Archive for the ‘Gene Therapy Research’ Category

Lawsuits Californias Ambry Genetics shoots back with dueling lawsuit over gene testing.

A California company sued by Myriad Genetics over its competing test for genes related to breast cancer is striking back with allegations that the patents the Utah-based company is relying on are invalid and that it is illegally monopolizing the market for such products.

The allegations by Ambry Genetics of Aliso Viejo, Calif., were filed in U.S. District Court for Utah in response to a lawsuit against it by Myriad shortly after Ambry announced it had begun offering genetics tests that compete with Myriads.

Ambry and another company, Gene by Gene of Houston, began offering tests that compete with Myriads after the U.S. Supreme Court in June struck down parts of five patents Myriad holds related to genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2. Mutations of those genes indicate a high probability a patient will suffer from hereditary breast or ovarian cancer and detection of them can guide efforts to prevent the cancers or treatment of them.

Myriad also sued Gene by Gene last month, asserting that the Utah company still holds valid patents that Gene by Gene is infringing upon.

Now Ambry is countersuing, saying some of Myriads patents are invalid under the Supreme Court decision in the Myriad case and another gene-related case.

Ambry contends Myriad is merely relying on standard lab practices to copy and sequence genetic materials and those methods are not eligible to be patented.

"As a result, Myriad now seeks to wrongfully enforce a de facto monopoly on the unpatentable genes to the detriment of women in the United States," Ambrys attorneys write in the companys counterclaim.

They also claim Myriad filed the lawsuit in part because Ambry was depositing patient test results in a public data base that could help researchers develop competing tests.

Myriad did not return an email Friday afternoon seeking comment on the allegations.

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Company claims Utah’s Myriad Genetics maintains illegal monopoly

By: InterAksyon.com August 9, 2013 10:02 AM

InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines - The controversy over unregulated stem cell procedures in the country, including the role of unlicensed foreign doctors, has reached Congress, from where several alleged victims of malpractice came. The vice chairman of the House blue-ribbon panel is set to deliver a privileged speech Monday ahead of hearings on the current state of things in the stem cell therapy practice in the country, where experts warned earlier the "fad-like" atmosphere poses serious threat to public health and safety.

Rep. Doy Leachon of Oriental Mindoro is expected to train his sights on, among others: the unethical practice of stem cell therapy without Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and on unapproved indications; the charging of exorbitant fees for still-experimental procedures; the criminal liabilities of doctors who prey on the miseries of desperate sick patients; a review of the potential conflict of interest, unethical conduct of self-promotion and violation of FDA rules in pushing stem cell therapy and charging of fees involving the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) and Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine (PSSCM).

Leachon wants the academe, ethics experts and the Philippine College of Physicians to shed light on the multidimensional controversy.

The House inquiry may also focus on the deaths of two congressmen who allegedly died after undergoing stem cell therapy; and the case of Dangerous Drugs Board chairman Antonio Villar, who developed adverse reactions.

Expected to be summoned to the House hearings, besides representatives of the PMA and PSSCM are officials of the FDA, Department of Health, PRC, Securities and Exchange Commission, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Internal Revenue and other stakeholders.

Earlier this week, the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) served notice it would require special permits from foreign doctors who conduct stem cell procedures in the country. It warned that those failing to do so, as well as their local partners, face criminals charges for medical malpractice.

For his part, Leachon--saying a class suit is possible against doctors in cases where the stem cell therapy was found to have caused deaths and adverse reactions--encouraged patients victimized by "unscrupulous con artists and who developed side effects" to report to his office.

Leachon, a lawyer, was a TOYM awardee in public service in 2011.

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House panel trains sights on unregulated stem-cell therapy in PH

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on August 8, 2013

Researchers for years have been on a tantalizing quest to developa drug to slow age-related memory loss.

Biochemical researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University say memory loss with aging is a biological process associated with brain subunits and neurotransmitters areas and substances that could be replaced or revived with drug, nutritional or genetic therapy.

For example, if you forget where you put your car keys and you cant seem to remember things as well as you used to, the problem may well be with the GluN2B subunits in NMDA receptors.

These brain regions help you remember things, but youve been losing them almost since the day you were born, and its only going to get worse. An old adult may have only half as many of them as a younger person.

Research on these biochemicals is making it clear that cognitive decline with age is a natural part of life, and scientists are tracking the problem down to highly specific components of the brain.

Separate from some more serious problems like dementia and Alzheimers disease, virtually everyone loses memory-making and cognitive abilities as they age. The process is well under way by the age of 40 and picks up speed after that.

But of considerable interest: It may not have to be that way.

These are biological processes, and once we fully understand what is going on, we may be able to slow or prevent it, said neuroscientistKathy Magnusson, Ph.D.

There may be ways to influence it with diet, health habits, continued mental activity or even drugs.

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Mouse Study Uses Gene Therapy to Bolster Memory

Joy Lee

The China Post/Asia News Network

Friday, Aug 09, 2013

TAIPEI - Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital yesterday published research showing that aristolochic acid is a carcinogen that can cause gene mutation.

Science Translational Medicine, an interdisciplinary medical journal established in October 2009 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, published the research as the cover story of its most recent issue.

Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital worked with National Cancer Centre Singapore to discover all the damage aristolochic acid can have on human bodies, including causing cancer and gene mutation.

According to the research, aristolochic acid, a natural product of aristolochia plants found in herbal remedies and health supplements, is the strongest source of carcinogens thus far discovered.

The Department of Health (DOH), now named the Ministry of Health and Welfare, banned use of any herbal medicines that contain aristolochic acid in 2003 due to potential kidney damage. However, the research also found that aristolochic acid can not only cause lasting damage to kidneys but also to livers.

Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital's research team said that people should not try any herbal remedies that contain aristolochic acid and if they start to develop symptoms like feeling pain or bumps around waist area, they should go to a doctor immediately for professional consultation.

In April 2001, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a consumer health alert against consuming botanical products that were sold as traditional medicines or as ingredients in dietary supplements that contained aristolochic acid.

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Herbal medicine ingredient linked to cancer

Latest Diet & Weight Management News

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have identified a gene associated with overweight and obesity in both psychiatric patients and people in the general population.

It was known that the CRTC1 gene is involved in obesity and energy balance (calories taken in by eating and drinking versus calories burned through physical activity) in animals, but its role in human weight was unknown.

In this study, researchers examined whether different versions of the CRTC1 gene were associated with weight in psychiatric patients and people in the general population.

"Our results suggest that CRTC1 plays an important role in the high prevalence of overweight and obesity observed in psychiatric patients. Besides, CRTC1 could play a role in the genetics of obesity in the general population, thereby increasing our understanding of the multiple mechanisms influencing obesity," wrote Eva Choong, of Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland, and colleagues.

The study was published online Aug. 7 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

The researchers also found a strong association between CRTC1 variants and fat levels in women younger than 45. This finding shows the need for further research on the link between fat levels and reproduction, the researchers said in a journal news release.

-- Robert Preidt

Copyright 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

SOURCE: JAMA Psychiatry, news release, Aug. 7, 2013

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Gene Tied to Obesity in Humans

Joy Lee

The China Post

Publication Date : 09-08-2013

Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital yesterday published research showing that aristolochic acid is a carcinogen that can cause gene mutation.

Science Translational Medicine, an interdisciplinary medical journal established in October 2009 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, published the research as the cover story of its most recent issue.

Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital worked with National Cancer Centre Singapore to discover all the damage aristolochic acid can have on human bodies, including causing cancer and gene mutation.

According to the research, aristolochic acid, a natural product of aristolochia plants found in herbal remedies and health supplements, is the strongest source of carcinogens thus far discovered.

The Department of Health (DOH), now named the Ministry of Health and Welfare, banned use of any herbal medicines that contain aristolochic acid in 2003 due to potential kidney damage. However, the research also found that aristolochic acid can not only cause lasting damage to kidneys but also to livers.

Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital's research team said that people should not try any herbal remedies that contain aristolochic acid and if they start to develop symptoms like feeling pain or bumps around waist area, they should go to a doctor immediately for professional consultation.

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Taiwan research links herbal medicine ingredient to cancer

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

One of the most common techniques used by anti-biotech campaigners on the Web is the circulation of Top 10 type lists, which purport to unmask the biotech industry and top scientists and regulators for churning out lies about genetically modified (GM) foods that will lead to the destruction of the global food supply.

The Genetic Literacy Project (GLP) put the search terms myths about GM foods in Google and came up with more than 1.6 million entries and thousands of articles with titles like 10 reasons why we dont need GM foods. It is a compilation of the most egregious (and easily debunked) claims by advocacy groups.

To inject reason and logic into the debate, GLP is launching a new project. The Genetic Literacy Project will release occasional infographics to represent what the science says about crop biotechnology.

The first infographic 10 Reasons We Need Biotech Foods and Cropsis included in the GLP Weekly Newsletter, and is also available on the GLP website. It comes complete with source links to international foundations, research organizations, major science journals and leading newspapers.

Agricultural and human biotechnology are reshaping farming, food and medicine. The GLP explores the intersection of DNA research, media and policy to disentangle science from ideology. The Genetic Literacy Project is a non-profit organization funded by grants from non-partisan foundations. GLP also accepts donations from individuals. GLP does not accept funding from any industry or corporation. The GLP is affiliated with the non-profit Statistical Assessment Service (STATS) based at George Mason University in Virginia, which supplies administrative support for the GLP, and with the Center for Health & Risk Communication at GMU.

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Genetic Literacy Project Infographic: 10 Reasons We Need Biotech Foods and Crops

Clin Med 7 31 13 Genetics 1

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Clin Med 8 1 13 Genetics 2 - Video

Empire Farm Days Polled Genetics Panel Part II

By: TheHolsteinWorld

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Empire Farm Days Polled Genetics Panel Part II - Video

Empire Farm Days Polled Genetics Panel
DairyBusiness Communications in partnership with the NY Holstein Association is sponsoring a free Polled Genetics Panel at Empire Farm Days.

By: dairylineradio

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Empire Farm Days Polled Genetics Panel - Video

#39;Spiritual Genetics - Part 2 #39; by Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy on Powerline - SMNI
Powerline: August 6, 2013 What is Spirit and truth? The Spirit that we talk about here is the spirit of obedience to His Will that makes us connected to the...

By: Sonshine Media Network International

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'Spiritual Genetics - Part 2' by Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy on Powerline - SMNI - Video

FOR EMBARGOED RELEASE

EMBARGOED: Genetics and social sciences explored in American Journal of Public Health supplement

EMBARGOED UNTIL August 8, 2013, 4 p.m. (EDT)

Newswise The American Journal of Public Health, for the first time, will explore the link between social sciences and genetics in its October supplemental issue, embargoed until Aug. 8. Through new research, editorials and commentaries, the issue highlights the impact of investigating this field in public health.

This research direction has the promise of increasing our understanding of both why certain environments affect some people but not others and the functioning of specific genes in determining important health phenotypes, explain Jason M. Fletcher, PhD and Dalton Conley, PhD, authors of one of the issues analytic essays about gene-environment interaction research.

Topics covered in the issue range from behavioral and social risks to research design to social environments and genetics. Specifically, papers address a social sciences and genetics approach to understanding adolescent development, drug use, mental health, sex and gender and many other topics.

Highlights from this American Journal of Public Health issue include:

Chromosome component in children impacted by prenatal smoke exposure Twins examined to investigate role of genetics in link between socio-economic status and depression

Chromosome component in children impacted by prenatal smoke exposure A new study from the American Journal of Public Health finds that prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke can impact parts of chromosomes in children. Researchers investigated telomere length, a repetitive DNA sequence located at the ends of chromosomes that stabilizes the chromosome. Telomeres are a part of chromosomes that have been identified as a biomarker of cellular aging. After reviewing results from more than 100 New Orleans children aged 4 to 14, researchers found that telomere length was shorter among children who were exposed to smoke during pregnancy. Short telomere length has been associated with negative health outcomes.

Stress exposure, both environmental and psychosocial, during prenatal life may result in biological changes that alter developmental trajectories and may alter lifelong health trajectories. Identifying the earliest developmental time points for prevention and intervention is challenging but critical if we expect to improve health outcomes, the studys authors conclude.

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Genetics and Social Sciences Explored in American Journal of Public Health Supplement

Public release date: 9-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Gina Bericchia Gina.Bericchia@NationwideChildrens.org 614-355-0495 Nationwide Children's Hospital

New research on two promising gene therapies suggests that combining them into one treatment not only repairs muscle damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but also prevents future injury from the muscle-wasting disease. The work, led by a team at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, is the first to look at the approach in aged mice, a key step toward clinical trials in patients. The findings were published in July in Human Molecular Genetics.

"We're excited about the fact that these are older mice and we're still able to see a sustained functional benefit from this combined therapythis hasn't been shown before," says Louise Rodino-Klapac, PhD, a principle investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy at Nationwide Children's and lead author of the research.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy in children, affecting about one out of every 3,500 to 6,000 male births. Symptoms usually begin between the ages of 3 and 5 years and progress rapidly. Most patients are unable to walk by age 12 and ultimately need a respirator to breathe.

Patients with DMD lack the gene that makes dystrophin, a protein vital for healthy muscle tissue. Dystrophin acts as an anchor to support muscle fiber strength and prevent injury. Without it over time, the muscle degenerates, scar tissue builds up and fat slowly replaces the dead muscle. The gene that produces dystrophin is hugethe largest known gene in the bodyso a much smaller version, called micro-dystrophin, has been developed for gene replacement therapeutic studies.

Another gene replacement therapy currently under study in patients with different forms of muscular dystrophy is follistatin 344, which produces a protein that enhances muscle strength and prevents atrophy.

While preliminary studies in animals of each of these therapies suggest they offer some benefit when used individually, the team at Nationwide Children's wanted to see what would happen if the therapies were combined.

Dr. Rodino-Klapac and her colleagues packaged the micro-dystrophin and follistatin therapeutic genes into adeno-associated virus, which doesn't cause disease and isn't absorbed in the genome. The virus and its genetic cargo were delivered via injection to dystrophic mice that were either 6 or 12 months old. The virus "infects" cells, the therapeutic genes are released, and the body ideally begins to produce micro-dystrophinwhich prevents future muscle injuriesand follistatinwhich repairs existing muscle damage.

The researchers analyzed skeletal muscle strength in the mice at 12 and 20 months of age. Mice that received the combined therapy showed a significant increase in muscle strength compared to mice treated with either the micro-dystrophin or follistatin 344 alone. Equally important, the treated mice also suffered less muscle damage over time.

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Combined therapy could repair and prevent damage in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Editor's Choice Main Category: MRI / PET / Ultrasound Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology Article Date: 08 Aug 2013 - 10:00 PDT

Current ratings for: MRI-guided brain cancer breakthrough - exclusive interview

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Neurosurgeons from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have conducted the first real-time MRI-guided gene therapy for patients with brain cancer, advancing the clinical trial of new cancer drug, Toca 511.

The new treatment, carried out by neurosurgeons at the UCSD School of Medicine and the UCSD Moores Cancer Center, uses real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a way of guiding the delivery of the new gene therapy directly into brain tumors.

MRI navigational technology, called Clearpoint, enables the neurosurgeons to inject Toca 511 (vocimagene amiretrorepvec) directly into a brain tumor.

Following our earlier news story Brain cancer: groundbreaking MRI-guided gene therapy, Clark Chen, chief of stereotactic and radiosurgery and vice chairman of neurosurgery at the University of California, San Diego, has spoken exclusively to Medical News Today about how the MRI-guided gene therapy works, and what this means for the future of brain cancer treatment.

Previous efforts with gene therapy for brain cancer were largely limited by the inability to deliver the drug into the brain. Under normal conditions, the brain is protected by a physiological system called the blood-brain barrier.

Unfortunately, this natural defense mechanism also prevents drugs from reaching the cancer cells in brain tumor patients. It is estimated that less than 1% of all available drugs will cross the blood brain barrier.

We by-passed the blood brain barrier by directly injecting the gene therapy into the region of the tumor.

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MRI-guided brain cancer breakthrough - exclusive interview

Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Transverse Myelitis by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India.
Improvement seen after Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Transverse Myelitis by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India. After Stem Cell Therapy PT assessment: Objectively : 1) Grade 3-4 spasticity in...

By: Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute

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Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Transverse Myelitis by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India. - Video

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/s4frtb/cell_therapy_in) has announced the addition of the "Cell Therapy in the US" report to their offering.

The Cell Therapy industry is a fast-growing industry. The demand for the industry's products and services depends primarily on the level of investment in medical technology. Strong growth will slow slightly over the five years to 2018, but it will still outpace a majority of the economy.

This industry engineers human tissue, also known as cell therapy or regenerative medicine. Tissue engineering is the use of a combination of cells, engineering and materials methods, and suitable biochemical and chemical factors to improve or replace biological functions. Key functions include repairing or replacing tissues (e.g. bone, cartilage, blood vessels and skin).

This report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry including the key sensitivities and success factors. Also included are five year industry forecasts, growth rates and an analysis of the industry key players and their market shares.

Key Topics Covered:

ABOUT THIS INDUSTRY

Industry Definition

Main Activities

Similar Industries

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Research and Markets: 2013 Update on Cell Therapy in the US: More funding for R&D will help maintain strong revenue ...

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/58555c/drug_delivery_in) has announced the addition of Jain PharmaBiotech's new report "Drug Delivery in Cancer - Technologies, Markets and Companies" to their offering.

Drug delivery remains a challenge in management of cancer. Approximately 12.5 million new cases of cancer are being diagnosed worldwide each year and considerable research is in progress for drug discovery for cancer. Cancer drug delivery is no longer simply wrapping up cancer drugs in a new formulations for different routes of delivery. The focus is on targeted cancer therapy. The newer approaches to cancer treatment not only supplement the conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy but also prevent damage to normal tissues and prevent drug resistance.

Innovative cancer therapies are based on current concepts of molecular biology of cancer. These include antiangiogenic agents, immunotherapy, bacterial agents, viral oncolysis, targeting of cyclic-dependent kinases and tyrosine kinase receptors, antisense approaches, gene therapy and combination of various methods. Important methods of immunotherapy in cancer involve use of cytokines, monoclonal antibodies, cancer vaccines and immunogene therapy.

Several innovative methods of drug delivery are used in cancer. These include use of microparticles as carriers of anticancer agents. These may be injected into the arterial circulation and guided to the tumor by magnetic field for targeted drug delivery. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) technology has been used to overcome some of the barriers to anticancer drug delivery. Encapsulating anticancer drugs in liposomes enables targeted drug delivery to tumor tissues and prevents damage to the normal surrounding tissues. Monoclonal antibodies can be used for the delivery of anticancer payloads such as radionucleotides, toxins and chemotherapeutic agents to the tumors.

Antisense oligonucleotides have been in clinical trials for cancer for some time now. RNAi has also been applied in oncology. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) can be targeted to tumors and one example is suppression of H-ras gene expression indicating the potential for application in therapy of ovarian cancer. Cancer gene therapy is a sophisticated form of drug delivery for cancer. Various technologies and companies developing them are described. Nucleic acid-based cancer vaccines are also described.

Drug delivery strategies vary according to the type and location of cancer. Role of drug delivery in the management of cancers of the brain, the bladder, the breast, the ovaries and the prostate are used as examples to illustrate different approaches both experimental and clinical. Biodegradable implants of carmustine are already used in the treatment of malignant brain tumors.

The market value of drug delivery technologies and the anticancer drugs are difficult to separate. Cancer market estimates from 2012-2022 are given according to organs involved and the types of cancer as well as according to technologies. Distribution of the into major regions is also described.

Profiles of 224 companies involved in developing innovative cancer therapies and methods of delivery are presented along with their 251 collaborations. The bibliography contains over 650 publications that are cited in the report. The report is supplemented with 66 tables and 10 figures.

Key Topics Covered:

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Research and Markets: Global Drug Delivery in Cancer Report 2013-2022: Updated Analysis of Technologies, Markets and ...

Michigan CardioVascular Institute cardiovascular disease specialists at Covenant HealthCare have enrolled their first patient into a clinical trial of a novel gene therapy technique to promote regeneration of the heart in heart failure patients.

The study, being conducted by MCVI Research Department at Covenant HealthCare, is exploring the efficacy of an experimental gene drug designed to heal a damaged heart by encouraging the body to deploy more stem cells to site of the injury than it normally would.

Heart failure (HF) occurs when the muscle of the heart becomes weakened and cannot pump blood sufficiently. The injury is most often caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart resulting from ischemic cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks. Affecting more than five million people in the U.S., heart failure is a leading cause of death, disability and hospitalization.

Considerable scientific evidence has emerged over the past decade demonstrating the high therapeutic potential of stem cell-based regenerative medicine for a host of diseases. Stem cells are the building blocks for every organ, tissue and cell in the human body. They have the unique ability to develop into many different cell types, and in many tissues serve as an internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells.

Dr. Safwan Kassas, principal investigator, said the way the human body deals with protein regulation will be the wave of the future for all of mankinds significant incapacitating diseases; the STOP-HF Trial is of paramount importance for the future of this type of therapy.

Sponsored by Juventas Therapeutics, the STOP-HF Trial is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blinded Phase II study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the drug JVS-100 in patients with late-stage heart failure. JVS-100 is a gene therapy that directs the heart muscle to produce Stromal cell-Derived Factor 1 (SDF-1), a protein which has been shown to repair damaged tissue in the body through the recruitment of circulating stem cells to the site of injury, prevention of ongoing cell death and restoration of blood flow.

A Phase I study of JVS-100 in Class III ischemic heart failure patients met the primary safety endpoint and demonstrated clinically significant improvements at 12 months in exercise.

MCVI with Covenant HealthCare is one of just a dozen U.S. sites participating in the trial. The study will enroll 90 patients nationwide.

Copyright 2013 Midland Daily News - Midland, Michigan. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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MCVI joins study of new heart repair drug

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Kite Pharma Inc. (Kite), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing engineered autologous T cell therapy (eACT) products for cancer, today announced the appointment of three leading experts in the areas of immunotherapy, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology, and gene therapy to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130513/MM13332LOGO)

"Kite is fortunate to attract these world-leading immunotherapy and cancer researchers to our advisory board," said Aya Jakobovits, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Kite. "Their experience and insight will be invaluable for the development and progression of our eACT product pipeline."

The new SAB members are:

"These three superb scientists are recognized for their major discoveries in the fields of immunotherapy and cancer," Owen Witte M.D., Kite's SAB Chairman, Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics and Director of the Broad Stem Cell Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles."Their extensive experience in this field will be invaluable to Kite as the company advances its immunotherapy products to the marketplace."

About the eACT PlatformClinical evidence has demonstrated that a patients' peripheral blood T cells, which have been engineered with T cell receptor (TCRs) and Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs) that recognize tumor specific molecules, can traffic directly to the tumor, become activated upon engagement with the tumor antigen, and selectively eradicate tumors. Clinical studies performed at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) using these types of engineered peripheral blood T cells have been associated with significant and durable objective clinical responses in cancer patients with advanced metastatic disease, including those with refractory melanoma, sarcoma, lymphoma and leukemia. These encouraging results highlight eACT as an emerging therapeutic modality that could provide new personalized targeted therapy options for cancer patients spanning the spectrum of disease from its early stages to the salvage setting.

About Kite PharmaKite Pharma, Inc. is a privately held development stage biotechnology company engaged in the development of novel cancer immunotherapeutic products with a focus on engineered autologous T cell therapeutics targeted to different tumor types. Kite is engaged in the development of these novel cancer therapies in partnership with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). In addition, the company is advancing a novel therapeutic cancer vaccine aimed at triggering potent and specific immunity against multiple epithelial cancers, which has the potential to complement its eACT programs.

Kite is based in Santa Monica, CA. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.kitepharma.com.

Contact: Aya Jakobovits, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive Officer Kite Pharma, Inc. (310) 824-9999 x 1001 ajakobovits@kitepharma.com

For MediaJoan Kureczka Kureczka/Martin Associates (415) 821 2413 Joan@kureczka-martin.com

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Kite Pharma Appoints Leading Cancer Immunotherapy Experts to its Scientific Advisory Board

Originally published August 7, 2013 at 6:35 PM | Page modified August 7, 2013 at 10:25 PM

A friend said he was like Leave it to Beaver s dad, someone who always took care of everybody else, a business owner and community organizer who raised money for multiple-sclerosis research and volunteered as a Seafair commodore.

Gene Merlino, who friends said was an old-school gentleman, died at home in North Seattle on July 29. He was 100.

Mr. Merlino leaves a legacy of connections and grass-roots business sense that twice brought him White House recognition.

In 1979, he was the U.S. Small Business Administrations Washington State Small Business Person of the Year and was invited to the White House to meet President Carter. In the 1980s, he was one of 10 small-business owners in the country to be honored and went back to the White House to meet President Reagan.

Gary Beck, who knew Mr. Merlino for the past 25 years and likened him to the Ward Cleaver family-man of sitcom fame, called him a gentle soul, who was quick to help anyone who needed help.

Mr. Merlino was a member of the Seattle Executives Club, an organization of business owners who meet to exchange business tips with one another. He was an active member in Seattles Italian community and in 2001 received the Gill A. Centioli Award for achievement and dedication to the Italian community.

He also founded the annual Multiple Sclerosis Association of King County Golf Tournament Charity Dinner and Auction, helping to raise $4 million, his family said.

Mr. Merlino grew up one of five boys on Beacon Hill, the son of Italian immigrants, John and Columba Merlino. He began his business career when he was only 8, selling newspapers to supplement the family income.

He was so small that his brothers would lean over and hed scamper across their backs to get through the crowd of newsboys clambering to get the newspapers coming off the press conveyor belt, his daughter, Jean Merlino, recalled. Hed grab a bundle and hand it off to his brothers, and theyd be first out on the street, selling the news to customers at Seattles restaurants.

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Gene Merlino, 100, always took care of everyone else

Researchers have localized a significant schizophrenia gene in remote parts of northern Finland. The risk of developing the illness is three times higher there than elsewhere.

The risk of developing schizophrenia is about one percent - around the globe. But in the northeast of Finland, the mental disorder occurs three times more frequently than in other parts of the world.

The northern regions are home to remote rural communities, which were founded by about 40 families in total, says Aarno Palotie, a geneticist at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland in Helsinki. He says the communities have a very specific genetic background.

"We saw this as a research opportunity to try to understand schizophrenia better," says Palotie.

So Palotie and his colleagues traveled to these northeastern parts in search of genes linked to schizophrenia. And they found one while studying the local population: the gene TOP3.

The TOP3 encodes a protein that acts on the genetic material inside a cell. And it's thought to be responsible for the faulty development of the brain in those who took part in the study.

"We wouldn't have found this gene if we had studied people in large cities with mixed ethnic origins," Palotie told DW.

Common symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking. If diagnosed early in life, patients can often manage hallucinations and prevent any social dysfunction.

Help from abroad

"We really had to find out why this gene was associated with schizophrenia," says Palotie. "And all of a sudden we got this email."

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Risk of developing schizophrenia rises the farther north you go in Finland

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High blood sugar tied to dementia in non-diabetics

Public release date: 7-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Bill Schappert bschappert@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, August 7, 2013Europa, the ice-covered moon of the planet Jupiter, may be able to support life. NASA has commissioned a team of expert scientists to consider the science goals for a landed spacecraft mission to the surface of Europa, and to investigate the composition and geology of its icy shell and the potential for life within its interior ocean. The NASA-appointed Science Definition Team outlines the main priorities of a future lander mission to Europa to study its potential habitability in an article in Astrobiology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Astrobiology website.

The article "Science Potential from a Europa Lander" presents the three main objectives of a future mission designed to land a robotic spacecraft on the surface of Europa and to investigate its potential to support life. NASA's Science Definition Team has clearly identified three main priorities: investigate the composition and chemistry of Europa's ocean; characterize the thickness, uniformity, and dynamics of its icy shell; and study the moon's human-scale surface geology. In addition, the NASA-appointed team describes the types of studies and payload of instruments recommended to achieve these objectives.

R.T. Pappalardo and a large group of coauthors contribute a broad range of knowledge and expertise and represent leading government and academic institutions, including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena), University of Colorado (Boulder), University of Texas at Austin, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, MD), NASA's Ames Research Center (Moffett Field, CA), University of Iowa (Iowa City), NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, AL), Southwest Research Institute (Boulder, CO), The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (Laurel, MD), Arizona State University (Tempe), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge).

"Landing on Europa and touching its surface is a visionary goal of planetary science," says Robert Pappalardo, PhD of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "This is a difficult technical challenge that is probably many years away. Understanding the key scientific questions to be addressed by a future Europa lander helps us to focus on the technologies required to get us there, and on the necessary data that might be attained by a precursor mission that could scout out landing sites. Europa is the most likely place in our solar system beyond Earth to have life today, and a landed mission would be the best way to search for signs of life."

"Landing on the surface of Europa is a key step in the astrobiological investigation of that world," says Christopher McKay, PhD, Senior Editor of Astrobiology and a scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. "The paper by Pappalardo et al. outlines the science that could be done by such a lander. The hope would be that surface materials, possibly near the linear crack features, include biomarkers carried up from the ocean."

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About the Journal

Astrobiology, led by Sherry L. Cady, PhD and a prominent international editorial board comprised of esteemed scientists in the field, is the authoritative resource for the most up-to-date information and perspectives on exciting new research findings and discoveries emanating from interplanetary exploration and terrestrial field and laboratory research programs. The Journal is published monthly online with Open Access options and in print, and is the Official Journal of the Astrobiology Society. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Astrobiology website.

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Is Europa habitable?

Public release date: 8-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, August 8, 2013As many as 20% of adolescents and 44% of young adults have shared nude or semi-nude photos of themselves via cell phone or social networking sites, a behavior known as sexting. Some people do it in the hopes it will lead to a "hook-up" or sexual activity. Sexting behavior and what results people expect may differ depending on a person's gender, relationship status, and sexual identity, are explored in a study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website.

What people expect to experience when they send or receive sexts influence their decision to participate in sexting, according to study authors Allyson Dir and colleagues, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis. The authors describe both positive and negative expectations when people send or receive sexts. They identified significant differences in sexting behaviors and expectations between males and females and between individuals who were single or were in relationships, reporting their findings in the article "Understanding Differences in Sexting Behaviors across Gender, Relationship Status, and Sexual Identity and the Role of Sexting Expectancies in Sexting."

"In the relatively new field of cyberpsychology, we endeavor to learn about the many challenges of current behavior that social networking makes possible," says Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA, Editor-in-Chief of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, from the Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, CA.

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About the Journal

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking is a peer-reviewed journal published monthly online with Open Access options and in print that explores the psychological and social issues surrounding the Internet and interactive technologies, plus cybertherapy and rehabilitation. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Games for Health Journal, Telemedicine and e-Health, and Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's over 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

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What do people expect from sexting?