Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

Outcome Of Children Born After Fertility Treatment, Embryo Freezing: Two Studies
Study 1 Twins born as a result of assisted reproductive technology (ART) are more likely to be admitted to neonatal intensive care and to be hospitalised in their first three years of life than spontaneously conceived twins, according to new research published online in Human Reproduction [1].
generic viagra online
Cancer Therapies: How Much Is Life Worth? The $440 Billion Question
The decision to use expensive cancer therapies that typically produce only a relatively short extension of survival is a serious ethical dilemma in the U.S. that needs to be addressed by the oncology community, according to a commentary published online June 29 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
News of the day
Increased HIV Risk To Black Gay Men
Black gay men have less choice when it comes to sexual partners than other groups and, as a result, their sexual networks are closely knit. These tightly interconnected networks make the rapid spread of HIV more likely. In a study1) looking at social and sexual mixing between ethnic groups in men who have sex with men, H. Fisher Raymond and Willi McFarland, from the San Francisco Department of Public Health in the US, show that social barriers faced by Black gay men may have a serious impact on their health and well-being. Their findings are published in Springer"s journal AIDS and Behavior.
Diagnostics

Breakthrough In The Development Of A Novel Human Antibody Platform Announced By OMT

Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc. (OMT), in collaboration with Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ, SGMO), Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (NASDAQ: SIAL), The Medical College of Wisconsin, and INSERM, have announced the creation of the first targeted knockout rats as detailed in "Knockout Rats Produced via Embryo Microinjection of Designed Zinc Finger Nucleases," published in the July 24th issue of Science. The creation of rats with permanent, heritable genetic mutations is a critical milestone in the development of OMT"s novel human monoclonal antibody platform. "Creating a knockout rat was the biggest challenge OMT faced", said Dr. Roland Buelow, CEO of OMT and senior author of the paper. "Inactivation of endogenous rat antibody expression is essential for human antibody expression in genetically engineered animals. To solve this problem, we explored a new application for Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) technology, which enabled a technique that could revolutionize the genetic engineering of animals." In the study, OMT scientists and its collaborators used ZFNs developed by Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. to knockout a gene encoding rat immunoglobulin. The mutations in rat immunoglobulin caused no off-target effects in other genes, and offspring of the ZFN-edited rats carried the mutated genes. Together, these results demonstrate the ability to generate heritable, specific and permanent modifications in a mammal using standard microinjection techniques and engineered ZFNs in early-stage embryos. With antibody sales expected to reach $50 billion within five years, many companies have entered the biologics market through acquiring antibody technologies or licensing/fee for service arrangements. Currently, the mouse is the only genetically engineered animal commercially available for the generation of human monoclonal antibodies, and many targets are licensed already. The expense and limitations of the mouse technology create an opportunity for OMT and its new monoclonal antibody platform with unrestricted development options. OMT"s human antibody technology is the result of an improved understanding of B-cell development and a novel approach to the inactivation of endogenous antibody expression described in the Science article. Previously, it took either embryonic stem cells or nuclear transfer cloning -- techniques that are not available for the genetic engineering of rats - to create a knockout, OMT used a new ZFN-mediated technique to generate immunoglobulin knockout rats. ZFNs are engineered proteins that induce double-strand breaks at specific sites in an organism"s DNA. Such double-strand breaks stimulate the cell"s natural DNA-repair pathways and can result in site- specific changes in the DNA sequence. Up to now, ZFNs have been used to edit specific genes in fruit flies, worms (C. elegans), cultured cells and zebrafish embryos, but this is the first example of successful, permanent, heritable gene-editing in a mammal. Dr. Roland Buelow Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc.


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009