Scientists patch damaged lungs for transplanting Oct 29, 2009
New gene therapy helps patch them ... WASHINGTON - Call it a genetic patch job for worn lungs: Canadian researchers took donated lungs deemed too damaged to transplant and repaired them with outside-the-body gene therapy. (Boston Globe)
Gene Therapy Helps Blind Boy See Oct 27, 2009
Corey Haas received experimental gene therapy that's now working to restore his sight ... The gene therapy trial at changed everything for Corey and his family ... For more information about this type of gene therapy and Corey's story, go to. (CBS News -- Evening News)
Gene Therapy Cures a Form of Blindness Oct 27, 2009
Exhilarated scientists on Saturday announced they had used gene therapy to restore eyesight to children blighted by a rare, inherited form of creeping blindness ... "These remarkable results have laid a foundation for applying gene therapy not only to other forms of childhood-onset retinal disease, but also to more common retinal degenerations," said Bennett ... In an analysis also carried by The Lancet, Frans Cremers and Rob Collin of Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in the... (Newsmax)
Gene Therapy Offers Hope for Severe Hereditary Eye Disease Oct 27, 2009
SATURDAY, Oct. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Gene therapy can improve the vision of people with a severe form of genetically inherited retinal degeneration called Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a new study shows ... The new phase I trial included 12 patients, aged 8 to 44 years, who were injected in one eye with genetic material meant to correct LCA. The gene therapy led to at least a 100-fold increase in pupillary light response (constriction of the pupil when it's exposed to light) in the... (MEDLINEplus)
Gene therapy experiment restores sight in a few Oct 27, 2009
PHILADELPHIA - Nine-year-old Corey Haas can ride his bike alone now, thanks to an experimental gene therapy that has boosted his fading vision with a single treatment. The gene therapy helped improve worsening eyesight caused by a rare inherited disease called Leber congenital amaurosis, or LCA, which makes most patients blind by age 40 ... "All 12 patients given gene therapy in one eye showed improvement in retinal function," Dr Katherine High of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the... (MSNBC -- Health)
Gene therapy helps eyesight for 12 with rare visual defect Oct 26, 2009
LOS ANGELES - Researchers using gene therapy have made significant improvements in vision in 12 patients with a rare inherited visual defect, a finding that suggests it might be possible to produce similar improvements in a much larger number of patients with retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. The team reported success with three adult patients last year, an achievement that was hailed as a major accomplishment for gene therapy. (Boston Globe)
Read the story Oct 26, 2009
Gene Therapy Offers Hope For Blindness - CBS News ... Gene Therapy Offers Hope For Blindness ... (WebMD) After more than a decade of research, the first gene therapy trials in people with a rare form of blindness are under way, and experts say they are thrilled with the early findings. (CBS News -- Evening News)
Gene Therapy Restores Vision in Blind Children Oct 26, 2009
Gene Therapy Deals Blow Against Rare Blindness ... Gene therapy to counteract retinal degeneration from a rare inherited sight disorder improved vision in all patients in which it was tested -- including one child who recovered near normal light sensitivity. (ABC News)
Master regulator found for regenerating nerve fibers in live animals Oct 26, 2009
Irwin is now working on possible gene therapy approaches involving Mst3b. Activating Mst3b may help overcome some natural "brakes" in the cell-signaling system that prevent nerve regeneration under normal conditions. (EurekAlert!)
1 shot of gene therapy and children with congenital blindness can now see Oct 25, 2009
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have used gene therapy to safely improve ... His treatment represents the next step toward medical science's goal of using gene therapy to cure disease ... The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics at The Children's Hospital of... (EurekAlert!)
Deadly train collision in Egypt Oct 25, 2009
Page last updated at 06:06 GMT, Sunday, 25 October 2009. Please turn on JavaScript. (BBC News -- Africa)
Eye gene therapy boost for young Oct 25, 2009
Gene therapy can be particularly effective in treating inherited sight problems in children, fresh trials show ... The eye is proving to be a particularly successful target for gene therapy ... Gene therapy has already been successfully deployed in the eyes by a team at the Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. (BBC News -- Health)
New ‘Saw’ sequel is a horror flick and a health-care initiative Oct 24, 2009
This time the series hands-off killer John Jigsaw Kramer (Tobin Bell) goes after William Easton (Peter Outerbridge), the totally corporate head of the insurance company that denied his request to try an experimental gene therapy. Jigsaw may have succumbed to cancer a few movies back, but he lives on through fresh flashbacks, fantasy sequences, videotapes, and newly conscripted henchmen. (Boston Globe)
Single-stranded DNA-binding Protein Is Dynamic, Critical To DNA Repair Oct 23, 2009
The finding could lead to improvements in gene therapy, futuristic nano-sized. (Oct. (Science Daily)
Italy obtains European funding for gene therapy Oct 22, 2009
ROME, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- An Italian research group on Wednesday obtained European funding for a new gene therapy aimed at preventing the most common form of muscular dystrophy. The Italian gene therapy was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). (Xinhuanet, China)
'Holy Grail' Of Cancer Therapy: Researchers Find Way To Protect Healthy Cells From Radiation Damage Oct 22, 2009
17, 2005) According to a University of Pittsburgh study presented at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Oct. 16 to 20, gene therapy could be used as an. (May 5, 2009) Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that helps explain how lithium, a drug widely used to treat bipolar mood disorder, also protects the brain from damage that occurs during radiation. (Science Daily)
Compound Shows Potential For Slowing Progression Of Lou Gehrig's Disease Oct 21, 2009
14, 2005) A new study in mice gives hope that a combination of gene therapy and exercise may extend the lives of people who have Lou Gehrig's disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's. (Science Daily)
Mesothelioma New Treatment of Mes... Oct 20, 2009
Treatment of Mesothelioma - New Gene Therapy Options. Gene therapy has always focused on solving diseases at the genetic level by working on DNA coding ... In using gene therapy as a treatment for mesothelioma patients, researchers are focusing on two options: replacement gene therapy and knockout gene therapy. (Suite101.com)
Skin Cells May Provide Early Warning For Cancer Risk Elsewhere In Body Oct 17, 2009
23, 2004) Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have successfully tested the first gene therapy for skin cancer, using a mouse model for the disease xeroderma pigmentosum, or. (July 6, 2007) Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a form of nonmelanoma skin cancer, which is the most common type of human malignancy with over 1 million new cases in the USA each year. (Science Daily)
Gene therapy for Parkinson's makes breakthrough Oct 15, 2009
BEIJING, Oct. 15(Xinhuanet) -- A gene therapy that has been tested on lab macaque monkeys in the long term suggests it can treat Parkinson's disease without causing the jerky, involuntary movements associated with current drugs, said French researchers as quoted by media reports Thursday ... By contrast, tests on macaque monkeys, started three and a half years ago, found the gene therapy, called ProSav, safely restored concentrations of dopamine in the brain, corrected motor problems and... (Xinhuanet, China)
World's Smallest Computers Made of DNA and Other Biological Molecules Made to 'Think' Logically Oct 15, 2009
The finding could lead to improvements in gene therapy, futuristic nano-sized. (May 21, 2008) Researchers have created 'living computers' by genetically altering bacteria. (Science Daily)
Sigma-Aldrich unit expands Oct 14, 2009
The 8,000-square-foot expansion to the 44,000-square-foot site includes the addition of two viral product manufacturing suites, built to employ the latest in disposable bioreactor technologies, expanding SAFC Pharma s biologics, viral vaccines and gene therapy manufacturing to commercial-scale quantities, the company said. We expect to see a great deal of value in the biologics and viral manufacturing marketplace in the next three to five years generated by two main customer types those with... (St. Louis Business Journal, MO)
SCID Kids Leading Healthy, Normal Lives 25 Years After 'Bubble Boy' Oct 14, 2009
"Gene therapy is likely to be the best option -- if the problems encountered to date can be worked out," says Buckley. Gene therapy trials were halted in 2003 after some patients developed cancer following the therapy, but new trials that may be safer may start soon ... (May 1, 2006) New animal studies conducted at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies show that the only human gene therapy treatment to date considered to be largely successful, is, in fact, riskier than. (Science Daily)
Now, a single jab to prevent blindness Oct 13, 2009
This method involves gene therapy using a modified virus that makes the RNA only in the presence of an antibiotic called doxycycline. With the novel approach, patients would need only one initial injection into their eye to deliver the virus. (India Times, India)
Immune Cell Entry Into Pancreatic Islets Key To Understanding Type 1 Diabetes Origins Oct 10, 2009
(June 2, 2006) Using state-of-the-art gene therapy techniques, University of Pittsburgh investigators have successfully prevented the onset of elevated blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, in diabetes-prone mice by. (July 9, 2008) Researchers in Japan are reporting a discovery that could improve the effectiveness and expand the use of transplants of insulin-producing cells to treat diabetes. (Science Daily)
Governor recognizes stem cell research at Einstein Oct 9, 2009
Jayanta Roy-Chowdhury, M.B.B.S., MRCP, Professor of Medicine and of Genetics; Scientific Director, Gene Therapy Facility (Liver Stem Cells). Jeffrey E. Pessin, Ph. (EurekAlert!)
Novel Polymer Delivers Genetic Medicine, Allows Tracking Oct 8, 2009
17, 2006) MIT scientists are reporting synthesis and laboratory tests of a promising new group of degradable polymer delivery vehicles for gene therapy. The polymers are improved versions of materials first. (Science Daily)
Birth control pills messing up human evolution Oct 8, 2009
Oct 06, 2009 Can gene therapy be used to cure the infectious diseases. Oct 06, 2009 I was reading my lab manual, and it says "All living organisms, including protists, bacteria, and plants, create ATP in fermentation or cellular respiration and then use ATP in metabolism." It. (Harper's Magazine)
Michigan hospital launches gene therapy study for Parkinson's disease Oct 7, 2009
In contrast, the focus of the current gene therapy strategy is on increasing GABA, a brain neurotransmitter that regulates movement ... For the clinical trial, the gene therapy product rAAV-GAD will be placed into the subthalamic nucleus by a surgical procedure ... Research carried out is searching for better treatments and possible ways to arrest the progression of Parkinson's disease, including neuroprotection strategies and an upcoming gene therapy clinical trial. (EurekAlert!)
'Micro Shuttle' Drug Delivery Could Mean An End To Regular Dosing Oct 6, 2009
Prof Gleb Sukhorukov said: "This new technique could have many biological applications, including delivering DNA into cells for gene therapy. The capsules could also be filled in with magnetic particles that collect and extract miniscule samples from inside cells. Other applications could see patients needing internal medication after surgery being administered drugs without the need for further invasive procedures or hospital visits. "However, there are still questions about how to direct the... (Science Daily)
Mom hopes Chinese treatment can save her sight Oct 4, 2009
Meanwhile, researchers in several cities, including Miami, are experimenting with gene therapy, looking for a breakthrough that someday might help people otherwise destined to go blind. "It could be the biggest breakthrough for people, including my children," Chris Miller said. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Stride and ride for cures for vision loss Oct 4, 2009
Steele, who has RP and hearing loss (Usher Syndrome), notes that FFB funded research has generated advances in gene therapy, therapeutic drugs, retinal cell transplants, artificial retinas and other treatments, some of which show promise of restoring vision that has been lost. Christine Anastos, also of Arlington, is co-chair of FFB s Shades of Spring Gala and serves as a volunteer and committee member for the Boston VisionWalk. (Arlington Advocate, MA)
Med. Center Study Targets Alzheimers Oct 3, 2009
The , which houses the largest clinical trial program for Alzheimers patients in the D.C. area, is participating in a gene therapy study testing multiple drugs ... The CERE-110 Phase II trial will be the first gene therapy study at the Memory Disorders Program. (The Hoya, Washington DC)
Two monkeys see a more colorful world Oct 1, 2009
After about 20 weeks of this gene therapy, the monkeys were making enough of the protein to be able to tell red from green. Feasting time Digital simulations show what a squirrel monkey named Dalton may have seen before (left) and may now see after (right) gene therapy to correct his color blindness ... Before the gene therapy, the monkeys could easily pick out blue or yellow dots, but they had a hard time telling red or green dots from gray dots or from each other. (Science News for Kids)
Protein Inhibitor Helps Rid Brain Of Toxic Tau Protein Oct 1, 2009
Dr. Dickey's team at USF focuses on how to manipulate with drugs or gene therapy the chaperone proteins that regulate tau's fate determining whether it's preserved or cleared from the brain. The University of Michigan team works on identifying and developing compounds that may be effective against Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. (Science Daily)
Stratatech receives $1.7M federal grant Oct 1, 2009
Under the grant, Stratatech will begin development of a cell-based gene therapy product to treat skin cancer. The product is intended to help prevent the recurrence of skin cancers after surgical removal of the primary tumor and promote surgical wound-healing. (Milwaukee Business Journal, WI)
Teen attitudes toward smoking linked to likelihood of drinking and using drugs Oct 1, 2009
Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research in areas such as stem cells, genetics and gene therapy, geriatrics, neuroscience, structural biology, cardiovascular medicine, transplantation medicine, infectious disease, obesity, cancer, psychiatry and public health -- and continue to delve ever deeper into the molecular basis of disease and social determinants of health in an effort to unlock the mysteries of the human body in health and sickness... (EurekAlert!)
Johnstown teen gains support in fight against rare disease Oct 1, 2009
They found that the former straight-A honors student was now battling a rare and fatal neurological epilepsy that is currently afflicting fewer than a dozen people in the United States (Somerset Daily American, PA)
Pitt ranks second in Pa. for stimulus medical research grants Oct 1, 2009
We ve been ramping up over the past year and a half, so this may be the first return on investment, said Michael Passineau, a Singer researcher whose specialty is gene therapy. When a grant comes back, it s always gratifying. (Pittsburgh Business Times, PA)
Experimental vaccine shows promise with AIDS Sep 25, 2009
"It's very exciting news because it's the first AIDS vaccine that's ever worked and shown at least some protection in people despite like 25 years of attempts," said Dr. Alistair Ramsay, Director of the Louisiana Vaccine Center and The Gene Therapy Program at LSU Health Sciences Center. Ramsey said this will advance what he does in his lab. (WWLTV.com, LA)
AMT Appoints New Chief Executive Officer Sep 24, 2009
AMSTERDAM, September 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (Euronext: AMT), a leader in human gene therapy, announced today the appointment of Jorn Aldag as its new Chief Executive Officer, starting October 5 ... Jorn Aldag: Since its inception AMT has developed a unique and powerful gene therapy platform ... The company's scientists have used this platform and excellent knowledge of gene therapy to develop a rich portfolio of potential cures. (PR Newswire)
A Flash Of Light Turns Graphene Into A Biosensor Sep 23, 2009
This could lead to drug delivery for gene therapy. Tang will discuss this research and some of its possible applications in medicine, food safety and biodefense at the 2009 Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference, which runs Sept. 21-23 in Portland, Ore. (Science Daily)
Historic gene therapy trial to treat Alzheimer's disease underway at Georgetown Sep 23, 2009
Washington, DC -- Researchers in the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center are now recruiting volunteers for a national gene therapy trial the first study of its kind for the treatment of patients with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease ... The transfer of this gene into the brain is a medical technique called gene therapy ... "This is our first study of a gene therapy injected into brain, and thus the trial requires close collaboration with our neurosurgery... (EurekAlert!)
Blood-brain Barrier As Therapy Delivery System Sep 22, 2009
The scientists used these distinct alterations to target the brain with gene therapy, which reversed the neurological damage caused by the diseases ... We have taken advantage of that finding to delivery gene therapy, but we also can use this knowledge to better understand how the diseases impact other cell types such as neurons," she added. Lysosomal storage diseases are individually quite rare, but as a group they affect approximately 1 in 8,000 live births. The diseases are caused by... (Science Daily)
Anticancer Nanotech: Protein Can Be Used To Carry Radioactive Isotopes To Cancerous Tumor Sep 22, 2009
(May 9, 2008) Using gene therapy, plastic surgeons have delivered cancer fighting proteins through skin flaps placed on cancerous tumors on rats with a 79 percent reduction in tumor volume, according to a study in. (Mar. (Science Daily)
Dr. Robert Lanza Featured on Michio Kaku's 'Explorations in Science' Sep 22, 2009
Past featured guests include Nobel laureates and top researchers on the topics of string theory, time travel, black holes, gene therapy, aging, space travel, artificial intelligence and SETI.. Dr. Kaku holds the Henry Semat Chair and Professorship in theoretical physics at City College of New York. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Goodbye, Leonard Sep 21, 2009
Have medical work or gene therapy to allow her to race against women. Theres no simple solution, and the stigma that surrounds Semenya will remain whatever she does from here. (iAfrica.com)
Rational talk about medical rationing Sep 20, 2009
The new gene therapy may work for cancer, but should it always be used and for everyone ... We are scared that there won't be enough transplants, gene therapy or expensive treatments and someone might have to die. (Albany Times Union)
Science Fair Sep 19, 2009
Gene therapy cures color-blind monkeys ... Gene therapy has allowed color-blind monkeys to see red and green, a team of researchers report in this week's Nature ... The authors hope that the gene therapy could help with other visions problems too. (USA Today -- Tech)
Discovery Of Regulatory Role Of Key Molecule: Step Towards Future Gene Therapy To Control Disease Sep 19, 2009
18, 2009) Discovery by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers of an additional role for a key molecule in our bodies provides a further step in world-wide efforts to develop genetic regulation aimed at controlling many diseases, including AIDS and various types of cancers. The molecule, known as Lysyl-tRNA synthetase (or LysRS in brief) is one of the most ancient molecules in the cell, where it has long been recognized for its contribution in the translation of the information contained in... (Science Daily)
Out Of Darkness, Sight: Rare Cases Of Restored Vision Reveal How The Brain Learns To See Sep 19, 2009
(June 26, 2007) Researchers have demonstrated that gene therapy used to restore retinal activity to the blind also restores function to the brain's visual center, a critical component of. (Nov. (Science Daily)
* World News Quick Take Sep 18, 2009
Two squirrel monkeys that were color-blind from birth have had their vision restored after receiving gene therapy. The experiment paves the way for the treatment of a range of genetic eye disorders in humans, including some that cause full or partial blindness in millions of people. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
Research lab in N.O. to make big strides in stem cell research Sep 18, 2009
"There have been studies done in humans that have heart attacks, where they have been given nearly identical cells to the ones that we worked on. Everyone that has suffered damage to their heart tissue, if they are given these cells, almost every patient has gotten better. The few that haven't gotten better, have not gotten any worse," said Dr. Bruce Bunnell, a professor of Pharmacology and director of the Center for Gene Therapy at the Tulane School of Medicine ... "So the current thinking is,... (WWLTV.com, LA)
Scientists Cure Color Blindness In Monkeys Sep 17, 2009
16, 2009) Researchers from the University of Washington and the University of Florida used gene therapy to cure two squirrel monkeys of color blindness the most common genetic disorder in people ... Writing online September 15 in the journal Nature, scientists cast a rosy light on the potential for gene therapy to treat adult vision disorders involving cone cells the most important cells for vision in people ... D., a professor of ophthalmic molecular genetics at the UF College of Medicine and a... (Science Daily)
Gene therapy fixes color blindness in monkeys Sep 17, 2009
Monkeys once color-blind can now see the world in full color thanks to gene therapy ... Next up: humans Before such gene therapy could help humans, Neitz said that he and others would need to perfect it, and ensure its complete safety. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Gene therapy: An Interview with an Unfortunate Pioneer Sep 17, 2009
Lessons learned by James M. Wilson, the scientist behind the first gene therapy death ... Severe Setback: James M. Wilson ran the institute where a fatal gene therapy experiment occurred in 1999 ... succumbed to multiorgan failure during a gene therapy trial at the University of Pennsylvania. (Scientific American)
Monkeys perform colour test Sep 17, 2009
Scientists say they are a step closer to curing colour blindness using gene therapy. A US team were able to restore full colour vision to adult monkeys born without the ability to distinguish between the colours red and green. (BBC News -- Science)
Color-blindness Cured by Gene Injection in Monkeys Sep 17, 2009
A simple injection of cells has cured monkeys of color-blindness giving a green light to future research into improving human vision with gene therapy, a new study says. Calling the procedure his gene therapy "dream," researcher Jay Neitz said that "ultimately this could be a tool that could cure all sorts of eye diseases." ... To find out if gene therapy could cure color-blindness, Neitz and colleagues trained several of the monkeys some color-blind, some not in a lab. (National Geographic)
Loci Color: Gene Therapy Cures Color-Blindness in Adult Monkeys Sep 17, 2009
IN LIVING COLOR: A squirrel monkey named Dalton feasts on food that he can see in full color thanks to gene therapy that fixed his color-blindness in about five months. NEITZ LABORATORY. (Scientific American)
Qatar home to world-class biomedical research program Sep 16, 2009
The program will also support high quality research in the fields of genetic and molecular medicine, women's and children's health, gene therapy, stem cells, and vaccine development ... We have established two broad research themes: a Genetic ular Medicine research program with a focus on personalized medicine, gene therapy for cancer, and stem cell research; and a Women ren's Health research program with a focus on maternal fetal medicine and the neurogenetic disorders of the newborn. (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
International Space Station's Popul... Sep 13, 2009
Molecule sized microcapsules for use in gene therapy. Nano-scale manipulation of surgical implants. (Suite101.com)
Nature podcast Sep 11, 2009
Gene therapy for mitochondrial mutations, a 'hot jupiter' spinning perilously close to its sun, science-themed songs for kids, toxicity testing, and a chance to win tickets to a private screening of the film Creation. 20 August 2009. (Nature News Service)
Blinded By the Light of Discovery Sep 6, 2009
Recent of an unprecedented development in gene therapy indicate that humility before the mysterious and awesome power of nature is a lesson mankind has yet to learn ... Unlike other forms of gene therapy, this new technology is unique in that it involves irrevocable changes in the genetic "germ line;" i.e. permanent changes in the genetic makeup that will be passed down the line of offspring and eventually spread through the wider gene pool. (Townhall.com)
New Treatment In Sight For Ovarian Cancer Sep 6, 2009
1, 2006) University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers have used gene therapy to either completely abolish or significantly inhibit tumor progression in a mouse model of ovarian cancer. The. (Science Daily)
Chemists Reach From The Molecular To The Real World With Creation Of 3-D DNA Crystals Sep 4, 2009
The finding could lead to improvements in gene therapy, futuristic nano-sized. (Mar. (Science Daily)
