Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Repligen's RG2833 granted orphan drug designation for treatment of Friedreich's ataxia

Repligen Corporation announced today that the Office of Orphan Products Development of the Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to RG2833, a selective histone deacetylase 3 inhibitor for the treatment of Friedreich's ataxia. Orphan drug designation qualifies Repligen to receive seven years of marketing exclusivity in the United States if the company is the first to obtain marketing approval for RG2833 for the treatment of Friedreich's ataxia.

24 May 2010

BinaxNOW PBP2a test to detect PBP2a in MRSA

AdvanDx today announced that it will offer the BinaxNOW PBP2a test from Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. (Waltham, MA) to customers in the United States. The test provides rapid detection of the penicillin-binding protein 2a present in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) directly from S. aureus positive blood cultures.

24 May 2010

Sangamo's ZFP Therapeutics technology highlighted at ASGCT Annual Meeting

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced today that data from research and preclinical programs focused on the development of zinc finger DNA-binding protein Therapeutics were described in fifteen presentations given by Sangamo scientists and collaborators at the 13th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.

24 May 2010

2010 ASCO Annual Meeting highlights new research findings on cancer

Experts from The Cancer Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center will present new research findings at the 46th Annual Meeting of The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, Illinois.

24 May 2010

Stem cell research could lead to new treatment strategies for motor neuron disease

The Motor Neurone Disease Association is funding its first ever stem cell research programme to help unlock the secrets of this fatal, neurological condition.

24 May 2010

Scientists identify new gene candidates that regulate aggregate formations in Huntington's disease

They might not be known for their big brains, but fruit flies are helping to make scientists and doctors smarter about what causes Huntington's disease and how to treat it. New research, published in the journal GENETICS (http://www.genetics.org) describes a laboratory test that allows scientists to evaluate large numbers of fruit fly genes for a possible role in the formation of plaque-like protein aggregates within cells.

24 May 2010

Women exposed prenatally to BPA or DES at increased risk of breast cancer: Study

A study in mice reveals that prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, like bisphenol-A and diethylstilbestrol, may program a fetus for life. Therefore, adult women who were exposed prenatally to BPA or DES could be at increased risk of breast cancer, according to a new study accepted for publication in Hormones & Cancer, a journal of The Endocrine Society.

21 May 2010

PDGFRA gene may lead to effective treatments for paediatric high grade glioma: Study

Scientists have discovered a gene that could lead to more effective treatments for a form of childhood brain cancer called paediatric high grade glioma.

21 May 2010

IGF1 drug improves nerve cell communication in PMS mouse model

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have identified a drug that improves communication between nerve cells in a mouse model of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (PMS).

21 May 2010

Study explores genetic imbalances that give rise to childhood brain tumors

The most comprehensive analysis yet of the genetic imbalances at the heart of childhood brain tumors known as high-grade gliomas (HGGs) identified a cancer gene that is unusually active in some tumors and is now the focus of a St. Jude Children's Research Hospital clinical trial.

21 May 2010

New therapy program serves as foundation for ongoing clinical development

The researchers of the University of Helsinki, and Oncos Therapeutics, the biotech company developing new cancer therapeutics based on the next generation oncolytic viruses, published initial results from their Advanced Therapy Access Program in Cancer Research.

21 May 2010

New data highlighting Pfizer's approach to cancer drug development to be presented at ASCO meeting

Pfizer Oncology will present new data highlighting the company's focused approach to cancer drug development through the identification and validation of molecular targets. These results will be presented at the 46th Annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago from June 4-8.

21 May 2010

Researchers identify drug that improves communication between nerve cells in Phelan-McDermid Syndrome

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have identified a drug that improves communication between nerve cells in a mouse model of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (PMS). Behavioral symptoms of PMS fall under the autism spectrum disorder category. The research will be presented Friday at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) in Philadelphia.

21 May 2010

Researchers discover key gene that promotes development of common kidney cancer

Researchers at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida have discovered a key gene that, when turned off, promotes the development of common kidney cancer. Their findings suggest that a combination of agents now being tested in other cancers may turn the gene back on, providing a much-needed therapy for the difficult-to-treat cancer.

21 May 2010

'Teachable moments' can reduce cancer risk in children of parents with mutations in tumor suppressor genes

Parents found to be carriers of a mutated form of the tumor suppressor genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2 do not always share these test results with their children, but they may choose to discuss related information important to their own health with them. That is the result of a study conducted by an investigator at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) and colleagues, whose findings suggest that those parents are using the discovery of their mutation status as an opportunity for a "teachable moment" in educating their offspring about cancer risk reduction.

21 May 2010

Results of BioSante's 2A/Furin technology in industrial antibody CHO expression system announced

BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that results of an evaluation of its 2A/Furin technology by Novartis Pharma AG in its industrial antibody CHO expression system were published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology. The results demonstrate that the 2A/Furin technology was integrated successfully into a plasmid-based, industrial-scale, CHO antibody cell line development process, with minimal optimization required.

21 May 2010

Positive results from Phase 1 study evaluating IV administration of JX-594 to metastatic cancer patients

Jennerex, Inc., a clinical-stage cancer biotherapeutics company, today reported positive results from its Phase 1 dose escalation study evaluating the intravenous administration of JX-594 to patients with metastatic cancer. The data presented today demonstrated clear dose-related delivery to solid tumors, cancer-targeted replication and gene expression, and anti-cancer effects of JX-594 delivered IV.

21 May 2010

JCVI researchers construct first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell

Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit genomic research organization, published results today describing the successful construction of the first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell. The team synthesized the 1.08 million base pair chromosome of a modified Mycoplasma mycoides genome.

21 May 2010

AMT reports positive preclinical data from cholesterol targeting AAV gene therapy study

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics a world leader in gene therapy, today reported positive preclinical data from a study using an AAV gene therapy product to lower cholesterol.

21 May 2010

New study reveals PTPN2 gene loss causes bone cancer

In patients with leukemia, the formation of white blood cells in the bone marrow is disrupted. This makes leukemia patients particularly susceptible to infections, because properly functioning white blood cells ensure protection against intruders such as viruses and bacteria.

21 May 2010

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Repligen's RG2833 granted orphan drug designation for treatment of Friedreich's ataxia

BinaxNOW PBP2a test to detect PBP2a in MRSA

Sangamo's ZFP Therapeutics technology highlighted at ASGCT Annual Meeting

2010 ASCO Annual Meeting highlights new research findings on cancer

Stem cell research could lead to new treatment strategies for motor neuron disease

Scientists identify new gene candidates that regulate aggregate formations in Huntington's disease

Women exposed prenatally to BPA or DES at increased risk of breast cancer: Study

PDGFRA gene may lead to effective treatments for paediatric high grade glioma: Study

IGF1 drug improves nerve cell communication in PMS mouse model

Study explores genetic imbalances that give rise to childhood brain tumors

New therapy program serves as foundation for ongoing clinical development

New data highlighting Pfizer's approach to cancer drug development to be presented at ASCO meeting

Researchers identify drug that improves communication between nerve cells in Phelan-McDermid Syndrome

Researchers discover key gene that promotes development of common kidney cancer

'Teachable moments' can reduce cancer risk in children of parents with mutations in tumor suppressor genes

Results of BioSante's 2A/Furin technology in industrial antibody CHO expression system announced

Positive results from Phase 1 study evaluating IV administration of JX-594 to metastatic cancer patients

JCVI researchers construct first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell

AMT reports positive preclinical data from cholesterol targeting AAV gene therapy study

New study reveals PTPN2 gene loss causes bone cancer

eBook: Using iPSCs models for human disease research and drug discovery eBook

Exploring the role of confocal-based high-content imaging in advancing core facilities

Transforming Cardiovascular Care: Insights from Mina Makar at AstraZeneca

Clue's CEO Rhiannon White on the Future of Femtech and PCOS