Newswise HOUSTON (Aug. 21, 2012) Thanks to a cousins warning that thoracic aortic disease ran in their family, Houstonian Pat Arthur discovered that he carried a genetic defect that could cause his aorta to dissect and rupture with little or no warning. He also learned that this particular defect resulted in an aggressive form of the disease and the growing aneurysm spotted with a scan needed to be surgically corrected sooner than later. It was life-saving information. Now a new clinic devoted to integrated care for aortic disease is able to merge personalized genetic information with clinical care at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The new clinic will provide state-of-the-art care of patients with aortic and other vascular disease, with a particular emphasis on managing the disease based on the underlying genetic alteration that is causing the disease. This is the epitome of personalized medicine, said Dianna M. Milewicz, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Medical Genetics and the President George H.W. Bush Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine at UTHealth. This is one of the first diseases that we can treat based on the underlying gene causing the disease. The Multidisciplinary Aortic and Vascular Disease … Continue reading →

This means that while a 20-year-old man passes on about 25 mutations through his sperm, in an average 40-year-old this will rise to about 65. Kari Stefansson, senior author of the study by DECODE Genetics, an Icelandic company, said: "All areas of the human genome were a mutation once upon a time, so all human variety is down to a mutation. "But one interesting aspect of this work is it shows us that the classic focus on the age of the mother and the health of the child is not sufficient. "The increasing age of the father has a much bigger impact on a child's health in a general way. Women are off the hook and we men are on it." Dr Allan Pacey, Chairman of the British Fertility Society, said: "It is a surprise to find that men transmit a higher number of mutations to their children than do women. "Whilst not wanting to scare the children of older fathers, information like this is important to understand and should remind us that nature designed us to have our children at a young age and if at all possible men and women should not delay parenthood if they are in … Continue reading →

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) Genetic testing firm VitaPath Genetics has raised about $5 million toward a financing round targeting $7.3 million, it said in a regulatory document recently. In a Form D filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the Foster City, Calif.-based company did not disclose how the proceeds would be used or the investors. Among the names listed as related persons are Dennis Gilbert, VitaPath's CEO, who formerly was a chief scientific officer and VP of research at Applied Biosystems; Richard Taylor, its CFO; and Rowan Chapman, a partner in venture capital firm Mohr Davidow and a VitaPath board member. The types of securities being offered, VitaPath said, are in the form of equity as well as preferred stock which will be converted into common stock. The company is developing genetic tests to reduce the risk of life-threatening diseases, according to its website. Its first product is a test for identifying risk factors associated with Spina bifida. Last year it inked a licensing deal providing Alere marketing rights for the test. VitaPath raised $6 million in a round of private financing in September 2009. Original post: Genetic Test Firm VitaPath Raises $5M … Continue reading →

Annual Scientific Meeting of the College of American Pathologists Gives Special Attention to Lung Cancer Newswise NORTHFIELD, ILL. New science in molecular diagnostics, personalized medicine, and genetic testing for cancer will be featured topics when more than 1,000 pathology leaders gather at the Manchester Grand Hyatt on September 9-12, 2012, for the annual scientific meeting of the College of American Pathologists (CAP). CAP 12THE Pathologists Meeting will highlight advances in anatomic and clinical pathology related to laboratory medicine with a special focus on pulmonary pathology, the diagnosis of lung disease. Revolutions in the molecular understanding of cancer have changed the way pathologists diagnose this disease and guide treatment, said CAP President Stanley J. Robboy, MD, FCAP. Today, the most effective treatment options are based on appropriate testing, accurate diagnosis, and a team approach to patient care one that includes the pathologist. Weve created a curriculum at our annual meeting for pathologists to keep current on the new diagnostic procedures that can enhance patient care. At CAP 12, expert pathologists from around the globe will lead educational seminars that provide practical tools, which pathologists can immediately incorporate into their practices. Hot topics include breakthroughs in the molecular testing of lung cancer, … Continue reading →

The Oakland University campus. ROCHESTER The Genetics Policy Institute, a leading promoter and defender of stem cell research across the U.S. and abroad, has announced its support as a major sponsor of the Second Midwest Conference on Stem Cell Biology and Therapy at Oakland University. Set for Oct. 5-7, the conference will welcome dozens of experts from around the world to discuss the latest advances in the discipline. In addition to professionals across the health care spectrum, the event is also open to interested members of the public. Exploring and expanding the leading edge of science and technology research are among the most important roles of a world-class university. With this in mind, OU is proud to host this very timely, relevant and influential event, said Oakland University President Gary Russi. Of course, another critical role of the nations universities is to stimulate dialogue on the most challenging issues of our time. Hosting an open and meaningful discussion of the ethical considerations surrounding stem cell research will be a key component to the broader success of this conference. For detailed information about the upcoming conference at Oakland University, visit http://www.oakland.edu/scbt. See more here: Support Growing For Stem Cell Research Conference … Continue reading →

A highly experimental stem cell study is starting to enroll participants today. The study will use stem cells from an autistic child's own umbilical cord blood, which was collected at birth, to hopefully treat language-related symptoms of the disorder. Approximately 30 children between the ages of 2 and 7 will be accepted into the trial. They must have autism and have cord blood banked at the local Cord Blood Registry, a private umbilical cord blood bank in San Bruno, California. "Our research is important because many people are going to foreign countries and spending a lot of money on therapy that may not be valid, Michael Chez, a pediatric neurologist and lead investigator of the study at the Sutter Neuroscience Institute in Sacramento, California, told Nature. "This is an exciting trial, because it's exposing us to the new frontier of stem cells and whether they may have some positive effect on this disease," Chez told the Sacramento Bee. "This is the start of a new age of research in stem cell therapies for chronic diseases such as autism." A similar study was previously conducted in China, with donated cord blood, and a third group is currently recruiting Mexican children for … Continue reading →

Stem cell treatment could lower inflammation levels and demonstrate whether autism is an autoimmune disease By Kathleen Raven Image: Nature News Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way... Read More By Kathleen Raven of Nature Medicine Families with autistic children must navigate a condition where questions outnumber the answers, and therapies remain sparse and largely ineffective. A clinical trial being conducted by the Sutter Neuroscience Institute in Sacramento, California to address this situation began recruiting participants today for a highly experimental stem cell therapy for autism. The institute plans to find 30 autistic children between ages 2 and 7 with cord blood banked at the privately-run Cord Blood Registry, located about 100 miles west of the institute. Already one other clinical trial, with 37 total participants between ages 3 and 12 years old, has been completed in China. The researchers affiliated with Beike Biotechnology in Shenzhen, the firm that sponsored the study, have not yet published any papers from that the trial, which used stem cells from donated cord blood. Mexican researchers are currently recruiting kids for yet another type of autism … Continue reading →

By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 10:16 EST, 22 August 2012 | UPDATED: 10:56 EST, 22 August 2012 A green tea extract has a potent effect on cancer cells in the lab A chemical found in green tea has been used to treat two types of skin cancer, scientists say. The extract is too weak to make an impact when consumed in tea. However, when applied to cancer cells in the lab it made two-thirds of tumours shrink or disappear. Scientists at the universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow, who carried out the research, found the extract, known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg),had no side-effects on other cells or tissue. They created a cell with EGCg and transferrin, a protein that naturally targets and latches on to the surface of cancer cells, and applied it to tumours. Tests were done on two types of skin cancer: epidermoid carcinoma which forms scales on the surface of the skin and melanoma which often develops in people who have moles on their skin. In both studies, 40 per cent of tumours vanished, while 30 per cent of tumours in carcinoma cases and 20 per cent in melanoma cases shrank. A further 10 per cent of melanoma … Continue reading →