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New study: Two peptide agent combination might block tumor growth

A new study suggests that combining two experimental anticancer peptide agents might simultaneously block formation of new tumor blood vessels while also inhibiting the growth of tumor cells.

15 Mar 2011

EC grants marketing authorization for Taiho's Teysuno to treat gastric cancer

Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and its parent company, Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd., announced today that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Teysuno, a novel oral anti-cancer agent indicated for the treatment of adults with advanced gastric cancer when given in combination with cisplatin.

15 Mar 2011

Bonding with mom develops over first few weeks of life in rodent pups

For rodent pups, bonding with mom isn't hard-wired in the womb. It develops over the first few weeks of life, which is achieved by their maturing sense of smell, possibly allowing these mammals a survival advantage by learning to identify mother, siblings, and home.

14 Mar 2011

AbCheck licenses CELEXION yeast display technology for an industry first

AbCheck s.r.o., the multi antibody discovery platforms company, announced today the company has licensed a proven antibody yeast display technology from CELEXION LLC (Cambridge, MA, USA). The addition of this platform to AbCheck's current phage display platform places the company as the World's only antibody discovery specialist leveraging the advantage of working with both phage and yeast display technologies.

14 Mar 2011

EMP levels may help clinicians diagnose early emphysema

Monitoring blood for tiny particles released by cells lining the lungs may help clinicians diagnose emphysema in its earliest stages, according to researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College. The particles, called endothelial microparticles, are shed during the disease process as tiny blood vessels in the lungs, called pulmonary capillaries, are injured and die.

14 Mar 2011

New study: Alcohol-related chronic pancreatitis is lower than other causes

The relative rate of alcohol-related chronic pancreatitis is lower when compared to other causes, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association Institute.

14 Mar 2011

Food for healthy teeth and gums

For years, dentists have told patients to avoid foods that can harm their oral health. However, researchers are also looking at how including beneficial foods and beverages can improve your teeth and gums. Experts from Western Dental Services, Inc., suggest including the following foods in your diet to help maintain your smile's health and beauty.

11 Mar 2011

Verenium repurchases $28.4 million in outstanding convertible notes

Verenium Corporation, a leading industrial biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of high-performance enzymes, today announced that it repurchased $28.4 million in principal amount of its outstanding convertible notes in a series of privately-negotiated transactions.

11 Mar 2011

Bill Gates and Schrödinger co-founder invest in Nimbus to advance large B-cell lymphoma programs

Nimbus Discovery LLC, a biopharmaceutical company using state-of the-art computational technology to discover novel medicines against exciting but difficult-to-drug disease targets, today announced an extension of its seed round with an investment by Bill Gates and Dr. Richard Friesner, the co-founder of Schrödinger and Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University. Atlas Venture, the founding investor, also participated.

11 Mar 2011

PNP reaches several major objectives in cancer therapeutic product development

PNP Therapeutics, Inc. — an early-stage Birmingham-based biopharmaceutical company created from research conducted at Southern Research Institute and The University of Alabama at Birmingham — today announced that several major objectives have been reached in the development of its therapeutic technology platform and proprietary products for the treatment of cancer.

11 Mar 2011

Discovery: VPS4A enzyme plays a key role in release of HIV particles

Human Immunodeficiency Virus - which causes AIDS - invades human immune cells and causes them to produce new copies of the virus, which can then infect new cells.

11 Mar 2011

Eisai, Epizyme partner to develop and commercialize EZH2 epigenetic enzyme

Epizyme, Inc. announced today a worldwide partnership with Eisai Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan to discover, develop and commercialize therapeutics targeting EZH2, an epigenetic enzyme, for the treatment of lymphoma and other cancers in genetically-defined patients.

11 Mar 2011

FRSQ, NSFC announce funds for genomic research on male infertility

The Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec, Génome Québec and the National Natural Science Foundation of China are pleased to announce the funding of a first project as part of their joint program for research on genomics and diseases, which was launched in July 2010.

10 Mar 2011

Scientists identify chemical compound that may lead to cancer-fighting drugs

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a chemical compound that may eventually lead to a drug that fights cancers that are dependent on a particular anti-viral enzyme for growth.

10 Mar 2011

Caspase inhibition can prevent brain inflammation in neurological diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are partly attributable to brain inflammation. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet now demonstrate in a paper published in Nature that a well-known family of enzymes can prevent the inflammation and thus constitute a potential target for drugs.

10 Mar 2011

Novel sortase-based techniques allow modification of a large variety of different proteins

Whitehead Institute scientists have created a method that site-specifically modifies proteins to exert control over their properties when administered therapeutically. The technique should be useful to increase potency, slow metabolism, and improve thermal stability of therapeutically useful proteins, such as interferon alpha 2 (IFN-alpha 2), which is used to treat variety of diseases, including leukemia, melanoma, and chronic hepatitis C.

10 Mar 2011

First disease-specific biomarker for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease identified

Neena Singh, MD, PhD and colleagues at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have identified the first disease-specific biomarker for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), a universally fatal, degenerative brain disease for which there is no cure. sCJD is one of the causes of dementia and typically leads to death within a year of disease onset.

10 Mar 2011

CRT, ICR sign deal with ZoBio to discover and develop cancer drugs

Cancer Research Technology and The Institute of Cancer Research have signed a deal with Dutch drug discovery company, ZoBio BV, to discover and develop drugs to block a DNA repair target which may play a role in cancer cell survival.

10 Mar 2011

Cedars-Sinai earns excellence in 2010 adult heart transplants

The Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and Comprehensive Transplant Center performed the most adult heart transplants of any U.S. medical center in 2010, according to government statistics released today.

10 Mar 2011

ERYtech Pharma completes patient enrollment in GRASPA Phase II trial against ALL

ERYtech Pharma announces the early completion of the enrollment and safety follow-up a Phase II clinical trial for GRASPA. This open-labeled trial introduced GRASPA in a first-line treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in patients older than 55 years.

9 Mar 2011