Stem Cell Research Conference October 15-16 At The Rockefeller University

The New York Stem Cell Foundation’s (NYSCF) second annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference will be held from October 15-16 at The Rockefeller University in Manhattan. The conference will bring together many of the most prominent figures in human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research from across the United States and abroad. These pre-eminent scientists will present the latest and most exciting breakthroughs in this revolutionary field of research in the search for cures of the major diseases of our time.

This year, the NYSCF Translational Stem Cell Research Conference will be co-chaired by John Gearhart, PhD, Director, Stem Cell Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins Medicine; Douglas Melton, PhD, co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute; and Paul Nurse, PhD, president of The Rockefeller University.

The conference opens on October 15 with a public policy panel, featuring top stem cell scientists, advocates and policy leaders, who will discuss the continuing challenges facing the field of hESC research. The panel will be moderated by R. Alta Charo, JD, Professor of Law and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and will include David A. Carmel, Vice President, Business Development, StemCyte, Inc.; Dr. Gearhart; Michael Manganiello, principal, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek Government Affairs; Dr. Melton; William B. Neaves, PhD, president and CEO, Stowers Institute for Medical Research; and Susan L. Solomon, JD, CEO of the New York Stem Cell Foundation.

The second day of the conference, October 16, “Unlocking the Potential,” will begin with opening remarks by Susan L. Solomon, welcoming remarks by Paul Nurse, followed by a special address by R. Alta Charo and presentations on Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), the most advanced hESC technique. Among the presenters with be Kevin Eggan, PhD, assistant professor of molecular and cellular biology at Harvard University and NYSCF’s scientific director. Dr. Melton will give the keynote speech. Further sessions will explore the impact human embryonic stem cell research is having on efforts to better understand, and ultimately find more effective treatments and cures for, cancer, neurological disorders, heart disease and diabetes, and auto immune disease.

A full conference pamphlet and registration information is available at http://www.nyscf.org/.

“Our inaugural conference was an unprecedented event for New York and reinforced the city’s status as a vital national center for stem cell research,” said Solomon. “With the field of hESC research now at critical scientific and political junctures, the conversations at this year’s conference will be key to gaining a better understanding of what is on the horizon.”

The New York Stem Cell Foundation conference is co-sponsored by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, the Helen and Martin Kimmel Center for Stem Cell Biology at New York University School of Medicine, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the members of Tri-Institutional Stem Cell Initiative: The Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

“The New York Stem Cell Foundation is a very important organization, because the kinds of problems we’re trying to solve are far beyond the reach of any one investigator or laboratory, so we need cooperation across the universities to make progress in this area,” said Dr. Melton.

“We need, desperately, foundations like this, and I would look for the New York Stem Cell Foundation to lead us for quite a while,” said Dr. Gearhart.

“The Foundation’s work is important because it allows support of those activities which, at present, the federal government, through the NIH, will simply not support,” said Dr. Nurse.

“It’s a delight to work with people who are passionate about trying to find new cures,” added Melton. “And it’s a pleasure in life to work with people who are so focused on a mission and want to work together to achieve that goal.”

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

USA Today Examines Practice Of Ingesting Placenta To Mitigate Postpartum Depression

USA Today on Thursday examined the practice known as placentophagy, in which the placenta of a pregnant woman is saved, dried and emulsified, then placed in gelatin capsules and taken by the mother in the months after childbirth. Hospitals usually store placentas for a few days to allow for testing if there is a postpregnancy complication but then destroy them, according to USA Today. Some hospitals regard placentas as “hazardous medical waste” and are reluctant to let women keep them, while other hospitals allow women to keep the organ, USA Today reports.

According to USA Today, the practice of ingesting placenta “is far from widespread” and has been received with “great skepticism by more traditional medical experts.” However, a “small but vocal contingent” of pregnant women and advocates “strongly” believe that the placenta is “rich in chemicals that can help mitigate fluctuations in hormones believed to cause postpartum depression,” USA Today reports.

“I feel that it is what we as women are meant to do with the placenta,” Jodi Selander — who provides the encapsulation service at no cost to clients and is collecting testimonials of women who have ingested placenta for her Web site placentabenefits.Info — said, adding that other mammals eat their placentas. Mark Kristal — a professor at State University of New York-Buffalo, who focused his 1971 doctoral dissertation on why animals eat their placentas — said, “People can believe what they want, but there’s no research to substantiate claims of human benefit.” He added, “The cooking process will destroy all the protein and the hormones. … Drying it out or freezing it would destroy other things.”

Selander said she has sought FDA guidance but received no clear answers. FDA spokesperson Kris Mejia said the agency considers some statements on Selander’s Web site to be unsubstantiated medical claims and will be reviewing the matter. “Human placental capsules that make treatment claims … must be accompanied by well-designed and controlled clinical studies to support approval/licensure,” Mejia wrote in an e-mail (Friess, USA Today, 7/19).

“Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Two Technologies To Improve Flu Virus Detection Licensed

The University of Colorado’s Technology Transfer Office has executed two licenses with Quidel Corporation of San Diego, CA, a leading provider of rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests. The agreements grant exclusive, worldwide rights to two influenza detection technologies developed by researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The Anti-Viral Resistance (AVR) Chip was developed by a team of CU-Boulder researchers led by Drs. Kathy Rowlen and Robert Kuchta. Quidel’s intent is to develop and market diagnostic tests featuring the chip for use in identifying mutations that may complicate influenza treatment decisions.

The chip detects the two most common factors contributing to the resistance of influenza to drug treatment. The ability to identify antiviral susceptibility is important for global monitoring of influenza patterns, and for directing physicians toward better treatment decisions.

Preliminary studies demonstrate a 95% success rate in the detection of influenza mutations known to result in drug resistance.

The BChip was also developed at CU-Boulder, in close collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); its primary application is in influenza B monitoring, as a tool for the clinical laboratory and at the point-of-care in the physician office laboratory. The BChip can detect two influenza B virus strains (B/Victoria/2/87 and B/Yamagata/16/88), which are critical in determining seasonal influenza vaccines.

In a recent study of 62 influenza B virus samples from 19 countries, dating from 1945 to 2005, as well as five negative control samples, the BChip exhibited 97% sensitivity and 100% specificity, with no false positives.

The two new chips help strengthen Quidel’s technology foundation in molecular diagnostics; they represent further work done on the FluChip and MChip technologies licensed by Quidel from CU in December 2006.

“After many years of faculty research, we are excited to have executed three licenses with a leading company in the molecular diagnostic industry. This arrangement has the potential to help millions of people,” said David Allen, CU’s associate vice president for technology.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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National Hotline Expands To Assist Professionals With Clients’ Full Array Of Medicare Questions And Problems, USA

The Medicare Rights Center’s Professional Hotline is now providing comprehensive guidance on a complete spectrum of Medicare benefits, rights and options to professionals who assist older adults and people with disabilities who have Medicare.

Launched in 2005 to support social workers and health care professionals in need of advice on the new Medicare prescription drug benefit available through private drug plans, the hotline service has just expanded to cover all consumer-related Medicare issues.

Hotline counselors now give free and expert information about a range of topics, including: how to appeal Medicare private health and drug plan denials; help for victims of Medicare private health plan marketing schemes; how the Medicare drug benefit works with Medicaid, state pharmaceutical assistance programs and other drug coverage; resources for low-income people with Medicare; and how Medicare covers care in the home, skilled nursing facilities and hospitals, and durable medical equipment.

“Professionals can access accurate, unbiased information with just a phone call,” said Robert M. Hayes, president of the Medicare Rights Center, a national consumer group. “The Medicare Rights Center staff helps professionals serve their clients more effectively by providing Medicare-related information in a consumer-friendly and timely manner.”

Medicare Rights Center (MRC) is the largest independent source of health care information and assistance in the United States for people with Medicare. Founded in 1989, MRC helps older adults and people with disabilities get good, affordable health care.

Update On Tainted Veggie Booty Snack Food - FDA Testing Confirms Presence Of Salmonella Contamination, USA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed that a strain of Salmonella Wandsworth bacteria found in Veggie Booty snack food is responsible for the disease outbreak that occurred between March and June 2007.

Laboratory testing conducted by the Minnesota Agricultural Lab previously confirmed initial epidemiologic evidence that implicated Veggie Booty snack food as the source of the outbreak. The results of FDA’s own testing added further confirmation.

Veggie Booty is marketed by Robert’s American Gourmet, of Sea Cliff, N.Y.

FDA continues to advise consumers not to eat any Veggie Booty and to throw away product they have. FDA also advises consumers not to eat Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks, and to throw out any supplies they have, because this product also may be contaminated.

No illnesses have been associated with any other Robert’s American Gourmet products.

Salmonella typically causes diarrhea (may be bloody), often accompanied by abdominal cramps and fever. Symptoms typically begin within one to four days after exposure to the bacteria. In infants and persons with poor underlying health and those with weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections.

Individuals who have recently eaten Veggie Booty or Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks and who have experienced any of the symptoms described above should contact a doctor or other health care provider immediately. Both products may appeal to children, so parents should be especially vigilant and seek medical care if they observe signs of illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 60 persons, mostly toddlers, from 19 states who have become ill. Five persons were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. States reporting illnesses include: California (seven cases), Colorado (five), Connecticut (two), Georgia (one), Illinois (one), Indiana (one), Massachusetts (four), Minnesota (two), New Hampshire (two), New Jersey (two), New York (15), Oregon (one), Pennsylvania (four), Tennessee (one), Texas (two), Virginia (one), Vermont (three), Washington (four), and Wisconsin (two).

FDA, the States, and CDC are continuing the investigation. Preliminary testing suggests that the seasoning mix used in Veggie Booty may be the source of the contamination. FDA will continue to trace back the ingredients and processing methods used for the seasoning mix, seeing to determine whether the seasoning actually is the source of the problem.

Veggie Booty is sold in a flexible plastic foil bag in four ounce, one ounce and one-half ounce packages. Some gift baskets available for purchase on the internet include Veggie Booty or Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks.

Robert’s American Gourmet ceased distributing Veggie Booty and began recalling the product on June 28. The company has also voluntarily recalled all lots and sizes of Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks snack food because the same potentially contaminated seasoning may have been used in making that product, too. In addition, the manufacturer of Veggie Booty and other products for Robert’s has ceased production until this investigation is complete. Robert’s American Gourmet and its contract manufacturer are fully cooperating with FDA’s investigation into the cause of the contamination.

FDA will provide additional updates as the investigation progresses and more information becomes available.

Wellbaskets.com Is Alerting Customers of the Veggie Booty Voluntary Recall Issued on June 28, 2007 by Robert’s American Gourmet (July 2, 2007)

Robert’s American Gourmet Food, Inc. Conducts a Nationwide Recall of Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks Because of Possible Health Risk (July 2, 2007)

FDA’s Pilot Program to Better Educate Consumers about Recalled Food Products

Do I Know You? QBI Researchers Identify Woman’s Struggle To Recognise New Faces

A young woman - who is by every other measure healthy and intelligent but struggles to recognise new faces - has presented Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) scientists with fascinating new insights into learning and memory.

The woman’s condition, known as prosopamnesia, is extremely rare and has only been found in a handful of people around the world, according to University of Queensland cognitive neuroscientist Professor Jason Mattingley.

“For many years, scientists have been interested in how people learn to recognise new faces, and people who have difficulty with faces often have trouble interacting in social settings,” he said.

The woman - whose identity remains protected - presented herself to researchers after experiencing social embarrassment when she found she was unable to recognise colleagues, people to whom she had already been introduced.

The research, in collaboration with colleagues at Macquarie and La Trobe universities, is published in this month’s edition of Current Biology. The work suggests the woman’s “disability” might lie in her inability to encode or recognise new faces, rather than her ability to perceive them.

“She reports relying heavily on featural cues such as hair colour and style, eyeglasses, and eyebrows to recognise new acquaintances,” Professor Mattingley said.

On a battery of standard face-recognition tests, the woman consistently registered scores that indicated her ability to recognise new faces was severely impaired.

The woman experiences a similar difficulty in recognising characters on television, but after months of repeated viewing could slowly learn to identify key individuals.

For example, when the woman was shown 42 images of pre-nominated movie celebrities, she correctly identified nine-out-of-10 of the faces.

The researchers also noted that it was only after six months of testing that the woman was able to recognise the faces.

The group’s findings were backed up by brain-imaging investigations, which indicated that the woman’s exposure to an unfamiliar face, even over ‘multiple encoding episodes’, was not enough to leave a lasting memory.

“It may be that enduring face representations are slow to form or are degraded in quality, or they may decay rapidly following normal encoding,” Professor Mattingley said.

While face recognition is currently thought to be an innate capacity that human babies have at birth, aspects of this ability are probably shaped by experience.

Prosopamnesia is probably a condition linked to an irregularity during neural development, Professor Mattingley said.

To add to the researchers’ intrigue, the young woman has reported that some of her family members experience similar problems with face memory.

“If this is true, this woman’s condition might present us with tantalising evidence for a genetic link as well,” Professor Mattingley said.

While more studies are planned, the woman has placed any additional investigations on hold until she establishes her career.

Scientific paper: Williams et al., Abnormal fMRI Adaptation to Unfamiliar Faces in a Case of Developmental Prosopamnesia, Current Biology (2007), doi:10.1016/j.cub.2007.06.042.

The University of Queensland, Brisbane Australia