PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Jul-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ruehle kruehle@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, July 8, 2014For African American women in their 50's and 60's, self-managing their HIV as they age is proving to be less of a challenge than dealing with age-related diseases such as diabetes or hypertension and socioeconomic and emotional aspects of aging, as described in a study published in AIDS Patient Care and STDs, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the AIDS Patient Care and STDs website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/apc.2014.0024 until August 8, 2014.

In the article "Taking It One Day at a Time: African American Women Aging with HIV and Co-Morbidities," Lari Warren-Jeanpiere, PhD, Pilar Hamilton, Mary Young, MD, and Lakshmi Goparaju, PhD, Georgetown University (Washington, DC), and Heather Dillaway, PhD, Wayne State University (Detroit, MI), examined how well older women who acquired HIV at a young age are able to manage HIV as they also now cope with the co-morbidities and social responsibilities of aging, changes in their work and medical insurance status, and desires for companionship and romantic relationships.

"Studies indicate that by 2015 half of the people living with HIV in the U.S. will be more than 50 years old, and the face of AIDS is changing, with an increasing prevalence among women of color," says journal Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Laurence, MD, Director of the Laboratory for AIDS Virus Research at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY.

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About the Journal

AIDS Patient Care and STDs is the leading journal for clinicians, enabling them to keep pace with the latest developments in this evolving field. Published monthly in print and online, the Journal spans the full spectrum of adult and pediatric HIV disease, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and education. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the AIDS Patient Care and STDs website at http://www.liebertpub.com/apc.

About the Publisher

See the article here:
Growing old with HIV: Age-related diseases are bigger problem for African American women

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

7-Jul-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ruehle kruehle@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, July 7, 2014Cycling is a popular activity that offers clear health benefits, but there is an ongoing controversy about whether men who ride have a higher risk of urogenital disorders such as erectile dysfunction, infertility, or prostate cancer. The results of a study of nearly 5,300 male cyclists who participated in the Cycling for Health UK Study are presented in an article in Journal of Men's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Men's Health website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/jomh.2014.0012 until August 7, 2014.

Milo Hollingworth, MBBS and Alice Harper, MBBS, University College London Medical School, and Mark Hamer, PhD, University College London, analyzed the risk for these three disorders in relation to the amount of weekly cycling time, ranging from <3.75 hours up to >8.5 hours per week. They report their findings in the article "An Observational Study of Erectile Dysfunction, Infertility and Prostate Cancer in Regular Cyclists: Cycling for Health UK Study."

"Physicians should discuss the potential risks and health benefits of cycling with their patients, and how it may impact their overall health," says Ajay Nehra, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Men's Health and Chair, Department of Urology, Director, Men's Health, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.

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About the Journal

Journal of Men's Health is the premier peer-reviewed journal published quarterly in print and online that covers all aspects of men's health across the lifespan. The Journal publishes cutting-edge advances in a wide range of diseases and conditions, including diagnostic procedures, therapeutic management strategies, and innovative clinical research in gender-based biology to ensure optimal patient care. The Journal addresses disparities in health and life expectancy between men and women; increased risk factors such as smoking, alcohol abuse, and obesity; higher prevalence of diseases such as heart disease and cancer; and health care in underserved and minority populations. Journal of Men's Health meets the critical imperative for improving the health of men around the globe and ensuring better patient outcomes. Tables of content and a sample issue can be viewed on the Journal of Men's Health website at http://www.liebertpub.com/jmh.

About the Societies

See the original post here:
Does cycling increase risk for erectile dysfunction, infertility, or prostate cancer?

July 5, 2014

redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports Your Universe Online

According to a new study appearing in the July 3 edition of the journal Cell Stem Cell, researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have uncovered a new genetic variant that could result in certain people having a predisposition to schizophrenia.

While there are many genetic variants that could increase the risk of developing a psychiatric disorder, they are insufficient to cause these diseases, the researchers explained. Now, however, the Johns Hopkins researchers have described a new strategy that could reveal how these so-called subthreshold genetic risks could impact the development of a persons nervous system by interacting with other risk factors.

This is an important step toward understanding what physically happens in the developing brain that puts people at risk of schizophrenia, senior author Dr. Guo-li Ming explained in a statement Thursday. Dr. Ming is a professor of neurology and neuroscience in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicines Institute for Cell Engineering who worked on the study along with her husband, Dr. Hongjun Song.

In their study, Dr. Ming, Dr. Song and their colleagues explained that they used a multifaceted approach to find out why copy number variants in an area of the genome labeled 15q11.2 are prominent risk factors not just for schizophrenia, but for autism as well. Deletion of this part of a genome is associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia, but possessing extra copies results in an elevated risk of autism.

Their research focused on using a method which allows a patients skin cell to be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can in turn be coaxed into creating any other type of cell. Using this technology, the study authors obtained stem cells from people with schizophrenia who were missing part of 15q11.2 on one of their chromosomes, ultimately coaxing them into neural progenitor cells, which are found in the developing brain.

By observing the process, the researchers found deficiencies during nerve development that could be linked to the gene CYFIP1, which maintains the structure of a nerve cell. By blocking the expression of this gene in developing mouse embryos, they found defects in the formation of the brains cerebral cortex, which plays a key role in consciousness.

The next step was to determine how this gene could interact with other factors, and they discovered that mutations in a pair of genes within a particular cellular pathway linked to CYFIP1 resulted in a significant increase in schizophrenia risk. According to the study authors, their research supports the belief that multiple factors in a single pathway could interact with one another to impact a patients potential risk for psychiatric disorders.

The reason, the team found, is that CYFIP1 plays a role in building the skeleton that gives shape to each cell, and its loss affects spots called adherens junctions where the skeletons of two neighboring cells connect, the university explained. A lack of CYFIP1 protein also caused some of the mice neurons to wind up in the brains wrong layer.

View original post here:
Johns Hopkins Researchers Locate Genetic Variant Associated With Schizophrenia

Mysore, July 3, 2014, DHNS:

Rajya Sabha member Prof Rajiv Gowda onThursday asserted that there were many advantages to mankind through the study of genes.

Addressing the gathering of researchers at the opening of Know Your Genome, a laboratory, at RaniBahadurAuditorium in the city, Gowda said, the findings of genetic engineering was laudable, especially in protecting ones health.

However, there were also dangers of misusing the same, eventually leading to legal complications.

Though the study of genetics was exorbitant, there were still ways to reach the same to the common man.

Visiting Professor of IISc, Bangalore,HARanganath stressed that genetics studies be included in the syllabus to equip the students with the basics of the subject.

Ranganath exhorted the University of Mysore to start a department and research centre in genetics studies, to produce a pool of young experts. The lab

A dedicated laboratory was been opened in Vijayanagar in the city on Thursday.

The lab, Know your genome helps one ascertain the diseases he/she can be afflicted with in advance, and the required treatment.

According to its founderAvinash Veerappa, said that tests will be conducted in two levels by collecting samples of blood and mucus.

See the original post:
Genetic engineering paving way for futuristic healthcare

ICGEB 19th symposium 2014
Photos from 19th symposium 2014.

By: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Read the original here:
ICGEB 19th symposium 2014 - Video

Stephen Cass: Hello, Im Stephen Cass for IEEE Spectrums Techwise Conversations.

Nancy Kress is a celebrated author of science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. First published in 1976, her work often focuses on the implications of genetic engineering and other biomedical technologies. Among other awards, she has won five Nebulas from the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.

As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations this August, Spectrum will be publishing Coming Soon Enough, an anthology of six original science fiction stories, including one by Kress titled Someone to Watch Over Me. But you dont have to wait to read it: The story is available now as part of Spectrums June special issue about the long-term future of technology.

Without giving anything away, Someone to Watch Over Me is a dark tale about the unintended consequences of advanced biomedical implant technology. To talk about the story and the broader themes that run throughout her work, Kress joins us now by phone from her home in Seattle. Nancy, welcome to the podcast.

Nancy Kress: Thank you. Im glad to be here.

Stephen Cass: So what was the inspiration for Someone to Watch Over Me?

Nancy Kress: I often write about children. The next generation of any society is, of course, what carries it forward. But in addition, we are faced right now with so many interesting possibilities, with genetic engineering and in other technologies as well, that the generation being born now is growing up far different than, say, the way I did. Texting, to me, would have seemed unimaginable. To them, its just normal ho-hum everyday kind of things. So when I was thinking about this story, I was thinking about cameraswhich, of course, are a far next generation of Google Glassthat actually fit in the eye and are not noticeable to anybody else or even possibly to the wearer, except in that they are recording. I naturally turn to the idea of a child wearing one, and I asked myself, What child? Under what circumstances? And from there the story grew. I frequently do start with a character.

Stephen Cass: So how closely do you then follow real-world technological developments? You mentioned Google Glass, which is an emerging technology

Nancy Kress: Im not trained as a scientist, which I deeply regret. When I was in high school, I didnt have chemistry because it conflicted with French 4, and now I cant do chemistry or speak French. It was a great tragedy. However, I try to keep up with the journals that are written for laymen, and when something captures my attention, Ill try to get the latest books on it. And I also collect microbiologists the way some people collect butterflies.

And I have a list of people that I can ask questions of when something captures my attention. So its kind of hit and miss whether some emergent technology comes to my attention. But if it does, and if it also succeeds in capturing that attention, then I try to find out about it in anyplace thats available to me.

Original post:
Nancy Kress: How Science Fiction Helps Us Rehearse for the Future

Published: Wednesday, July 2, 2014 at 6:01 a.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, July 1, 2014 at 4:29 p.m.

Genetic engineering is such a polarizing topic that it is hard to have an even-handed debate of the issue.

Some opponents of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, spread false claims about safety while ignoring the vast amount of research to the contrary.

That frustrates University of Florida researchers who have made advances in genetic engineering that might provide benefits in fighting crop diseases and reducing the need for pesticides if they could get beyond public misconceptions.

As The Sun reported this week, UF researchers have taken a gene found in bell peppers and transferred it to tomatoes. The process has made tomatoes that are resistant to a particularly troublesome crop disease and have a higher yield.

Contrary to scare stories about Frankenfoods, these methods represent a more technologically advanced way of doing the kind of crop breeding that has happen for millennia.

But Florida tomato growers worry they wouldn't be able to sell a GMO product, hampering the ability of researchers to attract investors.

"People are afraid, they don't understand why, they are just told they should be," Sam Hutton, a UF plant scientist involved in the research, told The Sun. "The anti-GMO crowd screams really loud, and there is a lot of fearmongering. It sounds bad to people who don't understand the science."

Other GMOs being developed at UF include a strawberry that can be grown without fungicides. A researcher involved in that effort told The Sun that the crop likely won't go beyond the lab without a change in public attitudes.

"You have solutions that can help the environment, help farmers and help people in the developing world, and you can't use it," said Ken Folta, professor and chairman of UF's Horticultural Sciences Department.

The rest is here:
Editorial: Fanning GMO fears

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

1-Jul-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ruehle kruehle@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, July 1, 2014Christof von Kalle, MD, PhD (National Center for Cancer Research, Heidelberg, Germany) began his medical and research career with a focus on oncology and virology. He subsequently devoted much of his efforts to studying the use of viral vectors to deliver therapeutic genes into host cells and understanding the mechanisms of insertional mutagenesis. In recognition of his leadership and accomplishments, Dr. von Kalle has received a Pioneer Award from Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. Human Gene Therapy is commemorating its 25th anniversary by bestowing this honor on the leading 12 Pioneers in the field of cell and gene therapy selected by a blue ribbon panel* and publishing a Pioneer Perspective by each of the award recipients. The Perspective by Dr. von Kalle is available on the Human Gene Therapy website.

In "Vector Integration and Tumorigenesis," Dr. von Kalle recalls his early experiences working with retroviral vectors and the growing body of knowledge that was developing about their ability to cause mutations at the sites where they integrated into the host cell genome. He discusses the teamwork, intensive research, and technology advances that led to a growing understanding of the link between vector insertion, mutation, and malignant transformation of cells. Tracing the progress of the field forward to the present and looking to the future, Dr. von Kalle comments on the revolutionary impact that next generation sequencing technologies, molecular tools and techniques, and omics studies are having on gene therapy.

"The level of sophistication that Dr. von Kalle has brought to the analysis of vector integration is truly remarkable," says James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Human Gene Therapy, and Director of the Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia. "This has established a solid scientific foundation to a critically important performance feature of retro- and lenti-based vectors."

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*The blue ribbon panel of leaders in cell and gene therapy, led by Chair Mary Collins, PhD, MRC Centre for Medical Molecular Virology, University College London selected the Pioneer Award recipients. The Award Selection Committee selected scientists that had devoted much of their careers to cell and gene therapy research and had made a seminal contribution to the field--defined as a basic science or clinical advance that greatly influenced progress in translational research.

About the Journal

Human Gene Therapy, the Official Journal of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, French Society of Cell and Gene Therapy, German Society of Gene Therapy, and five other gene therapy societies, is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly in print and online. Human Gene Therapy presents reports on the transfer and expression of genes in mammals, including humans. Related topics include improvements in vector development, delivery systems, and animal models, particularly in the areas of cancer, heart disease, viral disease, genetic disease, and neurological disease, as well as ethical, legal, and regulatory issues related to the gene transfer in humans. Its sister journals, Human Gene Therapy Methods, published bimonthly, focuses on the application of gene therapy to product testing and development, and Human Gene Therapy Clinical Development, published quarterly, features data relevant to the regulatory review and commercial development of cell and gene therapy products. Tables of content for all three publications and a free sample issue may be viewed on the Human Gene Therapy website.

Read the rest here:
Christof von Kalle, M.D., Ph.D. receives Pioneer Award

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

30-Jun-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ruehle kruehle@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, June 30, 2014St. John's wort is the most frequently used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatment in the U.S. for depression and similar psychiatric disorders. The many commonly prescribed medications that St. John's wort can interact withsometimes with serious consequences such as serotonin syndrome or heart diseaseare reviewed in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine website.

In the article "Use of St. John's Wort in Potentially Dangerous Combinations", Scott Davis, Steven Feldman, MD, PhD, and Sarah Taylor, MD, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, present the results of a large-scale search of a national medical database across 17 years to assess how often St. John's wort is prescribed and taken with other medications that may result in adverse reactions, such as oral contraceptives, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), blood thinners, chemotherapy medicines, digoxin, statins, immunosuppressants, or HIV medicines, for example.

About the Journal The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine is a monthly peer-reviewed journal publishing observational, clinical, and scientific reports and commentary intended to help healthcare professionals and scientists evaluate and integrate therapies into patient care protocols and research strategies. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine website.

About the Publisher Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Alternative & Complementary Therapies, Medical Acupuncture, Brain and Gut, and Journal of Medicinal Food. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 140 Huguenot St., New Rochelle, NY 10801-5215 Phone: (914) 740-2100 (800) M-LIEBERT Fax: (914) 740-2101 http://www.liebertpub.com

Contact: Kathryn Ruehle, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., (914) 740-2100, kruehle@liebertpub.com

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See the article here:
St. John's wort can cause dangerous interactions with many common medications

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

30-Jun-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ruehle kruehle@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, June 30, 2014Zebrafish, a model organism that plays an important role in biological research and the discovery and development of new drugs and cell-based therapies, can form embryonic stem cells (ESCs). For the first time, researchers report the ability to maintain zebrafish-derived ESCs for more than 2 years without the need to grow them on a feeder cell layer, in a study published in Zebrafish, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Zebrafish website.

Ho Sing Yee and coauthors from the Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Pulau Pinang), Universiti Sains Malaysia (Penang), and National University of Singapore describe the approach they used to be able to maintain zebrafish stem cells in culture and in an undifferentiated state for long periods of time. The ability to establish and grow the zebrafish ESCs without having a feeder layer of cells to support them simplifies their use and could expand their utility. In the article "Derivation and Long-Term Culture of an Embryonic Stem Cell-Like Line from Zebrafish Blastomeres Under Feeder-Free Condition", the authors show that the ESCs retain the morphology, properties, and ability to differentiate into a variety of cell types that is characteristic of ESCs, and were used to generate offspring after transmission through the germline.

"By addressing a major technical bottleneck in the field, this new culture system enables an array of exciting cellular and molecular genetic manipulations for the zebrafish," says Stephen Ekker, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Zebrafish and Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

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About the Journal

Zebrafish is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published bimonthly in print and online. It is the only peer-reviewed journal to focus on the zebrafish and other aquarium fish species as models for the study of vertebrate development, evolution, toxicology, and human disease. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Zebrafish website.

About the Publisher

Read this article:
New method to grow zebrafish embryonic stem cells can regenerate whole fish

Peter Singer Interview, University of Vienna
philosopher Peter Singer pays a visit to Erwin Lengauer of the ethics department at the University of Vienna on June 21, 2014. He talks with Kay Peggs about the history of his book "Animal...

By: Kattamedia

Read more:
Peter Singer Interview, University of Vienna - Video

Published: Sunday, June 29, 2014 at 4:47 p.m. Last Modified: Sunday, June 29, 2014 at 4:47 p.m.

But their work is not destined for commercialization, due to a lack of financial backing and interest in getting these products through all the regulations necessary to put them on the path to the local supermarket and our dinner tables.

Public opinion is having a detrimental effect on research, scientists say, because growers in Florida don't want to invest the millions it would take to push GMOs short for genetically modified organisms through the federal regulatory process for fear the public won't buy them.

People are afraid, they don't understand why, they are just told they should be afraid of genetically engineered products, said Sam Hutton, a plant scientist specializing in tomato genetics at the Gulf Research and Education Center in Wimauma, located east of Interstate 75 between Tampa and Bradenton. The anti-GMO crowd screams really loud, and there is a lot of fearmongering. It sounds bad to people who don't understand the science.

Very few of the whole foods that consumers buy are genetically modified. Less than 1 percent of genetically modified foods are eaten whole, some sweet corn, papaya and squash, scientists say.

The bulk of genetically modified foods 75 percent are corn and soybean crops used in livestock feed, researchers say. Some genetically modified crops are used to make industrial chemicals as well starch, high fructose corn syrup, lecithin, vegetable oil and protein extracts that go into the processed foods that are colorfully packaged and found in the center aisles of the neighborhood grocery store.

None of the genetically modified corn or soybeans are grown in Florida, scientists say.

We don't have much genetically modified acreage in Florida, said Kevin Folta, professor and chairman of UF's Horticultural Sciences Department.

Folta recently organized and conducted a seminar on genetic engineering or transgenics to dispel misperceptions about genetic modification.

The speakers at the seminar, which was held in Emerson Alumni Hall at UF, addressed their comments to an audience of about 60 most of them fellow researchers and graduate students. Folta was well aware they were preaching to the choir.

Read the original post:
Genetically modified foods face hurdles

Dr. Patrick Byrne speaks on Genetic Engineering for YVSC Talking Green
Talking Green is an adult educational program of the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council.

By: YVSustainability

View post:
Dr. Patrick Byrne speaks on Genetic Engineering for YVSC Talking Green - Video

Free Perfect Genetic Engineering Idea- Changing Spermatogonia and Gametogonia
Came up with idea after a game of basketball and a near asthma attack. Took 3 hours of research but I find it is the easiest solution.

By: Diallo Burke

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Free Perfect Genetic Engineering Idea- Changing Spermatogonia and Gametogonia - Video

The Anunnaki Creation of Eve and the Alien Battle for Humanity
Chris Hardys new book is an in-depth study of humanity #39;s Anunnaki origins and the Anunnaki battle for an intelligent versus enslaved humanity Explains the genetic engineering of humanity...

By: DisclosureNation

Excerpt from:
The Anunnaki Creation of Eve and the Alien Battle for Humanity - Video

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

25-Jun-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 x2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, June 25, 2014Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website and Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) are proud to announce that they will again serve as joint platinum media sponsors of the Genetics Policy Institute 2014 World Stem Cell Summit that will take place at the Marriott River Center, December 4-6, 2014 in San Antonio, Texas.

In a new collaborative effort in 2014, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. will also organize a World Stem Cell Summit panel, comprised of leading editors from their peer-reviewed journals intersecting the field to predict the most innovative translational research that will impact regenerative medicine in the next five years.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. will also publish the 2014 World Stem Cell Report as a special supplement to the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells and Development. Dr. Graham Parker, Editor-in-Chief of Stem Cells and Development, and Bernard Siegel, Executive Director of Genetics Policy Institute (GPI), will serve as Co-Editors-in-Chief of the Report, joined by Rosario Isasi (McGill University) as Managing Editor. The World Stem Cell Report will be made available to all subscribers of Stem Cells and Development and attendees of the World Stem Cell Summit. It will also be available free online in 106 developing countries, courtesy of the Publisher, to facilitate global stem cell research.

"We are very pleased to expand our collaboration with Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., and GEN," says Bernard Siegel, Founder and Co-chair of the Summit. "The commitment by those prestigious publishers to journalistic integrity and scientific knowledge and education matches our enthusiasm to advance the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine for the betterment of humanity. We look forward to working with Graham Parker and the skilled editorial team at Stem Cells and Development to publish our annual Report. We are especially excited to have the expertise of the Liebert editors engaged on the program at the World Stem Cell Summit."

"The World Stem Cell Summit is unequivocally a paramount meeting that brings together the leaders in the field from academia, industry, and business, thereby ensuring the advancement of collaborative opportunities," says Mary Ann Liebert, publisher & CEO of both Stem Cells and Development and GEN. "Bernie Siegel and GPI also recognize the importance of public advocacy at this most important international conference. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. is delighted to expand our own collaboration with Bernie Siegel and GPI and to publish the 2014 Report.

GEN Editor-in-Chief John Sterling stated, "The World Stem Cell Summit is the critical global meeting, providing the best opportunity for the GEN community to participate in the world of regenerative medicine. Our platinum media sponsorship allows GEN readers and advertisers to have a front row seat to listen and learn from the top experts on the very dynamic and expertly conceptualized Summit platform."

The Summit program delivers on the "big picture," featuring over 200 prominent scientists, business leaders, regulators, policy-makers, advocates, economic development officers, experts in law and ethics, and visionary gurus who will discuss the latest scientific discoveries, business models, legal and regulatory solutions, and best practices. The Summit is expected to attract attendees from more than 40 nations.

See the rest here:
2014 World Stem Cell Summit presented by GPI, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc, and GEN

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

25-Jun-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, June 25, 2014For some children an allergic reaction to common foods such as milk, eggs, or peanuts can cause an anaphylactic reaction. At present no effective treatment for food allergy exists, and strict dietary avoidance of known food triggers is the only preventive option available. Ongoing trials are exploring options for oral immunotherapy (OIT) for desensitization in the treatment of Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy, as described in a Review article in Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology website.

In "Oral Immunotherapy for Treatment of Immunoglobulin E-Mediated Food Allergy: The Transition to Clinical Practice," Giovanni Pajno, MD and coauthors, University of Messina, Italy and Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, review the current state of OIT research for the induction of tolerance in individuals with food allergies. While early trials with OIT appear promising, rigorous, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled studies are needed to address remaining questions regarding optimal formulation, dosing, and duration for the induction of tolerance in affected patients.

"Oral immunotherapy for the treatment of IgE-mediated food allergy remains experimental with a number of unanswered questions," says Editor-in-Chief Mary Cataletto, MD, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, State University of New York at Stony Brook (Stony Brook, NY) and practicing pediatric pulmonologist at Winthrop University Hospital. "However, it offers the potential for not only a life-saving but life-changing therapy for individuals with food allergies."

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About the Journal

Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal published in online with Open Access options and in print. The Journal synthesizes the pulmonary, allergy, and immunology communities in the advancement of the respiratory health of children. The Journal provides comprehensive coverage to further the understanding, and optimize the treatment, of some of the most common and costly chronic illnesses in children. It includes original translational, clinical, and epidemiologic research; public health, quality improvement, and case control studies; patient education research; and the latest research and standards of care for functional and genetic immune deficiencies and interstitial lung diseases. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology website.

About the Publisher

See the rest here:
New treatment option in development for individuals with food allergy

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

24-Jun-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 x2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, June 24, 2014Frederic D. Bushman, PhD's (University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine) early pioneering work in understanding how HIV reproduces by inserting its genetic material into the DNA of a host cell led to key advances in the ability to move pieces of DNA and whole genes between cells. In recognition of his scientific achievements and leadership in the field, Dr. Bushman is the recipient of a Pioneer Award from Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. Human Gene Therapy is commemorating its 25th anniversary by bestowing this honor on the leading 12 Pioneers in the field of cell and gene therapy selected by a blue ribbon panel* and publishing a Pioneer Perspective by each of the award recipients. The Perspective by Dr. Bushman is available on the Human Gene Therapy website.

In "Engineering the Human Genome: Reflections on the Beginning," Dr. Bushman recalls his research as a graduate student and postdoctoral fellow studying the regulatory mechanisms that control gene expression and identifying DNA binding proteins that virusessuch as the HIV retrovirususe to integrate into a host genome at targeted sites. Currently, retroviral delivery vectors are widely used for gene transfer in Human Gene Therapy. Dr. Bushman's research accomplishments have contributed to the development of new gene delivery vectors and to more effective and efficient methods of targeting them to integration sites, and have advanced the field of gene therapy.

"Rick's background in HIV biology was very useful in his current studies of retroviral and lentiviral vector integration," says James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Human Gene Therapy, and Director of the Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia. "He brought to the field an incredibly sophisticated approach to assess integration sites, which has informed safety profiles."

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*The blue ribbon panel of leaders in cell and gene therapy, led by Chair Mary Collins, PhD, MRC Centre for Medical Molecular Virology, University College London selected the Pioneer Award recipients. The Award Selection Committee selected scientists that had devoted much of their careers to cell and gene therapy research and had made a seminal contribution to the field--defined as a basic science or clinical advance that greatly influenced progress in translational research.

About the Journal

Human Gene Therapy, the official journal of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, French Society of Cell and Gene Therapy, German Society of Gene Therapy, and five other gene therapy societies, is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly in print and online. Human Gene Therapy presents reports on the transfer and expression of genes in mammals, including humans. Related topics include improvements in vector development, delivery systems, and animal models, particularly in the areas of cancer, heart disease, viral disease, genetic disease, and neurological disease, as well as ethical, legal, and regulatory issues related to the gene transfer in humans. Its sister journals, Human Gene Therapy Methods, published bimonthly, focuses on the application of gene therapy to product testing and development, and Human Gene Therapy Clinical Development, published quarterly, features data relevant to the regulatory review and commercial development of cell and gene therapy products. Tables of content for all three publications and a free sample issue may be viewed on the Human Gene Therapy website.

Link:
Frederic Bushman, Ph.D. receives Pioneer Award for advancing therapeutic gene delivery methods

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

24-Jun-2014

Contact: Press Office news.office@admin.ox.ac.uk 44-186-528-0530 University of Oxford

Computer analysis of photographs could help doctors diagnose which condition a child with a rare genetic disorder has, say Oxford University researchers.

The researchers, funded in part by the Medical Research Council (MRC), have come up with a computer programme that recognises facial features in photographs; looks for similarities with facial structures for various conditions, such as Down's syndrome, Angelman syndrome, or Progeria; and returns possible matches ranked by likelihood.

Using the latest in computer vision and machine learning, the algorithm increasingly learns what facial features to pay attention to and what to ignore from a growing bank of photographs of people diagnosed with different syndromes.

The researchers report their findings in the journal eLife. The study was funded by the MRC, the Wellcome Trust, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and the European Research Council (ERC VisRec).

While genetic disorders are each individually rare, collectively these conditions are thought to affect one person in 17. Of these, a third may have symptoms that greatly reduce quality of life. However, most people fail to receive a genetic diagnosis.

'A diagnosis of a rare genetic disorder can be a very important step. It can provide parents with some certainty and help with genetic counselling on risks for other children or how likely a condition is to be passed on,' says lead researcher Dr Christoffer Nellker of the MRC Functional Genomics Unit at the University of Oxford. 'A diagnosis can also improve estimates of how the disease might progress, or show which symptoms are caused by the genetic disorder and which are caused by other clinical issues that can be treated.'

The team of researchers at the University of Oxford included first author Quentin Ferry, a DPhil research student, and Professor Andrew Zisserman of the Department of Engineering Science, who brought expertise in computer vision and machine learning.

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Computer-aided diagnosis of rare genetic disorders from family snaps

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

20-Jun-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 x2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, June 20, 2014Spiral ganglion cells are essential for hearing and their irreversible degeneration in the inner ear is common in most types of hearing loss. Adult spiral ganglion cells are not able to regenerate. However, new evidence in a mouse model shows that spiral ganglion stem cells present in the inner ear are capable of self-renewal and can be grown and induced to differentiate into mature spiral ganglion cells as well as neurons and glial cells, as described in an article in BioResearch Open Access, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the BioResearch Open Access website.

Marc Diensthuber and coauthors from Goethe-University (Frankfurt, Germany), Justus-Liebig University (Giessen, Germany), Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (Boston, MA), and Harvard University and MIT (Cambridge, MA), conclude that the self-renewing properties demonstrated by spiral ganglion stem cells make them a promising source of replacement cells for therapies designed to regenerate the neural structures of the inner ear in the article "Spiral Ganglion Stem Cells Can Be Propagated and Differentiated Into Neurons and Glia."

"These findings are particularly interesting as they show that spiral ganglion stem cells can be propagated in vitro," says BioResearch Open Access Editor Jane Taylor, PhD, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. "These cells are normally poorly regenerated in the mammalian ear."

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About the Journal

BioResearch Open Access is a bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal led by Editor-in-Chief Robert Lanza, MD, Chief Scientific Officer, Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. and Editor Jane Taylor, PhD. The Journal provides a new rapid-publication forum for a broad range of scientific topics including molecular and cellular biology, tissue engineering and biomaterials, bioengineering, regenerative medicine, stem cells, gene therapy, systems biology, genetics, biochemistry, virology, microbiology, and neuroscience. All articles are published within 4 weeks of acceptance and are fully open access and posted on PubMed Central. All journal content is available on the BioResearch Open Access website.

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Inner ear stem cells hold promise for restoring hearing