NEW YORK, April 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

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

http://www.reportlinker.com/p01158475/MediPoint-Predictive-Breast-Cancer-Gene-Testing---APAC-Analysis-and-Market-Forecasts.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Pathology

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

Summary

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

This report focuses on the predictive breast cancer gene testing markets in Japan and future markets in China and India, and identifies unmet needs in the market, physician attitudes towards current gene testing, and the future of gene testing in the face of rapid technological advancement.

Scope

- An overview of Breast Cancer, which includes epidemiology, etiology, symptoms, diagnosis, pathology and treatment guidelines. - Annualized APAC Breast Cancer Gene Testing market revenue and future forecasts from 2009 to 2011 and forecast to 2018. - Investigation of current and future market competition for Breast Cancer Gene Testing - Insightful review of the key industry drivers, restraints and challenges as well as predicted impact of key events. - Competitor assessment including device approval analysis and device sales forecasts. - Marketed and pipeline product profiles covering efficiency, safety, clinical study details, device approvals, product positioning and device sales forecast. - Analysis of unmet needs within the market and opportunities for future players. - Technology trends evaluation to assess strength of pipeline. - An overview of all devices in development including clinical study details, design and material selection considerations, efficacy reports, and device approval timelines. - Company profiles including business description, financial overview and SWOT analysis. - Coverage of key market players. - Strategic assessment of APAC device sector through market impact analysis, future market scenario and company analysis. - Direct quotes from Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) as well as oncologists

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

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEW YORK, April 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

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

http://www.reportlinker.com/p01158476/MediPoint-Predictive-Breast-Cancer-Gene-Testing---South-America-Analysis-and-Market-Forecasts.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Pathology

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

Summary

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

This report focuses on the predictive breast cancer gene testing markets in South America, principally Brazil, and identifies unmet needs in the market, physician attitudes towards current gene testing, and the future of gene testing in the face of rapid technological advancement.

Scope

- An overview of Breast Cancer, which includes epidemiology, etiology, symptoms, diagnosis, pathology and treatment guidelines. - Annualized South America Breast Cancer Gene Testing market revenue and future forecasts from 2009 to 2011, forecast for 7 years to 2018. - Investigation of current and future market competition for Breast Cancer Gene Testing - Insightful review of the key industry drivers, restraints and challenges as well as predicted impact of key events. - Competitor assessment including device approval analysis and device sales forecasts. - Marketed and pipeline product profiles covering efficiency, safety, clinical study details, device approvals, product positioning and device sales forecast. - Technology trends evaluation to assess strength of pipeline. - An overview of all devices in development including clinical study details, design and material selection considerations, efficacy reports, and device approval timelines. - Company profiles including business description, financial overview and SWOT analysis. - Coverage of key market players. - Strategic assessment of South America device sector through market impact analysis, future market scenario and company analysis. - Direct quotes from Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) as well as oncologists

Reasons to buy

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

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 16-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, April 16, 2013Interferons have antitumor activity and have been used to treat a variety of malignancies, including colorectal and ovarian cancers. However, their effectiveness varies. A clearer understanding of the role of interferon in immune-mediated tumor cell death and how its antitumor effects could be optimized are presented in a comprehensive Review article published in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free online on the Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research website.

In the article "Immunomodulatory Effects of Interferons in Malignancies," Joseph Bekisz, Yuki Sato, Chase Johnson, Syed Husain, Raj Puri, and Kathryn Zoon, from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, MD, discuss the implications of recent study results using interferons to treat cancer. They explore the mechanisms of interferon signaling that lead to tumor cell death and propose strategies for enhancing the therapeutic, anti-cancer effects of interferon. The authors also suggest directions for future research, including alternative methods of delivering interferon-activated immune cells.

"Interferon has long been used to treat certain types of cancer, but the mechanistic basis of successful therapy has remained elusive," says Co-Editor-in-Chief Ganes C. Sen, PhD, Chairman, Department of Molecular Genetics, Cleveland Clinic Foundation. "Here, the authors summarize results from a number of new investigations, helping to clarify our knowledge."

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About the Journal

Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research, led by Co-Editors-in-Chief Ganes C. Sen, PhD, and Thomas A. Hamilton, PhD, Chairman, Department of Immunology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly online with Open Access options and in print that covers all aspects of interferons and cytokines from basic science to clinical applications. Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research is the Official Journal of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed online on the Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 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 Viral Immunology, AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, and DNA and Cell Biology. 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., publishers website.

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New approaches to maximize the antitumor activity of interferon

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 16-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, April 16, 2013Even as medical acupuncture is increasingly being validated as an effective treatment for a broad range of medical conditions, what has been missing is an understanding of the basic science and mechanisms of action of this age-old method of healing. A special issue of Medical Acupuncture, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers presents a series of articles by authors from around the world who provide diverse and insightful perspectives on the science and physiologic responses underlying medical acupuncture. The issue is available free on the Medical Acupuncture website at http://www.liebertpub.com/acu.

"Understanding acupuncture in the same manner that we understand the mechanism of action and pharmacokinetics of a particular drug will, similarly, enable us to match treatments better with conditions," states Guest Editor Richard F. Hobbs, III, MD. "The net effect will be improved outcomes," he writes in his editorial "Basic Science Matters."

In the editorial "Basic Science: Mysteries and Mechanisms of Acupuncture," Richard Niemtzow, MD, PhD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief of Medical Acupuncture, a retired Air Force Colonel and current Director of the USAF Acupuncture Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, suggests that natural events have scientific explanations and that "the two explanationsone scientific, the other environmentalmight both elucidate how acupuncture works."

The issue includes a Review article by John Longhurst, MD, PhD, University of California, Irvine, entitled "Acupuncture's Cardiovascular Actions: A Mechanistic Perspective." The article describes how acupuncture's effects on cardiovascular function can decrease elevated blood pressure, improve blood flow, and relieve pain.

Steven Harte, PhD and colleagues from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA) report the results of a study aimed at understanding the differences in patient responses to traditional vs. sham acupuncture. They used pressure-pain testing to identify patients who may be less likely to respond to sham acupuncture based on levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. The study is described in the article "Pressure Pain Sensitivity and Insular Combined Glutamate and Glutamine (Glx) Are Associated with Subsequent Clinical Response to Sham But Not Traditional Acupuncture in Patients Who Have Chronic Pain."

Keith Spaulding, ND, MAc and coauthors assessed the electrophysiological differences between actual and nearby (or sham) acupuncture points in the article "Acupuncture Needle Stimulation Induces Changes in Bioelectric Potential."

###

About the Journal

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How does acupuncture work? The science behind the therapy explored

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

April 16, 2013

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

While there are many advantages to the ability to modify genes, there are also a number of genetic engineering disadvantages. However, unlike the pros such as super-sized strawberries, drought-proof corn or fungus-resistant soybeans the cons of genetically engineered foods are sometimes a little harder to spot.

For starters, according to Washington Post columnist Dr. Peter Lind, genetically modified organisms (GMO) have proven inferior to their naturally occurring counterparts in terms of overall quality.

In every case of genetic engineered organisms, the product has been less naturally healthy overall than the original host organisms, he wrote in a March editorial. There may be a single trait that is superior, but the overall health of the organism is less than found in nature. From animals like the sheep Dolly, to the Flavr Savr tomato, to the products you are eating today and dont even know it, there are inherent problems consuming altered DNA.

Another of the principle genetic engineering disadvantages that Lind points out derives from the fact that DNA does not always fully break down during human digestion. This means that there is a chance that the bacteria in our intestines could incorporate parts of the genetically modified plants DNA such as the gene for super-resistance into their own, leading to new strains of super-bacteria.

Columnist Mark Bittman from the New York Times breaks down another unintended effect of genetic engineering in his recent column criticizing President Barack Obamas recent signing of the Monsanto Protection Act.

Monsanto has long been cited as being one of the biggest problems with genetic engineering. The agricultural company not only created a highly effective weed killer in RoundUp it also inadvertently engineered plants that are resistant to it. While RoundUp and the plants resistance to it have been a big financial hit for the company, they have also resulted in the emergence of several super weeds that are resistant to the herbicide.

Bittman argues that genetic engineering is a disadvantage in this case because after all the effort that went into developing the products and the extensive use of RoundUp which could have potentially leaked the stuff into the groundwater Monsanto and farmers have ended up right back where they started: fighting weeds.

According to the Times columnist, unnecessary waste is one of the biggest problems with genetic engineering, and the Monsanto Protection Act, which prevents the Department of Agriculture from stopping the production of GMOs once they are in the ground, only exacerbates the problem.

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Food For Thought – A Few Disadvantages of Genetic Engineering

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Posted at 07:53 AM ET, 04/16/2013

Apr 16, 2013 11:53 AM EDT

An American flag flies in front of the Supreme Court in Washington on June 27, 2012. (Alex Brandon - AP)

The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case that could decide whether its possible to patent specific human genes that have been "snipped" out of our DNA and isolated in the laboratory. If the justices rule that Myriad Genetics can patent two human genes thought to be responsible for breast and ovarian cancer, we could be headed down a slippery genetic slope. A single corporation could own an essential part of what makes us human our genes and be able to use its patent monopoly to block other innovators from conducting research on specific fragments of our DNA.

According SCOTUS Blogs Amy Howe, the Justices appear to be leaning away from the position that specific human genes can be patented. One analogy the Court used was, as SCOTUS Blogs Lyle Denniston writes, "the leaf or sap of an Amazonian plant that has curative potentia l for human disease." Another analogy was the wooden baseball bat that has been shaped out of a tree limb. The plant growing in the Amazon cant be patented by researchers, just as the tree growing in the forest cant be patented by researchers. However, what can be patented is the process for extracting the sap from the plant or the actual product the baseball bat or medicine that is made from nature.

But heres where things get interesting: the Supreme Court, again according to Howes analysis, appears to have left open the door for corporations to patent complementary DNA (cDNA) synthetic DNA molecules that function the same as human DNA. (Justice Kennedy referred to these as "economy-class genes.") Using the analogies above, it would be like figuring out how to create a synthetic Amazonian plant or a synthetic Louisville Slugger tree in the laboratory an impressive feat of innovation worthy of a patent.

The undated handout photo shows the pipetting of a DNA solution, the typical thread structure of the DNA molecule. (Anonymous - ASSOCIATED PRESS) So, what if biotech corporations start creating synthetic genes that could be spliced into the human genome?

After all, if Myriad Genetics can patent the genes thought to be responsible for breast cancer and ovarian cancer, couldnt other companies patent synthetic genes responsible for things like superior athletic and physical performance? Since 1982, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has been handing out patents for human genes, which is how Myriad Genetics acquired its patents. Whats to stop the USPTO from handing out patents for synthetic genes as well?

Imagine a future where Nike peddles designer synthetic genes for, say, superior cardiovascular performance alongside its running and cycling gear, or Adidas sells designer genes for tallness alongside its new line of basketball shoes. It likely wouldnt stop there. When you think about the thousands of genetic markers that help to distinguish us from everyone else, its easy to see how the rise of synthetic designer genes would inevitably lead to the first designer baby. Parents in the future might not be able to resist a guarantee that their baby will have the right genes for beauty, brains, and longevity as well as even more specific characteristics.

Of course, there are a few caveats about designer synthetic genes. For one thing, its still extraordinarily difficult to determine which genes are actually responsible for specific traits and characteristics. You might sign up for one synthetic gene and get entirely different results than you expected. And, according to Myriad Genetics, its also extraordinarily expensive to create the genetic mapping process for extracting copies of genes found within the human body and isolating them within a laboratory environment. As the Supreme Court appears to realize, you dont engage in this activity unless theres a world of profit out there for the taking, which is what a patent monopoly on human genes would give you.

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Name-brand genes: Is our genetic makeup what’s next in personal branding?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 15-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jia Liu liujia@genomics.cn BGI Shenzhen

Shenzhen, China, April 16, 2013 - BGI Health and ACIBADEM Healthcare Group Genetic Diagnostic Center in cooperation with Genoks Company Molecular Biology, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for jointly introducing the advanced genetic testing technologies to Turkey and improving Turkish reproductive healthcare. This partnership will foster the applications of genetic testing technologies in the areas of Monogenic disorders, personalized medical healthcare, birth defects that cause terrible diseases, among others.

With the fast development of scientific technologies, there are a variety of testing tools that parents can use to look into their baby's future health, or to predict some of most serious hereditary diseases. Among them, genetic testing is the latest and most sophisticated of techniques used to detect gene variants associated with a specific disease or condition. In the clinical applications, genetic testing technologies can be performed to confirm a suspected diagnosis, to predict the possibility of future illness, to detect the presence of a carrier state in unaffected individuals (whose children may be at risk), and to predict response to therapy.

Considering the potential and importance of genetic testing, ACIBADEM Healthcare Group Genetic Diagnostic Center and BGI Health entered collaboration for further accelerating its clinical applications, and benefiting the reproductive health of Turkish population. This partnership will combine BGI Health's powerful genetic testing platform and genomic knowledge with Acibadem hospital's splendid clinical expertise and experience. The collaboration will involve Non-invasive Fetal Trisomy testing (NIFTY), Monogenic disorder genetic testing, Exome-seq based personalized medical healthcare, HLA genotyping, among others.

"Through the powerful combination of complementary advantages, the cooperation between BGI and ACIBADEM Healthcare Group Genetic Diagnostic Center will be conductive to advance the clinical applications of genetic testing technologies and develop better solutions to address the challenges of hereditary diseases." said Dr. Ning Li, Director of BGI Europe. "Supported by our international partners, I believe we are likely to change the current practice of medicine and public health by facilitating more accurate, sophisticated and cost-effective genetic testing in Turkey and other European countries. "

"ACIBADEM Healthcare Group Genetic Diagnostic Center provides state-of-the-art cytogenetic and molecular genetic analysis for local and international prestigious hospitals therewithal ACIBADEM Hospitals. We sincerely believe BGI Health will definitely accelerate and expand our capacity to respond the complex diagnostic challenges, multi-genic and multifactorial diseases and conducting clinical research.

I believe our business will continue to provide the same high quality products and service with the honored reputation of yours and this partnership would effect our studies in the effective and efficient manner of conducting business." said Prof. Dr. M. Cengiz YAKICIER Director of ACIBADEM Healthcare Group Genetic Diagnostic Center.

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About Acibadem Hospital

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BGI Health forms partnership with ACIBADEM hospital on genetic disease testing

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 15-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mark Couch mark.couch@ucdenver.edu 303-724-5377 University of Colorado Denver

AURORA, Colo. (April 15, 2013) A newly published study of patients with pulmonary fibrosis has discovered multiple genetic variations that should help with future efforts to treat the disease.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition where lung tissue becomes thickened, stiff and scarred. Currently in the United States, there are no drugs approved for use in cases of the condition's most common and severe form, which is known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) because the cause of the disease is not known. In those cases, the median survival time after diagnosis is two to three years and lung transplants are the only intervention known to prolong life.

This new study found evidence that common genetic variation is an important contributor to the risk of developing IPF, accounting for approximately one-third of the risk of developing disease. The study identified seven novel genetic risk loci that include genes involved in host defense, cell-cell adhesion, and DNA repair. These findings suggest that the disease is primarily initiated by defects in the lung's ability to defend against internal and environmental challenges.

This international collaborative research was led by scientists at the University of Colorado.

"The insightful leadership of Tasha Fingerlin, extraordinary contributions of Elissa Murphy, and active participation of many others ensured the success of this research and, in aggregate, we have established the scientific basis for early recognition and have identified novel therapeutic targets for this untreatable disease," says David A. Schwartz, MD, chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and senior author of the study. "These findings will change the way we think about pulmonary fibrosis and should eventually enhance the diagnostic and therapeutic options for our patients."

Fingerlin, PhD, and Murphy, MS, also authors of the study, are researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health and the CU School of Medicine.

The study, published in the April 14 edition of the journal Nature Genetics, is the first study to map out genes associated with IPF risk on a genome-wide scale. Three previously known genetic links were confirmed and seven novel loci were identified by studying the entire genome in this progressive incurable disease.

The work was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). "In addition to expanding the library of genetic changes that can underlie pulmonary fibrosis, this study's findings demonstrate that both rare and common genetic variants contribute significantly to pulmonary fibrosis risk," says James Kiley, PhD, Director of NHLBI's Division of Lung Diseases. "A key next step for research is figuring out how these genetic variants work with environmental factors in the development of the disease."

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Genetic variation contributes to pulmonary fibrosis risk

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

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Ready To Lose Weight Fast? - Video

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SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwired - Apr 16, 2013) - Atossa Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATOS), The Breast Health Company, will soon begin providing its patented ForeCYTE Breast Health Test for early detection of precursors to breast cancer at two breast centers in Texas: Aurora Breast Center in San Antonio and The Breast Center at Wellness Lubbock in Lubbock. These two breast centers are the first comprehensive breast centers in Texas to offer the ForeCYTE test and represent an important step forward in the Company's quest to make the ForeCYTE test a standard of care nationwide.

The Aurora Breast Center is a leading comprehensive breast care center in San Antonio featuring cutting-edge breast imaging, biopsy and cancer treatment technology and The Breast Center at Wellness Lubbock offers a holistic approach to breast wellness intended to help prevent manageable disease from becoming life-threatening crises. Together, these two clinics serve approximately 5,000 patients annually.

"Dr. Jui-Lien 'Lillian' Chou, M.D., a board-certified radiation oncologist, and her teams in San Antonio and Lubbock know that early detection of precursors to breast cancer can mean the difference between life and death. The Atossa team hopes that other doctors and health centers will follow their lead and join in the crusade for earlier testing for the health and longevity benefit of our sisters, mothers, daughters, wives and friends," said Chris Destro, Vice President.

Dr. Chou, a breast cancer survivor, commented, "Finding and treating precancerous conditions and breast cancer as early as possible is vital. By offering the ForeCYTE Breast Health Test in San Antonio and Lubbock, we are providing women in these areas with a powerful new tool for maintaining their health."

Atossa Genetics' goal is to reduce the stubbornly high rate of breast cancer through the early detection and treatment of the precursor changes that lead to breast cancer. The traditional approach to breast cancer screening is to detect cancer. In addition to cancer detection, Atossa's ForeCYTE test looks earlier in the progression to cancer by detecting reversible, precancerous breast changes.

About the ForeCYTE Breast Health Test

The ForeCYTE Breast Health Test, intended for the 110 million women in the U.S. ages 18-73, is a painless, quick and non-invasive procedure that can be done in a physician's office. A small sample of fluid, aspirated from the nipple of each breast with the Company's patented breast pump, can provide vital early detection of cancer or pre-cancerous conditions that may progress to cancer over an approximately eight year period before cancer can be detected by mammography or other means. The ForeCYTE test is painless, uses no radiation, no invasive biopsy needles and surgical incisions.

Samples obtained by the ForeCYTE method are tested at Atossa's wholly owned National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health, a CLIA-certified high-complexity molecular diagnostic laboratory located in Seattle.

About Atossa Genetics, Inc.

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

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Atossa Genetics to Provide ForeCYTE Breast Health Test to Two Leading Breast Centers in Texas

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 16-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: John Easton john.easton@uchospitals.edu 773-795-5225 University of Chicago Medical Center

A new study looking at the genomes of more than 1,500 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a rare and devastating lung disease, found multiple genetic associations with the disease, including one gene variant that was linked to an increase in the risk of death.

The study, released early online in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, showed that a variant in a gene called TOLLIP was associated with an increased mortality risk. That variant resulted in decreased expression of TOLLIP in the lungs of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Because TOLLIP, also known as toll interacting protein, plays a role in regulating immunity to certain stimuli, this novel finding suggests that an abnormal immune response, possibly to infectious agents or even environmental injury, may be central to the disease.

Curiously, the version of TOLLIP that appears to prevent onset of the disease was also the variant that increased the risk of death in patients who did develop IPF.

"Our initial genome-wide study revealed 20 genetic loci that may be associated with this disease," said lead author Imre Noth, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Interstitial Lung Disease Program at the University of Chicago. "A more focused investigation showed that four of these play a crucial role."

The researchers confirmed one previously implicated gene tied to disease onset and, more important, found the new genetic locus that appears to play a role in both onset and mortality.

The results "change our perception of the importance of genetics in IPF," Noth said. "Preliminary work, looking at multiple variants of different genes, may allow us to predict the risk of death in IPF patients, which can vary according to their genetics up to 6.5 fold. This would be a powerful prognostic test."

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis affects about 150,000 people in the United States, usually after age 50. It causes progressive scarring of the lungs, which leads to increasing difficulty with breathing. For most patients, this leads to death, usually within three to five years. The only effective therapy is a lung transplant.

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Gene study helps understand pulmonary fibrosis

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BEATBio, a Seattle, Wash.-based biotechnology company focused on the development of a novel gene therapy to improve cardiac performance in the setting of heart failure, today announced the closing of a $2.5 million seed stage investment with funding provided by CET Capital Partners. Participating investors include the W Fund. The proceeds will be used to move BEATBios lead gene therapy product into clinical development.

BEATBios therapeutic strategy is based on our founders discovery that a small increase in a naturally occurring enzyme can act as a super-fuel to increase the pumping power of heart muscles and improve cardiac performance measures including speed and force of contraction as well as relaxation in both resting and stressed states. BEATBios technology was developed by an interdisciplinary research team at the University of Washington led by Charles Murry, Director of the UW Center for Cardiovascular Biology and was funded by significant federal grants from the National Institutes of Health. BEATBio holds an exclusive global license to a suite of cardiovascular technologies from the UW, including the gene therapy program.

This financing is an important milestone for BEATBio and will allow us to move rapidly forward with the development of our lead product. It is reassuring to know that high quality, promising but early stage companies can still be funded in todays investment environment. Its a testament to the founders scientific leadership and the investors willingness to fund the critical translational phase of biotech product development, said Michael Kranda, BEATBio CEO.

CET Capital Partners Managing Director, Craig E. Tall, who will join the BEATBio Board, said, The combination of the scientific foundation, the leadership team and the prospect of fundamentally transforming the treatment of heart failure patients presented a rare investment opportunity. I am pleased to have helped launch what I believe to be an important company.

SaidChad Waite, investment committee member of the W Fund and managing director at OVP Venture Partners,BEATBiois exactly the kind of early-stage investment that the W Fund was formed to make. It represents an impactful discovery from cutting edge research in Washington that could transform the prognosis for literally millions of Americans suffering from congestive heart failure. We hope this W Fund investment will help drive these groundbreaking results from a Washington laboratory toward a new and badly-needed cardiac therapy.

About BEATBio: BEATBio is a Seattle, Wash.-based biotechnology company focused on the development of a novel gene therapy for heart failure. BEATBios technologies were developed by a founding scientific team from the University of Washington. BEATBio holds an exclusive, worldwide license from the University of Washington to a suite of technologies and associated intellectual property involving cardiovascular medicine, including gene and cell therapy, bioengineered materials and biological pace-makers.

Please visit http://www.beatbiotherapeutics.com for more information.

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BEAT BioTherapeutics Corporation Closes $2.5MM Seed Financing to Develop Its Gene Therapy Treatment for Heart Failure

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

2. The Anatomy of the Spinal Cord and How it Works - Spinal Cord Injury 101
An explanation of how the spinal cord works. This video, created by KPKinteractive for Shepherd Center and its project partners, uses simple language and ima...

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2. The Anatomy of the Spinal Cord and How it Works - Spinal Cord Injury 101 - Video

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5B. Levels of Injury Explained - Low Cervical- Spinal Cord Injury 101
The low cervical spinal cord injury explained. This video, created by KPKinteractive for Shepherd Center and its project partners, uses simple language and i...

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5B. Levels of Injury Explained - Low Cervical - Spinal Cord Injury 101 - Video

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April 15, 2013

Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

The painful, debilitating symptoms associated with myelin disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy, may one day be avoided if new breakthroughs in medical science have anything to say about it. One such breakthrough by a team of scientists at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine (CaseMed) has discovered a technique that directly converts skin cells into a type of brain cells destroyed in patients with these myelin disorders.

The breakthrough, revealed in a paper published in todays issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology, enables on demand production of myelinating cells, which insulate and protect neurons and also enables delivery of brain impulses to the body. In patients with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and other similar disorders, these myelinating cells are destroyed and cannot be replaced.

In the research lab, Paul Tesar, PhD, assistant professor of genetics and genome sciences at CaseMed, and his colleagues used a new technique involving converting fibroblasts an abundant structural cell in the skin and most organs into oligodendrocytes, the type of cell responsible for myelinating the neurons of the brain.

This is alchemy on the cellular level, Tesar noted. We are taking a readily accessible and abundant cell and completely switching its identity to become a highly valuable cell for therapy.

Using cellular reprogramming, the team manipulated the levels of three naturally occurring proteins to induce fibroblast cells to become precursors of oligodendrocytes (oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, or OPCs). With the new method, the team was able to rapidly generate billions of these induced OPCs, and then show that they could regenerate new myelin coatings around nerves after being transplanted in mice.

Tesar and his colleagues, co-first authors Fadi Najm and Angela Lager, report that this new technique, effectively conducted in mice, could hopefully be used someday to treat human myelin disorders. Currently, cures require the myelin coating to be regenerated by replacement oligodendrocytes. But previously, OPCs and oligodendrocytes could only be obtained from fetal tissue or pluripotent stem cells, which were costly procedures and only offered limited benefits.

The myelin repair field has been hampered by an inability to rapidly generate safe and effective sources of functional oligodendrocytes, explained study co-author and myelin expert Robert Miller, PhD, professor of neurosciences at CaseMed and the universitys vice president for research. The new technique may overcome all of these issues by providing a rapid and streamlined way to directly generate functional myelin producing cells.

The next critical step in the research will be to effectively demonstrate the efficacy and safety of using human cells in the lab setting for myelin research. If the technique can prove successful, it will undoubtedly have widespread consequences for those suffering from debilitating myelin disorders. Therapeutic applications could be far-reaching.

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Turning Stem Cells Into Brain Cells To Cure Multiple Sclerosis And Cerebral Palsy

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Since the 1980s, patent lawyers have been claiming pieces of humanity's genetic code. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted thousands of gene patents. The Federal Circuit, the court that hears all patent appeals, has consistently ruled such patents are legal.

But the judicial winds have been shifting. The Supreme Court has never ruled on the legality of gene patents. And recently, the Supreme Court has grown increasingly skeptical of the Federal Circuit's patent-friendly jurisprudence.

Meanwhile, a growing number of researchers, health care providers, and public interest groups have raised concerns about the harms of gene patents. The American Civil Liberties Union estimates that more than 40 percent of genes are now patented. Those patents have created "patent thickets" that make it difficult for scientists to do genetic research and commercialize their results. Monopolies on genetic testing have raised prices and reduced patient options.

On Monday, the high court will hear arguments about whether to invalidate a Utah company's patents on two genes associated with breast cancer. But the legal challenge, spearheaded by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Public Patent Foundation, could have much broader implications. A decision could invalidate thousands of patents and free medical researchers and clinicians to practice medicine without interference from the patent system.

The ACLU has cast a Utah biotech company called Myriad Genetics as the villain in its campaign against gene patents. Almost two decades ago, the University of Utah (a defendant in the original lawsuit) sequenced two genes, called BRCA1 and BRCA2, that are associated with an elevated risk of breast cancer. The University patented their findings before eventually licensing them to Myriad. Since the company began using said patents, it has enjoyed a de facto monopoly over testing and research related to the genes. Currently, Myriad even has a monopoly on the implications of various genetic differences, though some people are trying to undercut that as well.

"When Myriad genetics began cracking down and closing labs, no one else could offer the test," said Ellen Matloff, a cancer genetic counselor in an ACLU-produced video. Researchers began to suspect that Myriad's test was giving false negatives for some mutations of the BRCA genes. But Matloff says that when she asked for permission to offer a supplemental test for patients who got a negative result from Myriad's test, she was told that doing so would violate Myriad's patent.

Kathleen Maxian, a woman with late stage ovarian cancer, believes that Myriad's patents may have prevented her from catching the disease soon enough to get a hysterectomy. A few years earlier, her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and took Myriad's test to see if the cancer might have a genetic basis. Because her sister's test came up negative, Maxian chose not to get tested herself.

Myriad eventually offered Maxian's sister a more comprehensive test that showed her family had a genetic predisposition toward breast and ovarian cancer. But it was too late to help Maxian. She believes that without Myriad's patent restrictions, other labs would have offered a more comprehensive test earlier, potentially saving her life.

A fundamental principle of the Supreme Court's patent precedents is that only inventions, not discoveries of natural phenomena, are eligible for patent protection. In last year's Mayo v. Prometheusdecision,for example, the high court examined a patent that instructed doctors to adjust the dose of a drug based on the level of a particular chemical in the patient's blood. Justice Stephen Breyer, writing for a unanimous court, ruled that the patent was invalid because the patent effectively claimed ownership of a fact about human biology. The only "invention" consisted of "well-understood, routine, conventional activity" to measure the patient's blood chemistry.

The ACLU argues the same point applies to Myriad's gene patent. Myriad acknowledges that it can't patent genes while they're in the human body. But it argues that the BRCA genes become eligible for patent protection once they are "isolated" from the human body. But the ACLU counters that the differences between "natural" and "isolated" genes are not significant enough to make the latter a human invention rather than a mere discovery.

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Will the Supreme Court end human gene patents after three decades?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

After battling breast cancer in 2008, Lisbeth Ceriani took on a whole new challenge. She joined a lawsuit against a biotechnology company she believed was blocking her ability to make informed decisions about her ongoing treatment.

Myriad Genetics was awarded patents in the 1990s on two isolated genes called BRCA 1 and BRCA2 as well as diagnostic methods. Women with mutations in those genes are at a much higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Because of the patent, Myriad is the only place to go for testing, and it sets the $3,340 price tag.

Ceriani's problem was that even though her doctors recommended she get the test to make an informed decision about future risks (ovarian in particular) she could not afford it. She was stunned to learn that the patents give Myriad the right to prevent others from doing commercial testing.

"I think my genes are mine," she says. "Myriad thinks they are not mine."

On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Myriad's patents originally brought by scientists, researchers and patients who believe the patents stand in the way of further research on the genes and limit the availability of testing. The ACLU is representing the groups and argues that the Court should invalidate the patents because they cover a product of nature and not an actual invention.

The case has huge ramifications for biotechnology companies racing to create personalized tests and treatments tailored to a person's genetic make-up.

Myriad says that the patents have been essential to the development of diagnostic tools to help patients and doctors assess the risks of cancer. The company rejects the notion that it somehow owns someone's genes. "Each individual's DNA is theirs," says Mark Capone, the company's president. He says that what his scientists did was identify, define and isolate the genes out of the human body, which led to a momentous scientific advancement. The company says it spent over $500 million and that it took 17 years to recoup the capital investment. Without protection from a strong patent system, Myriad argues it won't have the incentive to charge ahead.

Capone says over one million women have been tested and that 95% of patients in the U.S. have access to the testing through private insurance and other coverage. "For the first time they have been given the opportunity to identify why these cancers have ravaged their family histories."

Dan L. Burk, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine, believes the Court should uphold Myriad's patents. "The patent doesn't cover anybody's genes in their body. The patent only covers isolated molecules that are outside the body. It is against patent office policy and against patent law to own a human being or anything in the human body."

But Sandra Park, a senior attorney with the ACLU, says, "The patents are framed as covering and claiming the isolated genes. What that means is that the moment the gene is removed from the cell, Myriad owns it. The scope of the patent is incredibly broad."

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Gene Patent Case Goes to High Court

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By Brian Alexander, NBC News Contributor

The legal question at the heart of the US Supreme Courts debate over the patenting of human genes has practical ramifications that could ripple into the lives of every American -- not just women at risk for rare breast cancer.

Dorothy Warburton, Ph.D./Newscom

BRCA 2 (breast cancer) gene on chromosome 13.

What the high court decides could affect who will conduct your medical tests, how those tests are interpreted, how and how fast drugs can be developed -- and what your doctor can tell you about your health, experts say.

Thats because all of those issues are entangled in the case involving a Utah company, Myriad Genetics, which controls the patents on variations of two human genes, known as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Women with mutations in those genes are at much higher risk for getting breast and ovarian cancer.

This is important, says patent expert Arti Rai, the Elvin R. Latty professor of law at Duke University School of Law, and an affiliate of Dukes Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy. If the court rules against Myriad, this may make it easier for you to get second opinions, about diagnostic tests, she said.

Myriad owns the patents to the genetic sequences, as well as any mutations along those genes. The American Civil Liberties Union, which has brought the case on behalf of a coalition of patients, researchers and doctors, argues that that means that if genes from a particular person are analyzed or separated from other biological material, regardless of how or for what reason, that would constitute patent infringement.

The industry has countered for years -- and won on this argument -- that they don't patent the genes, but the man-made molecules based on those genes.

Myriads current exclusive right to the testing means all BRCA tests are conducted by Myriad. Theres no second opinion or confirmation by an independent second source and Myriad can set its own price free of competition.

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Supreme Court gene patent decision could affect every patient

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 15-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Sophie Mohin smohin@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, April 15, 2013Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) derived from blood contains growth factors and other bioactive molecules that promote healing at sites of tissue injury. However, it is difficult to deliver and retain these molecules at a target site, and clinical results have proven to be mixed until now. A new solid form of bioactive plasma-based biomaterials, known as PBMs, can accelerate tissue healing. Not only are PBMs easier to work with, inexpensive to produce, and safe to use, they are available as off-the-shelf products. All of these promising advantages, and the potential to use PBMs to enhance healing of difficult-to-treat connective tissue injuries affecting cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, contribute to their unique possibilities as described in the article "Biologically Active Blood Plasma-Based Biomaterials as a New Paradigm for Tissue Repair Therapies," by Smith et al. in Disruptive Science and Technology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Disruptive Science and Technology website at http://www.disruptivescience.com.

Authors Jason Smith and Alan West, Carmell Therapeutics Corp.; Lee Weiss, Robotics Institute, and Phil Campbell, Institute for Complex Engineered Systems, Carnegie Mellon University; and James Burgess, Department of Neurosurgery, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, describe initial studies with PBMs in which they were successfully used to stimulate the repair of a bone defect in a mouse. They conclude that "PBM products have the potential to accelerate healing and reduce pain and complications, enabling patients to return to work and their daily lives more quickly." The authors further discuss the development of the PBM technology, its potential applications, advantages over existing treatment options, and the barriers still to be overcome for clinical implementation.

According to study author Alan West, "There has been much recent interest in the concept of using natural regenerative factors to heal wounds the use of autologous platelet-rich plasma is seeing wide-scale clinical use for treating musculoskeletal and other injuries. Our plasma-based biomaterials move this concept a quantum leap forward, with materials that have the potential to disrupt the industry with a new category of biologics that are inexpensive to produce, safe, and robust in healing both bone and soft tissue injuries."

"There is a significant need for effective, consistent, and cost effective products that can biologically enhance tissue healing," says Editor-in-Chief Alan J. Russell, PhD, Highmark Distinguished Professor, Carnegie Mellon University. "By being cost effective and readily available, PBMs can benefit a wide population of patients in healthcare systems. The research Smith and his colleagues have published has the potential to benefit not only the First World Countries, but also could be practical options for developing nations."

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About the Journal

Disruptive Science and Technology, a breakthrough, highly innovative, peer-reviewed journal spearheaded by Editor-in-Chief Alan J. Russell, PhD, Highmark Distinguished Professor, Carnegie Mellon University, cultivates, harnesses, and explores how existing paradigms can be changed to improve human health, well-being, and productivity. The Journal provides a multimedia platform and forum for ideas and opportunities, promotes breakthrough science and engineering, facilitates the innovator-market relationship, and accelerates the transition from bench to society. Bold, transparent, and resistant to limitations driven by protection of the science and engineering status quo, Disruptive Science and Technology provides the first destination for those seeking to publish game-changing results that have the capacity to alter the way we live. For complete journal details, please visit the Disruptive Science and Technology website at http://www.disruptivescience.com.

About the Publisher

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Can new plasma-based biomaterials speed healing of injured tissues?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 14-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Renatt Brodsky Renatt.Brodsky@mountsinai.org 212-241-9200 The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine

(New York, NY April 14, 2013) Through a collaborative genome-wide study on individuals, researchers have discovered 14 new genetic variations that are associated with heart rate. Since heart rate is a marker of cardiovascular health, these findings could provide a better understanding of genetic regulation of heart beat and is a first step towards identifying targets for new drugs to treat cardiovascular disease.

The study, titled, "Identification of Heart Rate-Associated Loci and Their Effects on Cardiac Conduction and Rhythm Disorders," was published online this week in the April issue of Nature Genetics. Led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge, UK, the collaboration involved 268 researchers from 211 institutions, as well as six large research consortia joined forces.

In order to gain new insights into the genetic regulation of heart rate, Dr. Ruth Loos, Director of the Genetics of Obesity and Related Metabolic Traits Program at the Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine at Mount Sinai and honorary investigator at the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit and her team, spent three years working on a genome-wide association study using data from 181,171 participants from 65 studies during 2009-2012. "Without any prior hypothesis, we studied the entire human genome hoping to identify new genetic variations that no one before had even imagined would play a role in the regulation of heart rate," said Dr. Loos, senior author of the study. "This discovery is just the beginning of something new and exciting and can hopefully be used to identify new drugs that can be used for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders."

In a follow-up study, experimental down-regulation of gene expression was then conducted on fruit flies and zebra fish, to better understand how genetic variations might affect heart rate. These experiments identified 20 genes with a role in heart rate regulation, signal transmission, embryonic development of the heart, as well as cardiac disorders, such as dilated cardiomyopathy, congenital heart failure and sudden heart failure. "Our findings in humans as well as in fruit flies and zebrafish provide new insights into mechanisms that regulate heart rate," said Dr. Marcel den Hoed, post-doctoral fellow at the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit and lead author of the study.

The follow-up study also showed that a genetic susceptibility for higher heart rate is associated with altered cardiac conduction and a reduced risk of sick sinus syndrome, a common indicator for pacemaker implantation. "Our study tripled the number of genetic variations that are known to be associated with heart rate, some of which are also associated with other cardiovascular risk factors and with heart rhythm disorder," said Dr. Loos.

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About The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine

The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine (IPM) drives innovation in the data-driven and gene-based individualization of healthcare. The Institute's groundbreaking work led to the creation of the BioMeBiobank Program to enable innovation in personalized healthcare. Over 23,000 Mount Sinai patients have enrolled in the BioMe program, which helps them receive more targeted, personalized care in real-time based on their own DNA through Mount Sinai's electronic medical record (EMR) system. The EMR-linked personalized medicine system empowers participating BioMe patients by providing tailored information in data-driven, gene-based personalized healthcare. This information includes each enrolled patient's unique genetic information and clinical data.

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Mount Sinai study identifies new gene variations associated with heart rate

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Washington, April 15 (ANI): In a collaborative genome-wide study on individuals, researchers have discovered 14 new genetic variations that are associated with heart rate.

Since heart rate is a marker of cardiovascular health, these findings could provide a better understanding of genetic regulation of heart beat and is a first step towards identifying targets for new drugs to treat cardiovascular disease.

Led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge, UK, the collaboration involved 268 researchers from 211 institutions, as well as six large research consortia joined forces.

In order to gain new insights into the genetic regulation of heart rate, Dr. Ruth Loos, Director of the Genetics of Obesity and Related Metabolic Traits Program at the Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine at Mount Sinai and honorary investigator at the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit and her team, spent three years working on a genome-wide association study using data from 181,171 participants from 65 studies during 2009-2012.

"Without any prior hypothesis, we studied the entire human genome hoping to identify new genetic variations that no one before had even imagined would play a role in the regulation of heart rate," said Dr. Loos, senior author of the study.

"This discovery is just the beginning of something new and exciting and can hopefully be used to identify new drugs that can be used for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders," the researcher added.

In a follow-up study, experimental down-regulation of gene expression was then conducted on fruit flies and zebra fish, to better understand how genetic variations might affect heart rate.

These experiments identified 20 genes with a role in heart rate regulation, signal transmission, embryonic development of the heart, as well as cardiac disorders, such as dilated cardiomyopathy, congenital heart failure and sudden heart failure.

"Our findings in humans as well as in fruit flies and zebrafish provide new insights into mechanisms that regulate heart rate," said Dr. Marcel den Hoed, post-doctoral fellow at the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit and lead author of the study.

The follow-up study also showed that a genetic susceptibility for higher heart rate is associated with altered cardiac conduction and a reduced risk of sick sinus syndrome, a common indicator for pacemaker implantation.

Read this article:
14 new genetic targets for treating heart disease identified

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

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

Rainbow BioSciences, the biotech division of Rainbow Coral Corp. (RBCC), today announced that it is wrapping up negotiations toward a definitive agreement with a leading, Texas-based genetic testing laboratory.

The genetic testing sector is one of the fastest-growing segments of the global biotech industry, with some market experts expecting it to reach $2.2 billion by 2017. RBCC is nearing a deal with a company that specializes in the cutting-edge science of pharmacogenomics, a field of study resulting from the Human Genome Project that seeks to help doctors assess genetic variations in patients in order to create more effective, optimized drug treatment plans.

Pharmacogenomics could be the key to truly personalized medicine, which RBCC views as the future of healthcare.

For more information on Rainbow BioSciences personalized medicine initiatives, please visitwww.rainbowbiosciences.com/investors.html.

Rainbow BioSciences will develop new medical and research technology innovations to compete alongside companies such as Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY),Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB), Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) and Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN).

About Rainbow BioSciences

Rainbow BioSciences, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rainbow Coral Corp. (OTCBB:RBCC). The Company continually seeks out new partnerships with biotechnology developers to deliver profitable new medical technologies and innovations. For more information on our growth-oriented business initiatives, please visitwww.RainbowBioSciences.com. For investment information and performance data on the Company, please visitwww.RainbowBioSciences.com/investors.html.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements that include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipate" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition, description of anyone's past success, either financial or strategic, is no guarantee of future success. This news release speaks as of the date first set forth above and the Company assumes no responsibility to update the information included herein for events occurring after the date hereof.

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RBCC Nears Deal With Leading Genetic Testing Lab

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By Pete Williams, Justice Correspondent, NBC News

In a Supreme Court test of whether a company can be granted a patent on the genes in the human body, a majority of the justices indicated during Monday's oral arguments that the court is likely to rule that a human gene cant be patented.

It would be one thing, several of the justices said during Mondays oral arguments, for a company to seek a patent on a test for breast cancer that was developed by analyzing a human gene, but it would be going too far to be awarded a patent on the gene itself.

"What's the difference between snipping off a piece of the liver or kidney, and seeking a patent on that, and seeking a patent on a piece of a gene?" asked Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Justice Samuel Alito made a different analogy, to someone seeking a patent on a plant found in the Amazon rain forest that bore leaves containing a cancer cure. "You could patent the process used to get the chemical out and the use of the result, but you cannot patent the plant," he said.

Stelios Varias / Reuters file photo

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington

The case, Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, involves a test that has helped guide more than a million women in their medical decisions. The test can determine whether the composition of their genes makes them more likely to get breast or ovarian cancer.

Myriad Genetics, a Utah company, owns patents on two parts of human genes known as BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, named for the first two letters of the words breast and cancer.

Women with mutations in those genes face up to an 85 percent risk of getting breast cancer and up to a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. Because of the patents, Myriad has a monopoly on performing all diagnostic tests related to BRCA 1 and BRCA 2.

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Patents for human genes?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By Pete Williams, Justice Correspondent, NBC News

In a Supreme Court test of whether a company can be granted a patent on the genes in the human body, a majority of the justices indicated during Monday's oral arguments that the court is likely to rule that a human gene cant be patented.

It would be one thing, several of the justices said during Mondays oral arguments, for a company to seek a patent on a test for breast cancer that was developed by analyzing a human gene, but it would be going too far to be awarded a patent on the gene itself.

"What's the difference between snipping off a piece of the liver or kidney, and seeking a patent on that, and seeking a patent on a piece of a gene?" asked Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Justice Samuel Alito made a different analogy, to someone seeking a patent on a plant found in the Amazon rain forest that bore leaves containing a cancer cure. "You could patent the process used to get the chemical out and the use of the result, but you cannot patent the plant," he said.

Stelios Varias / Reuters file photo

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington

The case, Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, involves a test that has helped guide more than a million women in their medical decisions. The test can determine whether the composition of their genes makes them more likely to get breast or ovarian cancer.

Myriad Genetics, a Utah company, owns patents on two parts of human genes known as BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, named for the first two letters of the words breast and cancer.

Women with mutations in those genes face up to an 85 percent risk of getting breast cancer and up to a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. Because of the patents, Myriad has a monopoly on performing all diagnostic tests related to BRCA 1 and BRCA 2.

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Supreme Court: Can human genes be patented?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

15 April 2013 Last updated at 12:30 ET

Breakthroughs in understanding how diseases like Alzheimer's and bowel cancer take hold have been highlights of 10 years of a Welsh genetic research "hothouse," says its head.

The Wales Gene Park is marking a decade of academic developments and turning research into treatments for the NHS.

Director Julian Sampson said Wales was recognised for its genetic research.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said the park's work was modernising the health service and improving future health.

The Wales Gene Park has bases at both Cardiff and Swansea universities.

One of the centre's achievements has been the development of a drug treatment for an inherited disorder known as tuberous sclerosis.

This causes multiple tumours to grow on the body's organs and in certain serious cases can be fatal.

The pace of technological developments is very quick

"Genetic research in Cardiff identified the gene that causes inherited tuberous sclerosis and we then worked out the functions of these genes," said Prof Sampson.

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Genetic hothouse celebrates 10 years

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