An international research consortium published a set of papers that promise to reshape the understanding of how the human genome functions. The findings challenge the traditional view of the human genetic blueprint as a tidy collection of independent genes, pointing instead to a complex network in which genes, along with regulatory elements and other types of DNA sequences that do not code for proteins, interact in overlapping ways not yet fully understood. The ENCyclopedia of DNA Elements consortium, which is organized by the National Human Genome Research Institute, reported results of its four-year effort to build a parts list of all biologically functional elements in 1 percent of the human genome published in the journals Nature and Genome Research. In recent years, researchers have made major strides in using DNA sequence data to identify genes, which are traditionally defined as the parts of the genome that code for proteins. The protein-coding component of these genes makes up just a small fraction of the human genome—1.5 percent to 2 percent. Evidence exists that other parts of the genome also have important functions. Researchers said the project provided significant insight into DNA sequences that do not encode proteins, of which little was previously known.
DIABETES: EXERCISE MORE BENEFICIAL THAN DIET OR MEDICINE
People with diabetes who attended classes to help them increase their exercise had more significant improvements than people who focused on trying to change exercise, diet modification and medication at the same time. A study by researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia of previous research found that in studies that focused on exercise only, blood glucose improved twice as much as in studies that focused on exercise, diet and medication adherence. The researchers said that the improvements from exercise were equal across the board regardless of how overweight or poor a person's blood glucose was at the start of the studies.
ALZHEIMER'S: DISEASE TO QUADRUPLE WORLDWIDE BY 2050
Alzheimer's disease will afflict more than 100 million people by 2050, a quadrupling from the more than 26 million believed to be living with the disease today, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. By that time, 43 percent of those with Alzheimer's disease will need high-level care, equivalent to that of a nursing home. The findings, presented at the second Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia, was published in the Association's journal, Alzheimer's & Dementia. The researchers said even modest advances in preventing Alzheimer's disease or delaying its progression could have a huge global public health impact. Interventions that could delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease by as little as one year would reduce prevalence of the disease by 12 million fewer cases in 2050. The research was funded by Elan Pharmaceuticals and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
PARKINSON'S: NEURAL STEM CELLS REDUCE SYMPTOMS IN MONKEYS
Primates with severe Parkinson's disease were able to walk, move, and eat better and had diminished tremors after being injected with human neural stem cells, according to a new study. The research, performed by a team of scientists from Yale, Harvard, the University of Colorado, and the Burnham Institute, was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Parkinson's disease is caused by a degeneration of dopamine neurons in an area of the midbrain known as the substantia nigra, which is responsible for dopamine production. Reduced production of dopamine in late stage Parkinson's causes symptoms such as severe difficulty in walking, fewer movements, delays in moving, lack of appetite, difficulty eating, periods of remaining motionless known as "freezing" and head and limb tremors. The results are considered promising, but scientists said it will be years before it is known whether a similar procedure would have therapeutic value for humans.
HYPERTENSION: SLEEP DISORDER LINKED TO HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
People suffering from moderate to severe cases of restless legs syndrome are at significantly increased risk for developing hypertension, according to an international team of researchers led by Emory University. Restless leg syndrome is a common and debilitating sleep disorder, adversely affects the lives of tens of millions of people worldwide. The findings, presented at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, show periodic leg movements during sleep that is common in restless leg syndrome are associated with increased release of adrenaline. The researchers said effective treatments may need to also target periodic leg movements, particularly in patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease.
BREAST CANCER: WOMEN LACK KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TREATMENTS
While most women know a fair amount about breast cancer, many are unaware of important recent progress made in treatment, according to a GfK Roper Public Affairs survey sponsored by CancerCare. The survey found nearly all respondents were aware of chemotherapy and radiation. However, fewer than one out of four had heard of newer therapies such as aromatase inhibitors or monoclonal antibodies, nor were they informed about their benefits. CancerCare said while great progress has been made in breast cancer awareness through public education and increased media coverage, women with breast cancer would benefit from more information about advances in treatments after surgery.
ALZHEIMER'S: NATURAL ANTIBODIES DEFEND AGAINST DEMENTIA
Researchers have identified naturally occurring antibodies in human blood that could help defend dementia from Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. The newly found antibodibodies selectively target aggregates of beta amyloid proteins called "oligomers" that are toxic to brain cells, while ignoring the benign single-molecule forms of the same proteins, said scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The researchers, who presented their findings at the second Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia, said the antibodies could be part of an innate defense mechanism against Alzheimer's and other age-related neurodegenerative disorders.
HOSPITALS: CARE IMPROVES WHEN RESIDENTS WORK FEWER HOURS
When medical residents work shorter hours, fewer patients are transferred to intensive care and there are not as many interventions by pharmacists to avoid errors in medication, according to researchers at Yale School of Medicine. In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the researchers also found when residents' work schedules are limited to 80 hours per week, more patients are discharged to their homes or rehabilitation centers instead of facilities such as nursing homes. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education implemented work-hour regulations in July 2003 in hospitals across the country that prohibited residents from working more than 80 hours a week.
CANCER: GENE SWITCHED OFF CAN BE TURNED BACK ON
A gene implicated in the development of cancer cells can be switched on using drugs, report researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. The finding could lead to a new class of targeted cancer therapies with potential to benefit many different cancer types. In the study, published online in advance of publication in the journal Oncogene, researchers found that a gene called Brahma is silent, but not missing, in some cancer cells. By exposing the Brahma protein to an inhibitor drug, researchers were able to turn the gene back on. The gene is switched off in about 15 percent of tumors studied.
DEMENTIA: SIMPLE TEST PREDICTS SIX-YEAR RISK OF MENTAL DECLINE
A simple test that can be given by any physician predicts a person's risk for developing dementia within six years with 87 percent accuracy, according to a study led by researchers at San Francisco VA Medical Center. The test, developed in the study by the researchers, is a 14-point index combining medical history, cognitive testing, and physical examination. It requires no special equipment and can be given in a clinical setting such as a doctor's office or at a patient's bedside. Researchers described the test at the 2007 International Conference on Prevention of Dementia, in Washington, DC, sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association. As measured by the "bedside" index, the risk factors for developing dementia are an age of 70 or older, poor scores on two simple cognitive tests, slow physical functioning on everyday tasks such as buttoning a shirt or walking 15 feet, a history of coronary artery bypass surgery, a body mass index of less than 18, and current non-consumption of alcohol.
SLEEP: STAYING UP CAN HURT HEALTH, PERFORMANCE IN COLLEGE
College students who go to bed late are more likely to have poor quality sleep, which may affect their mental health and academic performance, according to a research abstract at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. The study, from researchers at Pohang University of Science in Technology in South Korea, was based on a survey of 399 college students in Korea. It found the later a student stayed up at night, the more maladjusted in college life, in terms of global mental health, sleep quality and academic performance.
DIAGNOSTICS: COLON CANCER PROTEINS COULD LEAD TO BLOOD TEST
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered proteins present in blood that accurately identify colon cancer and precancerous polyps. Initial studies of the proteins, CCSA-3 and CCSA-4, suggest they could be used to develop a blood test to identify at-risk individuals, the researchers said in an article published in the journal Cancer Research. Current screening guidelines for healthy people call for a baseline colonoscopy—colonic cleansing, fasting and heavy sedation followed by the insertion of a flexible, optical-scanning scope through the rectum into the colon—at age 50, followed by re-screening at least every five to 10 years. Colonoscopy is not foolproof; cancers can develop between screenings. Many people forgo regular screening colonoscopies.
CHEMOTHERAPY: TO BE EFFECTIVE, MUST TARGET CANCER STEM CELLS
For chemotherapy to be truly effective in treating a specific type of cancer, it must be able to target a small subset of cancer stem cells, which have been shown to share the same protective mechanisms as normal lung stem cells, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Cancer therapies often fail because of their inability to eliminate a small reservoir of multiple-drug-resistant tumor cancer stem cells, which are the source of disease recurrence and eventual spread of the disease. Because of the similarities between the way that normal stem cells and cancer stem cells protect themselves, cancer therapies have to be designed specifically to target cancer stem cells while sparing normal stem cells, the researchers said in findings presented at the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society North American Chapter meeting said.
OVARIAN CANCER: HORMONE THERAPY OFFERS HOPE
Hormone therapy can extend life in ovarian cancer patients, giving women a new alternative to chemotherapy, according to researchers at the University of Edinburgh. The study, published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, has proved for the first time that the targeted use of an anti-oestrogen drug could prolong the life of some patients by up to three years, and delay the use of chemotherapy in others. Ovarian cancer is the most commonly fatal of gynecological cancers, affecting 1 in 48 women. The researchers said the study suggests that the addition of hormone therapy to existing treatment strategies could extend and improve the lives of women with cancer.
MS: RESEARCHERS CLARIFY PROTEIN'S ROLE IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
A protein found primarily in the lens of the eye could be the critical "tipping point" in the spiral of inflammation and damage that occurs in multiple sclerosis, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. This protein—alphaB-crystallin—is not normally found in the brain, but develops in response to the injuries inflicted on nerve cells by multiple sclerosis. In multiple sclerosis, the immune system launches an attack against the myelin sheath surrounding nerve cells, causing them to misfire. About 500,000 people in the United States have been diagnosed with the condition. The nerve-cell injuries can cause people to suffer loss of motor control and even paralysis. In a paper, published in the online edition of Nature, the researchers said the protein has protective effects and might someday be used to treat multiple sclerosis.
INFLAMMATION: FINDINGS COULD LEAD TO NEW TREATMENTS
An important finding, which could eventually lead to a new therapeutic approach for treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, psoriasis and others, was announced by researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology. The findings, published in the online version of the journal Science, show the role of retinoic acid in regulating inflammation. Retinoic acid is derived when vitamin A is broken down in the body. In a study in mice, the researchers found that retinoic acid could suppress the number of pro-inflammatory T cells, a type of white blood cell responsible for several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. If the same is found true in humans, the work could be an important new step to developing therapies using retinoic acid to treat disease.
OBESITY: BARIATRIC SURGERY CAN INCREASE SENSITIVITY TO ALCOHOL
An Oprah Winfrey-inspired study done by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine found that patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery to lose weight will get drunk faster and take longer to get sober. About 150,000 Americans a year will undergo gastric bypass surgery, which can be a lifesaving procedure for morbidly obese people who are 100 pounds or more overweight. The surgery reduces the stomach to the size of a walnut so that patients can't eat as much and feel full after about an ounce of food. The findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, will be published in the organization's journal SOARD. The researchers found that bypass patients have a fundamentally altered alcohol metabolism. They reach a higher peak more quickly and take a longer time to return to zero. The problem was brought to light for researchers through a broadcast of the Oprah show.
PARKINSON'S: DRUG SLOWS AND MAY HALT THE DISEASE
Northwestern University researchers have discovered a drug that they say slows—and may even halt—the progression of Parkinson's disease. The drug rejuvenates aging dopamine cells, whose death in the brain causes the symptoms of the neurodegenerative condition. The researchers in an article in the journal Nature report they have found that isradipine, a drug widely used for hypertension and stroke, restores stressed-out dopamine neurons to their vigorous younger selves. Dopamine is a critical chemical messenger in the brain that affects a person's ability to direct his movements. In Parkinson's disease, the neurons that release dopamine die, causing movement to become more and more difficult.
GRANTS: NIH GIVES $21M TO FUND CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH EQUIPMENT
The National Center for Research Resources, a part of the National Institutes of Health, awarded nearly $21 million for 14 grants to fund cutting-edge equipment required to advance biomedical research. The so-called High-End Instrumentation grants were awarded to research institutions around the country in amounts up to $2 million each. They are one-time grants to support the purchase of sophisticated instruments costing more than $750,000, such as highly powerful NMR machines and electron microscopes that provide 3D imaging.
VACCINES: VICAL WINS $6M NIAID GRANT TO ADVANCE RAPIDRESPONSE
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease awarded San Diego-based Vical a three-year, $6-million grant to further the development of a DNA vaccine manufacturing process with the potential to produce several million doses of vaccines in a matter of days. The DNA platform can overcome the time, capacity and cost challenges of manufacturing conventional vaccines for diseases such as influenza, which use killed or disabled viruses grown in chicken eggs or via cell culture. Such methods take months to produce a vaccine and require large, dedicated facilities. The RapidResponse system is designed to allow extremely rapid and large-scale production of DNA vaccines with low capital requirements. It is ideally suited to enable an immediate response against emerging diseases affecting large populations, such as a pandemic influenza or SARS.
STEM CELLS: GERON STUDY SHOWS THERAPY EVADES IMMUNE ATTACK
Geron said its human embryonic stem cell-based therapeutic for the treatment of spinal cord injury evades a direct attack by the human immune system. The Menlo Park-based biotech, during a presentation at the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies, said the finding could mean that patients treated with its cell-based therapeutic would require significantly lower and shorter courses of immunosuppressants than what are required for patients who undergo solid organ transplants. The benefit to patients is that a reduction in the requirement for immunosuppressants decreases the potential for side effects that are common with those types of drugs.
ARTHRITIS: AMGEN'S OSTEOPEROSIS DRUG MAY PREVENT JOINT DAMAGE
Amgen's drug denosumab, which is being developed to treat osteoporosis and cancer, could prove effective as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, Reuters reported. Results from a mid-stage clinical trial, presented at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology, showed denosumab reduced bone erosion in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Bone erosion is used as a measure of damage to joints. Patients reported no significant improvement in pain and symptoms of inflammation, but researchers said that's not surprising since the antibody does not work on inflammation. The Thousand Oaks-based biotech giant's drug, though, is seen as potentially useful in combination therapies where it could help prevent joint damage.
FDA: ADVISORY PANEL GIVES THUMBS DOWN TO PILL FOR OBESITY
Sanofi-aventis said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee did not recommend approval of rimonabant to the U.S. FDA for use in obese and overweight patients with associated risks factors. The company said it plans to work closely with the FDA to address the committee's recommendations. Rimonabant is currently approved in 37 countries and is marketed in 18. In those countries where it is currently sold, the product is marketed as Acomplia.
LEGISLATION: PROVISION WOULD WEAKEN PROTECTIONS FOR DRUG, DEVICE MAKERS
A provision inserted into various pieces of FDA-related legislation in a House subcommittee would weaken the ability of drug and medical device makers to use FDA approval of their products as a defense against product liability lawsuits, according to a report from the Gray Sheet. The report cites a staffer with the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee as saying the provision in the draft legislation is intended to deal with a preemption that has been successful in some state courts. The fight over the provision that is expected to ensue will pit trial lawyers against drug and device makers.
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