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Many female brains contain male DNA

Posted: September 28, 2012 at 12:11 am

In the first study of its kind, researchers have discovered that male DNA is commonly found in the brains of women a finding that could hold important implications for diseases like Alzheimers disease and cancer.

Male DNA is likely transferred to female brains during pregnancy, according to researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. During this time, mothers and fetuses exchange and harbor genetic material and cells in a phenomenon called microchimerism.

This means, if a mother is pregnant with a boy, she will end up with male DNA in her system potentially for the rest of her life. If the fetus is female, the mother will end up with genetic material from her daughter, though it is difficult for researchers to distinguish between two sets of female DNA in microchimerism studies.

What this means for treating diseases

Prior studies have observed fetal DNA in many other of the mothers tissues and organs, but this is the first to confirm fetal cells can cross the blood-brain barrier and reside in the mothers brain beyond pregnancy.

We were interested in looking at the human brain because its never been looked at before, and it was really unknown if the cells of fetal origin could reach the brain, study senior author Dr. Lee Nelson, a member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and professor of medicine at the University of Washington, told FoxNews.com. Nelson and her colleagues performed autopsies on 59 brains of deceased females and detected male microchimerism in 63 percent of them.

Male microchimerism was distributed across multiple regions of the female brain, including those affected by dementia, and could persist for decades potentially even an entire human lifespan. According to the study, the oldest female with microchimerism detected in her brain was 94.

The question naturally arises what role might the cells have in benefiting health and what role they play in diseases, Nelson added.

The researchers hope further studies on microchimerism might shed new light on various diseases that affect the brain, such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons or even brain tumors.

These cells have access to the brain could help us understand different treatment options for diseases that arent well treated, Nelson said. Its a very exciting new area that opens up different possibilities, such as, what if these cells have anti-tumor potential? For example, glioblastomas are deadly tumors, (which) have poor treatment options. Were very much in need of new potential options.

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BGI@CHOP Joint Genome Center to Offer Clinical Next-Generation Sequencing Services

Posted: at 12:11 am

A Joint News Release from The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and BGI

Newswise September 27, 2012, Philadelphia and Shenzhen, China The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and BGI announced today that the BGI@CHOP Joint Genome Center will begin to offer clinical next-generation sequencing (NGS) services at CHOP through the hospitals Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in a CAP/CLIA-compliant environment.

The Clinical Laboratories Improvement Act of 1988 (CLIA) established quality standards for all laboratory testing to ensure the accuracy, reliability and timeliness of patient test results regardless of where the test was performed. The College of American Pathologists (CAP) Laboratory Accreditation Program is widely recognized as the gold standard, since it meets or exceeds CLIA requirements and serves as a model for various federal, state, and private laboratory accreditation programs throughout the world.

Supported by CHOPs and BGIs excellent infrastructure and extensive experiences in NGS services, the BGI@CHOP Joint Genome Center was established in Nov. 2011 under the partnership between CHOP and BGI to focus on discovery of genes underpinning rare and common pediatric diseases using next-generation sequencing.

Robert W. Doms, M.D., Ph.D., pathologist-in-chief and chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at CHOP, said, The BGI@CHOP Joint Genome Center, operating under the umbrella of the CAP-certified Molecular Genetics Lab at CHOP, plans to launch clinical exome sequencing in the near future.

Catherine Stolle, Ph.D., director of CHOPs Molecular Genetics Laboratory, added, This CAP- compliant NGS facility will enable us to rapidly expand into clinical NGS tests for diagnosis of specific diseases including heritable disorders and pediatric cancer. "BGI has been offering NGS and NGS data analysis services in a research setting since 2007," Dr. Jun Wang, Executive Director of BGI, said in a statement. "By working together with the CHOP Pathology Department, we will be able to leverage our NGS expertise to help clinicians better diagnose and treat their patients. BGI will also be able to extend our services to support new drug development and pharmaceutical clinical trial studies in compliance with CAP and CLIA standards.

At present, the Joint Genome Center is equipped with 5 high-throughput sequencers with the permanent space under renovation, and plans to scale up to 20 sequencers. The center has embarked on a number of projects with CHOP researchers, including an NIH-funded research grant to explore the use of NGS in a clinical diagnostic setting (co-led by Ian Krantz, M.D., and Nancy Spinner, Ph.D.). The Centers service portfolio includes human whole exome sequencing, targeted sequencing, whole genome re-sequencing, specialized applications such as ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq, and NGS data analysis.

About The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the first pediatric hospital in the United States. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide and its pediatric research program is among the largest in the U.S. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 516-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.

About BGI BGI was founded in Beijing, China, in 1999 with the mission to become a premier scientific partner for the global research community. The goal of BGI is to make leading-edge genomic science highly accessible, which it achieves through its investment in infrastructure, leveraging the best available technology, economies of scale, and expert bioinformatics resources. BGI, which includes both private non-profit genomic research institutes and sequencing application commercial units, and its affiliates, BGI Americas, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, and BGI Europe, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, have established partnerships and collaborations with leading academic and government research institutions as well as global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, supporting a variety of disease, agricultural, environmental, and related applications.

BGI has a proven track record of excellence, delivering results with high efficiency and accuracy for innovative, high-profile research: research that has generated over 200 publications in top-tier journals such as Nature and Science. BGIs many accomplishments include: sequencing one percent of the human genome for the International Human Genome Project, contributing 10 percent to the International Human HapMap Project, carrying out research to combat SARS and German deadly E. coli, playing a key role in the Sino-British Chicken Genome Project, and completing the sequence of the rice genome, the silkworm genome, the first Asian diploid genome, the potato genome, and, more recently, the human Gut Metagenome, as well as a significant proportion of the genomes for the1000 Genomes Project. For more information, please visit http://www.genomics.cn. or http://www.bgiamericas.com

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Forget the Cloud—Knome Offers Genome Analysis in a Box

Posted: at 12:11 am

Starting today, researchers can now order a "plug-and-play" human genome interpretation system from Knome, the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based genome analysis company co-founded by Harvard Medical School's George Church. The nearly 600-lb box of computer hardware that is pre-loaded with genomic interpretation software sells for $125,000 and is designed to simplify the task of gleaning useful medical information from a patient's DNA.

The "lab in a box" model contrasts with a program underway at genomics giant Illumina, which plans to enable customers to upload their DNA sequences to a cloud-based data storage and analysis system for interpretation. And selling a product that integrates hardware and software together is a new move for Knome, which has previously provided genomeanalysisas a service to customers who send in their samples or raw DNA data. So why would Knome want to move into the hardware distribution business?

As reported by GenomeWeb Daily News, the idea for an integrated system grew from discussions the company had with early users of its KnomeClinic software,which is design to help health-care professionals interpret genomic data (see "Knome Software Makes Sense of the Genome"). The reasons seem to be two-fold: security concerns over the medical information and the lack of good IT support at some medical institutions.

Martin Tolar, Knome's CEO, said that these early-access users .... had a number of recommendations, but the primary one was that "they wanted a solution that was within the four walls of the institution for privacy and regulatory reasons."

Initially, he said, "we were considering having enterprise software that would be installed at each of the institutions, but it became very clear that not everybody had the hardware and the capabilities to run such a complicated system. And also, [we decided that] if we can optimize the hardware for the software that we've built, it's going to be much more effective and efficient. So that's why we decided to put it all in one box."

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Priority Health: Eczema

Posted: at 12:11 am

Gloria says, I had eczema as a child, then it went away and now I am a senior and it is back. What do you do for it?

Unfortunately, Gloria, not a lot has changed in the treatment for eczema since you we're a child. Eczema is a chronic skin condition that causes dry itchy patches usually around the elbows and knees, but in reality, it can be found almost anywhere you have skin. It was originally thought to be related to asthma or hay fever (allergies) but now we really don't think so. It is probably an immune problem, with something in the environment acting as a trigger. It usually comes and goes, and can start as an infant, persist through adolescence, and disappear for years only then to reappear and start all over again.

Symptoms:

Since this is a chronic condition, treatment is mainly to reduce the symptoms. You can expect "flares", especially when under stress, throughout your lifetime.

Treatment options:

The immunomodulators are really the only new type of treatment available. They have been found to be effective, but have some significant side effects if used for extended periods of time. They are recommended for only short duration. As with anything chronic, there are always triggers that make the symptoms worse. Avoiding the triggers is often the best treatment.

Triggers:

As you can see, the triggers are everywhere! BUT, not everyone has the same triggers, so look for the ones that are specific for you. If you can avoid the problem, there is no need for any expensive or strong treatment with side effects! Stay Healthy My Friends!

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Priority Health: Eczema

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Novartis data show AIN457 significantly reduced signs and symptoms in patients with hard-to-treat moderate-to-severe …

Posted: at 12:11 am

Phase II data show AIN457 given weekly during the first month of treatment improved hand/foot psoriasis at Week 12 (54% of patients vs 19% on placebo)[1] AIN457 selectively binds to and inhibits interleukin-17A, a key driver of immune-mediated diseases and a promising target for the next generation of therapy[2-4] AIN457 pivotal Phase III trials with more than 3,000 psoriasis patients on track with regulatory submissions expected in 2013 Psoriasis on the hands, feet and nails is traditionally difficult-to-treat, causes functional and social disability and can affect up to 55% of psoriasis patients[5],[6]

Basel, September 27, 2012 - Novartis announced today new Phase II data showing AIN457 (secukinumab) may significantly improve moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis on the hands, feet and nails when used every week for the first month of treatment, compared to placebo[1],[7]. Additional analysis on patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis also showed that AIN457 may successfully improve quality of life by Week 12 in the study[8].

"These new AIN457 data are particularly welcome since they demonstrate significant improvement in the signs and symptoms of patients, even when difficult-to-treat areas are involved," said Prof. Kristian Reich, one of the study investigators and Professor of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology in Hamburg, Germany. "Many patients with hand, foot or nail psoriasis are restricted in their daily life and work because they may not be able to walk or use their hands, negatively impacting their quality of life."

The results will be presented today at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) 21st Congress, in Prague, Czech Republic. They provide additional insight into the safety and efficacy of AIN457, following the presentation of the study`s primary endpoint at EADV in 2011.

The new data from the sub-analyses undertaken on the Phase II study show AIN457 was nearly three times more effective than placebo at reducing moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis on the hands and/or feet when given every week during the first month of treatment (54.3% of patients vs. 19.2% respectively, p=0.005), as measured by the Investigator`s Global Assessment (IGA)[1]. Patients also benefited if they received AIN457 once every four weeks, with 39.0% experiencing either "clear" or "minimal" psoriasis after 12 weeks of treatment[1]. Another analysis found that these AIN457 treatment schedules also notably reduced the signs and symptoms of finger nail psoriasis compared to placebo[7].

The study safety analysis of these data showed a comparable safety profile between treatment and placebo, with the most common adverse events (AEs) observed being infections[1],[7].

Other new data presented at EADV in the total moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis study population show that AIN457 improved skin-related quality of life in 25 times more patients after 12 weeks of treatment when given every week for the first month, compared to placebo (40.8% vs. 1.6%, p<0.001), as measured by the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)[8]. In this same treatment group, significantly more patients experienced improvements in pain and discomfort compared to placebo (36.2% vs. -1.5%) from baseline; and in anxiety and depression versus placebo (16.3% vs. 6.2%), as measured by EuroQol (EQ-5D)[8]. The effect of psoriasis on patients` health-related quality of life has been shown to be similar to diseases such as cancer, heart attack, arthritis, type 2 diabetes and depression[9].

"These encouraging results show that through its novel mode of action, AIN457 may significantly increase treatment success and improve the quality of life of patients suffering from moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis," said John Hohneker, Head of Development for Integrated Hospital Care for the Pharmaceuticals Division of Novartis. "We look forward to receiving the results of the larger-scale and longer-term Phase III studies, which are expected in 2013."

All core pivotal trials for AIN457 in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis are on track, involving more than 3,000 patients worldwide, and indicating a high interest from both medical and patient communities. Phase III data in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis is expected in 2013, with regulatory submissions to follow shortly thereafter.

About the study Data are based on a double-blind, parallel group, placebo-controlled Phase II study involving 404 patients, which met its primary endpoint of PASI 75 (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) responses at Week 12[10]. It was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AIN457 in different regimens (weekly for the first month; once every four weeks; or single dose) of 150 mg given subcutaneously[10].

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Novartis Psoriasis Drug Shows Promising Results

Posted: at 12:11 am

Editor's Choice Main Category: Eczema / Psoriasis Also Included In: Dermatology Article Date: 27 Sep 2012 - 10:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Novartis Psoriasis Drug Shows Promising Results

Novartis added that the patients on secukinumab enjoyed improved quality of life by the twelfth week of therapy.

Prof. Kristian Reich, one of the study investigators said:

The AIN457 (secukinumab) trial results were presented today at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) 21st Congress, in Prague, Czech Republic.

According to new data on the Phase II trial, AIN457 is almost three times as effective than placebo in alleviating moderate-to-severe plague psoriasis on the hands, feet and nails during the first month of treatment (54.3% versus 19.2% on placebo). Novartis added that "patients also benefited if they received AIN457 once every four weeks, with 39.0% experiencing either "clear" or "minimal" psoriasis after 12 weeks of treatment. Another analysis found that these AIN457 treatment schedules also notably reduced the signs and symptoms of finger nail psoriasis compared to placebo."

The most common adverse events reports were infections.

Other data include:

John Hohneker, Head of Development for Integrated Hospital Care for the Pharmaceuticals Division of Novartis, said:

The AIN457 pivotal human studies for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis are "on track", the company says. The trials, involving over 3,000 participants, are attracting interest among both patients and health care professionals. Novartis says it will be releasing data on the Phase III trials in 2013. Soon after, if the data is favorable, submissions to regulatory authorities will be presented.

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Can Your Pro-Life Bumper Sticker Actually Get You in Trouble?

Posted: at 12:11 am

September 27, 2012|8:59 am

I knew Bush was unpopular in some circles, but that seemed a bit much.

Writer Tim Brown recently (9/21/2012) posted an article on FreedomOutpost.com entitled, "DOJ: Your Bumper Sticker May Indicate You're A Terrorist."

Brown writes, "The Department of Justice funded a training manual used in the State and Local Anti-terrorism Training (SLATT) program for law enforcement. Apparently certain political bumper stickers can put you on the 'could be a terrorist' list, including opposition to the United Nations and support for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights." Included in that list are those who oppose abortion.

This seems to fit with a fascist pattern: Free speech for me, but not for thee. What is free speech if it isn't really free?

This kind of thing would never pass constitutional muster. Twenty years ago, the High Court caused quite a controversy when they declared that burning a U.S. flag is protected free speech.

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If that is the case, then how much more should bumper stickers be considered free speech?

Here's the verbatim wording found on two of the pages of the DOJ training manual:

Terrorism Training for Law Enforcement Special-Interest/Single Issue Terrorism

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Censorship In The Americas: Google Brazil Chief Just Released From Custody

Posted: at 12:11 am

Government censorship isnt confined to the religious hotbeds of the Eastern Hemisphere: Googles top executive in Brazil was just released from custody after YouTube refused to take down a video critical of a local candidate. The recently freed Fabio Jose Silva Coelho is set for an undetermined court hearing after YouTube did not remove a salacious video allegedly revealing details of a mayoral candidate demanding her lover get an abortion. Since 1965, Brazil bans content that offend the dignity or decorum of the electoral process. Google is appealing the decision that ordered the removal of the video on YouTube because, as a platform, Google is not responsible for the content posted to its site, the company reports.

Brazil has also sided with a few Middle-Eastern and Asian nations in demanding that Google take down an offensive anti-Islamicvideo responsible for deadly riots around the world. Google agreed to censor the video in a few countries, such as Egypt and Libya, but not take it off the site and is (apparently) not taking it down in Brazil either.

The struggle highlights the growing struggle between self-expression, sovereignty, and the pervasiveness of technology.

[Via The Hill, Via Reuters]

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Orbital debris sets off space station alert

Posted: September 27, 2012 at 4:14 am

Space officials are keeping a watchful eye on two different pieces of space junk that may force the International Space Station to steer away from potential impact threats.

Debris from the Russian COSMOS satellite and a fragment of a rocket from India may come close enough to the space station to require a debris avoidance maneuver. If needed, the maneuver would be done using the ESAs Automated Transfer Vehicle "Edoardo Amadi." The ATV was supposed to undock on Tuesday night, but a communications glitch forced engineers to postpone the departure.

Both pieces of debris are edging just inside the so-called "red zone" of miss distance to the station with a time of closest approach calculated to occur Thursday at 10:42 a.m. ET. It is not known how large the object is.

An approach of debris is considered close only when it enters an imaginary "pizza box" region around the station, measuring 1.5 by 50 by 50 kilometers (about a mile deep, by 30 miles across, by 30 miles long) with the vehicle in the center.

NASA says the three-person Expedition 33 crew is in no danger and continues its work on scientific research and routine maintenance. The current crew includes NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko.

If the maneuver is required and NASA said it could be called off any time it would occur at 8:12 a.m. ET Thursday, using the engines on the ATV, which remains docked to the aft port of the station's Zvezda service module. It usually takes about 30 hours to plan for and verify the need for an avoidance maneuver.

Debris avoidance maneuvers are conducted when the probability of collision is greater than 1 in 100,000, if the maneuver will not result in significant impact to mission objectives. If it is greater than 1 in 10,000, a maneuver will be conducted unless it results in additional risk to the crew.

If there's not enough time to conduct an avoidance maneuver, the space station's astronauts may be alerted to take shelter in their Soyuz vehicles. The last time that happened was on March 24, but the threatening object passed by without incident.

Space news from NBCNews.com

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: A fresh picture from NASA's Curiosity rover shows the Martian moon Phobos as a crescent shining over the Red Planet at dusk.

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Orbital debris sets off space station alert

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Space station at risk of debris hit

Posted: at 4:14 am

The International Space Station is in danger of being hit by two pieces of debris from an old Russian satellite that had previously hit a US craft in 2009, a news report says.

The space station will encounter pieces of the Kosmos 2251 military spy orbiter in the next few days, the Interfax news agency quoted a source at Russian Mission Control as saying.

"Two fragments of the Kosmos 2251 craft may pose a danger to the station," the unnamed source was quoted as saying.

The source added that the station may now have to manoeuvre out of the path of the approaching debris in a special operation tentatively planned for Thursday.

The Kosmos 2251 satellite was launched by Russia in 1993 and decommissioned just two years later.

The satellite crashed into a US Iridium-33 satellite in February 2009 in the first such space accident of its kind. The collision created hundreds of smaller fragments that pose a danger to both the station and other satellites.

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