SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Oct 1, 2012) - The life sciences sector continued to outperform the broader markets in September, but developments during the month were notable for highlighting the acceleration of the transformation of healthcare through personalized medicine, Burrill & Company says. "Our healthcare system is dysfunctional and has largely been unchanged through human history in its episodic approach that focuses on treating the symptoms of illness," says G. Steven Burrill, CEO of Burrill & Company, a diversified global financial services firm. "Although personalized medicine's transformation of healthcare is an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary process, the events of the past month point to a rapid acceleration of efforts to make medicine personalized, predictive, and pre-emptive and promises to bend the cost-curve of healthcare in a meaningful way." The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center's announced an ambitious $3 billion Cancer Moon Shots Program, which seeks to develop new diagnostics, devices, drugs, and policies to detect, prevent, and treat cancer by capitalizing on the convergence of low-cost sequencing, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies. September also saw a number of developments on the sequencing front. Chinese sequencing giant BGI-Shenzhen announced a $117.6 million acquisition of the struggling next-generation … Continue reading →

Washington, Oct 1 (IANS) Going deaf? Blame a genetic mutation, linked with Usher syndrome type 1, says the latest finding, which could help develop more effective ways of treating this syndrome. Usher syndrome is a genetic defect that causes deafness, night-blindness and a loss of peripheral vision through the progressive degeneration of the retina. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre, partnered the study with the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Kentucky, the journal Nature Genetics reports. "Researchers were able to pinpoint the gene which caused deafness in Usher syndrome type 1 as well as deafness that is not associated with the syndrome through the genetic analysis of 57 humans from Pakistan and Turkey," says Zubair Ahmed, assistant professor of ophthalmology from Cincinnati Children's and the study's lead investigator. Ahmed says that a protein, called CIB2, which binds to calcium within a cell, is associated with deafness in Usher syndrome type 1 and non-syndromic hearing loss. "To date, mutations affecting CIB2 are the most common and prevalent genetic cause of non-syndromic hearing loss in Pakistan," he says, according to a Cincinnati statement. "With … Continue reading →

NOKOMIS, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- As part of Rainbow Coral Corp.s mission to deliver effective new cures for traumatic brain injury, the company is investigating promising research on the potential of stem cell therapy to improve the lives of millions suffering from the affliction. Scientists within the U.S. medical community have begun to see positive results from the treatment of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) through the use of stem cells. Significant improvements are seen between three to six months after treatment in brain injury patients. RBCC is working hard to capitalize on the growing demand for effective treatments for TBI, Parkinsons and other neurological health issues. RBCC is continuing discussions with the license holders for a NASA-developed bioreactor that assists in the expansion of adult stem cells. Such treatments could give RBCC access to markets in excess of $100 billion. Rainbow BioSciences is dedicated to developing new medical and research technology innovations to compete alongside companies such as Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN),Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTIC), Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) andAffymax, Inc.(NASDAQ:AFFY). For more information on Rainbow BioSciences, please visit http://www.rainbowbiosciences.com/investors. Follow us on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/RBCCinfo. About Rainbow BioSciences Rainbow BioSciences is a division ofRainbow Coral Corp.(OTCBB:RBCC). The company continually seeks out new … Continue reading →

For more than 40 years, Lesley Kelly of Glasgow, Scotland, lived with third-degree burns that stretched over 60 percent of her body. Kelly was 2 years old when she fell into a bathtub filled with hot water that scorched most of the right side of her body. She lost full range of motion around many of her joints. "When you have bad scarring, the buildup is very thick and has no elasticity," said Kelly, 45, whose right elbow was most affected by the buildup of scar tissue. "The problem with thermal burn scarring [is that] it's hard to get the range of motion." Kelly underwent numerous reparative surgeries through the years, but the scar tissue continued to grow back. The procedures did not lessen the look of her scars. In 2011, Kelly underwent a new, experimental procedure that used stem cells from her own fat tissue to repair the buildup around her right elbow. Surgeons cleaned the scar buildup around the elbow and used liposuction to pull fat from off Kelly's waist. They separated the fat cells from the stem and regenerative cells, which were then injected into the wound on Kelly's arm. The procedure took less than two hours. … Continue reading →

Lesley Kelly, 45, underwent stem cell therapy to repair scar tissue buildup in her right arm. (Cytori Therapeutics, Inc.) By Lara Salahi, ABC News For more than 40 years, Lesley Kelly of Glasgow, Scotland, lived with third-degree burns that stretched over 60 percent of her body. Kelly was 2 years old when she fell into a bathtub filled with hot water that scorched most of the right side of her body. She lost full range of motion around many of her joints. "When you have bad scarring, the buildup is very thick and has no elasticity," said Kelly, 45, whose right elbow was most affected by the buildup of scar tissue. "The problem with thermal burn scarring [is that] it's hard to get the range of motion." Kelly underwent numerous reparative surgeries through the years, but the scar tissue continued to grow back. The procedures did not lessen the look of her scars. In 2011, Kelly underwent a new, experimental procedure that used stem cells from her own fat tissue to repair the buildup around her right elbow. Surgeons cleaned the scar buildup around the elbow and used liposuction to pull fat from off Kelly's waist. They separated the fat … Continue reading →

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - Oct 1, 2012) - Oct. 3 marks International Stem Cell Awareness Day, a global celebration where leading scientists, researchers and supporters will acknowledge the scientific advances of stem cell research and its ability to potentially treat a variety of diseases and injuries in the 21st century. This dedicated community is committed to unlocking the potential of stem cells and has made significant strides since the discovery of a method to grow human stem cells less than 15 years ago. "This is a critical and historic time for stem cell research," said Peter Donovan, Ph.D., director, Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, UC Irvine. "We're literally on the brink of developing new treatments for some of the world's most devastating diseases and injuries. The act of simply raising awareness about this research is one of the best things people can do to help accelerate the process. This event is a great opportunity for everyone to help spread the word and build momentum through a timely mass effort." Scientists at UC Irvine and other research facilities around the globe continue to work diligently to develop therapies to treat life threatening and debilitating conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, … Continue reading →

HOUSTON, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The Houston Stem Cell Summit will host an extraordinary lineup of keynote speakers who represent the most accomplished stem cell scientists, clinicians and entrepreneurs in the United States. Joining these distinguished speakers will be Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, consistent champion of adult stem cell therapies. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120831/NY66463LOGO ) The Houston Stem Cell Summit will be held October 26 27 in its namesake city and will highlight the latest therapeutic research regarding the use of adult stem and progenitor cell therapies. The Summit will also provide a forum for entrepreneurs to discuss their latest efforts to commercialize stem cell therapies, and to debate and discuss FDA and other legal and regulatory issues impacting stem cell research and commercialization. Opening Keynote Address October 26, 2012 Arnold I. Caplan, PhD, Professor of Biology and Professor of General Medical Sciences (Oncology) Case Western Reserve University Dr. Caplan has helped shape the direction and focus of adult stem cell research and commercialization. Virtually every adult stem cell company and literally tens of thousands of research papers are based on Dr. Caplan's original and ground breaking research. Professor Caplan is considered to be the "father" of the mesenchymal stem cell … Continue reading →