Sweden Medical Forum, part 8 - Professor Bjorn Rydevik, University of Gothenburg
Professor Bjrn Rydevik, MD, PhD. University of Gothenburg "Osseointegrated amputation prostheses: recent advances" Find additional presentations from Sweden...

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Sweden Medical Forum, part 10 - Associate Professor Anders Palmquist, University of Gothenburg
Associate Professor Anders Palmquist, PhD. University of Gothenburg "BIOMATCELL: a research center of excellence in biomaterials and cell therapy involving a...

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Sweden Medical Forum, part 11 - Professor Teruo Okano, Tokyo Women #39;s Medical University
Professor Teruo Okano, PhD. Vice President and Director of Tokyo Women #39;s Medical University "Cell Sheet Tissue Engineering" Find additional present...

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Sweden Medical Forum, part 12 - Professor Mitsuo Ochi, Hiroshima University
Professor Mitsuo Ochi, MD, PhD. Hiroshima University "New Horizon for Cartilage Repair" Find additional presentations from Sweden Medical Forum...

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Sweden Medical Forum, part 12 - Professor Mitsuo Ochi, Hiroshima University - Video

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Sweden Medical Forum, part 13 - Ms. Kristina Runeberg, Cellectis
Ms. Kristina Runeberg, Cellectis AB "Industrial platform for scale-up and differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells for Regerative Medicine" Find addit...

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

13-Mar-2014

Contact: Toni Baker tbaker@gru.edu 706-721-4421 Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University

Augusta, Ga. Researchers want to know whether patients with debilitating heart failure can benefit by having their own stem cells injected into their ailing heart muscle.

The severe condition is ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, a currently incurable condition resulting from significantly compromised blood flow to the heart muscle as well as heart attacks, which leave the muscle bulky and inefficient and patients unable to carry out routine activities.

"We want to know if stem cell therapy is an option for patients who have essentially run out of options," said Dr. Adam Berman, electrophysiologist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University and Director of Cardiac Arrhythmia Ablation Services at Georgia Regents Health System. "It's a very exciting potential therapy, and these studies are designed to see if it works to help these patients."

Berman is a Principal Investigator on the multi-site study in which stem cells are removed from the bone marrow, their numbers significantly increased by technology developed by Aastrom Biosciences, then injected into multiple weak points in the heart. At GR Health System, the procedure is performed in the Electrophysiology Lab where Berman threads a catheter into an artery from the groin into the heart. Three-dimensional maps of the heart are created to provide a clear picture of its natural geography as well as major sites of damage.

"Everyone's heart is different, their scar burden is different, everything is different," Berman said. From that vantage point, small needles - similar in size to those used for skin testing - are used to make about 12 to 20 strategic injections of mesenchymal stem cells, which can differentiate into a variety of cell types. In this case, researchers hope the cells will improve blood flow and function of the heart.

Half of the study participants receive the stem cell treatment called ixmyelocel-T and the remainder a saline placebo. Patients go home the next day but researchers follow all participants for 12 months to assess heart function and quality of life. GR Health System plans to enroll a handful of patients in the clinical trial.

Treatment options for heart failure include frontline therapies such as diuretics to more extreme measures such as implantable ventricular assist devices and heart transplants.

Continued here:
Stem cell therapy may help severe congestive heart failure

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Each day is a gift for Chris Taylor and every phone call could be the one that saves his life.

Thats why the 36-year-old man with acute myeloid leukemia keeps his cellphone within reach, waiting to hear that a stem cell donor has been found and hell get the bone marrow transplant he needs.

Taylor, who was diagnosed in July 2012, has already had two false alarms but is confident a match will become available before its too late.

Getting the call is a miracle in itself. It comes after an online search of unrelated people by the Canadian Blood Services OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network. The registry has access to 22 million potential volunteer donors in 71 countries, strangers prepared to help those like Taylor.

Despite popular belief, family members are matches only 25 per cent of the time, said Mary-Lynn Pride, a patient transplant liaison specialist at OneMatch.

More than 800 Canadians currently await transplants. OneMatch has more than 333,000 registered Canadian donors.

Taylor signed up after a second round of chemotherapy last summer, when doctors at Princess Margaret Hospital advised he needed a bone marrow transplant.

Taylor received the first call last November. The timing was perfect because his cancer was in remission, the only time a transplant can be done.

Two days before he was to be admitted to hospital, Taylor got bad news. The procedure was cancelled because the donor had unspecified medical complications, he said. OneMatch does not say why donors decide to abandon the procedure.

The second call came last month, but the donor withdrew for reasons unknown to Taylor.

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Leukemia patient pins hopes on OneMatch stem cell donor registry

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -

Six months after cancer took the life of a Cook County Sheriff's Sergeant, his push to get people on the bone marrow registry has saved a life.

A fellow officer turned out to be a match for someone.

"He was so good. He was a good guy," Rosie Villalobos said of her late brother.

Cook County Sheriff's Sergeant Encarnacion Roldan Jr., or Junior' as his friends called him, was a larger than life kind of guy.

"He was a big hearted person and he was a big personcompared to me," Villalobos laughed.

Roldan was diagnosed with Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma. The Cook County Sheriff's department arranged for a bone marrow registry drive last fall to see if they could find a match.

Unfortunately, Sgt. Roldan lost his fight in September before finding a match.

Cook County Corrections Officer Conor Ryan was one of the many people inspired to sign up that day.

"The sheriff's department, we're really, kind of like a family. We're not co-workers," Officer Ryan said.

Excerpt from:
Cook County Sheriff's Sergeant: Bone marrow push saves life

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Course Description: Regenerative medicine focuses on harnessing the power of ones own stem cells and regenerative capabilities to restore function to damaged cells, tissues and organs. In April 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) implemented regulations governing the use of human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps) in humans including bone, ligament, skin, dura mater, stem cells, cartilage cells, and various other cellular and tissue-based products. Currently, there is an ongoing debate in the industry on how such therapies should be regulated by FDA or under the practice of medicine, under federal law or state law, and as drugs or simply biologics.

This 2-day interactive seminar on FDA regulations of regenerative medicine will cover:

-How FDA is currently regulating regenerative therapies and products intended for both human and veterinary use. -The distinction being made between human regenerative products and their regulation as drugs, biologics, devices, and combination products. -The New Drug Application (NDA) and the Biologic License Application (BLA) review and approval processes including a discussion of available options, application components, relevant meetings, timing, costs and approval requirements. -The option for obtaining designation and approval as Orphan Drug Product. -Designing and conducting appropriate clinical trials to support the approval of regenerative therapies. -FDAs regulation of some regenerative medicine products and accessories as Medical Devices. -The Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs) being applied by FDA to human regenerative products. -The labeling and marketing of regenerative products and therapies. -The potential for enforcement action and recommendations for mitigating that risk. -The current regulation of veterinary cellular treatments including autologous, allogeneic and xenogeneic cellular products in the United States.

Learning Objectives: Participants who attend this course on FDA regulation of regenerative medicines will leave with a comprehensive understanding of:

-How FDA regulates regenerative treatments and therapies? -The HCT/P Criteria and Minimal Manipulation Standard. -The Drug and Biological Approval Process. -Regenerative Products as Medical Devices. -How to Design Appropriate Clinical Trials? -Applicable cGMPs and cGLPs. -Marketing Exclusivity and Patent Restoration. -Product Labeling, Marketing and Advertising. -FDA and other Federal Agency Enforcement Action. -The Regulation of Veterinary Regenerative Medicine. -The New Animal Drug Application (NADA) Process. -Veterinary User Fees and Waivers.

Who will benefit: This course is designed for professionals in stem cell, biotech, pharmaceutical and animal drug companies, veterinary hospitals and clinics. The following personnel will find this session valuable:

-Senior quality managers -Quality professionals -Regulatory professionals -Compliance professionals -Production supervisors -Manufacturing engineers -Production engineers -Design engineers -Labelers and Private Labelers -Contract Manufacturers -Importers and Custom Agents -U.S. Agents of Foreign Corporations -Process owners -Quality engineers -Quality auditors -Document control specialists -Record retention specialists -Medical affairs -Legal Professionals -Financial Advisors and Institutional Investors -Consultants, Inspectors and cGMP Experts

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FDA's Regulation of Regenerative Medicine including Stem Cell Treatments, Tissue Engineering, Etc.

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Latest Diet & Weight Management News

WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists who identified a gene that appears to be strongly linked with obesity say their discovery could help efforts to find drug treatments for obesity and diabetes.

"Our data strongly suggest that [the gene] IRX3 controls body mass and regulates body composition," study senior author Marcelo Nobrega, an associate professor of human genetics at the University of Chicago, said in a university news release.

Although the research showed an association between the gene and obesity, it did not prove a cause-and-effect link.

The IRX3 gene was first pinpointed through an analysis of about 150 brain samples from people of European ancestry, according to the study, which was published online March 12 in the journal Nature.

To verify the role of IRX3 in obesity, the researchers created mice without the gene and found that they weighed about 30 percent less than normal mice. Much of this weight difference was due to reduced amounts of fat in the mice without the IRX3 gene.

"These mice are thin. They lose weight primarily through the loss of fat, but they are not runts," study co-author Chin-Chung Hui, a professor of molecular genetics at the University of Toronto, said in the news release.

"They are also completely resistant to high-fat diet-induced obesity," Hui said. "They have much better ability to handle glucose, and seem protected against diabetes."

The researchers also found that mice with altered function of the IRX3 gene in the hypothalamus -- the part of the brain that controls eating and energy output -- were as lean as mice that lacked the gene.

This suggests that the gene's activity in the hypothalamus controls body mass and composition in mice, and that genetic predisposition to obesity is wired in the brain, according to the study authors.

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Scientists Spot New Obesity Gene

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

13-Mar-2014

Contact: Krister Svahn krister.svahn@sahlgrenska.gu.se 46-031-786-3869 University of Gothenburg

More than 100 million humans around the world are infected with hepatitis C virus. The infection gives rise to chronic liver inflammation, which may result in reduced liver function, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Even though anti-viral medications often efficiently eliminate the virus, the infection recurs in approximately one fifth of the patients.

Prevents incorporation in DNA

Martin Lagging and co-workers at the Sahlgrenska Academy have studied an enzyme called inosine trifosfatas (ITPase), which normally prevents the incorporation of defective building blocks into RNA and DNA.

Unexpectedly they found that the gene encoding for ITPase (ITPA) had significance for the treatment outcome in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Five times lower risk

Earlier studies had shown that approximately one third of all people carry variants of the ITPA gene that result in reduced ITPase activity. The research team at the Sahlgrenska Academy showed that patients with these gene variants exhibited a more than a five times lower risk of experiencing relapse after treatment.

Relapse a significant problem

Originally posted here:
Gene variants protect against relapse after treatment for hepatitis C

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

BIF 8: Andrew Hessel - Genetic Engineering From A Laptop
Andrew Hessel: Genetic Engineering From a Laptop From living cells to cell phones, Genomic Futurist Andrew Hessel draws our attention to life in all forms. I...

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BIF 8: Andrew Hessel - Genetic Engineering From A Laptop - Video

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What is Genetic Engineering?

Written by: Dr. Ricarda Steinbrecher WEN Trust, July 1998

Synthesis/Regeneration: A Magazine of Green Social Thought, Vol. 18 (Winter 1999), pp. 9-12 [Note: For technical reasons, the graphics accompanying the orginal article have not been reproduced here.]

We find it mixed in our food on the shelves in the supermarket--genetically engineered soybeans and maize. We find it growing in a plot down the lane, test field release sites with genetically engineered rape seed, sugar beet, wheat, potato, strawberries and more. There has been no warning and no consultation.

It is variously known as genetic engineering, genetic modification or genetic manipulation. All three terms mean the same thing, the reshuffling of genes usually from one species to another; existing examples include: from fish to tomato or from human to pig. Genetic engineering (GE) comes under the broad heading of biotechnology.

But how does it work? If you want to understand genetic engineering it is best to start with some basic biology.

What is a cell? A cell is the smallest living unit, the basic structural and functional unit of all living matter, whether that is a plant, an animal or a fungus.Some organisms such as amoebae, bacteria, some algae and fungi are single-celled - the entire organism is contained in just one cell. Humans are quite different and are made up of approximately 3 million cells -(3,000,000,000,000 cells). Cells can take many shapes depending on their function, but commonly they will look like a brick with rounded comers or an angular blob - a building block.Cells are stacked together to make up tissues, organs or structures (brain, liver, bones, skin, leaves, fruit etc.).

In an organism, cells depend on each other to perform various functions and tasks; some cells will produce enzymes, others will store sugars or fat; different cells again will build the skeleton or be in charge of communication like nerve cells; others are there for defence, such as white blood cells or stinging cells in jelly fish and plants. In order to be a fully functional part of the whole, most cells have got the same information and resources and the same basic equipment.

A cell belonging to higher organisms (e.g. plant or animal) is composed of: a cell MEMBRANE enclosing the whole cell. (Plant cells have an additional cell wall for structural reinforcement.) many ORGANELLES, which are functional components equivalent to the organs in the body of an animal e.g. for digestion, storage, excretion. a NUCLEUS, the command centre of the cell. It contains all the vital information needed by the cell or the whole organism to function, grow and reproduce. This information is stored in the form of a genetic code on the chromosomes, which are situated inside the nucleus.

Proteins are the basic building materials of a cell, made by the cell itself. Looking at them in close-up they consist of a chain of amino-acids, small specific building blocks that easily link up. Though the basic structure of proteins is linear, they are usually folded and folded again into complex structures. Different proteins have different functions. They can be transport molecules (e.g. oxygen binding haemoglobin of the red blood cells); they can be antibodies, messengers, enzymes (e.g. digestion enzymes) or hormones (e.g. growth hormones or insulin). Another group is the structural proteins that form boundaries and provide movement, elasticity and the ability to contract. Muscle fibres, for example, are mainly made of proteins. Proteins are thus crucial in the formation of cells and in giving cells the capacity to function properly.

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What Is Genetic Engineering? - San Francisco State University

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

13-Mar-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ruehle kruehle@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, March 13, 2014A soft-bodied, self-contained robotic fish with a flexible spine that allows it to mimic the swimming motion of a real fish also has the built-in agility to perform escape maneuvers. The innovative design and capabilities of this complex, autonomous robot is described in Soft Robotics (SoRo), a new peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Soft Robotics website at http://www.liebertpub.com/soro.

Andrew Marchese, Cagdas Onal, and Daniela Rus, from MIT (Cambridge, MA) and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, MA), describe the design, modeling, fabrication, and control mechanisms of the robotic fish in the article "Autonomous Soft Robotic Fish Capable of Escape Maneuvers Using Fluidic Elastomer Actuators". A novel fluidic actuation system, embedded muscle-like actuators, and an onboard control system give the fish autonomy and the ability to perform continuous forward swimming motion and rapid accelerations.

"This innovative work highlights two important aspects of our emerging field; first it is inspired and informed by animal studies (biomimetics), and second it exploits novel soft actuators to achieve life-like robot movements and controls," says Editor-in-Chief Barry A. Trimmer, PhD, who directs the Neuromechanics and Biomimetic Devices Laboratory at Tufts University (Medford, MA).

###

About the Journal

Soft Robotics (SoRo), a peer-reviewed journal published quarterly online with Open Access options and in print, combines advances in biomedical engineering, biomechanics, mathematical modeling, biopolymer chemistry, computer science, and tissue engineering to present new approaches to the creation of robotic technology and devices that can undergo dramatic changes in shape and size in order to adapt to various environments. Led by Editor-in-Chief Barry A. Trimmer, PhD and a distinguished team of Associate Editors, the Journal provides the latest research and developments on topics such as soft material creation, characterization, and modeling; flexible and degradable electronics; soft actuators and sensors; control and simulation of highly deformable structures; biomechanics and control of soft animals and tissues; biohybrid devices and living machines; and design and fabrication of conformable machines. Complete information is available on the SoRo website at http://www.liebertpub.com/soro.

About the Publisher

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Robotic fish designed to perform escape maneuvers described in Soft Robotics journal

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

12 March 2014

Genetic markers provide unprecedented primate link in human evolution

Genetics provide stunning new answers to the question of human evolution, according to Auckland cancer researcher, Dr Graeme Finlay.

Genetic markers that are used to follow the development of populations of cells have exactly the same character as those that track the development of species, says Dr Finlay who has just published a book on genetics and human evolution.

His book, Human Evolution: Genes, Genealogies and Phylogenies, was published by Cambridge University Press late last year.

Dr Finlay is senior lecturer in Scientific Pathology at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, in the University of Auckland.

Controversy over human evolution remains widespread, but the human genome project and genetic sequencing of many other species has provided myriad precise and unambiguous genetic markers that establish our evolutionary relationships with other mammals, says Dr Finlay.

This book identifies and explains these identifiable, rare and complex markers including endogenous retroviruses, genome-modifying transposable elements, gene-disabling mutations, segmental duplications and gene-enabling mutations.

These new genetic tools also provide fascinating insights into when and how many features of human biology arose: from aspects of placental structure, vitamin C dependence and trichromatic vision, to tendencies to gout, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The book brings together a decade's worth of research and ties it together to provide an overwhelming argument for the mammalian ancestry of the human species.

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Genetic markers provide primate link in human evolution

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter Latest Prevention & Wellness News

TUESDAY, March 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Commercially available tests can analyze your genetic profile and try to predict your risk of a host of diseases. But a new study suggests they aren't ready for prime time.

The technology, known as whole-genome sequencing, allows scientists to "map" the information encoded in most of the billions of building blocks that make up a person's DNA.

So far, whole-genome sequencing has been used mainly in research. But the hope is that the technology will help fuel a new era of "personalized medicine" -- where doctors will be able to identify patients with gene variants that raise their risk of certain diseases.

In the past few years, the cost of whole-genome sequencing has fallen to the point where it could soon be feasible to use it in everyday health care, said Dr. Frederick Dewey, of Stanford University, the lead researcher on the new study.

But based on his team's findings, Dewey said, a lot more work is needed before that idea becomes reality.

The study, reported in the March 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that sequencing a whole genome remains a fairly daunting task.

And although the commercially available tests are good, they aren't yet reliable enough for routine patient care, Dewey said.

For the study, Dewey's team recruited 12 healthy adults who volunteered a blood sample for whole-genome sequencing.

Overall, testing showed that each patient had between 2 million and 3 million unique variations in their DNA. The researchers then used a software program they had developed to whittle down that sea of information to around 100 genetic variations per person that were deemed worthy of more investigation.

Continued here:
Whole-Genome Scans Not Quite Ready for Widespread Use: Study

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Published: Wednesday, March 12, 2014, 9:00p.m. Updated 18 hours ago

Individualized treatments tailored to patients' particular genetic makeups is the future of health care. That's what personalized medicine means. Extraordinary advances in biopharmaceutical research will result in a doubling of the market for personalized medicines by 2019, to more than $18 billion. Nearly half the prescription compounds currently in development are individualized therapies.

Targeted treatments save lives, minimize side effects, prevent illnesses and more effectively and efficiently restore health to the sick. But these exciting developments are threatened by recent policy efforts to contain short-term health care costs that sacrifice long-term individual patient outcomes.

Researchers understand the potential of personalized medicine. A recent report from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development found that 94 percent of biopharmaceutical companies are developing personalized medicines. Between 2006 and 2010, their investments in this area increased by 75 percent.

Today, cutting-edge treatments are helping patients fight cancer, diabetes and heart ailments. Scientists have discovered the genetic links behind more than 50 hereditary cancer syndromes. For America's 1.2 million HIV/AIDS patients, new capabilities allow doctors to customize drug cocktails based on the patient's biological characteristics, eliminating many side effects and greatly improving quality of life.

Personalized medicine has been especially effective in treating so-called orphan diseases, rare illnesses that each afflict fewer than 200,000 Americans. But, as a whole, the nearly 7,000 orphans take a significant toll on our country's health.

Unfortunately, Uncle Sam has launched an initiative that could undermine the potential of individualized medicine for decades to come. In the name of cutting costs, the federal government is funding comparative effectiveness research studies to calculate the average impact of different therapies across broad swathes of the population. By de-personalizing medicine and endorsing limited treatment options, the rationale goes, policymakers can cut expenses across the system as a whole.

The problem, of course, is that what works for the average patient isn't always the best course of treatment for any given individual.

The pressure on physicians to make their prescription selections based predominantly on comparative effectiveness research is mounting fast. Proponents have even suggested that recommended drugs be reimbursed at higher rates, while newer, more personalized medicines get short shrift.

Tinkering with the reimbursement system would likely create a conflict of interest for doctors. Ignoring the best interest of the patients, physicians would have a strong incentive to prescribe the medications that win the bureaucrats' seal of approval. This approach will have a chilling effect on innovation, as researchers realize they may have little hope of seeing a return on their intellectual investment.

Read more:
Putting patients first

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

GoBigInternational New Strains Godbody Genetics Update
Thank you for watching and here we will showcase a few new strains from Harborside. Nice solid beastly cuts and a update from the Nattie Mc Bebe show with th...

By: Nattie G

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GoBigInternational New Strains & Godbody Genetics Update - Video

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Genetics Terms
Questions: http://quizegg.com/q/82965.

By: Michael Post

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Genetics Terms - Video

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How to solve population genetics problems
Two individuals, G. H. Hardy W. Weinberg, showed mathematically that for any given gene present in a population of individuals (diploid and sexually reprod...

By: GeneticsLessons

Link:
How to solve population genetics problems - Video

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Lot 27
2014 Bull Sale.

By: Vertical Edge Genetics

Continue reading here:
Lot 27 - Video

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Lot 48
2014 Bull Sale.

By: Vertical Edge Genetics

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Lot 48 - Video

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Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

Let's take a closer look at four companies -- Myriad Genetics (NASDAQ: MYGN) , Bayer (NASDAQOTH: BAYRY) , Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) , and Synta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SNTA) -- that could make health care headlines this morning.

U.S. court denies Myriad Genetics' request to block Ambry's similar cancer testMyriad Genetics is set to plunge this morning after a U.S. court denied its motion to block rival Ambry Genetics from selling a similar version of its cancer test. Myriad stated that its patents were valid, enforceable, and had been infringed upon, but the latest ruling means that Myriad will have to head to court against Ambry to prove it.

Myriad is best known for its BRCA1 and BRCA2 diagnostic tests, which identify genes that can cause breast and ovarian cancers. The Supreme Court previously invalidated several of Myriad's patents, which has left the door open for competitors such as Ambry andQuest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) .

Myriad acquired Crescendo Biosciencelast month for $270 million in cash, adding diagnostic tests for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases to its portfolio. The Crescendo acquisition was aimed at diversifying Myriad's portfolio beyond its BRACAnalysis tests.

Despite the looming threat of generic competition, Myriad's top line growth has remained robust. Revenue from the company's BRACAnalysis tests jumped 28% year over year last quarter to $141.2 million, accounting for 69% of Myriad's total revenue. Shares of Myriad have rallied more than 50% over the past 12 months.

Bayer and Amgen's Nexavar fails late stage liver cancer trialMeanwhile, Bayer and Amgen subsidiary Onyxannounced today that their oral cancer drug Nexavar failed to meet its main target during a phase 3 trial. Nexavar was being tested as an additional adjuvant treatment for liver cancer patients who had no traces of the disease after surgery, but the drug ultimately failed its goal of improving recurrence-free survival.

Nexavar is already approved as a treatment for advanced liver kidney cancer, liver cancer that cannot be surgically removed, and metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer. The additional adjuvant approval would have boosted sales of Nexavar, which is marketed in more than 100 countries. Nexavar isexpected to generate peak sales of $1.46 billion by 2018, up from $1.02 billion in fiscal 2012.

Bayer and Onyx each fund half of the development costs worldwide, excluding Japan, where Bayer pays for all product development. The two companies co-promote the drug within the U.S. and split profits and losses equally. Bayer holds exclusive foreign marketing rights to Nexavar, but the two companies split profits in all international markets excluding Japan.

Synta reports fourth-quarter and full-year earningsLast but not least, Synta just reported its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings. The company, which has no marketed products, reported no revenue for the full year.

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Todays Top Biotech Stories: Myriad Genetics, Bayer, Amgen, and Synta

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Genetics provide stunning new answers to the question of human evolution, according to Auckland cancer researcher, Dr Graeme Finlay.

Genetic markers that are used to follow the development of populations of cells have exactly the same character as those that track the development of species, says Dr Finlay who has just published a book on genetics and human evolution.

His book, Human Evolution: Genes, Genealogies and Phylogenies, was published by Cambridge University Press late last year.

Dr Finlay is senior lecturer in Scientific Pathology at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, in the University of Auckland.

"Controversy over human evolution remains widespread, but the human genome project and genetic sequencing of many other species has provided myriad precise and unambiguous genetic markers that establish our evolutionary relationships with other mammals," says Dr Finlay.

This book identifies and explains these identifiable, rare and complex markers including endogenous retroviruses, genome-modifying transposable elements, gene-disabling mutations, segmental duplications and gene-enabling mutations.

These new genetic tools also provide fascinating insights into when and how many features of human biology arose: from aspects of placental structure, vitamin C dependence and trichromatic vision, to tendencies to gout, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The book brings together a decade's worth of research and ties it together to provide an overwhelming argument for the mammalian ancestry of the human species.

Dr Finlay says he hopes the book will be of interest to professional scientists, undergraduate and college students in both the biological and biomedical sciences, and to anyone including theologians concerned with the scientific evidences for evolution.

He says when he entered University he was fascinated by cells and DNA, but had no interest in evolution.

Excerpt from:
Genetics p'rovide unprecedented primate link in human evolution'

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) March 13, 2014

Bioquark, Inc., (http://www.bioquark.com) a company focused on the development of combinatorial biologics for regeneration and disease reversion in human organs and tissues, today announces the appointment of Dr. Luis Martinez, MD, MPH, as VP of Global Operations.

We are honored to have someone with Dr. Martinezs experience join us as we execute on a globalized strategy in regenerative medicine, said Ira S. Pastor, CEO, Bioquark Inc. His broad clinical experience in applied regenerative medicine and cellular therapies make him a very valuable addition to the Bioquark team.

Dr. Martinez is a regenerative medicine and cell therapy specialist with over 10 years of experience in the clinical setting. He is currently the President of Elite Regenerative Medicine Group, a premier treatment and research center specializing in cell therapy applications for therapeutic, regenerative and preventive purposes. Dr. Martinez obtained his medical degree, as well as his Master of Public Health, at the Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and completed his residency at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania. He also completed a fellowship in biosecurity with the UPMC Center for Health Security. He is currently a clinical instructor at the Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences and is a board certified physician. Dr. Martinez also serves as vice-president of the XanoGene Anti-Aging Clinic and is President at Xyrion Medical, a biomedical consulting firm. He is a current consultant for multiple biomedical and pharmaceutical companies and conducts clinical research for various clients in the industry. Dr. Martinez is also a renowned international speaker, speaking at multiple venues for professional and academic organizations and he offers training to physicians in multiple applications of regenerative medicine, including Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy, adipose and bone marrow stem cell derived harvesting, preparation and therapeutic administration, as well as cytokine, growth factor and peptide therapies.

I am very excited about the biologic candidates being developed at Bioquark Inc. and their very novel approach to human regeneration and disease reversion, which has broad clinical applicability towards a range of degenerative disorders," said Dr. Martinez. "I'm pleased to be joining the team and am looking forward to playing a more active role in this truly transformational platform."

About Bioquark, Inc.

Bioquark Inc. is focused on the development of biologic based products that have the ability to alter the regulatory state of human tissues and organs, with the goal of curing a wide range of diseases, as well as effecting complex regeneration. Bioquark is developing biological pharmaceutical candidates, as well as products for the global consumer health and wellness market segments.

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Bioquark Inc. Announces the Appointment of Dr. Luis Martinez, MD, MPH, Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy ...

Recommendation and review posted by simmons