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Blocking aPKC activity can stop growth of transplanted skin tumors resistant to vismodegib

Hailed as a major step forward in the effort to develop targeted cancer therapies, a recently approved drug for the most common type of skin cancer has been a mixed blessing for patients. Although the initial response is usually dramatic, the tumors often recur as the cancer becomes resistant to treatment.

28 Feb 2013

Engineering chemotherapy drugs' shape increases their ability to target and inhibit cancer cells

Bioengineering researchers at University of California, Santa Barbara have found that changing the shape of chemotherapy drug nanoparticles from spherical to rod-shaped made them up to 10,000 times more effective at specifically targeting and delivering anti-cancer drugs to breast cancer cells.

28 Feb 2013

State roundup: Health care industry calls drug testing bill in N.H. 'vague'

Representatives from the health care industry said Tuesday they have a vested interest in stopping employees from stealing controlled substances but a bill being considered by New Hampshire lawmakers to drug test their workers is too vague. The proposal is part of the legislative response to a recent scandal at Exeter Hospital, where an employee allegedly stole drugs and replaced them with Hepatitis C infected syringes later used on patients.

28 Feb 2013

GLP-1 pancreatitis concerns justified

Study results have raised further concerns over a link between pancreatitis and the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-based therapies for patients with Type 2 diabetes.

28 Feb 2013

Autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia share common genetic risk factors

For the first time, scientists have discovered that five major psychiatric disorders—autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia—share several common genetic risk factors.

28 Feb 2013

EpiCept fourth quarter revenue decreases to $0.1 million

EpiCept Corporation today announced operating and financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2012, and provided an update on the Company's merger with Immune Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (Immune).

28 Feb 2013

Elevated cell sugar concentrations increase hyaluronan production and promote cancer growth

According to a recent University of Eastern Finland (UEF) study, elevated cell sugar concentrations increase the production of hyaluronan which, in turn, promotes cancer growth. Regulating the production of hyaluronan may be a way to prevent the spreading of cancer.

28 Feb 2013

Wyss Founding Director receives NC3Rs 3Rs Prize for Lung-on-a-Chip

In a London ceremony today, Wyss Founding Director Don Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., received the NC3Rs 3Rs Prize from the UK's National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) for his innovative Lung-on-a-Chip -- a microdevice lined by human cells that recapitulates complex functions of the living lung.

28 Feb 2013

Efforts to copy biotech drugs face delays, obstacles

Much anticipated knockoff versions of costly biotech medicines are facing delays and obstacles that could cost patients and health systems billions in missed savings.

28 Feb 2013

Study designs and tests 60 compounds for their ability to kill human cancer cells

Inspired by a chemical that fungi secrete to defend their territory, MIT chemists have synthesized and tested several dozen compounds that may hold promise as potential cancer drugs.

28 Feb 2013

National Birth Defects Prevention Network honors BU researcher with Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr., Award

Allen A. Mitchell, MD, a professor of public health (epidemiology) and professor of pediatrics at the Boston University Schools of Public Health and Medicine, recently received the Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr., Award at the annual meeting of the National Birth Defects Prevention Network. Mitchell, who is also the director of Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC), was recognized for his significant lifetime contributions to the field of birth defects.

28 Feb 2013

Herceptin may have greater role in treating HER2-negative breast cancer

New research from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds that the protein HER2 plays a role even in breast cancers that would traditionally be categorized as HER2-negative - and that the drug Herceptin, which targets HER2, may have an even greater role for treating breast cancer and preventing its spread.

28 Feb 2013

Freie Universität Berlin research team examines thermoresponsive nanogels for treatment of cancer

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is supporting a new research group at Freie Universität Berlin that is investigating so-called thermoresponsive nanogels.

27 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Former Sen. Gramm criticizes Obama on budget cuts; Debate on revamping Medicare needs less heat, more deliberation

While history shows that a divided government can enact significant spending cuts as an alternative to sequesters, that doesn't appear to be the path Mr. Obama intends to follow. Instead of protecting civilian defense workers, the president will continue to force the Pentagon to buy biofuels at $27 per gallon to promote his green agenda.

27 Feb 2013

First Edition: February 27, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about N.J. Gov. Christie's decision to pursue the health law's Medicaid expansion.

27 Feb 2013

FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee to review NDA for tivozanib

AVEO Oncology and Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee will review the company's New Drug Application for tivozanib for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma during the morning session of its meeting on May 2, 2013.

27 Feb 2013

Ampio Pharmaceuticals starts Optina clinical trial

Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced oral dosing of the first patient in a 505(b)(2) clinical trial of the investigational drug Optina in diabetic macular edema.

27 Feb 2013

New research reveals special face masks prevent clinical respiratory and bacterial infections

Health care workers who consistently wear special fitted face masks while on duty are much less likely to get clinical respiratory and bacterial infections, according to new research led by University of New South Wales academics.

27 Feb 2013

Researchers discover that tympanic border cells can enable hearing

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a group of progenitor cells in the inner ear that can become the sensory hair cells and adjacent supporting cells that enable hearing.

27 Feb 2013

Promyleocytic leukemia gene goes up significantly in post treatment of mTOR inhibitors

Glioblastoma, the most common and lethal form of brain tumor in adults, is challenging to treat because the tumors rapidly become resistant to therapy. As cancer researchers are learning more about the causes of tumor cell growth and drug resistance, they are discovering molecular pathways that might lead to new targeted therapies to potentially treat this deadly cancer.

27 Feb 2013

Drugs News and Research

Blocking aPKC activity can stop growth of transplanted skin tumors resistant to vismodegib

Engineering chemotherapy drugs' shape increases their ability to target and inhibit cancer cells

State roundup: Health care industry calls drug testing bill in N.H. 'vague'

GLP-1 pancreatitis concerns justified

Autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia share common genetic risk factors

EpiCept fourth quarter revenue decreases to $0.1 million

Elevated cell sugar concentrations increase hyaluronan production and promote cancer growth

Wyss Founding Director receives NC3Rs 3Rs Prize for Lung-on-a-Chip

Efforts to copy biotech drugs face delays, obstacles

Study designs and tests 60 compounds for their ability to kill human cancer cells

National Birth Defects Prevention Network honors BU researcher with Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr., Award

Herceptin may have greater role in treating HER2-negative breast cancer

Freie Universität Berlin research team examines thermoresponsive nanogels for treatment of cancer

Viewpoints: Former Sen. Gramm criticizes Obama on budget cuts; Debate on revamping Medicare needs less heat, more deliberation

First Edition: February 27, 2013

FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee to review NDA for tivozanib

Ampio Pharmaceuticals starts Optina clinical trial

New research reveals special face masks prevent clinical respiratory and bacterial infections

Researchers discover that tympanic border cells can enable hearing

Promyleocytic leukemia gene goes up significantly in post treatment of mTOR inhibitors

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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