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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Established human embryonic cell lines vary from newly derived stem cell lines

Established human embryonic cell lines, including those approved for federal research funding under former President George W. Bush, are different than newly derived human embryonic stem cell lines, according to a study by UCLA stem cell researchers.

2 Dec 2011

Compugen's Antibody Target Discovery Platform presented at 7th Annual European Antibody Congress

Speaking today at the plenary session of the 7th Annual European Antibody Congress in Geneva, Dr. Anat Cohen-Dayag, President and CEO of Compugen Ltd., presented Compugen's Antibody Target Discovery Platform, one of the Company's predictive discovery platforms for novel therapeutic targets.

1 Dec 2011

Santaris Pharma wins two LNA patent re-examination cases in the U.S.

Santaris Pharma A/S, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies, today announced that it has won two significant patent re-examination cases brought by Isis Pharmaceuticals.

1 Dec 2011

Affymetrix signs definitive agreement to acquire eBioscience

Affymetrix, Inc., today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire eBioscience, Inc., a privately-held San Diego, CA-based company with an industry-leading position in flow cytometry and immunoassay reagents for immunology and oncology research and diagnostics. Under the terms of the agreement, Affymetrix will acquire eBioscience for $330 million in cash subject to certain customary adjustments.

30 Nov 2011

Enrollment complete in Alnylam's ALN-RSV01 Phase IIb study for RSV infection

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it has completed patient enrollment in its Phase IIb study with ALN-RSV01, an RNAi therapeutic for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.

29 Nov 2011

Abbott, GSK expand collaboration to develop additional companion diagnostic test

Abbott announced today that it will expand its existing agreement with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals S.A. to include the development of an additional companion diagnostic test in support of GSK's cancer immunotherapy research program.

29 Nov 2011

Hologic releases C-View synthesized 2D image reconstruction algorithm

Hologic, Inc., a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostic products, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women, announced today the commercial release of its C-View synthesized 2D image reconstruction algorithm that eliminates the need for a conventional 2D mammogram as a component of a tomosynthesis (3D mammography) breast cancer screening exam.

From Hologic, Inc. 28 Nov 2011

Ribosomes spontaneously change their form during protein production

Ribosomes, the construction sites for proteins, are far more complex than previously assumed. During the production of proteins they constantly and spontaneously change their form. This performance of eukaryotic ribosomes has now been demonstrated for the first time by scientists at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik in Berlin, and Cornell University in New York, with the aid of special electron microscopic and biophysical methods.

24 Nov 2011

Targeting synthetic RNA to specific gene could help reduce severity of SMA

A team of University of Missouri researchers have found that targeting a synthetic molecule to a specific gene could help the severity of the disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) - the leading genetic cause of infantile death in the world.

22 Nov 2011

Cisplatin anti-cancer drug binds pervasively to RNA

An anti-cancer drug used extensively in chemotherapy binds pervasively to RNA -- up to 20-fold more than it does to DNA, a surprise finding that suggests new targeting approaches might be useful, according to University of Oregon researchers.

21 Nov 2011

Positive preliminary results from Alnylam's ALN-TTR01 Phase I clinical trial for TTR-mediated amyloidosis

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today positive preliminary results from its Phase I clinical trial with ALN-TTR01, an RNAi therapeutic targeting transthyretin (TTR) for the treatment of TTR-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR).

21 Nov 2011

New method for counting molecules

Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have developed a new method for counting molecules.

21 Nov 2011

Scientists identify novel gene mutation that causes glioblastoma

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, in collaboration with colleagues in Boston and South Korea, say they have identified a novel gene mutation that causes at least one form of glioblastoma (GBM), the most common type of malignant brain tumor.

18 Nov 2011

Aurora kinase inhibitor may treat neuroendocrine prostate cancer

An international team of researchers led by clinicians at Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered a genetic Achilles' heel in an aggressive type of prostate cancer -- a vulnerability they say can be attacked by a targeted drug that is already in clinical trials to treat other types of cancers.

17 Nov 2011

New treatment may be on the horizon for neuroendocrine prostate cancers

A recent report in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests that a new treatment may be on the horizon for neuroendocrine prostate cancers, the most lethal subtype of this disease.

17 Nov 2011

Researchers discover human genes that might contribute to ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a universally fatal neurodegenerative disease. Mutations in two related proteins, TDP-43 and FUS, cause some forms of ALS. Specifically, these two proteins are RNA-binding proteins that connect to RNA to regulate the translation of proteins and other cellular functions such as RNA splicing and editing. In a new study, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania discovered additional human genes with properties similar to TDP-43 and FUS that might also contribute to ALS.

16 Nov 2011

Blood-based gene expression test more effective in ruling out obstructive CAD

A blood-based gene expression test was found to be more effective for ruling out obstructive coronary artery disease in stable symptomatic patients than myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), a common test that uses a radioactive agent to evaluate the blood flow and function of the heart.

16 Nov 2011

Alnylam announces new data from ALN-TTR01 Phase I trial on TTR-mediated amyloidosis

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it will present new data from its ALN-TTR program at the VIIIth International Symposium on Familial Amyloidotic Polyneuropathy being held in Kumamoto, Japan from November 20-22, 2011.

15 Nov 2011

Scientists determine atomic structure of Lassa fever viral protein

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined the atomic structure of a protein that the Lassa fever virus uses to make copies of itself within infected cells.

15 Nov 2011

Leonardo Biosystems receives second investment from Texas Emerging Technology Fund

Leonardo Biosystems, Inc., an emerging drug delivery company, announced today that it has received the second half of a $2.5 million award from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF). The initial investment tranche was received in April 2010.

14 Nov 2011