MaSTherCell - World Stem Cells Regenerative Medicine Congress 2013
We spoke with some of the sponsors at Europe #39;s largest stem cells and regenerative medicine industry conference. This is a three day congress that stages a s...

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Merck Millipore - World Stem Cells Regenerative Medicine Congress 2013
We spoke with some of the sponsors at Europe #39;s largest stem cells and regenerative medicine industry conference. This is a three day congress that stages a s...

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Terumo BCT - World Stem Cells Regenerative Medicine Congress 2013
We spoke with some of the sponsors at Europe #39;s largest stem cells and regenerative medicine industry conference. This is a three day congress that stages a s...

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Quality Assistance S.A. - World Stem Cells Regenerative Medicine Congress
We spoke with some of the sponsors at Europe #39;s largest stem cells and regenerative medicine industry conference. This is a three day congress that stages a s...

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Savsu Technologies - World Stem Cells Regenerative Medicine Congress 2013
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Cell Therapy Catapult - World Stem Cells Regenerative Medicine Congress 2013
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The Science of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine - Arnold Caplan PhD (Part 7 of 7)
In this final segment, Prof. Caplan discusses: Mesenchymal stem cells make anti-bacterial molecules, How retro-orbital injections of human MSCs cure mice wit...

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Stem Cell Therapy Becomes More Widely Available
The average athlete may soon have access to the benefits of stem cell research.

By: ABCNews

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By Philip C. Tubeza Philippine Daily Inquirer

Researcher Shruti Dave (R) and assistant Chetan Patel work on stem cell cultures at the Transplantation Biology Research Centre situated at The Institute of Kidney Disease and Research Centre (IKDRC), Civil Hospital campus in Ahmedabad on February 6, 2013. AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, PhilippinesDont focus too much on youthful looks.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo gave this advice on Tuesday as he urged the faithful to use stem cell therapy only for medical purposes.

Its not that we dont want it but (stem cell theraphy) is for curing the sick. (Having youthful looks) is just a side effect. (The therapy) wasnt invented for that, Pabillo said in a Church forum in Manila.

He said the advent of stem cell therapy should also lead the faithful to strive for a more fruitful and meaningful life.

The problem is people dont want to die so they want to extend their life. But when they were young, they did not use the time given to them wisely. We see a lot of people wasting their time, Pabillo said.

And when they grow up, they want to live longer. I hope people, while they are young, would use the blessings they receive so that when the time comes to leave, they can say that their mission is finished, he added.

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Bishop urges faithful to use stem cell therapy for medical purposes only

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Should there be a law on stem cell therapy? The House of Representatives (HOR) has no idea. And for the sake of finding answer, House leaders intend to consult with medical experts about the issues surrounding the procedure. Speaker Feliciano Sonny Belmonte Jr. admits lawmakers need an expert opinion before they take any legislative action on reports about the negative effects of the expensive treatment. At this point, we have absolutely no basis to say that it was wrong (or) it wasnt wrong (or) it should be regulated, it should not be regulated, Belmonte said. Belmonte issued the statement after the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) said it is looking into the recent deaths of three politicians, who died after receiving xenogenic treatment in Germany. PMA president Dr. Leo Olarte said his group is still trying to find out whether politicians died due to their illness or due to hypersensitive reaction from animal-based stem cell treatments they received. On Monday, Belmonte revealed that Camiguin Rep. Pedro Romualdo underwent stem cell treatment in Germany before he died in April due to pneumonia. Incoming Bohol Rep. Aris Aumentado also admitted his father, the late Bohol Rep. Erico Aumentado, had undergone similar treatment in September before he died last Christmas, also due to pneumonia. We are still awaiting the word of the experts and the medical experts, not political experts on how, if anything, is demanded from us, Belmonte said. Olarte, who is the spokesperson of Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine, cited initial information that the politicians received stem cell therapy that used sheeps. He reiterated that receiving animal-based stem cell is dangerous because it may trigger complications such as graft versus host reaction. The expert advised Filipinos and public officials to choose autologous adult stem cell treatment, which is derived from the patients own blood, bone marrow or fat. Last March, the Department of Health (DOH) has restricted hospitals and other facilities from using genetically-altered cells and tissues of human in carrying out stem-cell therapy and treatments in the country. Health secretary Enrique Ona added their department also prohibits the use of umbilical cord, fat-derived human stem cells, and live animal stem cells for the conduct of the procedure locally.

ONA released Administrative Order (AO) 2013-0012, which seeks to ensure the safety of people who want to undergo human stem cell and cell-based therapies.

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House seeks probe on stem-cell therapy link to solons' deaths

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MANILA - Two congressmen who died after undergoing stem cell therapy abroad were already sick before getting treatment, Health Secretary Enrique Ona said Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters, Ona refused to say if stem cell treatment caused the deaths of congressmen Erico Aumentado and Pedro Romualdo. Both lawmakers died of pneumonia.

"First hindi ko alam yun. Second, ang information that we got: It has nothing to do Ibig sabihin, they were already very sick bago nagpa-so-called stem call, baka sakali," he said in the interview.

On the other hand, the health secretary said clinics or hospitals in the Philippines offering stem cell treatments should be duly licensed by the Department of Health.

Dapat yung mga clinic or mga ospital na gumagawa noon kailangang mayroong license, approved ngayon ng DOH. Kaya iinspekyunin sila," he said.

House Speaker Sonny Belmonte earlier confirmed Aumentado and Romualdo had died after undergoing stem cell treatment in Germany last year. He clarified that it has not been established whether stem cell therapy was the cause of death.

Belmonte said that after having stem cell therapy, the 2 felt rejuvenated and may have exerted themselves during the last election campaign.

Belmonte said Aumentado even started walking around without a cane.

Aumentado's son, Aristotle, earlier said his father had leg thrombosis for which he had to undergo bifemoral bypass and stem cell therapy .

After stem cell therapy, his father started walking without a cane, and sometimes had low-blood sugar. However, he said they forgot to get him stem cell treatment for his father's pneumonia, which he had before the stem cell treatment in Germany last September.

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DOH: Solons who died after stem cell therapy were sick

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FIRST ON 7: Researchers have identified a group of genes that make people more prone to migraines.

The scientists, including a team from Brisbane, say their findings should lead to new and effective treatments.

A migraine is a common brain disorder that affects 14 per cent of adults but it is not known what causes them.

Experts at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research were part of the international study which analysed DNA samples from 100,000 people.

This information was then used to compare the genes of people who suffer from migraines with those who have never had one.

Every time Maria Balzono gets a migraine her life is put on hold for up to three days.

She has been treated in hospital, tried medication and physiotherapy but nothing has managed to ease the pain.

She says: "It's terrible when I feel a headache coming on, I start to panic sometimes I think oh gosh, I know what's ahead of me."

Dr Dale Nyholt was part of the world's largest study into the crippling condition.

"A lot of people around the world are working really hard to try find out what's underlying their migraine headaches," he said.

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Gene breakthrough in migraine study

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/zkc7dc/epigenetics) has announced the addition of the "Epigenetics Technology Market (Epigenomics, DNA Methylation, Histone Modifications, RNA Interference, Cancer Therapeutics, Personalized Medicine) (2012 - 2017)" report to their offering.

Over the last decade, genomics and proteomics have been used as key tools to discover potential drug targets and to better understand the complexities of biology. To balance research in these areas, epigenetics offers a potential opportunity in understanding the basis of various diseases in a different approach. Thus, epigenetics is study of heritable changes in genome function and gene expression had opened the new gate of biology to understand the basis of diseases and presents incredible opportunities for disease diagnosis and drug discovery.

Report covers the market by therapeutics sector in oncology conditions, non-oncology indications and personalized medicine. The report also covers the market by research and diagnostics sector in gene regulation studies, biomarker detection and drug discovery. In addition, it also includes the factors driving and restraining the market and covers the market scenario in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Rest of the World (ROW). This report will provide the company profiles of key companies along with the competitive analysis.

The Global Epigenetics market is showing a double digit growth (CAGR 25%) due to supportive factors such as, (i) huge amount of funds and investments, (ii) increasing partnerships and collaborations, and (iii) rapid screening tools. Epigenetics is used in the identification of new epigenetic biomarkers, which will aid in better diagnosis and prognosis of diseases. While there are factors favoring the market growth, there are concerns such as change in re-imbursement systems and lack of predictive markers holding back the growth of this market. However, the positive aspects in this field may very well offset the market restraints to aid the market grow at an exceptional rate.

Key Topics Covered

1. Introduction

2. Executive Summary

3. Epigenetics - Technology Landscape Analysis

4. Epigenetics - Market Landscape Analysis

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Research and Markets: Epigenetics Technology Market - 2013 Report

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SAN FRANCISCO, June 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --On June 13, the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled that naturally occurring human genes are ineligible for patenting. The decision opens the door for researchers throughout the country to move forward with potentially life-saving genetic testing for a variety of diseases.

Dr. Stephen B. Shrewsbury, author of Defy Your DNA: How the New Gene Patch Personalized Medicines Will Help You Overcome Your Greatest Health Challenges, says that the decoding of the human genome has led to dozens of new medicines that will stop hereditary illness. "Called oligomers, these medicines are nicknamed gene patches," he says, "because they act like software patches to fix the faulty message that comes from damaged pieces of genetic coding. If those genes were patented, it would make it more difficult for researchers to advance work such as this.

Dr. Shrewsbury adds: "This new drug format has the potential to stop everything from cancer and diabetes to rare diseases like muscular dystrophy and sickle cell anemia. These medications will literally revolutionize healthcare."

In addition, gene sequences will become the foundation for very specific targeted therapies. Shrewsbury predicts blockbuster drugs will be replaced by personalized medicines geared directly to you and your disease. In the more distant future, gene patch therapy will be superseded by gene replacement therapy whereby new genes will be inserted while removing less favorable ones.

The Supreme Court ruled that patents owned by Salt Lake City-based Myriad Genetics were void because they covered DNA isolated from the body as opposed to a synthetic DNA created in a lab. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote: "We hold that a naturally occurring DNA segment is a product of nature and not patent eligible merely because it has been isolated."

This ruling is a win-win for both researchers and patients alike, believes Dr. Shrewsbury. The gene patent ban will serve to facilitate medical research on drugs such as those described in Defy Your DNA. "A big benefit with this new type of medicine is that the development programs take less time," he says. He also believes costs of genetic profile testing will become affordable for the average family, leading to a brave new medical world.

"In the not too distant future, when a child is born, they'll be required to have two documents: a birth certificate and a map of their DNA."

Dr. Stephen B. Shrewsbury is a physician whose 33-year career has taken him from the intimate world of family practice to Chief Medical Officer at a leading biotech firm on the cutting edge of global drug development and therapeutics. Since 2009, he has served on the Oligonucleotide Safety Working Group (OSWG), an international working group devoted to the safe development of gene patch medicines.

CONTACT: Sharon Cook Land: 707-268-8784 or cell: 415-302-1752 Email http://www.defyyourdnabook.com

This press release was issued through eReleases Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

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Supreme Court Ruling on Gene Patents Will Speed Up Revolution in Health Care, According to Author of New Gene Patch ...

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Aspirins benefit in thwarting colon cancer is driven by a gene mutation that makes tumor cells less sensitive to the drugs effects, according to a study that may lead to personalized prevention strategies.

Developing colon cancer with a mutation of the gene BRAF was similar for both regular aspirin users and non-users, according to research published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Regular aspirin users had a 27 percent reduced risk of developing cancer without the mutation compared with those who didnt regularly take the drug, the study found.

The finding, one of the first to show that aspirin use doesnt prevent colon tumors with the BRAF defect, may help guide doctors when recommending the drugs use to prevent the disease, said Andrew Chan, a study author. More studies are needed to better understand the role aspirin plays in cancer prevention, who is most at risk and which polyps may develop into tumors with a BRAF mutation, he said.

Weve entered a new era in which we would potentially start to think about personalizing preventive intervention, said Chan, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, in a telephone interview. Thats something we havent been doing so far. Weve been really trying to develop one size fits all treatment.

A study last year in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the protective effect of aspirin was limited to those whose tumors had a gene defect called PIK3CA. About 20 percent of colon cancers have genetic mutations in the PIK3CA gene. That compares to 10 percent to 15 percent of cancers with a defect in the BRAF gene, todays authors said.

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy in both U.S. men and women, excluding skin cancers, and the third leading cause of cancer death, according to the American Cancer Society. About 102,480 new cancers of the colon and 40,340 cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed this year. About 50,000 people are expected to die of the disease.

Researchers in the study collected questionnaire data on aspirin use among participants of the Nurses Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Of the 127,865 people in the study, 1,226 cases of rectal and colon cancers were identified and made available for molecular data.

They found that the more aspirin participants used each week the less chance of developing cancer without the mutation compared with those who didnt take the medication. There was no benefit in increasing aspirin use on the development of cancer with the mutated gene.

These results identify biomarkers of response to aspirin administered either preventively or therapeutically and are likely to help tailor the use of aspirin in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer, wrote Boris Pasche, a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a contributing editor for JAMA, in an accompanying editorial

To contact the reporter on this story: Nicole Ostrow in New York at nostrow1@bloomberg.net

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Aspirin Benefit in Colon Cancer Tied to Gene Variant

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The Medicine of Tomorrow: With an Eye to the Individual - Professor Henri Atlan
Decoding the human genome and deepening our understanding of the human body -- enable us today not only to identify the causes of a long list of illnesses bu...

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Hugh Rienhoff prepared his daughters DNA for sequencing at home using second-hand equipment.

LEAH FASTEN

Hugh Rienhoff says that his nine-year-old daughter, Bea, is a fire cracker, a tomboy and a very sassy, impudent girl. But in a forthcoming research paper, he uses rather different terms, describing her hypertelorism (wide spacing between the eyes) and bifid uvula (a cleft in the tissue that hangs from the back of the palate). Both are probably features of a genetic syndrome that Rienhoff has obsessed over since soon after Beas birth in 2003. Unable to put on much muscle mass, Bea wears braces on her skinny legs to steady her on her curled feet. She is otherwise healthy, but Rienhoff has long worried that his daughters condition might come with serious heart problems.

Rienhoff, a biotech entrepreneur in San Carlos, California, who had trained as a clinical geneticist in the 1980s, went from doctor to doctor looking for a diagnosis. He bought lab equipment so that he could study his daughters DNA himself and in the process, he became a symbol for the do-it-yourself biology movement, and a trailblazer in using DNA technologies to diagnose a rare disease (see Nature 449, 773776; 2007).

Talk about personal genomics, says GarySchroth, a research and development director at the genome-sequencing company Illumina in San Diego, California, who has helped Rienhoff in his search for clues. It doesnt get any more personal than trying to figure out whats wrong with your own kid.

Now nearly a decade into his quest, Rienhoff has arrived at an answer. Through the partial-genome sequencing of his entire family, he and a group of collaborators have found a mutation in the gene that encodes transforming growth factor-3 (TGF-3). Genes in the TGF- pathway control embryogenesis, cell differentiation and cell death, and mutations in several related genes have been associated with Marfan syndrome and LoeysDietz syndrome, both of which have symptomatic overlap with Beas condition. The mutation, which has not been connected to any disease before, seems to be responsible for Beas clinical features, according to a paper to be published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics.

Hal Dietz, a clinician at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, where Rienhoff trained as a geneticist, isnt surprised that the genetic culprit is in this pathway. The overwhelming early hypothesis was that this was related, says Dietz, who co-discovered LoeysDietz syndrome in 2005.

Rienhoff had long been tapping experts such as Dietz for assistance. In 2005, an examination at Johns Hopkins revealed Beas bifid uvula. This feature, combined with others, suggested LoeysDietz syndrome, which is caused by mutations in TGF- receptors. But physicians found none of the known mutations after sequencing these genes individually. This was a relief: LoeysDietz is associated with devastating cardiovascular complications and an average life span of 26 years.

In 2008, Jay Flatley, chief executive of Illumina, offered Rienhoff the chance to sequence Beas transcriptome all of the RNA expressed by a sample of her cells along with those of her parents and her two brothers. After drilling into the data, Rienhoff and his collaborators found that Bea had inherited from each parent a defective-looking copy of CPNE1, a poorly studied gene that seems to encode a membrane protein. It looked like the answer.

But questions remained. The gene did not have obvious connections to Beas features, and publicly available genome data suggests that the CPNE1 mutations are present in about 1in1,000people an indication that there should be many more people like Bea.

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Father’s genetic quest pays off

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Public release date: 26-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Hilary Glover hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com 44-020-319-22370 BioMed Central

Focusing on parts rather than the whole, when it comes to genome sequencing, might be extremely useful, finds research in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Medicine. The research compares several sequencing technologies in the same individual with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), and shows that sequencing the coding regions alone at high depth of coverage can identify the genetic variation behind this disease, and was also able to resolve previous ambiguities.

Next generation sequencing for understanding human DNA variation and genetic disorders is advancing in leaps and bounds. Whole genome sequencing reads all of an individual's DNA, whereas exome sequencing captures only the parts of the DNA which code for proteins. Exome sequencing is faster and cheaper, but concerns have previously been raised that it misses important information.

A team from Baylor College of Medicine led by Prof. James Lupski and Prof. Richard Gibbs compared several different exome and whole genome sequencing technologies on DNA from the same person with CMT. Prof. Jim Lupski explained, "Both methods were able to find the same 12 variants which affect cellular response to specific drugs such as betablockers, warfarin and the anti-cancer drug paclitaxel, and identify novel CMT-associated mutations in SH3TC2 that encodes for a protein with a role in peripheral nerve myelination."

Exome sequencing had fewer false positives, and a greater sensitivity due to the higher coverage achieved when focusing only in a small fraction of the genome. Consequently it was able to correctly identify nucleotides which were ambiguous when using whole genome sequencing at lower coverage, and so clarify whether they were associated with CMT or not.

Prof. Richard Gibbs commented, "The higher coverage afforded by focusing on the exome at approximately 120x for clinical exomes allows greater precision of exome sequencing making this a superior approach, rather than a shortcut, to find which people might respond to a particular therapy or to define who has a specific disease."

###

Media Contact

Dr Hilary Glover Scientific Press Officer, BioMed Central Tel: +44 (0) 20 3192 2370 Mob: +44 (0) 778 698 1967 Email: hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com

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Whole genome or exome sequencing: An individual insight

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Public release date: 26-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Stylianos Antonarakis stylianos.antonarakis@unige.ch 41-223-795-708 Universit de Genve

Down syndrome, more commonly known as "trisomy 21" is very often accompanied by pathologies found in the general population: Alzheimer's disease, leukemia, or cardiac deficiency. In a study conducted by Professor Stylianos Antonarakis' group from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva (UNIGE), researchers have identified the genomic variations associated with trisomy 21, determining the risk of congenital heart disease in people with Down syndrome. The targeted and specific study of chromosome 21 revealed two genomic variations, which, in combination, are the hallmark of hereditary cardiac deficiency. These results are being published in the journal Genome Research and add to other research conducted by the same team about chronic myeloid leukemia, a severe form of leukemia that often affects people with Down syndrome. The journal Blood is publishing these advances in the understanding of a disease which, like hereditary cardiac deficiencies or early Alzheimer's, affects the general population.

Heart disease is a common disorder of Down syndrome. While the presence of a third gene in the n21 pair (which characterizes the disease) increases the risk of heart disease, it is not the sole cause: genetic variationsor polymorphismsas well as certain environmental factors also contribute to it. Genetic variations create the diversity of human beings, their predispositions, and the differences in the expression of similar genes.

Variations increase the risk of hereditary cardiac deficiency

As part of a study carried out on the risk of congenital heart disease in people with Down syndrome, the geneticists led by Stylianos Antonarakis who conducts the research at UNIGE's Department of Genetic and Developmental Medicine observed the dominating role of two types of polymorphisms: the nucleotide (SNP, which stands for single-nucleotide polymorphism) and the variability in the number of copies of a gene (CNV, which stands for copy number variation).

To verify these observations, the scientists created a tailor-made chromosome 21; their analyses revealed two areas of variability in the number of copies of a gene (or CNV), and one area identified by a nucleotide polymorphism (or SNP), which can be associated with the risk of heart deficiency. Therefore, this study highlights the role of two CNVs and one SNP in the cardiac pathogenesis of people with Down syndrome for the first time, revealing the genetic complexity of a common symptom of trisomy 21.

For the geneticist-authors of this study, the genetic architecture of the risk of congenital heart disease in individuals with Down syndrome must henceforth be understood as a complex combination, revealing the 21st chromosome, nucleotide polymorphism, and variability in the number of copies of a gene all at once; three factors to which we must add to the rest of the genome a still unidentified genetic variation, which Professor Antonarakis' group is already tracking.

and also the risk of chronic myeloid leukemia

In parallel, this same group has made progress in understanding another relatively common symptom of Down syndrome, by tracking the genetic variations that identify chronic myeloid leukemia in the body's cells.

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Complex genetic architectures: Some common symptoms of trisomy 21

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BLOODLETTING and vitamin pills are the future for astronaut health regimes. So hints a provocative proposal on the benefits of personalised gene-based medicine for space travellers.

Humans in space are at risk of a variety of ailments, from brittle bones caused by low gravity to cancer triggered by cosmic radiation. Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) already take supplements to counteract ill effects, such as vitamin D for bone strength.

But when travelling further into space, such as to an asteroid or Mars, astronauts will be exposed to radiation doses close to NASA's acceptable lifetime limits, upping their chances of developing illnesses from damaged DNA.

To reduce each individual's risk, we should examine their genome and then design countermeasures to protect against any potential problems, say Michael Schmidt of MetaboLogics in Fort Collins, Colorado, and Thomas Goodwin of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, in a forthcoming paper in Metabolomics.

The aim is not to weed out astronauts with deficiencies, but to ensure those who fly are in the best possible condition before they go to space, says Schmidt.

For example, certain gene mutations are known to reduce the stability of DNA, and this effect is amplified by a lack of folate. A person with the mutation could take folate supplements to protect against an increased risk of genetic damage from radiation exposure.

Reduced folate levels have also been linked to vision problems experienced by roughly a quarter of astronauts returning from the ISS. It is not yet clear whether the eye problems have a genetic component, but that is the kind of thing more focused research could reveal, says Schmidt.

Even a simple treatment like preflight bloodletting could prove useful when combined with genetic analysis, the pair say. People with a genetic mutation to build up iron in their bodies are at greater risk of radiation damage in space. An older male astronaut with the mutation will have built up high concentrations of iron over his lifetime (women are less at risk because they lose iron during menstruation). Bloodletting, along with an iron-restricted diet, could be an effective way to reduce this risk.

Genetic profiles can also help inform the types of drugs astronauts take into space, says Graham Scott of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He is looking at personalised medicine for Inspiration Mars, a private venture which plans to send humans on a fly-by of the Red Planet in 2018.

Roughly half of astronauts have experienced back pain during missions, which is treated in space with exercise and painkillers. But people with variants of the liver gene CYP2D6 can metabolise drugs such as the painkiller codeine too quickly, potentially leading to an overdose and there is no hospital en route to Mars. Instead, if an astronaut is known to have this mutation they can be given a lower dose or an alternative treatment.

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DNA Genetics Exodus Kush Flowering
DNA Genetics Exodus Kush is flowering in the final weeks. A gorgeous plant that has some leggy tendencies. I really enjoyed growing this marijuana strain. Pu...

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Bayer AG (BAYN) will use Seattle Genetics Inc. (SGEN)s armed antibody anti-cancer technology, seeking a foothold in a new class of drugs designed to be more effective and less destructive by ferrying chemotherapy straight into tumor cells.

Bayer agreed to pay Seattle Genetics up-front fees of as much as $20 million, plus about $500 million in development and commercialization milestones and royalties on any products that emerge from the collaboration, the Leverkusen, Germany-based drug and chemical maker said in a statement today.

The deal adds Bayer as a pharmaceutical user of Seattle Genetics processes for creating new targeted cancer drugs known as antibody-drug conjugates. The technology is a focal point for Bayer, Andreas Busch, head of the companys global drug discovery, said in the statement.

We are looking forward to strengthening our portfolio, Busch said.

Bayer rose as much as 1.3 percent to 79.13 euros and was trading up 1.2 percent at 11:49 a.m. in Frankfurt. The stock has gained 10 percent this year.

Seattle Genetics, based in Bothell, Washington, sells its own targeted cancer drug, Adcetris. GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK), Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and Roche Holding AG (ROG) are among its customers.

Roche won approval in February for its own antibody-drug conjugate, breast cancer therapy T-DM1. Cowen & Co. investment bank estimated at the time that the medicine, sold under the name Kadcyla, could be one of the biggest biotech drugs and generate sales of more than $5 billion.

Roche, based in Basel, Switzerland, used an antibody-drug conjugate technology from ImmunoGen Inc. (IMGN) for its breast cancer drug. ImmunoGen, which has its headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts, also has partnerships with Sanofi (SAN) and Amgen Inc. (AMGN)

To contact the reporter on this story: Naomi Kresge in Berlin at nkresge@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Phil Serafino at pserafino@bloomberg.net

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Bayer to Use Seattle Genetics Armed-Antibody Technology

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GREENWOOD, S.C., June 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- South Carolina will increase its role in world-class genetics research through a partnership that represents a cornerstone of economic development in Greenwood County, S.C.

The Greenwood Genetic Center, in conjunction with Clemson University, will expand existing facilities of the J.C. Self Research Institute to add a 17,000-square-foot research and education center in human genetics on 15 county-donated acres.

Clemson University's Center for Human Genetics will recruit research and development companies engaged in human diagnostics, cognitive development, central nervous system, autism, birth defects, cancer, and inflammatory diseases. The collaborative will seek new discoveries in genetic diagnostics and epigenetic therapeutics.

The project will expand Clemson University's doctoral program in human genetics, create an internationally competitive research and development team, and expand research at the Self Institute.

Clemson University President James Barker said the Greenwood Genetic Center will open its campus to Clemson scientists to research diagnostics and therapeutics with potential to provide immediate diagnosis of a variety of diseases. The Genetic Center and Clemson will evaluate research to create novel diagnostics that may be used to predict efficacy of therapeutics for targeted diseases, and provide early diagnostic tests. The research has potential to identify better treatments for such disorders as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease with high prevalence in South Carolina.

Barker applauded the involvement of Greenwood County, Greenwood Partnership Alliance, The Self Family Foundation, Greenwood Genetic Center, and others that made the project possible.

Steven Skinner, Greenwood Genetic Center director and senior clinical geneticist, said the collaboration with Clemson provides the foundation for advancement of genetic diagnosis and therapeutics for patients globally.

"A clear diagnosis combined with understanding the mechanisms of disease are what lead to effective therapies and improved quality of life for patients and their families," Skinner said. "This partnership will hasten the pace of progress and enhance the recognition of South Carolina as home to one of the nation's most productive and important facilities for genetics research and development."

The initiative represents a cornerstone of Greenwood County's economic development strategy, noted Mark Warner, CEO of Greenwood Partnership Alliance, tasked with enhancing economic growth in Greenwood County.

"The state will benefit from increased research, development and manufacturing with potential to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs during the next decade," said Warner.

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Greenwood (SC), Clemson University Partner to Expand World-Class Genetics Research

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SEATTLE (TheStreet) -- A small clinical study treating elderly Hodgkin lymphoma patients with a combination of Seattle Genetics' (SGEN) Adcetris and chemotherapy has been stopped temporarily due to reports of pancreatitis, a dangerous swelling of the pancreas, the company confirmed Tuesday.

The decision to suspend patient enrollment in the Adcetris study due to concerns about pancreatitis was made by researchers at Chicago's Northwestern University, which designed and is conducting the study. Seattle Genetics says none of its Adcetris studies have been halted for any toxicity reasons.

JMP Securities first picked up on the Adcetris study halt Friday following a presentation by Northwestern's Dr. Andrew Evens at a lymphoma research meeting in Lugano, Switzerland. As word filtered back through Wall Street Friday, Seattle Genetics shares sold off moderately. The stock recovered partially by the close of Friday trading after Seattle Genetics denied any knowledge of an Adcetris study being halted due to safety concerns.

Now, the company admits its denial Friday was a mistake.

Read more here:
Safety Concern Halts Study of Seattle Genetics' Lymphoma Drug

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwired - Jun 26, 2013) - Atossa Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATOS), the Breast Health Company, today announced that Kyle Guse, CFO and General Counsel, will be presenting at two upcoming investor conferences: the JMP Securities Healthcare Conference in New York City and the Life Science Innovation Northwest 2013 Conference in Seattle.

The JMP Securities Healthcare Conference presentation will take place on Tuesday, July 9, 2013, at 2:00 pm Eastern Time at the St. Regis Hotel. The Life Science Innovation Northwest 2013 Conference presentation will take place on Wednesday, July 10, 2013, at 10:45 am Pacific Time at the Washington State Convention Center.

About Atossa Genetics, Inc.

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

The National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health (NRLBH), a wholly owned subsidiary of Atossa Genetics, Inc., is a CLIA-certified high-complexity molecular diagnostic laboratory located in Seattle, Washington.

For additional information on Atossa and its medical devices, please visit http://www.atossagenetics.com. For additional information on the ForeCYTE test and the National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health, please visit http://www.nrlbh.com.

Continued here:
Atossa Genetics to Present at Two Upcoming Investor Conferences

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith