First Human Application of SDF1 Gene Therapy to promote healing of open heart surgery.
September 12, 2012 Stewart Manning was the first person in the world to receive SDF1 Gene Therapy. It was used to promote healing after Dr. Amit Patel MD, MS...

By: Schmocter MED

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First Human Application of SDF1 Gene Therapy to promote healing of open heart surgery. - Video

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SDF-1 Gene Therapy explained by Dr Amit Patel MD, MS
The stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) also known as C-X-C motif chemokine 12 (CXCL12) is a chemokine protein that in humans is encoded by the CXCL12 gene.

By: Schmocter MED

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LA JOLLA Better cancer treatments can be found by studying the genetic networks they involve, according to a study published Sunday by UC San Diego researchers.

While individual cancer patients vary greatly in the precise mutations that drive tumors, they can be grouped into similar genetic networks that mesh with response to therapy, stated the study, published in Nature Methods. Its first author is Trey Ideker, division chief of genetics in the UCSD School of Medicine. The first author is Matan Hofree, of UCSD's department of computer science and engineering.

The authors call this approach "network-based stratification," or NBS. It groups patients together who have mutations in similar networks, matching them with outcomes. The study examined ovarian, uterine and lung cancers in The Cancer Genome Atlas.

"It is widely appreciated that cancer is a disease not of individual mutations, nor of genes, but of combinations of genes acting in molecular networks corresponding to hallmark processes such as cell proliferation and apoptosis," the study stated.

The study reported what it called a "particularly promising finding" in subtype1 of ovarian cancer. In that type, a pathway called FGF was especially prominent. The pathway is known for tumor growth and angiogenesis, and inhibitors are in clinical trials.

"Specifically, it has been shown that increased expression of FGF1 is associated with poor survival in ovarian cancer, and inhibition of FGFR1 and FGFR2 increases sensitivity to cisplatin in ovarian cancer cell lines," the study stated. "An intriguing question for future work is whether subtype 1 patients are particularly responsive to therapy directed at network-identified targets, such as treatment with inhibitors of FGFR1."

Sequencing the genomes of individual cancers has only recently become practical. The cost of genome sequencing has greatly declined due to technological advances by sequencing companies such as Life Technologies and Illumina. So the genomes of individual tumors can be matched against what's already known. When that's done, it becomes evident that cancers tend to follow certain recognizable pathways, regardless of which specific mutations are involved.

"Using this knowledge, we were able to cluster somatic mutation profiles into robust tumor subtypes that are biologically informative and have a strong association to clinical outcomes such as patient survival time and emergence of drug resistance," the study stated.

A 2012 presentation on the work presented at a symposium of The Cancer Genome Atlas is available online in PDF.

The study is titled, "Network-based stratification of tumor mutations." It was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health.

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Gene networks predict cancer prognosis

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Spinal cord injury: 6 year old boy plays soccer
VIP AYSO region 65.

By: Danielle Simone Williams

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Spinal cord injury: 6 year old boy plays soccer - Video

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Promise of Regenerative Medicine at Mayo Clinic
In the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Mayo Clinic, interdisciplinary teams of physicians and scientists are developing treatments aimed at healing damag...

By: Mayo Clinic

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Can Regenerative Medicine Help Me? - Part 1 of 3 (7-25-13)
Jeff Ericksen, MD, an expert in Regenerative Medicine at the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine in McLean, Virginia, describes the effectiveness of using...

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Regenerative Medicine, How Your Body Heals Itself - Part 2 of 3 (7-25-13)
Jeff Ericksen, MD, an expert in Regenerative Medicine at the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine in McLean, Virginia, describes the effectiveness of using...

By: KaplanCenter

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Aesthetica Clinic Dubai - Cell Therapy For Dark Circles - Dubai TV

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Aesthetica Clinic Dubai - Cell Therapy For Dark Circles - Dubai TV - Video

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Southern California Dermatologist Dr. Tess Mauricio: Regenerative Stem Cell Therapy w/Patient Marie
America #39;s Favorite Dermatologist, Dr. Tess Mauricio, talks Regenerative Stem Cell Therapy with her patient Marie, who is over 50 and now running Marathons! D...

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Researchers from the Jacobs Schools of Engineering at UC San Diego have uncovered a genetic basis of chronic mountain sickness (CMS), also known as Monges disease. Caused by low-oxygen conditions at high altitudes CMS is characterized by headache, fatigue, sleepiness and depression. Severe cases can lead to life-threatening stroke or heart attack.

More than 140 million people permanently reside in high-altitude regions around the world. These geographically distinct populations have for the most part adapted to cope with low levels of oxygen in the blood (hypoxia). But there are many humans living at high elevations in the Andes mountain region of South America who are maladapted and suffer from CMS.

Computer scientists compared genetic variation between mountain-dwelling Peruvians with CMS and adapted subjects without CMS, using whole genome sequencing. Complex algorithms looked for evidence of natural selection and identified two genes with significantly increased expression in individuals susceptible to CMS.

The study validates a long-suspected genetic basis of adaptation to high altitudes. It also provides potential targets both for CMS treatment at high altitude as well as certain cardiovascular and brain diseases related to low oxygen levels in individuals living at any altitude.

Findings appear in the journalGenetics. News release at http://bit.ly/136jc1o

The special-effect appearance of cloth in movies and video games often looks unrealistic. Its a long-standing technical problem now solved by UC San Diego computer scientists, who have developed a new computer model to simulate with unsurpassed accuracy the way cloth and light interact.

The model simulates how each thread in a piece of cloth scatters light by treating the fabrics weaving pattern as a mesh of interwoven microcylinders which scatters light the same way as hair but oriented at 90 degrees from each other. In addition to its application by the entertainment industry, the model can also act as a framework to visualize what new fabrics would look like by simulating any combination of weaving pattern and thread types.

The findings were presented at SIGGRAPH 2013, one of worlds premiere technology conferences. News release at http://bit.ly/15wxghh

Do cities have their own visual signature? They do, according to new-media researchers who analyzed millions of photographs posted on social networks.

The Phototrails project analyzed and compared 2.3 million photos, from 13 major cities around the world, uploaded during a three-month period to the Instagram photo-sharing social network. The team assessed information recorded by Instagram every time a photo is shared date and time, geographic location, and filter applied to the photo as well as visual attributes of the photos such as mean, median, standard deviation, brightness, hue and color saturation; the number of edges; contrast; and texture measurements.

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Genetic adaptation for high altitudes identified

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Let #39;s Play The Sims 3 Male Sim Perfect Genetics Challenge Episode 7

By: Lewis O #39;Brien

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Let's Play The Sims 3 Male Sim Perfect Genetics Challenge Episode 7 - Video

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Genetics: Mendel #39;s law, Basics
Kindly observe this video after observing "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB6ZQo9ry_I" This video is a part of Videos available on http://www.m2k-education.com. To ...

By: Mahesh Kulkarni

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Genetics: Mendel's law, Basics - Video

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Yr hyn sydd gan Eneteg i #39;r Gynnig / What Genetics Offer - Farming Connect (English sub-titles)
This video was filmed at a Farming Connect event which took place on the 19th June 2013. You can access a report on this event on the Farming Connect website: http://farmingconnect.menterabusnes.c...

By: menterabusnes

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Yr hyn sydd gan Eneteg i'r Gynnig / What Genetics Offer - Farming Connect (English sub-titles) - Video

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Laser Genetics ND3 SZ (SubZero)
ND•3 Subzero - All weather long distance laser designator The Ultimate Night Vision Solution Brilliant source of illumination for use in cold weather, marine...

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Genetics, genomics and evolution of flowering time control in legumes -- research by Dr Jim Weller
Changing climate is creating a need for new crops, better able to withstand certain conditions. One aspect of this is flowering time. Even within one species...

By: University of Tasmania

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Genetics, genomics and evolution of flowering time control in legumes -- research by Dr Jim Weller - Video

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Penny Daugherty on Discussing Genetics and Genomics with Patients
Penny Daugherty, RN, MS, OCN, Southeastern Gynecologic Oncology, explains how nurses in her practice discuss genetics and genomics with patients.

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Genetics PS Unit 03 - 04

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Peter Dearden

The ''Genetics Week'' celebrations will be held from September 23 to September 29.

Genetics Otago publicity and events manager Sophia McKay said the centre involved about 40 researchers when it was established in 2008.

Now, more than 240 researchers - about 80% of them from the university's Dunedin campus - were participating.

Genetics Otago had become the biggest centre for ''advanced, multidisciplinary genetics research'' in Australia and New Zealand, she said.

The centre's director, biochemist Peter Dearden, is based in the Otago biochemistry department, but the centre is a largely ''virtual'' collaborative grouping.

Instead of providing a big ''bricks and mortar'' headquarters, it connects collaboratively with researchers in a host of disciplines and subject areas, ranging from law and ethics to the environment and agriculture.

Ms McKay said the centre aimed to boost public awareness of the ground-breaking research being conducted in New Zealand and to support those people who were ''dedicated to this extraordinary discipline''.

Oxford University researcher Julian Savulescu, who is director of the Institute for Science and Ethics, and Jessica Wapner, a New York scientific journalist and author, are among the key speakers at Genetics Week events.

Ms Wapner and Ian Morrison, head of the Otago University pathology department, will discuss developments in leukaemia treatment at an event being held at the Toitu Otago Settlers Museum at 6pm on September 24.

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Genetics Otago puts its research on show

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Vincent Mauro - Codon optimization new safety concerns for gene therapy and genetic vaccines
Codon-optimization describes gene engineering approaches that use synonymous codon changes to increase protein production. It is used extensively for express...

By: LabRoots

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Equine Rehabilitation Therapy and Regenerative Medicine at Circle Oak Equine
Dr. John Kaufman, DVM treats a patient at Circle Oak Equine for rehabilitation therapy, including IRAP, Hydro-Horse Therapy.

By: Redwood Equine Practice: John Kaufman DVM

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VERO BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Mount Sinai Innovation Partners(MSIP), part of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has granted an exclusive license to Plexcera Therapeutics, LLC to commercially develop recombinant human acid ceramidase (rhAC) to treat diseases caused by genetic or disease-induced deficiencies in the enzyme rhAC.

Mount Sinai is promoting the scientific discoveries of its faculty by facilitating the establishment and supporting incubator companies to accelerate the discovery of treatments for devastating diseases, including those that often affect relatively small populations.

Plexcera was founded by Edward H. Schuchman, MPh, PhD, Genetic Disease Foundation - Francis Crick Professor of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine, and Ivan Galanin, a pharma industry veteran and advisor to MSIP, in collaboration with QOL Medical, LLC, a specialty pharma company focused on rare pediatric diseases.

Two devastating childhood diseases are caused by recessive inherited mutations in the gene encoding rhAC: Farber disease, characterized by severe joint pain, inflammation, and arthritis, and a form of spinal muscular atrophy with epilepsy (SMA-PME), found in adolescents and characterized by progressive muscle weakness. There is no therapy for either condition. In addition, in cystic fibrosis, excess ceramide accumulates in the lungs. Treatment with inhaled rhAC may address lung cell death, inflammation, and susceptibility to infection seen in these patients.

The name Plexcera comes from the concept that rhAC is an enzyme with multiple uses. Farber disease is our first target, said Dr. Schuchman. We hope to launch a clinical trial of rhAC within the next 18 months."

The licensed technology is based on more than 20 years of research conducted by Dr. Schuchman, who will serve as Plexceras Chief Scientific Officer, and Erich Gulbins, PhD, from the Center for Medical Biotech at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, who will serve on Plexceras Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Schuchman has extensive research and development experience with these disorders and enzyme replacement therapy specifically. Dr. Gulbins has identified a central role for excess ceramide accumulation in cystic fibrosis, as well as other pulmonary diseases.

Mount Sinai has a strong track record of developing breakthrough products for rare diseases. Dr. Schuchman has worked with key scientific, clinical, and industry thought leaders for many years and can call on their expertise and commitment, said Mr. Galanin, CEO of Plexcera. The collaboration with QOL Medical gives us access to key infrastructure components such as clinical, regulatory, and manufacturing expertise.

As part of the license, Mount Sinai received equity in the new company, as well as royalties. This is the second major license agreement negotiated this year by MSIP in the field of orphan diseases, both originating from research conducted by the Department of Genetic and Genomic Sciences.

About Mount Sinai Innovation Partners

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Clinical Data Presented on Lead Drug Candidates from HyperAcute[TM] Platform Demonstrate Chemosensitization Potential in Pancreatic Cancer and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Ames, IA, September 12, 2013 (Accesswire) - NewLink Genetics Corporation (NLNK), an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company specializing in immunotherapy, today announced that a clinical presentation on its proprietary HyperAcute immunotherapy platform has been selected for the upcoming 2013 European Cancer Congress (ESMO). The meeting will be held September 27 to October 1, 2013 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Four of the NewLink HyperAcute product candidates that have advanced into clinical trials will be featured in a poster presentation. Data presented will include the potential sensitizing effect of HyperAcute immunotherapy to salvage chemotherapy including algenpantucel-L in pancreatic cancer and tergenpumatucel-L in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Additionally, immunological data to HyperAcute immunotherapy are outlined, including the universal development of auto antibodies with HyperAcute melanoma treatment. NewLinks HyperAcute immunotherapies are designed to stimulate the human immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.

The greater than expected responses to salvage chemotherapy subsequent to treatment with NewLinks proprietary HyperAcute immunotherapies are particularly interesting and are being explored more robustly in ongoing clinical trials, commented Charles Link, Jr., MD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NewLink. We plan to evaluate the impact of tergenpumatucel-L treatment followed by subsequent standard of care chemotherapy in our ongoing Phase 2B/3 non-small-cell-lung cancer trial.

Poster Presentations: Monday, September 30, 2013, 2:00-4:30 PM, Chemo-sensitization and immunological reactions to hyperacute immunotherapy, a novel approach to cancer treatment, John C. Morris MD, Poster Session: Gastrointestinal Malignancies Non-colorectal Lung Cancer, Location: Hall H, Amsterdam RAI Congress Centre.

About HyperAcute Immunotherapy

NewLinks HyperAcute immunotherapy platform creates novel biologic products that are designed to stimulate the human immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. HyperAcute product candidates are composed of human cancer cells that are tumor specific, but not patient specific. These cells have been modified to express alpha-gal, a carbohydrate for which humans have pre-existing immunity. These alpha-gal-modified cells stimulate a rapid and powerful human immune response that trains the bodys natural defenses to seek out and destroy cancer cells. The objective of HyperAcute immunotherapies is to elicit an antitumor response by educating the immune system to attack a patients own cancer cells. HyperAcute immunotherapies do not require any tissue from individual patients and use intact whole cells rather than cell fragments or purified proteins. We believe these unique properties of HyperAcute products result in the stimulation of a robust immune response.

NewLink's lead product candidate, algenpantucel-L (HyperAcute pancreas), is being studied in a Phase 3 trial (IMPRESS: Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Resectable cancer Survival Study) under a Special Protocol Assessment with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This trial involves up to 722 patients with surgically resected pancreatic cancer. Algenpantucel-L is also being tested in a second Phase 3 study (PILLAR: "Pancreatic Immunotherapy with algenpantucel-L for Locally Advanced non-Resectable"), involving patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

NewLink has several HyperAcute product candidates focused on other tumor types in various stages of development, including tergenpumatucel-L, which is in an adaptive design, randomized Phase 2B/3 clinical trial currently accruing up to 240 patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

About NewLink Genetics Corporation NewLink is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel immunotherapeutic products to improve treatment options for patients with cancer. NewLink's portfolio includes biologic and small molecule immunotherapy product candidates intended to treat a wide range of oncology indications. NewLink's product candidates are designed to harness multiple components of the immune system to combat cancer without significant incremental toxicity, either as a monotherapy or in combination with other treatment regimens. For more information please visit http://www.linkp.com. Patient information is available at http://www.pancreaticcancer-clinicaltrials.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements of NewLink that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "target," "potential," "will," "could," "should," "seek," or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements about: the prospects of algenpantucel-L, tergenpumatucel-L, indoximid and our other HyperAcute and/or IDO pathway product candidates and related trials; and any other statements other than statements of historical fact. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that NewLink makes due to a number of important factors, including those risks discussed in "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in NewLink's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2012, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2013, Form S-3 Registration Statement filed December 28, 2012 and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent NewLink's views as of the date of this press release. NewLink anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while it may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing NewLink's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

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NewLink Genetics to Present Data on Cancer Immunotherapy Programs at the 2013 European Cancer Congress

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THURSDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they've identified a gene mutation that's associated with a higher risk of lung cancer in women who do not smoke, but a better chance of survival in female and male lung cancer patients.

The mutation, which occurs in a gene that protects cells from oxidative stress, is found four times more often in women than in men, according to the study published Sept. 11 in the journal PLoS One.

The researchers analyzed the DNA of lung cancer patients in Japan and found that nonsmoking women with two copies of the -617A mutation in the NFR2 gene had a much higher incidence of lung cancer than nonsmoking men.

The investigators also found that both female and male lung cancer patients with this mutation had better survival rates than other patients.

This is the first study to provide clinical evidence that this mutation is associated with lung cancer patient survival, said researcher Dr. Toshihisa Ishikawa and colleagues at the RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies in Japan.

The study strongly suggests that the presence of this mutation "is a good prognostic biomarker for the assessment of the overall survival chances of patients with adenocarcinoma, as well as a practical tool for personalized cancer therapy," Ishikawa said in a RIKEN news release.

Although the study found an association between the gene mutation and lung cancer survival, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in many industrialized countries, according to background information in the news release. Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, but 10 percent to 15 percent of cases occur in nonsmokers.

-- Robert Preidt

Copyright 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Gene Mutation May Help Predict Lung Cancer Survival in Nonsmokers

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Poway, California (PRWEB) September 12, 2013

The Arrow Group of Animal Hospitals, out of Glendale, Arizona and their 17 Phoenix Metro area veterinary hospitals have partnered with California based Vet-Stem, Inc., the leading Regenerative Veterinary Medicine company, to bring stem cell therapy to their patients. Dogs that are suffering pain or inflammation from osteoarthritis or polyarthritis, joint or ligament issues, or muscle injuries, can now receive stem cell therapy.

The Arrow Group of Animal Hospitals hosted Vet-Stems Corey Orava, DVM for a week of training sessions to help all of their staff learn the ins and outs of stem cell therapy. Veterinarians and technicians benefited from hands-on labs and a continuing education course that will help them bring the best care to their patients and pet owners. Under the mentorship of Dr. Orava Dobson Ranch Animal Hospital, Fletcher Heights Animal Hospital, Surprise Animal Hospital and Animal Hospital at Anthem were able to perform their debut stem cell therapy cases during their initial week of offering the new service.

The Arrow Group of Animal Hospitals is a co-operative group of 17 individual small animal hospitals around the valley that are proud to offer the highest quality veterinary care possible. The doctors and staff at each hospital strive to build a long term relationship with their client families and their pets, always making recommendations in the pets best health interest. The Arrow Group of Animal Hospitals offer complete veterinary care from wellness, to vaccines, spays and neuters, dental, surgical and now regenerative medicine. Their animal hospital locations can be easily found at http://www.azpetvet.com.

About Vet-Stem, Inc. Vet-Stem, Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the veterinary profession. The privately held company is working to develop therapies in veterinary medicine that apply regenerative technologies while utilizing the natural healing properties inherent in all animals. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem, Inc. pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine. The company holds exclusive licenses to over 50 patents including world-wide veterinary rights for use of adipose derived stem cells. In the last decade over 10,000 animals have been treated using Vet-Stem, Inc.s services, and Vet-Stem is actively investigating stem cell therapy for immune-mediated and inflammatory disease, as well as organ disease and failure. For more on Vet-Stem, Inc. and Veterinary Regenerative Medicine visit http://www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.

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The Arrow Group of Animal Hospitals in Central Arizona Partners with Vet-Stem, Inc. to Bring Stem Cell Therapy to ...

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Heidi Williamss dad helped with her high school science-fair projects by driving her two hours from their North Dakota town to get books on World War II German cryptography. After studying up, she would present new ways to crack the cipher.

These days, Williams is trying to help scientists as they unlock the secrets of a different code: the human genome. The 32-year-old Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist is examining health-care innovation with a $430,000 National Science Foundation CAREER grant, an award given to exceptionally promising junior faculty who excel as educators and researchers.

Williams 2010 Ph.D. dissertation was the first empirical study to show that one companys rights to gene data had hindered scientific development, said Harvard University economist Lawrence Katz. It was cited in multiple briefs during a Supreme Court case that ended in June, when justices ruled to restrict companies ability to patent human gene sequences.

No one directly knew these things, said Katz, who advised Williams on the research while she was getting her doctorate in economics at Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is affecting how people think about intellectual property. It fed into a rapidly changing area of policy.

Williams is driven by a desire to seek out and try to discover solutions to barriers stalling health-care breakthroughs, she said in an interview from Stanford University in California, where she is on academic leave for a year to research and network with scholars. A working paper she and colleagues circulated in August found that 20-year patent terms encouraged companies to focus on advanced-stage cancers, because clinical trials are shorter and drugs can be brought to market more quickly. Preventative or early-stage treatments require longer clinical trials, leaving less time for exclusive production.

Now, her focus is on determining how patent rules alter gene-related innovation.

Ever since the sequencing of the human genome, there has been a sense that the science hasnt panned out quite as quickly as people had hoped, Williams said. How economics drives innovation has long interested her, she said, and the lack of empirical data on gene-related development made the topic a natural fit.

It could be that the economic incentives havent been aligned appropriately, and thats been holding back the science, she said.

As of 2009, portions of the human genome sequenced by closely held Celera Corp. had produced 20 percent to 30 percent fewer research papers and medical discoveries than genes first mapped by the Human Genome Project, Williams showed in her Ph.D. project. Celeras genes were covered by short-term intellectual-property protections lasting as long as two years, while the projects were open-access.

Groups, including scholars with the Information Society Project atYale Law School, cited the study as the Supreme Court heard arguments on whether human genes can be patented. The case challenged seven patents owned by or licensed to Salt Lake City, Utah-based biotechnology company Myriad Genetics Inc. (MYGN) on genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer. It ended in a ruling that human genes cant be patented, though synthetically produced genetic material can have legal protections.

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MIT’s Williams Decodes Economics of Gene Sequencing

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