October 11, 2013 Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online Using a genomic analysis, a team of international researchers has identified a specific mutation responsible for a dramatic increase in the risk for testicular cancer. The mutation is a single-base change to the genetic code that affects the activity of the p53 protein that is responsible for regulating the activity of a large number of genes, including those responsible for protection from UV rays according to the teams report in the journal Cell. Knowing the inherited genetics of cancer has great potential in medicine, said study author Gareth Bond, a researcher at Oxford Universitys Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. It can aid the development of tests to predict the risk of developing particular malignancies. It can also tell physicians about the likely prognosis of cancers, and inform therapeutic choices, improving management of the disease. About half of all cancers are affiliated with mutations in the p53 gene. Because the p53 protein activates a wide range of cancer-related signaling pathways, the study team hypothesized that cancer risk could be linked to genetic variations for p53-binding sites. The single-based change, known as a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), was discovered after the team … Continue reading →

NEWARK, Calif., Oct. 10, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CellScape Corp, a molecular diagnostics company developing the first noninvasive prenatal genetic test using fetal cells from maternal blood, today announced that it is supporting a workshop with leading experts in the field of prenatal testing at the upcoming National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) 32nd Annual Education Conference (AEC). The session, "Comprehensive Prenatal Genetic Testing: Is Chromosomal Microarray Analysis the New Standard?", will take place Friday, October 11, 2013 at 7:00 AM PT at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. "Options for prenatal diagnostic testing continue to evolve as new technologies including chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) become available. A recent study supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has validated the utility of CMA in providing more information than the current standard of karyotype analysis," said Ted Snelgrove, Chief Executive Officer, CellScape. "In response to needs expressed by genetic counselors, we are pleased to support this educational session to examine the benefits and challenges of implementing CMA as a prenatal test." The speakers scheduled to participate include Mary Norton, MD, FACMG, FACOG, Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical and Translational Genetics in the Department of … Continue reading →

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 10, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (ASTM), the leading developer of patient-specific expanded multicellular therapies for the treatment of severe chronic cardiovascular diseases, today announced that Nick Colangelo, President and CEO of Aastrom, will present at the 3rd Annual Regenerative Medicine Partnering Forum at the 2013 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa conference on Monday, October 14 at 10:30 a.m. PDT at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel in San Diego, CA. A copy of the presentation will be available on the company's website at http://investors.aastrom.com/events.cfm. Organized by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, the 2013 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa is a three-day conference aimed at bringing together senior members of the regenerative medicine industry with the scientific research community to advance stem cell science into cures. The Regenerative Medicine Partnering Forum at the Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa is the only partnering meeting organized specifically for the regenerative medicine industry. About Aastrom Biosciences Aastrom Biosciences is the leader in developing patient-specific, expanded multicellular therapies for use in the treatment of patients with severe, chronic cardiovascular diseases. The … Continue reading →

Poway, California (PRWEB) October 10, 2013 Vet-Stem, Inc. proudly announces the publication of the most recent Food and Drug Law Institute Primer covering Food and Drug Administrations Regulation of Veterinary Drug Products, which includes a chapter authored by Vet-Stems Founder and CEO, Robert J. Harman, DVM, MVPM. Dr. Harman worked closely with Karl M. Nobert JD, MBA to compose the chapter on FDAs Possible Regulation of Veterinary Stem Cell Therapy. Some of the main points from this chapter are that commercialization has thus far utilized autologous stem cells and allogeneic use of all sources of stem cells is still in the research phase, and currently no products on the market in the United States have Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Also, Dr. Harman suggests, Adopting quality controls based on a combination of FDAs human current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) and Good Tissue Practice (cGTP) would represent an appropriate quality system to mitigate the risk of contamination and infection; and ensure the production of a safe product. Dr. Harmans experience in authoring more than 500 contract study reports for animal health companies throughout the world and for submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture … Continue reading →

NEWARK, Calif., Oct. 10, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (STEM), the leading stem cell company developing novel cell-based therapeutics for disorders of the central nervous system, announced today that Ann Tsukamoto, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Scientific and Strategic Alliances at StemCells, will make the keynote address at the Scientific Symposium of the 2013 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa, to be held October 14-16 in La Jolla, Calif. In her address, "Human Neural Stem Cells from Discovery to Clinic," Dr. Tsukamoto will describe the compelling preclinical data that underlie the Company's clinical trials targeting disorders in the brain, spinal cord, and eye, and the encouraging early data from these clinical trials. Dr. Tsukamoto is scheduled to speak at 8:05 a.m. Pacific Time on October 16, at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. "Harnessing the potential of cell-based therapy presents many challenges," said Dr. Tsukamoto. "We at StemCells have taken a meticulous approach to developing our proprietary neural stem cell technology. We have carefully followed the science, and have generated and published a robust body of scientific data, including a number of preclinical proof-of-principle studies in well-accepted animal models. The early clinical data from a number of our Phase I/II … Continue reading →

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have developed a new technique for creating stem cells of the human liver and pancreas a breakthrough that could significantly transform the future of transplant therapies. The novel method involves altering the signal pathways of cells specific to the human foregut the upper portion of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Through this manipulation, researchers were able to stop the cells from developing fully and push them into a state of constant self-renewal. As a result, these foregut stem cells can then be further amplified by physicians, who can then form them into liver or pancreatic cells. These cells could potentially be used to treat damaged organs or tissue, in addition to conditions such as type 1 diabetes or metabolic liver disease. According to the researchers, their technique improves upon existing methods for creating liver or pancreatic stem cells, which sometimes do not yield enough cells for transplantation. We had identified that problem going forward: There is no process to amplify a population of cells that can be used for transplant therapy, lead author Dr. Nicholas Hannan, from the University of Cambridge Wellcome Trust MRC Stem Cell Institute, told FoxNews.com. We thought if we could develop … Continue reading →

Selecta Biosciences | Our Nanomedicine Technology: Targeted Immunotherapies and Vaccines Werner Cautreels, CEO of Selecta Biosciences, provides an overview of Selecta's approach to developing a new class of next-generation vaccines and immunother... By: Selecta Biosciences … Continue reading →