Public release date: 2-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, August 2, 2012National guidelines recommend the use of therapeutic hypothermia to improve outcomes in patients who suffer a heart attack outside of a hospital. The results of a survey of all 73 acute care hospitals in New Jersey evaluating the adoption and implementation of this life-saving treatment from 2004-2011 is published in Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management website at http://www.liebertpub.com/ther.

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) involves reducing the body temperature to below normal levels for a prolonged period to minimize the potential damage caused by traumatic or ischemic injury that reduces blood flow to the tissues.

Factors contributing to the initially slow and more recently accelerated implementation of TH in New Jersey hospitals are described by Derek DeLia and colleagues from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Saint Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston, NJ), and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (Newark, NJ). The authors discuss the wide variation observed in the criteria for patient selection for TH across hospitals and the impact that variations in TH use can have on patient care in the article "Post-Cardiac Arrest Therapeutic Hypothermia in New Jersey Hospitals: Analysis of Adoption and Implementation."

"This communication is important because it focuses on the need of continued adoption and utilization of therapeutic hypothermia targeting cardiac arrest," says W. Dalton Dietrich, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal and Kinetic Concepts Distinguished Chair in Neurosurgery, Professor of Neurological Surgery, Neurology and Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. "It is hoped that this journal will continue to provide guidance as more hospitals and treating physicians use this beneficial treatment in limiting the devastating consequences of brain injury."

###

About the Journal

Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management provides a strong multidisciplinary forum to advance the understanding of therapeutic hypothermia. Novel findings from translational preclinical investigations as well as clinical studies and trials are featured in original articles, state-of-the-art review articles, provocative roundtable discussions, clinical protocols, and best practices. Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management is the journal of record, published in print and online with open access options. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management website at http://www.liebertpub.com/ther.

About the Publisher

See more here:

Implementing a therapeutic hypothermia program for post-cardiac arrest in acute care hospitals

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Despite the fact that China lags behind in terms of the overall level of genetic engineering drugs, the industry has accumulated rich R&D and industrialization experience as well as capital reserves. Thus, with a host of genetic engineering drug patents to become due, Chinese enterprises, such as Walvax, are committed to the industrialization research of monoclonal antibody, long-acting recombinant protein drugs and other generic drugs with high technical barriers. In April this year, Walvax announced to invest in Shanghai Fengmao to develop and produce genetic engineering generic drugs such as rituximab, bevacizumab, adalimumab, panitumumab, denosumab and long-acting EPO.

New market report China Genetic Engineering Drug Industry Report, 2011-2012 worked out by ResearchInChina delves into a comprehensive discussion of the genetic engineering drug industry from a global perspective and focuses on an insightful review of the sector in China.

Key Topics Covered:

Companies profiled in the report include: Shanghai Lansheng Guojian Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd; Biotech Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd; Anhui Anke Biotechnology (Group) Co., Ltd; GeneScience Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd; Beijing SL Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd; Jiangsu Sihuan Bioengineering Co., Ltd; Shenzhen Neptunus Interlong Bio-Technique Co., Ltd; 3SBio Inc.; and Tonghua Dongbao Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Report Details:

Title: China Genetic Engineering Drug Industry Report, 2011-2012

Published: July, 2012

Pages: 80

Price: US$ 1,900.00

Read this article:
Genetic Engineering Drug Sector Globally & in China Examined in New Report Published at MarketPublishers.com

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Despite the fact that China lags behind in terms of the overall level of genetic engineering drugs, the industry has accumulated rich R&D and industrialization experience as well as capital reserves. Thus, with a host of genetic engineering drug patents to become due, Chinese enterprises, such as Walvax, are committed to the industrialization research of monoclonal antibody, long-acting recombinant protein drugs and other generic drugs with high technical barriers. In April this year, Walvax announced to invest in Shanghai Fengmao to develop and produce genetic engineering generic drugs such as rituximab, bevacizumab, adalimumab, panitumumab, denosumab and long-acting EPO.

New market report China Genetic Engineering Drug Industry Report, 2011-2012 worked out by ResearchInChina delves into a comprehensive discussion of the genetic engineering drug industry from a global perspective and focuses on an insightful review of the sector in China.

Key Topics Covered:

Companies profiled in the report include: Shanghai Lansheng Guojian Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd; Biotech Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd; Anhui Anke Biotechnology (Group) Co., Ltd; GeneScience Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd; Beijing SL Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd; Jiangsu Sihuan Bioengineering Co., Ltd; Shenzhen Neptunus Interlong Bio-Technique Co., Ltd; 3SBio Inc.; and Tonghua Dongbao Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Report Details:

Title: China Genetic Engineering Drug Industry Report, 2011-2012

Published: July, 2012

Pages: 80

Price: US$ 1,900.00

Read more:

Genetic Engineering Drug Sector Globally & in China Examined in New Report Published at MarketPublishers.com

Public release date: 31-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, July 31, 2012Recent research supports the ability of some herbal agents, taken orally or applied topically, to prevent sunburn and limit the damage caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Natural products with proven and promising photoprotective properties are highlighted in an article in Alternative and Complementary Therapies, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Alternative and Complementary Therapies website at http://www.liebertpub.com/act.

The article "Herbal Sunscreens and Ultraviolet Protectants" specifically identifies golden serpent fern (Phlebodium aureum or Polypodium leucatomos) and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) as herbal products that, when taken orally, may reduce the local and systemic negative effects of UV light exposure, including photoaging, increased risk of skin cancer, and harm done to immune system function. Sufficiently high oral doses or topical application of green tea (Camellia sinensis) may also offer photoprotection.

###

About the Journal

Alternative and Complementary Therapies is a bimonthly journal that publishes original articles, reviews, and commentaries evaluating alternative therapies and how they can be integrated into clinical practice. Topics include botanical medicine, vitamins and supplements, nutrition and diet, mind-body medicine, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, ayurveda, indigenous medicine systems, homeopathy, naturopathy, yoga and meditation, manual therapies, energy medicine, and spirituality and health. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Alternative and Complementary Therapies website at http://www.liebertpub.com/act.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Medical Acupuncture, and Journal of Medicinal Food. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website at http://www.liebertpub.com.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 140 Huguenot St., New Rochelle, NY 10801-5215 http://www.liebertpub.com Phone: (914) 740-2100 (800) M-LIEBERT Fax: (914) 740-2101

Go here to read the rest:

Can herbal products provide sun protection?

Public release date: 26-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, July 26, 2012 Administering high-doses of interleukin-2 (IL-2) has been the preferred treatment for patients with stage IV metastatic melanoma. An article published in the current issue of Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com), explores whether or not this regimen is still the most effective. The article is available free online at the Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals website (http://www.liebertpub.com/cbr).

In the article "Should High-Dose Interleukin-2 Still Be the Preferred Treatment for Patients with Metastatic Melanoma?" (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/cbr.2012.1220) Robert Dillman and colleagues at the Hoag Institute for Research and Education and Hoag Family Cancer Institute, Newport Beach, CA concluded that until long-term survival data for some of the newer drugs are available, patients with stage IV metastatic melanoma who are well enough to be given intensive IL-2 therapy should receive it initially, either alone or in combination with one of the newer therapeutic agents.

"This is an important article that puts into perspective the reasons why IL-2 should continue to be the initial therapy in patients with metastatic melanoma," says Editor Donald J. Buchsbaum, PhD, Division of Radiation Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

###

About the Journal

Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals (http://www.liebertpub.com/cbr), published 10 times a year in print and online, is under the editorial leadership of Editors Donald J. Buchsbaum, PhD and Robert K. Oldham, MD, Lower Keys Cancer Center, Key West, FL. Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals is the only journal with a specific focus on cancer biotherapy, including monoclonal antibodies, cytokine therapy, cancer gene therapy, cell-based therapies, and other forms of immunotherapy. The Journal includes extensive reporting on advancements in radioimmunotherapy and the use of radiopharmaceuticals and radiolabeled peptides for the development of new cancer treatments. Topics include antibody drug conjugates, fusion toxins and immunotoxins, nanoparticle therapy, vascular therapy, and inhibitors of proliferation signaling pathways.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research, Human Gene Therapy and Human Gene Therapy Methods, and Stem Cells and Development. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available at Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com)

More here:

Should high-dose interleukin-2 continue to be the treatment of choice for metastatic melanoma?

Allowing athletes to enhance their performance by using genetic engineering to manipulate their DNA may become a reality of future Olympic Games.

Link:

Frankenlympics?

In my last post,Doing the Undoable, I discussed the rapid development of genetics, particularly genetic engineering. Having the video presentation of Juan Enriquez available helped get the point across. Today, Im going to look at a related area that also raises the possibility of sudden and unexpected change in the not-so-distant future (anytime from tomorrow on).

Once again, Im assisted by the work of another commentator who, like Mr. Enriquez, provides a good overview of other changes that are already underway, but whose impact has yet to be felt by most of us, at least knowingly.

I am referring to an article in Foreign Policy magazine by Dr. Vivek Wadhwa, director of research at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization at Duke University and fellow at the Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University.

Published on July 17th of this year, it is titled, The Future of Manufacturing Is in America, Not China. Thats a nice provocative title. I will provide a link to the full article (its not that long and free of most technical jargon), but first Ill use his words to briefly summarize four important areas where advances have led him to choose that title.

It all sounds very exciting, full of potential for good things. Dr. Wadhwas summarizes his argument reflected in his articles title when he says, All of these advances play well into Americas ability to innovate, demolish old industries, and continually reinvent itself. The Chinese are still busy copying technologies we built over the past few decades. They havent cracked the nut on how to innovate yet.

Yes, it sounds great, but hold on a minute. Like all things human, the potentially good comes coupled with the potentially bad. I have two very basic concerns.

The first is true of so much that I read these days, including a lot that is written on what the Eurozone has to do to deal with its problems. Oddly enough, those varied European solutions have something in common with the idea that Foxconn plans to install one million robots within three years to do the work that its workers in China presently do. It has found even low-cost Chinese labor to be too expensive and demanding. Too many commentators on the Eurozone today forget that all the zones nations are functioning democracies.

China obviously is not, but even casually following Chinas internal political and economic trends provides plenty of evidence that non-democratic states also have to consider the feelings and fears of their citizens. We are continuously told that the Chinese Communist Party fears uprisings among the people. There is more than one way to vote and get your voice heard.

So Foxconn will replace Chinese workers with robots. Great. That ought to make folks happy in China. But hold on, theres good news. We can do the same in the US! Wonderful, now we have a means of massively increasing US unemployment too! Pardon the sarcasm. Im sure Dr. Wadhwa is well aware that robots will replace human workers who may not be able to find replacement jobs easily or at all. His relatively short article is focused on the good news, so he doesnt try to address problems that might result.

But one sentence stands out as unacceptable to me.The Chinese are still busy copying technologies we built over the past few decades.They havent cracked the nut on how to innovate yet.

Visit link:

Debunking The Myth That Chinese Can't Innovate

Public release date: 25-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, July 25, 2012A novel approach to gene therapy that instructs a person's own cells to produce more of a natural disease-fighting protein could offer a solution to treating many genetic disorders. The method was used to achieve a 2- to 3-fold increase in production of a protein deficient in patients with Friedreich's ataxia, as described in an article published Instant Online in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com) The article is available free online at the Human Gene Therapy website (http://www.liebertpub.com/hum).

The innovative gene therapy method described by Jacques Tremblay, Pierre Chapdelaine, Zo Coulombe, and Joel Rousseau, Laval University, Quebec, and University of Quebec, Canada, takes advantage of the ability of a family of proteins called Tal effector (TALE) proteins to target specific DNA sequences. As a model of how this method could be used to treat genetic disease, the authors engineered TALE proteins to target the gene that codes for the frataxin protein, which is deficient in Friedreich's ataxia. The ability to induce cells to produce more frataxin could reduce symptoms of the disease and provide an effective, long-term therapeutic strategy, conclude the authors in the article "TALE Proteins Induce the Expression of the Frataxin Gene. (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/hum.2012.034)

"This is a very clever approach to treat a recessive disease caused by decreased quantity of an otherwise normal protein," says James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief, and Director of the Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

###

About the Journal

Human Gene Therapy (http://www.liebertpub.com/hum), the Official Journal of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, French Society of Cell and Gene Therapy, German Society of Gene Therapy, and five other gene therapy societies is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly in print and online that presents reports on the transfer and expression of genes in mammals, including humans. Related topics include improvements in vector development, delivery systems, and animal models, particularly in the areas of cancer, heart disease, viral disease, genetic disease, and neurological disease, as well as ethical, legal, and regulatory issues related to the gene transfer in humans. Tables of content and a free sample issue may be viewed online at the Human Gene Therapy website (http://www.liebertpub.com/hum).

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Development, and Cellular Reprogramming. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available at Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com)

More:
New gene therapy strategy boosts levels of deficient protein in Friedreich's ataxia

Public release date: 24-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cathia Falvey cfalvey@liebertpub.com 914-740-2165 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, July 24, 2012Hundreds of colleges and universities around the world are offering courses and even graduate degrees in ecopsychology and other forms of environmentally focused psychology. Ecopsychology examines the psychological, spiritual, and therapeutic aspects of human-nature relationships, concern about environmental issues, and responsibility for protecting natural places and other species. Educators are increasingly recognizing the value of integrating psychology and environmental content to help students appreciate the link between their own well-being and that of the natural world around them. Innovative strategies and techniques for exploring the intersection of these disciplines in the classroom are featured in a special issue of Ecopsychology, a peer-reviewed, online journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. (http://www.liebertpub.com), the issue is available free online at Ecopsychology (http://www.liebertpub.com/eco) website.

As an introduction to the special focus issue of the Journal, the editorial entitled "Teaching Environmentally Focused Psychology (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/eco.2012.0062)" says that "so-called 'environmental problems' are really human behavioral problems." Numerous resources are now available to help teachers introduce students to the concept of the interdependence between their physical and psychological health and that of the planet, including the subdisciplines of ecopsychology, environmental psychology, and conservation psychology.

This special issue of Ecopsychology highlights a variety of approaches that incorporate traditional classroom instruction, inquiry-based learning, experiential learning, and teaching in field settings. It describes unique stand-alone courses and recommendations of activities and assignments that educators can incorporate into existing psychology and environmental science curricula.

"Our special issue, 'Teaching Ecopsychology and Environmentally-focused Psychology (http://online.liebertpub.com/toc/eco/4/2),' is one of the first surveys of its kind, and its examples of timely and innovative environmental psychology pedagogy will be a resource and inspiration for educators and students worldwide," says Editor-in-Chief Thomas Joseph Doherty, PsyD, Graduate School of Counseling, Lewis & Clark College (Portland, OR).

###

About the Journal

Ecopsychology (http://www.liebertpub.com/eco) is a peer-reviewed journal that explores the relationship between environmental issues and mental health and well-being. The Journal examines the psychological, spiritual, and therapeutic aspects of human-nature relationships, concern about environmental issues, and responsibility for protecting natural places and other species. It provides a forum for international dialogue among experts from a range of disciplines: psychology and healthcare; environmental conservation, sociology, anthropology, and environmental studies; and related areas such as ecology, landscape restoration, eco-spirituality, and social and environmental justice movements. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed at the Ecopsychology (http://www.liebertpub.com/eco) website.

About the Publisher

View post:

Ecopsychology -- a major new area of study

Public release date: 24-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, July 24, 2012A naturally occurring line of immunodeficient pigs can support the growth of human tumors injected under their skin, offering a promising new large animal model for studying human cancers and testing new drugs and treatment strategies. The ability of human melanoma cells and pancreatic carcinoma cells to grow in these pig models is described in an article in BioResearch Open Access, a new bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com). The article is available free online at the BioResearch Open Access website (http://www.liebertpub.com/biores).

Mathew Basel and colleagues, Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS) and Iowa State University (Ames), highlight the advantages that pig disease models offer, as they are anatomically and physiologically more closely related to humans than traditional rodent animal models. As a result, findings from studies in large animal models such as pigs are more likely to translate into similar outcomes in humans. The authors present their findings in the article "Human Xenografts Are Not Rejected in a Naturally Occurring Immunodeficient Porcine Line: A Human Tumor Model in Pigs" (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/biores.2012.9902).

"This novel animal model has the potential to become a highly useful model in cancer research studies, in addition to providing significant opportunities for drug discovery and other translational applications," says Editor-in-Chief Jane Taylor, PhD, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

###

About the Journal

BioResearch Open Access (http://www.liebertpub.com/biores) is a bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal that provides a new rapid-publication forum for a broad range of scientific topics including molecular and cellular biology, tissue engineering and biomaterials, bioengineering, regenerative medicine, stem cells, gene therapy, systems biology, genetics, biochemistry, virology, microbiology, and neuroscience. All articles are published within 4 weeks of acceptance and are fully open access and posted on PubMedCentral. All journal content is available online at the BioResearch Open Access website (http://www.liebertpub.com/biores).

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Development, Human Gene Therapy and HGT Methods, and AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website (http://www.liebertpub.com).

Read more:

Novel pig model may be useful for human cancer studies

Public release date: 25-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, July 25, 2012A novel approach to gene therapy that instructs a person's own cells to produce more of a natural disease-fighting protein could offer a solution to treating many genetic disorders. The method was used to achieve a 2- to 3-fold increase in production of a protein deficient in patients with Friedreich's ataxia, as described in an article published Instant Online in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com) The article is available free online at the Human Gene Therapy website (http://www.liebertpub.com/hum).

The innovative gene therapy method described by Jacques Tremblay, Pierre Chapdelaine, Zo Coulombe, and Joel Rousseau, Laval University, Quebec, and University of Quebec, Canada, takes advantage of the ability of a family of proteins called Tal effector (TALE) proteins to target specific DNA sequences. As a model of how this method could be used to treat genetic disease, the authors engineered TALE proteins to target the gene that codes for the frataxin protein, which is deficient in Friedreich's ataxia. The ability to induce cells to produce more frataxin could reduce symptoms of the disease and provide an effective, long-term therapeutic strategy, conclude the authors in the article "TALE Proteins Induce the Expression of the Frataxin Gene. (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/hum.2012.034)

"This is a very clever approach to treat a recessive disease caused by decreased quantity of an otherwise normal protein," says James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief, and Director of the Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

###

About the Journal

Human Gene Therapy (http://www.liebertpub.com/hum), the Official Journal of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, French Society of Cell and Gene Therapy, German Society of Gene Therapy, and five other gene therapy societies is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly in print and online that presents reports on the transfer and expression of genes in mammals, including humans. Related topics include improvements in vector development, delivery systems, and animal models, particularly in the areas of cancer, heart disease, viral disease, genetic disease, and neurological disease, as well as ethical, legal, and regulatory issues related to the gene transfer in humans. Tables of content and a free sample issue may be viewed online at the Human Gene Therapy website (http://www.liebertpub.com/hum).

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Development, and Cellular Reprogramming. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available at Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com)

Read more:

New gene therapy strategy boosts levels of deficient protein in Friedreich's ataxia

In my last post,Doing the Undoable, I discussed the rapid development of genetics, particularly genetic engineering. Having the video presentation of Juan Enriquez available helped get the point across. Today, Im going to look at a related area that also raises the possibility of sudden and unexpected change in the not-so-distant future (anytime from tomorrow on).

Once again, Im assisted by the work of another commentator who, like Mr. Enriquez, provides a good overview of other changes that are already underway, but whose impact has yet to be felt by most of us, at least knowingly.

I am referring to an article in Foreign Policy magazine by Dr. Vivek Wadhwa, director of research at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization at Duke University and fellow at the Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University.

Published on July 17th of this year, it is titled, The Future of Manufacturing Is in America, Not China. Thats a nice provocative title. I will provide a link to the full article (its not that long and free of most technical jargon), but first Ill use his words to briefly summarize four important areas where advances have led him to choose that title.

It all sounds very exciting, full of potential for good things. Dr. Wadhwas summarizes his argument reflected in his articles title when he says, All of these advances play well into Americas ability to innovate, demolish old industries, and continually reinvent itself. The Chinese are still busy copying technologies we built over the past few decades. They havent cracked the nut on how to innovate yet.

Yes, it sounds great, but hold on a minute. Like all things human, the potentially good comes coupled with the potentially bad. I have two very basic concerns.

The first is true of so much that I read these days, including a lot that is written on what the Eurozone has to do to deal with its problems. Oddly enough, those varied European solutions have something in common with the idea that Foxconn plans to install one million robots within three years to do the work that its workers in China presently do. It has found even low-cost Chinese labor to be too expensive and demanding. Too many commentators on the Eurozone today forget that all the zones nations are functioning democracies.

China obviously is not, but even casually following Chinas internal political and economic trends provides plenty of evidence that non-democratic states also have to consider the feelings and fears of their citizens. We are continuously told that the Chinese Communist Party fears uprisings among the people. There is more than one way to vote and get your voice heard.

So Foxconn will replace Chinese workers with robots. Great. That ought to make folks happy in China. But hold on, theres good news. We can do the same in the US! Wonderful, now we have a means of massively increasing US unemployment too! Pardon the sarcasm. Im sure Dr. Wadhwa is well aware that robots will replace human workers who may not be able to find replacement jobs easily or at all. His relatively short article is focused on the good news, so he doesnt try to address problems that might result.

But one sentence stands out as unacceptable to me.The Chinese are still busy copying technologies we built over the past few decades.They havent cracked the nut on how to innovate yet.

See the rest here:
Debunking The Myth That Chinese Can't Innovate

Public release date: 19-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, July 19, 2012To enable greater reliance on renewable biomass resources for power generation, combination approaches such as co-firing of high percentages of biomass with coal offer unique advantages, but also significant challenges. A comprehensive review of the strategies currently available and in development to improve the characteristics of biomass is presented in Industrial Biotechnology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.. The article is available free online at the Industrial Biotechnology website.

"Comprehensive and precise characterization of biomass feedstock is important for the development of biotechnology approaches to bioenergy and bioproducts development," says Larry Walker, PhD, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Professor, Biological & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Jaya ShankarTumuluru and colleagues, Idaho National Laboratory (Idaho Falls), describe and compare formulation, pretreatment, and densification options intended to overcome issues related to physical and chemical composition and storage of biomass and the logistics for successful co-firing of <40% mixtures with coal. The Review is entitled "Formulation, Pretreatment, and Densification Options to Improve Biomass Specifications for Co-Firing High Percentages with Coal."

The current issue of Industrial Biotechnology also features a Commentary by Rina Singh, PhD, Senior Policy Director in the Industrial Biotechnology section at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) on "The National Bioeconomy Blueprint: Meeting Grand Challenges," followed by highlights of the Blueprint.

Gauri Dhavan, Irene Hudson, and J. Peter Fasse, attorneys at Fish & Richardson PC (Boston, MA and New York, NY) take an in-depth look at the impact for the industrial biotechnology community of the Supreme Court's recent decision on patent eligibility of method claims in the Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc. case in the article "Patent Eligibility of Method Claims: What Is the Impact of the Supreme Court's Prometheus Decision?"

A new feature in Industrial Biotechnology, entitled Catalyzing Innovation, in this issue focuses on the application of zinc finger nuclease technology in the aquaculture food industry. Xavier Lauth, John Buchanan, and Keith Hansen, Center for Aquaculture Technologies (San Diego, CA) and Sigma Life Science (St. Louis, MO), describe this innovative technology in the article "Efficient Targeted Genome Editing for Finfish Aquaculture and Other Industries."

###

About the Journal

Excerpt from:

Strategies to improve renewable energy feedstocks

Lintao Zhangy/Getty Images

That seems to be the question behind a new opinion piece in this week's journal Nature. As scientists uncover the genes that help people become world-class sprinters or record-breaking skiers, the idea that medals are won with just hard work, sweat and tears begins to feel outdated, according to the authors.

"When you start sequencing [the genes] of lots and lots of human beings, what we're going to find out is that we're more different than people had realized," said Steve Gullans, a managing director of Excel Venture Management in Boston, who co-wrote the piece with his colleague Juan Enriquez.

Already, Gullans said, DNA tests have shown that some Olympic athletes have distinct advantages. Finnish cross-country skier and seven-time Olympic medalist Eero Mntyranta, for example, carried a mutation in his EPOR gene that meant he produced up to 25 percent more red blood cells than the norm. That mutation gave Mntyranta an edge because his blood carried more oxygen than the blood of people without the mutation, Gullans told LiveScience. And that raises the question of whether "gene doping," or gene therapy to improve performance, should be banned.

"If someone else is carrying the EPOR receptor that I don't have, why shouldn't I be able to give it to myself to play on an equal playing field?" Gullans said. [7 Amazing Superhuman Feats]

The genome and the Olympics

Gene doping has been banned by the International Olympic Committee since 2003, though the actual therapies that could boost athletic performance remain largely theoretical. Nevertheless, gene therapy is becoming more common, raising new questions, Gullans said. Suppose scientists invented a gene-therapy procedure to cure sickle-cell anemia in babies, he said. Would a child who received the treatment forever be banned from the Olympics?

As the rules are written today, they likely would, Gullans said. The World Anti-Doping Agency rules prohibit "the transfer of nucleic acids or nucleic acid sequences" and "the use of normal or genetically modified cells" if those methods have "the potential to enhance sport performance."

This prohibition is much broader than the ban on drugs, which are split into performance-enhancing and allowed categories, Gullans said. It's likely that officials will have to grapple with a number of ethical gray areas as genetic manipulation advances.

Another example: Imagine that a genetic treatment could slow aging, so that people stayed healthy and youthful until after they were 100 years old, Gullans said. Would Olympic athletes be the only people forced to abstain?

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Scientist Suggests That Genetic Engineering Will Kill The Olympics

Will the Olympics as we know it survive genetic engineering?

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Tarnished Medals? Genetic Engineering Will Change Olympics

Public release date: 18-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, July 18, 2012 Approximately 1 in 3 Americans suffers from chronic sleep deprivation and another 10-15% of the population has chronic insomnia. Sleep disorders can profoundly affect a person's whole life and have been linked to a range of diseases, including obesity, depression, anxiety, and inflammatory disorders. Over-the-counter herbal remedies are often used to treat insomnia, but surprisingly, very little research has been done to study their efficacy, according to an article in Alternative and Complementary Therapies, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Alternative and Complementary Therapies website at http://www.liebertpub.com/act.

People need many hours of sound, restorative sleep every night to maintain an optimal state of physiological and psychological health, but many factors can disrupt sleep schedules and compromise the quality of sleep. In the article, "SleepNaturally: A Review of the Efficacy of Herbal Remedies for Managing Insomnia," the authors conducted a search of the Internet and electronic databases to identify literature on herbal remedies that are commonly used to manage insomnia, including valerian, hops, kava-kava, chamomile, and St. John's wort. They found that few scientific studies had been published that reported on the therapeutic potential and safety of these herbal remedies and the results were either inconclusive or contradictory.

The authors concluded that, considering the benefits that a natural management strategy could offer patients with insomnia, additional research is required to assess the effectiveness and safety of herbal remedies as therapeutic agents.

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About the Journal

Alternative and Complementary Therapies is a bimonthly journal that publishes original articles, reviews, and commentaries evaluating alternative therapies and how they can be integrated into clinical practice. Topics include botanical medicine, vitamins and supplements, nutrition and diet, mind-body medicine, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, ayurveda, indigenous medicine systems, homeopathy, naturopathy, yoga and meditation, manual therapies, energy medicine, and spirituality and health. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Alternative and Complementary Therapies website at http://www.liebertpub.com/act.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Medical Acupuncture, and Journal of Medicinal Food. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website at http://www.liebertpub.com.

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Efficacy of herbal remedies for managing insomnia

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/563f2h/china_genetic_engi) has announced the addition of the "China Genetic Engineering Drug Industry Report, 2011-2012" report to their offering.

At present, China has at least one hundred enterprises involved in genetic engineering drugs. In recent years, the compound growth rate of genetic engineering drug market in China is as high as 49%, with an average gross margin of more than 80%.

However, the technology strength and efficacy of locally produced genetic engineering drugs are relatively weak. In particular, the pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (PEG-rhG-CSF) for injection of CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited that approved for marketing in March 2012 is the only homemade long-acting protein product. Still, due to the impetus of huge market capacity as well as a package of preferential policies, many domestic enterprises, including GeneScience Pharmaceuticals, Amoytop and Anhui Anke Biotechnology, are accelerating the industrialized research of long-acting protein drugs.

Although China lags behind in terms of the overall level of genetic engineering drugs, the industry is now rich R&D and industrialization experience as well as capital reserves. Thus, with a host of genetic engineering drug patents to become due, Chinese enterprises, such as Walvax, are committed to the industrialization research of monoclonal antibody, long-acting recombinant protein drugs and other generic drugs with high technical barriers.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Profile of Biopharmaceutical Industry

1.1 Definition and Classification

1.2 Genetic Engineering Drugs

2 Overview of China Genetic Engineering Drug Industry

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Research and Markets: China Genetic Engineering Drug Industry Report, 2011-2012

Public release date: 17-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

New Rochelle, NY, July 16, 2012A small, naturally occurring nucleic acid sequence, called a microRNA, known to regulate a number of different cancers, appears to alter the activity of the androgen receptor, which plays a critical role in prostate cancer. Directly targeting microRNA-125b to block androgen receptor activity represents a novel approach for treating castrate-resistant prostate cancer. This promising new strategy for improving the effectiveness of anti-androgenic and other hormonal therapies is described in an article in BioResearch Open Access, a new bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.. The article is available free online at the BioResearch Open Access website.

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer affecting men and the second most common cause of cancer death among men. In the article "miR-125b Regulation of Androgen Receptor Signaling Via Modulation of the Receptor Complex Co-Repressor NCOR2," Xiaoping Yang, Lynne Bernis, Lih-Jen Su, Dexiang Gao, and Thomas Flaig, University of Colorado Denver (Aurora) and University of Minnesota (Duluth), looked for targets of microRNA-125b that might shed light on its role in regulating prostate cancer and found that it directly inhibits NCOR2, which acts to repress the androgen receptor. The authors point out that "the androgen receptor is a critical therapeutic target in prostate cancer" and that alterations in the receptor are essential for the development of castrate-resistant prostate cancer, in which the disease no longer responds to hormonal therapies.

"This research provides new insight into the mechanism of miR-125b regulation of castrate-resistance prostate cancer through the identification of a novel target for miR-125b," says Editor-in-Chief Jane Taylor, PhD, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. "The clinical implications of this study are that targeted regulation of this miRNA may lead to more effective anticancer therapies."

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About the Journal

BioResearch Open Access is a bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal that provides a new rapid-publication forum for a broad range of scientific topics including molecular and cellular biology, tissue engineering and biomaterials, bioengineering, regenerative medicine, stem cells, gene therapy, systems biology, genetics, biochemistry, virology, microbiology, and neuroscience. All articles are published within 4 weeks of acceptance and are fully open access and posted on PubMedCentral. All journal content is available online at the BioResearch Open Access website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Development, Human Gene Therapy and HGT Methods, and AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website.

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New therapeutic target for prostate cancer identified

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) -- Drug developer Novavax Inc. said Monday that it will work with the government of India to develop a new malaria vaccine.

Novavax said it will work with the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and CPL Biologicals. India's Department of Biotechnology will fund the project, which will be managed by the not-for-profit Malaria Vaccine Development Program, based in New Delhi. The company said around 210 million cases of malaria are diagnosed every year and 650,000 people die of the disease.

Novavax, based in Rockville, Md., develops vaccines that are genetically engineered virus-like particles. The particles resemble a virus but do not have the genetic material a virus needs to reproduce itself. The company is conducting clinical trials of vaccines for seasonal and pandemic influenza and for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which can cause life-threatening respiratory infections in infants.

CPL Biologicals is a joint venture of Novavax and privately held Cadila Pharmaceuticals, based in Ahmedabad, India.

Shares of Novavax lost 3 cents to $2.04 in afternoon trading.

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Novavax will help develop new malaria vaccine

FINLEY -- GE Free Lake County presents a screening of the film "Fed Up! Genetic Engineering, Industrial Agriculture and Sustainable Alternatives" by Angelo Sacerdote, 7 to 9 p.m. July 29 at the Big Valley Grange, located at 1510 Big Valley Road in Finley.

The film addresses the biotechnology industry's opposition to labeling and its claim that only genetically engineered crops and the chemicals they require in order to grow can offer hope to poor Third World farmers and the hungry people in those countries.

Popcorn and light refreshments will be served. For more information contact Thurston Williams at 275-9315 or Haji Warf at 275-9527.

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GE Free Lake County hosts film screening