Category Archives: Genetic Medicine

This is great news for me! Ive been wanting to quit smoking for years and this vaccine may be the answer for me to finally put down this addiction that Ive had in years.

CBS News reports:

Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chairman and professor of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. Crystals team has announced theyve successfully tested a new vaccine that may treat nicotine addiction.

Much like vaccines for diseases that create antibodies to fight infection, the vaccine creates antibodies against nicotine. However, previous attempts at similar vaccines have failed because within a few weeks the antibodies are gone, which wont exactly help people stay smoke-free.

Crystals team developed a vaccine that contains a virus consisting of a genetic sequence they engineered from a nicotine antibody, and injected it into the liver of mice. The injection genetically modifies the liver to churn out nicotine antibodies, along with other cells it typically makes, thus providing a nicotine antibody factory in the body. That suggests the effect wont diminish over time like that of other antibodies. The antibodies then work by targeting the nicotine cells within seconds of exposure and preventing them from reaching receptors in the brain that provide the chill out feeling, as Crystal called it.

The antibodies are little Pac-men that like nicotine and just gobble it up, Crystal said.

via

View post:
I may finally be able to quit smoking. Vaccine stops nicotine from reaching the brain, may prevent addiction.

SAN DIEGO, June 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Millennium Laboratories, the leading research-based clinical diagnostic company dedicated to improving the lives of people suffering from pain, announced today the introduction of Millennium Pharmacogenetic Testing (PGT). Millennium PGT is saliva-based testing to detect genetic variations in enzymes associated with the metabolism of medications commonly prescribed to patients suffering from debilitating chronic pain and pain-related effects. This testing will help clinicians identify patients who may benefit from modifying the drug selection or dosing of certain prescribed opioids including methadone, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120516/LA07836LOGO)

"This novel testing provides insight into whether or not a patient will experience the anticipated effect of a prescribed medication or be at increased risk for additional side effects," said Howard Appel, President of Millennium Laboratories.

Medication metabolism differs greatly among individuals and may partly be the result of genetic variations in metabolizing enzymes. These genetic variations can result in clinically significant differences in response to prescribed medications. By identifying genetic variations in drug-metabolizing enzymes, clinicians can more effectively personalize each patient's treatment. Incorporating pharmacogenetic testing into clinical practice has significant potential to improve the efficacy of drug treatment and reduce adverse effects by providing information that allows clinicians to better predict and understand patient responses to medications(1-3).

"Millennium's proprietary pharmacogenetic testing is an objective tool to individualize therapy and potentially improve patient outcomes," said Appel. "Identifying genetic characteristicsthat affect how commonly prescribed medications are metabolized is an example of how personalized medicine may improve the lives of those suffering from pain. Millennium is proud to introduce this best-in-classpharmacogenetic testing to the market."

"Pharmacogenetics is an emerging technology across many areas of clinical medicine that has already started to affect certain clinical decisions and likely will play an increasingly important role in pain medicine, especially in the area of safe prescribing," said Michael Brennan, M.D., a nationally recognized pain specialist practicing in Fairfield, Connecticut. "In select chronic pain patients, the combineduse ofurine drug testing and pharmacogenetic testing can help answer important clinical questions."

Appel called today's announcement "a major milestone" for people suffering from pain. "Since our founding in 2007, Millennium has quickly become the leader in the field of medication monitoring and drug detection," he said. "As that leader, it is incumbent upon us to continue to advance the science of pain management by introducing the newest technologies and advanced clinical tools. Today's announcement represents the culmination of a more than two-year effort."

All testing and analysis are performed at Millennium's state-of-the-art pharmacogenetics laboratory in San Diego. Millennium PGT is currently available upon request to healthcare professionals in select regions across the United States. The company anticipates nationwide availability later this year.

About Millennium Laboratories

Millennium Laboratories (http://millenniumlabs.com/) is the leading research-based, clinical diagnostic company dedicated to improving the lives of people with chronic pain. The company provides healthcare professionals with medication monitoring, drug detection and pharmacogenetic testing services to personalize treatment plans to improve clinical outcomes and patient safety.

The rest is here:
Millennium Laboratories Launches Innovative Pharmacogenetic Test, Paving the Way for Personalized Medicine in the ...

Life Technologies Corporation (LIFE) has entered into several collaborations to expand the scope of sequencing. The latest in a line of alliances is with Boston Children's Hospital. The tie-up is meant to develop an end-to-end genetic sequencing lab workflow based on the companys Ion Proton sequencer. This collaboration will facilitate treatment decisions for patients with complicated conditions.

The tie-up with Boston Children's Hospital comes on the heels of collaboration with the University of North Texas Health Science Centers Institute of Applied Genetics. Both parties would utilize the company's Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM) system for implementation of best technologies in forensics DNA analyses. Training forensic analysts on the application of next generation sequencing will be a key output of the collaboration.

In another development, Life Technologies partnered with the Hospital for Sick Children to advance pediatric genomic research on the Ion Proton sequencer. Under the agreement, numerous clinical research samples will be mapped daily using the sequencing platform in the hospital's newly launched Centre for Genetic Medicine. The Ion Proton sequencer, which relies on semiconductor chips, is designed to sequence an entire human genome in a day for $1,000. This is much faster and less expensive than traditional next generation systems.

Life Technologies Genetic Analysis business received a strong boost from the Ion Torrent franchise. This franchise was inducted into the companys portfolio with the acquisition of Ion Torrent, a DNA sequencing company, in October 2010. The company realized robust growth from its Ion PGM in the last few quarters. Launched in December 2010, shipment placements of the Ion PGM numbered 700 at the end of 2011.

Maintaining the upbeat trend, sales of the PGM rose during the last reported quarter. The company is satisfied with the progress made so far with Ion Torrent technologies and expects the growth momentum to continue. This growth will be supported by more PGM placements and the scheduled launch of the Ion Proton Benchtop sequencer in the second half of 2012.

The sequencing market has become competitive with the presence of Illumina (ILMN). Moreover, another player, Qiagen (QGEN) is also entering the next generation sequencing market.

We have a Neutral recommendation on Life Technologies. The stock retains a Zacks #3 Rank (hold) in the short term.

Read the Full Research Report on ILMN

Read the Full Research Report on QGEN

Zacks Investment Research

Follow this link:
LIFE's Ion Suite Thrives on Tie-Ups

(CBS News) Trying to quit smoking? It's tough - studies suggest 70 to 80 percent of people who try to quit smoke within six months.

That's because nicotine is so addictive, says Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chairman and professor of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. Crystal's team has announced they've successfully tested a new vaccine that may treat nicotine addiction.

Crystal told HealthPop that many stop-smoking campaigns try to attack the source of smoking, cigarettes, but what his team wanted to do was find a way to block the sensation nicotine provides in the brain that makes smoking so addictive.

"Smoking is a terrible problem in society," Crystal told HealthPop. "It's enormously costly to our society, not only the pain and suffering, but the amount of health care costs. In that sense, it's important for us to develop strategies that in fact will be effective."

His team's vaccine is described in the June 27 issue of Science Translational Medicine. How does it work?

Much like vaccines for diseases that create antibodies to fight infection, the vaccine creates antibodies against nicotine. However, previous attempts at similar vaccines have failed because within a few weeks the antibodies are gone, which won't exactly help people stay smoke-free.

Crystal's team developed a vaccine that contains a virus consisting of a genetic sequence they engineered from a nicotine antibody, and injected it into the liver of mice. The injection genetically modifies the liver to churn out nicotine antibodies, along with other cells it typically makes, thus providing a nicotine antibody "factory" in the body. That suggests the effect won't diminish over time like that of other antibodies. The antibodies then work by targeting the nicotine cells within seconds of exposure and preventing them from reaching receptors in the brain that provide the "chill out" feeling, as Crystal called it.

"The antibodies are little Pac-men that like nicotine and just gobble it up," Crystal said.

When mice are given nicotine, they experience reduced blood pressure and heart activity and appear "chilled out," which suggests the nicotine reached their brains. But mice tested with the new vaccine appeared just as active as they were before, as measured by infrared beams in their cages.

"It's like giving them water - nothing happens," Crystal said. However he added that there was a caveat to his study: "Mice aren't small humans."

See the original post here:
Vaccine stops nicotine from reaching the brain, may prevent addiction

Researchers have developed a vaccine that successfully treated nicotine addiction in mice, according to a study published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine.

With just a single dose, the vaccine protected mice against nicotine addiction for the rest of their lives, the researchers said. The vaccine works by prompting the animals liver to act as a factory that continually produces antibodies. The antibodies then absorb the nicotine as soon as it hits the bloodstream, preventing it from reaching the brain or the heart.

According to the studys lead investigator, Dr. Ronald Crystal, chairman and professor of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, it normally takes nicotine about six to 10 seconds to cross the bloodstream, reach the brain and bind to receptors. This is what produces the calm or relaxed feelings that drive nicotine addiction. By blocking nicotine from reaching the brain, the antibodies prevent those pleasurable feelings from occurring.

"As far as we can see, the best way to treat chronic nicotine addiction from smoking is to have these Pacman-like antibodies on patrol, clearing the blood as needed before nicotine can have any biological effect," Crystal said in a released statement.

Importantly, the vaccine allows the body to build up its own immunity against nicotine, making it more effective and consistent than vaccines developed in the past.

Crystal said previous nicotine vaccines likely failed because they directly injected nicotine antibodies into the body, rather than prompting the body to build its own antibodies. This meant these passive vaccines had to be injected multiple times, because they only lasted for three to four weeks, and the dosage level required may have varied from person to personparticularly if the person started smoking again.

On the other hand, the researchers knew the second main type of vaccines, known as active vaccines, wouldnt protect against nicotine addiction either. Active vaccinesused to protect people against viruses such as polio or the mumpswork by introducing a piece of a virus into the body, which in turn prompts the body to develop a lifelong immune response against the invading agent. However, nicotine molecules are too small for the immune system to recognize.

As a result, the researchers had to develop a third kind of vaccine: a genetic vaccine, which works by binding the genetic sequence of a nicotine antibody to a non-harmful virus. The virus is directed to go to the liver cells, and the genetic sequence of the antibody then inserts itself into those cells, causing the cells to produce a stream of the antibodies along with the other molecules they make.

We can target almost any organ [with this type of vaccine], but the reason for using the liver is that it is a very good secretory organ, Crystal told FoxNews.com. The liver is very good at making and secreting many proteins, so we just genetically modified the liver cells to also make antibodies against nicotine.

Crystal said he first thought of the concept behind the vaccine a few years ago while passing by a newsstand. I saw a magazine cover that said something along the lines of Addiction: We Need Vaccines and got this idea to use gene therapy.

Go here to read the rest:
Researchers develop vaccine to treat nicotine addiction

Close up of laboratory microscope (Matthew Jones)

"Without question, man's knowledge of man is undergoing the greatest revolution since Leonardo. In many ways personalized medicine is already here." - Dr. Francis Collins

That quote, from Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, was used at the beginning of a report on genetic testing by UnitedHealth Group's Center for Health Reform & Modernization.

The report, "Personalized Medicine: Trends and prospects for the new science of genetic testing and molecular diagnostics," was released in March.

For the paper, the organization surveyed the public on their familiarity with genetic testing. While 71 percent said they were familiar with the concept, only one in two indicated they were knowledgable about genetic science.

So the Los Angeles News Group spoke with doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to shed light on this rapidly evolving field of health care.

Genetic testing analyzes a person's genetic material, including genes and biomarkers. While a person's complete DNA can be decoded, a process called whole genome sequencing, researchers don't know how to interpret all of the information quite yet. Currently, tests can be used to detect 2,500 conditions, according to UnitedHealth.

"The whole genetic testing story is linked to an entire paradigm in medicine that is evolving, and that is personalized medicine," says Dr. Mahul Amin, chairman of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at

Amin's research focuses on uncovering biomarkers for cancer - particularly of the prostate, bladder, kidney and testis - that will allow for personalized treatment of patients with these diseases.

A biomarker is a biochemical, genetic or molecular characteristic that acts as an indicator of a particular biological condition.

Originally posted here:
Advances in genetic testing allow for more personalized medical treatments