When a national organization of genetic specialists took a stab at clarifying one of the biggest issues facing the integration of DNA sequencing into medicine in March, the bold guidelines seemed destined to stir up a hornets nest of controversy. The recommendations suggested that patients who have their genomes sequenced should be told of select incidental findingsgenetic risk factors for conditions unrelated to the reason they got their DNA sequenced in the first place. In a major departure from current norms in the nascent field of genome sequencing, the group said patients should not have a choice about which risks they wanted to know. And risks for diseases that do not strike until adulthood were also to be disclosed to childrens parents, counter to the longstanding idea that it is important to preserve an open futuremeaning doctors should wait until the patients are old enough to decide for themselves whether they would like to know their risk of breast cancer, for example. Now, the responsecall it a backlash, call it a healthy debatehas begun, even as the guidelines begin to have an impact on the kind of testing being offered to patients. A critique was published last week in the … Continue reading →

Washington, May 23 (ANI): Scientists have identified four new genetic variants associated with an increased risk of testicular cancer. The study was conducted by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The discovery of the genetic variations could ultimately help researchers better understand which men are at high risk and allow for early detection or prevention of the disease. Katherine L. Nathanson, MD, associate professor in the division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics within the department of Medicine, said that certain chromosomal regions are tied into testicular cancer susceptibility, and represent a promising path to stratifying patients into risk groups-for a disease known to be highly heritable. Tapping into 3 genome-wide association studies (GWAS), the researchers, including Peter A. Kanetsky, PhD, MPH, an associate professor in the department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, analyzed 931 affected individuals and 1,975 controls and confirmed the results in an additional 3,211 men with cancer and 7,591 controls. The meta-analysis found that testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) risk was significantly associated with markers at four loci-4q22, 7q22, 16q22.3, and 17q22, none of which have been identified in other cancers. Additionally, these loci pose a higher risk than the vast … Continue reading →

May 12, 2013 A new study looking at the genomes of more than 13,000 men identified four new genetic variants associated with an increased risk of testicular cancer, the most commonly diagnosed type in young men today. The findings from this first-of-its-kind meta-analysis were reported online May 12 in Nature Genetics by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The discovery of these genetic variations -- chromosomal "typos," so to speak -- could ultimately help researchers better understand which men are at high risk and allow for early detection or prevention of the disease. "As we continue to cast a wider net, we identify additional genetic risk factors, which point to new mechanisms for disease," said Katherine L. Nathanson, MD, associate professor in the division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics within the department of Medicine. "Certain chromosomal regions, what we call loci, are tied into testicular cancer susceptibility, and represent a promising path to stratifying patients into risk groups -- for a disease we know is highly heritable." Tapping into three genome-wide association studies (GWAS), the researchers, including Peter A. Kanetsky, PhD, MPH, an associate professor in the department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, analyzed … Continue reading →

ALLENDALE, N.J. and WASHINGTON, May 13, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE MKT:NBS), a leader in the emerging cellular therapy industry, and its subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC ("PCT"), an internationally recognized contract development and manufacturing organization, announced today that PCT has entered into a Cell Therapy Processing Customer Agreement with MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. to provide autologous and allogeneic cellular therapy services for cellular products provided by MedStar Georgetown University Hospital ("MGUH") and deliver resulting cellular therapy products to MGUH for patient care. In April, Georgetown's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and the John Theurer Cancer Center, part of Hackensack University Medical Center ("HackensackUMC") in Hackensack, N.J., announced the establishment of an oncology affiliation arrangement between them to enhance patient access to innovative clinical trials, and is a significant step towards developing a clinical, translational and basic science cancer research consortium. In its agreement with PCT, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital will use the services of PCT for processing and storage of peripheral blood progenitor cells, donor leukocytes, bone marrow and cord blood, as well as requested assaying and storage of cellular therapy product, and retrieval and transportation logistics. "Akin to … Continue reading →

SAN DIEGO and IRVINE, Calif., May 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. ("STI"; SRNE) and IGDRASOL announced today the acquisition of exclusive distribution rights from Samyang Biopharmaceuticals ("Samyang"), a South Korean corporation, to Cynviloq (marketed as Genexol-PM in South Korea) in the 27 countries of European Union (EU). IGDRASOL had previously obtained the exclusive U.S. distribution rights to Cynviloq from Samyang, and with this agreement, Samyang again recognizes the ability of IGDRASOL's management team to leverage its domain expertise in nanomedicine for the development and commercialization of Cynviloq. STI has the right to acquire IGDRASOL pursuant to a previously-announced option agreement, entered into in March 2013. Cynviloq is a next-generation, branded, micellar diblock copolymeric paclitaxel formulation currently approved and marketed in several countries, including South Korea for Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC), Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and ovarian cancer. It has also completed Phase 2 studies for potential advancement into registration trials in the U.S. Preliminary data analysis from an ongoing MBC Phase 3 trial in South Korea has indicated a significantly improved overall response rate (ORR) for Cynviloq as compared to a solvent-based paclitaxel, a generic version of Taxol. More comprehensive data analyses will be presented at future medical … Continue reading →