News Bytes
Each month, LifeScience Alley collects interesting and timely news from the life sciences industry to include in our newsletter. Below, we have reproduced an extended version of our 'News Bytes'.
August 2008
Possible Autism-Related Breakthrough
The results of a recently completed study say that certain autism cases are caused by gene defects which can be activated or deactivated by mental activity; this may very well be a starting point in finding a way to treat the terrible condition. The conclusions have been reached following the gene scan analysis of about one hundred families in the Middle East, in which the condition presents an unusually high level of occurrence. The study, presented on Friday in the journal Science, comes to support the previously found data, according to which, autism may be the result of certain brain cell networks’ evolution during the first years after birth. More…
GSK, Harvard University enter stem cell deal worth $25M
GlaxoSmithKline agreed to invest $25 million in Harvard University's Stem Cell Institute as part of a five-year deal to develop drug-screening techniques. Stem cell research "has great potential to aid the discovery of new medicines by improving the screening, identification and development of new compounds," a GSK official said. More...
House committee approves bill for electronic records
The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted unanimously in favor of a bill aimed at promoting the adoption of electronic health records by 2014. The legislation would also offer $560 million in loans and grants for medical providers to acquire a system for such records. The bill -- known as the Protecting Records, Optimizing Treatment and Easing Communication Through Healthcare Technology Act of 2008 -- was amended to include some changes, including one to bolster the implementation of protections under the HIPAA of 1996. More...
EMEA: Drug-coated stent makers must submit biocompatibility test data
Makers of drug-eluting stents must submit data from biocompatibility tests of the bare-stent platform to the European Medicines Agency and national competent authorities, according to a final guidance from an EMEA committee. The guidelines -- set to take effect Dec. 1 -- will cover clinical and nonclinical factors included in the review of supplementary drug substances found in the devices. More...
Aerospace firms venture into medical-device manufacturing
Some aerospace firms -- especially those that do high-precision work for industry contractors -- are expanding into the medical-device sector, a bioengineering professor and consultant said. One such company is HabCo, which has worked with Boston Scientific Corp. to develop devices for testing catheters based on temperature- and pressure-testing equipment for aerospace products. More...
Study uses magnetic nanoparticles to remove cancer cells
Scientists at Georgia Institute of Technology were able to capture and remove cancer cells from the body of mice with ovarian cancer with the aid of peptide-coated magnetic particles. The scientists hope that by using the nanoparticles to reduce the number of cancer cells, metastasis can be prevented, and may even be treated. More...
Study: Spinal cord stem cells may repair nerve damage
Scientists in the U.S. and Sweden found that ependymal cells -- stem cells that line the brain ventricles and the central column of the spinal cord -- can transform into different cell types upon injury. The findings may lead to the development of treatments that replicate the behavior of ependymal cells to repair injured nerve cells, the researchers said. More...
Implantable pump holds promise for kidney patients
Israel-based Nephera is working on an implantable pump that could help postpone the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant for several years. The device works by increasing the ability of diseased kidneys to filter blood through a small pump attached to a collapsible chamber. More...
Miami Cardiovascular works on "bioactive" stent
Miami Cardiovascular Innovations is developing a "bioactive" stent that could speed the recovery of clogged arteries and heal surrounding tissues by spurring the growth of endothelial cells. The device combines biotech and genetic engineering, a company scientist said. More...
Doctors to get bonuses from Medicare for e-prescribing
U.S. health officials announced that Medicare will begin a four-year bonus program that benefits physicians who use electronic-prescribing systems. The program, which is aimed at decreasing errors and updating the prescription process, will provide doctors with a 2% fee bonus in 2009 and 2010. The bonus will reduce to 1% in 2011 and 2012 and to 0.5% in 2013. More...
Report: Biotech sector gets $1.1B in venture-capital funding
Venture capitalists invested $7.4 billion in 990 deals during the second quarter, with $1.1 billion going to the biotech industry, according to a report by the National Venture Capital Association and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. The report, however, noted that venture-capital investments dropped slightly from $7.5 billion during the first quarter and that early-stage deals are drawing less funding. More...
Expert: Electronic systems can cut recall costs for device firms
Device makers can reduce recall-related expenses by shifting from paper-based quality systems to integrated electronic systems, said Chris Parsons, a quality-system expert at Camstar. A "closed-loop system" could identify at-risk products and help firms initiate a limited recall, which in turn could save money and credibility, Parsons said. More...
Online atlas could lead to spinal-cord treatments
The Allen Institute for Brain Science on Thursday unveiled the Allen Spinal Cord Atlas, an online resource that shows how a mouse's complete set of 20,000 genes influences spinal-cord development. The project could help scientists develop gene-based treatments and techniques to boost regeneration of damaged spinal cords, the institute's chief scientific officer said. More...
Researchers find way to multiply blood stem cells
U.K. scientists were able to multiply blood stem cells from mice by 150 times, a finding they hope could lead to an efficient production of blood stem cells in the lab that would then be able to multiply in the body to renew a patient's blood supply. The blood stem cells could benefit patients with cancer or blood diseases and would ease demands on blood donor supplies, the researchers said. More...
Polymer coating may reduce implant-related tissue damage
Coating electrodes with an electrically conductive polymer may allow the devices to better integrate with brain tissue, scientists at the University of Michigan say. They hope that the polymer coating will help improve long-term function and reduce tissue damage caused by medical implants. More...
New Medicare bill affects imaging
The new Medicare bill that passed Tuesday after Congress overturned President George W. Bush's veto contains provisions for ensuring that only qualified people work on imaging and that the service is not overused. More...
Latin America emerges as global biofuel producer
Countries in Latin America are exploiting the region's competitive advantages -- such as fertile land and tropical climate -- for biofuel production as demand from emerging-market economies exceeds oil and gas production growth. The region, which invested more than $8 billion in biodiesel and ethanol last year, has started new projects that could boost worldwide energy production. More...
Senators push for tax benefits for ethanol pipelines
Sens. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Richard Lugar, R-Ind., have introduced a bill aimed at providing tax benefits to pipeline owners that transport, store or sell renewable fuels cleared by the Environmental Protection Agency. The measure would provide U.S. biofuels manufacturers with "an efficient, inexpensive way" to bring their products to the market, Harkin said. More...
Hypoallergenic plants may improve food safety, experts say
Innovations in genetic engineering are helping scientists to develop allergen-free plants that may help boost food safety, according to an Australian study. Such efforts, however, are hampered by difficulties in removing some plant allergenic proteins that are responsible for normal plant function, researchers said. More...
U of M researcher Roger Ruan says algae is an answer to nation's energy needs
As we fill our tanks with ever-more-expensive gas and diesel, our minds turn to alternative fuels. Researchers in Minnesota hope to create bio-diesel from algae. The project would use wastewater from the metro area treatment plant to feed the algae. More...