Biotechnology News Archive 01/02 - 12/02
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12/20/02
Adult bone marrow stem cells show promise
(United Press International) Stem cells taken from adult bone marrow show potential to develop into several types of central nervous system cells, a finding that could lead to treatments for numerous degenerative diseases, a new study released Friday suggests.

Scientists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles tested the possible benefits to using stem cells extracted from adult bone marrow in rats. They used modified viruses to transport the bone marrow stem cells into the arteries of rats with ischemic brain lesions, which can occur when blood is choked off from the brain.

As reported in the cover story in the December issue of Experimental Neurology, the stem cells were able to differentiate into three different types of brain cells called astrocytes, neurons and ologodendroglia. They also tracked down brain tissue that had been damaged because of interrupted blood flow, the type of damage caused by ischemic stroke. Forty-eight hours after the stem cells had been injected into the rats, researchers found the transplanted cells already had distributed themselves throughout the brain. This is a critical finding, they said, because it shows the stem cells were able to penetrate the brain's defenses in keeping out toxic or foreign substances.

12/20/02
Role of Gene in Tumor Growth Determined
(United Press International) Scientists said Monday they discovered how a gene controls the growth of tumors, providing a new target for therapies in the war against cancer. In order to grow, tumors recruit blood vessels to supply them with nutrients, a process called angiogenesis. A gene called Id1, which is highly expressed, or active, in a variety of cancers -- including breast, cervical and prostate -- was known to be involved in the process but researchers did not understood how. In the study, which is described in the Dec. 17 issue of the journal Cancer Cell, researchers have determined Id1 switches on angiogenesis by halting the production of a protein called thombospondin, Dr. Rhoda M. Alani, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and director of the research, told United Press International.

12/17/02
Role of Gene in Tumor Growth Determined
(United Press International) Scientists said Monday they discovered how a gene controls the growth of tumors, providing a new target for therapies in the war against cancer. In order to grow, tumors recruit blood vessels to supply them with nutrients, a process called angiogenesis. A gene called Id1, which is highly expressed, or active, in a variety of cancers -- including breast, cervical and prostate -- was known to be involved in the process but researchers did not understood how. In the study, which is described in the Dec. 17 issue of the journal Cancer Cell, researchers have determined Id1 switches on angiogenesis by halting the production of a protein called thombospondin, Dr. Rhoda M. Alani, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and director of the research, told United Press International.

12/12/02
New Rules and Regulations for Facilities that Possess Select Agents
(Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention) Information for individuals and organizations affected by the new rules and regulations.

12/11/02
New Hope For Sickle Cell Cure
(World Entertainment News Network) Many children with sickle cell disease could be cured with stem cell transplants, according to new medical research from France. Currently there is no cure for sickle cell disease, a blood disorder mostly affecting those of African-Caribbean or Asian descent. The idea of using stem cell transplants has long been investigated with mixed results. Doctors first destroy the patient's bone marrow with powerful drugs, and replace it with stem cells taken from a healthy relative. These stem cells then produce normal, healthy blood. A team of French researchers say they have now devised a way of performing the operation which achieves consistent results. Of 70 children treated, 85 per cent were alive and disease-free an average of three years after their operation.

12/10/02
Genes May Predict Tumor Spread
(Boston Globe) A genetic "fingerprint" may reveal whether certain tumors will spread to other parts of the body, new research says. Until recently, doctors believed that unpredictable cells caused cancer's spread. But a study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and the MIT-affiliated Whitehead Institute suggests that certain tumors have genetic patterns. And genes within a cancer cell are more likely to determine whether the cancer will surface in a site other than the original malignancy, The Boston Globe reports. "These results strongly support the idea that some primary tumors are preconfigured to metastasize and that this propensity is detectable at the time of initial diagnosis," researcher Dr. Sridhar Ramaswamy told the newspaper.

12/05/02
Scientists map the mouse genome Code is giant step for human research
(USA TODAY) Scientists announced Wednesday that they have decoded the complete set of genes of the mouse -- a feat that may sound meager but is a mighty accomplishment that launches a new era of research into devastating diseases such as cancer, AIDS, heart disease and diabetes. With the mouse ''genome,'' or full genetic code, in hand, experts say they can for the first time compare the human genome with that of another mammal. Because the mouse is modern medicine's most widely used tool for simulating human diseases, scientists predict that comparisons will dramatically advance the understanding and treatment of common diseases. The human genome was completed in February 2001, five years ahead of a predicted 15-year timetable. The mouse genome, which is only slightly smaller than that of a human, was decoded at a surprisingly rapid rate, leaders in the genetics field say.

12/03/02
ELi Lilly says new attention-deficit disorder drug effective in girls
(AFX News Limited) Eli Lilly & Co said its Strattera drug is effective in treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in school-age girls. The company is citing a study published in the December online issue of the journal Pediatrics. The study seeks to augment the limited amount of data available on the efficacy of pharmacologic treatments in girls specifically. "This is one of the largest studies of treatment effects of medication in this (school-age girls) population," said John Heiligenstein, MD, Eli Lilly's medical advisor in a statement. "The study confirms the efficacy of Strattera in treating ADHD in (both) boys and girls," he said.

11/27/02
First Cloned Human Baby Due, Italian Doctor Claims
(HealthScoutNews) The first-ever cloned human being will born in January, a controversial Italian fertility specialist says. Severino Antinori told a news conference in Rome that a consortium of doctors had cloned a human being and that an embryo was currently in a womb, according to an Associated Press report. "We expect the birth for the first week of January. The child weighs 2.6 or 2.7 kilos; it means his weight at the birth will be 3.5 or 3.3 kilos," the 55-year-old embryologist said. Antinori said he could not give any more details about the procedure. He also refused to give details on the mother or where the birth would take place. "I can only say that the embryo is in a good condition, everything is OK. There is no pulmonary (breathing) activity, but this is normal: no child has pulmonary activity in the 33rd week of life," he said. Antinoni, who vowed last year that he would be the first scientist to clone a human being, is best known for his work in in vitro fertilization -- notably for enabling women in their 50s and 60s to have children.

11/26/02
Memory genes could help brain boosters
(UPI) More than 100 memory genes newly identified by Maryland scientists promise to help reveal brain-boosting therapies that improve learning, memory and attention, they reported Monday. Using the new findings, researchers have injected a biochemical into rat brains that improved learning significantly.

11/22/02
Gene Scientists Plan New Form of Life
(Washington Post) A famous scientist wants to create a new form of life at his Rockville, Md., laboratory. It may sound like the plot of "Frankenstein," but it's actually the plan of genome pioneer J. Craig Venter, who says he's going to lead a group of scientists who hope to create a single-celled, partially man-made organism that contains the minimum number of genes to sustain life, reports the Washington Post. Venter and Nobel laureate Hamilton Smith, co-hatchers of the idea, hope the cell will begin to feed and divide, creating a unique pool of cells unlike any that currently exist. The pair say the cell will be intentionally crippled to make sure it can't infect people and will be programmed to die if it manages to escape its tightly controlled confines. The project is funded by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. If the initial phase succeeds, the scientists want to model -- with the help of a computer -- every conceivable aspect of the biology of one organism. That could shed light on the "molecular definition of life," since all living cells bear a resemblance to each other, the Post reports. The pair -- who concede worrying over whether their research could lead to a dangerous new class of biological weapons -- say they may be quite selective in publishing details of how their experiment progresses. Stay tuned.

11/21/02
Cervical Cancer Vaccine Success
(World Entertainment News Network) A vaccine to protect women from one of the biggest cancer killers could be available within five years. Early clinical trials of a vaccine for cervical cancer have shown that it is 100 per cent effective. It also protects against genital warts. The vaccine works by triggering the body's immune system to attack the human papilloma virus (HPV), which has been linked to almost all cases of cervical cancer. The vaccine, hoped to hit the market in a few years, will be given to teenage girls. It will only work in females who have not yet become sexually active, because HPV is transmitted through sexual intercourse.

11/18/02
Engineered blood vessels 'grow' from skin
(United Press International) Using a postage-stamp-sized skin biopsy, researchers reported Sunday they now can grow an endless supply of blood vessels to replace blocked arteries in the heart or legs. Currently, surgeons use vessels harvested from other areas of the body to replace blocked vessels in the heart or legs. But some patients require so many bypass surgeries that "they have no more vessels available for transplant. These are the patients who could benefit from this new technology," said Dr. Todd McAllister, president and CEO of Cytograft Tissue Engineering in Novato, Calif. McAllister said he already has performed bypass surgeries on dogs using the engineered vessels and studies on humans will begin "in 12 to 18 months."

11/14/02
Wine Drinkers Less Likely To Suffer Dementia
(World Entertainment News Network) People who drink wine occasionally may have a lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, research suggests. Scientists found people who drank wine weekly or monthly were more than two times less likely to develop dementia. The lead researcher was Dr Thomas Truelsen, of the Institute of Preventive Medicine at Kommunehospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark. Dr Truelsen's team believe the key to beneficial effect are a group of compounds called flavonoids which are found in wine, particularly red wine. These compounds help to minimise the damage caused to the body's tissues by charged particles called free radicals which are released when oxygen is converted into energy in the body's cells.

11/14/02
New Blood Test Predicts Heart Attack Survival
(World Entertainment News Network) Scientists have developed a quick, cheap blood test to predict a patient's chance of surviving a heart attack. The test works by measuring levels of a hormone which is produced in greater quantity when the heart is damaged. It outperformed other tests that are currently available, and proved to be accurate even in patients who showed no obvious clinical signs of being at risk. The outlook for patients who have had a heart attack or other cardiovascular problems such as angina varies widely. Identification of those people at high risk is vital, as they may need surgery to try to minimise the likelihood of further problems.

11/11/02
FDA Approves Generic Version of Accutane
(Associated Press) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first generic version of the prescription acne drug Accutane. But the agency is reiterating warnings to women that the medication can cause birth defects and fetal death. The generic version will be sold under its chemical name -- isotretinoin. So it's crucial that pregnant women or those planning to have a baby know that Accutane and isotretinoin are the same drug, the Associated Press reports. "One of our biggest concerns was that because they'll have different names, that may lead to confusion,'' said Dr. Sandra Kweder, of the Food and Drug Administration, which approved the sale of the generic version on Friday. Accutane isn't meant to treat simple pimples; it's designed for serious cases of acne. Although not proven, there are some concerns that its use can lead to depression and even suicide. Generic versions of drugs usually sell for about half the price of brand name medications. Accutane typically costs $4 a pill, the AP says.

11/08/02
Stem Cell Research May Help Parkinson's Patients
(Science Daily) Biologists at Philadelphia's Thomas Jefferson University have found that human neural stem cells can be converted in the laboratory to brain cells that produce dopamine, a brain chemical missing in people with Parkinson's disease, reports the online edition of Science Daily. Lorraine Iacovitti, professor of neurology at the school's Jefferson Medical College, grew neural stem cells in a laboratory dish. Stimulating them with a mixture of protein growth factors and nutrients, about 25 percent of the stem cells began to produce tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a key enzyme needed to produce dopamine. The cells continued to produce the substance even after the growth factor mixture was discontinued, the report says. Iacovitti reported her findings Nov. 5 at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Orlando, Fla.

11/04/02
Gene Finding Helps Explain Grave's Disease
(BBC) Scientists say they have learned how the immune systems of people with Grave's disease attacks their thyroid glands. They say the genetic findings may lead the way both to new treatments for the condition and to a better understanding of other autoimmune disorders like diabetes. Autoimmune diseases are those in which the body's immune system turns on its host, according to the BBC. British scientists, using molecular technology, compared the genes of people with Grave's disease to those without the condition. They found that some genes that programmed for cell death were mistakenly turned on in people with Grave's disease, but not in those without it, the BBC reports. In this case, the programmed cell death controls the size of the thyroid gland. People with Grave's disease -- it's more common in women -- experience swelling around the thyroid gland and the eyes. It's treated with drugs and, sometimes, surgery.

10/25/02
Compound May Help With Bone Preservation
(HealthScout News) A synthetic version of estrogen may provide all of the bone-preserving benefits of the hormone without any harmful effects on the reproductive system, new research has found. Treatment with the substance, called estren, increased bone density and bone strength in female mice deprived of estrogen by removal of their ovaries. It was also effective in male rodents lacking testosterone, according to HealthScout News. Better yet, the compound seems to be invisible to cells in the uterus and breast, where estrogen is known to trigger cancers. The value of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), often prescribed to combat osteoporosis, has been called into question over recent discoveries that its benefits may outweigh its risks. Estren isn't a hormone, but its molecular structure is close enough to estrogen's that it fits cellular receptors specific to the sex steroid, says study leader Dr. Stavros Manolagas, director of the Center for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases in Little Rock, Ark.

10/22/02
Johns Hopkins Plans Bioterror Network for Doctors
(United Press International) Johns Hopkins University is establishing an electronic network to deliver rapid treatment information to doctors in the event of a bioterrorism attack. The privately funded Clinician's Biodefense Network will provide physicians and other health care workers with information about recognizing and treating agents like smallpox, anthrax and botulism, reports United Press International. Many doctors found it difficult and frustrating to obtain information during last fall's anthrax-by-mail attacks, UPI says.The university hopes to launch the network by year's end with about 1,000 physicians, with the goal of ultimately serving 20,000 subscribers or more, the wire service reports.

10/18/02
Research Finds Clues to Mad Cow Disease
(New Scientist) New clues as to how mad cow disease and its human form, Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, wreak havoc in the brain offer hope that someday there will be a way to manage the currently untreatable disease, New Scientist reports. In people and animals with the diseases, called prion diseases, the prion protein becomes distorted, or "misfolded." But researchers found that enzymes that might naturally destroy the mutated proteins are somehow disabled by the infection. The researchers say that if drugs can be developed to stimulate those attacking enzymes, called proteasome, they could possibly serve as an effective treatment for prion diseases. Such drugs, called proteasome inhibitors, are already in trials as potential treatment for other diseases, including cancer.

10/17/02
Blood Proteins Could Help Diagnose Prostate Cancer
(Journal of the National Cancer Institute) Patterns of a person's blood proteins could help doctors distinguish between prostate cancer and benign prostate disease, government scientists report in this week's Journal of the National Cancer Institute. NCI researchers and those with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration devised a 30-minute test to analyze the patterns of small blood proteins. They say the technique proved effective in men with normal, high, and only slightly elevated levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA). Among the latter group, it has been traditionally difficult to rule out prostate cancer without a biopsy. PSA levels are commonly used as a preliminary screen for prostate cancer, but as many as 75 percent of men who have a biopsy because of an abnormal PSA level wind up not having cancer, the researchers say. So far, they add, the new test is proving much more accurate in diagnosing actual cases of cancer. Of 38 cases of prostate cancer, the researchers say they used the test to correctly identify 36 of those cases (95 percent). And of 228 cases of benign disease, 177 cases (78 percent) were correctly identified.

10/11/02
Gene Variants Linked to Congestive Heart Failure
(NE Journal of Medicine) People who inherit a combination of two variant genes are 10 times more likely to suffer congestive heart failure, according to research published in today's New England Journal of Medicine. Some 5 million Americans suffer from the condition, and it's a leading cause of death. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati compared 159 patients with congestive heart failure to 189 people who didn't have the disease. A variant in the first gene causes a five-fold increase in a person's chances of getting congestive heart failure. An abnormal second gene causes no problems by itself, but when combined with the first variant gene, it leads to a 10-fold increase, reports The New York Times. African-Americans are more likely than whites to have the two variant genes by a 17 percent to 2 percent margin, the researchers say.

10/08/02
Modified Plants Mop Up Arsenic
(UPI) A genetically modified plant can live in soil rich in arsenic and actually absorb the toxic substance in its leaves and stems, University of Georgia scientists say. Within the next five years, the plant could be used to help clean up arsenic-laden waste sites, reports United Press International. Once the plants have done their thing, they would have to be harvested, burned and have their toxic meals extracted in the process. The modified plants are flowering Arabidopsis, from the mustard family. Arsenic contamination is said to be a worldwide problem, notably in countries like India and Bangladesh, UPI reports. Lead researcher Richard Meagher, reporting in the journal Nature Biotechnology, says arsenic soil levels often reach 400 parts per million in some parts of India, at least 100 times more than is found in normal soil, the wire service says.

10/08/02
Breast cancer gene offers new hope
(USA Today) Scientists have discovered a breast cancer gene that could open a new avenue for treating a disease diagnosed in 190,000 American women every year. Normally, the DBC2 -- for ''deleted in breast cancer'' -- gene suppresses tumors. But when DBC2 is altered or missing, the brakes on uncontrolled cell growth lift. Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York and the University of Washington-Seattle found that DBC2 was altered or missing in 60% of 200 breast tumors studied. The tumors came from women with sporadic cancer, the form that does not come from an inherited predisposition to the disease. Sporadic cancer represents more than 90% of all cases. The scientists also found DBC2 to be altered or missing in about half the lung cancer specimens they studied. ''This may be relevant to other cancers as well,'' says lead author Masaaki Hamaguchi, an assistant professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

10/08/02
U.S. scientists win Nobel for research linking genes, cells
(USA Today) Research that focused on a humble soil worm to unearth the role genes play in human development and disease has earned three molecular biologists the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Announced Monday by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden's Karolinska Institute, the award goes to Sydney Brenner of the Molecular Sciences Institute in Berkeley, Calif., H. Robert Horvitz of MIT and John E. Sulston of England's Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. They will share the $1 million prize to be awarded at a December ceremony.

10/04/02
Side Effect Halts Research on 'Bubble Boy' Gene Therapy
(Associated Press) Research on a groundbreaking gene therapy that has offered hope of a cure for a rare immune disorder dubbed "bubble boy disease" has been suspended due to concerns about a possibly serious side effect. The concerns arose when a French toddler who was receiving the gene therapy, known as severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID, developed a leukemia-like side effect, reports the Associated Press.
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9/12/02
Researchers Create 'Biological Pacemaker' in Guinea Pigs
(Associated Press) By inserting a gene into the hearts of guinea pigs, researchers say they've taken the first steps in creating a "biological pacemaker" that could initiate the muscle's beat and regulate its rate and rhythm. The human heart normally contains a number of specialized "pacemaker cells" that accomplish those tasks, but those cells can malfunction with old age or disease, prompting the need for mechanical pacemakers.
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8/23/02
4 Pigs Cloned With Gene Humans Reject
(Associated Press) The possibility of pigs providing essential organs to humans came one step closer to reality today with the announcement of the cloning of four piglets that lack the genes make the human immune system reject pig tissue. The announcement came from PPL Therapeutics PLC, known for also playing a role in the cloning of Dolly the sheep. The pigs were born in Blacksburg, Va., at the company's U.S. subsidiary.
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8/22/02
Report Advises Tougher Monitoring of Biotech Products
(HealthScoutNews) Government agencies that monitor biotechnology need to take greater steps to define their responsibilities and reinforce guidelines on the controversial industry, says a new report. The report, commissioned by the FDA, was written by a group of scientists with the National Research Council. The committee concluded that foods from cloned animals are likely safe, but that products from genetically altered animals may pose a risk and that stronger federal oversight is needed for such animal biotechnology, reports the Associated Press.

8/14/02
Drug Could Prevent Hearing Loss After Rock Concerts
(Health Media Ltd) A pill that may help prevent hearing loss resulting from exposure to loud noise is to undergo clinical trials in the US following successful tests on animals. The medication is designed to slow the deterioration of the inner ear's "hair cells", which convert sounds into brain signals. American Biohealth has been licensed to develop the drug, created by military scientists, for use in humans. The company's chairman, David Karlman, says, "The data suggest you could take it before going into battle, or into a rock concert. We have reams of data which shows that this approach works."

8/7/02
Stem Cells Grown on Human Muscle: Study
(Nature Biotechnology) Scientists say they have made a breakthrough in stem cell research by growing human stem cells on human muscle and tissue, rather than in lab dishes using mouse cells, as is more common. The Singapore researchers, with ES Cell International, say the development could speed up progress on human clinical tests involving stem cell therapies because the use of mouse cells requires extensive, time-consuming requirements by the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that no animal diseases are transmitted to people, reports the Associated Press.
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7/29/02
Enzyme Works as 'Tool Kit' to Repair Gene Damage: Study
(Science Journal) Mutated genes can be the culprits behind diseases ranging from cancer and cystic fibrosis to hemophilia, but British researchers say they've identified a natural enzyme that appears to correct such mutations. Laboratory tests show that mice that lack the enzyme, called MBD4, are as much as three times more likely to have gene mutations, reports the BBC.
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7/18/02
Drug-Resistant Gene Found in Malaria Parasite
(AP) Malaria may be caused by a parasite that is not only older but more drug-resistant than previously thought, according to two new studies. In mapping sections of the parasite's DNA, researchers with the National Institutes of Health say they found that instead of dating back just 3,000 to 5,000 years, which had been believed, the parasite may date back as far as 100,000 to 180,000 years, reports the Associated Press.
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7/17/02
Evaluating Gene Activity Can Help Guide Cancer Treatment: Study
(AP) Analyzing the activity of certain genes in the early stages of lung cancer may provide important clues as to which cases may be more deadly and which treatments may be most effective, according to a new study. Researchers with the University of Michigan say that in looking at the lung tissues of lung cancer patients and comparing the gene profiles with the long-term outcome of the patients, they were able to see that the activity or inactivity of about 50 genes correlated with which patients were most likely to have relapses of the cancer.
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7/10/02
Largest Ever AIDS Vaccine Trial Set for Thailand
(CNN) The United States and Thailand are teaming up to conduct the largest trial of an AIDS vaccine to date, reports CNN. Dubbed the "Thai Vaccine Trial," the $36 million, five-year study will involve about 16,000 HIV-negative volunteers and will be conducted in Thailand. The trial is being co-sponsored by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Thai Ministry of Public Health. Half of the study's participants will reportedly receive a series of three primer shots and two booster shots over the course of six months, and the other half will receive placebos.
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7/08/02
U.S. Quietly OKs Fetal Stem Cell Work
(Chicago Tribune) The Bush administration has approved the first federally funded project using stem cells obtained from fetuses aborted up to eight weeks after conception, expanding the scientific promise of stem cell research and complicating the ethics debate that surrounds it.
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6/26/02
Skin Cholesterol Test Gets FDA OK
(AP) The Food and Drug Administration has approved a skin test that detects a person's cholesterol level through the palm of the hand. Yesterday's action, however, only allows the "Cholesterol 1,2,3" test to be used for people with severe heart disease or a history of heart attack, reports the Associated Press. The rest of the population will still have to rely on the standard blood-cholesterol test.
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6/24/02
Staph Protein May Be Useful Anti-Inflammatory Model: Study
(Nature Medicine) A protein that causes some infections to fester by blocking protective types of inflammation may hold a key to preventing other kinds of unwelcome inflammation related to arthritis and other diseases. In a study appearing in the latest online edition of the journal Nature Medicine, a team of German researchers explain that a protein found in the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, which is behind staph infections, reduces the normal inflammatory response that is necessary in fighting off the infection. If the action of the protein could be mimicked, say the researchers, it could very possibly serve as the basis for new anti-inflammatory drugs.

6/17/02
Starch-Blocker Pill Could Thwart Diabetes
(The Lancet) People who may be prone to getting diabetes could benefit from a pill that blocks the digestion of starch, according to a study published this week in The Lancet. Pre-diabetes, which doctors refer to as impaired glucose tolerance, affects some 16 million Americans, half of whom are expected to develop full-blown diabetes within a decade. The drug tested in the study, acarbose, cut participants' chances of progressing to diabetes by 25 percent, the journal report says.
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6/14/02
Genes Turn Intestinal Bacteria into Nasty Germs
(Nature) A cluster of rogue genes is responsible for turning normally benign intestinal bacteria into nasty infectious germs, University of Oklahoma researchers report in today's issue of the journal Nature. The bacteria, Enterococcus faecalis, is blamed for causing outbreaks at two Midwest hospitals in the 1980s, reports the Associated Press. Both were resistant to several types of antibiotics.
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6/10/02
Breakthrough Skin Cancer Gene Defect Identified
(Nature) British scientists say they have identified a previously unknown gene mutation in about 70 percent of malignant skin cancer cases. The finding could lead to an effective treatment for malignant melanoma. The breakthrough finding, reported in today's issue of the journal Nature, is especially exciting, say the researchers, because the mutation closely resembles another gene defect that has been linked to leukemia.
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6/07/02
Anorexic Family Suggests Genes Are To Blame
(U.S. News and World Report) New research suggests that the 5 million to 10 million Americans - mostly women - who suffer from eating disorders may have their genes to blame. An article in U.S. News and World Report this week suggests that the cause of eating disorders may be passed down in families, a theory that opens up worlds of possibility for treatment and personal healing. ABCNEWS' Dr. Tim Johnson says current research indicates that people who have a family member with an eating disorder are more likely to develop one themselves.

6/06/02
Overactive Gene Linked to Testicular Cancer
(Oncogene) Men who inherit an overactive gene known as "hiwi" may be at greater risk of contracting the most common type of testicular cancer, according to a Duke University study reported by BBC News Online. Dr. Haifan Lin, who discovered the gene in 1997, says 12 of 19 men with seminoma tumors studied had hiwi genes that were up to 16 times more active than normal.
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6/05/02
Russians Develop Insect-Resistant Potatoes
(AP) Russian scientists say they have developed varieties of potatoes that pesky insects won't want to get near. The three varieties of bioengineered potatoes were created with technology from the St. Louis-based Monsanto, a prominent biotechnology company, reports the Associated Press. The team-up makes sense, since it was food aid shipments from the U.S. that introduced the notorious Colorado beetle into Russia's potato crops after World War II.
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6/04/02
Therapeutic Cloning Takes Step Forward
The Massachusetts company that created controversy last fall over its efforts to clone a human embryo has more big news, reports HealthScout News. They have used cloning to create heart "patches" and miniature kidneys, and then transplanted those back into the donor animals. In the process, they say, the researchers have shown that therapeutic cloning can be performed without the fear of organ and tissue rejection.
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6/03/02
RNA May Halt HIV by Silencing Genes: Research
(AP) Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they've developed a form of RNA that turns off the genes that allow HIV to enter and infect cells, hence offering hope of stopping the deadly virus in its tracks, reports the Associated Press. The RNA, or ribonucleic acid, specifically targets the genes that are behind the production of proteins that the virus uses to make its way into the body. The research, published in today's online edition of the journal Nature, is in its early stages, and the researchers say big challenges still lie ahead in making sure the RNA wouldn't have side effects or interfere with other biological processes in humans.
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5/29/02
Extinct Tasmanian Tigers Targeted for Cloning Plan
(AP) The tantalizing possibilities of cloning have yet another team of optimistic scientists panting with excitement -- this time with the lofty goal of reviving the extinct Tasmanian tiger. Researchers in Australia announced today that they have already taken the first steps in the admittedly daunting task of cloning the animal by replicating DNA from preserved specimens, reports the Associated Press. Before taking the crucial step of injecting genetic material from the tiger into the egg of a similar animal, such as a Tasmanian devil, the scientists face the challenge of reconstructing the Tasmanian tiger's genome.
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5/28/02
Clone Deaths Linked to Faulty Chromosome
Researchers studying cloned cows say they may have found a genetic explanation for why few cloned animals survive beyond fetuses or newborns. In a study published in the latest online edition of the journal Nature Genetics, researchers with the University of Connecticut say the problem may have to do with the X chromosome. Naturally produced female embryos receive two X chromosomes, and one is later inactivated to match the male configuration of one X and one Y chromosome. But in cloned embryos, say the researchers, one of the X chromosomes is already inactive. Therefore, the chromosome and its hundreds of genes must be reprogrammed to be active, only to later be activated again.
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5/17/02
Kentucky Doc: I'm Close to Cloning a Human
A Kentucky physician expects to use a cloned embryo to impregnate a woman by the end of the year, he tells Congress. "This genie is out of the bottle and it keeps getting bigger by the hour," Dr. Panayiotis Zavos testified yesterday before a House Government Reform subcommittee hearing. "There is no way that this genie is going back into the bottle. Let us find ways to develop it properly and disseminate it safely," he said. Zavos expects the pregnancy to happen at one of two clinics he runs at undisclosed locations outside the United States. He says 12 couples have been identified as potential candidates, adding that some are American.
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5/14/02
Rats Give Cancer the Raspberry
Researchers may have happened on a natural way to combat cancer: black raspberries. In a study done at Ohio State University in Columbus, the berries were found to have a potent effect against colon cancer in animals. "We found that if we added black raspberries to the diet of rats after we had treated them with a carcinogen, the berries prevented precancerous changes from going on into malignancies," says Gary Stoner, professor and chair of environmental health sciences at the School of Public Health at Ohio State. "We had about an 80 percent reduction in the number of malignant tumors in the colon and also a reduction in tumor size." The results were published in a recent issue of Nutrition and Cancer.

5/08/02
Study: Pesticides in Some Organic Food
Think organic fruits and vegetables are free of pesticides? Think again. Almost one-fourth of the organic produce in grocery stores could contain traces of pesticides, including long-banned chemicals like DDT, scientists say. A Consumers Union-led study of government-collected data found pesticide residue on 23 percent of organic fruits and vegetables and on nearly 75 percent of conventionally grown produce. The findings don't mean that any of the produce is unsafe. The residues are seldom even close to the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
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5/07/02
Antibiotic Shows Promise for Lou Gehrig's Disease
A common antibiotic that already is showing promise in treating Huntington's disease is now being looked at as a possible means of slowing the similar nerve-degenerating condition known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Researchers say the antibiotic, minocycline, delayed the onset of Lou Gehrig's disease in mice and extended their lives by more than 10 days. The research was published in the current issue of the journal Nature.
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4/16/02
Bacteria Appear to Send Message To Each Other, Study Finds
Drug-resistant bacteria may learn to fight antibiotics by sending warning signals to each other, BBC News Online reports of a British study published in the journal New Scientist. Bacteria appear to send signals through the air that their colonies are in imminent danger, report scientists Richard Heal and Alan Parsons of the British Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. In an experiment using E. coli, the researchers noticed that if two compartments in a Petri dish weren't completely sealed from each other, the bacteria in one side of the dish seemed to alert the other side of an impending "attack."
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4/12/02
Genetic Improvements May Mean Tastier Tomatoes
Scientists say they've uncovered a tomato-ripening gene that could not only someday spell the end of the stiff, tasteless tomatoes that typically fill American grocery shelves, but could also improve the quality of strawberries, melons, bananas and other produce. Since farm-grown tomatoes have to be plucked from the vine before they're ripe or have developed flavor, farmers have to treat them with ethylene gas, a natural ripening agent found in fruit.
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4/12/02
Dolly's Creators to Request Human Embryo Licence
The people who created the world's first cloned sheep plan to ask for permission to experiment on human embryos, the Associated Press reports. Dolly's creators at the Roslin Institute in Scotland say they'll ask the British government's fertility authority for a permit to investigate the harvesting of human stem cells from embryos. The harvesting of these cells, which involves destroying the embryos, could eventually lead to treatments for diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimers, experts believe.
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4/09/02
Drug Can Help Diagnose Pancreatic Problems
The U.S. government has given the go-ahead for use of the first-ever synthetic drug that can diagnose problems with the pancreas, reports HealthScout News. SecreFlo®, which replicates the hormone secretin, can be injected to help doctors determine what sort of pancreatic problems there may be -- from bad digestion to cancer.
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4/08/02
Protein May Stimulate Bone Growth
Research is underway to determine whether a protein that stimulates bone growth could someday be used as an alternative to painful bone-grafting surgery that can often result in complications. Working with grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, researchers at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University are studying the protein known as Runx, or core building factor A, reports the Associated Press.
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4/03/02
Genetic Factors for Osteoarthritis Identified
Boston University researchers say they've identified genetic abnormalities that may increase a person's risk of developing osteoarthritis. As reported in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, scientists from BU's School of Public Health examined DNA material from 793 older parents and 684 of their middle-age children. The researchers say they found eight areas in a person's genetic makeup that indicate an inherited risk for osteoarthritis.
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4/03/02
FFDA Scrambles Biotech Egg Vaccine Plans
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has quashed an Ohio firm's efforts to market antibody-laced chicken eggs as a way to stave off dangerous diseases, reports the Associated Press. Richwood, Ohio-based OvImmune Inc. allegedly told its Web site visitors that its "magic bullet" eggs contained antibodies for diseases like AIDS, pneumonia and cancer. The FDA has told a federal grand jury looking into the company that if the products had any medicinal effect at all, they would be classified as unapproved drugs.

3/25/02
Rubbing In Lotion May Help Rub Out Menopause Symptoms
When it comes to menopause, many women say, "Don't rub it in." But researchers say rubbing in an experimental estrogen lotion may be just the trick in alleviating the symptoms of menopause. In research presented Friday at the Society for Gynecologic Investigation in Los Angeles, scientists said a preliminary study of 200 women showed an 85 percent reduction of symptoms such as hot flashes during a 16-week trial of the drug Estrasorb.
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3/18/02
Funeral Homes Offering DNA Storage
Looking up your family's genealogy may be literally a genetic affair. Programs are being offered by an increasing number of funeral homes to store the DNA of deceased loved ones. When families request the service, the funeral homes take DNA samples such as a strand of hair or oral swab and have them sent for DNA analysis, reports the Associated Press. The availability of a DNA sample could not only help future generations know whether they are prone to any number of diseases, but also genetic material could be used for gene therapy in which a person's existing, defective gene could be replaced with a better one.
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3/15/02
Blood Pressure Drugs Double as Bodybuilders
The ACE inhibitor drugs prescribed for high blood pressure and congestive heart failure have muscle-building powers that could help prevent disability in older people, reports HealthScout News. That's according to new research, which looked at 641 women whose average age was 79. Those who took ACE inhibitors during the three-year study had a significantly lower loss of muscle mass and physical function than those who didn't, says a report in the March 16 issue of The Lancet.
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3/12/02
'Master' Epilepsy Gene Identified, Australian Researchers Say
A "master" gene that controls how, where and when other brain genes function has been identified by a team of Australian researchers, BBC News Online reports. The gene is linked to epilepsy and several "non-specific" child learning disorders, say the scientists at Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide.
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3/11/02
Saliva Substance May Fight Infections: Research
Preliminary findings show that an infection-fighting substance found in saliva may help scientists develop drugs to treat a number of diseases, reports the BBC. Because the chemical has so far been shown to destroy such fungal agents as candidiasis, cryptococcosis and aspergillosis, which are a threat to people with compromised immune systems, the findings are particularly promising for the treatment of such diseases as HIV (news - web sites) and cystic fibrosis.
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3/07/02
A Couch Potato's Fantasy: Fighting Flab Without Exercise
British pharmaceutical companies are working on an anti-obesity drug that they say would trick a couch potato's body into thinking it was exercising, BBC News Online reports. The report says the drug would stimulate the body's muscles into burning off fats and sugars before they are stored in fat cells. The process, called activated protein kinase (AMPK), was discovered by Prof. Grahame Hardie at Dundee University during the mid-1980s, BBC News says. Designed to prevent obesity and diabetes, the process is usually triggered by exercise, according to the report.
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3/04/02
Archeologists Call Old West DNA Research a 'Breakthrough'
Archeologists trying to get at the true story behind many a wild, wild West legend are hoping a small syringe may hold some answers. Researchers with Portland State University and the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office say the morphine-laced syringe and six needles offer evidence that either an opium den or perhaps a doctor's office for prostitutes and their customers was at a site in the famed 19th century Nevada mining town, Virginia City.
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3/01/02
Cloning Questioned on Report of Obese Cloned Mice
The prevalence of obesity in cloned mice has researchers questioning just how effective the cloning process can be for research on animals or humans. A new report, published in tomorrow's issue of the journal Nature, describes a group of cloned mice that, upon reaching adulthood, showed excessive percentages of body fat and increased levels of insulin and an appetite-suppressing hormone called leptin in their blood, reports the Associated Press.
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2/28/02
Rapid Aging May Have Genetic Link
A faulty gene that's already been linked to Alzheimer's disease and heart problems may also cause some people to age more rapidly, Duke University researchers say. The faulty version of the apolipoprotein gene, known as APOE4, is carried by about a quarter of the population. It could explain why some seniors who don't have Alzheimer's develop dementia and experience a rapid decline in physical health, the researchers say, presenting their findings at a gathering of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry in Orlando, Fla.
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2/28/02
Adult Brain Makes New Cells That Work
Not only do new nerve cells grow in the adult brain, but they also appear to develop function as well as form, reports HealthScout News. Using adult mice, scientists at the Salk Institute in California have shown that nerve cells born in a region of the brain linked to memory formation go through a gradual process of maturation and develop the functional characteristics of adult brain cells.
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2/28/02
Simple Blood Test Could Predict Risk of Heart Disease
A simple blood test that tells you if you're at risk for heart disease may well be the wave of the future, HealthScout News reports. Researchers from the University of California at San Diego have found that when proinsulin levels rise, so does the risk of heart disease for both men and women. The good news is a blood test is all that's needed to make the determination.
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