Iris Jaffe, associate professor of medicine and executive director of the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute (MCRI), has been appointed the Elisa Kent Mendelsohn Professor of Molecular Cardiology.

Jaffe received an M.D. and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. After completing clinical training in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, she received a vascular biology research fellowship at Tufts Medical Center in 2003, in conjunction with completing a clinical cardiology fellowship at Brigham and Womens Hospital. She joined the Tufts University School of Medicine faculty in 2005, and received a clinical scientist development award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the NIH.

Jaffe took on a number of leadership roles at Tufts while continuing to build her laboratory and care for patients. She was the first chair of the Women in Medicine Committee at Tufts Medical Center and previously served as chair of the Scientific Affairs Committee at the School of Medicine. She is also on the faculty of the Sackler School for Graduate Biomedical Sciences, where she is a member of the Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology Program, and she has played a leadership role in the combined M.D./Ph.D. Program. She was associate director of the MCRI before being named executive director last fall.

Jaffe is an active mentor for budding scientists, from eager high school students to undergraduate and graduate students to a growing contingent of postdoctoral fellows. In the laboratory she has combined her expertise in gene transcription and vascular biology with her interests as a clinical cardiologist to explore the molecular mechanisms that contribute to common cardiovascular diseases. She was the first to demonstrate the presence of functional mineralocorticoid receptors in human vascular cells and explored their role in hypertension, atherosclerosis, vein graft failure and pulmonary hypertension.

Jaffe is the recipient of the Established Investigator Award from the American Heart Association (AHA), the Mid-Career Award for Research Excellence from the AHA Blood Pressure Research Council, and the Milton O. Zucker, M.D., F.A.C.S., and Natalie V. Zucker Prize from the School of Medicine. She is an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and is a standing member of the NIH Vascular Cell and Molecular Biology Study Section.

The Molecular Cardiology Research Institute Professorship in Medicine was established in 1998 by the medical center and the medical school to support the executive director of the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute. In 2006 it was renamed the Elisa Kent Mendelsohn Professorship in Molecular Cardiology, in memory of the daughter of the chairs inaugural holder, Michael Mendelsohn.

I am confident that Dr. Jaffe will continue to build on Tufts legacy of advancing insights into the mechanisms of cardiovascular disease, as well as nurture the next generation of scientists and physician-scientists as the Mendelsohn Professor, said Harris Berman, dean of the School of Medicine.

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Tufts Physician-Researcher Named to Endowed Professorship - Tufts Now

By Suraaj Aulakh

When Fereydoun Hormozdiari graduated from Simon Fraser Universitys School of Computing Science with a PhD in 2011, he had already authored major research publications, including papers in the journals Nature and Genome Research. His hard work and success has continued into his professional career, as he has now been named a 2017 Sloan Research Fellow for his work in computational and evolutionary molecular biology.

It is a greathonor to be named as one of the Sloan Research Fellows, says Hormozdiari, who is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis).

As a junior faculty member, this award will not only help in funding parts of my research but it will also help in attracting strong students and postdocs and getting additionalfunding.

Since 1955, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has been awarding this fellowship to outstanding early-career scientists from various disciplines. This year, 126 researchers across Canada and the United States of America were selected to receive this prestigious fellowship, which includes $60,000 towards their research.

The selection process is detailed and thoroughafter being nominated by fellow scientists, candidates are screened by senior scholars and judged based on their research accomplishments and potential to become a scientific leader.

This honour is often seen as a sign of future successmany researchers go on to win other awards and recognition for their work. In fact, 43 former Sloan Research Fellows later also received a Noble Prize in their fields.

At UC Davis, Hormozdiaris research focuses on developing novel computational algorithms to study the human genome and get a better understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism. He hopes to eventually develop approaches that allow for early prediction and diagnosis of complex diseases.

The ultimate goal would be to predict these disorders long before any symptoms appear.

Hormozdiari credits his experience at SFU for helping him get to where he is now.

I would highly advise students to take advantage of the great computing science community SFU has to offer. I was veryfortunatetodo my graduate studies under the supervision of professor S. Cenk Sahinalp and during that time I learned to enjoy my research incomputational biology.

It is always wonderful to hear about the amazing accomplishments of our graduates, says Greg Mori, Director of the School of Computing Science. Fereydouns focus on using computational biology to study and predict diseases could one day significantly impact the way a patient is diagnosed. This award is well-deserved and is a great example of the success our students and alumni can achieve.

This isnt the first time that the Sloan Research Fellowship has been awarded to a researcher affiliated with the School of Computing Science. In 2016, professor Leonid Chindelevitch was named a Sloan Research Fellow, also for his work in computational and evolutionary molecular biology.

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SFU computing science alumnus named 2017 Sloan Research Fellow - Simon Fraser University News

The Berlin-based startup OMEICOS Therapeutics announced the first closing of a series B financing round of 8.3M and the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trialfor the treatment of atrial fibrillation.

OMEICOS Therapeutics, a spin-off from the Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, is taking the next step with its lead compoundOMT-28 for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. After their 6.2M series A funding round in 2015, the biotech was now able to raise another 8.3M in a series B funding round to support the clinical development of OMT-28. The company also announced the dosing of the first subject in afirst-in-human clinical study.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of heart arrythmias, affecting around 2-3% of the population. While the condition is not directly life-threatening, without treatment it can haveseriousconsequencessuch asheart failureorstroke. Current antiarryhthmic treatmentswork by slowing down the excitation of the heart cells, but they can also cause severe side effects.

Electrical conduction within the heart under normal conditions and during atrial fibrillation.

OMEICOS lead compound is based on omega-3 fatty acids, known by everynutritional expertfor their positiveeffects on the heart and immune system. The companys therapeutic strategy is based on synthetic derivatives of natural metabolites of omega-3 fatty acids that have a strong antiarrhythmic effect.

OMEICOS has managed to overcome the hurdle of instability of these metabolites by developing synthetic molecules that are as potent as natural metabolites, but much more stable, making them suitable as orally available therapeutics.

Unlike other antiarrhythmic drugs, OMEICOS compounds activate a cardio-protective signaling pathway that stabilizes heart rhythm. In addition, the compounds are expected to provide curative effects to diseased hearts by preventing electrical and structural remodeling, a common cause of heart disease.

According to a study by the consulting firm Grand View Research, the market for atrial fibrillation is expected to reach 15.34B ($16.17B) by 2020 in part due to a an ageing world-population. However, non-pharmacological treatments such as catheter ablationare also expected to increase in application due to newer and improved techniques.

The growing population of AF patients is faced with outdated and extremely limited medical treatment options. Current treatments have insufficient efficacy, risk of severe side effects, and are unable to reduce patient mortality, said Robert Fischer, CSO of OMEICOS Therapeutics.

New pharmacological interventions with different mechanisms and less safety issues are definitely needed and the areais not a crowded fieldfor biotech, making OMEICOS therapeutic strategy seem promising.

Images via shutterstock.com /juzticecreative andDesignua

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German Spin-off Scores Funding to Treat Atrial Fibrillation - Labiotech.eu (blog)

March 2, 2017 This molecular image shows immunofluorescence staining in the soft spongy section of trabecular bone in the femur of a young mouse. Red staining reveals the abundant presence of the protein osteopontin (OPN) in bone and endosteum of the marrow cavity, which is important to maintaining a healthy environment for blood-forming hematopoietic stem cells. Shown in blue are cell nuclei. Researchers report March 2 in the journal EMBO that restoring depleted osteopontin in aging bone marrow can rejuvenate the production of HSCs. The image was taken by Mehmet Sacma, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Ulm, Germany. Credit: University of Ulm

As people get older so do the hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that form their blood, creating an increased risk for compromised immunity and certain blood cancers. Now researchers are reporting in the scientific journal EMBO that the bone marrow niche where HSC's form also ages, contributing to the problem.

In a study published March 2, scientists from the University of Ulm in Germany and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in the United States propose rejuvenating the bone marrow niche where HSCs are created. This could mean younger acting HSCs that form healthier blood cells, boosted immunity in older people, and a better defense mechanism against certain cancers, according to study authors.

Conducting their study in mouse models, the scientists point to cells in the bone marrow called osteoblasts, which help form bone. Osteoblasts make a protein called osteopontin, which is important to supporting a vibrant bone marrow environment in the creation of blood-forming HSCs.

"We show that the place where HSCs form in the bone marrow loses osteopontin upon aging, but if you give back the missing protein to the blood-forming cells they suddenly rejuvenate and act younger," says Hartmut Geiger, PhD, study lead investigator at the Institute for Molecular Medicine and Aging Research Center at the University of Ulm, and the Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology at Cincinnati Children's. "Our study points to exciting novel ways to have a better immune system and possibly less blood cancer upon aging by therapeutically targeting the place where blood stem cells form."

Because the study was in mice, its findings cannot at this stage be extended to clinical treatment of human patients, the authors say. But the data provide interesting leads that one day could benefit human health.

Bone marrow time warp

The researchers conducted a number of experiments to test the formation and vitality of cells in and near the bone marrow microenvironment. One test in aging mice looked at the formation of endosteum stroma cells, which form a thin layer of connective tissue on the inner surface of bones. Another experiment monitored levels of osteopontin and other proteins linked to distinct cells in bone marrow during the aging process.

Study authors say they observed reduced production of osteoblasts and other stroma cells in the endosteum of older mice. They also saw decreased osteopontin protein levels in the bone marrow of older animals, which they note was associated with reduced vigor and function of blood-forming HSCs.

Reversing the niche aging process

Scientists followed up the earlier experiments by transplanting bone marrow cells from older mice (19-21 months) into young mice (8 to 10 weeks). In two other experiments, the authors also transplanted aged HSCs from older mice into younger mice, and they treated aged HSCs with a recombinant form of the osteopontin protein.

Transplantation into the younger animals caused cells to act in a younger more vital manner, the authors report. This includes the presence of smaller numbers of HSCs with greater potential for forming different types of blood cells, which included larger populations of B and T cells and smaller production of myeloid cells.

The authors also saw aged HSCs treated with recombinant osteopontin regain their youthful characteristics and capacity to form different blood-cell types. Also observed was diminished signaling of the protein Cdc42, a protein that Geiger and his team previously showed causes HSCs to age.

Osteopontin levels are not only low in the bone marrow niche, but also in the blood upon aging. As a follow up to the current study, the researchers are investigating the possibility to use osteopontin replacement therapy in mice to counter the influence of an aging niche directly in the animals.

Explore further: Changing the environment within bone marrow alters blood cell development

More information: EMBO, emboj.embopress.org/cgi/doi/10.15252/embj.201694969

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Omeicos Therapeutics reported raising 8.3 million (approximately $8.75 million) in the first close of a Series B financing and confirmed the start of a Phase I study with lead epoxyeicosanoid analog OMT-28, which is in development for treating atrial fibrillation. The investment round was led by Vesalius Biocapital II, SICAR, and SMS Company Group. Other previous Omeicos investors also participated.

We are grateful for the ongoing support of our investors and anticipate this financing to fully fund the company throughout the duration of the Phase I clinical study, which will set the stage for a swift transition into a subsequent Phase II trial, stated Dr. Robert Fischer, CSO and co-founder of Omeicos.

Omeicos is a spinout from the Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin. The firm is developing synthetic analogs of omega-3 fatty acid-derived epoxyeicosanoids for the potential treatment of inflammatory, cardiovascular, and other diseases. OMT-28 is an analog of the omega-3 fatty acid metabolite 17,18-EEQ, which Omeicos claims has demonstrated antiarrhythmic and cardioprotective potential in preclinical in vivo models.

The firm states that while all current antiarrhythmic drugs act primarily by the direct inhibition of ion channels, the Omeicos candidates activate an endogenous cardioprotective signaling pathway that both stabilizes heart rhythm and can prevent electrical and structural remodeling.

The firm won a 1.7 million (approximately $1.8 million) grant from the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in November 2015 to support OMT-28 development. In April of the same year, Omeicos raised 6.2 million (roughly $6.5 million) in its Series A financing.

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Omeicos Raises 8.3M and Starts Phase I with Epoxyeicosanoid Analog for Atrial Fibrillation - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

The Center for Molecular and Translational Medicine at Georgia State University meets healthcare needs by converting significant research findings into diagnostic tools and medicines to improve the health of individuals. The center is designed to help millions of people suffering from heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses. The current research focus of the center is to dissect molecular insights of cardiovascular remodeling in obesity and obesity related diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, and stroke, with special emphasis on the regulation of these processes.

Read more about the center

Ming-Hui Zou, an internationally recognized researcher in molecular and translational medicine and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Molecular Medicine and associate vice president for research at Georgia State University, is the founding director of the Center for Molecular and Translational Medicine at Georgia State.

An independent investigator of the National Institutes of Health, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, and the American Diabetes Association, and a National Scientist Development and National Established Investigator awardee of the American Heart Association, Zou has used these (and many other awards) to make scientific observations in fields with great potential for immediate clinical relevance.

We effectively transform information gained from biomedical research into knowledge improving the state of human health and disease.

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Home - Center for Molecular and Translational Medicine

Northwestern Medicine scientists have found a molecule that stops the growth of an aggressive pediatric brain tumor. The tumor is always fatal and primarily strikes children under 10 years old.

Every year, about 300 children under the age of 10 years old in the U.S. develop a tumor referred to as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).

This tumor kills every single kid who gets DIPG within one year. No one survives, said the studys first author, Andrea Piunti, a postdoctoral fellow in Ali Shilatifards lab in biochemistry and molecular genetics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

The study will be published February 27 in Nature Medicine.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the most effective molecule so far in treating this tumor, said senior author Shilatifard, the Robert Francis Furchgott Professor of Biochemistry and Pediatrics and the chair of biochemistry and molecular genetics at Feinberg. Every other therapy that has been tried so far has failed.

No children suffering from DIPG have survived longer than one year. Northwestern scientists believe a new molecule may be able to buck that trend.

Radiation therapy only prolongs patients survival by a few months, he noted.

Shilatifards lab previously identified the pathway via which this mutation causes cancer in studies with fruit flies, which was published in Science a few years ago.

He and colleagues believed the pathway would be a good target to thwart the tumor and pushed forward with their molecular studies. Shilatifard and Piunti collaborated with C. David James, Dr. Rintaro Hashizume, Dr. Craig Horbinski, Dr. Rishi Lulla and Dr. Amanda Saratsis at Northwestern Medicine. Lulla, a pediatric neuro-oncologist, and Saratis, a pediatric neurosurgeon, respectively, are also at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago.

The scientists also are members of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

In a study with Hashizumes group, they demonstrated mice in the experiment, which had the drug delivered through their abdomen, had an increased survival of 20 days, which is a long time in the life of a mouse, Piunti said. Now the team at Northwestern Medicine and Lurie Childrens is working on delivering the drug to the brain stem to see if the effect will be more potent and effective.

To test the molecule, scientists took tumor cell lines from a pediatric patient that was untreated and injected those cells into the brain stem of a mouse. The human tumor engrafted in the brain of the mouse. The mouse was then treated with the molecule while scientists monitored the tumor. The molecule stopped the growth of the tumor cells and forced them to turn into other types of cells, known as differentiation, thereby halting its growth.

This discovery is the perfect example of how we take basic science discoveries and translate them to cure diseases at Northwestern Medicine.

This molecule detaches proteins, known as bromodomain proteins, from their binding to a mutant protein, the histone H3K27M, which is present in more than 80 percent of these tumors.

While the molecule itself is not yet available commercially, another similar class of molecules, BET inhibitors, is being tested in clinical trials for pediatric leukemia and other types of tumors. These could be used in a clinical trial for the pediatric tumor, Piunti said.

The collaborative environment at Northwestern made the discovery possible, Shilatifard said.

This work could not have been done anywhere in the world except Northwestern Medicine, because of all the scientists and physicians who have been recruited here during the past five years and how they work together to link basic scientific research to the clinic, Shilatifard said. This discovery is the perfect example of how we take basic science discoveries and translate them to cure diseases at Northwestern Medicine.

Shilatifards other Northwestern collaborators are Marc Morgan, Elizabeth Bartom, Stacy Marshall, Emily Rendleman, Quanhong Ma, Yoh-hei Takahashi, Ashley Woodfin, Alexander Misharin, Nebiyu Abshiru and Neil Kelleher.

The research was supported by grants RO1NS093079 and R35CA197569 from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

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Molecule stops fatal pediatric brain tumor - Northwestern University NewsCenter

NewsFeb 27, 2017 | Original Story from the Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC)

Small bubbles frequently form on membranes of cells and are taken up into their interior. The process involves EHD proteins, a focus of research by Prof. Oliver Daumke of the MDC. He and his team have now shed light on how these proteins assemble on the surface of a cell and reshape its membrane.

Fairground entertainers can transform simple balloons into elaborate figures with just a few twists. They do this by pinching off sections of the balloons surface a method similar to that used by cells to create small bubbles known as vesicles for the transport of molecules. Vesicles are used to take up nutrients and play an important role in the transmission of neural signals.

Molecular machines reshape the membrane

EHD proteins are one type of molecular machine responsible for the creation of vesicles. These proteins bind themselves to the inside of a cell membrane, where they form long chains and ring-like structures. The rings then invaginate the membrane, contract like a drawstring, and, finally, detach the vesicle from the surface of the cell.

Oliver Daumke of the Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) is investigating the function and spatial structure of these EHD proteins. In an earlier study, he and his team analyzed the three-dimensional structure of EHDs in an inactive form i.e. not bound to the membrane. Until now, scientists did not know how EHD proteins become activated, attach to the membrane and shape it into tubular structures. The protein flips open to reveal specialized regions

Together with international colleagues, Daumke and his PhD student Arthur Alves de Melo have now published an article in the current issue of the scientific journal PNAS that describes the active form of this molecular EHD machine that which occurs when it comes into contact with the membrane. Comparing the active and inactive protein structures, they discovered that EHD molecules flip open when they bind to the membrane, exposing specialized regions. One of these regions allows them to organize in extended chains and ring-like structures. Another region reorients toward the membrane and anchors the molecular machines on the cell surface.

With this work, Daumkes team has now described two steps in the operation of EHDs. To understand the complete operating cycle and thus the full function of these molecular EHD machines, we must now analyze various other states, he says. That is a task for the coming years.

Reference: Melo, A. A., Hegde, B. G., Shah, C., Larsson, E., Isas, J. M., Kunz, S., Daumke, O. (2017). Structural insights into the activation mechanism of dynamin-like EHD ATPases. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi:10.1073/pnas.1614075114

This article has been republished frommaterialsprovided bythe Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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EDH Proteins Reshape Cell Membranes - Technology Networks

WINDBER National publicity and behind-the-scenes upgrades marked the Windber hospital and research institutes first year under new ownership.

More visible developments will come this year as Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber and Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine expand roles in their parent companys fight against cancer, said Tom Kurtz, president and CEO of both Windber organizations.

New cancer and heart programs are poised for launch at the Windber hospital, and an expanded tissue repository is already bringing additionalcancer studies to the research institute, Kurtz said.

Meanwhile, in-patient volumes are up 40 percent over the past seven months, led by a 110 percent increase in orthopedic surgery, Kurtz said.

We are looking at what is needed in the community in subspecialties, Kurtz said.

We are trying to figure out what people are having to travel out of the community for, and not just keep replicating everything here.

The former Windber Medical Center and Windber Research Institute began2016 with the news that the two nonprofits were to become part of Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiongs Chan Soon-Shiong NantHealth Foundation.

On Jan. 11, 2016, the Windber icons were in the national spotlight when Soon-Shiong announced Cancer MoonShot 2020, predicting that the joint effort of international pharmaceutical, bioscience and insurance companies, working with community-based oncologists, can shave decades off the development of effective cancer-fighting drugs.

The Windber research institute is now the central biorepository for tissue and blood samples being studied by scientistsfrom across the nation, and the Windber hospital will be joining national cancer drug trials and demonstrating the valueof bringing the programs to community hospitals.

Last month, Cancer MoonShot 2020 was renamed Cancer Breakthroughs 2020. The change better reflects progress, Soon-Shiong said.

It will also help end confusion with two other cancer moon shots: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centers Cancer Moon Shots and the national Cancer Moonshot that was also launched in January 2016 and was headed by then-Vice President Joe Biden.

Windbers cancer treatment center was to open in 2016, but has been delayed to assure a quality program, Kurtz said.

Leaders are still negotiating with larger clinical partners to help coordinate and oversee treatment and clinical trials, he said.

As part of the nationally renowned Soon-Shiong group, Windber has many options including many of the nations most-respected cancer programs.

We have a lot of different options, Kurtz said.

We want to make sure that what we do with that cancer program is right for the community.

The cancer program will open later this year, Kurtz said, adding that minimal renovations will be required to put medical oncology in either the Joyce Murtha Breast Care Center building or in the former obstetrics unit of the main hospital.

The new heart program is expected to begin in April, led by longtime Johnstown cardiologist Dr. Samir Hadeed.

Hadeed, along with Dr. Cyril Nathaniel and cardiologists of Central Pennsylvania Physicians Group in Everett, will offer a full range of cardiology and vascular services.

A cardiac catheterization lab is being developed in part of the former obstetrics unit and has already been approved by the state Health Department, Hadeed said.

Although Hadeed left Conemaugh Health Systems staff in 2013, he continued his local practice at Johnstown Heart and Vascular Center at 1027 Broad St. in Johns-

town.

He has remained active at Windber and Somerset hospitals and Allegheny Health Network hospitals near Pittsburgh.

I have never been out of the game, he said.

Windbers new program brings value to the region, Hadeed said.

It gives the community options, he said

Having only one program in town is not necessarily the best for the patient or the town.

Both the heart program and the cancer program illustrate the value of Windbers partnership with Soon-Shiong and his network, Kurtz said.

But all decisions about local patient care and services are still being made in Windber, he added.

They are committed to providing some financial assistance with the cath lab and to help us with the establishment of the cancer center here, Kurtz said. Everything else is under our control.

Windber leaders originally decided to seek a national partner to help the hospital get back on its feet financially.

When Windbers board turned over the reins to NantHealth, the hospital was losing about $2.3 million a year.

Kurtz stressed that the local organization does not want to be a drain on Soon-Shiongs network.

As we made an internal decision here, Kurtz said, any kind of financial assistance made by the national organization would have a return on investment.

We have an internal goal to be totally self-sufficient in 36 months.

Along with oncology and cardiology, an upgraded and expanded emergency department remains a top priority. Kurtz said previous designs have been put in the back burner while leadership studies overall needs in light of the new programs and expanded surgical business.

We have to have a campus-wide master facility plan in place, Kurtz said.

Randy Griffith covers health care for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @photogriffer57.

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The newest addition to the Phoenix Biomedical Campus includes cancer and pediatric research.

The Biomedical Sciences Partnership Building opens Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix.(Photo: Tom Tingle/The Republic)

The latest addition to the downtown Phoenix Biomedical Campusopened Thursday to house labs forcancer, molecular medicine and other health research.

The University of Arizona helda ceremony Thursday nightto officially open its $136 million Biomedical Sciences Partnership Building on Seventh and Fillmore streets. The glass-and-copper structure adds to the universitys College of Medicine-Phoenixprograms downtown.

Phoenix designated about 30 acres of land for the campus, to draw innovative research and industry to the urban core. Arizonas three state universities already have facilities there with plans to build more.

UA President Ann Weaver Hart said the building captures what's necessary today for health solutions: collaboration between people who make discoveries and those who can help implement them into daily life.

"It means that we're in this together," she said.

UA's new site includes five labs to start, with more to come. Here are sixthings to know about the building:

The 10-story building is covered with 325,000 pounds of recycled copper panels, according to the university,that sparkle on Seventh Street. The look will change as thatcoppertarnishesover time, said Jennifer Andrews, assistantdirector of capital projects at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.

Construction required more than 5 million pounds of steel.

The 245,000 square feet of space includewet and dry laboratories, offices and seminar rooms. Bond funding approved by the state Legislature nearly a decade ago paid for the construction.

A walkway dubbed the Grand Canyon connects the new tower to the universitys neighboring Health Sciences Education Building.

One lab will focus on treatments to disrupt a protein critical for most cancers to survive. Dr. William Cance, deputy director of the UA Cancer Center, recently moved his research to Arizona from Buffalo, N.Y.

Cance focuses on a protein he said is made by about 80 percent of cancers, called human focal adhesion kinase. Research focuses on developing therapeutics to target it.

In his lab, researchers can determine how a drug will interact with the protein, then test it. The team of three will soon hire additional people, Cance said.

The building is named for biomedical sciences partnerships. That means researchers will collaborate across fields and sectors to develop solutions to health problems.

The layout of the building will help with that, Cance said. His lab is next to other researchers, and open space means it's easy to bump into people to share information.

Thats where you find what other people are doing, Cance said. The laboratory culture is really one of sharing.

Andrews said the design of the building puts people from different departments who are studying similar topicstogether on the same floor.

One of the building's first tenants, the Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine, has worldwide partnerships with universities and industry.

The team of about a dozen people is not a conventional academic group, Director Frederic Zenhausern said. Their diverse backgrounds guide the goal of designing technology that goes from discovery to marketplace, he said.

Research ranges from creating tools to monitor radiotherapy at a personalized level to developing new instruments to collect blood.Collaborators throughout the center include universities, organizations and companies in the U.S., Singapore, Italy and Japan.

Two tenants include partnerships with the Phoenix Childrens Hospital. The Ronald A. Matricaria Institute of Molecular Medicine examines genetic information to see what makes a patient susceptible to diseases like pediatric cancer. Researchers then create a personalized therapy.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Research Laboratory focuses on pediatric vaccines.

Two floors of the building are completed to house the first five research labs. Other spaces are ready for more tenants and offices.

The next phase of construction includes more offices and temporary"hotel" work space for physicians working at the campus. The university expects that project to continue another year.

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Newswise WASHINGTON (Feb. 23, 2017) The George Washington University (GW) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold a workshop, High-Throughput Sequencing Computational Standards for Regulatory Sciences, March 16-17, 2017 in Bethesda, Maryland.

Raja Mazumder, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular medicine at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, is leading a project in collaboration with several FDA scientists to develop a framework for community-based development of standards for harmonization of High-throughput Sequencing (HTS) computations and data formats to promote interoperability and bioinformatics verification protocols. This will validate data and computations while encouraging interoperability. Their goal is to leverage existing HTS analysis and reporting standards to produce a powerful, standardized and community-centric infrastructure for reporting computations related to regulatory analysis of HTS data to FDA. This can be achieved by the use of biocompute objects.

Next steps will be discussed at this workshop with key stakeholders medical researchers, FDA regulatory scientists, HTS or next-generation sequencing data platform developers, pharmaceutical scientists and bioinformaticians, big data experts, and more as the way computational analysis are submitted to the FDA changes. The conversation will also take place at #biocompute2017.

WHO: GW and the FDA. The workshop chairs are Raja Mazumder, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular medicine at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Vahan Simonyan, Ph.D., lead scientist at the FDA.

Speakers include technologists and scientists from the FDA, National Institutes for Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Merck, Seven Bridges Genomics, DNAnexus, GenomeNext, Attain, Common Workflow Language project, FHIR Genomics, GA4GH and many others. For a detailed agenda and information on the organizing committee, please visit https://hive.biochemistry.gwu.edu/htscsrs/workshop_2017_agenda.

WHERE: Porter Neuroscience Research Center, 35A Convent Drive (Room GE 620), Bethesda, MD 20892; Can also attend remotely via live webcast and follow along at #biocompute2017.

WHAT: Developing a framework for community-based development of standards for harmonization of HTS computations and data formats to promote interoperability and bioinformatics verification protocols. This is critical for anyone that communicates computational analysis with the FDA.

WHEN: Thursday, March 16, from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET; Friday, March 17, from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET

REGISTER: Visit https://hive.biochemistry.gwu.edu/htscsrs/workshop_2017 to register now, in person or via live webcast.

*MEDIA*: If you are interested in attending the workshop or speaking to Dr. Mazumder, please contact Lisa Anderson at lisama2@gwu.edu or 202-994-3121.

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Media Advisory: GW and FDA to Hold Workshop on Computational Standards for High-Throughput Sequencing for ... - Newswise (press release)

BOSTON, MA and SHANGHAI, CHINA--(Marketwired - Feb 23, 2017) - CloudHealth Genomics, Ltd., a leading genomics-based precision medicine solutions provider in China, presented data today on their unique business model, using open and disruptive innovation as a market strategy for precision medicine, wellness and longevity. In addition, data was presented as a by-product of the model, ImmuneSeq panel at the Cambridge Healthtech Institute's Third Annual Commercialization of Molecular Diagnostics, part of the 24th International Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference held in San Francisco, CA. ImmuneSeq is able to monitor immune responses, like T-cell activities for both cancer and non-cancer immunotherapies.

CloudHealth Genomics recently presented data on their HealthySeq blood tests, but more data analysis are indicating, along with clients with cancer risks; markers for cardiac and neuro-degeneration diseases are high common among their small, yet growing cohort. And recent reports have indicated immunotherapies also play an important role in non-cancer diseases, such as sepsis, Alzheimer's and autoimmune diseases as lupus nephritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Winston Patrick Kuo, CTO of CloudHealth Genomics, presented today data on the 463-gene panel of ImmuneSeq Cancer. Dr. Kuo demonstrated that the association between tumor mutational load and clinical benefits to PD-1 blockade was observed using ImmuneSeq Cancer to estimate mutation burden in a pilot study of NSCLC patients and predictive of overall improved survival in patients with higher tumor mutational load. Dr. Kuo, added, "There is a need to establish a baseline for T-cell activity as it may serve as a predictive marker for optimal immune reconstitution during the monitoring of an immunotherapy for different disease-types, hence we developed ImmuneSeq."

Immunotherapy has become a new trend in cancer treatment and demonstrated promising results compared with conventional standard of care; however, it is not effective in all patients and all cancer types, especially for patients in China looking for immunotherapy treatment. "Anti-PD1/L1 therapy clinical trials has just entered the China market, and to be cost-effective and cost-beneficial to the patients, while the results may not be positive in some cases, we have developed this ImmuneSeq Cancer to help identify patients suitable for particular immunotherapies, so we can guide our patients to either participate in local clinical trials or seek treatment overseas," stated Song Chao, Marketing Director of CloudHealth Genomics.

"ImmuneSeq Cancer combines exome and RNA-sequencing data and prioritizes the recognition of neoantigens, a major factor in the activity of cancer immunotherapies," stated Jason "Gang" Jin, MD, PhD, CloudHealth Genomics, Founder and CEO. He added, "ImmuneSeq will provide an additional value to non-cancer immunotherapies, since it too would minimize unnecessary exposure of patients to potentially life-threatening immune-related toxicities, as well as reduce the financial costs imposed on health systems by expensive drugs. We are delighted to be in collaboration with Hongjun Kang, MD and his group in identifying predictive biomarkers for patient stratification and selection for sepsis."

"We are excited about ImmuneSeq for our patients suffering from sepsis (8.86% in China) and secondary multiple organ failure that eventually die due to their immunosuppressive state. This rate will increase with an aging population," stated Hongjun Kang, MD, Associate Chief of Critical Care Medicine, Chinese PLA (301) General Hospital. Dr. Kang added, "Bristol-Myers Squibb just recently conducted clinical trials of two different immunotherapy treatments for sepsis; one, Phase 1 trial of nivolumab and another drug called BMS-936559 in an ongoing Phase 1/2 trial. These drugs act on the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, resulting in the activation of T cells."

ImmuneSeq Cancer panel allows one to profile human immune responses in all cancer types, potentially accelerating the discovery and development of drugs, therapies and predictive biomarker signatures for immunotherapy treatment response. ImmuneSeq Cancer can be used on all sample types supported by CloudHealth Genomics sequencing infrastructure including Fresh Frozen, Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) and whole blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

About CloudHealth Genomics

CloudHealth Genomics, Ltd., based in Shanghai, is the leading company in China focused on whole genome tests and providing genomics-based precision medicine and scientific wellness solutions. The company prides itself in having a certified clinical genetic testing lab and a high throughput sequencing center (HiSeq X10 platform). CloudHealth Genomics is part of a larger CloudHealth Medical Group ecosystem, comprising of CloudHealth Life Center, CloudHealth High-End Clinic Center, CloudHealth Big Data Center, CloudHealth Genomics Research Institute, Academician Experts Workstation and CloudHealth Club of Medical Doctors. For more information, visit http://en.chgenomics.com (English) or http://www.CHgenomics.com (Chinese).

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CloudHealth Genomics Presents their Unique Market Strategy and ... - Marketwired (press release)

First breath shapes the lung's immune system Science Daily Now, for the first time, the group of Sylvia Knapp, Director of Medical Affairs at CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and Professor of Infection Biology at the Medical University of Vienna showed with the ...

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First breath shapes the lung's immune system - Science Daily

The Ross Prize is made possible by the generosity of Feinstein Institute board members Robin and Jack Ross. It is awarded annually by Molecular Medicine to scientists who have made a demonstrable impact in the understanding of human diseases pathogenesis and/or treatment, and who hold significant promise for making even greater contributions to the general field of molecular medicine.

"Jeffery Ravetch's investigations of the immune system's molecular structure solved the medical mystery of how antibodies can both activate and inhibit the immune response," said Feinstein Institute President and CEO Kevin J. Tracey, MD, who also serves as editor emeritus of Molecular Medicine. "His discoveries have provided the fundamental knowledge that enable scientists to engineer antibodies to treat a variety of autoimmune conditions."

After a brief award presentation, a research symposium will be held during which Dr. Ravetch will discuss his discoveries in the field of Fc receptor biology. Rafi Ahmed, PhD, director of the Emory Vaccine Center, and Ronald Levy, MD, professor and chief of the Division of Oncology at Stanford Medicine, will also speak during the symposium. To learn more about the Ross Prize celebration and symposium, and to register for the event, please visit http://www.nyas.org/RossPrize2017.

Dr. Ravetch's research focuses on identifying the genetic components that cause immune system cells to respond to specific antibodies. His laboratory's mission is to gain a better understanding of how a functioning immune system protects organisms from invaders, and how a dysfunctional immune system attacks the body's own tissues. His work has specifically focused on a family of protein receptors called Fc receptors, which he and his team have been studying for the past 30 years. His work has defined these receptors and demonstrated their essential role in immune response.

Past recipients of the Ross Prize are: Charles N. Serhan, PhD, DSc, director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Simon Gelman Professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School and professor at Harvard School of Dental Medicine; Lewis C. Cantley, PhD, the Meyer Director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital; John J. O'Shea, MD, scientific director at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS); and Dan R. Littman, MD, PhD, the Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Professor of Molecular Immunology in the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine at New York University School of Medicine.

About the Feinstein InstituteThe 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 aremaking 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 Molecular MedicineMolecular Medicine is an open access, international, peer-reviewed biomedical journal published by The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Molecular Medicine addresses disease pathogenesis at the cellular and molecular levels and novel molecular tools for disease diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and prevention. To learn more, go to molmed.org.

About the New York Academy of SciencesThe New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization that since 1817 has been committed to advancing science, technology, and society worldwide. With more than 20,000 members in 100 countries around the world, the Academy is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. The Academy's core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large. Please visit us online at nyas.org.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/feinstein-institute-molecular-medicine-award-ross-prize-to-rockefeller-universitys-jeffrey-ravetch-300410709.html

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Feinstein Institute, Molecular Medicine Award Ross Prize to Rockefeller University's Jeffrey Ravetch - PR Newswire (press release)

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Atreca, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapeutics based on a deep understanding of the human immune response, announced today the presentation of positive preclinical findings in its immuno-oncology program, generated via the Companys Immune Repertoire Capture (IRC) technology platform. Atrecas IRC technology identifies and generates sequences of native antibodies and T cell receptors (TCRs) from active human immune responses, including natively paired and complete variable regions of receptors expressed by specifically selected B- and T-cells. New findings from Atrecas lead program are being highlighted at the 24th annual Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference, taking place at the Moscone North Convention Center in San Francisco, CA, February 19-24, 2017.

In a presentation, titled The Immune Repertoire Capture (IRC) Technology Platform, Daniel Emerling, Ph.D., Atrecas Senior Vice President, Research, is presenting key preclinical findings today at 12:10 p.m. Pacific Time, including:

We are thrilled with the continued momentum of our programs based on successful anti-tumor immune responses in cancer patients undergoing treatment, stated N. Michael Greenberg, PhD, Atrecas Chief Scientific Officer. Our most recent data validate our next-generation approach in monotherapy as well as combination therapy, potentially addressing the substantial need to enhance patient responses to checkpoint inhibition. The unique features and capabilities of our platform allow us to pursue diverse applications outside of cancer as well, and we look forward to our progress as we advance toward IND-enabling studies in our lead program.

Atreca applies IRC to generate sequences of native antibodies and TCRs from cancer patients who have responded well to immunotherapy and other treatments, patients with autoimmune disease, vaccinated subjects, and patients who resolve infections. Analyses of the resulting essentially unbiased and error-free repertoires yield insights into immunology, as well as potent antibodies targeting tumors, pathogens, and autoimmune epitopes.

About Atreca, Inc.

Atreca is a privately held biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics drawn from human immune responses, including effective anti-cancer immune responses. We are able to measure and analyze the structure of clinically relevant immune responses to identify the antibodies, T cell receptors, and targets that are key to successful treatment outcomes. Atrecas proprietary Immune Repertoire Capture technology profiles a patients immune response at the single-cell level at very high throughput without bias or error, enabling the identification and generation of functional human antibodies and TCRs without prior knowledge of antigen. The Company is advancing a pipeline of candidates with the objective of enhancing engagement of the human immune response in cancer treatment and other indications, thus optimizing therapeutic outcomes. For more information on Atreca, please visit http://www.atreca.com.

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Atreca, Inc. Presents New Preclinical Findings for Novel Cancer ... - Business Wire (press release)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Foundation Medicine (NASDAQ:FMI) today reported financial and operational results for the fourth quarter and year endedDecember 31, 2016. Highlights for the quarter and year included:

Since its inception just six years ago, Foundation Medicine has established itself as the clear leader in molecular information and precision medicine in oncology, statedTroy Cox, chief executive officer ofFoundation Medicine. We believe 2017 will be a year of continued growth and value creation particularly as we progress through Parallel Review of FoundationOne with FDA and CMS and simultaneously collaborate with healthcare providers, payers and biopharma partners to apply our molecular information to accelerate personalized cancer care.

The company reported total revenue of$28.8 millionin the fourth quarter of 2016, compared to$26.1 millionin the fourth quarter of 2015. Total revenue for the year endedDecember 31, 2016was$116.9 million, compared to$93.2 millionin 2015.

Revenue from biopharmaceutical partners was$19.0 millionin the fourth quarter, representing a 35% increase from the same period in 2015. For the full year, revenue from biopharmaceutical partners was$78.8 million, a 79% increase from $44.0 millionin 2015. These increases in revenue from biopharmaceutical partners highlight the company's continued leading and broadening role within targeted oncology drug development.

Revenue from clinical testing in the fourth quarter of 2016 was$9.8 million, compared to$12.0 millionin the fourth quarter of 2015. For the full year, revenue from clinical testing was $38.1 million, compared to $49.2 million in 2015. The decreases were driven by various factors, the most significant of which was the transition in-network with a large national payer for stage IV NSCLC testing, which resulted in the termination of out of network payments for testing in other indications.

The company reported 12,788 clinical tests, which includes 10,108 FoundationOnetests, 1,407 FoundationOne Heme tests and 1,273 FoundationACT tests, in the fourth quarter of 2016, a 54% increase from the total reported clinical tests in the fourth quarter of 2015. An additional 1,860 tests were reported to biopharmaceutical partners in the fourth quarter of 2016. The company reported 43,686 clinical tests, which includes 36,327 FoundationOne tests, 5,008 FoundationOne Heme tests and 2,351 FoundationACT tests, for the full year 2016, a 32% increase compared to the total reported clinical tests in 2015.

Total operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2016 were approximately$47.1 millioncompared with$34.0 millionfor the fourth quarter of 2015. For the full year, operating expenses were$173.9 million, compared to$143.5 millionin 2015. Net loss was$35.6 millionin the fourth quarter of 2016, or a$1.02loss per share, and net loss for the full year was$113.2 million, or a$3.25loss per share. AtDecember 31, 2016, the company held approximately$143.0 millionin cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities.

2017 Outlook

Conference Call and Webcast Details

The company will conduct a conference call today, Wednesday, February 22nd at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss its financial performance for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2016 and other business activities, including matters related to future performance. To access the conference call via phone, dial 1-855-420-0652 from the United States and Canada, or dial 1-484-365-2939 internationally, and for either number reference Foundation Medicine and provide the passcode 61272791. Dial in approximately ten minutes prior to the start of the call. The live, listen-only webcast of the conference call may be accessed by visiting the investors section of the companys website at investors.foundationmedicine.com. A replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and will be archived on the companys website for two weeks following the call.

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 patients unique cancer. The company offers a full suite of comprehensive genomic profiling assays to identify the molecular alterations in a patients cancer and match them with relevant targeted therapies, immunotherapies and clinical trials. Foundation Medicine's 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).

Foundation Medicineand FoundationOneare registered trademarks, and FoundationACT, FoundationFocusand FoundationCOREare trademarks, of Foundation Medicine, Inc.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

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 the benefits of our products to physicians, biopharmaceutical companies, payers and patients in the treatment of cancer and personalized cancer care; the generation of revenue, the number of tests to be conducted, and the incurrence of operating expenses in 2017; the benefits provided by a FDA-approved and CMS-covered version of FoundationOne and progress with the Parallel Review process with FDA and CMS; the scope and timing of any approval of FoundationOne as a medical device by theFDAand any coverage decision by CMS; and strategies for achieving Medicare coverage 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 thattheFDA does not approve FoundationOne as a medical device or that CMS does not decide to offer FoundationOne as a covered benefit under Medicare; theFDAor CMS is delayed in the completion of the Parallel Review process; the companys new facilities in North Carolina and Germany do not facilitate the companys ability to achieve it business objectives; the companys distribution partner outside the United States is not able to achieve market penetration in new and existing markets as quickly or as extensively as projected; Foundation Medicine's relationships withthird-party or government payers do not increase or expand; Foundation Medicine is unable to sustain or grow relationships with biopharmaceutical partners; the companys revenue, test or operating expense projections may turn out to be inaccurate because of the preliminary nature of the forecasts; the company's expectations and beliefs regarding the future conduct and growth of the company's business are inaccurate; Foundation Medicineis unable to achieve profitability, to compete successfully, to manage its growth, or to develop its molecular information platform; and the risks described under the caption "Risk Factors" in Foundation Medicine's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year endedDecember 31, 2015, which is on file with theSecurities and Exchange Commission, as well as other risks detailed in Foundation Medicine's subsequent filings with theSecurities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, andFoundation Medicineundertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

FOUNDATION MEDICINE, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(unaudited)

(35,705)

(19,113)

(113,816)

(89,755)

$

(19,020)

$

(113,192)

$

(89,631)

$

(1.02)

$

(0.55)

$

(3.25)

$

(2.73)

FOUNDATION MEDICINE, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands)

(unaudited)

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Foundation Medicine Announces 2016 Fourth Quarter and Year-End Results, Recent Highlights and 2017 Outlook - Business Wire (press release)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Cue Biopharma, Inc. (Cue), an immunotherapy company developing biologics engineered to selectively modulate disease-relevant T cell subsets to treat cancer and autoimmune disease, announced the appointment of three new key opinion leaders to its scientific/clinical advisory board (SAB). The new members include Kenneth Pienta, M.D.; Jacques Banchereau, Ph.D.; and Karolina Palucka, M.D., Ph.D. These new members join Cues industry-leading SAB, which consists of three experts in immunology, immuno-oncology and protein design.

We are very pleased with the additional knowledge and expertise that these three leading researchers and clinicians bring to our SAB in the fields of immunology and immuno-oncology, as Cue continues to advance its programs towards the clinic, said Daniel Passeri, M.Sc., J.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Cue Biopharma.

These new scientific/clinical advisory board members bring invaluable experience that complements our existing members, and we have already begun integrating them into our advisory function, said Steven Almo, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Biochemistry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, scientific founder of Cue and Chairman of the Cue Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board.

Cues scientific and clinical advisory board now contains six leading oncology, immuno-oncology, immunology and protein design experts:

About Cue Biopharma

Immune Responses, On Cue. Cue Biopharma(Cue) is an immunotherapy company developing biologics engineered to selectively communicate with disease-relevant T cell subsets to treat cancer and autoimmune disease. Cue biologics have the potential to be highly effective as monotherapies as well as synergistic with existing checkpoint inhibitors, while reducing collateral toxicities often seen with less selective immunotherapies. Through this platform approach, Cue has developed a promising pipeline with its lead candidate currently approaching the clinic. Headquartered in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA, Cue is led by a strong, experienced management team and scientific/clinical advisory board with deep expertise in the design and clinical development of protein biologics, immunology and immuno-oncology.

For more information, visitwww.cuebio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170222005333/en/

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Cue Biopharma Strengthens Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board ... - Yahoo Finance

Scripps doubles down on venture capital with new board members South Florida Business Journal The Scripps Research Institute this week appointed new members to its board of directors, including a number of venture capital veterans, as the La Jolla, California- and Jupiter-based biotechnology nonprofit works to expand its influence on both coasts.

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Scripps doubles down on venture capital with new board members - South Florida Business Journal

The Department of Molecular Medicine encompasses a diverse scope of basic and translational research. The faculty on our La Jolla and Florida campuses leverages the fields of chemistry, structure and biology to understand cellular processes and disease mechanisms at the molecular level, which lays the foundation for the development of novel therapies to counter disease. Ongoing research of our faculty address major therapeutic areas that include diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, retinal degeneration, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis and diseases of aging.

A special emphasis within the Molecular Medicine Department is placed on state of the art chemical biology to dissect signaling pathways and transcriptional programs, and identify molecular targets for therapeutic intervention. Multidisciplinary approaches and ready access to advanced instrumentation for next-generation sequencing, proteomics, structural biology and high-throughput drug screening offers unique opportunities to discover new therapeutic targets and identify drug leads.

Interests in cancer cover most major human malignancies including breast, lung, ovarian, leukemia, pancreatic and prostate carcinoma, and glioblastoma. Research conducted involves the study of tumor cell biology, metabolism, development, signal transduction pathways, oncogenes and tumor suppressors, apoptosis, the DNA damage response, autophagy, invasion and metastasis, chemo-resistance, and the interplay between aging and cancer.

Faculty engaged in research on age related diseases are focused on understanding alterations in whole-body metabolism that lead to metabolic diseases and identifying the physiological changes that lead to physical and cognitive decline during aging. This knowledge may then be applied to developing therapies targeting metabolic disease and age-dependent functional impairment, with the goal of maintaining optimal health throughout lifespan.

Faculty and their research groups have access to multidisciplinary methodology and model systems for target identification, validation and pre-clinical studies, and options access to optimize the leads for target validation through close interactions with medicinal chemists and pharmacologists at TSRI.

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Molecular Medicine - Introduction

SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Two Pore Guys, Inc., (2PG) today announced the company will showcase its sample-in/results-out molecular diagnostic platform at the Point-of-Care Diagnostics symposium, part of the Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference in San Francisco, on February 23rd at the Moscone South Convention Center.

The symposium is comprised of both developers and end-users of point of care (PoC) technologies, who will examine barriers to entry and proposed solutions for this critical marketplace. CEO Dan Heller and CSO Trevor Morin will discuss and demonstrate 2PGs technology in a presentation titled, Handheld, Single Molecule Sensitive Diagnostic Platform, taking place from 12:40-1:15 p.m. PT in room 305.

Multiple barriers to entry have historically limited the commercial success of PoC diagnostics, such as rapid turnaround time, off-grid power sources, clinical sensitivity, and a broad menu of diagnostic tests. 2PGs battery operated, hand-held device has single-molecule sensitivity and can measure targets ranging from small molecules and proteins, to DNA or RNA, including the presence of specific genes and mutations from bacteria, viruses, people, animals, and any other life form. The companys novel business model allows third-parties to develop assays for its platform. Large diagnostic companies can even adapt reagents already used in reference lab systems, allowing for a broad menu of tests to be available for a PoC market.

Heller commented: Molecular diagnostics is the gold standard for confirmatory diagnosis of infectious diseases, cancer, and other critical conditions, but providing PoC technologies that satisfy clinical sensitivity levels and can also be used outside of labs at very low price points has been challenging. Until now, no PoC solution has achieved single-molecule sensitivity at a price point that can attain broad market adoption, while also addressing multiple barriers to entry. We believe our solution for the PoC market will open many exciting opportunities for developers and end-users alike.

2PG first formally introduced its platform last month when it announced a collaboration with UCSF to use its hand-held device to detect cell-free tumor DNA from blood and urine samples from cancer patients. The company also presented its platform in January at both the BioWeekSF series of conferences and at the Precision Medicine World Conference in Silicon Valley, where it won the prestigious Most Promising Company award.

About Two Pore Guys

Two Pore Guys (2PG) develops single-molecule sensing technologies that employ solid-state nanopores and biochemical reagents to create a versatile sample-in/results-out detection platform. 2PGs first product is a handheld device that can use reagents from existing molecular or analyte diagnostic assays and provide accuracy and sensitivity rivaling sophisticated laboratory equipment. The battery-operated device is ideal for point-of-use applications. The easy-to-use platform is designed to sync with a smartphone or computer for further analysis and data sharing, including integrationwith electronic health records. Founded in 2011, the company is based in Santa Cruz, Calif. More information, including videos demonstrating the device, is available at twoporeguys.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170221005444/en/

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Two Pore Guys to Present at Point-of-Care Diagnostics Symposium at the Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference - Yahoo Finance