Archive for the ‘Gene Therapy Research’ Category

AMES, Iowa, March 29, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NewLink Genetics Corporation (Nasdaq:NLNK - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing cancer therapeutics, today reported financial results for its quarter and year ended December 31, 2011, and provided an update on the progress of its clinical development programs.

"2011 was a pivotal year for NewLink," commented Dr. Charles Link, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NewLink. "By successfully completing our initial public offering and raising additional private money, we raised adequate capital to allow us to complete patient enrollment in our pivotal Phase three pancreatic cancer clinical trial as well as advancing four other cancer immunotherapies into or further into clinical trials addressing patients with significant unmet medical needs."

Full Year 2011 Financial Results

Financial Guidance

NewLink expects to end 2012 with about $20 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. NewLink anticipates that this capital should allow it to fund its operations through 2013 based on its current operating plans.

2011 Key Accomplishments and 2012 Goals

Upcoming Activities

NewLink expects to present at the following investor conferences:

NewLink expects to present at the following oncology and pharmacology meetings:

Today's Conference Call and Webcast Reminder

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NewLink Genetics Corporation Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2011 Financial Results

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Interleukin Genetics,Inc. (OTCQB: ILIU.PK - News) today issued financial and operational results for its fiscal fourth quarter and full fiscal year ended December 31, 2011.

We continued to develop our business in 2011. Our genetic testing revenue has grown by more than forty percent this year over last year as we added new partnerships for distribution of our tests. In addition, our collaboration with Stanford University continued with an extension study whose results showed that the genetic patterns identified by our Weight Management Test can help individuals lose more weight when diets are selected based on genotype, said Lewis H. Bender, Chief Executive Officer of Interleukin Genetics. Most importantly, we have advanced our large, clinical program with our partners the University of Michigan and Renaissance Health and completed enrollment of over 5,400 patients in a landmark pivotal study. Positive results from the study would set the PST Genetic Test as a key determinant of periodontal disease risk. This study has the potential to create new insurance benefit programs for insurers and lead to reimbursement for the test.

2011 Financial Highlights

The Company reported revenues of $2.9 million and a loss from continuing operations of $5.2 million, or $(0.14) per basic and diluted common share, for the year ended December31, 2011, compared to revenues in 2010 of $2.0 million and a loss from continuing operations of $6.5 million, or $(0.18) per basic and diluted common share. The revenue increase is primarily attributable to sales of the Companys Inherent Health brand of genetic tests through the Amway Global sales channel.

Research and development expenses were $1.4 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $4.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2011, compared to $5.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2010. The decrease is primarily attributable to decreases in compensation, product development, promotion and consulting expenses, and is partially offset by increased sales commissions paid to Amway Global as part of our Merchant Network and Channel Partner Agreement.

Fourth Quarter Results

Revenue for the quarter ended December31, 2011 was $0.6 million, compared to $0.5 million for the same period in 2010. The increase is primarily attributable to genetic testing revenue as a result of sales through the Amway Global sales channel.

Research and development expenses were $0.4 million for the quarters ended December31, 2011 and 2010.

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Interleukin Genetics Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2011 Financial Results

NEW YORK, March 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE Amex:NBS) ("NeoStem" or "the Company"), a leader in the cell therapy industry, today announced that it intends to offer and sell shares of its common stock and warrants in an underwritten public offering. All of the shares and warrants in the offering will be sold by NeoStem. The offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering. The securities will be issued pursuant to a prospectus supplement filed as part of an effective registration statement on Form S-3 previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Maxim Group LLC is acting as book-runner of the offering.

A shelf registration statement relating to the securities was filed with the SEC, which became effective on June 13, 2011. A preliminary prospectus supplement related to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained, when available, from Maxim Group LLC, 405 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10174 or via telephone at (212) 895-3685.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. NeoStem intends to file a preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the offering with the SEC, which will be available along with the prospectus filed with the SEC in connection with the shelf registration, on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.

About NeoStem, Inc.

NeoStem, Inc. ("we," "NeoStem" or the "Company") continues to develop and build on its core capabilities in cell therapy to capitalize on the paradigm shift that we see occurring in medicine. In particular, we anticipate that cell therapy will have a large role in the fight against chronic disease and in lessening the economic burden that these diseases pose to modern society. Our January 2011 acquisition of Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC ("PCT") provides NeoStem with a foundation in both manufacturing and regulatory affairs expertise. We believe this expertise, coupled with our existing research capabilities and collaborations, will allow us to achieve our mission of becoming a premier cell therapy company. Our PCT subsidiary's manufacturing base is one of the few current Good Manufacturing Practices ("cGMP") facilities available for contracting in the burgeoning cell therapy industry. Amorcyte, LLC ("Amorcyte"), which we acquired in October 2011, is developing a cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Amorcyte's lead compound, AMR-001, represents NeoStem's most clinically advanced therapeutic and has commenced enrollment for a Phase 2 trial to investigate AMR-001's efficacy in preserving heart function after a heart attack. We also expect to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial by 2013 to investigate AMR-001's utility in arresting the progression of congestive heart failure and the associated comorbidities of that disease. Athelos Corporation ("Athelos"), which is approximately 80%-owned by our subsidiary, PCT, is engaged in collaboration with Becton-Dickinson that is exploring the earlier stage clinical development of a T-cell therapy for autoimmune conditions. In addition, our pre-clinical assets include our VSELTM Technology platform as well as our MSC (mesenchymal stem cells) product candidate for regenerative medicine.

For more information on NeoStem, please visit http://www.neostem.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements include statements herein with respect to the successful execution of the Company's business and medical strategy, including with respect to the development of AMR-001 and other cell therapies and its divestiture of its interest in Suzhou Erye Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. about which no assurance can be given. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward- looking statements as a result of various factors. Factors that could cause future results to materially differ from the recent results or those projected in forward-looking statements include the "Risk Factors" described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 19, 2012 and in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company's further development is highly dependent on future medical and research developments and market acceptance, which is outside its control.

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NeoStem Announces Proposed Public Offering of Common Stock and Warrants

27-03-2012 15:05 New IBM Big Data Supercomputer Center Rutgers University Team Technology News Blue Gene/P. Rutgers Teams With IBM to Build Powerful High-Performance Computing Center In New Jersey. Rutgers today formally launched a high-performance computing (HPC) HPC center at the university focused on the application of "Big Data" analytics in life sciences, finance, and other industries. The center is aimed at improving the economic competitiveness of New Jersey's public and private research organizations.

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IBM Blue Gene/P Supercomputer New Big Data Center Rutgers University Team - Video

28-03-2012 10:17 Dr Joshua Hare is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami. The interview was conducted on 25 March 2012 at the American College of Cardiology's (ACC's) 61st Annual Scientific Session & Expo in Chicago. See more ACC.12 Coverage: http://www.getinsidehealth.com

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Stem cell therapy for the repair of myocardium in heart failure patients - Video

The Myriad case has been closely watched by the biotechnology industry, with some insiders suggesting that a ruling against gene patenting could have a devastating effect on future innovation.

The Supreme Court ruled last week in a separate case involving medical diagnostics that companies cannot patent observations about a natural phenomenon. On Monday, it asked the lower court to revisit the Myriad case to view how it may or may not relate to that decision.

The move is expected to delay a verdict in the Myriad case by as much as several years. In the case of the individual company, that may give it enough time to benefit from the use of its contested patents. Shares in Myriad rose over 3 percent.

"Our intellectual property consultant could potentially see a scenario where the case doesn't move its way back to the Supreme Court for another 2 to 3 plus years, keeping the BRACAnalysis franchise safe from competition," said Junaid Husain, a research analyst for Dougherty & Co.

Women who test positive using Myriad's gene test, called BRACAnalysis, have an 82 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer and a 44 percent higher risk of ovarian cancer in their lifetimes. Such tests could help determine a future course of therapy.

The appeals court by a 2-1 vote had ruled the genes isolated by the company could be patented because Myriad is testing for distinctive chemical forms of the genes, and not as they appear naturally in the body. The dissenting judge said the genes could not be patented just because they were isolated from the body.

The patents granted to Myriad give the company the exclusive right to perform the genetic tests. The appeals court in its ruling in July also found that Myriad's method for screening potential therapies can be patented.

The appeals court had overturned a ruling by a federal judge in New York that the genes could not be patented.

HOW BIG A HURDLE?

Michael Yee, biotech analyst for RBC Capital Markets, said the Supreme Court not taking up the case on Monday was positive for the biotechnology industry.

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Supreme Court throws out human gene patents

Public release date: 28-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 x2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY -- A novel method for printing human cells onto surfaces in defined patterns can help advance research on tissue engineering and regeneration, as described in an article in Tissue Engineering, Part C, Methods, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc (http://www.liebertpub.com). The article is available free online at the Tissue Engineering website (http://www.liebertpub.com/ten).

"Cell printing is one of the breakthrough technologies that will make the application of stem cells for tissue engineering feasible," says John Jansen, DDS, PhD, Methods Co-Editor-in-Chief and Professor and Chairman, Department of Biomaterials, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, The Netherlands.

Yu Fang and colleagues, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, combined two microscale techniques to dispense and position cells in a variety of patterns. They then demonstrated the ability to use these 3-dimensional cell systems to monitor cell signaling events known to have a role in the growth, proliferation, and metastasis of cancer cells. The authors describe the use of sound waves to deliver microdroplets of cells and polymer-based phase separation to control cell placement in the article "Rapid Generation of Multiplexed Cell Co-Cultures Using Acoustic Droplet Ejection Followed by Aqueous Two-phase Exclusion Patterning." (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ten.TEC.2011.0709)

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About the Journal

Tissue Engineering (http://www.liebertpub.com/ten) is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly in print and online in three parts: Part A--the flagship journal; Part BReviews; and Part CMethods. Led by Co-Editors-In-Chief Antonios Mikos, PhD, Louis Calder Professor at Rice University, Houston, TX, and Peter C. Johnson, MD, Vice President, Research and Development, Avery Dennison Medical Solutions of Chicago, IL and President and CEO, Scintellix, LLC, Raleigh, NC, the Journal brings together scientific and medical experts in the fields of biomedical engineering, material science, molecular and cellular biology, and genetic engineering. Tissue Engineering is the official journal of the Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS). Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed online at the Tissue Engineering website (http://www.liebertpub.com/ten).

About the Company

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.(http://www.liebertpub.com), is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Stem Cells and Development, Human Gene Therapy and HGT Methods, and Biopreservation and Biobanking. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available at Mary Ann Liebert Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com).

The rest is here:
Innovative cell printing technologies hold promise for tissue engineering R&D

Public release date: 28-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY -- Online romance scams, a new form of cybercrime, is under-reported and increasing, and has victimized an estimated 230,000 people in England, costing them nearly $60 billion a year, according to an article in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available free online at the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website at http://www.liebertpub.com/cyber.

"This crime is very serious and unfortunately often overlooked. The costs to the victim are both hidden (emotional) and more visible (monetary)," says Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA, Editor-in-Chief of Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, from the Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, CA.

Online dating scammers pretend to initiate a romantic relationship through online dating services and then defraud their victims of large sums of money over a period of months or longer. Monica Whitty, University of Leicester, UK, and Tom Buchanan, University of Westminster, London, UK, document the rapid growth in these serious crimes and how cybercriminals pursue and steal from their victims. They describe the devastating financial and emotional losses the victims suffer.

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About the Journal

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly in print and online that explores the psychological and social issues surrounding the Internet and interactive technologies. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed online at the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website at http://www.liebertpub.com/cyber.

About the Company

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

Continued here:
Online dating scammers looking for money, not love

By measuring the rate of protein production in bacteria, the team discovered that slight genetic alterations could have a dramatic effect. This was true even for seemingly insignificant genetic changes known as "silent mutations," which swap out a single DNA letter without changing the ultimate gene product. To their surprise, the scientists found these changes can slow the protein production process to one-tenth of its normal speed or less.

As described today in the journal Nature, the speed change is caused by information contained in what are known as redundant codons small pieces of DNA that form part of the genetic code. They were called "redundant" because they were previously thought to contain duplicative rather than unique instructions.

This new discovery challenges half a century of fundamental assumptions in biology. It may also help speed up the industrial production of proteins, which is crucial for making biofuels and biological drugs used to treat many common diseases, ranging from diabetes to cancer.

"The genetic code has been thought to be redundant, but redundant codons are clearly not identical," said Jonathan Weissman, PhD, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator in the UCSF School of Medicine Department of Cellular andMolecular Pharmacology.

"We didn't understand much about the rules," he added, but the new work suggests nature selects among redundant codons based on genetic speed as well as genetic meaning.

Similarly, a person texting a message to a friend might opt to type, "NP" instead of "No problem." They both mean the same thing, but one is faster to thumb than the other.

How Ribosome Profiling Works

The work addresses an observation scientists have long made that the process protein synthesis, so essential to all living organisms on Earth, is not smooth and uniform, but rather proceeds in fits and starts. Some unknown mechanism seemed to control the speed with which proteins are made, but nobody knew what it was.

To find out, Weissman and UCSF postdoctoral researcher Gene-Wei Li, PhD, drew upon a broader past effort by Weissman and his colleagues to develop a novel laboratory technique called "ribosome profiling," which allows scientists to examine universally which genes are active in a cell and how fast they are being translated into proteins.

Ribosome profiling takes account of gene activity by pilfering from a cell all the molecular machines known as ribosomes. Typical bacterial cells are filled with hundreds of thousands of these ribosomes, and human cells have even more. They play a key role in life by translating genetic messages into proteins. Isolating them and pulling out all their genetic material allows scientists to see what proteins a cell is making and where they are in the process.

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Researchers discover new layer of genetic information that helps determine how fast proteins are produced

Public release date: 28-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Raymond MacDougall macdougallr@mail.nih.gov 301-402-0911 NIH/National Human Genome Research Institute

Farmers in the highlands of southern Ethiopia scratch out a subsistence living from the region's volcanic red clay. The soil supports the farms, but fine-grained, volcanic rock particles in the dirt threaten the farmers and their families. Continual exposure of bare feet to the volcanic soil causes 1 in 20 people to develop a painful inflammation of the lower extremities that, over time, leads to foot disfigurement. Doctors call it podoconiosis. The locals call it mossy foot. And those affected suffer social stigma as well as debilitating discomfort.

Now, researchers think they know why some 4 million people in at least 10 countries worldwide develop this incapacitating condition. One-fifth carry genetic variants that cause their immune system to react to the volcanic dust. This disease-producing response, triggered by exposure from the lack of shoes, provides a dramatic example of the interaction between genes and the environment.

Writing in the March 29, 2012 New England Journal of Medicine, an international team that includes researchers from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, describes the genetic link that turns dirt into a toxin.

"This study draws attention to a neglected tropical disease with a devastating impact on poor people and their communities," said NHGRI Scientific Director Dan Kastner, M.D., Ph.D. "It demonstrates the global reach of genomics research into the lives of people in parts of the world where endemic diseases very often go unchecked."

Doctors have known for a long time that podoconiosis runs in families and that continual exposure to volcanic soil triggers it. Wearing shoes and socks, or even washing off the dirt, prevents the condition. But doctors have been perplexed that only some people develop the disease, while others with the same environmental exposure are spared.

To sort this out, the international collaborators conducted a genome-wide association studyor GWASanalyzing DNA from 194 volunteers from the Ethiopian highlands affected by podoconiosis, along with DNA from another 203 unaffected individuals from the same region. The researchers collaborated with field workers from the non-profit Mossy Foot Treatment and Prevention Association in southern Ethiopia to collect the data and samples.

The researchers generated a dataset from study-participant DNA, screening more than 550,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are sites in an individual's DNA that contain a different chemical base when compared to a standard reference human genome sequence. They found significant podoconiosis association for eight SNPs within or nearby a stretch of DNA on chromosome 6, called the HLA class II locus.

The researchers performed a second validation step, called a family-based association study, using DNA samples from 202 sets of child-parent trios from affected families. The researchers detected six SNPs that showed significant associationthose that mapped to HLA class II region genes and most strongly associated with podoconiosis in the GWAS, validating the GWAS results.

Read more:
Researchers identify genetic basis of tropical foot and leg lymphedema

Newswise A hidden and never before recognized layer of information in the genetic code has been uncovered by a team of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) thanks to a technique developed at UCSF called ribosome profiling, which enables the measurement of gene activity inside living cells including the speed with which proteins are made.

By measuring the rate of protein production in bacteria, the team discovered that slight genetic alterations could have a dramatic effect. This was true even for seemingly insignificant genetic changes known as silent mutations, which swap out a single DNA letter without changing the ultimate gene product. To their surprise, the scientists found these changes can slow the protein production process to one-tenth of its normal speed or less.

As described today in the journal Nature, the speed change is caused by information contained in what are known as redundant codons small pieces of DNA that form part of the genetic code. They were called redundant because they were previously thought to contain duplicative rather than unique instructions.

This new discovery challenges half a century of fundamental assumptions in biology. It may also help speed up the industrial production of proteins, which is crucial for making biofuels and biological drugs used to treat many common diseases, ranging from diabetes to cancer.

The genetic code has been thought to be redundant, but redundant codons are clearly not identical, said Jonathan Weissman, PhD, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator in the UCSF School of Medicine Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology.

We didn't understand much about the rules, he added, but the new work suggests nature selects among redundant codons based on genetic speed as well as genetic meaning.

Similarly, a person texting a message to a friend might opt to type, NP instead of No problem. They both mean the same thing, but one is faster to thumb than the other. How Ribosome Profiling Works

The work addresses an observation scientists have long made that the process protein synthesis, so essential to all living organisms on Earth, is not smooth and uniform, but rather proceeds in fits and starts. Some unknown mechanism seemed to control the speed with which proteins are made, but nobody knew what it was. Ribosome structure

The structure of a ribosome

To find out, Weissman and UCSF postdoctoral researcher Gene-Wei Li, PhD, drew upon a broader past effort by Weissman and his colleagues to develop a novel laboratory technique called ribosome profiling, which allows scientists to examine universally which genes are active in a cell and how fast they are being translated into proteins.

Original post:
New Layer of Genetic Information Discovered

ScienceDaily (Mar. 28, 2012) A hidden and never before recognized layer of information in the genetic code has been uncovered by a team of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) thanks to a technique developed at UCSF called ribosome profiling, which enables the measurement of gene activity inside living cells -- including the speed with which proteins are made.

By measuring the rate of protein production in bacteria, the team discovered that slight genetic alterations could have a dramatic effect. This was true even for seemingly insignificant genetic changes known as "silent mutations," which swap out a single DNA letter without changing the ultimate gene product. To their surprise, the scientists found these changes can slow the protein production process to one-tenth of its normal speed or less.

As described March 28 in the journal Nature, the speed change is caused by information contained in what are known as redundant codons -- small pieces of DNA that form part of the genetic code. They were called "redundant" because they were previously thought to contain duplicative rather than unique instructions.

This new discovery challenges half a century of fundamental assumptions in biology. It may also help speed up the industrial production of proteins, which is crucial for making biofuels and biological drugs used to treat many common diseases, ranging from diabetes to cancer.

"The genetic code has been thought to be redundant, but redundant codons are clearly not identical," said Jonathan Weissman, PhD, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator in the UCSF School of Medicine Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology.

"We didn't understand much about the rules," he added, but the new work suggests nature selects among redundant codons based on genetic speed as well as genetic meaning.

Similarly, a person texting a message to a friend might opt to type, "NP" instead of "No problem." They both mean the same thing, but one is faster to thumb than the other.

How Ribosome Profiling Works

The work addresses an observation scientists have long made that the process protein synthesis, so essential to all living organisms on Earth, is not smooth and uniform, but rather proceeds in fits and starts. Some unknown mechanism seemed to control the speed with which proteins are made, but nobody knew what it was.

To find out, Weissman and UCSF postdoctoral researcher Gene-Wei Li, PhD, drew upon a broader past effort by Weissman and his colleagues to develop a novel laboratory technique called "ribosome profiling," which allows scientists to examine universally which genes are active in a cell and how fast they are being translated into proteins.

See original here:
New layer of genetic information helps determine how fast proteins are produced

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Innovaro, Inc (NYSE Amex: INV), The Innovation Solutions Company, is pleased to announce that its client Inven2, the technology transfer office at Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) for 12 highly promising colorectal cancer tissue biomarkers through Innovaros Pharmalicensing Partnering Search & Profiling division.

The exclusive license allows OGT to commercialize any resulting test developed using these biomarkers and to sublicense the markers to other parties. The DNA methylation biomarkers were developed in the laboratory of Professor Ragnhild A. Lothe, in the department of Cancer Prevention, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, part of the Oslo University Hospital.

OGT has validated the results obtained in Professor Lothes laboratory showing sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 90% when using tissue biopsies. Further work investigating the efficacy of these biomarkers in blood and fecal samples is ongoing.

We fully support the collaboration with Oxford Gene Technology to develop a new method of detecting colorectal cancer using these biomarkers. This agreement demonstrates the importance of industry and academic collaboration in turning scientific excellence into products that address medical needs, commented Benedicte Bakke, Business Development Manager at Inven2. The Innovaro Pharmalicensing Profiling service was able to bring this high quality potential partner to our attention that we may not otherwise have met.

This licensing agreement gives OGT exclusive access to genetic markers which are associated with colorectal cancer, stated Mike Evans, CEO of OGT. We believe that developing tests that include these genetic markers will permit the earlier identification of patients at risk of this disease and allow for more timely diagnosis and clinical interventions. He added, The higher specificity of this new panel of markers could prove a more robust screening tool than the tests currently used, while eventually lowering overall costs, which would be of significant benefit for both patients and the clinicians using them.

We are delighted that Inven2 was able to identify Oxford Gene Technology as an appropriate candidate partner, using Innovaro Pharmalicensings Profiling service, clearly leading to this important licensing agreement, confirmed Mark McBride, Senior VP Fulfilment Services, Innovaro, Inc. This agreement also demonstrates the effectiveness of Innovaros Pharmalicensing Profiling service for the life sciences alongside our already well recognized proficiency in Partnering Search services.

About Inven2

Inven2 is the Technology Transfer Office for the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Norway's largest and leading university and hospital representing pioneering research. Inven2 is the largest contributor in Norway within the field of commercialization of research across Life Sciences. For more information on Inven2, please visit its website at http://www.inven2.com.

About Oxford Gene Technology

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Innovaro Announces Completion of Licensing Agreement between Inven2 and Oxford Gene Technology

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (Euronext: AMT - News), a leader in the field of human gene therapy, announced today data demonstrating that one-time administration of the gene therapy Glybera (alipogene tiparvovec) is able to markedly improve chylomicron (fat particles in the blood) metabolism following consumption of a low fat meal. This results in a much reduced level of newly-formed chylomicrons in the bloodstream, which are considered to be the cause of the acute and recurring bouts of pancreatitis seen in lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD) subjects. LPLD is a very rare inherited condition that is associated with increased levels of chylomicrons. These particles carry certain types of fat in the blood, which because they are not removed from the body can cause recurrent pancreatitis. Data were published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM, Mar 2012).

"These data show that Glybera has a profound impact on chylomicron metabolism 14 weeks after a single administration. Although the patient cohort is small, due to the rare nature of LPLD, these results are very encouraging," explained Dr. Andr Carpentier, Division of Endocrinology at the Universit de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Candada. "LPLD patients often suffer from extremely painful bouts of pancreatitis, which is believed to be caused by the accumulation of chylomicron particles in the blood."

"This publication provides additional, independent support on the ability of Glybera to restore chylomicron metabolism in LPLD patients. We believe by restoring the body's ability to metabolize these particles in LPLD patients, Glybera treatment results in fewer pancreatitis attacks," stated Carlos Camozzi, Chief Medical Officer at AMT. "LPLD patients are under constant risk of these attacks and the associated excruciating pain."

Study Details

In an open label clinical trial (CT-AMT-011-02), 5 LPLD subjects in Quebec, Canada, were administered alipogene tiparvovec at a dose of 1 x 1012 genome copies per kg. Two weeks before and 14 weeks after administration, chylomicron metabolism, and plasma palmitate (fatty acid) and glycerol appearance rates were determined following ingestion of a low fat meal. Following administration of alipogene tiparvovec, the triglyceride (TG) content of the chylomicron fraction and the chylomicron-triglyceride (TG)/total plasma TG ratio were reduced throughout the postprandial period. The postprandial peak chylomicron level and chylomicron AUC were greatly reduced (by 79% and 93%, 6- and 24 hours after the test meal, respectively). There were no significant changes in plasma fatty acid and glycerol appearance rates. Plasma glucose, insulin and C-peptide also did not change. The data was obtained from AMT's study in patients treated with Glybera in 2009.

About Glybera

AMT has developed Glybera as a treatment for patients with the genetic disorder lipoprotein lipase deficiency.

LPLD is an orphan disease for which no treatment exists today. The disease is caused by mutations in the LPL gene, resulting in highly decreased or absent activity of LPL protein in patients. This protein is needed in order to break down large fat-carrying particles that circulate in the blood after each meal. When such particles, called chylomicrons, accumulate in the blood, they may obstruct small blood vessels. Excess chylomicrons result in recurrent and severe acute inflammation of the pancreas, called pancreatitis, the most debilitating and life threatening clinical complication of LPLD. Glybera has orphan drug status in the EU and US.

About Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics

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Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics Publishes Positive Data from Glybera® 14 Week Study

ScienceDaily (Mar. 27, 2012) A team of researchers led by scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College has designed what appears to be a powerful gene therapy strategy that can treat both beta-thalassemia disease and sickle cell anemia. They have also developed a test to predict patient response before treatment.

This study's findings, published in PLoS ONE, represents a new approach to treating these related, and serious, red blood cells disorders, say the investigators.

"This gene therapy technique has the potential to cure many patients, especially if we prescreen them to predict their response using just a few of their cells in a test tube," says the study's lead investigator, Dr. Stefano Rivella, Ph.D., an associate professor of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. He led a team of 17 researchers in three countries.

Dr. Rivella says this is the first time investigators have been able to correlate the outcome of transferring a healthy beta-globin gene into diseased cells with increased production of normal hemoglobin -- which has long been a barrier to effective treatment of these disease.

So far, only one patient in France has been treated with gene therapy for beta thalassemia, and Dr. Rivella and his colleagues believe the new treatment they developed will be a significant improvement. No known patient has received gene therapy yet to treat sickle cell anemia.

A Fresh Approach to Gene Therapy

Beta-thalassemia is an inherited disease caused by defects in the beta-globin gene. This gene produces an essential part of the hemoglobin protein, which, in the form of red blood cells, carries life-sustaining oxygen throughout the body.

The new gene transfer technique developed by Dr. Rivella and his colleagues ensures that the beta-globin gene that is delivered will be active, and that it will also provide more curative beta-globin protein. "Since the defect in thalassemia is lack of production of beta-globin protein in red blood cells, this is very important," Dr. Rivella says.

The researchers achieved this advance by hooking an "ankyrin insulator" to the beta-globin gene that is carried by a lentivirus vector. During the gene transfer, this vector would be inserted into bone marrow stem cells taken from patients, and then delivered back via a bone marrow transplant. The stem cells would then produce healthy beta-globin protein and hemoglobin.

This ankyrin insulator achieves two goals. First, it protects delivery of the normal beta-globin gene. "In many gene therapy applications, a curative gene is introduced into the cells of patients in an indiscriminate fashion," Dr. Rivella explains. "The gene lands randomly in the genome of the patient, but where it lands is very important because not all regions of the genome are the same." For example, some therapeutic genes may land in an area of the genome that is normally silenced -- meaning the genes in this area are not expressed. "The role of ankyrin insulator is to create an active area in the genome where the new gene can work efficiently no matter where it lands," Dr. Rivella says. He adds that the small insulator used in his vector should eliminate the kind of side effects seen in the French patient treated with beta-thalassemia gene therapy.

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New gene therapy approach developed for red blood cell disorders

25-03-2012 17:39 Dr Timothy Henry is Director of research at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation and an Interventional cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute/ Abbott Northwestern Hospital. The interview was conducted on 24 March 2012 at the American College of Cardiology's (ACC's) 61st Annual Scientific Session & Expo in Chicago. See more ACC.12 Coverage: http://www.getinsidehealth.com

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Cell therapy to improve quality of life - Video

March 27, 2012

According to a new study, using a patients own bone marrow may help repair damaged areas of the heart caused by heart failure.

Researchers found that left ventricular ejection fraction increased by 2.7 percent in patients who received stem cell therapy.

The study, which was presented at the American College of Cardiologys 61st Annual Scientific Session, revealed that the improvement in ejection fraction correlated with the number of CD34+ and CD133+ cells in the bone marrow.

This is the kind of information we need in order to move forward with the clinical use of stem cell therapy, Emerson Perin, MD, PhD, director of clinical research for cardiovascular medicine at the Texas Heart Institute and the studys lead investigator, said at the event.

The study included 92 patients who were randomly selected to receive stem cell treatment or placebo. The patients all had chronic ischemic heart disease and an ejection fraction of less than 45 percent along with heart failure.

Doctors placed a catheter in the hearts left ventricle to inject 3 ccs, or 100 million stem cells, into an average of 15 sites of the stem cell patients hearts.

The doctors used electromechanical mapping of the heart to measure the voltage in areas of the heart muscle and create a real-time image of the heart.

With this mapping procedure, we have a roadmap to the heart muscle, said Dr. Perin. Were very careful about where we inject the cells; electromechanical mapping allows us to target the cell injections to viable areas of the heart.

The trial was designed to determine whether left ventricular end systolic volume and myocardial oxygen consumption improved in patients who received stem cell treatment.

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Cell Therapy Improves Damaged Heart In Study

Dublin - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/01d4e5c9/from_genes_to_geno) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "From Genes to Genomes: Concepts and Applications of DNA Technology, 3rd Edition" to their offering.

Rapid advances in a collection of techniques referred to as gene technology, genetic engineering, recombinant DNA technology and gene cloning have pushed molecular biology to the forefront of the biological sciences. From Genes to Genomes: Concepts and Applications of DNA Technology explains key ideas underlying the most central techniques in the context of the ways in which they are used. The book opens with a brief review of the basic concepts of molecular biology, before moving on to describe the key molecular methods and how they fit together. This ranges from the cloning and study of individual genes to the sequencing of whole genomes, and the analysis of genome-wide information. Finally, the book moves on to consider some of the applications of these techniques, in biotechnology, medicine and agriculture, as well as in research that is causing the current explosion of knowledge across the biological sciences.

Features:

- Major revision of a concise, well-written introduction to genome sequencing technologies.

- Excellent balance between clarity of coverage and level of detail.

- Includes clear, two-colour diagrams throughout.

- Dedicated website will include all figures.

The latest edition of this highly successful textbook introduces the key techniques and concepts involved in cloning genes and in studying their expression and variation.

Key Topics Covered:

1 From Genes to Genomes

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Research and Markets: From Genes to Genomes: Concepts and Applications of DNA Technology, 3rd Edition

Newswise MAYWOOD, Ill. -- Researchers have identified genetic causes in nearly 1 in 5 patients who suffer a type of heart failure called dilated cardiomyopathy. Carolyn Jones, MD, PhD, of Loyola University Medical Center, is co-author of the study, published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. First author is Neal Lakdawala, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Researchers did genetic testing on 264 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and found that 17.4 percent had gene mutations associated with the disease. Pediatric patients were more likely to have the mutations than older patients.

The findings will help in the development of new treatments, Jones said. "By understanding the genes involved in dilated cardiomyopathy, we possibly will be able to circumvent the defect."

Also, if a genetic test shows a patient has an inherited form of the disease, it would indicate that other family members also should be tested, Jones said.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened, enlarged and unable to pump efficiently. It is the leading reason for heart transplants. In addition to genetic causes, there are environmental causes, including alcohol abuse, atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and autoimmune diseases such as lupus.

Earlier studies involved genetic testing on carefully selected research subjects. The new study, by contrast, involved genetic testing in real-life clinical practices. Jones was among the physicians in the study who saw patients, obtained their family histories and arranged for their genetic testing, which was done at the Laboratory for Molecular Medicine at the Partners HealthCare Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine in Cambridge, Mass.

The study included an ethnically diverse sample of patients ranging in age from newborn to 71 years. The average age was 26. Children with dilated cardiomyopathy frequently tested positive for mutations, even if they did not have a family history. Conversely, no patient over age 40 had mutations, unless they also had a family history.

Jones is director of Clinical and Cytogenetics and an associate professor in the departments of Pediatrics and Pathology of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

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Genetic Causes Found in 17 Percent of Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy Heart Failure

Public release date: 27-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Ritter jritter@lumc.edu 708-216-2445 Loyola University Health System

MAYWOOD, Ill. -- Researchers have identified genetic causes in nearly 1 in 5 patients who suffer a type of heart failure called dilated cardiomyopathy.

Carolyn Jones, MD, PhD, of Loyola University Medical Center, is co-author of the study, published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. First author is Neal Lakdawala, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Researchers did genetic testing on 264 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and found that 17.4 percent had gene mutations associated with the disease. Pediatric patients were more likely to have the mutations than older patients.

The findings will help in the development of new treatments, Jones said. "By understanding the genes involved in dilated cardiomyopathy, we possibly will be able to circumvent the defect."

Also, if a genetic test shows a patient has an inherited form of the disease, it would indicate that other family members also should be tested, Jones said.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened, enlarged and unable to pump efficiently. It is the leading reason for heart transplants. In addition to genetic causes, there are environmental causes, including alcohol abuse, atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and autoimmune diseases such as lupus.

Earlier studies involved genetic testing on carefully selected research subjects. The new study, by contrast, involved genetic testing in real-life clinical practices. Jones was among the physicians in the study who saw patients, obtained their family histories and arranged for their genetic testing, which was done at the Laboratory for Molecular Medicine at the Partners HealthCare Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine in Cambridge, Mass.

The study included an ethnically diverse sample of patients ranging in age from newborn to 71 years. The average age was 26. Children with dilated cardiomyopathy frequently tested positive for mutations, even if they did not have a family history. Conversely, no patient over age 40 had mutations, unless they also had a family history.

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Genetic causes found in nearly 1 in 5 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy heart failure

NEW YORK (AP) -- Analysts said that this week's Supreme Court decision to order a new review of patents held by Myriad Genetics Inc. is not bad news for Myriad, and its shares should trade higher.

THE OPINION: On Monday the Supreme Court ordered a federal appeals court to conduct a new review of a case that challenges two patents held by Myriad. The company has patents on genetic mutations that are linked to increased risk of breast cancer, and its BRACAnalysis test looks for those mutations. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit was ordered look at the case again in light of a ruling the Supreme Court made on Wednesday.

In that case, the court threw out patent claims that were used in a blood test. It said the patents were not valid because they were based on the laws of nature, and those laws cannot be patented.

However analysts say that the two cases are different and the appeals court will probably not change its decision in the Myriad case.

"The Supreme Court's rationale in the Mayo v Prometheus decision does not seem to suggest a conflicting precedent to the relevance of Myriad Genetics' composition claims," said Jefferies & Co. analyst Jon Wood. Wood said the appeals court could make a new decision late in 2012 or early in 2013. After that, Myriad or its opponents can then appeal to the Supreme Court again. If the court hears the case, a final ruling may come in spring 2014.

Myriad, based in Salt Lake City, has many other patents supporting BRACAnalysis, and Wood said those patents should keep similar products off the market until at least 2018. He said the shares should trade higher and maintained a price target of $28 per share.

William Blair & Co. analyst Amanda Murphy said the new review reduces the risk that patents will be ruled invalid.

"We see no reason to believe the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit would reach a different decision on the product claims than it did in 2011," she said.

Both analysts rate the stock at the equivalent of "Buy."

THE STOCK: Myriad shares dipped 10 cents to $23.24 in afternoon trading. The shares rose 2.5 percent on Monday, but before that, they had fallen 11.2 percent since March 20.

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Analysts see court positives for Myriad Genetics

Ambry Genetics, a global leader in genetic services with a focus on clinical diagnostics and genomics, announces the First-Step Exome test. The First-Step Exome reports on all Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD)-defined genes.

The role of genes in human disease has only been defined in approximately 20% (~4,400 of ~20,000 genes) of the human genome. The First-Step Exome analyzes the DNA sequence of the exons (coding regions) and flanking intronic regions of these ~4,400 genes. Ambry Genetics believes that the targeted exome sequencing provided by the First-Step Exome is appropriate for a variety of whole exome sequencing indications and will yield the answers clinicians are seeking in many clinical scenarios without the added expense and complexity of whole exome analysis.

With the launch of the First-Step Exome, Ambry Genetics now offers unparalleled flexibility in exome testing, said Charles Dunlop, Chief Executive Officer of Ambry Genetics. The First-Step Exome reports on all HGMD-defined genes at a lower price point than other similar tests offered by competitors. Moreover, after clinicians receive results, we offer them the flexibility to easily reflex to our whole-exome Clinical Diagnostic Exome test.

Four individuals with rare genetic conditions for which the cause could not previously be identified were recently successfully diagnosed using Ambry Genetics proprietary new Clinical Diagnostic Exome, three at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore and one at a large, Ivy League-affiliated university hospital in New York City.

Building on our successful launch of the Clinical Diagnostic Exome, the First-Step Exome provides a realistic option for clinicians who want to utilize whole exome sequencing in the diagnosis of their patients, but are not prepared to explore the uncharted territory of novel genes or incidental findings, said Elizabeth Chao, M.D., Director of Translational Medicine at Ambry Genetics. We believe that the First-Step Exome will become a popular option for clinicians considering exome testing for a variety of indications. For example, this test may be the prudent exome sequencing option for disease phenotypes that have many previously defined genes in the diagnostic differential, but for which traditional genetic testing options for clinical testing are unavailable or cost-prohibitive.

About Ambry Genetics

Ambry Genetics is a College of American Pathologists (CAP)-accredited and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified commercial clinical laboratory with headquarters in Aliso Viejo, Orange County, Calif. Since its founding in 1999, it has become a leader in providing genetic services focused on clinical diagnostics and genomic services, particularly in sequencing and array services. Ambry has established a reputation for unparalleled service and has been at the forefront of applying new 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 Introduces "First-Step Exome™" Sequencing Test

SALT LAKE CITY, March 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:MYGN - News) reported today that the Supreme Court of the United States remanded the case of The Association for Molecular Pathology, et al., v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., et al (Docket No. 11-725) to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. As a result of this decision by the Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will reconsider their decision dated July 29, 2011, which upheld Myriad's gene patents. In that decision, the Federal Circuit declared that the composition of matter claims covering isolated DNA of the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes are patent-eligible under Section 101 of the United States Patent Act.

"While, this case should not have any direct impact to Myriad and its operations because of our extensive patent estate, it has great importance to the medical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other commercial industries, as well as the hundreds of millions of people whose lives are bettered by the products these industries develop based on the promise of strong patent protection," said Peter Meldrum, President and CEO of Myriad Genetics. "Thus, we are prepared to vigorously defend the patent claims granted to Myriad by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and believe that we will be successful."

Importantly, Myriad's intellectual property for the BRACAnalysis(R) test is strong with 23 issued patents and approximately 500 claims, including approximately 245 composition of matter claims and 240 method claims. Only 15 claims are at issue in this case; the rest of the claims remain in full force and effect providing Myriad with extensive patent protection.

Myriad is committed to researching and commercializing innovative molecular diagnostics tests, such as the BRACAnalysis test, to assess a person's risk of developing disease, guide treatment decisions and help improve patients' quality of life. As such, the Company plans to continue its strong commitment to promoting women's health in the areas of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, advancing and fostering research on the BRCA genes, and providing excellent patient access to its test, including offering financial assistance programs to qualifying individuals.

It is important to correct some common misconceptions on the societal impact of "gene" patents; namely that such patents impede research, result in high-cost testing and takeaway a patient's option for confirmatory testing. Myriad believes that statements made to these points in the public press are incorrect. To set the record straight,

Brian M. Poissant, Gregory A. Castanias, Laura A. Coruzzi, Eileen Falvey and Sasha Mayergoyz and other members of the law firm of Jones Day represented Myriad in this matter.

About Myriad Genetics

Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:MYGN - News) is a leading molecular diagnostic company dedicated to developing and marketing transformative tests to assess a person's risk of developing disease, guide treatment decisions and assess a patient's risk of disease progression and disease recurrence. Myriad's portfolio of nine molecular diagnostic tests are based on an understanding of the role genes play in human disease and were developed with a focus on improving an individual's decision making process for monitoring and treating disease. With fiscal year 2011 annual revenue of over $400 million and more than 1,100 employees, Myriad is working on strategic directives, including new product introductions, companion diagnostics, and international expansion, to take advantage of significant growth opportunities. For more information on how Myriad is making a difference, please visit the Company's website: http://www.myriad.com.

Myriad, the Myriad logo, BRACAnalysis, Colaris, Colaris AP, Melaris, TheraGuide, Prezeon, OnDose, Panexia and Prolaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Myriad Genetics, Inc. in the United States and foreign countries. MYGN-G

Safe Harbor Statement

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Supreme Court of the United States Remands Gene Patenting Case

Columbia, SC (WLTX) --What if your pet couldn't walk anymore? One Midlands vet is using stem cell therapy to help.

For Beth Phibbs it's almost like a turning back of the hands of time.

"I call her my little miracle dog, because she's doing things she used to do," said Phibbs. "Now she's not on any medication, and she can go up and down the steps and she runs and jumps and things that she used to do when she was five."

Phibbs has spent the last 13 years loving and looking after her pet dog Maggie, and when she pet began to develop arthritis and a limp she had to take action. But when the first treatments stopped working, Phibbs and Maggie had to look to another options, dog stem cell therapy.

"I had no idea that animals were able to have they type of procedures," she said.

Dr. Kenneth Banks a veterinarian with the Bank Animal Hospital, performed the surgery for Maggie using her own stem cells in the one day procedure.

Banks said the stem cell therapy not only cost less than some other options, but was less invasive and had a quicker recovery time as well.

Still with about three similar procedures under his belt, even he didn't expect to see a such change in maggie just 40 days after the surgery.

"I wasn't sure we were gonna get the results this fast, we were expecting results, maybe not a good as she's done. We're real happy with her results," said Banks.

Now, after three years on medication and walking with a limp, Maggie's getting used to a new way of life -- one with out pain in her golden years.

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Midlands Vet Uses Stem Cell Therapy for Pets in Pain

Public release date: 24-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Beth Casteel bcasteel@acc.org 240-328-4549 American College of Cardiology

CHICAGO -- A new study found that using a patient's own bone marrow cells may help repair damaged areas of the heart caused by heart failure, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.

Millions of Americans suffer from heart failure, the weakening of the heart muscle and its inability to pump blood effectively throughout the body. If medications, surgery, or stents fail to control the disease, doctors often have few treatment options to offer.

This is the largest study to date to look at stem cell therapy, using a patient's own stem cells, to repair damaged areas of the heart in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease and left ventricular dysfunction. Researchers found that left ventricular ejection fraction (the percentage of blood leaving the heart's main pumping chamber) increased by a small but significant amount (2.7 percent) in patients who received stem cell therapy. The study also revealed that the improvement in ejection fraction correlated with the number of CD34+ and CD133+ cells in the bone marrow information that will be helpful in evaluating and designing future therapies and trials.

"This is the kind of information we need in order to move forward with the clinical use of stem cell therapy," said Emerson Perin, MD, PhD, director of clinical research for cardiovascular medicine at the Texas Heart Institute and the study's lead investigator.

This multi-center study was conducted by the Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network and took place between April 2009 and 2011. At five sites, 92 patients were randomly selected to receive stem cell treatment or placebo. The patients, average age 63, all had chronic ischemic heart disease and an ejection fraction of less than 45 percent along with heart failure and/or angina, and were no longer candidates for revascularization.

"Studies such as these are able to be completed much faster because of the team approach of the network," said Sonia Skarlatos, PhD, deputy director of the division of cardiovascular sciences at the National, Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and program director of the network.

Bone marrow was aspirated from the patients and processed to obtain just the mononuclear fraction of the marrow. In patients randomly selected to receive stem cell therapy, doctors inserted a catheter into the heart's left ventricle to inject a total of 3 ccs comprising 100 million stem cells into an average of 15 sites that showed damage on the electromechanical mapping image of the heart. Dr. Perin said the procedure is relatively quick and painless, involving only an overnight stay at the hospital.

The study used electromechanical mapping of the heart to measure the voltage in areas of the heart muscle and create a real-time image of the heart.

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Stem cell therapy possibly helpful in heart failure patients