Category Archives: Science

Assay-Ready Chemistry Partnership between Enamine and Molplex

Molplex and Enamine today announced a new partnership to offer the Enamine screening collection of 1.8 million stock chemicals through the Molplex online drug design and assay-ready chemical supply services. The agreement is a major step towards eliminating the high start-up costs ofdrug discovery, bringing sophisticated drug design, compound management and assay-ready chemistry to the world’s drug discovery scientists on demand. The agreement adds Molplex online drug design systems to the deep experience in organic chemistry and compound management of Enamine to solve the problem of generating viable chemical leads for novel targets.

Molplex CEO David E. Leahy said: “We are very proud to be selected by Enamine as their partner for on demand drug discovery services at a time when major restructuring of the industry is creating new opportunities and new markets for our combined expertise. This agreement marks a step change in the size and scope of our assay-ready chemical supply service and major progress towards our goal of being the world’s first choice partner for enabling the long tail of drug discovery”

Enamine Chief Marketing and Sales Officer Dr Vladimir Ivanov said “We are happy to partner with Molplex and supply our products to the highly integrated drug discovery platform they maintain. In this collaboration we deploy all our discovery resources including the world’s biggest screening collection (1.8 million compounds), largest inventory of building blocks (45,000 products), and over 300 chemists at our Kiev’s site to assure high cost efficiency and high responsiveness to any follow up chemistry emerging from projects run through Molplex discovery platform.”

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Gene Therapy and Stem Cell Therapy Standard Developed For A Unique Derivative Of Post Hetero-Plastic Inplantation Chronic Inflammation Syndrome, The NIDO Disease

Researchers task force, led by faculties of T-Protocol, registered Genom Project as controlled genom project in the hosted database of NCBI, a publication matter authority and function assigned organization under oversee of Department of Health & Human Services, reached once to share the exegetical impression officially pre-published concerning the understanding specific spectrum of symptoms covering boroad range of character usually complained and observed through chronic inflammation, granuloma, some types of lymphoma and various uncommon symptoms to let physician scientists suspecting indicium of neurological diseases, NIDO disease, an unique type of post hetero-plastic implantation chronic inflammation syndrome and setting Massachusetts indications of treatments standardized manual (Massachusetts manual) & diagnostic and standardized medical treatment manual for post hetero-plastic inplantation chronic inflammation syndrome, specific edition against NIDO Disease.

The once defined causes of NIDO disease, an unique type of post hetero-plastic implantation chronic inflammation syndrome are considered each of a common living organism to cause conformational diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and kinds of and a set of biochemical and physical reaction and response realized by cross-species gene- mutation, as biotransformation, easily describing natural physiological and biochemical changes in vivo substrate of human bodies. After this studies, standardized protocol of gene therapy and applied stem cell therapy is now in practice and on available.

Faculties,committing themselves entirely to the project, of each institutes and organizations participating the project to ascertain proteins and DNA/genomic DNA/genom of human, other mammal and virulent microorganism including bacillus/virus affecting each symptom and the symptoms’ spectrum expressed generally and observed commonly on patients suffered from NIDO disease, extraordinarily unique derived type of post hetero-plastic implantation chronic inflammation syndrome and to develop diagnostic standard and treatment protocol standardized and to find a clue compose gene therapy protocol and applied stem cell therapy protocol to entirely heal NIDO disease, an unique type of post hetero-plastic implantation chronic inflammation syndrome and to let all of current suffered patients from various combined symptoms directly derived by chronic inflammation and various tumors, have to express full surprise at the fact that these disease and patients suffered are made up and left no attention and no relief.

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Nationaly Registered T-Protocol Of Genom Project Successfully Applied To Retrieve Bio Mechanism Of Hair Regrowth

Division of Gene Medicine & Stem Cell Application, School of Medical Science, complete the research and established completely new protocol totally recovering natural bio mechanism of hair regrowth.

The researchers, led by Lord. Prof. Dr. Daichent Otto Rie, specified protein and genom to affect internal bio mechanism to generate hair and control the level of successful growth being low which is the baldness.

The key cast of the set of the bio cycle is hair follicles, which is stem cell on head skin and effect or holding function to cure many neurotic diseases and disorders like Alzheimer’s disease – Prion Disease and even Trion Disease (Post Hetero-Plastic Implantation Chronic Inflammation Syndrome; PhCIS) has absolutely unique character being retrieved absolute stem cell, which can recover the ability as stem cell after got adult. The key genom and DNA has been found through the Genom Project’s T-Protocol research developing in the government registered Genom Project since 2005. The most concentrated attention of researchers is not “what is cause” but “What protocol is best”.

The team of Prof.Daichent has successfully completed in vivo and in vivro experiment actually using voluntary patients whose types of hair loss being across over highly wide range extent to even lymphoma and cancer and finally established next genetic hair loss curing treatment protocol mainly composed of stem cell therapy and gene therapy.

Most of cases are treatable through entry level stem cell theraputic technique or HIV-1 Vector using high level technique but A20 introduction as gene therapy is required when treating patients being suffered from lymphoma, cancer or any neurotic diseases like Alzheimer’s disease – Prion Disease and even Trion Disease (Post Hetero-Plastic Implantation Chronic Inflammation Syndrome; PhCIS).

As Prof.Daichent points since 2005 being on School of Public Health of Harvard, in the treatment manual (published 2005), the key factor to overcome of lymphoma and chronic inflammation on human skin is extraordinary redundancy coding of polyglutamine DNA synthesis as the type of disease caused by pathological proteins and lack or heavy impairment of an specific DNA of A20.

Actually, the treatment protocol curing for baldness is also found through T-protocol which was essentially aimed at achieving causal and complete treatment of lymphoma, cancer, chronic inflammation and many neurotic diseases. Under control over the T-Protocol, all of clinical practitioner must always keep their eyes on the fact of using steroid is taboo over administration so being strictly prohibited. And also the technique must be under control of the competent faculty accredited by board in accordance with Europ.Gene Institute or specifically set physically area solely for research and clinical practice of nations like Switzerland, Germany, India, Hongkong, U.K. territories (NEVER inside U.K.) appointed by protocol developer and assigned practice entity.

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Drug Discovery On Demand By Molplex

An innovative new online “drug discovery on demand” platform has been launched by Molplex, a company specializing in products and services for the life sciences. Designed to help drug discovery groups working anywhere in the world, it aimsto eliminate the high start-up costs and minimize the financial risks traditionally associated with inventing new medicines.

Molplex CEO David Leahy said: “As the pharmaceutical industry changes, a new ecosystem of small, flexible teams operating as “Micro Pharmas” is emerging. Molplex will provide the services they need to succeed at inventing better medicines at lower cost”.

The first version of the new Molplex system launched today offers free access to sophisticated drug design systems, high quality assay-ready stock chemicals and high content biological screening at www.molplex.com.

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Turkey’s Biopharmaceutical Sector Attracts, Boosts Research and Development Expenditures

A recent report on the biopharmaceutical sector presence, employment, economic output and research and development activity in the European States highlights Turkey’s long-term prospects for growth. The report notes that the industry is creating a positive ripple across the region’s economy, improving the quality of life for its citizens and increasing access to medicine.

In particular, strong public-private industry collaborations and an emphasis on research and development are highlighted as aiding in the development of new medicines, improving access to medicine and increasing the economic benefits of the region. Güler Hülya Yılmaz, head of Deloitte Turkey’s Health and Drug Industry division, emphasizes the importance of research and development (R&D) in the biopharmaceutical sector. Yilmaz states, “In R&D, it’s important that there be a strong foundation for laying the bricks of innovation. Turkey has that foundation, but with this there is a need for government support of new research and partnerships between industry and academia.”

Global Health Progress (GHP) also believes proper support for research and development in the pharmaceutical industry can contribute to the Turkish economy far beyond drug development and production. For example, the Turkish biopharmaceutical market has expanded rapidly, generating approximately US $8.5 billion in revenue in 2008 and contributed thousands of high-quality, highly skilled jobs to the region. Fortunately, recent reforms and policy changes by the Turkish government have created a more favorable environment for R&D investment. For example, the Turkish government has implemented a number of Technology Development Zones, which feature exemptions from income and corporate taxes on profits derived from R&D activity, an exemption from taxes on the wages of R&D personnel employed in the zones and value added tax (VAT) exemptions, all through 2013.

Additionally, the country’s sizeable pool of patients for clinical trials can bring health benefits, diffusion of medical knowledge and greater patient access to medicine and high quality care to citizens. With a population of approximately 72 million and a growing middle class, chronic diseases represent the majority of Turkey’s disease burden. An increased focus on prevention, early intervention, new treatments, and public-private partnerships, including recent government, university and industry collaboration facilitated by the establishment of several research institutes, is critical to reducing the health and economic burden of disease in Turkey.

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The Porcine microRNAome is Revealed

Researchers from LC Sciences LLC and a collaboration of Universities1 have established a porcine microRNAome, a complete catalog of all microRNAs expressed in the species Sus scrofa2. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNA molecules known to control a wide array of cellular functions such as growth and development and whose dysregulation has been associated with disease. The findings of this study lay the groundwork for a greater understanding of the species through further mapping of tissue- and stage-specific miRNAs.

The domestic pig is an important species from various standpoints. First, it is a major protein source in the human diet world-wide. Additionally, its anatomy, physiology, and genome size are very similar to the human species, and there has been increasing molecular genetic evidence showing the comparability of human and pig, making it a suitable model system for human biology. Pigs are now model animals for biomedical research of cardiovascular, immunological, cancer, diabetes, and a range of other diseases. Finally, the pig has become an important source of organs and tissue for transplantation into humans.

Prior to this study, miRbase3, the primary public repository for miRNA sequence data, listed only 73 unique pig miRNAs, this out of a total of 10,883 database entries encompassing over 100 species. The number of miRNAs for pig was significantly lower than for other species with similar size genomes (such as Human with 894 miRNAs) suggesting the existence of far more pig miRNAs.

The researchers used advanced deep sequencing and developed bioinformatics technologies to analyze all the small RNA molecules that are transcribed from all the genes in the pig genome. After filtering, mapping, alignment and classification of all the reads, they had shown that the pig miRNAome has 777 unique miRNA sequences. The sequencing results will not only greatly enhance the utility of the pig microRNAome as the blueprint of advanced pathway network studies of miRNA and their target mRNAs, but also provide information on time-dependent variations of the microRNAome as to sequence lengths, counts, composition, genomic location, and the relative expression of conserved versus pig-specific miRNAs.

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Cryo-Cell CEO Mercedes Walton Invites Women to Share Their Ideas on Self-Care and the Power of Stem Cells

Cryo-Cell International, Inc. a global leader in stem cell innovation, resolves to help women inspire and empower each other to take charge of their health in the New Year, and to spark conversations about the promise of stem cells.  The company will be accepting video entries for its “Resolution Revolution” contest through January 31, 2010, and details on the event can be found at www.celle.com/resolution.

“This time of year, we often make New Year’s resolutions to take better care of ourselves, but the dawn of a new decade is particularly poignant as we look ahead with hope and inspiration at the steps we can take,” said Mercedes Walton, CEO of Cryo-Cell International.  “Never in history have we experienced a time of such rapid advances with stem cells, including the use of menstrual blood stem cells and how they may help women protect their health” she added.  “Because women often look to each other for information and inspiration, we’re looking to empower them to spread the word through video about what the power of stem cells means to them.”

The C’elle service is the first and only one of its kind, empowering women to collect and cryo preserve stem cells from their menstrual flow.

Stem cells from menstrual blood are proven to be a rich source of stem cells which proliferate rapidly and have the ability to become many different types of cells such as cardiac, neural, bone, fat and cartilage.

These stem cells are a potential source for promising regenerative therapies to treat stroke, cardiac, diabetes, breast cancer, spinal cord injury, chronic wounds, Alzheimer’s and other debilitating diseases.

Since launching its proprietary service, the company continues to expand research and development initiatives worldwide in order to accelerate the potential diagnostic and therapeutic benefits of these unique stem cells. Cryo-Cell partnered with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, where research is underway to better understand the C’elle stem cells and their potential benefit for the treatment of breast cancer.  It also has entered research and licensing agreements with several other organizations to identify potential future diagnostic and therapeutic uses for endometriosis and stress urinary incontinence in women and regenerative medicine specific to wound healing. In 2009, the service was licensed in China, Thailand and Brazil.

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Cord Blood: Saving For The Future

For an expectant mother, there are a million details to worry about and a lot of important decisions to be made.

Cord Blood: Saving For The Future

One of those decisions to be made is whether to bank your baby’s umbilical cord blood. Cord blood is valuable because it’s full of stem cells scientists and doctors can use in research and regenerative medicine.

Cord blood stem cells are the ones that are obtained from the newborn. They’re closest in age to being an embryonic stem cell without being an embryonic stem cell,” said David Harris, PhD with Cord Blood Registry.

When they’re stored properly in a bank, like one in Arizona, the stem cells can be used to replace other cells in our bodies that may be damaged or missing due to disease. But, you only have one chance to harvest them.

“At the time of delivery, before the placenta is delivered, we have a little bag with a needle and a tube, like an IV tubing, and we actually draw the blood out of the placenta into a prepared bag and that’s what you send in to the cord blood banking people,” said Dr. Lynn Frame.

But, Dr. Frame says very few of his patients actually do it because of the cost.

Most private cord blood banks charge more than $1,000 up front. Then, for every year you store the blood in one of their cryogenic tanks, it costs about $100. For 18 years of storage, it can add up to about $3,000.

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Scientist Uses Stem Cells To Repair Heart

Dr. Joshua Hare believes medicine is close to a goal long thought to be impossible: healing the human heart.

The way to get there? Stem cells.

“These could be as big as antibiotics were in the last century,” said Hare, who leads the University of Miami ‘s new Stem Cell Institute. “Stem cells have the potential to have that kind of impact. Diseases like heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, liver failure — we will be able to transition them into things you live with.”

Hare spends his days peering through powerful microscopes, recruiting scientists from top universities and attending to patients betting on improving their conditions through his clinical trials.

Stem cells, only one-thousandth the size of a grain of sand, are the master cells of the body, the source from which all other cells are created.

The most basic are embryonic stem cells, which are “totipotent,” meaning they can divide into any other type of cell — heart tissue, brain tissue, kidney tissue — all 220 cells that exist in the human body. They’re controversial because when they are harvested, the embryo is destroyed, ending potential life.

But coming into view are new kinds of stem cells — immature adult stem cells that can be extracted from bone marrow, from organs such as the heart or kidney or even from the skin. These can be taken without destroying embryos.

While researchers until recently believed adult stem cells were limited because they could develop only into cells similar to them — bone marrow cells only into cord blood stem cells, for example — evidence is growing that they, too, may become the tissue for hearts, brains, kidneys and other organs.

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Will Intra-Osseous Injection of Umbilical Cord Blood Reduce Graft Failures?

Researchers from Italy have reported that the injection of umbilical cord blood directly into the pelvic bones of patients with leukemia appears promising. These results were recently published in an early online publication of the Lancet Oncology on August 9, 2008.

Transplantation of bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cells, and umbilical cord blood is accomplished by intravenous infusion. The original studies of human bone marrow transplantation were carried out by direct infusion into bone marrow spaces. However, this approach was abandoned as there was no advantage in speed or rate of engraftment over intravenous infusion. Since these early days of transplantation, there have been sporadic attempts to evaluate intra-osseous infusion of stem cells, but no advantage over intravenous infusion was ever found. The reason for this is thought to be that direct infusion of stem cells into the marrow cavity is in fact identical to intra-arterial or intra-venous infusion, and most stem cells enter the general circulation before homing into marrow spaces throughout the body.

Umbilical cord blood transplantation is associated with relatively high graft failure rates thought to be due to the relatively low dose of stem cells in each collection. Researchers have suggested that the infusion of stem cells from two separate cord blood collections alleviates the graft failure problem. However, Italian researches have posed the question of whether or not intra-osseous infusion would be better.

The current trial evaluated direct infusion of umbilical cord blood into the pelvic bones. This trial included 32 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 12 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL); median age was 36 years. Overall, 14 patients had advanced-stage disease that did not respond to standard therapies, and no patient had a suitable donor for the stem cell transplant.

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Now, Women Can Bank On ‘Monthly Miracle’ For Future Treatment

Women in the city will soon have the option of banking their menstrual blood so that menstrual blood stem cells can be used for treatment of serious disorders through stem cell therapy.

In six months, Life Cell International, in technology partnership with Cryo-Cell International, will set up the facility, which will be the first to store menstrual blood in the country.

Cryo-Cell, which has patented technology to decontaminate samples, started menstrual blood banks in the US last year, and other countries are yet to catch up. Cryo-Cell calls it ‘your monthly miracle’. The endometrium-lining of the uterus regenerates every month, suggesting the presence of stem cells. However, there is no published scientific work on the curative properties of such cells.

Stem cells have the ability to regenerate themselves through cell division and act as a repair system for the body. Research on stem cells provides knowledge about how healthy cells replace damaged ones in adults, leading to the possibility of cell-based therapy to treat diseases.

“Menstrual blood contains millions of stem cells that have many properties and characteristics similar to those of stem cells found in bone marrow and embryos. These stem cells exhibit capabilities for self-renewal and multi-potency,” says LifeCell International executive director Mayur Abhaya. Stem cell research hopes to find answers to problems such as cardiac and degenerative diseases, besides cancer.

The women would be given a collection kit comprising a menstrual cup and collection tubes. The blood would be processed and preserved in liquid nitrogen at extremely low temperatures.

Though the Chennai bank has not decided on the rates, it hopes registration will cost less than that charged for preserving cord blood. At present, the bank, which has stored over 13,000 samples of cord blood at a facility near Chennai, charges Rs 41,100 for collection, processing and storage of the blood for the first year. From the second, the client pays an annual fee of Rs 3,500 to preserve the blood for two decades.

The biggest advantage of menstrual blood, according to LifeCell chief scientific officer Dr Ajit Kumar, is that it can be easily harvested in a painless, non-invasive manner. “And it also extends the scope of stem cell therapy to a larger section of the people. Cord blood is an option open to only those who are pregnant or those planning babies,” he says.

At a time when legal restrictions on collection of embryonic stem cells have been stymieing research, the option to save menstrual blood is a boon because these cells have similar properties to that of cord blood, he adds.

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New Transplant Therapy, Shift in Drug Discovery

On August 23-25, 2010, industry scientists, CEOs, and academics will convene at Philadelphia’s Four Seasons Hotel for the “Ubiquitin Drug Discovery and Diagnostics Conference” to discuss the Next Big Thing in drug discovery research—the ubiquitin pathway. Advances in oncology, infectious diseases, neurodegeneration, inflammation, diabetes, and muscle wasting will be covered.

New Transplant Therapy, Shift in Drug Discovery

A pathway is a sequence of reactions converting one molecule into another. Ubiquitin, which is a small protein, is used often to mark larger proteins within a cell for breakdown. This pathway plays fundamental roles in human health and disease; many human pathologies have been linked to changes in ubiquitin pathway enzymes. Attracting experts in this growing field, the three-day conference is unique in its focus on drug discovery within the ubiquitin pathway.

Rejection hurts; but for the recipient of organ donation, rejection can be fatal. New combination therapies for treating antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in transplant patients are possible, thanks in part to manipulation of the ubiquitin pathway.

When a transplant recipient’s body rejects donor tissue, the recipient’s plasma cells, which typically fight off infection, are in fact the aggressors in the attack. Dr. Woodle suggests stalling the proteasome (or “cellular waste-bin”) via the ubiquitin pathway (or “cellular tagging and shipping information hub”) thereby depleting plasma cells and treating rejection. Dr. Woodle will present his latest findings during the final conference session.

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Stem Cells From Menstrual Blood May Benefit Stroke Patients

Cryo-Cell International, Inc. today announced results of a study published [this month] in the cover article of Stem Cells and Developmentshowing that stem cells found in menstrual blood may one day be a potential source for stem cell therapies in stroke and other central nervous system disorders. Menstrual stem cells, known as MenSCs, offer an easily accessible, non-controversial and renewable stem cell source with the potential to one day treat a host of diseases, such as stroke, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, according to a number of early studies. The study, entitled “Menstrual Blood Cells Display Stem Cell-Like Phenotypic Markers and Exert Neuroprotection Following Transplantation in Experimental Stroke,” was conducted by researchers at Cryo-Cell International, the University of South Florida , Saneron-CCEL Therapeutics and the Medical College of Georgia.

Stem Cells From Menstrual Blood May Benefit Stroke Patients

Because the cell damage after an initial stroke episode occurs over an extended time, treatment strategies directed at quickly rescuing these nerve cells have the potential to slow the disease progression and possibly restore nerve function. In this study, researchers found that transplantation of MenSCs, either directly into the brain or peripherally, significantly reduced behavioral and histological abnormalities, suggesting that the MenSCs had a protective effect on brain cells, averting further apoptosis, or cell death, and potentially reversing the neural trauma experienced during a stoke.

“The data shows immediate behavioral recovery at an early period after transplantation although the exact mechanism underlying the neural benefits of MenSCs remains unknown,” said lead researcher Cesar V Borlongan Ph.D., Professor and Vice-Chair of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair at the University of South Florida Health . “ We do know that several trophic factors have been identified post transplant that may potentially point to a secretion of therapeutic substances from MenScs versus one of cell replacement. Equally important, is that there was no instance of complications or negative effects such as detectable tumor, ectopic formation or overt graft-versus-host in any of the transplanted animals.”

During the study, the investigators analyzed shed menstrual blood and tissue to identify MenSCs. The samples were obtained using a menstrual cup and transferred to a laboratory for processing and cryopreservation. After inducing a simulated stroke (oxygen glucose deprivation, OGD) on adult rats, the researchers injected the rats withmenstrual blood –derived stem cells and found that those who were exposed to MenSCs exhibited a significantly reduced death rate. Behavioral assessments of motor coordination and neurological function were performed on the rats 14 days after stroke-transplantation and indicated improvements in both motor and neurological abnormalities.

“Compared to other stem cell sources, such as bone marrow and umbilical cord blood , MenSCs are harvested from a readily available and renewable source of adult mesenchymal stem cells. These novel and highly prolific stem cells are easily obtained using non-invasive methodology and create the potential for matched cell transplantations in large scale clinical trials,” said Julie Allickson, Ph.D., study investigator and Vice President, Laboratory Operations, Research and Development at Cryo-Cell International, Inc.

The benefits of stem cells derived from menstrual blood were first indicated in a study sponsored by Cryo-Cell that was published in Cell Transplantation in April 2008. That study demonstrated that MenSCs are stromal stem cells, meaning they have the capability to differentiate into important cells, such as such as bone, cartilage, fat, nerve and cardiogenic cells.

“Stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability in U.S. adults,” said Mercedes A. Walton, Cryo-Cell’s Chairman and CEO . “According to the American Heart Association, stroke will cost almost $68.9 billion in both direct and indirect healthcare costs in 2009. In view of these statistics, we are clearly encouraged by research study results that demonstrate significant promise for the development of regenerative medicine therapies to potentially treat and manage the debilitating conditions caused by stroke and possibly other neurological disorders.”

The Celle SM service is based on Cryo-Cell’s expansive IP technology portfolio and was introduced in November, 2007 as the first and only service that empowers women to collect and cryopreserve menstrual flow containing undifferentiated adult stem cells for future utilization by the donor or possibly first-degree relatives in a manner similar toumbilical cord blood stem cells. Based on the continued success of MenSCs in the research setting, Cryo-Cell is actively expanding its portfolio of research collaborations with world renowned scientists committed to study this novel stem cell population for a broad range of regenerative therapeutic development.

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LC Sciences Pairs Deep Sequencing with Customized Microarrays to Offer New Seq-Array Service for Discovery & Profiling Applications

LC Sciences today announced the launch of its new Seq-Array(SM) services designed to take full advantage of both the latest deep sequencing capabilities and the proven genomics tool – microarray. This combination of technologies advances microRNA research to the next level of depth and understanding that was not possible before with either of the technologies alone. LC Sciences has been a leading provider of microRNA discovery and profiling services since 2005.

LC Sciences Pairs Deep Sequencing with Customized Microarrays to Offer New Seq-Array Service for Discovery & Profiling Applications

microRNA is a young, dynamic field of study and though significant discoveries are being made every day, the very complex regulatory mechanisms of these small RNAs are still not fully understood. Continued advancement requires adaptable, even customizable research tools that can keep pace with the rapidly advancing research in this field. While deep sequencing yields results that broadly cover genome-wide miRNAs from samples of various origins, the relatively high cost and low throughput nature of sample handling, makes the systematic follow through of the sequencing discoveries for validation and/or profiling in a reproducible manner time consuming and expensive. Microarrays have achieved wide acceptance as the preferred tool to systematically profile and compare the gene expression of large numbers of samples rapidly, reproducibly, and cost effectively; however they are dependent on previously known sequence information. Seq-ArraySM is a combination of these technologies that maximizes the effectiveness of each method while overcoming the limitations of the other.

Seq-ArraySM for microRNA starts with exploratory small RNA deep sequencing of a single or mix of RNA samples to perform a broad search and generate a comprehensive atlas of all microRNAs within a given research study. Next, bioinformatics are employed to map the raw sequencing reads to a custom generated sequence database, classify and align all sequences and sequence variants, as well as to predict novel microRNAs. A custom SeqArrayâ„¢ microarray is designed based on the mapped novel microRNAs, the predicted novel microRNAs, and any previously described publicly available microRNA sequences. Finally, expression profiling of large numbers of samples on the custom array design together with additional bioinformatics work completes an efficient pathway to focused biological insights including: revealing regulatory target genes, defining gene expression pathways, and discovering biomarkers.

“We feel like this is a productive match of the two technologies,” says Dr. Christoph Eicken, Head of Technical Services at LC Sciences. “It’s something we have really already been doing for a while and thought it made sense to package together as a single service. Often times researchers come to us who are studying a non-typical species with very limited or no prior knowledge of microRNA sequences or function in their model system. By the end of the complete Seq-ArraySM project they have become the world authority on microRNA in their area of research. It’s been very exciting to be part of this.”

About microRNA – microRNAs are small non-protein-coding RNA molecules that function as negative regulators of gene expression by targeting specific mRNAs. This either inhibits translation or promotes mRNA degradation.

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Maastricht University And PharmaCell Publish Results On Possible Improved Immune

In a collaborative publication in the prestigious journal Blood that appears this week, PharmaCell BV, the Maastricht University, Institute for Research in Biomedicine in Switzerland and the Research Center for Allergy and Immunology in Japan present data on a novel approach to improve treatment of acute leukemia patients. In a study that received a grant from the Dutch governmental organization SenterNovem, the consortium has shown that hematopoetic stem cells, commonly used in the treatment of those patients, can be cultured such that they show clear signs of an improved capacity to repair the immune system.

Maastricht University And PharmaCell Publish Results On Possible Improved Immune

Patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia can be cured by hematopoetic stem cell transplantation, but many viral or bacterial infections occur after the treatment and are life threathening. The protocol developed by the consortium can potentially reduce the period after treatment that the patient is susceptible to such opportunistic infections.

The proposed treatment may greatly reduce morbidity and mortality in those patients. In the study that was conducted in mice, it was found that the stem cells treated with their protocol quickly migrated specifically to the thymus and matured there into effector cells of the immune system. Further research is needed to delineate the precise mechanism of action and to prepare the technique for application in patients.

Alexander Vos, CEO of PharmaCell comments: “The outcome of this projects shows the strength of consortia in which academia collaborates with industry. It has enabled us to keep a focus towards clinical application in a research project that had fundamental questions. As a company that focuses on the development and production of cell therapies, this research fitted very well in our profile. We are very pleased with the collaboration as well as with the outcome. PharmaCell intends to closely follow future developments in this project and will expertly support future clinical application of this cell therapeutic application where possible.”

Dr. Gerard Bos, who together with Dr. Wilfred Germeraad,is the lead investigator of the Division of Heamatology, Department of Internal Medicine of the Maastricht University Medical Center+ announces: “We believe that the potential of this technique to improve patient care is high. Further research is needed before application in patients is possible, but we feel very confident about that. The research has been carried out by a very strong international group of scientist and the results are convincing. We are looking forward to further developing the method.”

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LC Sciences First miRNA Microarray Service Provider to Offer Plant MicroRNA Database (PMRD) Probe Content

Taking full advantage of its flexible µParaflo® Biochip Technology, Houston based LC Sciences today announced immediate availability of probe content from the newly created Plant MicroRNA Database (PMRD) for their microRNA (miRNA) microarray customers . This announcement comes immediately following a publication in Nucleic Acids Researchintroducing the public database 1 . The PMRD integrates available plant miRNA data deposited in other public databases, gleaned from the recent literature, and data generated by the database organizers. It is freely available at http://bioinformatics.cau.edu.cn/PMRD.

LC Sciences miRNA microarrays make use of a microfluidics on-chip synthesis platform, termed µParaflo®, versus a traditional spotted array based on pre-synthesized oligonucleotides. This on-chip synthesis platform means made-to-order microarrays can be produced, delivering the most up-to-date research tools to researchers; in this case, the PMRD content.

In total, there are 8433 miRNAs collected from 121 plant species in PMRD, including model plants and major crops such as Arabidopsis, rice, wheat, soybean, maize, sorghum, barley, etc. For Arabidopsis, rice, poplar, soybean, cotton, medicago and maize, the possible target genes for each miRNA with a predicted interaction site are included in the database. This represents a significant increase in content vs plant miRNA microarrays based solely on the miRBase content.

The public miRBase sequence database 2 serves as the primary probe content for many commercially available miRNA profiling microarrays (http://microrna.sanger.ac.uk/sequences/). Detection of miRNAs using a microarray offers the opportunity for genome-wide miRNA expression profiling by examining all known miRNA transcripts in a single experiment. However, in a rapidly evolving field such as miRNA research, it is important to have a flexible system that can keep up with all the newly discovered and predicted sequences. Pre-spotted glass slide arrays immediately go out of date whenever new miRNA database versions are released. LC Sciences’ microarrays ensure scientists have the most complete picture of miRNAs expressed in their experimental samples.

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Enabling microRNA Discoveries – LC Sciences Tops 100th Customer Publication

LC Sciences announced today the publication of the 100th peer-reviewed study by one of its customers using the company’s microarray service for analyzing microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles and for discovery of novel small RNAs. These studies, by leading researchers in the field, contribute to a fast growing body of knowledge defining this recently discovered class of regulatory RNAs.

To date, miRNAs have proven to be extremely important part of the gene expression regulation mechanism. Expression profiling and functional studies conducted so far indicate that miRNAs participate in the regulation of almost every cellular process investigated and this is evident in the amount of relevant findings being translating into published reports.

The publications to date by LC Sciences’ customers span a diverse range of study areas, including cancer research, neuroscience, cardiovascular research, MicroRNA Publications reproductive biology, plant science, virology, stem cell research, immunology, and small RNA discovery. Their miRNA profiling service has provided a tool for many researchers to explore and examine a wide assortment of miRNA cellular networks and the resulting publications are often the first description of miRNA activity in these systems.

LC Sciences’ miRNA profiling service, powered by its µParaflo® microfluidic technology, provides quick, reliable, fully analyzed data enabling researchers to immediately move forward with innovative research, and publish their results faster. Microarray results require extensive validation prior to publication. The speed with which researchers using this miRNA profiling service have published their discoveries demonstrates the high-quality and reliability of these results.

The 100th study, entitled “MicroRNA-146a feedback inhibits RIG-I-dependent Type I IFN production in macrophages by targeting TRAF6, IRAK1, and IRAK2” appeared in the September issue of The Journal of Immunology and was one of a group of articles published recently by LC Sciences’ customers describing miRNA involvement in the immune system. Researchers at the National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, China studied the fine tuning effect that miRNA has on inflammatory response to viral infection and even propose a new mechanism for the evasion of innate immune control by viruses. MiRNA microarray data revealed, and real-time quantitative PCR confirmed, many up-regulated miRNAs in vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infected mouse macrophages. Specifically miR-146a expression was significantly up-regulated. Further studies revealed that miR-146a negatively regulated VSV-triggered interferon production (which is necessary to exert feedback control over inflammation) promoting VSV replication in macrophages. The identification of miRNAs and a better understanding of their expression in response to various stimuli/pathogens may reveal that miRNAs offer multiple new therapeutic targets/strategies for fine tuning the immune response to treat and prevent of a number of inflammatory diseases.

“We are very excited about the announcement of the 100th peer-viewed publication by one of our customers,” says Chris Hebel, VP of Business Development at LC Sciences. “MiRNA has become a very hot area of research and many scientists would like to be the first to describe the mechanism of miRNA as it relates to their field of study. We are happy to provide a first look into this exciting new field for them and are proud that our technology has been a part of such groundbreaking work”.

About µParaflo® Technology – The µParaflo® technology is a microfluidic platform for in situ parallel synthesis of biomolecular chips and miniaturization of bioassays including binding and enzymatic reactions. This unique platform technology is based on a new class of three-dimensional pico-liter microfluidic reaction devices, and a digital light controlled synthesis method that employs conventional oligonucleotide or peptide synthesis chemistry; a completely programmable process. The seamless integration of these multidisciplinary technologies enables a significant advance in parallelization, miniaturization, customization, and automation.

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LC Sciences’ Versatile Microfluidics Chip Technology Extended to Target Selection Applications

LC Sciences has announced the availability of a custom target enrichment service for next-generation sequencing applications. LC Sciences now provides a service for Target-Specific Selection of a defined genomic region (such as Mbp region at a specific location, suspected cancer regions, SNP regions, regions for genomic comparisons) or RNA sequences (such as sets of transcriptome sequences known f r o m previous screening experiments, mRNAs, and miRNAs). This new service enables researchers to take full advantage of new “next-generation” high throughput sequencing technologies.

It is clear that these new sequencing technologies can be more effectively utilized for systematic studies of genetic variation by targeting certain specific regions (subsets) of complex genomes. Essentially, our service achieves more coverage and deeper sequencing by reducing sample complexity and focusing reads on the areas of interest.

LC Sciences µParaflo® technology’s unique combination of advanced microfluidics and innovative synthesis chemistry provides a robust synthesis process which is necessary to achieve high quality selection and the flexibility to handle almost any target selection project. This technology has been used to produce custom sequence microarrays [Nucleic Acids Res. 2004,32,5409] and custom designed oligonucleotide mixture libraries (OligoMix®) [Nature. 2004,432,1050] since 2003 and is now particularly well suited to providing target selection solutions. The versatility of the technology makes it a good fit for the diverse needs of researchers embarking on new high-throughput sequencing projects.

“It’s really the flexibility of the technology that sets it apart f r o m others”, says Dr. Christoph Eicken, Head of Technical Services, Microarrays. “First, this is a completely custom synthesis technology, meaning almost any selected genomic region of any species and all known RNA transcripts can be targeted. Second, target selection may be achieved by hybridization using complementary capture probes immobilized on surface or by in-solution hybridization. By altering the target selection approach we take, we can address the widely varied needs of each individual sequencing project. With our help, researchers can tailor design the target selection process based on the specificity, coverage, selection resolution and throughput requirements of their particular project.”

LC Sciences’ microarray based approach utilizes thousands of custom oligonucleotide sequences which are synthesized in situ on a programmable high density microfluidics chip as capture probes designed to target specific regions of interest in any genome (or transcriptome). Samples are hybridized to the chip, undesired sequences are washed off and the captured target sequences are recovered by eluting them f r o m the chip. The selected target sequences are ready for high-throughput sequencing or further processing.

When target selection in-solution makes sense, this flexible chemistry can directly synthesize biotinylated or phosphorylated oligonucleotides (capture probes) that are designed to target specific genomic/sequence regions of interest. After hybridization with a sample, magnetic beads are added and the capture probes are affinity linked to the beads. The captured target sequences are separated f r o m other sequences by washing the beads after which the target sequences can be recovered. Alternatively, the oligonucleotides (OligoMix®) may be immobilized on beads prior to target selection, again depending on the needs of the particular project.

LC Sciences currently offers its Target-Specific Selection application as a service, as it has successfully done with other applications of the µParaflo® technology such as miRNA profiling, small RNA discovery, kinase profiling and epitope mapping with peptide arrays, and others.

“We find that researchers would prefer to spend their valuable time focusing on their research, not figuring out how to make successful use of someone else’s new technology”, says Chris Hebel, Director of Business Development. “We offer a comprehensive solution: customers tell us their experiment goals, send us their samples and we provide the material ready for sequencing. There is no reason they need to become target selection experts to keep their research moving forward. We have already developed methods to design optimized hybridization probes and suitable experimental procedures and conditions for different sample types, such as miRNA, small RNA, or genomic DNA samples, on different sequencing platforms. We can even perform the high-throughput sequencing and deliver the results, as not all labs have access to next-generation sequencers yet.”

More information about LC Sciences’ Targeted Sequencing Sample Enrichment Service and the µParaflo® technology is available at:http://www.lcsciences.com/targeted_sequencing.html.

About LC Sciences – LC Sciences is a genomics and proteomics products company offering a comprehensive line of DNA, RNA, and peptide microarrays for nucleic acid/protein profiling and functional analysis, biomarker-discovery, novel drug screening, and the custom development of miniaturized assay devices for diagnostics and biosensing applications. Based on the µParaflo® microfluidics technology, LC Sciences’ innovative products and services offer significant flexibility and customization capability for rapidly evolving, diverse customer needs. In an era of rapid technological advancement, LC Sciences offers service products which enable efficient one-stop solution for assays of DNA, RNA, protein, enzymes, antibodies, or small molecules. LC Sciences also provides unique synthetic DNA and RNA products such as OligoMix®, generated using their microfluidic biochip synthesizer. These innovative products drive synthetic biology, systems biology and sequencing applications by reducing the cost and increasing the speed of highly multiplexing large-scale nucleic acid and protein engineering experiments.

More information about LC Sciences is available at www.lcsciences.com.

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LC Sciences announced the availability of probe content miRBase 10.0 for their microRNA (miRNA) microarray customers

Taking advantage of its flexible µParaflo™ Chip Technology, Houston based LC Sciences today announced immediate availability of probe content miRBase 10.0 for their microRNA (miRNA) microarray customers. This announcement comes less than a week after Sanger Institute’s update of their sequence database for known miRNAs (miRBase) 1 to version 10.0 (http://microrna.sanger.ac.uk/sequences). As the jump in

version numbers from 9.2 to 10.0 suggests, this update marks a major milestone and features significant changes: 489 new hairpin sequences and 971 novel mature miR and miR* experimentally verified products have been added.

These numbers represent an increase of unique miRNA sequences by 42%. “This exciting increase in data means that researchers using pre-spotted glass arrays with probe content based on versions as recent as 9.1 are missing 49% of mouse, and more than 50% of human sequences, just to give two examples. The other important point is that these sequences are experimentally verified and publicly available data. Unlike with proprietary probe content the researcher has full access and control over the results.” said Chris Hebel, Director of Business Development at LC Sciences.

The importance of this update is emphasized by another aspect of the release: many human, mouse and rat mature miRNAs were renamed and the sequence boundaries changed to reflect the predominant forms identified in recent large-scale cloning studies. The public miRBase sequence database serves as the primary probe content for many commercially available miRNA profiling microarrays. Detection of miRNAs using a microarray offers the opportunity for genome-wide miRNA expression profiling by examining all known miRNA transcripts in a single experiment. However, the continued updating of the database can be problematic for researchers using pre-spotted glass slide arrays as the probe content of the arrays immediately goes out of date whenever a new miRBase version is released. Especially, in a rapidly evolving field as miRNA research it is important to scientists to have the most complete picture of miRNAs expressed in their experimental samples.

LC Sciences miRNA microarrays make use of a microfluidics on-chip synthesis platform, termed µParaFlo™, versus a traditional spotted array based on pre-synthesized oligonucleotides. This on-chip synthesis platform solves the issue of out of date microarrays because made-to-order microarrays can be produced, delivering the most up-to-date research tools to researchers.

In addition to providing much more uniform and reproducible features than a spotted array, on-chip synthesis permits the total customization of content on each individual microarray opening up additional applications such as the discovery of new miRNAs and other small non-coding RNAs.

About microRNA (miRNA)
miRNAs are small non-protein-coding RNA molecules that function as negative regulators of gene expression by base pairing with specific mRNAs. This either inhibits translation or promotes mRNA degradation. About miRBase – The miRBase sequence database is a comprehensive database of miRNA sequence data, annotation, and predicted gene targets and is the primary public repository for these data. Release 10.0 of the database contains 5071 entries representing hairpin precursor miRNAs, expressing 4922 maturemiRNA products, in primates, rodents, birds, fish, worms, flies, plants and viruses (miRBase release summary). miRBase also provides a gene-naming service for assigning official miRNA names to novel miRNAs before they are published. It is freely available to all at http://microrna.sanger.ac.uk/.

About LC Sciences
LC Sciences offers specialty microarray services for nucleic acid/protein profiling and functional analysis, biomarker-discovery, and novel drug screening. Our array service products are based on Atactic Technologies’ µParaflo™ platform technologies that encompass advanced digital chemical synthesis, pico-liter scale biochemical assays, and microfluidic reaction devices containing high density individual 3D chambers.

 

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CodeLink business assets have been transferred under the agreement between Applied Microarrays and GE Healthcare

Applied Microarrays, Inc announced today the completion of Applied Microarrays’ purchase of certain assets of GE Healthcare’s CodeLinkâ„¢ Gene Expression Bioarray System. Under the terms of the agreement, Applied Microarrays, Inc acquires certain equipment, inventory, licenses and assigned contracts associated with the CodeLink platform. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The transaction enables Applied Microarrays to provide CodeLink users with continued and uninterrupted access to the industry-leading gene expression platform as Applied Microarrays, Inc continues to develop, market, distribute, sell, and support the existing CodeLink catalogue of whole genome expression arrays, Codelink custom arrays and Codelink inside arrays.

Alastair Malcolm, president and chief executive officer of Applied Microarrays, said, “We’re pleased to now have a unique opportunity to launch our company with a full range of microarray design, development, and manufacturing competencies and at the same time ensure a seamless transition for customers.

Eric Roman, General Manager Genomic Sciences, GE Healthcare, said, “There has been strong demand from CodeLink customers to keep these products in the marketplace. We’re delighted to have found a way for our customers to continue working with one of the best gene expression platforms available.”

“The CodeLink platform is customer-proven over several years, notably demonstrating world-class technical performance in the FDA-led MicroArray Quality Control project,” Malcolm said. Applied Microarrays is immediately opening the CodeLink platform to the microarray community for new applications development, offering customers the opportunity to place their unique custom array content on to a robust, proven platform which can be manufactured in high volume.

Applied Microarrays aims to be a leading contract manufacturer of microarrays, of any type, for any customer, with no limitations on substrate material or spotted fluid. “We are fortunate in this regard to have acquired an intact high-capacity microarray spotting facility, employing Six Sigma techniques since its inception to produce leadership quality products,” Malcolm said.

About Applied Microarrays, Inc.
Applied Microarrays is a new company headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. Using the microarray assets acquired from GE, and staffed with experts who developed the CodeLink platform and manufacturing capabilities, the company will specialize in contract development and manufacturing of custom microarrays of all types. The company will additionally continue to offer the CodeLink family of gene expression arrays, and customer-specified subsets of that content on multi-array formats. Our vision is to be the microarray partner of choice for focused “omics” research, and the leading high-volume contract manufacturer for research and diagnostic arrays.

About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. GE Healthcare’s expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, performance improvement, drug discovery, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies is helping clinicians around the world re-imagine new ways to predict, diagnose, inform, treat and monitor disease, so patients can live their lives to the fullest.

GE Healthcare’s broad range of products and services enable healthcare providers to better diagnose and treat cancer, heart disease, neurological diseases and other conditions earlier. GE Healthcare’s vision for the future is to enable a new “early health” model of care focused on earlier diagnosis, pre-symptomatic disease detection and disease prevention. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries.

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