Biotechnology News

LINCOLN, Neb. - The University of Nebraska's governing board on Friday voted not to place tighter restrictions on embryonic stem cell research than those outlined under federal guidelines, which were expanded after President Barack Obama took office.

CHICAGO (AFP) - Embryonic stem cell therapy got a step closer to the clinic Thursday after US researchers said they filed a request for government approval of human trials.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Advanced Cell Technology, a small Massachusetts-based biotechnology company, said on Thursday it has asked for approval to test human embryonic stem cells in treating a rare cause of blindness.

ZURICH (Reuters) - Actelion Ltd, Europe's largest biotech company, said on Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would review use of its drug Zavesca to treat a rare neurodegenerative disease early next year.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Villagers in the highlands of Papua New Guinea who ritualistically ate human brains but did not die of a brain disease called kuru have a genetic mutation that protects them, researchers said Wednesday.

TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Oil from genetically modified soybeans boosts levels of an important omega-3 fatty acid in the body, which may reduce the risk of heart attacks, U.S. researchers say.

TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who received bone marrow stem cell transplants during coronary bypass surgery (CABG) experienced "excellent long-term safety and survival," say German researchers, who also noted the first promising results for stem cell transplantation during mitral valve repair.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iceland's Decode Genetics Inc, a pioneer in genetic research, has filed for bankruptcy protection, weighed down by debts after 13 years of failing to make a profit.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A Taiwanese group has entered the running for the 10-million-dollar Archon X Prize for Genomics competition, the biggest medical prize in history, organizers said Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — A whirlwind of activity is under way to apply the findings of the $3 billion Human Genome Project to improve health care in the United States and around the world.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lobbyists working for biotech company Genentech wrote statements for more than a dozen lawmakers in the official record of the House debate on the health care bill, The New York Times reported on Sunday, citing e-mails.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - People of Japanese and European descent who have mutant versions of five genes may be at higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease, two large teams of researchers have found.

WASHINGTON - Federal health regulators have found tiny particles of trash in drugs made by Genzyme, the second time this year the biotechnology company has been cited for contamination issues.

ENID, Oklahoma (Reuters) - To the untrained eye, Pollard Farms looks much like any other cattle ranch. Similar looking cows are huddled in similar looking pens. But some of the cattle here don't just resemble each other. They are literally identical -- clear down to their genes.

THURSDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers are reporting that injections of genes into the leg muscles of monkeys helped the animals gain muscle size and strength without side effects.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gene therapy treatment that stops the breakdown of muscle appeared safe in monkeys and may build up muscle, too, researchers reported on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Why can humans talk and chimps cannot? Researchers said on Wednesday they have another clue and it lies not simply in the genetic code, but in how the genes function.

LONDON (Reuters) - A mouse that can speak? A monkey with Down's Syndrome? Dogs with human hands or feet? British scientists want to know if such experiments are acceptable, or if they go too far in the name of medical research.

THURSDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The reported success of gene therapy in treating two children with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) brings hope to patients with the potentially crippling and fatal brain disorder and their families, says a nonprofit group that supports ALD research.

THURSDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- New research sheds light on the possible link between the genes you inherit and the size of your belly.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Want to know your entire DNA sequence? A California company has done it for as little as $1,700.

PARIS (AFP) - A breakthrough mix of stem cell and gene therapy halted a lethal brain-wasting illness in two young boys, and could prove effective against other genetic disorders, researchers reported Thursday.

WASHINGTON - French scientists mixed gene therapy and bone marrow transplants in two boys to seemingly halt a brain disease that can kill by adolescence. The surprise ingredient: They disabled the HIV virus so it couldn't cause AIDS, and then used it to carry in the healthy new gene.

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have managed to halt a rare and fatal brain disease with an experimental gene therapy technique using a deactivated version of the AIDS virus, a study published on Thursday showed.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A person's genetic makeup may play an important role in the odds of suffering neck or back pain, new research suggests.

BOSTON/LONDON (Reuters) - Human Genome Sciences Inc said its experimental lupus drug Benlysta eased symptoms in more than 43 percent of patients who took it in a clinical trial, paving the way for approval of the first new treatment for the disease in 50 years.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Biotechnology giant Amgen Inc and drug wholesaler AmerisourceBergen Corp were sued on Friday by 14 U.S. states and the District of Columbia over an alleged kickback scheme designed to boost sales of Amgen's popular anemia drug, Aranesp.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Churchgoers have been found to have lower rates of drinking and smoking than those who spend their Sundays elsewhere. Now a new study suggests that for adults, it may not be church attendance itself that explains much of the phenomenon. It might be genes.

MEXICO CITY (AFP) - As scientists race the clock to increase food production worldwide, new trials to plant genetically-modified maize have stoked anger in Mexico, the cradle of corn.