Monthly Archives: July 2012

Some doctors are asking if athletes should be genetically tested to see if they are at a greater risk for developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Dr. Steven DeKosky is the dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He says there is more evidence that suggests repeated head injuries can cause memory loss later in life, and genes could play a role in increasing the risk. According to Dr. DeKosky, there are ethical concerns about telling people what their genetic makeup is because it doesn't necessarily confirm they will develop memory loss diseases. "We have a difficult habit of thinking that if I have this particular variant of a gene that I'm going to get the disease and if I don't have it I'm not going to get the disease and they're not that predictive," Dr. DeKosky said. An informal poll taken of experts in Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury revealed 45% thought it was too early to introduce genetic testing in schools, and that more information is needed to discuss how the genetic testing would be useful. There are more than five million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease. This year alone caring for those patients will cost … Continue reading →

Consumers armed with genetic testing information from the likes of 23andMe and a whole host of gene testing companies are showing up at the emergency room or their primary care physicians looking for answers. The problem is that those physicians dont know enough about the emerging field of personalized medicine, said Dr. Jennifer Lowry a pediatrician at Childrens Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri. Lowry, who works at the hospitals Center for Personalized Medicine and Therapeutic Innovation was speaking at MedCity CONVERGE Conference, Tuesday, in Philadelphia. Personalized medicine may be routine at Mayo Clinic but when parents show up with their childs genetic test results in the doctors office, many physicians are asking what this all means, Lowry said. They are like Whaaaat? Later, in an interview Lowry said that personalized medicine was not even taught when she was in medical school and she had to learn it by herself. She and others on the panel which included James Burn, president and CEO of genetic testing firm AssureRx and Mike Scott, patient advocate, chairman of National Organization for Rare Disorders agreed that physician education was essential. Burns said that AssureRx is exploring ways to educate patients simultaneously with those in the … Continue reading →

Spencer Platt/Getty Images A scientist holds a tray of stem cells. Federal authorities have given the go-ahead to human trials that will use a new stem cell treatment to repair heart attack damage. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles led the study into this new stem-cell-based treatment that helps to repair damage that cardiac arrest inflicts on heart muscle. While preliminary therapies derived from a patients own cells have shown to reduce heart attack scarring, this new therapy would treat victims with human stem cells that are mass-replicated in a lab. Research into the new therapy was supported by a $5.5 million grant from CIRM the California stem cell agency that was created by voter-approved Proposition 71. This success marks the first time research by a CIRM-funded disease team has resulted in the FDA approving a potential new drug for clinical trials in humans. Researchers say that, if its ultimately approved by the FDA, the new therapy could help the hundreds of thousands of Americans who each year have heart attacks. See the rest here: FDA approves clinical trials for new stem cell therapy for heart attack patients … Continue reading →

DALLAS, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ReportsnReports.com adds a new market research report "Global Markets for Stem Cells" to its store. The highlights of this stem cells report includes: The aim of this report is to provide detailed market, technology, and industry analyses to help readers quantify and qualify the market for prescription drug products. Important trends are identified and sales forecasts by product categories and major country markets are provided through 2016; these are based on industry sources and considered assessment of the regulatory environment, healthcare policies, demographics, and other factors that directly affect the stem cell-related drug market. The wider economic environment is also taken into account. The report examines strategies employed by companies specializing in this field to meet the challenges of a competitive and fast-growing market. SCOPE OF REPORT This report discusses the implications of stem cell research and commercial trends in the context of the current size and growth of the pharmaceutical market, both in global terms and analyzed by the most important national markets. The important technologies supporting stem cells are reviewed, and the nature and structure of the stem cell industry is discussed with profiles of the leading companies, including recent M&A activity. … Continue reading →

Tuloy na ang stem cell therapy ni Annabelle Rama dahil naka-schedule na siyang pumunta sa Germany sa first week ng September. Kasama ni Annabelle sa Germany trip ang kanyang anak na si Ruffa Gutierrez. Hindi ako sure kung may plano rin si Ruffa na magpa-stem cell therapy dahil walang age limit ang procedure na pinag-uusapan na ngayon sa apat na sulok ng showbiz. Tinutukso si Annabelle Rama na may kinalaman sa kanyang pagkandidato sa Cebu ang desisyon niya na sumailalim sa stem cell therapy. Tumawa lang si Bisaya na mukhang seryoso na sa pagkandidato bilang kongresista ng North Cebu sa eleksiyon sa susunod na taon. Binibiro si Bisaya na magpapa-stem cell therapy siya para kundisyon na kundisyon ang katawan niya habang nangangampanya sa North Cebu. Ayaw kumpirmahin ni Bisaya ang political plans niya. Hintayin na lamang daw ng mga tao ang kanyang bonggang announcement sa October. Asawa ni Jose nag-iba ng abogado matapos matalo How true na iba na raw ang lawyers ni Analyn Manalo kaya tumanggi nang magsalita ang kanyang mga dating abogado? Si Analyn ang kontrobersiyal na dyowa ni Jose Manalo. Ilang buwan nang nasa news ang mag-asawa dahil sa kanilang paghihiwalay. News noong weekend na natalo si … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (July 10, 2012) Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) are the first to report a new approach that integrates rational drug design with supramolecular nanochemistry in cancer treatment. Supramolecular chemistry is the development of complex chemical systems using molecular building blocks. The researchers utilized such methods to create nanoparticles that significantly enhanced antitumor activity with decreased toxicity in breast and ovarian cancer models. "This work is effectively moving beyond using nanotechnology as drug 'delivery' vehicles to reengineering drugs themselves so that they become nanomedicines." said Shiladitya Sengupta, PhD, MSc, BWH associate bioengineer, and senior study author. The study is published in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The researchers used cisplatin-a drug of choice for first and second line chemotherapy-as a template. They designed a cisplatin nanoparticle that incorporated various components, namely a unique platinum (II) tethered to a cholesterol backbone, that helped foster an environment that facilitated efficient nanoparticle assembly. The researchers found that the innovative nanoparticles they developed were more effective compared to carboplatin or cisplatin in vitro, and remained active in cisplatin-resistant conditions. "In the last 30 years, there have only been three platins that have been approved … Continue reading →