Chicago White Sox starter John Danks pitches against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning of a baseball game on Friday, Sept. 2, 2011, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

CHICAGO (CBS) White Sox starting pitcher John Danks is being sued by a Texas man, who says his spinal cord injury happened as a result of Danks failure to call 911 after a fall at Danks home.

WBBMs Steve Miller reports Blake Papst, a high school classmate of Danks, claims he was injured two years ago when he fell from a structure above the rooftop deck at Danks Chicago condo.

They used to be friends, Papsts attorney, Tim Rhatigan said.

He said, as a result of the fall at Danks home, Papst is now a paraplegic.

I cant discuss too much of his medical condition, but he is in a wheelchair, he said.

Rhatigan said Danks did not promptly call paramedics, refused to give Papst his cell phone so he could call 911, and negligently moved Papst down flights of stairs.

The lawsuit against Danks, and others, seeks unspecified damages.

Danks is in the first year of a 5-year, $65 million contract.

Danks lawyer said his client denies the allegations, and hes filing a response and a counterclaim today.

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John Danks Sued For Failing To Call 911 After Man Fell In His Home

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Veracyte, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company pioneering the emerging field of molecular cytology, and Genzyme, a Sanofi company (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), today announced that the New York State Department of Health has issued a license enabling Veracyte's Afirma Gene Expression Classifier to be offered to patients in the state. The companies also announced that Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center will become one of the first medical institutions in the state to offer patients the genomic test, which helps resolve inconclusive thyroid nodule results following traditional evaluation of fine needle aspiration (FNA) samples.

"We are delighted that the Afirma Gene Expression Classifier will now be available to physicians and their patients in New York State and that Memorial Sloan-Kettering is among the first in the state to offer our test," said Bonnie Anderson, Veracyte's cofounder and chief executive officer. "These milestones underscore the clinical need for and strength of the clinical data behind our test. Our goal is to help identify patients whose thyroid nodules are actually benign so that they may avoid unnecessary, invasive surgery."

Thyroid cancer is the fastest-increasing cancer in the United States, with 56,460 new cases expected in 2012, according to the American Cancer Society. Approximately 450,000 thyroid nodule FNAs a minimally invasive procedure to extract cells for examination under the microscope are performed each year in the U.S. to rule out cancer. Up to 30% of the time, the results are inconclusive, and current protocols typically recommend thyroid surgery for final diagnosis. Following surgery, however, 70-80% of patients turn out to have benign nodules.

The Afirma Gene Expression Classifier measures the expression of 142 genes to reclassify ambiguous thyroid FNA samples as either benign or suspicious for cancer. A clinical validation study, published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that when applied to the major categories of indeterminate thyroid samples, the test reclassified the samples as benign with greater than 94% accuracy.

The Afirma Gene Expression Classifier is offered as part of Veracyte's comprehensive Afirma Thyroid FNA Analysis, which combines specialized cytopathology assessment for initial review of thyroid nodule FNAs, with the gene expression test used to clarify inconclusive results. The test is now covered for Medicare patients nationwide and is available throughout the U.S. through a global co-promotion partnership with Genzyme, a Sanofi company and one of the world's leading biotechnology companies.

"We look forward to bringing to New York endocrinologists and thyroid patients a complete solution, which includes the Afirma Thyroid FNA Analysis for thyroid nodule assessment and Thyrogen for the management of patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer," said Alicia Secor, Genzyme's vice president and general manager of Endocrinology.

Genzyme is an established leader in endocrinology globally, developing and marketing Thyrogen (thyrotropin alfa for injection) for patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyrogen is used as an adjunctive diagnostic tool for serum thyroglobulin (Tg) testing with or without radioiodine imaging in the follow up of patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyrogen is also approved in the U.S. and Europe as an adjunctive treatment for radioiodine ablation of thyroid tissue remnants in patients who have undergone a near total or total thyroidectomy for well-differentiated thyroid cancer and who do not have evidence of metastatic thyroid cancer.

About Veracyte

Veracyte, Inc., based in South San Francisco, Calif., is pioneering the emerging field of molecular cytology, applying molecular biomarkers to cytology samples in order to improve disease diagnosis by clarifying indeterminate results obtained from current methods. The company aims to enable doctors to make more informed treatment decisions early, thus improving patient care and providing cost savings to the healthcare system. The company utilizes rigorous science and an extensive, multicenter clinical program throughout discovery and development. Veracyte's first product the Afirma Thyroid FNA Analysis combines specialized cytopathology assessment with the Afirma Gene Expression Classifier, a genomic test that clarifies inconclusive thyroid nodule results as benign or suspicious for cancer. The company has formed a global co-promotion partnership with Genzyme, a Sanofi company, to make the Afirma Thyroid FNA Analysis available throughout the U.S. and, subsequently, globally. Veracyte is currently in the early biomarker discovery phase for lung cancer and interstitial lung diseases. Veracyte is privately held and funded by Domain Associates, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, TPG Biotech and Versant Ventures. For more information, visit http://www.veracyte.com.

About Genzyme, a Sanofi Company

Continue reading here:
Veracyte Receives New York State License for Afirma® Gene Expression Classifier

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Researchers have identified a gene in women that fuels happiness, Medical News Today reported.

Low expression of the gene MAOA (monoamine oxidase A) was associated with increased happiness in adult females, according to a study from the University of South Florida, Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatry Institute. However, the research found the gene did not have the same effects in men.

Lead author, Dr. Henian Chen wrote he was surprised by the results.

[L]ow expression of MAOA has been related to some negative outcomes like alcoholism, aggressiveness and anti-social behavior, Chen wrote. Its even called the warrior gene by some scientists; but, at least for women, our study points to a brighter side of this gene.

Chen and his colleagues analyzed the DNA of 193 women and 152 men, cross-checking the results with the participants self-reported happiness scores. Overall, women with low expression of MAOA reported much more happiness than those with no expression.

According to Medical News Today, MAOA works similarly to antidepressants by helping to break down neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine often called the feel good chemicals.

While females often report more anxiety and mood disorders than men, they also tend to experience more happiness as well. Chen said this gene may explain that paradox.

Click for more from Medical News Today.

Continued here:
'Happiness' gene discovered in women- ABLOW: 'Heroin-like' drug may beat depression

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

ScienceDaily (Aug. 28, 2012) A new study has found a gene that appears to make women happy, but it doesn't work for men. The finding may help explain why women are often happier than men, the research team said.

Scientists at the University of South Florida (USF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute reported that the low-expression form of the gene monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is associated with higher self-reported happiness in women. No such association was found in men.

The findings appear online in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry.

"This is the first happiness gene for women," said lead author Henian Chen, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, USF College of Public Health.

"I was surprised by the result, because low expression of MAOA has been related to some negative outcomes like alcoholism, aggressiveness and antisocial behavior," said Chen, who directs the Biostatistics Core at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine's Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. "It's even called the warrior gene by some scientists, but, at least for women, our study points to a brighter side of this gene."

While they experience higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders, women tend to report greater overall life happiness than do men. The reason for this remains unclear, Chen said. "This new finding may help us to explain the gender difference and provide more insight into the link between specific genes and human happiness."

The MAOA gene regulates the activity of an enzyme that breaks down serontin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain -- the same "feel-good" chemicals targeted by many antidepressants. The low-expression version of the MAOA gene promotes higher levels of monoamine, which allows larger amounts of these neurotransmitters to stay in the brain and boost mood.

The researchers analyzed data from a population-based sample of 345 individuals -- 193 women and 152 men -- participating in Children in the Community, a longitudinal mental health study. The DNA of study subjects had been analyzed for MAOA gene variation and their self-reported happiness was scored by a widely used and validated scale.

After controlling for various factors, ranging from age and education to income, the researchers found that women with the low-expression type of MAOA were significantly happier than others. Compared to women with no copies of the low-expression version of the MAOA gene, women with one copy scored higher on the happiness scale and those with two copies increased their score even more.

While a substantial number of men carried a copy of the "happy" version of the MAOA gene, they reported no more happiness than those without it.

See more here:
Gene that predicts happiness in women discovered

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

ScienceDaily (Aug. 27, 2012) Researchers at Uppsala University, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and their international collaborators have discovered a mutation in a single gene in horses that is critical for the ability to perform ambling gaits, for pacing and that has a major effect on performance in harness racing. Experiments on this gene in mice have led to fundamental new knowledge about the neural circuits that control leg movements. The study is a breakthrough for our understanding of spinal cord neuronal circuitry and its control of locomotion in vertebrates.

The study is being published August 29 in Nature.

Our ability to walk and run is dependent on a complex coordination of muscle contractions carried out by neuronal circuits in our spinal cord. But how does this work at the level of nerve cells and molecules? The researchers took advantage of the variability in the pattern of locomotion in horses. The three naturally occurring gaits in horses are, in order of increasing speed, walk, trot and canter/gallop. Some horses are able to perform ambling gaits and/or pace, for instance, Icelandic Horses can tlt (an ambling gait) and perform flying pace. The researchers decided to investigate the genetic basis explaining why some Icelandic Horses can pace but others cannot.

"We suspected a strong genetic component, but were almost shocked when we discovered that a single gene, DMRT3, largely explained the genetic difference between pacers and non-pacers," explains Lisa Andersson one of the PhD students involved in the project.

Independently, Klas Kullander's research group had discovered that this particular gene, DMRT3, is expressed in a previously unknown type of neurons in the spinal cord of mice. The characteristics of these neurons, including their location, suggested that they could take part in neuronal circuits coordinating movements. When the two research groups, both associated with Science for Life Laboratory in Uppsala, compared their data, they realized that an important biological finding was imminent.

"At that moment, we realized that our discovery did not only extend our understanding of spinal neuronal circuits in mouse, but that we had discovered a tangible population of nerve cells that also seemed to be critical for the control of gaits in horses. The new type of nerve cell is dependent on DMRT3, and is tentatively named after this gene," tells Klas Kullander.

The researchers demonstrated that a single base change in DMRT3, which resulted in the production of a truncated form of the DMRT3 protein, was the mutation associated with pacing in horses. They developed a diagnostic test for the mutation and discovered that it is widespread among horses that show alternate gaits like Tennessee Walking Horse from the USA and Paso Fino from South America. Moreover, to their surprise, the mutation is very common in horses bred for harness racing.

"The DMRT3 mutation shows a strong positive association with performance in harness racing, states Leif Andersson who led the hunt for the DMRT3 mutation."

As a horse increases its speed it will normally switch from trot to gallop, which is the natural gait at high speed, but this leads to disqualification for trotters.

"Our interpretation is that the mutation inhibits the transition from trot to gallop and thereby allows the horse to trot at very high speed, explains Leif Andersson."

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Single gene has major impact on gaits in horses and in mice

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 29-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, August 29, 2012--Biomass recalcitrance--the problem of how to break down complex plant-based cellulosic feedstock into sugars that can be fermented to produce sustainable biofuels and other renewable biobased productscan be overcome through improved methods of biomass characterization. IB IN-DEPTH, a collection of articles from leading research laboratories describing advanced tools and techniques for analyzing the chemistry, structure, and interaction of biomass components, is published in Industrial Biotechnology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The articles are available free online at the Industrial Biotechnology website.

The future capability to commercialize large-scale, economical, plant-based biofuels and bioproducts depends on the development of efficient and effective strategies to break down lignocellulosic biomass and to release the carbohydrates that can then be converted into these valuable end-products. Substantial progress is being made in solving the problems of biomass recalcitrance, and Guest Editor Brian Davison, PhD, Chief Scientist for Systems Biology and Biotechnology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, and Science Coordinator for the BioEnergy Science Center of the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research, and a member of the Editorial Board of Industrial Biotechnology, gathered leading researchers to share their work and perspectives.

The special research section includes two Reviews: "Biomass Characterization: Recent Progress in Understanding Biomass Recalcitrance" by Marcus Foston and Arthur Ragauskas, BioEnergy Science Center, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute of Paper Science and Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA; and "Neutron Technologies for Bioenergy Research" by Paul Langan and colleagues, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Georgia Institute of Technology. Also featured are Short Communications and Methods articles that present new or improved methods of biomass characterization, including strategies based on biomass accessibility to enzymes, glycomics, polysaccharide changes in plant cell walls, improvements to the Simon's stain technique, an updated method of mechanical stress testing, and a modification of atomic force microscopy.

"Much thanks to Dr. Brian Davison for pulling together this special issue of Industrial Biotechnology," says Larry Walker, PhD, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Professor, Biological & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. "The development of methods and approaches for characterizing biomass materials is an important step in driving biotechnology development from plant engineering to subsequent conversion to biofuels and bioproducts."

###

About the Journal

Industrial Biotechnology, led by Co-Editors-in-Chief Larry Walker, PhD, and Glenn Nedwin, PhD, MBA, is an authoritative journal focused on biobased industrial and environmental products and processes, published bimonthly in print and online. The Journal reports on the science, business, and policy developments of the emerging global bioeconomy, including biobased production of energy and fuels, chemicals, materials, and consumer goods. The articles published include critically reviewed original research in all related sciences (biology, biochemistry, chemical and process engineering, agriculture), in addition to expert commentary on current policy, funding, markets, business, legal issues, and science trends. Industrial Biotechnology offers the premier forum bridging basic research and R&D with later-stage commercialization for sustainable biobased industrial and environmental applications.

About the Publisher

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Biomass characterization technology research highlighted in Industrial Biotechnology journal

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PESEUX, Switzerland--(BUSINESSWIRE)-- Pulmonx, an emerging leader in interventional pulmonology, announced today that its European notified body has granted CE approval for revised labeling of its Zephyr Endobronchial Valve (EBV). The approval was based upon an independent review of two separate clinical data sets in which patients with hyperinflation associated with a genetic form of emphysema, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD), were treated using the Pulmonx Zephyr EBV.

These new data sets reported improvements for FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in one second) and Residual Volume in AATD patients treated with Zephyr endobronchial valves, showing that patients with hyperinflation associated with emphysema can benefit from EBV treatment, independent of the underlying cause of the disease. No new procedural or device risks that may be associated with the treatment of AATD patients with the Pulmonx EBV were observed. The newly approved labeling provides a therapeutic option for physicians to use the Zephyr EBV to treat patients afflicted with hyperinflation associated with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.

We have seen great success in the use of endobronchial valve therapy in selected patients suffering from Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, said Gunnar Hillerdal, Associate Professor of Lung Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. The treatment options for these patients were previously very limited but their anatomy and the typical distribution of their disease can make them excellent candidates for EBV treatment. The recent label change should encourage pulmonologists to evaluate these patients for such treatment with confidence, he continued.

About Alpha-1

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is an inherited condition in which the body does not make enough of a protein that protects the lungs and liver from damage. Severe AATD can lead to emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adult life.

About Pulmonx

Pulmonx, based in Redwood City, CA, and Peseux, Switzerland, is focused on developing and marketing minimally invasive medical devices and technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary disorders. The Chartis System and Zephyr EBV are the first diagnostic and therapeutic solution to the problem of emphysema-induced hyperinflation. The Pulmonx Zephyr EBV and Chartis System are the subject of numerous peer-reviewed studies, and the Zephyr EBV has already been used to treat thousands of patients worldwide. http://www.pulmonx.com

The Zephyr EBV is an investigational device in the United States. Limited by U.S. law to investigational use. The Chartis System is for use/sale outside the United States only.

Link:
Pulmonx to Market Zephyr® EBV Therapy for Patients with “Genetic” Emphysema

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

SureGene has chosen PGXL as laboratory provider for its proprietary STA2R genetic panel, which promises to revolutionize the treatment of schizophrenia.

The STA2R panel turns intuitive treatment into precision treatment, says Dr. Roland Valdes Jr., Chairman and President of PGXL. It removes the trial and error from the medication of schizophrenia. Its a perfect application of personalized medicine entirely aligned with PGXLs vision.

The STA2R agreement marks the first collaboration between SureGene and PGXL, two companies that spun out of University of Louisville research labs. SureGene researchers discovered and patented the SULT4A1-1 genetic signature. PGXL Laboratories independently developed the STA2R panel and will perform the tests for healthcare providers around the United States. Both SureGene and PGXL are promoting the test, PGXL through its own distribution system and SureGene direct to psychiatric healthcare providers.

PGXL has long been a leader and innovator in personalized medicine. When SureGene needed a lab partner, PGXL was the obvious choice. The synergies from both companies being located in Louisville was an added bonus, says Bill Massey, President of SureGene.

The panel analyzes five genes, including SureGenes patented SULT4A1, and uses the results of those tests to help identify the right treatment path for a patient based on available data. More than 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with schizophrenia every year. While most will eventually be successfully treated, about a third will never find the right balance of medications. The STA2R panel is designed to help guide psychiatrists to that balance quickly and confidently.

Every time I meet with patients and caregivers, they share heart-wrenching stories of their journey to finding the right medicine, says Tim Ramsey, Vice President of SureGene and one of the inventors of STA2R. With STA2R, SureGene and PGXL are giving doctors a powerful new tool to help their patients.

About PGXL Laboratories:

A privately-owned business located in Louisville, Kentucky, PGXL Laboratories was the first lab in the country CLIA-certified specifically to conduct pharmacogenetic tests. It offers pharmacogenetic testing, interpretive services, and assay design and validation. Along with its clinical practice, PGXL performs contract research for developers of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

About SureGene:

See more here:
PGXL to Provide Antipsychotic Drug Response Tests

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/49mg4f/personalized_medic) has announced the addition of the "Personalized Medicine - A Strategic Analysis of Industry Trends, Technologies, Participants and Environment" report to their offering.

Personalized Medicine- A Strategic Analysis of Industry Trends, Technologies, Participants, and Environment by Kelly Scientific Publications is a comprehensive assessment of this developing industry thus far. This report tackles the growing market interest in personalized medicine (PM), pharmacogenomics, companion diagnostics and the associated market environment.

Individualized or personalized medicine aims to increase the efficacy of therapeutics via genetic testing and companion diagnostics. As we progress through the era of genomic medicine, patients will benefit by more effective therapies and less side effects. Developmental and diagnostic companies will benefit from lower discovery and commercialization costs and more specific market subtypes.

The average drug-to-market cost varies but is estimated at $500 million, however with the advent of personalized therapeutics and companion diagnostics this cost could be dramatically reduced. Only 30% of drugs recover the cost to market however personalized therapeutics and associated companion diagnostics will be more specific and effective thereby giving pharma/biotech companies a significant advantage to recuperate costs. Personalized medicine will reduce the frequency of adverse drug reactions and therefore have a dramatic impact on health economics.

Companies Mentioned:

- 23andMe

- Affymetrix

- Astex Pharmaceuticals

- Atossa Genetics

See more here:
Research and Markets: Personalized Medicine - A Strategic Analysis of Industry Trends, Technologies, Participants and ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/vxph8f/quickfact_edition) has announced the addition of the "QUICKFACT Edition Personalized Medicine - A Strategic Analysis of Industry Trends, Technologies, Participants and Environment" report to their offering.

The QUICKFACT's edition of Personalized Medicine- A Strategic Analysis of Industry Trends, Technologies, Participants, and Environment by Kelly Scientific Publications is a compact report on key facts of the personalized medicine industry and its impact on the health system.

Individualized or personalized medicine aims to increase the efficacy of therapeutics via genetic testing and companion diagnostics. Personalized therapeutics and associated companion diagnostics will be more specific and effective thereby giving pharma/biotech companies a significant advantage to recuperate R&D costs. Personalized medicine will reduce the frequency of adverse drug reactions and therefore have a dramatic impact on health economics. Developmental and diagnostic companies will benefit from lower discovery and commercialization costs and more specific market subtypes.

The average drug-to-market cost varies but is estimated at $500 million, however with the advent of personalized therapeutics and companion diagnostics this cost could be dramatically reduced. Only 30% of drugs recover the cost to market however personalized therapeutics and associated companion diagnostics will be more specific and effective thereby giving pharma/biotech companies a significant advantage to recuperate costs. Personalized medicine will reduce the frequency of adverse drug reactions and therefore have a dramatic impact on health economics.

Functions of personalized medicine:

- Give developers an alternative to hit and miss' drug development.

- Streamline the research and discovery process.

- Decrease the time it takes to discover, develop and bring a therapeutic to market.

- Can be applied to current drugs and determine their efficiency and safety profiles in specific patient groups.

The rest is here:
Research and Markets: 2012 QUICKFACT Edition Personalized Medicine - A Strategic Analysis of Industry Trends ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Rhesus monkeys on calorie-restricted diets age just as quickly as their chubbier counterparts.

E. Bmsch/Imagebroker/FLPA

To those who enjoy the pleasures of the dining table, the news may come as a relief: drastically cutting back on calories does not seem to lengthen lifespan in primates.

The verdict, from a 25-year study in rhesus monkeys fed 30% less than control animals, represents another setback for the notion that a simple, diet-triggered switch can slow ageing. Instead, the findings, published this week in Nature1, suggest that genetics and dietary composition matter more for longevity than a simple calorie count.

To think that a simple decrease in calories caused such a widespread change, that was remarkable, says Don Ingram, a gerontologist at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, who designed the study almost three decades ago while at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in Bethesda, Maryland.

When the NIA-funded monkey study began, however, studies of caloric restriction in short-lived animals were hinting at a connection. Experiments had showed that starvation made roundworms live longer. Other studies had showed that rats fed fewer calories than their slow and balding brethren maintained their shiny coats and a youthful vigour. And more recently, molecular studies had suggested that caloric restriction or compounds that mimicked it might trigger a cascade of changes in gene expression that had the net effect of slowing ageing.

In 2009, another study2, which began in 1989 at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC) in Madison, concluded that caloric restriction did extend life in rhesus monkeys. The investigators found that 13% of the dieting group died from age-related causes, compared with 37% of the control group.

One reason for that difference could be that the WNPRC monkeys were fed an unhealthy diet, which made the calorie-restricted monkeys seem healthier by comparison simply because they ate less of it. The WNPRC monkeys diets contained 28.5% sucrose, compared with 3.9% sucrose at the NIA. Meanwhile, the NIA meals included fish oil and antioxidants, whereas the WNPRC meals did not. Rick Weindruch, a gerontologist at the WNPRC who led the study, admits: Overall, our diet was probably not as healthy.

Further, the WNPRC control group probably ate more overall, because their meals were unlimited, whereas NIA monkeys were fed fixed amounts. As adults, control monkeys in the WNPRC study weighed more than their NIA counterparts. Overall, the WNPRC results might have reflected an unhealthy control group rather than a long-lived treatment group. When we began these studies, the dogma was that a calorie is a calorie, Ingram says. I think its clear that the types of calories the monkeys ate made a profound difference.

When we began these studies, the dogma was that a calorie is a calorie.

Visit link:
Calorie restriction falters in the long run

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Otago Uni. Genetics Lecture Outdated and Unfair

Otago University's genetics lecture presented last night in Wellington, and to be presented in Auckland tonight, is outdated and unfair.

The "Should We Swallow It" lecture by John Knight supports GE food but is wrong to be confusing traditional modification of food with the very different processes of genetic engineering.(1)

It is also inappropriate and adds to the lack of fairness in the lecture, that it features video of a live TV debate that was found to constitute a breach of broadcasting standards.

The lecture pushing a pro-GE agenda uses a clip from Holmes aired on TVNZ, that was found to lack balance by the Broadcasting Standards Authority.(2) The lecture also presents research that is out-dated and misleading about the growing evidence against GE release into the environment.

"The research is confused and a waste of public money," says Claire Bleakley from GE-Free NZ in food and environment.

One major problem that makes the findings deceptive is the failure to differentiate between natural selection (GM) and genetic engineering (GE) in the questions used.

Research questions need to be accurate and reflect participants understanding of what is asked, or they become misleading.

The data being presented is useless as input for Government decsion-making, and betrays a lack of understanding of the subject by the researcher.

"John Knight seems to be out of his depth and to have been seduced into a false understanding of GE. He knows little about the difference between natural selection of plant breeding and laboratory transgenics (GE) of plants," says Claire Bleakley.

View original post here:
Otago Uni. Genetics Lecture Outdated and Unfair

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire -08/29/12)- Matrix Genetics ("Matrix"), a biotechnology company focused on producing renewable fuels and specialty chemicals derived from cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) announced today that Spokane, Wash. based Avista Development, Inc. has invested in the company. Avista Development is the venture arm of Avista Corp. (AVA), an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. The investment provides Matrix with working capital needed to complete its spinout from Seattle-based Targeted Growth, an agricultural biotechnology company where the foundation of Matrix's technology was developed.

"Avista's investment is the springboard for Matrix to become an independent company with the resources to further develop our technologies that are creating a pathway to low-carbon, sustainable and renewable fuels and chemicals," said Margaret McCormick, CEO of Matrix Genetics. "Their support will enable us to add staff, expand our labs, and continue the great tradition of bioscience companies in the state of Washington."

Matrix is developing technologies to leverage the potential of cyanobacteria as a feedstock for the production of a rich diversity of valuable carbon-based chemicals. Cyanobacteria are the most abundant, diverse and robust micro-algae on Earth, using only the energy from sunlight to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide directly into fuels and other biological chemicals. They are also relatively simple, single cell organisms; the genome (the cell's DNA) has already been mapped for several cyanobacteria species; and there is a robust set of "tools" available to modify them.

Matrix has used these tools and the immense power of biotechnology to create new and proprietary strains of cyanobacteria that can produce oil in significant quantities and in a range of specifications. Second and third generation organisms are being developed that not only surpass these oil yields, but also contain additional new traits that enhance their production characteristics and make them suitable for a range of end products including fuels, chemicals and other products.

"Avista has a long history of fostering innovation within the energy sector," said Roger Woodworth, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Avista Corp. "We appreciate the need to find alternatives to petroleum for a sustainable future, and we are excited by the progress and the promise of Matrix's approach."

As the company completes its spinout, Matrix is now focused on further developing its technology to: produce lipids (oils) for fuels and other products; develop production strains that are suitable for different growing environments, resistant to predators and harmless to the environment around them; create strains that continually produce and secrete oils, removing the need for costly harvesting; and increase the cultivation capacity to provide samples for testing with commercialization partners and prospects.

The announcement will be made today at a special event at Matrix Genetics' current lab facilities as part of the "Summer of Algae II," a national campaign sponsored by the Algae Biomass Organization, the trade association for the U.S. algae industry, which features similar open house-style events across the country.

About Matrix GeneticsMatrix Genetics, LLC ("Matrix"), located in Seattle, Wash., is a biotechnology company focused on producing renewable fuel and specialty chemicals derived from cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). The company's state-of-the-art, metabolic engineering and systems biology platform is the most cost-efficient method to customize organisms with a range of traits for these industries. More information is available at http://www.matrixgenetics.com.

See the original post:
Biotech Firm Matrix Genetics Receives Investment From Avista Development

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Agreement with SureGene Brings Revolutionary Diagnostic Test to Market

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SureGene has chosen PGXL as laboratory provider for its proprietary STA2R genetic panel, which promises to revolutionize the treatment of schizophrenia.

PGXL has long been a leader and innovator in personalized medicine. When SureGene needed a lab partner, PGXL was the obvious choice. The synergies from both companies being located in Louisville was an added bonus

The STA2R panel turns intuitive treatment into precision treatment, says Dr. Roland Valdes Jr., Chairman and President of PGXL. It removes the trial and error from the medication of schizophrenia. Its a perfect application of personalized medicine entirely aligned with PGXLs vision.

The STA2R agreement marks the first collaboration between SureGene and PGXL, two companies that spun out of University of Louisville research labs. SureGene researchers discovered and patented the SULT4A1-1 genetic signature. PGXL Laboratories independently developed the STA2R panel and will perform the tests for healthcare providers around the United States. Both SureGene and PGXL are promoting the test, PGXL through its own distribution system and SureGene direct to psychiatric healthcare providers.

PGXL has long been a leader and innovator in personalized medicine. When SureGene needed a lab partner, PGXL was the obvious choice. The synergies from both companies being located in Louisville was an added bonus, says Bill Massey, President of SureGene.

The panel analyzes five genes, including SureGenes patented SULT4A1, and uses the results of those tests to help identify the right treatment path for a patient based on available data. More than 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with schizophrenia every year. While most will eventually be successfully treated, about a third will never find the right balance of medications. The STA2R panel is designed to help guide psychiatrists to that balance quickly and confidently.

Every time I meet with patients and caregivers, they share heart-wrenching stories of their journey to finding the right medicine, says Tim Ramsey, Vice President of SureGene and one of the inventors of STA2R. With STA2R, SureGene and PGXL are giving doctors a powerful new tool to help their patients.

About PGXL Laboratories:

A privately-owned business located in Louisville, Kentucky, PGXL Laboratories was the first lab in the country CLIA-certified specifically to conduct pharmacogenetic tests. It offers pharmacogenetic testing, interpretive services, and assay design and validation. Along with its clinical practice, PGXL performs contract research for developers of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

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PGXL to Provide Antipsychotic Drug Response Tests

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NEW YORK, Aug. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --United Spinal Association's membership division, National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA), will host two free webinars this September for people living with disabilities and their caregivers that will focus on ways to discover a healthy & active lifestyle and how to overcome the challenges of chronic health issues such as spinal cord injury (SCI), MS, polio, ALS or spina bifida.

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"For people living with disabilities and their caregivers, the challenges of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle can be overwhelming at times. But with the right strategy and outlook, it's within everyone's reach. These webinars will build a foundation for many to discover better health, as well as happiness and success," said Marlene Perkins, VP of Corporate and Community Relations at United Spinal.

The first webinar Discovering a Healthy & Active LifestyleSept. 5th at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. EDT, will offer helpful strategies to bring peace and balance to daily living. The webinar will explore ways to:

Speaker: Erena DiGonis, LMSW, CHC; Licensed Psychotherapist and Certified Health Coach

The second webinar Staying Healthy Together! Tips for Caregivers & Care RecipientsSept. 19th at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. EDT, will prepare people living with disabilities and their loved ones to overcome the challenges of chronic health issues such as spinal cord injury (SCI), MS, polio, ALS or spina bifida. It will also offer strategies to better communicate with healthcare professionals, become a strong advocate in healthcare situations and prevent medication/medical mishaps from taking place.

Speaker: Mark Gibbons, National Family Caregivers Association

This year, United Spinal has hosted webinars on a variety of disability-related topicsincluding healthcare, mobility, research, public policy, and veterans issues. You can access all of United Spinal's previous webinars by visiting its online webinar archive.

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United Spinal Presents Free Webinars on Healthy Living for People with Disabilities & their Caregivers

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Aug. 29, 2012, 3 a.m.

RESEARCHERS have identified an antibody which, when injected into a patient's bloodstream after a spinal cord injury, could reduce the damage caused by the trauma.

The findings by researchers in Melbourne and California could have significant implications for preventing and minimising loss of motor function, for which currently there is no cure.

The head of the neuroregeneration research unit at the Centre for Eye Research Australia, Alice Pebay, said the discovery was made by stopping a particular molecule, a lipid called lysophosphatidic acid, or LPA, from attaching itself to specific cells after injury and hindering recovery.

Following brain or spinal cord injury, cells called astrocytes proliferate and form a scar. But that scar is dense and makes it hard for the nerve cells to regrow through these cells, which have formed a thick barrier.

''They can't grow through it and they die,'' Dr Pebay said.

By introducing the man-made antibody, this reduces the creation of a barrier that inhibits recovery.

''We've identified a novel way of limiting damage,'' she said. ''People didn't know that this molecule was involved in spinal cord injury and that when you block this molecule, you reduce scarring and death of the neurons.

''It's a simple injection,'' Dr Pebay said. ''That means that one day paramedics could potentially administer the antibody and reduce the damage caused by trauma.''

The findings are published in the American Journal of Pathology.

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Injection could limit spinal cord damage Save

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Riverdale, NJ (PRWEB) August 28, 2012

Saturday, September 1, 2012 will mark the beginning of the first official State of New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. After more than 18 months worth of effort from Cynthia Templeton, President of a non-profit specialized exercise gym for people with spinal cord injuries (SCI), she received word that Governor Christie had approved her Proclamation. Last year, the Federal Government proclaimed September as the National SCI Awareness Month making it seem only natural that New Jersey shares the same awareness month on a state level.

Through a letter writing campaign, Templeton was able to gain support for the idea from various organizations including Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation, The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Dr. Wise Young and Dr. Patricia Morton at the W. M. Keck Center/Spinal Cord Injury Project at Rutgers, The Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation, Disability Rights New Jersey and United Spinal Association. As a group they believe that having a designated month will help educate the public, prevent injuries, advocate for improved services and research, raise awareness and ultimately improve the lives of those living with SCI.

Nearly 15 years ago, the New Jersey legislature passed a landmark bill forming a Commission for Spinal Cord Research to support cutting edge SCI research. The SCI Awareness month celebrates how far we have come to make New Jersey the leading state for SCI care and cure but it also reminds us of how much work we still must do to prevent and reverse this condition that has been considered irreversible for all of human history, states Dr. Wise Young, Founding Director of the W.M. Keck Center of Collaborative Neuroscience.

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, approximately 1,275,000 individuals currently have a spinal cord injury and the New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research states roughly 6,000 of those are New Jersey residents who have sustained traumatic injuries or diseases that damage the spinal cord.

Sustaining a spinal cord injury is a life changing and devastating event. Paul Tobin, President & CEO of United Spinal believes, Through public awareness campaigns such as these, we are hopeful that the community will gain greater awareness of spinal cord injury prevention and care as well as the rights of people with SCI and all disabilities to be active members of the community.

####

About Push to Walk Founded in 2007, Push to Walk is the only non-profit specialized exercise gym in the New York-New Jersey area that empowers people with spinal cord injuries to realize their individual potential. Push to Walks rigorous one-on-one workout approach challenges clients to reach their personal goals and achieve maximum independence, leading to greater success and fulfillment in their personal and professional lives. A 501(C) 3 non-profit, Push to Walk is located in Riverdale, New Jersey. Visit http://www.pushtowalknj.org to learn more.

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Governor Christie Proclaims September Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month

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CLEARWATER, FL--(Marketwire -08/28/12)- Biostem U.S., Corporation (HAIR) (HAIR) (Biostem, The Company), a fully reporting public company in the stem cell regenerative medicine sector, announced today that, in response to overwhelming inquiries from hair clinics around the nation, it has completed preparation to allow for expansion of hair regrowth services throughout the United States.

According to Dwight Brunoehler, Chief Executive Officer of Bisotem, "On the heels of Dr. Marina Pizarro's initial hair replacement procedures using The Biostem Method, the Company is now fully prepared to offer and support turnkey operations that will provide its proprietary hair regrowth technology to qualified physicians and clinics in the U.S. This service provides equipment, on site set up, training, operational protocols, marketing assistance, a fully staffed training facility, and on-going support. Our intention is to make this as easy as possible for affiliates to become involved. After entering into an agreement, physicians will be able to offer Biostem services in their offices within 8 weeks. It is expected that hair replacement clinics in New York, California, Texas and other metropolitan centers known for the popularity of cosmetic procedures will be on board The Biostem Method before the end of the year."

Biostem U.S., Corporation has developed a hair restoration process known as The Biostem Method. This process, offered through Biostem affiliates and licensees, involves the use of platelet rich plasma injections, low level laser therapy, nutraceutical supplements to stimulate stem cell growth, and private labeled hair products. This combination has proven highly effective in restoring hair growth in men and women.

About Biostem U.S., CorporationBiostem U.S., Corporation is a fully reporting Nevada corporation with offices in Clearwater, Florida. Biostem is a technology licensing company with proprietary technology centered on providing hair regrowth using human stem cells. The company also intends to train and license selected physicians to provide Regenerative Cellular Therapy treatments to assist the body's natural approach to healing tendons, ligaments, joints and muscle injuries by using the patient's own stem cells. Biostem U.S. is seeking to expand its operations worldwide through licensing of its proprietary technology and acquisition of existing stem cell related facilities. The company's goal is to operate in the international biotech market, focusing on the rapidly growing regenerative medicine field, using ethically sourced adult stem cells to improve the quality and longevity of life for all mankind.

More information on Biostem U.S., Corporation can be obtained through http://www.biostemus.com, or by calling Fox Communications Group, 310-974-6821.

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Biostem U.S., Corporation Opens National Affiliate Program for The Biostem Method(TM) of Hair Regrowth Treatments

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Public release date: 28-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Anne DeLotto Baier abaier@health.usf.edu 813-974-3303 University of South Florida (USF Health)

Tampa, FL (Aug. 28, 2012) -- A new study has found a gene that appears to make women happy, but it doesn't work for men. The finding may help explain why women are often happier than men, the research team said.

Scientists at the University of South Florida (USF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute reported that the low activity form of the gene monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is associated with higher self-reported happiness in women. No such association was found in men.

The findings appear online in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry.

"This is the first happiness gene for women," said lead author Henian Chen, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, USF College of Public Health.

"I was surprised by the result, because low expression of MAOA has been related to some negative outcomes like alcoholism, aggressiveness and antisocial behavior," said Chen, who directs the Biostatistics Core at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine's Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. "It's even called the warrior gene by some scientists, but, at least for women, our study points to a brighter side of this gene."

While they experience higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders, women tend to report greater overall life happiness than do men. The reason for this remains unclear, Chen said. "This new finding may help us to explain the gender difference and provide more insight into the link between specific genes and human happiness."

The MAOA gene regulates the activity of an enzyme that breaks down serontin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain -- the same "feel-good" chemicals targeted by many antidepressants. The low-expression version of the MAOA gene promotes higher levels of monoamine, which allows larger amounts of these neurotransmitters to stay in the brain and boost mood.

The researchers analyzed data from a population-based sample of 345 individuals 193 women and 152 men participating in Children in the Community, a longitudinal mental health study. The DNA of study subjects had been analyzed for MAOA gene variation and their self-reported happiness was scored by a widely used and validated scale.

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Study finds gene that predicts happiness in women

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SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --A study published in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine demonstrates that the fraction of fetal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in maternal blood is unaffected by the mother's presumed risk for trisomy, offering support for the use of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for detecting genetic conditions such as Down syndrome in a broad patient population. Lead and senior authors of the study were Dr. Herb Brar, Director of Riverside Perinatal Diagnostics Center, and Dr. Mary Norton, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University, respectively.

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Results of the study, a post-hoc comparative analysis of the previously published "Non-invasive Chromosomal Evaluation" (NICE) study, showed that there were no significant differences in the fraction of fetal cfDNA in maternal blood in women who were stratified into three different trisomy risk groups based on maternal age, prenatal screening results or nuchal translucency measurement. The amount of fetal cfDNA in maternal blood is the principal factor in successfully detecting trisomies with NIPT. Trisomy refers to the presence of three chromosomes rather than two. Certain trisomies are known to cause genetic conditions. The study is available at: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109%2F14767058.2012.722731

"The results of this study were particularly significant because they showed that fetal fraction of cfDNA does not vary significantly among pregnant women regardless of their predetermined trisomy risk," said Dr. Herb Brar. "This adds to the growing amount of research that suggests NIPT can offer an effective prenatal screening option in the general pregnant population."

NIPT is a new screening option that analyzes cell-free fetal DNA circulating in maternal blood to evaluate the risk of having a baby with Down syndrome and other common genetic conditions. It involves a single blood draw as early as 10 weeks' gestation and delivers a greater than 99 percent detection rate for trisomy 21, which causes Down syndrome. NIPT, using the Harmony Prenatal Test, also has shown to have fewer false positive test results; up to 50 times less than traditional prenatal screening options such as maternal serum screening.

Previous studies of the entire cohort of the NICE study demonstrated that fetal fraction did not vary with race, ethnicity, maternal age, or trisomy type. It also showed that the fraction of fetal cfDNA was similar in pregnancies of gestational ages between 10 and 22 weeks. The NICE study was a prospective cohort study of more than 4,000 pregnant women of at least 10 weeks' gestational age across 50 clinical sites internationally. The study evaluated the performance of Ariosa Diagnostics' Harmony Prenatal Test in detecting fetal trisomy 21 and 18, which cause Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome, respectively. The NICE study evaluated any patient undergoing invasive prenatal testing, such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, not just those who were determined to be at higher risk of having a baby with a genetic condition.

"We believe strongly that scientific research supports NIPT as a screening option for any pregnant woman, empowering them and their physicians to make the best decisions for individual circumstances. This is simply good patient care," said Ariosa Diagnostics CEO Ken Song, M.D. "NIPT has proven effective in thousands of patients, with a high accuracy and low false positive rate of less than 0.1% for each trisomy tested. It offers several advantages over traditional screening tests and can more appropriately triage those women who should undergo invasive procedures, namely amniocentesis and CVS, which carry a small risk of miscarriage."

About Ariosa Diagnostics (formerly Aria Diagnostics)

Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc. is a molecular diagnostics company committed to providing safe, highly accurate and affordable prenatal tests for maternal and fetal health. Led by an experienced team, Ariosa is using its proprietary technology to perform a directed analysis of cell-free DNA in blood. Ariosa's simple blood test equips pregnant women and their healthcare providers with reliable information to make decisions regarding their health, without creating unnecessary stress or anxiety.

The company began operations in 2010 and is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. For more information, visitwww.ariosadx.com.

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New Study in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine Shows Fetal Cell-Free DNA in Maternal Blood ...

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SAN DIEGO, Aug.28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequenom, Inc. (SQNM), a life sciences company providing innovative diagnostic testing and genetic analysis solutions, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, the Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine (Sequenom CMM), has completed several international distribution agreements that will expand access to the MaterniT21 PLUS testing service outside the United States. Agreements in Asia cover Japan and Hong Kong; in Europe cover the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and the Netherlands; and in the Middle East, cover Israel.

The announcement of these agreements follows recent news that Sequenom's current licensee in Europe, LifeCodexx, gained CE Marking for their trisomy 21 test, the PraenaTest, using the Sequenom-licensed technology and has made it available as a testing service at prenatal clinics and hospitals in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

"We believe the completion of these international agreements represents an important advance in access to and future adoption of our technology in the international prenatal care market," said Harry F. Hixson, Jr., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, Sequenom, Inc. "We look forward to working closely with each of our partners in these countries and to continuing our efforts to further expand access for expectant parents around the world."

The distribution agreements further support total volume increases and goals for the company for 2012. As of August 18, 2012, Sequenom CMM had accessioned nearly 27,000 MaterniT21 PLUS test samples since the beginning of the year, and the company increased its 52-week run rate from 65,000 to 70,000 total samples. The company has also completed its previously announced sales force expansion, with more than 70 field representatives now active across the United States.

Sequenom CMM has also completed a number of steps designed to improve functionality and enhance capacity of the MaterniT21 PLUS test. The test now includes a report on the presence of "Y" chromosomal material, which was validated in the same original clinical cohort as trisomies 21, 18 and13. Other new features of the MaterniT21 PLUS test include increased multiplexing - the new 12-plex process should more than double sequencing capacity per instrument - and the use of upgraded bioinformatics and automated library preparation processes. To ensure maintenance of the high precision of the MaterniT21 PLUS test, all modifications have been rigorously validated in an equivalency study. In addition, Sequenom CMM now employs new reagents made available through Sequenom's agreement with Illumina, all contributing to a more streamlined, efficient testing process.

The MaterniT21 PLUS test is intended for use in pregnant women at increased risk for fetal aneuploidy and can be used as early as 10 weeks gestation. Estimates suggest there are an estimated 750,000 pregnancies at risk for fetal aneuploidy each year in the United States. The test detects an increased amount of chromosomal material for trisomies 21, 18 and 13, as well as fetal sex. The MaterniT21 PLUS test is available exclusively through Sequenom CMM as a testing service to physicians. To learn more about the test, please visit Sequenomcmm.com.

About Sequenom

Sequenom, Inc. (SQNM) is a life sciences company committed to improving healthcare through revolutionary genetic analysis solutions. Sequenom develops innovative technology, products and diagnostic tests that target and serve discovery and clinical research, and molecular diagnostics markets. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Sequenom maintains a Web site at http://www.sequenom.com to which Sequenom regularly posts copies of its press releases as well as additional information about Sequenom. Interested persons can subscribe on the Sequenom Web site to email alerts or RSS feeds that are sent automatically when Sequenom issues press releases, files its reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission or posts certain other information to the Web site.

Sequenom CMM, LLC

Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine (Sequenom CMM), a CAP accredited and CLIA-certified molecular diagnostics laboratory, is developing a broad range of laboratory developed tests with a focus on prenatal and ophthalmic diseases and conditions. These laboratory-developed tests provide beneficial patient management options for obstetricians, geneticists and maternal fetal medicine specialists. Sequenom CMM is changing the landscape in genetic disorder diagnostics using proprietary cutting edge technologies.

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Sequenom Completes International Distribution Agreements To Expand Access To MaterniT21 PLUS Prenatal Testing Service

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Calcutta News.Net Monday 27th August, 2012

LONDON - The Medical Research Council (MRC) will be providing Edinburgh University with 60 million pounds of funding over the next five years to enable scientists carry out genetic research with the aim of learning more about conditions like schizophrenia, cystic fibrosis and genetic eye disorders.

The funding is being provided to the MRC Human Genetics Unit and the MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM) at the University of Edinburgh.

It is hoped the research will also help doctors at the IGMM, one of the largest centres of its kind in Europe, develop new tests and therapies for patients with cancer and osteoarthritis.

Director Professor Nick Hastie said, "The challenge we face is to work out how human genes work together to build a human. We also want to find out how subtle DNA differences help shape human diversity and influence susceptibility to a wide range of common diseases."

The IGMM is a partnership between the MRC, University of Edinburgh's Centre for Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research UK.

The funding will help IGMM "to turn the potential of the genetic revolution into reality", stated Hastie.

The funding, to be made over the next five years, will confirm the centre's position as a world leader in genetics research.

Dr Wendy Ewart of the MRC, said: "The Human Genetics Unit and IGMM are a shining example of the kind of partnership working needed to address the challenges of 21st century research. The MRC is proud to continue its support for these establishments and their drive to transform discoveries about the human genome into benefits for human health."

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Genetic research department of Endinburg University to receive 60mn pounds

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The technique would retrain cells that typically don't respond to light.

Kiji McCafferty

One biotech startup wants to restore vision in blind patients with a gene therapy that gives light sensitivity to neurons that don't normally possess it.

The attempt, by Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Retrosense Therapeutics, will use so-called optogenetics. Scientists have used the technique over the last few years as a research tool to study brain circuits and the neural control of behavior by directing neuron activity with flashes of light. But Retrosense and others groups are pushing to bring the technique to patients in clinical trials.

The idea behind Retrosense's experimental therapy is to use optogenetics to treat patients who have lost their vision due to retinal degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa. Patients with retinitis pigmentosa experience progressive and irreversible vision loss because the rods and cones of their eyes die due to an inherited condition. If the company is successful, the treatment could also help patients with the most common form of macular degeneration, which affects nearly a million people in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration hasn't approved any therapies for either condition.

Retrosense is developing a treatment in which other cells in the retina could take the place of the rods and cones, cells which convert light into electrical signals. The company is targeting a group of neurons in the eye called ganglion cells. Normally, ganglion cells don't respond to light. Instead, they act as a conduit for electrical information sent from the retina's rods and cones. The ganglion cells then transmit visual information directly to the brain.

Doctors would inject a non-disease causing virus into a patient's eye. The virus would carry the genetic information needed to produce the light-sensitive channel proteins in the ganglion cells. Normally, rods, cones, and other cells translate light information into a code of neuron-firing patterns that is then transmitted via the ganglion cells into the brain. Since Retrosense's therapy would bypass that information processing, it may require the brain to learn how to interpret the signals.

So far, Retrosense and its academic collaborators have shown that the treatment can restore some vision-evoked behaviors in rodents. The treatment also seems safe in nonhuman primates. The optogenetically modified ganglion cells of these primates are light-responsive, but behavioral tests aren't possible, as there are no nonhuman primate models of retinal degeneration, says Retrosense CEO Sean Ainsworth.

Retrosense plans to begin its first clinical trial in 2013 with nine blind retinitis pigmentosa patients.

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Company Aims to Cure Blindness with Optogenetics

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Millions of people around the world are living with HIV, thanks to drug regimens that suppress the virus. Now there's a new push to eliminate HIV from patients' bodies altogether. That would be a true cure.

We're not there yet. But a report in Science Translational Medicine is an encouraging signpost that scientists may be headed in the right direction.

Forty-three patients got immune cells designed to attack and kill cells infected with HIV. As long as 16 years later, these genetically engineered T cells are still circulating in their bloodstreams. And there's been no sign the gene therapy caused any cancers, or is likely to.

That may seem like a modest victory. After all, there's no evidence yet that the gene therapy did what it's supposed to eliminate the reservoir of HIV hiding in the patients' cells, waiting to emerge as soon as patients stop taking their antiviral drugs.

But to scientists in HIV and gene therapy research, it's a highly encouraging indicator. "We're not hitting a home run. This is a single," AIDS researcher Pablo Tebas of the University of Pennsylvania tells Shots.

"It looks like if you do this, it's going to be safe because we have not seen any toxicity in 16 years," he says. "And two, the genetically modified cells are still circulating. They perpetuate. Those are two important things this study is telling us."

Tebas is not an author of the study, but he works with the Penn researchers who did the work. They were unavailable for comment.

Previous attempts at this kind of gene therapy, called adoptive T cell transfer, have been plagued by cancers that can arise when the genes introduced into engineered cells insert themselves next to growth-promoting genes. In other cases the engineered cells have died out before they have a sustained positive effect.

Another hopeful sign that engineered T cells can actually work came from the same Penn group last summer. They reported on a single patient with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia who had failed a succession of chemotherapy treatments.

The Penn researchers injected the patient with some of his own T cells that had been engineered to home in on leukemia cells, which bear a distinctive surface protein. Within a month, doctors could find no leukemia cells in the patient's bone marrow.

Link:
A Step Forward For Gene Therapy To Treat HIV

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Portland Winterhawks forward Keegan Iverson is wearing No. 13 this season to honor fellow Minnesota high school hockey player and close friend Jack Jablonski.

Jablonski's story touched all levels of the sport last year. The 16-year-old at Benilde-St. Margaret's HS suffered a spinal cord injury last Dec. 30 in a JV hockey game.

Jablonski was checked into the boards during a game at the Holiday Hockey Classic in St. Louis Park, Minn. He was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis with a severed spinal cord at the neck and two fractured vertebrae. He has been working hard on his rehabilitation since then, trying to regain more movement.

He said he has known Jablonski from the time he was a little kid.

I decided to wear it (No. 13) for the whole year, said Iverson, who was a wide-eyed 15-year-old rookie in last seasons camp.

Hes been my best friend probably since I was three years old,'' Iverson told the Winterhawks.com website.

"Ive known him forever. Its like a tragic thing, but at the same time it motivates me. He motivates me to achieve my goals because theyre his goals, too. He wants to walk again, he wants to play hockey again and I know he can do it. So Im going to push myself to achieve his goals, too. Help him, be there for him, whatever. Represent his number.

Iverson said it was a shock to see Jablonski shortly after the injury.

I didnt know how it was going to be at first. When I first saw him in his bed, just sitting there, I had no idea. I just started crying. I didnt know what I could do. It was just a shocker for me. Now, Ill text him after games and stuff. He can text, he can do I guess full movement of both arms. He can move his wheelchair. Seeing how far hes gone is just unbelievable.

Believe in miracles, I guess. Its one of his mottos.

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Hawks' Keegan Iverson wearing No. 13 this season to honor paralyzed Minnesota high schooler

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