Frosty Genetics
Frosty Genetics.

By: Gracie Bierce

Visit link:
Frosty Genetics - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Drugmakers have a slew of treatments for afflictions related to sex and drugs. Now they may have one for rock n roll.

Novartis AG (NOVN) is developing a gene therapy that may reverse hearing loss by stimulating the regrowth of microscopic hair cells in the inner ear, allowing people to hear. The hairs are destroyed by prolonged exposure to loud noise, and dont take root again naturally. Novartis treated the first patient in October after successful tests on rats.

While hearing loss is most common in the elderly, rates are high in the music industry and the military, and rising among teenagers who listen to music at high volume. Almost 13 percent of children and adolescents under 19 in the U.S. have permanent damage caused by excessive exposure to noise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A little too much Lady Gaga, said Mark Fishman, the head of Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, which is developing the therapy. About 36 million people in the U.S. have some form of hearing loss, according to the Basel, Switzerland-based company.

A solution could mean big money for Novartis and GenVec Inc. (GNVC), its partner in developing the drug. Global sales of hearing aids and cochlear implants may reach a combined $9.5 billion globally by 2020, according to San Francisco-based Grand View Research, which provides information on industries including technology and health care.

Global sales of hearing aids and cochlear implants may reach a combined $9.5 billion globally by 2020, according to San Francisco-based Grand View Research, which provides information on industries including technology and health care. Close

Global sales of hearing aids and cochlear implants may reach a combined $9.5 billion... Read More

Close

Global sales of hearing aids and cochlear implants may reach a combined $9.5 billion globally by 2020, according to San Francisco-based Grand View Research, which provides information on industries including technology and health care.

Novartis plans to test its treatment on 45 patients in the U.S., with results expected by 2017, according to a description of the trial on clinicaltrials.gov, the National Institutes of Healths database of studies. Its too early to say when the treatment might be approved, Fishman said.

More:
Lady Gaga at High Volume Drives Hearing-Loss Drug Search: Health

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

From Paralysis to a World-Class Archer
In 2009, a motorcycle accident left Ben Thompson with a broken spine. Ben started going to the Roper St. Francis Center for Spinal Cord Injury for specialized care and to learn from other people...

By: Roper St. Francis Healthcare

View original post here:
From Paralysis to a World-Class Archer - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Gaylord Spinal Cord Program
Dr. David Rosenblum gives an overview of the various treatments and programs available to help spinal cord injury patients. http://www.gaylord.org.

By: Gaylord Specialty Healthcare / Gaylord Hospital

Original post:
Gaylord Spinal Cord Program - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Colby Johnson walks in pool therapy during his recovery from an incomplete spinal cord injury.
Need motivation for sticking to your New Year #39;s resolution? Find it here in 50 seconds with Colby Johnson. On July 4, 2010, Colby sustained a C-6 incomplete spinal cord injury in a diving accident....

By: MadonnaRehab

Read more here:
Colby Johnson walks in pool therapy during his recovery from an incomplete spinal cord injury. - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

UC Irvine scientists studying the role of circadian rhythms in skin stem cells found that this clock plays a key role in coordinating daily metabolic cycles and cell division.

Their research, which appears Jan. 6 in Cell Reports, shows for the first time how the body's intrinsic day-night cycles protect and nurture stem cell differentiation. Furthermore, this work offers novel insights into a mechanism whereby an out of synch circadian clock can contribute to accelerated skin aging and cancers.

Bogi Andersen, professor of biological chemistry and medicine, and Enrico Gratton, professor of biomedical engineering, focused their efforts on the epidermis, the outermost protective layer of the skin that is maintained and healed by long-lived stem cells.

While the role of the circadian clock in processes such as sleep, feeding behavior and metabolism linked to feeding and fasting are well known, much less is known about whether the circadian clock also regulates stem cell function.

The researchers used novel two-photon excitation and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy in Laboratory of Fluorescence Dynamics in UCI's Department of Biomedical Engineering to make sensitive and quantitative measurements of the metabolic state of single cells within the native microenvironment of living tissue.

They discovered that the circadian clock regulates one form of intermediary metabolism in these stem cells, referred to as oxidative phosphorylation. This type of metabolism creates oxygen radicals that can damage DNA and other components of the cell. In fact, one theory of aging posits that aging is caused by the accumulative damage from metabolism-generated oxygen radicals in stem cells.

The Andersen-Gratton study also revealed that the circadian clock within stem cells shifts the timing of cell division such that the stages of the cell division cycle that are most sensitive to DNA damage are avoided during times of maximum oxidative phosphorylation.

Other studies in animals have linked aging to disruption of circadian rhythms, and Andersen said that accelerated aging could be caused by asynchrony in the metabolism and cell proliferation cycles in stem cells.

"Our studies were conducted in mice, but the greater implication of the work relates to the fact that circadian disruption is very common in modern society, and one consequence of such disruption could be abnormal function of stem cells and accelerated aging," he said.

Andersen adds that it is possible that future studies could advance therapeutic insights from this research.

Go here to see the original:
Circadian rhythms regulate skin stem cell metabolism and expansion, study finds

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Body clock protects cells from metabolism-generated oxygen radical damage during division

Irvine, Calif., Jan. 6, 2015 -- UC Irvine scientists studying the role of circadian rhythms in skin stem cells found that this clock plays a key role in coordinating daily metabolic cycles and cell division.

Their research, which appears Jan. 6 in Cell Reports, shows for the first time how the body's intrinsic day-night cycles protect and nurture stem cell differentiation. Furthermore, this work offers novel insights into a mechanism whereby an out of synch circadian clock can contribute to accelerated skin aging and cancers.

Bogi Andersen, professor of biological chemistry and medicine, and Enrico Gratton, professor of biomedical engineering, focused their efforts on the epidermis, the outermost protective layer of the skin that is maintained and healed by long-lived stem cells.

While the role of the circadian clock in processes such as sleep, feeding behavior and metabolism linked to feeding and fasting are well known, much less is known about whether the circadian clock also regulates stem cell function.

The researchers used novel two-photon excitation and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy in Laboratory of Fluorescence Dynamics in UCI's Department of Biomedical Engineering to make sensitive and quantitative measurements of the metabolic state of single cells within the native microenvironment of living tissue.

They discovered that the circadian clock regulates one form of intermediary metabolism in these stem cells, referred to as oxidative phosphorylation. This type of metabolism creates oxygen radicals that can damage DNA and other components of the cell. In fact, one theory of aging posits that aging is caused by the accumulative damage from metabolism-generated oxygen radicals in stem cells.

The Andersen-Gratton study also revealed that the circadian clock within stem cells shifts the timing of cell division such that the stages of the cell division cycle that are most sensitive to DNA damage are avoided during times of maximum oxidative phosphorylation.

Other studies in animals have linked aging to disruption of circadian rhythms, and Andersen said that accelerated aging could be caused by asynchrony in the metabolism and cell proliferation cycles in stem cells.

"Our studies were conducted in mice, but the greater implication of the work relates to the fact that circadian disruption is very common in modern society, and one consequence of such disruption could be abnormal function of stem cells and accelerated aging," he said.

Read the original here:
Circadian rhythms regulate skin stem cell metabolism and expansion, UCI study finds

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Published 07 January 2015

Gamida Cell, a leader in cell therapy technologies and products for transplantation and adaptive immune therapy, announced that orphan drug designation has been granted by The US Department of Health and Human Services, The FDA Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) for the investigational medicinal product NiCord for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), Hodgkin lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

The FDA orphan drug designation coincides with the positive opinion of the European Medicines Agency's (EMA's) Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) regarding NiCord as a treatment for AML. Gamida Cell intends to file for NiCord orphan drug status with the EMA for other indications as well.

"Receipt of orphan drug status for NiCord in the US and Europe advances Gamida Cell's commercialization plans a major step further, as both afford significant advantages. We very much appreciate the positive feedback and support of the FDA and EMA and look forward to continuing what has been a very positive dialogue with these important agencies," said Gamida Cell president and CEO Dr. Yael Margolin.

The FDA and EMA grant an orphan drug designation to promote the development of products that demonstrate promise for the treatment of rare diseases or conditions. Orphan drug designation provides for various regulatory and economic benefits, including seven years of market exclusivity in the U.S. and 10 years in the EU.

NiCord is derived from a single cord blood unit which has been expanded in culture and enriched with stem cells using Gamida Cell's proprietary NAM technology.

It is currently being tested in a Phase I/II study as an investigational therapeutic treatment for hematological malignancies such as leukemia and lymphoma. In this study, NiCord is being used as the sole stem cell source.

More here:
Gamida Cell's NiCord gets FDA and EMA orphan drug status

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Published January 07, 2015

New research has found that children with a certain common gene variant were more likely to develop serious problems as adults, potentially paving the way to personalized treatments for troubled children.

The study, from Duke University, draws on two decades worth of data on high-risk first-graders from four locations across the U.S.

"The findings are a step toward understanding the biology of what makes a child particularly sensitive to positive and negative environments," Dustin Albert, a research scientist at the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy, said in a press release. "This gives us an important clue about some of the children who need help the most."

Researchers found that children from high-risk backgrounds that carried the gene variant were most at risk for future problems. Of those with the gene variant, 75 percent developed psychological problems by age 25, including alcohol abuse, substance abuse and antisocial behavior.

However, when children with the gene variant were part of the Fast Track Project a multi-faceted intervention for aggressive first-graders only 17 percent developed psychopathology as adults.

"It's a hopeful finding," Albert said. "The children we studied were very susceptible to stress. But far from being doomed, they were instead particularly responsive to help."

The Fast Track Project began in 1991. After screening nearly 10,000 kindergartners in North Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Washington state, researchers identified nearly 900 who were at high risk. Half of those children received intensive help. The project was the largest violence-prevention trial to be supported by the National Institutes of Health.

These latest findings suggest that genome differences may be responsible to childrens different levels of sensitivity. According to Albert, this could be the first step toward potential personalized treatments for troubled children.

However, Albert noted that the new study was limited to white children, specifically 60 white children with a common variant of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1, a gene involved in the body's stress response.

Go here to read the rest:
Genes may help identify children with future psychological problems

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

MEDIA RELEASE 7 January 2015

Extraordinary gene transfer between cells observed

Tumour cells without mitochondrial DNA form tumours only after importing replacement DNA from surrounding cells.

A fundamentally new biological process involving gene transfer between cells was published today in the leading biological journalCell Metabolism by a team headed by Professor Mike Berridge from the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Wellington New Zealand, and Professor Jiri Neuzil from the Griffith University, Queensland Australia.

In mouse models of breast cancer and melanoma that had had their mitochondrial DNA removed, replacement DNA was acquired from surrounding normal mouse tissue. After adopting this new DNA, the cancer cells went on to form tumours that spread to other parts of the body.

Professor Berridge says the landmark discovery could open up whole new areas of research.

Our findings overturn the dogma that genes of higher organisms are usually constrained within cells except during reproduction. It may be that mitochondrial gene transfer between different cells is actually quite a common biological occurrence.

Although other research groups have seen mitochondrial DNA move between cells in the laboratory, the Malaghan team is the first to demonstrate the transfer in an animal tumour model.

Berridge says the research wouldnt have happened without the extraordinary patience of his research colleague, An Tan.

Continued here:
Extraordinary gene transfer between cells observed

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

AUDIO:Duke University's Dustin Albert describes recent research findings. view more

Credit: Duke University

DURHAM, N.C. -- Some children are more sensitive to their environments, for better and for worse. Now Duke University researchers have identified a gene variant that may serve as a marker for these children, who are among society's most vulnerable.

"The findings are a step toward understanding the biology of what makes a child particularly sensitive to positive and negative environments," said Dustin Albert, a research scientist at the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy. "This gives us an important clue about some of the children who need help the most."

Drawing on two decades worth of data on high-risk first-graders from four locations across the country, the study found that children from high-risk backgrounds who also carried a certain common gene variant were extremely likely to develop serious problems as adults. Left untreated, 75 percent with the gene variant developed psychological problems by age 25, including alcohol abuse, substance abuse and antisocial personality disorder.

The picture changed dramatically, though, when children with the gene variant participated in an intensive program called the Fast Track Project. After receiving support services in childhood, just 18 percent developed psychopathology as adults.

"It's a hopeful finding," Albert said. "The children we studied were very susceptible to stress. But far from being doomed, they were instead particularly responsive to help."

Previous research has suggested that while some children thrive like dandelions in a wide range of circumstances, others are more like orchids who wither or bloom in different environments. The new study suggests that children's different levels of sensitivity are related to differences in their genomes.

The study appeared online today in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management.

This is the latest finding from the Fast Track Project, a multi-faceted intervention for aggressive first-graders that ran for a decade at sites in North Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Washington state. Beginning in 1991, researchers screened nearly 10,000 kindergartners for aggressive behavior problems, identifying nearly 900 who were at high risk, and assigning half of that group to receive intensive help. It was the largest violence-prevention trial ever supported by the National Institutes of Health and researchers have now followed participants since the early 1990's.

Read the original here:
Children's vulnerability reflected in genes

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

IMAGE:Violence and Gender is the only peer-reviewed journal focusing on the understanding, prediction, and prevention of acts of violence. Through research papers, roundtable discussions, case studies, and other original content,... view more

Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

New Rochelle, NY, January 6, 2015-The shocking statistic that about one in five women will be the victim of sexual assault while in college is made even more so by the fact that most of those women will know their assailants. No one-size-fits-all approach to rape prevention will be effective, as some offenders are driven by hostility toward women, while others may objectify women and view forceful intercourse as part of expected male dominant behavior. These different motivations and views on rape, and how they can be used to deliver rape prevention measures and successful intervention strategies are explored in an article in Violence and Gender, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Violence and Gender website until February 6, 2015.

In the article "Denying Rape but Endorsing Forceful Intercourse: Exploring Differences Among Responders," Sara Edwards, PhD, and Kathryn Bradshaw, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and Verlin Hinsz, PhD, North Dakota State University, Fargo, separated male participants into three groups based on how they scored on measurements of hypermasculinity, hostility toward women, and callous sexual attitudes. The authors reported associations between these groupings and whether the men denied any intention to rape or use force to obtain intercourse, self-reported intentions to rape, or indicated a distinction between sexually coercive behavior and rape and expressed intentions to use of force to obtain intercourse but denied rape.

"These authors describe the numbers as staggering, and we know it is one of the most concerning crimes in the country today," says Violence and Gender Editor-in-Chief Mary Ellen O'Toole, PhD, Forensic Behavioral Consultant and Senior FBI Profiler/Criminal Investigative Analyst (ret.). "Sexual assault on college campuses is the pink elephant in the room. It is a crime that is underreported and misunderstood. In this article, researchers look at how callous sexual attitudes of some males who do not have feelings of hostility toward women can still engage in forced intercourse with a victim, and consider their behavior as an achievement rather than rape. The implications for these findings are extremely significant for education programs about sexual aggression and rape prevention and the development of a more accurate identification of subtypes of offenders based on their motivation, cognition, and personality traits."

###

About the Journal

Violence and Gender is the only peer-reviewed journal focusing on the understanding, prediction, and prevention of acts of violence. Through research papers, roundtable discussions, case studies, and other original content, the Journal critically examines biological, genetic, behavioral, psychological, racial, ethnic, and cultural factors as they relate to the gender of perpetrators of violence. Led by Editor-in-Chief Mary Ellen O'Toole, PhD, Forensic Behavioral Consultant and Senior FBI Profiler/Criminal Investigative Analyst (ret.), Violence and Gender explores the difficult issues that are vital to threat assessment and prevention of the epidemic of violence. Violence and Gender is published quarterly online with Open Access options and in print, and is the official journal of The Avielle Foundation. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Violence and Gender website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking and Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

See the article here:
What motivates males who commit sexual assault on campus?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

IMAGE:AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, published monthly in print and online, presents papers, reviews, and case studies documenting the latest developments and research advances in the molecular biology of HIV... view more

Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

New Rochelle, NY, January 6, 2015--Timothy Ray Brown, long known only as the "Berlin Patient" had HIV for 12 years before he became the first person in the world to be cured of the infection following a stem cell transplant in 2007. He recalls his many years of illness, a series of difficult decisions, and his long road to recovery in the first-person account, "I Am the Berlin Patient: A Personal Reflection," published in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is part of a special issue on HIV Cure Research and is available free on the AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses website.

Brown's Commentary describes the bold experiment of using a stem cell donor who was naturally resistant to HIV infection to treat the acute myeloid leukemia (AML) diagnosed 10 years after he became HIV-positive. The stem cell donor had a specific genetic mutation called CCR5 Delta 32 that can protect a person against HIV infection. The virus is not able to enter its target, the CD4 cells. After the stem cell transplant, Brown was able to stop all antiretroviral treatment and the HIV has not returned.

"This is the first time that we get to read this important story written by the man who lived it," says Thomas Hope, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses and Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL. "It is a unique opportunity to share in the human side of this transformative experience."

###

About the Journal

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, published monthly in print and online, presents papers, reviews, and case studies documenting the latest developments and research advances in the molecular biology of HIV and SIV and innovative approaches to HIV vaccine and therapeutic drug research, including the development of antiretroviral agents and immune-restorative therapies. The content also explores the molecular and cellular basis of HIV pathogenesis and HIV/HTLV epidemiology. The Journal features rapid publication of emerging sequence information and reports on clinical trials of emerging HIV therapies. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers/ is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including AIDS Patient Care and STDs, Viral Immunology, and Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

See original here:
The 'Berlin patient,' first and only person cured of HIV, speaks out

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Organic agriculture is the most expensive, expansive hoax perpetrated on consumers during the past half-century. An affront to the environment because its low yields arewasteful of water and farmland, organic agricultureconfers no advantages except for the feel-good factor for true believers. It only survives because of massive government subsidies and promotion, and black marketing that dishonestly disparages the competition .

My exposs of the many shortcomings and waning credibility of the organic agriculture industry have received a prodigious amountof attention. A 2012 Forbes column got more than a quarter million views. My most recent one on this subject, last month, attracted not only tens of thousands of readers but also a complaint from Jessica Shade, who bills herself as Director of Science Programs at The Organic Center. Thats something of an oxymoron, inasmuch as science holds little sway atthe advocacy organization she works for.

Shades preamble establishes her lack of credibility: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic standards are based around the principles of sustainability and health. In addition, organic farming has many environmental advantages when compared to conventional farming.

None of that is true. Let me be clear about one thing, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman said when organic certification was being considered, the organic label is a marketing tool. It is not a statement about food safety. Nor is organic a value judgment about nutrition or quality.

Organic standards are wholly arbitrary, and in any case, as a recent report in the Wall Street Journal described, they are not being enforced very effectively: An investigation by the newspaper of USDA inspection records since 2005 found that 38 of the 81 certifying agentsentities accredited by USDA to inspect and certify organic farms and suppliersfailed on at least one occasion to uphold basic Agriculture Department standards. More specifically, 40% of these 81 certifiers have been flagged by the USDA for conducting incomplete inspections; 16% of certifiers failed to cite organic farms potential use of banned pesticides and antibiotics; and 5% failed to prevent potential commingling of organic and nonorganic products.

In December 1997, when USDA tried to set standards for organic agricultural production, the original version was rejected by the organic enthusiasts, largely because itwould have permitted the use of organisms modified with modern genetic engineering techniquesquite sensibly, in the view of the scientific community. In the end, modern genetic engineering, which employs highly precise and predictable techniques, was prohibited, while genetic modification with older, far less precise, less predictable and less effective techniques got waved through.

The resulting standards, which are based on a sentimental back-to-Nature, technological progress is evil ethic, arbitrarily define which pesticides are acceptable, but allow deviations if based on need. Synthetic chemical pesticides are generally prohibitedalthough there is a lengthylist of exceptions listed in the Organic Foods Production Actwhile most natural ones are permitted. The application as fertilizer of pathogen-laden animal excreta to the foods we eat is not only allowed, but in organic dogma, virtually sacred.

Dont let anyone confuse you: Organic pesticides can be toxic.As evolutionary biologist Christie Wilcoxexplainedin a 2012Scientific Americanarticle (Are lower pesticide residues a good reason to buy organic?Probably not.): Organic pesticides pose the same health risks as non-organic ones.

The designation organic is itself asyntheticconstruct of activists and bureaucrats that makes little sense.Moreover, organic standards are based on sets of principles and techniques which have nothing to do with the ultimate quality or composition of the final products. For example, if prohibited chemical pesticides or pollen fromforbidden genetically engineered plants wafts onto and contaminates an organic field, guess what? The farmer gets a mulligan: He does not lose his organic certification.

Original post:
Claims For Organic Agriculture Need More Sunlight, Less Shade

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Susan Wolf: Professor of law, medicine and public policy at the University of Minnesota Robert Green: Medical geneticist at Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women's Hospital

Genetic tests are giving patients unprecedented insights into conditions that they could inherit, but should this information be made available to other family members who might also be susceptible?

On The Daily Circuit, we discuss the tension between awareness and privacy in genetic testing.

Susan Wolf, professor of law, medicine and public policy at the University of Minnesota joins the discussion along with Dr. Robert Green, a medical geneticist at Harvard Medical School.

From Science Friday:

That's even true when information can be vital for for the health of family members. "Let's say a researcher is doing a genetic study ... and they discover that their participant has a variant of the BRCA gene, associated with higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer," says Susan M. Wolf, the McKnight Presidential Professor of Law, Medicine and Public Policy at the University of Minnesota. "They go to that person and say, 'We think it's important for you to know this, but we're also concerned about your sister, or your brother, and other members of your family.'"

Do you think your genetic information is private? Does that change when a serious and inheritable disease turns up? Leave your comments below.

Original post:
Genetic privacy: Who should know what your tests reveal?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Published on January 7th, 2015 | by LedgerOnline

By Diana Burmistrovich/JNS.org

One in four Jews is a carrier of one or more of the 19 known preventable Jewish genetic diseases, according to the Center for Jewish Genetics. Although Sephardic Jews and non-Jews can carry these diseases, they appear twice as often for Ashkenazi Jews as they do for the rest of the population. When both spouses are carriers for a particular genetic disease, the couple has a 25 percent chance of passing the disease on to their children.

Launched in September through the Emory University School of Medicines Department of Human Genetics, the goal of the JScreen not-for-profit health initiative is to make those statistics appear less daunting.

A carrier-screening program for Jewish genetic diseases, JScreen aims to give families with Jewish ancestry easy access to information and to provide convenient testing. Employing an easy-to-use kit, JScreen allows individuals to test for the 19 known preventable Jewish genetic diseaseswhich among others include Tay-Sachs, Canavan, and Gaucherin their own homes.

While testing for genetic disorders is nothing new, JScreens accessibility is. The kit is easily acquired through the initiatives website atwww.JScreen.org, and the test allows a saliva sample to be sentdirectly for analysis. Theprogram works closely with the individual,obtaining doctors orders when needed andproviding updates on the status of the sample until results are sent out approximately four weeks later.

Touting the initiative as community-oriented, JScreens website provides resources that aim to make couples feel comfortable in proceeding with their family-planning efforts. This includes explaining the reasons for getting tested, as well as statistics.

JScreen hopes to act as a resource for the community to do genetic testing and make a big impact in growing healthy families, JScreen spokesperson Patricia Page told JNS.org.

The program grew out of the work of Randy and Caroline Gold, who were surprised to find out that their daughter, Eden, had the genetic disease Mucolipidosis Type IV (ML4), despite their having both undergone genetic testing before starting a family.

When they learned that their genetic test had screened for less than half the conditions common in people of Jewish descent, the Golds made it their mission to spread the word about expanded Jewish genetic disease screening. They launched the Atlanta Jewish Gene Screen, an organization thatpartneredwith the Victor Center for Prevention of Jewish Genetic Diseases at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, and Emory Geneticsfrom 2010 to 2012.

Continued here:
Jewish genetic screening becomes more accessible through at-home testing kits

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

(PRWEB) January 06, 2015

Sequencing the genomes, or entire DNA codes, of individuals to better diagnose and treat disease is a burgeoning area of research. From identifying specific genetic mistakes highly associated with certain cancers to applying effective treatments to mitigate a wayward genes effects, personalized genomic medicine is increasingly finding its way into patient care.

Harnessing the power of whole genome analysis and further defining the role of pathologists in this new era of medicine is the topic of the 2015 Benjamin Highman Lecture, sponsored by the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UC Davis Health System.

The lecture, entitled Moving to Genomic Medicine, will be held from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22 at the Education Building, 4610 X Street in auditorium #2222 in Sacramento. A reception will follow the presentation. Participants can register at Eventbrite.

The lecture will be presented by Debra G. B. Leonard, a leading expert in molecular pathology and genomic medicine and in applying genomic information for diagnosis and treatment of human diseases, including inherited disorders, cancers and infectious diseases.

During her presentation, Leonard will highlight the current applications for genomics and describe the various online genomic medicine resources for testing and for making patient-care decisions. She has spoken widely on various molecular pathology testing services, the future of molecular pathology and the impact of gene patents on molecular pathology practice. Leonard is professor and chair of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Vermont Medical Center and Physician Leader of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Fletcher Allen Health Care.

Making use of the massive amount of data that results from whole genome testing is an ongoing challenge for practicing physicians across disciplines, said Lydia Howell, professor and chair of pathology and laboratory medicine at UC Davis Health System. While we have the technology to quickly identify an individuals entire genetic code, which includes some three million genetic sequences, its less easy to know which genetic mistakes actually cause disease. Pathologists, with their expertise in molecular diagnostic testing, are in a unique position to lead the current movement of genomic medicine from the research bench to applications in the clinic.

The Highman Symposium is an annual lectureship in honor of Benjamin Highman, who spent almost 40 years in the U.S. Public Health Service as medical director and as chief of Pathologic Anatomy at the National Institutes of Health. He was awarded the Willey Medallion and a special citation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In 1985, Highman retired and joined the volunteer faculty at the UC Davis School of Medicine.

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine includes 40 faculty and 400 academic and clinical staff who develop and deliver comprehensive diagnostic services in the fields of pathology and laboratory medicine through established and novel diagnostic modalities. Its Clinical Laboratory is home to one of the most technologically advanced testing facilities in California, providing many unique diagnostic tests unavailable elsewhere. The department processes 5 million clinical tests and 20,000 surgical pathology and 20,000 cytology specimens each year.

Read more:
UC Davis presents 2015 Benjamin Highman Lecture on genomic medicine

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The Sims 3 - Perfect Genetics Challenge Ep.63 Grim Reaper Calls
Come join me on my latest journey into the complex world of sims 3 genetics, as I try to get perfect foals and perfect children. Will I succeed in getting pe...

By: GamerGirlsNetwork

More:
The Sims 3 - Perfect Genetics Challenge Ep.63 Grim Reaper Calls - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

B3, Udulutch Frosty genetics
This is a video for my biolgy class finals.

By: Emily Udulutch

Read the rest here:
B3, Udulutch Frosty genetics - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Myriad Genetics (MYGN), the U.S.-based molecular diagnostic company, employs a variety of proprietary technologies that allow doctors and their patients to understand the genetic origins of diseases and their respective treatment. While MYGN has been taking a heavy hit due to competition, and a lengthy lawsuit over its patenting practices, its excessive put options open interest is indicative of its slide coming to an end.

Fiscal fourth quarter 14, has provided the following information in support of MYGNs rise. Its molecular diagnostic revenue was up 10% at $182.9M, its womens health market revenue up 24% at 81.9M, and its oncology market revenue is at $90.2M which received a huge bolster due to the publicity generated by Angelina Jolie regarding her BRCA analysis in 2013.

MYGN has been busy with acquisitions and launches of new products. MYGNs cash on hand at the end of the Qtr was $270.6M down from $531.0M in June 13 due to the purchase of Crescendo Bioscience Corp for $245M which will reduce guidance to $1.75-$1.85 per share. The cash purchase now leaves MYGN with its subsidiary in a position to penetrate markets in diagnostics and treatments of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. MYGN also launched three new products including the Myriad myRisk hereditary cancer test, which has been widely accepted within the medical field and contributed to Q4 revenue of $27.3M, an increase of 89%, from March Qtr 14.

MYGNs continuing collaboration with AstraZeneca, the global research based biopharmaceutical company, will provide MYGN with multitudes of opportunities. Specifically, The recent FDA approval of AstraZenecas notable cancer treatment is a plus for MYGNs companion diagnostic test BRACAnalysis CDx which will identify women whose BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutation places them at risk for breast or ovarian cancer. While in the EU approval of AstraZenecas Lynparza (olaparib), a maintenance therapy for those with BRCA mutations, will further advance the European market for MYGN to aid the approximately 30,000 ovarian cancer patients providing an additional $100M in potential revenue.

The technical picture reflects the positive accumulation to continue through F/Y Q4 earnings report. The sell-off with low volume maintained a secondary support @ (32-33). Reversal will be challenging the secondary resistance @ (37-38). Heading to upper-head resistance @ (39-40).

MYRIAD GENETICS /MYGN TODAYS PRICE: $34.33* 52 week high 42.50, 52 week low 20.02 Market Cap: $2.60B, EPS: 1.78, P/E: 19.32

BUYING RANGE: 34-37 NEAR TERM OBJECTIVE: 46 INTER MED OBJECTIVE: 53 STOP LOSS: 29

View original post here:
Myriad Genetics Looks Like A Timely Buy For 2015

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Genome Project legacy: advancements in gene th
KFDM #39;s Six On Health, sponsored by Christus Hospital St. Elizabeth #39;s and St. Mary explores how they Human Genome Project #39;s effort to map our chromosomal makeup has led to advances in gene ...

By: KFDM YouTube

Original post:
Genome Project legacy: advancements in gene th - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

HOPE, HYPE REALITY: TERMS USED IN GENE THERAPY

By: defeatHIV

See original here:
HOPE, HYPE & REALITY: TERMS USED IN GENE THERAPY - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Published January 07, 2015

Novartis is diving deeper into the world of gene-based medicine by signing deals with two U.S. biotech companies, giving it access to a powerful new genome editing technology.

The tie-ups with unlisted Intellia Therapeutics and Caribou Biosciences show the Swiss drugmaker's confidence in the potential of so-called CRISPR technology, both for making new medicines and as a research tool.

CRISPR, which stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, allows scientists to edit the genes of selected cells accurately and efficiently. It has created great excitement since emerging two years ago and is being tipped for a Nobel Prize.

While current gene therapy approaches involve adding genes to affected cells, CRISPR opens up the possibility of correcting those cells' faulty genes in the lab before returning them to the patient.

Translating that promise into new treatments will take many years but Novartis' decision to apply the technology in its research labs is an important endorsement, since the company is the world's largest drugmaker by sales.

It is also a sign the Swiss group intends to be at the forefront of the nascent field, after recently establishing a new cell and gene therapies unit within the company.

Mark Fishman, head of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), said genome editing could open a new branch of medicine, leading to cures for diseases caused by faulty genes.

"We have glimpsed the power of CRISPR tools in our scientific programmes in NIBR and it is now time to explore how to safely extend this powerful technology to the clinic," he said.

The deal with Intellia gives Novartis exclusive rights to develop programmes focused on engineered chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CARTs) and the right to develop a certain number of targets for editing hematopoietic stem cells.

Follow this link:
Novartis taps into gene editing for next generation drugs

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) January 06, 2015

One million Americans experience acute myocardial infarctions, commonly known as a heart attack, each year and of those, approximately 300,000 to 500,000 individuals develop heart failure. A heart attack occurs when blood stops flowing properly to a part of the heart and the heart muscle is injured and can die because it is not receiving enough oxygen.

Cryo-Cell International has agreed to provide the Center with cord blood collections that have previously been donated to Cryo-Cell International by parents and designated for research use to advance regenerative medicine. These cord blood collections will allow the Centers scientists to continue to investigate the mechanisms whereby stem cells can be beneficial in limiting damage from heart attacks. A team at the Center, led by researcher and cardiology specialist, Robert J. Henning, M.D., has demonstrated in research animals that stem cells obtained from human umbilical cord blood can release a large number of biologically active growth factors and anti-inflammatory chemicals that can limit the substantial heart inflammation, cell injury and cell destruction that occurs with acute heart attacks, significantly reducing the effects of heart attacks, even when administered up to 24 hours after the heart attack.

We are making good progress in our studies thanks to the cord blood stem cells contributed by Cryo-Cell International, reports Henning.

Cryo-Cell International and others have demonstrated that human umbilical cord blood stem cells can be preserved for more than 20 years without loss of cell viability or potency. Consequently, parents who have the foresight to use cord blood banking services upon their babys birth can potentially use these cord blood stem cells years later to provide a regenerative treatment for a family member if an acute heart attack occurs. The Centers scientists hope to bring umbilical cord blood stem cell therapy to the treatment of patients who have experienced heart attacks within the next five years.

Heart disease is still the number one leading cause of death in the United States. We feel very fortunate that we can provide a valuable and consistent source of cord blood banked stem cells to the Center for Cardiovascular Research, said David Portnoy, Chairman and Co-CEO of Cryo-Cell International.

About Cryo-Cell International

Founded in 1989, Cryo-Cell International, Inc. is the world's first and most highly accredited private cord blood bank. More than 500,000 parents from 87 countries trust Cryo-Cell International to preserve their family members' stem cells. Cryo-Cell International's mission is to provide clients with state-of-the-art stem cell cryopreservation services and support the advancement of regenerative medicine. Cryo-Cell International operates in a facility that is FDA registered, cGMP-/cGTP-compliant and is licensed in all states requiring licensure. In addition to earning AABB accreditation for cord blood banking, Cryo-Cell International is also the first U.S. (for private use only) cord blood bank to receive FACT accreditation for voluntarily adhering to the most stringent cord blood quality standards set by any internationally recognized, independent accrediting organization. Cryo-Cell International is ISO 9001:2008 certified by BSI, an internationally recognized, quality assessment organization. Cryo-Cell International is a publicly traded company, OTCQB: CCEL. For more information, please visit http://www.Cryo-Cell.com.

About the University of South Florida Center for Cardiovascular Research

The University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicines Cardiovascular Services Research Unit has been in existence for almost 20 years and evaluates pharmacotherapeutic agents and the latest treatment and devices for cardiovascular disease.

Originally posted here:
Cord Blood Banking Leader, Cryo-Cell International, Continues to Support the Advancement of Regenerative Medicine

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Contact Information

Available for logged-in reporters only

Newswise In a groundbreaking study that provides scientists with a critical new understanding of stem cell development and its role in disease, UCLA researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research led by Dr. Kathrin Plath, professor of biological chemistry, have established a first-of-its-kind methodology that defines the unique stages by which specialized cells are reprogrammed into stem cells that resemble those found in the embryo.

The study was published online ahead of print in the journal Cell.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (known as iPSCs) are similar to human embryonic stem cells in that both cell types have the unique ability to self-renew and have the flexibility to become any cell in the human body. iPSC cells, however, are generated by reprogramming skin or blood cells and do not require an embryo.

Reprogramming is a long process (about one to two weeks) and largely inefficient, with typically less than one percent of the primary skin or blood cells successfully completing the journey to becoming an iPSC. The exact stages a cell goes through during the reprogramming process are also not well understood. This knowledge is important, as iPSCs hold great promise in the field of regenerative medicine, as they can provide a single source of patient-specific cells to replace those lost to injury or disease. They can also be used to create novel disease models from which new drugs and therapies can be developed.

This research has broad impact, because by deepening our understanding of cell reprogramming we have the potential to improve disease modeling and the generation of better sources of patient-specific specialized cells suitable for replacement therapy, said Plath. This can ultimately benefit patients with new and better treatments for a wide range of diseases.

Drs. Vincent Pasque and Jason Tchieu, postdoctoral fellows in the lab of Dr. Plath and co-first authors of the study, developed a roadmap of the reprogramming process using detailed time-course analyses. They induced the reprogramming of skin cells into iPSC, then observed and analyzed on a daily basis or every other day the process of transformation at the single-cell level. The data were collected and recorded over a period of up to two weeks.

Plaths team found that the changes that happen in cells during reprogramming occur in a sequential stage-by-stage manner, and that importantly, the stages were the same across all the different reprogramming systems and different cell types analyzed.

The exact stage of reprogramming of any cell can now be determined, said Pasque. This study signals a big change in thinking, because it provides simple and efficient tools for scientists to study stem cell creation in a stage-by-stage manner. Most studies to date ignore the stages of reprogramming, but we can now seek to better understand the entire process on both a macro and micro level.

Read the original here:
Scientists Develop Pioneering Method to Define Stages of Stem Cell Reprogramming

Recommendation and review posted by simmons