Medicago, a biotech out of Quebec City Canada that  is expecting to enter clinical trials with an avian flu vaccine this year,  has just announced, only 14 days after receiving the DNA sequence for the influenza A (H1N1) virus,  positive results on an immunogenicity study in mice. Results demonstrated that the Company’s H1 VLP vaccine induced a positive immune response in mice against the H1N1 influenza virus, also know as swine flu.

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A team lead by Dr. Philip R. Johnson of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and his colleagues published results on a new method to fight the AIDS virus in the journal Nature Medicine. The research was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Dieseases.

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A team of researchers has announced combined stem cell-gene therapy that has corrected a defective gene in cells taken from patients with a disorder called Fanconi Anemia. The study was published on May 31, 2009 in the magazine Nature.

The team of researchers have collaborated from several institutions, including the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and the Centre for Regenerative Medicine of  Barcelona, CIEMAT in Madrid, and The Salk Institute for Bilogical Studies in La Jolla, Ca.  Dr. Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a professor at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine of Barcelona comments, “We haven’t cured a human being, but we have cured a cell. In theory we could transplant it into a human and cure the disease.”

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The results of a new study published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on May 26, 2009, suggest that those breast cancer patients with elevated levels of two proteins were two to three times more likely to die and/or have their cancer return compared to those patients that didn’t have the elavated levels. Data from the the Health, Eating, Activity and Lifestyle (HEAL) study was used.  The findings did not vary significantly based on other major factors like a “patient’s age, tumor stage, race, body mass index, or history of previous cardiovascular issues.”

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Three different studies have all found genetic factors affecting the risk of autism spectrum disorders. Acting National Institute of Health Director Raynard Kington, M.D., Ph.D. comments: “These findings establish that genetic factors play a strong role in autism spectrum disorder. Detailed analysis of the genes and how they affect brain development is likely to yield better strategies for diagnosing and treating children with autism.”

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An new breakthrough for Type 1 Diabetics using stem-cell therapy was just reported.  Details of  a new study by a team of Brazilian and American scientists are published in the vol 301 no. 15 of the April 15, 2009 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The study was led by Julio Voltarelli, from the University of São Paulo in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.

The trial had 23 patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes undergoing a stem cell therapy using stem cells drawn from their own blood.  20 of these patients used less insulin or none at all during the follow-up period. One of the patients in the study has not had to use additional synthetic insulin for three years. While this approach is not a cure, the new therapy reduces the patients’ own immune systems penchant for attacking insulin-producing cells.

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Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a form of brain cancer diagnosed in 10,000 americans annually. GBM accounts for over half of all primary brain tumor cases and is the most agressive form. Common method of treatment for GBM are  chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. These treatments are not a cure. According to Northwest Biothreaputics (www.nwbio.com) the standard of care for patients  since 2005 (that have been newly diagnosed with GBM) has been surgery followed by a combination of radiation and Temodar®. The studies that defined this standard of care achieved a median overall survival of 14.6 months (Stupp, et. al., New England Journal of Medicine, 352:987, 2005, n = 573).

Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NWBT) is in clinical trials with  DCVax®-Brain, which is a personalized immunotherapy designed to stimulate a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. DCVax®-Brain is currently in a large Phase II clinical trial at 11 medical centers across the United States.  DCVax®-Brain requires an injection under the skin. It is not toxic.

Here is the exciting news. NWBT announced on February 17th results from its prior Phase I and Phase I/II clinical trials with DCVax®-Brain:

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As just reported in the journal Nature Genetics, researchers have identified a gene that suppresses tumor growth in melanoma.  Melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer, resulted in 8420 deaths and was diagnosed in 62,480 new cases in 2008 according to the National Cancer Institute.

This finding by researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) could result in new individualized treatments for melanoma patients in the future.  “This research is an illustrative proof of concept that shows the value of genomic strategies for understanding cancer and possible therapies,” said NHGRI Scientific Director Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D.
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According to the recent medical advancement, it has been known that highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) is vital for treating persons suffering from HIV AIDS. This therapy aims to improve not just the physical health condition but also the quality of life of the victim. It is not yet confirmed but it is believed that this therapy is quite useful and should be brought to use while treating the patients. As of now, HAART therapy is still under experimentation and not recommended to all the HIV patients.  

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Six years prior to a diagnosis of Leukemia, researchers have seen abnormal white blood cells present in patients.   This new study was published by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Feb. 12, 2009 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a blood cancer that is slow to progress. In the United States, CLL is the most common form of leukemia in adults. While we do not currently know the cause of the disease, this study found new clues.

“This finding emphasizes the need to better define predictors of cancer development,” said NCI Director John E. Niederhuber, M.D. “Identifying the earliest indicators of cancer gives researchers an opportunity to study the window from the prediagnostic state to the transformation to disease. This may help define risk factors and may allow for the discovery of novel molecular targets for treatment of the disease.”

Of the over 75,000 individuals who particated in the study and, there were 45 that went from “cancer free” at the beginning of the study to being diagnosed with Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) at some point later on. The researchers found that 44 of the 45 CLL patients had monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) six months to  six years prior to CLL diagnosis. MBL has similiarities to CLL.

For more information:

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2009/nci-11.htm