In three recent deals, drugmakers are betting that personal genetic maps will finally fulfill their early promise to unlock secrets and cure diseases. At the same time, the agreements revived questions about privacy protections and how useful personal genetic data will prove to be. Roche Holding AG (RHHBY) committed $1 billion to take control of Foundation Medicine Inc. (FMI), which sequences genes of cancer patients, aiming to customize treatment. Roches Genentech unit said it would pay as much as $60 million for access to 23andMe Inc.s data on customers with Parkinsons disease. And Pfizer Inc. (PFE) reached a deal that will allow the drugmaker to analyze personal genetic information from 650,000 23andMe customers, without giving terms. The pacts, together with 23andMes announcement that it will enter into partnerships with eight other companies this year, boosted confidence in the commercial value of gene mapping. Since the first draft of a full human genome was deciphered in 2001, researchers have predicted breakthroughs in understanding the origins of disease, only to be frustrated as business developed slowly and regulatory issues cropped up. Foundation Medicine and 23andMe were created to serve consumers directly and are not developing medicines. Foundation Medicines clients pay to have … Continue reading →

(c) 2015, Bloomberg News. BOSTON In three recent deals, drugmakers are betting that personal genetic maps will finally fulfill their early promise to unlock secrets and cure diseases. At the same time, the agreements revived questions about privacy protections and how useful personal genetic data will prove to be. Roche Holding committed $1 billion to take control of Foundation Medicine, which sequences genes of cancer patients, aiming to customize treatment. Roche's Genentech unit said it would pay as much as $60 million for access to 23andMe's data on customers with Parkinson's disease. And Pfizer reached a deal that will allow the drugmaker to analyze personal genetic information from 650,000 23andMe customers, without giving terms. The pacts, together with 23andMe's announcement that it will enter into partnerships with eight other companies this year, boosted confidence in the commercial value of gene mapping. Since the first draft of a full human genome was deciphered in 2001, researchers have predicted breakthroughs in understanding the origins of disease, only to be frustrated as business developed slowly and regulatory issues cropped up. Foundation Medicine and 23andMe were created to serve consumers directly and are not developing medicines. Foundation Medicine's clients pay to have more than … Continue reading →

Mutations in a gene that helps repair damaged chromosome ends may make smokers -- especially female smokers -- more susceptible to emphysema, according to results of a new study led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers. The mutations are one of a few genetic factors directly linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema, since the 1960s, says Mary Armanios, M.D., associate professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Specifically, the alteration occurs in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene, which helps produce an enzyme called telomerase. Telomerase maintains and repairs the "caps" that protect the ends of chromosomes from degradation during cell division. Telomeres gradually shorten with age and act as a sort of cellular clock in cells. Mutations in TERT lead to excessively shortened telomeres. Using genetic data gathered in COPD studies funded by the National Institutes of Health, Armanios and colleagues found TERT mutations in three of 292 smokers with emphysema. The researchers then looked at a sample of 50 Johns Hopkins patients with syndromes linked to telomere shortening. Among 39 nonsmokers, there were no cases of emphysema. Among smokers, seven of 11 patients, including all six female smokers, had emphysema. … Continue reading →

Religious groups have concerns that the ALS Association, which has been the recipient of millions of dollars in donations through its ice bucket challenge, supports embryonic stem cell research. The facts: The ALS Association which fights amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrigs Disease primarily is involved with adult stem cell research, which the Catholic Church does not oppose, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The bishops statement on stem cells states that the use of adult stem cells and umbilical-cord blood have been shown to offer a better way to produce cells that can benefit patients. There is no moral objection to research and therapy of this kind, when it involves no harm to human beings at any stage of development and is conducted with appropriate informed consent, the statement says. Catholic foundations and medical centers have been, and will continue to be, among the leading supporters of ethically responsible advances in the medical use of adult stem cells. The ALS Association said it does, however, fund one study that uses embryonic stem cell research with money provided by one specific donor who is committed to this area of research, the Record reported. The association added … Continue reading →

Creating a hydrogel from the polymers Through the precise tailoring of the ninja polymers, researchers were able to create macromolecules - molecular structures containing a large number of atoms - which combine water solubility, a positive charge, and biodegradability. When mixed with water and heated to normal body temperature, the polymers self-assemble, swelling into a synthetic hydrogel that is easy to manipulate. When applied to contaminated surfaces, the hydrogel's positive charge attracts negatively charged microbial membranes, like stars and planets being pulled into a black hole. However, unlike other antimicrobials that target the internal machinery of bacteria to try to prevent it from replicating, this hydrogel destroys the bacteria by rupturing the bacteria's membrane, rendering it completely unable to regenerate or spread. The hydrogel is comprised of more than 90 percent water, making it easy to handle and apply to surfaces. It also makes it potentially viable for eventual inclusion in applications like creams or injectable therapeutics for wound healing, implant and catheter coatings, skin infections or even orifice barriers. It is the first-ever to be biodegradable, biocompatible and non-toxic, potentially making it an ideal tool to combat serious health hazards facing hospital workers, visitors and patients. The IBM scientists … Continue reading →