Newswise BETHESDA, MD January 3, 2013 The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce the selection of 10 early career researchers five graduate students and five postdoctoral researchers as recipients of a Spring 2013 DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics. The award is a $1,000 travel grant for each researcher to attend any national or international meeting, conference or laboratory course that will enhance his or her career.

Each round, the review committee has a tough job selecting the most deserving applicants from among the many strong applications, said Adam Fagen, PhD, Executive Director. These 10 recipients represent just a small sample of the excellence found among grad students and postdocs in our community, ensuring a strong future for the field of genetics.

The DeLill Nasser Award was established by GSA in 2001 to honor its namesake, DeLill Nasser (1929-2000), a long-time GSA member who provided critical support to many early career researchers during her 22 years as program director in eukaryotic genetics at the National Science Foundation. Since the formation of this award, nearly 100 graduate students and postdocs have received funding for travel to further their career goals and enhance their education. The program is supported by GSA, and with charitable donations from members of the genetics community.

The 10 recipients of the spring 2013 DeLill Nasser Awards, their institutions and the conference or lab course each intends to attend are listed below.

Graduate Students

Daniel K. Bricker, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 54th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, April 37, 2013, Washington, DC

Russ Corbett-Detig, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 54th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, April 37, 2013, Washington, DC

Maria N. Hindt, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH International Conference on Arabidopsis, June 2428, 2013, Sydney, Australia

Kathy Ngo, University of California, Los Angeles 2013 Gordon Research Conference on Developmental Biology, June 30July 5, 2013, Lucca, Italy

Mengshu Xu, University of Toronto, Canada EMBO Conference Series: Chromatin and Epigenetics, May 812, 2013, Heidelberg, Germany

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2013 DeLill Nasser Travel Awards Announced by Genetics Society of America

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Atossa Genetics: a focused pure play breast health testing company with huge potential to grow

By Grant Zeng, CFA

Atossa Genetics (NasdaqCM:ATOS) is a medical diagnostics company focused on the prevention of breast cancer through the development and commercialization of diagnostic tests that can detect precursors to breast cancer, and through the research, development, and ultimate commercialization of treatments for pre-cancerous lesions.

To download a free copy of the full ATOS initiation report, please click here.

Atossas diagnostic tests consist of patented medical devices cleared by the FDA that can collect fluid samples from the breast milk ducts (nipple aspirate fluid, NAF), where over 85% of breast cancers arise. These samples are processed at the Companys wholly-owned National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health, which has been certified pursuant to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (:CLIA), has been licensed in the states of California, Florida, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Washington, and is in the process of obtaining a license to accept testing samples from New York. CLIA certification is legally required to receive reimbursement from federal or state medical benefit programs, like Medicare and Medicaid, and is a practical requirement for most third-party insurance benefit programs.

Atossas CLIA-certified laboratory examines the specimens by microscopy for the presence of normal, pre-malignant, or malignant changes as determined by cytopathology and biomarkers that distinguish usual ductal hyperplasia, a benign condition, from atypical ductal hyperplasia (:ADH), which may lead to cancer. These cytopathological results provide patients and physicians with information about the care path that should be followed, depending on the individual risk of future cancer as determined by the results.

Additionally, Atossa is conducting research on the treatment of these pre-cancerous cells by using its patented and FDA-cleared microcatheters to deliver, directly into the milk ducts, pharmaceutical formulations that can be used to treat these pre-cancerous lesions. By using this localized delivery method, patients receive high local concentrations of these drugs at the site of the pre-cancerous lesions, potentially promoting efficacy of the treatment while limiting systemic exposure, which has the potential to lower the overall toxicity of these treatments.

Atossa is currently marketing two diagnostic tests and plans to offer two additional tests in early 2013.

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Atossa Genetics: a focused pure play breast health testing company with huge potential to grow

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

AMES, Iowa, Jan.3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --NewLink Genetics Corporation (NLNK), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel immunotherapeutic products to improve treatment options for cancer patients, today announced the appointment of Mr. Brian Wiley as Vice President of Business Development. In addition to business development responsibilities, Mr. Wiley will lead the commercialization strategy and pre-commercial activities for NewLink's HyperAcute Pancreas Immunotherapy, algenpantucel-L.

"Brian brings extensive and varied pharmaceutical experience to our management team, most recently with key roles in both the sale of Gloucester Pharmaceuticals to Celgene Corporation and the purchase of Abraxis Health by Celgene," commented Dr. Charles Link, Chief Executive Officer of NewLink. Dr. Link added, "In addition to his business development experience, Brian has had key responsibilities in the launch, marketing and sales of a variety of oncology products at both major pharmaceutical companies and smaller biotech companies. We are excited to have Brian join our team."

Mr. Wiley has over 20 years of pharmaceutical experience, with 16 of those years in oncology markets. He has had management responsibilities at Celgene Corporation, Gloucester Pharmaceuticals, Millennium Pharmaceuticals (currently Takeda) and Aventis Pharmaceuticals (currently Sanofi-Aventis). Mr. Wiley has also served as an independent consultant to numerous companies in the oncology market. His responsibilities have included business development, commercial strategy, marketing, reimbursement, national accounts, sales and sales management.

About algenpantucel-L

NewLink's algenpantucel-L is an "off-the-shelf" immunotherapy product candidate consisting of two allogeneic pancreatic cancer cell lines. These cell lines were chosen to provide a broad coverage of pancreatic cancer antigens and were then modified to express alpha-gal on the cell surface to increase immunogenicity. Each modified cell line is grown in large-scale culture, harvested, packaged and irradiated. Approximately 150 million cells of each HyperAcute Pancreas cell line are given by intradermal injection with each treatment.

About NewLink Genetics Corporation

NewLink Genetics Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel immunotherapeutic products to improve treatment options for cancer patients. NewLink's portfolio includes biologic and small-molecule immunotherapy product candidates intended to treat a wide range of oncology indications. NewLink's product candidates are designed to harness multiple components of the immune system to combat cancer without significant incremental toxicity, either as a monotherapy or in combination with other treatment regimens. NewLink's lead product candidate, algenpantucel-L (HyperAcute Pancreas) is being studied in a Phase 3 clinical trial in surgically resected pancreatic cancer patients (under a Special Protocol Assessment with the U.S. FDA) as well as in a separate study in locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients. NewLink has recently launched an adaptive design Phase 2B/3 clinical trial of tergenpumatucel-L (HyperAcute Lung) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. NewLink is developing indoximod (d-1-methyltryptophan, or D-1MT), a small-molecule, orally bioavailable product candidate from NewLink's proprietary indoleamine-(2, 3)-dioxygenase, or IDO, pathway inhibitor technology. NewLink is studying indoximod in various chemotherapy and immunotherapy combination studies independently and in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute. For more information please visit http://www.linkp.com. Patient information is available at http://www.pancreaticcancer-clinicaltrials.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements of NewLink that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan,""target," "potential," "will,""could," "should," "seek," or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements about the prospects of algenpantucel-L and any other statements other than statements of historical fact. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that NewLink makes due to a number of important factors, including those risks discussed in "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in NewLink's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2011, in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2012, and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent NewLink's views as of the date of this press release. NewLink anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while it may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing NewLink's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Contacts:Gordon Link Chief Financial Officer NewLink Genetics 515.598.2925 glink@linkp.com

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NewLink Genetics Appoints Mr. Brian Wiley as Vice President of Business Development

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of Myriad Genetics Inc. fell Thursday after a JPMorgan analyst downgraded the stock, saying it will face headwinds while investors wait for a Supreme Court ruling that could have a major impact on the company.

THE SPARK: Analyst Tycho Peterson lowered his rating to "Underweight" from "Neutral" and has a price target of $26 per share. He said Myriad's shares won't perform as well as its peers over the next few months while Wall Street waits for a decision in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, a case that challenges two human DNA patents held by Myriad.

Peterson said the Supreme Court appears to be interested in making a broad ruling about the patenting of genes rather than a decision specific to Myriad, and noted that in 2012 the court struck down other genetic patents. The analyst said he is not predicting that Myriad's patents will be overturned. However, he said the risks associated with the stock outweigh the potential rewards.

THE BIG PICTURE: In December, the Supreme Court said it will make a decision on a case involving two patents related to Myriad's BRACAnalysis test. The test detects genetic mutations linked to increased risks of breast and ovarian cancer. Myriad gets more than 80 percent of its revenue from the test, but even if the Supreme Court overturns its patents or rules that human genes cannot be patented, the company holds other patents supporting the test.

Those patents will expire in 2018, and Peterson said that means competing tests will reach the market eventually even if the Supreme Court upholds Myriad's patents.

SHARE ACTION: Myriad shares lost $1.38, or 5 percent, to $26.30 in afternoon trading. With Thursday's trading, the stock is down about 12 percent since Nov. 30, when the Supreme Court agreed to take up the BRACAnalysis patent case.

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Myriad Genetics falls as analyst cuts rating

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

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

Good Start Genetics, Inc., an innovative molecular diagnostics company developing the new gold standard in carrier screening, announced today that it will participate in the 2013 Biotech Showcase in San Francisco, CA. Don Hardison, president and CEO of Good Start Genetics, is scheduled to present Monday, Jan. 7, at 9:45 a.m. (PST).

Don Hardison will be available for one-on-one meetings with investors and media attending the conference.

Event

Date

Time

Place

About Good Start Genetics, Inc.

Good Start Genetics is setting the new gold standard in carrier screening by making testing for the most comprehensive set of known and novel disease-causing mutations accessible for routine clinical practice. After years of development and rigorous validation, Good Start Genetics has harnessed the power of next-generation sequencing and other best-in-class technologies to provide highly accurate, actionable, and affordable tests for all ACOG and ACMG recommended disorders. For these reasons, fertility specialists and their patients can have a high degree of confidence in their carrier screening results, and no longer have to compromise accuracy for price. For more information, please visit http://www.goodstartgenetics.com.

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Good Start Genetics to Present at Biotech Showcase in San Francisco

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 3-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Phyllis Edelman pedelman@genetics-gsa.org 301-634-7302 Genetics Society of America

BETHESDA, MD January 3, 2013 The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce the selection of 10 early career researchers five graduate students and five postdoctoral researchers as recipients of a Spring 2013 DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics. The award is a $1,000 travel grant for each researcher to attend any national or international meeting, conference or laboratory course that will enhance his or her career.

"Each round, the review committee has a tough job selecting the most deserving applicants from among the many strong applications," said Adam Fagen, PhD, Executive Director. "These 10 recipients represent just a small sample of the excellence found among grad students and postdocs in our community, ensuring a strong future for the field of genetics."

The DeLill Nasser Award was established by GSA in 2001 to honor its namesake, DeLill Nasser (1929-2000), a long-time GSA member who provided critical support to many early career researchers during her 22 years as program director in eukaryotic genetics at the National Science Foundation. Since the formation of this award, nearly 100 graduate students and postdocs have received funding for travel to further their career goals and enhance their education. The program is supported by GSA, and with charitable donations from members of the genetics community.

The 10 recipients of the spring 2013 DeLill Nasser Awards, their institutions and the conference or lab course each intends to attend are listed below.

Graduate Students

Daniel K. Bricker, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 54th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, April 3-7, 2013, Washington, DC

Russ Corbett-Detig, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 54th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, April 3-7, 2013, Washington, DC

Maria N. Hindt, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH International Conference on Arabidopsis, June 24-28, 2013, Sydney, Australia

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Genetics Society of America announces Spring 2013 DeLill Nasser Travel Award recipients

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - Jan 3, 2013) - Atossa Genetics, Inc. ( NASDAQ : ATOS ) announced today that Dr. Steven C. Quay, M.D., Ph.D., FCAP, Chairman, CEO and President, will present at the OneMedForum at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco, on Tuesday, January 8, 2013, at 4:00 pm Pacific Time (7:00 pm Eastern Time) and at the Biotech Showcase at the Parc 55 Wyndham Hotel in San Francisco on Wednesday, January 9, 2013, at 10:00 am Pacific Time (1:00 pm Eastern Time). Dr. Quay's presentations will be webcast via the Company's website at http://www.atossagenetics.com.

Dr. Quay stated, "I look forward to presenting our business model, breast health products and services to institutional investors at these prestigious events. I believe the U.S. roll out of our ForeCYTE Breast Health Test and ArgusCYTE Breast Health Test, launch of two additional tests, FullCYTE Breast Health Test and NextCYTE Breast Health Test, and initiation of clinical trials for our intraductal therapy offer investors a compelling investment thesis for 2013 and beyond."

About Atossa Genetics, Inc.

Atossa Genetics, Inc. ( NASDAQ : ATOS ), The Breast Health Company, is based in Seattle, WA, and is focused on preventing breast cancer through the commercialization of patented, FDA-cleared diagnostic medical devices and patented, laboratory developed tests (LDT) that can detect precursors to breast cancer up to eight years before mammography, and through research and development that will permit it to commercialize treatments for pre-cancerous lesions.

The National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health (NRLBH), a wholly owned subsidiary of Atossa Genetics, Inc., is a CLIA-certified high-complexity molecular diagnostic laboratory located in Seattle, WA, that provides the patented ForeCYTE Breast Health Test, a risk assessment test for women 18 to 73 years of age akin to the Pap Smear, and the ArgusCYTE Breast Health Test, a blood test for recurrence in breast cancer survivors that provides a "liquid biopsy" for circulating cancer cells and a tailored treatment plan for patients and their caregivers.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements regarding Atossa's plans, expectations, projections, potential opportunities, goals and objectives are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated or estimated future results, including the risks and uncertainties associated with the efficacy of Atossa's products and services, the market demand for and acceptance of Atossa's products and services and other risks detailed from time to time in the Atossa's final prospectus, dated November 7, 2012, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Atossa undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the issuance of this press release.

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Atossa Genetics to Present at OneMedForum and Biotech Showcase

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

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

Interleukin Genetics, Inc. (ILIU) today announced the appointment of Scott Snyder as Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, Scott will spearhead the launch of the companys proprietary PST genetic risk panel to guide more effective dental preventive care. Scott will have responsibility for marketing Interleukins professional healthcare tests, including PST and a proprietary test for osteoarthritis progression, and for the Inherent Health brand of health and wellness genetic tests within consumer channels.

I am very pleased to welcome Scott as Interleukins new Chief Marketing Officer and have great confidence that he will drive the next phase of the Companys growth, said Kenneth Kornman, DDS, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Interleukin Genetics, Inc. Scotts extensive experience in marketing innovative life sciences products and knowledge of the oral healthcare market are consistent with our companys goal of advancing more personalized care in the prevention of periodontal disease and across all of our wellness programs. He has a proven track record of building valuable brands and driving strong sales performance.

Scott Snyder has nearly 25 years of global consumer marketing experience in life sciences and consumer healthcare. Most recently, Scott served as Vice President of Marketing and General Manager at Bausch & Lomb, Inc. where he led the successful turnaround of the companys global lens care business and directed global franchise management. Prior to this, Scott held marketing leadership roles with Johnson & Johnson, Inc. (J&J) for more than 20 years, including Executive Director of Marketing for Orapharma, Inc. where he successfully led the post-acquisition integration of the dental company into J&J and repositioned the business for further growth. Other positions at J&J included Vice President of Marketing for Therakos, Inc., Director of Managed Care Sales for McNeil Specialty Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Marketing Director for the Tylenol brand.

I welcome the opportunity to work with Interleukin and its strategic partners to provide the marketing leadership necessary to advance personalized care in dentistry through the regular use of the PST genetic test and personalized medicine overall, said Scott Snyder, Chief Marketing Officer, Interleukin Genetics, Inc.

About Interleukin Genetics

Interleukin Genetics, Inc. (ILIU) develops and markets a line of genetic tests under the Inherent Health and PST brands.The products empower individuals to prevent certain chronic conditions and manage their existing health and wellness through genetic-based insights with actionable guidance. Interleukin Genetics leverages its research, intellectual property and genetic panel development expertise in metabolism and inflammation to facilitate the emerging personalized healthcare market. The Company markets its tests through partnerships with health and wellness companies, healthcare professionals and other distribution channels. Interleukin Genetics flagship products include its proprietary PST genetic risk panel for periodontal disease and tooth loss susceptibility sold through dentists, and the Inherent Health Weight Management Genetic Test that identifies the most effective diet and exercise program for an individual based on genetics. Interleukin Genetics is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. and operates an on-site, state-of-the-art DNA testing laboratory certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). For more information, please visit http://www.ilgenetics.com.

Certain statements contained herein are forward-looking statements.Because such statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those risks and uncertainties described in the Interleukin Genetics annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Interleukin Genetics disclaims any obligation or intention to update these forward-looking statements.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20130103006233/en/

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50520807&lang=en

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Interleukin Genetics Appoints Scott Snyder as Chief Marketing Officer

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Whole-genome Testing and the Possibility of Gene Therapy for Neurological Disorders
(Visit: http://www.uctv.tv Soon everyone can have their genome sequenced. Will this information improve health, or simply clarify our fate? Series: "MIND Institute Lecture Series on Neurodevelopmental Disorders" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 24540]

By: UCtelevision

Link:
Whole-genome Testing and the Possibility of Gene Therapy for Neurological Disorders - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida (VGTI Florida), a leading nonprofit immunological research institute, is pleased to announce the appointment of Keith Knutson, Ph.D., Program Director. Dr. Knutson will be joining VGTI Florida along with several members of his lab. His work will focus on immunotherapeutic approaches in breast and ovarian cancers and how vaccines can boost immunity and help the bodys defense system fight off these cancers.

Dr. Knutson recently received a $3.7 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to identify immunologic biomarkers or proteins that could be useful in identifying breast cancer patients who are unlikely to respond to certain therapies. This can help to determine whether a drug used in specific patient groups can be effective or whether these patients should be treated with a different therapeutic regimen.

Cancer is an important area of research focus for VGTI Florida, and Dr. Knutsons work will help make great strides in the understanding and treatment of breast and ovarian cancers, said Jay Nelson, Ph.D., founder and Executive Director of the institute. Dr. Knutson is a leader in his field and we welcome his expertise in treating two serious diseases that affect so many millions of women around the world, said Rafick Pierre Skaly, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Director of VGTI Florida.

Dr. Knutson is currently the Director of the Ovarian Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota and is also a Member of the U.S. Department of Defenses Breast Cancer Research Program Integration Panel, the primary body that makes decisions on funding. He is the Co-Director of the Mayo Clinic Immune Monitoring Core which is engaged in providing a variety of different immune monitoring and phenotyping services for research purposes across a variety of scientific disciplines including tumor immunology, rheumatoid arthritis, and infectious diseases.

Dr. Knutson has co-authored numerous articles in scientific journals including The Journal of Immunology; The American Journal of Pathology; Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy and many others. He has a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Washington and earned a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Georgia. He completed two postdoctoral fellowships, one in the Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington and another at the Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia. Following postdoctoral training, Dr. Knutson was awarded the Howard Temin Award from the National Cancer Institute.

VGTI Florida

VGTI Florida is a leading immunological research institute that is on an urgent mission to transform scientific discoveries into novel treatments and cures for devastating chronic illnesses such as cancer and HIV/AIDS, and infectious diseases. VGTI Florida is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization located in the Tradition Center for Innovation in Port St. Lucie, Florida. For more information, please visit http://www.VGTIFL.org.

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Dr. Keith Knutson Joins the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida as A Research Program Director in Oncology

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Cecelia Johnson was an artist, cellist, tap dancer, and 22-year-old college student when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001. The disease, in which the bodys immune system attacks the tissue protecting nerves, proceeds at its own pace: Sometimes the deterioration is halting, sometimes it can be delayed, but there is no cure. Johnsons decline was swift.

Six years after her diagnosis, undone by fatigue and pain and often unable to walk, Johnson gave up on conventional medicine. In the spring of 2007 she traveled from her home in Houston to Mexico, where an American doctor gave her an infusion of adult stem cells that were supposed to regenerate her damaged tissue. I thought this guy might be peddling snake oil, says Johnson. But I would have taken snake oil. The procedure cost her $14,000.

Within a few months, she began to feel better. The effects werent lasting, though, and she returned to Mexico every year until the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested her doctor in December2011. Francisco Morales was accused of conspiracy and fraud: He wasnt a licensed doctor, and he was using umbilical-cord stem cells he bought in the U.S. for treatments that the Food and Drug Administration had not approved. He pleaded guilty in September 2012 and awaits sentencing.

By then, Johnson had learned she could receive infusions of her own stem cells in Houston. An orthopedic surgeon there, Stanley Jones, had recently co-founded Celltex Therapeutics, a company that multiplied and stored adult stem cells. It took Johnson and her mother much of the spring and summer of 2012 to raise the $30,000 fee for the treatment, which was part of a clinical study. A study I have to pay $30,000 for? Sure, Im skeptical, says Johnson. The point is that stem cells are available, I desperately need them, and I will pay for them. In August, Johnson had several hundred thousand stem cells harvested from her abdominal fat.

Photograph by Thomas Prior for Bloomberg BusinessweekEller and Jones founded Celltex in 2011

Jones was not just a doctor, he was also a satisfied customer. He had been treated for autoimmune arthritis with his own adult stem cells through a South Korean company, RNLBio. In March2011, he and Houston businessman David Eller founded Celltex, one of the first commercial stem cell laboratories in the country. They had RNLs technology and eventually some 200 paying patients desperate for relief. One of them was Texas Governor Rick Perry, who suffered from back problems. Together they encouraged the state medical authority to let doctors provide stem cell treatments under its supervision.

Then the FDA got involved: The agency inspected Celltexs lab, found 14 major manufacturing problems, and later warned the company it was illegally marketing an unlicensed drug. Celltex shut down the lab in early October 2012, four days before Johnson was to receive her first batch of cells. It hasnt yet resumed processing stem cells for Johnson or anyone else. In a December letter to patients the company stated: Celltex remains fully committed to advance the most promising new field in human health in decadesregenerative medicine.

Celltexs venture raises some of the most vexing, emotional issues in the business of medicine. Stem cells hold enormous promise, but promise isnt proof, and anecdotal evidence isnt science. Small companies often cant do the research required by the FDA and make money at the same time. Some patients will pay to be part of an experiment, but many doctors and regulators dont think they should. In Texas the science of stem cells has collided with a governors ambitions, a businessmans optimism, a doctors faith, and patients hopes. It seemed too good to be true, Johnson says, and it was. Stem cells, often thought of as the bodys master cells, help form and repair tissue, organs, and blood. There are different types of stem cells, each with their own capabilities. Embryonic stem cells, potentially the most powerful, are the most controversial; George W. Bush restricted federal funding for embryonic stem cell research when he was in office. Induced pluripotent stem cells are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to have some attributes of embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells are believed to exist in tissue throughout the body. The main function of mesenchymal adult stem cells, the type Celltex works with, is to repair tissue damaged by daily use. They also have anti-inflammatory properties. The cells can be found in special niches in bone marrow, umbilical-cord blood, muscle, and fat. When the body is injured, the cells leave their niche and become more specialized, but they are not, like embryonic stem cells, able to transform into any kind of cell. A blood-forming cell can become a red blood cell; it cant become a brain cell.

Dr. Gary D. Gaugler/PhototakeA blood-forming adult stem cell, found in bone marrow

Hundreds of clinical studies are under way in the U.S. to test the safety and efficacy of stem cells for all sorts of disorders: Alzheimers, Crohns, Epstein-Barr, lymphoma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, infertility. Scientists say stem cells could help repair the heart or spine, regenerate cartilage, and improve brain function after a stroke. Were formed from stem cells, everything about our body is a stem cell product, says James Willerson, president of the Texas Heart Institute, where about half of the research conducted involves stem cells. I believe the right cells in the right place in the right person will do amazing things. Arnold Caplan, a professor of biology at Case Western Reserve University and founder of two stem cell companies, says: It sounds like stem cells could be the magic elixir for every malady. The answer is that, on a scientific basis, they could be.

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Stem Cell Showdown: Celltex vs. the FDA

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

"Stem Cell-Based Approaches to Treat Spinal Cord Injury" - Dr. Hans Keirstead
Dr. Keirstead speaks about a variety of cell-based therapies being developed in his lab to enhance regeneration in the injured spinal cord.

By: unite2fightparalysis

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"Stem Cell-Based Approaches to Treat Spinal Cord Injury" - Dr. Hans Keirstead - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Prof. Bader #39;s Revolutionary Regenerative Medicine Technique
Prof. Bader #39;s Regenerative Medicine Video I do not own this video

By: Bret Budrick

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Prof. Bader's Revolutionary Regenerative Medicine Technique - Video

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Neuroscience is the new black, when it comes to fashion in scientific research.

"The gene was the central issue in biology in 20th century," Nobel Laureate Dr. Eric Kandel, neuroscientist at Columbia University said in an interview in Toronto recently. "The mind is the essential issue for biology in the 21st century."

"And certainly if you think of public health consequences, the diseases, pain, schizophrenia, depression, manic depressive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, God knows what, so many miseries of humankind come from psychiatric and neurological disorders," Kandel added.

Back in the 1960's, when Kandel began his Nobel prize winning work searching for the biological source of memory, neuroscience was a lonely field. "It didn't interest many biologists. Anatomy was considered boring, and electrophysiology was too technically complicated for most scientists to pay attention to," he said.

Richard Beninger is a behavioural neuroscientist at Queen's University, who recalls that as a student he studied the brain as a collection of parts. "You could see white matter and dark matter and lots of fine detail, right down to the neuron level, but it was all morphology, structure," he said.

"But all of that changed, once scientists began to understand the chemical pathways in the brain. The morphology is still there, but now we know what the transmitter systems are. So we have a whole new brain only in the last 40 years to work with," Beninger said.

Today's technology allows scientists to put living, breathing humans into an magnetic resonance imaging machine, tell them to think about something, and watch as the biological traces of thought appear and disappear in colorful bursts, measured by changes in blood oxygen levels. It means scientists can now explore the neural landscape in real time, and chart the cognitive forces that have shaped our species from our earliest days.

As they investigate this neural wonderland, scientists are probing the very essence of what makes us human. It's as though they are lifting the hood of humanity, and tinkering with the wiring to find how what makes us do what we do. And they are discovering that the secret to everything we do, think, or feel, is in that wiring, a constantly changing network of neuronal connections sculpted by evolution and fired by electrical and chemical interactions.

Dr. Kandel calls it the most complex organizational structure in the universe. "So we're far from understanding it completely, very far, but the beginning has been quite dramatic," he says.

"It's certainly extraordinary, our entire experience of life, all of our mental experiences, if they all result from the activity of chemistry in our brain, the activity of neurotransmitters and neurocircuits, it's amazing," Beninger said.

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Ancient systems in the brain drive human cravings

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Sydney, Jan. 2 (ANI): Researchers have found a "genetic switch," that allows them to change breast cancer cells and make them more responsive to treatments like anti-oestrogen therapies, which could help open up new cures for the disease.

Researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney found the molecule, known as ELF5, which can turn genes on or off.

By manipulating the molecule, the breast cancer cell's sensitivity to anti-oestrogen drugs used to treat breast cancer could be increased, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Oestrogen plays a key role in the breast cancers. Women, who do not experience much oestrogen, either, because they start menstruating later in life or begin menopause early, have a lower risk of having breast cancer.

Led by Professor Ormandy in collaboration with colleagues Maria Kalyga and David Gallego-Ortega, the finding established for the first time that there is a relation between the molecule and breast cancer.

The latest discovery made in collaboration with British researchers, raises the potential for drugs designed to reduce the amount of the molecule in those cancer cells dependent on ELF5 for proliferation.

The study has been outlined in the journal PLOS Biology. (ANI)

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Seven-year-old Gregory White, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, sits in a chair awaiting treatment on April 17, 2002 at the Loyola Oakbrook Medical Center in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.

The promise of genetic medicine is beginning to be fulfilled, but it's been a long, hard slog.

Take the story of Kalydeco. It's designed to treat people with a lung disease called cystic fibrosis. While not quite a cure, the drug is extremely effective for some CF patients.

But the success of Kalydeco has been more than two decades in the making.

A good starting point for the story is Aug. 24, 1989. That's the day scientists from the U.S. and Canada announced the discovery of the gene associated with the disease. It was the early days of gene hunting, and the CF gene was a big prize.

CF is the most common genetic disease in Caucasians. When people inherit a damaged form of the CF gene, a critical protein inside cells doesn't work properly. As a result, sticky mucus builds up in a patient's lungs, causing infections and making it hard to breathe.

The announcement was supposed to be made in conjunction with three papers in the Sept. 8 issue of Science, but a reporter for Reuters got hold of the story early. Science took the unusual step of allowing the scientists to speak to the media before publication.

At the time, scientists predicted that a genetic test for CF was just around the corner. But they also thought a drug to treat the disease was in reach.

The first prediction turned out to be right. "But it wasn't until 20 years later that we were able to find drugs that directly target the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis," says Fred Van Goor, who led the team at what is now Vertex Pharmaceuticals that developed Kalydeco. "So it was a long time between the discovery of the gene and the discovery of Kalyedco."

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Drug fulfills promise of research into Cystic Fibrosis gene

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6-3 win against genetics and kurt + codcaster
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George Church (US) - THE BIG PICTURE Symposium - EN
George Church (US) holds a chair in genetics at Harvard Medical School and heads the Center for Computational Genetics. In 1984, he became the first to decode a genome, which led to many other revolutionary discoveries and software developments in the fields of genetic engineering and synthetic biology. http://www.aec.at

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Advanced Genetics Athlete Melanie Gardner 9 Weeks from 2013 Arnolds
Shoulder Workout I do not own the rights to the music heard in this video. It belongs to the respective copyright owners. I upload these videos to promote the artists to an audience that may not otherwise take notice of the artist and for nothing more. Do NOT duplicate and/or sell this video at any time or to anyone. No copyright infringement intended. If you would like me to remove this video because of any legal issues, please message me and I will promptly and gladly do so

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