Archive for the ‘Gene Therapy Research’ Category

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

21-Jan-2014

Contact: Karen Teber km463@georgetown.edu Georgetown University Medical Center

WASHINGTON Genetic counseling delivered over the telephone is as effective as face-to-face counseling, finds the largest randomized study to date comparing the two methods. The multi-center study, led by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, was reported today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The landscape of genetic testing has broadened to include a range of diseases, and demand for testing and counseling has greatly increased because of direct-to-consumer marketing, says the study's lead investigator, Marc Schwartz, PhD, co-leader of Georgetown Lombardi's Cancer Prevention and Control Program.

"It's important that all people interested in testing have access to thorough information so they can consider the implications of test results and interpret them in the context of family history," says Schwartz, who is also co-leader of the Fisher Center for Familial Cancer Research at Georgetown. "Counseling on the phone reduces costs and expands genetic counseling and testing access to rural areas, where counseling isn't always available."

While this study was conducted with women considering testing for mutations in the breast or ovarian cancer genes BRCA1 and/or BRCA2, the findings "may extend to genetic counseling for other hereditary cancers and complex conditions in adults such as heart disease," says co-author Beth N. Peshkin, MS, CGC, a professor of oncology and senior genetic counselor at Georgetown Lombardi.

Researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Vermont Cancer Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Huntsman Cancer Institute participated in this study, which randomized 669 women to receive telephone or in-person genetic counseling. However, of women approached about participating in the study, about one-third declined because they did not want to receive phone counseling.

"In-person conversations can be intimidating and there's a lot to process," says Angela Smith, of Burlington, Vermont, who participated in study.

Smith's counseling for BRCA mutation testing was done via telephone. She says talking to a genetic counselor from home was comfortable. "I'm a bit introverted so for me, talking about something so personal was easier with the 'protection' of the phone."

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Genetic counseling via telephone as effective as in-person counseling

Paw Print Genetics sponsors MyFoxSpokane Happy Tales pet adoption program
Paw Print Genetics is a proud sponsor of MyFox Spokane #39;s Happy Tales pet adoption program. Tune into Fox28 Spokane to learn more about your furry friends and...

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Paw Print Genetics sponsors MyFoxSpokane Happy Tales pet adoption program - Video

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

20-Jan-2014

Contact: Laura Newman laura.newman@mountsinai.org 212-241-9200 The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine

New York, NYResearchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a new molecular mechanism by which cocaine alters the brain's reward circuits and causes addiction. Published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Dr. Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, and colleagues, the preclinical research reveals how an abundant enzyme and synaptic gene affect a key reward circuit in the brain, changing the ways genes are expressed in the nucleus accumbens. The DNA itself does not change, but its "mark" activates or represses certain genes encoding synaptic proteins within the DNA. The marks indicate epigenetic changeschanges made by enzymesthat alter the activity of the nucleus accumbens.

In a mouse model, the research team found that chronic cocaine administration increased levels of an enzyme called PARP-1 or poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation polymerase-1. This increase in PARP-1 leads to an increase in its PAR marks at genes in the nucleus accumbens, contributing to long-term cocaine addiction. Although this is the first time PARP-1 has been linked to cocaine addiction, PARP-1 has been under investigation for cancer treatment.

"This discovery provides new leads for the development of anti-addiction medications," said the study's senior author, Eric Nestler, MD, PhD, Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Friedman Brain Institute, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Nestler said that the research team is using PARP to identify other proteins regulated by cocaine. PARP inhibitors may also prove valuable in changing cocaine's addictive power.

Kimberly Scobie, PhD, the lead investigator and postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Nestler's laboratory, underscored the value of implicating PARP-1 in mediating the brain's reward center. "It is striking that changing the level of PARP-1 alone is sufficient to influence the rewarding effects of cocaine," she said.

Next, the investigators used chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing to identify which genes are altered through the epigenetic changes induced by PARP-1. One target gene whose expression changed after chronic cocaine use was sidekick-1, a cell adhesion molecule concentrated at synapses that directs synaptic connections. Sidekick-1 has not been studied to date in the brain, nor has it been studied in relation to cocaine exposure. Using viral mediated gene transfer to overexpress sidekick-1 in the nucleus accumbens, investigators saw that this overexpression alone not only increased the rewarding effects of cocaine, but it also induced changes in the morphology and synaptic connections of neurons in this brain reward region.

The research opens the door to a brand new direction for therapeutics to treat cocaine addiction. Effective drug therapies are urgently needed. National data from the US National Institute of Drug Abuse reveal that nearly 1.4 million Americans meet criteria for dependence or abuse of cocaine.

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Mount Sinai researchers find promising new drug targets for cocaine addiction

Genetic Engineering Project
Science Project.

By: Jackie Tiongco

Excerpt from:
Genetic Engineering Project - Video

San Jose, California (PRWEB) January 20, 2014

Follow us on LinkedIn Designer babies are defined as babies with artificial genetic makeup selected through a combination of genetic engineering and in vitro fertilization to confirm inclusion or exclusion of specific traits. The term Designer Babies is not a scientific term, but is used by journalists and highlights the fact that parents could choose specific characteristics of their unborn child including physical appearance, character and sex. Advancements in genetic engineering and in vitro fertilization approaches, coupled with the need to lower the occurrence of genetic disorders in offspring, are driving interest in the concept of designer babies. Ethical issues related to commodification of children and genetic manipulation in human offspring, are however projected to present regulatory challenges in the advancement and commercialization of the concept of designer babies in the coming years.

The trend report titled Designer Babies announced by Global Industry Analysts Inc., is a focused research paper which provides cursory insights into the technology concept, its evolution, and future prospects. A part of GIAs new series of short research briefs on emerging technologies, this trend report highlights key enabling technologies including the development of Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD).

For more details about this trend report, please visit http://www.strategyr.com/TrendReport.asp?code=141062

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (GIA) is a leading publisher of off-the-shelf market research. Founded in 1987, the company currently employs over 800 people worldwide. Annually, GIA publishes more than 1300 full-scale research reports and analyzes 40,000+ market and technology trends while monitoring more than 126,000 Companies worldwide. Serving over 9500 clients in 27 countries, GIA is recognized today, as one of the world's largest and reputed market research firms.

Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Telephone: 408-528-9966 Fax: 408-528-9977 Email: press(at)StrategyR(dot)com Web Site: http://www.StrategyR.com/

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Advancements in Genetic Engineering to Modify Embryos Spur the Concept of Designer Babies, According to a New Trend ...

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) January 20, 2014

Follow us on LinkedIn Genes can be defined as the basic molecular units of heredity in a living organism, holding information on creating and maintaining the cells of an organism and passing genetic traits to its offspring. Radio controlled genes refers to remotely activating genes inside the human body through the use of electromagnetic waves to guide the movement of nanoparticles injected inside the body. As the next frontier of medical science, radio controlled genes is attracting immense R&D interest and investment, given its potential to offer non-invasive and non-pharmacological treatment possibilities. Using radio waves to control gene expression has the advantage of being safe as radio waves, unlike electrical waves, do not damage tissues. Advancements in nanobiotechnology and development of antibody coated metal nanoparticles as carriers to absorb radio frequency energy are expected to help drive growth in the market. Currently, being researched is the possibility of using radiowaves to induce insulin-gene expression and activate insulin production in the body to treat diabetes.

The trend report titled Radio-Controlled Genes announced by Global Industry Analysts Inc., is a focused research paper which provides cursory insights into the technology, its applications, and future prospects.

For more details about this trend report, please visit http://www.strategyr.com/TrendReport.asp?code=141011.

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (GIA) is a leading publisher of off-the-shelf market research. Founded in 1987, the company currently employs over 800 people worldwide. Annually, GIA publishes more than 1300 full-scale research reports and analyzes 40,000+ market and technology trends while monitoring more than 126,000 Companies worldwide. Serving over 9500 clients in 27 countries, GIA is recognized today, as one of the world's largest and reputed market research firms.

Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Telephone: 408-528-9966 Fax: 408-528-9977 Email: press(at)StrategyR(dot)com Web Site: http://www.StrategyR.com/

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Developments in Nanobiotechnology Drive the Market for Radio-Controlled Genes, According to a New Trend Report ...

How to plan an effective and efficient population genetics sampling strategy
Dr. Sean Hoban gives a talk entitled "How to plan an effective and efficient population genetics sampling strategy: Markers, samples, and spatial considerati...

By: NIMBioS

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The Genetics - UGH....1,2,3!
UGH......we dont like you, we dont like you, we dont like you, we dont like you! liar! cheat! cant admit defeat whos it for attention whore? we have to go an...

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The Genetics - UGH....1,2,3! - Video

EndoPredict is a second-generation, multigene prognostic test kit for patientsdiagnosed with breast cancer. Under the agreement, Myriad will receive comprehensive marketing rights todistribute and sell EndoPredict, including in high-growth markets in Europe.The agreement will leverage Myriad's 45-person international commercial teamand will significantly increase the number of medical specialists and salesprofessionals supporting EndoPredict. Specific terms of the deal were notdisclosed. EndoPredict provides physicians with information to devise personalizedtreatment plans for their breast cancer patients. The EndoPredict test kitformat is an ideal platform for use by clinical pathologists, who desire toconduct testing within their own laboratories. In contrast to older multi-genetests, EndoPredict detects the likelihood of late metastases (i.e., metastasisformation after more than five years) and can thus guide treatment decisionsfor chemotherapy as well as extended anti-hormonal therapy. Accordingly,therapy decisions backed by EndoPredict confer a high level of diagnosticsafety. EndoPredict was shown to accurately predict cancer-specific diseaseprogression and metastasis in multiple clinical outcome studies with more than2,200 patients. 'Myriad has a significant opportunity to leverage our international presence,and we are pleased to be partnering with Sividon to make EndoPredict even morewidely available to patients in Europe and worldwide,' said Gary King,Executive Vice President, International Operations, Myriad Genetics. 'We arecommitted to contributing to the health of people in Europe through a strongsales and marketing organization that provides enhanced access to life-savingproducts for patients and cost effective solutions for healthcare providers.Myriad's team of field specialists will support EndoPredict's current customersin liaison with Sividon's medical expert team, thus providing additional levelsof support and contact.' 'Sividon's EndoPredict, backed by compelling evidence from clinical studieswith thousands of patients combined with Myriad's strong commercial capabilityand coverage in many key countries creates an outstanding partnership,' saidDr. Christoph Petry, CEO of Sividon Diagnostics. 'Breast cancer affects thelife of more than 388,000 women per year in Europe, and EndoPredict will helpto significantly improve their cancer treatment. We are delighted to partnerwith Myriad to help save and improve the lives of more women with breastcancer.' About Myriad Genetics GmbHMyriad Genetics GmbH is based in Zurich, Switzerland and is the internationalsubsidiary of Myriad Genetics Inc., a leading molecular diagnostic companydedicated to making a difference in patients' lives through the discovery andcommercialization of transformative tests to assess a person's risk ofdeveloping disease, guide treatment decisions and assess risk of diseaseprogression and recurrence. Myriad's molecular diagnostic tests are based on anunderstanding of the role genes play in human disease and were developed with acommitment to improving an individual's decision making process for monitoringand treating disease. Myriad is focused on strategic directives to introducenew products, including companion diagnostics, as well as expandinginternationally. For more information on how Myriad Genetics GmbH is making adifference, please visit the Company's website: http://www.myriad.ch. Myriad and theMyriad logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Myriad Genetics, Inc. inthe United States and worldwide. MYGN-F, MYGN-G About SividonSividon Diagnostics GmbH was founded in 2010 as a management buyout fromSiemens Healthcare Diagnostics in Cologne, Germany. Sividon is dedicated todevelop modern methods for the molecular pathology laboratory to help improvethe quality of care for cancer patients. Sividon's first product, EndoPredict,has been introduced into the market in 2011 and allows for a moreindividualized therapy management in breast cancer. For more information onSividon please visit the Sividon's website at http://www.sividon.com. Sividon, theSividon logo and EndoPredict are registered trademarks of Sividon DiagnosticsGmbH in Germany and other countries. Safe Harbor StatementThis press release contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning ofthe Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statementsrelating to the EndoPredict test and Myriad's partnering with Sividon to marketthe EndoPredict test in Europe and worldwide; and the Company's strategicdirectives under the caption 'About Myriad Genetics.' These 'forward-lookingstatements' are management's present expectations of future events and aresubject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual resultsto differ materially and adversely from those described in the forward-lookingstatements. These risks include, but are not limited to: the risk that salesand profit margins of our existing molecular diagnostic tests and companiondiagnostic services may decline or will not continue to increase at historicalrates; risks related to changes in the governmental or private insurersreimbursement levels for our tests; the risk that we may be unable to developor achieve commercial success for additional molecular diagnostic tests andcompanion diagnostic services in a timely manner, or at all; the risk that wemay not successfully develop new markets for our molecular diagnostic tests andcompanion diagnostic services, including our ability to successfully generaterevenue outside the United States; the risk that licenses to the technologyunderlying our molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic servicestests and any future tests are terminated or cannot be maintained onsatisfactory terms; risks related to delays or other problems with opeRatingour laboratory testing facilities; risks related to public concern over ourgenetic testing in general or our tests in particular; risks related toregulatory requirements or enforcement in the United States and foreigncountries and changes in the structure of the healthcare system or healthcarepayment systems; risks related to our ability to obtain new corporatecollaborations or licenses and acquire new technologies or businesses onsatisfactory terms, if at all; risks related to our ability to successfullyintegrate and derive benefits from any technologies or businesses that welicense or acquire; risks related to increased competition and the developmentof new competing tests and services; the risk that we or our licensors may beunable to protect or that third parties will infringe the proprietarytechnologies underlying our tests; the risk of patent-infringement claims orchallenges to the validity of our patents; risks related to changes inintellectual property laws covering our molecular diagnostic tests andcompanion diagnostic services and patents or enforcement in the United Statesand foreign countries, such as the Supreme Court decision in the lawsuitbrought against us by the Association for Molecular Pathology et al; risks ofnew, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the United Statesand internationally; and other factors discussed under the heading 'RiskFactors' contained in Item 1A of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-Kfiled with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any updates tothose risk factors filed from time to time in our Quarterly Reports on Form10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. All information in this press release isas of the date of the release, and Myriad undertakes no duty to update thisinformation unless required by law. CONTACT: Media Contacts:Ron Rogers(801) 584-3065rrogers@myriad.comEstherLinnenberg+49-221-66956170linnenberg@sividon.comInvestor Contact:ScottGleason(801) 584-1143sgleason@myriad.comNews Source: NASDAQ OMXEnd of Corporate News---------------------------------20.01.2014 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - acompany of EQS Group AG.The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.Media archive at http://www.dgap-medientreff.de and http://www.dgap.de---------------------------------Language: English Company: Myriad Genetics, Inc. United States ISIN: US62855J1043 End of News DGAP News-Service --------------------------------- 248572 20.01.2014

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At age 10 Nick Tuftnell knew he was going to end up blind after being diagnosed with the genetic condition choroideremia.

The condition leads to the death of light-absorbing cells in the eye. The cells die because of a mutated gene in certain ocular cells, which eventually leads to blindness.

I knew my granddad had it. I remember seeing him in the latter stages of life and he was completely blind, said Tuftnell, now 38.

After his condition was confirmed, Tuftnell said he had nothing to do but wait for his eyesight to slowly dim and darken over time.

All the doctors could say is Your son is going to go blind, see you later, said Tufnell of receiving his diagnosis.

As he grew older his eyesight has diminished to the point where he can no longer drive due to poor peripheral vision and has severe difficulty moving around at night.

I cant walk around at night, its that bad, said Tuftnell. I dont have any peripheral visioneventually itll get like Im looking through toilet rolls.

Tuftnell said his doctors estimated that he had around ten years of useful vision left.

However, two years ago Tuftnell took part in a groundbreaking study where gene therapy was used to treat his deteriorating condition.

The results of the study were published last week in the Lancet Medical Journal.

Originally posted here:
Man Saved From Blindness By Gene Therapy

Synthetic biology, or breaking down life into its basic component parts to create enhanced biological systems, can be likened to writing software that enables life. Or genetic engineering on steroids. Whereas previous technologies may have introduced one, two, or a handful of genes into an organism, synthetic biology allows scientists and engineers at companies such as Ginkgo Bioworks, Fermentome, and Intrexon (NYSE: XON) to rebuild large swaths of an organism's genome -- or create an entirely new genome, and therefore organism -- from the ground up using the best traits offered by nature.

While some are turned off by the idea of tweaking organisms or altering nature, constructing synthetic genomes is akin to taking the building blocks of the physical world (atoms) to produce novel compounds (such as synthetic polymers) that enable the production of enhanced consumer products. Here the building blocks are genes, the novel creations are more efficient genomes and creatures, and the end products are the same everyday items produced from petroleum. The difference is that instead of transforming a petroleum feedstock with high heat and pressure in a chemical refinery, we'll be able to utilize biological pathways in sugar-consuming microbes to produce the same (or better) products in a sustainable and renewable process in a biorefinery.

Although it's easy to understand the applications of the field for the production of fuels and industrial chemicals, such as with the industrial biotech platforms of Amyris (NASDAQ: AMRS) and Solazyme (NASDAQ: SZYM) , understanding and harnessing the power of the genetic information found in nature extends far beyond chemicals. Synthetic biology can be used to make our food safer, give us working copies of broken genes to cure diseases, trick us into forgetting that we're addicted to nicotine, produce safer (and more) marijuana without plants, make agricultural products more efficient than ever before, and much, much more. Let's explore five unbelievable technologies made possible by synthetic biology to ensure we don't sell the field short or fail to recognize its tremendous potential.

1. Microbial factories for everyday productsWhen people say that industrial biotech companies are creating living factories by utilizing biological pathways in sugar-consuming microbes to produce everyday products, I don't think they quite understand the power -- or disruptiveness -- of that statement. Sure, engineers can tinker with genomes to create novel microbes that produce a fuel or high value chemical, but it barely scratches the surface of industrial biotech applications.

Amyris' first commercial-scale facility in Brazil feeds locally grown sugarcane to yeast to create premium fuels, cosmetics, lubricants, fragrances, and more. Image source: Amyris.

Consider that Amyris will be able to produce multiple molecules from the same microbes by simply altering environmental stresses inside its bioreactors. While it would take a continuous fermentation process (rather than a batch process with a defined beginning and end) to reap the full advantages, such microbes could help reduce risk related to scale-up today by introducing novel pathways into an organism that already grows for industrial purposes. Amyris won't be able to make an instant leap to full commercial scale for each new molecule, but it could conceivably do so more quickly.

It's a wild idea in the primitive stages of commercial deployment (multiple-molecule microbes could make their debut in 2014), but the future could be even wilder. As we further our relatively limited understanding of DNA, we'll be able to produce smaller and more efficient genomes that call on the same genes to produce multiple products. By the time we pack our bags for Mars, we'll probably be able to bring along a single test tube containing the ultimate microbial factory capable of producing fuels, pharmaceuticals, food, and polymer resins (for our 3-D printing factories) at the flip of a (genetic) switch.

2. Biosensors for food pathogensWe are surrounded by real-time security and protection systems. The smoke detector in your kitchen rests overhead as you make your morning coffee, you set your home's security system before you leave for work, and once you arrive there your computer reminds you that your antivirus software is out of date. So you may be surprised to know that, despite its importance, there is no comparable system in place for the nation's food system. Luckily, synthetic-biology company Sample6 has developed a solution that will enable food producers to mitigate risks in their production systems, which can reduce brand pressure from any number of potential sources in our fast-paced modern world.

Image source: Sample6.

The best current solution for detecting food pathogens is pretty archaic: Food producers swab equipment, work areas, and food itself, send samples to a lab, and then sit around for several days waiting for results. Most choose to ship product before results are confirmed to maximize shelf life, but on the rare occasion a pathogen is detected, well, it's a logistical nightmare to recall all products that may be associated with a particular production shift. Tests from Sample6 provide results and detect harmful pathogens within the same production shift -- enabling food producers to fix contamination issues quickly and stopping tainted products from entering the food supply. In the future the company will offer similar tests to grocery stores, hospitals and clinics for infectious microbes, and oil and gas companies for water monitoring.

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5 Unbelievable (but Real) Technologies Made Possible by Synthetic Biology

The importance of genetic counseling
From Hot Topics 2013 - David Valle, MD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine - What is the importance of genetic ...

By: NICUniversity.org

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The importance of genetic counseling - Video

FTB Horizons [S01E16] Intro to Advanced Genetics!
We start messing around with some advanced genetics stuff in this episode. To be continued, for sure.

By: Cruz Plays!

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FTB Horizons [S01E16] Intro to Advanced Genetics! - Video

Atossa Genetics (ATOS) Multiple Bottom Pattern
The Atossa Genetics chart has made a multiple bottom pattern on a solid support at $2.20. The last to moves off this point rose to approximately $3, suggesti...

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Atossa Genetics (ATOS) Multiple Bottom Pattern - Video

SRI LANKA: Creating the Ecosystem for Taking Genetics from Bench to Bedside ... - Vjira Dissayanake
January 8, 2014 - Genomic Medicine Centers Meeting VI: Global Leaders in Genomic Medicine. More: http://www.genome.gov/27555775.

By: GenomeTV

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SRI LANKA: Creating the Ecosystem for Taking Genetics from Bench to Bedside ... - Vjira Dissayanake - Video

XCOM Enemy Within #26 Taking Control With Soldier Genetics, Closing In On EXALT
We get our very first soldier with genetics, time to test it out as we get ever so closer to where EXALT is hiding out! Comment, like subscribe, give feed ...

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XCOM Enemy Within #26 Taking Control With Soldier Genetics, Closing In On EXALT - Video

How Important Are Genetics - THE TRUTH
GET ALL MY PRODUCTS and CLOTHING! http://www.shop.barthelfitness.co/ FACEBOOK ME: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barthel-Fitness/144317992271219?fref=ts INST...

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Gene Therapy Breakthrough Could #39;Cure #39; Blindness
Gene Therapy Breakthrough Could #39;Cure #39; Blindness Doctors who injected a genetically-modified virus into the eyes of blind patients discover it significantly ...

By: josh hour

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Gene Therapy Breakthrough Could 'Cure' Blindness - Video

Experimental eye treatment offers new hope for the blind
British researchers are testing a new form of gene therapy that has helped some blind people see. The operation replaces the defective gene inside of the eye...

By: CBSNewsOnline

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Experimental eye treatment offers new hope for the blind - Video

Gene Therapy Surprisingly Helps Blind to See
In a recent study to confirm a new surgical procedure #39;s safety in treating a type of blinding disease, patients reported quick and lasting vision improvement. Gene therapy has a partially...

By: GeoBeats News

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Gene Therapy Surprisingly Helps Blind to See - Video

Human Gene Therapy Celebrates 25 Years
Dr. James Wilson, Editor-in-Chief of Human Gene Therapy, shares exciting news around the Journal #39;s 25th Anniversary and how you can get involved in the celeb...

By: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

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Human Gene Therapy Celebrates 25 Years - Video

Can Gene Therapy Cure Blindness?
Over the past decade, researches have been testing gene therapy on blind dogs in attempt to restore vision. Earlier this week, six patients in Oxford had thi...

By: DNews

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Can Gene Therapy Cure Blindness? - Video

Next Media: Gene therapy restores rare genetic blindness
A novel gene therapy developed by University of Oxford researchers may restore vision to patients with a previously incurable form of blindness. The results ...

By: The Malay Mail Online

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Next Media: Gene therapy restores rare genetic blindness - Video

Poway, California (PRWEB) January 18, 2014

The leading Regenerative Veterinary Medicine Company, Vet-Stem, Inc., is proud to announce that its regenerative stem cell therapy has been used to treat 10,000 animals in the last 10 years of offering tissue processing services to veterinarians. Vet-Stem was founded in 2002, seeking to discover a successful treatment for horses with potentially fatal injuries to tendons and ligaments.

Dr. Robert Harman, CEO and Founder of Vet-Stem has spoken at many human and veterinary conferences sharing the results of real treatments. He has also authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed papers on stem cells as well as written book chapters on stem cells.

In 2003 Vet-Stem signed a worldwide exclusive license for adipose-derived (fat derived) stem cell technology for veterinary application, and the first horse was treated. Shortly after, the first dogs were treated with Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy. Vet-Stem started providing stem cell banking to their clients from the beginning so that cells could be stored for future use. By August of 2005 500 horses had been treated. Vet-Stem had effectively introduced a new, natural, injectable treatment to the equine and small animal veterinary industry that could serve as an alternative to euthanasia for some conditions.

By April 2006, 1000 animals had been treated using Vet-Stem cell therapy, including the first cat. Another milestone was the first ever randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled multi-centered study that was published reporting that using Vet-Stem processing, intra-articular injection of adipose-derived stem cells into the hip joint of a dog decreases patient discomfort and increases patient functional ability in relation to arthritis.

Only nine months after formally launching a Small Animal application, over 1,000 dogs had been treated for orthopedic conditions. At the same time Veterinary Therapeutics published a peer-reviewed study on the use of stem cells for treatment of chronic osteoarthritis in the elbow of dogs. The clinical trial reported significant improvement in lameness, range of motion, and functional ability in dogs treated with Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy.

Although the large majority of animals treated have been horses, dogs and cats, Vet-Stem has provided services for exotic species as well. The U.S. Navy, Office of Naval Research, awarded Vet-Stem a contract to engage in a collaborative study of stem cell biology in marine mammals in 2009. From this, the first peer-reviewed article was published showing successful isolation of stem cells from dolphin fat. Several media outlets featured a story on a panther from the Tallahassee Museum who received stem cell therapy by Vet-Stem for arthritis of the elbow in 2011. After the therapy he was able to stand up and scratch on his favorite tree with both front paws.

I started Vet-Stem in order to help horses with career ending injuries to their tendons and ligaments but so many more animals have been saved from a life of pain or even from euthanasia. I feel privileged and excited to be a part of this therapy that has changed how veterinary medicine is practiced as well as contributing to changes in human medicine, Robert Harman, DVM, CEO and Founder of Vet-Stem, Inc.

About Vet-Stem, Inc. Vet-Stem, Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the veterinary profession. The privately held company is working to develop therapies in veterinary medicine that apply regenerative technologies while utilizing the natural healing properties inherent in all animals. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem, Inc. pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine. The company holds exclusive licenses to over 50 patents including world-wide veterinary rights for use of adipose derived stem cells. In the last decade over 10,000 animals have been treated using Vet-Stem, Inc.s services, and Vet-Stem is actively investigating stem cell therapy for immune-mediated and inflammatory disease, as well as organ disease and failure. For more on Vet-Stem, Inc. and Veterinary Regenerative Medicine visit http://www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.

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Vet-Stem, Inc. is Proud to Announce Its 10,000th Animal in 10 Years of Stem Cell Therapy

Jan. 16, 2014 Gene therapies developed by University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine researchers have worked to correct different forms of blindness. While effective, the downside to these approaches to vision rescue is that each disease requires its own form of gene therapy to correct the particular genetic mutation involved, a time consuming and complex process.

Hoping to develop a treatment that works more broadly across diseases, a Penn Vet team used canine disease models to closely examine how retinal gene activity varied during the progression of three different forms of inherited vision disease. Their results turned up an unexpected commonality: Early on in each of the diseases, genes involved in the same specific pathway of cell death appeared to be activated. These findings point to possible interventions that could curb vision loss across a variety of inherited retinal diseases.

The work, published in PLOS ONE, was conducted by Sem Genini, a senior research investigator; William A. Beltran, assistant professor of ophthalmology; and Gustavo D. Aguirre, professor of medical genetics and ophthalmology, all of Penn Vet's Department of Clinical Studies, Philadelphia.

The team examined three forms of retinal degenerative diseases, rod cone dysplasia 1 being the most severe, or earliest onset, followed by X-linked progressive retinal atrophy 2 and then early retinal degeneration. All of these diseases involve the death of photoreceptor cells and each is caused by a distinct genetic mutation. But what scientists did not know is how the mutations trigger a molecular signaling pathway that leads to the death of photoreceptor cells.

"What we have in mind is to be able to address multiple forms of disease with one treatment," Beltran said. "We wanted to get a better understanding of whether there are any common cell death or cell survival pathways that could be targeted in some of these diseases."

The researchers looked at the activity of 112 genes in diseased retinas and compared it to gene activity in normal retinas. They assessed gene activity at time points known to correspond with key phases of disease: the "induction phase," the time before the peak level of photoreceptor cell death; the "execution phase," when the highest rates of photoreceptor cell death occur; and the "chronic phase," during which photoreceptor cell death continues at somewhat reduced levels.

During the execution and chronic phases of disease, the researchers identified a number of genes involved in programmed cell death, or apoptosis, that had noticeably different patterns of expression between the diseased and normal dogs.

Of note, several proteins involved in the tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, pathway increased in activity during the induction and execution phases. This pathway is implicated in many diseases, from diabetes to cancer to rheumatoid arthritis.

"This is quite a new result," Genini said. "It was not expected to have the TNF pathway upregulated."

"We assumed," Aguirre said, "the diseases would be different from one another and that cells would commit suicide by their own specific pathway and that perhaps quite late they would have a common final pathway. But what this shows is that there is an early trigger that is quite similar among all three diseases."

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Same cell death pathway involved in three forms of blindness, study finds