SAN DIEGO, April 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM - News), a life sciences company providing innovative genetic analysis solutions, today announced an agreement with MultiPlan, Inc., the nation's leading provider of healthcare cost management solutions (PHCS). Under this expanded agreement, Sequenom's participation in the PHCS and MultiPlan networks will now include its Center for Molecular Medicine's MaterniT21 PLUS laboratory-developed test to detect certain fetal trisomies in women at increased risk of carrying a child with one of these chromosomal abnormalities. More than 900,000 providers participate in MultiPlan's networks. "We are very pleased to extend our relationship with MultiPlan, giving their clients' members and their network of participating providers access to the MaterniT21 PLUS test," said Harry F. Hixson, Jr., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, Sequenom, Inc. "Of the many important decisions to make in a high-risk pregnancy, the coverage of a valuable noninvasive prenatal test will be a relief to many expectant families." The MaterniT21 PLUS test is intended for use in pregnant women at increased risk for fetal aneuploidy and can be used as early as 10 weeks gestation. In the United States, there are an estimated 750,000 such high-risk pregnancies each year. Results of the MaterniT21 … Continue reading →

Public release date: 18-Apr-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Raquel Maurier raquel.maurier@ualberta.ca 780-492-5986 University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry (Edmonton) A medical researcher at the University of Alberta is working with scientists from across North America to find out if there are genetic markers for autism. More than 15 scientists will examine DNA samples from children with autism and their infant siblings to see if the siblings are at high risk. And if siblings are at high risk for developing autism, could intervention start before symptoms develop? If theres a family of a child with autism, they of course wonder what the risk for the younger infant is, says Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, a U of A researcher with the Department of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, who is the principal investigator for the two-year study. We want to know if its possible to use genetic biomarkers as a way of giving these families a more accurate estimate of what that siblings risk is. If there was a way of using genetic biomarkers to identify infants at high-risk before the more overt manifestations of autism were obvious, it would really open the door to provide … Continue reading →

18-04-2012 09:35 Video update that includes Holly Catalano crawling after her second stem cell treatment at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama. At the end of the video is additional footage showing Holly walking along furniture after her third treatment. Holly suffers from periventricular leukomalacia, a disorder which is similar to CP. See the rest here: Stem Cell Treatment for Cerebral Palsy - 3rd Treatment Update Holly Catalano - Video … Continue reading →

Lifesaving stem cell treatments must be offered in Ireland, says expert By Sen McCrthaigh Thursday, April 19, 2012 Ireland is seriously lagging behind most other countries in offering live-saving treatments provided by the use of adult stem cells, a leading international medical expert has warned. Colin McGuckin called on the Government and health authorities to facilitate the wider collection and storage of stem cells from umbilical cord blood in Ireland. Prof McGuckin who is advisor to the Vatican on stem cells and a director of the Cell Therapy Research Institute in Lyon, France is director of the Adult Stem Cell Foundation of Ireland, which was formally launched yesterday. "Treatments which are available in other countries must come to Ireland," said Mr McGuckin. He also expressed fears the lack of stem cell therapies here could force people to seek unregulated care abroad. Presently, none of Irelands three main maternity hospitals allow for the collection of adult stem cells from umbilical cords except in high-risk cases. The only facility which allows the practice is Mount Carmel Hospital in Dublin. All adult stem cells collected are sent abroad for storage. Mr McGuckin said adult stem cells could be used in the treatment of … Continue reading →

Public release date: 19-Apr-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Tim Hawkins Tim.Hawkins@vai.org 616-234-5519 Van Andel Research Institute Grand Rapids, Mich. (April 19, 2012 ) Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered a new stem cell in the adult brain. These cells can proliferate and form several different cell types - most importantly, they can form new brain cells. Scientists hope to take advantage of the finding to develop methods to heal and repair disease and injury in the brain. Analyzing brain tissue from biopsies, the researchers for the first time found stem cells located around small blood vessels in the brain. The cell's specific function is still unclear, but its plastic properties suggest great potential. "A similar cell type has been identified in several other organs where it can promote regeneration of muscle, bone, cartilage and adipose tissue," said Patrik Brundin, M.D., Ph.D., Jay Van Andel Endowed Chair in Parkinson's Research at Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), Head of the Neuronal Survival Unit at Lund University and senior author of the study. In other organs, researchers have shown clear evidence that these types of cells contribute to repair and wound healing. Scientists suggest that the curative properties … Continue reading →

By Ryan Flinn - Wed Apr 18 18:00:00 GMT 2012 Nanoparticles laced with a medicine for Tylenol poisoning and sent into the brains of baby rabbits eased symptoms of cerebral palsy, according a study that points to a potential approach for treating humans with the disorder. Using nanoparticles called dendrimers, researchers were able to penetrate the brains natural barriers to deliver a medicine into the animals, quelling the inflammation that can lead to cerebral palsy, according to research published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Cerebral palsy, a lifelong neurological disorder that affects movement, is caused by an abnormality to an infants brain that occurs in the womb or early in life. In the study, newborn rabbits with the condition were injected with the therapy, and within five days showed significant improvement in their ability to move, as well as reduced inflammation in the brain. Reaching the inflamed cells in the brain has been a long- standing major challenge, said Rangaramanujam Kannan, the study author, in a telephone interview. Dendrimers not only go into brain, they go specifically into the cells called activated mycrogia that are the source of the problem. So then we attached a drug to it, … Continue reading →

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Inform Genomics, Inc., a private company focused on developing novel platforms of personalized medicine products for cancer supportive care and inflammatory diseases, today announced the completion of the first phase of product development to predict a patients risk of developing oral mucositis after receiving high dose chemotherapy prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The results of this single center, 153-patient study demonstrated the products ability to discriminate which patients develop oral mucositis with 99.3% accuracy and an area under the Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve of 99.7%. Further development will include validation of these initial results in a multicenter study. In addition, Inform Genomics announced that it entered into a collaboration agreement with Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (Sobi) to further develop and commercialize the product. Sobi is a leading integrated biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing innovative therapies and services to improve the health of rare disease patients and their families. We are very pleased with the exciting results of this study, said Ed Rubenstein, M.D., President & CEO of Inform Genomics, and our agreement with Sobi demonstrates the value our technology can bring to biopharma partners while expanding the market opportunity for both companies products. When commercialized, this … Continue reading →

Public release date: 18-Apr-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: David Eve celltransplantation@gmail.com Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair Tampa, Fla. (April. 18, 2012) Autologous (self-donated) mononuclear cells derived from bone marrow (BMMNCs) have been found to significantly induce vascular growth when transplanted into patients with diabetes who are suffering from critical limb ischemia caused by peripheral artery disease (PAD), a complication of diabetes. The team of researchers in Seville, Spain who carried out the study published their results in a recent issue of Cell Transplantation (20:10), now freely available on-line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/. "Critical limb ischemia in diabetic patients is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality; however, neovascularization induced by stem cell therapy could be a useful approach for these patients," said study corresponding author Dr. Bernat Soria of the Andaluz Center for Biologic and Molecular Regenerative Medicine in Seville, Spain. "In this study we evaluated the safety and efficacy of inter-arterial administration of autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells with 20 diabetic patents with severe below-the-knee arterial ischemia." The researchers noted that surgical or endovascular revascularization options for patients such as those in the study are limited because of poor arterial outflow. Although … Continue reading →

WESTON, Fla., April 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stemlogix, a regenerative medicine company offering premier in-clinic stem cell therapy solutions to veterinarians, announced today that it has selected Butler Schein Animal Health(TM) to distribute its regenerative medicine system, stem cell therapy kits and other biological therapies. Butler Schein Animal Health(TM) - a Henry Schein Company - is the largest companion animal health distribution company in the U.S. Based in the U.S., Stemlogix is an innovative leader in the rapidly emerging field of veterinary regenerative medicine. The Company develops and manufactures stem cell therapy kits and platelet rich plasma kits domestically according to FDA cGMP regulations. Stemlogix offers scientifically validated technologies and protocols that will enable veterinarians to provide their patients with affordable, versatile regenerative medicine solutions including adipose (fat) and bone marrow derived stem cells, platelet rich plasma (PRP) and cytokine therapies at the point-of-care, all in less than 90 minutes. The Company also offers stem cell banking and stem cell expansion services to veterinarians around the country. Butler Schein Animal Health(TM) will now offer the Stemlogix regenerative medicine system to its network of over 26,000 veterinary clinics in the U.S., helping Stemlogix to expand its market presence across North … Continue reading →