Biotechnology companies are saving on taxes by transferring patents on their lucrative and expensive drugs to foreign subsidiaries; tactic is not as advantageous as an inversion, but provides substantial tax benefit. MORE

Bioengineers for the first time create functional three-dimensional brain-like tissue, discovery that could eventually be used to study brain disease, injury and treatment; research is published in the journal PNAS, and is the latest example of biomedical engineering being used to make realistic models of organs such as the heart, lungs and liver. MORE

Michael Behar article examines growing field of bioelectronics, in which implants are thought to be able to communicate directly with the nervous system in order to try to fight wide variety of diseases; notes that GlaxoSmithKline runs newly formed Bioelectronics R & D Unit, which has partnerships with 26 independent research groups in six countries. MORE

Scientists at Scripps Research Institute create first living organism with artificial DNA, taking significant step toward altering the fundamental alphabet of life; accomplishment could lead to new antibiotics, vaccines and other products, though a lot more work needs to be done before this is practical; research, published online in journal Nature, is bound to raise safety concerns and questions about whether humans are playing God. MORE

Jeff Sommer Strategies column argues that while recent surge in Internet and biotech stock values may recall notorious bubble of 2000, overall Standard & Poor's 500-stock index remains far more tethered to reality than it was in that period. MORE

Harlem Biospace, new business incubator focused on biotechnology, will provide start-up lab space in renovated former confectionery research lab on West 127th Street in Harlem, near City College and Columbia University; incubator represents new investment in a neighborhood that has for decades struggled to restore its former economic and social vitality. MORE

Dr Shoukhrat Mitalipov has shaken field of genetics with development of process in which nucleus can be removed from one human egg and placed into another; procedure, intended to help women conceive children without passing on genetic defects in their cellular mitochondria, has drawn ire of bioethicists and scrutiny of federal regulators. MORE

Food and Drug Administration's new proposal to purge artery-clogging trans fats from foods could ease marketing of genetically modified soybean, which has been manipulated to be free of trans fat; new beans, developed by Monsanto and DuPont Pioneer, could help image of biotechnology industry because they are among the first genetically modified crops with a trait that benefits consumers, as opposed to farmers. MORE

California Gov Jerry Brown vetoes bill that would have allowed biosimilar versions of biologic drugs to be substituted by pharmacists if Food and Drug Administration deemed them 'interchangeable' with the brand-name reference product. MORE

Hawaii has become hub for development of genetically engineered corn and other crops that are sold to farmers worldwide, and seeds are state's leading agricultural commodity; activists opposed to biotech crops have joined with residents who say corn farms expose them to dust and pesticides, and they are trying to drive companies away, or at least rein them in. MORE

Some farmers are noticing soil degradation after using glyphosate, while others argue that the herbicide, along with biotech crops, produces yields too profitable to give up; some critics warn that glyphosate may be producing herbicide-resistant 'superweeds'; issue is part of larger debate over long-term effects of biotech crops, which account for 90 percent of corn, soybeans and sugar beets grown in the United States. MORE

David Blech, who was once considered biotechnologys top gunslinger and was worth about $300 million, is about to begin a four-year prison term, having pleaded guilty to stock manipulation; Blech's downfall reflects maturation of biotechnology from get-rich-quick days to sophisticated, multibillion dollar industry. MORE

Researchers at laboratories around world are experimenting with bioprinting, process of using 3-D printing technology to assemble living tissue; while research has made great progress, there are still many formidable obstacles to overcome. MORE

Researchers at University of Illinois have used 3-D printer to make small hybrid 'biobots'--part part gel, part muscle cell--that can move on their own; research may someday lead to development of tiny devices that could travel within body, sensing toxins and delivering medication. MORE

Developers of biotechnology crops, facing increasing pressure to label genetically modified foods, begin campaign to gain support for products by promising openness; centerpiece of effort is Web site to answer questions posed by consumers about genetically engineered crops and will include safety data similar to that submitted to regulatory agencies. MORE

The rise of personalized medicine has spurred giant pharmaceutical companies to home in on small biotechnology firms. MORE

Physician and tissue engineer Mark Post is attempting to grow so-called in vitro meat, or cultured meat, in Netherlands laboratory through use of stem cells and techniques adapted from medical research for growing tissues and organs; arguments in favor of such technology include both animal welfare and environmental issues, but questions of cost, safety and taste remain. MORE

Group of hobbyists and entrepreneurs begin project to develop plants that glow, potentially leading way for trees that can replace electric streetlamps and potted flowers to read by; project, which will use sophisticated form of genetic engineering called synthetic biology, is unique in that it is not sponsored by corporate or academic interests, and may give rise to similar do-it-yourself ventures. MORE

Interview with Nick Goldman, British molecular biologist who led study that successfully stored digital information in synthetic DNA molecules and then recreated it without error; study, suggesting the possibility of a storage medium of immense scale and longevity, was published in journal Nature. MORE

Craig Venter, controversial scientist and the head of Synthetic Genomics Inc, is convinced that synthetic biology holds the key to solving many of the world's problems, and his company has been actively trying to find and use new microbes for wildly varied purposes. MORE

Obama administration will announce a broad plan to foster development of the nation's bioeconomy, including the use of renewable resources and biological manufacturing methods to replace harsher industrial methods. MORE

Firms are racing to cut the cost of sequencing the human genome, as hope rises for faster development of medical advances; promise is that low-cost gene sequencing will lead to a new era of personalized medicine, yielding new approaches for treating cancers and other serious diseases. MORE

Central New Jersey, with its concentration of pharmaceutical giants and academic powerhouses has long had the potential to be a major center for life sciences business, but has never lived up to that potential; now, signs of a small revival are apparent; the number of biotechnology companies has grown to 335 from 10 in 1998; a 64,000-square-foot specialized office building leased to Elementis PLC is being built on spec in a new Woodmont Properties development called SciPark. MORE

Essay by Stanford University bioengineer Drew Endy discusses the outlook for biological computers that could operate at the cellular and even genetic level. MORE

Geron, the company conducting the world's first clinical trial of a therapy using human embryonic stem cells, says it is halting that trial and leaving the stem cell business entirely; company says its move does not reflect a lack of promise for the controversial field, but a refocusing of its limited resources. MORE

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Biotechnology - News - Times Topics - The New York Times

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Professionals in biotechnology come up with answers to a host of humanity's problemsfrom Ebola to failing crops. With a bachelor's degree in biotechnology from University of Maryland University College, you can become a part of the solution.

For this program, you are required to have already gained technical and scientific knowledge of biotechnology through transferred credit and direct experience in the field.

The major combines laboratory skills and applied coursework with a biotechnology internship experience and upper-level study and helps prepare you to enter the pharmaceutical, agricultural, or biomedical research industries and organizations as a laboratory technician, quality control technician, assay analyst, chemical technician, or bioinformatician.

In your courses, you'll study biological and chemical sciences, biotechniques, bioinstrumentation, bioinformatics, microbiology, molecular biology, and cell biology.

Through your coursework, you will learn how to

In past projects, students have had the opportunity to

Our curriculum is designed with input from employers, industry experts, and scholars. You'll learn theories combined with real-world applications and practical skills you can apply on the job right away.

Arts and Humanities Classes | 6 Credits

Classes must be from different disciplines.

Technological Transformations (3 Credits, HIST 125)

A 3-credit class in ARTH or HIST

Introduction to Humanities (3 Credits, HUMN 100)

A 3-credit class in ARTH, ARTT, ASTD, ENGL, GRCO, HIST, HUMN, MUSC, PHIL, THET, dance, literature, or foreign language

Behavioral and Social Science Classes | 6 Credits

Classes must be from different disciplines.

Economics in the Information Age (3 Credits, ECON 103)

Technology in Contemporary Society (3 Credits, BEHS 103)

Biological and Physical Sciences Classes | 7 Credits

Introduction to Biology (4 Credits, BIOL 103)

Introduction to Physical Science (3 Credits, NSCI 100)

Computing Classes | 6 Credits

Overall Bachelor's Degree Requirements

In addition to the general education requirements and the major, minor, and elective requirements, the overall requirements listed below apply to all bachelor's degrees.

Double majors: You can earn a dual major upon completion of all requirements for both majors, including the required minimum number of credits for each major and all related requirements for both majors. The same class cannot be used to fulfill requirements for more than one major. Certain restrictions (including use of credit and acceptable combinations of majors) apply for double majors. You cannot major in two programs with excessive overlap of required coursework. Contact an admissions counselor before selecting a double major.

Second bachelor's degree: To earn a second bachelor's degree, you must complete at least 30 credits through UMUC after completing the first degree. The combined credit in both degrees must add up to at least 150 credits. You must complete all requirements for the major. All prerequisites apply. If any of these requirements were satisfied in the previous degree, the remainder necessary to complete the minimum 30 credits of new classes should be satisfied with classes related to your major. Contact an admissions counselor before pursuing a second bachelor's degree.

Electives: Electives can be taken in any academic discipline. No more than 21 credits can consist of vocational or technical credit. Pass/fail credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits, can be applied toward electives only.

Lower-level coursework must be taken as part of an appropriate degree program at an approved community college or other institution. Coursework does not have to be completed prior to admission, but it must be completed prior to graduation. Transfer coursework must include 4 credits in general microbiology with a lab, 4 credits in general genetics with a lab, and 7 credits in biotechnology applications and techniques with a lab. Additional required related science coursework (17 credits) may be applied anywhere in the bachelor's degree.

The BTPS is only available to students who have completed the required lower-level coursework for the major either within an Associate of Applied Science degree at a community college with which UMUC has an articulation agreement or within another appropriate transfer program. Students should consult an admissions counselor before selecting the BTPS.

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Bachelor's Degree in Biotechnology | UMUC

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Chemists in biotechnology generally work in a laboratory setting in an industrial or academic environment. A single laboratory may be involved in 510 projects, and the scientists will have varying degrees of responsibility for each project. Teamwork is vital, and it is unusual to work alone on tasks. Most chemists in biotech positions say they work more than 40 hours a week, although they add that this is largely an individual choice and not necessarily required.

Most biotechnologists today began their careers working for small, innovative biotech companies that were founded by scientists. However, as the field has developed, many major drug companies added or acquired biotech divisions. Chemical companies with large agricultural chemical businesses also have substantial biotech labs. Biotech companies are generally located near universities. The industry began in a few major areas such as San Francisco and Boston (the traditional homes of biotech firms), Chicago, Denver/Boulder, San Diego, Seattle, and Research Triangle Park, NC, but there are now biotech companies all across the country.

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Biotechnology - American Chemical Society

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Biotechnology is that "branch of technology concerned with modern forms of industrial production utilizing living organisms, especially micro-organisms, and their biological processes," according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The actual term applies to a wide variety of uses of such biological technology, including the development of new breeds of plants and animals, the creation of therapeutic drugs and preventive vaccines, the growing of more nutritious and naturally pest-resistant crops as a food source, and the production of biofuels as an alternative energy source.

The basic idea of biotechnology has existed since prehistoric times. When early humans learned that they could plant their own crops and breed their own animals, and realized that they could selectively breed plants and livestock, they were practicing biotechnology. It was in 1919 that the actual term, "Biotechnologie" or "biotechnology," was coined by Karl Ereky, a Hungarian engineer. Since the end of World War II, biotechnology has also been used for large-scale waste management, chemotherapy drug production, ore leaching, and other commercial operations.

The discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953 pushed the field of biotechnology to the DNA level. Since the 1970s, using the techniques of gene splicing and recombinant DNA, scientists have been able to combine the genetic elements of two or more living organisms. Completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, as well as the availability of the entire genome sequences of various organisms and of advanced molecular techniques and tools (bioinformatics, comparative genomics, cloning, gene splicing, recombinant DNA), has paved the way for further biotechnological developments in agriculture, medicine, and other areas. Yet, as more novel uses of biotechnology are explored, ethical issues and controversies arise.

While the term "biotechnology" covers a very broad area, this guide focuses on the most recent uses of biotechnology in its four major fields: 1. medicine (vaccine development, chemotherapy drugs, stem cell therapy, gene therapy, and pharmacogenomics); 2. agriculture (genetically modified organisms and cloning); 3. energy and environment (biofuel and waste management); and 4. the bioethical and legal implications of biotechnology. This guide updates and replaces TB 84-7, and furnishes a review of the literature in the collections of the Library of Congress on the topic. Not intended as a comprehensive bibliography, this compilation is designed--as the name of the series implies--to put the reader "on target."

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Hoyle, Brian. Biotechnology. In Gale encyclopedia of science. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, editors. 4th ed. v. 1. Detroit, Thomson Gale, c2008. p. 579-581. Q121.G37 2008

Shmaefsky, Brian. The definition of biotechnology. In his Biotechnology 101. Westport, CT, Greenwood Press, 2006. p. 1-17. TP248.215.S56 2006

Smith, J. E. Public perception of biotechnology. In Basic biotechnology. Edited by Colin Ratledge and Bjrn Kristiansen. 3rd ed. Cambridge, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2006. p. 3-33. TP248.2.B367 2006

Zaitlin, Milton. Biotechnology. In McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of science & technology. 10th ed. v. 3. New York, McGraw-Hill, 2007. p. 127-130. Q121.M3 2007

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Subject headings used by the Library of Congress, under which books on biotechnology can be found include the following:

HIGHLY RELEVANT

RELEVANT

RELATED

MORE GENERAL

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Basic biotechnology. Edited by Colin Ratledge and Bjrn Kristiansen. 3rd ed. Cambridge, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2006. 666 p. TP248.2.B367 2006

Batiza, Ann. Bioinformatics, genomics, and proteomics: getting the big picture. Philadelphia, Chelsea House Publishers, c2006. 196 p. Bibliography: p. 181-188. QH324.2.B38 2006

Gazit, Ehud. Plenty of room for biology at the bottom: an introduction to bionanotechnology. London, Imperial College Press; Hackensack, NJ, World Scientific Pub., c2007. 183 p. Bibliography: p. 171-179. QP514.2.G39 2007

An Introduction to molecular biotechnology: molecular fundamentals, methods and applications in modern biotechnology. Edited by Michael Wink, translated by Renate Fitzroy. Weinheim, Wiley-VCH, c2006. 768 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP248.2.I6813 2006

Nicholl, Desmond S. T. An introduction to genetic engineering. 3rd ed. Cambridge, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2008. 336 p. Includes bibliographical references. QH442.N53 2008

Renneberg, Reinhard. Biotechnology for beginners. Edited by Arnold L. Demain. Berlin, Boston, Springer-Verlag, c2008. 360 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP248.2.R45 2008

Shmaefsky, Brian. Biotechnology 101. Westport, CT, Greenwood Press, 2006. 251 p. Bibliography: p. 235-245. TP248.215.S56 2006

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Biotechnology: changing life through science. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, editors. Detroit, Thomson Gale, c2007. 3 v. Includes bibliographical references. TP248.218.B56 2007

Brown, T. A. Gene cloning and DNA analysis: an introduction. 5th ed. Oxford, Malden, MA, Blackwell Pub., 2006. 386 p. Includes bibliographical references. QH442.2.B76 2006

Daugherty, Ellyn. Biotechnology: science for the new millennium. St. Paul, MN, Paradigm Publishers, c2007. 420 p. + 1 CD-ROM. TP248.2.D38 2007 FT MEADE

McGloughlin, Martina, and Edward Re. The evolution of biotechnology: from Natufians to nanotechnology. Dordrecht, Springer, c2006. 262 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP248.2.M434 2006

Pimentel, David, and Marcia H. Pimentel. Food, energy, and society. 3rd ed. Boca Raton, CRC Press, c2008. 380 p. Includes bibliographical references. HD9000.6.P55 2008

Shmaefsky, Brian. Biotechnology on the farm and in the factory: agricultural and industrial applications. Philadelphia, Chelsea House Publishers, c2006. 158 p. Bibliography: p. 145-149. S494.5.B563S53 2006

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Agriculture, Genetically Modified Organisms, and Food Biotechnology

Andre, Peter. Genetically modified diplomacy: the global politics of agricultural biotechnology and the environment. Vancouver, UBC Press, c2007. 324 p. Includes bibliographical references. S494.5.B563A53 2007

Biotechnology of fruit and nut crops. Edited by Richard E. Litz. Wallingford, Oxfordshire, Eng., Cambridge, MA, CABI Pub., c2005. 723 p. (Biotechnology in agriculture series, no. 29) Includes bibliographical references. SB359.3.B549 2005

Food biotechnology. Edited by Kalidas Shetty and others. 2nd ed. New York, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, 2006. 1982 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP248.65.F66F6482 2006

Food biochemistry and food processing. Editor, Y. H. Hui; Associate editors, Wai-Kit Nip and others. Ames, IA, Blackwell Pub. Professional, 2006. 769 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP370.8.F66 2006

The Gene revolution: GM crops and unequal development. Edited by Sakiko Fukuda-Parr. London, Sterling, VA, Earthscan, 2007. 248 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP248.65.F66G44 2007

Herren, Ray V. Introduction to biotechnology: an agricultural revolution. Clifton Park, NY, Delmar Learning, c2005. 413 p. S494.5.B563H47 2005

Labeling genetically modified food: the philosophical and legal debate. Edited by Paul Weirich. Oxford, New York, Oxford University Press, 2007. 249 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP248.65.F66L33 2007

Murphy, Denis J. Plant breeding and biotechnology: societal context and the future of agriculture. Cambridge, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2007. 423 p. Includes bibliographical references. SB123.M77 2007

Safety of genetically engineered foods: approaches to assessing unintended health effects. Committee on Identifying and Assessing Unintended Effects of Genetically Engineered Foods on Human Health, Board on Life Sciences, Food and Nutrition Board, Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Institute of Medicine. Washington, National Academies Press, 2004. 235 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP248.65.F66S245 2004

Sanderson, Colin J. Understanding genes and GMOs. Singapore, Hackensack, NJ, World Scientific, c2007. 345 p. Includes bibliographical references. QH442.6.S26 2007

Thompson, Paul B. Food biotechnology in ethical perspective. 2nd ed. Dordrecht, Springer, c2007. 340 p. (The International library of environmental, agricultural and food ethics, 10) Bibliography: p. 309-334. TP248.65.F66T47 2007

Biotechnology Ethics and Law

Bailey, Ronald. Liberation biology: the scientific and moral case for the biotech revolution. Amherst, NY, Prometheus Books, 2005. 332 p. Bibliography: p. 247-310. TP248.23.B35 2005

Biotechnology and the law. Hugh B. Wellons and others. Chicago, American Bar Association, c2006. l957 p. Includes bibliographical references. KF3133.B56B56 2006

Bohrer, Robert A. A guide to biotechnology law and business. Durham, NC, Carolina Academic Press, c2007. 341 p. Includes bibliographical references. KF3133.B56 B64 2007

Cohen, Cynthia B. Renewing the stuff of life: stem cells, ethics, and public policy. Oxford, New York, Oxford University Press, 2007. 311 p. Bibliography: p. 244-295. QH588.S83C46 2007

Fundamentals of the stem cell debate: the scientific, religious, ethical, and political issues. Edited by Kristen Renwick Monroe, Ronald B. Miller, and Jerome S. Tobis. Berkeley, University of California Press, c2008. 218 p. Includes bibliographical references. QH588.S83F86 2008

Morris, Jonathan. The ethics of biotechnology. Philadelphia, Chelsea House Publishers, c2006. 158 p. Bibliography: p. 142-144. TP248.23.M67 2006

Energy and Environment: Biofuels and Waste Management

Biofuels for transport: global potential and implications for sustainable energy and agriculture. Worldwatch Institute. London, Sterling, VA, Earthscan, 2007. 452 p. Bibliography: p. 407-443. TP339.B5435 2007

Biofuels refining and performance. Ahindra Nag, editor. New York, McGraw-Hill, c2008. 312 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP339.B5437 2008

Biomass: energy from plants and animals. Amanda de la Garza, book editor. Detroit, Greenhaven Press, c2007. 120 p. Bibliography: p. 109-113. TP339.B5646 2007

Bitton, Gabriel. Wastewater microbiology. 3rd ed. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley-Liss, John Wiley & Sons, c2005. 746 p. Includes bibliographical references. QR48.B53 2005

Logan, Bruce E. Microbial fuel cells. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley-Interscience, c2008. 200 p. Bibliography: p. 189-198. TP339.L64 2008

Materials, chemicals, and energy from forest biomass. Dimitris S. Argyropoulos, editor. Washington, American Chemical Society; Distributed by Oxford University Press, c2007. 591 p. (ACS symposium series, 954) Includes bibliographical references. TP339.M367 2007

Progress in biomass and bioenergy research. Steven F. Warnmer, editor. New York, Nova Science Publishers, c2007. 217 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP360.P768 2007

Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

Autologous and cancer stem cell gene therapy. Editors, Roger Bertolotti, Keiya Ozawa. Hackensack, NJ, World Scientific, c2008. 446 p. (Progress in gene therapy, v. 3) Includes bibliographical references. QH588.S83A98 2008

Biotechnology in personal care. Edited by Raj Lad. New York, Taylor & Francis, 2006. 454 p. (Cosmetic science and technology series, v. 29) Includes bibliographical references. TP983.B565 2006

Cancer biotherapy: an introductory guide. Edited by Annie Young, Lewis Rowett, David Kerr. Oxford, New York, Oxford University Press, c2006. 323 p. Includes bibliographical references. RC271.I45C33 2006

Kelly, Evelyn B. Stem cells. Westport, CT, Greenwood Press, 2007. 203 p. Bibliography: p. 193-198. QH588.S83K45 2007

The National Academies guidelines for human embryonic stem cell research. Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee, Board on Life Sciences, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Board on Health Sciences Policy, Institute of Medicine, National Research Council and Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Washington, National Academies Press, c2007. 36 p. Includes bibliographical references. "2007 amendments." QH442.2.N38 2007

Newton, David E. Stem cell research. New York, Facts On File, c2007. 284 p. Includes bibliographical references. QH588.S83N49 2007

Panno, Joseph. Stem cell research: medical applications and ethical controversy. New York, Facts On File, c2005. 178 p. Bibliography: p. 157-161. QH588.S83P36 2005

Pharmaceutical biotechnology. Edited by Michael J. Groves. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, Taylor & Francis, 2006. 411 p. Includes bibliographical references. RS380.P475 2005

Pharmaceutical biotechnology: fundamentals and applications. Edited by Daan J. A. Crommelin, Robert D. Sindelar, Bernd Meibohm. 3rd ed. New York, Informa Healthcare, c2008. 466 p. Includes bibliographical references. RS380.P484 2008

Sasson, Albert. Medical biotechnology: achievements, prospects and perceptions. Tokyo, New York, United Nations University Press, c2005. 154 p. Bibliography: p. 143-148. TP248.2.S273 2005

Schacter, Bernice. Biotechnology and your health: pharmaceutical applications. Philadelphia, Chelsea House Publishers, c2006. 178 p. Bibliography: p. 163-167. RS380.S33 2006

Stem cells and cancer. Devon W. Parsons, editor. New York, Nova Biomedical Books, c2007. 284 p. Includes bibliographical references. RC269.7.S74 2007

Stem cells: from bench to bedside. Editors, Ariff Bongso and Eng Hin Lee. Singapore, Hackensack, NJ, World Scientific, c2005. 565 p. Includes bibliographical references. QH588.S83B66 2005

Stephenson, Frank Harold. DNA: how the biotech revolution is changing the way we fight disease. Amherst, NY, Prometheus Books, 2007. 333 p. Bibliography: p. 303-312. TP248.215.S74 2007

Walsh, Gary. Pharmaceutical biotechnology: concepts and applications. Chichester, Eng., Hoboken, NJ, John Wiley & Sons, c2007. 480 p. Includes bibliographical references. RS380.W35 2007

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Glazer, Alexander N., and Hiroshi Nikaido. Microbial biotechnology: fundamentals of applied microbiology. 2nd ed. Cambridge, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2007. 554 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP248.27.M53G57 2007

Globalization, biosecurity, and the future of the life sciences. Committee on Advances in Technology and the Prevention of Their Application to Next Generation Biowarfare Threats, Development, Security, and Cooperation Policy and Global Affairs Division, Board on Global Health, Institute of Medicine, Institute of Medicine and National Research Council of the National Academies. Washington, National Academies Press, c2006. 299 p. Includes bibliographical references. HV6433.3.G56 2006

Landecker, Hannah. Culturing life: how cells became technologies. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 2007. 276 p. Bibliography: p. 239-271. QH585.2.L36 2007

Okafor, Nduka. Modern industrial microbiology and biotechnology. Enfield, NH, Science Publishers, c2007. 530 p. Includes bibliographical references. QR53.O355 2007

Principles of tissue engineering. Edited by Robert P. Lanza, Robert Langer, Joseph Vacanti. 3rd ed. Amsterdam, Boston, Elsevier/Academic Press, c2007. 1307 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP248.27.A53P75 2007

Sunder Rajan, Kaushik. Biocapital: the constitution of postgenomic life. Durham, NC, Duke University Press, 2006. 343 p. Bibliography: p. 315-326. HD9999.B442S86 2006

Ullmanns biotechnology and biochemical engineering. Weinheim, Wiley-VCH, c2007. 2 v. (855 p.) Includes bibliographical references. TP248.2.U44 2007

Zimmer, Marc. Glowing genes: a revolution in biotechnology. Amherst, NY, Prometheus Books, 2005. 221 p. Includes bibliographical references. QP552.G73Z56 2005

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Bains, William. Biotechnology from A to Z. 3rd ed. Oxford, New York, Oxford University Press, 2004. 413 p. Bibliography: p. 387. TP248.16.B33 2004

Encyclopedia of genetics. Editor, revised edition, Bryan D. Ness; editor, first edition, Jeffrey A. Knight. Rev. ed. Pasadena, CA, Salem Press, c2004. 2 v. Includes bibliographical references. QH427.E53 2004

Kahl, Gnter. The dictionary of gene technology: genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics. 3rd ed. Weinheim, Wiley-VCH, c2004. 2 v. (1290 p.) QH442.K333 2004

Kent and Riegel's handbook of industrial chemistry and biotechnology. Edited by James A. Kent. 11th ed. New York, Springer, c2007. 1 v. Includes bibliographical references. Rev. ed. of Riegels handbook of industrial chemistry. 2003. TP145.R53 2007

Nill, Kimball R. Glossary of biotechnology and nanobiotechnology terms. 4th ed. Boca Raton, Taylor & Francis, 2006. 402 p. TP248.16.F54 2006

Plunkett's biotech & genetics industry almanac. Houston, TX, Plunkett Research, c2001- . Annual. HD9999.B44P57

Steinberg, Mark, and Sharon D. Cosloy. The Facts on File dictionary of biotechnology and genetic engineering. 3rd ed. New York, Facts on File, 2006. 275 p. Not yet in LC

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Challenges and risks of genetically engineered organisms. Paris, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, c2004. 223 p. Includes bibliographical references. Proceedings of a workshop on "Challenges and Risks of GMOs-What Risk Analysis is Appropriate?" held in Maastricht, Netherlands, 16-18 July 2003. QH450.C45 2004

European Society of Animal Cell Technology. General Meeting (19th, 2005, Harrogate, England). Cell technology for cell products: proceedings of the 19th ESACT Meeting, Harrogate, UK, June 5-8, 2005. Edited by Rodney Smith. Dordrecht, Springer, c2007. 821 p. Includes bibliographical references. TP248.27.A53E93 2005

European Symposium on Environmental Biotechnology (2004, Oostende, Belgium). European Symposium on Environmental Biotechnology--ESEB 2004: proceedings of the European Symposium on Environmental Biotechnology, ESEB 2004, 25-28 April 2004, Oostende, Belgium. Edited by W. Verstraete. Leiden, Balkema, 2004. 909 p. Includes bibliographical references. TD192.5.E965 2004

Food Innovation: Emerging Science, Technologies and Applications (FIESTA) conference. Edited by Peter Roupas. In Innovative food science & emerging technologies, v. 9, Apr. 2008: 139-254. TP248.65.F66I55

Frontiers in Biomedical Devices Conference (2nd, 2007, Irvine, Calif.). Proceedings of the 2nd Frontiers in Biomedical Devices Conference--2007: presented at the Frontiers in Biomedical Devices Conference, June 7-8, 2007, Irvine, California, USA. New York, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, c2007. 160 p. Includes bibliographical references. R857.M3F76 2007

International Conference on Experimental Mechanics (2006, Jeju, Korea). Experimental mechanics in nano and biotechnology. Edited by Soon-Bok Lee, Yun-Jae Kim. etikon Zrich, Switzerland; Enfield, NH, Trans Tech Publications, Ltd., 2006. 2 v. (Key engineering materials, v. 326-328) Includes bibliographical references. Proceedings of the International Conference on Experimental Mechanics (ICEM 2006) and the 5th Asian Conference on Experimental Mechanics (ACEM5), September 26-29, 2006, Jeju, Korea; organized by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Asian Committee for Experimental Mechanics (ACEM). TA349.I478 2006

Symposium of the Tohoku University 21st Century Center of Excellence Program (2007, Tohoku University, Japan). Future medical engineering based on bionanotechnology: proceedings of the final symposium of the Tohoku University 21st Century Center of Excellence Program, Sendai International Center, Japan 7-9 January 2007. Editors, Esashi Masayoshi and others. London, Imperial College Press, 2006. 1115 p. Includes bibliographical references. R857.N34S94 2007

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Read more:
Biotechnology - Science Tracer Bullet

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Biotechnology, or the genetic modification of living materials, has ignited heated debates over trade policy. Innovations in the manipulation of microbes, plants, and animals raises serious ethical questions related to the commoditization and exchange of living organisms. In the arena of trade policy, these ethical questions pose a unique economic dilemma: to what extent should trade policy reflect moral and ethical judgments about the fruits of biotechnology?

Debate on Genetically Modified Foods

The principal cause of the debate surrounding products of biotechnology is the uncertainty of the long-term health and environmental effects of genetically modified living materials. Though many scientists believe GM foods to be safe, a small but influential group of researchers maintain that uncertainty about their effects on human health justifies extreme precaution, including the possible use of trade restrictions. Some supporters of GM foods agree that rigorous testing and research should continue but that in the meantime the benefits of heartier or enriched crops are too great to ignore and are essential in eliminating world hunger and malnutrition. Advocates of sustainable development are also wary of the long-term effects that GM crops could exert on the environment.

Agricultural concerns center on issues of 'genetic pollution' or the genetic flow from GM crops to unmodified plants in the wild. Transfer of genes from GM to wild plants could create health problems in humans, anti-biotic resistance in plants and associated insects, long-term damage to ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, and lack of consumer choice.

Defenders of biotechnology often argue that genetic manipulation holds the key to eliminating hunger and suffering across the world. One commonly cited example is 'Golden rice' which scientists have engineered to produce extra Vitamin A. The rice has been hailed as a godsend for malnourished people in the developing world because Vitamin A helps prevent blindness. Critics take two different stances on these wonder-foods. Some refer to recent studies and statements by doctors that Golden rice is not a sufficient source of vitamin A. Specifically, people with diarrheal diseases are incapable of absorbing vitamin A from the rice, thus people in developing countries who commonly suffer from diarrheal disease and vitamin A deficiency remain afflicted by both. Other critics reply that 'Franken foods' are the wrong answer to the problems of hunger and malnutrition, which they claim are the outcomes of distributional problems. Instead of posing a viable long-term solution, GM foods distract from and exacerbate the real issues involved.

Patenting Life

Biotechnology issues related to intellectual property rights are concerned with the moral and ethical implication of patenting living organisms. These concerns are linked to fears that biotechnology will transfer resources from the public sphere to private ownership via the enforcement of intellectual property rights. Firms that have invested in the development of genetically modified varieties want to protect their proprietary knowledge, but many farmer groups have protested that enforcing intellectual property rights will disrupt their access to seed. Farmers accustomed to harvesting and replanting their seeds are not willing to pay for GM seeds year after year. These debates draw attention to the controversial TRIPs Article 27.3(b), which exempts certain life forms from patentability but requires countries to establish some form of protection for plant varieties.

GM Food and Hunger

Producers of GM crops argue that biotechnology could be the world's cure for hunger. They cite the technology's ability to produce high yields, resist natural disasters such as drought and certain viruses, and be enriched with vital nutrients that starving people are likely to lack.

However, aid agencies and anti-GM countries argue that in regards to eliminating world hunger, alternatives to GM crop production have not been sufficiently researched. In fact, they note that many countries where hunger is a major problem do produce adequate amounts of food to feed their population. Hunger, they argue, is not only a function of agricultural yield; it is also a function of mismanaged government and a series of other factors, which technology cannot resolve.

At present there is no international law dealing with aid shipments of GM crops to needy countries. However, debates over a country's right to refuse GM food aid during a famine are bringing this issue to the forefront of biotechnology concerns.

Multiple Forums for Debate

There are a number of forums attempting to guide the international debate on biodiversity. At the WTO level, the March 8, 2004 TRIPS Council meeting saw the nations of Brazil, Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, India, Pakistan, Peru, Thailand and Venezuela called for greater urgency in resolving possible conflicts between the TRIPS agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). [1] The Convention was established with the three main goals of conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources. [2] The CBD is concerned with preservation while the TRIPS agreement examines the intersection of business and biodiversity and so there would naturally be conflicts between the different missions of the two arenas. The U.S. and Japan have called for discussions to take place in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) forum instead which is mandated to increase intellectual property protection. Meanwhile, free trade agreements continue to change the intersection of trade law and biotechnology. For instance the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement encourages plant patentability, a step beyond that of the TRIPS agreement, reflecting the U.S. desire for intellectual property protection to encourage innovation. It also and forbids reversion to weaker patent laws once stronger laws have been enacted. [3]

Current Events

Since 1998, the EU has placed a moratorium on the import of genetically modified living materials, citing insufficient proof that these organisms do not cause long-term negative effects to public health. The ban has frustrated the US, the largest producer of genetically modified crops, and it has long been threatening to file a formal complaint with the WTO over the EU ban, citing the ban as unjustified and discriminatory. In July 2003, however, the EU lifted the five-year ban on the condition that all products containing at least 0.9% genetically altered ingredients be explicitly labeled as such. Despite this move, which would finally allow US farmers of genetically altered crops access to European markets, the US, Canada, Argentina, Brazil and numerous other countries filed a formal complaint with the WTO in May 2003. They argued that the EU's moratorium on the approval of new GM foods violated WTO rules, and cost their farmers hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenues each year. [4] These countries have also expressed dissatisfaction with the EU's new stipulation that all GM foods be labeled, but the EU has called the complaint unnecessary in light of their new policy toward GM foods. In March 2004 a WTO panel was appointed to rule on the US-Argentina-Canada complaint against the EU de facto moratorium on the approval of new GMOs. [5] (See also the GTN SPS/TBT page.)

The issue of biotechnology's ability to battle hunger has also manifested itself in the complicated cases of 6 African nations, who have banned GMO food aid. [6] Zambia rejected GM food aid while it was hard hit by a famine in 2003 for health and environmental reasons. [7] Zambia voiced concern that GM seed might contaminate their local crop, thus jeopardizing their ability to continue shipping organically grown crops to the EU. The fear that millions in Zambia might starve proved false and the nation ended up producing a 120,000 ton surplus. [8] US food aid which most likely contain GM crops had to be rerouted by the UN World Food Program which distributes the aid. The US has said that it is impossible in practice to keep separate GM foods from non-GM foods. [9]

Conclusion

Biotechnology and its products have created some amazing possibility as well as raised fears among many of their potential negative consequences. There is also the moral dimension of playing with living beings. Nevertheless, the technology and its products are here to stay. GM foods highlight both the potential and the problems with this technology. Foods like "golden rice" may one day ensure that malnutrition is never a concern. However, the fears and uncertainty of its impact on health and the environment have raised important ethical issues as in the case of Zambia turning down GM food aid while in the midst of a famine.

Last updated April 2004.

[1] BRIDGES Monthly Review. Year 8, Number 3, March 2004. [2] http://www.biodiv.org/doc/publications/guide.asp [3] http://www.biodiv.org/doc/publications/guide.asp [4] http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2003/05/0157.htm [5] http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/04-03-10/wtoinbrief.htm#2 [6] http://www.guardian.co.uk/gmdebate/Story/0,2763,1182378,00.html [7] Southern Africa; Controversy rages over 'GM' food aid. AllAfrica Africa News. February 12, 2003. [8] http://www.guardian.co.uk/gmdebate/Story/0,2763,1182378,00.html [9] http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,6119,2-11-1447_1509711,00.html

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Biotechnology - Harvard University

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The hidden evolutionary relationship between pigs and primates revealed by genome-wide study of transposable elements

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Research teams from the University of Valencia and the University of Tours have discovered that genes originating from parasitic wasps are present in the genomes of many butterflies. These genes were acquired through a wasp-associated ...

If you go back far enough, all people share a common ancestry. But some populations are more closely related than others based on events in the past that brought them together. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press ...

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The burgeoning field of optogenetics has seen another breakthrough with the creation of a new plant-human hybrid protein molecule called OptoSTIM1. In South Korea, a research team led by Won Do Heo, associate professor at ...

A new study from researchers at Uppsala University shows that variation in genome size may be much more important than previously believed. It is clear that, at least sometimes, a large genome is a good genome.

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What has spoiled tens upon tens of thousands of fledgling oil palm plants at elite corporate plantations in Malaysia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia over the last three decades? The answer to this problem, which has cost ...

Fans of homebrewed beer and backyard distilleries already know how to employ yeast to convert sugar into alcohol. But a research team led by bioengineers at the University of California, Berkeley, has gone much further by ...

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A study on a sorghum population at Kansas State University has helped researchers better understand why a crop hybrid often performs better than either of its parent lines, known as heterosis.

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University of Adelaide research has shown for the first time that, despite not having a nervous system, plants use signals normally associated with animals when they encounter stress.

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Barley, a widely grown cereal grain commonly used to make beer and other alcoholic beverages, possesses a large and highly repetitive genome that is difficult to fully sequence. Now a team led by scientists at the University ...

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Researchers at the University of Georgia have used a gene editing tool known as CRISPR/Cas to modify the genome of a tree species for the first time. Their research, published recently in the early online edition of the journal ...

High salt in soil dramatically stresses plant biology and reduces the growth and yield of crops. Now researchers have found specific proteins that allow plants to grow better under salt stress, and may help breed future generations ...

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Biotechnology News - Biology News - Phys.org - News and ...

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Skip to content Master of Science in Biotechnology

Teaching in Northeasterns Biotechnology master's program is an opportunity to transfer my knowledge in industry to bright young scientists. I hire some in co-op positions and watch them grow as professionals. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing your pupils become successful in what they were taught. - Greg Zarbis-Papastoitsis, VP Process & Manufacturing, Eleven Biotherapeutics

"The biotechnology master's degree program played a significant role in my development as a science professional. By the end of my co-op at EMD Serono, Inc., I was not only recognized as a valuable technical expert but also as a responsible professional the company needed." Shruti Pratapa, Research Associate, EMD Serono, Inc.

The Northeastern University MS in Biotechnology is a certified Professional Science Master's Degree program -- a unique and cutting-edge degree that combines advanced science education with opportunities to interact with leading practitioners in the biomedical and pharmaceutical community here in Boston and around the world.

360 Huntington Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 02115 617.373.2000 TTY 617.373.3768 2015 Northeastern University

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The Agricultural Biotechnology Project addresses scientific concerns, government policies, and corporate practices pertaining to genetically engineered (GE) plants and animals that are released into the environment or that end up in our foods.

Download the CSPI Biotechnology Project brochure.

What is Genetic Engineering? Genetic engineering allows specific genes isolated from any organism (such as a bacterium) to be added to the genetic material of the same or a different organism (such as a corn plant). This technology differs from traditional plant and animal breeding in which the genes of only closely related organisms (such as a corn plant and its wild relatives) can be exchanged. As a result, GE foods can carry traits that were never previously in our foods. However, GE is just one of many different methods that scientists use to create improved varieties of plants and animals. Other laboratory methods to create genetic variety include chemical mutagenesis, x-ray mutagenesis, cell fusion, and artificial insemination.

The Projects goals are to:

Biotechnology Project Positions:

1.) Foods and ingredients made from currently grown GE crops are safe to eat. That is the conclusion of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Academy of Sciences, the European Food Safety Authority, and numerous other international regulatory agencies and scientific bodies.

2.) GE crops grown in the U.S. and around the world provide tremendous benefits to farmers and the environment. Corn and cotton engineered with their own built-in pesticide have greatly reduced the amount of chemical insecticides sprayed by farmers in the United States, India, and China. Herbicide-tolerant soybeans have allowed farmers to use an environmentally safer herbicide (glyphosate), practice conservation-till agriculture, and save time. Corn engineered with a biological insecticide has reduced insect populations so that all corn farmers (biotech, non-GE conventional farmers, and organic farmers) benefit by using less chemical insecticide and having corn with less pest damage. Virus-resistant GE papayas saved the Hawaiian papaya industry from a deadly virus.

3.) The U.S. regulatory system for GE crops and animals needs improvement. Congress should establish at FDA a mandatory pre-market approval process for GE crops and provide explicit authority to regulate any environmental risks associated with GE animals. USDA needs to update its oversight of GE crops to include its noxious weed authority and to ensure that all GE crops are regulated.

4.) Sustainable practices are essential to achieving long-term benefits from GE crops. Resistant weeds and pests have developed because of misuse and overuse of GE crops by technology developers and farmers. Herbicide-tolerant crops must be grown in conjunction with integrated weed management techniques, with emphasis on rotation of crops and herbicides with different modes of action. Farmers growing Bt corn must use integrated pest management and crop rotation, and comply with refuge requirements to prevent development of pesticide-resistant pests.

5.) GE crops can play a positive role in the agriculture of developing countries. While GE crops are not a panacea for solving food insecurity or world hunger, they are an extremely powerful and beneficial tool scientists can use to create crop varieties helpful to farmers in developing countries. If GE crops are safe for humans and the environment, farmers in developing countries should be given the opportunity to decide for themselves whether to adopt such varieties.

Click here to download a brochure about the CSPI Biotechnology Project.

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Biotechnology - Center for Science in the Public Interest

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What is Biotechnology

Biotechnology is most briefly defined as the art of utilizing living organisms and their products for the production of food, drink, medicine or for other benefits to the human race, or other animal species.

Technically speaking, humans have been making use of biotechnology since they discovered farming, with the planting of seeds to control plant growth and crop production.

Animal breeding is also a form of biotechnology. More recently, cross-pollination of plants and cross-breeding of animals were macro-biological techniques in biotechnology, used to enhance product quality and/or meet specific requirements or standards.

The discovery of microorganisms and the subsequent burst of knowledge related to the causes of infectious diseases, antibiotics and immunizations could probably be counted among mans most significant, life-altering discoveries.

However, the most modern techniques in biotechnology owe their existence to the discovery of DNA and the protein products of genes, most importantly, enzymes. The discovery of the techniques essential for gene cloning allowed scientists to manipulate enzyme structure and function for specific purposes. Current scientific methods are more specific than historical techniques, as scientists now directly alter genetic material with atomic precision, using techniques otherwise known as recombinant DNA technology.

As technology advances, the many roles biotech plays in our lives increases. Since George Washington Carver, scientists have been learning how to use biochemicals isolated from plants, to produce chemical products for everyday use around the house, the first "green biotech products".

Since then, biotechnological advances can be found in nearly all sectors of industry. There are, of course, the obvious medical, pharmaceutical and food industries. Biotechnology is being used to determine cause and effect of various diseases and are used in the production of drugs.

The production of foods is enhanced by biotechnological advances that improve crop yields, introduce in-situ insect resistance and provide new ways of food preservation.

Other advances include packaging consisting of biomass plastics, or bioplastics, and built-in bioindicators for detecting contamination.

In the environmental sector, biotech has played a role in remediation of contaminated land, water and air, pest control, treatment of industrial effluents and emissions, and acid mine drainage. Bioremediation and phytoremediation are used to restore brownfields for redevelopment.

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Biotechnology - Biomedical - Industrial Enzymes

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What is Biotechnology?

Biotechnology is a group of related technologies that use biological agents in a broad spectrum of applications to provide goods and services. In only a few years, biotechnology has revolutionized many disciplines including:

The Biotechnology Technician Program provides students of diverse backgrounds with the knowledge and skills needed to perform competently in a life sciences laboratory environment. The industry is a large and growing contributor to regional and national economic output. As such, Biotechnology is an important emerging industry that is expected to contribute dramatically to the 21st century economy and is thus an excellent career choice for students.

Program personnel seek to foster a sense of excitement for scientific discovery, teamwork, critical thinking, effective communication, and a positive attitude in students. In addition, partnerships with local industries provide students with the most current and cutting edge knowledge and techniques in the field. The program provides hands-on experience with over 100 hours spent in the laboratory, beginning in the first semester.

DNA manipulation and analysis

Expression and purification of proteins

Cell culture techniques

Enzyme and antibody assays

Lab safety

Critical thinking and problem solving

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Salt Lake Community College - Biotechnology

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Regenerative Medicine

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Facts about the skin from DermNet New Zealand Trust. Topic index: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterised by clearly defined, red and scaly plaques (thickened skin). It is classified into several subtypes.

Psoriasis affects 24% of males and females. It can start at any age including childhood, with peaks of onset at 1525 years and 5060 years. It tends to persist lifelong, fluctuating in extent and severity. It is particularly common in Caucasians, but may affect people of any race. About one third of patients have family members with psoriasis.

Psoriasis usually presents with symmetrically distributed, red, scaly plaques with well-defined edges. The scale is typically silvery white, except in skin folds where the plaques often appear shiny and they may have a moist peeling surface. The most common sites are scalp, elbows and knees, but any part of the skin can be involved. The plaques are usually very persistent without treatment.

Itch is mostly mild but may be severe in some patients, leading to scratching and lichenification (thickened leathery skin with increased skin markings). Painful skin cracks or fissures may occur.

When psoriatic plaques clear up, they may leave brown or pale marks that can be expected to fade over several months.

Certain features of psoriasis can be categorised to help determine appropriate investigations and treatment pathways. Overlap may occur.

Generalised pustulosis and localised palmoplantar pustulosis are no longer classified within the psoriasis spectrum.

Patients with psoriasis are more likely than other people to have other health conditions listed here.

Psoriasis is multifactorial. It is classified as an immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID).

Genetic factors are important. An individual's genetic profile influences their type of psoriasis and its response to treatment.

Theories about the causes of psoriasis need to explain why the skin is red, inflamed and thickened. It is clear that immune factors and inflammatory cytokines (messenger proteins) such is IL1 and TNF are responsible for the clinical features of psoriasis. Current theories are exploring the TH17 pathway and release of the cytokine IL17A.

Psoriasis is diagnosed by its clinical features. If necessary, diagnosis is supported by typical skin biopsy findings.

Medical assessment entails a careful history, examination, questioning about effect of psoriasis on daily life, and evaluation of comorbid factors.

Validated tools used to evaluate psoriasis include:

The severity of psoriasis is classified as mild in 60% of patients, moderate in 30% and severe in 10%.

Evaluation of comorbidities may include:

Patients with psoriasis should ensure they are well informed about their skin condition and its treatment. There are benefits from not smoking, avoiding excessive alcohol and maintaining optimal weight.

Mild psoriasis is generally treated with topical agents alone. Which treatment is selected may depend on body site, extent and severity of the psoriasis.

Moderate to severe psoriasis warrants treatment with a systemic agent and/or phototherapy. The most common treatments are:

Other medicines occasionally used for psoriasis include:

Most psoriasis centres offer phototherapy with ultraviolet (UV) radiation, often in combination with topical or systemic agents. Types of phototherapy include

Biologics or targeted therapies are reserved for conventional treatment-resistant severe psoriasis, mainly because of expense, as side effects compare favourably with other systemic agents. These include:

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Author:Hon A/Prof Amanda Oakley, Hamilton, New Zealand. Revised and updated, August 2014.

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Psoriasis. DermNet NZ

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STELARA is a prescription medicine approved to treat adults 18 years and older with moderate or severe plaque psoriasis that involves large areas or many areas of their body, who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet light alone or with pills).

STELARA is a prescription medicine approved to treat adults 18 years and older with active psoriatic arthritis, either alone or with methotrexate.

STELARA is a 45 mg or 90 mg injection given under the skin as directed by your doctor at weeks 0, 4, and every 12 weeks thereafter. It is administered by a healthcare provider or self-injected only after proper training.

STELARA can make you more likely to get infections or make an infection that you have worse. People who have a genetic problem where the body does not make any of the proteins interleukin 12 (IL-12)Proteins that increase the growth and function of white blood cells, which are found in your immune system. and interleukin 23 (IL-23)Proteins that increase the growth and function of white blood cells, which are found in your immune system. are at a higher risk for certain serious infections that can spread throughout the body and cause death. It is not known if people who take STELARA will get any of these infections because of the effects of STELARA on these proteins.

Cancers

STELARA may decrease the activity of your immune systemA system inside the body that protects against germs and infections. and increase your risk for certain types of cancer. Tell your doctor if you have ever had any type of cancer. Some people who had risk factors for skin cancer developed certain types of skin cancers while receiving STELARA. Tell your doctor if you have any new skin growths.

Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS)

RPLS is a rare condition that affects the brain and can cause death. The cause of RPLS is not known. If RPLS is found early and treated, most people recover. Tell your doctor right away if you have any new or worsening medical problems including: headache, seizures, confusion, and vision problems.

Serious Allergic Reactions

Serious allergic reactions can occur. Get medical help right away if you have any symptoms such as: feeling faint, swelling of your face, eyelids, tongue, or throat, trouble breathing, throat or chest tightness, or skin rash.

Before receiving STELARA, tell your doctor if you:

When prescribed STELARA:

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit http://www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please read the Full Prescribing Information, including the Medication Guide for STELARA, and discuss any questions you have with your doctor.

Requires Adobe Reader. Click here to download.

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What is Psoriasis? STELARA (ustekinumab)

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

The long-term goal of Dr. Ikeda's lab is to develop efficient and safe gene and cell therapy platforms for individualized medicine. Dr. Ikeda's main research interests include induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology as a novel diabetes therapy; adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-mediated gene therapy for diabetes and cardiovascular disease; and intrinsic immunity against HIV and retroviral infection.

Towards patient-specific iPS cells for a novel cell therapy for type I diabetes

Dr. Ikeda's research interests include:

Gene and cell therapy for diabetes. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology enables derivation of pluripotent stem cells from nonembryonic sources. Successful differentiation of autologous iPS cells into islet-like cells could allow in vitro modeling of patient-specific disease pathogenesis and future clinical cell therapy for diabetes. However, an efficient methodology is not available for the generation of glucose-responsive insulin-producing cells from iPS cells in vitro.

Recently, the lab has examined the efficiency of iPS differentiation into glucose-responsive insulin-producing cells using a modified stepwise protocol with indolactam V and GLP-1 and demonstrated successful generation of islet-like cells, which expressed pancreas-specific markers. Importantly, the iPS-derived islet-like cells secreted C peptide in a glucose-dependent manner. The lab is currently working on reprogramming diabetic patient-derived cells into genomic modification-free iPS cells using nonintegrating vectors, as well as studying the therapeutic effects of iPS-derived insulin-producing islet-like cells in a diabetic mouse model.

Additionally, the lab has developednovel pancreatic gene delivery vectors and is currently studying the therapeutic effects of pancreatic overexpression of factors known to accelerate beta cell regeneration and neogenesis in diabetic mouse models.

Gene therapy for hypertensive heart disease. Altered myocardial structure and function secondary to hypertensive heart disease are leading causes of heart failure and death. A frequent clinical phenotype of cardiac disease is diastolic dysfunction associated with high blood pressure, which over time leads to profound cardiac remodeling, fibrosis and progression to congestive heart failure.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has blood pressure lowering, anti-fibrotic and anti-hypertrophic properties, making it an attractive therapeutic for attenuating the adverse cardiac remodeling associated with hypertension. However, use of natriuretic peptides for chronic therapy has been limited by their extremely short in vivo half-life. Recently, the lab usedmyocardium-tropic adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9)-based vectors and demonstrated long-term cardiac BNP expression in spontaneous hypertensive rats. Sustained BNP expression significantly lowered blood pressure for up to nine months and improved the cardiac functions in hypertensive heart disease.

The lab is currently examining the feasibility of this strategy in a large animal model for future clinical applications, as well as further developing a gene therapy strategy for hypertensive heart disease using other therapeutic genes.

Pathogenesis of HIV and retroviruses. Mammalian cells have evolved several strategies to limit viral production. For instance, type 1 interferons stimulate a series of cellular factors that block viral gene expression by degrading viral RNA or inhibiting protein translation.

Previously, Dr. Ikeda's lab unveiled a novel antiviral strategy to limit late stages of viral replication, blocking viral production by tripartite motif 5 alpha (TRIM5alpha) through actively degrading a viral protein. TRIM5alpha is a member of the vast family of TRIM proteins, most of which are poorly characterized. Since many TRIM proteins are upregulated following viral infection or interferon treatment, the lab hypothesized that a subset of TRIM proteins represents a new group of antiviral factors.

The lab is currently studyingTRIM proteins' antiviral activities against infection and production of various DNA and RNA viruses. A greater understanding of the roles of TRIM family proteins could lead to a novel molecular strategy for viral infection. In addition to TRIM protein-mediated antiviral activities, the lab is also investigating the biology, epidemiology and pathogenicity of a recently identified retrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV).

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More:
Overview - Gene and Cell Therapy for Diabetes and ...

Recommendation and review posted by sam

When searching for spinal cord injury memoir products, Amazon customers prefer the following products. We have a comprehensive set of reviews from our customers on these kinds of products. Below we've selected a set of related products and the corresponding reviews to help you choose the product that best suits your needs.

In Stock.

An auto accident at 17 broke Mr. Neville's neck but, thankfully, did not sever his spinal cord. The injury was so severe- and so high up- that even his ability to breathe was impaired. One doctor callously told him that he'd always be bedridden. But Neville had no intention of accepting that. He tackled physical and occupational therapy with gusto and managed to get back mobility in his arms. He went on to finish high school on time, earn two college degrees, and become not just employed but highly successful. So much for bedridden! He has achieved all that he dreamed of as a young man.

This is the story of how he accomplished all this. He had faith that his life had meaning and that giving up wasn't in the plan. He also had an incredible support system in his family and friends, who were there for him ... full review

In Stock.

Across The Street From Hell isn't just a good must read book, it's actually an honest look into Mr. Hall's life. His story is inspirational to anyone who has had to overcome a major life changing event. I highly commend Mr. Hall for sharing his life with us.

Available for download now.

I found out about Shane's accident by accident - an irony. A mutual friend mentioned it in passing. I also found out about his and Elly's book by accident. It popped up in my Facebook feed. Providentially, a long train journey afforded me to opportunity to read this book in one sitting and I do wonder what my fellow travellers were making of my gasps, my tears, my laughs and my 'Oh noes'.

It's one of those books - deeply personal, brutally (and necessarily) honest and engaging.

I do think knowing someone you're reading about adds an intensity to their story; however, the beauty of this book is that Shane and Elly don't hold back. The result is 2 very clear, strong and real voices who invite you into their world with such intimacy that you will put the book down feeling that you know them too.

full review

Available for download now.

This book should be placed where anyone with a spinal cord injury can read it. These young ladies' story is a true life account of the adversities they meet and their sprit and determination to move forward with their dreams. They do not "hope" for a good life they make it happen.

In Stock.

[[ASIN:1921919159 WINDOWS IN THE CLOUDS]]

There are plenty of autobiographies out there about the rich and famous but this is a story of an ordinary Aussie bloke who has been on an extraordinary journey. From young, fit and healthy with the whole world before him, Stephen woke up one day in a hospital bed with the whole world having collapsed on him. This is the inspiring story of how he came to terms with his new life and then decided to take on some of the challenges he had dreamed of before his accident.

With a healthy dose of Aussie self-deprecating humour, he tells his story in a personal way that engages the reader and makes you want to know what he will do next.

Many people have so many excuses in life about why they haven't done certain things. Stephen has shown us that most of ... full review

Out of Print--Limited Availability.

To do justice to this book, read it with an open, searching heart. Then ask yourself, as this author did, what would YOU feel and what would YOU do if your child, an adolescent, was left paralyzed from the neck down? In those first days when your child couldn't even speak what would you think about? That's the painful situation author Richard Galli found himself facing after his son Jeffrey was paralyzed after a freak accident in a swimming pool, an accident which left him unable to move from the neck down. This account is a heartfelt, painfully honest description of the first ten days after the accident (when Jeffrey is basically unconscious) and what many readers have found hard to believe is how Jeffrey's father could contemplate ending his son's life. But I understood how his understanding of the life his son had lived before the accident ... full review

Available for download now.

Half-Life Is Restoration of Body & Mind Moved back and forth in timeline, a bit repetitive with some events. Still was an interesting and heart rendering read.

In Stock.

This book is more than just a memoir. Derek Hawkins' utter honesty about his life, his emotions and himself give the reader such a sense of the remarkable person he is that you feel as if he has done more than simply share his triumph over adversity. Although he says that he has always wanted to write about the events of his life and that doing so brings a form of closure, he has clearly given every reader a complex and fulfilling gift of spirit as well. And while we can admire, praise and compliment him for his pure courage, unassuming fortitude and inspiring perseverance, I hope this does not close the door on his writing career, so that in the future he will continue to gift readers with other thoughtful, humorous and rewarding works.

Available for download now.

A GREAT AVENUE FOR EXPERIENCING LIFE THROUGH THE EYES OF ANOTHER. LIFE'S LESSONS WITHOUT THE PAIN. A GOLDEN PRESCRIPTION. ITS WORTH GOING AFTER.

In Stock.

I have a spinal cord injury and found this book extremely inspiring. It's helping me give up the wheelchair and move forward. Thanks, Grant!

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Spinal Cord Injury Memoir: Amazon.com

Recommendation and review posted by sam

October 9, 2015 At the 30th postoperative day after conducting the BBB (Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan) behavioral test on the animals and morphometric studies on their spinal cord, equal positive locomotor recovery in rats was observed after both direct and cell-based GDNF therapy. Credit: Inna Basyrova

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to complex pathological changes that include the death of neurons and glial cells and degeneration of nerve fibers.

One promising approach for preventing neurodegeneration involves locally treating the site of injury. One such approach particularly suitable for SCI treatment is glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF).

Previous studies of KFU researchers on direct gene therapy for spinal cord injuries indicated that the treatment resulted in the preservation of nervous tissue and functional recovery. Similarly, cell-based gene delivery has been shown to promote the growth of motor axons after partial and complete spinal cord transections.

The group of scientists from the Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology at Kazan Federal University developed special umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells, the main positive action of which was that they facilitated targeted delivery of the therapeutic molecules to motor neurons and thereby prolonged their survival. UCB-MCs have been used for gene delivery because of their suitability for low immunogenicity, accessibility and ease of production and storage, and because of the lack of legal, ethical and religious concerns related to using these cells.

A rat SCI model was used to examine the efficacy of the two methods.

At the 30th postoperative day after conducting the BBB (Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan) behavioral test on the animals and morphometric studies on their spinal cords, equal positive locomotor recovery in rats was observed after both direct and cell-based GDNF therapy.

Compared with direct gene injection, cell-mediated GDNF gene delivery led to considerably more pronounced preservation of myelinated fibers in the remote segments of the spinal cord (5 vs 3 mm from the epicenter), and this might depend on the expansion of the therapeutic influence in cell-mediated therapy over long distances as a result of the migration of the transplanted cells. UCB-MCs are suitable for cell therapy because they can potentially differentiate into not only blood cells, but also other types of cells such as myoblasts of heart and skeletal muscle tissues, hepatocytes, vascular endothelial cells, neurons, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes.

Transplantation of UCB-MCs is a promising strategy for enhancing posttraumatic spinal cord regeneration. Delivery of the GDNF gene into the site of injury holds considerable potential as a therapeutic intervention in SCI.

Explore further: Stem cell scarring aids recovery from spinal cord injury

More information: Y O Mukhamedshina et al. "Adenoviral vector carrying glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor for direct gene therapy in comparison with human umbilical cord blood cell-mediated therapy of spinal cord injury in rat," Spinal Cord (2015). DOI: 10.1038/sc.2015.161

Provided by: Kazan Federal University

In a new study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden show that the scar tissue formed by stem cells after a spinal cord injury does not impair recovery; in fact, stem cell scarring confines the damage. The findings, ...

Delivering a single injection of a scar-busting gene therapy to the spinal cord of rats following injury promotes the survival of nerve cells and improves hind limb function within weeks, according to a study published April ...

Most research on spinal cord injuries has focused on effects due to spinal cord damage and scientists have neglected the effects on brain function. University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) researchers have found ...

New research from Uppsala University shows promising progress in the use of stem cells for treatment of spinal cord injury. The results, which are published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports, show that human stem ...

Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have found a way to stimulate the growth of axons, which may spell the dawn of a new beginning on chronic SCI treatments.

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center are exploring a new therapy using stem cells to treat spinal cord injuries within the first 14 to 30 days of injury. Rush is only the second center in the country currently studying ...

If you have diabetes, or cancer or even heart problems, maybe you should blame it on your dad's behaviour or environment. Or even your grandfather's. That's because, in recent years, scientists have shown that, before his ...

The Nobel prize in medicine went Monday to three scientists hailed as "heroes in the truest sense of the word" for saving millions of lives with the creation of the world's leading malaria-fighting drug and another that has ...

For the first time, scientists can use skin samples from older patients to create brain cells without rolling back the youthfulness clock in the cells first. The new technique, which yields cells resembling those found in ...

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. As a prime example, pulmonary hypertension is especially lethal, with one-half of patients dying within three years of being diagnosed. Yale researchers have ...

Dogs and cats may provide their human companions with more than love and affection. From cancer and osteoarthritis to inflammatory bowel and heart disease, animals are afflicted with many of the same ailments found in people.

Scientists said Wednesday they had grown rudimentary human kidney tissue from stem cells, a key step towards the Holy Grail of fully-functional, lab-made transplant organs.

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Researchers compare direct gene vs. blood cell-mediated ...

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Human growth hormone (HGH): Does it slow aging?

Human growth hormone is described by some as the key to slowing the aging process. Before you sign up, get the facts.

Growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland a pea-sized structure at the base of the brain to fuel childhood growth and help maintain tissues and organs throughout life. Beginning in middle age, however, the pituitary gland slowly reduces the amount of growth hormone it produces.

This natural slowdown has prompted an interest in the use of synthetic human growth hormone (HGH) to stave off some of the changes that occur with age, such as decreased muscle and bone mass.

If you're skeptical, good for you. There's little evidence to suggest human growth hormone can help otherwise healthy adults regain youth and vitality. In fact, experts recommend against using HGH to treat aging or age-related conditions.

Yes. Adults who have true growth hormone deficiency not the expected decline in growth hormone due to aging may be prescribed synthetic human growth hormone by their doctors.

Growth hormone deficiency in adults is rare and may be caused by pituitary adenoma a tumor on the pituitary gland or treatment of the adenoma with surgery or radiotherapy. For adults who have a growth hormone deficiency, injections of human growth hormone can:

Human growth hormone is also approved to treat adults with short bowel syndrome or AIDS- or HIV-related muscle wasting.

Studies of healthy adults taking human growth hormone are limited. Although it appears that human growth hormone can increase muscle mass and reduce the amount of body fat in healthy older adults, the increase in muscle doesn't translate into increased strength. It isn't clear if human growth hormone may provide other benefits to healthy adults.

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Human growth hormone (HGH): Does it slow aging? - Mayo Clinic

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Corresponding Author: Joshua M. Hare, MD, The Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Biomedical Research Bldg/Room 908, PO Box 016960 (R-125), Miami, FL 33101 (jhare@med.miami.edu).

Published Online: November 6, 2012. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.25321

Author Contributions:Dr Hare had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Study concept and design: Hare, Gerstenblith, DiFede Velazquez, George, Mendizabal, McNiece, Heldman.

Acquisition of data: Hare, Fishman, Gerstenblith, DiFede Velazquez, Zambrano, Suncion, Tracy, Johnston, Brinker, Breton, Davis-Sproul, Byrnes, George, Lardo, Mendizabal, Lowery, Wong Po Foo, Ruiz, Amador, Da Silva, McNiece, Heldman.

Analysis and interpretation of data: Hare, Fishman, Zambrano, Suncion, Tracy, Ghersin, Lardo, Schulman, Mendizabal, Altman, Ruiz, Amador, Da Silva, McNiece, Heldman.

Drafting of the manuscript: Hare, Fishman, Ghersin, Mendizabal, Ruiz, Amador, Heldman.

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Hare, Fishman, Gerstenblith, DiFede Velazquez, Suncion, Tracy, Johnston, Brinker, Breton, Davis-Sproul, Schulman, Byrnes, Geroge, Lardo, Mendizabal, Lowery, Rouy, Altman, Wong Po Foo, Ruiz, Da Silva, McNiece, Heldman.

Statistical analysis: Hare, Mendizabal, McNiece, Heldman.

Obtained funding: Hare, Lardo.

Administrative, technical, or material support: Hare, DiFede Velazquez, Zambrano, Suncion, Ghersin, Johnston, Breton, Davis-Sproul, Schulman, Byrnes, Lowery, Rouy, Altman, Wong Po Foo, Da Silva, McNiece, Heldman.

Study supervision: Hare, Fishman, Gerstenblith, Tracy, George, Schulman, Altman, Da Silva, McNiece, Heldman.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: All authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Dr Hare reported having a patent for cardiac cell-based therapy, receiving research support from and being a board member of Biocardia, having equity interest in Vestion Inc, and being a consultant for Kardia. Dr George reported serving on the board of GE Healthcare, consulting for ICON Medical Imaging, and receiving trademark royalties for fluoroperfusion imaging. Mr Mendizabal is an employee of EMMES Corporation. Drs Rouy, Altman, and Wong Po Foo are employees of Biocardia Inc. Dr McNiece reported being a consultant and board member of Proteonomix Inc. Dr Heldman reported having a patent for cardiac cell-based therapy, receiving research support from and being a board member of Biocardia, and having equity interest in Vestion Inc. No other authors reported any financial disclosures.

Funding/Support: This study was funded by the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) as part of the Specialized Centers for Cell-Based Therapy U54 grant (U54HL081028-01). Dr Hare is also supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants RO1 HL094849, P20 HL101443, RO1 HL084275, RO1 HL107110, RO1 HL110737, and UM1HL113460. The NHLBI provided oversight of the clinical trial through the independent Gene and Cell Therapy Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). Biocardia Inc provided the Helical Infusion Catheters for the conduct of POSEIDON.

Role of the Sponsors: The NHLBI, NIH, and Biocardia Inc had no role in the design and conduct of the study; in the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; or in the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.

Additional Contributions: We thank the NHLBI Gene and Cell Therapy DSMB, the patients who participated in this trial, the bone marrow donors, the staff of the cardiac catheterization laboratories at the University of Miami Hospital and The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Erica Anderson, MA (EMMES Corporation), provided data management and Hongwei Tang, MD (TeraRecon Inc), provided consultation regarding CT imaging analysis. Ms Anderson received compensation for her contribution via the Specialized Centers for Cell-Based Therapy grant. Dr Tang did not receive any compensation for his contribution.

This article was corrected for errors on July 19, 2013.

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JAMA | Comparison of Allogeneic vs Autologous Bone Marrow ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/jwh65q/advances_in_gene) has announced the addition of the "Advances in Gene Therapy (TechVision)" report to their offering.

The objective of this research service is to provide an exhaustive analysis of the current trends in gene therapy. The research service comprises details of technology challenges, market drivers and restraints in addition to the competitive landscape present in the gene therapy market space. The research service analyzes the recent developments in companies with respect to a variety of diseases application areas. A thorough and exhaustive overview of product candidates and the phases of clinical trial development across the United states is provided.

The information in this research service will detail the areas in gene therapy that are experiencing significant growth in the United States, with associated and pertinent advancements around the globe. It will clearly breakdown the key success indicators, that have shown to hold positive outlook for commercialization over the short term future.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary

- Scope

- Methodology

2. Sneak Preview

- Introduction

- Gene Therapy, Event Timeline, 1997-2014

- Technology Readiness Level Approach

3. Technology Assessment

- Technology Segments

- Non viral vectors

- Non viral vectors

- Viral Vectors

- Gene Types

4. Impact on Applications

- Introduction

- Segmentation by Disease area

- Monogenic Disease

- Monogenic Disease: Product Reservoir

- Cancer Disease

- Cancer Disease: Product Reservoir

- Cardiovascular Diseases

- Cardiovascular Disease: Product Reservoir

- Other Diseases

- Other Disease: Product Reservoir

- Gene Therapy Products on the Horizon

- Emerging disease areas

5. Analysis of the Industry Environment

- Venture Capital Funding Assessment

- Role of Big Pharma

- Clinical Trials Overview

- Drivers

- Drivers Explained

- Restraints

- Restraints Explained

6. Competitive Landscape

7. Appendix

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/jwh65q/advances_in_gene

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Research and Markets: Advances in Gene Therapy (TechVision ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Regenerative Medicine is the process of engineering living, functional cell and tissue-based therapies and administering these to patients to repair or replace tissue or organ function lost due to age, disease, damage, or congenital defects. Target diseases include cancers, diabetes, heart disease, ALS and target disorders include spinal/movement, hearing loss, vision loss, and neurological (i.e., stroke).

Nearly all currently available and development stage regenerative medicine products and therapies utilize biopreservation processes and products in the acquisition of source material, isolation and manipulation of specific cells, and storage and shipment of a final product dose to a patient location. System optimization is critical and biopreservation economics greatly impact product commercialization potential through shelf life impact on distribution, and clinical dose efficacy following preservation.

This market is comprised of nearly 700 commercial companies and numerous other hospital-based transplant centers developing and delivering cellular therapies such as stem cells isolated from bone marrow, peripheral and umbilical cord blood as well as engineered tissue-based products. MedMarket Diligence, LLC, estimates that the current worldwide market for regenerative medicine products and services is growing at 20 percent annually. We expect pre-formulated biopreservation media products such as our HypoThermosol and CryoStor to continue to displace home-brew cocktails, creating demand for clinical grade preservation reagents that will grow at greater than the overall end market rate.

We have shipped our proprietary biopreservation media products to over 200 regenerative medicine customers. We estimate that our products are now incorporated into 30 to 40 regenerative medicine cell- or tissue-based products in pre-clinical and clinical trial stages of development. While this market is still in an early stage, we have secured a valuable position as a supplier of critical reagents to numerous regenerative medicine companies and university based centers.

See more here:
Regenerative Medicine - Biolife Solutions, Inc.

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Northwestern University provides a strong foundation in core genetic counseling skills and identifies each students strengths in order to ignite the passion and lifelong commitment to learning that is critical to professional development. Graduates not only feel extremely capable in multiple clinical settings and specialties, but also recognize how valuable their training has been in preparing them for expanded genetic counseling careers.

Since the inception of the Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling in 1990, the leaders of the program have strived to look to the future of the genetic counseling profession to help guide the overall administration and curriculum. The field of genetics has evolved rapidly over time, and graduate programs need to be aware of the changes that will continue to shape and influence the profession. Northwestern has continued to successfully evolve to meet these changing needs. There are several strengths that allow Northwestern to maintain this cutting edge:

This unique combination, along with the personalized attention a student receives during their training, creates an exciting learning environment and is one of the major strengths of the Northwestern program. We believe our students deserve a strong science, research and psychosocial curriculum.

In addition, Northwestern is proud to offer one of the only dual degree programs available in Genetic Counseling and Medical Humanities and Bioethics.

The combination of the programs nationally recognized faculty, the diversity of clinical and patient experiences, and the cultural excitement of its location in Chicago makes this program unique, exciting and visionary!

Learn more about the program via the links below.

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Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling : Center for ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

2

Fredrick J. Gilbreth Pediatrics 121 Dekalb Ave Brooklyn, NY 11201 (718) 250-6911

3

Pauline Brenholz Integrated Oncology 521 W 57th St Fl 6 New York, NY 10019 (212) 698-0300

4

Naomi Yachelebich New York University Medical Center Medical Genetics 145 E 32nd St FL 14 New York, NY 10016 (646) 754-2222

5

John G. Pappas New York University Medical Center Medical Genetics 145 E 32nd St FL 14 New York, NY 10016 (646) 754-2222

6

Simon G. Kupchick MMC Pediatrics 948 48th St FL 3 Brooklyn, NY 11219 (718) 283-8260

7

Jackie L. Roberts Diagnostic Perinatal Testing Obstetrics & Gynecology Ultrasound 5014 Fort Hamilton Pkwy Fl 1 Brooklyn, NY 11219 (718) 283-7979

8

Kenneth Offit Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Clinical Genetics 222 E 70th St Lowr LEVEL New York, NY 10021 (646) 888-4050

9

Mark I. Evans Mark I Evans MD 131 E 65th St New York, NY 10065 (212) 744-2590

10

Zsofia K. Stadler Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 1275 York Ave New York, NY 10065 (212) 639-2000

11

Noah Kauff Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Clinical Genetics 222 E 70th St Lowr LEVEL New York, NY 10021 (646) 888-4050

12

Michel Sadelain Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 1275 York Ave New York, NY 10065 (212) 639-2000

13

Christopher M. Cunniff New York Presbyterian Hospital Genetics 505 E 70th St FL 3T3 New York, NY 10021 (646) 962-2205

14

Jennifer Bassetti New York Presbyterian Hospital Genetics 505 E 70th St FL 3T3 New York, NY 10021 (646) 962-2205

15

Jessica G. Davis New York Presbyterian Hospital Genetics 505 E 70th St FL 3T3 New York, NY 10021 (646) 962-2205

16

Lilian L. Cohen New York Presbyterian Hospital Genetics 505 E 70th St FL 3T3 New York, NY 10021 (646) 962-2205

17

Franklin T. Desposito Genetic Center 90 Bergen St Ste 5400 Newark, NJ 07103 (973) 972-3300

18

Beth A. Pletcher Genetic Center 90 Bergen St Ste 5400 Newark, NJ 07103 (973) 972-3300

19

Narasimha R. Marella Cancer Genetics Inc 201 State Rt 17 FL 2 Rutherford, NJ 07070 (201) 528-9200

20

Amy Yang Comprehensive Gaucher Dis Treatment 1 Gustave L Levy Pl # 1497 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-0915

21

Manisha C. Balwani Comprehensive Gaucher Dis Treatment 1 Gustave L Levy Pl # 1497 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-0915

22

Keith A. Eddleman Faculty Practice Associates Obstetrics & Gynecology 5 E 98th St FL 2 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-9393

23

Robert J. Desnick Mount Sinai Medical Center Genetics 1428 Madison Ave RM 12 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-6947

24

Kimihiko Oishi Mount Sinai Medical Center Genetics 1428 Madison Ave RM 12 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-6947

25

Eric Schadt Mount Sinai Medical Center Genetics 1428 Madison Ave RM 12 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-6947

26

Lakshmi C. Mehta Mount Sinai Medical Center Genetics 1428 Madison Ave RM 12 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-6947

27

Lakshmi C. Mehta Mount Sinai Medical Center Genetics 1428 Madison Ave RM 12 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-6947

28

Any C. Yang Mount Sinai Medical Center Genetics 1428 Madison Ave RM 12 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-6947

29

Bryn Webb Mount Sinai Medical Center Genetics 1428 Madison Ave RM 12 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-6947

30

George A. Diaz Mount Sinai Medical Center Genetics 1428 Madison Ave RM 12 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-6947

31

Melissa P. Wasserstein Comprehensive Gaucher Dis Treatment 1 Gustave L Levy Pl # 1497 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-0915

32

Chanan Stauffer Mount Sinai Medical Center Genetics 1 Gustave L Levy Pl FL 12 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-0915

33

Ethylin W. Jabs Comprehensive Gaucher Dis Treatment 1 Gustave L Levy Pl # 1497 New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-0915

34

Milen T. Velinov George A Jervis Clinic 1050 Forest Hill Rd Staten Island, NY 10314 (718) 494-5151

35

William T. Brown George A Jervis Clinic 1050 Forest Hill Rd Staten Island, NY 10314 (718) 494-5151

36

Nelly J. Oundjian Harlem Hospital Center-Pediatric Clinic 46 W 137th St New York, NY 10037 (212) 939-8005

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Uta Lichter-Konecki New York Presbyterian Hospital Pediatrics 3959 Broadway New York, NY 10032 (212) 305-8504

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Helio F. Pedro Hackensack Medical Center Genetics 30 Prospect Ave Ste 1 Hackensack, NJ 07601 (551) 996-5264

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Ivan Bilbao-lavieja Hackensack Medical Center Genetics 30 Prospect Ave Ste 1 Hackensack, NJ 07601 (551) 996-5264

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Yiping Geng Yiping Geng MD 13304 41st Ave Ste A Flushing, NY 11355 (718) 353-7265

41

Punita Gupta St Josephs Regional Medical Center Genetics 703 Main St Paterson, NJ 07503 (973) 754-2727

42

Siobhan M. Dolan Montefiore Medical Center Genetics 1695 Eastchester Rd Ste 301 Bronx, NY 10461 (718) 405-8150

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Susan D. Klugman Montefiore Medical Center Genetics 1695 Eastchester Rd Ste 301 Bronx, NY 10461 (718) 405-8150

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Robert W. Marion Childrens Evaluation & Rehabilitation Center 1410 Pelham Pkwy S FL 1 Bronx, NY 10461 (718) 430-8600

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Paul A. Levy Childrens Hospital At Montefiore Medical Center Specialty Clinic 3415 Bainbridge Ave FL 4-5 Bronx, NY 10467 (718) 741-2450

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Joy M. Samanich Childrens Hospital At Montefiore Medical Center Specialty Clinic 3415 Bainbridge Ave FL 4-5 Bronx, NY 10467 (718) 741-2450

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Elaine M. Pereira Childrens Hospital At Montefiore Medical Center Specialty Clinic 3415 Bainbridge Ave FL 4-5 Bronx, NY 10467 (718) 741-2450

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Robin Russell Marble Hill Family Practice 4256 Bronx Blvd Bronx, NY 10466 (646) 329-8220

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Brian S. Cooperman Northern Obstetrics & Gynecology 3111 New Hyde Park Rd Ste 2 North Hills, NY 11042 (516) 365-6100

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Martin G. Bialer CLL Research & Treatment Program 1554 Northern Blvd Ste 204 Manhasset, NY 11030 (516) 365-3996

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Joyce E. Fox CLL Research & Treatment Program 1554 Northern Blvd Ste 204 Manhasset, NY 11030 (516) 365-3996

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2

Laszlo L. Mechtler Dent Neurological Institute 3980 Sheridan Dr Tower A Amherst, NY 14226 (716) 250-2000

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Kathleen M. Mogensen Roswell Park Cancer Institute Elm and Carlton St Buffalo, NY 14263 (716) 845-2300

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Robert Fenstermaker Roswell Park Cancer Institute Elm and Carlton St Buffalo, NY 14263 (716) 845-2300

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Daniel I. Rifkin Sleep Disorder Center 1491 Sheridan Dr Tonawanda, NY 14217 (716) 923-7326

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Michele Levine Sleep Disorder Center 1491 Sheridan Dr Tonawanda, NY 14217 (716) 923-7326

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Marc Schlegel Sleep Disorder Center 640 Ellicott St Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 923-7326

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Maureen Stegemann Buffalo Medical Group 85 High St FL 4 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 857-8624

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Michael J. Battaglia Buffalo Medical Group 85 High St FL 4 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 857-8624

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Bianca Weinstock Guttman University Of Neurology 100 High St Bldg D FL 2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7051

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Salman Farooq Buffalo General Medical Center Neurology 100 High St Ste D2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7540

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Eugene Y. Gu University Neurology 100 High St Ste D2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7540

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David Hojnacki University Of Neurology 100 High St Bldg D FL 2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7051

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Robert N. Sawyer Jr University Of Neurology 100 High St Bldg D FL 2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7051

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Osman Farooq University Neurology 100 High St Ste D2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7540

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Nicholas J. Silvestri University Of Neurology 100 High St Bldg D FL 2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7051

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Kinga G. Szigeti University Of Neurology 100 High St Bldg D FL 2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7051

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Robert Zivadinov University Of Neurology 100 High St Bldg D FL 2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7051

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Ping Li University Neurology 100 High St Ste D2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7540

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Marilou Ching University Of Neurology 100 High St Bldg D FL 2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7051

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Gil I. Wolfe University Neurology 100 High St Ste D2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-2024

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Margaret Bucello University Of Neurology 100 High St Bldg D FL 2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7051

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Norah Lincoff University Of Neurology 100 High St Bldg D FL 2 Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 859-7051

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Sarah G. Finnegan University Of Neurology 300 Essjay Rd Ste 100 Williamsville, NY 14221 (716) 932-6080

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Cheryl A. Guidotti Regional Epilepsy Monitoring Center 219 Bryant St Tanner Bldg Buffalo, NY 14222 (716) 878-7080

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Theresa Ball ECMC Gastroenterology Lab 462 Grider St Ste 133 Buffalo, NY 14215 (716) 898-3391

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David J. Diina Erie County Medical Center Neurology 462 Grider St Buffalo, NY 14215 (716) 898-3638

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Gregory D. Sambuchi Gregory D Sambuchi MD 4600 Military Rd Ste B Niagara Falls, NY 14305 (716) 297-8709

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Susan M. Elrich Erie County Medical Center Neurology 462 Grider St Buffalo, NY 14215 (716) 898-3638

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Margaret Umhauer Erie County Medical Center Neurology 462 Grider St Buffalo, NY 14215 (716) 898-3638

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Omar Kass-Hout Catholic Health Hospitalist 515 Abbott Rd Ste 508 Buffalo, NY 14220 (716) 828-3123

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Catalina C. Ionita Catholic Health Hospitalist 515 Abbott Rd Ste 508 Buffalo, NY 14220 (716) 828-3123

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Mohammad R. Samie M Reza Samie MD 515 Abbott Rd Ste 400 Buffalo, NY 14220 (716) 828-3400

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David G. Lichter Invision Health 400 International Dr Ste 2 Williamsville, NY 14221 (716) 631-3555

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In-sook J. Shin Aspire Of Western New York 7 Community Dr Buffalo, NY 14225 (716) 505-5630

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Ranjana Luthra Hurley Medical Center 2075 Kensington Ave Buffalo, NY 14226 (716) 839-1161

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Beth L. Tacca George C Kalonaros MD 2950 Elmwood Ave Ste 4059 Buffalo, NY 14217 (716) 447-7260

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George C. Kalonaros George C Kalonaros MD 2950 Elmwood Ave Ste 4059 Buffalo, NY 14217 (716) 447-7260

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Arica H. Morrill Dent Neurological Institute 3980 Sheridan Dr Tower A Amherst, NY 14226 (716) 250-2000

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Definition and Prevalence

Male hypogonadism is defined as the failure of the testes to produce androgen, sperm, or both. Although the disorder is exceedingly common, its exact prevalence is uncertain.

Testosterone production declines with advancing age; 20% of men older than 60 years and 30% to 40% of men older than 80 years have serum testosterone levels that would be subnormal in their younger adult male counterparts. This apparent physiologic decline in circulating androgen levels is compounded in frequency by permanent disorders of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (see later). These include the transient deficiency states associated with acute stressful illnesses, such as surgery and myocardial infarction, and the more chronic deficiency states associated with wasting illnesses, such as cancer and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Male factor infertility is probably responsible for one third of the 10% to 15% of couples who are unable to conceive within 1 year of unprotected intercourse. Most of these male-associated cases result from diminished, absent, or faulty spermatogenesis. In addition to abnormal sperm production, other conditions, including obstructive ductal disease, epididymal hostility, immunologic disorders, and erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction should be considered. Finally, because combined female-male infertility is common, and fertility as well as psychological well-being are ultimate goals, both partners must be assessed from the outset.

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The physiologic regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is shown in Figure 1. Circulating testosterone is largely protein-boundthe major protein is sex hormonebinding globulin (SHBG)with only 2% present as the biologically active or free fraction. Some clinicians believe that the bioavailable fraction, the fraction present in the supernatant after ammonium sulfate precipitation, representing testosterone loosely bound predominantly to serum albumin, is more meaningful. Hepatic SHBG production rises with aging and thyroid hormone excess and declines in hyperinsulinemic states (obesity and type 2 diabetes), so that free testosterone values may not always be concordant with total testosterone values. The biologic effects of testosterone may be mediated directly by testosterone or by its metabolites 5-dihydrotestosterone or estradiol (Fig. 2).

Male hypogonadism is caused by a primary (hypergonadotropic) testicular disorder or is secondary (hypo- or normogonadotropic) to hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction, as illustrated in Figure 3. Combined disorders also occur. Examples of the major causes of male hypogonadism are shown in Boxes 1 and 2.

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Persistent failure of the testes to descend may be an early manifestation of testicular dysfunction. In addition, a normally formed but hypotrophic penis may provide a clue to an abnormality of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

Delayed, arrested, or absent testicular growth and secondary sexual characteristic development are hallmarks of pubertal disorders. Skeletal proportions may be abnormal (eunuchoid) with more than a 5-cm difference between span and height and between pubis-floor and pubis-vertex dimensions.

Manifestations in adults are generally more subtle. Perhaps the minor contribution of adrenal androgens (or androgenic precursors) may substitute for testicular deficiency once the target tissues have been fully developed. Moreover, ingrained behavior patterns may be resistant to androgenic hormone deficiency. Certainly, prolactin excess, testosterone deficiency, or both in men may result in impaired libido and erectile dysfunction. The yield of finding hyperprolactinemia or testosterone deficiency, or both, in patients presenting with these symptoms is generally considered to be low, usually less than 5%. However, a large survey of patients with erectile dysfunction presenting to a Veterans Affairs center has suggested that the prevalence of these abnormalities is substantial: 18.7% of patients with low testosterone levels and 4.6% with elevated prolactin levels.1

The first manifestation of hypogonadism may be a consequence of a large space-occupying intrasellar or parasellar lesion manifested by headaches, bitemporal hemianopia, or extraocular muscle palsy. Galactorrhea as a manifestation of hyperprolactinemia is rare, but rarely sought. Unexplained osteoporosis or mild anemia sometimes is the clue to an underlying hypogonadal state. Some common clinical conditions associated with male hypogonadism are listed in Box 3. The subject of androgen deficiency and the aging man is dealt with in greater detail later in this chapter.

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Because of the well-known diurnal rhythm of serum testosterone, which appears to be lost with age (>60 years), with values 30% or so higher near 8 am versus the later day trough, a testosterone value should be determined first thing in the morning. Normal ranges vary among laboratories. Although the usually quoted range for young men is 300 to 1000ng/dL, the lower limit reported for the Cleveland Clinic is 220ng/dL. In general, values below 220 to 250ng/dL are clearly low in most laboratories; values between 250 and 350ng/dL should be considered borderline low. Because the acute effect of stressful illness may result in a transient lowering of testosterone levels, a confirmatory early morning specimen should be obtained. Measurement of free testosterone levels or bioavailable testosterone levels, determined adequately in select commercial laboratories, may provide additional information (see later, Pathophysiology). For example, free testosterone levels may be lower than expected from the total testosterone level as a result of aging and higher than expected in insulin-resistant individuals, such as in obesity. In addition, serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and prolactin levels should be determined to help delineate the cause of the testosterone-deficient state.

If gonadotropin levels are not elevated, despite clearly subnormal testosterone values, anterior pituitary (thyroid-adrenal) function should be determined by measuring free thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels, as well as an early morning cortisol level. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain and sella should be considered. An exception to this recommendation is the condition of morbid obesity, in which both total and free testosterone levels are typically low and gonadotropin values not elevated. Hyperprolactinemia, even of a small degree, may also warrant ordering MRI, because interference of hypothalamic-pituitary vascular flow by space-occupying, stalk-compressing lesions will lead to disruption of the tonic inhibitory influence of hypothalamic dopamine, and result in modest hyperprolactinemia (usually 20 to 50 ng/mL range).

A semen analysis should be performed when fertility is in question.

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Androgen replacement therapy is relatively straightforward; see Box 4 for testosterone preparations currently available in the United States. Typically, the depot esters are administered by the deep intramuscular route once every 2 weeks at a dose of 200mg in adults. A usual dosage for the transdermal or the buccal preparations results in the systemic absorption of 2.5 to 10mg daily. If the parenteral route is chosen, patients should and can be taught to self inject. The major disadvantage with the parenteral route is that testosterone levels exhibit a saw-toothed pattern, with high-normal or supranormal levels on days 2 to 4 and low-normal or borderline low trough values before the next injection. Mood, sense of well-being, and libido may vary accordingly in some patients.

Dosages may be adjusted by aiming for midnormal (400- 600ng/dL) testosterone levels after 1 week or at the low end (250-350ng/dL) just before the next injection is due at 2 weeks. Values are stable within a few days or weeks of the skin patch, gel, or newer buccal preparation. It must be ascertained that the preparation was actually used on the day the sample was drawn; again, a value in the midnormal range (400-600ng/dL) is the goal. Although comparable testosterone levels are reached by the patch and the gels, skin reactions at the application site are much more common with the patch. Also, the buccal preparation is difficult for patients to get used to. Alkylated oral androgens should be viewed as potentially hepatotoxic and should not be used. Useful criteria for selecting preparations for individual patients are summarized in Table 1.

+, ++, and +++ are semiquantitative assessments of effect.

2002 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

In addition to monitoring testosterone levels periodically, prostate screening and measurement of hemoglobin and hematocrit levels must also be performed at intervals when the patient is on therapy.2

Levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) should be checked at 3, 6, and 12 months. If the patient is truly hypogonadal to begin with, expect a significant rise at the 3-month assessment. Thereafter, the usual criteria apply regarding the possible presence of an underlying malignancy (>4ng/mL, or rate of increase >1.5ng/mL/2yr or >2ng/mL overall). These criteria continue to be revised by our urology colleagues, tending to become more stringent with time. For example, a PSA rise of more than 1ng/mL/year has been suggested as an early warning guide, and closer surveillance has been recommended, even at rates of 0.7 to 0.9ng/mL/year.2 A digital rectal examination should be performed at 3 to 6 months and at 1 year after therapy is initiated. A urologic consultation should be obtained if indicated.

Hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Hct) levels should be checked periodically. Incremental increases are to be expected, but an Hb level higher than 17.5g/dL, Hct higher than 55%, or both suggests overtreatment, occasionally abuse. Greater increments tend to occur more frequently with the intramuscular than with the transdermal preparations. If dosage adjustments do not solve the problem, look for another underlying cause.

Physicians Box 5). It should be noted that no long- term studies in large numbers of patients (neither young or old) have been performed, so potential risks and benefits need to be individualized.

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In genuinely hypogonadal men, testosterone administration can be expected to result in improvements in a variety of clinical areas (Box 6). Least predictable are the effects on sexual function, cognitive function, and muscle strength.

2002 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Concerns regarding the use of testosterone have been noted in Box 5 and by Rhoden and Morgentaler.2 There is no evidence that the incidence of prostate cancer is increased by testosterone replacement. The underlying concern is that it might alter the course of an occult malignancy estimated to be present in more than 50% of men older than 50 years. On the other hand, no one would recommend prophylactic castration to prevent prostate cancer so that, in my view, testosterone replacement in the hypogonadal man should not be avoided. Although there are genuine concerns about worsening of benign prostatic hyperplasia, this may apply only to severe cases with large prostate volumes. Indeed, one study in older men has even suggested improvement in benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms, although not statistically significant and by an unknown mechanism.3

The aging man represents a special case and has been the subject of a review.4 There is a well-known decline in testosterone production with aging in otherwise healthy men. This decline in mean values can be seen in free testosterone levels, beginning in the mid-40s (some clinicians suggest even earlier), as a consequence of increasing SHBG levels, mechanism unknown. Total testosterone levels decline on average beyond 70 years. The diurnal rhythm, seen in younger men, is lost beyond 60 years.5 Although testicular volume also declines in this age group, spermatogenesis may be well maintained into the 80s or even beyond. Gonadotropin levels tend to rise after 70 years, indicating that the testosterone deficiency is usually primary.6Figure 4 schematically presents these hormonal changes with age. Using the criterion of a low testosterone value, and remembering that there is considerable variability in commercially available tests regarding normal young adult ranges, it has been estimated that 7% of 40- to 60-year-olds, 22% of 60- to 80-year-olds, and 36% of 80- to 100-year-olds are hypogonadal.7

The ultimate issue as to whether these changes are normal and physiologic or should be considered pathologic, thus demanding therapy, remains unresolved. Indeed, it is a situation analogous to the ongoing dilemma of hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women, although in this group the hormonal deficiency state is usually more abrupt and symptomatic.

The scientific basis to help formulate guidelines for dealing with the issue of hormone replacement therapy in men was reviewed in a December 17, 2003, conference by the Institute of Medicines Committee on Testosterone and Aging (IMCTA).8 Many of the potential benefits of therapy (see Box 6) have been realized in small, well-controlled studies of older men. Moreover, none of the risks has been proven in a clinical trial. The IMCTA has not recommended a large-scale study to determine whether the risk for prostate cancer would be increased, because the costs of such a study were deemed to be too prohibitive.

In the meantime, practical guidelines for dealing with hypogonadism in older men have been suggested.9 I have found the recent overview in the Cleveland Clinic Mens Health Advisor newsletter to be useful for patients.10

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The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists has published 2002 updated guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of hypogonadism in adult male patients.11 This review, geared particularly for endocrinologists, expands on some of the areas reviewed in this chapter and provides a more detailed look into aspects of male infertility.

The Endocrine Society has published clinical practice guidelines12 for testosterone replacement therapy. The major recommendations are summarized in Box 7.

Adapted from Bhasin S, Cunningham GR, Hayes FJ, etal: Testosterone therapy in adult men with androgen deficiency syndromes: An endocrine society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006;91:1995-2010.

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Male Hypogonadism - Cleveland Clinic

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