PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

22-Apr-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, April 22, 2014Hemoglobin A1c is the standard measurement for assessing glycemic control over time in people with diabetes. Blood levels of A1c are typically measured every few months in a laboratory, but now researchers have developed a data-based model that accurately estimates A1c using self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) readings, as described in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (DTT), a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the DTT website at http://www.liebertpub.com/dtt.

In "Accuracy and Robustness of Dynamical Tracking of Average Glycemia (A1c) to Provide Real-Time Estimation of Hemoglobin A1c Using Routine Self-Monitored Blood Glucose Data," authors Boris Kovatchev, PhD, Frank Flacke, PhD, Jochen Sieber, MD, and Marc Breton, PhD present the computer algorithm they developed based on a training data set drawn from 379 subjects and then evaluated for accuracy on an independent test data set. The authors propose that estimation of real-time A1c could increase individuals' motivation to improve diabetes control.

"Patients are used to an A1c result from their doctor visits, and this study highlights simple estimated A1c values from SMBG data," says Satish Garg, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics and Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Denver. "This may become an important tool for improved patient self-management."

###

About the Journal

Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (DTT) is a monthly peer-reviewed journal that covers new technology and new products for the treatment, monitoring, diagnosis, and prevention of diabetes and its complications. Led by Editor-in-Chief Satish Garg, MD, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Denver, the Journal covers topics that include noninvasive glucose monitoring, implantable continuous glucose sensors, novel routes of insulin administration, genetic engineering, the artificial pancreas, measures of long-term control, computer applications for case management, telemedicine, the Internet, and new medications. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (DTT) website at http://www.liebertpub.com/dtt. DTT is the official journal of the Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD) Conference.

About ATTD

Read the original:
Routine blood glucose measurements can accurately estimate hemoglobin A1c in diabetes

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SAN DIEGO Karl Deisseroth is having a very early breakfast before the day gets going at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. Thirty thousand people who study the brain are here at the Convention Center, a small citys worth of badge-wearing, networking, lecture-attending scientists.

For Deisseroth, though, this crowd is a bit like the gang at Cheers everybody knows his name. He is a Stanford psychiatrist and a neuroscientist, and one of the people most responsible for the development of optogenetics, a technique that allows researchers to turn brain cells on and off with a combination of genetic manipulation and pulses of light.

An online service is needed to view this article in its entirety. You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.

Or, use your linked account:

Unlimited access to SantaFeNewMexican.com and PasatiempoMagazine.comon your computer, smart phone and tablet.

Unlimted access to SantaFeNewMexican.com and PasatiempoMagazine.comon your computer, smart phone and tablet PLUS 7-Day home delivery of The New Mexican.

*Must reside within SFNM home delivery area. RATES DO NOT APPLY IN PLACITAS, RIBERA, ILFIELD OR VILLNUEVA. PLEASE CALL 800-873-3372 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Unlimted access to SantaFeNewMexican.com and PasatiempoMagazine.comon your computer, smart phone and tablet PLUS Weekend home delivery of The New Mexican.

*Must reside within SFNM home delivery area. THESE RATES DO NOT APPLY IN PLACITAS, RIBERA, ILFIELD OR VILLNUEVA. PLEASE CALL 800-873-3372 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Unlimted access to SantaFeNewMexican.com and PasatiempoMagazine.comon your computer, smart phone and tablet PLUS Sunday home delivery of The New Mexican.

Visit link:
On-off switch for neurons allows scientists a deeper look into the brain

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Above: The genomes of these twin infant macaques were modified with multiple mutations.

The ability to create primates with intentional mutations could provide powerful new ways to study complex and genetically baffling brain disorders.

The use of a genome-tool to create two monkeys with specific genetic mutations.

The ability to modify targeted genes in primates is a valuable tool in the study of human diseases.

By Christina Larson

Until recently, Kunming, capital of Chinas southwestern Yunnan province, was known mostly for its palm trees, its blue skies, its laid-back vibe, and a steady stream of foreign backpackers bound for nearby mountains and scenic gorges. But Kunmings reputation as a provincial backwater is rapidly changing. On a plot of land on the outskirts of the citywilderness 10 years ago, and today home to a genomic research facilityscientists have performed a provocative experiment. They have created a pair of macaque monkeys with precise genetic mutations.

Last November, the female monkey twins, Mingming and Lingling, were born here on the sprawling research campus of Kunming Biomedical International and its affiliated Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research. The macaques had been conceived via in vitro fertilization. Then scientists used a new method of DNA engineering known as CRISPR to modify the fertilized eggs by editing three different genes, and they were implanted into a surrogate macaque mother. The twins healthy birth marked the first time that CRISPR has been used to make targeted genetic modifications in primatespotentially heralding a new era of biomedicine in which complex diseases can be modeled and studied in monkeys.

CRISPR, which was developed by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, Harvard, MIT, and elsewhere over the last several years, is already transforming how scientists think about genetic engineering, because it allows them to make changes to the genome precisely and relatively easily (see Genome Surgery, March/April). The goal of the experiment at Kunming is to confirm that the technology can create primates with multiple mutations, explains Weizhi Ji, one of the architects of the experiment.

Ji began his career at the government-affiliated Kunming Institute of Zoology in 1982, focusing on primate reproduction. China was a very poor country back then, he recalls. We did not have enough funding for research. We just did very simple work, such as studying how to improve primate nutrition. Chinas science ambitions have since changed dramatically. The campus in Kunming boasts extensive housing for monkeys: 75 covered homes, sheltering more than 4,000 primatesmany of them energetically swinging on hanging ladders and scampering up and down wire mesh walls. Sixty trained animal keepers in blue scrubs tend to them full time.

The lab where the experiment was performed includes microinjection systems, which are microscopes pointed at a petri dish and two precision needles, controlled by levers and dials. These are used both for injecting sperm into eggs and for the gene editing, which uses guide RNAs that direct a DNA-cutting enzyme to genes. When I visited, a young lab technician was intently focused on twisting dials to line up sperm with an egg. Injecting each sperm takes only a few seconds. About nine hours later, when an embryo is still in the one-cell stage, a technician will use the same machine to inject it with the CRISPR molecular components; again, the procedure takes just a few seconds.

Read the original post:
Genome Editing

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

"I Have Bad Genetics" - Fitness Myth Busting with Tregg Fisher
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/treggfisherfitness TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TreggFisher INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/treggfisher ONLINE COACHI...

By: Tregg Fisher

Go here to see the original:
"I Have Bad Genetics" - Fitness Myth Busting with Tregg Fisher - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Ricky Ashby Microbiology Podcast
This video is an assignment for Environmental Microbiology. It is a mock lecture on Gene Therapy and the utilization of viruses found in the environment as v...

By: Frederick Ashby

View post:
Ricky Ashby Microbiology Podcast - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SOUTH BEND, Ind.--- She may be in a wheelchair, but Lanie Hannah, 14, doesn't let that stop her from having fun.

Hannah has SMA which attacks the body's motor neurons and causes paralysis.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy or, SMA, occurs in almost one out of every 10,000 births.

It's the most common, fatal genetic disease in infants.

If patients are lucky enough to make it through infancy they are usually confined to a wheelchair.

"It affects me in my daily life, and it keeps me from being able to do certain things, said Lanie

"Putting her in bed, taking her out of bed, dressing, I mean it affects everything that she does, said Lana Hannah, Lanies mom.

There is no cure and there are no treatments; however, a new clinical trial is offering hope for the first time.

Doctors are studying an experimental therapy that targets more than just symptoms, it targets mutated SMN genes, which are responsible for SMA.

"With this treatment, we are targeting the disease," said Dr. Susan T. Lannaccone, a Pediatric Neurologist at the Childrens Medical Center in Dallas/UT Southwestern.

See original here:
Therapy hopes to relieve patients of SMA symptoms

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Bringing Genomics Home: "Doc, while I #39;m here can you take a look at my genome? Part 1
Dr. Dr. Brad Popovich and Dr. Martin Dawes discuss the opportunities, applications and potential impacts of personalized medicine. Presented on March 26th, 2014 by Genome BC, Kamloop Innovation,...

By: Genome BC

The rest is here:
Bringing Genomics Home: "Doc, while I'm here can you take a look at my genome? Part 1 - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Invasive bladder cancer (IBC), a malignant disease that currently affects more than 375,000 people worldwide, has been found to be caused by a single type of cell in the lining of the bladder, according to researchers with the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The researchers say this is the first study to pinpoint the normal cell type that can give rise to IBC. It is also the first study to show that most bladder cancers and their precancerous lesions arise from just one cell, which could also explain why many bladder cancers recur after therapy.

Weve learned that, at an intermediate stage during cancer progression, a single cancer stem cell and its progeny can quickly and completely replace the entire bladder lining, Philip Beachy, PhD, professor of biochemistry and of developmental biology, said in a statement. All of these cells have already taken several steps along the path to becoming an aggressive tumor. Thus, even when invasive carcinomas are successfully removed through surgery, this corrupted lining remains in place and has a high probability of progression.

Beachy and colleagues found that while cancer stem cells and the precancerous lesions they form express an important signaling protein known as sonic hedgehog, the cells of subsequent invasive cancers invariably do not a critical switch that appears vital for invasion and metastasis. This switch may explain certain confusing aspects of previous studies on the cellular origins of bladder cancer in humans. It also pinpoints a possible weak link in cancer progression that could be targeted by therapies.

This could be a game changer in terms of therapeutic and diagnostic approaches, said Michael Hsieh, MD, PhD, assistant professor of urology and a co-author of the study. Until now, its not been clear whether bladder cancers arise as the result of cancerous mutations in many cells in the bladder lining as the result of ongoing exposure to toxins excreted in the urine, or if its due instead to a defect in one cell or cell type. If we can better understand how bladder cancers begin and progress, we may be able to target the cancer stem cell, or to find molecular markers to enable earlier diagnosis and disease monitoring.

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and the ninth in women. There are two main types of bladder cancer: one that invades the muscle around the bladder and then metastasizes to other organs, and another that remains confined to the bladder lining. Unlike noninvasive cancers, most invasive bladder cancers are untreatable. Those that can be treated are expensive and difficult to cure, and with a high likelihood of recurrences, ongoing monitoring is required.

To determine what genes or cell types are at play in the formation of bladder cancer, the study team used a mouse model that closely mimicked what happens in humans. Usually, researchers rely on prior knowledge or guesses as to what genes are involved and often genetically alter cell types in animals to induce overexpression of a gene known to be involved in tumorigenesis or to block the expression of a gene that inhibits cancer development.

LINK TO SMOKING

Previous work by Beachy and his colleagues suggested that basal cells play a role in bladder cancer. However, the new study offered an unbiased approach.

See the rest here:
Single Cell Type Found To Cause Most Invasive Bladder Cancers: Study

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Madison #39;s Before After Stem Cell Therapy
Had step cell therapy procedure on 4/14/14 and we were seeing noticeable results only 4 short days later.

By: Jaie Locke

Read more from the original source:
Madison's Before & After Stem Cell Therapy - Video

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Home

When heart fails to pump out sufficient blood to the rest of the body as demanded, most often caused by heart attack and high blood pressure, heart muscles will be damaged. This is a condition called heart failure. Most people with heart failure complain of breathing difficulty that may happen during exercise, eating or even sleeping. Other common symptoms and signs are lethargy, ankle swelling, abdominal bloating, frequent urination and memory impairment.

Patient with heart failure also have a poor prognosis and high risk of developing dangerous heart rhythms triggered by the damaged tissue inside the heart.

Current established treatment includes medications that have been proven to alleviate symptoms and reduce the risk of death. Furthermore if the heart damage were caused by blockage of artery, then angioplasty or heart bypass operation may help as they can restore blood supply to parts of the heart that is starved of oxygen. Unfortunately none of the conventional and current treatments above could regenerate new heart muscle to replace the permanently damaged ones caused by previous heart attacks. Hence there will always be some degree of heart failure and progressive deterioration in health.

For patient with heart failure, Cardiocell treatment will repair damaged cells and provide growth of new heart muscle, hence increase the overall strength of heart and alleviate heart failure. In addition, Cardiocell replaces the scarred portions of the damaged heart with viable muscle. As these scarred areas can trigger dangerous heart rhythms and cause cardiac arrest, by replacing the scar tissue, Cardiocell not only improves heart failure but also reduces the risk of sudden death from cardiac arrest.

In studies using cells identical to Cardiocell for heart failure, patients benefited from symptom relief, improved exercise capacity and stamina, and reduction of angina. There is evidence of increased heart strength and contractility, reduction of heart swelling and scar tissue.

Cardiocell allows the heart to repair and reverse its damage that current conventional treatment cannot provide. It is therefore complementary to conventional heart failure therapy. It brings new hope and treatment option for heart failure patients who remain ill in spite of, or are ineligible for, current treatments.

Generally if you had a heart attack in the last 2 years which has resulted in severe heart failure now and you have exhausted current methods of treatment, then you may be eligible for CardiocellTM treatment. We welcome your participation in CardiocellTM pilot programme as part of Cytopeutics clinical study. However, you should consult your regular doctor or cardiologist to determine your eligibility criteria.

View patient brochure

See the original post here:
Stem Cell Treatment For Heart And Knee : Cytopeutics

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Welcome

The Stem Cell Center Texas Heart Institute is dedicated to the study of adult stem cells and their role in treating diseases of the heart and the circulatory system. Through numerous clinical and preclinical studies, we have come to realize the potential of stem cells to help patients suffering from cardiovascular disease.We are actively enrolling patients in studies using stem cells for the treatment of heart failure, heart attacks, and peripheral vascular disease.

Whether you are a patient looking for information regarding our research, or a doctor hoping to learn more about stem cell therapy, we welcome you to the Stem Cell Center. Please visit our Clinical Trials page for more information about our current trials.

Emerson C. Perin, MD, PhD, FACC Director, Clinical Research for Cardiovascular Medicine Medical Director, Stem Cell Center McNair Scholar

You may contact us at:

E-mail: stemcell@texasheart.org Toll free: 1-866-924-STEM (7836) Phone: 832-355-9405 Fax: 832-355-9440

We are a network of physicians, scientists, and support staff dedicatedto studying stem cell therapy for treating heart disease. Thegoals of the Network are to complete research studies that will potentially lead to more effective treatments for patients with cardiovasculardisease, and to share knowledge quickly with the healthcare community.

Websitein Spanish (En espaol)

Read more from the original source:
The Stem Cell Center at Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Two experimental approaches are showing promise for the treatment of heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy: gene therapy and stem cell therapy. Both of these approaches have received a lot of publicity, and you may be wondering how close they are to routine clinical use.

The answer is that they are both in the very early stages of investigation, and a lot more work has to be done before they become widely available.

In animal experiments, several genes have been tried, including genes for sarcoplasmic reticulum (a membrane within muscle cells that helps to control calcium movement); for adrenaline receptors (receptors on cell membranes that allow cells to respond to adrenaline); and for adenylyl cyclase (a protein that helps to generate energy within cells).

While the animal testing of gene therapy has shown significant promise, it has not yet become advanced enough to proceed to clinical trials.

Based on such promising findings, early stem cell therapy has now been applied, in a few small studies, in carefully selected patients.

Early human studies suggest that the transplanted stem cells do not actually take over the work of the heart, but rather, they produce certain substances (including cytokines, growth factors, and others) that help the "native" heart cells to function more efficiently. They also appear to stimulate "native" stem cells already present in the heart to differentiate into functioning cardiac cells.

There has been only a very limited experience so far using stem cells in patients with heart failure. The small studies that have been done suggest that stem cells can modestly improve cardiac function in certain patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. This improvement is shown by an improvement in the ejection fraction.

Potential risks of stem cell therapy include the possibility of ventricular tachycardia, which apparently is seen in many patients after the injection of stem cells. Because of this problem, some investigators now require patients to receive implantable defibrillators prior to certain types of stem cell therapy for heart failure. Also, observations suggest that in patients who have stents for coronary artery disease, restenosis (blockage) may be more frequent after stem cell treatment.

In summary, stem cell therapy for heart failure is still in its early stages of investigation. Major questions remain regarding what types of cells are best to use, how they should be delivered, how likely it is that there will be a significant long-term benefit, and whether the long-term safety of the technique is acceptable. While stem cell therapy has shown promise, investigators are still quite a ways from being ready for a major clinical trial, let alone for routine usage.

Sources:

Read more here:
Gene Therapy and Stem Cell Therapy For Heart Failure

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION OVERVIEW

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT), also called hematopoietic stem cell transplant or hematopoietic cell transplant, is a type of treatment for cancer (and a few other conditions as well). A review of the normal function of the bone marrow will help in the understanding of bone marrow transplantation.

Bone marrow functionBone marrow is the soft, spongy area in the center of some of the larger bones of the body. The marrow produces all of the different cells that make up the blood, such as red blood cells, white blood cells (of many different types), and platelets. All of these cells develop from a type of precursor cell found in the bone marrow, called a hematopoietic stem cell.

The body is able to direct hematopoietic stem cells to develop into the blood components needed at any given moment. This is a very active process, with the bone marrow producing millions of different cells every hour. Most of the stem cells stay in the marrow until they are transformed into the various blood components, which are then released into the blood stream. Small numbers of stem cells, however, can be found in the circulating blood, which allows them to be collected under certain circumstances. Various strategies can be employed to increase the number of hematopoietic stem cells in the blood prior to collection. (See 'Peripheral blood' below.)

Bone marrow transplantationSome of the most effective treatments for cancer, such as chemotherapy and radiation, are toxic to the bone marrow. In general, the higher the dose, the more toxic the effects on the bone marrow.

In bone marrow transplantation, you are given very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which is intended to more effectively kill cancer cells and unfortunately also destroy all the normal cells developing in the bone marrow, including the critical stem cells. After the treatment, you must have a healthy supply of stem cells reintroduced, or transplanted. The transplanted cells then reestablish the blood cell production process in the bone marrow. Reduced doses of radiation or chemotherapy that do not completely destroy the bone marrow may be used in some settings. (See 'Non-myeloablative transplant' below.)

The cells that will be transplanted can be taken from the bone marrow (called a bone marrow transplant), from the bloodstream (called a peripheral blood stem cell transplant, which requires that you take medication to boost the number of hematopoietic stem cells in the blood), or occasionally from blood obtained from the umbilical cord at the time of birth of a normal newborn (called an umbilical cord blood transplant).

TYPES OF BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION

There are two main types of bone marrow transplantation: autologous and allogeneic.

Autologous transplantIn autologous transplantation, your own hematopoietic stem cells are removed before the high dose chemotherapy or radiation is given, and they are then frozen for storage and later use. After your chemotherapy or radiation is complete, the harvested cells are thawed and returned to you.

View original post here:
Bone marrow transplantation (stem cell transplantation)

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Browse Articles & Videos By Category

Jacquelyn Jeanty

Jacquelyn Jeanty has worked as a freelance writer since 2008. Her work appears at various websites. Her specialty areas include health, home and garden, Christianity and personal development. Jeanty holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Purdue University.

Since 1968, bone-marrow transplant procedures have been used to treat diseases such as leukemia, lymphomas and immune-deficiency disorders. By comparison, stem-cell transplants procedures are a fairly new development within the medical-science world. As a result, the potential uses and risks involved with stem-cell procedures are as of yet not fully known.

Transplant procedures are intended to replace defective or damaged tissues and cells with cells that are able to replace damaged tissue and restore normal function within the body. The use of bone-marrow material versus stem cell material is actually referring to two sides of the same coin, as bone marrow is a type of stem cell derived from the cells inside the bone. Stem cells, in general, can be taken from a number of sources, some of which include the umbilical cord, fetal material, the placenta, somatic cells, embryonic materials, as well as bone marrow material. The type of transplant procedure used will depend on the type of treatment needed and the area of the body affected.

Stem-cell research is a developing field in which stem cells are used to cure diseases, engineer gene-types and clone animals and humans. What makes stem cells so promising is their ability to evolve into a variety of different tissue forms. When used to treat diseased tissues, stem cells may provide a permanent cure as healthy new cells reproduce and replace defective cell organisms. This type of transplant may someday provide a way to treat cancer formations inside the body. Bone marrow stem cells are being used to replace unhealthy bone marrow in people who suffer from blood-borne diseases such as leukemia.

As with any type of surgical procedure, certain risks are involved when undergoing a stem-cell transplant. Frequent testing and possible hospitalizations may be necessary after the procedure is done. Individuals who receive donor stem cells may experience what's called the "graft-versus-host disease." This condition occurs when the patient's immune system reacts to the transplanting of donor stem cells. Symptoms of graft-versus-host disease include vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes and abdominal pain. Organ damage, blood vessel damage and secondary cancers are other possible complications that can arise.

Bone-marrow material is made up of the soft tissue contained inside the bones. This material is responsible for producing and storing the body's blood cells. Bone marrow can be extracted from the breast bone, the hips, the spine, the ribs and the skull. Transplant materials can be used to replace unhealthy bone material for individuals who've undergone radiation or chemotherapy treatments. Individuals who suffer from a genetic disease such as Hurler's syndrome or adrenoleukodystrophy can also benefit from receiving a healthy supply of bone-marrow material.

The risks involved with bone marrow transplants vary depending on how healthy a person is, the type of transplant being done and how compatible a donor's material is. Individuals who've undergone chemotherapy or radiation treatments may experience complications because of the weakened state that the body is in. As bone-marrow material can come from the patient or from a donor, compatibility risks are more of a concern when donor materials are used. Possible complications from a transplant include anemia, infection, internal bleeding or internal-organ damage.

There are different types of bone marrow transplants, including an allogeneic and an autologous transplant. In allogeneic bone marrow transplants, stem cells...

Read the original post:
Stem - Cell Transplant Vs. Bone - Marrow Transplant | eHow

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Watch the Cancer.Net Video: Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation: An Introduction, with Sonali Smith, MD, adapted from this content.

Key Messages:

Stem cell transplantation is a procedure that is most often recommended as a treatment option for people with leukemia, multiple myeloma, and some types of lymphoma. It may also be used to treat some genetic diseases that involve the blood.

During a stem cell transplant diseased bone marrow (the spongy, fatty tissue found inside larger bones) is destroyed with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy and then replaced with highly specialized stem cells that develop into healthy bone marrow. Although this procedure used to be referred to as a bone marrow transplant, today it is more commonly called a stem cell transplant because it is stem cells in the blood that are typically being transplanted, not the actual bone marrow tissue.

The purpose of bone marrow and hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells

Bone marrow produces more than 20 billion new blood cells every day throughout a person's life. The driving force behind this process is the hematopoietic (pronounced he-mah-tuh-poy-ET-ick) stem cell. Hematopoietic stem cells are immature cells found in both the bloodstream and bone marrow. These specialized cells have the ability to create more blood-forming cells or to mature into one of the three different cell types that make up our blood. These include red blood cells (cells that carry oxygen to all parts of the body), white blood cells (cells that help the body fight infections and diseases), and platelets (cells that help blood clot and control bleeding). Signals passing from the body to the bone marrow tell the stem cells which cell types are needed the most.

For people with bone marrow diseases and certain types of cancer, the essential functions of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are disrupted because the hematopoietic stem cells dont mature properly. To help restore the bone marrows ability to produce healthy blood cells, doctors may recommend stem cell transplantation.

Types of stem cell transplantation

There are two main types of stem cell transplantation:

Autologous transplantation (AUTO). A patient undergoing an AUTO transplant receives his or her own stem cells. During the AUTO transplant process, the patients stem cells are collected and then stored in a special freezer that can preserve them for decades. Usually the patient is treated the following week with powerful doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, after which the frozen stem cells are thawed and infused into the patient's vein. The stem cells typically remain in the bloodstream for about 24 hours until they find their way to the marrow space, where they grow and multiply, beginning the healing process.

View post:
What is Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Transplantation? | Cancer.Net

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Royal L #39;Opulent Rejuv
Rejuvenate your skin through the activation of skin stem cells. Brightens your skin for a more even toned complexion, restores skins natural moisture to serv...

By: SariSariNZ

Excerpt from:
Royal L'Opulent Rejuv - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The advance could lead to tissue-transplant operations for a range of debilitating disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, heart disease and spinal cord injuries.

Last year, a team created stem cells from the skin cells of babies, but it was unclear whether it would work in adults.

However, a team of scientists from the Research Institute for Stem Cell Research at CHA Health Systems in Los Angeles and the University of Seoul said they had achieved the same result with two men, one aged 35, the other the 75-year-old. "The proportion of diseases you can treat with lab-made tissue increases with age. So if you can't do this with adult cells it is of limited value," said Robert Lanza, co-author of the research, which was published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

The technique works by removing the nucleus from an unfertilised egg and replacing it with the nucleus of a skin cell. An electric shock causes the cells to divide until they form a "blastocyst", a small ball of a few hundred cells.

In IVF, a blastocyst is implanted into the womb, but with the new technique the cells would be harvested to create other organs or tissues.

The breakthrough is likely to reignite the debate about the ethics of creating human embryos for medical purposes and the possible use of the same technique to produce cloned babies - which is illegal in Britain.

Although the embryos created may not produce a human clone even if implanted in a womb, the prospect is now closer. However, scientists have tried for years to clone monkeys and have yet to succeed.

Dr Lanza admitted that without strong regulations, the early embryos produced in therapeutic cloning "could also be used for human reproductive cloning, although this would be unsafe and grossly unethical". However, he said it was important for the future of regenerative medicine that research into therapeutic cloning should continue.

Shoukhrat Mitalipov, a reproductive biologist from Oregon Health and Science University, who developed the technique last year, said: "The advance here is showing that [nuclear transfer] looks like it will work with people of all ages.

"I'm happy to hear that our experiment was verified and shown to be genuine."

Here is the original post:
Cloning advance means human tissues could be regrown, even in old age

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Suggestions For Stem Cell Therapy PRP Treatment For Hair Loss - Good Health
Subscribe to Tv5 News Channel: http://goo.gl/NHJD9 Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tv5newschannel Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.co...

By: TV5 News

The rest is here:
Suggestions For Stem Cell Therapy & PRP Treatment For Hair Loss - Good Health - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Dear DC Labs, Ovation Cell Therapy is the absolute best! I have been using it for over 2 months now and I can't begin to describe the beautiful effects of your product on my hair - it's incredibly soft, and feels and looks thicker. It's shiney, manageable, strong and beautiful, to boot! OMG! I LOVE MY HAIR! I take my product along w/ me every time I go the beauty salon to have my hair washed and styled. My hair dresser is usually not impressed w/ commercial products, other than the ones she purchases through wholesale distributors and she uses one product line specifically on her customers. But she loves Ovation and feels your product has contributed to my healthy head of hair. I am African American and was wearing braids up until October '09. I wore them to give my hair a rest and to promote growth. I had also colored my hair prior to braiding it and it had broken off around my face. I discussed my hair care plan w/ my beautician prior to taking my braids down. We agreed she would use a "mild" texturizer on my hair, which would allow for more manageability of my coarse hair, but w/ out the harsh side-effects of a straight relaxer. Well, I have to tell you, the effects of using Ovation Cell Therapy and the texturizer have been phenomenal, to say the least. I wash my hair weekly and leave the Cell Therapy on my hair for up to two hours, before I rinse it and apply the Crme Rinse. My hair has grown at least an inch and a half. And Ovation appears to protect my hair from the heated styling tools I use (daily). I have gotten compliments from complete strangers on my hair. And I sing the praises of Ovation to everyone I can. I also have ordered your 6 oz. set for two of my friends, who love Ovation as well. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Ovation Cell Therapy is the best! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I am thrilled with the Ovation Hair Therapy System! I have extremely thin hair and have suffered from alopecia areata for 40 years with some new areas surfacing recently. I saw a difference in the condition of my hair after the first use. After several washings I noticed new hair growth. I know it's not my imagination because my boyfriend told me my hair looks thicker. I will definitely continue to use Ovation! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

The rest is here:
Balance Cell Therapy System - Ovation Hair

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEW YORK (TheStreet) --Aastrom Biosciences (ASTM) soared Monday after the company announced its acquisition ofSanofi'sCell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, or CTRM, business for $6.5 million.

Aastrom will pay $4 million in cash and $2.5 million in a promissory note for the business. The company expects the acquisition to close in approximately three weeks.

The acquisition gives Aastromglobal commercial rights to three marketed autologous cell therapy products called Carticel, Epicel and MACI.Revenues of those three products totaled $44 million in 2013. Aastrom will also acquiremanufacturing and production centers in the U.S. and Denmark.

The stock was up 32.1% to $46.5 at 11:15 a.m., by which point it had eclipsed its average volume of380,200 with more than 1.6 million shares traded for the day. Aastrom hit a high of $4.95 for the day as of that time.

"The acquisition of Sanofi's CTRM business is a transformative transaction that positions Aastrom as a fully-integrated global regenerative medicine company," said Aastrom President and CEO Nick Colangelo in a statement. "The CTRM business brings us global manufacturing, marketing and sales capabilities that are structured to support the current portfolio of marketed products as well as our future product development plans. This transaction also provides us with a platform to generate operating income to support the development of our high-potential pipeline products and continued growth through additional strategic transactions."

"Sanofi's CTRM business, a pioneering organization with more than 20 years of experience in cell therapy and regenerative medicine, developed and marketed some of the first regenerative medicine products in the world," he continued. "We look forward to working with the talented CTRM team to build Aastrom into the leading cell therapy company in the regenerative medicine field."

ASTM data by YCharts

Go here to see the original:
Why Aastrom Biosciences (ASTM) Stock Is Soaring Today

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

If you do not find the name of your condition or need more information, contact an information specialist at the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD). We cannot make a diagnosis or give medical advice, but we can provide information.

Use our contact form

GARD PO Box 8126 Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8126

Monday - Friday, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm ET TOLL FREE:(888) 205-2311 International:(301) 251-4925 TTY:(888) 205-3223

Fax: (301) 251-4911

The GARD Information Center was created in 2002 by the Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), two agencies of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to help people find useful information about genetic and rare diseases. The GARD Information Center provides timely access to experienced Information Specialists who provide current and accurate information about genetic and rare diseases in both English and Spanish.

See more about GARD, including brochures and publicity materials. Send feedback about this site.

Read the rest here:
Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A gene is the molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is used extensively by the scientific community as a name given to some stretches of deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) and ribonucleic acids (RNA) that code for a polypeptide or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains. Genes hold the information to build and maintain an organism's cells and pass genetic traits to offspring. All organisms have genes corresponding to various biological traits, some of which are instantly visible, such as eye color or number of limbs, and some of which are not, such as blood type, increased risk for specific diseases, or the thousands of basic biochemical processes that comprise life. The word gene is derived from the Greek word genesis meaning "birth", or genos meaning "origin" (see pangenesis).

A modern working definition of a gene is "a locatable region of genomic sequence, corresponding to a unit of inheritance, which is associated with regulatory regions, transcribed regions, and or other functional sequence regions ".[1][2] Colloquial usage of the term gene (e.g. "good genes", "hair color gene") may actually refer to an allele: a gene is the basic instruction a sequence of nucleic acids (DNA or, in the case of certain viruses RNA), while an allele is one variant of that gene. Thus, when the mainstream press refers to "having" a "gene" for a specific trait, this is customarily inaccurate. In most cases, all people would have a gene for the trait in question, although certain people will have a specific allele of that gene, which results in the trait variant. Further, genes code for proteins, which might result in identifiable traits, but it is the gene, not the trait, which is inherited.

Big genes are a class of genes whose nuclear transcript spans 500 kb (1kb = 1,000 base pairs) or more of chromosomal DNA. The largest of the big genes is the gene for dystrophin, which spans 2.3 Mb. Many big genes have modestly sized mRNAs; the exons encoding these RNAs typically encompass about 1% of the total chromosomal gene region in which they occur.

When proteins are manufactured, the gene is first copied into RNA as an intermediate product. In other cases, the RNA molecules are the actual functional products. For example, RNAs known as ribozymes are capable of enzymatic function, and microRNA has a regulatory role. The DNA sequences from which such RNAs are transcribed are known as RNA genes.

Some viruses store their entire genomes in the form of RNA, and contain no DNA at all. Because they use RNA to store genes, their cellular hosts may synthesize their proteins as soon as they are infected and without the delay in waiting for transcription. On the other hand, RNA retroviruses, such as HIV, require the reverse transcription of their genome from RNA into DNA before their proteins can be synthesized. In 2006, French researchers came across a puzzling example of RNA-mediated inheritance in mice. Mice with a loss-of-function mutation in the gene Kit have white tails. Offspring of these mutants can have white tails despite having only normal Kit genes. The research team traced this effect back to mutated Kit RNA.[3] While RNA is common as genetic storage material in viruses, in mammals in particular RNA inheritance has been observed very rarely.

The vast majority of living organisms encode their genes in long strands of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). DNA consists of a chain made from four types of nucleotide subunits, each composed of: a five-carbon sugar (2'-deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and one of the four bases adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine. The most common form of DNA in a cell is in a double helix structure, in which two individual DNA strands twist around each other in a right-handed spiral. In this structure, the base pairing rules specify that guanine pairs with cytosine and adenine pairs with thymine. The base pairing between guanine and cytosine forms three hydrogen bonds, whereas the base pairing between adenine and thymine forms two hydrogen bonds. The two strands in a double helix must therefore be complementary, that is, their bases must align such that the adenines of one strand are paired with the thymines of the other strand, and so on.

Due to the chemical composition of the pentose residues of the bases, DNA strands have directionality. One end of a DNA polymer contains an exposed hydroxyl group on the deoxyribose; this is known as the 3' end of the molecule. The other end contains an exposed phosphate group; this is the 5' end. The directionality of DNA is vitally important to many cellular processes, since double helices are necessarily directional (a strand running 5'-3' pairs with a complementary strand running 3'-5'), and processes such as DNA replication occur in only one direction. All nucleic acid synthesis in a cell occurs in the 5'-3' direction, because new monomers are added via a dehydration reaction that uses the exposed 3' hydroxyl as a nucleophile.

The expression of genes encoded in DNA begins by transcribing the gene into RNA, a second type of nucleic acid that is very similar to DNA, but whose monomers contain the sugar ribose rather than deoxyribose. RNA also contains the base uracil in place of thymine. RNA molecules are less stable than DNA and are typically single-stranded. Genes that encode proteins are composed of a series of three-nucleotide sequences called codons, which serve as the words in the genetic language. The genetic code specifies the correspondence during protein translation between codons and amino acids. The genetic code is nearly the same for all known organisms.

All genes have regulatory regions in addition to regions that explicitly code for a protein or RNA product. A regulatory region shared by almost all genes is known as the promoter, which provides a position that is recognized by the transcription machinery when a gene is about to be transcribed and expressed. A gene can have more than one promoter, resulting in RNAs that differ in how far they extend in the 5' end.[4] Although promoter regions have a consensus sequence that is the most common sequence at this position, some genes have "strong" promoters that bind the transcription machinery well, and others have "weak" promoters that bind poorly. These weak promoters usually permit a lower rate of transcription than the strong promoters, because the transcription machinery binds to them and initiates transcription less frequently. Other possible regulatory regions include enhancers, which can compensate for a weak promoter. Most regulatory regions are "upstream"that is, before or toward the 5' end of the transcription initiation site. Eukaryotic promoter regions are much more complex and difficult to identify than prokaryotic promoters.

Many prokaryotic genes are organized into operons, or groups of genes whose products have related functions and which are transcribed as a unit. By contrast, eukaryotic genes are transcribed only one at a time, but may include long stretches of DNA called introns which are transcribed but never translated into protein (they are spliced out before translation). Splicing can also occur in prokaryotic genes, but is less common than in eukaryotes.[5]

Here is the original post:
Gene - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Articles

There has been an error retrieving the data. Please try again.

Regulators of TRAIL in breast cancer

Novel molecular regulators of the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) pathway in breast cancer cells were identified, suggesting their role in combination with TRAIL as potential therapeutic targets for breast cancer.

MTR: a breast cancer risk factor

Mammographic texture resemblance (MTR) is validated as an independent risk factor for breast cancer, following two study cohorts indicating elevated risk despite differences in x-ray technology, population demographics, follow up time and geography.

Aspirin and breast cancer survival

There is little evidence of an association between low-dose aspirin usage and breast cancer-specific survival in a cohort of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

Status of adjuvant endocrine therapy

Smith and Schiavon review adjuvant endocrine therapy for hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer, discussing how extended therapy for selected patients with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor (AI) further reduces risk of relapse.

View original post here:
Breast Cancer Research

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

What are BRCA1 and BRCA2?

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are human genes that produce tumor suppressor proteins. These proteins help repair damaged DNA and, therefore, play a role in ensuring the stability of the cells genetic material. When either of these genes is mutated, or altered, such that its protein product is not made or does not function correctly, DNA damage may not be repaired properly. As a result, cells are more likely to develop additional genetic alterations that can lead to cancer.

Specific inherited mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 increase the risk of female breast and ovarian cancers, and they have been associated with increased risks of several additional types of cancer. Together, BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations account for about 20 to 25 percent of hereditary breast cancers (1) and about 5 to 10 percent of all breast cancers (2). In addition, mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 account for around 15 percent of ovarian cancers overall (3). Breast cancers associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations tend to develop at younger ages than sporadic breast cancers.

A harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation can be inherited from a persons mother or father. Each child of a parent who carries a mutation in one of these genes has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the mutation. The effects of mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are seen even when a persons second copy of the gene is normal.

How much does having a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation increase a womans risk of breast and ovarian cancer?

A womans lifetime risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is greatly increased if she inherits a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2.

Breast cancer: About 12 percent of women in the general population will develop breast cancer sometime during their lives (4). By contrast, according to the most recent estimates, 55 to 65 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 mutation and around 45 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA2 mutation will develop breast cancer by age 70 years (5, 6).

Ovarian cancer: About 1.4 percent of women in the general population will develop ovarian cancer sometime during their lives (4). By contrast, according to the most recent estimates, 39 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 mutation (5, 6) and 11 to 17 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA2 mutation will develop ovarian cancer by age 70 years (5, 6).

It is important to note that these estimated percentages of lifetime risk are different from those available previously; the estimates have changed as more information has become available, and they may change again with additional research. No long-term general population studies have directly compared cancer risk in women who have and do not have a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.

It is also important to note that other characteristics of a particular woman can make her risk higher or lower than the average risks. These characteristics include her family history ofbreast, ovarian, and, possibly, other cancers; the specific mutation(s) she has inherited; and other risk factors, suchas her reproductivehistory. However, none of these other factors is as strong as the effect of carrying a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.

Go here to read the rest:
BRCA1 and BRCA2: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing Fact ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

21-Apr-2014

Contact: Darrell E. Ward Darrell.Ward@osumc.edu 614-293-3737 Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

COLUMBUS, Ohio A small gene that is embedded in a larger, well-known gene is the true leukemia-promoting force usually attributed to the larger gene, according to a new study by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC James).

The findings are published in the journal Science Signaling.

The larger host gene is called BAALC (pronounced "Ball C"). The smaller embedded gene is called microRNA-3151 (miR-3151). The study investigated the degree to which each of the genes contributes to the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

"We discovered that the smaller microRNA gene, and not the larger host gene, is the major oncogenic driver of the two molecules in AML," says principal investigator Albert de la Chapelle, MD, PhD, professor of Medicine and the Leonard J. Immke Jr. and Charlotte L. Immke Chair in Cancer Research.

"When both genes are highly expressed, it means a bad prognosis for patients, but our experiments indicate that it is high expression of miR-3151 that really matters. Overexpression of BAALC alone had only limited cancer-causing activity," he says.

The researchers discovered that miR-3151 promotes the development of leukemia by blocking a gene called TP53. Normally, TP53 is a central "tumor-suppressor" gene that protects against cancer by causing a cell with serious gene damage to self-destruct. "When miR-3151 blocks TP53 in the tumor cells, it enables the cells to survive, divide and grow faster," says co-senior author Clara D. Bloomfield, MD, Distinguished University Professor and Ohio State University Cancer Scholar.

"We also show that miR-3151 promotes growth in malignant melanoma cells in the same way, suggesting that the molecule might play a role in solid-tumor development," says Bloomfield, who is also senior adviser to the OSUCCC James and holds the William Greenville Pace III Endowed Chair in Cancer Research.

The rest is here:
A gene within a gene contributes to the aggressiveness of acute myeloid leukemia

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith