ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

One of the most common techniques used by anti-biotech campaigners on the Web is the circulation of Top 10 type lists, which purport to unmask the biotech industry and top scientists and regulators for churning out lies about genetically modified (GM) foods that will lead to the destruction of the global food supply.

The Genetic Literacy Project (GLP) put the search terms myths about GM foods in Google and came up with more than 1.6 million entries and thousands of articles with titles like 10 reasons why we dont need GM foods. It is a compilation of the most egregious (and easily debunked) claims by advocacy groups.

To inject reason and logic into the debate, GLP is launching a new project. The Genetic Literacy Project will release occasional infographics to represent what the science says about crop biotechnology.

The first infographic 10 Reasons We Need Biotech Foods and Cropsis included in the GLP Weekly Newsletter, and is also available on the GLP website. It comes complete with source links to international foundations, research organizations, major science journals and leading newspapers.

Agricultural and human biotechnology are reshaping farming, food and medicine. The GLP explores the intersection of DNA research, media and policy to disentangle science from ideology. The Genetic Literacy Project is a non-profit organization funded by grants from non-partisan foundations. GLP also accepts donations from individuals. GLP does not accept funding from any industry or corporation. The GLP is affiliated with the non-profit Statistical Assessment Service (STATS) based at George Mason University in Virginia, which supplies administrative support for the GLP, and with the Center for Health & Risk Communication at GMU.

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Clin Med 7 31 13 Genetics 1

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Clin Med 8 1 13 Genetics 2

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Empire Farm Days Polled Genetics Panel Part II

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Empire Farm Days Polled Genetics Panel
DairyBusiness Communications in partnership with the NY Holstein Association is sponsoring a free Polled Genetics Panel at Empire Farm Days.

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#39;Spiritual Genetics - Part 2 #39; by Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy on Powerline - SMNI
Powerline: August 6, 2013 What is Spirit and truth? The Spirit that we talk about here is the spirit of obedience to His Will that makes us connected to the...

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FOR EMBARGOED RELEASE

EMBARGOED: Genetics and social sciences explored in American Journal of Public Health supplement

EMBARGOED UNTIL August 8, 2013, 4 p.m. (EDT)

Newswise The American Journal of Public Health, for the first time, will explore the link between social sciences and genetics in its October supplemental issue, embargoed until Aug. 8. Through new research, editorials and commentaries, the issue highlights the impact of investigating this field in public health.

This research direction has the promise of increasing our understanding of both why certain environments affect some people but not others and the functioning of specific genes in determining important health phenotypes, explain Jason M. Fletcher, PhD and Dalton Conley, PhD, authors of one of the issues analytic essays about gene-environment interaction research.

Topics covered in the issue range from behavioral and social risks to research design to social environments and genetics. Specifically, papers address a social sciences and genetics approach to understanding adolescent development, drug use, mental health, sex and gender and many other topics.

Highlights from this American Journal of Public Health issue include:

Chromosome component in children impacted by prenatal smoke exposure Twins examined to investigate role of genetics in link between socio-economic status and depression

Chromosome component in children impacted by prenatal smoke exposure A new study from the American Journal of Public Health finds that prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke can impact parts of chromosomes in children. Researchers investigated telomere length, a repetitive DNA sequence located at the ends of chromosomes that stabilizes the chromosome. Telomeres are a part of chromosomes that have been identified as a biomarker of cellular aging. After reviewing results from more than 100 New Orleans children aged 4 to 14, researchers found that telomere length was shorter among children who were exposed to smoke during pregnancy. Short telomere length has been associated with negative health outcomes.

Stress exposure, both environmental and psychosocial, during prenatal life may result in biological changes that alter developmental trajectories and may alter lifelong health trajectories. Identifying the earliest developmental time points for prevention and intervention is challenging but critical if we expect to improve health outcomes, the studys authors conclude.

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Public release date: 9-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Gina Bericchia Gina.Bericchia@NationwideChildrens.org 614-355-0495 Nationwide Children's Hospital

New research on two promising gene therapies suggests that combining them into one treatment not only repairs muscle damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but also prevents future injury from the muscle-wasting disease. The work, led by a team at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, is the first to look at the approach in aged mice, a key step toward clinical trials in patients. The findings were published in July in Human Molecular Genetics.

"We're excited about the fact that these are older mice and we're still able to see a sustained functional benefit from this combined therapythis hasn't been shown before," says Louise Rodino-Klapac, PhD, a principle investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy at Nationwide Children's and lead author of the research.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy in children, affecting about one out of every 3,500 to 6,000 male births. Symptoms usually begin between the ages of 3 and 5 years and progress rapidly. Most patients are unable to walk by age 12 and ultimately need a respirator to breathe.

Patients with DMD lack the gene that makes dystrophin, a protein vital for healthy muscle tissue. Dystrophin acts as an anchor to support muscle fiber strength and prevent injury. Without it over time, the muscle degenerates, scar tissue builds up and fat slowly replaces the dead muscle. The gene that produces dystrophin is hugethe largest known gene in the bodyso a much smaller version, called micro-dystrophin, has been developed for gene replacement therapeutic studies.

Another gene replacement therapy currently under study in patients with different forms of muscular dystrophy is follistatin 344, which produces a protein that enhances muscle strength and prevents atrophy.

While preliminary studies in animals of each of these therapies suggest they offer some benefit when used individually, the team at Nationwide Children's wanted to see what would happen if the therapies were combined.

Dr. Rodino-Klapac and her colleagues packaged the micro-dystrophin and follistatin therapeutic genes into adeno-associated virus, which doesn't cause disease and isn't absorbed in the genome. The virus and its genetic cargo were delivered via injection to dystrophic mice that were either 6 or 12 months old. The virus "infects" cells, the therapeutic genes are released, and the body ideally begins to produce micro-dystrophinwhich prevents future muscle injuriesand follistatinwhich repairs existing muscle damage.

The researchers analyzed skeletal muscle strength in the mice at 12 and 20 months of age. Mice that received the combined therapy showed a significant increase in muscle strength compared to mice treated with either the micro-dystrophin or follistatin 344 alone. Equally important, the treated mice also suffered less muscle damage over time.

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Editor's Choice Main Category: MRI / PET / Ultrasound Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology Article Date: 08 Aug 2013 - 10:00 PDT

Current ratings for: MRI-guided brain cancer breakthrough - exclusive interview

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Neurosurgeons from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have conducted the first real-time MRI-guided gene therapy for patients with brain cancer, advancing the clinical trial of new cancer drug, Toca 511.

The new treatment, carried out by neurosurgeons at the UCSD School of Medicine and the UCSD Moores Cancer Center, uses real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a way of guiding the delivery of the new gene therapy directly into brain tumors.

MRI navigational technology, called Clearpoint, enables the neurosurgeons to inject Toca 511 (vocimagene amiretrorepvec) directly into a brain tumor.

Following our earlier news story Brain cancer: groundbreaking MRI-guided gene therapy, Clark Chen, chief of stereotactic and radiosurgery and vice chairman of neurosurgery at the University of California, San Diego, has spoken exclusively to Medical News Today about how the MRI-guided gene therapy works, and what this means for the future of brain cancer treatment.

Previous efforts with gene therapy for brain cancer were largely limited by the inability to deliver the drug into the brain. Under normal conditions, the brain is protected by a physiological system called the blood-brain barrier.

Unfortunately, this natural defense mechanism also prevents drugs from reaching the cancer cells in brain tumor patients. It is estimated that less than 1% of all available drugs will cross the blood brain barrier.

We by-passed the blood brain barrier by directly injecting the gene therapy into the region of the tumor.

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Urine Stem Cells! Regenerative Medicine Breakthrough (Brainstorm Ep149)
Annotations are not working so those will be added later. Shirts and Stuff http://www.zazzle.com/qdragon Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/BrainstormS...

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Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Transverse Myelitis by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India.
Improvement seen after Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Transverse Myelitis by Dr Alok Sharma, Mumbai, India. After Stem Cell Therapy PT assessment: Objectively : 1) Grade 3-4 spasticity in...

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/s4frtb/cell_therapy_in) has announced the addition of the "Cell Therapy in the US" report to their offering.

The Cell Therapy industry is a fast-growing industry. The demand for the industry's products and services depends primarily on the level of investment in medical technology. Strong growth will slow slightly over the five years to 2018, but it will still outpace a majority of the economy.

This industry engineers human tissue, also known as cell therapy or regenerative medicine. Tissue engineering is the use of a combination of cells, engineering and materials methods, and suitable biochemical and chemical factors to improve or replace biological functions. Key functions include repairing or replacing tissues (e.g. bone, cartilage, blood vessels and skin).

This report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry including the key sensitivities and success factors. Also included are five year industry forecasts, growth rates and an analysis of the industry key players and their market shares.

Key Topics Covered:

ABOUT THIS INDUSTRY

Industry Definition

Main Activities

Similar Industries

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Research and Markets: 2013 Update on Cell Therapy in the US: More funding for R&D will help maintain strong revenue ...

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/58555c/drug_delivery_in) has announced the addition of Jain PharmaBiotech's new report "Drug Delivery in Cancer - Technologies, Markets and Companies" to their offering.

Drug delivery remains a challenge in management of cancer. Approximately 12.5 million new cases of cancer are being diagnosed worldwide each year and considerable research is in progress for drug discovery for cancer. Cancer drug delivery is no longer simply wrapping up cancer drugs in a new formulations for different routes of delivery. The focus is on targeted cancer therapy. The newer approaches to cancer treatment not only supplement the conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy but also prevent damage to normal tissues and prevent drug resistance.

Innovative cancer therapies are based on current concepts of molecular biology of cancer. These include antiangiogenic agents, immunotherapy, bacterial agents, viral oncolysis, targeting of cyclic-dependent kinases and tyrosine kinase receptors, antisense approaches, gene therapy and combination of various methods. Important methods of immunotherapy in cancer involve use of cytokines, monoclonal antibodies, cancer vaccines and immunogene therapy.

Several innovative methods of drug delivery are used in cancer. These include use of microparticles as carriers of anticancer agents. These may be injected into the arterial circulation and guided to the tumor by magnetic field for targeted drug delivery. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) technology has been used to overcome some of the barriers to anticancer drug delivery. Encapsulating anticancer drugs in liposomes enables targeted drug delivery to tumor tissues and prevents damage to the normal surrounding tissues. Monoclonal antibodies can be used for the delivery of anticancer payloads such as radionucleotides, toxins and chemotherapeutic agents to the tumors.

Antisense oligonucleotides have been in clinical trials for cancer for some time now. RNAi has also been applied in oncology. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) can be targeted to tumors and one example is suppression of H-ras gene expression indicating the potential for application in therapy of ovarian cancer. Cancer gene therapy is a sophisticated form of drug delivery for cancer. Various technologies and companies developing them are described. Nucleic acid-based cancer vaccines are also described.

Drug delivery strategies vary according to the type and location of cancer. Role of drug delivery in the management of cancers of the brain, the bladder, the breast, the ovaries and the prostate are used as examples to illustrate different approaches both experimental and clinical. Biodegradable implants of carmustine are already used in the treatment of malignant brain tumors.

The market value of drug delivery technologies and the anticancer drugs are difficult to separate. Cancer market estimates from 2012-2022 are given according to organs involved and the types of cancer as well as according to technologies. Distribution of the into major regions is also described.

Profiles of 224 companies involved in developing innovative cancer therapies and methods of delivery are presented along with their 251 collaborations. The bibliography contains over 650 publications that are cited in the report. The report is supplemented with 66 tables and 10 figures.

Key Topics Covered:

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Michigan CardioVascular Institute cardiovascular disease specialists at Covenant HealthCare have enrolled their first patient into a clinical trial of a novel gene therapy technique to promote regeneration of the heart in heart failure patients.

The study, being conducted by MCVI Research Department at Covenant HealthCare, is exploring the efficacy of an experimental gene drug designed to heal a damaged heart by encouraging the body to deploy more stem cells to site of the injury than it normally would.

Heart failure (HF) occurs when the muscle of the heart becomes weakened and cannot pump blood sufficiently. The injury is most often caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart resulting from ischemic cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks. Affecting more than five million people in the U.S., heart failure is a leading cause of death, disability and hospitalization.

Considerable scientific evidence has emerged over the past decade demonstrating the high therapeutic potential of stem cell-based regenerative medicine for a host of diseases. Stem cells are the building blocks for every organ, tissue and cell in the human body. They have the unique ability to develop into many different cell types, and in many tissues serve as an internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells.

Dr. Safwan Kassas, principal investigator, said the way the human body deals with protein regulation will be the wave of the future for all of mankinds significant incapacitating diseases; the STOP-HF Trial is of paramount importance for the future of this type of therapy.

Sponsored by Juventas Therapeutics, the STOP-HF Trial is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blinded Phase II study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the drug JVS-100 in patients with late-stage heart failure. JVS-100 is a gene therapy that directs the heart muscle to produce Stromal cell-Derived Factor 1 (SDF-1), a protein which has been shown to repair damaged tissue in the body through the recruitment of circulating stem cells to the site of injury, prevention of ongoing cell death and restoration of blood flow.

A Phase I study of JVS-100 in Class III ischemic heart failure patients met the primary safety endpoint and demonstrated clinically significant improvements at 12 months in exercise.

MCVI with Covenant HealthCare is one of just a dozen U.S. sites participating in the trial. The study will enroll 90 patients nationwide.

Copyright 2013 Midland Daily News - Midland, Michigan. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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MCVI joins study of new heart repair drug

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LOS ANGELES, Aug. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Kite Pharma Inc. (Kite), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing engineered autologous T cell therapy (eACT) products for cancer, today announced the appointment of three leading experts in the areas of immunotherapy, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology, and gene therapy to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130513/MM13332LOGO)

"Kite is fortunate to attract these world-leading immunotherapy and cancer researchers to our advisory board," said Aya Jakobovits, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Kite. "Their experience and insight will be invaluable for the development and progression of our eACT product pipeline."

The new SAB members are:

"These three superb scientists are recognized for their major discoveries in the fields of immunotherapy and cancer," Owen Witte M.D., Kite's SAB Chairman, Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics and Director of the Broad Stem Cell Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles."Their extensive experience in this field will be invaluable to Kite as the company advances its immunotherapy products to the marketplace."

About the eACT PlatformClinical evidence has demonstrated that a patients' peripheral blood T cells, which have been engineered with T cell receptor (TCRs) and Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs) that recognize tumor specific molecules, can traffic directly to the tumor, become activated upon engagement with the tumor antigen, and selectively eradicate tumors. Clinical studies performed at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) using these types of engineered peripheral blood T cells have been associated with significant and durable objective clinical responses in cancer patients with advanced metastatic disease, including those with refractory melanoma, sarcoma, lymphoma and leukemia. These encouraging results highlight eACT as an emerging therapeutic modality that could provide new personalized targeted therapy options for cancer patients spanning the spectrum of disease from its early stages to the salvage setting.

About Kite PharmaKite Pharma, Inc. is a privately held development stage biotechnology company engaged in the development of novel cancer immunotherapeutic products with a focus on engineered autologous T cell therapeutics targeted to different tumor types. Kite is engaged in the development of these novel cancer therapies in partnership with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). In addition, the company is advancing a novel therapeutic cancer vaccine aimed at triggering potent and specific immunity against multiple epithelial cancers, which has the potential to complement its eACT programs.

Kite is based in Santa Monica, CA. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.kitepharma.com.

Contact: Aya Jakobovits, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive Officer Kite Pharma, Inc. (310) 824-9999 x 1001 ajakobovits@kitepharma.com

For MediaJoan Kureczka Kureczka/Martin Associates (415) 821 2413 Joan@kureczka-martin.com

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Originally published August 7, 2013 at 6:35 PM | Page modified August 7, 2013 at 10:25 PM

A friend said he was like Leave it to Beaver s dad, someone who always took care of everybody else, a business owner and community organizer who raised money for multiple-sclerosis research and volunteered as a Seafair commodore.

Gene Merlino, who friends said was an old-school gentleman, died at home in North Seattle on July 29. He was 100.

Mr. Merlino leaves a legacy of connections and grass-roots business sense that twice brought him White House recognition.

In 1979, he was the U.S. Small Business Administrations Washington State Small Business Person of the Year and was invited to the White House to meet President Carter. In the 1980s, he was one of 10 small-business owners in the country to be honored and went back to the White House to meet President Reagan.

Gary Beck, who knew Mr. Merlino for the past 25 years and likened him to the Ward Cleaver family-man of sitcom fame, called him a gentle soul, who was quick to help anyone who needed help.

Mr. Merlino was a member of the Seattle Executives Club, an organization of business owners who meet to exchange business tips with one another. He was an active member in Seattles Italian community and in 2001 received the Gill A. Centioli Award for achievement and dedication to the Italian community.

He also founded the annual Multiple Sclerosis Association of King County Golf Tournament Charity Dinner and Auction, helping to raise $4 million, his family said.

Mr. Merlino grew up one of five boys on Beacon Hill, the son of Italian immigrants, John and Columba Merlino. He began his business career when he was only 8, selling newspapers to supplement the family income.

He was so small that his brothers would lean over and hed scamper across their backs to get through the crowd of newsboys clambering to get the newspapers coming off the press conveyor belt, his daughter, Jean Merlino, recalled. Hed grab a bundle and hand it off to his brothers, and theyd be first out on the street, selling the news to customers at Seattles restaurants.

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Researchers have localized a significant schizophrenia gene in remote parts of northern Finland. The risk of developing the illness is three times higher there than elsewhere.

The risk of developing schizophrenia is about one percent - around the globe. But in the northeast of Finland, the mental disorder occurs three times more frequently than in other parts of the world.

The northern regions are home to remote rural communities, which were founded by about 40 families in total, says Aarno Palotie, a geneticist at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland in Helsinki. He says the communities have a very specific genetic background.

"We saw this as a research opportunity to try to understand schizophrenia better," says Palotie.

So Palotie and his colleagues traveled to these northeastern parts in search of genes linked to schizophrenia. And they found one while studying the local population: the gene TOP3.

The TOP3 encodes a protein that acts on the genetic material inside a cell. And it's thought to be responsible for the faulty development of the brain in those who took part in the study.

"We wouldn't have found this gene if we had studied people in large cities with mixed ethnic origins," Palotie told DW.

Common symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking. If diagnosed early in life, patients can often manage hallucinations and prevent any social dysfunction.

Help from abroad

"We really had to find out why this gene was associated with schizophrenia," says Palotie. "And all of a sudden we got this email."

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Risk of developing schizophrenia rises the farther north you go in Finland

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Home Mail News Sports Finance Weather Games Groups Answers Flickr More omg! Shine Movies Music TV Health Shopping Travel Autos Homes Yahoo! News Search News Search Web Sign In Mail Help Account Info Help Suggestions Yahoo! Home Video Photos GMA Year in Review Odd Comics Travel Opinion Trending Now Who Knew? Weather The Upbeat U.S. U.S. Video GMA Education Religion Crimes and Trials Local Contributor Network Year In Review World World Video Middle East Europe Latin America Africa Asia Canada Australia/Antarctica Business Video Exclusives Today's Markets Stocks Personal Finance Marketplace Entertainment Video Clinton Concert Celebrity TV Movies Music Fashion Books Arts Theater Dear Abby Comics Odd News Sports Video NFL MLB NBA NCAAF NCAAB Soccer Cycling NHL Tennis Golf Boxing Motor Sports MMA Olympics Tech Gadgets Wireless Apple Social Media Security Open Source Gaming Apps This Could Be Big Upgrade Your Life Politics Remake America The Issues Women and Politics Press Releases Video Science Science Video Weather News Space / Astronomy Pets Dinosaurs / Fossils Biotech Energy Green Health Video Weight Loss Cancer Sexual Health Medications/Drugs Parenting/Kids Seniors/Aging Diseases/Conditions Blogs The Sideshow Katie's Take Power Players This Could Be Big Newsmakers Trending Now The Upbeat Who Knew? Local Popular Search Keyword News Search

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Public release date: 7-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Bill Schappert bschappert@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, August 7, 2013Europa, the ice-covered moon of the planet Jupiter, may be able to support life. NASA has commissioned a team of expert scientists to consider the science goals for a landed spacecraft mission to the surface of Europa, and to investigate the composition and geology of its icy shell and the potential for life within its interior ocean. The NASA-appointed Science Definition Team outlines the main priorities of a future lander mission to Europa to study its potential habitability in an article in Astrobiology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Astrobiology website.

The article "Science Potential from a Europa Lander" presents the three main objectives of a future mission designed to land a robotic spacecraft on the surface of Europa and to investigate its potential to support life. NASA's Science Definition Team has clearly identified three main priorities: investigate the composition and chemistry of Europa's ocean; characterize the thickness, uniformity, and dynamics of its icy shell; and study the moon's human-scale surface geology. In addition, the NASA-appointed team describes the types of studies and payload of instruments recommended to achieve these objectives.

R.T. Pappalardo and a large group of coauthors contribute a broad range of knowledge and expertise and represent leading government and academic institutions, including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena), University of Colorado (Boulder), University of Texas at Austin, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, MD), NASA's Ames Research Center (Moffett Field, CA), University of Iowa (Iowa City), NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, AL), Southwest Research Institute (Boulder, CO), The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (Laurel, MD), Arizona State University (Tempe), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge).

"Landing on Europa and touching its surface is a visionary goal of planetary science," says Robert Pappalardo, PhD of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "This is a difficult technical challenge that is probably many years away. Understanding the key scientific questions to be addressed by a future Europa lander helps us to focus on the technologies required to get us there, and on the necessary data that might be attained by a precursor mission that could scout out landing sites. Europa is the most likely place in our solar system beyond Earth to have life today, and a landed mission would be the best way to search for signs of life."

"Landing on the surface of Europa is a key step in the astrobiological investigation of that world," says Christopher McKay, PhD, Senior Editor of Astrobiology and a scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. "The paper by Pappalardo et al. outlines the science that could be done by such a lander. The hope would be that surface materials, possibly near the linear crack features, include biomarkers carried up from the ocean."

###

About the Journal

Astrobiology, led by Sherry L. Cady, PhD and a prominent international editorial board comprised of esteemed scientists in the field, is the authoritative resource for the most up-to-date information and perspectives on exciting new research findings and discoveries emanating from interplanetary exploration and terrestrial field and laboratory research programs. The Journal is published monthly online with Open Access options and in print, and is the Official Journal of the Astrobiology Society. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Astrobiology website.

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Is Europa habitable?

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Public release date: 8-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, August 8, 2013As many as 20% of adolescents and 44% of young adults have shared nude or semi-nude photos of themselves via cell phone or social networking sites, a behavior known as sexting. Some people do it in the hopes it will lead to a "hook-up" or sexual activity. Sexting behavior and what results people expect may differ depending on a person's gender, relationship status, and sexual identity, are explored in a study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website.

What people expect to experience when they send or receive sexts influence their decision to participate in sexting, according to study authors Allyson Dir and colleagues, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis. The authors describe both positive and negative expectations when people send or receive sexts. They identified significant differences in sexting behaviors and expectations between males and females and between individuals who were single or were in relationships, reporting their findings in the article "Understanding Differences in Sexting Behaviors across Gender, Relationship Status, and Sexual Identity and the Role of Sexting Expectancies in Sexting."

"In the relatively new field of cyberpsychology, we endeavor to learn about the many challenges of current behavior that social networking makes possible," says Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA, Editor-in-Chief of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, from the Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, CA.

###

About the Journal

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking is a peer-reviewed journal published monthly online with Open Access options and in print that explores the psychological and social issues surrounding the Internet and interactive technologies, plus cybertherapy and rehabilitation. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Games for Health Journal, Telemedicine and e-Health, and Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's over 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

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What do people expect from sexting?

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The Ministry of Primary Industries is failing to monitor food labelling requirements relating to genetic engineering and irradiation, the Green Party said today.

"New Zealanders deserve to know when they are eating food that is genetically engineered or irradiated, but the Government isnt making sure that companies label these foods properly," said Green Party genetic engineering spokesperson Steffan Browning.

Official information released to the Green Party by the Ministry of Primary Industries shows that the last systematic monitoring of food labelling compliance was in 2003. Furthermore, it shows the Government does not intend to schedule any systematic monitoring of labelling compliance for irradiated food in the future.

"New Zealanders want to know and deserve to know how their food has been produced and treated, but the Government isnt checking to see that companies are correctly labelling GE or irradiated food," said Mr Browning.

"Companies will know that the Government isnt conducting systematic checks, and could be exploiting this lack of monitoring.

"The Government shouldnt simply trust companies to do the right thing when companies have a clear financial incentive not to label GE or irradiated food.

"Its not good enough that its been a decade since the Government last monitored for GE labelling.

"How can New Zealanders be confident that companies will label foods as GE when the companies know that theyre not going be checked," said Mr Browning.

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MPI 'failing to monitor labelling of GE food'

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Rockville, MD (PRWEB) August 08, 2013

Personalized Medicine and Companion Diagnostic Market Q2 2013 - A Strategic Analysis of Industry Trends, Technologies, Participants, and Environment

The personalized medicine and associated companion diagnostic market have huge opportunities for growth. This industry will revolutionize the healthcare system and will improve therapeutic effectiveness and reduce the severity of adverse effects. It has enormous potential for investment and the emergence of genetic-based in vitro diagnostics.

Individualized, targeted or personalized medicine aims to increase the efficacy of therapeutics via genetic testing and companion diagnostics. Personalized therapeutics and associated companion diagnostics will be more specific and effective thereby giving pharma/biotech companies a significant advantage to recuperate R&D costs. Personalized medicine will reduce the frequency of adverse drug reactions and therefore have a dramatic impact on health economics. Developmental and diagnostic companies will benefit from lower discovery and commercialization costs and more specific market subtypes.

This report describes the current technologies that are propelling the personalized medicine and companion diagnostic market. It examines the current genetic diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic assays that are in use by the medical and pharmaceutical industry today. Current developments in personalized medicine and the pharmacogenomics revolution are discussed. The emerging trends that appear in key markets such as the US, UK, Germany and France are elucidated and analysed. This study reveals market figures of the overall personalized medicine market and also sub-market figures. Forecast projections and future growth rates are provided to give the reader a forthcoming perspective of this growing industry.

To order this report: Personalized Medicine and Companion Diagnostic Market Q2 2013- A Strategic Analysis of Industry Trends, Technologies, Participants, and Environment

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About Kelly Scientific Publications Kelly Scientific Publications specializes in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical diagnostic industries. They offer high end reports that focus on emerging markets and key niche industries. Initiated by Deirdre Kelly PhD, they are located in Dublin, Ireland and provide business intelligence, market insights, and competitor analysis. Kelly Scientific Publications clients include business leaders in industry, biotech, pharmaceutical, government departments, and hi-tech organizations.

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Personalized Medicine and Companion Diagnostic Market Q2 2013 - A Strategic Analysis of Industry Trends, Technologies ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CollabRx, Inc. (CLRX), a data analytics company focused on informing clinical decision making in molecular medicine, today announced the launch of the company's Genetic Variant Annotation(TM) (GVA(TM)) service. The GVA service is a new product and the company's first offering for the clinical laboratory market. CollabRx will provide the GVA service to the molecular diagnostic segment of the clinical laboratory market which includes reference laboratories, hospital laboratories, research institutions, and laboratories within academic medical centers.

The GVA service provides for a fully automated and scalable medical informatics solution that seamlessly pairs the results of genetic sequencing tests with clinically actionable and dynamically updated knowledge that can be used to inform patient treatment planning. Such knowledge includes the clinical impact of specific genetic profiles and associated therapeutic strategies such as drugs and clinical trials. This content leverages the company's semantic integration platform, a proprietary technology that enables CollabRx scientists and physicians to dynamically update the company's knowledge base with the latest medical and scientific data available in the public domain. This knowledge is further contextualized in collaboration with CollabRx's large and growing network of over 75 leading clinical practitioners in the U.S. and Europe.

The GVA service will initially be available in oncology to support the clinical interpretation of tests to elucidate tumor mutation profiles generated on any testing platform, including next generation sequencing devices. The range of tumor genetic aberrations interpreted by the GVA service include single base pair substitutions, nucleotide insertions and deletions, frameshifts, gene fusions, large-scale chromosomal rearrangement, and copy number variation. Planned functional extensions of the GVA service that are under development include the interpretation of similar genetic tests for inherited/developmental delay conditions, prenatal screening, as well as neurological and metabolic diseases.

CollabRx will provide the GVA service using a combination subscription-based and Software as a Service (SaaS) model. The standard deployment can be customized to support customer specific technical integration requirements and knowledge management preferences.

"Life Technologies, Sengenics, and OncoDNA are early adopters of CollabRx technology and content resources which form the basis of the GVA service," said Gavin Gordon, CollabRx Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Alliances. "With this commercial launch, the company is now in a position to provide the GVA service more broadly beyond these initial customers. For example, in addition to reference laboratories CollabRx is also providing the GVA service in collaboration with multiple academic medical institutions, such as the University of Chicago Medical Center, to support clinical sequencing testing and interpretation initiatives."

About CollabRx

CollabRx, Inc. (CLRX) is a recognized leader in cloud-based expert systems to inform healthcare decision-making. CollabRx uses information technology to aggregate and contextualize the world's knowledge on genomics-based medicine with specific insights from the nation's top cancer experts, starting with the area of greatest need: advanced cancers in patients who have effectively exhausted the standard of care. More information may be obtained at http://www.collabrx.com.

CollabRx Safe Harbor Statement

This press release includes forward-looking statements about CollabRx's anticipated results that involve risks and uncertainties. Some of the information contained in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements as to industry trends and CollabRx's plans, objectives, expectations and strategy for its business, contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. When used, the words "believe," "plan," "intend," "anticipate," "target," "estimate," "expect" and the like, and/or future tense or conditional constructions ("will," "may," "could," "should," etc.), or similar expressions, identify certain of these forward-looking statements. Important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are detailed in filings made by CollabRx with the Securities and Exchange Commission. CollabRx undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

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CollabRx Launches Commercial Service for the Interpretation of Clinical Cancer Sequencing

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Doctors removed tissue from Henrietta Lacks' cervix In 1951. Those samples sparked decades of scientific discovery.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- In 1951, a doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital removed two thin slivers of tissue from a dying woman's cervix.

Cells from that biopsy would later multiply wildly and continuously -- a feat never seen until that time -- and become the cornerstone of research for diseases ranging from polio to Parkinson's disease.

The woman's name was Henrietta Lacks. The cells, culled from her cancerous cervical tumor, are called HeLa.

"Her cells were part of research into the genes that cause cancer and those that suppress it; they helped develop drugs for treating herpes, leukemia, influenza, hemophilia, and Parkinson's disease," wrote Rebecca Skloot in her book, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks."

"They helped with some of the most important advances in medicine: the polio vaccine, chemotherapy, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization."

HeLa cells are arguably one of the most important contributions to medicine ever made. And they're still the most commonly used cells in research today, Skloot told CNN.

But although the cells have been a boon for the scientific community, they have been a persistent source of pain for the Lacks family.

Henrietta Lacks had no clue her cells would be used for research, and neither did her family. Decades after her death, scientists took tissue samples from other members of the Lacks family and tested them, never disclosing why they were doing it.

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A say in our genetic destiny?

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05 - Molecular Genetics II from Human Behavioral Biology 2012 by Robert Sapolsky
Other course materials including a reading list and lecture summaries can be found on my website at http://j.mp/qNtvjE .

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05 - Molecular Genetics II from Human Behavioral Biology 2012 by Robert Sapolsky - Video

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