Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Actress Angelina Jolies decision to have a preventative double mastectomy after learning she carried the faulty gene BRCA1 has heighted awareness for genetic testing. The Angelina Jolie Effect has lead to an increase in testing for the BRCA1/2 mutations among North American women, according to a recent Canadian study. But, is genetic testing for everyone? And, what questions should women consider? Gail Vance, MD, FCAP, a pathologist and a clinical geneticist specializing in cancer genetics for inherited diseases at the Indiana University School of Medicine, is available for interviews for breast cancer awareness stories on what women need to know when considering genetic testing for the breast cancer. She is available to answer such questions as: In lieu of all the recent advancements in genetic testing, what questions should patients be asking their doctors? Why is it important for a pathologist to be involved? How affordable are these tests? Are these tests covered by health care providers? Dr. Vance also can offer tips for patients who are weighing this important decision, including: Talk with your physician about which genetic testing is appropriate for you Discuss the risks and benefits of genetic testing Learn … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 15-Oct-2014 Contact: Duska Anastasijevic newsbureau@mayo.edu 507-284-5005 Mayo Clinic @MayoClinic Rochester, Minn. The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) offer a new guideline on how to determine what genetic tests may best diagnose a person's subtype of limb-girdle or distal muscular dystrophy. The guideline is published in the October 14, 2014, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the AAN. Researchers reviewed all of the available studies on the muscular dystrophy, a group of genetic diseases in which muscle fibers are unusually susceptible to damage, as part of the process in developing the new guideline. Doctors should conduct a thorough evaluation of symptoms, family history, ethnicity, and results of physical exam and certain lab tests to determine what genetic tests may be more appropriate to order. "The guideline should help physicians arrive at the right diagnosis quicker so patients will not need to take unnecessary test", says Mayo Clinic neurologist Duygu Selcen, M.D., who was part of the multi-center research team led by Julie Bolen, PhD, MPH, from the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "This is … Continue reading →

Muscular Dystrophy (MD) is well-known as a disease that progressively weakens muscles, leading to muscle spasms, difficulty walking, and eventually difficulty breathing. What many people dont know is that MD is actually a group of diseases, each of which can have different effects on the human body. Doctors are still discovering and classifying new forms of MD. This week the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) issued guidelines meant to differentiate between MD disease types in preparation for genetic testing. The guidelines, published in this weeks Neurology, use symptoms, physical exams, lab tests, family history, and ethnicity to determine which genetic tests doctors should perform. According to the guidelines lead author, Dr. Pushpa Narayanaswami, MD can often be difficult to diagnose. The guidelines should help doctors determine MD subtypes, leading to better treatments and avoiding unnecessary tests. Looking at a range of clinical signs and symptoms such as which muscles are weak and if there is muscle wasting or enlargement, winging out of the shoulder blades, early signs of contracted limbs, rigidity of the neck or back, or heart or lung involvement can help doctors determine which genetic test to order, … Continue reading →

Isabella Beukes, of Santa Rosa, Calif., has been legally blind for more than 40 years. An experimental treatment derived from embryonic stem cells seems to have enabled her now to see not just color but also some shapes. Tim Hussin for NPR hide caption Isabella Beukes, of Santa Rosa, Calif., has been legally blind for more than 40 years. An experimental treatment derived from embryonic stem cells seems to have enabled her now to see not just color but also some shapes. Scientists are reporting the first strong evidence that human embryonic stem cells may be helping patients. The cells appear to have improved the vision in more than half of the 18 patients who had become legally blind because of two progressive, currently incurable eye diseases. The researchers stress that the findings must be considered preliminary because the number of patients treated was relatively small and they have only been followed for an average of less than two years. But the findings are quite promising. The patients had lost so much vision that there was no expectation that they could benefit, the researchers say. "I'm astonished that this is working in the way that it is or seems to … Continue reading →

Nanomedicine Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share,Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 20 http://my.brainshark.com/Nanomedicine-Market-Global-Industry-Analysis-Size-Share-Growth-Trends-and-Forecast-2013-2019-32554938 - Transparency Market Research... By: Alina Martin … Continue reading →

15.10.2014 - (idw) VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH Berlin, Germany October 15th, 2014 A major step in implementing the ETPN Translation Hub has been reached, with three European projects entering the finalisation stage of their EU Grant Agreements. The project ENATRANS is for networking of SMEs in the nano-biomedical sector and supporting the SMEs with getting their products from the laboratory phase to the clinical applications. The projects 'NANOFACTURING' and 'NANOPILOT' will establish pilot lines to scale-up the production of novel nanopharmaceuticals from the lab-scale to the quantities needed for clinical testing. This announcement took place during the ETPN Annual Event 2014 in San Sebastian, Spain. The ENATRANS project (Enabling NAnomedicine TRANSlation) will ensure the global coherence of the Translation Hub and build a functioning supply chain of nanomedicine projects mainly ran by SMEs and ready to meet industrial and clinical needs. A Translational Advisory Board (TAB) will serve as the cornerstone to provide specific advice, guidance and recommendations to all nanomedicine actors dealing with translation issues and in need of assistance in specific areas of expertise. Coordinator: ETPN Secretariat c/o VDI/VDE-IT (DE) Consortium: Nanobiotix (FR), CEA-Leti (FR), Bioanalytik Muenster e.V. (DE), Tel-Aviv University (IL), Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS … Continue reading →