Some bodily activities, sleeping, for instance, mostly occur once every 24 hours; they follow a circadian rhythm. Other bodily functions, such as body temperature, cognitive performance and blood pressure, present an additional 12-hour cycle, but little is known about the biological basis of their rhythm. A team of scientists from various institutions, including Baylor College of Medicine, has revealed that, in addition to 24-hour clocks, mammals and other organisms have 12-hour clocks that are autonomous, work independently from 24-hour clocks and can be modified by external factors. Studying 12-hour clocks is important because altered 12-hour cycles have been linked to human disease. The study appears in Cell Metabolism.

Our lab has been working on how the 24-hour cycles are regulated, and we and others have shown that disturbing these clocks may lead to diseases of metabolism, said senior author Dr. Bert OMalley, chair and professor of molecular and cellular biology and Thomas C. Thompson Chair in Cell Biology at Baylor College of Medicine. For instance, experimental evidence shows that night-shift workers who periodically change their night and day shifts or people who travel overseas often alter their sleep cycles, and this seems to make them prone to gain weight and develop diabetes and other alterations of metabolism that may lead to disease. Its not a good idea to disturb the circadian rhythm on a regular basis.

In addition to physiological activities that cycle every 24 hours, mammals and other organisms have activities that repeat every 12 hours. For example, it has been reported that blood pressure, body temperature, hormone levels and response to therapy fluctuate in 12-hour cycles. In addition, altered 12-hour cycles have been associated with human diseases. Other researchers had identified about 200 genes that are activated in 12-hour cycles. In this study, OMalley and his colleagues set out to determine whether there was a larger number of 12-hour genes and whether their cycles followed the definition of a biological clock, that is whether they worked autonomously and their oscillation could be adjusted by the environment.

Math meets biology to indentify the bodys internal clocks

Dr. Bokai Zhu, first author of this study and a postdoctoral fellow in the OMalley lab, carried out biological analyses to determine the activity of thousands of mice genes in time. Then, co-author Dr. Clifford Dacso, professor of molecular and cellular biology at Baylor College of Medicine, and co-author and mathematician Dr. Athanasios Antoulas, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice University, applied mathematical analyses to these biological data.

We were surprised to identify more than 3,000 genes that were expressed following 12-hour rhythms. A large portion of these genes was superimposed on the already known 24-hour gene activities, Zhu said.

The 12-hour clock is autonomous and can be synchronized by external cues

Further work showed that the 12-hour rhythms of genetic activity work as biological clocks. They occur regularly and autonomously in the cells, and their oscillation can be synchronized by certain external stimuli. OMalley and colleagues discovered that 12-hour clocks are independent from 24-hour clocks. When they experimentally eliminated a 24-hour clock, 12-hour clocks continued ticking. Furthermore, the external cues that can synchronize 24-hour clocks, such as sunlight, do not affect 12-hour clocks.

Of all the genes we analyzed, two sets with 12-hour cycles stood out; those involved with protein quality control and processing, which mainly occur in a cellular structure called endoplasmic reticulum, and those related to the energy supply of the cell, which involves the mitochondria, Zhu said. The activities of the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria depend on each other, and we have shown here that the 12-hour genes in the endoplasmic reticulum are synchronized with the 12-hour genes in the mitochondria, which provide the energy needed for protein processing.

In addition, we found that certain liver conditions are associated with disturbed 12-hour gene expression in mice. We anticipate that further study of 12-hour cycles might lead to opportunities to improve prevention of or treatments for diseases of the liver and other organs in the future, OMalley said.

Other contributors to this work include Qiang Zhang, Yinghong Pan, Emily M. Mace and Brian York. The authors are affiliated with one or more of the following institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, the University of Houston and the Max Planck Institute.

This research was supported by grants from the NationaI Institutes of Health (U24 DK097748 and R01 HD07857), the Brockman Foundation, the Center for Advancement of Science in Space, Peter J. Fluor Family Fund, Philip J. Carroll, Jr. Professorship, Joyce Family Foundation, the National Science Foundation Grant CCF-1320866 and the German Science Foundation Grant AN-693/1-1.

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12-hour biological clock coordinates essential bodily functions - Baylor College of Medicine News (press release)

Curcumin combined with other nutrients has anti-cancer properties Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Photo credit: Steven Jackson

AUSTIN, Texas When you dine on curry and baked apples, enjoy the fact that you are eating something that could play a role starving or even preventing cancer.

New research from The University of Texas at Austin identifies several natural compounds found in food, including turmeric, apple peels and red grapes, as key ingredients that could thwart the growth of prostate cancer, the most common cancer afflicting U.S. men and a key area of focus during Mens Health Month, which public health advocates celebrate in June.

Published online this week in Precision Oncology, the new paper uses a novel analytical approach to screen numerous plant-based chemicals instead of testing a single agent as many studies do, discovering specific combinations that shrink prostate cancer tumors.

After screening a natural compound library, we developed an unbiased look at combinations of nutrients that have a better effect on prostate cancer than existing drugs, says corresponding author Stefano Tiziani, assistant professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Dell Pediatric Research Institute at UT Austin. The beauty of this study is that we were able to inhibit tumor growth in mice without toxicity.

During the past decade, some cancer research has highlighted the potential therapies found in plants, including chemicals found in foods such as turmeric, apple peels and green tea. These compounds minimize one of the risk factors for cancer, inflammation within the body. People who have chronic inflammation because of chronic infection, autoimmune disease or conditions such as obesity have a higher cancer risk because of damage to normal cells.

The researchers first tested 142 natural compounds on mouse and human cell lines to see which inhibited prostate cancer cell growth when administered alone or in combination with another nutrient. The most promising active ingredients were then tested on model animals: ursolic acid, a waxy natural chemical found in apple peels and rosemary; curcumin, the bright yellow plant compound in turmeric; and resveratrol, a natural compound common to red grapes or berries.

These nutrients have potential anti-cancer properties and are readily available, says Tiziani. We only need to increase concentration beyond levels found in a healthy diet for an effect on prostate cancer cells.

The new research paper also demonstrates how the plant-based chemicals work together. Combining ursolic acid with either curcumin or resveratrol prevents cancer cells from gobbling something that they need to grow, glutamine. This is a neat solution: blocking the uptake of a nutrient needed by prostate cancer cells with nutrients that are commonly in the human diet.

Funders of this research include that National Institutes of Health and the University of Texas System. The experiment was designed, analyzed and written up with coauthors Alessia Lodi, John DiGiovanni and Achinto Saha, all of UT Austin. Additional authors include Xiyuan Lu, Bo Wang, Enrique Sentandreu, Meghan Collins, all of UT Austin; and Mikhail Kolonin of The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.

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Starving Prostate Cancer With What You Eat for Dinner - UT News | The University of Texas at Austin

Newswise The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine will launch a new center that will focus on understanding tissue regeneration and pioneering future developments in stem cell biology as a means to repair diseased organs and tissues.

The center will partner with colleges and departments across the University of Illinois System.

Researchers in the new center will investigate the molecular signals that drive stem cellsto matureinto different cell types, such as blood, heart and blood vessel cells. The center will also study the epigenetic regulation of stem cells; determine the best approaches to transplant engineered cells, tissues and organs; and look for ways to efficiently produce the regenerative cells neededfor novel treatments.

The center will use a team-oriented multi-disciplinary approach that incorporates experts in biochemistry, biophysics, bioengineering and the clinical sciences to investigate stem cell biology and tissue regeneration, says Asrar Malik, the Schweppe Family Distinguished Professor and head of pharmacology, who is guiding the effort. Asearch is underway to recruit a director and additional faculty members, he said.

The current program in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine already includes seven faculty members, most within the department of pharmacology, who together have more than $10 million in research grants from the National Institutes of Health. Malik saidthat the intent in the next few years will be to carry out additional recruitments with other departments, to build from this interdisciplinary foundation and capitalize on our strengths.

Three new faculty members have joined the center in the last two years. Owen Tamplin studies stem cells in zebrafish; Konstandin Pajcini investigates the role of stem cells in the development of leukemia; and Jae-Won Shin engineers stem cells and tissues with an eye towards transplantation.

This will be the only dedicated stem cell and regenerative medicine center in Chicago with a focus on basic biology and translational science, and will affirm UICs leadership role in these fields, and help attract additional talent to our team, said Malik.

The opening of the center will be commemorated with a June 12 symposium on stem cell and regenerative medicine from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Faculty Alumni Lounge, UIC College of Medicine West building, 1853 W. Polk Street.

Speakers include:

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UIC Launches Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine - Newswise (press release)

Liquid biopsies were unsurprisingly a hot topic for discussion at the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, held in Chicago from June 2-5.

A proper smorgasbord of posters and abstracts were on display. For the main course, approximately 1,500 attendees packed into one of the auditoriumsfor a joint ASCO-American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) education session about progress in the field.

Here are some highlights from their analyses.

Young at heart.While the concept of circulating cell-free DNA dates back to the 1940s, the term liquid biopsy was first coined in a 2010paper published in the journal Trends in Molecular Medicine.

Blood is where its at. If they had to pick one and they did have to pick one, for time reasons the panelists would choose blood-based liquid biopsies as the immediate future of the field. Other bodily fluids, such as saliva and sputum, are several steps behind and likely dont offer the same breadth of diagnostic potential.

Look for CTCs and ctDNA. Within blood,the experts singled out circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as the most advanced and readily applicablemarkers. Again, there are many more molecules to explore, includingimmune cells and miRNA. At least one company is even looking for patterns across multiple markers, identified through the use of machine learning. But thats a longer play.

For ctDNA, it matters when you take the blood sample. Maximilian Diehn of the Stanford Cancer Institute noted that ctDNA has ahalf-life of around 30 minutes. So youre really looking at what has been released within the last few hours, he said. Fortunately, one of the major perks of liquid biopsies is that you can test patients regularly in a minimally invasive way

Surveillance and testing for minimal residual diseaseis one of the most exciting applications. Just because you cant see cancer in a scan doesnt mean it isnt there. In the future, liquid biopsies could be used to routinely check for any remnants of the disease, or recurrence at its very earliest stages before any tumor is visible or palpable. The tests could also be used to monitor a patients response to a targeted therapy. Is the number of CTCs in the bloodstream falling? If not, what else can we do?

CTCs can cross theblood-brain barrier.As Klaus Pantel of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf eloquently put it; The blood-brain barrier is no Berlin Wall for these tumor cells. Up until 2014, the scientific consensus was that tumor cells couldnt cross from the brain into the blood. It turns out they can. It was an important discovery, not least because brain cancers can be particularly hard to biopsy using traditional tissue collection methods.

Liquid biopsies could help doctors plan for secondary treatment options.Scientists increasingly recognize that standard tissue biopsies may deliver an incomplete picture, given the heterogeneity of the cells within any one cancer. So if one mutation is identified and targeted, the treatment may miss another important cluster of tumor cells driven bydifferent mutations. By capturing a diverse line-up of cancer cells and DNA fragments, liquid biopsies could help oncologists identify secondary and tertiary mutations to target if the first therapy fails.

As long as the tests are actionable. The catch is that early detection of metastasis doesnt necessarily help us treat it, said Daniel Hayes, clinical director of the breastoncology program at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. And thats a critical leap. Patient outcomes need to be improved to justify the tests. Part of that rests on the diagnostics, but a lot is also in the hands of drug developers.

And just because the DNA carries a mutation doesnt mean that it has been shed from a cancer cell.Another word of warning fromHayes:Healthy tissues also undergo genetic changes. Thats very relevant as we begin earlier cancer screening with liquid biopsies, he said. Its important not to overreact or to intervene in early-stage cancers that would have resolved on their own.

Aformal positioning statement is on the way.ASCO and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) have teamed up to deliver a formal positioning statement, according to Diehn, recognizing the field is now taking giant steps into the unknown. He stressed that it wont cover practicing guidelines; the organizations instead want to establish standards for things like the scientific validationof the tests.

With few exceptions (two liquid biopsies have thus far been approved by FDA), the tests havent yet proven clinical validity and utility, the panelists agreed. There is plenty of optimism, however, particularly in regards to the use of liquid biopsies as a complement to existing diagnostic options.

Photo: MilosJokic, Getty Images

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Liquid biopsy highlights from #ASCO2017 - MedCity News

People withanorexia nervosahave a distorted body image and severely restrict their food to the point of emaciation and sometimes death. It's long been treated as a psychological disorder, but that approach has had limited results; the condition has one of the highest mortality rates among psychiatric conditions. But recently, neuroscience researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine who study the genetic underpinnings of psychiatric disorders have identified a possible gene that appears to contribute to the onset of the disease, giving scientists a new tool in the effort to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the illness.

The study, published in Translational Psychiatry, was led by UC San Diego's Alysson Muotri, a professor at theSchool of Medicines departments of pediatrics and cellular and molecular medicine and associate co-director of the UCSD Stem Cell Program. His team took skin cells known as fibroblasts from seven young women with anorexia nervosa who were receiving treatment at UCSDs outpatient Eating Disorders Treatment and Research Center, as well as from four healthy young women (the study's controls). Then the team initiated the cells to become induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

The technique, which won researcher Shinya Yamanaka the Nobel Prize in 2012, takes any nonreproductive cell in the body and reprograms it by activating genes on those cells. You can push the cells back into the development stage by capturing the entire genome in a pluripotent stem cell state, similar to embryonic stem cells, Muotri tells mental_floss. Like natural stem cells, iPSCs have the unique ability to develop into many different types of cells.

Once the fibroblasts were induced into stem cells, the team differentiated the stem cells to become neurons. This is the most effective way to study the genetics of any disorder without doing an invasive brain biopsy, according to Muotri. Also, studying animal brains for this kind of disorder wouldnt have been as effective. At the genetic level as well as the neural network, our brains are very different from any other animal. We dont see chimpanzees, for example, with anorexia nervosa. These are human-specific disorders, he says.

Once the iPSCs had become neurons, they began to form neural networks and communicate with one another in the dish similar to the way neurons work inside the brain. Basically what we have is an avatar of the patients brain in the lab, Muotri says.

His team then used genetic analysis processes known as whole transcriptome pathway analysis to identify which genes were activated, and which might be associated with the anorexia nervosa disorder specifically.

They found unusual activity in the neurons from the patients with anorexia nervosa, helping them identify a gene known as TACR1, which uses a neurotransmitter pathway called the tachykinin pathway. The pathway has been associated with other psychiatric conditions such as anxiety disorders, but more pertinent to their study, says Mutori, is that tachykinin works on the communication between the brain and the gut, so it seems relevant for an eating disorderbut nobody has really explored that. Prior research on the tachykinin system has shown that it is responsible for the sensation of fat. So if there are misregulations in the fat system, it will inform your brain that your body has a lot of fat.

Indeed, they found that the AN-derived neurons had a greater number of tachykinin receptors on them than the healthy control neurons. This means they can receive more information from this neurotransmitter system than a normal neuron would, Muotri explains. We think this is at least partially one of the mechanisms that explains why [those with anorexia] have the wrong sensation that they have enough fat.

In addition, among the misregulated genes, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), which is crucial for normal ovarian follicle development and ovulation, was decreased in the AN samples. They speculate that this result may explain why many female anorexia patients stop menstruating.

Muotrinext wants to understand what he calls the downstream effect of those neurons with too many TACR1 receptors. In other words, how does it affect the neurons at a molecular level, and what information do those neurons receive from the gut? This link between the brain and the gut is unclear, so we want to follow up on that, he says.

He also wants to look into thepotential to design a drug that could compensate for the large amount of TACR1 receptors, and the over-regulation of that receptor in the brainwhich would be a huge development for the notoriously difficult-to-treat disease.

While Muotri is excited about new avenues of research that can follow from this work, he doesn't see it as a panacea for the disease, but a way to begin to understand it more fully. He says, Its a good start, but arguably you have to understand what are the other environmental factors that contribute.

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Scientists Say They've Identified a Gene Linked to Anorexia - Mental Floss

This new entity delivers diagnostic and therapeutic solutions to over 14 million people from a global network of 21 manufacturing centers comprised of 1 Molybdenum facility, 3 large SPECT facilities, and close to 40 PET and SPECT radiopharmacies. Our customer base counts over 6,000 public and private hospitals, radiopharmacies and imaging centers in over 70 countries. Curium customers can expect best-in-class products, exceptional service reliability, a large and diverse product portfolio, a relentless pursuit of stable isotope supply, and a commitment to develop and launch new products.

Speaking on behalf of CapVest, the owner of Curium, Kate Briant, CapVest Partner and Chairman of the Board said, "We are excited to launch this dynamic new brand in the marketplace. We believe the expertise, size and scale, and proven track record of the united companies will provide future growth opportunities in this attractive segment."

The Curium name emphasizes two aspects that are critical to us:

Visually, our identity conveys a sense of continuity and advancement along the patient care continuum. Our brand tagline, Life Forward, sums up our commitment to our customers and the industry we serve by enhancing the quality of health outcomes through patient care, life-saving diagnostics and treatment. "We feel this uniquely positions the expanded business, as we build our second century of progress," says Dehareng.

For additional information on Curium, visit our website at curiumpharma.com

Media Contacts: Janet Ryan Visintine & Ryan Public Relations +1-314-822-8860 or +1-314-614-7408 janet@visintineandryan.com

Priscilla Visintine Visintine & Ryan Public Relations +1-314-422-5646 priscilla@visintineandryan.com

About Nuclear ImagingWith the challenge of aging populations around the world and the rising incidence of diseases, solving diagnostic challenges to ensure patients have better outcomes has never been more important.

Nuclear medicine is a specialized area where 'SPECT' and 'PET' cameras are used to capture emitted particles from radiopharmaceuticals and the technology is used to monitor major disease areas including oncology, cardiology and neurology.

The combination of the radiopharmaceuticals and the advanced imaging technology helps doctors to diagnose diseases earlier and more accurately, making treatments more effective and, as a consequence, reducing the long-term cost of care.

About IBA MolecularIBA Molecular is a highly diversified global supplier of molecular imaging and other proven technologies in nuclear medicine, mainly SPECT and PET products. The company operates across 18 sites globally, servicing a growing client base of private hospitals and health/imaging clinics in over 70 countries. It produces radioactive tracers used in molecular imaging and therapy to diagnose and monitor a range of common diseases including cancer, heart, brain and bone.

IBA Molecular was created in 2012 following the buy-out of the radiopharmaceutical division of Ion Beam Applications ("IBA") SA, a European-based leader in advanced cancer radiation therapy which is listed on the Euronext pan-European Stock Exchange. In 2016, IBA Molecular was acquired by CapVest. IBA Molecular is today a wholly separate business from IBA SA.

About Mallinckrodt Nuclear Medicine LLCMallinckrodt's Nuclear Imaging business is a global producer of the medical isotope molybdenum-99, and its derivative, Technetium-99m, which is used in nuclear medicine procedures worldwide. The business has manufacturing operations in the US and the Netherlands, close to critical transport links, and its products are approved for use in many countries. Over two-thirds of its revenues originate in the US.

About CapVestCapVest, which was established in 1999, is a leading private equity firm with a strong record of success. The firm's investment strategy is focused on identifying and managing investments in companies supplying essential goods and services. A patient investor, CapVest works closely with management to transform the size and scale of its investee companies through a combination of organic and acquisition-led growth.

Notes to Editor[1] SPECT - A Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) is a type of nuclear imaging technique that uses radioactive substances injected into the blood to create 3-D images that help to diagnose a variety of diseases across oncology, cardiology and neurology, among others.

[2] PET - Like SPECT, Positron Emission Tomography is a nuclear imaging technique that uses radioactive material injected into the body to create 3-D images. However, PET imaging typically provides better resolutions.

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IBA Molecular and Mallinckrodt Nuclear Medicine LLC to create a ... - PR Newswire (press release)

Immune-Onc Therapeutics will acquire exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize novel cancer immunotherapies and other biotherapeutics from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW), the company and the UT System said today.

In addition, Immune-Onc has launched a multiyear research collaboration with UTHealth and UTSW to discover and develop new biotherapeutics that modulate the immune system under the license agreement, whose value was not disclosed.

The collaboration will use the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibody Lead Optimization and Development Core Facility at UTHealth to advance lead antibodies from academic laboratories. The core facility aims to provide state-wide support and services to advance lead antibodies from academic laboratories to preclinical development.

This is an important step in translating our therapeutic antibody from discovery to development, said Zhiqiang An, Ph.D., director of the core facility at UTHealth, where he is director of the Texas Therapeutics Institute at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, as well as a professor of molecular medicine, and the Robert A. Welch Distinguished University Chair in Chemistry.

The collaboration is the second announced in as many weeks by Immune-Onc with an academic partner. On March 28, the company announced a similar, exclusive, global, licensing agreement with Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to develop and commercialize novel biotherapeutics, with applications in cancer immunotherapy and other diseases.

Immune-Onc is a Palo Alto, CA, startup founded last year to develop therapeutic antibodies for cancer treatment, with a focus on immuno-oncology products. On September 1, 2016, the company said it closed a $7 million Series A financing, with major investors that included Fame Mount and CLI Ventures.

Immune-Onc was co-founded by Charlene Liao, Ph.D., who serves as its president and CEO, and Guo-Liang Yu, Ph.D., a serial entrepreneur and industry veteran. Dr. Liao was project team leader at Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, where she spent nearly 14 years leading oncology and immunology drug development programs from preclinical to Phase III. Dr. Liao was a fellow of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and a special fellow of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Dr. Yu was co-founder and CEO of Epitomics, an antibody company acquired by Abcam in 2012 for $170 million. His numerous board and management positions include executive chairman of oncology platform company Crown Bioscience, and venture partner of OrbiMed, a healthcare and life sciences-dedicated investment firm.

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Immune-Onc Gains Rights to Cancer Immunotherapies - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

Growing up in the Santa Clarita Valley, I always felt that the world was wide and mine to explore. Whether hiking in Placerita Canyon, following the Santa Clara River bed, or just marveling at how surface tension can hold water drops in place on the few days it rained, there was always something to see, to observe, to figure out.

Trying to figure things out is, in part, how I became a scientist. With the role of science in our society being debated in some quarters, I want to share a few things about science that should be more widely known.

Science is fun. Some people tell me they dont like science because of a class that made them memorize lists of boring facts. That isnt science (nor, for that matter, good teaching).

Science is a process, a way of finding things out, not a collection of results. Science is how we obtain new knowledge and re-check what we think we know already.

Scientists are more competitive than you might think. Few things are as exhilarating as understanding something new about the world before anybody else or disproving something that was thought to be true.

This is part of how science self-corrects. If the evidence is weak or the conclusion is wrong, another scientist will delight in correcting it.

Science is full of surprises. While basic science supports development of many useful things, and scientific methods are used to make or improve products, science-for-the-sake-of-finding-things-out turns out to be really important for progress.

We dont know where the next real innovation will come from. By pushing the limits of our knowledge, we create the widest possible base for new invention.

Somewhat paradoxically, undirected discovery (basic research) is often the shortest path to goals that have resisted direct attempts based on our prior understanding precisely because we did not know what pieces of the puzzle we were missing until someone found them in a place no one had looked before.

Editing DNA in cells had been an extremely challenging goal for basic research and therapeutic development before a new tool made it relatively easy. This tool (called CRISPR/Cas9) was found by studying how bacteria fight off bacterial viruses which led to an unexpected class of enzymes that edit DNA.

Science supports our quality of life. Science is not itself technology, but it is a necessary foundation of technology. Your smartphone, streaming video and health care were all driven by basic science discoveries whose commercial applications were not always obvious.

Basic research in bacterial genetics led to recombinant DNA technology which in turn allows the production of things like synthetic insulin, life-saving for diabetics.

Development of vaccines for emerging viruses, remarkable new treatments for some cancers (such as Gleevec for certain leukemias), and the promise of personalized medicine are made possible by the basic research that allow scientists to grow viruses in the laboratory, understand how cells divide, and interpret vast amounts of data. And you are unlikely to know anyone who died of smallpox or polio.

Science is an economic engine. Because science provides the basis for new goods and services that people want, economies that invest in science tend to prosper. The impact is not always direct and can be hard to measure fully, but it is real and powerful.

Silicon Valley and two of the three largest biotech industry clusters in the U.S. are in California because of innovations that came out of California universities.

We dont know where the next innovation will come from, but our investment in science has been essential to economic competitiveness in an increasingly technology-dependent world. The technological advantages we gain and the economic value they confer make our investment in science a national security imperative.

Science is non-partisan, but scientists can be politically engaged. Politicians should also engage with science. Science is how we understand the world; politics is how we decide what to do about it.

When policymakers say I am not a scientist, but followed by a dismissal of scientific evidence, we should be wary. When someone asserts the value of a policy choice, we should expect to see and evaluate the logic and evidence.

Many scientists are becoming more engaged with public policy because they see partisanship pushing science the way we discover and test how things work out of many policy debates. Diminishing the role of science in an increasingly technological world is bad for our security, our economy, our health care, and our lives.

If we disagree in our perceptions of the way things are, science can inform us on the facts. If we disagree on how to respond to new conditions, science can and should inform our options.

Science is not about finding the evidence to support our beliefs. It is about modifying our opinions and actions in response to evidence.

Strength in science is essential to addressing many of our common challenges and that matters.

The author is a scientist and graduate of Canyon High School, the University of California San Diego, and the California Institute of Technology. He is currently Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Associate Director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine at theUniversity of California San Diego. Published under Creative Commons CC-BY license from the author.

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Bruce Hamilton: Why science matters to all - Santa Clarita Valley Signal

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) Before the National Institutes of Health can begin to genetically test participants within its precision medicine initiative, it will have to figure out what results to return, how to minimize reporting false positives, and how to provide counseling to help them navigate the often uncertain and evolving evidence on genetic information.

And the project will have to figure out how to do all this on an unprecedented scale, for a million participants that the All of Us Research Program hopes to enroll over the next four years.

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Its almost that time of year again when spring breaks forth in all her glory. Thats great news for those of us suffering from too much time indoors during the winter months, but it may leave allergy sufferers panickingor running for their antihistamine drugs, decongestants and allergy shots.

Before you pop those pills, spray your nose, or get that injection, you might want to consider some of the natural options that help with allergies. Here are some of my preferred foods and remedies:

Papaya Enzymespapaya contains a natural enzyme known as papain that has natural anti-inflammatory properties. As such, it helps alleviate inflammation linked to sinus and nasal swelling, as well as addressing many of the symptoms of allergies, hay fever and excessive catarrh buildup. It works on the root causes of allergies, so be patient: it may take some time with papain to see the results. While the fruit is helpful, for best results supplement with papain enzymes on an empty stomach. When there is no food for the enzyme to break down it goes to work to reduce inflammation. Choose a product that contains 250mg of papain. Take two capsules three times daily for a month prior to and during allergy season.

QuercetinA natural antioxidant found in foods like apples, berries, cabbage, cauliflower, nuts, onions and tea, this nutrient has been found to have potent anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties, making it a great choice to reduce the effects of pollens and other allergens. In a study published in the medical journal In Vivo, researchers explored the mechanism by which quercetin supplements worked on people suffering from allergy-related nasal congestion. They found that the nutrient reduced the bodys production of a protein linked to airway inflammation. Take 400mg of quercetin twice daily.

Green TeaGreen tea is known as one of the best superfoods for many conditions and is also beneficial for allergies. Thats because it contains a potent antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that can impact allergies on a cellular level by reducing inflammation. You dont have to remember EGCG to benefit however; simply drink more green tea. Even if youre not a huge fan, try drinking it iced with a little stevia to sweeten and a squeeze of lemon for a delicious and refreshing iced green tea.

Perilla FrutescensThis little-known herb is part of the mint family and has been explored as an all-natural, herbal remedy for allergies. In a study in Experimental Biology and Medicine, researchers found that perilla and one of its active ingredients known as rosmarinic acid significantly reduced inflammatory reactions such as nasal and sinus congestion, and eye irritation. Other research in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine found that the herb was also effective at alleviating allergy-related skin conditions. The effective dose of perilla differs from product to product and depends on whether the seeds or leaves are used, or whether the remedy is an extract of a specific compound or crushed, dried leaves. Follow package directions since the products can have a wide range of potency. A typical tincture (alcohol extract) dose is thirty drops three times daily. Ideally, start a month prior to your primary allergy season and continue throughout the season.

ButterburKnown as Petasites hybridus, this shrub grows in wet, marshy parts of North America, Asia and Europe. Multiple studies show its effectiveness in the treatment of allergies. Because the raw plant contains chemicals known as pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) that can be harmful, be sure to choose a product that is PA-free. It should indicate this status on the label. Follow package instructions for dose.

Of course, if you have life-threatening allergies, you should seek emergency medical help. And, dont discontinue any prescription drugs without first consulting your physician.

Related:Dont Believe in Herbal Medicine? 10 Things to Change Your MindThe 5 Best Herbs to Soothe Your NervesShould You Actually Starve a Fever?

Dr. Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD, DNM is the publisher of the free e-news Worlds Healthiest News, president of PureFood BC, and an international best-selling and 20-time published book author whose works include: Allergy-Proof Your Life: Natural Remedies for Allergies that Work!

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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5 Natural Allergy Remedies that Work - Care2.com

Advanced molecular-genetics studies have earned a Rockefeller University researcher accolades from the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, and a fat check.

While Feinstein Institute scientists are often the ones collecting the research prizes, this time the institute is dishing it out, naming Jeffrey Ravetch head of the Leonard Wagner Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Immunology at The Rockefeller University in New York City the recipient of the fifth-annual Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine.

Awarded by the Feinstein Institute Press peer-reviewed journal Molecular Medicine, the Ross Prize is awarded to scientists who have made a demonstrable impact in the understanding of human diseases pathogenesis and/or treatment and promise to make even greater contributions to the molecular-medicine field, according to the institute.

The prize specifically, its $50,000 award is made possible by Feinstein Institute board members Robin and Jack Ross.

Ravetchs research focuses on identifying the genetic components that cause immune-system cells to respond to specific antibodies. His mission: to better understand how a functioning immune system protects against invaders and how a dysfunctional immune system attacks its own host, specifically by studying a family of protein receptors called Fc receptors.

Over three decades of study, Ravetch and his team have defined these receptors and demonstrated their essential role in immune response, according to the Feinstein Institute.

I am honored to receive the Ross Prize and join the distinguished group of researchers who have received this recognition, Ravetch said in a statement. I hope my work continues to have impact on the development of innovative treatments for human diseases.

Feinstein Institute President and CEO Kevin Tracey dubbed Ravetch a sort of molecular detective, crediting the researcher with solving the medical mystery of how antibodies can both activate and inhibit the immune response.

His discoveries have provided the fundamental knowledge that enables scientists to engineer antibodies to treat a variety of autoimmune conditions, Tracey noted.

The Ross Prize is scheduled to be formally presented to Ravetch June 5 at the New York Academy of Sciences in Manhattan, followed by lectures from the prize-winner and other eminent researchers. Ravetchs presentation is expected to delve into his discoveries regarding the biology of Fc receptors.

Past recipients of the Ross Award include Harvard School of Dental Medicine anesthesiology professor Charles Serhan, director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury at Brigham and Womens Hospitalin Massachusetts, and John OShea, scientific director at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

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Rockefeller researcher nabs Feinstein's molecular prize - Innovate Long Island

MANHASSET, N.Y. and SILVER SPRING, Md., March 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwell Health'sFeinstein Institute for Medical Research and United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ: UTHR) announced today a strategic partnership focused on the application of bioelectronic medicine and cell therapy to cardiology, hypertension and post-transplant tolerance induction.

"We are truly honored to work with the pioneers of these next generation medical technologies," said Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D., United Therapeutics' Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We expect a great fit with our clinical development pipeline in heart failure, pulmonary disease and transplantation."

"Collaboration is the indispensable factor in successful medical research," said Kevin J. Tracey, M.D., President and CEO of the Feinstein Institute. "With great partners, you can accomplish great things for science and for patients. United Therapeutics is such a partner, we share their aims and their values, and we could not be more pleased than to join with them in this effort."

Under the strategic partnership, United Therapeutics will fund Northwell's efforts in four research and development tracks, while United Therapeutics will bring the results into clinical development. The two organizations are working toward the goal of initial regulatory approvals within five years.

Two of the research projects will be conducted by the Feinstein Institute's Center for Bioelectronic Medicine (CBEM). The Feinstein Institute is the worldwide leader for the advancement of scientific knowledge and intellectual property for the rapidly emerging field of bioelectronic medicine. Bioelectronic medicine represents the convergence of three well-established scientific fields: neuroscience, molecular and cell biology, and bioengineering. The Feinstein Institute team, led by Dr. Tracey, a neurosurgeon who pioneered the field, has been working in this area since 1998, and Northwell Health has already invested $75 million in support of the underlying research. As bioelectronic solutions are successfully identified, tested and refined, CBEM will foster the creation of new companies to bring life-changing solutions to market.

About Northwell Health

Northwell Health is New York State's largest health care provider and private employer, with 21 hospitals and over 550 outpatient facilities. We care for more than two million people annually in the metro New York area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 61,000 employees 15,000+ nurses and nearly 3,400 physicians, including nearly 2,700 members of Northwell Health Physician Partners are working to change health care for the better.We're making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institute. We're training the next generation of medical professionalsat the visionary Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine and theSchool of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies.And we offer healthinsurance through CareConnect. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visitNorthwell.edu.

About The Feinstein Institute

The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is the research arm of Northwell Health, the largest healthcare provider in New York. Home to 50 research laboratories and to clinical research throughout dozens of hospitals and outpatient facilities, the 3,500 researchers and staff of the Feinstein are making breakthroughs in molecular medicine, genetics, oncology, brain research, mental health, autoimmunity, and bioelectronic medicine a new field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. For more information about how we empower imagination and pioneer discovery, visitFeinsteinInstitute.org.

About United Therapeutics

United Therapeutics Corporation is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative products to address the unmet medical needs of patients with chronic and life-threatening conditions. [uthr-g]

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included in this press release that are not historical in nature are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, among others, United Therapeutics' and Northwell Health's expectations regarding the strategic partnership between United Therapeutics and Northwell Health and the ability of this collaboration to result in approved therapies within five years. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, such as those described in United Therapeutics' periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results. Consequently, such forward-looking statements are qualified by the cautionary statements, cautionary language and risk factors set forth in United Therapeutics' periodic reports and documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. United Therapeutics claims the protection of the safe harbor contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for forward-looking statements. This information is provided as of March 9, 2017, and neither United Therapeutics nor Northwell Health assumes any obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/northwell-health-and-united-therapeutics-announce-strategic-partnership-to-advance-bioelectronic-medicine-and-cell-therapy-300420580.html

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Northwell Health and United Therapeutics Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Bioelectronic Medicine and Cell ... - PR Newswire (press release)

March 8, 2017 Colonies of mouse embryonic stem cells, where cell nuclei are stained in blue. The DNA from the nuclei is sequenced to infer the relative positions of genes and their switches. Credit: C. Ferrai, MDC

Cells face a daunting task. They have to neatly pack a several meter-long thread of genetic material into a nucleus that measures only five micrometers across. This origami creates spatial interactions between genes and their switches, which can affect human health and disease. Now, an international team of scientists has devised a powerful new technique that 'maps' this three-dimensional geography of the entire genome. Their paper is published in Nature.

Genes are activated to produce RNA and proteins, then switched off again when the molecules are no longer needed. Both the gene and its switches are DNA sequences, and they may lie far apart on the linear genome. This presents a challenge for the cell, because these regions usually have to be brought into contact to activate the gene.

It also creates a problem for scientists trying to understand one of the central questions in biology: how do cells decide which genes should be activated, and when? The answer will partly depend on matching every gene to its control sequences. But DNA strands are too thin to be tracked under the microscope, and even if that were possible, you'd have the vast amount of DNA in the nucleus to contend with. Imagine examining a tangle of yarn the size of the Earth in hopes of observing an encounter between individual strands.

A new technique called Genome Architecture Mapping, or GAM, now helps to identify these contacts. It involves flash-freezing tissue or cells, then cutting thin slices of individual nuclei. The tiny amount of DNA within each slice of the nucleus is then sequenced, and the team deploys a mathematical model, named SLICE, to identify 'hotspots' of increased interaction between strands. The model looks at the frequency with which different genomic regions appear in the slice to infer information about the relative positions of genes and regions called enhancers that activate them.

"An analogy might be this; if you want to understand how school children interact you might take occasional photographs of where they sit in the canteen or appear together in the playground", explains joint-lead author Ana Pombo, who began the project whilst working at the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS) and is now based at the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) and the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH). "If you do that many times over a month, you will begin to see a pattern in those who often sit next to each other, or who run around together while playing. These random snapshots might tell you about their social interactions."

"This is made possible by filtering out random encounters from real interactions using mathematical methods," says the joint-lead author Mario Nicodemi at the Universit di Napoli Federico II, who conceived such mathematical models and, aided by his PhD student Antonio Scialdone, developed them.

Paul Edwards, of the Hutchison/MRC Research Centre and Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge, and Ana Pombo had the initial idea before the techniques necessary to do the experiment were available. "My research team optimised the approach, and as new technical steps came along we added them to our method," she says.

The study, which appears today in Nature, applies the method to mouse embryonic stem cells and the authors hope it will help shed light on many genes whose activity is disturbed in some very serious diseases. In some diseases, the problem lies within the sequence of a gene, but defects in regulatory regions found elsewhere in the genome can be equally dangerous and much harder to understand. The new data provides a long list of new suspects that can now be scrutinized by researchers.

Whilst previous studies have identified two-way contacts, this information does not reveal how often such contacts take place and by implication how important they might be, Pombo says: "They can spot that you and I are friends, but not how strong this friendship is relative to everyone else."

"People have been measuring two-way contacts for a long time," says Robert Beagrie, joint first author on the paper, who was a PhD student with Ana Pombo at the LMS when he collected the data for the study and is now based at the University of Oxford. "Those studies have often shown that you can have a set of different DNA elements that interact with each other in pairs. With this new approach we are able to generate a genome-wide catalogue of all the regions that we are confident interact in groups." Now, the researchers are able to reliably detect and quantify so-called 'three-way contacts' in regions of the genome that are vigorously expressed.

But perhaps the most notable advance of through GAM is that experiments are based on single cells - whether common or scarce in a tissue - and track their positions relative to each other within the tissue. Existing methods require lots of cells of the same type, which has made it difficult to study the biology and diseases of rare types. "There is huge potential for applying this in human tissue samples to catalogue contacts between regulatory regions and their target genes, and to use that to understand genetic variation and how it might alter aspects of nuclear biology," Pombo says.

Some researchers are starting to show interest in using the technique to explore what happens when retroviruses insert their DNA into the genome of a host. Cancer scientists are also keen to create DNA maps of particular areas of a tumor. "By exploiting the unique nature of GAM data, mathematical models can reliably derive such information, opening the way to identify multiple, group interactions that could play a key role in the regulation of genes," explains Nicodemi. "We can now ask whether a gene is contacted at the same time by all of its enhancers, or by each enhancer one at a time?", Beagrie says. "We know that many genes that are important for early development have multiple enhancers. But how and why they are acting to regulate genes remain unanswered questions."

Explore further: Study finds recurrent changes in DNA activate genes, promote tumor growth

More information: Robert A. Beagrie et al, Complex multi-enhancer contacts captured by genome architecture mapping, Nature (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature21411

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A three-dimensional map of the genome - Medical Xpress - Medical Xpress

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers will receive a grant from the Department of Defense to conduct an in-depth study of the molecular machinery driving the most aggressive form of prostate cancer.

Most prostate cancers are a type called adenocarcinoma, which is regulated by the male hormone androgen. Advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate is typically treated with drugs that cut off the supply of that hormone. Increasingly, however, these cancers are becoming resistant to androgen-blocking treatment and progressing to a more aggressive form of the disease, called neuroendocrine prostate cancer.

The grant, an Impact Award from the Department of Defense, will provide the Weill Cornell Medicine research team with three years of funding to identify patients who are at risk of developing neuroendocrine prostate cancer, and to advance early treatment strategies to prevent that progression. The Department of Defense offers the Impact Award as part of its Prostate Cancer Research Program, which is dedicated to advancing scientific understanding of the disease with the goal of improving health outcomes.

The neuroendocrine type of prostate cancer is associated with distinct molecular features, said Dr. David Rickman, an assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-principal investigator of the Impact Award. Understanding how it develops is critical for developing new treatment strategies.

Dr. Rickman and Dr. Himisha Beltran, an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-principal investigator of the Impact Award, will focus on one pathway, driven by a gene called N-Myc, which they have previously identified as a key driver of this cancer. Through earlier research in mice, the investigators discovered that prostate adenocarcinoma progresses to neuroendocrine prostate cancer when N-Myc is overactive. N-Myc also recruits a protein called EZH2 to help it activate the molecular machinery that causes this progression.

The investigators, both of whom are members of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center and the Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, will employ clinical and preclinical approaches to their work: Dr. Beltrans research will focus on using tumor samples from patients to identify how and when N-Myc drives the cancer and the diseases response to treatment. Dr. Rickman will create a mouse model to better understand how N-Myc works and to test new treatment options. It is team science, Dr. Beltran said. We will work together to better understand the pathogenesis and molecular biology of neuroendocrine prostate cancer by integrating preclinical modeling with patients clinical and molecular features.

At the end of three years, the researchers hope to have developed innovative treatment strategies that can be applied directly to patients. There are several unanswered questions about this cancer, Dr. Beltran said. We hope to get some answers that can help patients.

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Department of Defense Impact Award Funds Prostate Cancer Study - Cornell Chronicle

Mediterranean diet could slash risk of deadly breast cancer by 40 per cent, said the headlines in the Telegraph and elsewhere.

Its certainly highly plausible. Evidence already exists that a Mediterranean diet protects against various other forms of cancer including colon, gastric and prostate and appears to lower overall risk of death from cancer.

The new study followed up 63,000 women aged 55 to 69 over 20 years. As a prospective cohort it cannot establish causation. More than 3,500 cases of breast cancer occurred, but analysis was only possible for 2,321 of these. This was then combined with a meta-analysis of previous studies.

Researchers assessed the womens compliance with a Mediterranean diet, in crude terms classing compliance either as low, moderate or high.

Compliance was calculated through the alternate Mediterranean diet scoring system. Participants were given points for consuming higher amounts of vegetables (excluding potatoes), fruits, nuts, legumes, grains and fish. They got a point, too, if they had a better-than-the-median ratio of monounsaturated fat to saturated fat. Points were also given if they ate lower amounts of unhealthy foods, such as red and processed meat. (Low compliance equalled 0-3 points, moderate was four to five, and high was six to eight points.)

As a basic summary, this might mean fewer sausages and sweets than we tend to consume and more olive oil, fish and nuts.

The analysis excluded alcohol, as alcohol is a risk factor for breast cancer. In small amounts alcohol is usually seen as part of the Mediterranean diet.

Patients with the highest compliance had no statistically significant decrease in total breast cancer over the course of follow up. This was in contrast to the Predimed study, which found a 57 per cent decrease in breast cancer risk among those who ate a Mediterranean diet.

Further analysis looked at the effect of the diet on different subtypes of breast cancer. That we know about these subtypes is down to recent advances in molecular medicine. These have expanded our knowledge of breast cancer exponentially.

The study found that greater dietary compliance was associated, as the headlines say, with a 40 per cent decrease in risk of oestrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer. ER- breast cancer is not stimulated by the hormone oestrogen. It is often harder to treat and more likely to be fatal.

A decreased risk of 30 per cent was seen with progesterone receptor-negative (PR-) cancers, but no statistically significant beneficial effect was seen in the other subtypes.

The molecular mechanism behind the effect has yet to be fully understood, and may relate to inflammation, DNA damage or hormones, but given the benefits the Mediterranean diet has been shown to have on cancer, cancer mortality, cardiovascular disease, obesity and other key outcomes, it may be something to consider, particularly for those at higher risk.

These findings are important. I am not sure how much more evidence is required for the diet to become a mainstream prescription, but I would certainly suggest that anyone interested in improving their health should consider it.

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Does a Mediterranean diet really protect against breast cancer? - Spectator.co.uk

If youve ever glanced at the back of a medicine packet, or read through that tightly folded, microprint advice slip that comes wrapped around your blister pack of seemingly innocuous tablets, you could be forgiven for wondering if drug-based medicine is a bit of an imprecise science.

Youve got a headache, so naturally you reach for the paracetamol. An hour later, youre feeling much better. Unless youre very unlucky and suddenly develop a fever, or nausea, or unusual bleeding or bruising (as opposed to the normal, everyday kind). Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRIs) could literally save your life if you suffer from depression. Unless you then drink grapefruit juice, which can effectively boost the dosage of an antidepressant from therapeutic to toxic.

According to Kris Famm, president of Galvani Bioelectronics, about 90 per cent of the work that goes into developing a drug isnt focused on treating a disease, but on working out how to prevent or mitigate the adverse effects the drug might have on other parts of the body. His answer to this problem? Bioelectronics: implants that deliver electrical impulses directly to the nerves that control particular organs, treating a patients condition while bypassing the brain and circulatory system altogether.

More than two billion people suffer from chronic diseases where bioelectronic medicines could one day be part of the therapeutic solution, says Famm. Our bodies use electrical signals in nerves to tune their functions; our society uses the same principles to control devices and systems all around us these worlds will [inevitably] meet.

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Bioelectronics, as a new field of medicine, presents challenges - not least how to power the devices after they are implanted (though in the future Famm suggests we might charge implants wirelessly, as we now can with phones; or even with glucose from the patients body or energy generated by their movements, like a self-winding watch). But the potential advantages over traditional molecular medicine are clear: no side-effects, no long trial-and-error periods adjusting dosages, and all the grapefruit juice you can drink. And Galvani Bioelectronics has some influential backers behind it - the company was launched in 2016 by Googles parent company Alphabet and pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline, and backed by investment of up to 540 million over the next seven years.

What is your biggest pet peeve about the health industry and why?

That patents and open, collaborative innovation are at odds. Instead, they can and should reinforce each other towards achieving patient benefits.

What advice can you give someone struggling to change or evolve their organisation?

Start small, but quickly. Early successes give reasons to believe and contagious momentum.

What are you most excited about at WIRED Health this year?

Exchanging ideas and approaches about how to innovate in healthcare bringing together technology, biology, clinical, and system innovation practitioners could challenge and inspire all of us!

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This Alphabet-backed lab wants to replace drugs with electrical implants - Wired.co.uk

How molecular machines may drive the future of disease detection and drug delivery Science Daily "This is really big because of the diverse potential applications," says Chris Le, Canada Research Chair and a distinguished university professor of laboratory medicine & pathology. "One outcome of this will be to provide better and earlier disease ... and more »

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How molecular machines may drive the future of disease detection and drug delivery - Science Daily

Ian Green | The Daily Wildcat

Dr. Thomas Doetschman, Ph.D., examines the embryonic cells used to study and implant mutated and disease genes; if the mutated gene successfully imbeds itself into a sperm or egg cell, the resulting rat that is born will be studied to research the effects of that same disease genes in humans. CRISPR CAS9 is technology that allows the splicing of genes to both remove and replace particular DNA strands. CRISPR can affect either just the patient or his descendants as well, depending on the technique used.

Published Mar 5, 2017 6:00am

Updated Mar 5, 2017 4:56pm

A new genome editing technology known as CRISPR has the potential to revolutionize the way scientists study diseases and genetics.

I think its a really useful tool for science, in fact its sort of revolutionizing the speed at which we can accomplish certain things in the laboratory and it has tremendous potential for therapeutic applications, said Kimberly McDermott, a research associate professor of medicine and an associate professor of cellular and molecular medicine, cancer biology and genetics.

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, or CRISPR-Cas9, is based off a bacterial immune system, said Thomas Doetschman, professor of cancer biology, genetics and cellular and molecular medicine.

When bacteria become infected by a virus, they take pieces of the viruss DNA and incorporate it into their own genome. This allows the bacteria to recognize and attack the virus if it ever appears again. This system allows them to destroy the virus, but it also allows them to destroy DNA, Doetschman said.

In developing CRISPR, scientists took a hint from the bacteria.

What it [CRISPR] actually does is causes a mutation at that site, in the DNA, and then repairs it, Doetschman said. And you can repair it in different ways, such that you can actually modify the sequence of the DNA.

This has enormous implications for the study of genetics and combating human diseases. And while it may sound exciting, human gene editing isnt all fun and games.

There are two ways the CRISPR technology can be used in humans, Doetschman said. The first way is to alter somatic cells, which dont get passed down to the next generation. This would only affect the patient who is receiving the treatment. The second way, known as the germline, can have serious long-lasting effects. Altering genes in the germline can produce permanent changes in the patient that will then be passed on to their children.

Theres two completely different ways of doing this, and the real concern, the big concern, is that it be used by some unscrupulous people to try to change the germline of people, so that you can create progeny that will all have this kind of modification, Doetschman said.

CRISPR isnt just for humans; it can be used to edit plant cells as well.

It could alter genes in a plant so that the plant either becomes resistant to or susceptible to agents that might otherwise kill the plant, Doetschman said. This could mean disease-resistant plants or increased nutritional content.

One of CRISPRs greatest contributions is in the realm of research, specifically for understanding normal development and disease processes, McDermott said.

For example, in the future scientists may be able to grow human organs from the patients own cells, using CRISPR.

RELATED:Beefy bugs: antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose threat to health

Recent studies on mice and rats have introduced the possibility of using a model organism, such as a pig, to grow human organs, McDermott said.

Another exciting possibility available through CRISPR involves induced pluripotent stem cells, Doetschman said. This process essentially works as a time machine for your cells.

Doetschman describes it as the ability to put your own cells, such as skin cells, in culture and de-differentiate those cells back down to the pluripotent master key stem cell, using CRISPR. Once your adult cells are transformed into stem cells, you can make the genetic modifications youd like, such as correcting a mutation, and then re-differentiate the cells back into the cell type of the tissue you want to correct.

These cells could potentially be engrafted back into the patients disease tissue, Doetschman said.

Dr. Thomas Doetschman, Ph.D., describes a few of the many functions performed in the workspace pictured, which can effectively seal itself to create a sterile and airtight environment in which researchers can operate. CRISPR technology may redefine the future of genetics.

When it comes to working with human therapeutics, safety and regulations are extremely important, McDermott said.

As scientists, their primary concern is to minimize and prevent harm in every way possible.One of these regulations is a patent that was recently issued to the MIT and Harvard-affiliated Broad Institute, one of the centers responsible for creating CRISPR technology.

RELATED:UA researchers win NIH grant for autoimmune disease work

Despite heavy public controversy surrounding the patent, Doetschman said the patent is a good thing, because it will allow scientists to ensure that CRISPR research is carried out in a safe way, especially in regards to human use.

I think from a scientists perspective, the thing that were really focusing on is trying to listen to our colleagues but also the public in general about what are the fears of this technology, McDermott said. Of course when you start to edit genes and mutate genes theres a lot of concerns about what might happen.

As for the future of human genetics research, both Doetschman and McDermott remain optimistic. CRISPR improves both the efficiency and the accuracy of genome research.

McDermott said while scientists may have had the ability to make mutations in cells in the past, the results were usually inefficient and could produce off-target effects.

CRISPR might not be the cure to every disease, but it is the key to unlock many avenues of research, Doetschman said.

In terms of the research end of science and medical research, its expanding tremendously the scientists ability to ask questions about genetic disease, Doetschman said.

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CRISPR gene editing tech brings countless opportunities and ... - Arizona Daily Wildcat

The University of California, Davis, has reached a licensing agreement with Regenerative Arthritis and Bone Medicine (RABOME) for a class of drugs developed at the university that hold potential for treating diseases associated with bone loss and inflammatory arthritis.

From Left: Fred Tileston (RABOME), Ruiwu Liu, Nancy Lane, Christy Pifer, Wei Yao, Kit Lam (UC Davis Health), and Jiwei Chen (RABOME).

The license, negotiated by the InnovationAccess team within the UC Davis Office of Research, provides the university-affiliated startup with rights to four families of patents and patent applications related to the novel composition of a hybrid molecule, known as LLP2A-alendronate, which has been found to effectively direct mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to induce bone regeneration in animal models. The compound works by guiding transplanted and endogenous MSCs to the surface of the bone where they differentiate into bone-forming cells, thereby increasing bone mass and strength. These cells are also immune-modulating, which helps to reduce inflammation at target sites.

The use of stem cells as therapeutic agents is a growing field, but directing stem cells to travel and adhere to the surface of bone for bone formation has been an elusive goal in regenerative medicine.

There are many stem cells, even in elderly people, but they do not readily migrate to bone, said Wei Yao, co-inventor and associate professor of internal medicine at UC Davis. Finding a molecule that attaches to stem cells and guides them to the targets we need provides a real breakthrough.

Translating discovery into societal and commercial impact

Late last year, RABOME received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin phase I clinical trials to evaluate the safety of the drug in humans. The study sites are currently screening patients for enrollment.

We are pursuing several indications for use, but our initial focus is in developing a treatment for osteonecrosis, a disease caused by reduced blood flow to bones, says Fred Tileston, president and chief executive officer RABOME, which is a California-based company. As many as 20,000 people per year in the United States develop osteonecrosis.

RABOME also plans to pursue other indications for use including fracture healing, osteoporosis and inflammatory arthritis.

We are pleased that this very promising technology is being shepherded by Mr. Tileston, who is an experienced business leader and entrepreneur, said Dushyant Pathak, associate vice chancellor for Technology Management and Corporate Relations at UC Davis. It is exciting to see the teams progress in translating the discovery into commercial and societal impact.

Breaking barriers through cross-discipline collaboration

The development of the novel therapy is the result of a successful research collaboration between two teams at UC Davis: a group of experts on bone health, led by Nancy Lane and Wei Yao from the UC Davis Center for Musculoskeletal Health, and a synergistic group of medicinal chemists led by Kit Lam and Ruiwu Liu from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine.

This research was a collaboration of stem cell biologists, biochemists, translational scientists, a bone biologist and clinicians, said Lane, endowed professor of medicine, rheumatology and aging research, anda principal investigator. It was a truly fruitful team effort with remarkable results.

Lane received a Disease Team Therapy Development research grant in 2012 from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) which, along with federal grants from the National Institutes of Health, supported the preclinical research. CIRM was established in 2004 via California Proposition 71 to fund stem cell research in attempt to accelerate and improve treatments for patients where current needs are unmet.

Conflict of interest disclosure

Because Tileston and Lane are married, UC Davis conducted a conflict of interest review of its licensing agreement with RABOME. The university determined that it did not rise to the level of a financial conflict of interest under NIH rules, which require a finding of a direct and significant impact.

Send email Phone: 916-734-9048

AJ Chelin, Office of Research Send email Phone:530-752-1101

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UC Davis licenses novel compound that helps stem cells regenerate bone - HealthCanal.com (press release) (blog)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Foundation Medicine, Inc. (NASDAQ:FMI) today announced that it has received payment from Palmetto GBA, the Companys Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) in North Carolina, for its FoundationOne comprehensive genomic profiling assay when used in the clinical course of care for individuals in the United States with Stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who meet the eligibility requirements under Palmetto GBAs Local Coverage Determination L36143 (LCD). The LCD was most recently updated on December 22, 2016. Foundation Medicine began submitting an initial set of claims to Palmetto GBA in January 2017 for FoundationOne, and received its first payments for claims under this LCD on March 1, 2017.

Coverage and payment for FoundationOne under Palmetto GBAs LCD is a positive step toward advancing access to precision medicines for individuals living with non-small cell lung cancer, said Troy Cox, chief executive officer for Foundation Medicine. We look forward to continuing to work with Palmetto GBA as we gain additional payment experience under this LCD for non-small cell lung cancer. We will continue to work with FDA and CMS as they review our universal companion diagnostic test through the Parallel Review process with the goal of being the first pan-cancer, universal companion diagnostic test to receive FDA approval and a National Coverage Determination from CMS.

About Foundation Medicine Foundation Medicine (NASDAQ:FMI) is a molecular information company dedicated to a transformation in cancer care in which treatment is informed by a deep understanding of the genomic changes that contribute to each patient's unique cancer. The company offers a full suite of comprehensive genomic profiling assays to identify the molecular alterations in a patient's cancer and match them with relevant targeted therapies, immunotherapies and clinical trials. Foundation Medicines molecular information platform aims to improve day-to-day care for patients by serving the needs of clinicians, academic researchers and drug developers to help advance the science of molecular medicine in cancer. For more information, please visit http://www.FoundationMedicine.com or follow Foundation Medicine on Twitter (@FoundationATCG).

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements for Foundation Medicine

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding reimbursement of the Companys comprehensive genomic profiling assays, the benefits provided by anFDA-approved and CMS-covered version of the Companys universal companion diagnostic test, and progress with the Parallel Review process with FDAand CMS; the scope and timing of any approval of FoundationOne as a medical device by FDAand any potential national coverage decisions by CMS; and strategies for achievingMedicarecoverage decisions at the local or national level and new and expanded coverage from third-party payers.All such forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include the risks that FDA does not approve our universal companion diagnosic test as a medical device or that CMS does not decide to offer our universal companion diagnostic test as a covered benefit underMedicare; FDAor CMS is delayed in the completion of the Parallel Review process; and the risks described under the caption "Risk Factors" inFoundation Medicine's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year endedDecember 31, 2016, which is being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, as well as other risks detailed inFoundation Medicine'ssubsequent filings with theSecurities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, andFoundation Medicine undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

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Foundation Medicine Receives Medicare Payment in Non-Small ... - Business Wire (press release)