NextVolume 11.19 May 24, 2010Previous

Combination Therapy Targets Stubborn Leukemia Stem Cells
New research discovers a combination of drugs that may prove to be a more effective treatment for a lethal form of leukemia. [Press release from Science Centric discussing online prepublication in Cancer Cell]
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Technique Might Boost Women's Fertility
Scientists have found a way to awaken dormant ovarian follicles, possibly making more eggs available for reproduction during a woman's lifespan. [Press release from Health Day discussing online prepublication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA]
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Oncolytic Viruses Mediating Anti-Tumor Immunity in Human Cancer Patients Published by Oncos Therapeutics and University of Helsinki
Oncos Therapeutics published initial results from its Advanced Therapy Access Program. The results demonstrate anti-tumor immunity of oncolytic viruses -- published for the first time in humans -- and indicate strong efficacy of the next generation viruses against solid tumor cancers. [Press release from Oncos Therapeutics discussing online prepublication in Cancer Research]
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Mayo Clinic Researchers Find Gene They Believe Is Key to Kidney Cancer
Researchers have discovered a key gene that, when turned off, promotes the development of common kidney cancer. Their findings suggest that a combination of agents now being tested in other cancers may turn the gene back on, providing a much-needed therapy for the difficult-to-treat cancer. [Press release from the Mayo Clinic discussing online prepublication in Oncogene]
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Spanish Researchers Reprogram Adult Stem Cells to Help Cardiac Muscle Regeneration
Spanish researchers have employed for the first time adult cells extracted from a human heart to turn stem cells from adipose tissue into cardiac myocytes. [Press release from The Medical News discussing online prepublication in Cytotherapy]
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Progress in Exploring New Avenues for Brain Repair
Researchers showed how astroglia can be directly converted into the two main classes of cortical neurons. [Press release from Ludwig-Maximilians University discussing online prepublication in PLoS Biology]
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Process of Cancer Cell Self-Digestion Is Target of New Cancer Therapies
In an effort to improve current anticancer treatments, investigators have been targeting autophagy. While preclinical studies have shown that inhibition of autophagy sensitizes tumor cells to treatment, researchers recently have had an opportunity to observe these effects in early-stage clinical trials involving a drug commonly used to treat malaria. [Press release from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey discussing research presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology]
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Estrogen-Lowering Drugs Minimize Surgery in Breast Cancer Patients
A nationwide study has confirmed the benefit of giving estrogen-lowering drugs before surgery to breast cancer patients. The treatment increased the likelihood that women could undergo breast-conservation surgery, also called lumpectomy, instead of mastectomy.  [Press release from Washington University in St. Louis discussing research presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology]
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CA-125 Change Over Time Shows Promise as Screening Tool for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer
Evaluating its change over time, CA-125, the protein long-recognized for predicting ovarian cancer recurrence, now shows promise as a screening tool for early-stage disease.
[Press release from University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center discussing research presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology]
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Cellmedicine Stem Cell Clinic Case Report of Successful Treatment of Heart Failure Patient Published
The Cellmedicine Institutes reported publication of a heart failure patient who underwent profound recovery after receiving adult stem cell therapy. [Press release from Medical News Today discussing online prepublication in the International Archives of Medicine]
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Geron Announces Positive Study Data on GRNCM1
Geron Corporation reported positive preclinical study data showing that GRNCM1, Geron's cardiomyocyte product derived from human embryonic stem cells, does not cause cardiac arrhythmias after transplantation into a model of chronic heart damage designed to test this potential safety concern.  [Press release from Geron Corporation]
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Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics Reports Promising Data from Cholesterol Lowering Gene Therapy Study
Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics reported positive preclinical data from a study using an adeno-associated virus gene therapy product to lower cholesterol. [Press release from Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics]
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Jennerex Reports Positive Phase 1 Results for JX-594 Administered Intravenously
Jennerex, Inc. reported positive results from its Phase 1 dose escalation study evaluating the intravenous (IV) administration of JX-594 to patients with metastatic cancer. [Press release from Jennerex, Inc.]
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Celgene's Revlimid Positive in Maintenance Trials
According to preliminary data patients who took Revlimid on a continuous basis following a stem cell transplant kept their disease in check longer than those who took a placebo. [Press release from Reuters]
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CURRENT PUBLICATIONS

Creation of a Bacterial Cell Controlled by a Chemically Synthesized Genome
Researchers report the design, synthesis, and assembly of the 1.08-Mbp Mycoplasma mycoides JCVI-syn1.0 genome starting from digitized genome sequence information and its transplantation into a Mycoplasma capricolum recipient cell to create new Mycoplasma mycoides cells that are controlled only by the synthetic chromosome. [Science]
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Effective Targeting of Quiescent Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Stem Cells by Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors in Combination with Imatinib Mesylate
Treatment with HDAC inhibitors combined with imatinib mesylate (IM) effectively induced apoptosis in quiescent chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) progenitors resistant to elimination by IM alone, and eliminated CML stem cells capable of engrafting immunodeficient mice. [Cancer Cell]
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Sonic Hedgehog Is a Critical Mediator of Erythropoietin-Induced Cardiac Protection in Mice
These results suggest that erythropoietin protects the heart after myocardial infarction by inducing angiogenesis through sonic hedgehog signaling. [J Clin Invest]
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Activation of Dormant Ovarian Follicles to Generate Mature Eggs
Short-term in vitro activation of dormant ovarian follicles after stimulation of the PI3K-Akt pathway allows the generation of a large supply of mature female germ cells for future treatment of infertile women with a diminishing ovarian reserve and for cancer patients with cryo-preserved ovaries. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]
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Oncolytic Adenovirus Coding for Granulocyte Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Induces Antitumoral Immunity in Cancer Patients
An oncolytic adenovirus coding for granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF) was engineered and shown to induce tumor-specific immunity in an immunocompetent syngeneic hamster model. Subsequently, 20 patients with advanced solid tumors refractory to standard therapies were treated with Ad5-D24-GMCSF. This is the first time that oncolytic virus-mediated antitumor immunity has been shown in humans. [Cancer Res]
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Directing Astroglia from the Cerebral Cortex into Subtype Specific Functional Neurons
Researchers show that strong and persistent expression of neurogenic fate determinants driven by silencing-resistant retroviral vectors instructs astroglia from the postnatal cortex in vitro to mature into fully functional, synapse-forming neurons. [PLoS Biology]
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Cancer Center Marks Signing of Act on Screenings for Breast, Cervical and Colorectal Cancer
The new measure gives statutory authority for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening programs to the Alabama Department of Public Health. [Alabama Department of Public Health, United States]
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House Nixes More Research Spending in COMPETES Bill
Catching the Democratic leadership by surprise, members voted 292 to 126 to block passage of a 5-year authorization bill that would have provided healthy increases in the research and education budgets of the National Science Foundation and research programs at the Department of Energy and the Department of Commerce. [House of Representatives, United States]
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Statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and NIH Director Francis Collins Regarding the President’s Intent to Appoint Dr. Harold Varmus as Director of the National Institute of Cancer at the National Institutes of Health [Department of Health and Human Services, United States]
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Responsibility of Applicants for Promoting Objectivity in Research for Which Public Health Service Funding Is Sought and Responsible Prospective Contractors; Proposed Rule [Docket Number: NIH-2010-0001]
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AstraZeneca Reaches US Agreement with Teva Pharmaceuticals Regarding Entocort EC Capsules
AstraZeneca announced that it has entered into an agreement with Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. to settle patent litigation regarding Teva’s proposed generic version of AstraZeneca’s Entocort EC (budesonide) capsules. [AstraZeneca Press Release]
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HemaCare Announces First Commercial Cell Therapy Collection Agreement
HemaCare Corporation announced an agreement with Dendreon Corporation to provide cellular collection services in Los Angeles and Maine for their new autologous cellular immunotherapy, PROVENGE® (sipuleucel-T). [HemaCare Corporation Press Release]
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Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission Announces 42 Projects for Funding
The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission has completed its evaluation of the 141 applications in response to its three official Requests for Applications during the FY 2010 funding cycle. [Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission Press Release]
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HHMI Awards $79 Million for Science Education to Research Universities, Top Scientists
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) announced new grants totaling $79 million that will help universities strengthen undergraduate and precollege science education nationwide. [Howard Hughes Medical Institute Press Release]
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United States FDA Clears Phase 2 Trial for Cervical Spinal Fusion
Australia's regenerative medicine company, Mesoblast Limited, announced that it has received clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin Phase 2 clinical trials of its "off-the-shelf" or allogeneic stem cell product NeoFuse™ for fusion of the cervical spine in the neck. [Mesoblast Limited Press Release]
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Pfizer to Cut 6,000 Jobs, Close Eight Plants
Pfizer Inc. plans to eliminate 6,000 manufacturing jobs over the next 18 months to five years as it closes eight plants and reduces operations at six others. [St. Louis Business Journal]
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NIH Wants More (Not Total) Disclosure of Financial Conflicts
The federal government proposed an overhaul of regulations covering financial conflicts of interest in biomedical research. The rules would expand the amount of information that researchers must report to their institutions, make some of it public, and require that more details than in the past be submitted privately to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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NIH Human Microbiome Project Researchers Publish First Genomic Collection of Human Microbes
The Human Microbiome Project published an analysis of 178 genomes from microbes that live in or on the human body. The researchers discovered novel genes and proteins that serve functions in human health and disease, adding a new level of understanding to what is known about the complexity and diversity of these organisms.
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NIH Requests Comments on the Proposed Rule Applicable to Regulations on the Responsibility of Applicants for Promoting Objectivity in Research for which Public Health Service Funding is Sought and Responsible Prospective Contractors (NOT-OD-10-099)
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Notice of Format Clarification and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA): RFA-HL-11-006, Next Generation Genetic Association Studies (U01) (NOT-HL-10-110)
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Notice of Intent to Publish a New Funding Opportunity that will Reconfigure and Consolidate The Millennium Promise Awards: Non-communicable Chronic Diseases Research Training Program (NCoD) (NOT-TW-10-457)
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