Hwang Woo Suk

ALSO NOTED: New stem cell therapy for infertility in the lab; Genetic link to neuroblastoma found; New target in breast cancer;

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Stem Cell Research

Scientists will be able to grow human eggs and sperm from stem cells in five to 15 years, offering a radical new method for treating infertility. Report

New research at Cardiff University identifies a type of stem cell that can be used to create therapeutic quantities of chondrocytes in large enough quantities to treat osteoarthritis. Report

German lawmakers have loosened restrictions on embryonic stem cell research in the country, expanding the stem cells that can be imported for research purposes. Story

Cell Targeting says it plans to use part of a new $1 million investment from Toucan Capital to hire a CEO and commercialize its technology, which places peptides on the surface of stem cells to get them to dock on specific tissue types. Report

New insights into the ways stem cells differentiate into heart muscle tissue could help shed new light on ways to repair the damage from heart attacks. Story

The MS Scientific Research Foundation has been funding a stem cell trial aimed at curing people of MS. A massive dose of chemotherapy is used to destroy the body's immune system, and patients are then given stem cell transplants to rebuild a new immune system. Article

Cryo-Cell International today announced results of a study published this month in Cell Transplantation showing that stem cells found in menstrual blood proliferate rapidly and have significant potential to develop into multiple cell types. Release

The Health Ministry in South Korea will wait until August to decide on disgraced cloning scientist Hwang Woo-suk's request to resume human stem cell research. Hwang Woo-suk is on trial on fraud and embezzlement charges. Report

Genetics

Higher levels of the ODC1 gene has been linked with poorer outcomes in neuroblastoma, a common and often lethal cancer in young children. Release

A new study identifies a gene linked to inherited iron deficiency, opening the way to a new method for treating people with the ailment. Report

Advances in genotyping chip technology are responsible for the swift advance of gene discovery work. Article

Seven common DNA variations increase a person's chances of developing psoriasis. Report

The muscle weakness experienced by some autistic children may be due to a genetic defect. Report

Cancer Research

The Musashi1 (Msi1) gene may prove a key target in breast cancer. A team at Georgetown University Medical Center say that the gene can open two cancer pathways in mammary cells. Report

Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia are inching closer to understanding how common blood pressure medications might help prevent the spread of pancreatic cancer. Release

Michael Wong at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute has shed light on the reason low-molecular-weight heparins block the formation of new blood vessels and prevent tumor growth. Release

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center reported today at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research that combining two targeted therapies overcomes treatment resistance in liver cancer cell lines. Release

And Finally... A small group of scientists say they are no longer willing to accept any money from drug or device manufacturers. Article

Disgraced scientist back at work on cloned embryos

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:01:39 -0400

In what is shaping up as one of the toughest rehab jobs in science, disgraced Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk is logging long hours in his new lab. Hwang was accused of one of the biggest frauds in scientific history when he claimed in 2005 to have cloned human embryos and developed embryonic stem cells from them. Hwang apologized for the scam but insisted that he should be allowed to go on with his work. He appears to be doing just that, after he and 30 loyal researchers made the switch from the university to a private lab outside of Seoul. Some experts like Dr. Curt Civin at Johns Hopkins say he just might pull it off--even though his work is likely to get a tremendous amount of scrutiny.

One researcher at the lab says that they have taken stem cells from cloned animal embryos. They believe that they are ready to do the same for human embryos.

- here's the article from The Washington Post

Related Articles:
Magazine retracts discredited paper on embryonic stem cells. Report
Korean scientist faked all evidence of stem cell cloning. Report
S. Korean team to attempt first monkey clone. Report

ALSO NOTED: Stem cell therapy escapes immune system attack; P53 insights;New genetic triggers for disease;

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Stem Cell Research

Geron announced that its embryonic stem cell therapy for spinal cord injuries is not attacked by the immune system, a finding that could lower or eliminate the need for immune-suppressing drugs for patients. Report

In what is seen as an important step toward a cure for Parkinson's, researchers have injected human stem cells into monkeys with the disease. Report

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has handed out $50 million in grant money to fund the development of new laboratory facilities at 17 institutions. Report (.pdf)

Scientists report that normal tissue cells can be reprogrammed to exhibit many of the properties that are characteristic of embryonic stem cells, including the ability to give rise to multiple cell types and contribute to the germline. Release

Lawmakers in New South Wales have voted to lift a ban on human cloning. Report

Dartmouth Professor Ronald M. Green examines the moral questions and the scientific feasibility of deriving hESC lines in ways that avoid destroying living human embryos in a paper published in the June 2007 issue of Nature Reviews Genetics. Report

Disgraced South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk is in Thailand to discuss joining a team of embryonic stem cell researchers. He is currently on trial for criminal fraud. Report

Cancer Research

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory researchers led by Lin He, Xingyue He, and Professor and Howard Hughes Medical Investigator Greg Hannon have identified a family of micro RNAs (miRNAs) that enable a critical tumor suppressor network, called the p53 pathway, to fight cancer growth. Report

Researchers in Milan say they have discovered a stem cell switch that can interfere with the development of malignant brain tumors. Report

Umbilical cord blood transplants may offer blood cancer patients better outcomes than bone marrow transplants, according to an analysis of outcome data performed at the Statistical Center, Center for Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Release

Results from a new study have made it easier for scientists to distinguish between growing blood vessels in healthy tissues and those that are associated with tumors. Release

Mutations in the cell adhesion molecule known as integrin alpha 7 (integrin α7) lead to unchecked tumor cell proliferation and a significantly higher incidence in cancer spread, or metastasis, in several cancer cell lines, report researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Report

More Research

In the largest-ever genetics study of its kind, a team of British scientists has found 24 genetic triggers to seven common diseases. Half of those links are new and should cast new light on drug development efforts. Report

Northwestern University researchers have discovered a drug that slows--and may even halt--the progression of Parkinson's disease. D. James Surmeier at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, and his team of researchers have found that isradipine, a drug widely used for hypertension and stroke, restores stressed-out dopamine neurons to their vigorous younger selves. Release

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have built the largest synthetic gene ever developed, which has helped explain the development of drug-resistant malaria. "Now that we have these genes expressed in a convenient yeast system, we can work to understand the molecular basis of anti-malarial drug resistance, providing insight into how future drugs might be designed to effectively kill the parasite," said Paul Roepe, Ph.D. Release

Researchers at the University of Manchester have identified evidence of several new genes behind the chronic inflammatory disease rheumatoid arthritis, which affects 387,000 people in the UK. Report

In head-to-head trials of two drugs, the one deemed better appears to depend largely on who is funding the study, according to an analysis of nearly 200 statin-drug comparisons carried out between 1999 and 2005. Release

An international research consortium investigating the genetic causes of intestinal inflammatory conditions has identified a new genetic risk factor for coeliac disease. Release

ALSO NOTED: Stem cell therapy threat; Immunization stimulates antibodies to attack tumors;WHO creates genetic "clearinghouse";

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Stem Cell Research

New research indicates that cell death associated with diseases like Parkinson's and ALS could be caused by toxic factors surrounding motor neurons. If the research is confirmed, it could have implications in stem cell research. Therapeutic stem cells could face the same threats that caused the disease in the first place. Report

Results of two studies funded by Project A.L.S. and appearing in today's advance online publication of Nature Neuroscience demonstrate that embryonic stem cells may provide a new tool for studying disease mechanisms and for identifying drugs to slow ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Release

Seoul National University is investigating a journal study by a team of South Korean researchers to determine if they inflated the results of a study involving cloned wolves. This is the same team that was led by disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk. Report

How myoblasts identify other myoblasts and how they cling together had been established, but the way that the cell membranes fuse into one has remained a mystery. Now, a study by Weizmann Institute scientists has shed light on this mystery. Release

Cancer Research

Active immunization can stimulate the body to produce highly efficient IgE antibodies that attack tumors. This breakthrough, achieved in an animal model, is based on the combination of two established experimental methods. Report

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers have found that chaetocin, a by-product of a common wood mold, has promise as a new anti-myeloma agent. Results of their study show the by-product to be more effective than currently used therapies at killing multiple myeloma cells. Release

Preliminary results from a large, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial for patients with primary gastrointestinal stromal tumor, a type of tumor usually found in the stomach or small intestine, showed that patients who received imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) after complete removal of their tumor were significantly less likely to have a recurrence of their cancer compared to those who did not receive imatinib. Release

Studies of human tumor cells implanted in mice have shown that the abnormal activation of four genes drives the spread of breast cancer to the lungs. The new studies by Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers reveal that the aberrant genes work together to promote the growth of primary breast tumors. Cooperation among the four genes also enables cancerous cells to escape into the bloodstream and penetrate through blood vessels into lung tissues. Release

Researchers have developed a new mouse model that can be used in research into one of the deadliest forms of ovarian cancer. Report

Scientists at The Wistar Institute have now developed a novel way to clone an antigen recognized by a helper T cell. The new antigen-cloning approach may allow scientists to design vaccines capable of directly stimulating helper T cells, aiding the development of vaccines not only for cancer but also for infectious diseases. Release

Snake venom toxin 'Vipera lebetina turanica' may be effective in inhibiting the growth of androgen independent prostate cancer, according to a report published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Release

More Research

The World Health Organization is creating an Internet-based "clearinghouse" of genetic information related to a long list of diseases, including malaria and Chagas. Report

A team of U.S. and Canadian researchers has found seven genes linked to a risk for developing Crohn's disease. Four of those genes are new to investigators, offering fresh targets for drug developers. Report

A new technology developed at the University of Toronto is revealing biochemical processes responsible for diseases such as cystic fibrosis and could one day pave the way for pharmaceutical applications. Release

Researchers have found that the number of proteins involved in liver regeneration are fewer than previously believed, making is easier to develop a new method to regenerate a patient's liver. Report

A test of 85 genetic variants believed to indicate a risk for heart disease show that they are not actually useful as biomarkers. Now the researchers say they will investigate 500,000 genetic variations to find the right ones. Report

Stretching a carbon nanotube composite like taffy, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Rochester Institute of Technology have made some of the first measurements of how single-walled carbon nanotubes both scatter and absorb polarized light, a key optical and electronic property. Release

Scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation have uncovered a molecular mechanism that links a gene linked to Alzheimer's to the process of Alzheimer's disease onset. Release

Some mature brain cells can grow new extensions when the amount of three particular proteins on their surface increases, a new study shows. The research examined three related receptor proteins, called GPR3, GPR6 and GPR12, on nerve cells in the brains of rats. Release

The results of a new study suggest that bacteria that cause diseases like bubonic plague and serious gastric illness can turn the genes that make them infectious on or off. Knowing how disease-causing bacteria, like Yersinia pestis and E. coli, do this may one day help scientists create drugs that control the expression of these genes, thereby making the bacteria harmless. The findings appear in the April 13 issue of the journal Molecular Cell. Release

A multi-center team funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute has published in the April 13 issue of the prestigious journal Science the complete sequence for the genome of the rhesus macaque monkey. They concluded that the monkey shares genes that cause diseases in humans, while chimpanzees do not. Release

ALSO NOTED: U.K. to OK egg payments; Avastin study suggests lower doses; Enzyme linked to schizophrenia;

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 19:01:38 -0500

Stem Cell Research

U.K. regulators have decided that women should be paid a small mount plus expenses in exchange for donating their eggs to scientists. The decision is expected to help spur stem cell research. Report

Stem cell transplants that could figure in to new therapies to restore hearing were discussed at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Report

There is an urgent reason to study stem cells: stem cells are at the heart of some, if not all, cancers. Mounting evidence implicates a clutch of rogue stem cells brandishing 'epigenetic' marks as the main culprits in cancer. Wiping out tumors for good, some biologists believe, depends on uprooting these wayward stem cells. Report

Researchers have determined that the microRNA pathway is essential for controlling self-renewal or maintenance of two types of stem cells--germline stem cells and somatic stem cells. Report

A group of researchers including Gert Meijer of the University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands has written an article in PLoS that explores how new bone marrow stem cell therapies could become the preferred method for bone regeneration. Report

Korea plans to invest up to $33 million into stem cell research just this year as government officials seek to put the research field back on track following the Hwang Woo-suk scandal. Release

Cancer Research

Roche announced that a new study shows that Avastin works just as well against lung cancer in low doses as current standard therapy calls for. The results should help lower the cost of therapy. Report

Duke University Medical Center researchers also say that Avastin works against brain cancer as well. Report

Researchers have identified a cell pathway which plays a critical role in the development of colon cancer. This pathway may also play a role in the development of lung and stomach cancers. Investigators say they have identified STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), as a target regulated by PTPRT (Receptor Protein tyrosine phosphatase T), which was previously identified to be mutated in colon, lung and stomach cancer patients. Release

Boston College biologists have identified an alternative, diet-based method of treating brain cancer that does not involve administering toxic chemicals, radiation or invasive surgery. Release

In the past couple of years, researchers at Oncolytics Biotech have been developing a harmless virus as a potent cancer killer, but they have also been accumulating data that suggests in addition to directly killing tumor cells, the reovirus may prime the immune system to mount a separate, powerful and long lasting defense against cancer. Release

At the Institut Curie, Inserm and CNRS researchers have for the first time used two-photon microscopy in real-time in vivo studies to show how T cells infiltrate a solid tumor. Report

Scientists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles say that pertuzumab interrupts a key pathway leading to prostate cancer. Report

More Research News

Gene mutations governing a key brain enzyme make people susceptible to schizophrenia and may be targeted in future treatments for the psychiatric illness, according to MIT and Japanese researchers. Report

Researchers in Australia have developed an inexpensive test for Parkinson's disease that will allow far more people to be diagnosed. Report

An enzyme related to heart cell development also regulates heart cell enlargement. Report

An international consortium of scientists has found two new genetic links to a predisposition to autism. Report

Researchers are studying an experimental vaccine as a possible protection against a birth-defect virus. Report

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine note how difficult it has been to develop a vaccine to guard against avian flu. Report

New research indicates that the brain can be trained to 'see' if it is deprived of visual input during childhood. That research has been propelling new efforts to treat childhood blindness. Report

Investigators at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) have found evidence that continues to implicate insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) in the development of Graves' disease. Release

Mayo Clinic researchers have now shown that a drug that inhibits the function of the protein Hsp90 reduces brain levels in mice of the protein tau, the abnormal accumulation of which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Report

With the U.S. government setting up a national cord blood banking system that competes with private firms, there is a growing level of attention being paid to conserving cord blood for future therapies. Report

Researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn have determined that low levels of a protein in the blood is a predictor of cardiac death in patients with coronary artery disease. Release

Research on one of the most important molecular "machines" in living cells is giving scientists clues to the development of new antibiotics and revealing secrets about how cells use the genetic information encoded in DNA, according to an article scheduled for the Feb. 19 issue of Chemical & Engineering News. Report

Acetazolamide, a drug used to manage fluid retention in heart failure, controlled the serious effects of pulmonary edema, the accumulation of fluid in lung tissue from high altitude, as well as improved brain oxygenation, during a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study. Release

Researchers at the University of Warwick have found a direct connection between a nation's overall happiness and its citizens' blood pressure problems. Sweden, Denmark and the U.K. come at the top of this blood pressure-based happiness league while Germany, Portugal and Finland come in at the bottom. Release

Reactive Protein, widely regarded as a risk factor for hypertension and other forms of cardiovascular disease, plays a direct role in the onset of hypertension, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. Release

University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio have had success in early trials to discover a vaccine that will prevent chlamydia--the most common bacteria-related STD in the United States. Release

Researcher promises cloned embryonic stem cells

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 19:01:39 -0500

A top South Korean scientist on the verge of opening a new laboratory in Seoul says he is six months away from creating cloned embryonic stem cells. Professor Park Se-pill at Cheju National University said a team of researchers was preparing to start work in the field, which has been overshadowed by an earlier research hoax involving cloned stem cells by Hwang Woo-suk. Researchers are adamant that patient-specific stem cells offer one of the brightest therapeutic hopes for many people with severe diseases. Cloning the embryonic stem cells can create a perfect match for patients with diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer's.

- read the report on stem cell research from The Korea Times

ALSO: The hype around cloned embryonic stem cell research is obscuring important work in the field that may prove far more effective in treating diseases, according to Professor Austin Smith of the University of Cambridge. Working with stem cells drawn from IVF embryos and adult tissue has received far less attention, says Professor Smith, but may likely offer a much more direct route to new therapies. Report

Related Article:
Magazine retracts discredited paper on embryonic stem cells. Report
Scientists tout adult stem cell study results. Report
Researchers encounter stem cell success, setback. Report

S. Korean team to attempt first monkey clone

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 19:01:39 -0500

A research team led by Chang Kyu-tae of the Korea National Primate Research Center is planning to attempt the world's first cloning of a monkey. The scientist says that cloning a monkey would enable researchers to gain a better physiological match to humans, allowing for improved preclinical tests of new therapies. They're now working to harvest eggs for the cloning work. The research teams hopes to be able to report a successful cloning in 2008.

- check out the UPI report on the cloning project

ALSO: Lee Byeong-chun of Seoul University claims to have cloned the first female dog last summer. But his previous collaboration with disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk created some skepticism about the research. Report

Related Article:
Mature stem cells prove effective in cloning. Report

Journal gets advice on preventing research fraud

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:01:39 -0500

Confronted by the embarrassing scandal surrounding the fraudulent Korean stem cell study a year ago, Science magazine has been advised to adopt new methods to scrutinize research findings. "No realistic set of procedures can be completely immune to deliberate fraud," said an independent committee studying the issue. But the committee went on to recommend that Science, as well as other journals, institute a risk assessment policy for studies that raise their concerns. Editors at Science noted that an international team of researchers involved in the work had complicated their review of Hwang Woo-Suk's cloning project, noting that some of the material had to be translated twice. And they added that even with added scrutiny, there can be no guarantees against fraud.

- here's the report on the committee's work from Newsday

Related Articles:
Magazine retracts discredited paper on embryonic stem cells. Report
Korean scientist faked all evidence of stem cell cloning. Report
Korea blueprints $14.3B biotech investment plan. Report

Editor's Corner

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:01:38 -0500

No guarantees against fraud
You have to sympathize with the editors at Science magazine (see the story below). They were the unwitting victims of research fraud, agreeing to publish the scandalously fictionalized cloning work of Hwang Woo-Suk. At the time, of course, it was the stuff of worldwide headlines. But it proved to be too good to be true--for now. Ultimately, when a world-renowned scientist opts to make up study results, there really isn't a fail-safe fact-checking process that any journal can implement without completely disrupting their production schedule.

This wasn't the work of some obscure scientist with a suspicious background. The peer-review process was handled appropriately and the magazine has done an outstanding overall job in screening what it publishes. The fallout from this incident has terminated the scientist's credibility. That's appropriate. Let's encourage all the journals to take a more skeptical approach when new findings are particularly sensational. But in an age that sees a lot of jaw-dropping science every week, we also need to understand that occasionally some fraudulent studies will get through. The harsh retribution faced by rogue scientists is the most effective deterrent against future fraud. - John Carroll

ALSO NOTED: New discovery in metastasis;China to emerge as research leader;

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 20:01:38 -0400

More Research

The protein p120 catenin plays a key role not only as in the "glue" that holds cells together but as a catalyst in breaking them up as tumors metastasize, say researchers at the Mayo Clinic. And they believe that their discovery maps the way to a new designer drug that can help prevent cancer. The team focused on the early stages of metastasis. Researchers have noted that the p120 catenin protein seems mysteriously two-faced: While it normally strengthens cell-cell bonding, in some cases it can also negatively affect cell adhesion. They also have found that over-production of p120 increases a cell's ability to move. But the significance of these observations had eluded scientists. Release

A new target for cancer therapy has been identified by Monash University scientists investigating the cell signaling pathways that turn on a gene involved in cancer development. A team led by Associate Professor Jun-Ping Liu, from the Department of Immunology, has identified two proteins that are involved in stopping the gene from producing a protein called telomerase that is essential if cancer cells are to proliferate. Telomerase plays a key role in controlling the life span of cells by modifying structures called telomeres that are found at the end of chromosomes. Release

China has only made small inroads into the drug development world, but a host of outfits believe that China will eventually develop a major research industry that will devote itself to developing new therapies. Article

A researcher who worked with Korea's disgraced stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-Suk says he was repeatedly able to fabricate research without attracting Hwang's attention. Report

Researchers at the Burnham Institute studying histone deacetylase inhibitors found that they could counter muscle weakness and fiber deterioration associated with muscular dystrophy in two different mouse models. Deacetylase inhibitor Trichostatin A, currently being studied as a therapy for breast cancer, restored skeletal muscle mass and prevented the impaired function normally linked to MD. Report

A group of Parkinson's disease researchers concluded there are no observable differences between those who have two copies of the most common mutation of the recently discovered LRRK2 gene and those who have only one copy. Their study will be published in the September edition of the Archives of Neurology. Release

Research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ties low levels of a hormone secreted by the uterus and embryos to problems with pregnancy and fetal development. The findings also suggest that the hormone, adrenomedullin, plays a key role in maternal susceptibility to pre-eclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication that occurs in the third trimester. Pre-eclampsia affects roughly one in 15 pregnant women and is the leading cause of death among expectant mothers. Release

Researchers from IDIBAPS, the Universitat de Barcelona and Queensland University in Australia have released their conclusions regarding the importance of caveolin-1 in liver regeneration. Without this protein, they say, liver regeneration does not occur. Release

A study undertaken at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine has concluded that the moderate consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon may help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's. Report

Curcumin, the active ingredient in the curry spice turmeric, has demonstrated an ability to block a gastrointestinal hormone that is linked to colorectal cancer, according to scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Curcumin has long been a mainstay in Indian traditional medicine. Release

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center believe they've found a mutation that shutters an important protein transport pathway that caused deformities in zebrafish. In humans, the mutation could cause craniofacial deformities. Their work is detailed in the September 17 online issue of Nature Genetics. Report

Physiologic Communications, a biotech company founded by University of Rochester Medical Center cardiologist Spencer Rosero, M.D., is developing implantable biosensors--integrating living cells with electronics--to create a "biological chip." When implanted, this chip can detect physiologic and chemical changes in the body, alerting physicians to the onset of disease. The company says that the first use of the chip may be in testing new therapies. Release

Lymphatic filariasis, a mosquito-borne tropical disease that afflicts 120 million people worldwide, can cause debilitating swelling of the legs and genital areas. According to a new study published in the open access journal PLoS Pathogens, these pathologies can be treated with doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic. Release

Researchers at the Warwick Medical School have uncovered some of the secrets of what can interfere with the protecting properties of Nitric Oxide for pregnant women. NO--a common pollutant--is also a critical compound required by pregnant women to avoid hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Release

Tools & Technology

Pfizer is using new data mining tools to better understand how to design clinical trials and discover new uses for drugs. Article

Oxford Instruments' new MQC benchtop NMR analyser has received an Instrument Business Outlook Industrial Design Award for innovation and distinction in analytical and life science instrumentation. Release

Bionas GmbH has launched a device for in vitro profiling of the metabolic activity of cells to understand cellular function. The Bionas 2500 is a bench-top instrument that measures multiple metabolic parameters simultaneously, such as acidification, oxygen consumption and adhesion of living cells for high quality and predictive safety pharmacological studies during preclinical phases of drug discovery. Release

TTP LabTech has initiated the second generation of high content screening systems with the launch of the triple laser Acumen eX3 microplate cytometer. Release

Deals & Dollars

A scientific consortium led by the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill will receive a $21.3 million grant to research new drugs for African sleeping sickness (Trypanosomiasis) and Leishmania. Release

The National Center for Research Resources, a part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced it will grant $117.3 million to fund four new and seven continuing Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence. The awards support multidisciplinary centers that strengthen institutional biomedical research capability and enhance research infrastructure. COBREs are a component of the Institutional Development Award program, designed to improve the competitiveness of investigators in historically under-funded states. Release