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PLC Medical Systems To Demonstrate RenalGuard(R) At EuroPCR 2009
PLC Systems Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: PLCSF), a company focused on innovative cardiac and vascular medical device-based technologies, announced that it will demonstrate its RenalGuard System(TM) at EuroPCR, the annual meeting of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), May 19-22, 2009, in Barcelona, Spain. More than 11,000 clinicians and professionals are expected to attend this event.
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Key Found To How Tumor Cells Invade The Brain In Childhood Cancer
Despite great strides in treating childhood leukemia, a form of the disease called T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) poses special challenges because of the high risk of leukemic cells invading the brain and spinal cord of children who relapse. Now, a new study in the June 18, 2009, issue of the journal Nature by scientists at NYU School of Medicine reveals the molecular agents behind this devastating infiltration of the central nervous system. The finding may lead to new drugs that block these agents and thus lower the risk of relapse.
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Ohio Bill Would Require Biological Father's Consent For Abortion
A bill (HR 252) introduced this month in the Ohio House would require a pregnant woman seeking an abortion to obtain written consent from the fetus" biological father, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. If the woman does not know the identity of the biological father, she would have to provide proof of paternity tests of potential fathers. The bill is sponsored by Rep. John Adams (R) and co-sponsored by four other Republicans.The bill would establish "abortion fraud" as a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Repeat offenders could be charged with a fifth-degree felony, punishable by up to one year in jail and up to a $2,500 fine. The bill is not clear as to who could be fined or jailed. Becki Brenner, president of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio, said that she believes doctors would be the ones ultimately fined or jailed.Brenner criticized the bill, saying that a woman would have to pay at least $1,400 for each DNA test if she is unsure who the father is. Brenner called the legislation "a burden on a woman," adding that the whole purpose behind the bill is to make it harder to obtain a legal abortion. She said, "Hopefully, [the bill] won"t even get debate in the committee" because it is "blatantly anti-woman."Paula Westwood, executive director of Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati, said that her group supports the bill. She added, "I would think men would want to have these rights."According to the Enquirer, the bill does not have the support of the House Democratic majority. The current version of the bill has not been assigned to a committee, and it is unlikely to pass the House, much like past bills seeking new restrictions on abortion (Craig/Preston, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7/24).
Endocrinology

Discovery Of Trojan Horse For Ovarian Cancer -- Nanoparticles Turn Immune System Soldiers Against Tumor Cells

In a feat of trickery, Dartmouth Medical School immunologists have devised a Trojan horse to help overcome ovarian cancer, unleashing a surprise killer in the surroundings of a hard-to-treat tumor. Using nanoparticles--ultra small bits-- the team has reprogrammed a protective cell that ovarian cancers have corrupted to feed their growth, turning the cells back from tumor friend to foe. Their research, published online July 13 for the August Journal of Clinical Investigation, offers a promising approach to orchestrate an attack against a cancer whose survival rates have barely budged over the last three decades. "We have modulated elements of the tumor microenvironment that are not cancer cells, reversing their role as accomplices in tumor growth to attackers that boost responses against the tumor," said Dr. Jose Conejo-Garcia, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology and of medicine, and a researcher at Dartmouth-Hitchcock"s Norris Cotton Cancer Center, who led the research. "The cooperating cells hit by the particles return to fighters that immediately kill tumor cells." The study, in mice with established ovarian tumors, involves a polymer now in clinical trials for other tumors. The polymer interacts with a receptor that senses danger to activate cells that trigger an inflammatory immune response. The Dartmouth work focuses on dendritic cells--an immune cell particularly abundant in the ovarian cancer environment. It does take direct aim at tumor cells, so it could be an amenable adjunct to other current therapies. "That"s the beautiful part of story--people usually inject these nanoparticles to target tumor cells. But we found that these dendritic cells that are commonly present in ovarian cancer were preferentially and avidly engulfing the nanoparticles. We couldn"t find any tumor cells taking up the nanoparticles, only the dendritic cells residing in the tumor," explained Juan R. Cubillos-Ruiz, graduate student and first author. Dendritic cells are phagocytes--the soldiers of the immune system that gobble up bacteria and other pathogens, but ovarian cancer has co-opted them for its own use, he continued. "So we were trying to restore the attributes of these dendritic cells--the good guys; they become Trojan horses." Cancer is more than tumor cells; many other circulating cells including the dendritic phagocytes converge to occupy nearby space. The dendritic cells around ovarian cancer scoop up the nanocomplexes, composed of a polymer and small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules to silence their immunosuppressive activity. Nanoparticle incorporation transforms them from an immunosuppressive to an immunostimulatory cell type at tumor locations, provoking anti-tumor responses and also directly killing tumor cells. The effect is particularly striking with an siRNA designed to silence the gene responsible for making an immune protein called PD-L. The new findings also raise a warning flag about the use of gene silencing complexes in cancer treatment. Inflammation is a helpful immune response, but the researchers urge caution when using compounds that can enhance inflammation in a patient already weakened by cancer. Ovarian cancer, which claims an estimated 15,000 US lives a year, is an accessible disease for nanoparticle delivery, according to the investigators. Instead of systemic administration, complexes can be put directly into the peritoneal cavity where the phagocytes take them up. Samples of human ovarian cancer cells show similar responses to nanoparticle stimulation, the researchers observed, suggesting feasibility in the clinical setting. It could be part of a "multimodal approach," against ovarian cancer, said Conejo-Garcia also a member of the Dartmouth"s Norris Cotton Cancer Center. "The prevailing treatment is surgical debulking, followed by chemotherapy. Our findings could complement those because they target not the tumor cells themselves, but different cells present around the tumor." Co-authors are Xavier Engle, Uciane K. Scarlett, Diana Martinez, Amorette Barber, Raul Elgueta, Li Wang, Yolanda Nesbeth and Charles Sentman of Dartmouth; Yvon Durant of University of New Hampshire, Andrew T Gewirtz of Emory, and Ross Kedl of University of Colorado. The work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, including the National Cancer Institute and National Center for Research Res, a Liz Tilberis Award from the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, and the Norris Cotton Cancer Center Nanotechnology Group Award. Jason Aldous Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center


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