Hereford Genetics; The next decade...where are you going? Dr Rob Banks
Director of the UNE Animal Genetics Breeding Unit Dr Rob Banks speaks on Hereford Genetics; The next decade...where are you going at the Herefords Australi...

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Hereford Genetics; The next decade...where are you going? Dr Rob Banks - Video

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

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

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

Contact: Tracey DePellegrin Connelly tracey.depellegrin@thegsajournals.org 412-760-5391 Genetics Society of America

BETHESDA, MD -- The first study to sequence and analyze the entire genome of a HeLa cell line, along with access to its sequence data, has been published today (Wednesday, August 7) in its final version, by G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, an open-access, scientific journal of the Genetics Society of America.

The article, "The Genomic and Transcriptomic Landscape of a HeLa Cell Line," by Landry et al., was authored by scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and was published in an early online version March 11, 2013.

Genomic data from the HeLa cell line are also being released with the final version of the paper as a result of discussions between leaders of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and relatives of Henrietta Lacks, from whose cervical tumor the original HeLa cell line was derived prior to her death in 1951. The genomic data will now be available to scientists via the NCBI's Database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP).

In direct response to the concerns of the Lacks family that the privacy of their genetic information might be affected by the availability of the HeLa genome sequence data published in G3, the EMBL scientists voluntarily removed the HeLa cell line sequence data from public access, and offered to work with the family towards a mutually acceptable solution. NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., and NIH Deputy Director for Science, Outreach, and Policy Kathy L. Hudson, Ph.D., met several times with representatives of the Lacks family, and came to a mutual understanding to allow biomedical researchers controlled access to the data. Dr. Collins and Dr. Hudson describe their discussions with the Lacks family in a Comment published in this week's edition of the journal Nature.

Since their isolation in 1951, HeLa cells have been the most widely used human cell line in research. They have become a valuable resource for biologists, enabling momentous scientific breakthroughs including the development of the polio vaccine the Nobel Prize winning studies defining the role of telomerase in aging, and research on the causative role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in some types of cervical cancer. The latter discovery spurred the development of an HPV vaccine to prevent certain types of cervical cancer from occurring. In fact, Ms. Lacks' death was caused by cervical cancer.

The advent of genomics and rapid sequencing techniques has seen HeLa cells used in numerous large-scale studies of gene function and expression. Yet, "these studies using HeLa cells had to rely on information from the 'reference' sequence produced by the Human Genome Project, even though there was evidence that the genomes of HeLa cell lines were probably quite different," said Lars Steinmetz, Ph.D., who led the G3 study.

Dr. Steinmetz and his team found the genome of the HeLa cell line that they sequenced differs dramatically from a normal human genome sequence. These differences include widespread sequence variation, extra copies of genes, and massive, complex rearrangements.

Because the dataset now will be available to the scientific community, researchers will be able to account for these differences when designing and interpreting experiments using this HeLa cell line. The genomic particularities of HeLa cells relate to their origin from an aggressive cancer and subsequent cultivation in laboratories for decades, both of which cause considerable genomic alterations.

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Access to HeLa cell genome data restored following agreement

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Why Is Myriad Genetics Still Filing Patent Suits for Breast-Cancer Tests?

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SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwired - Aug 8, 2013) - Atossa Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATOS), the Breast Health Company, announced today that BUYINS.NET, http://www.buyins.net, a leading provider of Regulation SHO compliance monitoring, short sale trading statistics and market integrity surveillance, has initiated coverage on Atossa Genetics after releasing the latest short sale data through August 6, 2013. The total aggregate number of shares shorted since December 2012 is approximately 3.3 million shares. Approximately 23.99% of daily trading volume is short selling. The SqueezeTrigger price for all ATOS shares shorted is $6.99.A short squeeze is expected when ATOS closes above its $6.99 SqueezeTrigger price.

Click here to view Report: http://www.buyins.com/reports/atos8-7-13.pdf

Click here for SqueezeTrigger: http://www.buyins.com/images2/atosstr8-7-13.jpg

Click here for Friction Factor: http://www.buyins.com/images2/atosff8-7-13.jpg

Click here for detailed explanation: http://www.buyins.com/brochure.pdf

Friction Factor calculates if a fair market is being made in the shares of ATOS. 38% of the previous 39 trading days have been positive or bullish-biased and 62% have been negative or bearish-biased.

Regulation SHO requires bona-fide market-making activities to include making purchases and sales in roughly comparable amounts. The Commission has stated that bona-fide market-making DOES NOT include activity that is related to speculative selling strategies or investment purposes of the broker-dealer and is disproportionate to the usual market making patterns or practices of the broker-dealer in that security. Likewise, where a market-maker posts continually at or near the best offer, but does not also post at or near the best bid, the market-maker's activities would not generally qualify as bona-fide market-making. Moreover, a market-maker that continually executes short sales away from its posted quotes would generally not be considered to be engaging in bona-fide market-making.

BUYINS.NET monitors ATOS market-makers daily for compliance with Fair Market-Making Requirements.

About BUYINS.NETBUYINS.NET, http://www.buyins.net, monitors trading in all US stocks in real time and maintains massive databases of short sale and naked short sale time and sales data, short squeeze SqueezeTrigger prices, market-maker price movements, shareholder data, statistical data on earnings, sector correlation, seasonality, hedge fund trading strategies and comparable valuations. Reports include:

REGULATORY & COMPLIANCE NEWS

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BUYINS.NET Issues Atossa Genetics SqueezeTrigger Report

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LOS ANGELES, Aug. 8, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Response Genetics, Inc. (RGDX), a company focused on the development and sale of molecular diagnostic tests that help determine a patient's response to cancer therapy, today announced its consolidated financial results and business progress for the second quarter ended June 30, 2013.

Total revenue for the second quarter ended June 30, 2013 was $5.3 million compared to $3.8 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2012. The Company's pharmaceutical client revenue increased by 121% and the Company's ResponseDX(R) revenue increased 10% relative to the quarter ended June 30, 2012. The Company's pharmaceutical client revenue, which is characteristically inconsistent, decreased 10% from the first quarter of 2013. This decrease was primarily related to a timing delay on one large pharma project which subsequently restarted late in the second quarter. The Company's ResponseDX(R) revenues were relatively consistent with the prior quarter.

The Company also increased its gross margin to 49% for the quarter ending June 30, 2013 compared to 37% for the second quarter of 2012. Gross margin decreased by 6% relative to the quarter ended March 31, 2013 which was primarily related to the pharma project delay discussed above. Gross margin is calculated as gross profit as a percentage of net revenue.

Excluding cost of revenue, total operating expenses for the second quarter were $3.9 million, compared to $4.1 million for the same period last year and were relatively consistent with the quarter ended March 31, 2013.

Cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2013, were $5.9 million, compared to $9.0 million at December 31, 2012.

"We believe our financials speak for themselves. Our pharma segment continued to be strong and our Dx revenues continued to grow year-over-year while we concurrently increased our gross margin from 37% just a year ago to over 49% for the quarter," said Thomas Bologna, the Company's Chairman & Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Bologna added, "We view 2012 as the year of our turnaround and 2013 as the year we work our top line. As we continue to aggressively build a marketing department and restructure and grow our sales organization, we expect to deliver meaningful top-line growth in our Dx business in the second half of 2013. During the last six months of the year, we expect to begin implementing several new marketing initiatives which are well underway including, but not limited to, introducing a completely new web-based portal to enhance the customer experience and a pathology partnering program that we believe will be the best in our space. Additionally, we plan on introducing several new assays as well as updating our messaging and branding. We believe the further strengthening of our sales and marketing organizations, combined with enhanced technological infrastructure, and a constant focus on operational efficiencies which were the hallmarks of our 2012 turnaround, will drive our strategic and financial performance."

The Company's net loss for the second quarter ended June 30, 2013 decreased to $1.3 million, or $(0.04) per share, compared to a net loss of $2.7 million, or $(0.11) per share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2012 and a net loss of $0.8 million, or $(0.03) per share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.

Total revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were $10.9 million compared to $7.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012. The increase is largely a result of an increase in Dx revenues of $0.5 million to $6.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2013 and an increase in pharmaceutical client revenue of $2.6 million to $4.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

The Company's net loss for the six months ended June 30, 2013 was $2.1 million, compared with a net loss of $5.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012.

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Response Genetics, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2013 Financial Results

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MRI-Guided Gene Therapy for Brain Cancer at UC San Diego Health System
Neurosurgeons at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center are among the first in the world to utilize real-time MRI guidance for delivery of gene therapy as a poten...

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MRI-Guided Gene Therapy for Brain Cancer at UC San Diego Health System - Video

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Featured Article Main Category: MRI / PET / Ultrasound Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology Article Date: 08 Aug 2013 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Brain cancer: groundbreaking MRI-guided gene therapy

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

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

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

Clearpoint provides visual confirmation that the correct amount of Toca 511 is injected into the tumor, and it ensures physicians are able to make adjustments to optimize the location of drug delivery.

Clark Chen, chief of stereotactic and radiosurgery and vice chairman of neurosurgery at UCSD Health System, says this new method may be preferable to chemotherapy.

"With chemotherapy," Chen says. "Just about every human cell is exposed to the drug's potential side-effects. By using the direct injection approach, we believe we can limit the presence of the active drug to just the brain tumor and nowhere else in the body." he adds:

See a fuller, exclusive interview given by Clark Chen to Medical News Today.

Toca 511 is a new investigational gene therapy that works as a retrovirus to selectively replicate in cancer cells, such as glioblastomas (brain tumors). Toca 511 creates an enzyme that changes an anti-fungal drug called flucytosine (5-FC), into an anti-cancer drug called 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).

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Brain cancer: groundbreaking MRI-guided gene therapy

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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The applications of gene therapy and genetic engineering are broad: everything from pet fish that glow red to increased crop yields worldwide to cures for many of the diseases that plague humankind. But realizing them always starts with solving the same basic scientific questionhow to "transfect" a cell by inserting foreign DNA into it. Many methods already exist for doing this, but they tend to be clumsy and destructive, not allowing researchers to precisely control how and when they insert the DNA or requiring them to burn through large numbers of cells before they can get it into one.

A team of scientists in South Korea have now developed the most precise method ever used to insert DNA into cells. The method combines two high-tech laboratory techniques and allows the researchers to precisely poke holes on the surface of a single cell with a high-powered "femtosecond" laser and then gently tug a piece of DNA through it using "optical tweezers," which draw on the electromagnetic field of another laser. The teams approach, which is a breakthrough in precision and control at the single-cell level, was published today in the Optical Societys (OSA) open-access journal Biomedical Optics Express.

What is magical is that all this happens for one cell, said Yong-Gu Lee, an associate professor in the School of Mechatronics at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea and one of the researchers who carried out the study. "Until today, gene transfection has been performed on a large quantity of agglomerate cells and the outcome has been observed as a statistical average and no observations have been made on individual cells."

Common techniques to force DNA into cells can be clumsy or even violent, Lee said. For instance, researchers often use so-called gene guns to fire particles coated with strands of DNA known as plasmids at large populations of cells. Alternatively, scientists may puncture the membranes of individual cells with lasers, place the cells in a plasmid soup, and let the genes diffuse into the perforated cells on their own. While either method can transfect some fraction of a population, researchers cannot control whether any individual cell will incorporate the desired genes, and large numbers of cells may be damaged or destroyed in the process.

In the new study, the researchers sought to safely transfect an individual cell. To manipulate the foreign DNA, the scientists used optical tweezers, which essentially tweaks a laser beam whose electromagnetic field can grab hold of and transport a plasmid-coated particle. The researchers first moved the particle to the surface of the cell membrane. Guided by the trapped particle, they then created a tiny pore in the cell membrane using an ultra-short laser pulse from a femtosecond laser. While another laser beam detected the exact location of the cell membrane, they pushed the particle through the pore with the tweezers. Using this technique, the scientists were able to ease a microparticle right up to the pore in the membrane and drop it into the cell, like a golfer sinking an easy putt.

To determine whether their method had succeeded, the researchers inserted plasmids carrying a gene that codes for a green fluorescent protein. Once inside the cell, the gene became active and the cells machinery began producing the protein. The researchers could then detect the green glow using a fluorescence microscope. They found that approximately one in six of the cells they studied became transfected. This rate is lower than that recorded for some other methods, but those are less precise and involve many cells at a time.

Lee hopes the work will allow other researchers to investigate the effects of transfection on individual cells, not just large populations. With the new technique, you can put one gene into one cell, another gene into another cell, and none into a third, he said. So you can study exactly how it works.

Paper: "Single-cell optoporation and transfection using femtosecond laser and optical tweezers," M. Waleed et al., Biomedical Optics Express, Vol. 4, Issue 9, pp. 1533-1547 (2013).

EDITORS NOTE: Images are available to members of the media upon request. Contact Angela Stark, astark@osa.org.

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New High-Tech Laser Method Allows DNA to be Inserted ‘Gently’ into Living Cells

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Technique offers greater control of essential gene therapy and genetic engineering method.

The applications of gene therapy and genetic engineering are broad: everything from pet fish that glow red to increased crop yields worldwide to cures for many of the diseases that plague humankind.

But realising them always starts with solving the same basic scientific questionhow to "transfect" a cell by inserting foreign DNA into it. Many methods already exist for doing this, but they tend to be clumsy and destructive, not allowing researchers to precisely control how and when they insert the DNA or requiring them to burn through large numbers of cells before they can get it into one.

A team of scientists in South Korea have now developed the most precise method ever used to insert DNA into cells. The method combines two high-tech laboratory techniques and allows the researchers to precisely poke holes on the surface of a single cell with a high-powered "femtosecond" laser and then gently tug a piece of DNA through it using "optical tweezers," which draw on the electromagnetic field of another laser. The team's approach, which is a breakthrough in precision and control at the single-cell level, was published in the Optical Society's (OSA) open-access journal Biomedical Optics Express.

"What is magical is that all this happens for one cell," said Yong-Gu Lee, an associate professor in the School of Mechatronics at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea and one of the researchers who carried out the study. "Until today, gene transfection has been performed on a large quantity of agglomerate cells and the outcome has been observed as a statistical average and no observations have been made on individual cells."

IMAGE: Image 2: Optical manipulation of plasmid-coated particles and insertion into the cell through a small pore punctured by a short-pulsed laser is shown. Plasmids produce a green fluorescent protein once... Click here for more information.

Common techniques to force DNA into cells can be clumsy or even violent, Lee said. For instance, researchers often use so-called "gene guns" to fire particles coated with strands of DNA known as plasmids at large populations of cells. Alternatively, scientists may puncture the membranes of individual cells with lasers, place the cells in a plasmid soup, and let the genes diffuse into the perforated cells on their own. While either method can transfect some fraction of a population, researchers cannot control whether any individual cell will incorporate the desired genes, and large numbers of cells may be damaged or destroyed in the process.

In the new study, the researchers sought to safely transfect an individual cell. To manipulate the foreign DNA, the scientists used optical tweezers, which essentially tweaks a laser beam whose electromagnetic field can grab hold of and transport a plasmid-coated particle. The researchers first moved the particle to the surface of the cell membrane. Guided by the trapped particle, they then created a tiny pore in the cell membrane using an ultra-short laser pulse from a femtosecond laser. While another laser beam detected the exact location of the cell membrane, they pushed the particle through the pore with the tweezers. Using this technique, the scientists were able to ease a microparticle right up to the pore in the membrane and drop it into the cell, like a golfer sinking an easy putt.

To determine whether their method had succeeded, the researchers inserted plasmids carrying a gene that codes for a green fluorescent protein. Once inside the cell, the gene became active and the cell's machinery began producing the protein. The researchers could then detect the green glow using a fluorescence microscope. They found that approximately one in six of the cells they studied became transfected. This rate is lower than that recorded for some other methods, but those are less precise and involve many cells at a time.

Lee hopes the work will allow other researchers to investigate the effects of transfection on individual cells, not just large populations. With the new technique, "you can put one gene into one cell, another gene into another cell, and none into a third," he said. "So you can study exactly how it works."

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Laser improves gene therapy control

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Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Spastic Cerebral Palsy by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India.
Improvement seen in just 5 day after Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Spastic Cerebral Palsy by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India. After Stem Cell Therapy 1. Droo...

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Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Spastic Cerebral Palsy by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India. - Video

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Personalized Medicine: How Medical Progres Happens. Amy Abernathy
Learn about how has personalized medicine impacted patient care and more from Amy Abernathy, MD, PhD, Director of Duke Center for Learning Healthcare at Duke...

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Personalized Medicine: How Medical Progres Happens. Amy Abernathy - Video

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Personalized Medicine: How Medical Progress Happens. Patrick Balthrop, CEO and President of Luminex
Learn about how pharmaceutical/diagnostic partnerships improve patient care and more from Patrick Balthrop, CEO and President, Luminex.

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Personalized Medicine: How Medical Progress Happens. Patrick Balthrop, CEO and President of Luminex - Video

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Personalized Medicine: How Medical Progress Happens. Stephen Eck, MD, PhD
Champion for personalized medicine share key insight and their own experiences.

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Alliance for Regenerative Medicine - Part One
John Lewis of ACRO sits down to talk with Michael Werner, Executive Director of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), about who they are, clinical tr...

By: ACROHealthChannel

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Alliance for Regenerative Medicine - Part One - Video

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Alliance for Regenerative Medicine - Part Three
John Lewis of ACRO sits down to talk with Michael Werner, Executive Director of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) about who they are, their policy...

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Alliance for Regenerative Medicine - Part Three - Video

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Alliance for Regenerative Medicine - Part Two
John Lewis of ACRO sits down to talk with Michael Werner, Executive Director of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), about who they are, experimenta...

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Alliance for Regenerative Medicine - Part Two - Video

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Alliance for Regenerative Medicine - Part Four
John Lewis of ACRO sits down to talk with Michael Werner, Executive Director of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) about who they are, their regula...

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Alliance for Regenerative Medicine - Part Four - Video

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6 weeks post-op Adipose Stem Cell Therapy
"Dugan" 6 weeks post-op Adipose Stem Cell Therapy. Visit Kindred-caninesinmotion.org.

By: Joyce Gerardi

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6 weeks post-op Adipose Stem Cell Therapy - Video

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Whoifwhat: Stem Cell Therapy- Knees, Hip, Back, etc.!
It works: Now in St. Louis, New York Phily: coming to your town soon ! Using stem cells from belly fat ( got any) platelets to mark area an injection is ...

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MANILA - Foreign doctors are now required to secure a permit to perform stem cell therapy in the country or face criminal liability.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)s Board of Medicine (BOM) made the announcement yesterday, explaining that the requirement is part of government efforts to regulate the practice of stem cell therapy in the country to ensure the safety of patients.

In a statement, the BOM said foreign physicians who intend to practice stem cell therapy here must obtain special temporary permit from the PRC to avoid being charged with medical malpractice.

Even local doctors who have aided foreign physicians illegal practice of stem cell therapy shall be also held criminally liable, the BOM added.

To secure the special temporary permit, a foreign doctor must submit proof of education and actual practice in the field of stem cell therapy and current license authenticated by the Philippine embassy and the embassy in the country of origin.

The board said physicians should have acquired the necessary education, supervised training and extensive clinical experience prior to performing the treatment. It noted that the argument that stem cell therapy falls under the general practice of medicine since it only involves injection of stem cell solution is erroneous.

As professionals, physicians should be able to conduct self-assessment and self-evaluation regarding what they can and what they should not do, they added.

The BOM also noted that stem cell therapy should be practiced only in hospitals and clinics licensed by the Department of Heath for assurance that these medical facilities have the necessary manpower and equipment to prevent risks and hazards to patients.

The board also warned patients desiring to undergo stem cell therapy abroad to first verify the status of clinics and hospitals as well as practitioners from regulatory authorities.

Earlier, the Food and Drug Administration and the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) reported receiving numerous complaints of foreign doctors performing stem cell therapy in hotels and other non-medical facilities. The PMA said foreign doctors injected patients with animal-based stem cells at P1 million per shot, but these foreigners are not even licensed to practice medicine in the country.

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Foreign doctors need permit for stem cell therapy

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SAN DIEGO, Calif., Aug. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardium Therapeutics (NYSE MKT: CXM) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Orbsen Therapeutics Ltd and the National University of Ireland, Galway, to utilize Cardium's Excellagen pharmaceutically-formulated gel as a delivery agent for Orbsen's proprietary stromal cell therapy in pre-clinical studies for the potential treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. The research is being conducted by the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), at the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), a world-class biomedical research centre focused on mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) research. The research initiative is funded by REDDSTAR, a European Union Framework 7 (EU FP7) research collaboration focused on treating diabetes and its complications with a defined MSC therapy and enlisting academic and industry partners throughout Europe in the program (www.reddstar.eu).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20051018/CARDIUMLOGO)

Cardium's FDA-cleared Excellagen is an aseptically-manufactured, quaternary fibrillar Type I bovine collagen homogenate that is configured into a staggered array of three-dimensional, triple helical, telopeptide-deleted, tropocollagen molecules. This linear array forms a flowable, biocompatible and bioactive structural matrix that promotes chemotaxis, cellular adhesion, migration and proliferation to stimulate tissue formation. The Excellagen homogenate represents a new product delivery platform that allows for the potential development of a portfolio of advanced tissue regeneration therapeutic opportunities that could include anti-infectives, antibiotics, peptides, proteins, small molecules, DNA, stem cells, differentiated cells and conditioned cell media.

About Excellagen

Excellagen is a syringe-based, professional-use, pharmaceutically-formulated 2.6% fibrillar Type I bovine collagen homogenate that functions as an acellular biological modulator to activate the wound healing process and significantly accelerate the growth of granulation tissue. Excellagen's FDA clearance provides for very broad labeling including partial and full-thickness wounds, pressure ulcers, venous ulcers, diabetic ulcers, chronic vascular ulcers, tunneled/undermined wounds, surgical wounds (donor sites/graft, post-Mohs surgery, post-laser surgery, podiatric, wound dehiscence), trauma wounds (abrasions, lacerations, second-degree burns and skin tears) and draining wounds. Excellagen is intended for professional use following standard debridement procedures in the presence of blood cells and platelets, which are involved with the release of endogenous growth factors. Excellagen's unique fibrillar Type I bovine collagen homogenate formulation is topically applied through easy-to-control, pre-filled, sterile, single-use syringes and is designed for application at only one-week intervals.

There have been important, positive findings reported by physicians using Excellagen as part of Cardium's physician sampling, patient outreach and market "seeding" programs. In several case studies, physicians reported a rapid onset of the growth of granulation tissue in a wide array of wounds, including non-healing diabetic foot ulcers (consistent with the results of Cardium's Matrix clinical study), as well as pressure ulcers, venous ulcers and Mohs surgical wounds. In certain cases, rapid granulation tissue growth and wound closure have been achieved with Excellagen following unsuccessful treatment with other advanced wound care approaches. From a dermatology perspective, a previously unexplored vertical market, remarkable healing responses have been observed following Mohs surgery for patients diagnosed with squamous and basal cell carcinomas, including deep surgical wounds extending to the periosteum (a membrane that lines the outer surface of bones). Additionally, because of the easy-use and platelet activating capacity, physicians have been employing Excellagen in severe non-healing wounds at near-amputation status, in combination with autologous platelet-rich plasma therapy and collagen sheet products. These case studies and positive physician feedback provide additional support of Excellagen's potential utility as an important new tool to help promote the wound healing process. Excellagen case studies are available at http://www.excellagen.com/surgical-wounds.html.

About Orbsen Therapeutics

Orbsen Therapeutics Ltd. is a privately-held company founded in 2006 as a spin out from Ireland's Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) in NUI Galway. As part of the PurStem EU FP7 program, Orbsen developed proprietary technologies (ORB1) that enable the prospective purification of highly defined and therapeutic stromal cells from several human tissues, including marrow, adipose tissue and umbilical cord. ORB1 stromal cells can be purified from several species including equine and murine tissues, enabling the development of defined equine MSC therapies for the first time. These novel aspects of the ORB1 technology place Orbsen at the leading edge of research, development and regulatory compliance of MSC therapies. The therapeutic ORB1 cells can be purified from a single human donor, expanded and frozen to generate many doses of high-margin, allogeneic ("off-the-shelf") therapeutic products for indications with unmet need. Orbsen's proprietary ORB1 MSC therapy is being developed for several indications, including inflammatory disease of the lungs and liver, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, joint disease, kidney injury, tissue graft rejection and wound repair. For more information, please visit http://www.orbsentherapeutics.com/.

About The Regenerative Medicine Institute at NUI, Galway

The Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) is a world-class biomedical research centre focusing on gene therapy and stem cell research. REMEDI is a partnership involving scientists, clinicians, and engineers in academic centres and in industry. Researchers at REMEDI work together to combine the technologies of gene therapy and adult stem cell therapy with the aim of regeneration and repair of tissues. The unique feature of the research carried out at REMEDI is the novel integration of both therapies in a complementary research and development programme. Based in the National University of Ireland, Galway, REMEDI was established in 2003 through a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Centre for Science Engineering and Technology (CSET) award, and industry funding. The institute is located at the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science and incorporates the National Cell and Gene Vector Laboratory, a GMP grade vector and cell production facility. More information is available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/remedi/about-us.

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Cardium Reports On New Excellagen-Based Stromal Cell Research For Wound Healing With Orbsen Therapeutics Under ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEW YORK, Aug. 6, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), a leader in the emerging cellular therapy market, announced today the appointment of Douglas W. Losordo, MD, FACC, FAHA, as Chief Medical Officer of the Company. Dr. Losordo is a leader in cell therapy research and a renowned cardiologist. Most recently, Dr. Losordo was Vice President, New Therapies Development, Regenerative Medicine and Baxter Ventures at Baxter International.

Dr. Losordo is well regarded for his career-long efforts to develop novel therapeutics and as a scientist he obtained over $35 million in National Institutes of Health funding for discovering and developing new therapeutic concepts in the laboratory, providing the basis for clinical studies. He has led first in human studies in multiple gene and adult stem cell therapies in patients with cardiovascular diseases, including therapies now in Phase 3 testing. He is a highly sought after speaker, having given over 200 international lectures. He is an associate editor of Circulation Research, the basic science journal of the American Heart Association and serves on the editorial boards of a number of scientific journals.

"I am excited to join NeoStem in its pursuit of promising cell therapies, including a product candidate using CD34+ cells to repair ischemic tissue, taking us a step closer to true disease modification or reversal, instead of relegating patients to symptom palliation," said Dr. Losordo. "The Company is hard at work to unlock the future of cell therapies, a shared goal to which I have also devoted my professional career."

Andrew L. Pecora, MD, FACC, the Company's outgoing Chief Medical Officer, will assume the role of Chief Visionary Officer of NeoStem, where he will continue to assist in building a leading global cell therapy company. Dr. Pecora will also continue in his role as Chief Medical Officer of Progenitor Cell Therapy ("PCT"), NeoStem's contract development and manufacturing subsidiary, and Chief Scientific Officer of Amorcyte, LLC, NeoStem's subsidiary developing a cell therapy to preserve heart muscle function after a severe heart attack, as well as remain a member of NeoStem's Board of Directors.

Dr. Andrew Pecora said, "The Company has made a sound investment in Dr. Losordo who is an extremely talented and well-respected physician researcher in the cell therapy field. I look forward to collaborating with Dr. Losordo as the Company continues to identify and evaluate regenerative medicine opportunities."

Dr. Robin L. Smith, Chairman and CEO of NeoStem, said "We are extremely fortunate to have Doug Losordo join our leadership team. Doug will no doubt complement the stellar medical regime that Andrew Pecora has built, as well as help us move forward in our efforts to develop novel proprietary cell therapy products and platform technologies."

Dr. Losordo is an adjunct professor of medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. From 2006 to 2011, he was the director of the Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute and the Eileen M. Foell Professor of Heart Research at Northwestern University's School of Medicine and director of the Program in Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. From 2004 to 2006, he was a Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and Chief of Cardiovascular Research at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston. He is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and interventional cardiology. Dr. Losordo's major research interests encompass angiogenesis/vasculogenesis, progenitor/adult stem cells, tissue repair/regeneration, and vascular biology. He received his medical degree from the University of Vermont.

About NeoStem, Inc.

NeoStem, Inc. is a leader in the emerging cellular therapy industry. Our business model includes the development of novel proprietary cell therapy product, as well as operating a contract development and manufacturing organization that provides services to others in the regenerative medicine industry. The combination of a therapeutic development business and revenue-generating service provider business provides the Company with capabilities for cost effective in-house product development and immediate revenue and cash flow generation.

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

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NeoStem Appoints Douglas W. Losordo as Chief Medical Officer

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

HOUSTON, Aug. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Gene by Gene, Ltd., the world's first company to develop consumer DNA testing products for ancestry and genealogy applications, announced today the acquisition of Arpeggi, Inc., a StartUp Health- and GE-backed company that develops solutions for genome sequencing, data management and computational analysis.

The combined company will enable the acceleration of an innovative suite of more affordable genetics testing and diagnostics services available to consumers, researchers and healthcare providers.

"The acquisition of Arpeggi's technology and world-class team of data and technology experts will enable us to accelerate Gene by Gene's plan to make next-generation DNA sequencing and clinical genomics accessible and affordable to all," said Max Blankfeld, Managing Partner of Gene by Gene. "We are on a mission to transform healthcare by dramatically speeding up the process, and reducing the costs, of genetic tests, which today are often far too expensive for the average consumer."

Founded in 2012, Arpeggi develops solutions for genome sequencing, data management and computational analysis. In April, the company released GCAT - Genome Comparison and Analytic Testing, a free community driven platform for evaluating the performance of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis methods. The platform has gained tremendous traction and was recently showcased at Bio-IT World and the Clinical Genome Conference. Arpeggi has developed proprietary sequencing tools, designed for scale, that enable accurate, fast, and cost-effective analysis of genomes. This year, Arpeggi was selected as one of 14 startups, out of 400 applicants, to join the StartUp Health and GE Entrepreneurship Program to help grow, commercialize and scale new innovative healthcare technologies.

"We are thrilled by the acquisition of Arpeggi and excited to continue to help Gene by Gene on its mission to lead the rapidly advancing genetics testing and sequencing market," said Unity Stoakes, cofounder and President of StartUp Health. "This acquisition represents a significant combination of technologies, expertise and infrastructure that we believe will make an important impact on the future of the genomics sector and how many people have access to these innovations."

Rafael Torres, Senior Managing Director, GE Ventures- Healthcare said, "The deluge of data generated from genomic testing and the ability to store, analyze and interpret it efficiently has been a bottleneck for organizations focused on large scale sequencing. Arpeggi's solution provides an infrastructure that helps human genomic and bioinformatics companies get the most out of their data. We're proud to have Arpeggi involved with our Entrepreneurship Program with StartUp Health and cannot wait to see themfurther advance DNA testing through the marriage of science and technology."

The entire Arpeggi team and technology platform will be incorporated into Gene by Gene. Additionally, Arpeggi's founders will join Gene by Gene's management team, effective immediately. Arpeggi's Nir Leibovich was named Gene by Gene's Chief Business Officer, Jason Wang was named Chief Technology Officer and David Mittelman, Ph.D was named Chief Scientific Officer.

Gene by Gene's Doron Behar, M.D., Ph.D. was also named Chief Medical Officer. Gene by Gene's Blankfeld and Bennett Greenspan continue to serve as the company's Managing Partners.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Gene by Gene Ltd.

Link:
Gene by Gene Acquires Arpeggi, a StartUp Health- and GE-Backed Company, to Build World's Leading Genetic Testing and ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Perth scientists have made a gene discovery that could improve the survival of bowel cancer patients by making their chemotherapy more effective.

The research, published in the prestigious British Journal of Cancer, has identified genes involved in a process known as "notch signalling" which is switched on by bowel cancer and makes tumours grow faster.

But the WA Institute for Medical Research said it was possible that doctors could use special drugs to intercept this process.

A study led by institute deputy director Peter Leedman examined colorectal tumour tissues from 441 consenting patients having surgery and chemotherapy to treat their cancers at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

Researcher Patrick Candy said notch signalling in the colon was normally low in healthy adults but studies on colon cancer cell-lines had shown that when tumours learnt how to switch on the process they became much more resistant to chemo- therapy.

"The WAIMR team looked for the first time at notch signalling in human colon cancer patients and we saw a very dramatic result," Dr Candy said. "For example, one protein we studied, SOX9, showed patients had an eightfold higher risk of death when it was found at high levels.

"Our work is leading to the point where medical professionals may be able to test levels of these notch proteins and use it to decide whether notch inhibitory drugs might be helpful in making chemotherapy treatment work better."

Excerpt from:
Gene points to better bowel cancer treatment

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith