Author Archives: ev1

Nanobiotix Selected to Present Data from NBTXR3 Clinical Trial at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of …

Posted on by

Regulatory News:

NANOBIOTIX (Euronext: NANO ISIN: FR0011341205), a clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering novel approaches for the local treatment of cancer, today announced that it has been selected by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) to present data from its clinical trial evaluating NBTXR3 in advanced soft tissue sarcoma.

The clinical trial will be presented during the congress session dedicated to sarcoma.

This years ASCO will take place in Chicago from 31 May to 3 June, 2014. The Annual Meeting brings together more than 25,000 oncology professionals from a broad range of clinical research specialties.

The NBTXR3 study was selected from over 5,500 abstracts received by the Scientific Program Committee of ASCO for review.

Laurent Levy, CEO of Nanobiotix said: We are honored that ASCO has invited us to present our NBTXR3 data in front of the international oncology community. This is an encouraging step for our team and our partners and we will continue to develop innovative therapies aimed to improve patient care in the fight against cancer.

About NANOBIOTIX - http://www.nanobiotix.com

Nanobiotix (Euronext: NANO / ISIN: FR0011341205) is a clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering novel approaches for the local treatment of cancer. The Companys first-in-class, proprietary technology, NanoXray, enhances radiotherapy energy to provide a new, more efficient treatment for cancer patients. NanoXray products are compatible with current radiotherapy treatments and are meant to treat a wide variety of cancers via multiple routes of administration.

Nanobiotixs lead product NBTXR3, based on NanoXray, is currently under clinical development for soft tissue sarcoma and locally advanced head and neck cancer. The Company, based in Paris, France, has partnered with PharmaEngine for clinical development and commercialization of NBTXR3 in Asia.

Nanobiotix is listed on the regulated market of NYSE Euronext in Paris (ISIN: FR0011341205, Euronext ticker: NANO, Bloomberg: NANO: FP).

Read the original post:
Nanobiotix Selected to Present Data from NBTXR3 Clinical Trial at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of ...

‘Breakthrough’ Acid Stem Cell Study: Something is Grossly Wrong

Posted on by

Genetic irregularities add further confusion to acid bath stem cell studyReuters

Ground-breaking research that originally promised a huge leap in stem cell research has been dealt another blow this month after further irregularities in the authors' findings were discovered.

In January, Haruko Obokata of the Riken Centre for Developmental Biology in Japan said she hadproduced two stem cell lines from mice by washing mature cells in acid -a safer and easier way of reprogramming mature cells to an embryonic state.

At the time, researchers said the findings were hugely important for the future of stem cell therapy and its ability to fight diseases.

However, shortly after publication, the Riken centre's president, Ryoji Noyori,was forced to apologise for what he called "sloppy" work after the firstirregularities in the findings emerged.A subsequent investigation was launchedfollowing complaints of duplicated images and failed attempts to copy her findings.

According to Nature magazine,investigators have now found that the two stem cell lines came from different strains, suggesting the papers came from different mouse strains to what was claimed.

"Something is grossly wrong," says Hiromitsu Nakauchi, a University of Tokyo stem cell researcher.

Teruhiko Wakayama from Yamanashi University, who collaborated on the papers, performed genetic analysis on the stem cell lines. He told Nature that he had expected a genetic match between the stem cells and the source mice, but that this was not the case.

"This is really, really confusing... so far I do not see any proof of misconduct. Moreover, I am still not convinced that [the findings] are bogus"

Biologist Hans Scholer

Read the original post:
'Breakthrough' Acid Stem Cell Study: Something is Grossly Wrong

First evidence that very small embryonic-like stem cells

Posted on by

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

1-Apr-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 x2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, April 1, 2014 -- Rare, very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) isolated from human adult tissues could provide a new source for developing regenerative therapies to repair complex tissues damaged by disease or trauma. The ability of these most-primitive, multipotent stem cells to differentiate into bone, neurons, connective tissue, and other cell types, and the proper criteria for identifying and isolating VSELs, are described in two articles in Stem Cells and Development, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The articles are available on the Stem Cells and Development website.

Russ Taichman and coauthors, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and NeoStem (New York, NY), implanted human VSELs into the cavity created by a cranial wound and provided the first demonstration that they could generate tissue structures containing multiple cell types. Their work is presented in "Human and Murine Very Small Embryonic-Like (VSEL) Cells Represent Multipotent Tissue Progenitors, In Vitro and In Vivo."

Malwina Suszynska et al., University of Louisville, KY, and Pomeranian Medical University (Szczecin) and Jagiellonian University (Krakow), Poland, explore the challenges in isolating these rare stem cells and the importance of not confusing VSELs with other types of embryonic or reprogrammed adult pluripotent stem cells, or with monopotent adult stem cells. In the Issues in Development article "The Proper Criteria for Identification and Sorting of Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells (VSELs), and Some Nomenclature Issues," the authors present the most current descriptions and terminology for characterizing VSELs.

"I find the data presented by the Taichman group to be compelling and challenging. However, the current debate as to the significance of the body of publications concerning VSELs can only be resolved by a cooperative investigation across laboratories using identical methodologies and source materials," says Editor-in-Chief Graham C. Parker, PhD, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.

###

About the Journal

Stem Cells and Development is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published 24 times per year in print and online. The Journal is dedicated to communication and objective analysis of developments in the biology, characteristics, and therapeutic utility of stem cells, especially those of the hematopoietic system. Complete tables of content and a free sample issue may be viewed on the Stem Cells and Development website.

Read more:
First evidence that very small embryonic-like stem cells

Versatility in genetic expression aids rapid microbial evolution

Posted on by

Apr 01, 2014

Microbiologists from Trinity College Dublin have discovered that an identical protein is used differently by two species of bacteria to help them cope with distinct types of environmental stress. The discovery reveals an extraordinary level of versatility in the way different genes are 'switched on' in bacteria, which in turn helps to explain how they evolve so quickly.

The microbiologists showed that the same protein, called 'OmpR, which is responsible for binding to specific sections of DNA, governs the way a large cohort of genes function in both a human-friendly strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and in the potentially deadly Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium).

In E. coli, OmpR is central to the ability of the bacterium to survive sudden stress caused by water moving in and out of its cells due to changing external conditions. In S. Typhimurium, however, OmpR is a key regulator of a series of actions that enable individual bacteria to respond to and survive acid stress. Such conditions are experienced, for example, in the hostile environment found in the bacteria-destroying vacuoles of macrophages, which are cells of the immune system that Salmonella can defeat using specialist pathogenic genes.

The microbiologists identified all the OmpR binding sites in the chromosomes of both species and investigated the features that attracted OmpR to them. The sites were rich in the DNA bases adenine (A) and thymine (T), which bind to one another to help form the classic double helix structure associated with DNA.

Importantly, the DNA of S. Typhimurium alters its shape after a bacterium is exposed to acid. This change in shape, called DNA relaxation, enhances the attractiveness of the OmpR binding sites for the OmpR protein. The same relaxation does not occur in E. coli.

Professor and Head of Microbiology at Trinity, Charles Dorman, said: "This work shows that DNA is not a passive partner when genes are switched on, but that it is an active and dynamic participant in the process. And, among the many OmpR targets possessed by S. Typhimurium that are not present in E. coli are the genes that make Salmonella pathogenic, and problematic for people."

Scientists believe that the pathogenic genes were acquired through horizontal gene transfer. This process is mediated by direct contact between bacteria, by special viruses called bacteriophages, or by direct uptake of DNA from the environment. The transfer essentially represents the passing of DNA's all-important codes between individuals, and is often associated with the development and evolution of antibiotic resistance.

The scientists suspect that this DNA code sharing occurred after Salmonella and E. coli separated from their last common ancestor, earlier in the two species' unique evolutionary journeys, which is why the pathogenic genes are not present in E. coli. The DNA sequences of these genes confirm that they are very rich in A and T bases, which is a key characteristic they share with the OmpR binding sites.

Functionally, this means that these genes have the appropriate structural profile for rapid interaction with the OmpR DNA binding protein, which regulates when, and to what degree, they are 'switched on'. This profile, coupled with the DNA relaxation that accompanies acid stress in Salmonella, may have allowed OmpR to 'tame' these imported genes and embed them in the acid stress response of Salmonella bacteria.

Originally posted here:
Versatility in genetic expression aids rapid microbial evolution

Infants are sensitive to pleasant touch

Posted on by

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

2-Apr-2014

Contact: Anna Mikulak amikulak@psychologicalscience.org 202-293-9300 Association for Psychological Science

Infants show unique physiological and behavioral responses to pleasant touch, which may help to cement the bonds between child and parent and promote early social and physiological development, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Previous studies with adults have shown that when the skin is stroked, a specific type of touch receptor is activated in response to a particular stroking velocity, leading to the sensation of "pleasant" touch. Cognitive neuroscientist Merle Fairhurst of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany, and colleagues hypothesized that this type of response might emerge as early as infancy.

For the study, Fairhurst and colleagues had infants sit in their parents' laps while the experimenter stroked the back of the infant's arm with a paintbrush. The experimenter varied the rate of the brushstrokes among three defined velocities (0.3, 3, or 30 cm per second). The experimenters gauged the infants' responses through physiological and behavioral measures.

The results showed that the infants' heart rate slowed in response to the brushstrokes but only when the strokes were of medium velocity; in other words, the touch of the medium-velocity brush helped to decrease their physiological arousal. The infants also showed more engagement with the paintbrush during the medium-velocity brushstrokes, as measured by how long and how often they looked at the brush while they were being stroked.

Interestingly, infants' slower heart rate during medium-velocity brushstrokes was uniquely correlated with the primary caregivers' own self-reported sensitivity to touch. That is, the more sensitive the caregiver was to touch, the more the infant's heart rate slowed in response to medium-velocity touch.

The researchers note that this link between caregiver and infant could be supported by both "nurture" and "nature" explanations:

"One possibility is that infants' sensitivity to pleasant touch stems from direct or vicarious experience of differing levels of social touch as a function of their caregiver's sensitivity to social touch," explains Fairhurst. "Another possibility is that social touch is genetically heritable and therefore correlated between caregivers and infants."

Originally posted here:
Infants are sensitive to pleasant touch

Science Expo winners

Posted on by

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair winner at the 26 anniversary Billings Clinic Research Center Science Expo was 10th-grader Stewart Cook, from Carter County High in Ekalaka.

His project is The influence of rural gravel roads on nest mound structure and foraging distances of pogonomyrmex occidentalis. He and a chaperone will represent the Billings Clinic Science Expo at Intel ISEF this May in Los Angeles.

In addition to the ISEF winner, the top 10 projects in each grade were awarded prizes at the Billings Clinic Science Expo, as well as winners in special industry categories.

The winners are as follows:

Top 10 winners by grade:

Grade 1:

1. Ladybug Land Miel Mott, Luther Elementary

2. Moldy Oldy Lillian Pitts, Billings McKinley Elementary

3. Cow Power Quade Boggio, Luther Elementary

4. Rainbow Flowers Tymberlyn Talbot, Talbot Home School

Go here to see the original:
Science Expo winners

Budding scientist's project focuses on autism

Posted on by

Cardinal Mooney High School's Courtney Astore did most of the research for her project from her home in Lakewood Ranch. Astore earned the right to present her research on learning disabilities at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, after being named one of two overall winners of the 2014 Regional Science Fair. 'Feb. 27, 2014) (Herald-Tribune staff photo by Dan Wagner)

Courtney Alexandria Astore struggles with a learning disability that often forces her to reread the same page of a textbook several times before she grasps the meaning.

But that disability has not stopped her from becoming one of the most accomplished budding scientists in the area.

For the second straight year, Astore, 17 and a junior at Cardinal Mooney High School, will be competing at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for the second time.

It is rarefied company: Only 1,700 students are selected. The fair takes place in May in Los Angeles and Astore will be competing for $4 million in prize money.

If you give her a challenge she'll make it happen, said Jon Astore, Courtney's father. She sets goals for her own competition.

Astore suffers from two complex disorders, one that makes it difficult to distinguish subtle differences in words, the other with how her senses process information. The challenge she faces inspired her early interest in behavioral science.

I still have to work so much harder than my peers, I have to read things over and over again just to understand them, she said. But you work with what you have and learn to deal with it, which is basically the goal for anybody with any kind of diagnosis.

Motivated by her own struggles, Astore has channeled her research into children affected by autism.

From observing autistic children, Astore devoted her eighth-grade science project to figuring out how to regulate their senses so they would not chew at things. She created a shirt with a removable bib with sensory tools to help regulate their oral sensitivities.

See original here:
Budding scientist's project focuses on autism

Rockdale students takes home awards at state science fair

Posted on by

From left to right; RCPS students Alliyah Byrd, Chelse Steele, Anna Miller, Kim Estick, Aqib Momin, Stafford Ross, Quincy Blair, Ray Garner, Sheyenne Rowe, Sonam Brahmbhatt, Crystal Brockington, Aaron Barron and Michael Smith all participated in the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair in Athens from March 27 to 29. (Special photo)

CONYERS Four students from Rockdale County Public Schools impressed the judges at the 66th Georgia Science and Engineering Fair, each taking home the Best in Category award for their projects.

Held from March 27 to 29 at the Classic Center in Athens, the fair recognized student achievement on projects in various scientific categories, according to a press release from RCPS. Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology sophomore Molly Niemczyk received the title of Best Project in the behavioral science category with her project that studied the effect of dyslexia on eye movement.

Her fellow Magnet School student, junior Robert Raines, won best electrical and materials engineering project for his work on optimizing grapheme conductivity under variations of pressure. Samer Yassin, also a junior at the Magnet School, earned best plant sciences project with a project on the effect of biofilms on plant growth.

Memorial Middles Nicole Bourland won the junior divisions best computer science project by creating a video game for the visually impaired.

Students made it to the GSEF after competing in and winning regional fairs throughout the state. Thirty-nine RCPS students in total won honor awards eight of them receiving first honors. Honor awards point out a students relative ranking in the fair overall, while first honors are given to projects with total scores ranking at or above the top 90 percent based on overall scores, regardless of category.

We are certainly proud of how well all of our students defended their research at the state competition, said Amanda Baskett, co-director of the Rockdale Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Four students from our regional fair winning best in category awards highlights the high level of student research that students conduct in our schools.

Along with sponsoring organizations, the GSEF judges also gave away specialty awards to Rockdale students, including two Magnet School students. Shannon McNeely won the Surgeon Generals Award, while Anna Miller won the UGA Poultry Science Award.

Three projects from the Magnet School have been selected to advance to the International Science and Engineering Fair, taking them to Los Angeles in May. Aaron Barron and his partner Crystal Brockington will be presenting their solar energy project. Students Chelsea Steele, Larry Jacobs and Aqib Momin will be joining them on the trip to California. Steele and Jacobs partnered on a project on computational biology using mouse genetics. Momin studied a better way to read MRI scan images.

Continued here:
Rockdale students takes home awards at state science fair