May 21, 2013 Johns Hopkins researchers say they have discovered specific chemical alterations in two genes that, when present during pregnancy, reliably predict whether a woman will develop postpartum depression. The epigenetic modifications, which alter the way genes function without changing the underlying DNA sequence, can apparently be detected in the blood of pregnant women during any trimester, potentially providing a simple way to foretell depression in the weeks after giving birth, and an opportunity to intervene before symptoms become debilitating. The findings of the small study involving 52 pregnant women are described online in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. "Postpartum depression can be harmful to both mother and child," says study leader Zachary Kaminsky, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "But we don't have a reliable way to screen for the condition before it causes harm, and a test like this could be that way." It is not clear what causes postpartum depression, a condition marked by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, exhaustion and anxiety that begins within four weeks of childbirth and can last weeks, several months or up to a year. An estimated 10 to 18 percent … Continue reading →

Public release date: 21-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Mark Couch mark.couch@ucdenver.edu 303-724-5377 University of Colorado Denver AURORA, Colo. (May 21, 2013) A paper recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine and co-written by physicians and scientists at the University of Colorado School of Medicine finds that an important genetic risk factor for pulmonary fibrosis can be used to identify individuals at risk for this deadly lung disease. Researchers looked at a fairly common variant of the gene for mucin-5B, a protein that is a component of the mucous produced by the bronchial tubes. While this variant of the MUC5B gene is fairly common, pulmonary fibrosis is an uncommonly reported disease. In a review of CT scans of more than 2,600 adults who did not have a clinical diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis, researchers found imaging evidence of lung inflammation and scarring in about 9 percent of those over age 50. In this age group, these abnormal findings on CT scans were significantly more common among the 21 percent people with the MUC5B genetic variant. Importantly, definite lung fibrosis seen on CT scan was strongly associated with the MUC5B genetic variant. While these abnormalities do not necessarily … Continue reading →

Public release date: 21-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Mark Couch mark.couch@ucdenver.edu 303-724-5377 University of Colorado Denver AURORA, Colo. (May 21, 2013) Research into genetic features of pulmonary fibrosis by physicians and scientists at the University of Colorado School of Medicine may lead to improved treatment of this deadly lung disease, according to a paper published online by JAMA. The study found that a particular genetic variation helps predict survival in some cases of pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic progressive disease with a median survival of three years. As a result of the study, researchers may want to consider including genetic testing in future clinical trials. The researchers looked at whether the MUC5B promoter polymorphism, which previously was found to be associated with developing the disease, is also associated with survival time for individuals with pulmonary fibrosis. MUC5B is a protein that is a component of the mucous produced by the bronchial tubes. Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition where lung tissue becomes thickened, stiff and scarred. The investigators found that genetic changes in the MUC5B gene are associated with marked improvement in survival among patients with pulmonary fibrosis. This represents the first genetic test that can be used to … Continue reading →

Stem Cell Breakthrough Summarized by OHSU's Dr. Shoukhrat Mitalipov Scientists at Oregon Health Science University and the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) have successfully reprogrammed human skin cells to b... By: OHSUvideo … Continue reading →

JUPITER, Fla., May 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. ("BRT" or the "Company") (OTC BB: BRTX), a life sciences company focused on developing stem cell based therapies for various personal applications, announced that Mark Weinreb, its President and CEO, will be presenting at the Marcum MicroCap Conference. The conference will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2013 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, located at 109 E 42nd Street in New York City. Mr. Weinreb's presentation will take place at 2:30 ET in room six. To listen to the webcast, please visit http://wsw.com/webcast/marcum/brtx. The event will host nearly 100 publicly traded companies with capitalizations under $500 million. It is anticipated that the conference will be attended by more than 1,000 persons, including senior personnel from the presenting public companies, leading institutional investors, directors, bankers and service providers to the microcap marketplace. The conference will also feature panels on subjects highly relevant to small-cap corporate finance. For full event details and registration information, please go to: http://www.marcumllp.com/microcap About BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. ("BRT"), http://www.biorestorative.com, develops medical procedures using cell and tissue protocols, primarily involving adult stem cells, designed for patients to undergo minimally invasive cellular-based treatments. BRT is developing the … Continue reading →

PITTSTON, ME--(Marketwired - May 21, 2013) - YaFarm Technologies, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: YFRM) (YaFarm) is pleased to announce the completion of its acquisition of the Integrative Stem Cell Institute (the ISCI). The new company, to be called "the Integrative Stem Cell Institute," will continue the pioneering work of the ISCI in the field of cell-based regenerative medicine. The ISCI will be housed in Cancun's Hospital Galenia and will combine a world-class medical facility with a state-of-the-art laboratory in the investigational treatments of patients with chronic and degenerative diseases as part of controlled clinical studies. The new company will provide point-of-care therapies based upon cell-based, regenerative medicine. The company will focus on the treatment of patients with limited or no options, and who suffer from diseases for which current medicine provides little or no alleviation. The ISCI combines a state-of-the-art, ISO 7 laboratory with cell-based treatments and nutritional, occupational, physical and hyperbaric oxygen therapies to provide a unique and highly integrative medical approach. Juan Castillo, MD, founder of the ISCI, said, "Combining these two companies has allowed the ISCI to advance quickly into a global leadership position in this emerging field. Regenerative medicine is the future of patient care." Dr. Castillo continued, … Continue reading →

A blind man had his vision restored by an experimental stem cell treatment -- going from 20/400 to 20/40. Intermediate age-related macular degeneration in a human eye. (Credit National Eye Institute/National Institutes of Health) People undergoing an experimental stem-cell treatment have experienced modest improvements in their vision since the trial began in 2011, but one man had his vision restored from 20/400 -- basically blind -- to 20/40. "There's a guy walking around who was blind, but now can see," said Gary Rabin, CEO of Advanced Cell Technology, the Massachusetts company that devised the treatment. "With that sort of vision, you can have a driver's license." The man was taking part in a trial examining the safety of using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to reverse two common causes of blindness, reports New Scientist. In all, ACT has treated 22 patients who either have dry age-related macular degeneration, a common condition that leaves people with a black hole in the centre of their vision, or Stargardt's macular dystrophy, an inherited disease that leads to premature blindness. In both diseases, people gradually lose retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. These cells recycle protein and lipid debris that accumulates on the retina, and … Continue reading →