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Scientists complete comprehensive map of genetic mutations linked to small cell lung cancers

Scientists have completed a comprehensive map of genetic mutations linked to an aggressive and lethal type of lung cancer.

6 Sep 2012

Merck, Symphogen announce worldwide license agreement for Sym004 to treat cancers

Symphogen A/S, a private biopharmaceutical company developing recombinant antibody mixtures, a class of antibody therapeutics under investigation for the treatment or prophylaxis of serious human diseases such as cancer or infectious and autoimmune diseases, today announced that an exclusive worldwide license agreement was signed with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, for Sym004, an investigational antibody mixture targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

6 Sep 2012

F-18-FDG PET/CT may easily predict disease-free survival for invasive ductal breast cancer patients

Disease-free survival for invasive ductal breast cancer (IDC) patients may be easier to predict with the help of F-18-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) scans, according to research published in the September issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. New data show that high maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of F-18-FDG in the lymph nodes prior to treatment could be an independent indicator of disease recurrence.

6 Sep 2012

EC grants marketing authorization for Pfizer’s INLYTA to treat renal cell carcinoma

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for INLYTA (axitinib) for the treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a type of kidney cancer, after failure of prior treatment with sunitinib or a cytokine.

4 Sep 2012

Acorda’s GGF2 can improve erectile function after cavernous nerve damage

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. announced data from a preclinical study showed that treatment with Glial Growth Factor 2 (GGF2) improved erectile function in an animal model following a cavernous nerve (CN) injury, a common complication of prostate surgery.

29 Aug 2012

Herceptin® (trastuzumab) delivery methods: an interview with Dr Gustavo Ismael

Approximately 20% of all breast cancer patients have overexpression of HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), resulting in a more aggressive phenotype, and a poor prognosis.

28 Aug 2012

Disruption of circadian rhythm can inhibit blood vessel growth in the body

Disruptions to the circadian rhythm can affect the growth of blood vessels in the body, thus causing illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer, according to a new study from Linköping University and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

28 Aug 2012

Vandetanib shows efficacy in thyroid cancer

The tyrosine kinase inhibitor vandetanib could significantly extend progression-free survival in patients with locally advanced or metastatic differentiated radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer, show results of a small phase II randomized trial.

24 Aug 2012

Results from Biodesix VeriStrat phase II advanced lung cancer trials

Biodesix today announced that VeriStrat results from two phase II advanced lung cancer trials will be presented at the upcoming 2012 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology.

24 Aug 2012

Proteonomix enters license agreement for new anti-tumor technology

Proteonomix, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics based upon the use of human cells and their derivatives, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement for a novel source of primary human cells that secrete a factor capable of inhibiting tumor cell growth and causing tumor cell death.

23 Aug 2012

Vision symptoms plus retinal changes trigger need for AMD intervention

An analysis of over 1000 individuals presenting with suspected exudative age-related macular degeneration has revealed which factors are most predictive of the need for treatment.

22 Aug 2012

Gene therapy applied to peripheral arterial disease

Hepatocyte growth factor gene therapy could be used to treat patients with severe peripheral arterial disease, suggest results of a phase I clinical trial.

21 Aug 2012

New tool reveals surprising clues about how cancer cells respond to therapy

A new tool to observe cell behavior has revealed surprising clues about how cancer cells respond to therapy, and may offer a way to further refine personalized cancer treatments.

21 Aug 2012

Portable Micro-Plasma Device may help repair skin after laser surgery

A National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) research team has designed a Portable Micro-Plasma Device (PMPD) that may be the ultimate solution to repairing the skin after laser surgery.

21 Aug 2012

Semen protein acts on the female brain to prompt ovulation

An international team of scientists led by Gregg Adams at the University of Saskatchewan has discovered that a protein in semen acts on the female brain to prompt ovulation, and is the same molecule that regulates the growth, maintenance, and survival of nerve cells.

21 Aug 2012

Pyruvate kinase M2 fuels tumor growth by influencing H3 histone protein

A metabolic protein that nourishes cancer cells also activates tumor-promoting genes by loosening part of the packaging that entwines DNA to make up chromosomes, a team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in the Aug. 16 issue of Cell.

17 Aug 2012

Plexin B2-CD100 interaction for prompt activation of γδ T cells and wound healing

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have made a breakthrough in understanding a class of cells that help wounds in skin and other epithelial tissues heal, uncovering a molecular mechanism that pushes the body into wound-repair mode.

17 Aug 2012

Study uncovers new pathway that can treat depression

Depression takes a substantial toll on brain health. Brain imaging and post-mortem studies provide evidence that the wealth of connections in the brain are reduced in individuals with depression, with the result of impaired functional connections between key brain centers involved in mood regulation. Glial cells are one of the cell types that appear to be particularly reduced when analyzing post-mortem brain tissue from people who had depression.

16 Aug 2012

Acute stress modifies DNA methylation and activity of certain genes

Acute stress alters the methylation of the DNA and thus the activity of certain genes. This is reported by researchers at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum together with colleagues from Basel, Trier and London for the first time in the journal Translational Psychiatry. "The results provide evidence how stress could be related to a higher risk of mental or physical illness", says Prof. Dr. Gunther Meinlschmidt from the Clinic of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the LWL University Hospital of the RUB.

16 Aug 2012

New tool reveals surprising clues about how cancer cells respond to therapy

A new tool to observe cell behavior has revealed surprising clues about how cancer cells respond to therapy - and may offer a way to further refine personalized cancer treatments.

15 Aug 2012