ScienceDaily (Mar. 6, 2012) A new research discovery by a team of Stanford and European scientists offers hope that people with atherosclerotic disease may one day be able to avoid limb amputation related to ischemia. A new research report appearing online in the FASEB Journal suggests that the delivery of genes for two molecules naturally produced by the body, called "PDGF-BB" and "VEGF" may successfully cause the body to grow new blood vessels that can save ischemic limbs.

"We hope that our findings will ultimately develop into a safe and effective therapy for the many patients, suffering from blocked arteries in the limbs, who are currently not adequately treated by surgery or drugs," said Helen M. Blau, Ph.D., a senior researcher involved in the work and Associate Editor of the FASEB Journal from the Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology at Stanford. "This could help avoid the devastating consequences of limb amputations for both patients and their families."

To make this discovery, Blau and colleagues, including Andrea Banfi (now at Basel University), introduced the genes for PDGF-BB and VEGF into the muscles of mice, either independently or together. When high doses of VEGF alone were produced, they caused the growth of vascular tumors. When the two factors were produced in unbalanced amounts, tumor growth also occurred. When VEGF and PDGF were delivered in a fixed ratio relative to one another, however, no tumors occurred, and blood flow was restored to ischemic muscle tissue and damage repaired without any toxic effects. To achieve a "balanced" delivery of PDGF-BB and VEGF, scientists placed both genes in a single gene therapy delivery mechanism, called a "vector."

Although the report shows the feasibility of growing robust and safe new blood vessels that restore blood flow to diseased tissues, Blau points out that "there are multiple challenges to correcting peripheral vasculature disease by using proangiogenic gene therapy strategies. Two important challenges are what to deliver and how to get it to where it can have beneficial effects. Clinical success will require both delivering a gene therapy construct that encodes for effective angiogenic factors and ensuring that the sites of delivery are where the construct can have the greatest clinical benefit."

"This ingenious work, based on the latest techniques of molecular biology, tells us that it is possible to reinvigorate parts of our body that can't get enough blood to keep them going," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the FASEB Journal. "The next question is whether this approach will work in humans and exactly how to deliver the new treatment to places that need it the most."

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Gene therapy approach to grow blood vessels in ischemic limbs

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19-02-2012 22:16 SNP Stem Cell Activator Program : Functional wrinkle cosmetic product Registered for the first time in the nation and third in the world in ICID and contains a new natural material called stem cell activator. SNP ACSYS LINE : SNP ACSYS LINE is the foundation exclusive for oily and troubled skin. It makes oily and troubled skin texture, which is shiny and sticky, neat and clean by adjusting excessively secreted serum. snpcos.en.ecplaza.net

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Stem Cell Activator Program by SD Biotechnologies - Video

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CAMBRIDGE, UK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Lab21 Limited, the global specialist in personalized medicine and clinical diagnostics, today announces the launch of a new Clinical Genomics Center located within the Greenville Hospital System (GHS) Memorial Medical Campus in Greenville, South Carolina.

The center will be physically located within the GHS Institute for Translational Oncology Research (ITOR) as part of an on-going collaboration to facilitate the introduction of complex biomarker analysis into routine cancer patient management. This represents a long-standing commitment from the local oncology community and Lab21 to introduce state-of-the-art next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology as part of its growing translational medicine clinical services portfolio in the US.

Bringing this leading-edge technology to the cancer clinic represents a significant breakthrough and the culmination of a seven-year journey, said Dr. Joe Stephenson, medical director for ITOR. This genomics center is another major step towards fulfilling our vision to provide personalized cancer care better enabling us to offer the right drug, at the right time, to the right patient.

The establishment of this center was facilitated through a strategic relationship with Life Technologies who are providing their new Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine as the key launch platform technology. Michael Bolick, President of Lab21 Inc., explained we conducted extensive due diligence on the underpinning technology for the center and are confident that our engagement with Life Technologies will enable us to offer a comprehensive and cost-effective NGS service to the oncology community.

Lab21s CEO, Graham Mullis, said: This is a major step forward for Lab21 in North America and we are delighted to be working with Dr. Joe Stephenson and the team at ITOR in this fast changing market of personalized medicine. The establishment of this center underlines our commitment to our personalized medicine strategy and to introduce state-of-the-art molecular services and products into North America. It also reinforces our relationship with ITOR and the potential to use this technology for clinical trial applications with a view to identifying new biomarkers which can subsequently build our proprietary companion diagnostic portfolio. Importantly, it marks our intention to utilize this NGS technology in other therapeutic areas in addition to oncology. Lab21 is a company with an established business in infectious diseases, particularly virology, and we are already negotiating new contracts to exploit this expertise using NGS technology.

END

About Lab21

Lab21 is a global leader in personalized healthcare. It provides diagnostic products and services and supports blood bank screening, medical diagnostics and drug discovery. Lab21 customers include international healthcare providers, pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies. The Products division of Lab21 manufactures immunodiagnostic kits and reagents that are distributed internationally and is focused on infectious diseases for the blood-banking and clinical markets. Our clinical services operations have a growing test portfolio providing companion diagnostics and high technology molecular assays. Lab21's corporate offices are based in Cambridge, UK and Greenville, South Carolina, with a GMP manufacturing site in Cambridge and other manufacturing facilities in Newmarket, Camberley, Manchester and Bridport. Website: http://www.lab21.com

About GHS

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Lab21 and ITOR launch Clinical Genomics Center in USA

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By Ian Lucas MP - 6th March 2012

Ahead of tomorrow's Spinal Research parliamentary reception, Ian Lucas MP urges parliamentarians to learn more about the concerns of those afflicted with spinal cord injuries.

I first saw the devastating effects that spinal cord injuries can have on someone in my former life when working as a personal injury lawyer. I saw also how the right specialist treatment, promptly delivered, can in many cases help a patient walk again.

The reasons for the injuries varied from client to client and included road traffic accidents, sporting accidents and accidents in the workplace. At the very least the injury posed uncertainty and difficult challenges for the affected person and their families. At worst, it turned worlds upside down.

I helped form the all-party parliamentary group on spinal cord injury, which I chair, to promote greater awareness of the impact of spinal cord injuries and the importance of correct, prompt treatment. The group works closely with spinal injuries patients, medical specialists and related groups in particular, the Spinal Injuries Association. The aims of the group are to look into issues faced by people with spinal injuries, particularly focusing on developments in treatments, as well as social care and wider issues.

The group has concentrated on the importance of specialised NHS spinal units. Initial handling of a spinal cord injury at the acute stage is critical to the chances of recovery, as is timing. Patients with trauma to the spinal cord who have decompression surgery within 24 hours of the injury have a much higher chance of improved neurological recovery than those who had to wait longer. Put simply, this means that less damage will occur to the brain and nervous system if patients receive this treatment.

The specialist centres which provide such treatment need to be protected, and the debate into this and related issues will only intensify as the governments proposed reorganisation of the NHS continues to be contested.

Similarly, people with spinal cord injuries are very concerned about some aspects of the Welfare Reform Bill. Understandably, there have been calls from patients and medical specialists for reassurance and safeguards to help those most vulnerable.

Spinal Research does invaluable work. The UK-based charity funds medical research on a global scale, to develop reliable treatment for paralysis caused by a spinal injury. I am delighted to be hosting the Spinal Research Parliamentary Reception on Wednesday 7 March.

This is an opportunity for parliamentary colleagues to learn more about spinal injuries and their impact on their constituents. The event will provide a forum to discuss the current issues affecting those with spinal cord injuries, including developments in the treatment. This needs to be firmly on the political agenda. Please come along!

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Putting spinal cord injury on the political agenda

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HOLLISTON, Mass., March 6, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Harvard Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq:HBIO - News), a global developer, manufacturer, and marketer of a broad range of tools to advance life science research and regenerative medicine is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mr. Christopher Lyles. Mr. Lyles was a recent recipient of a tracheal transplant regenerated in a Harvard Bioscience InBreath Bioreactor. Currently, we do not know the cause of Mr. Lyle's death. Our thoughts are with his family at this time. His family has released the following statement:

"We, the family of Christopher Lyles, sorrowfully inform you that Christopher passed away this morning, March 5, 2012. Christopher was a recipient and strong advocate of stem cell therapy. We do not want his journey to be in vain. We hope his bravery will pave the way for further research and development and acceptance of stem cell based therapies in the United States. We would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers throughout Christopher's trailblazing journey."

About Harvard Bioscience

Harvard Bioscience ("HBIO") is a global developer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialized products, primarily apparatus and scientific instruments, used to advance life science research and regenerative medicine. We sell our products to thousands of researchers in over 100 countries primarily through our 850 page catalog (and various other specialty catalogs), our website, through distributors, including GE Healthcare, Thermo Fisher Scientific and VWR, and via our field sales organization. HBIO has sales and manufacturing operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany and Spain with additional facilities in France and Canada. For more information, please visit http://www.harvardbioscience.com.

The Harvard Bioscience, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6426

Forward-looking Statements

The statements made in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. You can identify these forward-looking statements by our use of such words as "will," "guidance," "objectives," "optimistic," "potential," "future," "expect," "plans," "estimates," "continue," "drive," "strategy," "crucial," "potential," "potentially," "growth," "long-term," "projects," "projected," "produce," "intends," "believes," "goals," "sees," "seek," "develop," "possible," "new," "enabling," "emerging," "opportunity," "pursue" and similar expressions that do not relate to historical matters. Forward-looking statements in this press release may include, but are not limited to, statements or inferences about the HBIO's or management's beliefs or expectations, the field of regenerative medicine, opportunities or potential opportunities in the field of regenerative medicine, HBIO's business strategy, the positioning of HBIO for growth, the market demand and opportunity for HBIO's current products or products it is developing or intends to develop, and HBIO's plans, objectives and intentions that are not historical facts.

These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause HBIO's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause HBIO's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, HBIO's failure to successfully expand its product offerings, introduce new products or commercialize new technologies, including in the field of regenerative medicine, decreased demand for the HBIO's products, including products in the field of regenerative medicine, due to changes in our customers' needs, our ability to obtain regulatory approvals, including FDA approval, for our products, including any products in the field of regenerative medicine, the current size or anticipated size of the regenerative medicine market, the existence and size of opportunities in the regenerative medicine market, our financial position, plus risk factors set forth under the heading "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in HBIO's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 or described in HBIO's other public filings. HBIO's results may also be affected by factors of which HBIO is not currently aware. HBIO may not update these forward-looking statements, even though its situation may change in the future, unless it has obligations under the federal securities laws to update and disclose material developments related to previously disclosed information.

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Harvard Bioscience Comments on the Passing of Christopher Lyles

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Public release date: 6-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elisabeth (Lisa) Lyons elyons@cell.com 617-386-2121 Cell Press

In a perfect world, we could eat to our heart's content without sacrificing our health and good looks, and now it appears that maybe we can. Mice with an extra dose of a known anti-cancer gene lose weight even as their appetites grow. Not only that, but according to the report in the March issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism, the animals also live longer, and that isn't just because they aren't getting cancer, either.

One of the animals' youthful secrets is hyperactive brown fat, which burns energy instead of storing it. The findings add to evidence that tumor suppressors aren't designed only to protect us against cancer, the researchers say. They also point to new treatment strategies aimed to boost brown fat and fight aging.

"Tumor suppressors are actually genes that have been used by evolution to protect us from all kinds of abnormalities," said Manuel Serrano of the Spanish National Cancer Research Center.

In this case, the researchers studied a tumor suppressor commonly lost in human cancers. Mice with an extra copy of the gene known as Pten didn't get cancer, but that's not the half of it. Those mice were also leaner, even as they ate more than controls, Serrano said. That suggested that the animals were experiencing some sort of metabolic imbalanceand a beneficial one at that.

Cancer protection aside, the animals lived longer than usual. They were also less prone to insulin resistance and had less fat in their livers. Those benefits seem to trace back to the fact that those Pten mice were burning more calories thanks to overactive brown fat. Studies in isolated brown fat cells confirmed that a boost in Pten increases the activity of those cells. Pten also made it easier for brown fat to form.

"This tumor suppressor protects against metabolic damage associated with aging by turning on brown fat," Serrano says.

A small compound inhibitor that mimics the effects of Pten also came with those varied benefits. That's encouraging news for the prospect of finding a drug that might do for us what the extra Pten gene did for the mice.

After all, Serrano said, humans were built for a time when 30 would have been considered old age. "We're well protected against cancer and cardiovascular disease" early in life. As it has become commonplace to live to the age of 80, we could all use a little help.

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With extra gene, mice are footloose and cancer free

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Public release date: 6-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Juan J. Gmez juanj.gomez@cnio.es Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncologicas (CNIO)

This result, obtained after five years' research, is published in leading journal Cell Metabolism. The authors, led by Manuel Serrano (CNIO), believe it will open the door to new therapeutic options not only against cancer, but against obesity and even the ageing process.

The team has also demonstrated that a synthetic compound developed in-house produces the same anti-obesity benefits in animals as the study gene.

Their findings add new weight to a hypothesis that is gaining currency among researchers in the field; namely that cancer and ageing, and now obesity too, are all manifestations of the same global process that unfolds in the body as its tissues accumulate more damage than natural repair mechanisms are able to cope with.

Prominent among these natural repair mechanisms are a small set of genes noted primarily for their protective effect against cancer. In recent years, some of these genes have also been shown to promote longevity again by researchers from the CNIO and to play a significant role in other high-incidence conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

The Serrano team set out to test whether the Pten gene, one of the four most potent anti-cancer genes, could be linked to other beneficial effects, particularly longevity.

And it turns out the answer is yes. The CNIO researchers created transgenic mice with double the standard levels of the Pten protein. The animals, as anticipated, proved far more resistant to cancer than their non-transgenic fellows. But they also lived an average of 12% longer.

This effect is independent of cancer resistance. It is not that the mice die of cancer later than otherwise, but that those that never develop cancer also live longer and exhibit fewer ageing-related symptoms. As the researchers put it, "Pten has a direct impact on length of life."

A "real surprise"

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CNIO scientists discover in studies with mice that an anti-cancer gene also fights obesity

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London, March 6 (ANI): A gene involved in fat taste may explain why some people like fatty foods and others prefer low-fat diets, a new study suggests.

About five years ago, animal studies first revealed the presence of entirely novel types of oral fat sensors or receptors on the tongue.

Prior to this time, it was believed that fats were perceived only by flavour and texture cues. With this new information, "everything that we thought we knew about fat perception got turned on its head," said Beverly Tepper, a professor in the Department of Food Science at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.

Tepper has been studying consumer preferences for high-fat versus low-fat foods, and has been intrigued by the questions: "Why are some people more sensitive and others less sensitive to fat?" "Is this a personal trait?" "And do genes contribute to these differences?"

Those new discoveries suggest that fats are perceived on the tongue as a "taste" sensation by binding to specialized receptors on taste buds.

More specifically, Tepper explained, "fats are broken down in the mouth to fatty acids, and it's the fatty acids that bind to these receptors."

One oral fat receptor that has attracted a great deal of recent attention is CD36, a carrier protein that helps fatty acids traverse cell membranes in many tissues of the body.

But how is CD36 related to consumer fat preferences and the possible genetic differences that Tepper and colleagues are so keen on understanding?

The answer lies in a new study by Tepper, in conjunction with her former student Kathleen Keller, who received her Ph.D. in 2002 from Rutgers' graduate program in nutritional sciences.

Keller, now an assistant professor of nutritional sciences at The Pennsylvania State University and lead author on the article, studied an overweight population of African-American adults and found those who had a specific change or variation in the CD36 gene perceived the creaminess and fattiness of salad dressings quite well, but they were less able to differentiate the high-fat from the low-fat versions.

Originally posted here:
Gene linked to preference of high-fat foods

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

05-03-2012 18:07 Dead Doctors Don't Lie Program 02 March 2012 Monologue Dr. Wallach starts the show discussing genetic diseases. Contending that most diseases that have been deemed "genetic" such as Lou Gehrigs disease, Alzheirmer's, Type 2 diabetes and arthritis. Asserting these are due to nutritional deficiencies either in the child or in the mother during conception. Pearls of Wisdom Doug Winfrey and Dr. Wallach discuss two news articles concerning anti-depressant drugs. A study conducted by a Harvard psychologist an Irving Kirsch who has researched the "placebo effects" for over 30 years. Using data he obtained through the Freedom of Information Act has concluded that anti-depressant drug clinical trials showed no proof of efficacy. Finding that several trials showed no efficacy and a small amount showed some efficacy. Only these trials were submitted to the FDA and were ultimately approved for the market. Irving Kirsch has concluded those showing some efficacy were due to the placebo effect. Calls * Bruce has questions regarding joint pain. * JP asks questions concerning hypertension, high cholesterol and ED (erectile dysfunction). * Ray has frequent urination and sinusitis. * Greg has two questions the first concerns his father who has neuropathies in his legs and gout. Second he has questions regarding a friend's mother who has kidney cancer. Call Dr. Wallach's live radio program weekdays from noon until 1pm pacific time at 831-685-1080 or toll free at 831-685-2552. to add comment ...

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3/5 Dead Doctors Don't Lie Program - Genetic Diseases - Video

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05-03-2012 18:36 Dead Doctors Don't Lie Program 02 March 2012 Monologue Dr. Wallach starts the show discussing genetic diseases. Contending that most diseases that have been deemed "genetic" such as Lou Gehrigs disease, Alzheirmer's, Type 2 diabetes and arthritis. Asserting these are due to nutritional deficiencies either in the child or in the mother during conception. Pearls of Wisdom Doug Winfrey and Dr. Wallach discuss two news articles concerning anti-depressant drugs. A study conducted by a Harvard psychologist an Irving Kirsch who has researched the "placebo effects" for over 30 years. Using data he obtained through the Freedom of Information Act has concluded that anti-depressant drug clinical trials showed no proof of efficacy. Finding that several trials showed no efficacy and a small amount showed some efficacy. Only these trials were submitted to the FDA and were ultimately approved for the market. Irving Kirsch has concluded those showing some efficacy were due to the placebo effect. Calls * Bruce has questions regarding joint pain. * JP asks questions concerning hypertension, high cholesterol and ED (erectile dysfunction). * Ray has frequent urination and sinusitis. * Greg has two questions the first concerns his father who has neuropathies in his legs and gout. Second he has questions regarding a friend's mother who has kidney cancer. Call Dr. Wallach's live radio program weekdays from noon until 1pm pacific time at 831-685-1080 or toll free at 831-685-2552. to add comment ...

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4/5 Dead Doctors Don't Lie Program - Genetic Diseases - Video

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

Foundation Medicine, Inc., a molecular information company that brings comprehensive cancer genomic analysis to routine clinical care, today announced a collaboration with Array BioPharma (NASDAQ: ARRY - News). Foundation Medicine will use its genomic sequencing and analytic capabilities to assess potentially relevant molecular alterations to assist Array in targeting patients that are most likely to respond to treatment.

Foundation Medicine has established a remarkable portfolio of collaborations around the discovery and clinical development of targeted cancer therapeutics, said Michael J. Pellini, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Foundation Medicine. The molecular information generated by our platform is designed to help biopharma companies like Array expedite the development of targeted drug candidates that impact the genomic pathways driving a specific cancer.

Array has a portfolio of targeted cancer agents in early stages of clinical development. Through this collaboration with Foundation Medicine, Array intends to determine the genetic profile of tumors of patients who are treated with certain of its anticancer agents. The goal of this work is to understand how to identify patients who may respond to a given targeted therapy to ensure that each patient gets the optimal drug to treat their individual disease.

Foundation Medicines industry and academic partnerships complement the companys core cancer diagnostics capability, a comprehensive cancer genomic test that provides physicians with genomic information that may help match patients with treatments or clinical trials specific for the genomic profile of their tumor.

About Foundation Medicines Comprehensive Cancer Genomic Test

Foundation Medicines comprehensive cancer genomic test uses next-generation sequencing to analyze routine clinical specimens (i.e., small amounts of formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tumor tissue) for molecular alterations in approximately 200 cancer-related genes. The test is optimized for clinical-grade analysis of tumor tissues, overcoming multiple complexities (such as purity, ploidy, and clonality) inherent to tumor genomes. Test results are reported through a secure, interactive website linking genomic data to a structured knowledge base of relevant, publicly available scientific and medical information. The company also aims to provide information on relevant clinical trials to enable a more rapid recruitment of patients into trials for targeted therapies. Foundation Medicines test can serve as a helpful decision-support tool for physicians to recommend cancer treatment approaches tailored to each patients molecular subtype.

About Foundation Medicine

Foundation Medicine is dedicated to improving cancer care through the development of comprehensive cancer diagnostics that will help physicians inform treatment decisions based on an individual patients molecular cancer subtype. Foundation Medicines first laboratory developed test, based on a next-generation sequencing platform, is designed to accommodate a broad landscape of cancer genome information and a growing repertoire of targeted treatments and clinical research opportunities. Foundation Medicines test will assist physicians to make prompt and informed determinations about the best cancer treatments and clinical trial options for each patient, taking into account each patients unique cancer-associated alterations alongside publicly available scientific and medical information. The companys founding advisors are world leaders in genome technology, cancer biology and medical oncology; they, alongside clinicians, biotech and molecular diagnostics industry leaders, are working to harness emerging technologies to develop unparalleled tests that will identify and interpret an ever-growing set of actionable genomic alterations, truly enabling personalized cancer medicine. For more information, please visit the companys website at http://www.foundationmedicine.com.

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Foundation Medicine Announces Collaboration with Array BioPharma

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Eight mutations occurred in the common bacteria Staphylococcus aureus as it turned from an innocuous resident inside one persons nose into a fatal blood infection, an Oxford University study has found.

The study, which sequenced the complete DNA of the bacteria at regular time intervals, was able to identify for the first time the genetic changes that accompanied the transition to a dangerous infection.

Understanding the biological causes of serious bacterial infections could help guide screening in hospitals, and could inform efforts to develop vaccines against such infections. The study is published in the journal PNAS and was carried out in partnership with Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust through the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre.

"We have observed a significant genetic change in the bacteria corresponding with the development of a fatal blood infection," said Dr Bernadette Young of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at Oxford University, one of the lead researchers.

"It is one case study we simply dont know how much these results will be mirrored in others. But it could be a step towards identifying genetic changes that may be important in driving infection generally."

S. aureus is common, with one in four people carrying it inside the nose without any symptoms. Occasionally S. aureus can cause serious invasive infections, such as blood poisoning. Blood poisoning can develop as a complication of a skin infection, or via medical equipment that goes inside the body such as a feeding tube or catheter. But sometimes it appears to occur spontaneously, and it is thought that this can happen when nasal bacteria change in some way to allow invasive disease.

The Oxford researchers set out to understand more about the carriage of S. aureus inside the nose. They enrolled over 1,100 adults at GP practices in Oxfordshire and carried out nasal swabs. 360 people were found to carry S. aureus, who were then monitored with regular nasal swabs.

However, one elderly participant became ill a number of months into the study. The participant developed a serious condition requiring treatment, but soon after became unwell with blood poisoning and later passed away.

Complete DNA sequencing of the bacteria from the patients blood showed just a handful of changes from the bacteria in nose swabs before the patient became ill. It was the same bug causing infection that had been carried in the nose. But the few DNA changes may have been significant.

Eight new mutations were detected in the bacterial DNA from the patients blood. Four of the mutations cut genes short and are likely to have impaired the functions of bacterial proteins. One of these was in a protein that regulates stress response and virulence in S. aureus and could conceivably be connected to a biological change leading to infection.

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Genetic changes tracked as bacteria become a fatal infection

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Editor's Choice Main Category: Genetics Article Date: 06 Mar 2012 - 9:00 PST

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At the university's Genomics and Pathology Services (GPS), the researchers will sequence the patient's DNA at no cost to the advocacy groups or to patients.

Jimmy Lin, Ph.D., research instructor in pathology and immunology, explained:

Rare genetic diseases range from Neimann-Pick, a metabolic disorder which can occur in infancy, to Huntington's disease, a neurodegenrative disorder diagnosed in adulthood.

DNA sequencing is currently faster, cheaper and more accurate, as a result of advances in technology in recent years. For individuals suffering with rare diseases, researchers are now able to use DNA sequencing in order to identify the genetic flaw or flaws most likely responsible for their disease.

It is believed that several rare diseases are caused by genetic mutations in the small part of the DNA that codes for proteins, collectively known as the exome. The researchers will sequence this part of the DNA.

In early 2011, the genetic causes for 39 rare diseases were identified using exome sequencing, and according to scientists, this is just the start.

Karen Seibert, Ph.D., director of GPS and research professor of pathology and immunology, said:

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DNA Sequencing To Identify Genetic Flaws Responsible For Rare Diseases

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TUESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- New research offers potential insight into the connection between cancer, obesity and longevity in humans by showing that genetically modified mice live longer, skinnier and almost cancer-free lives.

There are quite a few differences between mice and humans, especially in regard to the type of fat that's apparently affected by the genetic tweak, so there's no way to know if the research could lead to benefits in humans. Even if medications based on the research are developed, no one knows what the side effects in people might be or their eventual cost.

Still, a potential drug "could have two benefits: adding some extra protection against cancer and protecting us from overeating," said Manuel Serrano, senior group leader at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center in Madrid and co-author of a study appearing in the March issue of Cell Metabolism.

At issue is a gene called Pten that boosts the body's cancer-fighting powers. Mutations in the gene can contribute to the development of cancer.

The researchers genetically engineered mice to have extra copies of the gene. The mice didn't suffer from side effects, Serrano said, and they managed to live 15 percent longer than other mice and suffer from less cancer.

He acknowledged, however, that figuring out a mouse's cause of death can be a challenge.

Mice that ate a high-fat diet also managed to be leaner, suggesting that the genetic tweak affected their ability to gain weight even when they would normally be packing on the extra ounces.

Serrano said the key seems to be the tweak's effect on something known as brown fat.

Both mice and humans have brown fat, but it's better understood in mice, he noted. In mice, it appears to burn regular "white fat" and be activated when it's cold or when the mice eat too much, Serrano said.

"Brown fat is very abundant and active in mice, but in humans it is scarce," Serrano explained. "At present, it is not known whether pushing the brown fat in humans will have a significant effect in fat burning."

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Genetic Tweak Helps Mice Avoid Cancer, Obesity: Study

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Signal Genetics, a privately held cancer genetics testing company, today announced the launch of its new physician portal and analysis tool, ResultsPX. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant web portal will enhance physicians ability to administer and analyze the results of Signal Genetics predictive genomic tests, including MyPRS PlusTM for multiple myeloma and PrevistageTM GCC for colon cancer staging and recurrence.

Signal Genetics physician customers can use ResultsPX to retrieve the results of tests performed by Signal Genetics at its CLIA certified laboratories, and to conduct their own, deeper analysis of their patients genomic profile to better inform treatment decisions. The portal will initially be available to physicians that order Signal Genetics genomic tests, as well as select hospitals in Europe.

Our ResultsPX web portal combines state-of-the-art genomic science and technology to produce interactive, exhaustive genomic data analysis to physicians globally. We believe putting more information in the hands of physicians will enable them to make the most informed decisions for their patients, said Joe Hernandez, President and CEO of Signal Genetics. This innovative and secure technology is a key complement to our assays, and makes our strong portfolio of predictive molecular diagnostic tests for various cancers even more accessible. The portal is completely scalable, and will also support each of our genomic tests in development upon launch, including our products in development for breast cancer and lung cancer.

ResultsPX will also enable remote interpretation of Signal Genetics test algorithms in a secure and controlled environment. In Europe, where testing is typically done in internal hospital laboratories, physicians will be able to run Signal Genetics assays on-site with ResultsPX, eliminating the need to ship patient samples to labs. The portals unique technology and strict quality control standards will allow hospitals to receive accurate test results within minutes.

For more information, please visit: http://www.SignalGenetics.com

About Signal Genetics

Signal Genetics, the parent company of Myeloma Health LLC, CC Health, Respira Health, and ChipDX, is a privately held predictive genetic testing company focused on helping cancer patients. MyPRS Plus stratifies risk for patients with multiple myeloma and provides additional insights in to the genetic characteristics of each individual patient. PrevistageTM GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test currently is the only colorectal cancer staging test on the market that provides prognostic information based on the tumor burden measured at the molecular level in the lymph nodes. The goal of Signal Genetics is to provide cancer patients and their physicians with novel and innovative insights into their disease, including predicting outcomes, accurately staging disease, providing odds of relapse, and identifying the optimal treatment regimen based on their specific genetic profile. Additional information is available at http://www.signalgenetics.com

Link:
Signal Genetics Announces Launch of New Physician Web Portal and Genetic Test Results Analysis Tool

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

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

Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB:NVLX), an emerging biotechnology provider of cell and gene therapy solutions, today pointed out the potential for substantial partnership and licensing opportunities using the companys cell encapsulation technology for applications in stem cell research and medicine. Migration of implanted cells away from the target site and host rejection have been recognized as fundamental challenges faced by the stem cell community regarding their use in therapy, which the companys technology overcomes.

The technology being acquired from associate SG Austria is used to place live stem cells into strong, flexible and permeable capsules. These capsules can then be implanted into animals or humans for specific therapies. Stem cells can then exist at the desired location inside the capsules, prevented from migrating and protected from the immune system that aims to eliminate such foreign cells from the body.

Stem cell therapy is being used by clinicians throughout the world for treating such diverse diseases as spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, burns, glioma, multiple myeloma, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy, and age-related macular degeneration, among others, most of which can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov.

Historically, researchers have faced numerous difficulties in succeeding with certain stem cell treatments, because of the problems associated with keeping stem cells alive for significant periods of time, stopping rejection and destruction by the recipients immune system, and keeping stem cells from migrating away from the desired sites. Cells encapsulated in SG Austrias porous beads have been shown to remain alive for long periods of time in humans, surviving intact for at least two years. Once encapsulated, cells are protected from the bodys immune system. Furthermore, encapsulated cells remain within the beads and are unable to migrate to other sites in the body.

In the February 29, 2012 research report, Goldman Small Cap Research stated, The Cell-in-a-Box approach could significantly advance the implementation and utilization of stem cells for a host of debilitating diseases and conditions, making it a uniquely valuable commodity. We believe that by partnering with leading players in the field, Nuvilex could find that companies with deep pockets would be happy to collaborate or license the delivery system and engage in further research which could result in meaningful development and licensing revenue.

Dr. Robert Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Nuvilex, discussed the value for licensing the companys stem cell therapy, adding, By overcoming traditional barriers to effective stem cell therapy, namely viability, migration, and host rejection, we believe these new advances in medical science utilizing stem cells and encapsulation will enable us to take quantum leaps forward now and in the future. As a result of challenges SG Austria has overcome, new advances will be surprisingly close at hand and are part of the driving force behind our desire to work with a number of companies in this endeavor. Our primary goal has been and remains to use our technology to bring life changing treatments to patients on an expedited basis.

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 Forecasts Vast Partnership Opportunities Using Breakthrough Stem Cell Technology

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 6-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cody Mooneyhan cmooneyhan@faseb.org 301-634-7104 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

Bethesda, MDA new research discovery by a team of Stanford and European scientists offers hope that people with atherosclerotic disease may one day be able to avoid limb amputation related to ischemia. A new research report appearing online in the FASEB Journal suggests that the delivery of genes for two molecules naturally produced by the body, called "PDGF-BB" and "VEGF" may successfully cause the body to grow new blood vessels that can save ischemic limbs.

"We hope that our findings will ultimately develop into a safe and effective therapy for the many patients, suffering from blocked arteries in the limbs, who are currently not adequately treated by surgery or drugs," said Helen M. Blau, Ph.D., a senior researcher involved in the work and Associate Editor of the FASEB Journal from the Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology at Stanford. "This could help avoid the devastating consequences of limb amputations for both patients and their families."

To make this discovery, Blau and colleagues, including Andrea Banfi (now at Basel University), introduced the genes for PDGF-BB and VEGF into the muscles of mice, either independently or together. When high doses of VEGF alone were produced, they caused the growth of vascular tumors. When the two factors were produced in unbalanced amounts, tumor growth also occurred. When VEGF and PDGF were delivered in a fixed ratio relative to one another, however, no tumors occurred, and blood flow was restored to ischemic muscle tissue and damage repaired without any toxic effects. To achieve a "balanced" delivery of PDGF-BB and VEGF, scientists placed both genes in a single gene therapy delivery mechanism, called a "vector."

Although the report shows the feasibility of growing robust and safe new blood vessels that restore blood flow to diseased tissues, Blau points out that "there are multiple challenges to correcting peripheral vasculature disease by using proangiogenic gene therapy strategies. Two important challenges are what to deliver and how to get it to where it can have beneficial effects. Clinical success will require both delivering a gene therapy construct that encodes for effective angiogenic factors and ensuring that the sites of delivery are where the construct can have the greatest clinical benefit."

"This ingenious work, based on the latest techniques of molecular biology, tells us that it is possible to reinvigorate parts of our body that can't get enough blood to keep them going," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the FASEB Journal. "The next question is whether this approach will work in humans and exactly how to deliver the new treatment to places that need it the most."

###

Receive monthly highlights from the FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fjupdate.aspx. The FASEB Journal is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) and is the most cited biology journal worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information. In 2010, the journal was recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century. FASEB is composed of 26 societies with more than 100,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States. Celebrating 100 Years of Advancing the Life Sciences in 2012, FASEB is rededicating its efforts to advance health and well-being by promoting progress and education in biological and biomedical sciences through service to our member societies and collaborative advocacy.

Details: Andrea Banfi, Georges von Degenfeld, Roberto Gianni-Barrera, Silvia Reginato, Milton J. Merchant, Donald M. McDonald, and Helen M. Blau. Therapeutic angiogenesis due to balanced single-vector delivery of VEGF and PDGF-BB. FASEB J. doi:10.1096/fj.11-197400 ; http://www.fasebj.org/content/early/2012/03/05/fj.11-197400.abstract

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Stanford scientists develop gene therapy approach to grow blood vessels in ischemic limbs

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PHILADELPHIA Jamie Shuda, EdD, director of life science outreach at the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IRM), and coordinator of life science education at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships also at Penn, along with Steve Farber, PhD, Investigator, Embryology Department, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, have been awarded the Hamburger Outstanding Educator Prize from the Society for Developmental Biology (SBD).

Shuda and Farber run Project BioEYES, a K-12 science education program that provides classroom-based, hands-on learning using live zebrafish to teach about how cells and animals develop. The program is located within the Perelman School of Medicine, Penn; the Carnegie Institution; Notre Dame University in South Bend, IN; and Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, among others, and reaches over 9,000 students per year.

"I am honored that the Society for Developmental Biology has chosen me and Dr. Farber as the 2012 recipients of the Viktor Hamburger prize," says Shuda. "Project BioEYES exemplifies how scientists and educators can come together to teach cutting edge, exciting science to students of all ages. Collaboration across disciplines is greatly supported by Penn and the IRM and it is wonderful that the university is being recognized for their public engagement. Viktor Hamburger was a pioneer in both science and teaching and I hope our education programs inspire more scientists just like him."

With over 10 years of experience in public education, Dr. Shuda has worked with teachers, students, and university staff to develop innovative science curricula. Her research focuses on the role informal science education plays in developing an effective science curriculum in K-12 schools and the characteristics of successful university and community partnerships to enhance science education at the undergraduate level. At the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Shuda teaches Stem Cell Science in Schools: History, Ethics, and Education, which provides university and high school students with the opportunity to learn the science of stem cells while becoming deeply engaged with social and ethical issues relevant to everyday life. Dr. Shuda holds an MS.Ed and teaching certification from Drexel University and an Ed.D in education policy from Temple University.

Established in 2002 by the SDB Board of Directors in honor of Dr. Viktor Hamburger and sponsored by the Professional Development and Education Committee, this Hamburger award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to developmental biology education. The recipients deliver a lecture at the Education Symposium of the SDB Annual Meetings.

Penn's Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools and among the top 10 schools for primary care. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $507.6 million awarded in the 2010 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2010, Penn Medicine provided $788 million to benefit our community.

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Penn Medicine Science Educator Recognized by Society for Developmental Biology

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 pointed out the potential for substantial partnership and licensing opportunities using the companys cell encapsulation technology for applications in stem cell research and medicine. Migration of implanted cells away from the target site and host rejection have been recognized as fundamental challenges faced by the stem cell community regarding their use in therapy, which the companys technology overcomes.

The technology being acquired from associate SG Austria is used to place live stem cells into strong, flexible and permeable capsules. These capsules can then be implanted into animals or humans for specific therapies. Stem cells can then exist at the desired location inside the capsules, prevented from migrating and protected from the immune system that aims to eliminate such foreign cells from the body.

Stem cell therapy is being used by clinicians throughout the world for treating such diverse diseases as spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, burns, glioma, multiple myeloma, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy, and age-related macular degeneration, among others, most of which can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov.

Historically, researchers have faced numerous difficulties in succeeding with certain stem cell treatments, because of the problems associated with keeping stem cells alive for significant periods of time, stopping rejection and destruction by the recipients immune system, and keeping stem cells from migrating away from the desired sites. Cells encapsulated in SG Austrias porous beads have been shown to remain alive for long periods of time in humans, surviving intact for at least two years. Once encapsulated, cells are protected from the bodys immune system. Furthermore, encapsulated cells remain within the beads and are unable to migrate to other sites in the body.

In the February 29, 2012 research report, Goldman Small Cap Research stated, The Cell-in-a-Box approach could significantly advance the implementation and utilization of stem cells for a host of debilitating diseases and conditions, making it a uniquely valuable commodity. We believe that by partnering with leading players in the field, Nuvilex could find that companies with deep pockets would be happy to collaborate or license the delivery system and engage in further research which could result in meaningful development and licensing revenue.

Dr. Robert Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Nuvilex, discussed the value for licensing the companys stem cell therapy, adding, By overcoming traditional barriers to effective stem cell therapy, namely viability, migration, and host rejection, we believe these new advances in medical science utilizing stem cells and encapsulation will enable us to take quantum leaps forward now and in the future. As a result of challenges SG Austria has overcome, new advances will be surprisingly close at hand and are part of the driving force behind our desire to work with a number of companies in this endeavor. Our primary goal has been and remains to use our technology to bring life changing treatments to patients on an expedited basis.

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.

Safe Harbor Statement

Read the original:
Nuvilex Forecasts Vast Partnership Opportunities Using Breakthrough Stem Cell Technology

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Texas State radiation therapy students traveled to the University of Texas Pan America last weekend to collect enough bone marrow registrations to save the lives of 1,613 cancer patients.

The Kathy Soliz Texas State Radiation Therapy Outreach Program set up tables in prime locations around the campus on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. They asked passing students if they had five minutes to save a life. On the first day, the program exceeded 600 registrations, their target number for the whole trip.

Testing for a bone marrow match includes filling out a form and swabbing the inside of the cheek with a Q-tip. Donors can be called at anytime during their lives to save a life.

The program is named after Kathy Soliz, who fought leukemia for 10 years before losing her battle with cancer approximately one year ago. As a Hispanic, she only had about a one in 600,000 chance to find a bone marrow match. Soliz had two matches, but both donors declined the request for bone marrow.

Ronnie Lozano, chair of the radiation therapy program, was inspired by Solizs story and decided to help raise awareness for donating bone marrow. Texas State officials chose to partner with UTPA because the university is 89 percent Hispanic. Minorities have a lower chance of finding a match than Caucasians. A college campus also holds thousands of people who are unrelated and have younger stem cells.

Graciela Sandoval, doctoral student, said they had a good problem because they ran out of t-shirts and forms the first day from so many students registering. The student recreation center gave Texas State radiation therapy students extra t-shirts to give out.

The fact that theyre collecting them and people are registering thats hope for somebody, said Ricardo Soliz, assistant principal at San Marcos High School and father of the late Kathy Soliz.

Program officials are planning to travel to different minority schools each year for a bone marrow drive. Next spring the program plans to travel to a primarily African-American population campus.

The idea is to make a difference in the statistic numbers for all minorities, Lozano said.

The radiation therapy program has had bone marrow drives on the Texas State campus for the past four years, and there will be another in March.

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Radiation therapy program campaigns for marrow donors

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

All that was missing was the singing cowboy himself.

Aerospace Technologies Group opened its new headquarters in Boca Raton on Monday with fanfare that included a fighter jet flyover and a color guard. But the star of the show was Jackie Autry, widow of Gene Autry, billed as "American's Favorite Singing Cowboy."

Employees dubbed their new building "Autry House," saluting the woman who has funded the company's decade-long climb to 130 employees and $22 million in sales. The company makes window shades for commercial airliners and business jets.

Autry, who was married to the Hollywood star of film, TV and radio for 17 years, owns 96 percent of the company, an investment that executives say is in the "tens of millions." She cited both her late husband's love of aviation and the company's product potential as reasons for her interest.

"My husband would be very proud," said Autry, 70. During an interview, she sang a bit of her late husband's cowpoke tunes and pointed to office wall photos of her husband's days as a fighter pilot.

She beamed as the building's "Autry House" sign was unveiled on the new $2 million headquarters.

The 65,000-square-foot building at the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University also houses manufacturing. Employees finish assembly of shade systems for airlines including Emirates, Lufthansa and Qantas. New orders are being readied for delivery to British Airways, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways.

Aerospace Technologies Group has grown from $11 million in sales in 2010 to nearly $22 million in 2011, said Simon Kay, chief executive.

Autry was brought into the business by Chairman Raymond Caldiero, a former Northwest Airlines executive who also attracted Emirates airline, now the company's top customer.

Her husband was a World War II fighter pilot and also got his commercial license, but Autry said she invested in the company primarily for its market potential. Eventually, she hopes the investment will help her generate more personal donations to charity.

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Gene Autry's love of planes leads widow to Boca Raton firm

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

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

Contact: Kevin Punsky punsky.kevin@mayo.edu 904-953-2299 Mayo Clinic

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Researchers have identified a gene that causes adult-onset primary cervical dystonia, an often-painful condition in which patients' necks twist involuntarily. The discovery by a team from the Jacksonville, Fla., campus of Mayo Clinic and the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center sheds light on a movement disorder that physicians previously could seldom explain. Their research appears in the Annals of Neurology.

In 1990, a man with a crooked neck came to see Ryan Uitti, M.D., a neurologist then at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Dr. Uitti knew about adult-onset primary cervical dystonia, which results in involuntary twisting of the neck to the left or right, backward or forward. Most people who have it suffer from muscle pain and abnormalities in head position. Some don't think it is all that unusual and may not seek medical help, Dr. Uitti says.

"They think they slept wrong at some point, or, because the twisting might straighten out with another maneuver, such as walking backwards, they might actually be accused of being a little crazy," Dr. Uitti says.

Dr. Uitti had been taught that there is usually no explanation for the disorder, when it shows up in adulthood. But working with a team of neurologists who have found the genetic causes of other rare conditions, Dr. Uitti began to investigate.

His patient first said no one in his family had the same problem. Dr. Uitti soon found out that his patient had an identical twin whose head was also twisted, but in the opposite direction. And when Dr. Uitti went to visit their sister, she had the same kind of dystonia. Eventually, seven people in the extended family were diagnosed with this mysterious condition. "I heard a lot of explanations by the family for it, such as that one member got hit by lightning," he says.

In 1994, when Dr. Uitti relocated to Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida, he continued his research into the genetic basis of this neurological disorder, which is also known as spasmodic torticollis. He used the research infrastructure provided by the Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, and collaborated with a Mayo team that included Parkinson's gene hunter Zbigniew Wszolek, M.D.

They and researchers from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, with Mark LeDoux, M.D., Ph.D., as the lead neurogeneticist, are reporting the first gene that causes primary cervical dystonia. Their finding is based on genetic material donated by this family the first extended "cohort" identified and others with the condition.

The researchers found a mutation in the CIZ1 gene that makes a protein expressed in certain nerve cells in the brain and which seems to be involved in cell cycle activities. The actual mechanism has not yet been identified, Dr. Uitti says: "It is interesting because the brain tissue of folks with this disorder looks absolutely normal."

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Researchers ID gene behind primary cervical dystonia, a neck-twisting disorder

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

05-03-2012 16:57 Dead Doctors Don't Lie Program 02 March 2012 Monologue Dr. Wallach starts the show discussing genetic diseases. Contending that most diseases that have been deemed "genetic" such as Lou Gehrigs disease, Alzheirmer's, Type 2 diabetes and arthritis. Asserting these are due to nutritional deficiencies either in the child or in the mother during conception. Pearls of Wisdom Doug Winfrey and Dr. Wallach discuss two news articles concerning anti-depressant drugs. A study conducted by a Harvard psychologist an Irving Kirsch who has researched the "placebo effects" for over 30 years. Using data he obtained through the Freedom of Information Act has concluded that anti-depressant drug clinical trials showed no proof of efficacy. Finding that several trials showed no efficacy and a small amount showed some efficacy. Only these trials were submitted to the FDA and were ultimately approved for the market. Irving Kirsch has concluded those showing some efficacy were due to the placebo effect. Calls * Bruce has questions regarding joint pain. * JP asks questions concerning hypertension, high cholesterol and ED (erectile dysfunction). * Ray has frequent urination and sinusitis. * Greg has two questions the first concerns his father who has neuropathies in his legs and gout. Second he has questions regarding a friend's mother who has kidney cancer. Call Dr. Wallach's live radio program weekdays from noon until 1pm pacific time at 831-685-1080 or toll free at 831-685-2552. to add comment ...

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1/5 Dead Doctors Don't Lie Program Genetic Diseases - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

05-03-2012 18:04 Dead Doctors Don't Lie Program 02 March 2012 Monologue Dr. Wallach starts the show discussing genetic diseases. Contending that most diseases that have been deemed "genetic" such as Lou Gehrigs disease, Alzheirmer's, Type 2 diabetes and arthritis. Asserting these are due to nutritional deficiencies either in the child or in the mother during conception. Pearls of Wisdom Doug Winfrey and Dr. Wallach discuss two news articles concerning anti-depressant drugs. A study conducted by a Harvard psychologist an Irving Kirsch who has researched the "placebo effects" for over 30 years. Using data he obtained through the Freedom of Information Act has concluded that anti-depressant drug clinical trials showed no proof of efficacy. Finding that several trials showed no efficacy and a small amount showed some efficacy. Only these trials were submitted to the FDA and were ultimately approved for the market. Irving Kirsch has concluded those showing some efficacy were due to the placebo effect. Calls * Bruce has questions regarding joint pain. * JP asks questions concerning hypertension, high cholesterol and ED (erectile dysfunction). * Ray has frequent urination and sinusitis. * Greg has two questions the first concerns his father who has neuropathies in his legs and gout. Second he has questions regarding a friend's mother who has kidney cancer. Call Dr. Wallach's live radio program weekdays from noon until 1pm pacific time at 831-685-1080 or toll free at 831-685-2552. to add comment ...

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2/5 Dead Doctors Don't Lie Program - Genetic Diseases - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

News Directors: Broadcast access to VCU experts can be arranged through the universitys VideoLink ReadyCam studio. ReadyCam transmits video and audio via fiber optics through a system that is routed to your newsroom. To schedule a live or taped interview, contact the VCU Office of Communications and Public Relations, (804) 828-1231.

Newswise RICHMOND, Va. (March 5, 2012) The risk of abusing drugs is greater even for adopted children if the family environment in which they are raised is dysfunctional, according to a new study conducted by a collaborative team from Virginia Commonwealth University and Lund University in Sweden.

Previous research suggests that drug abuse is strongly influenced by a mix of genetic factors and the environment, including influences of family and peers. That research is primarily based on twin studies and typically involves families that are intact. Relatives that share genes and environment make it difficult to determine if the family dysfunction is linked to the drug abuse or if it is genetics at play. There have been no large-scale adoption studies performed to verify the findings, until now.

In the study, published online March 5 in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, researchers examined how genetic and environmental factors contribute to the risk for drug abuse in adoptees. Using a large and representative adoption sample from Sweden, they demonstrate that genetic factors played a moderate role in the liability to drug abuse.

For an adoptee, having a biological parent with drug abuse who did not raise you doubles your risk for drug abuse, said first author Kenneth Kendler, M.D., director of the VCU Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics.

But we also found an important role for environmental factors. If you have an adoptive sibling - with whom you have no genetic relationship - develop drug abuse, that also doubles your risk for drug abuse,

More importantly, according to Kendler, the team showed that the impact of your genes on risk for drug abuse is much stronger if you are raised in a high-risk rather than a low-risk environment.

A bad environment can augment the effect of genetic risk on drug abuse, he said.

Kendler, professor of psychiatry, and human and molecular genetics in the VCU School of Medicine, and a team of researchers from Lund University led by Jan Sundquist, M.D., Ph.D., professor and director of the Center for Primary Health Care Research, and Kristina Sundquist, M.D., Ph.D., professor of family medicine at the Center for Primary Health Care Research, analyzed nine public registry data sets compiled between 1961 and 2009 of adoptees and their biological and adoptive relatives from Sweden.

The study population included more than 18,100 adoptees born between 1950 and 1993; 78,079 biological parents and siblings and more than 51,200 adoptive parents and siblings.

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Bad Environment Augments Genetic Risk for Drug Abuse

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