Bioscience

Researchers from the Broad Institute, the Translational Genomics Research Institute, and elsewhere have garnered genomic data on dozens of multiple myeloma tumors.

Todd Golub, director of the Broad Institute's cancer research program, presented preliminary results from the study at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting here this week during a session on "Understanding the Cancer Genome with Next Generation DNA Sequencing." During the session, Golub described efforts to sequence whole genomes or exomes from 38 multiple myeloma patients.

The multiple myeloma genomics project is being funded by the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, which is also contributing patient samples from its tissue bank. Broad Institute computational biologist Gaddy Getz is spearheading sequencing for the project, Golub noted. Among other investigators collaborating on the project are TGen President and Scientific Director Jeff Trent, John Carpten, who is director of TGen's integrated cancer genomics division, and Jonathan Keats at the Mayo Clinic.

Bioscience

A popular topic at the World Vaccines Congress was cell-based alternatives to egg-based technologies, which was called the next frontier by Dr. Richard Schwartz of NIAID.

In recent years, a number of research projects have revolved around producing vaccines in animals and plants. Arizona State researchers produced a West Nile vaccine in plants that proved promising. And tobacco has emerged as one of the most intriguing vehicles for new vaccine production.

Bioscience

The director of the University of Arizona’s Animal Sciences Department, Ronald E. Allen, Ph.D., is one of 42 medical researchers and their labs who have been awarded more than $21 million in grants by MDA to advance critical neuromuscular research in 2010. Many of the grants are multi-year awards to be distributed over the next three years.

Allen has been awarded $264,000 to continue his pioneering work in the regulation of skeletal muscle satellite cells, cells that are required for normal muscle growth in animals and humans; and to rebuild diseased muscle. Allen’s findings may eventually lead to new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Including this grant, MDA has awarded Allen $1,395,152 in scientific grant money since 1992.

Bioscience

ImmuneRegen BioSciences, Inc.®, a wholly owned subsidiary of IR BioSciences Holdings, Inc., entered into a strategic collaboration with MPI Research today. Under the agreement, MPI Research will develop and perform preclinical, FDA-required safety studies and analytical research services in support of ImmuneRegen's lead drug candidate, Homspera®, which are expected to enable Phase 1 human clinical studies. Mutually agreeable financial incentives have been incorporated into the terms of this agreement.

Bioscience

An analysis of 38 myeloma tumor genomes surveyed through extensive next-generation sequencing by the Broad Institute has revealed intriguing recurrent mutations that point to important cellular pathways which contribute to multiple myeloma. These data were revealed during an oral presentation entitled “First Impressions of the Multiple Myeloma Genome” by Todd R. Golub, MD, Director of the Cancer Program at the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute. Dr. Golub’s presentation was one of two oral communications on the MMRC Genomics Initiative presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) in Washington, DC.

Bioscience

Forensic Laboratory enhances the value of suspect to evidence comparison in Y-STR mixtures

Testing the Y chromosome has proven extremely valuable in the forensic sciences particularly in cases where separating male from female DNA contributors can provide clarity which may include or exclude the alleged perpetrator of a crime.

However, when there are DNA mixtures of multiple male donors, there is no method to ascribe a statistical significance. This limitation has opened up Pandora’s Box with regard to treatment and statistical significance of these types of samples. Estimates of inclusion of a suspect used in court are often inaccurate and at times severely overstated. Such inaccuracies may lead to false arrests, imprisonments, or worse.

Bioscience

An Arizona Indian tribe has ended a seven-year legal fight over blood samples members gave to university scientists for diabetes research that were later used to study schizophrenia, inbreeding and ancient population migration in what tribal members called a case of genetic piracy.

The Havasupai Indians, who live deep in a gorge off the Grand Canyon, settled their lawsuits with Arizona State University in an agreement announced Wednesday and approved by the Legislature's Joint Legislative Budget Committee on Tuesday.

Bioscience

Under a proposal announced April 14 by Gov. Jan Brewer, the Arizona Department of Commerce, an important arrow in the state's economic-development quiver, would be overhauled and reborn as the Arizona Commerce Authority, a private-sector-led agency focused on business attraction and retention. Key industries on which it would concentrate include the biosciences.

Bioscience

Might a diet that includes grapes and berries aid a pregnant mother in preventing her unborn daughter from developing breast cancer later in life?

Two researchers at the University of Arizona have a three-year, $563,000 grant from the Department of Defense to conduct an initial investigation of how exposure to a group of environmental pollutants, called dioxins, are related to breast cancer. Their research may shed light on whether compounds found in certain foods can protect against damage caused by dioxin exposure, even in children who have not been born.

Bioscience

The Anne Rita Monahan Foundation recently presented $15,000 for ovarian cancer research to the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

That amount brings to $50,000 the total amount raised by the organization named for Anne Rita Monahan, a Phoenix woman who used her initials to encourage women to "ARM yourself against ovarian cancer."

Funds were raised at the 2nd annual Tea for TEAL, the color associated with ovarian cancer. The English-style tea for 160 people was held Feb. 2 at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, the first time the event was held after Monahan lost her battle to ovarian cancer in May. She was 47.