The professor leading a trial in cystic fibrosis treatment said that there is "huge excitement" about a new type of gene therapy.

Professor Eric Alton, UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium Coordinator from Imperial College, told the Today programme's Justin Webb that his team is "excited and enthused" but insisted that it was important not to hype the potential breakthrough.

The trial is being funded by the National Institute for Health Research and the Medical Research Council and it is hoped that it will ultimately lead to a cure for the inherited disorder which affects around 9,500 people in the UK and 90,000 around the world.

Professor Alton told the Today programme's Justin Webb that the "biggest snag is the evolution of the lungs" which, as well as preventing germs and infections from getting in, also stop gene therapy from being effective, so his team has spent the last decade trying to find "tricks to slip the gene in."

"This is difficult science that needs to be built up gradually," he said. But if it is successful the scientists involved could "book their tickets to Stockholm to pick up their Nobel Prize".

Get in touch with Today via email , Twitter or Facebook or text us on 84844.

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AUDIO: 'Exciting' new cystic fibrosis therapy

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Michael Snyder observed the onset of his type 2 diabetes while following a range of physiological variables.

S. Fisch

The future of personalized genomic medicine can be glimpsed today in a paper that reports the integration of lead author Michael Snyder's genomic sequence with other omics to give a read-out on his predisposition to disease, and his bodys response to viral infections and the onset of type 2 diabetes1.

As a proof-of-principle example of personalized genomic medicine, it is distinct from other studies because it applies whole-genome diagnostics to a healthy person rather than to individuals with disease.

Snyder, a geneticist at Stanford University School of Medicine in California, joins the swelling ranks of researchers who have publicly aired their own genome sequence. Some scientists question whether the latest work has much to add to the field. Richard Gibbs of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, has humorously dubbed it the narciss-ome.

"A criticism of this paper is that its anecdotally about one person, but thats also its strength, says geneticist George Church of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. Large-scale association studies trying to tease out the genetic variants of complex disease often make the mistake of trying to achieve statistical significance by lumping together an enormous number of people that dont necessarily belong together, says Church.

Snyders integrative personal omics profile dubbed iPOP was created by merging his genomic sequence with RNA, protein, metabolic and auto-antibody profiles taken 20 times over a 14-month period. The results revealed Snyder to be genetically predisposed to type 2 diabetes, despite his having no family history or other risk factors. During the study, his blood glucose levels escalated following the second of two viral infections, and he was subsequently diagnosed with the disease. Snyder has since made drastic dietary and lifestyle changes to manage his blood sugar levels.

Snyder and his colleagues followed the changes in real time and report the activation of molecular pathways not previously implicated in viral infection or the onset of type 2 diabetes. By doing longitudinal studies of many more individuals as they transition through healthy and disease states, Snyder thinks it will be possible to uncover new mechanisms involved in disease and the bodys immune and stress responses.

Church agrees. We need more practise looking at individuals. Medicine treats people as individuals and we should be conducting research with a similar attitude. In 2006, Church initiated the Personal Genome Project to sequence the genomes of 100,000 volunteers including his own, which was one of the first ten to be analysed.

Snyder thinks it is ridiculous that standard medical evaluations, or 'work-ups', examine only a few dozen biomedical markers when current technology can generate a multitude more his paper reports more than 3 billion measurements of molecular components. However, interpreting such a vast amount of data for multiple individuals would cause a bottleneck. To this end, Snyder was one of the founders who last August launched Personalis, a company based in Palo Alto, California, with the aim of interpreting genomes for research groups.

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The rise of the 'narciss-ome'

Recommendation and review posted by sam

02-03-2012 11:56 more GOOD NEWS like this here: goo.gl Techniques like this, using our OWN STEM CELLS, not someone else's, are the answer to ALL medical problems including DENTAL. Yes you can even seed new teeth from your own DNA... Tell everyone you know to create the demand for the most personalized medicine possible, ie those using your OWN DNA !!!

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TITE INVERSION© -The Skin Gun - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

By a GenomeWeb staff reporter

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) PeaceHealth, a Washington state-based non-profit health system, has partnered with the P4 Medicine institute, or P4Mi, a non-profit consortium focused on applying personalized medicine in the clinic, the partners announced today.

PeaceHealth said that its partnership with P4 Medicine, which was launched in 2010 by the Institute for Systems Biology and The Ohio State University, will ultimately provide its network of medical centers in Washington, Alaska, and Oregon with new genome-based predictive and diagnostic tools.

The non-profit said that it will work with P4Mi leaders to identify pilot projects that will be launched over the next two years in its medical practices and communities.

P4Mi is centered around the vision of advancing what Leroy Hood, ISB co-founder and president and chairman of P4Mi's board of directors, calls P4 medicine healthcare that is predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory.

"PeaceHealth will help us integrate emerging biologic science into community-based care models, and make innovations in wellness and health accessible to whole communities," Hood said in a statement.

"Over time, we hope to take rapidly emerging P4Mi health and wellness innovations and integrate them into everyday interactions between PeaceHealth providers and their patients to better predict, prevent, and treat disease," added Peter Adler, PeaceHealth's senior VP for strategy, innovation, and development.

The partnership agreement makes PeaceHealth a founding community health partner of P4Mi, along with OSU's Center for Personalized Health at the Wexner Medical Center.

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Washington's PeaceHealth Joins ISB-led Personalized Medicine Initiative

Recommendation and review posted by sam

ScienceDaily (Mar. 15, 2012) Geneticist Michael Snyder, PhD, has almost no privacy. For more than two years, he and his lab members at the Stanford University School of Medicine pored over his body's most intimate secrets: the sequence of his DNA, the RNA and proteins produced by his cells, the metabolites and signaling molecules wafting through his blood. They spied on his immune system as it battled viral infections.

Finally, to his shock, they discovered that he was predisposed to type-2 diabetes and then watched his blood sugar shoot upward as he developed the condition during the study. It's the first eyewitness account -- viewed on a molecular level -- of the birth of a disease that affects millions of Americans. It's also an important milestone in the realization of the promise of truly personalized medicine, or tailoring health care to each individual's unique circumstances.

The researchers call the unprecedented analysis, which relies on collecting and analyzing billions of individual bits of data, an integrative Personal "Omics" Profile, or iPOP. The word "omics" indicates the study of a body of information, such as the genome (which is all DNA in a cell), or the proteome (which is all the proteins). Snyder's iPOP also included his metabolome (metabolites), his transcriptome (RNA transcripts) and autoantibody profiles, among other things.

The researchers say that Snyder's diabetes is but one of myriad problems the iPOP can identify and predict, and that such dynamic monitoring will soon become commonplace. "This is the first time that anyone has used such detailed information to proactively manage their own health," said Snyder. "It's a level of understanding of health at the molecular level that has never before been achieved."

The research was published in the March 16 issue of Cell. Snyder, who chairs the Department of Genetics, is the senior author. Postdoctoral scholars Rui Chen, PhD, George Mias, PhD, Jennifer Li-Pook-Than, PhD, and research associate Lihua Jiang, PhD, are co-first authors of the study, which involved a large team of investigators.

The study provides a glimpse into the future of medicine -- peppered with untold data-management hurdles and fraught with a degree of self-examination and awareness few of us have ever imagined. And, despite the challenges, the potential payoff is great.

"I was not aware of any type-2 diabetes in my family and had no significant risk factors," said Snyder, "but we learned through genomic sequencing that I have a genetic predisposition to the condition. Therefore, we measured my blood glucose levels and were able to watch them shoot up after a nasty viral infection during the course of the study."

As a result, he was able to immediately modify his diet and exercise to gradually bring his levels back into the normal range and prevent the ongoing tissue damage that would have occurred had the disease gone undiagnosed.

Snyder provided about 20 blood samples (about once every two months while healthy, and more frequently during periods of illness) for analysis over the course of the study. Each was analyzed with a variety of assays for tens of thousands of biological variables, generating a staggering amount of information.

The exercise was in stark contrast to the cursory workup most of us receive when we go to the doctor for our regular physical exam. "Currently, we routinely measure fewer than 20 variables in a standard laboratory blood test," said Snyder, who is also the Stanford W. Ascherman, MD, FACS, Professor in Genetics. "We could, and should, be measuring many, many thousands."

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Revolution in personalized medicine: First-ever integrative 'Omics' profile lets scientist discover, track his ...

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SUNRISE, Fla., March 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bioheart, Inc. (BHRT.OB) announced today that it has successfully conducted a laboratory training course in partnership with the Ageless Regenerative Institute, an organization dedicated to the standardization of cell regenerative medicine. The attendees participated in hands on, in depth training in laboratory practices in stem cell science.

"We had students from all over the world attend this first course including physicians, laboratory technicians and students," said Mike Tomas, Bioheart's President and CEO. "Bioheart is pleased to be able to share our 13 years of experience in stem cell research and help expand this growing life science field."

The course included cell culture techniques and quality control testing such as flow cytometry and gram stain. In addition, participants learned how to work in a cleanroom operating according to FDA cGMP standards, regulations used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, food and medical devices. Aseptic techniques were also taught as well as cleanroom gowning, environmental monitoring and maintenance.

Future courses are open to physicians, laboratory technicians and students. After graduating the course, attendees are prepared to pursue research and careers in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine. For more information about the course, contact info@agelessregen.com.

About Bioheart, Inc.

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

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

About Ageless Regenerative Institute, LLC

The Ageless Regenerative Institute (ARI) is an organization dedicated to the standardization of cell regenerative medicine. The Institute promotes the development of evidence-based standards of excellence in the therapeutic use of adipose-derived stem cells through education, advocacy, and research. ARI has a highly experienced management team with experience in setting up full scale cGMP stem cell manufacturing facilities, stem cell product development & enhancement, developing point-of-care cell production systems, developing culture expanded stem cell production systems, FDA compliance, directing clinical & preclinical studies with multiple cell types for multiple indications, and more. ARI has successfully treated hundreds of patients utilizing these cellular therapies demonstrating both safety and efficacy. For more information about regenerative medicine please visit http://www.agelessregen.com.

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

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Bioheart and Ageless Partner to Advance Stem Cell Field With Laboratory Training Programs

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Public release date: 15-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jennifer Ganton jganton@ohri.ca 613-798-5555 x73325 Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

A team of researchers from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) has been awarded $367,000 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and $75,000 from the Stem Cell Network to lead the first clinical trial in the world of a stem cell therapy for septic shock. This deadly condition occurs when an infection spreads throughout the body and over-activates the immune system, resulting in severe organ damage and death in 30 to 40 per cent of cases. Septic shock accounts for 20 per cent of all Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions in Canada and costs $4 billion annually. Under the leadership of Dr. Lauralyn McIntyre, this new "Phase I" trial will test the experimental therapy in up to 15 patients with septic shock at The Ottawa Hospital's ICU.

The treatment involves mesenchymal stem cells, also called mesenchymal stromal cells or MSCs. Like other stem cells, they can give rise to a variety of more specialized cells and tissues and can help repair and regenerate damaged organs. They also have a unique ability to modify the body's immune response and enhance the clearance of infectious organisms. They can be found in adult bone marrow and other tissues, as well as umbilical cord blood, and they seem to be easily transplantable between people, because they are more able to avoid immune rejection.

There has been a great deal of interest in using MSCs to treat disease, with most research so far focused on heart disease, stroke, inflammatory bowel disease and blood cancers. Hundreds of patients with these diseases have already been treated with MSCs through clinical trials, with results suggesting that these cells are safe in these patients, and have promising signs of effectiveness. MSCs are still considered experimental however, and have not been approved by Health Canada as a standard therapy for any disease.

In recent years, a number of animal studies have suggested that MSCs may also be able to help treat septic shock. For example, a recent study by Dr. Duncan Stewart, CEO and Scientific Director of OHRI (and also a co-investigator on the new clinical trial) showed that treatment with these cells can triple survival in a mouse model of this condition.

"Mesenchymal stem cell therapy appears promising in animal studies, but it will require many years of clinical trials involving hundreds of patients to know if it is safe and effective," said Dr. Lauralyn McIntyre, a Scientist at the OHRI, ICU Physician at The Ottawa Hospital, Assistant Professor of Medicine at uOttawa and a New Investigator with CIHR and Canadian Blood Services. "This trial is a first step, but it is a very exciting first step."

As with all "Phase I" trials, the main goal of this study is to evaluate the safety of the therapy and determine the best dose for future studies. The 15 patients in the treatment group will receive standard treatments (such as fluids, antibiotics and blood pressure control), plus a planned intravenous dose of 0.3 to 3 million MSCs per kg of body weight. The MSCs will be obtained from the bone marrow of healthy donors and purified in the OHRI's Good Manufacturing Practice Laboratory in the Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research. The researchers also plan to evaluate 24 similar septic shock patients who will receive standard treatments only (no MSCs). All patients will be rigorously monitored for side effects, and blood samples will be taken at specific time points to monitor the cells and their activity. This trial will not be randomized or blinded and it will not include enough patients to reliably determine if the therapy is effective. It will be conducted under the supervision of Health Canada and the Ottawa Hospital Research Ethics Board, and will have to be approved by both of these organizations before commencing.

"The OHRI is rapidly becoming known as a leader in conducting world-first clinical trials with innovative therapies such as stem cells," said Dr. Duncan Stewart, CEO and Scientific Director of OHRI, Vice-President of Research at The Ottawa Hospital and Professor of Medicine at uOttawa. "This research is truly pushing the boundaries of medical science forward, and is providing the citizens of Ottawa with access to promising new therapies."

"The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is very pleased to support this clinical trial," said Dr. Jean Rouleau, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health. "The work of Dr. McIntyre and her colleagues will not only add to our growing knowledge of the benefits of stem-cell therapies, but will hopefully lead to treatments that can help save the lives of patients where currently, our treatment options are less than optimal."

See the original post here:
Ottawa researchers to lead world-first clinical trial of stem cell therapy for septic shock

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

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

InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (OTCBB: NVIV), a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI), today reported the financial results for the year ended December 31, 2011 and provided a business update.

InVivo has pioneered a new treatment that uses a biocompatible polymer-based scaffold to provide structural support to a damaged spinal cord in order to spare tissue from scarring while improving recovering and prognosis after a traumatic spinal cord injury. Today, there is no effective treatment for the spinal cord for paralysis caused by SCIs, and the market potential is estimated to be over $10 billion.

2011 was a landmark year for InVivo, performing under budget for the sixth consecutive year. We made significant progress advancing the commercialization of our first product for SCI and expanding our product pipeline to the rest of the nervous system. We also laid the groundwork to have three product applications under review by FDA by the end of 2012, said Frank Reynolds, InVivos Chief Executive Officer. Our biopolymer scaffolding is poised to enter human clinical trials for SCI during the second half of 2012 and we expect to file two additional Investigational Device Exemptions for our hydrogel products to treat both SCI and chronic pain from peripheral nerve injuries. Weve had a great start to 2012 by closing an oversubscribed $20 million public offering led by globally-recognized healthcare investment institutions and by adding key leadership to our senior management team.

Recent Corporate Highlights

Biopolymer Scaffolding Scheduled to Enter Clinical Studies for SCI in 2012: InVivo expects to commence a pilot human clinical trial during the second half of 2012 pending approval of an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application by the FDA. The study will be an open label study and is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy in ten SCI patients following treatment with the biopolymer scaffolding. This study follows promising pre-clinical studies completed in non-human primates. InVivo is the first to successfully demonstrate functional improvement in non-human primates that were paralyzed after a spinal cord injury model. Data from this study was published in the Journal of Neuroscience Methods and won the prestigious 2011 Apple Award from the American Spinal Injury Association recognizing excellence in SCI research.

IDE Submissions to be Filed with FDA for Injectable Hydrogel to Treat Peripheral Nerve Injuries and SCI: InVivo has commenced a preclinical study with Geisinger Health System to evaluate the Companys injectable biocompatible hydrogel for the treatment of chronic pain caused by peripheral nerve compression. Approximately 3.2 million pain injections are performed annually to treat back, neck and leg pain caused by peripheral nerve compression. InVivos hydrogel is designed to time-release anti-inflammatory drugs for extended pain relief. The product addresses a $15 billion market for peripheral nerve injuries. InVivo expects to file two IDEs in the second half of 2012 for the use of the injectable hydrogel to treat peripheral nerve injuries and SCI.

Raised $23 Million of Equity Capital: In February 2012, InVivo completed a $20 million public offering led by a select group of institutional investors. The Company issued 9,523,810 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $2.10 per share. Net proceeds to InVivo were approximately $18.1 million. In December 2011, InVivo completed a private placement of common stock and warrants with an existing institutional investor that raised $2 million of net proceeds. In the fourth quarter of 2011, warrants with an exercise price of $1.40 per share were exercised providing $1 million of cash. InVivo has the potential to receive an additional $18.6 million from the exercise of warrants.

Key Additions to the Senior Management Team: InVivo announced the appointments of Edward Wirth III, MD, PhD, formerly of Geron, as its Chief Science Officer, Brian Hess, formerly of Stryker, as Director of Product Development, and Jonathan Slotkin, MD as Medical Director.

Opening New Corporate Headquarters including Manufacturing & Research Facilities: In December 2011, InVivo executed a multi-year lease for a 21,000 square foot facility at One Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA. The new facility will house corporate offices, lab space, a rodent vivarium and a cGMP clean room to meet the needs for the planned human clinical studies.

Read more:
InVivo Therapeutics Reports 2011 Financial Results, Provides Business Update

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SUNRISE, Fla., March 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bioheart, Inc. (BHRT.OB) announced today that it has successfully conducted a laboratory training course in partnership with the Ageless Regenerative Institute, an organization dedicated to the standardization of cell regenerative medicine. The attendees participated in hands on, in depth training in laboratory practices in stem cell science.

"We had students from all over the world attend this first course including physicians, laboratory technicians and students," said Mike Tomas, Bioheart's President and CEO. "Bioheart is pleased to be able to share our 13 years of experience in stem cell research and help expand this growing life science field."

The course included cell culture techniques and quality control testing such as flow cytometry and gram stain. In addition, participants learned how to work in a cleanroom operating according to FDA cGMP standards, regulations used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, food and medical devices. Aseptic techniques were also taught as well as cleanroom gowning, environmental monitoring and maintenance.

Future courses are open to physicians, laboratory technicians and students. After graduating the course, attendees are prepared to pursue research and careers in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine. For more information about the course, contact info@agelessregen.com.

About Bioheart, Inc.

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

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

About Ageless Regenerative Institute, LLC

The Ageless Regenerative Institute (ARI) is an organization dedicated to the standardization of cell regenerative medicine. The Institute promotes the development of evidence-based standards of excellence in the therapeutic use of adipose-derived stem cells through education, advocacy, and research. ARI has a highly experienced management team with experience in setting up full scale cGMP stem cell manufacturing facilities, stem cell product development & enhancement, developing point-of-care cell production systems, developing culture expanded stem cell production systems, FDA compliance, directing clinical & preclinical studies with multiple cell types for multiple indications, and more. ARI has successfully treated hundreds of patients utilizing these cellular therapies demonstrating both safety and efficacy. For more information about regenerative medicine please visit http://www.agelessregen.com.

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

Follow this link:
Bioheart and Ageless Partner to Advance Stem Cell Field With Laboratory Training Programs

Recommendation and review posted by sam

LEUVEN, BELGIUM--(Marketwire -03/15/12)- TiGenix NV (EURONEXT: TIG) today gave a business update and announced financial results for the full year 2011.

Business highlights

Financial highlights

"TiGenix has created a new and strong basis in 2011 on which we can build going forward and we have strengthened our position as the European leader in cell therapy," says Eduardo Bravo, CEO of TiGenix. "We have delivered on our promises: we have obtained national reimbursement for ChondroCelect in Belgium and made progress in other European markets. We advanced all clinical stem cell programs on plan, and raised substantial funds from specialized healthcare investors and through non-dilutive financing. Today, TiGenix is well-positioned to reach the next value-enhancing inflection points."

Business Update

Successful integration of Cellerix reinforces leadership position in cell therapyIn May 2011, TiGenix closed the business combination with the stem cell therapy company Cellerix, creating the European leader in cell therapy. During 2011 the Company succeeded in rapidly integrating both entities. The Company now combines top line revenues with an advanced pipeline of clinical stage regenerative and immuno-modulatory products. TiGenix's operations are supported by a strong commercial and manufacturing infrastructure for advanced cell therapies, an experienced international management team and a solid cash position.

As a result of the merger, the Company's development focus has shifted from early stage preclinical programs towards a number of highly promising clinical stage products for inflammatory and autoimmune disorders of high unmet medical need, each addressing markets in excess of EUR 1 billion. TiGenix product pipeline is based on a proprietary stem cell platform that exploits expanded allogeneic (donor-derived) adult stem cells derived from human adipose (fat) tissue ('eASCs'). The platform has been extensively characterized in line with requirements of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and is supported by exhaustive preclinical and CMC packages.

Given its focus on cell therapy, TiGenix is in the process of divesting its ChondroMimetic franchise, which is based on a biomaterial platform. To be able to concentrate on its core business and move forward with a clean slate, TiGenix has decided to write-off the intellectual property related to the OrthoMimetics acquisition.

ChondroCelect commercial roll-out progressing with first national reimbursementChondroCelect obtained reimbursement in Belgium in May 2011, and is today available in 22 specialized treatment centers.

TiGenix is selling ChondroCelect in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain under managed access and private insurance schemes, while pursuing national reimbursement in these countries and France.

The rest is here:
TiGenix Reports Full Year 2011 Financial Results

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

15-03-2012 00:18 PLEASE SUBSCRIBE Please visit: http://www.ggnonline.com or http for the latest news commentary by Global Government News Please donate to GGN: http://www.paypal.com because it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. HEADLINES WITH LINKS: Can Lure of Driver's License Keep Kids in School? bit.ly DARPA wants swarms of "disposable" satellites to provide almost-live images on demand bit.ly Gingrich: Package Tracking Could Be Used To Locate Illegal Immigrants huff.to Obama administration blocks Texas voter ID law yhoo.it Turning the Homeless Into 4G Hotspots at SXSW yhoo.it Marketing to Your DNA: The Suits Want To Know More About You bit.ly How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did onforb.es New York State Set to Add All Convict DNA to Its Database nyti.ms Flu Vaccine Causes Death Of 7 Year Old Kaylynne Matten bit.ly Treating Children Whose Parents Refuse to Have Them Vaccinated bit.ly DNA database in doubt after teenager spends three months behind bars for rape in city he has never even visited because gene samples were mixed up bit.ly Critics warn that thousands of Britons could be extradited under plans for EU states to be given access to our DNA bank bit.ly Why the British are free-thinking and the Chinese love conformity: It's all in the genes claim scientists bit.ly Spanish doctors successfully perform 1st fetal lung surgery bit.ly Forget Asteroids and Volcanoes: Chemically Induced Infertility Threatens Human Race bit.ly Want to become a father? Put down ...

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GGN: Homeless Turned Into Mobile WI-FI, Genetic Engineering to Fight Warming, DNA is Your Destiny - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By a GenomeWeb staff reporter

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) Marker Gene Technologies today announced a three-year, $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to further the company's screening technology directed at drugs for lysosomal storage disease.

The Eugene, Ore.-based company will use the Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to develop live cell and tissue assays to screen drug candidates using fluorogenic, targeted substrate reporters of lysosomal enzyme activity.

According to the grant abstract, in Phase I work, MGT established the feasibility of its technology "by preparing new fluorogenic glycosidase, esterase, phosphatase, lipase and sulfatase substrates for lysosomal enzymes and demonstrated differential staining in living cells that were from normal or were of disease origin or upon induction of inhibition of lysosomal enzyme activities."

In the next phase of research funded by the Phase II grant, the new substrates will be assayed in vitro "for their ability to measure specific and localized inhibition or induction of lysosomal enzymes in living cells as well as differentiate individual enzyme activities in a cell- or tissue-specific manner."

MGT will also validate the new systems for use in high-throughput screening for drug discovery and for use in clinical diagnostics for evaluating the occurrence and progression of disease and monitoring the effectiveness of therapeutic treatments.

Lysosomal storage diseases are metabolic disorders of the nervous systems and include Tay-Sachs, Gaucher's, and Niemann-Pick disease. About one in every 100,000 people has a lysosomal storage disease, MGT said.

"The new substrates and the resulting detection systems will provide innovative methods to quantitate lysosomal enzyme function and to screen for the influence of secondary drug or protein administration, making them useful medical research tools for a variety of significant biochemical and medical applications," MGT President and CEO John Naleway said in a statement.

Here is the original post:
Marker Gene Gets $1.6M SBIR Grant to Build Out Screening Tech for Lysosomal Storage Disease

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

13-03-2012 16:42 Hear Dr. Bowen talk about the exciting field of Regenerative Medicine. The type of regenerative medicine Dr. Bowen practices uses our own adult stem cells to achieve desired results.

Read more:
Cosmetic Regenerative Medicine - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Public release date: 15-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Diane Schrick diane.schrick@gladstone.ucsf.edu 415-734-2538 Gladstone Institutes

SAN FRANCISCO, CAMarch 15, 2012Gladstone Institutes Senior Investigator Deepak Srivastava, MD has won the prestigious 2012 Abraham White Scientific Achievement Award from The George Washington University. Dr. Srivastava, who directs cardiac and stem cell research at Gladstone will share the award with Dr. Luigina Romani, professor of microbiology at the University of Perugia.

Dr. Srivastava is being recognized for his findings concerning how the protein thymosin beta 4 is vital to protect and repair cells that become damaged in a heart attackpointing the way to its potential use in treating cardiac disease. His research has shown that thymosin beta 4 is not only critical to the development of a heart, but that it also prevents heart cells from dyingwhile stimulating new blood vessels to form.

"Dr. Srivastava's pioneering studies and scientific contributions have significantly advanced our understanding of the role of thymosin beta 4 in the development and function of the human heart," said Allan Goldstein, PhD, professor and emeritus chairman of The George Washington University. "His studies have provided the scientific foundation for the potential use of thymosin beta 4 to treat heart attacks and other heart diseases."

Dr. Srivastava, who joined Gladstone in 2005, uses modern genetic and stem cell technologies to identify the molecular events that instruct progenitor cells to become cardiac cellsand subsequently fashion a functioning heart. In addition to his research with thymosin beta 4, Dr. Srivastava and his lab have successfully reprogrammed connective tissue in the heart directly into beating heart cellsa process that may help regenerate damaged heart muscle.

"Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and basic research in this field is vital to identifying and understanding the causes of human heart disease," said Dr. Srivastava, who is also a professor of pediatrics, biochemistry and biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), with which Gladstone is affiliated. "I am honored to receive this award and hope our efforts ultimately lead to important new treatments for patients with heart conditions."

George Washington University presents the Abraham White Scientific Achievement Award annually to honor individuals who have made unique contributions to science and medicine. Notable past recipients include Nobel laureates Bengt Samuelsson, MD, Julius Axelrod, MD, Michael Brown, MD, Joseph Goldstein, MD and Tim Hunt, PhD in addition to a number of other distinguished scientists. The award will be presented today at a special ceremony in Washington D.C.

"We are delighted that George Washington University has acknowledged Dr. Srivastava's exceptional achievements in the field of cardiovascular research," said Gladstone President R. Sanders Williams, MD. "He richly deserves this recognition due to the creativity and innovation evident in his workand because of its potential to benefit the millions of individuals suffering from cardiac disorders."

Before joining Gladstone, Dr. Srivastava was a professor in the department of pediatrics and molecular biology at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center in Dallas. He has received numerous honors and awards, including endowed chairs at UTSW and UCSF, as well as election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Society for Pediatric Research, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Link:
Gladstone director receives 2012 Abraham White Scientific Achievement Award

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The same species that submitted itself to experimentation for treatments to human cancers is now getting a cure with N.C. State's first canine bone marrow transplant.

In 2008, Dr. Steven Suter, assistant professor of oncology, began performing bone marrow transplants, BMT, on dogs. N.C. State is the only university in the world that offers this treatment. While private practices do exist, mainly on the west coast, they have treated few dogs. People have traveled from across the country to utilize these services.

Once I became an oncologist, I realized that this could probably be done now in a clinical setting if the appropriate machines could be found, apheresis machines. Once I got a hold of some of these machines, I started collecting peripheral blood progenitor cells from a few research colony dogs. After I showed we could do that, we moved on to start transplanting client-owned dogs. We opened our canine BMT unit in October 2008, Suter said.

Until recently, the transplants used stem cells from the dogs' own blood, so only those who had a disease in remission could be treated. The treatment was typically used on dogs with lymphoma.

The cure rate of dogs with lymphoma treated with chemotherapy is less than 5 percent, so I felt we could do better on that front with BMT, Suter said. We have modified the protocol extensively since the first 24 dogs, so we are hoping it will now be better.

However this all changed with two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Chip and Zeke, earlier this year. Zeke was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in December 2011. This disease could only be treated by use of donor bone marrow. Chip, a littermate, was the prime choice.

We do require a donor, since we can not harvest progenitor cells from the patient. Leukemia patients have too many cancer cells floating around in their blood, so the machine would harvest them also. So, we find a matched donor who does not have cancer obviously, and harvest the cells from them, Suter said. We don't use this procedure regularly to treat dogs with leukemia ... we've treated two dogs with leukemia. We use it mainly to treat dogs with lymphoma, which is a very different disease."

The owners of the dogs met for the first time at N.C. State for the procedure to take place.

Jason Hefner, a fourth year in veterinary medicine, worked with Zeke while he was here.

To our knowledge, only one previous case has been treated with a donor. Zeke had a great disposition, and I looked forward to visiting him each morning for his treatments. Zeke is now in New York and looking forward to a happy and healthy life, Hefner said.

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University gives dog a bone marrow transplant

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By Yoon Min-sik The Korea Herald/Asia News Network Thursday, Mar 15, 2012

US scientists have succeeded in making early retina structures by using stem cells from blood, marking a breakthrough toward treating eye diseases, Science Daily reported Tuesday.

The new findings can help study degenerative retinal disorder such as retinitis pigmentosa, a prominent cause of blindness in children and young adults, according to a statement by the University of Wisconsin- Madison research team.

Last year, the group led by Doctor David Gamm was able to create the most primitive structure of a retina with photoreceptors by using embryonic stem cells and stem cells from human skin.

But the structures lacked the organization of a more mature retina.

This time, Gamm's team used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) derived from blood gathered from donors.

Induced pluripotent stem cell refer to a cell which can develop into any fetal or adult cell type but is free from ethnic debate because it does not require human ovum to produce.

Scientists extracted a type of blood cell called a T-lymphocyte, which is related to immunity, and reprogrammed the cells into iPS cells. Then they grew retina-like tissues from the iPS cells.

About 16 per cent of the initial retinal structures developed distinct layers, which is a significant advance, as retina forms layer in normal human development.

The arrangement of layers was similar to what is found in the back of the eye.

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Scientists produce retina structure from blood-derived cells

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Public release date: 14-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Alicia Reale alicia.reale@uhhospitals.org 216-844-5158 University Hospitals Case Medical Center

CLEVELAND -- New research published in the March 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (embargoed 5 pm ET March 14) identifies gene mutations associated with improved overall survival with higher doses of chemotherapy for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

According to one of the authors, Hillard M. Lazarus, MD, Director of Novel Cell Therapy at Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, the findings explain why some AML patients are more likely to benefit from higher does of the chemotherapy drug daunorubicin.

"This is yet another advance in the era of 'individualizing' a patient's care," said Dr. Lazarus. "These significant findings will provide an important new tool to predict patients' response to cancer-fighting therapies and will help physicians avoid over-treating some patients and under-treating others."

The new study performed an analysis of mutations in 18 genes in 398 patients younger than 60 years of age with AML who were randomly assigned to receive therapy with high-dose or standard dose daunorubicin. Researchers validated their prognostic findings in an independent set of 104 patients.

The researchers found that mutations in two genes (DNMT3A and NPM1) and translocations (movement of part of one gene to another gene, the MLL gene) were associated with improved patient outcomes with the higher doses of daunorubicin chemotherapy in AML patients.

"Information of this type could be used by a clinician for treatment planning at diagnosis and the start of therapy," said Dr. Lazarus. "That is, if the patient has the mutation in question, the clinician can go ahead and give the higher chemotherapy dose. If the patient does not have the mutation, a higher dose may not be of benefit."

The multi-site study is an analysis of genetic factors from patients who participated in a landmark 2009 study which changed the routine treatment practice for AML. That study, also published in the New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrated for the first time that a more intense initial regimen using higher doses of daunorubicin significantly improved remission rate (70.6% vs. 57.3% with a standard dose) and improved overall survival (median, 23.7 vs. 15.7 months). More patients achieved remission with only one cycle of therapy, rather than two cycles, more patients proceeded to transplant, and overall outcome was significantly improved.

Dr. Lazarus said, "These findings show how genetic information can be used to 'tailor' therapy for patients. Now the challenge before us is to find a way to provide this genetic information in a timely and affordable way to influence treatment decisions for patients. Hopefully we can answer additional important questions such as these by continuing to enroll patients onto clinical trials"

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Study finds genes improving survival with higher chemo doses in leukemia

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Newswise NEW YORK, MARCH 14, 2012 Researchers have identified a set of genetic abnormalities in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) that doctors can use to more accurately predict patients prognoses and select treatments that are most likely to benefit them. The study, led by investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, will be published in the March 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Our study shows that genetic profiling makes it possible to more precisely categorize which patients are most likely to have their leukemia return after treatment, says the studys lead author Ross Levine, MD, a member of Memorial Sloan-Ketterings Human Oncology Pathogenesis Program. We also want to use existing therapies more intelligently. It helps a great deal to know which subset of patients will actually benefit from intensive therapies, such as a higher dose of chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant, adds Dr. Levine, who is also a medical oncologist on the Leukemia Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering.

At present, clinicians rely on only a handful of known genetic biomarkers (early markers of disease) to predict outcome in leukemia patients, and these biomarkers provide useful information for only a subset of patients. For most people diagnosed with AML, it is difficult to predict the chance for a cure.

The method used in the study incorporates information from an array of genes and allows nearly two-thirds of patients to be categorized into clearly defined prognostic groups. Our goal was not to ask whether a certain gene or two raised or lowered risk, but to determine whether a combination of characteristics from a set of genes made it possible to precisely stratify patients according to risk, Dr. Levine says.

The researchers analyzed blood or bone marrow samples from 502 patients with AML who were participating in a clinical trial. Such samples are routinely taken for research purposes during trials with patient consent. The trial, led by Martin S. Tallman, MD, Chief of Memorial Sloan-Ketterings Leukemia Service, explored whether increasing the standard dose of chemotherapy in AML patients under age 60 would improve survival.

The team that performed the genetic analysis, which included investigators from Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Weill Cornell Medical College, and other institutions, analyzed the samples for abnormalities, or mutations, within 18 genes known to have alterations in people with AML. The researchers noted the relationship between the mutations present in each patient and how that patient ultimately fared with the disease receiving either the standard or increased chemotherapy dose.

Our findings have important clinical implications for patients with AML, demonstrating that genetic profiling can improve current prognostic models and help guide therapeutic decisions so patients have an optimal result, says Dr. Tallman, who is a co-author of the new study. Moving forward, the challenge will be to provide this genetic information in a timely and affordable way to influence treatment decisions prospectively, he adds.

The analysis allowed the researchers to determine specific risk levels for a variety of gene-mutation combinations. They also were able to establish that the higher chemotherapy dose used in the trial benefited only some of the patients. The investigators took into account variables such as patient age and gender and validated the results in a separate group of patients to ensure that the profiling approach will be generally applicable beyond the current trial.

Dr. Levine and his Memorial Sloan-Kettering colleagues are working to translate the results from the study into clinical use. Weve already developed genetic tests, which can be used to test for this set of mutations in patients, and were in the process of making sure they work well in practice, he says. We have preliminary evidence that they perform well, and were hoping to have a pilot study soon as a step toward getting it into the clinic. We want to show this approach can be used not just at Memorial Sloan-Kettering but throughout the leukemia community.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 13,780 people in the United States will be diagnosed with AML in 2012 and that more than 10,000 people will die from the disease.

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Genetic Profiling Can Help Doctors More Accurately Predict Prognosis and Guide Treatment Decisions for Leukemia Patients

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Newswise The diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome, a blood cancer, often causes confusion. While some patients can be treated with repeated blood transfusions, others require chemotherapy, leaving some uncertainty about whether the syndromes actually are cancer.

Now, using the latest DNA sequencing technology, scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that the blood disease is an early form of cancer with characteristics that are very similar to the fatal leukemia to which it often progresses. And by mapping the genetic evolution of cancer cells in seven patients with myelodysplastic syndromes who later died of leukemia, they have found clues to suggest that targeted cancer drugs should be aimed at mutations that develop early in the disease.

The research, by a large team of Washington University researchers at the Siteman Cancer Center, appears online March 14 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The scientists sequenced all the DNA the genome of tumor cells from the patients over time. While some cancer cells in each patient acquired new mutations as they evolved, they always retained the original cluster of mutations that made the cells cancerous in the first place.

This discovery, which must be confirmed in larger studies, suggests that drugs targeted to cancer mutations might be more effective if they are directed toward genetic changes in the original cluster of cancer cells called the founding clone. Drugs that target mutations found exclusively in later-evolving cancer cells may kill those cells but likely wouldnt damage founding clones that do not carry the later mutations.

Its probably not enough to know that a particular mutation exists in cancer cells, says senior author Timothy Graubert, MD, associate professor of medicine at the School of Medicine who also treats patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. We likely will need to dig deeper to find out whether a mutation is in the founding clone that initiated the cancer or in a later-evolving clone.

In other words, think of this cancer as a tree, Graubert says.

To kill a tree, you have to pull out the roots, he says. If you only cut off a limb, it will just grow back. Were saying that to be effective, targeted cancer drugs probably need to attack mutations at the root of this disease.

About 28,000 Americans are diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes each year, most over age 60. They occur when blood cells produced in the bone marrow dont fully develop and immature cells crowd out healthy ones. In about one-third of patients, the disease progresses to a fatal form of leukemia.

As part of the new research, Graubert and his colleagues teamed with researchers at Washington Universitys Genome Institute who sequenced the genomes of cancer cells after the patients developed acute myeloid leukemia. Then, they determined whether the mutations they found were present when the same patients were first diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes.

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Scientists Map Genetic Evolution of Leukemia

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ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Everist Genomics (EGI), a rapidly-growing personalized medicine company, today announced the launch of the world's first comprehensive companion diagnostics and prognostics portfolio to improve early diagnosis, management and treatment of patients with colorectal cancer.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120314/NY69822 )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110110/NY26865LOGO )

The portfolio of four individual tests provides innovative gene expression profiling and analysis of molecular markers to help physicians track tumor development and responsiveness to therapy, enabling personalized treatment across all stages of colorectal cancer.

The tests will be available to U.S. customers starting at the end of March, which is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

"Advances in molecular diagnostics and genomics have revealed that colorectal cancer is not a single disease with just a single risk factor," said Peter Lenehan, M.D., Ph.D. EGI's Chief Medical Officer. "In fact, it presents a high degree of variance at the molecular level that can significantly determine a patient's individual prognosis."

The company's portfolio is comprised of four unique companion diagnostics:

The human body is genetically equipped to ensure proper replication and repair of DNA, however the process can be imperfect, especially in patients with cancer. A mutation in the body's mismatch repair (MMR) system that normally helps correct improper DNA copying, can cause microsatellite instability (MSI), a condition in which replicated strands of DNA accumulate errors and become longer and shorter than they should be. People with MSI are more likely to suffer from errors in the repair and copying of their DNA.

MSI is an important consideration when determining which chemotherapy method will work best for a particular patient. Independent research shows that colon cancer patients with MSI may not benefit from, and might actually be harmed by, 5-FU therapy.These patients may be more responsive to irinotecan.On the other hand, colon cancer patients with correctly functioning microsatellites are likely to respond to and tolerate 5-FU therapy.

Research also suggests that patients with Lynch syndrome have defective DNA MMR systems. Physicians recommend that, given their increased risk for cancer, patients with the condition should be actively screened and often modify their lifestyles to prevent cancer. Doctors estimate that three out of every 100 colon cancers are caused by Lynch syndrome. Because Lynch syndrome is hereditary, active screening of family members of people who have the condition may also lead to early diagnosis and improved treatment planning.

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Everist Genomics Develops World's First Comprehensive Companion Diagnostics and Prognostics Portfolio for Early ...

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13-03-2012 13:39 This video was produced by Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network. For more information, visit http://www.GoodShepherdRehab.org.

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Spinal Cord Injury: Self Dressing - Video

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BY BILL BIRD wbird@stmedianetwork.com March 14, 2012 7:42PM

Utah State runner Brittany Fisher, No. 476, runs a cross country race. Photo courtesy~Fisher family

storyidforme: 27381588 tmspicid: 9890634 fileheaderid: 4551173

Updated: March 14, 2012 7:49PM

She slammed into the unforgiving earth from a height of five stories while rappelling down the side of a cliff, some 30 minutes from civilization and a good two hours before the sun would begin its rise in the Utah desert. She sustained a serious spinal cord injury and broke both of her legs.

But her parents, brother and sister are relieved and grateful Naperville Central High School alumnus Brittany Fisher suffered neither brain damage nor paralysis, and is likely to completely recover from her harrowing fall.

We video-chatted, and she was conscious, and had no trouble talking at all, said Braden Fisher, Brittanys older brother, from the driveway of the familys home in the Heritage Knolls area of Napervilles far southeast side.

Its amazing. She had no head injuries of any sort.

The siblings attend Utah State University in Logan, where he is majoring in finance and she in elementary education. Parents Bryan and Kaaren Fisher live here with their youngest child, Laura Fisher, a senior at Naperville Central.

Brittany Fisher was listed late Wednesday in serious condition at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, to which she was flown via rescue helicopter following her fall. A hospital spokeswoman, citing federal privacy laws, declined to discuss her injuries.

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Naperville woman seriously hurt in fall while rappelling in Utah

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To: HEALTH, MEDICAL AND NATIONAL EDITORS

SHORT HILLS, N.J., March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, the nation's leading nonprofit providing care to those living with paralysis and advancing research into treatments and cures for spinal cord injury, today unveiled "Reverse," a public service announcement (PSA). The PSA is designed to spread awareness and bolster support of research to find cures for spinal cord injury. The advertisement is available for viewing at ChristopherReeve.org.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100511/REEVELOGO)

The PSA, developed by the Reeve Foundation's advertising partner BBDO New York, and directed by Greg Ramsey, features Rob Summers, a former college baseball pitcher, who was completely paralyzed from the chest down in 2006 after being struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run accident. Today, Summers is able to stand and step with assistance on a treadmill and move his legs voluntarily. These unprecedented outcomes are the result of his participation in a landmark scientific study of a novel experimental therapy that combines continual direct epidural stimulation of his lower spinal cord with intense locomotor training (assisted stepping on a treadmill). The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Reeve Foundation.

Summers was the first-ever human participant in this groundbreaking research, which was published in the medical journal The Lancet in May 2011.

The creative visual imagery, includes the use of falling dominoes to represent a spinal cord injury's devastating effects--which are physical, as well as emotional and societal.

John Osborn, president of BBDO New York and Chair of the Reeve Foundation's Communications Committee, stated, "Rob's story is extraordinarily compelling. His bigger-than-life personality and drive are an inspiration that we felt compelled to share. We want to invite the world to learn more and to feel what we feel--that this is a huge breakthrough and proof positive of progress being made in this field."

Peter T. Wilderotter, president and CEO of the Reeve Foundation, said, "The reverse effect of the dominoes evokes Rob's journey, and invites others to rise with him, as we do. We are so grateful to our friends at BBDO New York, who, once again, selflessly devoted their talents and hours of their time to help us further our mission and provide a call to action to support the paralysis community."

"I am the first person in the world to ever participate in the epidural stimulation project, and to have achieved this recovery is life-changing," said Rob Summers. "Although my Major League Baseball dreams were dashed that night in 2006, I think this is much more impactful than anything I could have ever done before my injury."

Nearly 5.6 million Americans live with some form of paralysis, defined as a central nervous system disorder resulting in difficulty or an inability to move the upper or lower extremities. Of those, 1.275 million paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury.

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Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Unveils Public Service Announcement Message Features Promising Experimental Spinal ...

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Paralyzed by a spinal cord injury in 1986, real estate developer Rogers Severson sought out a leading rehabilitation facility after doctors told the former college athlete he'd never walk again.

Six months later, he walked out of Casa Colina Center for Rehabilitation in Pomona with the aid of a cane and the realization that he possessed what most patients there did not: excellent insurance and the personal means to pay for top-flight care. He vowed to help change that.

Almost a year to the day after he was thrown from a mule, breaking two vertebrae, Severson stood before those gathered at a fundraising luncheon to benefit the charity he'd founded, the Spinal Cord Injury Special Fund. More than $200,000 was initially raised, including $50,000 from Severson's own pocket.

Over the next 25 years, the organization helped more than a thousand people with spinal cord injuries extend their therapy or pay for equipment aimed at helping them gain greater independence, according to the fund.

Severson died Monday at his Newport Beach home of complications related to cancer, said his daughter, Laura Russell. He was 72.

Before the accident, his life "couldn't have been going better," Severson told The Times in 1987.

Born Nov. 1, 1939, in Pensacola, Fla., to a career Marine Corps aviator and his wife, Severson led the University of Redlands tennis team to championships and majored in business and finance, according to the 2007 book "You've Gotta Fight Back!" He earned his bachelor's degree in 1962.

By 1969, he was developing industrial business parks for Dunn Properties and was named chairman of its board in 1974. Four years later, he co-founded Saddleback Associates in Orange County and continued building business parks in the west.

With his business and family flourishing, Severson later said, "I remember thinking that things were so good I needed some additional challenges in my life somewhere."

Everything changed in November 1986 during the annual Portola Ride, an exclusive horseback-riding event for businessmen in Orange County. He often rode a mule, partly because he enjoyed its plodding gait. When the mule threw him, Severson landed on his head and neck.

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Rogers Severson dies at 72; creator of spinal cord injury fund

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SAN CARLOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BioCardia, a leading provider of cardiovascular catheter systems designed to deliver biologic therapies for cardiac regeneration and Juventas Therapeutics, a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company developing novel therapies for cardiovascular disease, announced today that they will continue to work together to execute Juventas Phase II trial of JVS-100 for the treatment of heart failure.

The Phase II safety and efficacy study has been allowed by the Food and Drug Administration and enrollment is targeted to start in Q2 2012. The previous Phase I trial enrolled 17 NYHA Class III heart failure patients and showed promising safety and signals of clinical benefit to the patients treated.

"JVS-100 provides the potential for an off the shelf regenerative medicine therapeutic, with the potential to significantly enhance patients lives, states Peter Altman, Ph.D., BioCardias President & CEO. We are pleased to have the opportunity to continue to work with the Juventas team.

BioCardias Helical catheter performed well in our Phase I clinical trial and is an attractive delivery system for our targeted patient population, states Rahul Aras, Juventass President and CEO. It is a catheter system that is simple to use with a proven safety profile and we are excited to be working with it in our upcoming Phase II trial.

About BioCardia

BioCardia, Inc., headquartered in San Carlos, CA is a privately-held commercial medical technology company that has developed percutaneous delivery systems for biologics to treat cardiovascular disease. The company's initial products are intended to provide a new therapeutic option for patients with heart failure and chronic myocardial ischemia.

About the Helical Infusion System

The Helical Infusion System is a CE Marked steerable two catheter system that enables delivery of biologic therapies to the heart muscle from within the chamber of the heart. It requires no external capital equipment and has an excellent clinical safety profile. The Helical Infusion System is commercially available in the European Union and is under Investigation in the United States in ongoing clinical trials.

About Juventas Therapeutics

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BioCardia and Juventas Announce Phase II Development Program of JVS-100 Delivered With the Helical Infusion System to ...

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