Public release date: 16-Oct-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Stephanie Desmon sdesmon1@jhmi.edu 410-955-8665 Johns Hopkins Medicine Johns Hopkins scientists have developed new drugs that at least in a laboratory dish appear to halt the brain-destroying impact of a genetic mutation at work in some forms of two incurable diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and dementia. They made the finding by using neurons they created from stem cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), which are derived from the skin of people with ALS who have a gene mutation that interferes with the process of making proteins needed for normal neuron function. "Efforts to treat neurodegenerative diseases have the highest failure rate for all clinical trials," says Jeffrey D. Rothstein, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of neurology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and leader of the research described online in the journal Neuron. "But with this iPS technology, we think we can target an exact subset of patients with a specific mutation and succeed. It's individualized brain therapy, just the sort of thing that has been done in cancer, but not yet in neurology." Scientists in 2011 discovered that more than 40 percent … Continue reading →

NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- NEW YORK, NY (October 16, 2013) Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York (RMA of New York), a Manhattan-based infertility clinic, in conjunction with Celmatix Inc., a New York City-based biotech firm, announced today their significant research progress toward the identification of novel genetic markers that may aid in the understanding of unexplained female infertility. The findings from their study, "Whole Genome Sequencing for Female Infertility Biomarker Discovery," were presented in a poster session at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), taking place October 12th through the 17th in Boston, Massachusetts. "Given recent advances in fertility preservation technologies such as egg freezing, there is great value in discovering biomarkers to identify women who are at risk for infertility," said Alan Copperman, MD, a study co-author and founding partner of RMA of New York. "Ultimately, personalized genetic markers like those identified in this study will give physicians the ability to rapidly diagnose female infertility, streamline fertility treatments, and better and more efficiently help patients achieve reproductive success." RMA of New York and Celmatix have partnered to discover genetic biomarkers that could be predictive of infertility and to make better … Continue reading →

Oct. 16, 2013 Examining 12 major types of cancer, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified 127 repeatedly mutated genes that appear to drive the development and progression of a range of tumors in the body. The discovery sets the stage for devising new diagnostic tools and more personalized cancer treatments. The research, published Oct. 17 in Nature, shows that some of the same genes commonly mutated in certain cancers also occur in seemingly unrelated tumors. For example, a gene mutated in 25 percent of leukemia cases in the study also was found in tumors of the breast, rectum, head and neck, kidney, lung, ovary and uterus. Based on the findings, the researchers envision that a single test that surveys errors in a swath of cancer genes eventually could become part of the standard diagnostic workup for most cancers. Results of such testing could guide treatment decisions for patients based on the unique genetic signatures of their tumors. New insights into cancer are possible because of advances in genome sequencing that enable scientists to analyze the DNA of cancer cells on a scale that is much faster and less expensive today than even a few … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Good Start Genetics, Inc.,an innovative molecular diagnostics company harnessing a powerful, proprietary next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) capability, today announced that new data further exemplifying the clinical value of the GoodStart SelectTM carrier screening test were presented this week at the at the 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Annual Meeting being held in conjunction with the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS). The data demonstrate that 8.4% of carriers of genetic diseases would have been missed using other available technologies. Accurate carrier screening provides couples with the personalized genetic information needed to best understand the risks of conceiving a child with a debilitating or fatal inherited disease prior to becoming pregnant, stated Don Hardison, president and chief executive officer of Good Start Genetics. Our goal is to deliver the premier solution for genetic screening in reproductive medicine, and be the preferred partner for the development of clinically relevant and commercially viable NGS-based diagnostics in reproductive medicine and beyond. These data further reinforce the differentiated accuracy and clinical relevance our product brings to the carrier screening market and to couples seeking to make informed decisions prior to undertaking the financial and emotional investment of in-vitro fertilization. Enhanced … Continue reading →

Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis say it may someday be possible to perform a single test to screen for a wide range of cancer types. Scientists led by Dr. Li Ding have analyzed the DNA of 3,281 tumors to find 127 repeatedly mutated genes that appear to drive the growth of a range of cancers. Thanks to recent advances in genome sequencing that allow scientists to analyze DNA faster and more affordably than ever before, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis say they have found that many types of cancer are driven by the same genetic mutations. The scientists have been able to analyze 3,281 tumors to find 127 genes that repeatedly mutate in such a way as to drive the development of tumors in the body. Previous genome studies have tended to home in on specific tumor types, but the work out of St. Louis, which appears this week in the journal Nature, is among the first to look at a wide range of what are sometimes seemingly unrelated tumor types. In fact, the thousands of tumors they analyzed included 12 major cancers: of the breast, uterus, bladder, kidney, ovary, lung, brain, blood, … Continue reading →

Dr. K. Krishnaiah talks about Stem Cell therapy to TV7 Mediciti Hospitals is bringing to India a novel stem-cell based technique for "cartilage regeneration" which can replace knee replacement procedures. Our chi... By: Mediciti Hospitals … Continue reading →

Purtier Placenta Live Stem Cell Therapy Miracle - Mr Lee Kay Hoy - Osteoporosis, Sensitive Nose Purtier Placenta Live Stem Cell Therapy Miracle - Mr Lee Kay Hoy - Osteoporosis, Sensitive Nose For more information please email us with your contact number... By: Purtier Placenta Singapore Original … Continue reading →

Oct. 17, 2013 A Waisman Biomanufacturing specialist examines cells in a culture in the cell therapy clean room. The UW-Madison Waisman Center opened Waisman Biomanufacturing to ease the research and development of biological products and drugs. Photo: Waisman Biomanufacturing Developing a new drug takes enormous amounts of time, money and skill, but the bar is even higher for a promising stem-cell therapy. Many types of cells derived from these ultra-flexible parent cells are moving toward the market, but the very quality that makes stem cells so valuable also makes them a difficult source of therapeutics. "The ability to form many types of specialized cells is at the essence of why we are so interested in stem cells, but this pluripotency is not always good," says Derek Hei, director of Waisman Biomanufacturing, a facility in the Waisman Center at UW-Madison. "The cells we can make from stem cells cells for the heart, brain and liver have amazing potential, but you can also end up with the wrong type of cell. If the cells are not fully differentiated, they can end up differentiating into the wrong cell type," Hei says. Derek Hei Just like drugs, stem cells for clinical trials must be … Continue reading →