WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Tengion, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNGN - News), a leader in regenerative medicine, today announced that A. Brian Davis, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Finance of Tengion, will present at the upcoming 24th Annual ROTH Investor Conference on Tuesday, March 13, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. PDT in Laguna Niguel, California.

A live audio webcast of the presentation can be accessed at http://wsw.com/webcast/roth26/tngn/ or under "Calendar of Events" in the Investors section of the Company's website at http://www.tengion.com. A replay of the presentation will be available on Tengion's website for 90 days. Investors interested in listening to the live webcast should log on before the start time in order to download any software required.

About Tengion

Tengion, a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company, is focused on discovering, developing, manufacturing and commercializing a range of neo-organs, or products composed of living cells, with or without synthetic or natural materials, implanted or injected into the body to engraft into, regenerate, or replace a damaged tissue or organ. Using its Organ Regeneration Platform, the Company creates neo-organs using a patient's own cells, or autologous cells. Tengion's proprietary product candidates harness the intrinsic regenerative pathways of the body to regenerate a range of native-like organs and tissues. The Company's product candidates are intended to delay or eliminate the need for chronic disease therapies, organ transplantation, and the administration of anti-rejection medications. An initial clinical trial is ongoing for the Company's lead product candidate, the Neo-Urinary Conduit, an autologous implant that is intended to catalyze regeneration of native-like bladder tissue for bladder cancer patients requiring a urinary diversion following bladder removal. The Company's lead preclinical candidate is the Neo-Kidney Augment, which is designed to prevent or delay dialysis by increasing renal function in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. Tengion has worldwide rights to its product candidates.

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Tengion to Present at the 24th Annual ROTH Investor Conference

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ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BioTime, Inc. (NYSE Amex:BTX), a biotechnology company that develops and markets products in the field of regenerative medicine, today announced that Chief Financial Officer, Peter S. Garcia, will present a corporate overview of BioTime and its subsidiaries at the ROTH 24th Annual Growth Stock Conference. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, March 13, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. PDT at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dana Point, California. The presentation will be webcast and available online at the Investors section of the website at http://www.biotimeinc.com and at http://wsw.com/webcast/roth26/btx/.

ROTH Capital Partners will host more than 400 growth companies at its annual investment conference, March 11-14, 2012, including more than 130 healthcare companies in the biotechnology, healthcare services, medical device, and pharmaceutical sectors.

About BioTime, Inc.

BioTime, headquartered in Alameda, California, is a biotechnology company focused on regenerative medicine and blood plasma volume expanders. Its broad platform of stem cell technologies is developed through subsidiaries focused on specific fields of applications. BioTime develops and markets research products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, including a wide array of proprietary ACTCellerate cell lines, culture media, and differentiation kits. BioTime's wholly owned subsidiary ES Cell International Pte. Ltd. has produced clinical-grade human embryonic stem cell lines that were derived following principles of Good Manufacturing Practice and currently offers them for use in research. BioTime's therapeutic product development strategy is pursued through subsidiaries that focus on specific organ systems and related diseases for which there is a high unmet medical need. BioTime's majority owned subsidiary Cell Cure Neurosciences, Ltd. is developing therapeutic products derived from stem cells for the treatment of retinal and neural degenerative diseases. Cell Cure's minority shareholder Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has an option to clinically develop and commercialize Cell Cure's OpRegen retinal cell product for use in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. BioTime's subsidiary OrthoCyte Corporation is developing therapeutic applications of stem cells to treat orthopedic diseases and injuries. Another subsidiary, OncoCyte Corporation, focuses on the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of stem cell technology in cancer, including the diagnostic product PanC-DxTM currently being developed for the detection of cancer in blood samples, therapeutic strategies using vascular progenitor cells engineered to destroy malignant tumors. ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc. is developing applications of BioTime's proprietary induced pluripotent stem cell technology to reverse the developmental aging of human cells to treat cardiovascular and blood cell diseases. BioTime's newest subsidiary, LifeMap Sciences, Inc., is developing an online database of the complex cell lineages arising from stem cells to guide basic research and to market BioTime's research products. In addition to its stem cell products, BioTime develops blood plasma volume expanders, blood replacement solutions for hypothermic (low-temperature) surgery, and technology for use in surgery, emergency trauma treatment and other applications. BioTime's lead product, Hextend, is a blood plasma volume expander manufactured and distributed in the U.S. by Hospira, Inc. and in South Korea by CJ CheilJedang Corp. under exclusive licensing agreements. Additional information about BioTime, ReCyte Therapeutics, Cell Cure, OrthoCyte, OncoCyte, BioTime Asia, LifeMap Sciences, and ESI can be found on the web at http://www.biotimeinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating results, future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and potential opportunities for BioTime and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of BioTime and its subsidiaries, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in BioTime's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. BioTime disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

To receive ongoing BioTime corporate communications, please click on the following link to join our email alert list:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83805&p=irol-alerts

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BioTime to Present at ROTH 24th Annual Growth Stock Conference

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Cancer sufferer Pamela Bou Sejean wants your help to save her life

Pamela Bou Sejean has Hodgkin's Lymphoma and needs a stem cell transplant. Picture: Alison Wynd Source: News Limited

PAMELA Bou Sejean is fighting for her life.

After 16 months battling an aggressive form of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, the 26-year-old has turned to Facebook in a last ditch bid to find the stem cell donor to keep her alive.

TheVictorian woman in Belmont does not match with any registered bone marrow donor in the world so is now pleading for the public to come forward to be blood tested for a possible match.

"I don't know how much time I have, I get too afraid to ask," Ms Bou Sejean told the Geelong Advertiser.

"I want to focus on what we're doing now.

"The waiting process is hard."

With her life in the balance, Ms Bou Sejean's brother Matt a week ago set up the Facebook page How You Can Help Cure Pamela.

There, Facebook users are told about her fight and how to be blood tested for a possible stem cell match.

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Stem cells are my last hope. Can you help?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By David Fitzpatrick and Drew Griffin, Special Investigations Unit

updated 1:34 PM EST, Thu March 8, 2012

Dr. Zannos Grekos, seen here in 2009, could have his license suspended.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- A Florida cardiologist could have his medical license revoked by state authorities who have accused him of performing illegal stem cell therapy treatment on an elderly patient who died during the procedure.

Florida's Department of Health ordered the emergency suspension of Dr. Zannos Grekos' medical license Wednesday, accusing the Bonita Springs doctor of violating an emergency order against using stem cell treatments in Florida and allegedly causing the death of an unnamed elderly patient. Grekos can appeal the order.

According to the license suspension order, Grekos performed a stem cell treatment earlier this month on the patient, who was suffering from pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary fibrosis. Both diseases restrict blood flow to the heart.

"During said stem cell treatment, patient R.P. suffered a cardiac arrest and died," the suspension order said.

CNN first investigated Grekos's activities in 2009 and, at that time, he said he was using stem cell therapy for a company he called Regenocyte Therapeutic. His profile, listed on the company's website, describes Grekos as having "extensive experience in the field of stem cell therapy" and says he "was recently appointed to the Science Advisory Board of the United States' Repair Stem Cell Institute."

At the time of CNN's interview, Grekos said he extracted stem cells from patients and then sent the blood to Israel for laboratory processing. That processing, he said, resulted in "regenocytes," which he claimed would help heal crippling diseases, mostly associated with lung problems.

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Florida suspends doctor accused of illegal stem cell therapy

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 8-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Catriona Kelly Catriona.Kelly@ed.ac.uk 44-131-651-4401 University of Edinburgh

Scientists have made fresh discoveries about the processes that govern plants' internal body clocks and help them adjust to changing seasons, triggering the arrival of flowers in spring.

Researchers tested computer models of gene networks in a simple cress plant to determine the role played by a protein, known as TOC1, in governing these daily cycles. The model shows how 12 genes work together to run the plant's complex clockwork, and reset the clock at dawn and dusk each day.

Researchers found that the TOC1 protein, which was previously associated with helping plants to wake up, is in fact involved in dampening gene activity in the evening, helping them stay dormant at night.

The findings, from the University of Edinburgh, contradict what scientists had previously understood about the gene and its role in early morning activity. Scientists in Barcelona independently reached a similar conclusion to the Edinburgh team. The two studies pave the way for further research to define how the cycles improve plant growth and allow plants to adapt to our changing environment.

These internal 24-hour cycles known as circadian clocks also allow people, animals and plants to make tiny adjustments as daylight changes, and adapt to changing seasons. Researchers hope their discovery will bring them a step closer to understanding other seasonal rhythms that affect plants and people including the flowering of staple crops such as wheat, barley and rice, and the breeding patterns of animals.

The Edinburgh-led study, published in Molecular Systems Biology, was funded by the European Commission, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The Barcelona-led study, published in Science, was funded by the European Commission, the Ramn Areces Foundation, and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

Professor Andrew Millar, of the University of Edinburgh's School of Biological Sciences, who led the modelling study, said: "The 24-hour rhythms of biological clocks affect all living things including plants, animals and people, with wide-ranging effects on sleep, metabolism and immunity. We are now far better placed to understand how this complex process impacts on the plant's life and what happens when the rhythms are interrupted, for example by climate change."

Professor Paloma Mas, of the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics in Spain, who led the experimental study, said: "The biological clock controls essential processes in plant growth and development, such as flowering and the control of growth by light. We can now extend the knowledge we have gained of cyclic processes to the major crops and other plants of agronomic interest."

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Clock gene helps plants prepare for spring flowering, study shows

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A woman receives cancer treatment

(CBS/AP) BOSTON - Scientists are reporting what could be very bad news for efforts to customize cancer treatment based on each person's genes.

PICTURES: Got cancer? 10 secrets for better decisions

They have discovered big differences from place to place in the same tumor as to which genes are active or mutated. They also found differences in the genetics of the main tumor and places where the cancer has spread.

This means that the single biopsies that doctors rely on to choose drugs are probably not giving a true view of the cancer's biology. It also means that treating cancer won't be as simple as many had hoped.

New treatment for kidney transplant patients may reduce need for anti-rejection drugs

By analyzing tumors in unprecedented detail, "we're finding that the deeper you go, the more you find," said one study leader, Dr. Charles Swanton of the Cancer Research UK London Research Institute in England. "It's like going from a black-and-white television with four pixels to a color television with thousands of pixels."

Yet the result is a fuzzier picture of how to treat the disease.

The study is reported in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

It is a reality check for "overoptimism" in the field devoted to conquering cancer with new gene-targeting drugs, Dr. Dan Longo, a deputy editor at the journal, wrote in an editorial.

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Gene differences in tumors making cancer treatment difficult

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

BOSTON Scientists are reporting what could be very bad news for efforts to customize cancer treatment based on each persons genes.

They have discovered big differences from place to place in the same tumour as to which genes are active or mutated. They also found differences in the genetics of the main tumour and places where the cancer has spread.

This means that the single biopsies that doctors rely on to choose drugs are probably not giving a true view of the cancers biology. It also means that treating cancer wont be as simple as many had hoped.

By analyzing tumours in unprecedented detail, were finding that the deeper you go, the more you find, said one study leader, Dr. Charles Swanton of the Cancer Research U.K. London Research Institute in England. Its like going from a black-and-white television with four pixels to a colour television with thousands of pixels.

Yet the result is a fuzzier picture of how to treat the disease.

The study is reported in Thursdays New England Journal of Medicine.

It is a reality check for over-optimism in the field devoted to conquering cancer with new gene-targeting drugs, Dr. Dan Longo, a deputy editor at the journal, wrote in an editorial.

About 15 of these medicines are on the market now in the U.S. and hundreds more are in testing, but they have had only limited success. And the new study may help explain why.

The scientists used gene sequencing to a degree that has not been done before to study primary tumours and places where they spread in four patients with advanced kidney cancer. They found that two-thirds of gene mutations they detected were not present in all areas of the same tumour. They also were stunned to see different mutations in the same gene from one part of a tumour to another.

That means a single biopsy would reveal only a minority of mutations. Still, its not clear whether doing more biopsies would improve accuracy, or how many or how often they should be done.

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Single gene may not determine tumour’s nature

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

THURSDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have identified five new genetic mutations associated with Crohn's disease in Jews of Eastern European descent (Ashkenazi Jews) and say their findings may help explain why Crohn's is nearly four times more prevalent in this group than in the general population.

Crohn's is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes swelling and irritation in the digestive tract. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, weight loss, and fever.

Previous research pinpointed 71 genetic variants associated with Crohn's disease risk in people of European ancestry. In this new study, Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers compared almost 2,000 Ashkenazi Jews with Crohn's disease to another 4,500 Ashkenazi Jews without the disease.

The team found 12 of the known risk variants and also discovered five new genetic risk regions on chromosomes 5q21.1, 2p15, 8q21.11, 10q26.3 and 11q12.1.

"This is the largest study to date, and the first to discover the unique risk factors of Crohn's disease in the Ashkenazi Jewish population," study leader Inga Peter, an associate professor of genetics and genomic sciences, said in a Mount Sinai news release.

"The prevalence of this disease is so much higher in Ashkenazi Jews, and the involvement of genetic variants predominant in this population might help understand why that is," she added.

The researchers also found that the genetic structure of the newly-identified regions associated with Crohn's disease risk in Ashkenazi Jews was much less diverse than that of non-Jewish Europeans.

"Not only did we discover different risk factors for Ashkenazi Jews, but we found that some previously known risk factors are more potent to this population," Peter said. "Armed with this new information, we can begin to analyze the specific signals in order to pinpoint causal genetic mutations, discover why they are malfunctioning, and eventually develop novel treatment approaches."

The study is published March 8 in the online edition of PLoS Genetics.

More information

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Gene Mutations Linked to Crohn's Disease in Ashkenazi Jews

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

March 8, 2012 at 2:20 PM

As students start transitioning into spring, researchers are transitioning into a new era of gene research.

Dr. Frank Pugh, Willaman Chair in Molecular Biology, and his researchers have found a way to isolate proteins at the genes they regulate and to determine where exactly the protein bound to the gene.

Genes are the hereditary units that determine what traits, like eye and hair color, people have. They are composed of sequences of deoxyribose nucleic acid, or DNA.

These DNA sequences also are what determine which proteins bind where to control gene expression.

Pugh and his team began by isolating and purifying a particular protein using a technique called chromatin immunoprecipitation, otherwise known as ChIP. The technique uses antibodies to identify proteins associated with specific parts of a genome.

After purifying the protein they used an enzyme called exonuclease to destroy the DNA not involved in the gene they were examining, for the protein protected the DNA sequence to which it was bound.

This method, Pugh wrote in an email, reduced the noise that had interfered with previous methods, like extra DNA sequences that contaminated the samples that were being examined. He compared this noise to background noise that might interfere with someone listening to music.

These contaminations give the impression that there are additional binding sequences, Pugh wrote, and there is no way to distinguish between the actual binding sequences and the contaminations.

Once Pugh's team ran the tests, the results shocked them. They had expected the protein to bind to a few hundred places, but instead discovered that it bound to a few thousand locations - much more than they expected, even with the ChIP-exo method.

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Researchers discover breakthrough with DNA testing

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

London, March 8 (IANS) A single cancer can be dramatically different within one person, say experts. They discovered that different parts of a tumour can have different genes.

And a tumour that has spread to the chest can be genetically very different to the original tumour in the kidney, the Daily Mail reported Thursday.

The finding is important because cancer has traditionally been thought of as a disease in which a single cell starts dividing out of control, creating a tumour in which every cell is the same. Now it is clear that the disease is much more complex.

The genetic changes could help explain why cancer causes so many deaths, despite huge advances in medicine, and why a drug that has helped initially suddenly stops working.

Researchers funded by Cancer Research UK tested samples taken from kidney cancer patients being treated at London's Royal Marsden Hospital, the Mail said.

The research is still at an early stage, but, in future, doctors might take several biopsies from a patient, instead of just one. The genetic changes in the tumours accumulate over time, so early diagnosis will also be vital.

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Genetic changes make cancer deadly

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 8-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Deborah Wormser deborah.wormser@utsouthwestern.edu 214-648-3404 UT Southwestern Medical Center

DALLAS -- UT Southwestern Medical Center investigators have identified a genetic manipulation that increases the development of neurons in the brain during aging and enhances the effect of antidepressant drugs.

The research finds that deleting the Nf1 gene in mice results in long-lasting improvements in neurogenesis, which in turn makes those in the test group more sensitive to the effects of antidepressants.

"The significant implication of this work is that enhancing neurogenesis sensitizes mice to antidepressants meaning they needed lower doses of the drugs to affect 'mood' and also appears to have anti-depressive and anti-anxiety effects of its own that continue over time," said Dr. Luis Parada, director of the Kent Waldrep Center for Basic Research on Nerve Growth and Regeneration and senior author of the study published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Just as in people, mice produce new neurons throughout adulthood, although the rate declines with age and stress, said Dr. Parada, chairman of developmental biology at UT Southwestern. Studies have shown that learning, exercise, electroconvulsive therapy and some antidepressants can increase neurogenesis. The steps in the process are well known but the cellular mechanisms behind those steps are not.

"In neurogenesis, stem cells in the brain's hippocampus give rise to neuronal precursor cells that eventually become young neurons, which continue on to become full-fledged neurons that integrate into the brain's synapses," said Dr. Parada, an elected member of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, its Institute of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The researchers used a sophisticated process to delete the gene that codes for the Nf1 protein only in the brains of mice, while production in other tissues continued normally. After showing that mice lacking Nf1 protein in the brain had greater neurogenesis than controls, the researchers administered behavioral tests designed to mimic situations that would spark a subdued mood or anxiety, such as observing grooming behavior in response to a small splash of sugar water.

The researchers found that the test group mice formed more neurons over time compared to controls, and that young mice lacking the Nf1 protein required much lower amounts of anti-depressants to counteract the effects of stress. Behavioral differences between the groups persisted at three months, six months and nine months. "Older mice lacking the protein responded as if they had been taking antidepressants all their lives," said Dr. Parada.

"In summary, this work suggests that activating neural precursor cells could directly improve depression- and anxiety-like behaviors, and it provides a proof-of-principle regarding the feasibility of regulating behavior via direct manipulation of adult neurogenesis," Dr. Parada said.

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Genetic manipulation boosts growth of brain cells linked to learning, enhances antidepressants

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Enlarge Wikimedia Commons

A study of kidney cancer patients finds the complexity of tumors may thwart simple attempts to personalize treatment.

A study of kidney cancer patients finds the complexity of tumors may thwart simple attempts to personalize treatment.

Cancer may be even more complicated than everybody already thought. And that's why a single tissue sample taken from a single tumor may not be the best way to figure out a course of treatment.

British researchers took multiple samples within kidney tumors (before and after drug treatment) and also got samples from tumors that had spread from the original cancers in four patients.

They performed all kinds of genetic tests, including detailed DNA sequencing, on the cancers and found wide variations in some key traits.

"We used every possible genomics technique available," senior author Charles Swanton told science blogger Ed Yong. "Even then we are only scratching the surface of the complexity within each cancer."

Even so, they found that some genetic variations that would be considered unfavorable for patients and others that would be good news for them were present in different parts of the same tumor.

Those results help explain why some treatments that seem like a good idea may not work. And they underscore the challenge in developing personalized tests and drugs for cancer therapy.

"It's a sobering finding," Andrew Futreal, a cancer geneticist and co-author of the study told The Wall Street Journal. The work was published in the latest New England Journal of Medicine.

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Detailed Genetic Tests Reveal Cancer's Complexity

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New Research Shows Personalized Treatment for Cancer Not So Simple

WebMD Health News

March 8, 2012 -- A small study that shows a surprising complexity of genetic changes within a single tumor has far-reaching implications for the march toward personalized cancer therapy, according to researchers.

A single biopsy from a tumor might not be sufficient to give a full picture of its genetic landscape, a team from the United Kingdom reports.

When the researchers examined 10 biopsies taken from a single kidney cancer tumor, they found "an extraordinary amount of diversity" in the genetic changes that had taken place in different parts of the tumor.

"There were more differences between biopsies from the same tumor at the genetic level than there were similarities," said researcher Charles Swanton, MD, PhD, from the Cancer Research UK, London Institute, and the University College London, United Kingdom.

The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, were highlighted at a London news conference organized by Cancer Research UK, which funded the study.

The team also found differences in genetic changes between the primary tumor and places in the body where the cancer spread. Similar findings have been documented by other research groups.

But it is the extent of the genetic changes that is surprising, the researchers note.

The findings have far-reaching implications for the efforts currently being directed toward personalized cancer therapy, in which therapy is targeted at genetic changes identified in tumor tissue. Swanton cautioned that "if you take only one biopsy, you could be misled clinically."

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Genetic Makeup of Tumors More Complex Than Thought

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06-03-2012 17:28 Baylie, Mason, and Sid on Gene Therapy

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Mr. Ludwig's Gene Therapy Project - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Lindsay Porter's kidneys weighed 16 pounds before her transplant.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- By the time Lindsay Porter had her kidneys removed two years ago, they were bulging -- covered in cysts -- and together weighed 16 pounds.

Her abdominal area was so distended, "I looked nine months pregnant, and people regularly asked when I was due," Porter said.

As she prepared for a transplant to address her polycystic kidney disease, Porter, 47, had mixed feelings -- relief to have found a donor, tinged with resignation. She was looking forward to both a new kidney, and a lifetime on immune system-suppressing drugs.

"You get this brand new shiny kidney, and then they give you drugs that eventually destroy it," said Porter.

But that scenario may eventually change, if results of a new pilot study are replicated in a larger group of patients. The study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, describes eight kidney transplant patients, including Porter, who received a stem cell therapy that allowed donor and recipient immune cells to coexist in the same body.

The effect, in a handful of those patients, was to trick the recipient's immune system into recognizing the donated kidney as its own.

When it works, patients become a sort of medical rarity called a chimera.

"Chimerism is a condition wherein two different genetic cell populations are present in the body, and both cell types are tolerated," said Dr. Anthony Atala, director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, who was not involved in the study, via e-mail.

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Kidney transplant without a lifetime of drugs?

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

SILVER SPRING, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB:NVLX), an emerging biotechnology provider of cell and gene therapy solutions, today discussed the potential use of the companys cell encapsulation technology with modified stem cells to treat late stage cancers.

Stem cell therapy is not new to physicians dealing with blood and bone cancers, with stem cell transplants being an important treatment for growing new bone marrow since the 1970s. Recent studies have indicated the potential for using stem cells across a much broader range of cancers is becoming a reality, mostly a result of advances in cell and molecular biology techniques.

Traditional chemotherapy works by targeting the fast-growing cells common to cancer tumors. Unfortunately, chemotherapeutics dont differentiate between healthy and cancerous cells. Patients suffering from metastatic cancers, where tumors have spread to multiple areas of the body, often have substantial difficulties with the chemotherapy needed to treat their disease.

In one case, researchers at City of Hope and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital may have found a way to treat cancers that have spread throughout the body more effectively. They used genetically modified stem cells to activate chemotherapeutic drugs at the tumor sites, so that normal tissue surrounding the tumor and throughout the body remain relatively unharmed. The stem cells were designed to produce a specific enzyme that converts the nontoxic prodrug into the chemotherapeutic agent. This method also targets the brain tumor treatment to remain localized within the brain, similar to the pancreatic cancer clinical trial carried out by SG Austria, providing for high dosage chemotherapy without affecting surrounding tissues and avoiding the severe side effects normally associated with cancer therapy.

Nuvilex believes that incorporating Cell-in-a-Box encapsulation with this type of genetically modified stem cell, along with the proprietary cancer treatment being acquired, could significantly aid and improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Robert Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Nuvilex, commented, We are hopeful for the day when late stage cancers can be routinely and safely treated using genetically modified cells like those used in the pancreatic cancer trial, increasing the ability of clinicians to avoid inducing side effects that typically accompany aggressive chemotherapy and/or radiation. Our cell encapsulation technology will enable practitioners to target tumors while preserving the health of the surrounding tissues. We continue to look for leading stem cell and oncology researchers to partner with us as we bring this technology to market.

About Nuvilex

Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB:NVLX) is an emerging international biotechnology provider of clinically useful therapeutic live encapsulated cells and services for encapsulating live cells for the research and medical communities. Through our effort, all aspects of our corporate activities alone, and especially in concert with SG Austria, are rapidly moving toward completion, including closing our agreement. One of our planned offerings will include cancer treatments using the companys industry-leading live-cell encapsulation technology.

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Nuvilex Points Toward Cell Encapsulation Technology Future to Expand Stem Cell Use for Late Stage Cancer Treatments

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

By David Fitzpatrick and Drew Griffin, Special Investigations Unit

updated 1:34 PM EST, Thu March 8, 2012

Dr. Zannos Grekos, seen here in 2009, could have his license suspended.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- A Florida cardiologist could have his medical license revoked by state authorities who have accused him of performing illegal stem cell therapy treatment on an elderly patient who died during the procedure.

Florida's Department of Health ordered the emergency suspension of Dr. Zannos Grekos' medical license Wednesday, accusing the Bonita Springs doctor of violating an emergency order against using stem cell treatments in Florida and allegedly causing the death of an unnamed elderly patient. Grekos can appeal the order.

According to the license suspension order, Grekos performed a stem cell treatment earlier this month on the patient, who was suffering from pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary fibrosis. Both diseases restrict blood flow to the heart.

"During said stem cell treatment, patient R.P. suffered a cardiac arrest and died," the suspension order said.

CNN first investigated Grekos's activities in 2009 and, at that time, he said he was using stem cell therapy for a company he called Regenocyte Therapeutic. His profile, listed on the company's website, describes Grekos as having "extensive experience in the field of stem cell therapy" and says he "was recently appointed to the Science Advisory Board of the United States' Repair Stem Cell Institute."

At the time of CNN's interview, Grekos said he extracted stem cells from patients and then sent the blood to Israel for laboratory processing. That processing, he said, resulted in "regenocytes," which he claimed would help heal crippling diseases, mostly associated with lung problems.

See the article here:
Florida suspends doctor accused of illegal stem cell therapy

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Pamela Bousejean has Hodgkin's Lymphoma and needs a stem cell transplant. Picture: Alison Wynd Source: News Limited

PAMELA Bou Sejean is fighting for her life.

After 16 months battling an aggressive form of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, the 26-year-old has turned to Facebook in a last ditch bid to find the stem cell donor to keep her alive.

TheVictorian woman in Belmont does not match with any registered bone marrow donor in the world so is now pleading for the public to come forward to be blood tested for a possible match.

"I don't know how much time I have, I get too afraid to ask," Ms Bou Sejean told the Geelong Advertiser.

"I want to focus on what we're doing now.

"The waiting process is hard."

With her life in the balance, Ms Bou Sejean's brother Matt a week ago set up the Facebook page How You Can Help Cure Pamela.

There, Facebook users are told about her fight and how to be blood tested for a possible stem cell match.

Mr Bou Sejean who, like the rest of the family, does not match with his sister said "the cure for Pamela is in the body of hundreds of people out there."

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BE THE CHANGE: Stem cells are Pamela's last hope - can you help?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

MADISON, Wis., March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. (CDI), the world's largest commercial producer of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines and tissue cells for drug discovery and safety, today announced several customer presentations of studies employing the company's iCell products at the Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting on March 11 to 15 in San Francisco. A number of these studies demonstrate the superior predictivity of CDI's human iPS cell-derived products compared to other cell models, such as animal models and immortalized cell lines, which are historically used in pharmaceutical drug discovery and toxicity testing.

Customers will present 11 abstracts employing CDI's human cells in their research during the SOT meeting. Several of these compare the superior ability of CDI's iCell Cardiomyocytes and iCell Hepatocytes to predict toxic responses to currently available cell models. Among them:

Puppala, D et al. (Abstract 420 Poster Board -642; Pfizer, Inc.) compared the ability of iCell Cardiomyocytes to a rat cardiac-derived cell line (H9C2) to predict the toxicity of 10 known in vivo cardiac toxins that were not flagged by the company's current in vitro assay systems. They found that iCell Cardiomyocytes showed increases in several toxicity signals and were more accurate in detecting cardiotoxicity than the rat cell line.

Guo, L et al. (Abstract 1168 Poster Board -433; Hoffman-La Roche) utilized sets of reference and internal compounds to determine the accuracy with which iCell Cardiomyocytes can predict arrhythmic effects. Based on drug-induced changes in beating pattern, iCell Cardiomyocytes correctly identified 17 of 19 reference compounds known to cause abnormal ECG patterns in humans and 17 of 17 internal compounds known to cause arrhythmia in non-rodent animals. These results demonstrate the predictive value of utilizing iCell Cardiomyocytes to identify proarrhythmic compounds.

Hong, S et al. (Abstract 1149 Poster Board -414; Bristol-Myers Squibb) evaluated the effects of three drug compounds using both iCell Cardiomyocytes and fetal rat cardiomyocytes utilizing multi-electrode array (MEA) assays. For all three compounds, iCell Cardiomyocytes were better suited than the fetal rat cardiomyocytes at predicting adverse in vivo effects, including those effects that were not discovered until small-scale clinical trials.

Kameoka, S et al. (Abstract 519 Poster Board -237; Hoffman-La Roche) compared the toxicity of three drug candidates previously tested on dog hepatocytes to iCell Hepatocytes and primary human hepatocytes. In dogs, two of the three compounds caused liver toxicity. The profiles of the two toxic compounds were almost identically recapitulated in vitro for both the primary human hepatocytes and iCell Hepatocytes. This study demonstrated that iCell Hepatocytes may be a valuable human model to predict hepatic toxicity in vitro.

Additional SOT presentations employing CDI's iCell products can be found on the SOT Annual Meeting website or at http://www.cellulardynamics.com/sot2012/posters.html.

"These studies are important contributors to the collective understanding that human in vitro cellular model systems are superior to animal models and immortalized cell lines when studying questions of human biology," said Chris Parker, chief commercial officer of CDI. "We recognize that iPS cell-derived tissues are a relatively new model for drug discovery and toxicity testing and must be validated and shown to be superior. It is gratifying that our pharmaceutical customers are presenting data validating the performance characteristics of our heart and liver cells in such an open scientific forum as the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting. Third-party validation of iCell product performance coupled with CDI's proven ability to deliver human cells in the quantity, quality and purity required for pharmaceutical, biomedical and basic research positions us well for supplying customers with the human cells they need to improve healthcare."

About Cellular Dynamics International, Inc.Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. (CDI) is a leading developer of next-generation stem cell technologies for drug development, cell therapy, tissue engineering and organ regeneration. CDI harnesses its unique manufacturing technology to produce differentiated tissue cells from any individual's stem cell line in industrial quality, quantity and purity. CDI is accelerating the adoption of pluripotent stem cell technology, adapting its methods to fit into standard clinical practice by the creation of individual stem cell lines from a standard blood draw. CDI was founded in 2004 by Dr. James Thomson, a pioneer in human pluripotent stem cell research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. CDI's facilities are located in Madison, Wisconsin. See http://www.cellulardynamics.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:Joleen Rau Senior Director, Marketing & Communications Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. 608 310-5142 jrau@cellulardynamics.com

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Presentations at the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting Demonstrate Superior Predictivity of Cellular Dynamics ...

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Nuvilex Points Toward Cell Encapsulation Technology Future to Expand Stem Cell Use for Late Stage Cancer Treatments

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Taking a sample or biopsy from just one part of a tumor might not give a full picture of its genetic diversity and may explain why doctors, despite using genetically targeted drugs, are often unable to save patients whose cancer has spread, scientists said.

A study by British researchers found there are more genetic differences than similarities between biopsies taken from separate areas of the same tumor, and yet further gene differences in samples taken from secondary tumors.

That might help explain why, despite recent development of a wave of highly targeted drugs designed to tackle cancers of specific genetic types, the prognosis remains poor for many patients with so-called solid-tumor disease like breast, lung, or kidney cancer that has spread to others parts of the body.

But the researchers, whose study was partly funded by charity Cancer Research UK and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, said it also pointed to a way forward.

The team carried out the first ever genome-wide analysis of the genetic changes or faults in different regions of the same tumor.

They looked at four patients with cancer in their kidneys, taking samples from different regions of the primary tumor and also from other organs where the tumor had spread.

They found that the majority of gene faults, around two-thirds, were not the same in one sample as in another, even when the biopsies were taken from the same tumor.

Samples taken from secondary tumors - which are a result of the disease spreading to other parts of the body - had yet more different genetic faults, suggesting that basing treatment decisions on just one primary tumor sample is not sufficient.

"We've known for some time that tumors are a patchwork of faults, but this is the first time we've been able to use cutting-edge genome sequencing technology to map out the genetic landscape of a tumor in such exquisite detail," said Charles Swanton, of University College London's cancer institute, who led the study and presented its results at a briefing in London on Tuesday.

He said they had uncovered "an extraordinary amount of diversity" at a genetic level both within tumors and within a single patient, with more differences between biopsies from the same tumor than similarities.

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Cancer gene mutation more complex than previously thought

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SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

With the launch of Chinas 12th Five-year Plan for the biomedical industry, Chinas antibody drugs development will usher in a golden era. According to prediction of askci.com, by 2015, Chinas antibody drugs industry will record a total revenue of over RMB 40 billion, among which monoclonal antibody drugs will contribute over RMB 18 billion.

Under policy supports, Chinas antibodies R&D technology is constantly improving, with cancer and immune diseases as its main subjects, while therapeutic monoclonal antibodies also gained much progress. In addition, the enterprises have attached long-term importance to improving the protein expression in pilot trial and elevating the level of industrialization.

The 2nd Antibody Engineering Summit 2012 will discuss the policies, market, and R&D technologies, as well as arrange a GMP training session to interpret the latest standards and a factory tour to learn about the current technologies.

TOPICS:

PAST CHAIRMAN:

Ya-Jun Guo, Director of PLA General Hospital Cancer Center, Director of Cancer Research Institute of the Second Military Medical University and Chairman of National Engineering Research Center of Antibody Medicine and National Key Laboratory of Antibody Therapeutics.

PAST SPEAKERS/ATTENDEES:

ABOUT CBI

The medical conference team at CBI has long been committed to tracking the development and trend of medical industry, by adhering to the CBI principle of conducting in-depth study into the industry and keeping in close contact with industry players. The team takes a third-party perspective and regularly organizes summits on industrial hot issues. The ultimate goal is to serve professionals in the medical community by enhancing mutual understanding among domestic and overseas players, and by facilitating communication among research institutes, manufacturing enterprises and government institutions.

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2nd Antibody Engineering Summit 2012 to Open in Beijing This June

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Despite the evolutionary split with gorillas around 10 million years ago, we still share a remarkable number of genes with the great ape. Photo: AFP

HUMANS and gorillas last shared a common ancestor 10 million years ago, according to an analysis of the first full sequence of the gorilla genome. The gorilla is the last of the living great apes - humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans - to have its complete genetic code catalogued.

Scientists, led by researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge, England, and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, also found that 15 per cent of the gorilla's genetic code is closer between humans and gorillas than it is between humans and chimpanzees, our closest animal relative. The genomes of all three species are, in any case, highly similar: humans and chimpanzees share more than 98 per cent of their genes, while humans and gorillas share more than 96 per cent.

The genetic sequence was taken from a female western lowland gorilla named Kamilah and published in the science journal Nature.

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''Gorillas are an interesting animal in their right but the main reason they are of particular interest is because of their evolutionary closeness to us,'' said Aylwyn Scally, an author of the research from the institute. ''They're our second-closest evolutionary cousins after chimpanzees and knowing the content of the gorilla genome enables us to say quite a lot about an important period in human evolution when we were diverging from chimpanzees.''

Studying the gorilla genome suggests that the divergence of gorillas from the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees happened around 10 million years ago. Humans and chimpanzees last shared a common ancestor around 6 million years ago. Eastern and western gorillas split some time in the last million years.

One curious find was the evolution of genes associated with hearing, which seem very similar between humans and gorillas. ''Scientists had suggested that the rapid evolution of human hearing genes was linked to the evolution of language,'' said Chris Tyler-Smith, senior author from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. ''Our results cast doubt on this, as hearing genes have evolved in gorillas at a similar rate to those in humans.''

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Scientists unlock genetic code for gorillas - and show the human link

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Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Cancer / Oncology Also Included In: Genetics;Urology / Nephrology Article Date: 08 Mar 2012 - 2:00 PST

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Professor Peter Johnson, chief clinician at Cancer Research UK said in a statement that the study highlights "important differences that exist within tumours and suggest a way to improve the success rate of personalised cancer medicines".

The lead author of the study is Professor Charles Swanton, who works at Cancer Research UK's London Research Institute and the UCL Cancer Institute. He and his colleagues analyzed the genetic variation among different regions of the same cancer tumor, using samples donated by patients with advanced kidney cancer.

This is the first time genome-wide analysis has been used for this.

Swanton told the press that scientists have known for a while that a tumor is a "patchwork" of faults, but this is the first time, thanks to cutting edge genomic sequencing technology, scientists have been able to map the genetic landscape of a tumor in such "exquisite detail".

For the study, he and his colleagues compared the genetic variations in samples taken from different regions of four separate kidney tumors. They also took samples from other organs the cancer had spread to.

They found that about two thirds of the genetic faults in a tumor were not repeated across other biopsy samples from the same tumor.

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Tumor's Genetic Identity Not Revealed By Single Biopsy

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by Maggie Ruper

WHAS11.com

Posted on March 7, 2012 at 11:50 PM

Updated yesterday at 12:01 AM

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- New research published Wed. in the journal Science Translation Medicine, shows organ transplant recipients may not require anti-rejection medication after surgery.

The study, authored by University of Louisville professor Suzanne Ildstad, M.D., suggests bone marrow stem cells are able to trick the recipients immune system into thinking the donated organ is part of the patients natural self. It therefore eliminates the need for patients to take dozens of daily anti-rejection drugs.

Normally, if I have to transplant a kidney into a patient they have to take immunosuppression drugs for their lifetime and that's about 15 to 25 pills a day, said Ildstad.

Louisville native and father of four, Rob Waddell underwent the procedure in 2009 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He suffered from Polycystic Kidney Disease since he was 11 years old. His new kidney and the stem cells were donated to him by his next door neighbor.

It was a match and the rest is history. He's what I call my guardian angel," said Wadell.

The results were considered important because the technique worked for patients who did not have well-matched or related donors.

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UofL Professor’s study: Stem cells eliminate need for anti-rejection drugs

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