news archive September 2003

• Evidence the heart can renew itself
  Anversa has demonstrated that the heart has its own adult stem cells for regenerating heart muscle tissue following a coronary event.
  
• Genetic links to obesity and thinness
  deCODE has discovered a gene with certain variations that predispose to obesity and others that predispose to thinness
  
• Non-Human Molecule Is Absorbed By Eating
  A non-human, cellular molecule is absorbed into human tissues as a result of eating red meat and milk products, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego.
  
• NIH Announces Strategy to Accelerate Medical Research Progress
  The NIH Roadmap for Medical Research developed with input from more than 300 nationally recognized leaders in academia, industry, government and the public.
  
• Small Study Suggests Anticonvulsant Drug Holds Promise As Therapy For Cocaine Abuse
  Preliminary clinical trial conducted in Mexico shows that gamma vinyl-GABA (GVG)could cut cocaine use.
  
• World's First Cloned Rats from genOway and INRA
  genOway is now focusing on the generation of cloned animals with specific genetic modifications (knock-out and knock-in rats)
  
• Social insects point to non-genetic origins of societies
  Social structures form through group dynamics, not trait selection
  

• NIGMS Center Grants To Explore Stem Cell Biology
  To elucidate the basic biology of stem cells, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) is funding three Exploratory Centers for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.
  

• Software Tackles Protein Pathways
  PathBLAST searches the yeast protein-protein interaction network to identify all protein interaction pathways that align with a pathway query.
  

• Academic clinical research is under threat from the EU
  New therapies for hard-to-treat or rare cancers might never be developed and patients would continue to suffer and die unless problems with the proposed EU directive1 on clinical trials are resolved.
  
• Scientists switch components in cell circuits: possible new technology, therapy
  Interchangeability may allow engineering of cells with new decision-making circuits
  
• Gene for rare inherited spinal cord disorder found; discovery may aid studies of other paralyzing diseases
  U-M - Penn team hope to aid diagnosis & treatment of hereditary spastic paraplegia
  
• Genes can individualize treatment for high blood pressure
  Genes that cause hypertension may also determine which blood pressure-lowering drugs are most effective for different people.
  

• $500,000 Technology Prize for Advances Leading to the $1,000 Human Genome
  The prize is aimed at stimulating the scientific and technology research community to significantly advance automated DNA sequencing so that a human genome can be sequenced for $1,000 or less as soon as possible
  

• How HIV Infection Kills Brain Cells
  A potent neurotoxin produced by a complex interaction of signals from non-neuronal brain cells may be the cause of the development of dementia due to the death of neurons in the brain.
  
• Persistent Infection Impairs The Immune System
  Scientists have identified persistent infection as the major factor accounting for impaired T cell responses observed in certain infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders and cancers.
  
• Gene Associated With Susceptibility To Common Form Of Stroke
  Scientists have identified a gene that is associated with susceptibility to stroke.
  
• Gene Sequences Of Two Parasites That Cause Schistosomiasis
  Two groups report on the sequencing and analysis of most of the genes found in two of the parasites that cause schistosomiasis, a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing world.
  
• Therapeutic Cloning In Parkinsonian Mice
  In the first example of therapeutic cloning for treating a brain disorder, scientists have used dopamine neurons derived from cloned mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells to treat mice with a Parkinson-like condition.
  
• Cell Suffocation May Cause Cancer Spread
  Starving tumour cells of oxygen may trigger their spread to other bodily organs.
  
• Unhelpful Hedgehogs Cause Cancer
  High levels of a protein known as Sonic hedgehog (SHH) may trigger certain forms of digestive tract tumour.
  

• Beta-blockers also control malaria infection
  Hormones that regulate cardiovascular function have been discovered to influence malaria infection.
  
• Second-generation antisense drug reduces TNF-alpha in rheumatoid arthritis patients
  Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the final results and additional data analyses of this first randomized, placebo- controlled Phase 2a clinical trial will be presented at the 67th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).
  
• National Library of the Netherlands and BioMed Central agree to open access archive
  BioMed Central and the National Library of the Netherlands signed an agreement to secure the long-term digital archiving of all research published by BioMed Central.
  

• A Cheap And Easy Way To Treat Parkinson Disease
  Infusion of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate (D-beta-HB) to mice suffering from Parkinson disease restored impaired brain function and protected against neurodegeneration and motor skill abnormalities.
  
• ROMA (Representational Oligonucleotide Microarray Analysis)
  Powerful New Method Helps Reveal Genetic Basis of Cancer, Plus Surprising Differences in "Normal" DNA
  

• Avigen Cleared to Resume Clinical Trial of Hemophilia B Treatment
  FDA, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Stanford University Medical Center Approve Resumption.
  
• Merck and Alnylam Establish Industry's First Strategic Alliance to Apply RNA Interference for Human Therapeutics
  Merck and Alnylam will work collaboratively to advance RNAi technology and jointly apply the technology to develop RNAi-based therapeutics that selectively target human diseases.
  

• Discovery Points to New Way to Control Atherosclerosis
  HHMI researchers discover a genetic switch that can dramatically reduce reduce fatty deposits in the coronary arteries of mice.
  

• Pharmexa reports progress in US breast cancer trial
  Preliminary results with HER-2 AutoVac(TM) Protein vaccine are expected before the end of the year.
  
• First gene therapy product to gain FDA orphan drug designation for pancreatic cancer
  Epeius Biotechnologies Corporation today announced that the FDA has approved REXIN-G, the world's first tumor-targeted injectable gene therapy vector, as an orphan drug for pancreatic cancer.
  
• Lasker Award honors Rockefeller University biochemist for pioneering studies of gene activation
  Robert G. Roeder, Ph.D., a biochemist whose research has led to major advances in understanding how human genes are switched "on" and "off," is this year's recipient of the highly prestigious Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research.
  
• Brain cells found to hold key to growth of certain breast cancers
  The ability of some breast cancers to grow rapidly and tenaciously may be the result of a survival strategy borrowed from brain cells.
  
• Targeting transcription: New insights into turning genes on
  Using a new approach to developing artificial transcription factors, Anna Mapp and coworkers have gained important insights into the workings of gene-activating transcription factors.
  

• UCSD Researchers Identify Chromosome Location for 2nd Form of Joubert Syndrome
  New findings from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have identified chromosome 11 as a second site for a gene or genes that cause Joubert syndrome.
  

• Timing Sleep And Wakefulness
  Sleep homeostatic processes, which cause the urge to sleep to depend on prior amounts of sleep or wakefulness, influence the circadian clock.
  
• Fatty Recruiters
  Scientists have discovered how T cells home to problem areas in the body.
  
• Uric Acid Signals Danger
  Uric acid may signal the immune system to warn it of impending danger.
  
• Yellow Mice Help Pin-Point Gene Mutations
  Researchers hope that a new genetic technique that helps pin-point mutations on specific chromosomes will help us to understand human gene function, and the role of genes in disease.
  
• Slimming Drug Explained
  Scientists are beginning to understand how OEA, a naturally occurring compound that stops mice from overeating, has its effects.
  
• Key Blind Mice
  Research highlights the importance of a DNA-degrading enzyme that helps developing lenses to remain clear.
  

• Bioengineers Develop Humanized Yeast
  Bioengineers at Dartmouth have genetically engineered yeast to produce humanized therapeutic proteins to address the manufacturing crunch currently confronting the biopharmaceutical industry.
  
• Sharper MicroPET Imaging
  Researchers have removed some of the fogginess from PET images of small laboratory animals with a new scanner that is eight times sharper than before.
  
• 454 Life Sciences Completes First Whole Genome Sequence Using Novel Technology
  Complete Adenovirus sequence submitted to GenBank(R) generated by first sequencing method designed to sequence whole genomes not genes
  
• Organizational Changes Needed at NIH
  Greater Resources, Authority, and Flexibility Should Be Given to NIH Director, Says National Academies’ Report
  
• Study Provides New Insights into Emerging Theory of Gene Regulation
  Findings by Clements et al. bolster the emerging theory that something like a code is responsible for orchestrating genetic activity.
  
• Cloak of Human Proteins Gets HIV Into Cells
  Three Johns Hopkins researchers propose, for the first time, that HIV and other retroviruses can use a Trojan horse style of infection, taking advantage of a cloak of human proteins to sneak into cells.
  
• New Compound Library to Speed Drug Discovery
  Making drugs is a difficult and costly business. Before companies spend exorbitant amounts on clinical trials, they have spent significant time and money identifying the best drug candidates. B. Stockwell has developed a possible shortcut.
  
• New Blood Test Uncovers Individual Risk for Lung Cancer
  Smokers carrying a newly found genetic marker are 5-10 times more likely to fall victim to the disease than other smokers; 120 times more than nonsmokers who don't carry the marker
  

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