Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise NEW YORK, January 21, 2015 New York metropolitan area Ashkenazi Jewish women and men aged 25 and older can now opt to undergo testing for the three common Ashkenazi Jewish BRCA founder mutations at a fraction of the commercial price, thanks to a new, philanthropy-based initiative from the Program for Jewish Genetic Health (PJGH), a not-for-profit organization affiliated with Yeshiva University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Einstein), in conjunction with Montefiore Health System (Montefiore). This initiative, the first of its kind in the United States, makes this testing available to all Ashkenazi Jewish individuals, regardless of their BRCA-related cancer histories or their insurance/financial situations, both of which have been barriers to date. Most insurance companies currently require people to already have had family members with cancer if they want to be covered for BRCA genetic testing, said Susan Klugman, MD, medical director for the Program for Jewish Genetic Health, director of the division of reproductive genetics at Montefiore, and professor of clinical obstetrics & gynecology and women's health at Einstein. We at the Program for Jewish Genetic Health are not willing to wait for that. Background Approximately 1 in 40 individuals … Continue reading →

Global research alliance ENIGMA finds 8 common gene mutations leading to brain age in over 30,000 brain scans that may some day unlock mysteries of Alzheimer's, autism and other neurological disorders LOS ANGELES -- In the largest collaborative study of the brain to date, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) led a global consortium of 190 institutions to identify eight common genetic mutations that appear to age the brain an average of three years. The discovery could lead to targeted therapies and interventions for Alzheimer's disease, autism and other neurological conditions. An international team of roughly 300 scientists known as the Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis (ENIGMA) Network pooled brain scans and genetic data worldwide to pinpoint genes that enhance or break down key brain regions in people from 33 countries. This is the first high-profile study since the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched its Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) centers of excellence in 2014. The research was published Wednesday, Jan. 21, in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. "ENIGMA's scientists screen brain scans and genomes worldwide for factors that help or harm the brain -- this crowd-sourcing and sheer wealth … Continue reading →

"She's Happy" RMG's next Stem Cell Miracle Meet Mary Taylor, she was blind for four years from wet and dry Macular Degeneration. Her son Richard, was a previous patient of Regenerative Medical Group, as he received treatment for his... By: iManifestart … Continue reading →

IMAGE:This is the cover for Bio-inspired Nanomaterials and Applications. view more Credit: World Scientific, 2015 Nanomedicine has been developing rapidly in recent years, particularly in the development of novel nano tools for medical diagnosis and treatment. For instance, a new trend is becoming prevalent in developing nanosystems for simultaneous tumor diagnosis and therapy. This requires high versatility of the nanocarriers with multiple functionalities of cell targeting, drug storage, optical imaging, and effective means of treatment such as magnetic and photothermal hyperthermia, photodynamic therapy, and drug release via various intelligent mechanisms (pH, temperature, and biochemical variations in the tumor environment). A new terminology "theranosics" has been frequently used and applied in pre-clinical research and trials. A nanosystem can simultaneously achieve both cell targeted in vivo imaging and photothermal treatment of cancer. While achieving concurrent high spatial and temporal resolution of the lesions via cell targeting; special non-evasive treatments are implemented at the same time by various means, such as localized drug release, hyperthermia, and photo-thermal therapy. Inspired by these challenging problems in biomedical fields, the development of the nanotechnologies will be the key in addressing some of the critical issues in medicine, especially in early cancer diagnosis and treatment. In this … Continue reading →