Monthly Archives: March 2012

Chemistry outreach mixes learning, fantasy fun

Posted on by

The department of chemistry is seeking to replicate Professor Snapes potions class for local kids.

The departments Chemistry Outreach Program seeks to connect trained student volunteers with the wider Princeton community young students in particular in hopes of sparking an interest in chemistry. The program, which includes Harry Potter-esque magical potions, looking-glass molecules from Alice in Wonderland and maps from Treasure Island, has expanded from 17 students in its first year to 31 undergraduate students and three graduate students. The program was established in September 1997 by professor Warren Warren (now chair of the department of chemistry at Duke University), professor Andrew Bocarsly and lecture demonstrator Kathryn Wagner.

The program encourages all students who have completed or are currently enrolled in a chemistry laboratory course to volunteer and provides training in safety and outreach skills. Safety is a key priority for Wagner, the head of the program, who recalls only one instance in which she ever had to use the fire extinguisher.

Those who participate in at least one outreach event receive a detailed thank-you letter on Class Day, but requirements for a certificate of appreciation from the department of chemistry are much more stringent. The certificate requires 18 hours of outreach activities in at least 12 hands-on activities for elementary school children, which require them to make a presentation and demonstrate a working knowledge of the Socratic method.

Despite the requirements, Wagner emphasized the open nature of the program.

You really dont need to know a lot of chemistry. [The demonstrations are] practical; theyre applying what youve learned.

John Willis 13, one of the programs volunteers, said that the program caters to its target audience by making the demonstrations colorful and explosive.

The experiments are designed to be exciting and engaging for younger students, so there are lots of dramatic color changes and explosions, he said. We usually blow up a couple balloons of hydrogen and light alcohol a couple of different ways, and honestly it is usually as much fun for us to do as it is for the students to see.

Willis said that the student volunteers usually perform the demonstrations so that Professor Wagner can talk to the crowd.

In the groups most recent event, which took place on Alumni Day, members presented The Chemistry of Magic for 150 alumni and their guests. Usually, the programs audience mostly consists of middle school students and their teachers, as the group performs demonstrations at local schools and gives tours of Frick Chemistry Laboratory.

More here:
Chemistry outreach mixes learning, fantasy fun

Development of new-generation solar cells

Posted on by

Researchers from The University of Queensland (UQ) and Korea have combined their expertise in polymer patterning and materials science in a bid to develop new-generation solar cells.

UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) Director, Professor Peter Gray, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea.

It will allow AIBN Professor Ajayan Vinu's research group to work closely with Yonsei Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Professor Eunkyoung Kim, and School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Professor Cheolmin Park.

Professor Vinu said the collaboration would encourage the creation of new science and new products, including efforts to improve the efficiency of solar cells.

He said AIBN would bring expertise in materials science, particularly Prof Vinu's work on and porous semiconducting and bio-nanomaterials.

Yonsei researchers would match this expertise with their knowledge of polymer patterning and fabrication.

We can't all be experts in every field. That is why we are collaborating with these experts in this field, Professor Vinu said.

We have expertise in the fabrication of porous functionalised semiconducting nanostructures that will maximise quantum efficiency of dye sensitized or organic solar cells, while the Yonsei researchers have know-how in designing the various types of solar cell device.

The fusion of materials development and device fabrication can help us to achieve a new solar cell technology or product with a low cost, which is going to make a huge revolution in the solar industry.

Beyond collaborating on research, the bond between AIBN and Yonsei includes joint conferences, student exchanges and plans for a joint lab in Korea.

Visit link:
Development of new-generation solar cells

Sooners explore human body in anatomy course

Posted on by

Katherine Leavey, aspiring oncology nurse, surveyed her patients exposed chest cavity.

The metastasized lung cancer had sent malignant tendrils into surrounding regions, fusing rib cage to lung tissue.

Atrophied and rigid, the left lung resembled a piece of granite while the cancerous, plum-colored right lung lay in a disintegrated state.

The heart, veiled in a thin layer of fat, lay in the middle of it all.

All that was missing was a heartbeat.

OUs human anatomy course continues to challenge students as it delves into internal organs and an extensive amount of course material.

Students exposed their cadavers internal organs in lab for the first time last week.

Once rib cages are removed, a moment of fascination usually follows, human anatomy professor Cindy Gordon said.

Its always those few minutes of Wow, Gordon said. The first thing that everyone does is look at their [cadaver], and then theyll go around to all the other bodies.

Transitioning from the study of musculature to internal organs, students in the course are starting to witness the incredible amount of variation among the bodies, Gordon said.

Continued here:
Sooners explore human body in anatomy course

Vermillion's OVA1 Test Assigned Category 1 CPT Code; Stock Jumps

Posted on by

By a GenomeWeb staff reporter

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) Vermillion's shares soared 92 percent to $2.56 in mid-afternoon trade on the Nasdaq today after the firm announced that a panel of the American Medical Association approved the company's application for a Category 1 CPT code for its OVA1 ovarian cancer test.

The new code assigned to OVA1 becomes effective Jan. 1, 2013.

Category I codes pertain to procedures that are consistent with current medical practice and are commonly performed. Tests and/or procedures coded as Category 1 have met certain criteria, such as approval by the US Food and Drug Administration, and have proven and documented clinical efficacy.

Gail Page, president and CEO of the Austin, Texas-based molecular diagnostics firm, called the decision by AMA's Current Procedural Terminology Panel "a major achievement for OVA1 and an endorsement for the unmet clinical need addressed by this important triage test."

The panel's decision was supported by several peer-reviewed publications and a decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to cover the test for Medicare, she added.

"The new CPT code is a critical step in advancing the commercialization of OVA1, as we believe it will help streamline claims processing and accelerate coverage and adoption by private payers," Page said.

OVA1 was launched in March 2010 following 510(k) clearance from FDA in September 2009.

The AMA issued its OVA1 CPT coding decision as it moves to revamp the coding structure for tests known as in vitro diagnostic multivariate index assays, or IVDMIA, as GenomeWeb Daily News sister publication Pharmacogenomics Reporter reported in the fall. IVDMIAs are now dubbed multi-analyte assays with algorithmic analysis, or MAAAs, by the AMA.

See more here:
Vermillion's OVA1 Test Assigned Category 1 CPT Code; Stock Jumps

Essential Tremor is treated using the latest in Neurology by Sarasota Doctor. Watch video on how. – Video

Posted on by

04-03-2012 16:09 http://www.FunctionalCranialRelease.com Essential tremor (ET) is a slowly progressive neurological disorder of which the most recognizable feature is a tremor of the arms or hands that is apparent during voluntary movements such as eating and writing.[1] This type of tremor is often referred to as "kinetic tremor." The general pattern being that the tremor begins in the arms and then spreads to these other regions in selected patients. Some patients may have unsteadiness and problems with gait and balance that are above and beyond that due to normal aging. Aside from enhanced physiological tremor, it is the most common type of tremor and one of the most commonly observed movement disorders.[11] Essential tremor was also previously known as "benign essential tremor", but the adjective "benign" has been removed in recognition of the sometimes disabling nature of the disorder. Although essential tremor is often mild, patients with severe tremor have difficulty performing many of their routine activities of daily living.

See the rest here:
Essential Tremor is treated using the latest in Neurology by Sarasota Doctor. Watch video on how. - Video

China Surges ahead of India in Nanotechnology: Does it Matter?

Posted on by

I am not certain why there is this hullabaloo about the so-called nanotech race. To me it just seems as though scientists around the world are working on their research, they publish it in journals, other scientists read it and then build on that research and so it goes. I dont see how that translates into a competition between countries, but it seems to be a matter for which some are enormously preoccupied.

The latest news is that China is soaring ahead of India in nanotechnology research. China and India are nearly always discussed in this great nanotechnology race. This is to be expected. These two countries represent two of the fastest growing economies in the world, and much of that growth has been leveraged upon technology.

However, its not always clear that these countries efforts in the field of nanotechnology should give Europe, North America or any other advanced OECD countries in nanotechnology any reason for alarm. One day it seems one of these countries (China, in this instance) has a lead and then the next it doesnt.

In this latest study published in Scientometrics, once you get past the quantification of the race (i.e. how many articles are published, how many times they are cited, etc.), you discover the interesting bit. It seems China is focusing its efforts in nanotechnology research on nanomaterials and their applications whereas India is focusing their work on addressing their developmental problems, such as clean drinking water.

To be honest though, Im not clear on how this makes China more sophisticated than India in its nanotechnology development. Further there seems to be a distinction here without much difference: Indias aim of developing nanotechnology solutions for clean drinking water will clearly require nanomaterials and their applications. I think what the study is trying to say is that China is approaching nanomaterials development in a more systematic way.

Nonetheless when all is said and done, what matters is the impact nanotechnology can have on a country or life in that country. Cientifica has its measuring stick for this impact. But ultimately perhaps the impact that comes to China and India from nanotechnology may not originate from research in those countries, but from somewhere else entirely, which still leaves me wondering why all of this measuring of which country publishes what matters.

Continue reading here:
China Surges ahead of India in Nanotechnology: Does it Matter?

Nanotechnology Seminar for Students kicks off for 11th time in Tehran – Video

Posted on by

22-02-2012 18:02 Iran ranks 12th in the world in Nanotechnology. Students, prominent professors and government officials came together at the 11th Nanotechnology Seminar for Students in Iran's reputable, AmirKabir University, to discuss advances and challenges in nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is a science that was considered science fiction just a few years ago at the. Imagine creating new products by manipulating the molecules any way that you please. Various nanotechnology fields were discussed at this seminar, including Nanomaterial, nano-chemistry, nanophysics, nano-biotechnology, nano-environment, nano-medicine and nano-electronics. Iran has made advances in all fields of nanotechnology. Scientific researches enjoy the financial backup of the Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council affiliated to the Presidential office.

Read the original:
Nanotechnology Seminar for Students kicks off for 11th time in Tehran - Video

8220Nano Days8221 Comes to New Hampshire

Posted on by

Concord, NH - This year from March 24 through April 1, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center will be celebrating Nano Days, the largest event for the smallest of sciences, with activities for all ages that explore nanoscience.

Nano Days is a nationwide festival of educational programs about nanoscale science and engineering. Nano Days is organized by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net), and takes place nationally from March 24-April 1, 2012. This community-based event is the largest public outreach effort in nanoscale informal science education and involves science museums, research centers, and universities from Puerto Rico to Alaska. A range of exciting Nano Days programs demonstrate the special and unexpected properties found at the nanoscale, examine tools used by nanoscientists, showcase nano materials with spectacular promise, and invite discussion of technology and society.

The local community can experience many of these activities firsthand. Visitors will make some of their own nanomaterials using scotch-tape, investigate super thin materials used in solar cell technology, and change the color of a butterfly's wings! Other activities include an I Spy Nano game, taking a look at real nano gold, investigating the properties of sunblock, and discovering the reason for the rainbow of colors produced by thin film.

At the nanoscale the scale of atoms and molecules many common materials exhibit unusual properties. Our ability to manipulate matter at this size enables innovations that weren't possible before. Nanotechnology is revolutionizing research and development in medicine, computer technology, new materials, food, energy, and other areas. Nano will affect our economy, environment, and our personal lives. Some scientists think that future nanotechnologies and materials could transform our lives as much as cars, personal computers, or the internet. Visit http://www.nisenet.org/nanodays for more information about Nano Days and NISE Net.

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center features 21st century interactive exhibits on aviation, astronomy, Earth and space sciences, a state-of-the-art planetarium and a variety of science, technology, engineering and math programs. The engaging, robust educational programs are geared towards families, teens, seniors, students, community groups, and lifelong learners. More information can be found at http://www.starhop.com.

See the article here:
8220Nano Days8221 Comes to New Hampshire

Is aggressive treatment of severe traumatic brain injury cost effective?

Posted on by

Public release date: 6-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Gillian Shasby gshasby@thejns.org 434-924-5555 Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group

Charlottesville, VA (March 6, 2012). Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated that aggressive treatment of severe traumatic brain injury, which includes invasive monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP) and decompressive craniectomy, produces better patient outcomes than less aggressive measures and is cost-effective in patients no matter their ageeven in patients 80 years of age. These important findings can be found in the article "Is aggressive treatment of traumatic brain injury cost-effective? Clinical article," by Robert Whitmore and colleagues, published online March 6 in the Journal of Neurosurgery.

The authors set out to determine whether aggressive treatment of severe traumatic brain injury is cost-effective compared to less aggressive therapeutic approaches. "Severe traumatic brain injury" in this study is defined by a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or less in which the motor component is 5 or less. These researchers created a decisionanalysis model with which they could compare outcomes, costs, and cost-effectiveness of three treatment strategies: 1) comfort care consisting of one day in the intensive care unit followed by continued care in a medical-surgical unit; 2) routine care in which Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines were followed less than 50 percent of the time; and 3) aggressive management in which Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines were followed the majority of the time, with ICP monitored invasively and decompressive craniotomy performed. A review of the literature provided probabilities of Glasgow Outcome Scale scores (1 [death] through 5 [good outcome]) for each treatment group. The researchers took these Glasgow Outcome Scale scores and converted them into quality-adjusted life years in accordance with expectations of patient longevity and quality of life associated with the various Glasgow Outcome Scale scores. They also calculated estimates of direct costs (acute and long-term medical care) and indirect costs (loss of productivity) for patients 20, 40, 60, and 80 years old.

In every age group aggressive care resulted in better outcomes (more quality-adjusted years) than routine care, and routine care resulted in better outcomes than comfort care. (Comfort care was included in the analysis to broaden the comparison of outcomes and costs, but it is not suggested as a treatment choice.) In the case of an average 20-year-old patient, aggressive care produced 11.7 1.6 quality-adjusted life years, whereas routine care only yielded 10.0 1.5 quality-adjusted life years. The difference between these two numbers is highly significant (p < 0.0001). At older patient ages, the effectiveness of aggressive care was not as great as that in the 20-year-old patient, but it remained better than routine care at all ages. Aggressive care also proved to be less costly for most patients. Taking into account both direct and indirect costs, the researchers found that aggressive care was significantly less costly than routine care in the average 20-year-old patient ($1,264,000 $118,000 for aggressive care and $1,361,000 $107,000 for routine care). Aggressive care continued to be less costly until one looked at the 80-year-old patient, at which point it became more costly than routine care. To determine the cost-effectiveness of aggressive care in the average 80-year-old patient, the authors divided the difference in costs between aggressive care and routine care ($170,978 $128,432 = $42,546) by the difference in effectiveness between these two groups (3.2758 2.7951 = 0.4807). They found that each quality-adjusted life year that is gained by implementing aggressive care, rather than routine care, costs society approximately $88,000. The authors point out that cost-effectiveness depends on the willingness of a society to pay for improved outcomes. Recent numbers posited have exceeded $100,000 for each quality-adjusted life year. Using that number as a threshold, the researchers found that aggressive care is the most cost-effective strategy for all age groups.

The authors point out that this is the first time that long-term societal benefits of aggressive treatment of traumatic brain injury have been demonstrated. Although initially aggressive treatment may appear more expensive than routine or comfort care, over time improvements in patient outcome shift the balance and aggressive treatment proves to be the most cost-effective of the three treatment paradigms. Comfort care, on the other hand, is related to poor outcomes and high costs. It should only be used after aggressive treatment has failed or tests show that it will fail.

Speaking of the study, Dr. Whitmore mentioned his initial surprise that "even for an 80-year-old patient, higher upfront costs of aggressive TBI [traumatic brain injury] management (surgery and invasive monitoring) would still be cost-effective when the benefits (outcomes) of aggressive treatment are factored in." He continued, "We hope that physicians will consider the results of this study when faced with the decision of how aggressive to be in the elderly TBI patient."

###

Whitmore RG, Thawani JP, Grady S, Levine JM, Sanborn MR, Stein SC. Is aggressive treatment of traumatic brain injury cost-effective? Clinical article." Journal of Neurosurgery, published ahead of print March 6, 2012; DOI: 10.3171/2012.1.JNS11962.

Disclosure: The study was funded by the National Institutes of Healths National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (5T32NS4312608). The authors report no conflict of interest concerning the materials or methods used in this study or the findings specified in this paper.

Read more here:
Is aggressive treatment of severe traumatic brain injury cost effective?

Greenwich Hospital Doctor Discusses Nation's Crumbling Health

Posted on by

Dr. Henri Roca believes a shift in the way we approach health can solve the health care crisis.

Photo Credit: Luke Lavoie

Photo Credit: Rye Free Reading Room

RYE, N.Y. Greenwich Hospital's Medical Director of Integrative Medicine Henri Roca delivered an analysis Wednesday at the Rye Free Reading Room of what he considers to be a grim outlook on the nation's currenthealth and health care system.

According to Roca, the health care system in its current capacity is far more flawed than people realize. With the cost of health care increasing and the overall health of Americans as a whole decreasing, Roca said he urges Americans to reshape the way they think about health.

"How we define health care has nothing to do with health and everything to do with illness," Roca said. "So our language, our concept, our perception of how the world of health is organized is totally skewed."

Since 1990, the obesity rate in the United States has quadrupled from 6.7 percent to 33.8 percent, a figure Roca believes to be directly related to a breakdown in eating habits. According to Roca, in 1970 more than 90 percent of meals were prepared and eaten at home. In 2000, he said, that number fell to 50 percent. Roca also stated that as obesity rates increase, so will the rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

"The way we practice medicine is what's driving this problem mostly," Roca said. "We name it and then we try to tame it with medication. As people pay less, the health care rates go up exponentially, so when we don't have to pay for it we don't pay attention to our health. We expect that this is something we are going to receive. Ultimately, the way to shift that is put some of the responsibility back to the individual."

Roca believes a lack of accountability on the part of the individual and most specifically their eating habits, is what's driving the health care crisis. Roca said he also believes that the way to correct the health care crisis begins with restoring health nationwide through a combination of dietary changes, stress management and physical activity.

"We need to shift our current practice of medicine towards the evidence of prevention," Roca said. "It's like taking the elephant and saying I'm going to look at it from a different point of view. You have to say I don't want the conversation to be about my disease, I want it to be about my health. The conversation needs to be about how to maintain and enhance your health."

Go here to read the rest:
Greenwich Hospital Doctor Discusses Nation's Crumbling Health

Health Notes

Posted on by

Integrative Medicine: Deep Healing and Life Transformation will be presented from 7 to 8:30 p.m. today in Amherst Main Library at Audubon, 350 John James Audubon Parkway. Dyana Catherine Geremesz, integrative medicine health and wellness coach, will present for open discussion important factors and benefits about the use of conventional medicine and complementary medicine in achieving and maintaining optimal health. For information, call 689-4922.

The Schofield Adult Wellness Center at the Schofield Residence Nursing Facility, 3333 Elmwood Ave., Town of Tonawanda, will present a free program titled Get the Most From Your ZZZZs at 7 p.m. Wednesday. For required reservations, phone 995-3581 or visit http://www.schofieldcare.org.

The Erie County Department of Senior Services will hold a six-week Powerful Tools for Caregivers program from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays (beginning Thursday through April 12) in VA WNY Healthcare System, Northtown Business Center, 3131 Sheridan Drive, Amherst. Caregivers will learn how to reduce stress, improve self-confidence, locate helpful resources and balance their lives while taking care of a physically or mentally impaired relative. Free respite care for the memory impaired is offered at this class; inquire at registration. The cost is $25, but there is no charge for members of Independent Health or BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York. For information or for required registration, call 858-2177 or email caregiver@erie.gov.

The Oncology Nurse: Your Essential Partner for the Cancer Journey will be the topic at a support group meeting of the Leukemia&Lymphoma Society and the Multiple Myeloma family support group meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Gildas Club WNY, 1140 Delaware Ave. Registration is requested for new members. The meeting is open to patients, family members and friends dealing with a diagnosis of lymphoma, leukemia, MDS or myeloma. For information or to register, contact Coleen Jones at coleen.jones@lls.org or 834-2578, Ext. 4667.

Breast Cancer Network of WNY will hold an educational meeting at 6 p.m. next Tuesday in its Bella Moglie building, 3297 Walden Ave., Depew. Chiropractor Frank Torrelli will speak about Healing Methods and Massage. A support group will follow at 8. For reservations, call Daria at 894-8135 or email bellabcndaria@aol.com.

For information, call Sharon Feraci at 861-3038.

See original here:
Health Notes

France is a Nation of Wizards, Bestows Immortality Upon Scientist [The French]

Posted on by

Nobel Prize winner Jules Hoffman was recently selected to become an immortal, beating out eight other fancy French candidates in a secret vote held last week.

Unfortunately, the "immortal" thing is neither as cool nor as insane as it appears at first glance. That's just the term used to describe members of L'Acadmie franaise, the body officially charged with defining and maintaining the standards of the French language.

Hoffman, whose Nobel Prize win was the subject of some controversy after a colleague claimed Hoffman took credit for much of his work, was awarded a much-coveted seat in the Academy upon the death of scholar and author Jacqueline de Romilly. De Romilly died this past December either of old age (she was 97) or of a stake through the heart (she was an immortal).

Previous members of the Academy have included scientist Louis Pasteur and Vichy France's Chief of State Philippe Ptain. (Though most immortals hold their seats for life, Ptain was forced to relinquish his following the whole cooperating-with-Nazis dbcle.)

While the Academy's rulings on what is and is not considered kosher within the confines of the French language are not binding on either the public or the government, it does publish a definitive dictionary and give 40 (mostly elderly) French citizens something to do with their time.

In honor of this story, here is a fun linguistic fact: The letter "w" appears in French only in foreign words that have been borrowed into the language. Par exemple: "le week-end" (in English: "the weekend").

[Image via Shutterstock]

Continue reading here:
France is a Nation of Wizards, Bestows Immortality Upon Scientist [The French]

Cuba To Test HIV Vaccine On Humans This Year

Posted on by

Cuba will start clinical human trials of a vaccine against HIV this year.

The announcement was confirmed by the director of clinical research of Cuba's genetic engineering and biotechnology centre, Dr Verena Muizo, at the International Biotech Conference-Havana 2012.

"In terms of the vaccine against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), it should start soon," he said.

"We hope in the second quarter of this year, or in the third. It is a clinical study of individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, but it is a phase one study, for safety, and to start to try this possible vaccine.

Dr Muizo said the vaccine, known as TERAVAC-VIH-1, would start as a small study in just a few patients.

"The clinical study that we are going to do is going to be done with a small number of patients, 30.

"These are individuals that have not reached the Aids stage but are instead in the seropositive stage without reaching the clinical Aids stage."

A seropositive patient tests positive for HIV antibodies, but still has an immune system strong enough to fight off opportunistic infections that can cause complications with patients with full-blown Aids.

The researchers working on the HIV vaccine, though hopeful, were quick to point out that the investigation is still in the early phases and they will not know for many years whether the vaccine is effective or not.

"The vaccine is starting its clinical evaluation and we hope it works.

Read more:
Cuba To Test HIV Vaccine On Humans This Year

TEDxOU – Courtney Griffin – Epigenetics and the Influence of Our Genes – Video

Posted on by

23-02-2012 10:18 Because we want to understand what genes are required for blood vessel development, Courtney Griffin studies certain enzymes that help turn genes on and off. These enzymes are specifically involved in relaxing DNA that is normally tightly coiled up in our cells. Dr. Griffin is now an Assistant Member in the Cardiovascular Biology Research Program at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation after receiving her BA from Harvard University and her Ph. D. from the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine

See the original post:
TEDxOU - Courtney Griffin - Epigenetics and the Influence of Our Genes - Video

UCLA scientists uncover mechanism for melanoma drug resistance

Posted on by

Public release date: 6-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kim Irwin kirwin@mednet.ucla.edu 310-206-2805 University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

Cancer is tough to kill and has many ways of evading the drugs used by oncologists to try and eliminate it.

Now, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have uncovered how an advanced form of melanoma gets around an inhibitor, Zelboraf, which targets the mutated BRAF gene.

By examining the part of the melanoma genome that encodes proteins, called the exome, Jonsson Cancer Center scientists discovered that in some patients with BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma, the mutated BRAF gene driving the cancer becomes amplified as the cancer develops resistance to a BRAF inhibitor. Quite simply, by increasing the copies of the mutated BRAF gene, the melanoma is trying to over produce the drug target protein and outnumber the inhibitor. The findings may lead to alternative ways of preventing or treating resistant melanomas.

"Understanding and solving the problem of how cancer gets around targeted drugs is arguably one of the highest priorities in modern day cancer medicine. In this study, we found that in some patients, the cancer simply makes more of the target, the mutated BRAF gene, so that the drug dose becomes too weak to fight the cancer," said study senior author Dr. Roger Lo, an assistant professor of dermatology and molecular and medical pharmacology and a Jonsson Cancer Center scientist. "If you think of the mutation as a right hand and the BRAF inhibitor as a left hand and the two clasp to be effective, there's clearly an optimal radio to ensure the mutated gene is fully inhibited. Here, we get more of the drug target, which has the same effect as dropping the drug level."

The one-year study is published March 6, 2012, in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications.

About 50 percent of patients with metastatic melanoma, or 4,000 people a year, have the BRAF mutation and can be treated with Zelboraf, two pills taken twice a day. Zelboraf was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in metastatic melanoma in August of 2011. Many other common human cancers, including colon, thyroid and lung, also harbor BRAF-mutated subsets, Lo said.

Oncologists cannot give more Zelboraf to these patients to combat the increased number of mutated BRAF genes because the dose approved by the FDA is the maximum tolerated dose, Lo said. However, Zelboraf could perhaps be given with inhibitors of other cell signaling pathways in metastatic melanoma to try and stop patients from becoming resistant.

Lo and his team examined samples of 20 patients for this study, taking their normal tissue, their tumor tissue before treatment with Zelboraf and a sample when the cancer had responded earlier but subsequently became resistant. Using high-throughput DNA sequencing technology, the scientists examined the entire cancer exome to see what changes were occurring that may point to resistant mechanisms. Lo found that five of the 20 patients showed increased copies of the mutated BRAF gene. Cell lines developed from melanoma patients also showed pathways downstream of the amplified gene that could be blocked with inhibitors to fight resistance.

See original here:
UCLA scientists uncover mechanism for melanoma drug resistance

Fasudil bypasses genetic cause of spinal birth defect

Posted on by

Public release date: 6-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dr. Hilary Glover hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com 44-203-192-2370 BioMed Central

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an incurable, and progressive, disease caused by an inheritable defect in the gene SMN1. Depending on the severity of the mutation it can result in the loss of spinal cord motor neurons, muscle wasting (atrophy) and even death of an affected child. A new study published in Biomed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine shows that Fasudil, a ROCK inhibitor, can improve both the size of muscle fibers and their connection to motor neurons. Fasudil also increased the lifespan and improved the movement of SMA mice.

SMA affects 1 in 6,000 births and is the leading cause of death in young children. In its less severe form the muscle wasting of SMA traps bright young children within their bodies. Researchers from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the University of Ottawa realized that SMA caused problems in regulation of the ROCK intracellular signaling pathway and that inhibiting this pathway could increase the lifespan of SMA mice.

By targeting the ROCK pathway in spinal cord and muscles, Fasudil bypasses the genetic defect SMN1. Dr Kothary, who led the team, explained, "Fasudil increased the lifespan of SMA mice from 30 to 300 days, allowing them to survive well into adulthood. Although it had no apparent effect on the damaged neurons themselves, Fasudil increased muscle size and the endplate junction between muscles and their motor neurons. Consequently, the mice were also better coordinated, better groomed, and could move about more freely than untreated SMA mice."

Melissa Bowerman from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute continued, "Finding a cure for SMA is still a long way off, however we hope that treatment with drugs like Fasudil, which goes some way towards restoring normal developmental, or HDAC inhibitors, which alter how genes are regulated, along with nutrition and physiotherapy will provide a package of therapy to improve the quality and length of life of SMA children."

###

Notes to Editors

1. Fasudil improves survival and promotes skeletal muscle development in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy Melissa Bowerman, Lyndsay M Murray, Justin G Boyer, Carrie L Anderson and Rashmi Kothary BMC Medicine (in press)

Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central's open access policy.

See the rest here:
Fasudil bypasses genetic cause of spinal birth defect

Stanford scientists develop gene therapy approach to grow blood vessels in ischemic limbs

Posted on by

Public release date: 6-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cody Mooneyhan cmooneyhan@faseb.org 301-634-7104 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

Bethesda, MDA new research discovery by a team of Stanford and European scientists offers hope that people with atherosclerotic disease may one day be able to avoid limb amputation related to ischemia. A new research report appearing online in the FASEB Journal suggests that the delivery of genes for two molecules naturally produced by the body, called "PDGF-BB" and "VEGF" may successfully cause the body to grow new blood vessels that can save ischemic limbs.

"We hope that our findings will ultimately develop into a safe and effective therapy for the many patients, suffering from blocked arteries in the limbs, who are currently not adequately treated by surgery or drugs," said Helen M. Blau, Ph.D., a senior researcher involved in the work and Associate Editor of the FASEB Journal from the Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology at Stanford. "This could help avoid the devastating consequences of limb amputations for both patients and their families."

To make this discovery, Blau and colleagues, including Andrea Banfi (now at Basel University), introduced the genes for PDGF-BB and VEGF into the muscles of mice, either independently or together. When high doses of VEGF alone were produced, they caused the growth of vascular tumors. When the two factors were produced in unbalanced amounts, tumor growth also occurred. When VEGF and PDGF were delivered in a fixed ratio relative to one another, however, no tumors occurred, and blood flow was restored to ischemic muscle tissue and damage repaired without any toxic effects. To achieve a "balanced" delivery of PDGF-BB and VEGF, scientists placed both genes in a single gene therapy delivery mechanism, called a "vector."

Although the report shows the feasibility of growing robust and safe new blood vessels that restore blood flow to diseased tissues, Blau points out that "there are multiple challenges to correcting peripheral vasculature disease by using proangiogenic gene therapy strategies. Two important challenges are what to deliver and how to get it to where it can have beneficial effects. Clinical success will require both delivering a gene therapy construct that encodes for effective angiogenic factors and ensuring that the sites of delivery are where the construct can have the greatest clinical benefit."

"This ingenious work, based on the latest techniques of molecular biology, tells us that it is possible to reinvigorate parts of our body that can't get enough blood to keep them going," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the FASEB Journal. "The next question is whether this approach will work in humans and exactly how to deliver the new treatment to places that need it the most."

###

Receive monthly highlights from the FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fjupdate.aspx. The FASEB Journal is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) and is the most cited biology journal worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information. In 2010, the journal was recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century. FASEB is composed of 26 societies with more than 100,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States. Celebrating 100 Years of Advancing the Life Sciences in 2012, FASEB is rededicating its efforts to advance health and well-being by promoting progress and education in biological and biomedical sciences through service to our member societies and collaborative advocacy.

Details: Andrea Banfi, Georges von Degenfeld, Roberto Gianni-Barrera, Silvia Reginato, Milton J. Merchant, Donald M. McDonald, and Helen M. Blau. Therapeutic angiogenesis due to balanced single-vector delivery of VEGF and PDGF-BB. FASEB J. doi:10.1096/fj.11-197400 ; http://www.fasebj.org/content/early/2012/03/05/fj.11-197400.abstract

The rest is here:
Stanford scientists develop gene therapy approach to grow blood vessels in ischemic limbs

Gene therapy approach to grow blood vessels in ischemic limbs

Posted on by

ScienceDaily (Mar. 6, 2012) A new research discovery by a team of Stanford and European scientists offers hope that people with atherosclerotic disease may one day be able to avoid limb amputation related to ischemia. A new research report appearing online in the FASEB Journal suggests that the delivery of genes for two molecules naturally produced by the body, called "PDGF-BB" and "VEGF" may successfully cause the body to grow new blood vessels that can save ischemic limbs.

"We hope that our findings will ultimately develop into a safe and effective therapy for the many patients, suffering from blocked arteries in the limbs, who are currently not adequately treated by surgery or drugs," said Helen M. Blau, Ph.D., a senior researcher involved in the work and Associate Editor of the FASEB Journal from the Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology at Stanford. "This could help avoid the devastating consequences of limb amputations for both patients and their families."

To make this discovery, Blau and colleagues, including Andrea Banfi (now at Basel University), introduced the genes for PDGF-BB and VEGF into the muscles of mice, either independently or together. When high doses of VEGF alone were produced, they caused the growth of vascular tumors. When the two factors were produced in unbalanced amounts, tumor growth also occurred. When VEGF and PDGF were delivered in a fixed ratio relative to one another, however, no tumors occurred, and blood flow was restored to ischemic muscle tissue and damage repaired without any toxic effects. To achieve a "balanced" delivery of PDGF-BB and VEGF, scientists placed both genes in a single gene therapy delivery mechanism, called a "vector."

Although the report shows the feasibility of growing robust and safe new blood vessels that restore blood flow to diseased tissues, Blau points out that "there are multiple challenges to correcting peripheral vasculature disease by using proangiogenic gene therapy strategies. Two important challenges are what to deliver and how to get it to where it can have beneficial effects. Clinical success will require both delivering a gene therapy construct that encodes for effective angiogenic factors and ensuring that the sites of delivery are where the construct can have the greatest clinical benefit."

"This ingenious work, based on the latest techniques of molecular biology, tells us that it is possible to reinvigorate parts of our body that can't get enough blood to keep them going," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the FASEB Journal. "The next question is whether this approach will work in humans and exactly how to deliver the new treatment to places that need it the most."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

See the rest here:
Gene therapy approach to grow blood vessels in ischemic limbs

Research and Markets: Rapid Tests and Point of Care Market to 2017 – Clinical Chemistry Tests to be the Major Revenue …

Posted on by

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ecf487/rapid_tests_and_po) has announced the addition of the "Rapid Tests and Point of Care Market to 2017 - Clinical Chemistry Tests to be the Major Revenue Generator" report to their offering.

GBI Research's report, Rapid Tests and Point of Care Market to 2017 - Clinical Chemistry Tests to be the Major Revenue Generator, provides key data, information and analysis on the global rapid tests and point of care (POC) market. The report provides information on the market landscape, the competitive landscape and market trend information on three rapid tests and POC market categories: clinical chemistry rapid tests and POC, immunochemistry rapid tests, and hematology rapid tests. The report provides comprehensive information on the key trends affecting these categories and key analytical content on the market's dynamics.

The report also provides profiles of the major companies operating in the rapid tests and POC market and a detailed analysis of the pipeline products in each category. Furthermore, the report reviews the details of important merger and acquisition deals that have taken place in the rapid tests and POC market over the past four years. The report is compiled using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis by GBI Research's team of industry experts.

Rapid Tests and Point of Care Market Forecast to Increase at a CAGR of 7% During the Period 2010 - 2017

The global rapid tests and point of care market was valued at $4.7 billion in 2010 and is forecast to grow to $7.4 billion by 2017, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% during the period 2010 - 2017.

Companies Mentioned:

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ecf487/rapid_tests_and_po

Link:
Research and Markets: Rapid Tests and Point of Care Market to 2017 - Clinical Chemistry Tests to be the Major Revenue ...

Research and Markets: Advances in Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology of Mercury. The Book that Looks at Mercury's …

Posted on by

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8dd239/advances_in_enviro) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Advances in Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology of Mercury" to their offering.

Recent research by the EPA has concluded that one in six women of childbearing age have unsafe levels of mercury in their bodies, which puts 630,000 newborn babies each year at risk of neurological impairment. Mercury poses severe risks to the health of animals and ecosystems around the world, and this book provides the essential information that anyone interested in environmental sciences should know about the fundamentals of the entire mercury cycle.

Comprised of four parts that present an overview of mercury in the environment, mercury transformations, transport, and bioaccumulation and toxicology, each chapter of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology of Mercury includes the basic concepts of the targeted subject, a critical review of that subject, and the future research needs.

This book explains the environmental behavior and toxicological effects of mercury on humans and other organisms, and provides a baseline for what is known and what uncertainties remain in respect to mercury cycling. The chapters focus on the fundamental science underlying the environmental chemistry and fate of mercury. This work will be invaluable to a wide range of policy experts, environmental scientists, and other people requiring a comprehensive source for the state of the science in this field.

Authors:

Guangliang Liu, PhD, is Research Scientist in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, where he manages the Mercury Laboratory.

Yong Cai, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University. He has been working on environmental chemistry and the geochemistry of mercury for almost twenty years.

Nelson O'Driscoll, PhD, is Canada Research Chair in Environmental Biogeochemistry and Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Acadia University.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8dd239/advances_in_enviro

Go here to see the original:
Research and Markets: Advances in Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology of Mercury. The Book that Looks at Mercury's ...