GBP Health / Biotech News 09-04-2009

Since August, 2005, this news digest has been a complimentary service of GBP Capital, a private equity firm investing in early to mid-stage life science companies. See www.gbpcap.com. The digest is published two to four days a week. If you have colleagues who would be interested in receiving this digest by email, they can be added to the list at: http://www.gbpcap.com/ . Also, the complete history of the entire content of all news articles in our digests since August, 2005 is searchable with Google's enterprise search engine at the same site.


Source - EurekAlert – Biology:

Public Release: 4-Sep-2009
HortScience
Anticancer compound found in American mayapple
A common weed called American mayapple may soon offer an alternative to an Asian cousin that's been harvested almost to extinction because of its anti-cancer properties. The near-extinct Asian plant, Podophyllyum emodi, produces podophyllotoxin, a compound used in manufacturing etoposide, the active ingredient in a drug used for treating lung and testicular cancer. Podophyllyum emodi is a cousin of the common mayapple weed found in the United States.
Contact: michael W. Neff
mwneff@ashs.org
703-836-4606
American Society for Horticultural Science

Public Release: 4-Sep-2009
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Einstein scientists move closer to a safer anthrax vaccine
Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have identified two small protein fragments that could be developed into an anthrax vaccine that may cause fewer side effects than the current vaccine.
Contact: Deirdre Branley
sciencenews@einstein.yu.edu
718-430-3101
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Public Release: 4-Sep-2009
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Syracuse University research team discovers switch that causes the body to produce cancerous cells
A team of Syracuse University researchers discovered a second molecular switch within the Mixed Lineage Leukemia protein complex that they believe could be exploited to prevent the overproduction of abnormal cells that are found in several types of cancer, including leukemia.
Contact: Judy Holmes
jlholmes@syr.edu
315-443-8085
Syracuse University

Public Release: 4-Sep-2009
Cell
U-M researchers find gene that protects high-fat-diet mice from obesity
University of Michigan researchers have identified a gene that acts as a master switch to control obesity in mice. When the switch is turned off, even high-fat-diet mice remain thin.
National Institutes of Health, American Diabetes Association
Contact: Jim Erickson
ericksn@umich.edu
734-647-1842
University of Michigan

Public Release: 3-Sep-2009
PLoS Pathogens
How to improve vaccines to trigger T cell as well as antibody response
Most successful vaccines stimulate antibodies that attack and kill viruses as they scoot from one cell to another. But what about viruses and other pathogens that never leave the cell? A new theory of how the immune system recognizes pathogens suggests ways to make vaccines that trigger both antibodies and a T cell response, targeting extracellular as well as intracellular pathogens. UC Berkeley and Aduro BioTech scientists report results supporting new hypothesis.
NIH/ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Contact: Robert Sanders
rsanders@berkeley.edu
510-643-6998
University of California - Berkeley

Public Release: 3-Sep-2009
Science
2 new antibodies found to cripple HIV
Researchers at and associated with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, at the Scripps Research Institute and at the biotechnology companies Theraclone Sciences and Monogram Biosciences have discovered two powerful new antibodies to HIV that reveal what may be an Achilles heel on the virus. They published their work in Science this week.
Contact: Rachel Steinhardt
rsteinhardt@iavi.org
212-847-1045
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative

Public Release: 2-Sep-2009
New England Journal of Medicine
Hedgehog trial results suggest antitumor activity in basal cell skin cancer
Study results published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate effectiveness of the drug GDC-0449 for advanced skin cancer, as well as potential use for other cancers. The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare in Scottsdale, Ariz., was lead site for the "Hedgehog" clinical trial. Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, chief scientific officer at Scottsdale Healthcare and physician-in-chief at Translational Genomics Research Institute, was principal investigator and lead author of the paper.
Contact: Keith Jones
kjones@shc.org
480-882-4412
Scottsdale Healthcare


Source - Science Daily:
Please note: Due to the format restrictions of Science Daily articles, you must click on the URL (web address) below the article summary, rather than the article title.

HPV Vaccine Could Prevent Some Forms Of Breast Cancer, Australian Research Suggests
September 4, 2009 — Vaccinating women against the human papillomavirus may prevent some forms of breast cancer and save tens of thousands of lives each year, new Australian research ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903093153.htm

Scientists Begin To Untangle Root Cause Of Alzheimer's Disease
September 4, 2009 — "N60" might not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Alzheimer's disease, but thanks to researchers from the United States, South Korea and France, this might change. That's ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163907.htm

Transplanted Human Stem Cells Prolong Survival In Mouse Model Of Rare Brain Disease
September 4, 2009 — A new study finds substantial improvement in a mouse model of a rare, hereditary neurodegenerative disease after transplantation of normal human neural stem cells. The research findings show that the ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163556.htm

Researchers Examine Mechanisms That Help Cancer Cells Proliferate
September 4, 2009 — A process that limits the number of times a cell divides works much differently than had been thought, opening the door to potential new anticancer therapies, researchers ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901122639.htm

Researchers Induce HIV-neutralizing Antibodies That Recognize HIV-1 Envelope Protein, Lipids
September 3, 2009 — For the first time, researchers have experimentally induced antibodies that neutralize HIV-1 and simultaneously recognize both HIV-1 envelope protein and ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901143319.htm

Novel Anti-cancer Drug Yields Positive Response In People With Advanced Skin And Brain Cancer
September 3, 2009 — The Hedgehog signaling pathway is involved in a preliminary study and case report describing positive responses to an experimental anticancer drug in a majority of people with advanced or metastatic ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902195242.htm

Avastin Dramatically Improves Response, Survival In Deadly Recurrrent Glioblastomas, Study Finds
September 3, 2009 — A study has found that targeted therapy Avastin, alone and in combination with the chemotherapy drug CPT-11, significantly increased response rates, progression-free survival times and survival rates ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902161122.htm

Discovery Holds Promise For New Effective Cancer Therapies
September 3, 2009 — Researchers in Canada have discovered a new target that may be instrumental in the development of new, more effective cancer ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133633.htm

Early, Aggressive Treatment Recommended For Critically Ill Patients With Hematological Malignancy
September 2, 2009 — A study of 7,689 admissions from 178 adult intensive care units in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has revealed the factors associated with a higher mortality rate in hematological malignancy. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824204116.htm


Source - Health Day:

Health Highlights: Sept. 4, 2009

• Glaxo Cervical Cancer Vaccine Up for Approval
• ADHD Drug Approved for Children and Teens
• One-Dose Swine Flu Vaccine Looks Promising
  

Swine Flu Vaccine Seems Safe: Experts
So far, trials show no problems and shot should be as safe as that for seasonal flu, officials say.
Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 4, 2009

• Alzheimer's Disease
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation
  

Nightly Snacking May Speed Weight Gain
Mice fed high-fat diets got fatter if fed during their normal 'sleep time'

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 3, 2009

• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Gout
  

Source - Yahoo Biotech News:


Stem Cell Data Jitters Could Presage Big Gains - Indie Research - 2 hours, 26 minutes ago
Phase III data could make or break Osiris stock, and one analyst says investors are betting on a coin flip.

Sinovac: China orders 3.3M swine flu vaccine doses - AP - Fri 8:51 am ET
Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech Ltd. said Friday that China's government ordered 3.3 million doses of its swine flu vaccine, which was approved by regulators on Thursday.


Source - Google Health News:


Single flu dose or two? Why doctors aren't sure
The Associated Press
Back in 2006, the same problem occurred when scientists tested a vaccine against the notorious Asian bird flu, or H5N1 flu. It took two very high doses to ...

Swine flu worries persist
Danville News
With those fears, agriculture officials are racing to distribute a swine flu vaccine for hogs at the same time public health officials are working to make a ...

UN warns over swine flu in birds
BBC News
So far there have been no cases of H5N1 bird flu in flocks in Chile. However, Dr Lubroth said: "In Southeast Asia there is a lot of the (H5N1) virus ...

New hope for Tay-Sachs
Jewish Advocate
The families provided the seed money for gene therapy research by an international consortium of doctors that has proven so promising that the National ...

Antibiotic is gene therapy 'off' switch
United Press International
2 (UPI) -- University of Florida scientists say they've found a common antibiotic can become an "off switch" for a gene therapy being developed for ...


Source - Medical News Today:


IAVI: Two New Antibodies Found To Cripple HIV
Researchers at and associated with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), at The Scripps Research Institute, and at the biotechnology companies Theraclone Sciences and Monogram Biosciences have discovered two powerful new antibodies to HIV that reveal what may be an Achilles heel on the virus. They published their work in Science this week. Rearchers will now try to exploit the newfound vulnerability on the virus to craft novel approaches to designing an AIDS vaccine. Moreover, the global collaboration and process that led to the discovery of the two new broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) are likely to produce more such antibodies, which may in turn reveal additional vulnerabilities of HIV, adding still more vitality to the effort to develop a vaccine against AIDS.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163038.php

H1N1 Vaccine To Cost Countries $2.50 - $20 Per Dose
The H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine will cost countries between $2.50 and $20 per dose, based on their ability to pay, according to the director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research at the WHO, Marie-Paule Kieny, Agence France-Presse/Khaleej Times reports. During an interview published in the September issue of the WHO Bulletin , Kieny "also warned that there would not be enough vaccines for the world's population and that people should not rely entirely on the vaccine," the news service writes (9/2). ieny stressed that it was neither possible nor necessary to vaccinate every person against the H1N1 flu, which has killed some pregnant women and people with other diseases such as diabetes but caused manageable flu symptoms in most patients," Reuters writes. "We should not be 'hypnotized' by vaccines," Kieny said. "There are other measures, such as social distancing, school closure, avoidance of large gatherings, antibiotics and personal hygiene," she said, adding, "This is not like rabies, which is 100 percent fatal. We are talking about a disease from which most people recover very well" (MacInnis, 9/2).

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162998.php


Safer Bone Marrow Transplants For Sick Children

A minimal-intensity conditioning (MIC) regimen using antibodies instead of high dose chemotherapy may reduce the short and long term toxicity associated with stem cell transplants in children-and enable successful transplantation even in the sickest children. These are the conclusions of an Article published Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet. The Article is written by Dr Persis J Amrolia, Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, London, UK, and colleagues. Children with primary immunodeficiencies (PID) suffer from genetic defects of their immune systems that render them susceptible to infection and other complications. Without a stem cell transplant many such children will die in childhood. Stem-cell transplants can cure these diseases by replacing the defective immune system with one derived from healthy normal donor bone marrow. Around 50 children with PID are transplanted each year in the UK.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162890.php


Source - MIT's Technology Review:


The Singularity and the Fixed Point
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23354/