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Period Ending May 05, 2007
NEUROLOGY: RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY MEMORY MOLECULE
Researchers at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, have identified a molecule that stores memories. In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers identify a protein kinase known as CaMKII as a memory molecule. Identifying this molecule is essential to understanding memory itself as well as any disease of memory. Alzheimer's and other diseases in which memory loss plays a major role will benefit from this new understanding.
ARTERIOSCLEROSIS: ELIMINATING AN ENZYME MAY PREVENT DISEASE
Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, deleted a gene in mice that produces an enzyme that alters the molecular structure of cholesterol. The mice could then consume any kind of fat without raising their risk of heart disease. The study, published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, found eliminating the enzyme ACAT2 did not interfere with the normal processing of cholesterol. The findings suggest that a drug that reduces the activity of ACAT2 could offer a means of protecting against heart disease.
HUNTINGTON'S: SCIENTISTS HARNESS POWER OF CELLS' HOUSEKEEPING
Scientists have developed a novel strategy for tackling neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington's by encouraging an individual's own cells to eat the malformed proteins that lead to the disease. Cells usually dispose of or recycle waste material, including unwanted or misfolded proteins, through autophagy, or "self-eating." In these diseases, clumps of the malformed proteins are not consumed and instead build up, leading to abnormal movements in the patient as well as psychiatric disturbances and dementia. In a study published in Nature Chemical Biology, researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK, used drugs to stimulate autophagy in fruit flies and mice, and this had the effect of stalling the onset of Huntington's-like symptoms.
BIPOLAR DISORDER: TARGETING ENZYME MAY LEAD TO BETTER DRUGS
The likelihood of developing bipolar disorder depends in part on the combined small effects of variations in many different genes in the brain, but targeting an enzyme produced by a single gene could lead to better medications, researchers from the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health reported. The researchers scanned virtually all of the variations in human genes to find those associated with bipolar disorder. They found that the gene DGKH is active in the biochemical pathway through which lithium is thought to act. Developing drugs that act on the DGKH enzyme or regulate how much is produced could lead to more effective medications.
GENETICS: DISCOVERY OF MUTATION COULD LEAD TO NEW TREATMENTS
A genetic mechanism that shuts down an important gene in healthy immune system cells has been discovered by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The study, published in the online journal PloS ONE, points to a discovery that could lead to new therapies for infections as well as leukemia and other cancers. The mechanism represents a kind of loss-of-function mutation that can be very dangerous, the researchers said, and it is the first such mutation that has been identified in normal immune cells in blood.
DEMENTIA: HYPERTENSION MEDS PREVENT MENTAL DECLINE
Some medications for high blood pressure may help protect older adults from declines in memory and other cognitive dysfunction, according to new research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The researchers said that the class of drugs known as ACE inhibitors—specifically those ACE inhibitors that reach the brain—may help reduce the inflammation that contributes to Alzheimer's disease. They said it would make sense for doctors who prescribe ACE inhibitors to older adults for blood pressure control to select one that goes into the brain.
CARDIOLOGY: PARTICULATES RAISE CHOLESTEROL IN ASTHMA PATIENTS
Breathing air containing coarse particulate matter, such as road or construction dust, may cause heart problems for asthma sufferers and other vulnerable populations, according to a new study led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health. The researchers found that in people with asthma, a small increase in coarse particulate matter in outdoor air raised bad cholesterol and increased the count of inflammation-linked white blood cells, among other changes. The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, warns susceptible people to pay attention to air pollution warnings and stay inside when air quality if bad.
CANCER: NEW DRUGS COULD HALT TUMOR METASTASIS
A sugar that supports the blood vessels that feed tumors could be a new target in the fight against cancer. Modifying the action of the sugar heparin sulfate affected development of blood vessels and altered the growth rate of tumors in mice without affecting other systems that rely on endothelial growth, according to researchers at the University of California at San Diego. The researchers, whose work appeared in Journal of Cell Biology, said that if drugs were developed to inhibit heparin sulfate, it could provide a major leap in cancer-fighting therapies.
CANCER: DIABETES DRUG BOOSTS EFFECT OF CHEMOTHERAPY
A widely used diabetes drug boosted the potency of certain cancer drugs when administered together in mice, according to scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston. In an article in the May issue of Cancer Cell, researchers showed that combining a platinum chemotherapy agent and the diabetes drug rosiglitazone halted or shrank mouse tumors as much as three times more effectively than did either of the drugs alone. Rosiglitazone (Avandia) works by enhancing the sensitivity of insulin receptors. If pairing the drugs has the same synergistic effect in humans, the researchers say, it could improve control of ovarian, lung and other cancers routinely treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.
STEM CELLS: ADULT CELLS IN BONE MARROW COULD CURE EYE DISEASE
Adult bone marrow stem cells may help cure certain genetic eye diseases, according to University of Cincinnati researchers. Scientists have completed a study using mice which showed that bone marrow stem cells can switch roles and produce keratocan, a natural protein involved in the growth of the cornea—the transparent, outer layer of the eyeball. The researchers, who presented their findings at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said this ability of marrow cells to differentiate into keratocan-producing cells might provide a means for treating abnormal corneal cell growth in people.
ANTHRAX: BREAKTHROUGH COULD LEAD TO FASTER DIAGNOSIS
Anthrax causes flu-like symptoms that can take weeks to develop, but once the first symptom appears, the disease progresses rapidly and patients often die from shock before they realize they have more than a common cold. The current method of detecting anthrax relies on lab cultures that can take days to complete. Now researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville have reported that the disease paralyzes immune cells by preventing an intracellular signal that sends them into motion to reach the site of infection. The new findings, published in The EMBO Journal, could lead to the development of a blood test that looks for telltale changes in protein expression and provides a quicker diagnosis.
GLAUCOMA: LEADING CAUSE OF BLINDNESS GOING UNTREATED
Almost one third of older Americans diagnosed with glaucoma are not treated medically or surgically for the condition, according to researchers at Duke University. The study, presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, points to the need to better educate patients and physicians, as well as policymakers and insurers, about the benefits of glaucoma therapy. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in older populations.
ADDICTION: SPRITUAL BELIEFS, PRACTICES MAY HELP SMOKERS QUIT
A study by researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University Smoking Cessation Center, Portland, found many smokers are receptive to and may benefit from their own spiritual resources when attempting to quit. Unlike established alcohol- and drug-dependence treatment programs, clinical smoking-cessation programs generally exclude spiritual practice and beliefs from the process. The study, published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, said spirituality is coming to be considered integral to the treatment of many medical conditions. It also notes that surveys show patients would like their providers to discuss spirituality with them as it relates to their care.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE: ONE ASPIRIN A DAY STOPS COLORECTAL CANCER
Long-term use of 300 mg or more of aspirin a day for five years can prevent colorectal cancer, according to a study published in a special gastroenterology edition of The Lancet. The study, led by researchers at the University Department of Clinical Neurology at Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, UK, stresses that the potential risks of long-term aspirin use at this dose and the availability of alternative prevention strategies mean that widespread use of aspirin for cancer prevention cannot be recommended in the general population.
CANCER: SOME COUNTRIES LACK ACCESS TO LATEST DRUGS
Access to cancer treatment varies enormously from country to country, according to a report published in Annals of Oncology. The report, by researchers at the Karolinska Institute and the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden, examined access to 67 innovative cancer drugs in 25 countries. The researchers found that Austria, France, Switzerland and the United States are the leaders in actual use of new cancer drugs and New Zealand, Poland, Czech Republic, South Africa and the UK lag behind. The report urges decision makers in every country to take action to ensure everyone can get the drugs they need.
NUTRACEUTICALS: SALES OF HERBS UP, CONSUMERS IGNORE WARNINGS
Sales of herbal dietary supplements have skyrocketed—up by 100 percent in the United States during the last 10 years to $18.8 billion—but most people do not consider evidence-based indications before using them, according to a University of Iowa study. The study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, reported that two thirds of people who use herbs don't do so in accordance with scientific guidelines. Physicians are concerned because herbal supplements can have adverse side effects and interact negatively with drugs. Physicians should ask patients about herb use during every clinical visit and hospital admission and better inform patients about potential benefits and harm, the researchers said.
COUNTERTERRORISM: BIOSENSOR SNIFFS OUT DEADLY AGENTS
Researchers at Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, have developed a biosensor that one day could be used to detect explosives and deadly agents such as sarin gas. In a paper in Nature Chemical Biology, the researchers report they genetically engineered a strain of yeast with rat olfactory receptors. They then genetically linked it to the expression of a green fluorescent protein. When the olfactory receptors "smell" DNT, an ingredient in the explosive TNT, the biosensor turns green. The researchers said that they can use olfactory receptors to detect innumerable chemical agents with unparalleled sensitivity and selectivity.
ENERGY: USING CROPS FOR FUEL THREATENS WORLD FOOD SUPPLY
The United Nations unveiled guidelines for the growing bioenergy industry, Reuters reported. A report from the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development said the industry could provide clean energy and jobs for million of people but it would also raise agricultural commodity prices, which could threaten the availability of adequate food supplies. The commission wants to see an international bioenergy certification program to ensure bioenergy products meet environmental standards.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT : MASS GOV PUSHES $1-BILLION BIO PLAN
Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick unveiled a plan to invest $1 billion in the life sciences over 10 years. The funds would be used to set up a competitive grant program to fill a gap caused by a downturn in NIH funding. It would also create the Massachusetts Stem Cell Bank to make new lines available to private and public sector researchers. It would further establish grants to attract and retain talented researchers as well as to establish research facilities that streamline technology transfer, development time and funding opportunity. The plan, expected to be funded in part through state-issued bonds, also calls for an additional $250 million in matching funds from the private sector.
M&A: NEAR RECORD ACTIVITY FOR BIOTECH IN 2006
Big pharma's drive to build its pipeline and a less-than-welcoming IPO market helped drive M&A activity in the biotech sector to its second-highest level in 2006, Ernst & Young reported. The average premium in M&A transactions with values over $500 million rose to 60 percent in 2006, more than twice the average M&A premium from 2003 to 2005. In a reversal of recent trends, pharmaceutical buyers gravitated towards early-stage platforms and technologies. In previous years, high deal-value totals were typically driven by a single megadeal, but in 2006 there was no single dominant deal, a reflection of the value of biotech's platforms and pipelines, Ernst & Young said.
FDA: DRUG SAFETY AFTER APPROVAL TO BE MONITORED
The US Senate approved new powers for the FDA to monitor the safety of drugs after they are approved. This is part of legislation to reauthorize the agency to collect user fees from drug and medical device companies to review their products. The bill calls for the creation of a system to monitor negative side effects by carefully tracking patient data. The pharmaceutical industry hailed the bill as important legislation that will strengthen the FDA's ability to do its job. Consumer groups said the bill was important but doesn't go far enough.
LEGISLATION: PHARMA SCORES VICTORY ON IMPORTED DRUGS
The US Senate voted to require the administration to certify the safety and effectiveness of drugs before they can be imported, which officials said they can't do, according to the Associated Press. The vote counters an amendment to legislation that reauthorizes the FDA to collect fees from drug and device makers to review their products. Drugs are usually significantly less expensive outside the United States and advocates argue the industry's opposition is largely an effort to protect its revenues. The pharmaceutical industry said imported drugs threaten safety because of potential for counterfeits.
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