ScienceDaily (Sep. 4, 2012) Scientists on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have designed a compound that shows promise as a potential therapy for one of the diseases closely linked to fragile X syndrome, a genetic condition that causes mental retardation, infertility, and memory impairment, and is the only known single-gene cause of autism. The study, published online ahead of print in the journal ACS Chemical Biology September 4, 2012, focuses on tremor ataxia syndrome, which usually affects men over the age of 50 and results in Parkinson's like-symptoms -- trembling, balance problems, muscle rigidity, as well as some neurological difficulties, including short-term memory loss and severe mood swings. With fragile X syndrome, tremor ataxia syndrome, and related diseases, the root of the problem is a structural motif known as an "expanded triplet repeat" -- in which a series of three nucleotides are repeated more times than normal in the genetic code of affected individuals. This defect, located in the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene, causes serious problems with the processing of RNA. "While there is an abundance of potential RNA drug targets in disease, no one has any idea how to identify or design small … Continue reading →

By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 12:03 EST, 4 September 2012 | UPDATED: 02:38 EST, 5 September 2012 Patients with broken spines have reported having feeling restored to areas that had previously been paralysed, after receiving stem cell injections. Scientists said they were 'encouraged' after two of three patients injected with donated foetal brain tissue responded to treatment at Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland. Each patient had around 20million neural stem cells delivered directly into their injured spinal cords between four and eight months after they were injured. Early tests suggest stem cells could restore feeling to people with damaged spinal cords Before the treatment none of the patients could feel anything below the nipples. Just three months after therapy two of the patients reported feeling some sensation. By six months they could detect both touch and heat between the chest and belly button. The third patient detected no changes. Stephen Huhn, vice president of StemCells in Newark, California, that is developing the treatment told the New Scientist: 'The face we've seen responses to light touch, heat and electrical impulses so far down in two of the patients is very unexpected. 'They're really close to normal in those areas now … Continue reading →

NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), a cell therapy company, today announced that Company management of a NeoStem company, Progenitor Cell Therapy ("PCT"), an internationally recognized contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has been invited to present on its core expertise in development of commercial manufacturing processes for cell therapy at two cell therapy conferences in September. At each, PCT will offer its unique perspective as an industry leader in contract development and manufacturing of cell therapy products, with over 12 years of exclusive cell-therapy focused experience. Timothy Fong, Ph.D, M.B.A, PCT's Vice President, Technology and Product Development, will be sharing PCT's expertise in cell therapy manufacturing with a focus on commercialization. At IBC Life Sciences' Cell Therapy Bioprocessing Conference, he will chair a panel on quality assurance and controls and will give a presentation entitled "From Concept to Product: Considerations for Developing a Robust Commercial Manufacturing Process", which will include considerations for developing a robust commercial manufacturing process. He will also speak at the Stem Cells USA and Regenerative Medicine Congress on "Cell manufacturing considerations for first-in-world stem cell therapeutics". Dr. Fong stated, "As a cell therapeutic progresses from concept … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6nn7cl/nanobiotechnology) has announced the addition of Jain PharmaBiotech's new report "Nanobiotechnology Applications, Markets and Companies" to their offering. Nanotechnology is the creation and utilization of materials, devices, and systems through the control of matter on the nanometer-length scale (a nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Nanobiotechnology, an integration of physical sciences, molecular engineering, biology, chemistry and biotechnology holds considerable promise of advances in pharmaceuticals and healthcare. The report starts with an introduction to various techniques and materials that are relevant to nanobiotechnology. It includes some of the physical forms of energy such as nanolasers. Some of the technologies are scaling down such as microfluidics to nanofluidic biochips and others are constructions from bottom up. Application in life sciences research, particularly at the cell level sets the stage for role of nanobiotechnology in healthcare in subsequent chapters. Some of the earliest applications are in molecular diagnostics. Nanoparticles, particularly quantum dots, are playing important roles. In vitro diagnostics, does not have any of the safety concerns associated with the fate of nanoparticles introduced into the human body. Numerous nanodevices and nanosystems for sequencing single molecules of DNA are feasible. Various nanodiagnostics that have been reviewed will … Continue reading →