FAIRFAX NZ

Sarah Lee, left, discovered she had an Alzheimers risk of 75 per cent, inherited from both her dad and mum, Eileen Smith.

Imagine if a test tube of spittle and $205 could mine your past to foretell your future. Would you want to know if your genetic compass pointed toward cancer, or if you carried a silent coding quirk that put your children at risk of cystic fibrosis?

And what if the horoscope foretold a devastating and incurable disease such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's?

"Are you ready to take that on?" asks 26-year-old Danielle Lambermon, who found out in 2007 that she was one of 43 Auckland Hospital patients with a tiny risk of contracting brain disease Creuzfeldt-Jacobs Disease through contaminated instruments. | "I truly believe people don't see what the consequences could be. They think, 'It will be really good because then I'll know'. But will that make you live your life in a box? Would you do what you normally do? If you're not a strong personality it will mess up your life."

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genomic testing, which uses genetic markers gleaned from a saliva sample to predict disease risk, has been widely available for five years. Once the sample is analysed - typically in a United States lab - test subjects access an online personalised risk profile for over 100 diseases, from brain aneurysm to restless legs syndrome, and find out if they are carriers for genetic conditions such as cystic fibrosis and breast cancer.

Initially costing about US$1000 (about NZ$1180) it was only ever going to be a niche service. But, for the first time last year, the controversial tests edged within reach of the average curious Kiwi, when major player 23andme, owned by Anne Wojcicki (partner of Google founder Sergey Brin) slashed its price to US$99 (US$173.95 for international customers).

About 180,000 people have already tested with 23andme, and an insurance industry study last March predicted US genetic testing demand would quintuple over the next decade.

It's not known how many Kiwis are spitting to map their genetic disease risks. But it's common enough that the courier collecting my test sample nodded at the paperwork: "Oh, it's one of those 23andme things."

The tests have been banned in Germany and some US states, and debate continues to rage about whether catch-all genomic tests provide empowering knowledge or meaningless - even dangerous - noise liable to obsess the worried well.

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Unveiling your genetic compass

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Lisa SchnirringStaff Writer

Apr 12, 2013 (CIDRAP News) A new analysis of H7N9 genetic sequences from the first Chinese patients infected with the virus and from poultry markets found more signals that the virus can attach and replicate efficiently in the airways of humans and other mammals, raising concerns about the virus's pandemic potential.

The new findings, published late yesterday in Eurosurveillance, are the first detailed comparison of both the human and market sequences. Results are similar to the genetic details of samples from the first three cases reported by Chinese scientists yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The new results also affirm early observations from some experts that the novel virus has adapted to infect mammals, yielding more information that health officials need to gauge the pandemic threat from the new virus.

The research team from Japan includes Yoshihiro Kawaoka, DVM, PhD, who heads a group at the University of Wisconsin that has done extensive genetic studies on the H5N1 virus, and Masato Tashiro, MD, PhD, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Influenza at Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo.

Their look at sequences from influenza databases included human samples from the first two patients from Shanghai, as well as from a woman from Anhui province and a man from Hangzhou province. All of the patients died.

Samples from a market in Shanghai include isolates from a pigeon, a chicken, and an environmental sample.

Phylogenetic analysis of the four human samples suggest they have a common ancestor, with the hemagglutinin (HA) gene part of the Eurasian avian influenza lineage and closely resembling HA genes of low-pathogenic H7N3 viruses detected in 2011 in Zhejiang province, south of Shanghai. The group reported that the neuraminidase (NA) gene closely resembles a low-pathogenic H11N9 virus found in the Czech Republic in 2010.

Internal genes of the H7N9 virus were closely related to H9N2 avian flu viruses that recently circulated in poultry in Shanghai, as well as Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, according to the report. Researchers said the findings strongly suggest that the new viruses are reassortants that got their HA and NA genes (the H7 and N9) from avian influenza viruses and the rest of their genes from recent H9N2 poultry viruses.

When they compared the nucleotides from the four human specimens, they found that one of the Shanghai samples and the ones from Anhui and Hangzhou were 99% similar, despite the fact that they came from cities that were several hundred kilometers apart. They found differences between the two Shanghai samples and noted other patterns with the human and market samples that suggest five of the viruses came from a closely related infection source, while one of the Shanghai samples and the one from the pigeon came from different sources.

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H7N9 genetic analysis raises concern over pandemic potential

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Human genetics project 2013, Andy Tran Yasmin Ghagariyeh
Yasmin.

By: John Abbott

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Human genetics project 2013, Andy Tran

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VAL-DE-REUIL, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

ANGANY Genetics, a biotechnology company specialising in the development and production of recombinant allergens for the diagnosis and treatment of allergies, plans to start its new production unit at the PharmaParc II activities park in Val-de-Reuil (Eure) in May.

Until now, the company has been using a prototype-scale production facility but the new functional unit will enable industrial-scale production of a series of purified and optimised allergens starting in the second half of the year. The allergens in question are in particular Der p 1 and Der p 2, which affect 80% of patients with house dust mite allergies, allergens Der p 4 and Der p 7, also for house-mite allergies, and allergens inducing pollen and animal allergies.

These purified and high quality allergens will be made available to pharmaceutical manufacturers for the development of allergen-specific immunotherapy for the treatment of house dust mite and pollen allergies, and later, food and animal dander allergies. As from September 2013 we will be able to meet their requirements in accordance with partnership agreements, indicated Dr Loc Faye, CEO of ANGANY Genetics.

The new manufacturing platform will allow ANGANY Genetics to produce recombinant allergens having a structure identical to that of natural allergens rapidly (12 days) while keeping down costs. Production yields will be at least 5 to 10% of total proteins and may even be as much as 15%, noted Scientific Director, Vronique Gomord.

ANGANY Genetics enjoys the support of the NBA (Normandy Business Angels). Our business angels network was won over both by the scientific expertise of ANGANY Genetics founders, Loc Faye and Vronique Gomord, and by the ability of their scientific platform to deliver an authentic therapeutic solution to the major healthcare issue currently posed by allergies, explained Jacques Gerriet, representative of the Normandy Business Angels and President of the ANGANY Genetics Strategic Committee.

About ANGANY Genetics

ANGANY Genetics is a biotechnology company specialising in the development and production of high quality recombinant allergens for the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. This spin-off from the CNRS and Rouen University was created in April 2010 by two CNRS researchers, Loc Faye and Vronique Gomord, in order to develop applications for their work concerning the production of therapeutic proteins in plants. The company applies its expertise in the fields of plant-based production of biopharmaceuticals and protein engineering to the production of recombinant allergens optimised for use in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies.

About allergies and allergen immunotherapy

Data published by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) indicate that over 150 million people in Europe are affected, with 30% of Europeans presenting allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis and 20% suffering from allergic asthma. The prevalence of allergies is thus growing considerably. Data presented by the EAACI to the European Parliament in the spring of 2012 emphasised that by 2040, 40% of the European population will exhibit a predisposition to allergies. Management of allergies focuses primarily on symptomatic treatments that address the associated manifestations (asthma, rhinitis) but do not tackle the actual source of the problem. The only effective treatment is desensitisation (also termed allergen immunotherapy), which is designed to reduce the patients sensitivity to specific allergens by administering gradually increasing doses of extracts containing the causative allergens administered through subcutaneous injections or sublingual formulations. The quality of the products developed by ANGANY Genetics will allow more specific and more effective desensitisation with a view to personalised treatment of allergies.

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ANGANY Genetics Announces the Launch of Its New Production Unit and Gears up for Supply of Its First Allergens for the ...

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DUBLIN, April 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Transfection (Gene Delivery, DNA Delivery, Protein Delivery, SiRNA Delivery) Technologies (Lipofection, Calcium Phosphate, Electroporation, Nucleofection, Magnetofection, Gene Gun, Viral) Market (2012 - 2017)" report to their offering.

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Transfection is an enabler technology used for many cell based research activities with applications spanning production of recombinant proteins and recombinant cell lines, gene therapy, delivery of therapeutics and also drug discovery. This research report provides a brief description on transfection technologies, its evolution, comparative analysis, market landscape analysis, competitive scenario and emerging technology and application trends. Global research and development Network, Innovation and Spin offs have been discussed. The report tracks regional adoption and development trends, providing strategic recommendation to stay active and compete in the market space. An impact analysis of major drivers and restraints influencing the growth of the market is mapped for five year period.

Key Driver:

Advances in cell research and therapeutic delivery

Cell research is a major driving factor for transfection market, as more than 60% of the users are of academic institutions and researchers. Research in gene transfer is being performed in in vivo conditions for different therapeutic applications; there is a growing demand for new transfection technologies to address unmet needs for therapeutic delivery which is driving the transfection market.

Key Restraint:

Home brew Reagents restricts sale of commercial kits

Home brew reagents are still the preferred choice of reagents for transfection by researchers all over the world. Most of the researchers prepare their own reagents from their laboratory to conduct their research. This is true for most of the reagent based transfection reactions. This allows them to reduce cost involved in purchasing commercial kits.

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Global Transfection (Gene Delivery, DNA Delivery, Protein Delivery, SiRNA Delivery) Technologies Market Report 2012 ...

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SOURCE: Cell Gene Therapeutics

The Creation of Gene Therapy International Consortium Aims to Speed Up Results That Will Change the Lives of These Patients

QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Apr 12, 2013) - Due to the progress in genomics, we now know the cause of over 10,000 inherited diseases attributed to the malfunction of a single gene. The next step is to develop gene therapies. "If we have adequate financial support for research on gene therapy for rare diseases, you can develop effective treatments for most of them during the next ten years," says Professor Jacques Tremblay, Professor of the Molecular Medicine department of Laval University (Canada), President of the Quebec Association of Gene Therapy, President of Cell Gene Therapeutics Quebec, a company located in Quebec city, Canada and the founder of the International Consortium of Gene Therapy.

The main problem at present is that there is a considerable decrease in funding for research in this area. "Especially when it comes to research focused on certain rare diseases such as Friedrich's Ataxia and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which most pharmaceutical companies would not be interested in attributing resources because the financial return is very low. Therefore, these disorders are said to be orphan diseases. Essentially, the funding for such research comes from small foundations set up by relatives of patients,"says the expert and member of theResearch Center of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Qubec, Canada.

What you may not yet realize is that, when put together, rare diseases affect a huge portion of the world population, i.e., eight percent of humanity. "These are staggering numbers and what is important is that when you do a research to correct a particular monogenetic disease, the knowledge acquired may be applied to many other hereditary diseases. Therefore a consortium for gene therapy will permit to accelerate the research, the obtention of results and the commercialisation of the treatments. Note that these treatments would benefit to approximately 560 million peoples," commented the scientist.

To change the scenario, Professor Tremblay mobilized 50 other renowned researchers who have published along with him, in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Therapy, a letter of intent for the creation of the International Consortium of Gene Therapy that aims to overcome these difficulties of the development of treatments. "The creation of the Consortium will be equivalent in the medical field, as was Project Apollo to the space race. Our hope is that, in a short time, we could improve the health of patients. Likewise, we expect that the technologies developed during this huge project will become economically viable for biotechnology companies. Accordingly, our hope is that the resulting treatments will be available for the whole world population."

Gene therapy has already begun to show significant results, he assures. Patients with hemophilia and hereditary blindness were cured after the application of this type of therapy. The same success was achieved with children suffering from hereditary immune deficiency and needing to live within bubbles, to avoid dying following an infection.

Some of these treatments are currently performed by removing some stem cells from the patient himself, the cells are then genetically corrected in culture and transplanted back to the same patient. Other techniques are also being developed in order to repair the defective gene.

Currently, we cannot expect investment by pharmaceutical companies, the governments of developed countries need to support such research so that the project could become more attractive to biotechnology companies. Professor Tremblay suggests. "Canada should increase funding targeting gene therapy research, as it already does since a few years to stimulate the development of the Genome Project aiming to sequence the genome of different species and identify mutations."

The authors of the intent letter and other researchers interested in this cause, will meet next May 17th in Salt Lake City, United States. There will be a workshop during the annual meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. This event will set the foundation of this Consortium.

Continued here:
Hope for 560 Million Patients Suffering From Rare Diseases

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

BOGOTA, Colombia, April 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Startup biotechnology company Neuralgene (http://neuralgene.com) has announced that it will begin animal studies in May to evaluate the efficacy of PRCN-829, its new gene therapy agent for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). PRCN-829 is the first gene therapy for sporadic ALS.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130412/PH93428-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130412/PH93428-b )

Neuralgene's neurotropic AAV-based gene therapy platform for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is based on the stem cell work performed by Jason Williams, M.D., founder and CEO of Neuralgene. "This technology addresses several key aspects of the underlying pathology of ALS," said Leonardo Gonzalez, M.D., clinical researcher for Neuralgene. "In his stem cell work, Dr. Williams had identified that production of Factor H by fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells may be a key mode of action."

The gene therapy is based on Dr. Williams' discovery that certain proteins produced by stem cells inhibit the attack of ALS. During the development of the gene therapy, he added new targets: neural growth factors and a protein implicated in ALS named TDP-43. "When Dr. Williams demonstrated the concept behind stem cells and how to address the treatment of ALS using gene therapy, we immediately knew that this was a revolutionary new concept," said Dr. Gonzalez.

The PRCN-829 gene therapy is designed to not only target gene delivery to the brain and spinal cord, but also to genetically engineer stem cells. The AAV9 viral vector delivers multiple genes, which include Factor H (a regulator of complement activity), neural growth factors and regulators of TDP-43, to the neural cells. Initial animal studies have demonstrated the safety of the gene therapy platform.

"The problem with stem cell therapy for ALS is that the results are generally partial and temporary," stated Dr. Williams. "This is because the stem cells produce the growth factors and other proteins for a short period, but then cease. Several stem cell studies have confirmed this. Now with gene therapy, we can increase those factors by a millionfold or greater so that recuperation lasts for many years or maybe is even lifelong."

"ALS is a complex disease with many different underlying causes," continued Dr. Williams. "Our gene therapy will target several of the main underlying mechanisms related to ALS with the hopes of getting a good response in a larger group of patients. However, our platform is versatile, allowing us to change and add different target genes. We expect that soon we will be able to perform a detailed genetic analysis of the patient, identifying their exact underlying cause of ALS. Then we will be able to tailor the therapy to each individual patient."

The company has partnered with several labs for the development of its patent-pending neurotropic AAV-based gene therapy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS. In fact, Neuralgene partnered with Dr. Williams' imaging and image guided treatment facility, Precision StemCell in Bogota, to begin studies using image-guided administration of gene therapy to the spinal cord.

"This is a completely new therapy for ALS, and the groundwork for this technology will lead to the treatment of many other diseases," said Dr. Williams. Neuralgene has several other AAV gene therapies in its research and development pipeline for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). After initial testing of PRCN-829 in Colombia, Neuralgene plans to seek approval from the FDA for trials in the United States.

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Gene Therapy Developed for ALS Treatment: New Biotech Company Neuralgene Enters Evaluation Phase

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Doctors, Patients Speak on Personal Experiences Vatican City, April 11, 2013 (Zenit.org) Junno Arocho Esteves | 716 hits

During todays first session of the Second International Vatican Adult Stem Cell Conference, scientists, doctors and patients had an opportunity to share not only the advances in adult stem cell research, but also the potential it has to transform modern day health care.

The ethical debate on the use of embryonic stem cells has, according to Dr. Robin Smith, stifled the advances made in adult stem cells, which are derived from adult tissue samples. Dr. Smith serves as president of the Stem for Life Foundation as well as CEO of NeoStem, a leading developer in cellular therapy.

Stem Cell Therapy, especially using cultivated adult stem cells , can be used to regenerate dying tissue in the body of a person suffering debilitating diseases, such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, or Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

In November 2001, we kicked of the first Stem Cell Conference. Since then, the entire world has awakened.

By improving the clinical outcomes, we can save hundreds of millions of lives, she said. We're not talking about medications, she continued. Were talking about repairing the heart with adult stem cells. Re-inserting these cells into a damaged organ is turning back the clock. In just 17 months, we have seen stunning advancements in leukemia treatments.

The work in stem cell research has only begun to be understood. The last conference did not have panels that discussed the benefits of cellular therapy on MS and diabetes. Dr. Smith stated that in the United States, $245 billion is spent on managing diabetes, which can cause blindness, stroke and amputations which is only getting worse.

Cellular therapy has the potential to rewrite the history of this disease, she said. Adult stem cells is something we can all agree upon; they are ethically pure. We can grasp whats inside of us and introduce them into the body.

The purpose of the conference, she concluded, was meant to inspire change and to promote the truth and promise behind stem cell science. We hope to show that you no longer have to choose between science and faith.

In Search of Hope

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Vatican Conference Hopes to Promote Truth on Adult Stem Cell Therapy

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Chicago Arthritis - What is Regenerative Medicine

By: ChicagoArthritis

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Chicago Arthritis - What is Regenerative Medicine - Video

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Lecture Anthony Hollander: The Future of Regenerative Medicine
Lecture Anthony Hollander: The Future of Regenerative Medicine Tuesday March 26, 2013, 20.00 - 22.00 hrs., Huize Heyendael, Radboud University Nijmegen | org...

By: Soeterbeeck

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Lecture Anthony Hollander: The Future of Regenerative Medicine - Video

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Stem Cell Therapy - Blue Horizon Stem Cells

By: Michael McDermott

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Stem Cell Therapy - Blue Horizon Stem Cells - Video

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Long before the age of gene therapy and miracle medical treatments, the secrets of long life were being gathered and revealed in a unique study of 1,500 children born about 1910. By studying these people throughout their lives, successive generations of researchers collected nearly 10 million pieces of observable data and have been able to produce solid insights into human longevity.

"Most people who live to an old age do so not because they have beaten cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or lung disease; rather, the long-lived have mostly avoided serious ailments altogether," Howard S. Friedman and Leslie R. Martin said in their 2011 book, "The Longevity Project."

"The best childhood personality predictor of longevity was conscientiousness--the qualities of a prudent, persistent, well-organized person," according to the two professors (he at the University of California--Riverside, and she at La Sierra University). "Conscientiousness ... also turned out to be the best personality predictor of long life when measured in adulthood."

[Read: Do You Recognize These Lessons of Longevity?]

Since their book was published, Martin recently told U.S. News, the benefits of conscientiousness have been affirmed and even strengthened in other research studies. "This is still a pretty hot topic," she says. "Work that's come out since the book was published has mainly confirmed the importance of conscientiousness."

In particular, she explained, research being done in Hawaii on personality traits over time is producing similar results to Friedman's and Martin's own research, which chronicles efforts begun in 1921 by Lewis Terman, a Stanford University psychologist. He selected 1,500 bright and generally high-performing children and began amassing detailed information about their personal histories, health, activities, beliefs, attitudes, families and other variables.

Over the next eight decades, other academics maintained the Terman Project and assembled exhaustive details on all facets of the original subjects' later lives. It is this unique depth of detail that has permitted Friedman and Martin to reach what they feel are scientifically sound conclusions about what it takes to live a long life. Now, Martin says, more researchers are reaching similar conclusions.

"It was not cheerfulness and it was not having a sociable personality that predicted long life across the many ensuing decades," she and Friedman wrote in their book. "Certain other factors were also relevant, but the prudent, dependable children lived the longest. The strength of this finding was unexpected, but it proved to be a very important and enduring one."

The book presents three reasons why conscientious people live longer:

1. They are more likely to obey the rules, protecting their health and not engaging in risky behaviors such as smoking or driving without a seat belt. If a doctor tells them to take a medicine, they take every prescribed dose.

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Want to Live a Long Time? Pay Attention

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Apr. 9, 2013 African-Americans with a variant of the ABCA7 gene have almost double the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease compared with African-Americans who lack the variant. The largest genome-wide search for Alzheimer's genes in the African-American community, the study was undertaken by the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium and led by neurologists from Columbia University Medical Center.

It will be published in the April 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study was primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"Our findings strongly suggest that ABCA7 is a definitive genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease among African-Americans," said study senior author, Richard Mayeux, MD, MS, professor and chair of Neurology at CUMC. "Until now, data on the genetics of Alzheimer's in this patient population have been extremely limited."

The ABCA7 gene is involved in the production of cholesterol and lipids, which suggests that lipid metabolism may be a more important pathway in Alzheimer's disease in African-Americans than in whites. Because cholesterol and lipid imbalances (which eventually lead to vascular disease and heart attacks and strokes) are more common in African-Americans, treatments that reduce cholesterol and vascular disease may potentially be an effective way to reduce or delay Alzheimer's in this population.

"While we need to conduct research to determine whether reducing cholesterol will lower the chance of Alzheimer's in African-Americans, maintaining healthy cholesterol levels always has the benefit of lowering one's risk of heart attack and stroke," said Dr. Mayeux.

The study involved nearly 6,000 African-American participants, most of whom are volunteers from 18 NIH-funded Alzheimer's Disease Centers. The Centers and other researchers contributed samples to the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium, an NIH-supported research program led by Gerard D. Schellenberg, PhD, at the University of Pennsylvania. Approximately 2,000 of the volunteers were diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease and 4,000 were cognitively normal. The purpose of the study was to look for genetic variants among African-Americans, who are known to have a higher incidence of late-onset Alzheimer's than whites living in the same community. Ninety percent of all cases of Alzheimer's, which affect an estimated 5 million Americans aged 65 and older, are described as having the late-onset form of the disease.

"ABCA7 is the first major gene implicated in late-onset Alzheimer's among African Americans, and it has an effect on disease risk comparable to that of APOE-e4 -- which has been known for two decades to be a major genetic risk factor in whites," said Christiane Reitz, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurology, who conducted the study's genetic analyses as first author on the paper. "Both genes raise the risk of Alzheimer's in this population twofold." The extent of the role of APOE-e4 in African-Americans had been uncertain because of inconsistent results from previous, smaller studies.

"Based on these results, we now know that both APOE-e4 and ABCA7 are major genetic risk factors for African-Americans, whereas for whites, only one of the two -- APOE-e4 -- confers a similar degree of risk," said Dr. Mayeux, who is also co-director of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain and the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center at CUMC. He is the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry and Epidemiology.

Several other genes that had recently been linked to Alzheimer's in white populations were also confirmed in the current study to play a role in African-Americans. "Because they cross ethnic groups, the likelihood increases that these genes are very important in the development of Alzheimer's," said Dr. Reitz, who is a member of both the Sergievsky Center and the Taub Institute. "And that gives us clues in our search for the cellular pathways associated with the disease."

"These findings suggest that the genetic underpinnings of Alzheimer's disease may vary among different populations -- and so should not be treated homogeneously," said Dr. Reitz.

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Gene linked to nearly twice Alzheimer's risk in African-Americans

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Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia Also Included In: Genetics Article Date: 10 Apr 2013 - 11:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Alzheimer's Gene Doubles Risk In African-Americans

The research, the largest analysis yet to establish genetic risk linked to late-onset Azheimer's disease in African-Americans, was undertaken by the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium and led by scientists from Columbia University Medical Center.

"Our findings strongly suggest that ABCA7 is a definitive genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease among African-Americans," said Richard Mayeux, MD, MS, professor and chair of Neurology at CUMC. "Until now, data on the genetics of Alzheimer's in this patient population have been extremely limited."

The ABCA7 gene plays a part in the production of lipids and cholesterol, which indicates that lipid metabolism might be a more crucial pathway for the disease in African-American individuals than in whites.

It is more common for African-Americans to experience lipid and cholesterol imbalances - which ultimately result in heart attacks, strokes, and vascular disease. Therefore, the authors explained that treatments that lower cholesterol and vascular disease could possibly be a successful way to decrease or delay Alzheimer's among this group of people.

"While we need to conduct research to determine whether reducing cholesterol will lower the chance of Alzheimer's in African-Americans, maintaining healthy cholesterol levels always has the benefit of lowering one's risk of heart attack and stroke," said Dr. Mayeux.

The experts aimed to look for genetic variants in African-Americans, who generally have an increased incidence of late-onset Alzheimer's, compared to whites residing in the same community. Alzheimer's affects approximately 5 million people aged 65 and older in the U.S., and 90% of all cases of the disease are reported to be the late-onset form.

Christiane Reitz, MD, PhD, first author and assistant professor of neurology, said:

The importance of the role of APOE-e4 in African-Americans had been unclear due to conflicting results from prior, smaller investigations.

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Alzheimer's Gene Doubles Risk In African-Americans

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By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, April 9 (HealthDay News) -- A particular variant of a cholesterol-related gene may double the risk of Alzheimer's disease in older blacks, a new study suggests.

The gene -- known as ABCA7 -- is also linked to Alzheimer's among whites, but it appears much more important in blacks' risk of the memory-robbing disease, the researchers said.

Still, although a doubling in risk may sound large, the researchers stressed that it's actually a modest increase. Older adults' risk of Alzheimer's is thought to depend on many factors -- not only an array of different genes, but also environmental influences.

"How much does this increase your risk? It's modest," said Dr. Robert Nussbaum, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study.

But the findings are important because they add to the understanding of the complex underpinnings of Alzheimer's, said Nussbaum, who wrote an editorial published with the study in the April 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The results come from what is believed to be the most extensive search yet for Alzheimer's-linked genes in older blacks.

Most of what is known about Alzheimer's genes has come from data on white adults, because until now there hadn't been a study sample of blacks that was large enough for a gene study, said study lead researcher Dr. Christiane Reitz, an assistant professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

Researchers have known for years that whites with a particular variant in the ApoE gene -- called ApoE4 -- have a higher risk of Alzheimer's than whites who carry other variants of the gene.

About 25 percent to 30 percent of the population is thought to carry the Alzheimer's-linked E4 variant.

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Gene May Double Risk of Alzheimer's in Blacks

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEW YORK, April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

MediPoint: Predictive Breast Cancer Gene Testing - EU Analysis and Market Forecasts http://www.reportlinker.com/p01158474/MediPoint-Predictive-Breast-Cancer-Gene-Testing---EU-Analysis-and-Market-Forecasts.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Pathology

MediPoint: Predictive Breast Cancer Gene Testing - EU 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 Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK), 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 EU 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. - 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 EU 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

- Understand the trends shaping and driving EU Breast Cancer Gene Testing Market. - Realize device preferences of physicians who have performed the tests already. - Access market sizing, forecasts and quantified growth opportunities in EU Breast Cancer Gene Testing Market through 2018. - Quantify candidate patient populations to better design product pricing & launch plans. - Drive revenues, formulate effective sales and marketing strategies and gain in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape. - Perform benchmarking analysis of growth opportunities against currently marketed products. - Assess competitiveness of products in market by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of current competition. - Take a comprehensive look at the market's device pipeline and identify promising, paradigm-shifting products. - Create an effective counter-strategy to gain a competitive advantage against those currently in the market. - Organize your sales and marketing efforts by identifying the market categories and segments that present the best opportunities for growth. - What's the next big thing in EU Breast Cancer Gene Testing market landscape? Identify, understand and capitalize.

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

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEW YORK, April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

MediPoint: Predictive Breast Cancer Gene Testing - US Analysis and Market Forecasts http://www.reportlinker.com/p01158473/MediPoint-Predictive-Breast-Cancer-Gene-Testing---US-Analysis-and-Market-Forecasts.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Pathology

MediPoint: Predictive Breast Cancer Gene Testing - US 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 the US 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 US 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. - 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 the US 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

- Understand the trends shaping and driving the US Breast Cancer Gene Testing Market. - Realize device preferences of physicians who have performed the tests already. - Access market sizing, forecasts and quantified growth opportunities in the US Breast Cancer Gene Testing Market through 2018. - Quantify candidate patient populations to better design product pricing & launch plans. - Drive revenues, formulate effective sales and marketing strategies and gain in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape. - Perform benchmarking analysis of growth opportunities against currently marketed products. - Assess competitiveness of products in market by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of current competition. - Take a comprehensive look at the market's device pipeline and identify promising, paradigm-shifting products. - Create an effective counter-strategy to gain a competitive advantage against those currently in the market. - Organize your sales and marketing efforts by identifying the market categories and segments that present the best opportunities for growth. - What's the next big thing in the US Breast Cancer Gene Testing market landscape? Identify, understand and capitalize.

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

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

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

Syros Pharmaceuticals, a newly launched company harnessing breakthroughs in gene control to revolutionize the treatment of cancer and other diseases, today announced the publication of new research findings in the journal Cell. The research validates the approach of mapping and targeting newly identified gene control domains, known as Super-Enhancers, for drug discovery and development in cancer and other diseases. The discovery of Super-Enhancers is the basis of Syros' unique platform to identify and modulate pivotal events in disease pathogenesis and critical disease-driver targets.

Syros Co-founder Richard A. Young, Ph.D., who is a Member of the Whitehead Institute, and Professor of Biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, led the groundbreaking gene control research. Syros Co-founder James E. (Jay) Bradner, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Investigator, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, co-authored the research, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute. Syros recently completed a licensing agreement with the Whitehead Institute and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute for intellectual property related to this gene control discovery and other gene control technologies and assets.

Given the complexity of gene expression, the discovery of a small number of powerful gene control regulators provides a promising and exciting new approach to understanding key determinants of cell identity in normal and disease states, said Dr. Young. We have identified Super-Enhancers with key cancer driving genes in all tumors studied and have demonstrated that we can selectively disrupt these genes through inhibition of enhancer factors.

The new research published in back-to-back papers in Cell uncovered that master transcription factors form powerful gene control regulators, called Super-Enhancers, at key cell identity genes; that Super-Enhancers differ from enhancers in their size, transcription factor density and content; that the repertoire of genes that they regulate is unique to each cell type; and that they are important switches for driving cell type specific gene expression programs. In one of the research papers, Super-Enhancers were identified in cancer cells associated with key oncogene drivers and disruption of Super-Enhancers by inhibition of enhancer factors resulted in a preferential inhibition of Super-Enhancer driven genes. The papers, Selective Inhibition of Tumor Oncogenes by Disruption of Super-Enhancers1 and Master Transcription Factors and Mediator Establish Super-Enhancers at Key Cell Identity Genes,2 are published in the April 11th print edition of Cell and available online.

This research, which highlights discovery of the master switches for genes critical in disease, gives Syros a completely new approach to identify and modulate disease driver genes, said Nancy Simonian, M.D., Syros Chief Executive Officer. We look forward to translating the pioneering research of Drs. Young and Bradner into therapeutics that can help people facing a variety of diseases, especially cancer.

Syros also announced today the closing of a $30 million Series A financing led by ARCH Venture Partners and Flagship Ventures. Other investors include WuXi PharmaTech Corporate Venture Fund, and undisclosed private investors.

About Syros Pharmaceuticals

Syros Pharmaceuticals is a life sciences company harnessing breakthroughs in gene control to revolutionize the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Syros proprietary platform identifies the master switches for disease genes, opening a whole new approach to novel therapeutics. Syros initial focus is in cancer, but the company platform will also be applicable to other therapeutic areas. The Companys founders are pioneers in gene control research and translation. Co-founded and backed by Flagship Ventures and ARCH Venture Partners, Syros Pharmaceuticals is located in Watertown, MA. For more information, visit http://www.syros.com.

1 Loven, J., Hoke, H., Yin, C., Lau, A., Orlando, D., Vakoc, C., Bradner, J., Lee, T. & Young, R. (2013). Selective inhibition of tumor oncogenes by disruption of super-enhancers. Cell, 153(2).

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Syros Pharmaceuticals Announces Publications in Cell Related to Key Gene Control Discovery

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Genetic engineering with cabbages
Ellie, Ari, and cabbages.

By: ELLIEISDEADLY

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Genetic engineering with cabbages - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Feed The Beast [Minecraft Modpack] [HD|German] # 1 - Start mit nicem Biom 😀
Kanal: http://www.youtube.com/user/Cezesslp mit dabei: http://www.youtube.com/user/Byntor Minecraft Modpack by Feed the Beast Team: http://www.feed-the-beast...

By: CezessLP

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Feed The Beast [Minecraft Modpack] [HD|German] # 1 - Start mit nicem Biom 😀 - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 10-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, April 10, 2013New classes of drugs that can silence specific genes, such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), offer great therapeutic potential. But the specific delivery of siRNAs to target cells to exert their effects remains a significant challenge. A novel nanoparticle-based approach that enables more efficient delivery of siRNA drugs is presented in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com). The article is available on the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics website (http://www.liebertpub.com/nat).

Compared to a commonly used lipid-based transport agent, the cSCK nanoparticles described in this article better protected siRNAs from being degraded in the bloodstream and were associated with greater gene silencing efficiency of siRNA drugs.

The study authors, Yuefei Shen, Huafeng Fang, Ke Zhang, and John-Stephen Taylor, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, and Ritu Shrestha and Karen Wooley, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, attribute the better gene silencing efficiency achieved with cSCKs with improved cell uptake of the siRNAs. They present their findings in the article "Effective Protection and Transfection of siRNA by Cationic Shell-Crosslinked Knedel-Like Nanoparticles (cSCKs)." (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/nat.2012.0390)

"The potential of siRNAs as therapeutic agents is immense, but we still have to develop better and more targeted delivery methods for many diseases," says Executive Editor Fintan Steele, PhD, SomaLogic, Inc., Boulder, CO. "The work of Shen and colleagues demonstrates that nanotechnology approaches are rapidly progressing towards the goal of meeting the challenge of delivery."

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Nucleic Acid Therapeutics is under the editorial leadership of Co-Editors-in-Chief Bruce A. Sullenger, PhD, Duke Translational Research Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, and C.A. Stein, MD, PhD, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA; and Executive Editor Fintan Steele, PhD (SomaLogic, Boulder, CO).

About the Journal

Nucleic Acid Therapeutics is an authoritative, peer-reviewed journal published bimonthly in print and online that focuses on cutting-edge basic research, therapeutic applications, and drug development using nucleic acids or related compounds to alter gene expression. Nucleic Acid Therapeutics is the Official Journal of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society (http://www.oligotherapeutics.org). Complete tables of content and a free sample issue may be viewed on the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics website (http://www.liebertpub.com/nat).

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Nanoparticles boost therapeutic potential of siRNA drugs

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 11-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 11, 2013Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic, deadly disease that affects five million people worldwide. It is irreversible, its cause is poorly understood, and it has a median survival of only about 3 years. A new study that implicates mast cellsan immune cell involved in allergic asthmain the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis could lead to new, more effective therapies. The study is published in DNA and Cell Biology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the DNA and Cell Biology website at http://www.liebertpub.com/dna.

In the article "Mast Cells: A Pivotal Role in Pulmonary Fibrosis," A. Veerappan and colleagues from Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, showed that in mice unable to produce mast cells, a chemical trigger known to cause pulmonary fibrosis does not result in disease. However, when the researchers introduced mast cells into the lungs of these mice, disease protection was reversed and the mice developed pulmonary fibrosis. The authors identify a role for two key compounds produced by mast cellshistamine and reninand propose that they promote fibrogenesis when mast cells are activated early in the course of the disease.

Editor-in-Chief Carol Shoshkes Reiss, PhD, Departments of Biology and Neural Science, New York University, NY says, "Randi Silver's lab has shown, in this compelling paper, that mast cells contribute to the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. These observations are important and may lead to the development of new therapeutic modalities to prevent deterioration of lung function."

###

About the Journal

DNA and Cell Biology is the trusted source for authoritative, peer-reviewed reporting on the latest research in the field of molecular biology. By combining mechanistic and clinical studies from multiple systems in a single journal, DNA and Cell Biology facilitates communication among biological sub-disciplines. Coverage includes gene structure, function, and regulation; molecular medicine; cellular organelles; protein biosynthesis and degradation; and cell-autonomous inflammation and host cell response to infection. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the DNA and Cell Biology website at http://www.liebertpub.com/dna.

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 Human Gene Therapy, Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, and AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. 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 more than 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website at http://www.liebertpub.com.

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Mast cells have critical role in initializing pulmonary fibrosis

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

CARLSBAD, Calif., April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Life Technologies Corporation (LIFE) today announced the launch of Vector NTI Express Designer, the latest advancement in its Vector NTI software platform, which offers researchers comprehensive and streamlined custom vector and genetic construct design and synthesis. The desktop software tool is designed for molecular biology, metabolic engineering, genetic engineering, and synthetic biology professionals who want to rationally design, assemble and order synthetic genetic "parts," optimizing genetic components for a broad range of applications.

An extension of the Vector NTI software offerings, Express Designer incorporates an integrated gene synthesis service for rapid sequence submission and order placement, effectively building a bridge from DNA sequence to gene synthesis. Customers can use the Express Designer software tools to design custom DNA parts and submit them directly to Life Technologies' GeneArt portal for synthesis.

"Molecular and synthetic biologists can now move from construct design to synthesis faster than ever before," said Nathan Wood, General Manager and Vice President of Synthetic Biology at Life Technologies. "This launch represents a true game changer in the ease, speed and accuracy with which investigators can design and order DNA customized to their needs, as well as the increased confidence they can have that constructs will perform successfully in their experiments."

Vector NTI Express Designer also provides sequence optimization to fine tune expression levels of cloned genes, enables construction of multiple vectors for compatible and simultaneous function, and generates variants from template DNA parts, devices, and circuits more effectively. In addition to designing and ordering custom components, the software also contains an electronic database or "mini electronic lab notebook" that allows researchers to maintain a searchable record of genetic parts, constructs and experimental results that can be referred to and utilized to optimize constructs and circuits.

"The Vector NTI Express Designer will allow us to tackle difficult design challenges in synthetic biology," said Christopher Voigt, Ph.D., associate professor of Biological Engineering at M.I.T. "The software automates and facilitates the design process with an intuitive graphical-user interface where well-characterized and annotated parts can be drag-and-dropped to create standard devices and advanced circuits." Voigt is a leader in the study of circuit design underlying the development of synthetic organisms, a process that requires constructing synthetic multi-gene pathways.

"The power of the Vector NTI Express Designer database is that it allows us to track and analyze our experimental results so that we avoid duplicating effort and focus on getting to the answer more quickly," said Steve Mayfield, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of California, San Diego. "We can focus more on what we want our constructs to do and less on how to make them do it." Mayfield is a pioneer in the genetic design of organisms such as algae for biofuel production.

Vector NTI Express Designer is built on a the Vector NTI Sequence Analysis and Bioinformatic Tools platform, and so inherits many of the applications associated with that platform, including: sequence analysis and design, annotation, and illustration; molecular biology data management; open reading frame and restriction enzyme analysis and mapping; primer design; recombinant molecule design, including Gateway and TOPO cloning, GeneArt seamless cloning & high-order assembly and gene synthesis.

Built on the trusted history of high-quality sequence analysis and design tools of Vector NTI Software, Vector NTI Express Designer enables rational bio-design on the most popular computing architectures, including native Mac OSX 10.6+, Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8 operating systems. Its plug-in architecture allows users to have confidence that additional features and functionality can be added to the platform and deliver more value over time while its Automatic Updater ensures that users will be automatically notified of updates and given the option to download new or updated plug-ins to always be running the latest, most complete software package available.

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

All products referenced are for Research Use Only. Not intended for diagnostic uses.

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Life Technologies Launches New Bioinformatics Software Platform Enabling Bio-Design and Gene Synthesis from Next ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Thanks to extensive genetic engineering, drugmakers can now brew large vats of the malaria drug artemisinin, stabilizing the world supply.

For the first time, researchers have successfully engineered a strain of bakers yeast capable of spewing out malaria drugs on an industrial scale. The French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has already begun brewing the microbes and announced plans to generate 70 million doses this year.

The advance is the result of a 10-year odyssey in synthetic biology, the wholesale engineering of an organisms genetic and metabolic system for practical purposes (see Biologys Master Programmers).Amyris, the biotech startup that engineered the yeast strain, is also developing microbes to produce fragrances and other high-value chemicals.

This is the first synthetic biology project that has been scaled up to industrial manufacturing and will have a real impact in the world, says Jack Newman, chief scientific officer at Amyris. There should never been a shortage of artemisinin ever again.

Amyris had already engineered yeast capable of producing artemisinic acid, the precursor to the drug (see Cheaper Malaria Drugs). But the most recent advance, published today in Nature, dramatically improved the yield from 1.6 grams per liter to 25 grams per liter.

The improvement primarily comes from the discovery of three key enzymes in sweet wormwood, the plant that naturally produces artemisinin, which researchers then introduced to yeast.

Artemisinin is the primary ingredient in artemisinin combination therapies, the World Health Organizations preferred malaria treatment. But because the drug is primarily derived from plants, its costs can vary from $350 to $1200 per kilogram of the active ingredient.

The botanical supply is inconsistent for various reasons, including weather and incentives for farmers, says Ponni Subbiah, global program leader for drug development at OneWorld Health, a nonprofit drug development organization that funded the research through a grant from the Gates Foundation.

The synthetic process can run year round and takes about three months, compared to 15 months for plant-based methods. Our aim is to stabilize the supply independent of the plant supply, says Chris Paddon, who leads the artemisinin project at Amyris.

OneWorldHealth has licensed the technology to Sanofi, which has already produced nearly 40 tons of the artemisinic acid. (The acid is then chemically converted into artemisinin.) Sanofi aims to produce 60 tons of the material next year approximately 120 million courses of treatment and has pledged to sell it without profit.

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Microbes Can Mass-Produce Malaria Drug

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Medical Association Foundation Fundraising Video

By: minimattersllc

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Medical Association Foundation Fundraising Video - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith