Archive for the ‘Gene Therapy Research’ Category

By

GAVIN MCCARTHY,

IrishCentral Intern

Published Sunday, August 18, 2013, 6:00 AM

Updated Friday, August 16, 2013, 1:17 PM

Research, by Trinity College Dublin and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, in Stockholm, has made a major breakthrough in the battle against neuroblastoma, a cancer that specifically affects children

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A collaborative research effort between Trinity College Dublin and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Stockholm has made a major breakthrough in the battle against neuroblastoma, a cancer that specifically affects children, and accounts for 15% of cancer deaths in children.

Neuroblastoma targets an average of ten Irish children every year, and is the most common cancer diagnosis for children under two years old. A cancer that affects the nervous system, Neuroblastoma attacks special nerve cells called neuroblasts. The research looked closely at the role of the CHD5 tumor suppressor during normal system development. CHD5 is a gene often inactive in the most severe forms of neuroblastoma, preventing immature neuroblasts from developing and causing them to become cancer cells. The joint research team discovered that CHD5 is a requisite gene for the cellular transition from a stem cell to a mature neuron. This research could lead to new ways to treat neuroblastoma, potentially with currently approved drugs. Current treatment for neuroblastoma can be very aggressive, reports TheJournal.ie, "One treatment is retinoic acid, a drug that can drive neuronal maturation. Unresponsiveness to retinoic acid can be common in more malignant CHD5-negative neuroblastoma cells." With the new research into the gene, however, scientists figure that if CHD5 could be re-activated, it may increase responsiveness to the retinoic acid treatment. Dr. Adrian Bracken, who heads the research group, said that "understanding the role of genes whose deletion or inactivation is associated with disease is central to designing intelligent therapeutic strategies. "Our future work will assess the potential benefit of reactivating CHD5 in neuroblastoma cells which usually retain one silenced copy of this gene. We hope that this research will lead to new and improved treatments for children with this disease." The news of potential new treatments for neuroblastoma is met with a "cautious welcome" from families of children who suffer from the disease. Eight-year-old Robyn Smyth has been battling neuroblastoma since she was diagnosed at three years old, going through chemotherapy, radiotherapy, a stem cell transplant, and she was on tablets. Robyn's mother Bernadette Smyth expressed to The Journal her feelings about the possibility of a new treatment option. "While I welcome any new research or breakthroughs to do with neuroblastoma, it usually takes years for any new treatments to be introduced." She added that if Robyn, who is currently in the middle of another bout of chemotherapy, is unresponsive to her treatment then the family hopes to travel to New York to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for further treatment. The family is currently fundraising money for Robyn. For more information about Robyn and her family and to donate to the fund, you can visit Robynslife.com

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Irish scientists make breakthrough in childhood cancer treatment

Rumble.21: Shwetha Shekar - From Genetic Engineering to acting - 1/3
Rumbling with Shwetha Shekar, a genetic engineer who moved into acting in Kollywood. If you force me to do something, I will not do it. Hosted by Madhav Das,...

By: Suresh Menon

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Rumble.21: Shwetha Shekar - From Genetic Engineering to acting - 1/3 - Video

Omd genetic engineering Tube 82

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Omd genetic engineering Tube 82 - Video

The Human Variome Project and the future of Genetic Medicine - Professor Sir John Burn
Professor Sir John Burn talks about the Human Variome Project and the future of Genetic Medicine during the 60 Years of DNA event hosted by the United Nation...

By: Human Variome Project

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The Human Variome Project and the future of Genetic Medicine - Professor Sir John Burn - Video

David Webb rips organizer behind Million Muslim March on 9-11-13

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David Webb rips organizer behind Million Muslim March on 9-11-13 - Video

Cell-free fetal DNA tests are one of the most exciting new prenatal screening tools available to pregnant women. And they could change the way genetic screening is done in the future.

Find out what these tests can tell you, if youre a candidate, and why it might not give you all the answers you need.

A non-invasive, no-risk, simple blood test

In less than two years, four companies in the United States have rolled out cell-free fetal DNA tests: Ariosa Diagnostics Harmony, Nateras Panorama, Verinatas Verifi and Sequenoms MaterniT21.

Unlike amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS), which are invasive and carry risks, a cell-free fetal DNA test is a simple blood test. The test can also be done early on in pregnancy at around 10 weeks and results are available within seven to 10 business days. All four companies also tout a nearly 100 percent accuracy rate.

What do they screen for?

Cell-free fetal DNA tests screen for Trisomy 13, 18, and 21. Also known as Down syndrome, Trisomy 21 affects one in every 691 babies in the United States, according to the National Down Syndrome Society. Some tests also screen for more obscure conditions like Turner and Triploid syndromes, and can even determine the babys sex.

The cost of the test runs anywhere from $800 to $2,000, and more insurance companies are covering the test. The availability of each test varies from state to state.

A good option for a high-risk pregnancy

In December 2012, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine issued a committee opinion endorsing cell-free fetal DNA tests. But they noted that it should be the womans choice to get the test after genetic counseling, and it shouldnt be part of the routine prenatal tests.

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New Prenatal Genetic Tests

Scientists Discover A New Mammal - The Olinguito
Here is an animal that lives in the cloud forests of the Andes, only comes out at night, and is the first new carnivore described in 35 years! It #39;s also the ...

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Scientists Discover A New Mammal - The Olinguito - Video

Gnu ECO Genetics C2-BTX Snowboard
For more information visit; http://www.backcountry.com/gnu-eco-genetics-c2-btx-snowboard.

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CTI and Gene Therapy
CTI #39;s Melanie Bruno, PhD, Vice President, Clinical Trial Operations, provides a brief history of gene therapy, speaks about issues in gene therapy trials tod...

By: CTI Clinical

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CTI and Gene Therapy - Video

CTI and Gene Therapy (Abridged Version)
CTI #39;s Melanie Bruno, PhD, Vice President, Clinical Trial Operations, explains why CTI excels at managing gene therapy trials.

By: CTI Clinical

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CTI and Gene Therapy (Abridged Version) - Video

Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Peripheral Nerve Injury by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India.
Improvement seen in just 5 day after Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Peripheral Nerve Injury by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India. After Stem Cell Therapy 1. Dee...

By: Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute

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Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Stroke Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet;Diabetes Article Date: 15 Aug 2013 - 8:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Mediterranean diet 'reduces genetic stroke risk'

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Scientists say they have discovered that the Mediterranean diet may prevent a genetic risk of stroke since it appears to interact with a particular gene variant usually associated with type 2 diabetes.

Researchers from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University, and the CIBER Fisiopatologa de la Obesidad y Nutricion in Spain, conducted the study, which was published in the journal Diabetes Care.

The research team analyzed 7,018 men and women involved in the Prevencion con Dieta Mediterranea (PREDIMED) trial. The trial, carried out over a 5-year period, looked at whether a Mediterranean or a low-fat controlled diet had an effect on the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart attack, and whether genetics played a part in this.

Prior to the trial, participants were also required to complete food frequency questionnaires, in order to see how closely participants followed a Mediterranean diet.

The study focused on a particular variant found in the Transcription Factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene. The variant is commonly involved in glucose metabolism and can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes. The researchers say this gene variant's link to heart disease has previously been unclear.

Around 14% of the PREDIMED participants were found to be homozygous carriers, meaning they possessed two copies of this gene variant.

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Mediterranean diet 'reduces genetic stroke risk'

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/43k7vr/2013_reporter) has announced the addition of the "2013 Reporter Gene Assays Dashboard Series 1" report to their offering.

Reporter gene assays (RGA) are sensitive and versatile methods used extensively to study regulatory sequences, gene expression, signaling pathways and transcriptional activity, among other applications. Reporter gene assays are widely used by scientists in both industry and academia. As life science suppliers continue improving products and services in the reporter gene assays market, reporter gene assay kits and reagents represent a significant market within the life sciences industry.

In order to explore the characteristics and dynamics of the market for reporter gene assays in depth, this study is the first in the series of Reporter Gene Assays Dashboard for the North American and European markets. This 2013 Dashboard provides a snapshot of the current reporter gene assays market landscape, to establish a foundation of data to which future series of Life Science Dashboards can be compared, giving Dashboard readers the ongoing story of how the market is adapting to new products, new competitors and sales and marketing strategies.

The 2013 Reporter Gene Assays Dashboard was developed from responses to a 27-question survey completed by 433 scientists located in North America and Europe.

This Dashboard reveals key market indicators for the reporter gene assays market as a whole as well as for the following techniques representing market sub-segments:

- Beta-galactosidase (LacZ) assays

- Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assays

- Fluorescent protein related assays, e.g. GFP, YFP, etc.

- Luciferase assays

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Research and Markets: 2013 Reporter Gene Assays Dashboard Report: Snapshot of the Current Reporter Gene Assays Market ...

Glowing bunnies are a successful early step in a project aimed at engineering mammals that produce medicines in their milk.

In normal light, the eight rabbits all look the samewhite, cute, and begging to be squeezed. But switch to black light, and two stand out by brightly glowing green.

The rabbits were born last month at the University of Istanbul as part of collaboration between universities in Turkey and Hawaii. Sea jelly genes engineered into the bunnies genomes bestowed them with their luminous abilities (you can see more of the rabbits in this video).

The glowing rabbits are certainly not the first transgenic animals to light the nightresearchers have already shown off glowing dogs, monkeys, cats, and many other species, including rabbits (see Glowing Monkeys Inherit Jellyfish Genes and Fluorescent Cats to Help Fight AIDS). The point of the flashy genetic engineering is not to give pet store owners a new product to hawk, but rather to confirm that the techniques researchers use to transfer genes into a genome are working. And in many cases, the greater goal is to develop new ways to study or treat disease.

As reported by The Guardian, the ultimate goal of the Turkish and Hawaiian collaboration is to refine techniques that could one day lead to animals capable of producing medicines in their milk. As Stefan Moisyadi, a University of Hawaii researcher involved in the project told The Guardian:

The final goal is to develop animals to produce beneficial molecules in their milk that can be cheaply extracted, especially in countries that cannot afford big pharma plants that make drugs, that usually cost $1bn to build, and be able to produce their own protein-based medication in animals.

Other groups have already seen some success with this idea, and in 2009, the FDA approved a drug that is purified from the milk of a transgenic goat (see FDA Approves First Pharm Animals). In a TV news interview, Moisyadi also mentions the potential for biologic drugs, such as replacement blood-clotting enzymes for people with hemophilia, to be produced more cheaply in transgenic animals than they are today.

Another cool idea in this space is to develop transgenic goats to produce malaria vaccine in their milk. Last year, researchers at Texas A&M University reported that they had indeed produced such a goat; the question remained whether her daughters would also be capable of making the life-saving medication. If proven successful and safe, the idea would be to take the goats offspring (or other goats like her) to developing countries with malaria outbreaks as a hardy source of vaccine.

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Genetic engineering project begins with glow-in-the-dark rabbits, but it could lead to better disease treatment

Law of Definite Proportions
Chemistry Chapter 2 : Atoms and Elements Tags:/ Acid-base reaction theories Alchemy Analytical chemistry Astrochemistry Biochemistry Crystallography Environm...

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Law of Definite Proportions - Video

Seattle Genetics, Inc. (SGEN) recently commenced a phase II study of Adcetris in combination with the current standard of care in treatment-naive patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (:DLBCL).

The open-label, phase II study will evaluate roughly 50 frontline high-risk DLBCL patients, who will receive Adcetris in combination with Rituxan and standard chemotherapy (R-CHOP).

The primary endpoint is to evaluate the complete remission rate and safety of the A+RCHOP regimen. Secondary endpoints include objective response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival.

This study will generate tolerability data as well as antitumor activity data achieved by Adcetris plus the current standard frontline regimen.

In Jun 2013, Seattle Genetics had presented data at the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (:ICML) from a phase II study of Adcetrisin patients with relapsed B-cell lymphomas. The study involved 44 patients including 25 DLBCL patients who achieved an objective response rate of 44%.

Seattle Genetics sole marketed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) product is Adcetris. Adcetris is used for the treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) after failure of autologous stem cell transplant (:ASCT) or after failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not suitable for ASCT. Adcetris is also approved for the treatment of systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma after failure of at least one multi-agent chemotherapy regimen.

ADCs have lately been attracting a lot of interest with major companies entering into collaborations. Seattle Genetics has an alliance with Genentech, a business wing of Roche Holding AG (RHHBY), for the development of ADCs.

Seattle Genetics carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Currently, companies like Questcor Pharmaceuticals Inc. (QCOR) and Actelion Ltd. (ALIOF) look well positioned with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Read the Full Research Report on ALIOF

Read the Full Research Report on QCOR

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SGEN Starts Phase II Study on Adcetris

By: Jet Villa, InterAksyon.com August 16, 2013 8:24 AM

InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE - 10:12 a.m.) A consultant of Secretary Enrique Ona resigned Friday, calling the Health chiefs position that patients undergoing experimental stem cell therapy should pay unacceptable.

Dr. Anthony Leachon, who is in Davao City, said he emailed his resignation letter to Ona.

It is with deep regret that I'm resigning asDepartment of Health consultant for non-communicable diseases effective today (Friday). I have been privileged and honored to be a part of your administration even as a one peso a year consultant. I value our friendship and camaraderie which started years ago, Leachon, vice president of the Philippine College of Physicians and Onas consultant for non-communicable diseases, wrote.

Because his position is directly opposed to Onas, Leachon told the Health secretary, I believe I have lost your trust and confidence and I might not be effective serving the DOH and fighting the PCP and medical societies ' cause in the service of the Filipino patient.

Leachon was Onas consultant for non-communicable diseases since November 2011.

Ang pinaka-hindi ko nagustuhan ay yung sisingilin ang pasyente kahit clinical trial pa lang. Yon ang unacceptable sa akin (What I disagree with most is charging patients even if what they undergo are just clinical trials. That is unacceptable), Leachon said.

His resignation came as the National Health Institute, the research arm for health sciences of the University of the Philippines-Manila, joined the growing opposition to the Health secretarys stand on experimental stem cell therapy.

Leachon, a cardiologist at the Manila Doctors Hospital, called Onas position a complete violation of the Code of Ethics (for doctors) and being the secretary of health, alam niya dapat yon (he should know that). This is not a sign of ignorance, pero siguro may mga taong iba ang sinasabi sa kaniya (but there may be people telling him otherwise).

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NIH joins opposition to charging patients for experimental stem cell therapy

By: Jet Villa, InterAksyon.com August 16, 2013 8:24 AM

InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE - 10:12 a.m.) A consultant of Secretary Enrique Ona resigned Friday, calling the Health chiefs position that patients undergoing experimental stem cell therapy should pay unacceptable.

Dr. Anthony Leachon, who is in Davao City, said he emailed his resignation letter to Ona.

It is with deep regret that I'm resigning asDepartment of Health consultant for non-communicable diseases effective today (Friday). I have been privileged and honored to be a part of your administration even as a one peso a year consultant. I value our friendship and camaraderie which started years ago, Leachon, vice president of the Philippine College of Physicians and Onas consultant for non-communicable diseases, wrote.

Because his position is directly opposed to Onas, Leachon told the Health secretary, I believe I have lost your trust and confidence and I might not be effective serving the DOH and fighting the PCP and medical societies ' cause in the service of the Filipino patient.

Leachon was Onas consultant for non-communicable diseases since November 2011.

Ang pinaka-hindi ko nagustuhan ay yung sisingilin ang pasyente kahit clinical trial pa lang. Yon ang unacceptable sa akin (What I disagree with most is charging patients even if what they undergo are just clinical trials. That is unacceptable), Leachon said.

His resignation came as the National Health Institute, the research arm for health sciences of the University of the Philippines-Manila, joined the growing opposition to the Health secretarys stand on experimental stem cell therapy.

Leachon, a cardiologist at the Manila Doctors Hospital, called Onas position a complete violation of the Code of Ethics (for doctors) and being the secretary of health, alam niya dapat yon (he should know that). This is not a sign of ignorance, pero siguro may mga taong iba ang sinasabi sa kaniya (but there may be people telling him otherwise).

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Consultant quits over DOH chief's stand on stem cell therapy

Aug. 15, 2013 Transposons are DNA elements that can multiply and change their location within an organism's genome. Discovered in the 1940s, for years they were thought to be unimportant and were called "junk DNA." Also referred to as transposable elements and jumping genes, they are snippets of "selfish DNA" that spread in their host genomes serving no other biological purpose but their own existence.

Now Tokuji Tsuchiya and Thomas Eulgem, geneticists at the University of California, Riverside, challenge that understanding. They report online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that they have discovered a transposon that benefits its host organisms.

Working on the model plant Arabidopsis, they found that the COPIA-R7 transposon, which has jumped into the plant disease resistance gene RPP7, enhances the immunity of its host against a pathogenic microorganism that is representative of a large group of fungus-like parasites that cause various detrimental plant diseases.

"We provide a new example for an 'adaptive transposon insertion' event -- transposon insertions that can have beneficial effects for their respective host organisms -- and uncover the mechanistic basis of its beneficial effects for plants," said Thomas Eulgem, an associate professor of plant cell biology and the senior author of the research paper. "While it has been known for a while that transposon insertions can have positive effects for their respective host organisms and accelerate evolution of their hosts, cases of such adaptive transposon insertions have been rarely documented and are, so far, poorly understood."

The COPIA-R7 transposon affects RPP7 by interfering with the latter's epigenetic code. In contrast to the well known 4-letter genetic DNA code, which provides instructions for the synthesis of proteins, the "epigenetic code" defines the activity states of genes and determines to what extent their genetic information is utilized. Eulgem explained that the transposition of transposons is typically inhibited by epigenetic silencing signals associated with their DNA. Such epigenetic signals are like molecular "flags" or "tags" that are attached to special proteins, around which DNA is wrapped.

A type of molecular flag, referred to as H3K9me2, prohibits transposons from being active and jumping in their host genomes.

"An exciting aspect of our work is that H3K9me2 signals associated with COPIA-R7 have acquired a completely new meaning in RPP7 and promote the activity of this disease-resistance gene," said Eulgem, a member of UC Riverside's Center for Plant Cell Biology. "By modulating levels of this silencing signal in RPP7, plants can adjust the activity of this disease resistance gene.

"Silencing of transposon activity is a complex process that is based on the interplay between different types of epigenetic signals," Eulgem continued. "Typically H3K9me2 is of critical importance for transposon silencing. However, we found H3K9me2 is not important for COPIA-R7 silencing, perhaps because this type of epigenetic signal has acquired a different function within the RPP7 gene. While we found H3K9me2 to promote RPP7 activity, it seems to have lost its function for COPIA-R7 silencing."

Arabidopsis plants use H3K9me2-mediated messenger RNA processing to accurately set RPP7 activity to precisely defined levels. In principle, scientists interested in crop improvement can now use the UCR discovery to design new types of molecular switches based on H3K9me2-mediated messenger RNA processing. Using standard molecular biological methods, transposon sequences that are naturally associated with this epigenetic signal can be inserted into suitable genes and thereby alter the activity levels of these genes.

"Our results are critical for the basic understanding of how transposons can affect the evolution of their hosts -- something not well understood at this time," said Tokuji Tsuchiya, the first author of the research paper and an assistant specialist in Eulgem's lab. "Besides this impact on basic research, the epigenetic mechanism we discovered can possibly be utilized for biotechnological crop improvement. In principle, the switch mechanism we discovered can be applied to all crop species that can be genetically modified."

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Beneficial jumping gene discovered

Public release date: 15-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Todd Kluss tkluss@geron.org 202-587-2839 The Gerontological Society of America

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA) have chosen Nina Kraus, PhD, of Northwestern University as the 2013 recipient of the Gene D. Cohen Research Award in Creativity and Aging.

This award recognizes and honors the seminal work of Gene Cohen, MD, whose research in the field of creativity and aging shifted the conceptual focus from a problem paradigm to one of promise and potential. Cohen inspired individuals to approach longevity asking what wonders can be achieved, not in spite of age, but because of age. The award is presented annually to a professional whose research in the field of creativity and aging demonstrates these positive attributes.

The award presentation will take place at GSA's 66th Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 20 to 24 in New Orleans. This conference is organized to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, educators, and practitioners who specialize in the study of the aging process. Visit http://www.geron.org/annualmeeting for further details.

Kraus is a professor of neurobiology & physiology and otolaryngology, and the Hugh Knowles Chair at Northwestern University, where she also directs the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory.

She investigates the neurobiology underlying speech and music perception and learning-associated brain plasticity. This involves studies of listeners throughout the lifespan, clinical populations, and musicians.

Kraus has pioneered the use of a biological approach that reveals how auditory signals are encoded by a hub of cognitive and sensory influences. This approach reveals the fidelity of the brain's encoding of sound and the impact of experience. She has discovered biological mechanisms of aging and how software-based training and musical experience positively impact the adult brain.

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The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society and its 5,400+ members is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA's structure also includes a policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society, and an educational branch, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.

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Kraus to receive 2013 Gene D. Cohen Award

The Genetics of Familial Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)
Recently, Rare Disease Report sat down with Dr. Wendy Chung, Clinical and Medical Geneticist at Columbia University to talk about her labs work in genetic te...

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The Genetics of Familial Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) - Video

Jeff "Genetics" Beckham
MD Latino TV presenta a Jeff Beckham en el Tampa Bay Pro Show.

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Stem Cell and Gene Therapy for CV Disease: Lessons learned and future directions
Les Miller, MD Director of the USF Heart Institute Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Cardiology Grand Rounds...

By: DukeClinicalResearch

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Stem Cell and Gene Therapy for CV Disease: Lessons learned and future directions - Video

Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Congenital Muscular Dystrophy by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India.
Improvement seen in just 5 day after Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Congenital Muscular Dystrophy by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India. After Stem Cell Therapy ...

By: Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute

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Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Congenital Muscular Dystrophy by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India. - Video

Newswise OMAHA, Neb. What started as basic cancer research at Creighton University has yielded promising results for diagnosing and treating asthma and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) agrees, investing nearly $1.5 million in Creighton to find out more.

In a previous prostate cancer study, Yaping Tu, Ph.D., a cancer biologist and associate professor of pharmacology at Creighton University School of Medicine, studied a mouse model that was missing a specific gene, called RGS2; he believed the deleted gene would lead to prostate cancer in the animals. Though the tumors failed to develop, Tu noticed the mice had trouble breathing and were less active, similar to asthma patients. With the help of Creightons renowned allergy and asthma researcher Thomas Casale, M.D., professor of medicine and microbiology and immunology and Chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology, Tu soon determined the animals suffered from airway hyperresponsiveness, or a twitchiness of the airways a cardinal feature of asthma.

This finding piqued our interest and made us wonder if there was a connection to human patients with asthma, says Tu. In a small study, we were able to confirm that RGS2 is downregulated in a high percentage of patients with asthma, confirming the possibility that this may be a target for a novel gene therapy in asthma patients.

Now with a $1.44 million, four-year NIH grant, Tu and collaborators Casale and Peter Abel, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at Creighton University School of Medicine, will take a bench-to-bedside approach to explore how the gene works in the development of airway hyperresponsiveness and whether it can be used as a diagnostic marker for asthma. Finally, the collaborators will work to develop a therapeutic approach to restore gene function, with the hope of one day applying the research to human trials.

Asthma currently affects more than 25 million Americans. There is not one cause; different patients have different triggers. The one shared trait, however, is airway hypperresponsiveness possibly related to the change to RGS2.

Our current treatment options are similar to a lock-and-key, Casale explains. Each drug on the market is the key to unlock and treat a different symptom or pathway important in causing asthma and we still havent found all of the keys. We still have a lot of work to do, but our findings suggest that therapy targeting RGS2 gene expression might just be the master key to managing a critical component of asthma as a whole.

Research reported in this press release was supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number R01HL116849. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

About Creighton University

Creighton University, a Catholic, Jesuit institution located in Omaha, Neb., enrolls more than 4,200 undergraduate and 3,500 professional school and graduate students. No other university its size offers students such a comprehensive academic environment coupled with personal attention from faculty-mentors. With nine colleges and schools on the same campus, Creighton affords incomparable interdisciplinary learning and unique opportunities for collaborative research among arts and sciences, business, health sciences and law. Creighton has been a top-ranked Midwestern regional university in the college edition of U.S. News & World Report magazine for more than 20 years. For more information, visit our website at: http://www.creighton.edu.

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Bench-to-Bedside Asthma Research to Study Potential Biomarker