By MICHAEL SASSO | The Tampa Tribune Published: February 23, 2012 Updated: February 23, 2012 - 12:00 AM TAMPA -- The man who served for the last decade as chief of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute is leaving his post to lead Moffitt's genetic research lab and its new Personalized Medicine Institute. The move is a new direction for Dr. William Dalton, rather than a promotion or demotion, he said. Dalton will focus on helping Moffitt capitalize on "personalized medicine" — finding ways to tailor cancer treatment to specific patients. Dr. Alan List, a Moffitt executive vice president who leads its physicians group, will take over as Moffitt's chief executive officer in July. "I just see it as a new journey for me at Moffitt," Dalton said. A self-proclaimed "desert rat" from Arizona, Dalton came to Moffitt in 1997 to help lead its clinical research. He left for a spell in the early 2000s to lead the University of Arizona's medical school but returned to Moffitt in August 2002 as chief executive, a bio on Moffitt's website says. Dalton has been very involved lately in Moffitt's innovative genetics lab, M2Gen, and his new post will let … Continue reading →

Doctors Haeck, Eaves, and Rohrich write joint ASAPS/ASPS statement calling for more research into stem cell facelift and stem cell breast augmentation. Dallas, TX (PRWEB) February 22, 2012 There is little evidence to support the safety and effectiveness of procedures, equipment and treatments that have been advertised using adult stem cells for aesthetic reconstruction, including plastic surgery and facial rejuvenation, according to physicians writing in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Rod J. Rohrich, chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center and editor-in-chief of the journal, published a position statement on “stem cell facelifts” and “stem cell breast augmentation,” also known as “natural breast augmentation.” Dr. Felmont F. Eaves III of Chapel Hill, N.C., and Dr. Phillip C. Haeck of Seattle, Wash.,collaborated on the statement on behalf of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). “There are encouraging data from studies in laboratories to suggest that the use of adult stem cells is a very promising field and may produce beneficial medical therapies to treat a variety of diseases,” the doctors said in the statement. They emphasized that there is a lack of consistency in the way … Continue reading →

MUSCAT - Oman?s first international conference on autism next month will look at the possibility of establishing a centre for the early diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. The event, on March 21, will bring together private and public sector organisations and individuals associated with the treatment, care, rehabilitation, education and training of affected people. Organised by the Language Centre Social Committee in collaboration with the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and to be inaugurated by Sayyid Saud bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Minister of State and Governor of Muscat, the conference will involve a number of training workshops conducted by leading experts from within and outside the country. “Hopefully it will include a recommendation for the establishment of a centre for autism that will monitor the status of patients and activate the programme for their care, treatment and rehabilitation,” Anfal bint Nasser Al Wahibiyah, Executive Chairperson of the conference, said. She said the event, titled ‘Accepting Difference’, would cover four main themes — modern trends in the diagnosis and treatment of autism; education of affected children; the role of the society in caring for autistic children; and training of specialists in the field. She … Continue reading →

By Julia Karow Next-gen sequencing for clinical applications and medical research were big themes at this year's Advances in Genome Biology and Technology meeting in Marco Island, Fla., reflecting the technology's continued move into medicine over the last year. Three conference sessions had a medical theme this year, focusing on the clinical translation of genomics, medical sequencing and genetic variation, and cancer and transcriptomes. And, probably for the first time at this meeting, conference attendees discussed the term "CPT code" — the number assigned to medical and diagnostic services by the American Medical Association to define reimbursement by insurance — in connection with next-gen sequencing-based tests. "Last year, there were just some very preliminary studies that were really at the interface between the basic sciences and the clinic," said Elaine Mardis, co-director of the Genome Institute at Washington University. "What we saw this year … is a focus on groups that are coming up with very defined content, looking very carefully at inherited diseases, and beginning to really transition many of the single-gene or small panel gene tests into now multiple-gene tests that really harness the capabilities of next-generation sequencing data." NGS Gene Panels Heidi Rehm, director of the Laboratory … Continue reading →

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM - News), a life sciences company providing innovative genetic analysis solutions, today announced that it has filed a motion for preliminary injunction against Aria Diagnostics ("Aria") to stop Aria from making, using, selling or offering for sale, importing or exporting, infringing tests for detecting fetal chromosomal aneuploidy, such as Aria's Harmony Prenatal Test™, pending the ultimate resolution of the litigation. Sequenom's request for preliminary injunction follows the lawsuit filed on January 24, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, which alleges that Aria infringes U.S. Patent No. 6,258,540 ("'540 patent").  Sequenom is requesting that the district court quickly intervene to stop Aria Diagnostics' continued infringement of the '540 patent. Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine (Sequenom CMM) was the first to market a non-invasive prenatal diagnostics laboratory developed test (LDT) for chromosomal aneuploidy.  Sequenom CMM's MaterniT21™ PLUS LDT detects a genetic chromosomal anomaly known as Trisomy 21, the most common cause of Down syndrome, and also detects trisomies 18 and 13.  The test is available to physicians upon request in major metropolitan regions across the United States. About Sequenom Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM - News) … Continue reading →