Archive for the ‘Gene Therapy Research’ Category

Police State USA: Monsanto Protection Act Will KILL Our Future Children! Get Involved!
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DUBLIN, April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets announces the addition of AOCS Press' book "Palm Oil: Production, Processing, Characterization, and Use" to its catalogue.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130307/600769 )

This book serves as a rich source of information on the production, processing, characterization and utilization of palm oil and its components. It also includes several topics related to oil palm genomics, tissue culture and genetic engineering of oil palm.

Physical, chemical and polymorphic properties of palm oil and its components as well as the measurement and maintenance of palm oil quality are included and may be of interest to researchers and food manufacturers.

General uses of palm oil/kernel oil and their fractions in food, nutritional and oleochemical products are discussed as well as the potential use of palm oil as an alternative to trans fats.

Some attention is also given to palm biomass, bioenergy, biofuels, waste management, and sustainability.

Topics Covered:

A Brief History of the Oil Palm

Breeding and Genetics of the Oil Palm

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Palm Oil: Production, Processing, Characterization, and Use

Public release date: 4-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, April 4, 2013Pet therapy can help patients cope with the pain, stress, and emotional effects of a serious illness, but access to a companion animal is not always possible. Robotic animals may offer the same benefits, as explored in a fascinating study presented in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free online on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website.

Sandra Okita, PhD, Columbia University (New York, NY) evaluated the effectiveness of robotic companions to reduce feelings of pain and emotional anxiety among pediatric patients and their parents. In the article "Self-Other's Perspective Taking: The Use of Therapeutic Robot Companions as Social Agents for Reducing Pain and Anxiety in Pediatric Patients," Dr. Okita reports that when a child and parent were together during robot therapy sessions, the patients' pain ratings decreased significantly. There were no differences in the pain ratings when the child interacted with the robot animal without the parent present.

Additionally, when the parent and child were together for the robot therapy sessions, as the parent's pain rating decreased, so did the patient's, which the author attributes to "parental modeling." Children learn how to cope with emotions such as fear and anxiety by observing how an adult responds and behaving in a similar manner.

"It will be useful to explore in future studies whether the benefit of parental modeling exhibited during the interactions is maintained long-term," says Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA, Editor-in-Chief of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, from the Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, CA. "It will also be important to understand how we may lower pain and anxiety in children without the presence of their parents, which is of course not always feasible in a hospital setting."

###

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

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Can therapy using robots reduce pain and anxiety among pediatric patients?

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Hungry mice might eventually lead the way to protect against Alzheimer's disease, a promising UAB study suggests.

Previous studies have shown that cutting calories may protect against Alzheimer's and other degenerative brain disorders. But this study, published this week in the journal PLOS ONE, is believed to be the first to find that the feeling of hunger alone may be the protection.

To understand this, one must look at the research which involved mouse swimming, maze running, chocolate pills and genetic engineering.

Researchers used three groups of 12 mice, which had been genetically engineered to have the mutations known to cause Alzheimer's disease, said Inga Kadish, senior author of the study.

"One group got to eat to their heart's desire," said Kadish, assistant professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology in UAB's School of Medicine.

Or as Kadish put it: "The Western diet."

The second group of mice got a 20 percent caloric cut in their diet.

The third group, and this is the important one, was given a synthetic hormone which made them feel mildly hungry all the time, no matter how much they ate.

The synthetic hormone called ghrelin agonist, was given to the third group in a chocolate pill. The other groups, even the low-cal group, got a chocolate pill as a placebo without the ghrelin.

The mice were put through a series of tests to determine their cognitive skills, including an elevated maze and a water maze. In the water maze, for example, the mice swam around trying to find a hidden platform within 60 seconds. If the mouse doesn't find it, it is put on the platform. Normal mice will remember the platform and find it quicker with each dive in the pool.

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Hungry mice may lead the way to Alzheimer's treatment

Public release date: 4-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Alex Lyda alex.lyda@utsouthwestern.edu 214-648-3404 UT Southwestern Medical Center

DALLAS April 4, 2013 Physician-researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a vulnerability of certain lung-cancer cells a specific genetic weakness that can be exploited for new therapies.

Although researchers have long known that mutant versions of the KRAS gene drive tumor formation and are key to cell survival in non-small cell lung cancer, the blocking of activated KRAS has proven difficult. For years, investigations have explored stopping lung cancer at this junction, which also would have an impact on many other cancers. KRAS mutations, for instance, account for as much as 50 percent of all colon cancers.

"There is an urgent need to identify 'downstream' pathways that are required to sustain and grow non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)," said Dr. Pier Paolo Scaglioni, assistant professor of internal medicine and a member of the Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center. "As we focus on the right pathways, we stand a much better chance of chemically blocking them and stopping tumor growth."

The team's findings are published in the April edition of Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Dr. Scaglioni served as senior author and Dr. Georgia Konstantinidou, a postdoctoral researcher, was first author.

To identify vulnerabilities in KRAS-mutant tumors, Dr. Scaglioni's group used a mouse model of high-grade lung adenocarcinoma induced by a recombinant transgene that allows activation of mutant KRAS in the respiratory epithelium. This strategy allows the generation of high-grade lung cancers that closely resemble human tumors.

Compared with control tumors, the investigators found that the protein RHOA was specifically required for the survival and growth of high-grade tumors via activation of a focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Consistent with a critical role for this pathway in NSCLC, activation of RHOA and FAK was observed in human NSCLC samples and human lung-cancer cells were found to be highly sensitive to pharmacologic inhibitors of FAK.

FAK is a protein that helps cells stick to each other and their surroundings, and also aids in determining how rigid and mobile the cell's structure is. When FAK is blocked in breast cancer, the cancer cells become less metastastic due to decreased mobility.

Dr. Scaglioni and his team are now poised to study in clinical trials the pharmacologic blockade of FAK using inhibitor compounds currently under commercial development.

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Genetic vulnerability of lung cancer to lay foundation for new drug options

Genetic markers that could help highlight who is at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease have been identified by US scientists.

The research in Neuron identifies mutations that affect the build-up of certain proteins in the brain.

High levels of these tau proteins increase the chance of having the disease.

UK experts said the study could help understand the changes that occur in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

Tangles of a kind of tau called phosphorylated tau (ptau) are a hallmark of the disease.

One of the new gene variants identified by the Washington University School of Medicine team was also shown to be linked to a small increased risk of developing Alzheimer's and a greater risk of cognitive decline.

The team used genetic information from more than 1,200 people, significantly larger than previous studies in this area.

Dr Alison Goate, who led the study, said: "We anticipate that knowledge about the role of these genes in Alzheimer's disease may lead to the identification of new targets from therapies or new animal or cellular models of the disease.

Lifestyle 'plays a role' UK experts said the study adds to the number of genetic markers that have been linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Dr Doug Brown, director of research and development at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "In discovering new genes that have a link to Alzheimer's, this robust study helps scientists to better understand the way the brain changes when dementia develops.

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Early Genetic Markers Of Alzheimer's Risk Identified

Public release date: 4-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mary Beth O'Leary moleary@cell.com 617-397-2802 Cell Press

People who have a buildup of certain proteins in the brain and spinal fluid have an increased likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease, but it's currently unclear who will develop these protein accumulations. Now researchers reporting online April 4th in the Cell Press journal Neuron have identified mutations in certain genetic regions that influence the levels of these protein accumulations. The findings may not only help identify people most at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease well before they show signs of cognitive decline, but also offer new information for the design of therapies that target the proteins involved.

"Tau is an important biomarker of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease, present as insoluble aggregates in the brain and as soluble protein in the cerebrospinal fluid," explains senior author Dr. Alison Goate, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "We have identified several genes that influence the levels of soluble tau in the cerebrospinal fluid, and we show that one of these genes also influences risk for Alzheimer's disease, rate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease, and density of tangle pathology in the brain."

Previous genome analyses related to the expression of tau have been conducted in only a small number of patients. Dr. Goate and her team's study included information from 1,269 individuals, making it more than three times the size of previous studies.

A second genetic region identified by the group includes the Alzheimer's disease gene TREM2, which encodes a cellular receptor and other genes in TREM2's family, including TREML2. "Interestingly, although these genes are similar, the association of TREM2 and TREML2 with cerebrospinal fluid tau levels were in the opposite directionone associated with risk for Alzheimer's disease and the other protective," says first author Dr. Carlos Cruchaga, also of Washington University School of Medicine.

The researchers now plan to investigate the effects of these gene variants on tau levels in cultured cells and in mice. "In the longer term, we anticipate that knowledge about the role of these genes in Alzheimer's disease may lead to the identification of new targets from therapies or new animal or cellular models of the disease," says Dr. Goate.

###

Neuron, Cruchaga et al.: "GWAS of cerebrospinal fluid tau levels identifies novel risk variants for Alzheimer's disease."

Here is the original post:
New genetic markers may signal who is at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease

4 April 2013 Last updated at 20:33 ET

Genetic markers that could help highlight who is at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease have been identified by US scientists.

The research in Neuron identifies mutations that affect the build-up of certain proteins in the brain.

High levels of these tau proteins increase the chance of having the disease.

UK experts said the study could help understand the changes that occur in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

Tangles of a kind of tau called phosphorylated tau (ptau) are a hallmark of the disease.

One of the new gene variants identified by the Washington University School of Medicine team was also shown to be linked to a small increased risk of developing Alzheimer's and a greater risk of cognitive decline.

The team used genetic information from more than 1,200 people, significantly larger than previous studies in this area.

Dr Alison Goate, who led the study, said: "We anticipate that knowledge about the role of these genes in Alzheimer's disease may lead to the identification of new targets from therapies or new animal or cellular models of the disease.

UK experts said the study adds to the number of genetic markers that have been linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Read more from the original source:
Alzheimer's ' genetic signs' found

Apr. 4, 2013 Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a new set of genetic markers for Alzheimer's that point to a second pathway through which the disease develops.

Much of the genetic research on Alzheimer's centers on amyloid-beta, a key component of brain plaques that build up in the brains of people with the disease.

In the new study, the scientists identified several genes linked to the tau protein, which is found in the tangles that develop in the brain as Alzheimer's progresses and patients develop dementia. The findings may help provide targets for a different class of drugs that could be used for treatment.

The researchers report their findings online April 24 in the journal Neuron.

"We measured the tau protein in the cerebrospinal fluid and identified several genes that are related to high levels of tau and also affect risk for Alzheimer's disease," says senior investigator Alison M. Goate, DPhil, the Samuel and Mae S. Ludwig Professor of Genetics in Psychiatry. "As far as we're aware, three of these genes have no effect on amyloid-beta, suggesting that they are operating through a completely different pathway."

A fourth gene in the mix, APOE, had been identified long ago as a risk factor for Alzheimer's. It has been linked to amyloid-beta, but in the new study, APOE appears to be connected to elevated levels of tau. Finding that APOE is influencing more than one pathway could help explain why the gene has such a big effect on Alzheimer's disease risk, the researchers say.

"It appears APOE influences risk in more than one way," says Goate, also a professor of genetics and co-director of the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders. "Some of the effects are mediated through amyloid-beta and others by tau. That suggests there are at least two ways in which the gene can influence our risk for Alzheimer's disease."

The new research by Goate and her colleagues is the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) yet on tau in cerebrospinal fluid. The scientists analyzed points along the genomes of 1,269 individuals who had undergone spinal taps as part of ongoing Alzheimer's research.

Whereas amyloid is known to collect in the brain and affect brain cells from the outside, the tau protein usually is stored inside cells. So tau usually moves into the spinal fluid when cells are damaged or die. Elevated tau has been linked to several forms of non-Alzheimer's dementia, and first author Carlos Cruchaga, PhD, says that although amyloid plaques are a key feature of Alzheimer's disease, it's possible that excess tau has more to do with the dementia than plaques.

"We know there are some individuals with high levels of amyloid-beta who don't develop Alzheimer's disease," says Cruchaga, an assistant professor of psychiatry. "We don't know why that is, but perhaps it could be related to the fact that they don't have elevated tau levels."

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Genetic markers ID second Alzheimer's pathway

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Genetics Thrift Shop
A little parody video I made as a tribute to my awesome genetics class!

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Genetics Thrift Shop - Video

China Now Dictates Final Editing of Hollywood Films
On the Monday, April 1 edition of the Alex Jones Show, Alex covers the slow motion demolition of the economic system as a spate of American cities declare ba...

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

Contact: Phyllis Edelman pedelman@genetics-gsa.org 301-634-7302 Genetics Society of America

Bethesda, MDApril 1, 2013 Listed below are the selected highlights for the April 2013 issue of the Genetics Society of America's journal, Genetics. The April issue is available online at http://www.genetics.org/content/current. Please credit Genetics, Vol. 193, April 2013, Copyright 2013.

Please feel free to forward to colleagues who may be interested in these articles on a wide array of topics including methods, technology and resources; gene expression; genetics of complex traits; genome integrity and transmission; population and evolutionary genetics; cellular genetics; and, genome system biology.

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

Methods, Technology and Resources

1. Marker density and read depth for genotyping populations using genotyping-by-sequencing, pp. 1073-1081 Timothy M. Beissinger, Candice N. Hirsch, Rajandeep S. Sekhon, Jillian M. Foerster, James M. Johnson, German Muttoni, Brieanne Vaillancourt, C. Robin Buell, Shawn M. Kaeppler, and Natalia de Leon

Genotyping-by-sequencing enables rapid and efficient genotyping of any species, but it must be appropriately implemented to provide the desired information. This article describes what constitutes sufficient marker information for a variety of genetic studies, and tells how best to obtain that information with genotyping-by-sequencing.

Gene Expression

2. Novel sexual-cycle-specific gene silencing in Aspergillus nidulans, pp. 1149-1162 Wioletta Czaja, Karen Y. Miller, and Bruce L. Miller

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Genetics Society of America's Genetics journal highlights for April 2013

AMES, Iowa, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --NewLink Genetics Corporation (NLNK), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing cancer therapeutics, today announced the initiation of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical study of its first IDO (indoleamine-(2,3)-dioxygenase) pathway inhibitor, indoximod, in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The Phase 2 clinical study will evaluate indoximod as a new approach to treating cancer by administering this novel IDO pathway inhibitor, designed to counteract a key mechanism by which tumors evade immune-mediated destruction, in combination with a conventional cytotoxin, docetaxel. This Phase 2 clinical study follows the successful Phase 1b dose-escalation study of indoximod in patients with advanced solid tumors in which a favorable safety profile and promising early signs of activity were observed. Indoximod is the most advanced product candidate to enter clinical trials based on NewLink's proprietary IDO pathway inhibitor platform for small-molecule, orally bioavailable cancer immunotherapies.

"There is significant unmet need for new approaches that may offer more effective treatment options for patients with metastatic breast cancer, a leading cause of death in women in the United States," said Hatem Soliman, MD, a medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer in The Center for Women's Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center and the principal investigator for this study. "Indoximod has demonstrated promising safety, pharmacokinetic and biologic activity in earlier clinical studies and we look forward to increasing our understanding of its potential in metastatic breast cancer with this robust Phase 2 study designed to evaluate the activity of indoximod in combination with a conventional chemotherapy across a number of clinically relevant endpoints."

"Indoximod, an IDO pathway inhibitor is an immune check point inhibitor akin to the recently developed antibodies targeting CTLA-4 and PD-1. IDO can be expressed within both tumor cells and/or antigen presenting cells to create local immune suppression to impair immunological detection and destructions of tumors," commented Dr. Charles Link, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NewLink. "We are excited about the promising approach of using novel therapies, like indoximod, to harness key mechanisms of the immune system to enhance the body's cancer-fighting abilities and enhance the effect of other therapies. NewLink intends to pursue this strategy as we advance other clinical candidates from our IDO pathway inhibitor platform as well as our novel candidates from our HyperAcute immunotherapy platform."

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of indoximod in combination with docetaxel as compared to docetaxel alone in up to 120 patients with metastatic breast cancer. Study endpoints include progression-free survival, objective response rate, median overall survival and evaluation of pharmacodynamic tumor markers, in addition to safety. For more information about the study please refer to http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About indoximod and inhibition of the IDO pathway

IDO (indoleamine-(2,3)-dioxygenase) pathway inhibitors, also known as one of the key class of checkpoint inhibitors, represent a potential breakthrough approach to cancer therapy using small-molecule, anti-toleragenic product candidates intended to counteract a key mechanism by which tumors evade immune-mediated destruction. IDO is an enzyme that regulates immune response by suppressing T-cell function and enabling local tumor immune escape. Recent studies have demonstrated that IDO is overexpressed in many cancers, within both tumor cells as a direct defense against T-cell attack, and also within antigen presenting cells in tumor draining lymph nodes whereby IDO promotes peripheral tolerance to tumor associated antigens (TAAs). When hijacked by developing cancers in this manner, IDO may facilitate the survival, growth, invasion, and metastasis of malignant cells expressing TAAs that might otherwise be recognized and attacked by the immune system. Indoximod is currently in multiple Phase 1B/2 studies targeting breast cancer. These include combination studies with docetaxel and with an autologous p-53 Dendritic Cell vaccine. In addition to its clinical product candidate indoximod, NewLink has an active program directed at synthesizing other IDO pathway inhibitors.

About NewLink Genetics Corporation

NewLink Genetics Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel immunotherapeutic products to improve treatment options for cancer patients. NewLink's portfolio includes biologic and small-molecule immunotherapy product candidates intended to treat a wide range of oncology indications. NewLink's product candidates are designed to harness multiple components of the immune system to combat cancer without significant incremental toxicity, either as a monotherapy or in combination with other treatment regimens. NewLink's lead product candidate, algenpantucel-L (HyperAcute Pancreas) is being studied in a Phase 3 clinical trial in surgically resected pancreatic cancer patients (under a Special Protocol Assessment with the U.S. FDA) as well as in a separate study in locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients. NewLink has recently launched an adaptive design Phase 2B/3 clinical trial of tergenpumatucel-L (HyperAcute Lung) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. NewLink is developing indoximod, a small-molecule, orally bioavailable product candidate from NewLink's proprietary indoleamine-(2,-3)-dioxygenase pathway inhibitor technology. NewLink is studying indoximod in various chemotherapy and immunotherapy combination studies independently and in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute. For more information please visit http://www.linkp.com. Patient information is available at http://www.pancreaticcancer-clinicaltrials.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements of NewLink that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan,""target," "potential," "will,""could," "should,""seek," or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements about: the prospects of algenpantucel-L, indoximod and our other HyperAcute product candidates and related clinical trials. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that NewLink makes due to a number of important factors, including risks relating to: the initiation of clinical trials and the completion of enrollment; adverse general economic and industry conditions; and those risks discussed in "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in NewLink's Quarterly Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2012, Form S-3 Registration Statement filed December 28, 2012 and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent NewLink's views as of the date of this press release. NewLink anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while it may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing NewLink's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

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NewLink Genetics Initiates Phase 2 Trial of IDO Pathway Inhibitor, Indoximod, for the Treatment of Metastatic Breast ...

Cancer Genetics, Inc. said thursday that it has priced its initial public offering of 600,000 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $10.00 per share, which is at the low end of it previous expected range of $10.00 to $12.00 per share.

The gross proceeds to Cancer Genetics from the initial public offering are expected to be $6 million, assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option, before underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by Cancer Genetics.

Cancer Genetics has granted the representative of the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 90,000 additional shares of common stock from the company to cover over-allotments, if any.

Shares of Cancer Genetics' common stock are expected to be quoted on the OTCQB Marketplace, operated by OTC Markets Group, under the symbol "CGIX" beginning on April 5, 2013.

Click here to receive FREE breaking news email alerts for Cancer Genetics, Inc and others in your portfolio

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Cancer Genetics Prices IPO At Low End Of Range

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Insight Genetics, which has developed adiagnostic test that can more accurately determineifcertainlung cancer patients will respond to targeted therapies,has been selected by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to participate in the Clinical Assay Development Program (CADP). The CADP is an initiative of NCIs Division ofCancerTreatment and Diagnosis, andaims to move promising assays from the research lab into clinical trials.

Insight Genetics Insight ALK Screenoffers comprehensivedata thatinformsa physician if a patients cancer is associated with anaplasticlymphoma kinase(ALK) and may respond toALK-inhibitortherapies, an emerging class of cancer treatments.ALK fusions and mutations have been shown to be a contributing cause in approximately 5-10 percent of lung cancers.

"As cancer treatment becomes increasingly targeted at the molecular level, the development of advanced diagnostics that can inform cancer diagnosis and therapy selection will be vital," saidChristopher Callaghan, President and COO of Insight Genetics. "Assays like our Insight ALK Screen are important advancements in this evolving cancer landscape. Weare extremely gratified tofurther this field and continueour relationship with NCIby participating in the CADP."

Insight ALK Screenis inexpensive, highly sensitive and well suited to handle largernumbers of specimensthan the ALK detection methods currently available. The PCR-based test willreducethefalse-negative call frequencyofALK status in tumors, which means more patients who may benefit from ALK inhibitor therapies will receive these targeted treatments.In addition,Insight ALK Screenprovidesrapid, unambiguous identification of the complete spectrum of oncogenic ALK fusion mutationsunachievable by more conventional PCR strategies.Its ease of use andrapid turnaround time will decreasethe time in whichphysicians and their patientsreceive information.

NCIthrough the CADPwill support Insight Genetics by providing servicesoftwoCLIA-certified labsthat willfurther validatethe assay,access toclinicalsamples, subject matter expertise,andstatistical consultation. This collaboration is the continuation of a successful relationship between NCI and Insight Genetics. In the last three years the molecular diagnostics company has been awarded four contracts from NCI for the development of companion diagnostics.

About Insight Genetics

Insight Genetics is a molecular diagnostics company focused on enabling precision medicine in cancer therapy. The companys companion diagnostics detect specific cancer biomarkers related to therapeutics that are currently in development or on the market. Insight partners with leading academic researchers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, clinical reference laboratories, and IVD kit manufacturers to provide new standards of care for cancer patients worldwide.www.insightgenetics.com

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Insight Genetics and National Cancer Institute Collaborate to Develop New Technologies for Clinical Trials

AMES, Iowa, April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --NewLink Genetics Corporation (NLNK) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing cancer therapeutics. The company today announced that preclinical data on one of its IDO pathway inhibitors, NLG919, will be presented at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) to be held April 6-10 in Washington, DC. The poster presentation will describe the benefits of targeting the IDO pathway with small molecule immunomodulatory drugs for the treatment of cancer. NLG919 is in development as a potent IDO pathway inhibitor with desirable pharmacological properties.

Poster presentation:

About inhibition of the IDO pathway

IDO pathway inhibitors are another class of immune check point inhibitors akin to the recently developed antibodies targeting CTLA-4 and PD-1 which represent a potential breakthrough approach to cancer therapy. The IDO pathway regulates immune response by suppressing T-cell function and enabling local tumor immune escape. Recent studies have demonstrated that the IDO pathway is active in many cancers, both within tumor cells as a direct defense against T-cell attack, and also within antigen presenting cells in tumor draining lymph nodes whereby this pathway promotes peripheral tolerance to tumor associated antigens (TAAs). When hijacked by developing cancers in this manner, the IDO pathway may facilitate the survival, growth, invasion and metastasis of malignant cells expressing TAAs that might otherwise be recognized and attacked by the immune system. NewLink has a number of active programs directed at synthesizing IDO pathway inhibitors. These small-molecule, anti-tolerogenic product candidates are intended to counteract this key mechanism by which tumors evade immune-mediated destruction.

About NewLink Genetics Corporation

NewLink Genetics Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel immunotherapeutic products to improve treatment options for cancer patients. NewLink's portfolio includes biologic and small molecule immunotherapy product candidates intended to treat a wide range of oncology indications. NewLink's product candidates are designed to harness multiple components of the immune system to combat cancer without significant incremental toxicity, either as a monotherapy or in combination with other treatment regimens. NewLink's lead product candidate, algenpantucel-L (HyperAcute Pancreas) is being studied in a Phase 3 clinical trial in surgically resected pancreatic cancer patients (under a Special Protocol Assessment with the U.S. FDA) as well as in a separate study in locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients. NewLink has recently launched an adaptive design Phase 2B/3 clinical trial of tergenpumatucel-L (HyperAcute Lung) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. NewLink is developing indoximod, a small molecule, orally bioavailable product candidate from NewLink's proprietary indoleamine-(2,3)-dioxygenase, or IDO, pathway inhibitor technology. NewLink is studying indoximod in various chemotherapy and immunotherapy combination studies independently and in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute. For more information please visit http://www.linkp.com. Patient information is available at http://www.pancreaticcancer-clinicaltrials.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements of NewLink that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "plan", "target", "potential", "will", "could", "should", "seek", or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements about: the prospects of algenpantucel-L, indoximod and our other HyperAcute product candidates and related clinical trials. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that NewLink makes due to a number of important factors, including risks relating to: the initiation of clinical trials and the completion of enrollment; adverse general economic and industry conditions; and those risks discussed in "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in NewLink's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2012, Form S-3 Registration Statement filed December 28, 2012 and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent NewLink's views as of the date of this press release. NewLink anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while it may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing NewLink's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Contact: Gordon Link Chief Financial Officer 515-598-2925 glink@linkp.com

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ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Ambry Genetics announced today that they have launched a somatic variant detection service, developed in collaboration with Illumina. This service complements Ambrys extensive menu of next-generation sequencing services and portfolio of diagnostic genetic testing panels for hereditary cancers.

Ambry Genetics has offered next-generation sequencing services since 2007 and has been at the forefront of establishing the technology as a diagnostic tool. Ambry was the first to launch a commercial diagnostic test utilizing next-generation sequencing with their 81 gene XLID panel, as well as the first to offer clinical exome sequencing. Leveraging years of experience, Ambry has developed a somatic cancer panel that can detect the lowest level allele frequency with the highest level of specificity available today.

Utilizing a novel target enrichment strategy, we are able to detect below 3% minor allele frequency with very high confidence, said Dr. Aaron Elliott, Director of R&D at Ambry Genetics. We have optimized every step of the process from QC to bioinformatics to virtually eliminate false positives which are a common problem for FFPE samples in current panels.

This offering is focused on clinically actionable mutations implicated in solid tumors with a focus on lung, colon, melanoma, gastric and ovarian cancers. The assay covers relevant hotspot regions of 26 genes, including deep sequencing of several genes such as TP53.

Expanding into somatic mutation detection is a key step to grow our business, said Ardy Arianpour, Vice President of Business Development at Ambry Genetics. We have had several top pharmaceutical clients test the product and are extremely happy with the data, we look to further develop the offering and move it into our clinical diagnostics menu this year.

Our understanding of cancer is rapidly evolving through a better understanding of genomics. Partnering with leaders in next-generation sequencing services enables us to build better targeted sequencing solutions that fit the needs of service providers, said Greg Heath, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Illuminas Diagnostics business. Bringing services to the clinical research market will help to further evolve our understanding of cancer and ultimately lead to better diagnostic tools.

About Ambry Genetics

Ambry Genetics is a CAP-accredited and CLIA-certified commercial clinical laboratory with headquarters in Aliso Viejo, California. Since the company's inception in 1999, it has become a leader in providing genetic services focused on clinical diagnostics and genomic services, particularly sequencing and array services. Ambry has established a solid reputation for unparalleled service and has been at the forefront of applying new target enrichment and next-gen sequencing technologies to the clinical molecular diagnostics market and to the advancement of disease research. To learn more about testing and services available through Ambry Genetics, visit http://www.ambrygen.com.

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Ambry Genetics Launches FFPE Somatic Variant Profiling Services Developed in Collaboration with Illumina