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Scientist suggests emodin can reduce impact of type 2 diabetes

Emodin, a natural product that can be extracted from various Chinese herbs including Rheum palmatum and Polygonum cuspidatum, shows promise as an agent that could reduce the impact of type 2 diabetes. Findings published in this month's edition of the British Journal of Pharmacology show that giving emodin to mice with diet-induced obesity lowered blood glucose and serum insulin, improved insulin resistance and lead to more healthy levels of lipid in the blood. It also decreased body weight and reduced central fat mass.

18 Aug 2010

BioMarin Pharmaceutical acquires ZyStor Therapeutics, furthers development of ZC-701 for Pompe disease

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced today that it has acquired ZyStor Therapeutics, Inc. (ZyStor), a privately-held biotechnology company developing enzyme replacement therapies (ERT) for the treatment of lysosomal storage disorders. ZyStor's lead product candidate is ZC-701, a novel fusion of insulin-like growth factor 2 and alpha glucosidase (IGF2-GAA) in development for Pompe disease.

18 Aug 2010

Research confirms genetic link to advanced fatty liver disease

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who carry an allele of the PNPLA3 gene have an increased risk of developing advanced disease, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and cirrhosis. A second study supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) validates these findings and further concludes that in pediatric patients, the same allele is associated with earlier disease presentation. Both studies are available in the September issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

17 Aug 2010

Discovery can lead to new class of drugs for chronic pain treatment

Researchers have made a discovery that could lead to a brand new class of drugs to treat chronic pain caused by inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and back pain without numbing the whole body.

17 Aug 2010

Scientists create nanoscale coating to eradicate methicillin resistant bacteria

Building on an enzyme found in nature, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a nanoscale coating for surgical equipment, hospital walls, and other surfaces which safely eradicates methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the bacteria responsible for antibiotic resistant infections.

17 Aug 2010

Experimental drug benefits women with advanced ovarian or breast tumours caused by BRCA gene faults

An experimental drug called olaparib has been shown to shrink tumours in women whose advanced cancers were caused by faults in their BRCA genes.

17 Aug 2010

Study finds abnormal expression of miRNAs can contribute to human diseases

Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center have identified an RNA sequence that promotes increased numbers of specific microRNAs (miRNAs), molecules that regulate cell growth, development, and stress response. The discovery helps researchers understand the links between miRNA expression and disease, including heart disease and cancer. The findings are published in the August 13 issue of Molecular Cell.

17 Aug 2010

Researchers find link between chronic inflammation and cancer

Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researchers have uncovered a new link between chronic inflammation and cancer. Although cancers do not always cause inflammation, chronic inflammation is known to help tumor cells grow.

17 Aug 2010

IVAX Diagnostics second quarter 2010 operating expenses decrease 11.9%

IVAX Diagnostics, Inc., a fully integrated in vitro diagnostics company, reports its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.

17 Aug 2010

Scientists use PCT technique to understand physical effects of compression on macromolecules

Scientists are turning to a decades-old technique to better understand the physical effects of compression on macromolecules and how it might impact their research in proteomics, mass spectrometry, protein extraction, and tissue investigations, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News.

16 Aug 2010

Dyadic second-quarter 2010 total revenue decreases to $2.2 million

Dyadic International, Inc., a global biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of specialty enzyme products and solutions for the bioenergy, industrial enzyme and biopharmaceutical industries, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

13 Aug 2010

EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD finalists announced

The names of the finalists in this year's EUROPEAN BIOTECHNICA AWARD have been announced. The companies Addex Pharmaceuticals (Switzerland), Apeiron Biologics (Austria) and Galapagos Genomics (Belgium) have made it through to the final round.

13 Aug 2010

Study identifies use of acetaminophen may increase asthma symptoms in adults

New evidence linking the use of acetaminophen to development of asthma and eczema suggests that even monthly use of the drug in adolescents may more than double risk of asthma in adolescents compared to those who used none at all; yearly use was associated with a 50 percent increase in the risk of asthma.

13 Aug 2010

Researchers develop new implantable metamaterials to destroy cancerous tissue

The research, reported online July 21, 2010, in the journal Advanced Materials, provides a promising path towards the development of a new class of metamaterial-inspired implantable biosensors and biodetectors.Metamaterials are artificial electromagnetic composites, typically made of highly conducting metals, whose structures respond to electromagnetic waves in ways that atoms in natural materials do not. The most futuristic metamaterials would absorb all light, to create heat to destroy cancerous tissue, or bend light completely around an object, rendering that object invisible-an imaginary delight for fans of science fiction or spy novels.

13 Aug 2010

Study finds Olaparib can reduce tumor size in ovarian cancer women

Understanding the underlying genetic weakness of certain types of cancer may lead to targeted therapy and provide the key to effective treatment, a new study suggests. An international consortium of researchers has shown that an investigational drug, Olaparib, can reduce the size of tumors in women with advanced hereditary ovarian cancer with BRCA gene mutations.

13 Aug 2010

Research identifies intracellular mechanism for altering blood vessels permeability for tumours treatment

Dr. Jean-Philippe Gratton, Director of the Endothelial cell biology research unit at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montr-al (IRCM), identifies a new intracellular mechanism responsible for modulating vascular permeability: the nitrosylation of beta-catenin protein by nitric oxide. This scientific breakthrough could have a possible impact on the treatment of cancerous tumours by altering the permeability of the blood vessels irrigating them. Dr. Gratton's team will publish the results of its research tomorrow in the scientific journal Molecular Cell.

13 Aug 2010

Halozyme Therapeutics granted U.S. patent for recombinant human hyaluronidase enzyme platform

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 7,767,429 claiming its proprietary recombinant human hyaluronidase enzyme platform (rHuPH20). Claims to the human PH20 glycoprotein, PEGylated variants, the glycoprotein produced by recombinant methods, and pharmaceutical compositions with other agents, including antibodies, insulins, cytokines, anti-infectives and additional therapeutic classes were awarded in the '429 patent. Additional claims are in prosecution.

12 Aug 2010

Pathway's drug development milestone triggers $4.5M tranche of Series A private equity placement

Pathway Therapeutics, a drug discovery and development company founded in New Zealand, announced that it has met an important drug development milestone triggering a US$4.5 million fourth tranche of its Series A private equity placement. The financing was led by GBS Venture Partners, Australia and CM Capital Investments, Australia with co-investors the Breast Cancer Research Trust, the Trans-Tasman Commercialisation Fund, and the New Zealand Venture Investment Firm.

12 Aug 2010

Alectos Therapeutics collaborates with Merck for Alzheimer’s disease research

Alectos Therapeutics Inc. today announced a research collaboration with Merck, headquartered in Whitehouse Station, N.J., to identify and develop compounds that modulate O-linked N-acetylglucosaminidase (O-GlcNAcase) an enzyme that is believed to be involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease and potentially other disorders. The agreement provides Merck with a worldwide, exclusive license to research, develop and commercialize compounds that modulate this target.

12 Aug 2010

GenSpera issued additional patent for G-202

GenSpera, Inc. announced that its patent application, entitled "Tissue Specific Prodrugs," has been issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office as US Patent 7,767,648. The patent covers the method of use for G-202, GenSpera's lead oncology drug, which is currently in a Phase I clinical study treating cancer patients whose disease has progressed after other treatments.

11 Aug 2010