21-06-2012 14:13 AutDB is the first publicly available genetic database for autism spectrum disorders. It includes all genes whose mutations have been associated or implicated with autism spectrum disorders, together with all risk-conferring candidates associated with these disorders. AutDB was designed with a systems biology approach, integrating data from diverse areas of autism research. At present, AutDB contains interactive modules that illuminate the molecular function of genes implicated in autism: Human Gene, which contains evidence for the association of genes with autism Animal Models, which describes the characteristics of animal models created from altering expression of these genes Protein Interactions (PIN), which compiles all known molecular interactions of proteins produced from these genes Copy Number Variants (CNV), which curates all known CNVs linked to autism To curate these database modules, our research team extracts data only from peer-reviewed, published scientific literature about autism. All of our annotators are scientific experts who hold advanced degrees in the biomedical sciences and formerly conducted laboratory research. They work together with our IT developers to optimize AutDB as a user-friendly tool for the autism research community. Our scientists continuously analyze current primary research articles so that AutDB serves as the most updated resource for autism candidate genes.

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AutDB 3 Tutorial - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

21-06-2012 15:05 Speaker: Chris Vulpe, Associate Professor, Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology and Project Leader, Superfund Research Program University of California Berkeley See for more about Dr. Vulpe's laboratory. Research support by the Superfund Research Program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. People vary in their likelihood of developing disease after exposure to toxic chemicals. One reason is because they have different forms of genes. Professor Vulpe describes a novel approach to identify genes that could influence susceptibility to toxic chemicals in people. He uses yeast because they share fundamental cellular biology and metabolic pathways with people. This research identified a gene responsible for controlling cell proliferation resulting from benzene toxicity in yeast. Different forms of this gene could play a role in human susceptibility to benzene.

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Functional toxicogenomics: from yeast to people - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

21-06-2012 16:53 ExpressionBlast is a search engine for gene expression data that allow you to compare your own results to all other studies in GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus). This will allow you to find other studies with similar expression patterns and may provide you with insights and research directions for your own study. This video is just a quick general tutorial.

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ExpressionBlast - a search engine for gene expression data - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

This week's cover story delves into the infamous University of Washington arson and the underground environmental movement it blew up. The 2001 arson, intended as a protest against genetic engineering, targeted a plant biologist named Toby Bradshaw--an interesting character in his own right.

He's a blunt, motorcycle-riding, 55-year-old contrarian who dismisses his attackers as "idiots" and, unlike some of his colleagues, seemed to emerge from the arson with his psyche in tact.

As if to thumb his nose at the enviro/animal rights crowd, he has outside his office a picture of a jokey billboard for a South Carolina restaurant. "There's plenty of room for all God's creatures," the billboard reads. "Right next to the mashed potatoes." Inside his office, the walls are decorated with the skulls of animals he's hunted in locations ranging from Idaho and Wyoming to Zimbabwe.

"That's where I get my meat," he says, pointing to the skull of an elk that weighed 600 or 700 pounds and kept him going for most of 2008. "I shoot it." He keeps 10 hawks at his house for his hunting trips, which have him disappearing into the Rocky Mountain wilderness for a week or two every fall and coming back with the makings of elk Teriyaki and antelope chili.

Yet, if you think that makes him the archetypal opposite of the vegan types who attacked him, think again. While far from vegan, he says that a vegetarian diet is, generally, better for the planet. He shoots much of the meat he eats precisely because he believes it's the only real responsible way to get the stuff. Like many vegetarians, he holds that commercial meat production is a waste of natural resources because animals are fed food that would be far more productively used feeding people.

On the topic of genetic engineering, though, Bradshaw couldn't be further apart from environmental activists.

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Toby Bradshaw, Target of Famous Arson, Hunts Elk, Praises Vegetarianism, and Defends Genetic Engineering

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

ScienceDaily (June 21, 2012) A pioneering report of genome-wide gene expression in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) finds genetic changes that help explain why one person has an ASD and another does not. The study, published by Cell Press on June 21 in The American Journal of Human Genetics, pinpoints ASD risk factors by comparing changes in gene expression with DNA mutation data in the same individuals. This innovative approach is likely to pave the way for future personalized medicine, not just for ASD but also for any disease with a genetic component.

ASDs are a heterogeneous group of developmental conditions characterized by social deficits, difficulty communicating, and repetitive behaviors. ASDs are thought to be highly heritable, meaning that they run in families. However, the genetics of autism are complex.

Researchers have found rare changes in the number of copies of defined genetic regions that associate with ASD. Although there are some hot-spot regions containing these alterations, very few genetic changes are exactly alike. Similarly, no two autistic people share the exact same symptoms. To discover how these genetic changes might affect gene transcription and, thus, the presentation of the disorder, Rui Luo, a graduate student in the Geschwind lab at UCLA, studied 244 families in which one child (the proband) was affected with an ASD and one was not.

In addition to identifying several potential new regions where copy-number variants (CNVs) are associated with ASDs, Geschwind's team found genes within these regions to be significantly misregulated in ASD children compared with their unaffected siblings. "Strikingly, we observed a higher incidence of haploinsufficient genes in the rare CNVs in probands than in those of siblings, strongly indicating a functional impact of these CNVs on expression," says Geschwind. Haploinsuffiency occurs when only one copy of a gene is functional; the result is that the body cannot produce a normal amount of protein. The researchers also found a significant enrichment of misexpressed genes in neural-related pathways in ASD children. Previous research has found that these pathways include other genetic variants associated with autism, which Geschwind explains further legitimizes the present findings.

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Functional links between autism and genes explained

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Public release date: 21-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mary Beth O'Leary moleary@cell.com 617-397-2802 Cell Press

A pioneering report of genome-wide gene expression in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) finds genetic changes that help explain why one person has an ASD and another does not. The study, published by Cell Press on June 21 in The American Journal of Human Genetics, pinpoints ASD risk factors by comparing changes in gene expression with DNA mutation data in the same individuals. This innovative approach is likely to pave the way for future personalized medicine, not just for ASD but also for any disease with a genetic component.

ASDs are a heterogeneous group of developmental conditions characterized by social deficits, difficulty communicating, and repetitive behaviors. ASDs are thought to be highly heritable, meaning that they run in families. However, the genetics of autism are complex.

Researchers have found rare changes in the number of copies of defined genetic regions that associate with ASD. Although there are some hot-spot regions containing these alterations, very few genetic changes are exactly alike. Similarly, no two autistic people share the exact same symptoms. To discover how these genetic changes might affect gene transcription and, thus, the presentation of the disorder, Rui Luo, a graduate student in the Geschwind lab at UCLA, studied 244 families in which one child (the proband) was affected with an ASD and one was not.

In addition to identifying several potential new regions where copy-number variants (CNVs) are associated with ASDs, Geschwind's team found genes within these regions to be significantly misregulated in ASD children compared with their unaffected siblings. "Strikingly, we observed a higher incidence of haploinsufficient genes in the rare CNVs in probands than in those of siblings, strongly indicating a functional impact of these CNVs on expression," says Geschwind. Haploinsuffiency occurs when only one copy of a gene is functional; the result is that the body cannot produce a normal amount of protein. The researchers also found a significant enrichment of misexpressed genes in neural-related pathways in ASD children. Previous research has found that these pathways include other genetic variants associated with autism, which Geschwind explains further legitimizes the present findings.

###

Luo et al.: "Genome-wide Transcriptome Profiling Reveals the Functional Impact of Rare De Novo and Recurrent CNVs in Autism Spectrum Disorders."

ABOUT THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS

The American Journal of Human Genetics (AJHG) is ASHG's official scientific journal, published by Cell Press. AJHG is the most highly regarded peer-reviewed journal dedicated to studies in human genetics and earned an impact factor of 11.680 in 2011. AJHG provides cutting-edge research and review articles related to genetics and genomics and the application of genetic principles in health, disease, medicine, population studies, evolution, and societal impacts. For more information about AJHG, visit: http://www.ajhg.org.

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Study explains functional links between autism and genes

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AMSTERDAM, June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

uniQure, a leader in the field of human gene therapy, announced today the signing of a collaborative agreement with two leading neurology experts to develop further a gene therapy incorporating uniQure's GDNF (glial cell derived neurotrophic factor) gene for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Professor Krystof Bankiewicz at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), a world expert in GDNF gene therapy, and Professor Howard Federoff of Georgetown University, a preeminent physician-neuroscientist, have developed a product approved to start clinical trials in the U.S. using uniQure's GDNF gene incorporated into an adeno-associated virus-2 (AAV-2) delivery vector. The GDNF gene contains the information to produce a protein necessary for the development and survival of nerve cells. The positive effect of GDNF on nerve cells has already been demonstrated in early research by uniQure in collaboration with the University of Lund, Sweden.

UCSF entered into a collaboration with Dr. Russell Lonser, neurosurgeon and Chief of the Neurosurgical Branch of the NINDS, a division of the National Institutes of Health, to commence a Phase I study of the gene therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease. Patient enrollment is expected to begin mid-2012. Collaborating on the study will be Drs. Krystof Bankiewicz of UCSF, Howard Federoff of Georgetown University and NINDS co-investigator neurologists Drs. Mark Hallett and Walter Koroshetz.

"This agreement provides uniQure with access to the data from a Parkinson's disease GDNF clinical study conducted by two of the world's leading medical researchers in the field. If successful, we intend to manufacture the vector construct ourselves and with a partner progress the product into advanced clinical studies," said Jrn Aldag, CEO of uniQure. "GDNF has been shown to be involved in several other CNS disorders so if we reach the proof of concept stage in Parkinson's, we can potentially expand product development quickly and efficiently into clinical trials for other indications, such as Huntington's and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)."

"The development of AAV2-GDNF, sponsored by both NIH and by Parkinson's foundations, has taken us 10 years to complete. We are very pleased that a path for clinical development of AAV2-GDNF as a possible treatment for PD is now in place," said Dr. Krystof Bankiewicz, UCSF Principal Investigator.

Under the terms of uniQure's agreement with UCSF, uniQure holds the exclusive commercial rights to all UCSF preclinical data and to IND enabling Phase I clinical data provided to UCSF by NINDS. In the event that the Phase 1 study shows proof of concept, uniQure will use its proprietary manufacturing system for future production of the AAV construct and take responsibility for future development of the gene therapy product. uniQure holds the exclusive license to the GDNF gene from Amgen.

About uniQure

uniQure is a world leader in the development of human gene based therapies. uniQure has a product pipeline of gene therapy products in development for hemophilia B, acute intermittent porphyria, Parkinson's disease and SanfilippoB. Using adeno-associated viral (AAV) derived vectors as the delivery vehicle of choice for therapeutic genes, the company has been able to design and validate probably the world's first stable and scalable AAV manufacturing platform. This proprietary platform can be applied to a large number of rare (orphan) diseases caused by one faulty gene and allows uniQure to pursue its strategy of focusing on this sector of the industry. Further information can be found at http://www.uniqure.com.

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" including those that refer to management's plans and expectations for future operations, prospects and financial condition. Words such as "strategy," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "will," "continues," "estimates," "intends," "projects," "goals," "targets" and other words of similar meaning are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of uniQure only. Undue reliance should not be placed on these statements because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks and can be affected by factors that are beyond the control of uniQure. Actual results could differ materially from current expectations due to a number of factors and uncertainties affecting uniQure's business. uniQure expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements herein except as required by law.

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uniQure Collaborates with UCSF on GDNF Gene Therapy in Parkinson's Disease

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Scientists have promised a lot of regenerative medicine will come from stem cells, but so far progress has been fairly slow: they can stimualte regrowth of heart tissue, make incredibly expesnive artifical blood, orat bestconstruct a short piece of vein. Now, though, scientists are claiming they can grow functional liver.

Nature reports that a team of scientists from Japan has presented its works at a conference, and it's incredible. In fact, George Daley, director of the stem-cell transplantation program at the Boston Children's Hospital in Massachusetts, told Nature that "it blew [his] mind." Wow.

The researchers used stem cells created from human skin cells, then placed the cells on growth plates in a specially designed culture medium. Over the course of nine days, the cells started producing chemicals that a typical liver cell, otherwise known as a hepatocyte, would produce. They then added endothelial and mesenchymal cellswhich form parts of blood vessels and other structural tissues within the bodyto the mix, in the hope that they would be incorporated and begin to help the cells develop a structure akin to the liver.

The result was amazing: two days later, the researchers found the cells assembled into a 5-millimeter-long, three-dimensional lump. That lump was almost identical to something known as a liver budan early stage of liver development. From Nature's report:

"The tissue lacks bile ducts, and the hepatocytes do not form neat plates as they do in a real liver. In that sense, while it does to some degree recapitulate embryonic growth, it does not match the process as faithfully as the optic cup recently reported by another Japanese researcher. But the tissue does have blood vessels that proved functional when it was transplanted under the skin of a mouse. Genetic tests show that the tissue expresses many of the genes expressed in real liver. And, when transferred to the mouse, the tissue was able to metabolize some drugs that human livers metabolize but mouse livers normally cannot. "

While it's not perfect, it's the first time anyone has successfully created part of a functional human organ from stem cells produced from human skin. If scientists hadn't quite managed to deliver on the promise of stem cells so far, they have now. [Nature]

Image by Spirit-Fire under Creative Commons license

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Scientists Can Now Grow Functioning Liver From Stem Cells [Medicine]

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By Tess Stynes

Pfizer Inc. (PFE) said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its Lyrica drug for nerve pain for use by some spinal-cord-injury patients.

The pharmaceutical giant said about 40% of 270,000 patients in the U.S. with spinal cord injuries suffer from neuropathic pain, which can hinder rehabilitation efforts.

"Until now, no FDA approved treatment options were available in the U.S. for people with neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury, a condition which can be extremely disabling," said Steven J. Romano, head of the medicines development group at Pfizer's Global Primary Care Business Unit.

In 12-week and 16-week studies, Lyrica was shown to significantly reduce nerve pain compared to a placebo. In addition, more patients taking Lyrica saw pain reduced by 30% and 50% , respectively, than those that received a placebo.

In addition to efforts to refill product pipelines, pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer have been looking to expand uses of current drugs in an effort to head off the loss of patents on key drugs.

Pfizer, which has posted weaker results lately amid the loss of U.S. market exclusivity for its anticholesterol drug Lipitor, has been studying the potential use of Lyrica to treat other diseases.

Shares closed Wednesday at $22.67 and were inactive premarket.

Write to Tess Stynes at Tess.Stynes@dowjones.com

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FDA Approves Pfizer's Lyrica for Some Spinal Cord Injury Patients

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Pfizer Inc. (PFE) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Lyrica (pregabalin) capsules CV for the management of neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury. Lyrica received a priority review designation for this new indication from the FDA. More than 100,000 patients approximately 40 percent of the 270,000 patients with spinal cord injury in the United States - suffer from this chronic, complex pain condition. Neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury can be severely debilitating and may significantly hinder rehabilitation and the ability to regain function.

This milestone represents an important opportunity for physicians to more effectively manage the debilitating neuropathic pain that often accompanies spinal cord injury, said clinical study investigator Diana Cardenas, MD, MHA, professor and chair, department of rehabilitation medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and chief of service for rehabilitation medicine and medical director of Jackson Rehabilitation Hospital, Miami, Florida. Given the clinical challenges of investigating neuropathic pain in this patient population, any advancements in treatment are welcome by physicians and patients alike.

An estimated 12,000 new spinal cord injury patients are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. There are a wide variety of causes for spinal cord injury, including traumatic and non-traumatic causes. Traumatic causes may include motor vehicle accidents, violence, falls and sports injuries. In these instances, a spinal cord injury typically begins with a sudden, traumatic blow to the spine that fractures or dislocates vertebrae. The damage begins at the moment of injury when displaced bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue. Non-traumatic causes may involve congenital and developmental abnormalities, genetics and metabolism, infections and inflammation, removal of a benign spinal tumor and spinal cord ischemic stroke.

Neuropathic pain can be experienced above, at or below the level of the spinal cord injury, and is typically not confined to one area in the body. Approximately one-third of spinal cord injury patients report below-level neuropathic pain that is severe or excruciating. Patients may experience neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury as early as two weeks after injury and it may persist for up to 25 years.

Until now, no FDA approved treatment options were available in the U.S. for people with neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury, a condition which can be extremely disabling, said Steven J. Romano, MD, senior vice president and head, medicines development group, Global Primary Care Business Unit, Pfizer. The approval of Lyrica for this indication is a significant milestone, exemplifying Pfizers commitment to pursue scientific advancements that address unmet medical needs.

About Lyrica Phase 3 Clinical Studies

The FDA approval is based on two randomized, double-blind, flexibly dosed (150600 mg/day), placebo-controlled Phase 3 trials, which enrolled 357 patients. Among other medications, patients were allowed to continue taking other pain medications, including NSAIDs, opioids and non-opioids. The population of one study consisted of traumatic spinal cord injury patients. The population of the other study consisted of traumatic spinal cord injury patients and patients who had injury to the spinal cord from non-traumatic causes: e.g., removal of a benign spinal tumor or spinal cord ischemic stroke (five percent of patients).

The primary finding in these studies was that Lyrica significantly reduced neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury from baseline throughout the duration of the studies (12 weeks and 16 weeks, respectively), compared to placebo. In addition, more patients receiving Lyrica showed a 30 percent and 50 percent reduction in pain than did patients receiving placebo. In some patients, the reduction in pain with Lyrica was significant as early as week one and continued throughout the duration of the trials.

The most common adverse events in these trials in patients receiving Lyrica were somnolence, dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue and peripheral edema.

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FDA Approves Lyrica For The Management Of Neuropathic Pain Associated With Spinal Cord Injury Based On Priority Review

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Public release date: 21-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Karen Richardson krchrdsn@wakehealth.edu 336-716-4453 Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. June 21, 2012 Regenerative medicine researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have reached an early milestone in a long-term project that aims to build replacement kidneys in the lab to help solve the shortage of donor organs.

In proof-of-concept research published online ahead of print in Annals of Surgery, the team successfully used pig kidneys to make "scaffolds" or support structures that could potentially one day be used to build new kidneys for human patients. The idea is to remove all animal cells leaving only the organ structure or "skeleton." A patient's own cells would then be placed on the scaffold, making an organ that the patient theoretically would not reject.

While this is one of the first studies to assess the possibility of using whole pig kidneys to engineer replacement organs, the idea of using organ structures from pigs to help human patients is not new. Pig heart valves removed of cells have been used for more than three decades to provide heart valve replacements in human patients.

"It is important to identify new sources of transplantable organs because of the critical shortage of donor organs," said lead author Giuseppe Orlando, M.D., an instructor in surgery and regenerative medicine at Wake Forest Baptist. "These kidneys maintain their innate three-dimensional architecture, as well as their vascular system, and may represent the ideal platform for kidney engineering."

For the research, pig kidneys were soaked in a detergent to remove all cells, leaving behind the organ's "skeleton," including its system of blood vessels. In addition, the structure of the nephron the kidney's functional unit was maintained. The scaffolds were implanted in animals, where they were re-filled with blood and were able to maintain normal blood pressure, proving that the process of removing cells doesn't affect the mechanical strength of the vessels.

"There are many challenges to be met before this system could be used to engineer replacement kidneys, including problems with blood clots forming in the vessels," said Anthony Atala, M.D., co-author and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "The kidney is a very complex organ with at least 22 different cell types."

But, the fact that nephron structure is maintained suggests the potential to re-populate the kidney with cells, according to the scientists. They speculate that new cells introduced into the scaffold would recognize their natural niche through physical or chemical signals of the scaffold.

While the project is in its infancy, the idea represents a potential solution to the extreme shortage of donor kidneys. According to the authors, the probability in the U.S. of receiving a kidney transplant within five years of being added to the waiting list is less than 35 percent. As of late August 2011, nearly 90,000 patients in the U.S. were waiting for kidney transplants.

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Lab-engineered kidney project reaches early milestone

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ScienceDaily (June 20, 2012) Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that a single protein molecule may hold the key to turning cardiac stem cells into blood vessels or muscle tissue, a finding that may lead to better ways to treat heart attack patients.

Human heart tissue does not heal well after a heart attack, instead forming debilitating scars. However, for reasons not completely understood, stem cells can assist in this repair process by turning into the cells that make up healthy heart tissue, including heart muscle and blood vessels. Recently, doctors elsewhere have reported promising early results in the use of cardiac stem cells to curb the formation of unhealthy scar tissue after a heart attack. But the discovery of a "master molecule" that guides the destiny of these stem cells could result in even more effective treatments for heart patients, the Johns Hopkins researchers say.

In a study published in the June 5 online edition of journal Science Signaling, the team reported that tinkering with a protein molecule called p190RhoGAP shaped the development of cardiac stem cells, prodding them to become the building blocks for either blood vessels or heart muscle. The team members said that by altering levels of this protein, they were able to affect the future of these stem cells.

"In biology, finding a central regulator like this is like finding a pot of gold," said Andre Levchenko, a biomedical engineering professor and member of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Cell Engineering, who supervised the research effort.

The lead author of the journal article, Kshitiz, a postdoctoral fellow who uses only his first name, said, "Our findings greatly enhance our understanding of stem cell biology and suggest innovative new ways to control the behavior of cardiac stem cells before and after they are transplanted into a patient. This discovery could significantly change the way stem cell therapy is administered in heart patients."

Earlier this year, a medical team at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles reported initial success in reducing scar tissue in heart attack patients after harvesting some of the patient's own cardiac stem cells, growing more of these cells in a lab and transfusing them back into the patient. Using the stem cells from the patient's own heart prevented the rejection problems that often occur when tissue is transplanted from another person.

Levchenko's team has been trying to figure out what, at the molecular level, causes the stem cells to change into helpful heart tissue. If they could solve this mystery, the researchers hoped the cardiac stem cell technique used by the Los Angeles doctors could be altered to yield even better results.

During their research, the Johns Hopkins team members wondered whether changing the surface on which the harvested stem cells grew would affect the cells' development. The researchers were surprised to find that growing the cells on a surface whose rigidity resembled that of heart tissue caused the stem cells to grow faster and to form blood vessels. This cell population boom had occurred far less often in the stem cells grown in the glass or plastic dishes typically used in biology labs. This result also suggested why formation of cardiac scar tissue, a structure with very different rigidity, can inhibit stem cells naturally residing there from regenerating the heart.

Looking further into this stem cell differentiation, the Johns Hopkins researchers found that the increased cell growth occurred when there was a decrease in the presence of the protein p190RhoGAP. "It was the kind of master regulator of this process," Levchenko said. "And an even bigger surprise was that if we directly forced this molecule to disappear, we no longer needed the special heart-matched surfaces. When the master regulator was missing, the stem cells started to form blood vessels, even on glass."

A final surprise occurred when the team decided to increase the presence of p190RhoGAP, instead of making it disappear. "The stem cells started to turn into cardiac muscle tissue, instead of blood vessels," Levchenko said. "This told us that this amazing molecule was the master regulator not only of the blood vessel development, but that it also determined whether cardiac muscles and blood vessels would develop from the same cells, even though these types of tissue are quite different."

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'Master molecule' may improve stem cell treatment of heart attacks

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Referenced Stocks: ILMN, LIFE, TMO

Given the recent flurry of activities, it seems that Life Technologies Corporation ( LIFE ) is focused on strengthening its foothold in the field of stem cell research. The company recently signed a non-exclusive agreement with iPS Academia of Japan for its induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell patent portfolio. Based on this agreement, the company will be able to expand its portfolio for the iPS cell research community.

Besides, it is well placed to create iPS cells and differentiate them into various cell types to be used in drug discovery and pre-clinical research. The license also enables Life Technologies to provide creation, differentiation and screening services of iPS cell to scientists globally. We consider the agreement to be a significant achievement for the company in the field of stem cell research as iPS cells are gaining attention for use in the areas of drug discovery, disease research and other areas of biotechnology.

The agreement with iPS Academia of Japan comes on the heels of the partnership with Cellular Dynamics International, the world's largest producer of human cells derived from iPS cells. The partnership will aim at commercializing a set of three new products optimized to consistently develop and grow human iPS cells for both research and bioproduction.

These initiatives undertaken by Life Technologies should strengthen its Research Consumables segment. This segment includes molecular and cell biology reagents, endpoint PCR and other benchtop instruments and consumables. These products include RNAi, DNA synthesis, sample prep, transfection, cloning and protein expression profiling and protein analysis, cell culture media used in research, stem cells and related tools, cellular imaging products, antibodies and cell therapy related products. In the most recent quarter, this division recorded a 4% year-over-year increase in revenues to $420 million on the back of growth in cell culture workflow products, endpoint PCR products and molecular and cell biology consumables.

Life Technologies enjoys a strong position in the life sciences market, though management prefers to maintain a cautious but optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year. We are encouraged by the improvement in margins amidst the tight competitive scenario with the presence of players such as Thermo Fisher Scientific ( TMO ), Illumina ( ILMN ), among others.

We have a Neutral recommendation on Life Technologies. The stock retains a Zacks #3 Rank (hold) in the short term.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.

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LIFE Focuses on Stem Cell Research - Analyst Blog

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Given the recent flurry of activities, it seems that Life Technologies Corporation (LIFE) is focused on strengthening its foothold in the field of stem cell research. The company recently signed a non-exclusive agreement with iPS Academia of Japan for its induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell patent portfolio. Based on this agreement, the company will be able to expand its portfolio for the iPS cell research community.

Besides, it is well placed to create iPS cells and differentiate them into various cell types to be used in drug discovery and pre-clinical research. The license also enables Life Technologies to provide creation, differentiation and screening services of iPS cell to scientists globally. We consider the agreement to be a significant achievement for the company in the field of stem cell research as iPS cells are gaining attention for use in the areas of drug discovery, disease research and other areas of biotechnology.

The agreement with iPS Academia of Japan comes on the heels of the partnership with Cellular Dynamics International, the world's largest producer of human cells derived from iPS cells. The partnership will aim at commercializing a set of three new products optimized to consistently develop and grow human iPS cells for both research and bioproduction.

These initiatives undertaken by Life Technologies should strengthen its Research Consumables segment. This segment includes molecular and cell biology reagents, endpoint PCR and other benchtop instruments and consumables. These products include RNAi, DNA synthesis, sample prep, transfection, cloning and protein expression profiling and protein analysis, cell culture media used in research, stem cells and related tools, cellular imaging products, antibodies and cell therapy related products. In the most recent quarter, this division recorded a 4% year-over-year increase in revenues to $420 million on the back of growth in cell culture workflow products, endpoint PCR products and molecular and cell biology consumables.

Life Technologies enjoys a strong position in the life sciences market, though management prefers to maintain a cautious but optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year. We are encouraged by the improvement in margins amidst the tight competitive scenario with the presence of players such as Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO), Illumina (ILMN), among others.

We have a Neutral recommendation on Life Technologies. The stock retains a Zacks #3 Rank (hold) in the short term.

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ScienceDaily (June 20, 2012) With a single drug treatment, researchers at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine can silence the mutated gene responsible for Huntington's disease, slowing and partially reversing progression of the fatal neurodegenerative disorder in animal models.

The findings are published in the June 21, 2012 print issue of the journal Neuron.

Researchers suggest the drug therapy, tested in mouse and non-human primate models, could produce sustained motor and neurological benefits in human adults with moderate and severe forms of the disorder. Currently, there is no effective treatment.

Huntington's disease afflicts approximately 30,000 Americans, whose symptoms include uncontrolled movements and progressive cognitive and psychiatric problems. The disease is caused by the mutation of a single gene, which results in the production and accumulation of toxic proteins throughout the brain.

Don W. Cleveland, PhD, professor and chair of the UC San Diego Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and head of the Laboratory of Cell Biology at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, and colleagues infused mouse and primate models of Huntington's disease with one-time injections of an identified DNA drug based on antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). These ASOs selectively bind to and destroy the mutant gene's molecular instructions for making the toxic huntingtin protein.

The singular treatment produced rapid results. Treated animals began moving better within one month and achieved normal motor function within two. More remarkably, the benefits persisted, lasting nine months, well after the drug had disappeared and production of the toxic proteins had resumed.

"For diseases like Huntington's, where a mutant protein product is tolerated for decades prior to disease onset, these findings open up the provocative possibility that transient treatment can lead to a prolonged benefit to patients," said Cleveland. "This finding raises the prospect of a 'huntingtin holiday,' which may allow for clearance of disease-causing species that might take weeks or months to re-form. If so, then a single application of a drug to reduce expression of a target gene could 'reset the disease clock,' providing a benefit long after huntingtin suppression has ended."

Beyond improving motor and cognitive function, researchers said the ASO treatment also blocked brain atrophy and increased lifespan in mouse models with a severe form of the disease. The therapy was equally effective whether one or both huntingtin genes were mutated, a positive indicator for human therapy.

Cleveland noted that the approach was particularly promising because antisense therapies have already been proven safe in clinical trials and are the focus of much drug development. Moreover, the findings may have broader implications, he said, for other "age-dependent neurodegenerative diseases that develop from exposure to a mutant protein product" and perhaps for nervous system cancers, such as glioblastomas.

Co-authors are first author Holly B. Kordasiewicz, Melissa M. McAlonis, Kimberly A. Pytel and Jonathan W. Artates, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and UC San Diego Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine; Lisa M. Stanek, Seng H. Cheng and Lamya S. Shihabuddin, Genzyme Corporation; Edward V. Wancewicz, Curt Mazur, Gene Hung and C. Frank Bennett, Isis Pharmaceuticals; and Andreas Weiss, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research.

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Proposed drug may reverse Huntington's disease symptoms: Single treatment gives long-term improvement in animals

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Referenced Stocks: ILMN, LIFE, TMO

Given the recent flurry of activities, it seems that Life Technologies Corporation ( LIFE ) is focused on strengthening its foothold in the field of stem cell research. The company recently signed a non-exclusive agreement with iPS Academia of Japan for its induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell patent portfolio. Based on this agreement, the company will be able to expand its portfolio for the iPS cell research community.

Besides, it is well placed to create iPS cells and differentiate them into various cell types to be used in drug discovery and pre-clinical research. The license also enables Life Technologies to provide creation, differentiation and screening services of iPS cell to scientists globally. We consider the agreement to be a significant achievement for the company in the field of stem cell research as iPS cells are gaining attention for use in the areas of drug discovery, disease research and other areas of biotechnology.

The agreement with iPS Academia of Japan comes on the heels of the partnership with Cellular Dynamics International, the world's largest producer of human cells derived from iPS cells. The partnership will aim at commercializing a set of three new products optimized to consistently develop and grow human iPS cells for both research and bioproduction.

These initiatives undertaken by Life Technologies should strengthen its Research Consumables segment. This segment includes molecular and cell biology reagents, endpoint PCR and other benchtop instruments and consumables. These products include RNAi, DNA synthesis, sample prep, transfection, cloning and protein expression profiling and protein analysis, cell culture media used in research, stem cells and related tools, cellular imaging products, antibodies and cell therapy related products. In the most recent quarter, this division recorded a 4% year-over-year increase in revenues to $420 million on the back of growth in cell culture workflow products, endpoint PCR products and molecular and cell biology consumables.

Life Technologies enjoys a strong position in the life sciences market, though management prefers to maintain a cautious but optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year. We are encouraged by the improvement in margins amidst the tight competitive scenario with the presence of players such as Thermo Fisher Scientific ( TMO ), Illumina ( ILMN ), among others.

We have a Neutral recommendation on Life Technologies. The stock retains a Zacks #3 Rank (hold) in the short term.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.

Originally posted here:
LIFE Focuses on Stem Cell Research - Analyst Blog

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Given the recent flurry of activities, it seems that Life Technologies Corporation (LIFE) is focused on strengthening its foothold in the field of stem cell research. The company recently signed a non-exclusive agreement with iPS Academia of Japan for its induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell patent portfolio. Based on this agreement, the company will be able to expand its portfolio for the iPS cell research community.

Besides, it is well placed to create iPS cells and differentiate them into various cell types to be used in drug discovery and pre-clinical research. The license also enables Life Technologies to provide creation, differentiation and screening services of iPS cell to scientists globally. We consider the agreement to be a significant achievement for the company in the field of stem cell research as iPS cells are gaining attention for use in the areas of drug discovery, disease research and other areas of biotechnology.

The agreement with iPS Academia of Japan comes on the heels of the partnership with Cellular Dynamics International, the world's largest producer of human cells derived from iPS cells. The partnership will aim at commercializing a set of three new products optimized to consistently develop and grow human iPS cells for both research and bioproduction.

These initiatives undertaken by Life Technologies should strengthen its Research Consumables segment. This segment includes molecular and cell biology reagents, endpoint PCR and other benchtop instruments and consumables. These products include RNAi, DNA synthesis, sample prep, transfection, cloning and protein expression profiling and protein analysis, cell culture media used in research, stem cells and related tools, cellular imaging products, antibodies and cell therapy related products. In the most recent quarter, this division recorded a 4% year-over-year increase in revenues to $420 million on the back of growth in cell culture workflow products, endpoint PCR products and molecular and cell biology consumables.

Life Technologies enjoys a strong position in the life sciences market, though management prefers to maintain a cautious but optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year. We are encouraged by the improvement in margins amidst the tight competitive scenario with the presence of players such as Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO), Illumina (ILMN), among others.

We have a Neutral recommendation on Life Technologies. The stock retains a Zacks #3 Rank (hold) in the short term.

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LIFE Focuses on Stem Cell Research

Recommendation and review posted by sam

The Institute for Systems Biology has appointed Robert Lipshutz to be chief business officer and senior VP for strategic partnerships. Lipshutz spent nearly two decades at Affymetrix in various roles focusing on business development, licensing, diagnostics, and emerging markets, and most recently as senior VP for corporate development.

Verinata Health CEO Caren Mason has resigned but will continue to provide the company with consultative services. Mason joined Verinata in November 2010. She was previously the president and CEO of Quidel, president and CEO of MiraMedica, CEO of eMed Technologies, and general manager of GE Healthcare. The firm plans to recruit a new CEO.

Bruker has named Charles Wagner to be its new executive VP and chief financial officer, beginning at the end of June, Bruker said this week. Current CFO William Knight will continue to serve on the company's management team and will work with Wagner to ensure a smooth transition. Wagner also has stepped down from his positions on Bruker's board of directors and its audit committee, where he has served since 2010.

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Ottawa Hospital Looks to Incorporate NGS as Part of Personalized Medicine Initiative

Recommendation and review posted by sam

FRANKLIN, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Numerous presentations were made today during the Regenerative Strategies Forum at the 2012 American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) annual meeting in San Diego, CA which supported the safety, effectiveness, clinical need, biologic rationale and cost effectiveness of Augment Bone Graft from BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc. (BMTI).

Regenerative Strategies and Emerging Technologies Pre-meeting Presentations

The forum included lectures by numerous leading foot and ankle surgeons covering regenerative strategies related to foot and ankle surgery. The following presentations highlighted the clinical and pharmaco-economic need and biologic rationale for Augment Bone Graft as an alternative to autograft.

AOFAS Annual Meeting Presentations and Poster

In addition to the above presentations given today at the regenerative forum, the following presentations related to the clinical need for Augment or Augment Injectable Bone Graft will be presented later during the AOFAS annual meeting.

Exhibit Booth

In addition to these surgeon presentations at the AOFAS annual meeting, BioMimetic will host a commercial exhibit booth #401 in the Sapphire Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel from June 21 23.

About BioMimetic Therapeutics

BioMimetic Therapeutics (BMTI) is a biotechnology company specializing in the development and commercialization of clinically proven products to promote the healing of musculoskeletal injuries and diseases, including therapies for orthopedics, sports medicine and spine applications. All Augment branded products are based upon recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor (rhPDGF-BB), which is an engineered form of PDGF, one of the body's principal agents to stimulate and direct healing and regeneration. Through the commercialization of this patented technology, BioMimetic seeks to become the leading company in the field of regenerative medicine by providing new treatment options for the repair of bone, cartilage, tendons and ligaments.

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Presentations from the Regenerative Strategies and Emerging Technologies Forum at the American Orthopedic Foot and ...

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Calcutta News.net Wednesday 20th June, 2012

Long-time exposure to pesticides via inhalation may cause moderate to severe blood toxicity and reduction in the total number of bone marrow cells, leading to several degenerative diseases like aplastic anaemia, researchers at the School of Tropical Medicine (STM) here say.

The researches arrived at the conclusion from procedures performed on mice.

"As a whole, exposure to pesticides reduced the total number of bone marrow cells or, in other words, suppressed them," Sujata Law, assistant professor (Stem Cell Biology) at STM's Department of Medical Biotechnology, told IANS.

Bone marrow is the soft, flexible tissue found in long bones such as the thigh bone and the hip bone that contain immature cells called stem cells.

Stem cells, particularly the haematopoeitic stem cells (HSC) or the blood-forming stem cells can develop into the following types - red blood cells that carry oxygen, white blood cells that fight infection and platelets that help to clot blood.

So, in effect, bone marrow is the birthplace of these important cells.

"Bone marrow suppression leads to a number of degenerative diseases like aplastic anaemia, where the deficiency in the number of cells in the circulating blood (peripheral cytopenia) is the main feature," Law said.

The exact underlying mechanism is unknown but it has been concluded from the research published in the Journal of Environmental Toxicology that the microenvironment of the stem cells, in which they develop, is somehow deranged and this prevents their development into the various types of cells.

"In order to prevent degenerative diseases related to pesticide exposure, it is of prime importance that those handling pesticides take precautions like wearing protective clothing, including masks and gloves," she said.

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Long-term pesticide exposure is harmful: STM study

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

ScienceDaily (June 20, 2012) Cedars-Sinai's Regenerative Medicine Institute has pioneered research on how motor-neuron cell-death occurs in patients with spinal muscular atrophy, offering an important clue in identifying potential medicines to treat this leading genetic cause of death in infants and toddlers.

The study, published in the June 19 online issue of PLoS ONE, extends the institute's work to employ pluripotent stem cells to find a pharmaceutical treatment for spinal muscular atrophy or SMA, a genetic neuromuscular disease characterized by muscle atrophy and weakness.

"With this new understanding of how motor neurons die in spinal muscular atrophy patients, we are an important step closer to identifying drugs that may reverse or prevent that process," said Clive Svendsen, PhD, director of the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute.

Svendsen and his team have investigated this disease for some time now. In 2009, Nature published a study by Svendsen and his colleagues detailing how skin cells taken from a patient with the disorder were used to generate neurons of the same genetic makeup and characteristics of those affected in the disorder; this created a "disease-in-a-dish" that could serve as a model for discovering new drugs.

As the disease is unique to humans, previous methods to employ this approach had been unreliable in predicting how it occurs in humans. In the research published in PLoS ONE, the team reproduced this model with skin cells from multiple patients, taking them back in time to a pluripotent stem cell state (iPS cells), and then driving them forward to study the diseased patient-specific motor neurons.

Children born with this disorder have a genetic mutation that doesn't allow their motor neurons to manufacture a critical protein necessary for them to survive. The study found these cells die through apoptosis -- the same form of cell death that occurs when the body eliminates old, unnecessary as well as unhealthy cells. As motor neuron cell death progresses, children with the disease experience increasing paralysis and eventually death. There is no effective treatment now for this disease. An estimated one in 35 to one in 60 people are carriers and about in 100,000 newborns have the condition.

"Now we are taking these motor neurons (from multiple children with the disease and in their pluripotent state) and screening compounds that can rescue these cells and create the protein necessary for them to survive," said Dhruv Sareen, director of Cedars-Sinai's Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Core Facility and a primary author on the study. "This study is an important stepping stone to guide us toward the right kinds of compounds that we hope will be effective in the model -- and then be reproduced in clinical trials."

The study was funded in part by a $1.9 million Tools and Technology grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine aimed at developing new tools and technologies to aid pharmaceutical discoveries for this disease.

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Understanding of spinal muscular atrophy improved with use of stem cells

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Single treatment produces long-term improvement in animal models

Newswise With a single drug treatment, researchers at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine can silence the mutated gene responsible for Huntingtons disease, slowing and partially reversing progression of the fatal neurodegenerative disorder in animal models.

The findings are published in the June 21, 2012 print issue of the journal Neuron.

Researchers suggest the drug therapy, tested in mouse and non-human primate models, could produce sustained motor and neurological benefits in human adults with moderate and severe forms of the disorder. Currently, there is no effective treatment.

Huntingtons disease afflicts approximately 30,000 Americans, whose symptoms include uncontrolled movements and progressive cognitive and psychiatric problems. The disease is caused by the mutation of a single gene, which results in the production and accumulation of toxic proteins throughout the brain.

Don W. Cleveland, PhD, professor and chair of the UC San Diego Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and head of the Laboratory of Cell Biology at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, and colleagues infused mouse and primate models of Huntingtons disease with one-time injections of an identified DNA drug based on antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). These ASOs selectively bind to and destroy the mutant genes molecular instructions for making the toxic huntingtin protein.

The singular treatment produced rapid results. Treated animals began moving better within one month and achieved normal motor function within two. More remarkably, the benefits persisted, lasting nine months, well after the drug had disappeared and production of the toxic proteins had resumed.

For diseases like Huntington's, where a mutant protein product is tolerated for decades prior to disease onset, these findings open up the provocative possibility that transient treatment can lead to a prolonged benefit to patients, said Cleveland. This finding raises the prospect of a huntingtin holiday, which may allow for clearance of disease-causing species that might take weeks or months to re-form. If so, then a single application of a drug to reduce expression of a target gene could reset the disease clock, providing a benefit long after huntingtin suppression has ended.

Beyond improving motor and cognitive function, researchers said the ASO treatment also blocked brain atrophy and increased lifespan in mouse models with a severe form of the disease. The therapy was equally effective whether one or both huntingtin genes were mutated, a positive indicator for human therapy.

Cleveland noted that the approach was particularly promising because antisense therapies have already been proven safe in clinical trials and are the focus of much drug development. Moreover, the findings may have broader implications, he said, for other age-dependent neurodegenerative diseases that develop from exposure to a mutant protein product and perhaps for nervous system cancers, such as glioblastomas.

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Proposed Drug May Reverse Huntington's Disease Symptoms

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

There's an interesting exchange on genetic engineering at the Food Politics blog, http://tinyurl.com/, featuring a review by industry critic Marion Nestle of an anti-GE paper, GMO Myths and Truths. I've skimmed the paper, which you can find at http://tinyurl.com/, and I confess to lacking the expertise to evaluate the claims. It would take more time than I have at the moment to dig into the claims, although I hope to do so in the future.

Nestle says the authors of the paper, who find nothing to like in genetic engineering, "have put a great deal of time and effort into reviewing the evidence for the claims. This is the best-researched and most comprehensive review I've seen of the criticisms of GM foods." She asks whether the pro camp can "produce something equally well researched, comprehensive, and compelling?" and concludes, "I doubt it but I'd like to see them try." She says there's enough evidence in the paper to justify labeling, at the very least.

It is, of course, the position you'd expect her to take, and several of the comments following her post challenge both her and the paper. One claims there are indeed well-researched, comprehensive and compelling pro papers. Others say the paper she cites cherry-picks evidence and relies on papers that have been debunked. An example cited in one of these critical comments asserts that it relies on a study of Bt found in human blood that used a test that couldn't detect blood at the levels the study's authors said they found.

My suspicion is most won't read these papers and will continue to think what they already think about the issue. An even worse fear is that reading the papers on both sides wouldn't convert anyone on either side. Still, I may give it a try at some point.

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Copyright 2012 DTN/The Progressive Farmer, A Telvent Brand. All rights reserved.

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Paper, Blog Heats Up GMO Discussion

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

18-06-2012 13:12 "Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease."-Hippocrates Research @ NOTE: (Immunotherapy Research) Dr. Cassian Yee, Drs. Zihai Li and Bei Liu,, Zheng Cui, Ph.D, William Coley, Victor Ambros, Gary Ruvkun, and David Baulcombee UConn Health Center researchers have uncovered a way to potentially use human stem cells as a kind of vaccine against colon cancer. This discovery, led by experts in immunology, Drs. Zihai Li and Bei Liu, builds upon a century old theory that immunizing with embryonic materials may generate an anti-tumor response by "fooling" the immune system into believing that cancer cells are present. The finding potentially opens up a new paradigm for cancer vaccine research. "By? using a probe to shine a light on the tumour, the antibodies at? the right place in the body can be brought to life. Any antibodies in the rest of the body will remain dormant, meaning side effects can be minimised. The activated antibodies then cause immune cells in the blood called T-cells to attack the cancer." "Just a few minutes of the light therapy directed at the? region of the tumour would activate the T-cells causing? her? body's own immune cells to attack the tumour." November 13, 2007 presentation by Edgar Engleman for the Stanford School of Medicine Medcast lecture series. Edgar Engleman, MD, medical director of the Stanford ...

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Electro-Medicine : Biological Closed Electric Circuitry - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

19-06-2012 13:51 Aida Bytyçi is a certified genetic counselor at the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins University in the US. Her time is divided between providing genetic counseling to patients and working on several research projects, such as one attempting to sequence the whole human genome to identify genes responsible for inherited syndromes and health conditions. As a genetic counselor, Aida provides support and advice to patients and their families on the inheritance and consequences of the genetic disorder. In this ideal position between research and patient care, Aida orients herself with the polar star of creative innovation brought by science and art. She believes that these two disciplines stimulate the mind and require a developed imagination to bring change in people's lives. At TEDxPrishtina Aida tells the greatest story ever written in four letters: A, T, C, and G. These four nucleotides that make the DNA code are the core of the greatest book ever written, the Human Genome. AboutTEDx, x=independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x=independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but ...

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TEDxPrishtina - Aida Bytyçi - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith