By Makiko Kitamura and Robert Langreth - 2012-06-04T04:00:01Z

Two experimental GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) drugs that block genes tied to lethal skin cancer worked better than chemotherapy in studies that tested them individually, paving the way for final-phase trials on their use together.

About 80 percent of patients with advanced melanoma given Glaxos trametinib were alive after six months, compared with 67 percent on chemotherapy used as a standard treatment. Separately, Glaxos dabrafenib delayed disease progression by 5.1 months, compared with 2.7 months for chemotherapy. The Glaxo-funded research is being reported today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

The individual research followed an early-stage study in 77 patients that found the drugs used together resulted in fewer skin lesions than previously reported with Roche Holding AG (ROG)s Zelboraf, a therapy cleared last year that targets a mutant gene found in half of advanced melanoma cases. Glaxo has begun two final-stage trials on the combo therapy, the company said.

The combination is where we have the most enthusiasm right now, said Keith Flaherty, director for developmental cancer therapeutics at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and an author on the trametinib study. It looks better in terms of efficacy, and better in terms of safety.

The U.S. will have an estimated 76,250 new cases of melanoma this year, with 9,180 deaths, according to the National Cancer Institute. While patients with early-stage disease respond well to treatment, the five-year survival rate for those with cancer that has spread is 15 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.

Approval of the two Glaxo drugs could generate as much as 1.5 billion pounds ($2.35 billion) in 2020, said Andrew Baum, a London-based analyst at Citigroup Inc., said in a note to investors last week. The company will seek regulatory approval of both compounds individually later this year.

In an interview, Paolo Paoletti, president of the oncology unit for London-based Glaxo, said his company has begun two late-stage trials of the combination therapy in advanced skin cancer. One will compare the combination to dabrafenib alone; the other compares the combo to Roches Zelboraf.

We are rolling; the interest is so great the enrollment will be very quick, said Paoletti. If the benefits of teaming the two drugs hold up, it is a transformation. It will be a new standard of care.

Zelboraf and Glaxos dabrafenib work by blocking BRAF, a mutant gene that spurs cancer cell growth in about half of melanoma patients. Zelboraf was approved in the U.S. in August 2011. Trametinib is designed to thwart a related protein called MEK that helps tumors resist an assault on BRAF.

Link:
Glaxo Gene-Blocking Melanoma Drugs Beat Chemotherapy in Studies

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

ONE Capella family certainly understands the saying, "you only get out what you put in".

By adding quality genetics, the Sullivans have been able to consistently turn off a desirable product in the marketplace for years.

Dan and Helen Sullivan are joined in their operation by sons Kurt and Glen, with his wife Wendy and two children, and daughter Kate.

The home property, "Talagai", has been owned by the Sullivan family since 1951.

With the addition of their other Capella properties, "Old Malvern" and "Humberston", the Sullivans run 1400 breeders across 20,000 hectares.

The properties include a good mix of country, from open downs and open coolabah country to developed scrub country with areas of forest.

Like many producers, the Sullivans started out with Hereford cattle. During the seventies, Brahman bulls were introduced into the breeding herd, followed by Santa Gertrudis.

The Santa bulls were mated to the Brahman-cross females, producing a Droughtmaster-type animal which the Sullivans have continued breeding ever since.

Over the past 20 years the Sullivans have continued to use Droughtmaster bulls for their temperament, as well as Gelbviehs.

"The Gelbvieh bulls add length and weight into our cattle. They're terrific breeders and are very fertile cattle," Dan Sullivan said.

See more here:
Genetics focus at Capella

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Hyderabad, June 2:

Picking stem cells from a patients body, sending it to a sophisticated laboratory to culture a tissue and then implanting it are pass.

A team of doctors at L.V. Prasad Eye Institute has used the tea bag or sprinkler approach to regenerate stem cells. The organisation has developed a lab-free technique that could be available off-the-shelf. This allows eye surgeons with usual facilities to perform the procedure.

The team, led by Dr Virender Singh Sangwan, used this technique to treat those who suffered chemical injuries, resulting in bleeding in the cornea.

Instead of sending stem cells to the lab for culture, the doctor picked the required number of stem cells around the cornea and sprinkled on the damaged area and then put a contact lens. In 15 days, he sees development of a good layer in the place of injured area, Prof. Balasubramanian, Head of Research at LVPEI, said.

A winner of the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar prize, Dr Sangwan said he had conducted the procedure on about 25 patients with good results. This had been published in international scientific magazines.

He is now in the process of developing tools to help doctors.

Leber Congenital Amaurosis

Children down with the rare ocular disorders that result in gradual loss of sight can hope for a cure. Doctors are working on a gene therapy to correct this problem caused by consanguineous marriages.

Though this therapy is in vogue abroad, LVPEI says it is the first centre to carry out research on this procedure. Technically called LCA or Leber Congenital Amaurosis, doctors would refer patients to a gene analysis after studying them for indications.

Read the rest here:
Stem cell therapy for cornea treatment

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Washington, June 2 : Lean type 2 diabetes patients have a larger genetic disposition to the disease as compared to their obese counterparts, a new study has proved.

Type 2 diabetes is popularly associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. However, just as there are obese people without type 2 diabetes, there are lean people with the disease.

It has long been hypothesised that type 2 diabetes in lean people is more "genetically driven".

The study, from a research team led by the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), University of Exeter, has also identified a new genetic factor associated only with lean diabetes sufferers.

Using genetic data from genome-wide association studies, the research team tested genetic markers across the genome in approximately 5,000 lean patients with type 2 diabetes, 13,000 obese patients with the disease and 75,000 healthy controls.

The team found differences in genetic enrichment between lean and obese cases, which support the hypothesis that lean diabetes sufferers have a greater genetic predisposition to the disease.

This is in contrast to obese patients with type 2 diabetes, where factors other than type 2 diabetes genes are more likely to be responsible. In addition, genetic variants near the gene, LAMA1, were linked to type 2 diabetes risk for the first time, with an effect that appeared only in the lean patients.

"Whenever a new disease gene is found, there is always the potential for it to be used as a drug target for new therapies or as a biomarker, but more work is needed to see whether or not this new gene has that potential," John Perry, one of the lead authors of the study, said.

"This is the first time that a type 2 diabetes gene has been found to act in this way - we do not know why it should be associated in one sub-group of patients and not another.

"It could point to the fact that type 2 diabetes may not be one disease, but may represent a number of subgroups. Again, more work is required to prove this hypothesis.

Visit link:
New genetic factor associated with lean diabetics identified

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Seattle Genetics, Inc. (SGEN) today announced that data from several clinical trials of ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) will be presented at the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting being held June 1-5, 2012 in Chicago, IL. Data demonstrate the activity and tolerability when patients are retreated with ADCETRIS, the activity and tolerability of ADCETRIS in CD30-positive non-Hodgkin lymphomas and CD30 expression from a screening protocol in non-lymphoma malignancies. ADCETRIS is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed to CD30.

Our goal is for ADCETRIS to become the foundation of therapy for CD30-positive malignancies and, to that end, we are aggressively investing in its clinical development and broadly exploring CD30 expression across numerous cancer types, said Clay B. Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Genetics. Our data presentations at ASCO highlight the potential for ADCETRIS and reinforce our development strategy to generate data that will support stepwise growth of ADCETRIS for patients with CD30-expressing malignancies.

Retreatment with brentuximab vedotin in CD30-positive hematologic malignancies: a phase II study (Abstract #8027)

In a phase II trial, patients who previously responded to treatment with ADCETRIS, then discontinued treatment and subsequently had disease progression or relapse were eligible for retreatment. Data were reported from 24 patients treated to date on the study, including 16 with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and eight with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL). Patients had received a median of four prior systemic therapies, including ADCETRIS. Key findings include:

Details of the poster discussion presentation are as follows:

Brentuximab vedotin for relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma: preliminary results from a phase II study (Abstract #8070)

In a phase II clinical trial, patients with relapsed or refractory CD30-positive non-Hodgkin lymphomas, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), peripheral T-cell lymphoma and other less common lymphoma subtypes were enrolled. The trial was designed to assess the antitumor activity, duration of response and safety profile of ADCETRIS in these patients. At the time of data analysis, 28 patients had been enrolled, including 18 with B-cell malignancies and ten with T-cell malignancies. Across all patients, the median number of prior systemic therapies was three. Key findings include:

Details of the poster presentation are as follows:

ADCETRIS is not approved for the treatment of the non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes described in this presentation.

Go here to see the original:
Seattle Genetics Announces ADCETRIS® Clinical Data to be Reported in Multiple Presentations at ASCO Annual Meeting

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Hyderabad, June 2:

Picking stem cells from a patients body, sending it to a sophisticated laboratory to culture a tissue and then implanting it are pass.

A team of doctors at L.V. Prasad Eye Institute has used the tea bag or sprinkler approach to regenerate stem cells. The organisation has developed a lab-free technique that could be available off-the-shelf. This allows eye surgeons with usual facilities to perform the procedure.

The team, led by Dr Virender Singh Sangwan, used this technique to treat those who suffered chemical injuries, resulting in bleeding in the cornea.

Instead of sending stem cells to the lab for culture, the doctor picked the required number of stem cells around the cornea and sprinkled on the damaged area and then put a contact lens. In 15 days, he sees development of a good layer in the place of injured area, Prof. Balasubramanian, Head of Research at LVPEI, said.

A winner of the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar prize, Dr Sangwan said he had conducted the procedure on about 25 patients with good results. This had been published in international scientific magazines.

He is now in the process of developing tools to help doctors.

Leber Congenital Amaurosis

Children down with the rare ocular disorders that result in gradual loss of sight can hope for a cure. Doctors are working on a gene therapy to correct this problem caused by consanguineous marriages.

Though this therapy is in vogue abroad, LVPEI says it is the first centre to carry out research on this procedure. Technically called LCA or Leber Congenital Amaurosis, doctors would refer patients to a gene analysis after studying them for indications.

Read more from the original source:
Stem cell therapy for cornea treatment

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

A previously paralyzed rat climbs steps after several weeks of neurorehabilitation. Paralyzed rodents learned to walk again after intensive training and electrical stimulation of the brain and the spine, scientists reported. (EPFL via The New York Times)

Rats with a spinal cord injury that left their hind legs completely paralyzed learned to walk again on their own after an intensive training course that included electrical stimulation of the brain and the spine, scientists reported this week.

The study is the most comprehensive and rigorous presentation to date of what is possible in recovering from such injuries, and the Swiss research team is already working on technology to test the techniques in humans.

The report, published online Thursday in the journal Science, provides a striking demonstration of what, until recently, few scientists thought possible: complete rehabilitation after a disabling blow to the spinal cord. After weeks of training, many of the rats could walk as well as before the injury, and some could run.

The findings do not apply to all spinal injuries. The animals' spinal columns were cut without being completely severed. There were still some nerve connections that extended intact through the injured area.

In the study, a research team led by Gregoire Courtine of the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology gave a group of 10 rats the same surgical injury, cutting all direct nerve connections to the hind legs but stopping short of severing the spinal cord. The rats lost the use of their back legs but not their front legs.

The rats began a daily regimen. Outfitted with tiny vests, held upright on their back legs but left to bear their full weight, the rats tried to move toward a piece of cheese nearby. The scientists provided stimulation in three places: electrically, in the motor area of the brain and in the spinal cord below the injury, and chemically, infusing the wound area with drugs thought to promote growth.

Growth is what they got. After two to three weeks of 30-minute daily sessions, the rats began to take their first voluntary steps. After six weeks, all of the rats could walk on their own, and some could run and climb stairs. A comparison group of rats did not recover nearly as well.

"The way I think about it is that there is this little island of spare tissue in the injured area, and the neurons in that island begin to act as a relay center, bypassing the injury," Courtine said in a telephone interview.

Read more from the original source:
Rat experiment gives hope for recovery from spinal injuries

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Research scientist Dr Paul Turner (left) and cell biologist Dr Jim Faed examine bone marrow stem cell colonies in the Spinal Cord Society Research Laboratory in Dunedin. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.

University of Otago cell biologist, haematologist and project leader Dr Jim Faed said $1.4 million was needed to trial the use of bone marrow stem cells to stimulate insulin production in type 1 diabetics.

Fundraising is being co-ordinated by the Spinal Cord Society, which had started recruiting for a related trial for spinal cord injury sufferers, to be led by Dr Faed.

That trial, which would have used cells from the person's nose, is on hold, partly for lack of funds, and partly because the diabetes trial would lay the groundwork for better-designed spinal cord research.

The diabetes study would be carried out in the Spinal Cord Society Research Laboratory at Otago University's Centre for Innovation in Dunedin, taking about two years.

Dr Faed said recent research from the United States had "electrified" interest in using stem cells to treat type 1 diabetics.

In what is known as the Chicago study, umbilical cord stem cells were shown to increase insulin production in even the most severe diabetics.

Dr Faed said he hoped the Dunedin study, with a dozen participants, would replicate and expand the Chicago study by explaining the mechanism by which the stem cells promoted insulin production.

Pharmaceutical companies stood to make no money from stem cell research, as the product was generated by the patient's own body; thus the companies could not be tapped for funds.

Dr Faed acknowledged the disappointment of the several spinal cord injury sufferers who had to wait longer for their study.

Read the original post:
Researchers appealing to public for funds

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Washington, June 1 : In a recent study, a group of researchers have tried to answer why some obese people are healthier than others.

The study used genetically modified mice to investigate the genetic aspects of why some obese people do not develop certain medical problems typically associated with obesity, especially Type 2 diabetes.

"Previous research had indicated that a regulatory enzyme which is encoded by the gene PFKFB3 protects against diet-induced fat tissue inflammation and systemic insulin resistance," said Dr. Chaodong Wu of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - Texas A and M University System.

"Increasing evidence shows that fat deposition, or amount, is not directly associated with the inflammation or insulin resistance in the development of obesity-related metabolic diseases," he noted.

Wu said the inducible 6-phosphorofructo-2-kinase (iPFK2) enzyme links metabolic and inflammatory responses and may underlie what he refers to as "healthy" obesity.

"While many obese people develop Type 2 diabetes, heart conditions and other chronic health problems associated with being significantly overweight, other obese people do not," he said.

"And while obesity in general is not healthy, some obese people do not develop the diseases more commonly associated with a less-than-healthy diet. Furthermore, a number of thinner people may have the sort of health problems more typically associated with obesity," he explained.

Wu said he and the other researchers theorized that these diseases are associated with the cellular inflammatory response brought on by obesity.

"We also thought this gene could conceivably be targeted for use in the treatment of diabetes, especially Type 2, commonly associated with obesity. We wanted to find out what might happen to a subject if that particular gene was activated," he said.

Wu and his fellow researchers used laboratory mice to explore the effect of a targeted adipocyte overexpression of the gene/enzyme combination on diet-induced inflammatory responses and insulin sensitivity.

Read more from the original source:
How 'healthy' gene may benefit some obese people

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The last time I interviewed Jenna Privette was in late February. She was back home and attending classes at St. Croix Lutheran High School less than two months after a spinal cord injury in a hockey game had left her legs temporarily paralyzed. At the time, she predicted she would recover and play softball again. She was right.

Privette played high school softball this season and excelled. She played catcher and batted over .400 with 30 runs batted in.

It was the second time in four years Privette recovered from a paralyzing injury. In 2008, while playing hockey, she said her "entire body" was paralyzed for several days.

I talked to Privette on Friday, June 1, about her latest recovery.

BS: How are you feeling?

JP: Good. About to graduate (Sunday), so I'm doing pretty good.

BS: Have there been any aftereffects from when you were unable to move your legs?

JP: Things have been going good. I still have pain sometimes in my legs and back. Softball is great to get me moving. I couldn't have done this softball season without my team. They knew sometimes I was in pain, but they helped me push through it. If I needed a break, I would come in and sit on the bench.

BS: Isn't catcher the worst position for leg and back pain?

JP: Sometimes. My physical therapist told me to stay active. It worked my legs so much, and it worked my back. It was good from a physical therapist standpoint.

Continued here:
Jenna Privette overcame paralysis, played softball, awaits diploma: 'I have a smile on my face now'

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience Article Date: 01 Jun 2012 - 9:00 PDT

Current ratings for: 'Paralyzed Rat With Spinal Injury Walks Again With Robot Rehabilitation'

5 (2 votes)

2 (1 votes)

The scientists, from the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology reported their findings in the journal Science.

The authors explained that researchers and experts have been trying for years to find ways of getting patients with spinal cord injuries to walk again. Approximately half of all human spinal cord injuries lead to long-term paralysis.

Although previous studies have had some success in restoring some kind of movement in the limbs, even helping patients to walk in a limited way, this experiment uses a completely novel technique.

In an Abstract in the journal Science, the authors wrote:

The scientists managed to get the rats to walk and climb stairs. They stimulated the spinal nerve circuits of rats, and used physical training. Electrodes had been implanted and the rats were given injections with a neuron-activating chemical mix.

The scientists fitted the rats with harnesses, so that their back legs could reach the ground. They were then placed on a conveyor belt which only moved if their feet pushed (reflexive stepping). They were also placed on stationary ground. In order to reach a piece of chocolate (on fixed ground) they would have to move their hind legs.

Go here to read the rest:
Paralyzed Rat With Spinal Injury Walks Again With Robot Rehabilitation

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Category: Science & Technology Posted: June 1, 2012 12:08PM Author: Guest_Jim_*

One of the most amazing characteristics of the brain is its plasticity. After even some severe traumas, like having a hemisphere removed, the brain can adapt and move functions around to continue functioning. In the past it has appeared that only the brain was plastic because the spinal cord would not adapt in a similar way to injuries. Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne (EPFL) have changed that though and given rats with severe paralysis the ability to walk again.

The first step of the experiment was to 'wake up' the dormant part of the spinal cord found beneath the injury. This was accomplished with a special chemical solution that replaced neurotransmitters normally released by the brainstem in order to stimulate dormant neurons. Next the researchers used electrodes to stimulate the spinal cord further, making it ready to operate.

The brain is not the only controller in the nervous system. Other networks of neurons, including the spinal cord, are able to respond to external stimuli, which is what causes involuntary motions. The researchers placed the rats on a treadmill and discovered it could walk. The spinal cord was taking in the information of the treadmill moving beneath it, and responded by having the legs move. This involuntary action was truly great to see, but the researchers, inspired by this success, decided to go a step further.

A new rig was created for the rats to use, but instead of a treadmill, the rats were gently suspended, to put all of their weight on their hind legs. With a chocolate treat at the end of the rig, the rats wanted to move forward; to voluntarily walk with their previously paralyzed legs. The rats got their chocolate, even when it required that they walk up steps.

The spinal cord, after being reactivated by the chemicals and electricity, grew new connections around the lesion that originally caused paralysis. The connection between the legs and the brain may not have been as strong as it would have been without the lesion, but it was enough for the rats to walk. It may be some time before we see humans benefiting from a similar treatment, but now we know complete recuperation of voluntary movement is possible.

Read more:
Recovering From Spinal Cord Injury Possible

Recommendation and review posted by sam

CLEARWATER, FL--(Marketwire -06/01/12)- Biostem U.S., Corporation (HAIR) (HAIR) (Biostem, the Company), a fully reporting public company in the stem cell regenerative medicine science sector, has made its Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors publications available on the company website, http://www.biostemus.com.

Chief Executive Officer Dwight Brunoehler stated, "The company is very proud of the many contributions its SAMBA members have made, and continue to make, to the medical community. As their publications and credentials show, this is a very prestigious and influential group. Having worked with them in past projects and now at Biostem, I know them all to be active participants in the development and guidance of the company's objectives. Their diversified areas of expertise and backgrounds are already playing a major role in assisting the company as it moves forward into the expanding field of regenerative medicine."

About Biostem U.S., Corporation Biostem 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 re-growth 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., Corporation 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.

Follow this link:
Biostem U.S., Corporation Presents Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors Publications

Recommendation and review posted by sam

In 2004, I had been stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, for about a year. One day, while walking into the base exchange, I was approached by an individual standing by one of the many tables that we associate with trying to sell us something or peddle information.

This person was just like you and I, another military member, but the difference was that he had volunteered to try and convince us (Jane and Joe Public) to sign up to potentially help a leukemia patient by donating bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells.

I was not opposed to the thought of being a registered donor, and in fact signed up that very day. The process only took 10 minutes to fill out the paperwork, and four swabs of the inside of my mouth for molecular matching of donor to recipient. Later I thought, probably like many people before me, What are the chances I will ever be called on to donate?

Next thing I knew it was 2008. I was in my office working on some building project updates, and planning to take some leave, when I received an email from some guy I didnt know. It was a strange name along with a strange email address. I thought to myself this has to be spam. Then I noticed the email was signed and encrypted, so I went ahead and opened it.

What I read next was both exciting and scary at the same time. Im paraphrasing here, but the email basically stated, Sgt Faulkwell, you have been identified as a potential donor for a leukemia patient. Please respond if you are still willing to donate.

Several weeks, and a few vials of blood later, I was identified as the most appropriate donor for my recipient. My trip was organized and paid for by the recipients insurance. They explained that I could have had a friend or family member come with me, or travel from anywhere else in the world to meet me and stay for the whole donation period. It is definitely not something that someone has to go through alone.

In the end, I was asked to donate stem cells. The process took five days, in which I received two shots every day to boost my blood stem-cell production. Essentially, I was mass producing blood stem cells, which are neither red nor white cells yet. The cells were harvested on the fifth day.

It was a fairly painless process, but is highly dependent on each individuals own body composition, health, etc. Stem-cell harvesting is similar to having a transfusion. They pull your blood out, spin it in a machine to withdrawal the stem cells, and then return your blood to you. There were some minor side effects, but nothing compared to what my recipient must have been going through.

My donation went extremely well, and I found out roughly one year later that my recipient had graphed with my stem cells, and that he was doing better. I never received another update, but I hope one day to get the chance to meet the person.

There are too many myths and facts out there for me to get into, but the next time you have someone approach you to become a registered bone-marrow donor, I hope you will take the time to register. You could very well save someones life!

Continue reading here:
Are you a bone-marrow donor? You could save someone’s life today

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A gravely ill Tucson teen is hoping a bone-marrow drive this weekend will give her a new chance at life.

Delia Gonzalez was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called aplastic anemia three years ago. While medication kept the illness at bay for a while, she's now surviving on blood transfusions to keep her alive and is extremely sick, family friend Laine Sklar said.

Aplastic anemia occurs when the body's bone marrow doesn't make enough new blood cells. Bone marrow is a spongelike tissue inside the bones. It makes stem cells that develop into red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Gonzalez, 19, who is Hispanic and Norwegian, needs a bone-marrow transplant to save her life but has not been able to find a match among her close friends and family.

The former Catalina Foothills High School student is hoping to both grow the bone-marrow database and find a match for herself, Sklar said.

The bone-marrow drive will be held at two locations from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Sunday. Southern Arizonans between the ages of 18 and 60 are invited to give a cheek swab at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 1300 N. Greasewood Road, and at Ramada 7 in Reid Park across from the McDonald's on East 22nd Street.

Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially critical, as patients in need of a transplant are most likely to match someone of their own race and ethnicity.

Patients particularly need potential donors between the ages of 18 and 44. That's because younger donors produce more and higher-quality cells than older donors.

All cheek swabs will become part of the Be the Match Registry to potentially help thousands of patients with life-threatening diseases.

The National Marrow Donor Program operates the Be the Match Registry and partners with a global network of leading hospitals, cord-blood banks, laboratories and recruiters.

Read more:
Bone-marrow drive on Sunday aims to help sick Tucson teen

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

30-05-2012 16:19 We are pleased to announce that Midwest Facial Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Skincare is now offering LAVIV™ (Azficel-T), the first and only personalized cell therapy approved by the FDA for aesthetic use to improve the look of smile line wrinkles in adults.

Read the rest here:
Introducing LAVIV™ (Azficel-T) personalized cell therapy - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

31-05-2012 22:20

Follow this link:
-The-Possibility-of-Cell-Therapy-Video-3 - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Stem cell therapy may one day be used to cure disorders such as Fragile-X syndrome, or Cystic fibrosis and other genetic maladies.

Matthew Vella

The Maltese government wants the European Commission to abandon plans to provide funds for research activities on stem cells that involve "the destruction of human embryos".

In a declaration on the ethical principles for the Horizon 2020 programme, which is an 80 billion fund for the EU's programme for research and innovation to create new jobs, the Maltese government said it wanted more detailed guidelines on the bioethical principles that will guide research programmes.

Horizon 2020 will allow the financing of research on human stem cells - both adult and embryonic - as long as it is permitted by the national laws of member states.

The fund however will not finance human cloning, genetic modification, or the creation of human embryos intended for the purpose of research or stem cell procurement.

The European Commission does not explicitly solicit the use of human embryonic stem cells, but Horizon 2020 allows the use of human stem cells according to the objectives of the research, and only if it has the necessary approvals from the member states.

The Maltese declaration echoes previous statements by the Commission of Catholic Bishops of the EC (Comece), which said Horizon 2020 did not include greater protection of human embryos from stem cell research.

Malta says it does not want any such embryos to be used for stem cell research. The statement by the Maltese government said the Horizon 2020 programme "does not take sufficiently into account the therapeutic potential of human adult stem cells."

Malta wants Europe to commit to a reinforcement of research on human adult stem cells, and that Europe should abstain from financing matters of fundamental ethical principles, which differ among member states.

Continued here:
Malta opposing EU financing for stem cell research on embryos

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 1-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Andrew Gould andrew.gould@pcmd.ac.uk 44-018-843-8346 University of Exeter

Type 2 diabetes is popularly associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. However, just as there are obese people without type 2 diabetes, there are lean people with the disease.

It has long been hypothesised that type 2 diabetes in lean people is more 'genetically driven'. A new study from a research team led by the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), University of Exeter, which involved research institutions from around the world, has for the first time proved that lean type 2 diabetes patients have a larger genetic disposition to the disease than their obese counterparts. The study has also identified a new genetic factor associated only with lean diabetes sufferers.

The study is published in PLoS Genetics.

Using genetic data from genome-wide association studies, the research team tested genetic markers across the genome in approximately 5,000 lean patients with type 2 diabetes, 13,000 obese patients with the disease and 75,000 healthy controls.

The team found differences in genetic enrichment between lean and obese cases, which support the hypothesis that lean diabetes sufferers have a greater genetic predisposition to the disease. This is in contrast to obese patients with type 2 diabetes, where factors other than type 2 diabetes genes are more likely to be responsible. In addition, genetic variants near the gene, LAMA1, were linked to type 2 diabetes risk for the first time, with an effect that appeared only in the lean patients.

Dr. John Perry, one of the lead authors of the study, said: "Whenever a new disease gene is found, there is always the potential for it to be used as a drug target for new therapies or as a biomarker, but more work is needed to see whether or not this new gene has that potential."

He added: "This is the first time that a type 2 diabetes gene has been found to act in this way we do not know why it should be associated in one sub-group of patients and not another. It could point to the fact that type 2 diabetes may not be one disease, but may represent a number of subgroups. Again, more work is required to prove this hypothesis."

Dr. Perry concluded: "This study is a truly international one, bringing together research teams from around the world and leading UK institutions such as the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, King's College London, the University of Dundee and the University of Edinburgh."

Here is the original post:
'Jack Spratt' diabetes gene identified

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

In a lab in Atlanta, a group of flies is sleeping fitfully. Their naps are fragmented, and their legs are twitching. Their behaviour is uncannily similar to people who have a condition called restless leg syndrome (RLS). When such people are awake, they experience uncomfortable sensations in their limbs that compel them to move to get some relief. Their sleep, which is fragmented and disturbed, is characterised by the same involuntary movements.

Theres a good reason for these similarities. Amanda Freeman from the Emory University School of Medicine has engineered the flies so that they have a faulty copy of BTBD9, a gene that has been linked to RLS in humans. The fact that they show the same constellation of symptoms strongly suggests that this gene is genuinely involved in the condition.

In 2007, two teams of scientists linked BTBD9 to the repeated limb movements that occur during RLS. A single change in the genes sequence increased the risk of such movements by more than 50 per cent, and was probably involved in around half of such cases. One of the teams wrote that the discovery provides evidence that periodic limb movements in sleep is a genuine syndrome with a detectable genetic basis. Thats important, especially since critics have suggested that many RLS cases are the product of disease-mongering by the pharmaceutical industry in order to sell more drugs.

But showing a correlation between a gene and a symptom is just the first step. You also need to work out what the gene is doing and that was unclear. The gene was switched on throughout the brain, but no one really knew what it did. Freeman has gone some way to solving that mystery, and cementing BTBD9s connection with RLS, by studying fruit flies.

Flies also have a version of BTBD9, which is also switched on throughout the nervous system. When Freeman mutated the gene so it could no longer be used, it affected how the flies slept. (Like use, flies stay still for distinct periods throughout the day, when they become unresponsive to the outside world; if theyre deprived of such bouts, they need more rest later.) Those with inactive copies of BTBD9 slept for the same amount of time as normal flies, but in fragmented bouts.

They also walked more during their sleep, moving their limbs in a way that mirrored the restlessness of people with RLS. In the video above, the flies in the blue lanes are normal, while those in the red lanes are the mutants. Note how much more active they are.

This suggests that the original human studies were pointing in the right direction, says Subhabrata Sanyal, who led the new research. However, he cautions that it is too early to say whether this gene does exactly the same things in flies and humans. The symptoms look superficially similar, but theyre not an exact match. People with RLS also rhythmically flex their feet, something that Sanyal says is virtually impossible to see in flies.

On top of that, we still understand very little about RLS as a human condition. Its diagnosis involves a questionnaire rather than a clinical test, and its still unclear if it is one syndrome with a consistent set of symptoms, or many. It is conceivable that not all RLS patients have the same disorder, says Sanyal.

This is another area where basic science could help. In humans, RLS has been linked to a lack of dopamine (a signalling chemical in the brain), and a deficiency of iron. Freeman found evidence to support both ideas. Her mutant flies had around half as much dopamine in their brains as normal ones, and they slept more soundly once she gave them a dopamine-boosting drug. In human cells, she also found that BTBD9 controls the levels of ferritin, a protein that stores and releases iron.

Its a start, and Sanyal emphasises that its a tiny step. He also wants to study the role of the gene in rodents, and he suspects that it is involved in a process called ubiquitination, where small chemicals are attached to proteins to control where they are sent and when they are destroyed. Studying [BTBD9] in much greater detail is necessary to understand exactly what it does in neurons, he says.

Continue reading here:
Mutant flies confirm genetic link to restless legs syndrome | Not Exactly Rocket Science

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

AMES, Iowa, June 1, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NewLink Genetics Corporation (Nasdaq:NLNK - News) today announced results from a Phase 2 investigator-initiated study of NewLink's HyperAcute(R) Melanoma immunotherapy product candidate in combination with pegylated interferon (Sylatron, Merck). The data were published in an abstract (No:e19008) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2012 Annual Meeting being held in Chicago, IL. This is in advance of presentations scheduled for Monday, June 4th at ASCO regarding NewLink's HyperAcute Pancreas (algenpantucel-L) and HyperAcute Lung (tergenpumatucel-L) immunotherapy product candidates and IDO pathway inhibitor, NLG8189 (D-1mT) product candidate.

"Patients with metastatic melanoma have a poor outcome. We find it very encouraging that all of the patients in this study had immune responses to HyperAcute Melanoma including several patients who either had a complete objective response or have continued disease free survival after the resection of Stage III or IV disease," said Dr. Adam Riker, senior author of the abstract entitled, "Final results of a phase II immunotherapy trial for stage III and IV melanoma patients." "This promising data warrants further studies especially considering that this study employed only a short 12-week course of therapy at a relatively low dosage."

Phase 2 Study Design

Twenty-five patients (16 Stage IV patients and nine Stage III patients) with advanced melanoma were treated with 150 million cell injections weekly for 12 weeks in combination with an eight week course of pegylated interferon. Trial endpoints included clinical response, overall safety and correlative findings for observed anti-tumor effect.

Study Findings

Twenty-one of 25 patients completed the trial, with four stopping due to progressive disease. HyperAcute Melanoma was well tolerated without significant grade 3 or 4 toxicities associated with the vaccine. By RECIST criteria, of 16 stage IV patients there were two complete responders (CR), two with stable disease and three with no evidence of disease (NED) after resection. Among stage III patients, 3/9 remain disease free and one patient with slowly progressive disease remained alive for more than 30 months. The median overall survival in the study was 29 months, with 50% of the patients surviving for two years and 12/25 (48%) still alive. The anti-alpha-Gal antibody values increased after vaccination in 24/25 patients by up to 100-fold. All evaluable patients seroconverted, developing asymptomatic autoimmune antibodies. Anti-tyrosinase antibodies developed in seven of 23 patients correlating with one CR and one patient NED. Vitiligo developed in 4/25 patients, correlating with two complete responses and two patients stable continuing with no evidence of disease.

"The presence of vitiligo and durable complete responses provide further evidence for clinical activity of HyperAcute Melanoma ," said Dr. Nicholas Vahanian, President and Chief Medical Officer of NewLink Genetics and added "We look forward to further evaluating our HyperAcute Melanoma immunotherapy in combination with recently approved anti-melanoma agents in additional advanced clinical studies."

"We believe that lessons we are learning from trials employing our proprietary HyperAcute technology in patients with lung and pancreatic cancer can be incorporated into improved study designs for patients with melanoma as we attempt to build upon these initial provocative clinical findings," stated Dr. Charles Link, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of NewLink Genetics.

About HyperAcute Melanoma

New Link Genetics' HyperAcute Melanoma product candidate consists of a group of three allogeneic melanoma tumor cell lines that were modified to express the gene that makes alpha-GT. These three cell lines each possess collections of known melanoma antigens so that the immune response they stimulate will provide broad coverage. Each of the modified cell lines is grown separately in large cultures, then harvested, irradiated and packaged. Approximately 50 million cells of each HyperAcute Melanoma cell line are given by intradermal injection with each treatment.

View post:
Data From an Investigator-Initiated Phase 2 Study of NewLink Genetics' HyperAcute(R) Melanoma Immunotherapy Published ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

CLEARWATER, FL--(Marketwire -06/01/12)- Biostem U.S., Corporation (HAIR) (HAIR) (Biostem, the Company), a fully reporting public company in the stem cell regenerative medicine science sector, has made its Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors publications available on the company website, http://www.biostemus.com.

Chief Executive Officer Dwight Brunoehler stated, "The company is very proud of the many contributions its SAMBA members have made, and continue to make, to the medical community. As their publications and credentials show, this is a very prestigious and influential group. Having worked with them in past projects and now at Biostem, I know them all to be active participants in the development and guidance of the company's objectives. Their diversified areas of expertise and backgrounds are already playing a major role in assisting the company as it moves forward into the expanding field of regenerative medicine."

About Biostem U.S., Corporation Biostem 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 re-growth 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., Corporation 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.

Visit link:
Biostem U.S., Corporation Presents Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors Publications

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Stem cell therapy may one day be used to cure disorders such as Fragile-X syndrome, or Cystic fibrosis and other genetic maladies.

Matthew Vella

The Maltese government wants the European Commission to abandon plans to provide funds for research activities on stem cells that involve "the destruction of human embryos".

In a declaration on the ethical principles for the Horizon 2020 programme, which is an 80 billion fund for the EU's programme for research and innovation to create new jobs, the Maltese government said it wanted more detailed guidelines on the bioethical principles that will guide research programmes.

Horizon 2020 will allow the financing of research on human stem cells - both adult and embryonic - as long as it is permitted by the national laws of member states.

The fund however will not finance human cloning, genetic modification, or the creation of human embryos intended for the purpose of research or stem cell procurement.

The European Commission does not explicitly solicit the use of human embryonic stem cells, but Horizon 2020 allows the use of human stem cells according to the objectives of the research, and only if it has the necessary approvals from the member states.

The Maltese declaration echoes previous statements by the Commission of Catholic Bishops of the EC (Comece), which said Horizon 2020 did not include greater protection of human embryos from stem cell research.

Malta says it does not want any such embryos to be used for stem cell research. The statement by the Maltese government said the Horizon 2020 programme "does not take sufficiently into account the therapeutic potential of human adult stem cells."

Malta wants Europe to commit to a reinforcement of research on human adult stem cells, and that Europe should abstain from financing matters of fundamental ethical principles, which differ among member states.

View post:
Malta opposing EU financing for stem cell research on embryos

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

A gravely ill Tucson teen is hoping a bone-marrow drive this weekend will give her a new chance at life.

Delia Gonzalez was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called aplastic anemia three years ago. While medication kept the illness at bay for a while, she's now surviving on blood transfusions to keep her alive and is extremely sick, family friend Laine Sklar said.

Aplastic anemia occurs when the body's bone marrow doesn't make enough new blood cells. Bone marrow is a spongelike tissue inside the bones. It makes stem cells that develop into red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Gonzalez, 19, who is Hispanic and Norwegian, needs a bone-marrow transplant to save her life but has not been able to find a match among her close friends and family.

The former Catalina Foothills High School student is hoping to both grow the bone-marrow database and find a match for herself, Sklar said.

The bone-marrow drive will be held at two locations from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Sunday. Southern Arizonans between the ages of 18 and 60 are invited to give a cheek swab at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 1300 N. Greasewood Road, and at Ramada 7 in Reid Park across from the McDonald's on East 22nd Street.

Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially critical, as patients in need of a transplant are most likely to match someone of their own race and ethnicity.

Patients particularly need potential donors between the ages of 18 and 44. That's because younger donors produce more and higher-quality cells than older donors.

All cheek swabs will become part of the Be the Match Registry to potentially help thousands of patients with life-threatening diseases.

The National Marrow Donor Program operates the Be the Match Registry and partners with a global network of leading hospitals, cord-blood banks, laboratories and recruiters.

Continue reading here:
Bone-marrow drive on Sunday aims to help sick Tucson teen

Recommendation and review posted by sam

ZURICH, Switzerland, May 31 (UPI) -- Rats with spinal cord injuries and severe paralysis were able to walk after their dormant spinal column was woken up, Swiss researchers said.

Lead author Gregoire Courtine of the University of Zurich said it was unclear whether similar rehabilitation techniques could work for humans, but the observed nerve growth hinted at new methods for treating paralysis.

"After a couple of weeks of neurorehabilitation with a combination of a robotic harness and electrical-chemical stimulation, our rats are not only voluntarily initiating a walking gait, but they are soon sprinting, climbing up stairs and avoiding obstacles when stimulated," Courtine, chairman of the International Paraplegic Foundation, said in a statement.

The brain and spinal cord can adapt and recover from moderate injury, a quality known as neuroplasticity, but until now, the spinal cord expressed so little plasticity after severe injury that recovery was impossible.

Courtine said his findings prove, under certain conditions, plasticity and recovery can take place in these severe cases after the spinal cord was injected a chemical solution of monoamine agonists.

These chemicals trigger cell responses by binding to specific dopamine, adrenaline and serotonin receptors located on the spinal neurons, Courtine said.

Five to 10 minutes after the injection, the scientists electrically stimulated the spinal cord with electrodes implanted in the outermost layer of the spinal canal, which sent continuous electrical signals through nerve fibers to the chemically excited neurons that control leg movement, the researchers said.

The findings are scheduled to be published in the June 1 issue of Science.

Read more:
Rats with spinal cord injuries are walking

Recommendation and review posted by sam