Archive for the ‘Gene Therapy Research’ Category

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I have a big bone to pick with the organic movement, particularly with their constant attack on genetic engineering. I applauded when Prop 37 failed in California, and have put out post after post explaining why GMOs arent the root of all evil. Thats not to say Im pro Monsanto, or think every GMO is sciences gift to humanity. But the universal fear and demonization of all genetic technology is, simply put, damaging and unfounded.

Turn that frown upside-down the newest Nature issue defends GMOs. Cover image provided by Nature.

Now, the top-tier scientific journal Naturehas weighed in. In their GM Crops: Promise & Reality issue this week, several articles explore the messy middle ground. With titles like Tarnished Promise and A Hard Look At GM Crops, you might think they attack genetic engineering, but in fact, the entire issue does the opposite,standing in support of crop genetic engineering technologies and pleading to rethink the knee-jerk reaction against them. Even the Hard Look concludes, Tidy stories, in favour of or against GM crops, will always miss the bigger picture, which is nuanced, equivocal and undeniably messy. Transgenic crops will not solve all the agricultural challenges facing the developing or developed world But vilification is not appropriate either. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

Which is exactly what Ive been saying all along.

Over the past 50 years, improved crop varieties have contributed almost 1% each year to the gains made in worldwide agricultural productivity, explains Christopher Whitty, chiefscientific adviser at the UK Department for International Development (DFID), and colleagues in their comment piece Africa and Asia need a rational debate on GM crops. To begin with an emotional debate about GM techniques is to look down the wrong end of the telescope.

Whitty and his colleagues arent Monsanto shills; theyre scientists that have carefully weighed the evidence. And theyre among the majority of scientists that support GM technologies, even though they say GMOs arent an agricultural panacea. Genetic engineering is not essential, or even useful, for all crop improvements, they write. But, they come down hard on blanket bans against genetically engineered crops. Excluding any technology that can help people to get the food and nutrition that they need should be done only for strong, rational and locally relevant reasons. To support their case, they specifically cite three examples of GMOs vitamin A-boosted golden rice, poo-borer-resistant cowpea, and water-efficient maize that they consider potential life savers.

They also make special note of the western worlds privileged status when it comes to debating GMOs, and argue that developing countries shouldnt simply follow the leader when it comes to genetic technology policies. It makes little sense for decisions on GM crops to be overly influenced by European perspectives where the benefits of better crop yields are slight, the risks (although largely theoretical, and in some cases, arguably irrational) may dominate in a riskbenefit analysis.

Meanwhile, in a different comment piece, Fusuo Zhang and colleagues describe how driven by an urgent need to both produce more food and lessen the environmental impact of agriculture and with more money to address the problem than most Chinese scientists are working out how to push crop yields close to their biophysical limits. And, of course, GMOs are playing an important role in these efforts to improve efficiency and sustainability.

The development of new crop varieties and hybrids is one of several areas of fundamental research, the authors write, with transgenic technology becoming an increasingly important element in recentyears. The use Bt cotton as an example (the first GM crop approved for commercial use in China), citing that, with it, farmers have increased yields by nearly 6% and reduced the use of insecticides by around 80% in the past 8 years. In spite of the Chinese publics wariness about genetic engineering, the government poured almost $4 billion US into a 12-year GM research and development initiative. In the face of climate change, pushing yields to the limit while sparing resources and reducing environmental consequences is a crucial goal for all, they conclude.

And the next generation of GM crops are on their way, explains Daniel Cressey in his news feature A New Breed. New tools offer unparalleled precision in editing genes, he explains. Some of these crops will tackle new problems, from apples that stave off discolouration to Golden Rice and bright-orange bananas fortified with nutrients to improve the diets of people in the poorest countries.

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Esteemed Journal Nature Dedicates Issue To GMOs, Defends Technology

By Duke Medicine News and Communications

DURHAM, N.C. -- People have long taken for granted that glasses and contact lenses improve vision for nearsightedness, but the genetic factors behind the common condition have remained blurry. Now researchers at Duke Medicine are closer to clearing this up.

Mutations in a gene that helps regulate copper and oxygen levels in eye tissue are associated with a severe form of nearsightedness, according to a study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics on May 2, 2013. Nearsightedness also known as myopia is the most common human eye disease in the world. It occurs if the eye is too long or the cornea has too much curvature, which keeps light entering the eye from focusing correctly.

High-grade myopia, a more severe form of nearsightedness, affects up to two percent of Americans and is especially common in Asian populations. Individuals with high-grade myopia are at an increased risk for other serious eye problems, including retinal detachment, cataracts and glaucoma.

Studies suggest that myopia is caused by a combination of environmental factors, such as large amounts of reading, and genetics. Nearsightedness runs in families, but little is understood about genetic factors that cause it.

In recent years, researchers have reported several genes or locations of genes associated with myopia, and have continued to search for additional clues.

This is the first time a gene mutation for autosomal dominant nonsyndromic high-grade myopia in Caucasians has been discovered, said senior author Terri Young, M.D., MBA, professor of ophthalmology, pediatrics and medicine at the Duke Eye Center, Duke Center for Human Genetics and the Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS). Our findings reflect the hard work and collaboration of our international research team.

In this study, Young and her colleagues sought to identify these genetic factors by studying families with high-grade myopia. They performed next-generation deep sequencing on four relatives from an 11-member American family of European descent.

Analyzing DNA extracted from blood and saliva, the researchers identified mutations in the SCO2 gene in common among family members with high-grade myopia, but absent in those family members with no myopia. They confirmed four mutations in the SCO2 gene in an additional 140 people with high-grade myopia.

Once the researchers identified the mutations in DNA samples, they turned to human eye tissue and verified that the SCO2 gene was expressed in areas of the eye connected to nearsightedness.

Go here to see the original:
Duke Researches Identify Gene Mutations Associated with Nearsightedness

Washington, May 2 (ANI): BYU chemistry professor Emily Bates has identified mutations in a gene that makes people more susceptible to migraine headaches.

The study is the first demonstration of a genetic cause for the common migraine and is an important step in the search for a cure.

"I had migraines really frequently and severely. I would lose my vision, vomit uncontrollably - it would wipe out an entire day," Bates said.

She decided then as a high school student that she was going to work on migraines, that she was going to figure them out and help find a cure.

After earning a Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard, Bates did post-doctoral research with a team of geneticists led by Louis Ptacek at UC San Francisco's medical school.

This gene hunting party worked with two families that appeared to have a dominantly inherited form of the affliction.

The researchers zeroed in on genetic mutations these families had in common - mutations that affect production of a protein known as casein kinase delta.

To test whether this was a cause or a coincidence, Bates designed an experiment to determine whether the same genetic trait led to migraine symptoms in mice.

"All sensations become amplified with migraines, including touch, heat, sound and light," Bates, who continued work on the project when she took a position at BYU in 2009, said.

The researchers observed this heightened sensitivity in the migraine mice in very subtle ways - from the warmth of a tiny light and the pressure of a single hair-like filament.

Follow this link:
Genetic cause for migraine discovered

Research by UCSF Team Opens Door to Potential New Treatments

Newswise A research team led by a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at the University of California, San Francisco has identified a genetic mutation that is strongly associated with a typical form of migraine.

In a paper published on May 1 in Science Translational Medicine, the team linked the mutation with evidence of migraine in humans, in a mouse model of migraine and in cell culture in the laboratory.

The mutation is in the gene known as casein kinase I delta (CKIdelta).

This is the first gene in which mutations have been shown to cause a very typical form of migraine, said senior investigator Louis J. Ptek, an investigator at HHMI and a professor of neurology at UCSF. Its our initial glimpse into a black box that we dont yet understand.

Migraine, the causes of which are still unknown, affects 10 to 20 percent of all people, and causes huge losses in productivity, not to mention immense suffering, said Ptek. Typical symptoms include a pounding headache; lowered pain threshold; hypersensitivity to mild stimuli including sound and touch; and aura, which Ptek describes as a visual sensation that presages the headache to come.

The paper presents both clinical and basic scientific evidence that the mutation causes migraine.

In the study, the scientists first analyzed the genetics of two families in which migraine was common, and found that a significant proportion of migraine sufferers in the families either had the mutation or were the offspring of a mutation carrier.

In the laboratory, the team demonstrated that the mutation affects the production of the casein kinase I delta enzyme, which carries out a number of vital functions in the brain and body. This tells us that the mutation has real biochemical consequences, said Ptek.

The scientists then investigated the effects of the mutation in a line of mice that carry it. Obviously, we cant measure headache in a mouse, Ptek noted, but there are other things that go along with migraine that we can measure.

Read more:
Genetic Mutation Linked with Typical Form of Migraine

By CHRISTIE ASCHWANDEN

May 02, 2013 12:00 AM

What does your DNA really reveal about your health?

It sounded enticing: For just $99, I could spit into a tube, mail it off to a company called 23andMe, and, six to eight weeks later, I'd receive a report explaining what my DNA reveals about my risk for 120 diseases everything from breast cancer to gout to sudden cardiac arrest.

"Knowing how your genes may impact your health can help you plan for the future and personalize your health care with your doctor," the 23andMe Web site declares. "You'll have access to navigational tools that enable you to explore your genome and discover a whole new world of you."

Based in Mountain View, Calif., 23andMe is just one of several companies that sell genetic tests directly to consumers. GenePlanet, a company based in Slovenia, markets a test that costs 399 euros, or about $518, and claims to tell you the best diet for your genotype, and Genetic Testing Laboratories promises to disclose "your predisposition for cardiovascular conditions, cancers, immune system issues, general health issues and much more" through a test that sells for $285.

While these claims may seem outlandish, most have at least a snippet of real science behind them. The tests look at a type of genetic variation called a single nucleotide polymorphism, or SNP (pronounced "snip"). Your DNA is made up of four kinds of nucleotides adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine (A, C, G and T) and a SNP is a single alteration to one of these nucleotides that's found in at least 1 percent of the population. For example, if most people have the sequence CAGGCTG at one site on the genome, those with a certain SNP might have TAGGCTG.

The notion that these tests can help you calculate your risk of disease are based on studies that compare SNPs in people with a particular condition to the SNPs of those without the disease. If a particular SNP is more common among people who have the condition or trait, this suggests that the condition and the variation may be related, but it's not proof of a cause-and-effect relationship, says David Kaufman, director of research and statistics at the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University.

"It doesn't mean that if you have the SNP, you're going to get the disease and if you don't, you're not," he says. Even if you do have a SNP associated with a disease, your increased risk is usually small on the order of 10 or 20 percent more than it would be without the SNP.

While it's clear that many diseases do have a genetic component, very few medical conditions come down to a single gene or to genetics alone, says Jeffrey Murray, a geneticist at the University of Iowa School of Medicine and president of the American Society of Human Genetics.

More here:
Genetic tests inform consumer, but experts doubt value

May 1, 2013 A research team led by a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at the University of California, San Francisco has identified a genetic mutation that is strongly associated with a typical form of migraine.

In a paper published on May 1 in Science Translational Medicine, the team linked the mutation with evidence of migraine in humans, in a mouse model of migraine and in cell culture in the laboratory.

The mutation is in the gene known as casein kinase I delta (CKIdelta).

This is the first gene in which mutations have been shown to cause a very typical form of migraine, said senior investigator Louis J. Ptek, an investigator at HHMI and a professor of neurology at UCSF. Its our initial glimpse into a black box that we dont yet understand.

Migraine, the causes of which are still unknown, affects 10 to 20 percent of all people, and causes huge losses in productivity, not to mention immense suffering, said Ptek. Typical symptoms include a pounding headache; lowered pain threshold; hypersensitivity to mild stimuli including sound and touch; and aura, which Ptek describes as a visual sensation that presages the headache to come.

The paper presents both clinical and basic scientific evidence that the mutation causes migraine.

In the study, the scientists first analyzed the genetics of two families in which migraine was common, and found that a significant proportion of migraine sufferers in the families either had the mutation or were the offspring of a mutation carrier.

In the laboratory, the team demonstrated that the mutation affects the production of the casein kinase I delta enzyme, which carries out a number of vital functions in the brain and body. This tells us that the mutation has real biochemical consequences, said Ptek.

The scientists then investigated the effects of the mutation in a line of mice that carry it. Obviously, we cant measure headache in a mouse, Ptek noted, but there are other things that go along with migraine that we can measure.

Pain threshold, explained Ptek, can be lowered in mice by the administration of nitroglycerin. The mutant mice had a significantly lower threshold for nitroglycerin-induced peripheral pain than did normal mice.

See more here:
Genetic mutation linked with typical form of migraine headache

May 1, 2013 A team of researchers led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified virtually all of the major mutations that drive acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a fast-growing blood cancer in adults that often is difficult to treat.

The findings, published online May 1 in The New England Journal of Medicine, pave the way for developing better treatments for AML based on the genetic profile of a patient's cancer. They also could lead to ways to more accurately predict the severity of disease in individual patients.

"We now have a genetic playbook for this type of leukemia," says study co-leader Timothy Ley, MD, associate director for cancer genomics at The Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine. "We don't know all the rules yet, but we know all the major players. This information can help us begin to understand which patients need more aggressive treatment right up front and which can be treated effectively with standard chemotherapy."

Some 200 patients newly diagnosed with AML were involved in the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part of The Cancer Genome Atlas project. Nearly 150 researchers were involved in the effort.

A second Cancer Genome Atlas paper will be published May 2 in Nature. That research, also led by Washington University, shows that adding genomics-based testing to the standard diagnostic workup could change the recommended course of treatment for some women.

The scientists sequenced the DNA of each patient's leukemia cells and compared the data to DNA from that same patient's healthy cells. In this way, they found the mutations that only occurred in the cancer cells and contributed to the development and progression of AML in each patient. They also looked for defects in RNA (a close chemical cousin of DNA) and other changes that alter the expression of genes without actually changing the DNA.

"These results provide important new insights into the genomics of a deadly and difficult-to-treat cancer, and underscore the power and scope of The Cancer Genome Atlas project," says NIH Director Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD.

Compared to other adult cancers, AML is caused by relatively few mutations, the new study shows. Cancer cells in the AML patients had an average of 13 mutated genes, far fewer than the several hundred typically found in breast, lung and other solid tumors.

By studying a large number of AML cases, the scientists predict they have found nearly all of the major mutations that occur in patients with the disease.

"If only 5 percent of AML cases have a particular gene that is mutated, there is a greater than 99 percent chance that we encountered that mutation at least once in this study," says co-leader Richard K. Wilson, PhD, director of Washington University's Genome Institute. "There are still rare mutations that remain to be discovered, but we expect they will fall into the same genetic pathways or gene sets that we identified as being very strongly associated with AML."

More here:
Scientists assemble genetic playbook for acute leukemia

May 2, 2013 People have long taken for granted that glasses and contact lenses improve vision for nearsightedness, but the genetic factors behind the common condition have remained blurry. Now researchers at Duke Medicine are closer to clearing this up.

Mutations in a gene that helps regulate copper and oxygen levels in eye tissue are associated with a severe form of nearsightedness, according to a study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics on May 2, 2013.

Nearsightedness -- also known as myopia -- is the most common human eye disease in the world. It occurs if the eye is too long or the cornea has too much curvature, which keeps light entering the eye from focusing correctly.

High-grade myopia, a more severe form of nearsightedness, affects up to two percent of Americans and is especially common in Asian populations. Individuals with high-grade myopia are at an increased risk for other serious eye problems, including retinal detachment, cataracts and glaucoma.

Studies suggest that myopia is caused by a combination of environmental factors, such as large amounts of reading, and genetics. Nearsightedness runs in families, but little is understood about genetic factors that cause it.

In recent years, researchers have reported several genes or locations of genes associated with myopia, and have continued to search for additional clues.

"This is the first time a gene mutation for autosomal dominant nonsyndromic high-grade myopia in Caucasians has been discovered," said senior author Terri Young, M.D., MBA, professor of ophthalmology, pediatrics and medicine at the Duke Eye Center, Duke Center for Human Genetics and the Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS). "Our findings reflect the hard work and collaboration of our international research team."

In this study, Young and her colleagues sought to identify these genetic factors by studying families with high-grade myopia. They performed next-generation deep sequencing on four relatives from an 11-member American family of European descent.

Analyzing DNA extracted from blood and saliva, the researchers identified mutations in the SCO2 gene in common among family members with high-grade myopia, but absent in those family members with no myopia. They confirmed four mutations in the SCO2 gene in an additional 140 people with high-grade myopia.

Once the researchers identified the mutations in DNA samples, they turned to human eye tissue and verified that the SCO2 gene was expressed in areas of the eye connected to nearsightedness.

See the original post:
Gene mutations associated with nearsightedness identified

Public release date: 1-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Joe Hadfield joe_hadfield@byu.edu 801-422-9206 Brigham Young University

As a teenage student athlete, Emily Bates hated never knowing when the next migraine would strike, disrupting her schoolwork, practices and competitions.

Now it's payback time.

The BYU chemistry professor will publish research this week in Science Translational Medicine that identifies mutations in a gene that makes people more susceptible to migraine headaches. The study is the first demonstration of a genetic cause for the common migraine and is an important step in the search for a cure.

"I had migraines really frequently and severely," Bates said. "I would lose my vision, vomit uncontrollably it would wipe out an entire day. I decided then as a high school student that I was going to work on migraines, that I was going to figure them out and help find a cure."

Her last migraine happened the day before a marathon she planned to run in October 2003. Though her migraines eventually stopped, she didn't.

After earning a Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard, Bates did post-doctoral research with a team of geneticists led by Louis Ptacek at UC San Francisco's medical school. This gene hunting party worked with two families that appeared to have a dominantly inherited form of the affliction.

The researchers zeroed in on genetic mutations these families had in common mutations that affect production of a protein known as casein kinase delta. To test whether this was a cause or a coincidence, Bates designed an experiment to determine whether the same genetic trait led to migraine symptoms in mice.

"All sensations become amplified with migraines, including touch, heat, sound and light," said Bates, who continued work on the project when she took a position at BYU in 2009.

See the rest here:
Genetic cause for migraines found

Lunch arrives and Jeffrey Ankenmanns eyes light up. Its steamed rice, his favourite, and a muffin.

Jeffrey takes a nibble. Apple-spice, he says approvingly.

Most 14-year-olds wouldnt thank you for a meal like this wheres the burger, where are the fries?

But Jeffrey is just getting used to eating anything. Hes spent most of his life being fed formula every few hours through a G-tube into his stomach. He had no idea what food tasted like, or what it meant to be hungry.

Because of a rare, recessive gene in each of his parents, and the even rarer chance that they should marry and have a child, he was born with methylmalonic acidemia, which means his body cant process some proteins and fats.

This can lead to brain and nerve damage, breathing problems, seizures and strokes. Babies who are not quickly diagnosed and treated often die. And even going a few hours without nourishment can prove fatal.

Jeffrey also didnt know how it feels not to be nauseous.

He was vomiting for years, says his mom Bernadette. His dad, Gary, adds: To him, it was natural. He was used to going through life not being very well.

The Mississauga family is at SickKids for the day for one of Jeffreys biweekly checkups and treatments, following his liver and kidney transplant in January.

I feel fine, says Jeffrey from his bed. I go to school . . . I always feel fine. I skate, I go swimming. Swimmings my favourite.

Originally posted here:
At SickKids, genetic medicine offers hope for boy with rare condition

New research from the University of California, San Francisco has identified a genetic mutation that is linked to migraines.

The mutation occurs in a gene called casein kinase I delta (CKIdelta), and the studys senior investigator, Louis J. Ptacek, said this is the first time researchers have linked a genetic mutation to common migraines.

Its our initial glimpse into a black box that we dont yet understand, Ptacek, an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of California, San Francisco, said in a news release.

More than 30 million Americans suffer from migraines, and scientists dont know what exactly causes them. Migraines are often characterized by intense, throbbing head pain, and are often accompanied by an aura, sensitivity to light and/or nausea.

The researchers discovered the gene by looking at the genetics of two families with a history of migraines. They noticed that a large portion of the migraine sufferers either had the mutated gene or had a parent who carried the mutated gene. In the lab, the researchers were able to show how the mutation affects production of the gene, which has many important functions throughout the brain and body.

This tells us that the mutation has real biochemical consequences, Ptacek added.

Scientists then looked at the effects of the mutated gene in a line of mice.

The mice who had the mutation had a significantly lower pain threshold for nitroglycerin-induced pain versus the mice who did not have the mutation.

Scientists also mimicked the sensation of a migraine aura in the mice using a technique called cortical spreading depression (CSD) a wave of electrical silence that follows electrical stimulation. Mice with the genetic mutation had less tolerance for this as well, which Ptacek said was especially intriguing.

Lastly, Ptaceks team found that astrocytes, cells that are essential for neuronal functioning and health, in the brains of the genetically-mutated mice showed an increase in calcium-signaling, compared to the astrocytes in the brains of normal mice.

Continued here:
Genetic mutation associated with migraines

Alberto Nuñez on Genetics Back to School Sales
Genetics.

By: Team3DMJ

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Alberto Nuñez on Genetics

PALM BEACH, Fla. & CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) and univerCELLmarket announced a joint initiative to produce the most comprehensive and timely online news aggregation and distribution service, providing actionable intelligence for the stem cell and regenerative medicine communities.

Expanding the current 360 newsletter published online by univerCELLmarket, the newsletter will be now co-published and distributed with GPI. Bernard Siegel, GPIs founder and executive director, joins Dr. Beverley Vaughan as the co-editor of the publication. GPI and univerCELLmarket maintain free subscription links on their respective web sites.

Bernard Siegel said, It is the aim of GPI to provide the highest quality information to all interested in stem cells and regenerative medicine. We are delighted to partner with univerCELLmarket. Their comprehensive news aggregation service enables users to efficiently research its archived news and records. With this partnership, interested stakeholders who are part of both GPIs and univerCELLmarkets extensive databases, honed over the past decade, will have easy access to news they can use to advance our field.

Dr. Cathy Prescott, respected thought-leader in the business of stem cells and regenerative medicine, and co-founder of univerCELLmarket said, As a result of partnering with GPI, 360 is now the most widely circulated news service in the world dedicated to this field. With this partnership, our combined contacts, which span academia, industry, government, law, ethics, medicine and advocacy will receive the news highlights in their in-box every Monday, with links to all the weeks news on univerCELLmarket.com.

Jeanette Walker, co-founder of univerCELLmarket stated, 360 is popular because it is so comprehensive and in a format that makes it quick and easy to scan. We are delighted to welcome Bernard Siegel to our editorial team as he is a recognized architect of the global stem cell community. Bernie founded GPI, the annual World Stem Cell Summit, the peer-reviewed World Stem Cell Report and is an acknowledged leader of the patient advocacy community.

About Genetics Policy Institute (GPI): GPI is a 501c3 nonprofit foundation with the mission to promote and defend stem cell research and its application in medicine to develop therapeutics and cures for many otherwise intractable diseases and disorders. GPI pursues this mission through production of its flagship annual World Stem Cell Summit, publication of the World Stem Cell Report, special projects, speaking engagements, teaching initiatives and strategic collaborations.

ABOUT univerCELLmarket

Launched in 2010, univerCELLmarket.com is an online, global source of relevant, up-to-date information for everyone interested in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine. Users can rapidly search 10 directories for a wide range of information including stem cell tools, reagents, banks and therapies as well as manufacturers, professional services, academic centres, networks and societies all searchable by country/State - plus the latest news and upcoming events.

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Genetics Policy Institute and univerCELLmarket to co-publish 360 – the Free Newsletter Covering Stem Cells and ...

GARDEN CITY, N.Y., May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Millennium HealthCare Inc. (OTC Pink: MHCC) today announced that its Medical Device subsidiary signed an agreement with Atossa Genetics Inc. (ATOS) for the distribution of Atossa's ForeCYTE Breast Health devices, which consist of the patented MASCT pump and ForeCYTE patient collection kits. Millennium has submitted an initial order for 10,000 ForeCYTE collection kits, which it intends to market to managed-care networks, healthcare clinics and physician practices in the New York Metro Area and Northern New Jersey.

Atossa's MASCT system is used by physicians and nurses to collect a small amount of nipple aspirate fluid for analysis by the National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health with the ForeCYTE Breast Health Test.

The ForeCYTE test, intended for the 110 million women in the U.S. ages 18-73, is a painless, quick and non-invasive procedure that can be performed in a physician's office. ForeCYTE can provide vital early detection of cancer or pre-cancerous conditions that may progress to cancer over an approximately eight-year period before cancer can be detected by mammography or other means. Millennium HealthCare, through its wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, provides primary care physicians practices, physician groups and healthcare facilities of all sizes with cutting edge medical devices focused primarily on preventive care through early detection.

Dr. Steven Quay, Chairman, CEO & President of Atossa Genetics, said, "We are extremely pleased that Millennium HealthCare will be distributing the ForeCYTE Breast Health devices to its healthcare practitioners. Millennium shares our passion about providing life-saving diagnostics to its healthcare professionals and we look forward to working closely with the Millennium team."

Chris Amandola, President of Millennium HealthCare, stated, "According to a recent American Cancer Society report, there were over 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer among women in 2012. Excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, accounting for nearly 1 in 3 cancers diagnosed in U.S.

With over 38 million mammography procedures performed over the past year, our distribution channels are very excited by the prospect that Atossa's non-invasive test can offer physicians a simple and cost-effective preventive care solution to their patients for the early detection of precursors to breast cancer."

Dominick Sartorio, CEO of Millennium HealthCare, added, "Our team continues to explore the marketplace for new medical devices that can have a meaningful impact on improving patient care. Atossa Genetics' management team has done an outstanding job of advancing breast health care through their innovative medical devices and we look forward to a long relationship together."

About Atossa Genetics, Inc.

Atossa Genetics, Inc. (ATOS), The Breast Health Company, based in Seattle, WA, is focused on preventing breast cancer through the commercialization of patented, FDA-designated Class II diagnostic medical devices and patented, laboratory developed tests (LDT) that can detect precursors to breast cancer up to eight years before mammography.

In addition to the ForeCYTE Breast Health Test, Atossa markets the ArgusCYTE Breast Health Test, a blood test for recurrence in breast cancer survivors that provides a "liquid biopsy" for circulating cancer cells and a tailored treatment plan for patients and their caregivers.

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Millennium HealthCare Signs Distribution Agreement with Atossa Genetics

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Swiftpage, provider of digital marketing and CRM solutions that help businesses grow,is pleased to announce that AgReliant Genetics LLC, a Midwestern field seeds company, has received the Gartner and 1to1 Media Gold CRM Excellence Award for Sales Force Effectiveness. AgReliant Genetics employs SalesLogix CRM software to allow its sales force to effectively service the needs of their customers and drive growth. SalesLogix was recently acquired by Swiftpage from The Sage Group plc.

Its an honor to accept the award for Sales Force Effectiveness from Gartner and 1to1 Media, said Steve Thompson, AgReliant Genetics director of IT. At AgReliant Genetics, we place significant value on leveraging CRM tools to better engage and service the needs of our customers. The customized iPad tablet edition of the SalesLogix software has been adopted by more than 95% of our sales team, which is 300-strong and growing. This mobile application is empowering our sales force to make more informed, tactical decisions in the field.

AgReliant Genetics markets corn, soybeans and alfalfa through five unique brands across the Midwest. Since implementing SalesLogix, the companys sales and marketing procedures have become more efficient, the teams resources have been strategically directed toward high potential prospective customers, and sales associates have received access to vital customer intelligence while on the road. Sales representatives work out of their trucks and travel approximately 50,000 miles annually to service customers consisting of farmers, dealers and retail operations. The SalesLogix Mobile Client affords them the ability to respond to customers requests and keep a pulse on sales opportunities.

The Gartner and 1to1 Media CRM Excellence Awards 2013 are focused toward highlighting world-class customer strategy and CRM initiatives. The awards are dedicated to sharing their successes, challenges and insights. Each nomination was judged on how well the organizations sales strategy helps to improve salesperson productivity by engaging prospects and customers and meeting or exceeding revenue targets across several criteria. These criteria included: the quality of the overall sales strategy, the execution of that strategy and the final results of the strategy. Each nominee provided examples of how such elements as compensation, training, and technology helped to improve sales performance.

About AgReliant Genetics LLC

Headquartered in Westfield, Ind., AgReliant Genetics is an innovative seed company committed to delivering high quality seed, providing exceptional service and creating consistent customer value. Created in 2000 as a joint venture between the international seed groups KWS and Limagrain, AgReliant Genetics is ranked as one of the largest field seed companies in North America. AgReliant Genetics markets corn, soybean and alfalfa seed through five U.S. seed brands: AgriGold, Great Lakes Hybrids, LG Seeds, Producers Hybrids, and Wensman Seed.

About Swiftpage

Swiftpages integrated marketing and CRM solutions enable customers to transform and grow their businesses. Our full suite of products include email marketing, social media marketing, contact management and CRM solutions for businesses of all sizes, from those just getting started to well-established enterprises. Swiftpage is based in Colorado and has 300 employees in offices around the world. For more information visit http://swiftpage.com.

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AgReliant Genetics LLC Recognized for Sales Force Effectiveness at the Gartner and 1to1 Media CRM Excellence Awards 2013

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 2, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Full Spectrum Genetics, Inc., a privately-held protein analysis and engineering platform and product company, today announced the successful completion of the first project for the purpose of generating multiple novel therapeutic protein and antibody product candidates.

Under the terms of the agreement, the leading global pharmaceutical company has worldwide rights to develop and commercialize product candidates arising from the collaboration. In return Full Spectrum Genetics has received multiple payments and may be eligible for more. Additional terms were not disclosed.

About Full Spectrum Genetics

Founded in 2010, Full Spectrum Genetics, Inc. is a privately-held protein analysis and engineering platform and product company. The Company's MapEng(TM) platform enables the ultra-high throughput quantification of the effect on binding of every possible single amino acid substitution within a protein binding site. The MapEng(TM) platform provides a comprehensive analysis of protein structure-function relationships, with multiple applications for generating better biotherapeutics and diagnostics. Full Spectrum Genetics' activities cover the spectrum from antibody discovery to generating proteins with improved properties including modulation of binding affinity to one or more targets, de-immunization, humanization, half-life extension and stability. For more information on Full Spectrum Genetics and its MapEng(TM) platform, visit http://www.fsgene.com.

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Full Spectrum Genetics Receives Milestone Payment From Corporate Partner for Successfully Completing Therapeutic ...

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

Cancer Genetics, Inc. (CGIX) (CGI), a leader in oncology-focused personalized medicine, has launched a proprietary urogenital cancer array, UroGenRA, intended for kidney cancer diagnosis and subtyping in its own laboratory. The company has received regulatory approvals from both CLIA and New York State and will offer the genomic microarray as part of its Kidney CompleteSM Program.

According to the National Cancer Institute, it is estimated that 64,000 new kidney cancer cases will be diagnosed in the United States in 2013, while approximately 13,000 patients will die from the disease. Currently, kidney cancers are classified based on morphology into several subtypes which drive treatment decision. Renal neoplasms are often initially diagnosed as small renal masses by computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging while patients are still asymptomatic. However, imaging techniques are of limited help in distinguishing benign and malignant forms, and determining the proper subtype.

Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, where suspicious kidney tissue is removed, has become a common method for biopsy sampling. However, up to 30% of the removed renal masses were classified as benign after surgery indicating that such procedure may not be appropriate in certain cases. In recent years, image-guided needle biopsy has emerged as a valuable option for diagnostic testing; yet, over 15% of needle biopsies yield insufficient tissue and are considered non-diagnostic by routine histology, rendering them clinically unreliable, so that a method for accurate diagnostic is needed. CGIs UroGenRA-Kidney provides critical genomic data that allows for an accurate discrimination among the three malignant renal cell carcinoma (RCC) subtypes clear cell, papillary, and chromophobe RCC and a benign form of renal cancer, oncocytoma, and for the proper therapy selection depending on the kidney cancer subtype. This genomic-based assessment has the potential to improve diagnosis and prevent unnecessary and costly surgical procedures.

Results from a research collaboration between Jonathan Coleman, M.D., at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and CGI based on the use of needle biopsy specimens were presented in a poster at the 2013 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

The decision to treat a renal mass is based on the tumors biologic potential to metastasize to other sites in the body, where it can cause pain, debilitation, and death, but in many cases, these tumors may not be a threat and can be safely left alone under observation, said Dr. Coleman. The studies we have conducted demonstrate that it may be possible to better understand how a tumor will behave by analyzing the genetic makeup of tumor tissue obtained through biopsy.

The UroGenRA-Kidney has been developed to assist in the diagnosis of both needle biopsy and resected specimens. While in many cases, surgery is recommended after diagnosis, this test will help to devise proper therapy selection based on the tumor genomic profiling for kidney patients without the need for invasive surgery. This microarray test joins other proprietary genomic testing solutions offered by CGI that target personalized cancer treatment while reducing healthcare cost.

About Cancer Genetics, Inc.

Cancer Genetics, Inc. (CGI) is an emerging leader in the field of personalized medicine, offering products and services that enable cancer diagnostics as well as treatments that are tailored to the specific genetic profile of the individual patient. CGI is committed to maintaining the standard of clinical excellence through its investment in outstanding facilities and equipment. Our reference laboratory is both CLIA certified and accredited by the College of American Pathologists. In addition, we have approvals and accreditations from the states of Florida, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. The company has been built on a foundation of world-class scientific knowledge and IP in solid and hematologic cancers, as well as strong research collaborations with major cancer centers such as Cleveland Clinic and the National Cancer Institute.

CGIs dedicated staff takes pride in our specialized laboratory services, superior turnaround time, enhanced reporting, and ongoing research and development for new oncology tests. CGIs full-service cancer genetic practice and path to innovation with research makes for optimal patient care management. For further information, please see http://www.cancergenetics.com.

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Cancer Genetics Launches Proprietary Microarray for Kidney Cancer

SALT LAKE CITY, May 2, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (MYGN) announced today that its Analyst and Investor Day for research analysts and institutional investors will take place on Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. EST in New York City. Peter D. Meldrum, president and chief executive officer of Myriad, will host the event that also will include other key members of Myriad's executive team. The focus of the meeting will be on Myriad's diagnostic product pipeline and the Company's strategic growth initiatives.

A live webcast of Myriad's Analyst and Investor Day can be accessed by visiting the investor relations section of the Company's website at http://investor.myriad.com/index.cfm. A replay of this presentation will be archived on the Myriad website for approximately one month following the completion of the analyst day.

About Myriad Genetics

Myriad Genetics is a leading molecular diagnostic company dedicated to making a difference in patients' lives through the discovery and commercialization of transformative tests to assess a person's risk of developing disease, guide treatment decisions and assess risk of disease progression and recurrence. Myriad's portfolio of molecular diagnostic tests are based on an understanding of the role genes play in human disease and were developed with a commitment to improving an individual's decision making process for monitoring and treating disease. Myriad is focused on strategic directives to introduce new products, including companion diagnostics, as well as expanding internationally. For more information on how Myriad is making a difference, please visit the Company's website: http://www.myriad.com.

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Myriad Genetics Announces 2013 Analyst and Investor Day

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwired - May 2, 2013) - Atossa Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATOS), The Breast Health Company, has signed an agreement with Millennium HealthCare Inc. (PINKSHEETS: MHCC) for the distribution by Millennium Medical Devices of Atossa's ForeCYTE Breast Health devices, which consist of the patented MASCT pump and ForeCYTE patient collection kits. Millennium has submitted an initial order for 10,000 ForeCYTE collection kits, which it intends to market to managed-care networks, healthcare clinics and physician practices in the New York Metro Area and Northern New Jersey.

Atossa's MASCT system is used by physicians and nurses to collect a small amount of nipple aspirate fluid for analysis by the National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health with the ForeCYTE Breast Health Test.

The ForeCYTE test, intended for the 110 million women in the U.S. ages 18-73, is a painless, quick and non-invasive procedure that can be performed in a physician's office. ForeCYTE can provide vital early detection of cancer or pre-cancerous conditions that may progress to cancer over an approximately eight-year period before cancer can be detected by mammography or other means. Millennium HealthCare, through its wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, provides primary care physicians practices, physician groups and healthcare facilities of all sizes with cutting edge medical devices focused primarily on preventive care through early detection.

Dr. Steven Quay, Chairman, CEO & President of Atossa Genetics, said, "We are extremely pleased that Millennium HealthCare will be distributing the ForeCYTE Breast Health devices to its healthcare practitioners. Millennium shares our passion about providing life-saving diagnostics to its healthcare professionals and we look forward to working closely with the Millennium team."

Chris Amandola, President of Millennium HealthCare, stated, "According to a recent American Cancer Society report, there were over 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer among women in 2011. Excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, accounting for nearly 1 in 3 cancers diagnosed in the U.S. Our distribution channels are excited by the prospect that Atossa's non-invasive test can offer physicians a simple and cost-effective preventive care solution to their patients for the early detection of precursors to breast cancer."

Dominick Sartorio, CEO of Millennium HealthCare, commented, "Our team continues to explore the marketplace for new medical devices that can have a meaningful impact on improving patient care. Atossa Genetics' management team has done an outstanding job of advancing breast health care through their innovative medical devices and we look forward to a long relationship building together."

Just as the Pap smear has reduced cervical cancer rates by more than 70 percent, becoming the most successful screening test in medicine, the goal of Atossa Genetics is to reduce the stubbornly high rate of breast cancer through the early detection and treatment of the precursor changes that lead to breast cancer.

About Atossa Genetics, Inc.

Atossa Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATOS), The Breast Health Company, based in Seattle, WA, is focused on preventing breast cancer through the commercialization of patented, FDA-designated Class II diagnostic medical devices and patented, laboratory developed tests (LDT) that can detect precursors to breast cancer up to eight years before mammography.

In addition to the ForeCYTE Breast Health Test, Atossa markets the ArgusCYTE Breast Health Test, a blood test for recurrence in breast cancer survivors that provides a "liquid biopsy" for circulating cancer cells and a tailored treatment plan for patients and their caregivers. For additional information, please visit http://www.atossagenetics.com.

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Atossa Genetics Signs Distribution Agreement With Millennium HealthCare

London, United Kingdom (Reuters) - British scientists are stepping up clinical tests of gene therapy in a bid to help people with advanced heart failure pump blood more efficiently. Researchers said on Tuesday they planned to enroll patients into two new clinical trials using Mydicar, a gene therapy treatment made by privately held US biotech company Celladon. After more than 20 years of research, the ground-breaking method for fixing faulty genes is starting to deliver, with European authorities approving the first gene therapy for an rare metabolic disease last November.

In the case of heart failure, the aim is to insert a gene called SERCA2a directly into heart cells using a modified virus, delivered via a catheter infusion. Lack of SERCA2a leads to ever weaker pumping in people with heart failure.

Although drugs offer some relief, there is currently no way of restoring heart function and the prognosis for those with advanced disease is worse than for many cancers.

One of the studies, led by scientists at Imperial College London, is part of a wider mid-stage Phase II project sponsored by Celladon that involves 200 patients worldwide, some of whom have already been treated in the United States and Denmark.

The second trial, which is due to start in the summer, will test the same treatment in 24 British patients already fitted with mechanical heart pumps to see how the approach may help in this particular setting.

It promises to be a long haul, with extensive Phase III studies still needed once results of the current mid-stage tests are received, which Celladon expects in the first half of 2015. Gene therapy has experienced a series of advances and setbacks over the decades. The most notable blow came in 1999 when an Arizona teenager died in a gene therapy experiment. More recent results, however, have been promising in fields ranging from immune system diseases to blindness.

''It is a great example of the slow burn of good laboratory science translating into a potential clinical treatment,'' said Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, which is co-funding the second trial.

Because gene therapy replaces or boosts the activity of a faulty gene, it offers the possibility of a one-time ''fix'' - and that creates an economic challenge.

Any gene therapy is bound to be expensive, since a single dose could last a lifetime and the manufacturer will have just one shot at recouping its investment.

But Alexander Lyon of Imperial College, lead investigator on both studies, said it could be a cost-effective solution in heart failure if it avoided the need for interventions such as heart transplants at 200,000 pounds ($300,000) each.

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Health: Gene therapy

BRITISH scientists are stepping up clinical tests of gene therapy in a bid to help people with advanced heart failure pump blood more efficiently.

Researchers say they plan to enrol patients into two new clinical trials using Mydicar, a gene therapy treatment made by privately held US biotech company Celladon.

After more than 20 years of research, the groundbreaking method for fixing faulty genes is starting to deliver, with European authorities approving the first gene therapy for rare metabolic disease last November.

In the case of heart failure, the aim is to insert a gene called Serca2a directly into heart cells using a modified virus, delivered via a catheter infusion. Lack of Serca2a leads to ever weaker pumping in people with heart failure.

Although drugs offer some relief, there is currently no way of restoring heart function and the prognosis for those with advanced disease is worse than for many cancers.

One of the studies, led by scientists at Imperial College London, is part of a wider midstage phase 2 project sponsored by Celladon that involves 200 patients worldwide, some of whom have already been treated in the US and Denmark.

The second trial, which is due to start in July, will test the same treatment in 24 British patients already fitted with mechanical heart pumps to see how the approach may help in this particular setting.

It promises to be a long haul, with extensive phase 3 studies still needed once results of the current mid-stage tests are received, which Celladon expects in the first half of 2015.

Gene therapy has experienced a series of advances and setbacks over the decades. The most notable blow came in 1999 when an Arizona teenager died in a gene therapy experiment. More recent results, however, have been promising in fields ranging from immune system diseases to blindness.

"It is a great example of the slow burn of good laboratory science translating into a potential clinical treatment," says Dr Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, which is co-funding the second trial.

Original post:
Another piece in the puzzle of how to heal broken hearts

London, April 30 (ANI): A Northwestern University study has shed light on how a mouse instinctively avoids a cat, when it smells the feline.

The study involving olfactory receptors, which underlie the sense of smell, provides evidence that a single gene is necessary for the behavior.

A research team led by neurobiologist Thomas Bozza has shown that removing one olfactory receptor from mice can have a profound effect on their behavior. The gene, called TAAR4, encodes a receptor that responds to a chemical that is enriched in the urine of carnivores.

While normal mice innately avoid the scent marks of predators, mice lacking the TAAR4 receptor do not.

The study reveals something new about our sense of smell: individual genes matter.

Unlike our sense of vision, much less is known about how sensory receptors contribute to the perception of smells. Color vision is generated by the cooperative action of three light-sensitive receptors found in sensory neurons in the eye. People with mutations in even one of these receptors experience color blindness.

"It is easy to understand how each of the three color receptors is important and maintained during evolution," said Bozza, an author of the paper, "but the olfactory system is much more complex."

In contrast to the three color receptors, humans have 380 olfactory receptor genes, while mice have more than 1,000. Common smells like the fragrance of coffee and perfumes typically activate many receptors.

"The general consensus in the field is that removing a single olfactory receptor gene would not have a significant effect on odor perception," said Bozza, an assistant professor of neurobiology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.

Bozza and his colleagues tested this assumption by genetically removing a specific subset of olfactory receptors called trace amine-associated receptors, or TAARs, in mice. Mice have 15 TAARs. One is expressed in the brain and responds to amine neurotransmitters and common drugs of abuse such as amphetamine. The other 14 are found in the nose and have been coopted to detect odors.

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Gene necessary for mice to avoid cats discovered

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "MediPoint: Predictive Breast Cancer Gene Testing - EU Analysis and Market Forecasts" report to their offering.

MediPoint: Predictive Breast Cancer Gene Testing - EU Analysis and Market Forecasts

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in both the developed and developing world. The incidence of breast cancer is increasing due to the increased life span and increasing adoption of Western lifestyle risk factors. Predictive breast cancer gene tests can be used to identify women who are at increased risk of developing hereditary breast cancer. The Predictive Breast Cancer Gene Testing market has seen exponential growth in the US, dominated by Myriad Genetics. Gene testing in Europe is mostly carried out by the state funded health sector, but increasingly private companies are offering breast cancer gene tests to physicians. Myriad Genetics' position in the market is dependent on it being the leading provider of the most common breast cancer mutations. By the end of our forecast period, the competitive landscape will experience significant change due to the erosion of Myriad Genetics' position, as a result of the expiry of key patents, and the emergence of alternative molecular technologies.

Scope

- An overview of Breast Cancer, which includes epidemiology, etiology, symptoms, diagnosis, pathology and treatment guidelines.

- Annualized EU Breast Cancer Gene Testing market revenue and future forecasts from 2009 to 2011, forecast for 7 years to 2018.

- Investigation of current and future market competition for Breast Cancer Gene Testing

- Insightful review of the key industry drivers, restraints and challenges as well as predicted impact of key events.

- Competitor assessment including device approval analysis and device sales forecasts.

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Research and Markets: MediPoint: Predictive Breast Cancer Gene Testing - EU Analysis and Market Forecasts

Feds Were Watching Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Mother Long Before the Bombing
About 18 months before the Boston Marathon bombings, the CIA added the mother of the two suspects to a terrorism database after Russian authorities raised co...

By: TheAlexJonesChannel

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Feds Were Watching Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Mother Long Before the Bombing - Video

Bilderberg Sleuth Jim Tucker Remembered
Alex broadcasts from the road. He pays tribute to Bilderberg sleuth Jim Tucker, who passed away last week at the age of 78. He also covers the latest attack ...

By: TheAlexJonesChannel

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Bilderberg Sleuth Jim Tucker Remembered - Video