Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise Salt Lake City, UT A national poll from the University of Utahs Huntsman Cancer Institute shows 34 percent of respondents would not seek genetic testing to predict their likelihood of developing a hereditary cancer even if the cost of the testing was not an issue. Concerns about employment and insurability were cited as the primary reason, even though current laws prohibit such discrimination. The poll also shows only 35 percent of respondents would be extremely or very likely to seek aggressive prophylactic or preventive treatment, such as a mastectomy, if they had a family history of cancer and genetic testing indicated a genetic pre-disposition to cancer. I see patients every week who could have taken steps to reduce their risk if theyd known theyd had a predisposition for a certain type of cancer. The best treatment for cancer is prevention, of which genetic testing plays an integral role, said Saundra Buys, M.D., co-director of the Family Cancer Assessment Clinic and medical director of the High Risk Cancer Research at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI), and professor of medicine at the University of Utah. In addition to educating the public about the important role … Continue reading →

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise PHILADELPHA - New research is lighting up yet another reason for women to quit smoking. In a study published online in the journal Menopause, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report the first evidence showing that smoking causes earlier signs of menopause in the case of heavy smokers, up to nine years earlier than average in white women with certain genetic variations. Though previous studies have shown that smoking hastens menopause by approximately one to two years regardless of race or genetic background, this study is the first of its kind to demonstrate that genetic background is significantly associated with a further increased risk of menopause in some white women who smoke. No statistically significant relationships between smoking, the gene variants under investigation and earlier menopause were observed in African American women. While symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, anxiety and insomnia can result in discomfort, embarrassment, and irritability, the onset of menopause is also associated with risks of coronary artery disease, osteoporosis, and death from all causes. On average, women enter menopause at around 50 years of age. However, the research team now reports … Continue reading →

(Image: Charles Vacanti and Koji Kojima, Harvard Medical School) Talk about speedy work. Hot on the heels of the news that simply dipping adult mouse cells in acid could turn them into cells with the potential to turn into any cell in the body, it appears that the same thing may have been done using human cells. The picture above, given to New Scientist by Charles Vacanti at Harvard Medical School, is said to be images of the first human "STAP cell" experiments. Last week, the scientific world was bowled over by a study in Nature showing that an acidic environment turned adult mouse cells into "totipotent" stem cells which can turn into any cell in the body or placenta. The researchers called these new totipotent cells stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP) cells. "If they can do this in human cells, it changes everything," Rob Lanza of Advanced Cell Technologies in Marlborough, Massachusetts, said at the time. The technique promises cheaper, quicker and potentially more flexible cells for regenerative medicine, cancer therapy and cloning. Now, Vacanti and his colleagues say they have taken human fibroblast cells and tested several environmental stressors on them in an attempt to recreate human STAP … Continue reading →

A bonus windfall from its Nasdaq float is enabling Cambridge UK medical technology business GW Pharmaceuticals to accelerate a development programme for childhood epilepsy in the US. Gover revealed: We believe our lead epilepsy product candidate, Epidiolex, has the potential to meet significant unmet needs in the treatment of orphan childhood epilepsy syndromes such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. With the new funds raised we have the financial strength to accelerate this development program whilst retaining global commercial rights. In addition to our orphan epilepsy programme, as we move through 2014, we expect a significant amount of milestones, including Phase 3 cancer pain data for Sativex as well as important clinical progress across our robust pipeline of cannabinoid product candidates. GW is investing heavily in its pipeline of cannabis-based products, as evidenced by the Q1 2014 results out today. Orphan drug designation for Epidiolex to treat Dravet syndrome has already been granted by the US FDA. Seven expanded access Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs) have been granted by the FDA to US physicians to treat with Epidiolex approximately 125 children suffering from intractable epilepsy syndromes. Other INDs have been submitted. Patients are starting treatment with Epidiolex in two expanded … Continue reading →

CBS SF Bay (con't) Affordable Care Act Updates: CBSSanFrancisco.com/ACA Health News & Information: CBSSanFrancisco.com/Health SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) Researchers at UCSF are on the cutting edge of testing a marijuana-based drug for the treatment of severe epilepsy in kids. Last April, UCSF was the first research hospital to start giving Epidiolex to kids. Results were so encouraging that last month kids as young as a year old were getting the drug to stem the seizures that come from severe epilepsy. Dr. Maria Roberta Cilio, PhD, who is the principal investigator for the multi-center study and director of research at the UCSF Pediatric Epilepsy Center, said better treatment for children with uncontrolled seizures is desperately needed. Epidiolex doesnt have THC in it, the substance in pot that makes you high. Instead, the drug included the non-psychoactive compound that offers medical benefits. This study will look at whether children will get the same benefits as adults from medical marijuana. Anecdotal accounts from parents find cannabis can calm seizures so much that some are looking to relocate to places like Colorado where they can legally purchase it. View post: UCSF Researchers Test Marijuana-Based Drug To Combat Child Epileptic Seizures … Continue reading →

ALMA, GA (CBS ATLANTA/ AP) - Jorge Ashe led his mom on a walk through the state capitol. "A few short years ago, that would have been disastrous," said Leah Ashe, Jorge's mother. Jorge is a 9-year-old who lives with autism. Ashe said when her son was first diagnosed she had little hope he would lead a normal life. "I was told he would never walk or talk. My first worry was for his future," Ashe said. Just going to school is a struggle. "Recess and lunch are the worst parts of the day for a child who can't stand loud noises, can't stand chaos, has difficulty finding his place in the world," Ashe said. After years of therapy, Jorge now reads at his third-grade level and plays football. But his gains came at a huge cost. "Tens of thousands of dollars," Ashe said. Link: Parents of kids with autism push lawmakers for more coverage … Continue reading →

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on February 4, 2014 Groundbreaking research suggests the treatment of depression before any apparent signs of cardiovascular disease can decrease the risk of future heart attacks and strokes by almost half. Jesse C. Stewart, Ph.D., of the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, says the research is the first to discover the potential cardiac benefit of depression care. Previous studies we and others have conducted indicate that depression is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. But past depression treatment studies involving cardiac patients have not shown the anticipated cardiovascular benefits. So we asked ourselves, what if we treated depression before the onset of cardiovascular disease? Could that cut the risk of heart attack and stroke? Our results suggest that the answer is yes, saidStewart. The researchers followed 235 older, clinically depressed patients who were randomly assigned to standard care or to a collaborative care program involving antidepressants and psychotherapy. Among the 168 patients with no cardiovascular disease at the start of the study, those who received collaborative care to treat their depression had a 48 percent lower risk of heart attack or stroke over the … Continue reading →