the research was provided by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Cancer Institute.

For more news from the University of Chicago Medical Center, follow us on Twitter at @UChicagoMed, or visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/UChicagoMed, our research blog at sciencelife.uchospitals.edu, or our newsroom at uchospitals.edu/news.

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Genetic risk for elevated arsenic toxicity discovered

Myriad Genetics Inc. of Salt Lake City and other biotechnology companies can’t monopolize disease treatment by patenting human genetic material, an Australian trial was told this week in the country’s first challenge to ownership of DNA molecules.

Cancer Voices Australia, a national organization representing cancer patients, and Yvonne D’Arcy, a Brisbane resident diagnosed with breast cancer, sued Myriad Genetics and Genetic Technologies Ltd. in 2010 over a patent the companies have on a gene mutation associated with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

“Patents protect inventions, not discoveries,” Rebecca Silsenan, a partner at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, who represents the plaintiffs, said before the trial. “No Australian court has considered the question of whether isolated human genes are patentable.”

Gene-sequencing breakthroughs are spawning a multibillion-dollar market for drugs and medical tests. In the United States, health regulators are developing rules for bolstering oversight of laboratory-developed tests and the U.S. Supreme Court may decide soon whether to hear two cases involving patents over genetic material, including a review of an appeals court decision that upheld Myriad Genetics’ patents.

Myriad Genetics contends in the Australian case that its screening process that includes an artificially made gene mutation mimicking the one that makes people more susceptible to breast and ovarian cancers should be eligible for a patent.

“You can’t use this to build another human being,” David Shavin, Myriad Genetics’ lawyer, told Federal Court Justice John Nicholas this week in his opening statement at the start of the trial in Sydney, referring to the process and mutation. “All you can use it for is to compare” normal and mutated genes.

Australian law allows for patents on artificially created products with economic benefits, including computer programs and business methods, Shavin said.

“The position in the United States is similar to, but not the same as, in Australia,” he said.

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The Myriad Genetics process copies gene codes from people, the plaintiffs’ lawyer David Catterns told the judge in his opening statement.

If the plaintiffs isolated a mutation in a gene from a person’s blood, they would infringe the patent, Catterns said.

“The patent involves precisely the code that occurs in nature,” he said. “This is not patentable on traditional principles.”

The trial is scheduled to take as along as eight days.

“There is a philosophical and ethical issue about the commercialization of the human body,” Gilsenan said. “The patent owner has a right to prevent people from studying and testing for the same gene mutation, so gene patents can stifle research.”

The case is: Cancer Voices of Australia v. Myriad Genetics, NSD6743/2010. Federal Court of Australia, Sydney.

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Myriad Genetics’ cancer gene patents go to trial in Australia

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 22, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:MYGN - News) announced today that Mark Capone, President, Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc., is scheduled to present at the Cowen and Company 32nd Annual Health Care Conference, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, March 6, 2012. The conference is being held at The Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts.

The presentation will be available to interested parties through a live webcast accessible on the investor relations section of Myriad's website at http://www.myriad.com.

About Myriad Genetics

Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:MYGN - News) is a leading molecular diagnostic company dedicated to developing and marketing transformative tests to assess a person's risk of developing disease, guide treatment decisions and assess a patient's risk of disease progression and disease recurrence. Myriad's portfolio of nine molecular diagnostic tests are based on an understanding of the role genes play in human disease and were developed with a focus on improving an individual's decision making process for monitoring and treating disease. With fiscal year 2011 annual revenue of over $400 million and more than 1,000 employees, Myriad is working on strategic directives, including new product introductions, companion diagnostics, and international expansion, to take advantage of significant growth opportunities. For more information on how Myriad is making a difference, please visit the Company's website: http://www.myriad.com.

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Myriad Genetics to Present at the Cowen and Company 32nd Annual Health Care Conference

WESTMINSTER, Colo., Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- GeneThera Inc. (OTCQB: GTHR.PK - News) announced today that Applied Genetics; GeneThera's majority owned subsidiary, has entered in an exclusive marketing and sales agreement with Nutricion Avanzada S.A. to market GeneThera's proprietary Johne's Disease HerdCheck™ Field Collection System (FCS) Molecular Assay. Under the terms of the agreement, Nutricion  Avanzada will have exclusive rights to purchase and distribute the FCS in Mexico."This agreement is a critical step to move forward with our agreement with Nutricion Avanzada through Applied Genetics and GeneThera," said Dr. Tony Milici, the CEO of GeneThera and also the Interim President of Applied Genetics. "Nutricion Avanzada's extensive distribution network and outstanding reputation throughout Mexico gives Applied Genetics the greatest opportunity for a successful revenue generating operation."  Sergio Gonzales, President of Nutricion Avanzada stated "We are very pleased to partner with Applied Genetics and GeneThera to market the Johne's HerdCheck™ FCS product. There is an enormous need in Mexico for a reliable diagnostic test to detect Johne's disease. This is the only commercial molecular test available in Mexico and we believe that it will have a huge impact with both the ranchers and the dairy industry."  Nutricion Avanzada S.A. is the largest Mexican distributor of animal feed. Applied Genetics is a molecular diagnostic company that focuses on commercializing molecular testing for Johne's disease in Mexico.

Johne's disease is a global devastating and incurable disease of dairy cows, sheep and goats caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis sub. Avium, (MAP).  Dairy products, contaminated with MAP, are the vehicles by which the infection spreads in the human intestine triggering the onset of Crohn's disease. Applied Genetics employs the use of GeneThera HerdCheck™ to test and control the spread of Johne's disease in Mexico. HerdCheck™ is a proprietary molecular diagnostic system based on the use of high throughput robotics and Real time PCR.

About GeneThera, Inc.:

GeneThera, Inc. is a molecular biotechnology company located in Westminster, Colorado. The Company's proprietary diagnostic solution is based on a genetic expression system (GES) and Johne's disease management system, HERDCHECK™, designed to function on a highly automated Fluorogenic PCR platform. This platform enables GeneThera to offer tests that are presently not available from other technologies. The GES and HERDCHECK™ systems are designed for a host of individual diseases, the current priority being Johne's disease. For more information, contact Dr. Tony Milici at 720 439-3011. http://www.genethera.net

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the Safe-Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "intends," "believes," and similar expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the timely development and market acceptance of products and technologies, the ability to secure additional sources of finance, the ability to reduce operating expenses, and other factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The actual results that the Company achieves may differ materially from any forward-looking statement due to such risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.

GeneThera, Inc

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Applied Genetics Signs Marketing and Sales Agreement with Nutricion Avanzada

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGEN - News) today announced that Chris Boerner, Ph.D. has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Commercial. Dr. Boerner joined Seattle Genetics in November 2010 as Vice President, Marketing, and has served as a key member of the commercial organization involved in the launch of ADCETRIS™ (brentuximab vedotin). He replaces Bruce Seeley, former Executive Vice President, Commercial, who is leaving Seattle Genetics to pursue other opportunities.

“Chris has been a strategic leader in our commercial organization for more than a year, and has contributed significantly to the successful launch of ADCETRIS,” said Clay B. Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Genetics. “He has brought to Seattle Genetics extensive experience from the commercialization and life-cycle management of several oncology products. We anticipate a seamless transition as we continue to execute on our commercial priorities to bring ADCETRIS to relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma and systemic ALCL patients in need.”

“Bruce has built a strong sales, marketing and reimbursement team that is executing extremely well on the commercialization of ADCETRIS,” added Dr. Siegall. “We thank him for his contributions in preparing the company for its transition to a commercial organization and his leadership through the early launch phase. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Prior to Seattle Genetics, Chris Boerner spent more than eight years at Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, where he served in a variety of commercial roles, including Director of Marketing on Avastin and Director of Avastin franchise management. Additionally, he served in a variety of commercial roles across multiple disease areas, including solid tumor oncology, lymphoma and immunology. Dr. Boerner joined Genentech from McKinsey & Company, a global strategic management consulting firm, where he worked on a variety of pharmaceutical sales and marketing engagements. Prior to joining Seattle Genetics in 2010, he most recently led the marketing team at Dendreon. Dr. Boerner received his Ph.D. and M.A. in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and holds an A.B. in Economics and History from Washington University in St. Louis.

About Seattle Genetics

Seattle Genetics is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of monoclonal antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval of ADCETRIS in August 2011 for two indications. ADCETRIS is being developed in collaboration with Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company. In addition, Seattle Genetics has three other clinical-stage ADC programs: SGN-75, ASG-5ME and ASG-22ME. Seattle Genetics has collaborations for its ADC technology with a number of leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including Abbott, Bayer, Celldex Therapeutics, Daiichi Sankyo, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Millennium, Pfizer and Progenics, as well as ADC co-development agreements with Agensys, an affiliate of Astellas, and Genmab. More information can be found at http://www.seattlegenetics.com.

Certain of the statements made in this press release are forward looking, such as those, among others, relating to the company’s expectations for continued commercial success of ADCETRIS. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include, among others, that adverse events for ADCETRIS adversely affect the ability to successfully market ADCETRIS or that planned and future clinical trials do not support additional approvals in earlier lines of therapy or other malignancies. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by Seattle Genetics is contained in the company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2011 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Seattle Genetics disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Seattle Genetics Provides Update on Commercial Leadership