AABB Center for Cellular Therapies
AABB Chief Executive Officer Karen L. Shoos, JD, describing the role of the newly created AABB Center for Cellular Therapies in supporting responsible innovation in the cellular therapy and regenerative medicine field.From:aabbmediaViews:8 0ratingsTime:02:30More inNonprofits Activism

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cord blood | Cord Blood Cells - Advantages Of Extracting Stem Cells From Umbilical Cord
http://www.cordbloodrecommendation.com The real treatment takes place when the patient is infused with stem cells, which start producing white blood cells in order to make the amount of white blood cells reach the normal number. The nerve cells are known as the ""substantia nigra. Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Juvenile Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Hunter #39;s Syndrome Tay-Sachs Disease Wolman Disease Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome Osteoporosis Beta Thalassemia Major Samples of twin pregnancies were generally rejected due the low availability of cells. The banking facility helps in making blood donation readily available for transplantation #39;s. Flex blood caching can be lifesavers for your family too. She sought umbilical cord blood stem cell therapy from the private Preventative Medicine Clinic in the Netherlands. Stromal cells are a kind of cells that form bone, cartilage, fat, and fibrous connective tissue. Twenty-five children diagnosed with Krabbe #39;s disease were followed and studied regarding their treatments. The National Cord Blood Program staff at the New York Blood Center performs cord blood collection from the expelled placenta. Red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets develop from these cells. The phenomenon is growing fast and the situation is unclear. The blood needs to be collected within 10 to fifteen minutes of birth which is why arrangements must be made ahead of time. If they are able to grow sufficiently, the new cell will make new blood ...From:loshoteles enmedellinViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:18More inScience Technology

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cord blood bank | Cheapest Cord Blood Banking
http://www.cordbloodrecommendation.com Cord blood will be the right answer for some diseases. One case is that of Stephen Sprague who was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) in 1995. Once you catalog with a cord blood cache, they forward you a kit, containing all the crucial gear for collecting cord blood, along with instructions for the presence doctor, imparter or attention employees. As a parent, we have a choice. It will be easier to take advantage of these new possibilities if you have your own cord blood available for use. She sought umbilical cord blood stem cell therapy from the private Preventative Medicine Clinic in the Netherlands. Another practical application of storing umbilical cord blood after birth is that it can be used for cardiovascular diseases. Everybody, right from the parents to the obstetrician, and the concerning blood bank has to be ready for storage before the baby is born. Why? Because, they say, a public pool to draw on is considerably larger than having a single source of blood. A courier from the stem cell bank will come and retrieve the collection kit and transport for processing and storage. If you can afford to harvest and store your newborns cord blood by all means does so. Although only about 2 cups of cord blood can be collected from the umbilical cord at birth, this small amount is rich in these early (primitive) cells. The closer the blood relation of the cell donor means the more likely that these cells will be helpful. On ...From:luisantafeViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:18More inScience Technology

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cord blood bank | Cheapest Cord Blood Banking - Video

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umbilical cord blood | Cord Blood - Life Saving Out of the Womb
http://www.cordbloodrecommendation.com The collected blood should be processed by specialists in the laboratory within 48 hours and stored properly. Stems cells are very important. Again, these are not hard and fast numbers but just estimates. This procedure also supplies a rapid chromosome analysis within high levels of accuracy. As we all know that it is rich in Hematopoietic stem cells. Extracting bone marrow is a very painful and difficult procedure, and if you have your own blood, then you do not need to make your family members go through the bone marrow transplant procedure. If your child is able to pass the pre-screening process, the program has been highly regarded and is an excellent, free alternative to private registry. Preserved stem cells are used when the body is in a weakened state from disease or treatments such as chemotherapy. Cord blood stem cell therapy has regenerative characteristics. This kind of disease typically attacks the neurons of the central nervous system in the brain. If they decide to donate to a public facility, there are no storage fees however because of privacy concerns all identification features are removed from that particular storage lot within a few years. How many years can a baby #39;s cord blood be saved?Cord blood banking is a relatively new concept. If they are able to grow sufficiently, the new cell will make new blood cells. If you have stem cells of your child, then you will not even need to find bone marrow donors in case your child isFrom:Implantes DentalesViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:18More inScience Technology

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umbilical cord blood | Cord Blood - Life Saving Out of the Womb - Video

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blood banks | Facts You May Not Know About Storing Cord Blood
http://www.cordbloodrecommendation.com These findings bring new hope to those who suffer from acute kidney failure, a life threatening condition. One of the studies was carried out by the Wake Forest University which is located in Winston-Salem, N. Lastly, what is their pricing structure like? Trust me, I know that this isn #39;t the time to go bargain hunting, but neither is it the time to be the victim of price-gouging. These trained and knowledgeable individuals will be able to answer any and all questions regarding cord blood storage and the fees and tasks associated with the storage. There is much controversy regarding the use of stem cell research as it pertains to the use of embryos. Extracting bone marrow is a very painful and difficult procedure, and if you have your own blood, then you do not need to make your family members go through the bone marrow transplant procedure. In order to keep it sterilized, it is then cryogenically stored either in a public or private bank until it is needed for transplant. Preserved stem cells are used when the body is in a weakened state from disease or treatments such as chemotherapy. Cord blood stem cell therapy has regenerative characteristics. Stem cell transplants can save lives of people with serious diseases, such as leukemia (cancer of the white blood cells) and other cancers, or those with serious blood disorders (aplastic anemia). There are currently studies which are researching the possibility of using stem cells to treat ...From:loshoteles enmedellinViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:18More inScience Technology

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blood banks | Facts You May Not Know About Storing Cord Blood - Video

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stem cell therapy @ kapuso jessica soho
LAMININE It #39;s not often that the perfect super-supplement with the perfect story comes around, but the story of Laminine is far from a mythical tale. As far back as 1929, a Medical Doctor in Canada discovered a way to extract the #39;life-essence #39; of a nine day old fertilized avian egg. Through research, it was found that on exactly the ninth day, all the ingredients necessary to create life are at its #39; highest level. In fact, the life-giving proteins are so potent at this stage that a live chick is hatched a mere two weeks thereafter. This method of extraction and freeze-drying processes proved to be a historical monumental success for this Medical Doctor #39;s patients. 09333737867 for infoFrom:xpalfredViews:5 1ratingsTime:12:00More inHowto Style

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stem cell therapy @ kapuso jessica soho - Video

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Stem Cells, FDA, Legal and Regulated elsewhere.mov
Rejuvenare on stem cell therapy, not approved by the FDA in the United States but legal and regulated in other countries.From:rejuvenareViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:23More inEducation

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Rejuvenare - I don #39;t have time to wait for approval in the US
Patient Jerry relates why he chose Rejuvenare stem cell therapy to treat Parkinson #39;s outside the US. Although he #39;d earlier been successful keeping the disease #39;s progression slowed, they were no longer effective for him and he was told it would be about 10 years before this procedure was approved in the USFrom:rejuvenareViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:24More inEducation

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Rejuvenare stem cell treatment for stroke.mov
Rejuvenare CEO Carlo Velarde relates how his mother, completely incapacitated by a crippling stroke, has regained her quality of life, her mobility, her thought process after undergoing stem cell therapy for stroke.From:rejuvenareViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:47More inEducation

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The Rejuvenare Experience .mov
Patient Jerry and his wife discuss their Rejuvenare experience in Jerry receiving stem cell therapy for Parkinson #39;s disease. They are very impressed with how fantastic the experience has been and wonders how Rejuvenare can offer such excellent services to its patient clients.From:rejuvenareViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:11More inEducation

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VCARE STEM CELL THERAPY
Vcare has launched two treatments options based on stem cell products, one for diffused alopecia, the reversible form of hair loss and one for Androgenetic alopecia, commonly called as "Baldness".From:VCare TrichologyViews:1 0ratingsTime:04:36More inHowto Style

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VCARE STEM CELL THERAPY - Video

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David Kekich - Stem Cell Therapy Breakthrough
Centagen is developing technology to help millions of people who suffer from chronic pain, disease and injury with an advanced form of adult stem cell therapy. For more information go to http://www.indiegogo.comFrom:CentagenViews:8 0ratingsTime:02:35More inScience Technology

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David Kekich - Stem Cell Therapy Breakthrough - Video

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Image-guided cell therapy
In vivo image-guided cell therapy has revolutionised medicine: ENCITE (European Network for Cell Imaging and Tracking Expertise) - a European-wide extensive collaboration on translational research and its impact on healthcare problems that affect our every day lives.From:Eva GruberViews:13 0ratingsTime:08:46More inScience Technology

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Muscular contusions are now being treated successfully using cell therapy at The Center for Regenerative medicine in Miami, according to Dr. Farshchian.

(PRWEB) November 15, 2012

Contusions in sports injuries are very common, typically caused by a forceful blow in to the muscle cells, muscle fibers and connective tissue gets damaged, there is some bleeding inside, skin does not break, but usually gets discolored (black and blue) as healing starts. Most contusions are minor and heal quickly without any help by themselves. Healing can be slowed by repeated traumas and not resting the area. Healing can be accelerated by R.I.C.E.

Medication wise dietary supplements known for healing properties such as Zinc and Amino acids may play a role. Low level Lasers may help as well. Sometimes rehabilitating a severe contusion too quickly could cause myositis ossificans in this entity in the bruised area bone may grow instead of muscle cells.

The Center for Regenerative Medicine in Miami, Florida concentrates on helping arthritic and injured people to get back to a functional level of life and their activities using non-surgical techniques and Orthopedic medicine. The center's expertise is in treatment of conditions of spine, knees, shoulders and other cartilage damages. They have developed non-surgical and rehabilitation techniques focused on treatment and management of joint pain. Their team includes health professionals organized around a central theme. Their website is http://www.arthritisusa.net

Marty Eugene The Center for Regenerative Medicine 305 8668384 Email Information

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Muscular Contusions Are Now Being Treated Successfully Using Cell Therapy

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NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE MKT:NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), an emerging market leader in the fast growing cell therapy industry, today announced it ranked number 1 in the Tri-State region and number 7 nationally on Deloitte's 2012 Technology Fast 500(TM), a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America.

Dr. Robin L. Smith, NeoStem's Chairman and CEO, said "We are proud to be recognized for this achievement as we build NeoStem into a top tier biopharmaceutical company and thrilled to be honored alongside such fast-growing, successful companies such as Celgene, LinkedIn, and Google. On behalf of the entire NeoStem team, I would like to thank Deloitte & Touche, LLP for their recognition of our efforts."

NeoStem is emerging as a market leader in the fast growing cell therapy industry. The Company's multifaceted business strategy combines a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with a medically important cell therapy product development program providing for near- and long-term revenue growth opportunities. We focus on developing cell therapy products around a strong IP portfolio. These products are focused on large markets such as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders and regenerative medicine.

In a challenging economy with risk adverse capital markets, we have fashioned a management team that is both flexible and opportunistic. PCT, acquired in 2011, expands our revenue growth and gives us unique insight into the clinical and commercial cell therapy manufacturing market while we simultaneously develop our own clinical products. This service business and pipeline of proprietary cell therapy products work in concert, giving us a competitive advantage that we believe is unique to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

NeoStem is focused on organic growth and continuously evaluates strategic opportunities. We look forward to achieving success for our future patients, our PCT clients, employees and shareholders.

About Deloitte's 2012 Technology Fast 500(TM)

Technology Fast 500, conducted by Deloitte & Touche LLP, provides a ranking of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies -- both public and private - in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2007 to 2011.

In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company's operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least $50,000 USD or CD, and current-year operating revenues of at least $5 million USD or CD. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of five years, and be headquartered within North America.

About NeoStem, Inc.

NeoStem, Inc. continues to develop and build on its core capabilities in cell therapy, capitalizing on the paradigm shift that we see occurring in medicine. In particular, we anticipate that cell therapy will have a significant role in the fight against chronic disease and in lessening the economic burden that these diseases pose to modern society. We are emerging as a technology and market leading company in this fast developing cell therapy industry. Our multi-faceted business strategy combines a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC ("PCT"), with a medically important cell therapy product development program, enabling near and long-term revenue growth opportunities. We believe this expertise and existing research capabilities and collaborations will enable us to achieve our mission of becoming a premier cell therapy company.

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NeoStem Ranked Number 1 Fastest Growing Company in the Tri-State Region on Deloitte's 2012 Technology Fast 500(TM)

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Princess Margaret Cancer Program will implement ComprehensiveBMT and Investigate Cell Therapy to continue leading role in cancer care and research

SALT LAKE CITY , Nov. 14, 2012 /CNW/ - Remedy Informatics, the leading provider of registries and research informatics software for Life Science and Translational Research and Healthcare, today announced the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre at University Health Network in Toronto has selected ComprehensiveBMT and Investigate Cell Therapy, two of Remedy's innovative clinical informatics solutions.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120206/SF47874LOGO)

"The Princess Margaret is one of the largest comprehensive cancer facilities in the world with the largest Blood and Marrow Transplant program in Canada and a gold standard cancer research facility," said Gary Kennedy , Founder and CEO of Remedy Informatics. "Both InvestigateCT and ComprehensiveBMT offer unmatched integration of information to improve treatment outcomes by aggregating, mapping, harmonizing and analyzing data across clinical and scientific disciplines. Valuable information will give valuable insights into patient safety, patient survivorship, and quality improvement for transplant physicians, nurses and researchers."

Built on Remedy's flagship Mosaic Platform, InvestigateCT and ComprehensiveBMT offer the Princess Margaret the world's first and only truly integrated research management system. In addition to combining blood and marrow registries with cell therapy laboratories and biobanks, clinicians and researchers will have an unprecedented view of their data through the Mosaic Ontology, which aggregates, maps and harmonizes the data to facilitate pattern recognition. Together researchers are able to manage and aggregate more data sources, across disciplines, including next-generation sequencing, cross-disease registries, LIMS and the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program to advance research of cell therapies, blood and marrow transplantation, and related diseases.

"The future of patient care and innovative research in blood and marrow transplantation requires rapid data analysis to track and improve patient outcomes. We are confident Remedy Informatics can meet our needs," said Dr. John Kuruvilla , MD, FRCP(C), director, Clinical Program, Blood and Marrow Transplant program at the Princess Margaret . "We foresee better information management as the cornerstone for improving patient outcomes in hematologic malignancies."

The Princess Margaret BMT program has an international reputation as a global leader in clinical and research programs and as a gold standard in transplant technologies like Apheresis collections for peripheral stem cell transplant infusions and Extracorporeal Photopheresis for selected graft-vs-host conditions. Over the next year, Remedy will work with the Princess Margaret BMT program to implement InvestigateCT, the world's first Integrated Research Management System designed for cancer centers involved in clinical research using cell therapies. InvestigateCT will facilitate multi-directional data flow throughout the BMT program, cell therapy labs and biobanks to improve real-time analytics, therapies, patient safety, and quality across the transplant care pathway as well as long-term patient survivorship for patients who are living longer and healthier lives.

Remedy serves a wide range of leading Life Science and Translational Research institutions across the country, including the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Cleveland Clinic's Bariatric and Metabolic Institute and Heart and Vascular Institute, the American Joint Replacement Registry, Baylor Health Care System, and many more.

For more information about Investigate Cell Therapy or ComprehensiveBMT, or Remedy's leading patient registry technology, please visit our website, http://www.remedyinformatics.com. InvestigateCT is for research use only and is not intended for clinical or cell processing purposes.

About Remedy Informatics, Inc.

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The Princess Margaret BMT Program Chooses Remedy Informatics' Blood and Marrow Transplant & Cell Therapy Solutions to ...

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Scientists have identified a gene variant that seems to strongly raise the risk for Alzheimer's disease, giving a fresh target for research into treatments for the mind-robbing disorder.

The problem gene is not common less than 1 percent of people are thought to have it but it roughly triples the chances of developing Alzheimer's compared with people with the normal version of the gene. It also seems to harm memory and thinking in older people without dementia.

The main reason scientists are excited by the discovery is that what this gene does, and how, might reveal what causes Alzheimer's and ways to prevent it. The gene helps the immune system control inflammation in the brain and clear junk such as the sticky deposits that are the hallmark of the disease. Mutations in the gene might impair these tasks, so treatments to restore the gene's function and quell inflammation might help.

"It points us to potential therapeutics in a more precise way than we've seen in the past," said Dr. William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer's Association, which had no role in the research.

It is described in a study by an international group published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine.

About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer's is the most common type. In the U.S., about 5million have Alzheimer's. Medicines such as Aricept and Namenda temporarily ease symptoms. There is no known cure.

Until now, only one gene ApoE has been found to have a big impact on Alzheimer's risk. About 17 percent of the population has at least one copy of the problem version of this gene but nearly half of all people with Alzheimer's do. Other genes that have been tied to the disease raise risk only a little, or cause the less common type of Alzheimer's that develops earlier in life, before age 60.

The new gene, TREM2, already has been tied to a couple of other forms of dementia. Researchers led by deCODE Genetics of Iceland homed in on a version of it they identified through mapping the entire genetic code of more than 2,200 Icelanders.

Further tests on 3,550 Alzheimer's patients and more than 110,000 people without dementia in several countries, including the United States, found that the gene variant was more common in Alzheimer's patients.

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Gene triples risk for Alzheimer's, new study shows

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CTVNews.ca Staff Published Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012 10:00PM EST Last Updated Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 9:24AM EST

A rare mutation of a gene thats normally linked to inflammation could triple the risk of Alzheimers disease, according to new research from an international team of scientists.

Less than 1 per cent of the population has the gene variant, called TREM2. Scientists hope that by studying the gene they will better understand how Alzheimers attacks the brain -- and find a way to stop it.

Their findings were published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

About 30 million people around the world have Alzheimers, and that number is expected to rise to 35 million in the next three years.

The incurable disease first destroys the minds ability to remember. Over time, as brain cells are attacked, symptoms worsen and patients lose more of their mental abilities until they are entirely dependent on caregivers.

Until now, its been commonly thought that the disease is caused by Amyloid plaques -- a sticky, toxic material. Based on this theory, pharmaceutical companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars testing medications to treat Alzheimers, but most attempts have failed clinical studies.

The new research suggests those experimental treatments were pointed in the wrong direction, and that TREM2s role suggests inflammation could be the main culprit.

What we are now finding out from genetic study is that inflammation is an important part of the disease itself, Dr. Peter St. George-Hyslop of the University of Toronto told CTV News. It starts early, and it is part of the way the disease actually happens.

TREM2 has been previously linked to other forms of dementia, and was first found by researchers with Iceland-based deCODE Genetics Inc., who mapped the genetic code of 2,200 people.

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Gene variant could play central role in Alzheimer's disease

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Thursday November 15, 2012

Scientists have identified a new gene variant that seems to strongly raise the risk for Alzheimers disease, giving a fresh target for research into treatments for the mind-robbing disorder.

The problem gene is not common -- less than 1 percent of people are thought to have it -- but it roughly triples the chances of developing Alzheimers compared to people with the normal version of the gene. It also seems to harm memory and thinking in older people without dementia.

The main reason scientists are excited by the discovery is what this gene does, and how that might reveal what causes Alz heimers and ways to prevent it. The gene helps the immune system control inflammation in the brain and clear junk such as the sticky deposits that are the hallmark of the disease. Mutations in the gene may impair these tasks, so treatments to restore the genes function and quell inflammation may help.

"It points us to potential therapeutics in a more precise way than weve seen in the past," said Dr. William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alz heimers Association, which had no role in the research. Years down the road, this discovery will likely be seen as very important, he predicted.

It is described in a study by an international group published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine.

About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alz heimers

Until now, only one gene -- ApoE -- has been found to have a big impact on Alzheimers risk. About 17 percent of the population has at least one copy of the problem version of this gene but nearly half of all people with Alzheimers do. Other genes that have been tied to the disease raise risk only a little, or cause the less common type of Alzheimers that develops earlier in life, before age 60.

The new gene, TREM2, already has been tied to a couple other forms of dementia. Researchers led by deCODE Genetics Inc. of Iceland honed in on a version of it they identified through mapping the entire genetic code of more than 2,200 Icelanders.

Further tests on 3,550 Alzheimers patients and more than 110,000 people without dementia in several countries, including the United States, found that the gene variant was more common in Alzheimers patients.

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Gene triples risk for Alzheimer's disease, scientists say

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REYKJAVIK, Iceland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

deCODE Genetics and Illumina, global leaders in analyzing and understanding the human genome, together with scientists from the National Hospital of Iceland and collaborators from Holland, Germany and the United States, reported today in the New England Journal of Medicine the identification of just the second gene variant found to confer high risk of acquiring the more common, late-onset form of Alzheimers disease. The newly discovered variant was also found to predict poorer cognitive function in older individuals who do not have Alzheimers disease.

The discovery of variant TREM2 is important because it confers high risk for Alzheimers and because the genes normal biological function has been shown to reduce immune response that may contribute to the disease, said study lead author Kari Stefnsson, M.D., Dr. Med., CEO of deCODE Genetics. These combined factors make TREM2 an attractive target for drug development.

While a number of common, low-risk variants have been reported to associate with late-onset Alzheimers, the 4 allele of Apolipoprotein E, originally discovered as a risk factor for the disease in 1993, has been the most important sequence variant because of its prevalence in the population and the size of its effect on risk.

TREM2, while rarer in the general population than the ApoE 4 allele, confers comparable risk of the disease and plays a significant role in the central nervous system. In preclinical studies, TREM2 has been found to regulate the clearing of cell debris and amyloid protein, a component of theamyloid plaquesassociated withAlzheimer's disease. TREM2 has also been shown to excersize a regulatory control of inflammation, which has been associated with Alzheimers and cognitive decline.

Our findings strongly implicate variant TREM2 in the pathogenesis of Alzheimers disease, said Dr. Stefnsson. Reduced TREM2 activity may lead to brain damage through increased inflammatory response.

Big Data Research

Focusing specifically on variants likely to impact protein function, and thereby honing in on potential targets for drug development, deCODEs scientists sought additional high-risk variants for Alzheimers disease.

Through the companys genome sequencing and genotyping, deCODE researchers identified approximately 41 million markers, including 191,777 functional variants, from 2,261 Icelandic samples. These variants were then analyzed against the genomes of 3,550 persons with Alzheimers disease and a control population over the age of 85 without a diagnosis of the disease. The association analysis used to identify the variant TREM2 in the Icelandic population was then replicated against other control populations with Alzheimers disease maintained in the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway.

Using this approach, we have recently reported variants that greatly influence the risk of developing other diseases, including ovarian cancer, gliomas, gout and sick sinus syndrome, said Dr. Stefnsson. So-called big data research has evolved to a new level of sophistication due to new research tools, access to expanded and high quality genomic data sets, and certainly the profound analytic skill level of investigators now combining sequence data and biological knowledge to find drug targets.

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deCODE Genetics, Multinational Research Team Find Gene Variant Conferring High Risk for Common, Late-Onset Form of ...

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By Nicole Giese Rura

Whitehead Institute researchers report that common assumptions employed in the generation and interpretation of data from global gene expression analyses can lead to seriously flawed conclusions about gene activity and cell behavior in a wide range of current biological research.

Expression analysis is one of the most commonly used methods in modern biology, says Whitehead Member Richard Young. So we are concerned that flawed assumptions may affect the interpretation of many biological studies.

Much of todays interpretation of gene expression data relies on the assumption that all cells being analyzed have similar total amounts of messenger RNA (mRNA), the roughly 10% of a cells RNA that acts as a blueprint for protein synthesis. However, some cells, including aggressive cancer cells, produce several times more mRNA than other cells. Traditional global gene expression analyses have typically ignored such differences.

Weve highlighted this common assumption in gene expression analysis that potentially affects many researchers, says Tony Lee, a scientist in Youngs lab and a corresponding author of the article published in this weeks issue of Cell. We provided a concrete example of the problem and a solution that can be implemented by investigators.

Members of the Young lab recently uncovered the flaw while investigating genes expressed in cancer cells expressing high levels of c-Myc, a gene regulator known to be highly expressed in aggressive cancer cells. When comparing cells with high and low c-Myc levels, they were surprised to find very different results using different approaches to gene expression analysis. Further investigation revealed that there were striking differences in the total amounts of RNA from the high and low c-Myc -containing cells, yet these differences were masked by commonly used experimental and analytical methods.

The different results we saw from different methods of gene expression analysis were shocking, and led us to reinvestigate the whole process on several platforms, says Jakob Lovn, postdoctoral reseacher in Youngs lab and co-author of the Cell paper. We then realized that the common assumption that cells contain similar levels of mRNA is badly flawed and can lead to serious misinterpretations, particularly with cancer cells that can have very different amounts of RNA.

In addition to delineating this problem, the Whitehead scientists also describe a remedy. By using synthetically produced mRNAs, called RNA spike-ins, as standardized controls, researchers can compare experimental data and eliminate assumptions about total cell RNA amounts. The remedy applies to all three gene expression analysis platforms they studied.

Although the researchers believe the use of RNA spike-ins should become the new standard for global gene expression analyses, questions are likely to persist about the interpretations of much prior research.

There are over 750,000 expression datasets in public databases, and because they generally lack information about the cell numbers used in the analysis, it is unclear whether they can be re-examined in order to validate the original interpretation says David Orlando, a scientist in the Young lab. It may be necessary to reinvestigate some important concepts.

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Whitehead Scientists Identify Major Flaw In Standard Approach To Global Gene Expression Analysis

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Scientists have identified a new gene variant that seems to strongly raise the risk for Alzheimer's disease, giving a fresh target for research into treatments for the mind-robbing disorder.

The problem gene is not common less than 1 per cent of people are thought to have it but it roughly triples the chances of developing Alzheimer's compared to people with the normal version of the gene. It also seems to harm memory and thinking in older people without dementia.

The main reason scientists are excited by the discovery is what this gene does, and how that might reveal what causes Alzheimer's and ways to prevent it. The gene helps the immune system control inflammation in the brain and clear junk such as the sticky deposits that are the hallmark of the disease. Mutations in the gene may impair these tasks, so treatments to restore the gene's function and quell inflammation may help.

"It points us to potential therapeutics in a more precise way than we've seen in the past," said Dr. William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer's Association, which had no role in the research. Years down the road, this discovery will likely be seen as very important, he predicted.

It is described in a study by an international group published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine.

About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer's is the most common type. In the U.S., about 5 million have Alzheimer's. Medicines such as Aricept and Namenda just temporarily ease symptoms. There is no known cure.

Until now, only one gene ApoE has been found to have a big impact on Alzheimer's risk. About 17 per cent of the population has at least one copy of the problem version of this gene but nearly half of all people with Alzheimer's do. Other genes that have been tied to the disease raise risk only a little, or cause the less common type of Alzheimer's that develops earlier in life, before age 60.

The new gene, TREM2, already has been tied to a couple other forms of dementia. Researchers led by deCODE Genetics Inc. of Iceland honed in on a version of it they identified through mapping the entire genetic code of more than 2,200 Icelanders.

Further tests on 3,550 Alzheimer's patients and more than 110,000 people without dementia in several countries, including the United States, found that the gene variant was more common in Alzheimer's patients.

"It's a very strong effect," raising the risk of Alzheimer's by three to four times about the same amount as the problem version of the ApoE gene does, said Dr. Allan Levey, director of an Alzheimer's program at Emory University, one of the academic centres participating in the research.

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New gene triples risk for Alzheimer's disease; may give clues into causes

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CHICAGO (Reuters) - Two international teams of scientists have identified a rare mutation in a gene linked with inflammation that significantly increases the risk for the most common form of Alzheimer's disease, the first such discovery in at least a decade.

The findings, published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, offer new insights into the underpinnings of Alzheimer's, a deadly, brain-wasting disease that robs people of their memories, their independence and their lives.

In separate studies, teams led by privately held deCode Genetics and John Hardy of University College London found that people with a mutation in a gene called TREM2 were four times as likely to have Alzheimer's as people who did not have the gene.

"It quadruples the risk of Alzheimer's," said Dr. Kari Stefansson of Reykjavik-based deCode in a telephone interview.

The level of risk compares with ApoE4, the best-known genetic cause of late-onset Alzheimer's, the form of the disease that occurs in older adults.

But this new gene variant is 10 times more rare than ApoE4, which is present in about 40 percent of people with late-onset Alzheimer's.

Rare or not, scientists say the discovery represents a big breakthrough for Alzheimer's research.

"This is one of the most common, most devastating illnesses in humans and we still don't have a very good understanding of what causes the disease," said Dr. Allan Levey, director of the Emory Alzheimer's Disease Center of Excellence in Atlanta, which helped confirm the deCode findings.

"In my mind, this is very important. It gives us another important clue as to one of the biological factors that contribute to causing the disease," he said.

Despite numerous costly attempts, drug companies have been stymied in their efforts to develop drugs that can alter the steady course of Alzheimer's, which affects more than 5 million Americans and costs the United States more than $170 billion annually to treat.

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Scientists identify new risk gene for Alzheimer's

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Scientists have identified a new gene variant that seems to strongly raise the risk for Alzheimer's disease, giving a fresh target for research into treatments for the mind-robbing disorder.

The problem gene is not common less than 1 percent of people are thought to have it but it roughly triples the chances of developing Alzheimer's compared to people with the normal version of the gene. It also seems to harm memory and thinking in older people without dementia.

The main reason scientists are excited by the discovery is what this gene does, and how that might reveal what causes Alzheimer's and ways to prevent it. The gene helps the immune system control inflammation in the brain and clear junk such as the sticky deposits that are the hallmark of the disease. Mutations in the gene may impair these tasks, so treatments to restore the gene's function and quell inflammation may help.

"It points us to potential therapeutics in a more precise way than we've seen in the past," said Dr. William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer's Association, which had no role in the research. Years down the road, this discovery will likely be seen as very important, he predicted.

It is described in a study by an international group published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine.

About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer's is the most common type. In the U.S., about 5 million have Alzheimer's. Medicines such as Aricept and Namenda just temporarily ease symptoms. There is no known cure.

Until now, only one gene ApoE has been found to have a big impact on Alzheimer's risk. About 17 percent of the population has at least one copy of the problem version of this gene but nearly half of all people with Alzheimer's do. Other genes that have been tied to the disease raise risk only a little, or cause the less common type of Alzheimer's that develops earlier in life, before age 60.

The new gene, TREM2, already has been tied to a couple other forms of dementia. Researchers led by deCODE Genetics Inc. of Iceland honed in on a version of it they identified through mapping the entire genetic code of more than 2,200 Icelanders.

Further tests on 3,550 Alzheimer's patients and more than 110,000 people without dementia in several countries, including the United States, found that the gene variant was more common in Alzheimer's patients.

"It's a very strong effect," raising the risk of Alzheimer's by three to four times about the same amount as the problem version of the ApoE gene does, said Dr. Allan Levey, director of an Alzheimer's program at Emory University, one of the academic centers participating in the research.

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New gene triples risk for Alzheimer's disease

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