ScienceDaily (Oct. 8, 2012) A series of rehabilitation studies published in the September 2012 issue of the Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation demonstrate that innovative treatments for individuals with spinal cord injuries can lead to significant functional improvements in patients and a higher quality of life.

Sue Ann Sisto, PT, MA, PhD, Professor of Physical Therapy, Research Director, Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, Director of the Rehabilitation Research and Movement Performance (RRAMP) Laboratory, Stony Brook University School of Health Technology and Management (SHTM), and Co-Director of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation NeuroRecovery Network (NRN), says the findings suggest that a shift in both protocol and policy is needed at rehabilitation centers across the nation to advance and standardize rehabilitation care for patients with spinal cord injuries.

"These studies provide scientific and clinical evidence from hundreds of patients that long-term rehabilitation practices such as locomotor training, exercise, and wellness activities for patients with full or partial spinal cord injuries lead to improved health and function in patients," summarized Dr. Sisto, a co-author on several of the 11 studies published in Archives.

While a majority of the studies evaluate activity-based rehabilitative practices involving the assessment and improvement of patients' motor or neurological functioning, other studies evaluate patients' overall health status. For example, in "Cardiovascular Status of Individuals with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury from 7 NeuroRecovery Network Rehabilitation Centers," researchers concluded that a patient's resting blood pressure and heart rate are affected by body position, age, and neurological level. They also found that more than one-fifth of patients had a quick drop in blood pressure with a sudden position change from lying to sitting.

Dr. Sisto, lead author of the cardiovascular status study, points out that the overall findings provide a reference for cardiovascular health parameters for individuals with incomplete spinal cord injuries. The study, she adds, also provides clinical evidence that rehabilitation centers should consider clinical screening for cardiovascular dysfunction in patients.

All of the studies featured in the Archives issue involve reporting of outcomes from seven NRN rehabilitation centers around the country. Established and funded by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NRN centers translate scientific advances into activity-based rehabilitation treatment for individuals with spinal cord injuries.

Dr. Sisto says that practices like locomotor training, which consists of activities involving step training using body support on a treadmill, and with manual assistance, are valuable and show great promise for motor improvement in chronic spinal cord injury patients. New computer and other technologies, she says, are also helping to improve physical therapy and rehabilitation practices for patients, as well as help professionals more effectively chart patient progress.

Locomotor training and other rehabilitation practices are used at Stony Brook's RRAMP laboratory, a state-of-the-art research center within the SHTM. The laboratory is dedicated to studies of rehabilitation interventions that enhance the recovery process of those living with paralysis or spinal cord injuries, or suffer from debilitating illnesses that affect mobility.

Earlier in 2012, the SHTM announced its collaboration with Los Angeles-based NextStep Fitness with the intention to build the organization's first fitness and wellness facility in New York State for people with paralysis and spinal cord injuries. Plans are underway to construct the new rehabilitation, fitness and wellness facility in a free standing building that will be adjacent to the RRAMP Laboratory.

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New rehabilitation research demonstrates functional improvements in patients with spinal cord injuries

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Kyodo / Reuters

Kyoto University Professor Shinya Yamanaka (left) and John Gurdon of the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge, England, at a symposium on induced pluripotent stem cells in Tokyo in April 2008

In a testament to the revolutionary potential of the field of regenerative medicine, in which scientists are able to create and replace any cells that are at fault in disease, the Nobel Prize committee on Monday awarded the 2012 Nobel in Physiology or Medicine to two researchers whose discoveries have made such cellular alchemy possible.

The prize went to John B. Gurdon of the University of Cambridge in England, who was the first to clone an animal, a frog, in 1962, and to Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University in Japan who in 2006 discovered the four genes necessary to reprogram an adult cell back to an embryonic state.

Sir John Gurdon, who is now a professor at an institute that bears his name, earned the ridicule of many colleagues back in the 1960s when he set out on a series of experiments to show that the development of cells could be reversed. At the time, biologists knew that all cells in an embryo had the potential to become any cell in the body, but they believed that once a developmental path was set for each cell toward becoming part of the brain, or a nerve or muscle it could not be returned to its embryonic state. The thinking was that as a cell developed, it would either shed or silence the genes it no longer used, so that it would be impossible for a cell from an adult animal, for example, to return to its embryonic state and make other cells.

(MORE: Stem Cell Miracle? New Therapies May Cure Chronic Conditions Like Alzheimers)

Working with frogs, Gurdon proved his critics wrong, showing that some reprogramming could occur. Gurdon took the DNA from a mature frogs gut cell and inserted it into an egg cell. The resulting egg, when fertilized, developed into a normal tadpole, a strong indication that the genes of the gut cell were amenable to reprogramming; they had the ability to function as more than just an intestinal cell, and could give rise to any of the cells needed to create an entirely new frog.

Just as Gurdon was facing his critics in England, a young boy was born in Osaka, Japan, who would eventually take Gurdons finding to unthinkable extremes. Initially, Shinya Yamanaka would follow his fathers wishes and become an orthopedic surgeon, but he found himself ill-suited to the surgeons life. Intrigued more by the behind-the-scenes biological processes that make the body work, he found himself drawn to basic research, and began his career by trying to find a way to lower cholesterol production. That work also wasnt successful, but it drew him to the challenge of understanding what makes cells divide, proliferate and develop in specific ways.

In 2006, while at Kyoto University, Yamanaka stunned scientists by announcing he had successfully achieved what Gurdon had with the frog cells, but without using eggs at all. Yamanaka mixed four genes in with skin cells from adult mice and turned those cells back to an embryo-like state, essentially erasing their development and turning back their clock. The four genes reactivated other genes that are prolific in the early embryo, and turned off those that directed the cells to behave like skin.

(MORE: Ovary Stem Cells Can Produce New Human Eggs)

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Stem Cell Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine

Recommendation and review posted by sam

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012 was awarded jointly to John B Gurdon of the United Kingdom and Shinya Yamanaka of Japan "for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent".

John B Gurdon was born in 1933 in Dippenhall, UK. He received his Doctorate from the University of Oxford in 1960 and was a postdoctoral fellow at California Institute of Technology. He joined Cambridge University, UK, in 1972 and has served as Professor of Cell Biology and Master of Magdalene College. Gurdon is currently at the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge.

Shinya Yamanaka was born in Osaka, Japan in 1962. He obtained his MD in 1987 at Kobe University and trained as an orthopaedic surgeon before switching to basic research. Yamanaka received his PhD at Osaka University in 1993, after which he worked at the Gladstone Institute in San Francisco and Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan. Yamanaka is currently Professor at Kyoto University and also affiliated with the Gladstone Institute.

The duo was honoured 'for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent'.

The two scientists discovered that mature, specialised cells can be reprogrammed to become immature cells capable of developing into all tissues of the body. "Their findings have revolutionised our understanding of how cells and organisms develop," The Prize Committee said on the official Nobel Prize website.

John B Gurdon discovered in 1962 that the specialisation of cells is reversible. In a classic experiment, he replaced the immature cell nucleus in an egg cell of a frog with the nucleus from a mature intestinal cell. This modified egg cell developed into a normal tadpole. The DNA of the mature cell still had all the information needed to develop all cells in the frog.

Shinya Yamanaka discovered more than 40 years later, in 2006, how intact mature cells in mice could be reprogrammed to become immature stem cells. Surprisingly, by introducing only a few genes, he could reprogram mature cells to become pluripotent stem cells, ie immature cells that are able to develop into all types of cells in the body.

"These groundbreaking discoveries have completely changed our view of the development and cellular specialisation. We now understand that the mature cell does not have to be confined forever to its specialised state. Textbooks have been rewritten and new research fields have been established. By reprogramming human cells, scientists have created new opportunities to study diseases and develop methods for diagnosis and therapy," the official Nobel Prize website said.

The discoveries of Gurdon and Yamanaka have shown that specialised cells can turn back the developmental clock under certain circumstances. Although their genome undergoes modifications during development, these modifications are not irreversible. We have obtained a new view of the development of cells and organisms.

Research during recent years has shown that iPS cells can give rise to all the different cell types of the body. These discoveries have also provided new tools for scientists around the world and led to remarkable progress in many areas of medicine. The iPS cells can also be prepared from human cells.

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British-Japanese duo wins 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine

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Regenerative medicine, a field that didn't exist 20 years ago and contains techniques seemingly straight out of science fiction, could be the next big thing in Virginia's biotechnology sector.

That's the opinion of Roy Ogle, an expert in the field who works at Old Dominion University as head of its new school of Medical Diagnostic and Translational Sciences.

So what is regenerative medicine? Simply put, it's the process of re-growing human cells to repair damaged tissues and organs.

In a meeting Thursday hosted by the Virginia Biotechnology Association, Ogle and Brian Pollok, principal of Rapidan BioAdvisors, discussed one of the field's newest developments: induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs.

Let's go back to high school biology: Perhaps you remember embryonic stem cells. These cells can differentiate into different types of cells skin, blood, bone, muscle before a baby is born. But their use in scientific research has become controversial and difficult.

So scientists needed a new way to develop stem cells. iPSCs are already formatted cells that are "induced," or returned, to their original state as a stem cell. Then that stem cell can be reprogrammed to become a different type of cell. For example, a researcher can take a red blood cell, turn it into an iPSC, and then turn that into a muscle cell. (Yeah, our jaw dropped at this point, too). So you get most of the benefits of an embryonic stem cell without the controversy.

What's that mean for the business community?

"Ten or 20 years from now, we could have a way to do cell replacements and make a new spinal cord or new and healthy muscles," Ogle said. "But right now, there are genetic discoveries and methods of development with a giant potential that a small company can sell to (pharmaceutical giants such as) Roche or Sanofi-Aventis."

Ogle said this sort of intermediate work after invention but before the science is proven enough for big pharma to get involved is the perfect space for startups, especially those affiliated with research universities. He said small companies are best placed to do this work and sell the results to big companies because a startup is better suited to tolerate the risk and uncertainty.

"While we think about the long-term development as scientists, there are applications right now where we could serve society and make a lot of money," he said.

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Regenerative medicine could be 'next big thing' for Va. biotech

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Published: Oct. 7, 2012 at 1:05 AM

NEW YORK, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- An experimental treatment using skin cells to improve the vision of blind mice may help those with macular degeneration, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Stephen Tsang of the Columbia University Medical Center in New York and colleagues said the findings suggest induced pluripotent stem cells -- derived from adult human skin cells but with embryonic properties -- could soon be used to restore vision in people with macular degeneration.

"With eye diseases, I think we're getting close to a scenario where a patient's own skin cells are used to replace retina cells destroyed by disease or degeneration," Tsang said in a statement. "It's often said that induced pluripotent stem cells transplantation will be important in the practice of medicine in some distant future, but our paper suggests the future is almost here."

Like embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells can develop into any type of cell.

None of these cells has been transplanted into people, but many ophthalmologists said the eye is the ideal testing ground.

"The eye is a transparent and accessible part of the central nervous system, and that's a big advantage," Tsang said. "We can put cells into the eye and monitor them every day with routine non-invasive clinical exams and in the event of serious complications, removing the eye is not a life-threatening event."

The study was published online in advance the print edition of Molecular Medicine

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Skin stem cells may help avoid blindness

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

irishtimes.com - Last Updated: Sunday, October 7, 2012, 18:00

Scientists at NUI Maynooth have pinpointed how control and regulation of a specific gene could combat debilitating diseases like multiple sclerosis.

After three years of research the team is in the early stages of trying to uncover how to manipulate the Pellino3 gene to tackle serious illnesses.

Research published in the US journal Nature Immunology showed the genes critical function is to regulate the amount of protective proteins released by our immune systems to fight a virus.

Professor Paul Moynagh said it was a significant breakthrough in viral immunology.

The research has much potential for the treatment of major auto-immune diseases and the next step is to determine how the exploitation of Pellino3 can physiologically impact on specific conditions, he said.

NUI Maynooth discovered that Pellino3 acts like a brake to stop overproduction of interferons, the protective proteins.

If the gene is not working as designed, overproduction of interferons can lead to debilitating inflammatory diseases such as lupus while those of us who do not produce enough are more at risk of MS and hepatitis.

The research paper says controlling production linked to Pellino3 is critical in the treatment of viral disease.

Prof Moynagh expects to carry out another two years of experimental research before the team can think about the long road to licensing a drug.

Read more here:
Scientists target MS gene

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Scientists at NUI Maynooth have pinpointed how control and regulation of a specific gene could combat debilitating diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

After three years of research the team is in the early stages of trying to uncover how to manipulate the Pellino3 gene to tackle serious illnesses.

Research published in the US journal Nature Immunology showed the gene's critical function is to regulate the amount of protective proteins released by our immune systems to fight a virus.

Professor Paul Moynagh said it was a significant breakthrough in viral immunology.

"The research has much potential for the treatment of major auto-immune diseases and the next step is to determine how the exploitation of Pellino3 can physiologically impact on specific conditions," he said.

NUI Maynooth discovered that Pellino3 acts like a brake to stop overproduction of interferons, the protective proteins. If the gene is not working as designed, overproduction of interferons can lead to debilitating inflammatory diseases such as lupus while those of us who do not produce enough are more at risk of MS and hepatitis.

The research paper says controlling production linked to Pellino3 is critical in the treatment of viral disease.

Prof Moynagh expects to carry out another two years of experimental research before the team can think about the long road to licensing a drug.

The 10-strong research team at NUI Maynooth has produced an early stage molecular drug that can target Pellino3. They are performing early stage studies in disease models asking if it can alleviate symptoms.

Prof Moynagh: "The ultimate objective of our project is the development, production and commercialisation of pharmaceuticals which can help to combat immune-mediated diseases such as MS. Our results demonstrate the importance of continued investment in basic research, which feeds the pipeline through which pharmaceutical development and disease treatment can occur."

Excerpt from:
Scientists study gene link to MS

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The Irish Times - Monday, October 8, 2012

DICK AHLSTROM, Science Editor

NEW TREATMENTS for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other auto-immune diseases could flow from an important discovery made by scientists at NUI Maynooth.

They were trying to understand the role of a gene called Pellino3 and how it comes into play when a person develops a viral infection.

They found it acts as a braking system that helps to regulate the immune response during infection. Details of the work, led by Paul Moynagh, director of the Institute of Immunology at NUI Maynooth, are published today in the prestigious journal Nature Immunology.

The gene regulates production of proteins called interferons, explained Prof Moynagh. These are released by the body as soon as it detects an invading virus. As their name implies, they interfere with the viruss ability to replicate and to invade nearby cells.

The release of these powerful proteins must be kept under check however, said Prof Moynagh. If they are not tightly controlled the person can end up with auto-immune diseases.

If too many interferons are released it can lead to inflammatory diseases such as lupus, while having too few available during infection can trigger diseases such as multiple sclerosis and support damage caused by other viruses such as hepatitis.

The 10 scientists in his group did intensive research into the role of Pellino3, using a mouse model, and have clarified its function in regulating the production of interferons. Pellino3 seems to be a key molecule for switching interferons off, he said.

Prof Moynagh, who is also the new head of the Department of Biology at Maynooth, won a Science Foundation Ireland principal investigator award in support of the research. The Health Research Board also backed the work via the PhD Scholars Programme in Immunology.

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Gene could be used to treat MS

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

1:00 AM A highly contested California vote over specialized labeling could have implications for U.S. agribusinesses.

By ALICIA CHANG/The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES Calories. Nutrients. Serving size. How about "produced with genetic engineering?"

click image to enlarge

A corn-based food product carrying a label identifying it as not containing genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, is sold at the Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins store in the Los Feliz district of Los Angeles on Friday.

The Associated Press

California voters will soon decide whether to require certain raw and processed foods to carry such a label.

In a closely watched test of consumers' appetite for genetically modified foods, the special label is being pushed by organic farmers and advocates who are concerned about what people eat even though the federal government and many scientists contend such foods are safe.

More than just food packaging is at stake. The outcome could reverberate through American agriculture, which has long tinkered with the genes of plants to reduce disease, ward off insects and boost the food supply.

International food and chemical conglomerates, including Monsanto Co. and DuPont Co., have contributed about $35 million to defeat Proposition 37 on the November ballot. It also would ban labeling or advertising genetically altered food as "natural." Its supporters have raised just about one-tenth of that amount.

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Do we have an appetite for genetically modified food?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The Associated Press Published Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012 10:03AM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- Calories. Nutrients. Serving size. How about "produced with genetic engineering?"

California voters will soon decide whether to require certain raw and processed foods to carry such a label.

In a closely watched test of consumers' appetite for genetically modified foods, the special label is being pushed by organic farmers and advocates who are concerned about what people eat even though the federal government and many scientists contend such foods are safe.

More than just food packaging is at stake. The outcome could reverberate through American agriculture, which has long tinkered with the genes of plants to reduce disease, ward off insects and boost the food supply.

International food and chemical conglomerates, including Monsanto Co. and DuPont Co., have contributed about $35 million to defeat Proposition 37 on the November ballot. It also would ban labeling or advertising genetically altered food as "natural." Its supporters have raised just about one-tenth of that amount.

If voters approve the initiative, California would become the first state to require disclosure of a broad range of foods containing genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Food makers would have to add a label or reformulate their products to avoid it. Supermarkets would be charged with making sure their shelves are stocked with correctly labeled items.

Genetically altered plants grown from seeds engineered in the laboratory have been a mainstay for more than a decade. Much of the corn, soybean, sugar beets and cotton cultivated in the United States today have been tweaked to resist pesticides or insects. Most of the biotech crops are used for animal feed or as ingredients in processed foods including cookies, cereal, potato chips and salad dressing.

Proponents say explicit labeling gives consumers information about how a product is made and allows them to decide whether to choose foods with genetically modified ingredients.

"They're fed up. They want to know what's in their food," said Stacy Malkan, spokeswoman for the California Right to Know campaign.

Read more from the original source:
California initiative to test appetite for 'genetically engineered' food

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Calories. Nutrients. Serving size. How about "produced with genetic engineering?"

California voters will soon decide whether to require certain raw and processed foods to carry such a label.

In a closely watched test of consumers' appetite for genetically modified foods, the special label is being pushed by organic farmers and advocates who are concerned about what people eat even though the federal government and many scientists contend such foods are safe.

More than just food packaging is at stake. The outcome could reverberate through American agriculture, which has long tinkered with the genes of plants to reduce disease, ward off insects and boost the food supply.

International food and chemical conglomerates, including Monsanto Co. and DuPont Co., have contributed about $35 million to defeat Proposition 37 on the November ballot. It also would ban labeling or advertising genetically altered food as "natural." Its supporters have raised just about one-tenth of that amount.

If voters approve the initiative, California would become the first state to require disclosure of a broad range of foods containing genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Food makers would have to add a label or reformulate their products to avoid it. Supermarkets would be charged with making sure their shelves are stocked with correctly labeled items.

Genetically altered plants grown from seeds engineered in the laboratory have been a mainstay for

Proponents say explicit labeling gives consumers information about how a product is made and allows them to decide whether to choose foods with genetically modified ingredients.

"They're fed up. They want to know what's in their food," said Stacy Malkan, spokeswoman for the California Right to Know campaign.

Agribusiness, farmers and retailers oppose the initiative, claiming it would lead to higher grocery bills and leave the state open to frivolous lawsuits. Kathy Fairbanks, spokeswoman for the No on 37 campaign, said labels would be interpreted as a warning and confuse shoppers.

The rest is here:
California initiative will test appetite for genetically modified foods

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By Alicia Chang

Calories. Nutrients. Serving size. How about "produced with genetic engineering"?

California voters will soon decide whether to require certain raw and processed foods to carry such a label.

In a closely watched test of consumers' appetite for genetically modified foods, the special label is being pushed by organic farmers and advocates who are concerned about what people eat even though the federal government and many scientists contend such foods are safe.

More than just food packaging is at stake. The outcome could reverberate through American agriculture, which has long tinkered with the genes of plants to reduce disease, ward off insects and boost the food supply.

International food and chemical conglomerates, including Monsanto and DuPont, have contributed about US$35 million to defeat Proposition 37 on the November ballot. It also would ban labelling or advertising genetically altered food as "natural". Its supporters have raised just about one-tenth of that amount.

If voters approve the initiative, California would become the first state to require disclosure of a broad range of foods containing genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Food makers would have to add a label or reformulate their products to avoid it. Supermarkets would be charged with making sure their shelves are stocked with correctly labelled items.

Genetically altered plants grown from seeds engineered in the laboratory have been a mainstay for more than a decade. Much of the corn, soybean, sugar beets and cotton cultivated in the United States today have been tweaked to resist pesticides or insects. Most of the biotech crops are used for animal feed or as ingredients in processed foods including cookies, cereal, potato chips and salad dressing.

Proponents say explicit labelling gives consumers information about how a product is made and allows them to decide whether to choose foods with genetically modified ingredients.

"They're fed up. They want to know what's in their food," said Stacy Malkan, spokeswoman for the California Right to Know campaign.

View original post here:
Genetic labelling mooted in California

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Editor's Choice Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology Also Included In: Heart Disease Article Date: 06 Oct 2012 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for: New Faulty Gene Explains Sudden Cardiac Death

Frequently over the last years, healthy young people have experienced sudden cardiac death, and many doctors are confused as to why the heart abruptly stopped beating.

Researchers from Denmark have found a gene mutation that can cause serious heart disease or sudden cardiac death in both adults and children.

Professor Anders Borglum and his team, whose study was published in The American Journal of Human Genetics, believe their new discovery could explain some extremely publicized cases of young athletes suddenly dropping dead during sporting events.

The causes of these deaths are normally put down to "unknown heart disease". These cases cannot directly be attributed to this new disease gene just yet, but the possibility is not unimaginable.

This particular study was the result of years of detective work. A family in Sweden was suffering from heart issues, with two healthy boys ages 13 and 15 both experiencing sudden cardiac death during sporting events. Doctors were certain that the heart problems had to be hereditary. However, the family did not have the genetic mutation that was known to cause cardiac conditions. The Swedish doctors decided to collaborate with Danish researchers to solve this puzzle.

Associate Professor Mette Nyegaard, of Aarhus University's Department of Human Genetics, who was involved in the project said:

The mutation was located in the calmodulin, a gene which acts as rules for the body's production of a critical protein. Scientists have previously been aware of certain genes which can cause sudden cardiac death, but calmodulin was never one of them until now.

The researchers are currently studying the prevalence of the newly discovered gene mutation. They examine blood samples of large groups of patients with heart problems from unknown causes.

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New Faulty Gene Explains Sudden Cardiac Death

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

October 6, 2012 in Nation/World

Alicia Chang Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) Calories. Nutrients. Serving size. How about produced with geneticengineering?

California voters will soon decide whether to require certain raw and processed foods to carry such alabel.

In a closely watched test of consumers appetite for genetically modified foods, the special label is being pushed by organic farmers and advocates who are concerned about what people eat even though the federal government and many scientists contend such foods aresafe.

More than just food packaging is at stake. The outcome could reverberate through American agriculture, which has long tinkered with the genes of plants to reduce disease, ward off insects and boost the foodsupply.

International food and chemical conglomerates, including Monsanto Co. and DuPont Co., have contributed about $35 million to defeat Proposition 37 on the November ballot. It also would ban labeling or advertising genetically altered food as natural. Its supporters have raised just about one-tenth of thatamount.

If voters approve the initiative, California would become the first state to require disclosure of a broad range of foods containing genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Food makers would have to add a label or reformulate their products to avoid it. Supermarkets would be charged with making sure their shelves are stocked with correctly labeleditems.

Genetically altered plants grown from seeds engineered in the laboratory have been a mainstay for more than a decade. Much of the corn, soybean, sugar beets and cotton cultivated in the United States today have been tweaked to resist pesticides or insects. Most of the biotech crops are used for animal feed or as ingredients in processed foods including cookies, cereal, potato chips and saladdressing.

View original post here:
Calif. initiative will test appetite for GMO food - Sat, 06 Oct 2012 PST

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

LOS ANGELES -- Calories. Nutrients. Serving size. How about produced with genetic engineering?

California voters will soon decide whether to require certain raw and processed foods to carry such a label.

In a closely watched test of consumers appetite for genetically modified foods, the special label is being pushed by organic farmers and advocates who are concerned about what people eat even though the federal government and many scientists contend such foods are safe.

More than just food packaging is at stake. The outcome could reverberate through American agriculture, which has long tinkered with the genes of plants to reduce disease, ward off insects and boost the food supply.

International food and chemical conglomerates, including Monsanto Co. and DuPont Co., have contributed about $35 million to defeat Proposition 37 on the November ballot. It also would ban labeling or advertising genetically altered food as natural. Its supporters have raised just about one-tenth of that amount.

If voters approve the initiative, California would become the first state to require disclosure of a broad range of foods containing genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Food makers would have to add a label or reformulate their products to avoid it. Supermarkets would be charged with making sure their shelves are stocked with correctly labeled items.

Genetically altered plants grown from seeds engineered in the laboratory have been a mainstay for more than a decade. Much of the corn, soybean, sugar beets and cotton cultivated in the United States today have been tweaked to resist pesticides or insects. Most of the biotech crops are used for animal feed or as ingredients in processed foods including cookies, cereal, potato chips and salad dressing.

Proponents say explicit labeling gives consumers information about how a product is made and allows them to decide whether to choose foods with genetically modified ingredients.

Theyre fed up. They want to know whats in their food, said Stacy Malkan, spokeswoman for the California Right to Know campaign.

Agribusiness, farmers and retailers oppose the initiative, claiming it would lead to higher grocery bills and leave the state open to frivolous lawsuits. Kathy Fairbanks, spokeswoman for the No on 37 campaign, said labels would be interpreted as a warning and confuse shoppers.

See original here:
California to vote on 'genetically modified' labels

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

LOS ANGELES (AP) Calories. Nutrients. Serving size. How about "produced with genetic engineering?"

California voters will soon decide whether to require certain raw and processed foods to carry such a label.

In a closely watched test of consumers' appetite for genetically modified foods, the special label is being pushed by organic farmers and advocates who are concerned about what people eat even though the federal government and many scientists contend such foods are safe.

More than just food packaging is at stake. The outcome could reverberate through American agriculture, which has long tinkered with the genes of plants to reduce disease, ward off insects and boost the food supply.

International food and chemical conglomerates, including Monsanto Co. and DuPont Co., have contributed about $35 million to defeat Proposition 37 on the November ballot. It also would ban labeling or advertising genetically altered food as "natural." Its supporters have raised just about one-tenth of that amount.

If voters approve the initiative, California would become the first state to require disclosure of a broad range of foods containing genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Food makers would have to add a label or reformulate their products to avoid it. Supermarkets would be charged with making sure their shelves are stocked with correctly labeled items.

Genetically altered plants grown from seeds engineered in the laboratory have been a mainstay for more than a decade. Much of the corn, soybean, sugar beets and cotton cultivated in the United States today have been tweaked to resist pesticides or insects. Most of the biotech crops are used for animal feed or as ingredients in processed foods including cookies, cereal, potato chips and salad dressing.

Proponents say explicit labeling gives consumers information about how a product is made and allows them to decide whether to choose foods with genetically modified ingredients.

"They're fed up. They want to know what's in their food," said Stacy Malkan, spokeswoman for the California Right to Know campaign.

Agribusiness, farmers and retailers oppose the initiative, claiming it would lead to higher grocery bills and leave the state open to frivolous lawsuits. Kathy Fairbanks, spokeswoman for the No on 37 campaign, said labels would be interpreted as a warning and confuse shoppers.

Go here to read the rest:
Calif. initiative will test appetite for GMO food

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

And rightly so: stem-cell scientists have derived many types of cells from stem-cell precursors, but have in the past struggled with sex cells. The research by a team at Kyoto University provides a powerful model into mammalian development and infertility, but it is still a long way off from being used in human therapy.

Despite this fact, it did not stop the headlines in some of today's press screaming that infertile women could one day become pregnant by creating eggs from stem cells.

Evelyn Telfer, a reproductive biologist at the University of Edinburgh, told me this study has no clinical application to humans whatsoever because the tissue used in this study were all foetal and not adult cells.

Mitinori Saitou led a team using foetal mouse tissue from embryos or skin cells to create stem cells. Those stem cells were then genetically reprogrammed to become germ cells egg precursor cells.

These were then given a cocktail of "factors" to support their growth into mature eggs. The eggs were fertilised by IVF in the lab and then implanted into surrogate mice. Three baby mice were born and grew into fertile adults.

The fact that artificially manufactured eggs have gone on to produce healthy mice which are fertile is absolutely astounding and a great step forward for science. The results are published in the journal, Science.

But there are huge differences between human and mouse cells, not to mention the medical and ethical issues surrounding human ovarian tissue to culture cells.

Further clinical trials would be necessary using adult mouse cells first before we can start projecting that we can manufacture babies, and scientists need to learn so much more about how women form eggs.

So while this is major contribution to the field of reproductive biology, the study is not a ready-made cure for women with fertility problems.

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Stem cells: of mice and women?

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Scientists have for the first time succeeded in taking skin cells from patients with heart failure and transforming them into healthy, beating heart tissue that could one day be used to treat the condition. The researchers said there were still many years of testing and refining ahead. But the results meant they might eventually be able to reprogram patients cells to repair their own damaged hearts. We have shown that its possible to take skin cells from an elderly patient with advanced heart failure and end up with his own beating cells in a laboratory dish that are healthy and young the equivalent to the stage of his heart cells when he was just born, said Lior Gepstein from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, who led the work. The researchers, whose study was published in the European Heart Journal on Wednesday, said clinical trials of the technique could begin within 10 years. Heart failure is a debilitating condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood around the body. It has become more prevalent in recent decades as advances medical science mean many more people survive heart attacks. At the moment, people with severe heart failure have to rely on mechanical devices or hope for a transplant. Researchers have been studying stem cells from various sources for more than a decade, hoping to capitalise on their ability to transform into a wide variety of other kinds of cell to treat a range of health conditions. There are two main forms of stem cells - embryonic stem cells, which are harvested from embryos, and reprogrammed human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), often originally from skin or blood. Gepsteins team took skin cells from two men with heart failure - aged 51 and 61 - and transformed them by adding three genes and then a small molecule called valproic acid to the cell nucleus. They found that the resulting hiPSCs were able to differentiate to become heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, just as effectively as hiPSCs that had been developed from healthy, young volunteers who acted as controls for the study. The team was then able to make the cardiomyocytes develop into heart muscle tissue, which they grew in a laboratory dish together with existing cardiac tissue. Within 24 to 48 hours the two types of tissue were beating together, they said. In a final step of the study, the new tissue was transplanted into healthy rat hearts and the researchers found it began to establish connections with cells in the host tissue. We hope that hiPSCs derived cardiomyocytes will not be rejected following transplantation into the same patients from which they were derived, Gepstein said. Whether this will be the case or not is the focus of active investigation. Experts in stem cell and cardiac medicine who were not involved in Gepsteins work praised it but also said there was a lot to do before it had a chance of becoming an effective treatment. This is an interesting paper, but very early and its really important for patients that the promise of such a technique is not over-sold, said John Martin a professor of cardiovascular medicine at University College London. The chances of translation are slim and if it does work it would take around 15 years to come to clinic. Nicholas Mills, a consultant cardiologist at Edinburgh University said the technology needs to be refined before it could be used for patients with heart failure, but added: These findings are encouraging and take us a step closer to ... identifying an effective means of repairing the heart.

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Skin cells may mend a broken heart: Research

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

October 5, 2012

Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Japanese scientists reported in the journal Science that they have created life using stem cells made from skin.

The skin cells were used to create eggs which were then fertilized to produce baby mice, who later had their own babies.

The technique has implications that may possibly help infertile couples have children, and maybe could even allow women to overcome menopause.

About one in 10 women of childbearing age face trouble becoming a parent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Last year, the scientists at Kyoto University were able to make viable sperm from stem cells. In the more recent study, the team was able to perform a similar accomplishment with eggs.

The researchers used two sources, including those collected from an embryo and skin-like cells, that were reprogrammed into becoming stem cells.

After turning the stem cells into early versions of eggs, they rebuilt an ovary by surrounding the early eggs with other types of supporting cells normally found in an ovary.

They used IVF techniques to collect the eggs, fertilize them with sperm from a male mouse and implant the fertilized egg into a surrogate mother.

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Healthy Mice Created From Skin Stem Cells In Lab

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Public release date: 4-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Katrina Coutts k.coutts@qmul.ac.uk Queen Mary, University of London

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have developed a new gene test that can detect pre-cancerous cells in patients with benign-looking mouth lesions. The test could potentially allow at-risk patients to receive earlier treatment, significantly improving their chance of survival.

The study, published online in the International Journal of Cancer, showed that the quantitative Malignancy Index Diagnostic System (qMIDS) test had a cancer detection rate of 91-94 per cent when used on more than 350 head and neck tissue specimens from 299 patients in the UK and Norway. Mouth cancer affects more than 6,200 people in the UK each year and more than half a million people worldwide, with global figures estimated to rise above one million a year by 2030*. The majority of cases are caused by either smoking or chewing tobacco and drinking alcohol.

Mouth lesions are very common and only five to 30 per cent may turn into cancers. If detected in the early stages treatment can be curative, but until now no test has been able to accurately detect which lesions will become cancerous.

The current diagnostic gold standard is histopathology where biopsy tissue taken during an operation is examined under a microscope by a pathologist . This is a relatively invasive procedure and many mouth cancers are being diagnosed at later stages when the chances of survival are significantly reduced. For patients presenting with advanced disease, survival rates are poor (10-30 per cent at five years).

Lead investigator and inventor of the test Dr Muy-Teck Teh, from the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London, said: "A sensitive test capable of quantifying a patient's cancer risk is needed to avoid the adoption of a 'wait-and-see' intervention. Detecting cancer early, coupled with appropriate treatment can significantly improve patient outcomes, reduce mortality and alleviate long-term public healthcare costs."

The qMIDS test measures the levels of 16 genes which are converted, via a diagnostic algorithm, into a "malignancy index" which quantifies the risk of the lesion becoming cancerous. It is less invasive than the standard histopathology methods as it requires only a 1-2 mm piece of tissue (less than half a grain of rice), and it takes less than three hours to get the results, compared to up to a week for standard histopathology.

Consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Professor Iain Hutchison, founder of Saving Faces and co-author on the study, said: "We are excited about this new test as it will allow us to release patients with harmless lesions from regular follow-up and unnecessary anxiety, whilst identifying high-risk patients at an early stage and giving them appropriate treatment. Mouth cancer, if detected early when the disease is most receptive to surgical treatment, has a very high cure rate."

Dr Catherine Harwood, a consultant dermatologist and a co-author on the study, said: "Our preliminary studies have shown promising results indicating that the test can potentially also be used for identifying patients with suspicious skin or vulva lesions, offering the opportunity of earlier and less invasive treatments."

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New gene test detects early mouth cancer risk

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/gzsjsl/handbook_of) has announced the addition of the "Handbook of Metastatic Breast Cancer" book to their offering.

About one third of women diagnosed with breast cancer will develop metastatic disease and subsequently die from their advanced breast cancer. Recent developments with novel systemic drugs, palliative surgical techniques and diagnostic imaging have given hope for the treatment of patients whose breast cancer has spread beyond its primary tumour.

Written by a team from leading cancer centres in Europe, including the UK's Royal Marsden Hospital, the Handbook of Metastatic Breast Cancer, Second Edition provides advanced scientific information and guidance on clinical problems associated with metastatic breast cancer.

Highlights of the Second Edition include:

- New chapters on specialist treatment options, gene expression signatures, biomarkers, and specialist support services for patients and their families

- Significant updates to chapters discussing systemic treatments for breast cancer, including endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and bisphosphonates

- Up-to-date information on diagnostic imaging and tumour assessment, including positron emission tomography and computed tomography

- Up-to-date information on local treatment options for neurological, thoracic, orthopaedic, and hepatic complications

This handbook will be a practical and comprehensive resource for medical and clinical oncologists, breast surgeons and radiologists, as well as neurosurgeons, clinical scientists, orthopaedic and thoracic surgeons.

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Research and Markets: Handbook of Metastatic Breast Cancer

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THURSDAY, Oct. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers who discovered genetic risk factors linked to uterine fibroids in white women say their findings will lead to new screening and treatment methods for the condition.

Uterine fibroids are the most common type of pelvic tumor in women -- they occur in 75 percent of women of reproductive age -- and the leading cause of hysterectomy in the United States. Uterine fibroids can lead to abnormal vaginal bleeding, infertility, pelvic pain and pregnancy complications.

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston analyzed genetic data from more than 7,000 white women and identified variations in three genes that are significantly associated with uterine fibroids.

One of these variations occurred in a gene called FASN, which encodes a protein called FAS (fatty acid synthase). Further investigation showed that FAS protein production was three times higher in uterine fibroid samples compared to normal tissue, according to the report published online Oct. 4 in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

Overproduction of FAS protein occurs in various types of tumors and is believed to be important for tumor cell survival, the study authors pointed out in a hospital news release.

"Our discovery foretells a path to personalized medicine for women who have a genetic basis for development of uterine fibroids," senior study author Cynthia Morton, director of the Center for Uterine Fibroids, said in the news release. "Identification of genetic risk factors may provide valuable insight into medical management," she concluded.

-- Robert Preidt

Copyright 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

SOURCE: Brigham and Women's Hospital, news release, Oct. 4, 2012

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Scientists Uncover Genetic Link for Uterine Fibroids

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Public release date: 5-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jenny Eriksen Leary jenny.eriksen@bmc.org 617-638-6841 Boston University Medical Center

(Boston) Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) investigators have led the first genome-wide evaluation of genetic variants associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). The study, which is published online in PLOS ONE, points to the involvement of specific genes and alterations in their expression as influencing the risk for developing PD.

Jeanne Latourelle, DSc, assistant professor of neurology at BUSM, served as the study's lead author and Richard H. Myers, PhD, professor of neurology at BUSM, served as the study's principal investigator and senior author.

A recent paper by the PD Genome Wide Association Study Consortium (PDGC) confirmed that an increased risk for PD was seen in individuals with genetic variants in or near the genes SNCA, MAPT, GAK/DGKQ, HLA and RIT2, but the mechanism behind the increased risk was not determined.

"One possible effect of the variants would be to change the manner in which a gene is expressed in the brains, leading to increased risk of PD," said Latourelle.

To investigate the theory, the researchers examined the relationship between PD-associated genetic variants and levels of gene expression in brain samples from the frontal cortex of 26 samples with known PD and 24 neurologically healthy control samples. Gene expression was determined using a microarray that screened effects of genetic variants on the expression of genes located very close to the variant, called cis-effects, and genes that are far from the variant, such as those on a completely different chromosome, called trans-effects.

An analysis of the cis-effects showed that several genetic variants in the MAPT region showed a significant association to the expression of multiple nearby genes, including gene LOC644246, the duplicated genes LRRC37A and LRRC37A2 and the gene DCAKD. Significant cis-effects were also observed between variants in the HLA region on chromosome 6 and two nearby genes HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQA1. An examination of trans-effects revealed 23 DNA sequence variations that reached statistical significance involving variants from the SNCA, MAPT and RIT2 genes.

"The identification of the specific altered genes in PD opens opportunities to further study them in model organisms or cell lines with the goal of identifying drugs which may rectify the defects as treatment for PD," said Myers.

###

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BUSM study investigates genetic variants' role in increasing Parkinson's disease risk

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Washington, October 6 (ANI): Researchers have revealed that an African mosquito species with a deadly capacity to transmit malaria has a perplexing evolutionary history.

According to the new study by Igor Sharakhov from the Fralin Life Science Institute at Virginia Tech and Maryam Kamali of Tehran, closely related African mosquito species originated the ability to transmit human malaria multiple times during their recent evolution.

The discovery could have implications for malaria control by enabling researchers to detect and target specific genetic changes associated with the capacity to transmit a parasite.

Malaria causes as many as 907,000 deaths each year, mostly among children in sub-Saharan Africa. Anopheles mosquitoes, which bite mainly between dusk and dawn, transmit human malaria by spreading Plasmodium parasites that multiply in the human liver and infect red blood cells.

But of the more than 400 species of mosquito belonging to the Anopheles genus, only about 20 are effective vectors of human malaria, according to the World Health Organization.

The most dangerous of these is the Anopheles gambiae mosquito species, one of seven in the Anopheles gambiae complex, which was thought to have recently evolved the ability to transmit malaria.

However, Virginia Tech scientists' discoveries suggest that this species is actually genetically linked to an older, ancestral lineage.

Scientists used chromosomal analysis to compare gene arrangements for mosquitoes both inside and outside the Anopheles gambiae family to trace the evolutionary connections.

"The outside species served as a reference group for understanding the evolutionary relationship among Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes," Kamali said.

"Our goal was to determine how different species arose in the Anopheles gambiae complex, as they all look identical, but have different behaviours and capacities to transmit human malaria," Kamali said.

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Mosquito genetics 'may offer clues to malaria control'

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By Carolyn Y. Johnson, Globe Staff

George Church, the genetics professor at Harvard Medical School who leads an effort to analyze and share the genomes of 100,000 people, ventured far from his Longwood Medical Area laboratory to appear on The Colbert Report last night.

Instead of fielding questions about the scientific details of his work, DNA sequencing, or the many companies and technologies he has built over the years, Church gamely answered questions like, How do you think your work will eventually destroy all mankind? and Are you playing God, sir? Because you certainly have the beard for it.

Church held his own against Colberts typical onslaught of banter and questions as he explained his efforts to create new organisms that could solve real-world problems, for example, by providing alternative fuel sources. He also spoke about the Personal Genome Project, which aims to share the genes, environments, and traits of thousands of people with the world.

Colbert was quick to propose an alternative method to accomplish the same goal: Theres another way to do that, and it involves getting it on.

Church laughed and said he wanted to be able to analyze the data with a computer.

Church was there to promote his new book, Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves, and Colbert summarized it as describing the work of Church and colleagues -- Im not going to say mad scientists, Im going to say highly inventive scientists.

At the end of the segment, Church reached into his jacket and handed Colbert a tiny vial with a slip of paper inside, including a dot circled in red. Church explained he had taken his book, used a code to create a DNA version of it, and then made 20 million DNA copies of the nearly-300 page book, then deposited all those copies on the slip of paper.

Colbert looked from the hardback copy of the book in one hand to the slip of paper with interest, astonishment, and then a gleam of mischief, as he moved it toward his open mouth. Church lunged across the table to stop him from eating his words.

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George Church, Harvard genetics professor, banters with Stephen Colbert

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