Public release date: 4-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Keith Darce darce.keith@scrippshealth.org 858-678-7121 Scripps Health SAN DIEGO Genetic sequencing technology is altering the way cancer is diagnosed and treated, but traditional specimen handling methods threaten to slow that progress. That's the message delivered this week in a column appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by Scripps Clinic physicians Eric Topol, Kelly Bethel and Laura Goetz. Dr. Topol is a cardiologist who serves as chief academic officer of Scripps Health and director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI), leading Scripps' genomic medicine research efforts. Dr. Bethel is a pathologist, and Dr. Goetz is a general surgeon and a researcher at STSI. "Deciding how best to obtain (tumor) samples and how best to process them for whole genome or exome sequencing is a pivotal yet unresolved issue with several layers of complexity," the doctors wrote. "As the new clinical applicability of genomics emerges at a fairly rapid rate, the field of pathology will arrive at a tipping point for a fundamental change in how cancer specimens are handled." Currently, tumor tissue obtained through a biopsy is fixed in formalin, a mixture of formaldehyde and water, … Continue reading →

Jan. 3, 2013 Research out of the George Washington University (GW), published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), reveals another piece of the puzzle in a genetic developmental disorder that causes behavioral diseases such as autism. Anthony-Samuel LaMantia, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and physiology at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and director of the GW Institute for Neuroscience, along with post-doctoral fellow Daniel Meechan, Ph.D. and Thomas Maynard, Ph.D., associate research professor of pharmacology and physiology at GW SMHS, authored the study titled "Cxcr4 regulation of interneuron migration is disrupted in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome." For the past nine years, LaMantia and his colleagues have been investigating how behavioral disorders such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and schizophrenia arise during early brain development. His work published in PNAS focuses specifically on the effects diminished 22q11.2 gene dosage has on cortical circuit development. This research shows for the first time that genetic lesions known to be associated with autism and other behavioral diseases disrupt cellular and molecular mechanisms that ensure normal development of a key type of cortical neuron: the interneuron. LaMantia and his colleagues had found previously that one type … Continue reading →

Jan. 4, 2013 Genetic sequencing technology is altering the way cancer is diagnosed and treated, but traditional specimen handling methods threaten to slow that progress. That's the message delivered this week in a column appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by Scripps Clinic physicians Eric Topol, Kelly Bethel and Laura Goetz. Dr. Topol is a cardiologist who serves as chief academic officer of Scripps Health and director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI), leading Scripps' genomic medicine research efforts. Dr. Bethel is a pathologist, and Dr. Goetz is a general surgeon and a researcher at STSI. "Deciding how best to obtain (tumor) samples and how best to process them for whole genome or exome sequencing is a pivotal yet unresolved issue with several layers of complexity," the doctors wrote. "As the new clinical applicability of genomics emerges at a fairly rapid rate, the field of pathology will arrive at a tipping point for a fundamental change in how cancer specimens are handled." Currently, tumor tissue obtained through a biopsy is fixed in formalin, a mixture of formaldehyde and water, and embedded in paraffin for microscopic viewing. However, because the chemical mixture damages DNA, sequencing tissue … Continue reading →

Cost of Stem Cell Therapy | Malaysia Stem Cell Therapy Cost stemcellmalaysia.com Stem cell therapy is not a cheap medical treatment. In fact, it is very expensive treatment to the majority of people. The high price of stem cell therapy becomes not only a deterrent to the majority but also creates room for non-medical sector to fill the void of demands for disease treatment. This video addresses the issues surrounding the cost of stem cell therapy, particularly in Malaysia. For more information on stem cell therapy, please visit Stem Cell Malaysia at stemcellmalaysia.com By: stemcells2012 … Continue reading →

Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013 Japanese researchers said Friday they succeeded in efficiently regenerating T cells capable of destroying melanoma from induced pluripotent stem cells, an achievement that could make cell-based anticancer therapy more powerful. The current cancer immunotherapy tries to stimulate the immune systems of patients to increase T cells, a type of lymphocyte, in their bodies. But its effects are limited because T cells do not increase dramatically. The researchers, headed by Hiroshi Kawamoto of the national research institute Riken, said their newly developed iPS-based method is efficient enough to mass produce T cells with specific functions. T cells have millions of variants with unique receptors, depending on their genetic configurations. T cells react to other cells by using the receptors on their surface. One type, cytotoxic T lymphocyte, is known to attack viruses and cancer cells. According to the Riken-led team's article published in the U.S. journal Cell Stem Cell, the group established iPS cells, which are premature cells that can develop into any type of tissue, from mature cytotoxic T cells specific for the melanoma epitope and differentiated the iPS cells into cells with a T cell receptor specific for the epitope. After stimulating the differentiated cells … Continue reading →

Jan. 3, 2013 Patients who have inherited a specific common genetic variant develop bladder cancer tumors that strongly express a protein known as prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), which is also expressed in many pancreatic and prostate tumors, according to research at the National Institutes of Health. A therapy targeting the PSCA protein on the tumor cell surface is under evaluation in clinical trials for prostate and pancreatic cancer. The researchers hope that this therapy will be tested in bladder cancer patients with the genetic variant, which could help to reduce potentially harmful side-effects, lower costs, and improve treatment efficacy. Every gene contains a very long string of DNA components termed nucleotides (referenced commonly as T, C, G or A). A single letter variation in the string of letters can lead to changes in cell development, resulting in cancer. In a previous study, the researchers identified a variant located in the PSCA gene on chromosome 8 as associated with bladder cancer susceptibility. The gene determines whether the corresponding protein is expressed in bladder tumor tissue. In the latest report, they found that the 'T' nucleotide that comprises a gene variant called rs2294008 is a strong predictor of PSCA protein expression. … Continue reading →