Guy Calaf/Polaris/eyevine

Loss of crops to drought contributed to a food crisis in Ethiopia in 2008.

Old-fashioned breeding techniques seem to be leading genetic modification in a race to develop crops that can withstand drought and poor soils.

As the climate warms and rainfall becomes more erratic, farmers worldwide will increasingly need crops that can thrive in drought conditions. And the high costs of fertilizers along with the environmental damage they can cause are also pushing farmers to look for crop varieties that can do more with less.

The need for tougher crops is especially acute in Africa, where drought can reduce maize (corn) yields by up to 25%. The Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa project, which launched in 2006 with US$33 million, has developed 153 new varieties to improve yields in 13 countries. In field trials, these varieties match or exceed the yields from commercial seeds under good rainfall conditions, and yield up to 30% more under drought conditions.

An analysis published earlier this year reported that by the projects end in 2016, the extra yields from drought-tolerant maize could help to reduce the number of people living in poverty in the 13 countries by up to 9% (R.LaRovere et al. J. Dev. Areas 48(1), 199225; 2014). In Zimbabwe alone, that effect would reach more than half a million people.

The projects success is due in large part to its access to a large seed bank managed by one of its partners, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico City. Breeders from CIMMYT and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture in Ibadan, Nigeria, searched the collection for maize varieties that thrive in water-scarce regions. The researchers cross-bred these varieties and then mated the most drought-tolerant of their offspring. Several cycles of this process led to seed that was better adapted to water-scarce conditions. In a final step, project scientists cross-bred these plants with varieties that have been successful in Africa.

It is a painstaking and expensive process, says Kevin Pixley, director of CIMMYTs genetic resources programme.

The CIMMYT researchers established that certain characteristics predict how a maize plant will fare in drought. One of the most telling is the number of days between when the plants male organs shed pollen and when the female silks emerge. When water is scarce, the silks emerge late. If the delay is long enough, they emerge after the plants have released their pollen and are not fertilized.

Finding out this relationship was very important to be able to select for drought tolerance, says Pixley. By favouring plants with shorter intervals between pollen release and silk emergence, breeders were able to produce maize that was more resistant to drought.

Read more here:
Cross-bred crops get fit faster

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The 21st century has already brought us some pretty amazing and powerful inventions and innovations: robotics, cloning and genetic engineering to name a few. But from the day-to-day perspective for most individuals and businesses, wed be remiss not to talk about the profound impact of social media.

Social media networks can add an awesome dimension to customer, employee and investor relations. Whether youre leveraging Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest or YouTube, social media can add and link customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders to your business every second of every day. This potential for accelerated access to your customers and investors is an impelling reason to make social media a priority for your Board. Here are some ways to make that happen.

Listen. Engage. Persuade.

As one former digital activist told us, Whether you like it or not, people out there on social media are talking about you, reading about you and making up their minds about you []. If you are not part of these conversations, guess whos in charge of public perception and brand reputation? The consumers you have angered, your competitors and the activists that hate you.

Tracking social media conversations allows a company to understand which topics are provoking discussions. It also allows them to intervene when needed to sway the discourse in their favor. The best way to mitigate reputational risk is by monitoring social media chatter and ensuring your company is well placed to respond rapidly. Organizations should listen, engage and persuade in that order and quickly.

Opportunities often remain underexploited

Companies active in social media conversations often lead the way with customers and employees. These companies dont only turn to social media when things go wrong but regularly engage with customers and use these outlets to build loyalty. Benefits of using social media may include generation of revenue growth through better targeting and reduction of costs by elimination of less-effective advertising.

Many audit committee chairs remain skeptical of the benefits of employee usage of social media. However, research indicates that employees trained on the proper use of social media channels actually become highly effective ambassadors for their companies.

In addition, with investors and analysts increasingly drawn to social media for both communication and research purposes, investor relations departments have found social media to be an effective communications channel. A 2012 survey revealed that 32% of western European companies use at least one form of social media to communicate with investment professionals.

Boards should take an active oversight role

Excerpt from:
EYVoice: Tweet It, Link It, 'Book It: Social Media And The Board

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

September 16, 2014

John Hopton for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

A study of more than 87,000 individuals of European, African, Japanese and Latino ancestry has revealed 23 new genetic susceptibility locations indicating risk of prostate cancer, contributing to greater knowledge and hope for future prevention of the disease.

The study, co-led by Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC), and scientists and researchers in the United Kingdom, is the largest of its kind and the first to combine multiple studies across different ethnic populations. It adds to previous research on prostate cancer which is, according to the American Cancer Society, the second most common cancer among American men behind skin cancer. It is estimated that in 2014 almost 30,000 men will die of prostate cancer and more than 233,000 new cases will be diagnosed.

The goal of this research is to identify regions of the genome that contribute susceptibility to prostate cancer that could be used for understanding a mans future risk of developing this disease, said principal investigator Christopher Haiman, Sc.D., professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine.

The 23 new common genetic variants are added to those previously identified to bring the total to 100, which in combination can increase a mans risk of prostate cancer six-fold. Such a risk applies to one percent of men who carry a certain combination of the genes, while ten percent of men face a three-fold risk through carrying a lower combination. The research may lead to targeted genetic testing of men to identify those at higher risk in order to monitor them more closely, and further research will establish the feasibility of routine genetic screening in the general population.

Ros Eeles, Professor of Oncogenetics at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, explained that, Our study tells us more about the effect of the genetic hand that men are dealt on their risk of prostate cancer, adding that, We will shortly be conducting a clinical trial to find out whether testing for genetic variants in men can successfully pick up the disease early, and help direct targeted interventions for patients.

The people involved in the combined genetic population studies were made up of 43,303 men with prostate cancer and 43,737 controls from European, African, Japanese or Latino heritage. Their genetic profiles were mapped in order to identify variants that were more common among the prostate cancer patients.

From this combined population, 16 new genetic markers linked to prostate cancer risk in European men were identified, with one of them being associated with increased risk of early-onset disease. Seven markers were identified in men of mixed heritage. A new clinical trial called BARCODE aims to genetically screen 5,000 men for prostate cancer and will investigate if these genetic markers can improve on other tests for the disease.

Professor Malcolm Mason, prostate cancer expert for Cancer Research UK, said that, This important research continues a quest to unravel the complex picture of the genetic factors that increase a mans risk of prostate cancer. Building on previous research this study gives a more complete list of these factors, bringing us closer to knowing who may need screening for prostate cancer and which men may benefit from early treatment. More work needs to be done, but identifying these genetic factors will allow us to better understand the disease and maybe even develop new treatments.

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Genetic Study Contributes To Greater Understanding Of Prostate Cancer

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

$7.8 million given to Carver College of Medicine

BY BEN MARKS | SEPTEMBER 16, 2014 5:00 AM

The Carver College of Medicine will hopefully use $7.8 million donation to look for a new professorship, in addition to furthering genetic research.

After receiving $7.8 million, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine will advance genomic medicine as well as hopefully establishing several new positions in the college.

The money was from the estate of Franklin D. Trueblood, who earned a law degree in at the UI in 1925 and, along with friend and fellow alum Elsie Foerstner, was a staunch supporter of the university over the years.

When he died in 1989, his will named Foerstner as a lifetime income beneficiary of his trust. After Foerstners death in April, the university was named as remainder beneficiary.

A decision on exactly where the money is to be spent in the Genetics Department has not yet been made. However, medical-school Dean Debra Schwinn said the money could be used for a variety of purposes.

We want to make sure were putting it to the absolute best use, and thats why were not making a quick decision, she said. Theres just so much that we can do, this is a huge jump-start, and we have so many projects where we can use this wisely.

UI spokesman Tom Moore said it is not one lab that will benefit from the donation but a field of study, as the $7.8 million was given to the university with the intention of promoting the field of genomic medicine at the medical school.

Genomic medicine is about tailoring treatment to a specific individuals genome, Schwinn said.

Continue reading here:
$7.8 million given to Carver College of Medicine

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Schizophrenia is not a single disease, but a group of eight genetically distinct disorders each with its own unique set of symptoms, according to new research published online Monday in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

Dr. C. Robert Cloninger, one of the senior investigators of the study as well as a professor of psychiatry and genetics at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and his colleagues believe their findings could be the first step towards improving how the condition is diagnosed and treated.

According to the researchers, approximately 80 percent of schizophrenia risk is inherited, but scientists have struggled to identify the exact genes responsible for the debilitating psychiatric illness. Now, after conducting detailed analysis of genetic influences on over 4,000 people with schizophrenia, the study authors have identified distinct gene clusters which they said contribute to eight different classes of the disorder.

Genes dont operate by themselves. They function in concert much like an orchestra, and to understand how theyre working, you have to know not just who the members of the orchestra are but how they interact, Dr. Cloninger, whose team matched precise DNA variations in people with and without schizophrenia to symptoms in individual patients, said in a statement.

The investigators looked at nearly 700,000 sites within the genome where a single DNA unit is changed, also known as a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), in 4,200 people with schizophrenia and 3,800 healthy controls. The goal was to discover how individual genetic variations interacted with one another in order to produce the illness.

For example, in some patients suffering from delusions or hallucinations, they matched distinct genetic features to the symptoms and demonstrated with 95 percent certainty the genetic variations that would have caused that type of schizophrenia. In a second group, they discovered a link between disorganized speech and behavior with a unique set of DNA variations that carried a 100 percent risk of schizophrenia.

What weve done here, after a decade of frustration in the field of psychiatric genetics, is identify the way genes interact with each other, how the orchestra is either harmonious and leads to health, or disorganized in ways that lead to distinct classes of schizophrenia, explained Dr. Cloninger.

While individual genes only have weak and somewhat inconsistent associations with the disease, groups of gene clusters that interact with each other can result in a 70 percent to 100 percent risk of developing schizophrenia. The study authors said that this makes it nearly impossible for people with those specific variations to avoid the condition. In all, they identified 42 clusters of genetic variations which dramatically increase schizophrenia risk.

In the past, scientists had been looking for associations between individual genes and schizophrenia, explained Dr. Dragan Svrakic, a study co-author and Washington University psychiatry professor. When one study would identify an association, no one else could replicate it. What was missing was the idea that these genes dont act independently. They work in concert to disrupt the brains structure and function, and that results in the illness.

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Genetic Research Reveals Eight Distinct Types Of Schizophrenia

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2-6 Introduction to Genetics
2-6 Introduction to Genetics.

By: CrimellaScience

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2-6 Introduction to Genetics - Video

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Powerlifting genetics, why I left bodybuilding
Please subscribe and follow me @randyzhoupowerlifting on instagram for up to date videos and selfies! How much does genetics influence one #39;s success in stren...

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Powerlifting genetics, why I left bodybuilding - Video

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HermitCraft Modsauce Jr Episode 4 "Advanced Genetics Power Frustration and Renovation"
We continue our new series of HermitCraft Modsauce Jr.! Here are the real HermitCrafters: Hypno: https://www.youtube.com/user/hypnotizd KingDaddyDMac: https://www.youtube.com/user/kingdaddydmac...

By: Draven Apichonrattanakorn

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HermitCraft Modsauce Jr Episode 4 "Advanced Genetics Power Frustration and Renovation" - Video

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Stem Cell Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis
http://msrelief.com According to Dr. Balshi, multiple sclerosis is not a stem cell disease so the stem cells are not affected by MS. Stem cells can be harvested from the fat, activated with...

By: Choose JOY MS Relief

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Stem Cell Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis - Video

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

15-Sep-2014

Contact: Scott LaFee slafee@ucsd.edu 619-543-6163 University of California - San Diego @UCSanDiego

During cancer development, tumor cells decorate their surfaces with sugar compounds called glycans that are different from those found on normal, healthy cells. In the Sept. 15 online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that sialic acids at the tips of these cancer cell glycans are capable of engaging with immune system cells and changing the latter's response to the tumor for good and bad.

"These cell surface glycans can promote or inhibit cancer progression, depending upon the stage of the disease," said principal investigator Ajit Varki, MD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine. "Our findings underscore the complexity of cancer and the consequent challenges in conquering it. The immune system may be a double-edged sword in cancer, tumor-promoting or tumor-inhibiting, depending upon circumstances."

Specifically, the researchers found that receptors called siglecs on subsets of neutrophils and macrophages (two types of immune cell) can bind to sialic acids on the surface of tumor cells. Depending upon the stage of cancer and the tumor model used, the scientists reported that interaction between immune cell siglecs and tumor cell sialic acids produced opposite outcomes.

"During initial stages of growth, cancer cells appear to protect themselves from extermination by neutrophils by engaging siglecs via sialic acid-capped glycans," said Varki, who is also a faculty member of the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. "But once the tumor was established, further growth was inhibited by engagement of siglecs on macrophages."

The findings follow upon research by Varki and colleagues published earlier this year in PNAS that showed anti-tumor antibodies also behave contrarily. Low concentrations of antibodies can support cancer growth, but higher concentrations may inhibit it.

"The fact that the immune system can exert a promoting or inhibiting effect on cancer progression, depending on the situation and stage of disease, has importance for designing clinical trials with drugs that target the immune system," said first author Heinz Lubli, MD, PhD.

For example, siglecs might prove viable drug targets for preventing early cancer progression. Study co-author Ann Schwartz, PhD, MPH, of the Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit investigated 332 patients with lung cancer to assess whether they had a natural siglec variant that reduced binding to tumor cell surface sialic acids. Such patients have a greater chance for survival after two years, but the effect diminishes and disappears later.

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Cancer and the immune system: A double-edged sword

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Owen McMasters.

Owen McMasters, a 15-year-old student at Trinity High School, is facing a battle most kids his age will never face. Hes fighting leukemia again.

McMasters was first diagnosed in 2011. He managed to fight off the disease, but following a recent relapse, McMasters now needs a bone marrow transplant.

McMasters and his family have teamed up with Sharing Americas Marrow (SAM) to host bone marrow donor registration events at the Kornhauser Library courtyard on the University of Louisville Medical School campus Sept. 16 and 17 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and on the University of Louisville main campus in the Swain Student Activities Center Sept. 18 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

We spoke with Alex Kimura, director of Sharing Americas Marrow, about McMasters condition, the upcoming donor drive, and how signing up as a blood marrow donor can save a life.

THE VOICE-TRIBUNE: Please tell us about Owens struggle and how he is currently doing. Has he found a donor yet, and if not, is it possible he could find one at the upcoming drives?

ALEX KIMURA: Owen McMasters was diagnosed in November of 2011 when he was 12 years old with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Owen had nine months of intense chemotherapy and then had been managing his blood cancer until recently, when a relapse put him back in the hospital. Owen, a 15-year-old sophomore at Trinity High School in Louisville, is now going through chemotherapy again, but now his doctors at Kosair Childrens Hospital think that a bone marrow transplant is needed to cure him of his disease.

Siblings have a 25 percent chance of being a bone marrow donor match because matches are made based on DNA tissue types, but unfortunately neither of Owens two brothers are matches. A match for Owen or for one of the thousands of other blood cancer patients who are looking for a donor could be found at any of the upcoming bone marrow donor drives in the Louisville area. Donors who register are signing up to be a potential donor for ANY patient in need of transplant, including but not limited to Owen.

V-T: What part does healthy bone marrow play in fighting leukemia and other blood cancers?

KIMURA: Leukemia and other blood cancers signify that the bodys bone marrow is failing. The bone marrow is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, which are the cells that produce oxygen, fight infection, and help with clotting, respectively.

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SAM and Trinity Teen Team Up for Bone Marrow Donor Drives

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LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - It could be the most important thing you do this week. A Louisville high school sophomore desperately needs a bone marrow match to win the fight he's battled for three years.

We first met Owen McMasters two and a half years ago when his family was fighting to get the chemotherapy drug they needed to put him into remission. Now they are looking for someone who literally might save his, or another child's, life.

Owen has always been willing to lend his smile and his story to events helping children with cancer, says his dad, surgical oncologist Dr. Kelly McMasters. "He's really tried to use this as a platform to help other kids."

In 2012, Owen shared his story when drug companies pulled the chemotherapy drug he needed. The McMasters say it was because it didn't cost much and not making drug companies much money. Eventually, a generic version was imported from India and Owen went into remission.

Dr. McMasters said he was, "a normal kid, went snowboarding, went fishing and did all kinds of normal kid things, started at Trinity High School, was having a great time."

Until his acute lymphoblastic leukemia - ALL - came back.

"A couple of weeks ago, he didn't feel well, came to the hospital and found out his cancer is back," said Dr. McMasters.

His treatment options are now extremely limited.

"Owen now needs a bone marrow transplant," Dr. McMasters said. "That's the only option for him."

Family members have been tested and ruled out. Now the McMasters are hoping someone, somewhere will get tested and be a match.

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Louisville teen desperately searching for bone marrow match

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

12-Sep-2014

Contact: Peggy Murphy pemurphy@luriechildrens.org 773-755-7485 Children's Memorial Hospital

Metastatic melanoma is a highly aggressive skin cancer whose incidence is on the rise at an alarming rate. Research has revealed that metastatic tumor cells share similar signaling pathways with embryonic stem cells to sustain plasticity and growth. However, major regulators of these pathways are often missing in tumor cells, thus allowing uncontrolled tumor growth and spreading to occur.

During early vertebrate development, Nodal, an embryonic growth factor that governs the growth, pattern and position of tissues, is critical for normal maturation. Nodal plays a significant role in maintaining the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells, meaning the ability of stem cells to differentiate into any of the three germ layers that comprise the body. The recent discovery of Nodal's re-expression in several aggressive and metastatic cancers has highlighted its critical role in self-renewal and maintenance of the stem cell-like characteristics of tumor cells such as melanoma. However, the signaling pathway receptors utilized by melanoma cells to propagate Nodal's effect remain(s) mostly anecdotal and unexplored.

The laboratory of Mary J.C. Hendrix, PhD made the novel discovery that embryonic stem cells and metastatic melanoma cells share a similar repertoire of receptors known as Type I serine/threonine kinase(s), but diverge in their Type II receptor expression. Further testing indicated that metastatic melanoma cells and embryonic stem cells use different receptors for Nodal signal transduction. These findings reveal the divergence in Nodal signaling between embryonic stem cells and metastatic melanoma that can impact new therapeutic strategies targeting the re-emergence of embryonic pathways in cancer.

This work is published in the International Journal of Cancer. Mary J.C. Hendrix, PhD points out: "Nodal-expressing tumor cells don't respond favorably to conventional therapies, supporting the premise that a combinatorial approach to targeting Nodal subpopulations within tumors, along with a front-line therapy, would constitute a more rational approach for treating aggressive cancer". Zhila Khalkhali-Ellis, PhD, senior research scientist in the Hendrix laboratory and the lead author says: "Our discoveries are important for advanced stage aggressive melanoma. Given that limited therapeutic options are currently available for this cancer, we have the opportunity to investigate whether the receptors can be modulated so that the signaling molecule can be neutralized to decrease aggressive behavior." The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

###

Zhila Khalkhali-Ellis, PhD is Research Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; and a member of the Cancer Biology and Epigenomics Program of Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, affiliated with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

Mary J.C. Hendrix, PhD is President & Scientific Director of Manne Research Institute; Children's Research Fund Professor; William G. Swartchild, Jr. Distinguished Research Professor at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

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Re-expression of an embryonic signaling pathway in Melanoma utilizes different receptors

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St. Petersburg, FL (PRWEB) September 16, 2014

Aging skin inevitably wrinkles, thins and sags.

The main internal reason for this is loss of collagen production. By age 60, skin has 45% less collagen than it did when young due to this slow down. Collagen holds up skin structure.

In order to maintain healthy, beautiful skin, collagen production should be boosted. There are several ways to do this, but the relatively new scientific approach is through use of stem cells (non-embryonic).

"The cost is higher than other types of serums, but you also get what you pay for," says Kathy Heshelow, founder of Sublime Beauty."Stem cell serums rich in growth factors and human fibroblast conditioned media bring back firmer, younger and smoother skin."

Scientists have used these ingredients in wound repair with great success, and the crossover to skin care seemed natural. TGF-b or Transforming Growth Factor-beta is considered to be one of the most important growth factors to stimulate collagen production, promote synthesis and inhibit thinning of skin.

The Sublime Beauty serum, Cell Renewal | Fibroblast Serum, contains these very growth factors. A brochure explaining more about the ingredients is available on the product page of the company webstore.

Similar serums on the market are far more expensive the one offered by Sublime Beauty. Take 25% Off the stem cell serum at Amazon with coupon code FIBRO52V now.

ABOUT: Sublime Beauty is a quality skincare company that focuses on products to Age Younger. Ingredients help to boost collagen, hydrate, relax wrinkles and improve skin. A niche includes healthy Skin Brushes. The company webstore offers free standard shipping and a VIP Club. Sign up for Secret Sales on the site. Products also available on Amazon.

See more here:
A Superior Way to Make Skin Younger and Assure Continual Collagen Production, from Sublime Beauty

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Laminine Testimonials stroke
Laminine is availabe in the Philippines!!! "The Closest Alternative To Stem Cell Therapy..." "The miracle formula from a 9-day-old fertilized hen eggs" For More Info About Laminine, How a...

By: Karl Angelo Alipin

Link:
Laminine Testimonials stroke - Video

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Laminine Testimonial-kidney failure
Laminine is availabe in the Philippines!!! "The Closest Alternative To Stem Cell Therapy..." "The miracle formula from a 9-day-old fertilized hen eggs" For More Info About Laminine, How a...

By: Karl Angelo Alipin

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Laminine Testimonial-kidney failure - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) September 15, 2014

Stem cells are undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and can divide (through mitosis) to produce more stem cells. Stem cell therapy can be applied to treatment of cardiovascular diseases, leukemia (a kind of hematological system disease), nervous system diseases, damage or lesion of liver, kidney and other parenchymal organs, etc.

Currently, cord blood bank is the fastest-growing and relatively mature market amid stem cell upstream sectors and even the whole industry chain. In 2005, there were 23 cord blood banks worldwide and in 2013 the figure exceeded 480. Global cord blood stem cell (CBSC) storage companies can be roughly divided into two categories: the ones running in a globalized business model, such as Cryo-Cell International and Esperite (formerly known as Cryo-Save Group), and the others giving priority to regional operation e.g. Zhongyuan Union Stem Cell Bioengineering (VCANBIO), Golden Meditech and LifeCell International. However, the companies mainly engaged in cord blood bank business are currently small in scale, only a few with more than 500,000 clients.

Order a copy of this report at http://www.chinamarketresearchreports.com/contacts/purchase.php?name=114908 .

The stem cell technology and product research-oriented midstream sector is in its infancy, mostly concentrated in few countries like Europe, America and South Korea. At present, most companies in the industry chain are basically in the red for years running due to huge R&D costs. Nevertheless, attracted by the tremendous market potential in the area of stem cell therapy and enjoying the great encouragement from government policies (e.g. capital subsidy) and the capital support of significant cooperative partners, very few companies have dropped out.

Up to now, altogether 9 sorts of stem cell products have been approved worldwide, 3 of which are in the category of stem cell drugs developed by S. Korean companies, such as MEDIPOSTs adult stem cell drug CARTISTEM for osteoarthritis treatment and the stem cell product Prochymal (MEDIPOST obtained the product via acquiring the Therapeutics business of Osiris Therapeutics) direct at treating children suffering acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

Complete report is available at http://www.chinamarketresearchreports.com/114908.html .

In the meantime, traditional pharmaceutical giants like Novartis are setting about quickly accessing the field through mergers and acquisitions. On Aug. 19, 2014, Novartis reached an acquisition agreement with Gamida Cell (a corporate dedicated to stem cell technology R&D and its application in stem cell transplantation for leukemia patients), which specified that Novartis spend USD35 million in acquiring 15% equity in the latter and win the option to take over the remaining equity in two years with USD165 million; in Sep. 2013, Novartis also entered a cooperation with Regenerex to jointly develop the hematopoietic stem cell platform FCRx of the latter.

Global and China Stem Cell Industry Report, 2014-2017 highlights the followings:

Classification, application, industry chain definition, etc. of stem cells; Major enterprises, policies, upstream/midstream/downstream development and prospects, etc. of global stem cell industry; Policies, upstream/midstream/downstream development, etc. of China stem cell industry; Operation, stem cell business, etc. of 6 upstream companies and 18 midstream/downstream companies worldwide.

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Global and China Stem Cell Industry Report 2014-2017 Now Available at ChinaMarketResearchReports.com

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Albany, NY (PRWEB) September 15, 2014

Stem cells are undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and can divide (through mitosis) to produce more stem cells. Stem cell therapy can be applied to treatment of cardiovascular diseases, leukemia (a kind of hematological system disease), nervous system diseases, damage or lesion of liver, kidney and other parenchymal organs, etc..

View Full Report at http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/223134

Currently, cord blood bank is the fastest-growing and relatively mature market amid stem cell upstream sectors and even the whole industry chain. In 2005, there were 23 cord blood banks worldwide and in 2013 the figure exceeded 480. Global cord blood stem cell (CBSC) storage companies can be roughly divided into two categories: the ones running in a globalized business model, such as Cryo-Cell International and Esperite (formerly known as Cryo-Save Group), and the others giving priority to regional operation e.g. Zhongyuan Union Stem Cell Bioengineering (VCANBIO), Golden Meditech and LifeCell International. However, the companies mainly engaged in cord blood bank business are currently small in scale, only a few with more than 500,000 clients.

Download Detail Report With Complete TOC at http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/223134

The stem cell technology and product research-oriented midstream sector is in its infancy, mostly concentrated in few countries like Europe, America and South Korea. At present, most companies in the industry chain are basically in the red for years running due to huge R&D costs. Nevertheless, attracted by the tremendous market potential in the area of stem cell therapy and enjoying the great encouragement from government policies (e.g. capital subsidy) and the capital support of significant cooperative partners, very few companies have dropped out.

Browse All Published Reports by Same Publisher at http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/publisher/67

Up to now, altogether 9 sorts of stem cell products have been approved worldwide, 3 of which are in the category of stem cell drugs developed by S. Korean companies, such as MEDIPOSTs adult stem cell drug CARTISTEM for osteoarthritis treatment and the stem cell product Prochymal (MEDIPOST obtained the product via acquiring the Therapeutics business of Osiris Therapeutics) direct at treating children suffering acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

In the meantime, traditional pharmaceutical giants like Novartis are setting about quickly accessing the field through mergers and acquisitions. On Aug. 19, 2014, Novartis reached an acquisition agreement with Gamida Cell (a corporate dedicated to stem cell technology R&D and its application in stem cell transplantation for leukemia patients), which specified that Novartis spend USD35 million in acquiring 15% equity in the latter and win the option to take over the remaining equity in two years with USD165 million; in Sep. 2013, Novartis also entered a cooperation with Regenerex to jointly develop the hematopoietic stem cell platform FCRx of the latter.

Related Reports

Read the rest here:
Global And China Stem Cell Industry Size 2014 Market Analysis, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017: MarketResearchReports ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

15-Sep-2014

Contact: Sarah McDonnell s_mcd@mit.edu 617-253-8923 Massachusetts Institute of Technology @MITnews

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Neuroscientists have found that a gene mutation that arose more than half a million years ago may be key to humans' unique ability to produce and understand speech.

Researchers from MIT and several European universities have shown that the human version of a gene called Foxp2 makes it easier to transform new experiences into routine procedures. When they engineered mice to express humanized Foxp2, the mice learned to run a maze much more quickly than normal mice.

The findings suggest that Foxp2 may help humans with a key component of learning language transforming experiences, such as hearing the word "glass" when we are shown a glass of water, into a nearly automatic association of that word with objects that look and function like glasses, says Ann Graybiel, an MIT Institute Professor, member of MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and a senior author of the study.

"This really is an important brick in the wall saying that the form of the gene that allowed us to speak may have something to do with a special kind of learning, which takes us from having to make conscious associations in order to act to a nearly automatic-pilot way of acting based on the cues around us," Graybiel says.

Wolfgang Enard, a professor of anthropology and human genetics at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Germany, is also a senior author of the study, which appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week. The paper's lead authors are Christiane Schreiweis, a former visiting graduate student at MIT, and Ulrich Bornschein of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany.

All animal species communicate with each other, but humans have a unique ability to generate and comprehend language. Foxp2 is one of several genes that scientists believe may have contributed to the development of these linguistic skills. The gene was first identified in a group of family members who had severe difficulties in speaking and understanding speech, and who were found to carry a mutated version of the Foxp2 gene.

In 2009, Svante Pbo, director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and his team engineered mice to express the human form of the Foxp2 gene, which encodes a protein that differs from the mouse version by only two amino acids. His team found that these mice had longer dendrites the slender extensions that neurons use to communicate with each other in the striatum, a part of the brain implicated in habit formation. They were also better at forming new synapses, or connections between neurons.

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Neuroscientists identify key role of language gene

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It was named the language gene before we really understood what it did. Now mice given the human version of the FOXP2 gene are shedding light on how speech evolved in early humans.

Mice with the gene seem to be better at learning to do a task automatically or unconsciously something we do when we learn a new route to work, for example. The researchers claim that this, in conjunction with other work, suggests the FOXP2 gene could help us learn to talk as infants by giving us unconscious control over our lips and tongue.

FOXP2 is the best-studied gene thought to have played a role in the evolution of the human brain. It was discovered in the 1990s in a British family known as KE, some of whom have severe speech difficulties caused by a mutation in this gene. FOXP2 was found to encode a "transcription factor", a protein that regulates the activity of other genes, and to be active in the brain during embryonic development.

Comparing the human and chimpanzee genomes revealed that since we split from chimps there have been two key historical mutations in this gene. It is thought that these mutations had a hand in our superior vocal abilities. The big question is what would happen if the human version of this gene were put into chimpanzees. Would it improve their vocal abilities, for example? We might never know, though, because ethical concerns prevent such research being done on chimps.

The human version of the gene has been put into mice, however. It alters their brains in numerous subtle ways, especially in the neural circuits involved in learning. But until now it was unclear what effects this had on behaviour or intelligence.

To find out, Ann Graybiel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her colleagues tested the mice using a cross or T-shaped maze containing a food reward.

The maze could be altered to test both unconscious and conscious learning processes. Sometimes the food was placed so that the animals always had to turn in the same direction to find the food, which is thought to involve automatic learning.

At other times the food was put into different arms of the maze but with visual cues to show its hiding place, which, in humans at least, requires conscious thought processes. "It's a good way of differentiating between these two modes of learning," says Faraneh Vargha-Khadem of University College London.

The mice with a human version of FOXP2 learned to find the food faster than normal mice eight days compared with 12 days if the maze was set up so that they could use both conscious and automatic learning processes. There was no difference in the rate of learning if the mice had to use either strategy alone.

If you think about it, says Graybiel, this set-up is exactly what happens when humans learn a new route to work first we go by visual cues, then it almost feels like our feet know their own way because the route becomes automatic.

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Human 'language gene' makes mice smarter

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MRL Sunday Morning chat
Skin care philosphy chat ermawand, Perricone MD, ECO Erase, Trilane, genetic engineering, evolving from monkeys, dogs, stimulating the pineal gland, first chakra.....and other stuff ~

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Greenbelt, MD (PRWEB) September 15, 2014

With a simple swab of the cheek, the physicians at Center for Vascular Medicine can gain valuable insight to help personalize the treatment for patients with vascular disorders, including peripheral artery disease (PAD).

The ideal approach to medicine is preventive care. But, it can be difficult for a doctor to predict how a patient will respond to specific drugs. A simple cheek swab test can be used to identify a patients genetic makeup, allowing the physician to tailor medical therapy and optimize outcomes.

By tailoring the dose and regimen of pharmaceutical treatment to the patients genetics, we are able to deliver more effective therapy and avoid unwanted side effects, says Sanjiv Lakhanpal MD, founder of the Center for Vascular Medicine.

The mapping of the human genome in 2003 gave researchers insight into Cytochrome P450 (CYP450), a group of enzymes that are involved in drug metabolism. The test creates a road map for the individual to enable the physician to predict the effectiveness of certain drugs. For example, blood thinners which are commonly prescribed to patients with vascular conditions.

Many adults in the United States routinely take five or more prescription medications. This is particularly common in patients over age 50. Certain combinations of drugs can reduce effectiveness and cause unwanted side effects. The results of genetic testing can be used for medication reconciliation, which addresses drugs and/or supplements interfere with one another when taken in combination.

Genetic testing may also provide insight into a patients risk for certain vascular conditions.

Various studies have shown that people with gene variants carry double or even triple the risk of blood clots compared to people with normal metabolism, explains Dr. Lakhanpal. Genetic testing can help us identify individuals at risk and offer preventive treatments that can help to avoid problems in the future.

Center for Vascular Medicine is one of the first practices in Maryland to offer this type of testing at our offices located in Annapolis, Glen Burnie, Greenbelt, Prince Frederick and Silver Spring.

For more information, visit CVMUS.com or call (888) 702-2711 to schedule a consultation.

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Center for Vascular Medicine Offers Genetic Testing For Personalized Vascular Care

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

14-Sep-2014

Contact: Leslie Ridgeway lridgewa@usc.edu University of Southern California - Health Sciences

An international study co-led by Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) scientists and researchers in the United Kingdom has revealed 23 new genetic susceptibility locations indicating risk for prostate cancer.

The data study, analyzing more than 87,000 individuals of European, African, Japanese and Latino ancestry, is the largest of its kind and is the first that combines multiple studies across different ethnic populations.

"The goal of this research is to identify regions of the genome that contribute susceptibility to prostate cancer that could be used for understanding a man's future risk of developing this disease," said principal investigator Christopher Haiman, Sc.D., professor of preventive medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC. "This research also emphasizes the importance of common genetic variation in the etiology of prostate cancer, and the importance of large-scale international genetics consortia."

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among American men, behind skin cancer. It is estimated that nearly 30,000 men will die of prostate cancer and more than 233,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2014.

Past genome-wide association studies identified 77 variants associated with prostate cancer risk. The additional 23 variants found in the new study "give us another piece in the puzzle," Haiman said, and new targets for researchers looking into the causes of prostate cancer.

The combined studies that are part of this research have been conducted around the world over the past seven years. The research is chiefly funded by the NCI GAME-ON Consortium, formed to encourage interdisciplinary international collaborations.

The study, "A meta-analysis of 87,040 individuals identifies 23 new susceptibility loci for prostate cancer," was published Sept. 14, 2014 in Nature Genetics.

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The Sims 3 - Perfect Genetics Challenge Ep.49 Boom Goes Marisol
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 perfect genetics in both? Can I keep...

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The Sims 3 - Perfect Genetics Challenge Ep.49 Boom Goes Marisol - Video

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Located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona, we are the originalStem Cell Rejuvenation Center.We havebeenperformingstem cell therapies for over 10years and all of ourprocedures are done on site atour clinic herein Phoenix. Itis our top priority to provide you a safe, clean,sterile and friendly environment.Our Treatment Center is located just 8 minutes from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and many hotels provide shuttle service to and from our clinic making it ideal for out-of-town visitors. We provide stem cell therapy for a variety of conditions byusing our revolutionarytechnology and treatments to isolate and reinfuse stem cells from a patient's own adipose stroma or fat (also called the Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF)). We combine the best of technology, nature, and medicine to help improve the quality of our patients' lives. Stem cell therapy is offered to those who are qualified candidates and whom desire treatment.

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