SUNRISE, FL--(Marketwire - Oct 17, 2012) - Bioheart, Inc. ( OTCQB : BHRT ) today announced that they have agreed to extend the license agreement with Airspeed for four separate Bioheart patents.The patents include methods of electrical stimulation and biological pacing, which are marketed under the MyoStim product line.Airspeed holds exclusive rights to these patents and all products associated with the patents and pays Bioheart milestone payments and royalties based on future sales of products.MyoStim is pursuing initial safety and efficacy trials in both wound care and heart failure using the Wound Healing and Regeneration Accelerator units (MWHA-1).

Mike Tomas, President and CEO, said, "Bioheart is currently focused on our core assets for heart failure patients and is enthusiastic about Airspeeds ability to bring Bioheart's electrical stimulation technologies to market."

Alan Remen, Airspeed Holdings' Managing Director and MyoStim's Co-Founder and CEO, said, "This technology may help to stimulate the body's own bio-electric 'homing' signal to recruit stem cells to the site of injury and grow new blood vessels, which can be an effective therapy for critical wounds and heart failure."

About Bioheart, Inc.

Bioheart is committed to maintaining its leading position within the cardiovascular sector of the cell technology industry delivering cell therapies and biologics that help address congestive heart failure, lower limb ischemia, chronic heart ischemia, acute myocardial infarctions and other issues.Bioheart's goals are to cause damaged tissue to be regenerated, when possible, and to improve a patient's quality of life and reduce health care costs and hospitalizations.

Specific to biotechnology, Bioheart is focused on the discovery, development and, subject to regulatory approval, commercialization of autologous cell therapies for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage and peripheral vascular disease. Its leading product, MyoCell, is a clinical muscle-derived cell therapy designed to populate regions of scar tissue within a patient's heart with new living cells for the purpose of improving cardiac function in chronic heart failure patients. For more information on Bioheart, visit http://www.bioheartinc.com, or visit us on Facebook: Bioheart and Twitter @BioheartInc.

About Airspeed Holdings, LLC

Headquartered in San Diego, Airspeed is a private investment, entrepreneurial capital management firm and leading edge, multi-project business development enterprise that creates and nurtures new technology companies.

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may," "will," "to," "plan," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "would," "estimate," or "continue" or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Read more:
Bioheart Extends Licenses of Electrical Stimulation Patents With Airspeed

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Washington, October 17 (ANI): Researchers believe they have discovered stem cells that play a decisive role in new blood vessel growth.

If the researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, learn to isolate and efficiently produce these stem cells found in blood vessel walls, the cells offer new opportunities in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and many other diseases.

The growth of new blood vessels, also known as angiogenesis, is needed in adults when repairing damaged tissue or organs.

Unfortunately, malignant tumours are also capable of growing new blood vessels to receive oxygen and nutrients. In other words, the treatment of diseases would benefit from two types of methods - ones that help launch the process of angiogenesis and ones that make it possible to prevent the process.

Medications that prevent the growth of new blood vessels have already been introduced, but their effectiveness and long-term efficacy leave much to be desired.

For more than a decade, Adjunct Professor Petri Salven from the University of Helsinki has studied the mechanisms of angiogenesis to discover how blood vessel growth could be prevented or accelerated effectively.

He has examined the birth and origin of endothelial cells, which form the thin layer that lines the interior surface of blood vessels. Endothelial cells are necessary for new blood vessel growth. Where do these highly diversified cells come from? Can their production be prevented or increased?

For a long time, it was assumed that new cells in the blood vessel walls of an adult originate in the bone marrow. In an article published in the PNAS journal in 2008, Salven's research team showed that such stem cells were not found in bone marrow.

Now Salven is ready to reveal where these mysterious stem cells originate.

"We succeeded in isolating endothelial cells with a high rate of division in the blood vessel walls of mice. We found these same cells in human blood vessels and blood vessels growing in malignant tumours in humans. These cells are known as vascular endothelial stem cells, abbreviated as VESC. In a cell culture, one such cell is able to produce tens of millions of new blood vessel wall cells," Salven said.

See the article here:
New blood-vessel-generating cells with therapeutic potential discovered

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Oct 17, 2012) - The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the international organization representing the interests of the regenerative medicine community, announced the publication today of an article on FDA communications to help companies developing cell-based therapies by clarifying the development pathway. The article, entitled "Communications with the FDA on the Development Pathway for a Cell-Based Therapy: Why, What, When, and How?" will be published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine. It is co-authored by representatives from ARM, Janssen R&D, GE Healthcare and Life Technologies, with the lead author from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).

"There are a number of ways cell-based therapy companies can communicate with FDA that will help them navigate the road from the bench to a regulatory submission," said Michael Werner, Executive Director of ARM. "We hope that our combined experience as co-authors, and our attempt to create a single source of guidance on the regulatory process, will help companies bring new cell-based therapies through clinical trials and the regulatory review process more quickly so they can reach patients faster," added Mr. Werner.

Lead author Ellen Feigal, MD, Senior Vice President for Research and Development at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) commented, "Cell-based therapies represent a fundamentally new way to treat or cure disease, but developing a new therapy is costly, time consuming and fraught with uncertainty. Our paper takes a practical approach to clarifying the path to market."

"Communications with the FDA on the Development Pathway for a Cell-Based Therapy: Why, What, When, and How?" provides detailed information on options for communicating with the FDA at different stages; the official communications tied to each stage of development; and the most common reasons regulatory applications are delayed. The article can be accessed at: http://stemcellstm.alphamedpress.org/content/early/recent

About CIRM: CIRM was established in November 2004 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act. The statewide ballot measure, which provided $3 billion in funding for stem cell research at California universities and research institutions, was overwhelmingly approved by voters, and called for the establishment of an entity to make grants and provide loans for stem cell research, research facilities, and other vital research opportunities. A list of grants and loans awarded to date may be seen here: http://www.cirm.ca.gov/for-researchers/researchfunding.

About ARM: The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine is a Washington, DC-based multi-stakeholder advocacy organization that promotes legislative, regulatory and reimbursement initiatives necessary to facilitate access to life-giving advances in regenerative medicine. ARM also works to increase public understanding of the field and its potential to transform human healthcare, providing business development and investor outreach services to support the growth of its member companies and research organizations. Prior to the formation of ARM in 2009, there was no advocacy organization operating in Washington, DC to specifically represent the interests of the companies, research institutions, investors and patient groups that comprise the entire regenerative medicine community. Today ARM has more than 120 members and is the leading global advocacy organization in this field. In March 2012, ARM launched a sister organization in Europe -- the Alliance for Advanced Therapies. For more information go to http://www.alliancerm.org.

Read more here:
Journal Stem Cell Translational Medicine to Publish Article on FDA Communications and the Regulatory Pathway for Cell ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE MKT:NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), an emerging leader in the fast growing cell therapy market, today announced that it will redeem all outstanding shares of its Series E 7% Senior Convertible Preferred Stock ("Series E Preferred Stock").

On October 10, 2012, the Company gave notice to its Series E Preferred Stockholders that it is redeeming all of the outstanding shares of Series E Preferred Stock for an aggregate redemption price of $3.4 million, $2.5 million of which was funded by money placed into escrow when the Series E Preferred stock was issued in November 2010.

"We are pleased that we have been able to redeem this $10 million investment in full over a two year period. Equal to our focus on cell therapy product development and expanding our PCT contract development and manufacturing operations, we are committed to improving our balance sheet. Through the redemption of the Series E Preferred Stock, we will remove a significant overhang and simplify NeoStem's capital structure. The redemption of the Series E Preferred Stock is another example of a step taken by us to improve Common Stockholder value," said Dr. Robin Smith, Chairman and CEO of NeoStem. "We look forward to continued execution on our near term business strategy, including the forthcoming closing of the divestiture of our Erye China pharmaceutical subsidiary."

About NeoStem, Inc.

NeoStem, Inc. continues to develop and build on its core capabilities in cell therapy, capitalizing on the paradigm shift that we see occurring in medicine. In particular, we anticipate that cell therapy will have a significant role in the fight against chronic disease and in lessening the economic burden that these diseases pose to modern society. We are emerging as a technology and market leading company in this fast developing cell therapy market. Our multi-faceted business strategy combines a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC ("PCT"), with a medically important cell therapy product development program, enabling near and long-term revenue growth opportunities. We believe this expertise and existing research capabilities and collaborations will enable us to achieve our mission of becoming a premier cell therapy company.

Our contract development and manufacturing service business supports the development of proprietary cell therapy products. NeoStem's most clinically advanced therapeutic, AMR-001, is being developed at Amorcyte, LLC ("Amorcyte"), which we acquired in October 2011. Amorcyte is developing a cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and is enrolling patients in a Phase 2 trial to investigate AMR-001's efficacy in preserving heart function after a heart attack. Athelos Corporation ("Athelos"), which is approximately 80%-owned by our subsidiary, PCT, is collaborating with Becton-Dickinson in the early clinical exploration of a T-cell therapy for autoimmune conditions. In addition, pre-clinical assets include our VSELTM Technology platform as well as our mesenchymal stem cell product candidate for regenerative medicine. Our service business and pipeline of proprietary cell therapy products work in concert, giving us a competitive advantage that we believe is unique to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Supported by an experienced scientific and business management team and a substantial intellectual property estate, we believe we are well positioned to succeed.

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

Forward-Looking Statements for NeoStem, Inc.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements herein with respect to the successful execution of the Company's business strategy, including with respect to the Company's or its partners' successful development of AMR-001 and other cell therapeutics, the size of the market for such products, its competitive position in such markets, the Company's ability to successfully penetrate such markets and the market for its contract development and manufacturing ("CDMO") business, and the efficacy of protection from its patent portfolio, as well as the future of the cell therapeutics industry in general, including the rate at which such industry may grow. Forward looking statements also include statements with respect to satisfying all conditions to closing the disposition of Erye, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals in the PRC. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward- looking statements as a result of various factors, including but not limited to matters described under the "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 20, 2012 and in the Company's other periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available on its website. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. The Company's further development is highly dependent on future medical and research developments and market acceptance, which is outside its control.

Read more here:
NeoStem, Inc. Announces the Redemption of the Outstanding 7% Series E Preferred Stock

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A new study comparing risk factors for Alzheimers disease has found that having a high amount of beta amyloid plaques in the brain is associated with greater mental decline in healthy, older people than carrying a gene thought to increase peoples risk for the disease.

According to study author Yen Ying Lim, at the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, prior research has shown that carrying the Alzheimers gene, called the APOE 4 allele, and plaques have both been associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and the eventual development of Alzheimers disease. The gene also increases the risk of plaques.

Therefore, Lim and her colleagues originally thought that having both the gene and a high amount of plaques together would result in greater cognitive decline.

However, the data suggested that while both plaques and the gene were associated with decline in healthy people, the main driver of this decline was the amyloid plaque, Lim told FoxNews.com.

In a study of 141 healthy people with an average age of 76, the researchers found people who had more plaques at the start of the study had up to 20 percent greater cognitive decline over the next year and a half than those who had fewer plaques.

While people who carried the Alzheimers gene also showed greater decline than people without the gene, the gene did not affect the decline in memory caused by the plaques.

Though the evidence indicates plaques may be a more important factor in determining Alzheimers risk or other brain-related diseases, there are challenges to scanning people for plaques rather than the APOE 4 allele.

The main challenge is cost scans are very expensive, and the number of scanners are very few, Lim said. Further, this is the first time such a relationship between amyloid and cognitive decline has been observed.

If the results are replicated in future studies, Lim added, it could help direct future researchers on how to potentially treat or prevent Alzheimers disease.

It provides us with a platform to begin to investigate whether in healthy people with high levels of plaques, pharmaceutical therapies designed to halt or alter plaque accumulation can prevent the disease from progressing to the more severe stages, Lim said.

Read this article:
Brain plaques may be worse than carrying Alzheimer's gene

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 17-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, October 17, 2012SELEX is a rapid, efficient, and iterative high-throughput method for screening large libraries of molecules to identify those with the potential to be developed as drug compounds or research tools. Advances in SELEX technology that have enabled screening in live cells, called Cell-SELEX, are explored in a comprehensive Review article published in BioResearch Open Access, a bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available free on the BioResearch Open Access website.

Cell-SELEX uses live cells as targets for binding of molecules called aptamers, comprised of short chains of nucleic acids. Aptamers share many of the qualities that have made antibodies such successful drugs, but offer additional advantages such as stability, short length, and ease of manufacturing. Shoji Ohuchi, University of Tokyo, Japan, examines the ongoing progress in developing and refining this useful process for drug compound screening in the Review article "Cell-SELEX Technology."

"This review summarizes the progress and application of Cell-SELEX technology, providing an excellent resource for beginners to the field and experts alike," says Editor-in-Chief Jane Taylor, PhD, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

###

About the Journal

BioResearch Open Access is a bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal that provides a new rapid-publication forum for a broad range of scientific topics including molecular and cellular biology, tissue engineering and biomaterials, bioengineering, regenerative medicine, stem cells, gene therapy, systems biology, genetics, biochemistry, virology, microbiology, and neuroscience. All articles are published within 4 weeks of acceptance and are fully open access and posted on PubMedCentral. All journal content is available on the BioResearch Open Access website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 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 Assay and Drug Development Technologies, Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Development, Human Gene Therapy and HGT Methods, 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 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website.

Read more here:
Progress in Cell-SELEX compound screening technology reviewed in BioResearch Open Access

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 17-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, October 17, 2012Among adults who use social media such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and blogs for political purposes, 42% are under the age of 30. A case study of the controversial Budget Repair Bill in Wisconsin explored whether young adults who use social media are more likely to engage in offline protests, and the results are published in an article in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free online on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website.

In the article entitled "Killing the Bill Online?: Pathways to Young People's Protest Engagement via Social Media ," Timothy Macafee, University of Wisconsin-Madison, compared the relationship between information-seeking behaviors online versus expressive engagement online (defined as using social media as a "soapbox" to share personal views and political events and issues) and actual participation in political protests.

"Individuals use social media primarily for informational and expressive purposes," Macafee concludes. College students used social media to gain information related to the protests in this case study, but that activity did not affect their offline behavior; whereas, "expressive" political social media use encouraged offline protest participation.

"Using social media for information gathering has quite different implications for real world behavior than does use of social media to express oneself (through blogs, tweets, etc.)," says says Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA, Editor-in-Chief of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, from the Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, CA. "As young people utilize social media for information gathering more than traditional means, such as television or newspapers, those wishing to influence opinion and individual behavior should pay heed."

###

About the Journal

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly in print and online that explores the psychological and social issues surrounding the Internet and interactive technologies. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed online on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website.

About the Publisher

View post:
Are young people who join social media protests more likely to protest offline too?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Seattle Genetics, Inc. (SGEN) today announced the initiation of a phase II clinical trial evaluating ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) as a front-line therapy for patients age 60 or older with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). The trial is designed to assess the efficacy and tolerability of ADCETRIS as a monotherapy for older HL patients who have received no prior treatment. Seattle Genetics is the leader in the field of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and ADCETRIS is an ADC directed to CD30 for relapsed HL and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL).

The current standard of care for the treatment of front-line HL is a combination of multiple chemotherapeutic agents and has not changed in more than three decades. Some older HL patients are not able to tolerate the significant side effects associated with these regimens, and there is a significant need to identify effective and tolerable treatment options for these patients, said Thomas C. Reynolds, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer at Seattle Genetics. We believe the response rate associated with single-agent use of ADCETRIS in the relapsed HL setting supports the evaluation of single-agent ADCETRIS in older patients who have received no prior therapy.

The phase II single-arm, open-label clinical trial will evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of ADCETRIS as front-line monotherapy in patients age 60 or older with HL. The trial is enrolling patients who are newly diagnosed and have received no prior HL treatment. The primary endpoint of the trial is to assess the objective response rate (ORR), with key secondary endpoints of safety and tolerability, duration of response, complete remission (CR) rate and progression-free survival (PFS). The study is expected to enroll up to 20 patients at multiple centers in the United States.

More information about the trial, including enrolling centers, will be available by visiting http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About ADCETRIS

ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) is an ADC comprising an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), utilizing Seattle Genetics proprietary technology. The ADC employs a linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release MMAE upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells.

ADCETRIS received accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for two indications: (1) the treatment of patients with HL after failure of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or after failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates, and (2) the treatment of patients with sALCL after failure of at least one prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. The indications for ADCETRIS are based on response rate. There are no data available demonstrating improvement in patient-reported outcomes or survival with ADCETRIS.

ADCETRIS is not approved for use outside the United States. The marketing authorization application for ADCETRIS in relapsed or refractory HL and sALCL, filed by Takeda Global Research & Development Centre (Europe), was accepted for review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in June 2011. In July 2012, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the EMA issued a positive opinion for the conditional approval of ADCETRIS, supporting an approval decision in the European Union.

Seattle Genetics and Millennium are jointly developing ADCETRIS. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Seattle Genetics has U.S. and Canadian commercialization rights and the Takeda Group has rights to commercialize ADCETRIS in the rest of the world. Seattle Genetics and the Takeda Group are funding joint development costs for ADCETRIS on a 50:50 basis, except in Japan where the Takeda Group will be solely responsible for development costs.

Continued here:
Seattle Genetics Announces Initiation of Phase II Trial of ADCETRIS® as Front-line Therapy for Hodgkin Lymphoma ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Published: Oct. 16, 2012 at 8:30 PM

EVANSTON, Ill., Oct. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've discovered how to control the shape of nanoparticles that can move DNA through the body to treat cancer and other diseases.

A gene therapy technique utilizing nanoparticles is significant in that it does not use a virus to carry DNA into cells, as some gene therapy strategies relying on viruses have posed health risks, researchers at Northwestern University and John Hopkins University reported.

"These nanoparticles could become a safer and more effective delivery vehicle for gene therapy, targeting genetic diseases, cancer and other illnesses that can be treated with gene medicine," John Hopkins material science Professor Hai-Quan Mao said.

Mao, who has been developing non-viral nanoparticles for gene therapy for a decade, said a major breakthrough is the ability to "tune" the particles in three shapes, resembling rods, worms and spheres, which mimic the shapes and sizes of viral particles.

The nanoparticles carry healthy snippets of DNA within protective polymer coatings and are designed to deliver their genetic payload only after they have moved through the bloodstream and entered the target cells, prompting the cells to produce functional proteins that combat disease.

The rest is here:
Nanoparticles seen as gene therapy advance

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

StemCells Inc. has a history not much different from those of dozens, even hundreds, of biotech companies all around California.

Co-founded by an eminent Stanford research scientist, the Newark, Calif., firm has struggled financially while trying to push its stem cell products through the research-and-development pipeline. It collects about $1 million a year from licensing patents and selling cell cultures but spends well more than $20 million annually on R&D, so it runs deeply in the red.

On the plus side, StemCells Inc. has had rather a charmed relationship with the California stem cell program, that $3-billion taxpayer-backed research fund known formally as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

The firm ranks first among all corporate recipients of approved funding from CIRM, with some $40 million in awards approved this year. That's more than has gone to such established California nonprofit research centers as Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.

The record of StemCells is particularly impressive given that one of the two proposals for which the firm received a $20-million funding award, covering a possible Alzheimer's treatment, was actually rejected by CIRM's scientific review panel twice. Nevertheless, the stem cell agency's governing board went ahead and approved it last month.

What was the company's secret? StemCells says it's addressing "a serious unmet medical need" in Alzheimer's research. But it doesn't hurt that the company also had powerful friends going to bat for it, including two guys who were instrumental in getting CIRM off the ground in the first place.

There's nothing improper about the state stem cell agency funding private enterprise; that's part of its statutory duties, and potentially valuable in advancing the goals of research. In part that's because CIRM is in a good position to help biotech firms leapfrog the "valley of death" the territory between basic research and the much more expensive and speculative process of moving a technology to clinical testing and, hopefully, the marketplace. Unfortunately, that's also the point where outside investment often dries up.

But private enterprise is new territory for CIRM, which has steered almost all its grants thus far to nonprofit institutions. Those efforts haven't been trouble-free: With some 90% of the agency's grants having gone to institutions with representatives on its board, the agency has long been vulnerable to charges of conflicts of interest. The last thing it needed was to show a similar flaw in its dealings with private companies too.

That brings us back to StemCells Inc. First, consider the firm's pedigree. Its co-founder was Irving Weissman, director of Stanford's Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and a stem cell research pioneer. Weissman was one of the most prominent and outspoken supporters of Proposition 71, the 2004 ballot initiative that established the stem cell agency.

He's also been a leading beneficiary of CIRM funding, listed as the principal researcher on three grants worth a total of $24.5 million. The agency also contributed $43.6 million toward the construction of his institute's glittering $200-million research building on the Stanford campus. As of mid-April Weissman was still listed as a shareholder of StemCells, where his wife, Ann Tsukamoto, is an executive. Weissman, who is traveling in Africa, could not get back to me by deadline to talk about his relationship with the company.

Go here to read the rest:
Research firm reaped stem cell funds despite panel's advice

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE MKT:NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), an emerging leader in the fast growing cell therapy market, today announced that it will redeem all outstanding shares of its Series E 7% Senior Convertible Preferred Stock ("Series E Preferred Stock").

On October 10, 2012, the Company gave notice to its Series E Preferred Stockholders that it is redeeming all of the outstanding shares of Series E Preferred Stock for an aggregate redemption price of $3.4 million, $2.5 million of which was funded by money placed into escrow when the Series E Preferred stock was issued in November 2010.

"We are pleased that we have been able to redeem this $10 million investment in full over a two year period. Equal to our focus on cell therapy product development and expanding our PCT contract development and manufacturing operations, we are committed to improving our balance sheet. Through the redemption of the Series E Preferred Stock, we will remove a significant overhang and simplify NeoStem's capital structure. The redemption of the Series E Preferred Stock is another example of a step taken by us to improve Common Stockholder value," said Dr. Robin Smith, Chairman and CEO of NeoStem. "We look forward to continued execution on our near term business strategy, including the forthcoming closing of the divestiture of our Erye China pharmaceutical subsidiary."

About NeoStem, Inc.

NeoStem, Inc. continues to develop and build on its core capabilities in cell therapy, capitalizing on the paradigm shift that we see occurring in medicine. In particular, we anticipate that cell therapy will have a significant role in the fight against chronic disease and in lessening the economic burden that these diseases pose to modern society. We are emerging as a technology and market leading company in this fast developing cell therapy market. Our multi-faceted business strategy combines a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC ("PCT"), with a medically important cell therapy product development program, enabling near and long-term revenue growth opportunities. We believe this expertise and existing research capabilities and collaborations will enable us to achieve our mission of becoming a premier cell therapy company.

Our contract development and manufacturing service business supports the development of proprietary cell therapy products. NeoStem's most clinically advanced therapeutic, AMR-001, is being developed at Amorcyte, LLC ("Amorcyte"), which we acquired in October 2011. Amorcyte is developing a cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and is enrolling patients in a Phase 2 trial to investigate AMR-001's efficacy in preserving heart function after a heart attack. Athelos Corporation ("Athelos"), which is approximately 80%-owned by our subsidiary, PCT, is collaborating with Becton-Dickinson in the early clinical exploration of a T-cell therapy for autoimmune conditions. In addition, pre-clinical assets include our VSELTM Technology platform as well as our mesenchymal stem cell product candidate for regenerative medicine. Our service business and pipeline of proprietary cell therapy products work in concert, giving us a competitive advantage that we believe is unique to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Supported by an experienced scientific and business management team and a substantial intellectual property estate, we believe we are well positioned to succeed.

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

Forward-Looking Statements for NeoStem, Inc.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements herein with respect to the successful execution of the Company's business strategy, including with respect to the Company's or its partners' successful development of AMR-001 and other cell therapeutics, the size of the market for such products, its competitive position in such markets, the Company's ability to successfully penetrate such markets and the market for its contract development and manufacturing ("CDMO") business, and the efficacy of protection from its patent portfolio, as well as the future of the cell therapeutics industry in general, including the rate at which such industry may grow. Forward looking statements also include statements with respect to satisfying all conditions to closing the disposition of Erye, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals in the PRC. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward- looking statements as a result of various factors, including but not limited to matters described under the "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 20, 2012 and in the Company's other periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available on its website. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. The Company's further development is highly dependent on future medical and research developments and market acceptance, which is outside its control.

Read the original here:
NeoStem, Inc. Announces the Redemption of the Outstanding 7% Series E Preferred Stock

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

"OK/Help" Signs Could Save Time, Lives in Quake Aftermath

Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones says future earthquakes in California are inescapable, but safety officials say what can be controlled is how Angelenos and first responders communicate in the aftermath of the Big One. About 50,000 signs with the word OK on one side and HELP on the other were distributed across the San Fernando Valley on Monday in an effort to get aid where its needed in case of an emergency. Officials say the latest method could save time and lives. Stephanie Elam reports from Chatsworth for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2012.

Nine years ago, Deserie Ortiz suffered a spinal cord injury in a car crash. Now, she works with disabled youth and admits she needs to better prepare herself for the Big One, the massive earthquake experts predict will strike Southern California sooner rather than later.

I know you are supposed to drop, cover and hold on and things like that but if I drop on the floor, I'm not going to be able to get back up on my wheelchair, Ortiz said.

I just have to do it now. Especially since I am an advocate of my own life and I'm an advocate for others, I need to be an example, she said.

MORE:"OK/Help"Earthquake Safety Initiative | Quake Maps, Apps and Pets Preps

For the wheel-chair bound, safety officials advise dropping, covering and holding on the best way they can modified instructions with the same urgency.

They should lock the wheelchair in place so that it does not move, said Jeff Reeb, access and functional needs coordinator for LA County Office of Emergency Management.

If residents are in bed when an earthquake hits, experts advise to use the linens, bedding and paddings to their advantage.

I didn't know what I was going to do but I did stay on my bed and that I was not going to move until I felt secure to get on to my wheelchair, Ortiz said.

Read the rest here:
Quake Prep Tips for Angelenos With Disabilities

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Public release date: 16-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Bryan Ghosh bghosh@plos.org 44-122-344-2837 Public Library of Science

Researchers at the University of Helsinki believe they have discovered stem cells that play a decisive role in the growth of new blood vessels. If researchers learn to isolate and efficiently produce these stem cells found in blood vessel walls, the cells could offer new opportunities for developing therapeutics to treat diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. The study reporting the discovery of these stem cells is published in the open access journal PLOS Biology on October 16.

The growth of new blood vessels, known as neoangiogenesis, occurs during the repair of damaged tissue and organs in adults. However, malignant tumours also grow new blood vessels in order to receive oxygen and nutrients. As such, neoangiogenesis is both beneficial and detrimental to health, depending on the context, requiring therapeutic approaches that can either help to stimulate or prevent it. Therapeutics that aim to prevent the growth of new blood vessels are already in use, but the results are often more modest than predicted.

Adjunct Professor Petri Salvn and his team, from the University of Helsinki, now report that these stem cells can be found among the cellsso-called endothelial cellsthat line the inside of blood vessel walls. He explains, "we succeeded in isolating endothelial cells with a high rate of division in the blood vessel walls of mice. We found these same cells in human blood vessels and blood vessels growing in malignant tumours in humans. These cells are known as vascular endothelial stem cells, abbreviated as VESC. In a cell culture, one such cell is capable of producing tens of millions of new blood vessel wall cells".

From their studies in mice, the team are able to show that the growth of new blood vessels weakens, and the growth of malignant tumours slows, if the amount of these cells is below normal. Conversely, new blood vessels form where these stem cells are implanted.

"The identification and isolation of an entirely new adult stem cell type is a significant discovery in stem cell biology." explains Salvn. "Endothelial stem cells in blood vessels are particularly interesting, because they offer great potential for applications in practical medicine and the treatment of patients."

If an efficient method of vascular endothelial stem cell production could be developed, it could offer new treatment opportunities in situations where damaged tissue or diseases call for new blood vessel growth, or where the constriction or dysfunction of blood vessels deprives tissues of oxygen, for example in cardiac disease. These cells also offer new opportunities for developing therapeutics that seek to prevent new blood vessel growth in malignant tumours.

###

Funding: The work was supported by the Finnish Academy of Sciences. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish,or preparation of the manuscript.

Continued here:
Researchers discover new blood vessel-generating cell with therapeutic potential

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

ScienceDaily (Oct. 16, 2012) Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, believe they have discovered stem cells that play a decisive role in new blood vessel growth. If researchers learn to isolate and efficiently produce these stem cells found in blood vessel walls, the cells offer new opportunities in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and many other diseases.

The study will be published Oct. 16, 2012 in the online journal PLOS Biology.

The growth of new blood vessels, also known as angiogenesis, is needed in adults when repairing damaged tissue or organs. Unfortunately, malignant tumours are also capable of growing new blood vessels to receive oxygen and nutrients. In other words, the treatment of diseases would benefit from two types of methods: ones that help launch the process of angiogenesis and ones that make it possible to prevent the process. Medications that prevent the growth of new blood vessels have already been introduced, but their effectiveness and long-term efficacy leave much to be desired.

For more than a decade, Adjunct Professor Petri Salvn from the University of Helsinki has studied the mechanisms of angiogenesis to discover how blood vessel growth could be prevented or accelerated effectively. He has examined the birth and origin of endothelial cells, which form the thin layer that lines the interior surface of blood vessels. Endothelial cells are necessary for new blood vessel growth. Where do these highly diversified cells come from? Can their production be prevented or increased?

For a long time, it was assumed that new cells in the blood vessel walls of an adult originate in the bone marrow. In an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in 2008, Salvn's research team showed that such stem cells were not found in bone marrow.

Now Salvn is ready to reveal where these mysterious stem cells originate. His team's new study will be published in the PLOS Biology journal on 16 October 2012.

"We succeeded in isolating endothelial cells with a high rate of division in the blood vessel walls of mice. We found these same cells in human blood vessels and blood vessels growing in malignant tumours in humans. These cells are known as vascular endothelial stem cells, abbreviated as VESC. In a cell culture, one such cell is able to produce tens of millions of new blood vessel wall cells," Salvn explains.

"Our study shows that these important stem cells can be found as single cells among ordinary endothelial cells in blood vessel walls. When the process of angiogenesis is launched, these cells begin to produce new blood vessel wall cells."

The effects of new endothelial stem cells have also been tested in mice. The results show that the growth of new blood vessels weakens and the growth of malignant tumours slows if the amount of these cells in the organism is below normal. Correspondingly, a high number of new blood vessels quickly emerge where new stem cells are implanted.

Identifying stem cells among other blood vessel wall cells is challenging and time-consuming. Salvn and his team managed to identify a few molecular surface structures that make it easier to trace these stem cells. However, the efficiency of the identification process needs to be enhanced.

See the original post here:
New blood-vessel-generating cell with therapeutic potential discovered

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By Charles Choi, LiveScience contributor

Death will come for us all one day, but life will not fade from our bodies all at once. After our lungs stop breathing, our hearts stop beating, our minds stop racing, our bodies cool, and long after our vital signs cease, little pockets of cells can live for days, even weeks. Now scientists have harvested such cells from the scalps and brain linings of human corpses and reprogrammed them into stem cells.

In other words, dead people can yield living cells that can be converted into any cell or tissue in the body.

As such, this work could help lead to novel stem cell therapies and shed light on a variety of mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder, which may stem from problems with development, researchers say.

Making stem cells Mature cells can be made or induced to become immature cells, known as pluripotent stem cells, which have the ability to become any tissue in the body and potentially can replace cells destroyed by disease or injury. This discovery was honored last week with the Nobel Prize.

Past research showed this same process could be carried out with so-called fibroblasts taken from the skin of human cadavers. Fibroblasts are the most common cells of connective tissue in animals, and they synthesize the extracellular matrix, the complex scaffolding between cells. [ Science of Death: 10 Tales from the Crypt ]

Cadaver-collected fibroblasts can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells using chemicals known as growth factors that are linked with stem cell activity. Reprogrammed cells could then develop into a multitude of cell types, including the neurons found in the brain and spinal cord. However, bacteria and fungi on the skin can wreak havoc on the culturing processes used to grow cells in labs, making the process tricky to successfully carry out.

Now scientists have taken fibroblasts from the scalps and the brain linings of 146 human brain donors and grown induced pluripotent stem cells from them as well.

"We were able to culture living cells from deceased individuals on a larger scale than ever done before," researcher Thomas Hyde, a neuroscientist, neurologist and chief operating officer at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development in Baltimore, told LiveScience. Previous studies had only grown fibroblasts from a total of about a half-dozen cadavers.

The bodies had been dead up to nearly two days before scientists collected tissues from them. The corpses had been kept cool in the morgue, but not frozen.

Read more from the original source:
New life for the dead: Stem cells from corpse scalp

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Death will come for us all one day, but life will not fade from our bodies all at once. After our lungs stop breathing, our hearts stop beating, our minds stop racing, our bodies cool, and long after our vital signs cease, little pockets of cells can live for days, even weeks. Now scientists have harvested such cells from the scalps and brain linings of human corpses and reprogrammed them into stem cells.

In other words, dead people can yield living cells that can be converted into any cell or tissue in the body.

As such, this work could help lead to novel stem cell therapies and shed light on a variety of mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder, which may stem from problems with development, researchers say.

Making stem cells

Mature cells can be made or induced to become immature cells, known as pluripotent stem cells, which have the ability to become any tissue in the body and potentially can replace cells destroyed by disease or injury. This discovery was honored last week with the Nobel Prize.

Past research showed this same process could be carried out with so-called fibroblasts taken from the skin of human cadavers. Fibroblasts are the most common cells of connective tissue in animals, and they synthesize the extracellular matrix, the complex scaffolding between cells. [Science of Death: 10 Tales from the Crypt]

Cadaver-collected fibroblasts can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells using chemicals known as growth factors that are linked with stem cell activity. Reprogrammed cells could then develop into a multitude of cell types, including the neurons found in the brain and spinal cord. However, bacteria and fungi on the skin can wreak havoc on the culturing processes used to grow cells in labs, making the process tricky to successfully carry out.

Now scientists have taken fibroblasts from the scalps and the brain linings of 146 human brain donors and grown induced pluripotent stem cells from them as well.

"We were able to culture living cells from deceased individuals on a larger scale than ever done before," researcher Thomas Hyde, a neuroscientist, neurologist and chief operating officer at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development in Baltimore, told LiveScience. Previous studies had only grown fibroblasts from a total of about a half-dozen cadavers.

The bodies had been dead up to nearly two days before scientists collected tissues from them. The corpses had been kept cool in the morgue, but not frozen.

Visit link:
Human Cadaver Brains May Provide New Stem Cells

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

With all the publicity about the miraculous effects of stem cell therapy, the Department of Health (DOH) should prepare itself for the possibility that the new procedure would be performed by unqualified, and completely clueless, people.

I passed a beauty parlor recently and saw a huge poster on its door announcing the arrival of stem cell therapy. I was instantly reminded of botched breast enhancement and nose jobs performed by salon personnel who seemed to think it was as easy to learn complicated surgical procedures as it was to train to cut hair or do manicures and pedicures.

The DOH should start warning the public not to fall for these special offers just because they are available at giveaway rates.

Modern lifestyle problem

Experts have repeatedly talked about problems brought about by modern lifestyles. Changing diets and stress are two of the best known. Dr. Jaime G. Ignacio, section chief of gastroenterology at Veterans Hospital and head of the Digestive Malignancy Council of the Philippine Society of Gastroenterology, said constipation could be one of the consequences of the combination of these two factors.

Speaking at an event hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim, maker of Dulcolax (generic name Bisacodyl), a formulation for constipation relief, Ignacio, who, as a gastroenterologist is a specialist in digestive system disorders, defined the problem as having fewer than three bowel movements in a week (normal ranges from three times a week to three times a day).

He said constipation itself was not a disease but it could sometimes be a symptom of something serious, like colorectal cancer. But he said about 95 percent of cases were acuteoccurring suddenly and lasting for only a short periodresulting from some sudden lifestyle or hormonal changes, the taking of medication, lack of exercise, etc.

Ignacio said acute was easy to treat, with products like Dulcolax to solve the problem. But, if left unattended, acute constipation could lead to a chronic or long-term condition, which was the more worrisome, and would need medical attention.

He said constipation should be treated as soon as the problem had lasted for four or more days.

Constipation is part of modern living. [Like other diseases] prevention is the key. Safe and effective treatment is available [if needed], Ignacio stressed.

See more here:
Beauty salon ‘offers’ stem cell therapy

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

ScienceDaily (Oct. 16, 2012) A landmark paper identifying genetic signatures that predict which patients will respond to a life-saving drug for treating congestive heart failure has been published by a research team co-led by Stephen B. Liggett, MD, of the University of South Florida.

The study, drawing upon a randomized placebo-controlled trial for the beta blocker bucindolol, appears this month in the international online journal PLoS ONE. In addition to Dr. Liggett, whose laboratory discovered and characterized the two genetic variations, Christopher O'Connor, MD, of Duke University Medical Center, and Michael Bristow, MD, PhD, of ARCA biopharma and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, were leading members of the research team.

Dr. Stephen Liggett, who joined USF just four months ago to lead the University's Center for Personalized Medicine and Genomics, was a senior author of the paper.

The analysis led to a "genetic scorecard" for patients with congestive heart failure, a serious condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, said Dr. Liggett, the study's co-principal investigator and the new vice dean for research and vice dean for personalized medicine and genomics at the USF Morsani College of Medicine.

"We have been studying the molecular basis of heart failure in the laboratory with a goal of finding genetic variations in a patient's DNA that alter how drugs work," Dr. Liggett said. "We took this knowledge from the lab to patients and found that we can indeed, using a two-gene test, identify individuals with heart failure who will not respond to bucindolol and those who have an especially favorable treatment response. We also identified those who will have an intermediate level of response." The research has implications for clinical practice, because the genetic test could theoretically be used to target the beta blocker to patients the drug is likely to help. Equally important, its use could be avoided in patients with no likelihood of benefit, who could then be spared potential drug side effects. Prospective studies are needed to confirm that bucindolol would be a better treatment than other classes of beta blockers for a subset of patients with health failure.

Dr. Liggett collaborated with medical centers across the United States, including the NASDAq-listed biotech company ARCA biopharma, which he co-founded in Denver, CO. This genetic sub-study involved 1,040 patients who participated in the Beta-Blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial (BEST). The researchers analyzed mortality, hospital admissions for heart failure exacerbations and other clinical outcome indicators of drug performance.

"The results showed that the choice of the best drug for a given patient, made the first time without a trial-and-error period, can be accomplished using this two-gene test," Dr. Liggett said.

The genetic test discovered by the Liggett team requires less than 1/100th of a teaspoon of blood drawn from a patient, from which DNA is isolated. DNA is highly stable when frozen, so a single blood draw will suffice for many decades, Dr. Liggett said. And since a patient's DNA does not change over their lifetime, as new discoveries are made and other tests need to be run, it would not be necessary to give another blood sample, he added.

This is part of the strategy for the USF Center for Personalized Medicine and Genomics. The discovery of genetic variations in diseases can be targeted to predict three new types of information: who will get a disease, how the disease will progress, and the best drug to use for treatment.

"In the not too distant future, such tests will become routine, and patient outcomes, and the efficiency and cost of medical care will be impacted in positive ways. We also will move toward an era where we embrace the fact that one drug does not fit all," Dr. Liggett said. "If we can identify by straightforward tests which drug is best for which patient, drugs that work with certain smaller populations can be brought to the market, filling a somewhat empty pipeline of new drugs."

Read the original here:
Two-gene test predicts which patients with heart failure respond best to beta-blocker drug

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

16.10.2012 - (idw) Schweizerischer Nationalfonds SNF

Jacques Fellay receives the National Latsis Prize 2012

The medical researcher Jacques Fellay is studying the human genome in search of genetic variations that influence how the body reacts to a virus and to the drugs fighting it. He is to be awarded the National Latsis Prize 2012 for his research. Jacques Fellay is a "bridge builder" and an advocate of translational research, a discipline that allows the results of basic research to be transferred to medical practice. Always on the borderline between laboratory and hospital, he is of the opinion that, in order to discover medically useful solutions, an exchange between the two worlds is needed.

Jacques Fellay applies this thinking in his own research, which is conducted at the intersection of genomics and infectious diseases and for which he receives the National Latsis Prize 2012. The information stored in our genes can be of great value for developing new treatments.

Different responses to drugs At the beginning of the millennium, the treatment of HIV patients - persons who were infected with the virus that causes AIDS - still involved serious, undesired side-effects. Jacques Fellay, then a doctoral student of Amalio Telenti in Lausanne, discovered the existence of genetic variations that influence the individual's response to antiretroviral drugs: some patients have a higher concentration of drugs in the blood than others, which in turn increases the risk of a toxic reaction. Knowledge of their genetic profile now makes it easier to predict harmful effects and adjust the treatment accordingly.

During a four-year stay at Duke University in the United States, Jacques Fellay became interested in the genetic material of people who are carriers of the hepatitis C virus. He discovered that the genetic make-up of the patient played a significant role in the success of antiviral treatments, which are only effective in 50 percent of the cases. Today, these genetic predictors of the response to drugs are taken into account by doctors when they choose a treatment.

Fighting viral diseases At the same time, Fellay kept on studying the HIV virus. He identified three genes that enable certain patient populations to exercise better immune control over the disease. This could be a crucial step towards the development of a vaccine.

Since 2011, as the holder of an SNSF professorship and head of his own lab at the Faculty of Life Sciences at EPF Lausanne, Jacques Fellay has kept on searching for features of the human genome that make it possible to counter viral diseases. Together with his team, he is studying mutations that occur in HIV when fought by the immune system and investigating the genetic variations of infected persons that might be the cause of this.

Worth 100,000 Swiss francs, the National Latsis Prize is one of the most prestigious scientific awards in Switzerland. Each year, the Swiss National Science Foundation presents the prize on behalf of the Latsis Foundation to researchers of up to 40 years of age in recognition of their special contribution to science in Switzerland.

The prize will be awarded on 10 January 2013 at the Rathaus in Berne.

Excerpt from:
Our genetic differences as means of treatment

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

ScienceDaily (Oct. 16, 2012) Evolution has not only controlled human development over millions of years, it also has an impact on modern humans. This is one of the conclusions of a study of Argentinian villagers in the Andes, where the water contains high levels of arsenic. A gene variant that produces efficient and less toxic metabolism of arsenic in the body was much more common among the villagers than among other indigenous groups in South or Central America.

The study was a collaborative effort by Karin Broberg from Lund University and Carina Schlebusch and Mattias Jakobsson from Uppsala University in Sweden.

"We know that many bacteria and plants have genes that increase resistance to arsenic, a highly toxic substance that is found in soil and water in many parts of the world. There has been no previous research on whether the people in these regions also have protective genes against arsenic," says Karin Broberg.

High levels of arsenic in drinking water are linked to a range of health problems. Increased child morbidity and an increased risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes are some examples.

In many places this is a relatively new problem, for example in Bangladesh, where it arose in connection with new drilled wells. In the Andes, however, people have lived with drinking water containing arsenic for thousands of years, owing partly to high levels of the toxic substance in the bedrock and partly to consequences of mining since the pre-colonial era. Even 7 000-year-old mummies from northern Chile have been found to have high levels of arsenic in their hair and internal organs.

Occupational and environmental medicine researcher Karin Broberg has been studying the health impact of metals in the Andes for a long time.

"We found that the people up in the mountains in Argentina had unusually efficient metabolism of arsenic. This meant that the toxin left the body rapidly and less toxically instead of accumulating in tissue," she explains.

In the newly published study, the researchers have studied the genes of Atacameo Indian villagers in San Antonio de los Cobres in Argentina, who have lived in the area for multiple generations. Their genes were compared with those of various indigenous and Mestizo groups from Peru and indigenous groups from Colombia and Mexico. Over two thirds of the Argentinian villagers were found to carry a gene variant that accelerates the metabolism of arsenic, compared with half of the Peruvian villagers and only 14 per cent of the other indigenous groups.

There has been very little previous research on human evolutionary adaptation to environmental toxins. However, it is known that many of the genes that control the metabolism of poisons in the body have a large number of variants that occur with varying prevalence around the world. There may therefore be different adaptations among different populations, depending on what toxins they are exposed to in the local environment, according to Karin Broberg.

The study is a collaboration between researchers in Sweden, the US and Peru. They now hope to continue mapping genes that increase human tolerance of toxic substances.

Originally posted here:
Genetic protection against arsenic

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NextGxDx, a healthcare information technology company, today announced the release of its online genetic testing platform that curates information on the more than 10,000 genetic testing products currently offered by FDA and CLIA certified labs in the U.S. According to NextGxDx's research, the database is the most comprehensive catalog of all the genetic testing products available to U.S. healthcare providers. The company also found the number of available tests is tenfold greater than previously estimated by industry experts.

The company intends to help implement strategies that further clinical integration of genetic testing. The goal of the platform is to speed the process of diagnosing, and thus treating, patients with genetic diseases. The NextGxDx platform allows healthcare providers and hospitals to easily identify the appropriate genetic tests for their patients by searching the database by symptoms or browsing by clinical specialty. The platform also allows side-by-side comparison of tests, and the company's partnerships with laboratories across the country enable physicians to order tests directly from the NextGxDx website.

"Our research shows there are nearly ten times more genetic tests available today than commonly thought, and yet there has not been a centralized, well-curated, user-friendly platform to help healthcare providers find the right test for a patient. Our platform brings together all the disparate information about available genetic tests to help physicians find and order the best test the first time," said Mark Harris, Ph.D., founder and CEO of NextGxDx. "In addition to facilitating the diagnosis process, the technology we have developed will allow us to maintain the most accurate catalog of genetic testing products available."

NextGxDx explores the factors informing and shaping the industry in "The Genetic Testing Landscape: Finding the Needle in the Haystack" a white paper released today. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the genetic testing industry, including the size of the industry, how genetic tests are used and how genetic information is communicated. It also outlines key strategies for the future of clinical integration of genetic testing and personalized medicine.

Among the paper's key findings:

"This report is designed to establish a robust analysis of genetic testing as it relates to the products currently available for clinical use," said Jud Schneider, Ph.D., scientific director of NextGxDx and author of the white paper. "As personalized medicine becomes a clinical reality, we think it's important for physicians to understand the scope and trajectory of the genetic testing industry and how it may impact their practices in the years ahead."

The white paper is currently available for free download on the NextGxDx website, http://www.NextGxDx.com.

About NextGxDx

NextGxDx is a healthcare information technology company that provides a web-based genetic diagnostics platform allowing hospitals and physicians to quickly and efficiently identify appropriate genetic tests and cross-reference multiple test providers. With the ability to research tests based on patient symptoms, instantly compare tests across laboratories, and determine existing institutional relationships, NextGxDx provides physicians with a single destination for discovering, comparing and ordering genetic tests. For more information, visit http://www.NextGxDx.com.

Media Contact: Erin Lawley 615-946-9914 erin@lovell.com

Read more here:
NextGxDx Launches Comprehensive Genetic Testing Platform, Curating Information on More Than 10,000 Genetic Testing ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

October 16, 2012

April Flowers for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

A new study suggests that the reason worker bees are such a highly skilled and specialized workforce is that the genes controlling their behavior are re-shuffled frequently, helping evolution build a better bee.

The new research from York University, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), sheds light on how sterile worker bees evolved charismatic and cooperative behaviors. These behaviors include nursing young bees, collecting food for the colony, defending it against intruders, and dancing to communicate the location of profitable flowers to nest mates.

By examining the honey bee genome, the team noticed that the genes associated with worker behavior were found in the area of the genome known to have the highest rate of recombination, which is basically a shuffling of the genetic deck. Biology Professor Amro Zayed says that because of such shuffling, the bees can be strongly varied. For example the recombination in a queens ovaries means that her female offspring are likely to inherit mosaic chromosomes with different combinations of mutations.

This recombination allows specific mutations to be selected without regard to adjacent mutations.

If Im a good rower in a dragon boat with 49 poor rowers, I am going to lose all of my races. But if teams were shuffled after every race, Ill likely have a better chance of winning. I may even get to be in a boat with 49 good rowers just like myself, says Zayed. The same thing happens with mutations on a chromosome. Recombination makes the evolutionary fate of mutations independent of their surrounding neighbors, which enhances the process of natural selection..

Zayed and his team think they have solved one of the mysteries of the honey bees genome.

The honey bee has the highest rates of recombination in animals ten times higher than humans. Our study shows that this high degree of genetic shuffling has turned on the evolutionary faucet in parts of the bee genome responsible for orchestrating worker behavior, says postdoctoral research associate Clement Kent. This can allow natural selection to increase the fitness of honey bee colonies, which live or die based on how well their workers behave.

Source: April Flowers for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online

View original post here:
Genetics Plays Vital Role In Building Better Bees

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEWARK, Calif., Oct. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (STEM) announced today the launch of four new SC Proven human neural stem cell (NSC) kits for use in neuroscience research. Each kit will contain high purity, multipotent NSCs derived from a different area of the human central nervous system (CNS), and will provide researchers with a reproducible and scalable serum-free platform with which to perform a broad range of assays. With these kits, researchers will now have the ability to compare and contrast the biological, functional and neural differentiation properties of human NSCs isolated from specific CNS regions, as well as to screen for the effects of different compounds on such cells.1,2

"These kits represent the first in a new family of human cell-centric products we are adding to the SC Proven portfolio to provide researchers with a unique set of tools to realize the promise of regenerative medicine," said Stewart Craig, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Development and Operations at StemCells, Inc. "Stem cell research is flourishing and these kits will enable investigators to derive and characterize human neural lineage cells using published methods, or the ability to customize their own assay formats up to and including scale-up for non-commercial screening applications."

Kits containing multipotent human NSCs derived from Hindbrain (HNS-HIN-001), Cortex (HNS-COR-001), Spinal Cord (HNS-SPI-001), and Mid-forebrain (HNS-MIF-001), and RHB-A(R), StemCells Inc.'s proprietary serum-free cell culture medium, are now available. For a limited time a special discount of 20% can be obtained when placing an online order with the Discount Code JAV66.

References

1 Hook L, et al., Non-immortalized human neural stem cells as a scalable platform for cellular assays. Neurochem Int. 2011 59(3): 432-44.

2 McLaren D, et al., Automated large-scale culture and medium-throughput chemical screen for modulators of proliferation and viability of human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Neuroepithelial-like Stem Cells. J Biomol Screen. Oct 4: 2012 doi:10.1177/1087057112461446.

About SC Proven Products

The SC Proven product portfolio comprises a range of products for the detection, isolation, expansion, differentiation, and characterization of a variety of different human and animal cell types. The entire SC Proven product catalog and online ordering can be found at http://www.scproven.com.

About StemCells, Inc.

StemCells, Inc. is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of cell-based therapeutics and tools for use in stem cell-based research and drug discovery. The Company's lead therapeutic product candidate, HuCNS-SC(R) cells (purified human neural stem cells), is currently in development as a potential treatment for a broad range of central nervous system disorders, including Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD), a fatal myelination disorder, chronic spinal cord injury, and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). StemCells also markets a range of stem cell research products under the SC Proven(R) brand (www.scproven.com), and offers contract cell process development and production services (cellservices@stemcellsinc.com). Further information is available at http://www.stemcellsinc.com.

More:
StemCells, Inc. Launches Four New Human Neural Stem Cell Kits Under SC Proven(R) Brand

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

With all the publicity about the miraculous effects of stem cell therapy, the Department of Health (DOH) should prepare itself for the possibility that the new procedure would be performed by unqualified, and completely clueless, people.

I passed a beauty parlor recently and saw a huge poster on its door announcing the arrival of stem cell therapy. I was instantly reminded of botched breast enhancement and nose jobs performed by salon personnel who seemed to think it was as easy to learn complicated surgical procedures as it was to train to cut hair or do manicures and pedicures.

The DOH should start warning the public not to fall for these special offers just because they are available at giveaway rates.

Modern lifestyle problem

Experts have repeatedly talked about problems brought about by modern lifestyles. Changing diets and stress are two of the best known. Dr. Jaime G. Ignacio, section chief of gastroenterology at Veterans Hospital and head of the Digestive Malignancy Council of the Philippine Society of Gastroenterology, said constipation could be one of the consequences of the combination of these two factors.

Speaking at an event hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim, maker of Dulcolax (generic name Bisacodyl), a formulation for constipation relief, Ignacio, who, as a gastroenterologist is a specialist in digestive system disorders, defined the problem as having fewer than three bowel movements in a week (normal ranges from three times a week to three times a day).

He said constipation itself was not a disease but it could sometimes be a symptom of something serious, like colorectal cancer. But he said about 95 percent of cases were acuteoccurring suddenly and lasting for only a short periodresulting from some sudden lifestyle or hormonal changes, the taking of medication, lack of exercise, etc.

Ignacio said acute was easy to treat, with products like Dulcolax to solve the problem. But, if left unattended, acute constipation could lead to a chronic or long-term condition, which was the more worrisome, and would need medical attention.

He said constipation should be treated as soon as the problem had lasted for four or more days.

Constipation is part of modern living. [Like other diseases] prevention is the key. Safe and effective treatment is available [if needed], Ignacio stressed.

Go here to see the original:
Beauty salon ‘offers’ stem cell therapy

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

VILLEJUIF, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Worldwide Innovative Network (WIN) in personalized cancer medicine consortium proudly announces that Oracle Health Sciences has become a member of the consortium. Oracle will provide access to its data management, clinical trials, genomics and analytics expertise to help WIN advance its mission of increasing the efficacy of cancer care globally through personalized therapy and early diagnostics.

The development of personalized therapies requires new collaborations between industry, healthcare and academia. This includes the ability to access and build upon the collective knowledge and data of the entire cancer community, including clinical, genomic and patient data leveraging modern information technologies.

Oracle Health Sciences has developed a portfolio of integrated, cloud-based software applications that help advance personalized medicine by enabling new collaboration models between research institutions and healthcare organizations. Specific to the work of the consortium, the Oracle Health Sciences Network accelerates translational research, healthcare analytics, and health information exchange by allowing these organizations to more efficiently share and analyze de-identified data across organizational boundaries.

To advance personalized cancer care, collaboration among the health sciences community is absolutely essential, but achieving it, from a technology perspective, has presented challenges. Oracle is helping organizations to break down these barriers and lay a foundation for expanded collaboration and new insight. We welcome Oracles knowledge and innovation as it joins our ranks, said Dr. John Mendelsohn, Chairman of WIN Consortium and past President, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Our overarching goals are to achieve groundbreaking personalized cancer medicine discoveries and to significantly improve the outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients, said Professor Alexander Eggermont, General Director, Institut Gustave Roussy and Vice-Chairman of WIN Consortium. With the dropping cost of whole genome sequencing, technology is essential to helping us analyze this rich data and achieve our goals. We welcome Oracle, one of the worlds leading innovators in this field, to our organization, and look forward to its many contributions.

Oracle is extremely proud to join the WIN Consortium and contribute to this important initiative, said Neil de Crescenzo, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Oracle Health Sciences. Our health sciences solutions, which support greater collaboration across the healthcare and life sciences community and help to fuel insight, complement WINs unique approach. We look forward to applying our solutions and expertise to advance its mission.

The productive and positive power of partnerships to drive progress in medical science cannot be underestimated and must be encouraged. It is in this spirit that I enthusiastically joined the Prix Galien USA Committee, said Professor Paul A. Marks,M.D., Laboratory Head of Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New-York, President, Emeritus, MSKCC. By joining WIN and sharing its genetic and analytics expertise with the community, Oracle can make a powerful contribution to the WIN consortiums mission of advancing personalized cancer care.

WIN Consortium is a network of 24 academic institutions and industries across the globe, initiated by Cancer Institute Gustave Roussy (IGR), France, and University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), USA, focusing on biomarker-driven therapeutic clinical trials conducted worldwide.

Trademarks

The rest is here:
WIN Consortium and Oracle Join Forces to Accelerate Personalized Cancer Care

Recommendation and review posted by sam