Dec. 27, 2012 ? Congenital hyperinsulinism is a genetic condition where a baby's pancreas secretes too much insulin. It affects approximately one in 50,000 live births and in severe cases requires the surgical removal of all or part of the pancreas.
Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School are the first in the world to utilise new genetic sequencing technology to sequence the entirety of a gene in order to identify mutations that cause hyperinsulinism. Previously, existing technology limited such sequencing to only part of the coding regions of the gene which meant that some mutations were missed.
Using new Illumina genetic sequencing technology, the research team led by Professor Sian Ellard has discovered novel mutations that cause hyperinsulinism. Their findings are published December 27 2012, on-line by The American Journal of Human Genetics.
The outcome will be that some infants born with hyperinsulinism will require fewer investigations, because the new technology means that for many only one genetic test will be required to determine the extent of the condition in each child. It also means that clinicians will have more information at their fingertips to inform them about how much of the pancreas needs to be removed.
Approximately 50 per cent of patients with congenital hyperinsulinism require surgery, and of those half require the entire pancreas to be removed. Removal of the entire pancreas increases the risk of diabetes later in life, but if left undiagnosed and untreated hyperinsulinism can result in irreparable brain damage. Symptoms range from shakiness and tiredness to seizure and coma.
Dr. Sarah Flanagan, Research Fellow in Molecular Genetics at the University of Exeter Medical School said: "The potential provided by this new technology is important and exciting, because it allows us to investigate genetic coding in its entirety. This means that investigators can identify mutations that sit at the heart of any number of conditions where before they might have been missed. This in turn results in better information for clinicians upon which they can base effective treatments and interventions for their patients."
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Exeter, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Sarah?E. Flanagan, Weijia Xie, Richard Caswell, Annet Damhuis, Christine Vianey-Saban, Teoman Akcay, Feyza Darendeliler, Firdevs Bas, Ayla Guven, Zeynep Siklar, Gonul Ocal, Merih Berberoglu, Nuala Murphy, Maureen O?Sullivan, Andrew Green, Peter?E. Clayton, Indraneel Banerjee, Peter?T. Clayton, Khalid Hussain, Michael?N. Weedon, Sian Ellard. Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals Deep Intronic Cryptic ABCC8 and HADH Splicing Founder Mutations Causing Hyperinsulinism by Pseudoexon Activation. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2012.11.017
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]In someone who has never had chickenpox, the vaccine would protect against a disease that is far more serious in adults than in children, experts say.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ? Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher was apparently worried he would lose his baby and money to his longtime girlfriend before fatally shooting her and killing himself, according to newly released police reports.
Belcher also complained about Kasandra Perkins, the mother of the couple's 3-month-old daughter, in conversations and text messages sent to a woman he was dating on the side, the reports show.
In one text message sent in late October or early November, Belcher wrote he "would shoot" Perkins "if she didn't leave him alone." The girlfriend told police that Belcher said "his child's mother threatened to take all his money and his child if they split up" and "knew exactly how to press his buttons and make him angry."
Belcher shot Perkins multiple times in their home on Dec. 1 and then drove to team headquarters, where he killed himself in front of his coach and general manager after telling them he "wasn't able to get enough help."
The Jackson County prosecutor's office reviewed the police reports, which first were obtained by The Kansas City Star, before closing the case Friday. It formally ruled the deaths of Belcher, 25, and Perkins, 22, a murder-suicide, prosecutor's office spokesman Mike Mansur said Tuesday.
The reports provide new details about the final days and hours leading to the tragedy.
The night before the killings, Belcher went to a club with the woman he was dating while Perkins attended a concert with her friends, the reports said. A friend of Perkins has told The Star that the couple argued around 1 a.m., about Perkins being out late, although it wasn't clear whether the argument happened in person or on the phone. The police report, which doesn't mention this dispute, said that after Belcher kissed his girlfriend and she went inside her apartment, he fell asleep in his car.
About two hours later, police roused Belcher after someone called 911 to report his idling Bentley as suspicious. The report said Belcher was legally parked and didn't smell of alcohol, but officers asked if he could stay inside the apartment for the night.
Belcher tried to call the girlfriend, but she didn't discover the missed calls until the next morning and didn't hear him at her door. Two women who were up late invited Belcher to wait inside their apartment after he explained his plight. They said Belcher "appeared to be intoxicated" but "seemed to be in good spirits . laughing, joking."
After taking him to a gas station to buy a sports drink, they gave him a pillow and blanket and he slept on the couch for a couple hours, leaving at 6:45 a.m. so he could make it to a team meeting planned for later that morning.
Upon arriving at the home he shared with Perkins, the couple began arguing over "one or both of them going out as in to a club or partying," said Belcher's mother, Cheryl Shepherd, who had moved in with them about two weeks earlier.
When Shepherd heard multiple gunshots, she ran to the bedroom and saw Belcher kneeling next to Perkins' body, saying he was sorry. After kissing Perkins, his baby daughter and his mother, Belcher drove to Arrowhead Stadium, breaking off his Bentley's rear-view mirror on the way, the police report said.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli saw Belcher holding a gun to his head and jumped out of his vehicle so he could find out what was happening.
"I've done a bad thing to my girlfriend already," Belcher told Pioli, according to the report, adding that he wanted to talk with Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel and defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs.
When Crennel arrived, Belcher said, "You know that I've been having some major problems at home and with my girlfriend. I need help! I wasn't able to get enough help. I appreciate everything you all have done for me with trying to help ... but it wasn't enough. I have hurt my girl already and I can't go back now."
Belcher asked that Pioli and team owner Clark Hurt take care of his daughter. The Chiefs staff pleaded with Belcher to put down his gun, but he only lowered it to load a round. "You're taking the easy way out!" Crennel told Belcher, according to the report.
As a police officer approached, Belcher knelt behind a vehicle, saying, "Guys, I have to do this. ... I got to go, can't be here and take care of my daughter." He made the sign of the cross on his chest and fired a bullet into his head, the report said.
Crennel said Belcher had blamed Perkins for missing a team meeting a few weeks earlier, saying he had to watch the baby after Perkins didn't come home the night before. Crennel said he thought the couple had "trust issues" and Perkins expected "a better life" with an NFL player.
Crennel said Belcher, whose base salary this season was more than $1.9 million, "didn't live outside his means." He said he thought Belcher was talking to an attorney about getting custody of his daughter.
Shepherd, Belcher's mother, attributed the couple's relationship problems to "financial issues associated with Perkins' spending habits."
A host of new Xbox Live apps came online for Gold subscribers today, including Vimeo and AOL On. Vimeo users will have the ability to share videos through Xbox Live and Facebook, but the new app may also be preparation for the official launch of the streaming site's pay-to-view service, available to all Vimeo Pro members in early 2013. AOL On also brings its library of over 380,000 videos, including content from HuffPost Entertainment, Reuters, CNET, Moviefone, Entertainment Tonight and yours truly. Lastly, Verizon FiOS users will now see 75 channels on Xbox Live, including 49 new additions such as AMC HD and NFL Network. All apps can be controlled via Kinect voice and gestures, though you may need more than zombie-like reflexes to flip to the Walking Dead.
BALTIMORE (AP) ? Denver didn't need Peyton Manning to beat the Baltimore Ravens.
In a surprisingly easy victory, the Broncos' defense did most of the work while ruining Jim Caldwell's debut as an NFL offensive coordinator.
Chris Harris returned an interception 98 yards for a momentum-turning touchdown, and Denver cruised past the skidding Ravens 34-17 Sunday for their ninth straight win.
Manning threw for 204 yards and a score in his ninth consecutive win against Baltimore, the first with the Broncos (11-3).
Down 10-0 late in the first half, the Ravens had a first-and-goal at the Denver 4 when Harris stepped in front of Anquan Boldin, picked off a pass by Joe Flacco and sprinted down the right sideline with Flacco in pursuit. The quarterback tripped up Harris, who tumbled into the end zone, leaving Flacco flat on his stomach and with a cut lip.
It was the longest regular-season interception return in Broncos history, and it turned a close game into a rout.
The Ravens (9-5) were playing their first game under Caldwell, who replaced the fired Cam Cameron. Baltimore's offense sputtered in the first half, gaining only 119 yards and committing two turnovers that led to 10 Denver points.
Baltimore has lost three straight ? including two in a row at home for the first time since December 2007. The Ravens trailed 31-3 in the fourth quarter before Flacco threw touchdown passes of 31 and 61 yards to tight end Dennis Pitta.
Caldwell's debut was a resounding flop. Flacco went 20 for 40 for 254 yards, lost a fumble and threw an interception. Ray Rice ran for 38 yards on 12 carries and the Ravens produced a meager 56 yards rushing.
For three weeks, Baltimore has needed one win to clinch a fifth straight trip to the playoffs. The Ravens still lead the AFC North, but their lead has shrunk to one game with two to play.
Denver, on the other hand, appears poised to reach the postseason with confidence and momentum. The AFC West champions haven't lost since Oct. 7, at New England. The Broncos, who can still capture the top seed in the conference, finish up with home games against Cleveland and Kansas City.
This was supposed to be a test for Denver, which had never won in Baltimore and was eager to face a quality opponent on the road.
The Broncos didn't need any heroics from Manning because their defense was dominant.
Baltimore's first offensive series under Caldwell lasted three plays and did not end well. Flacco fumbled on a third-and-1 plunge and the Broncos recovered at the Denver 47, which led to a 27-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
In the first quarter, Baltimore totaled 21 yards on 12 plays, punted three times and lost a fumble.
Denver went up 10-0 when Jacob Hester ran in from the 1 to cap an 11-play, 78-yard drive. Baltimore answered with three more unproductive plays before punting. On their fifth drive, the Ravens finally got their initial first down ? on a 14-yard run by Bernard Pierce with eight minutes left in the half.
Pierce eventually left the game with a concussion and so did wide receiver Torrey Smith, who hit his head after attempting to make a leaping catch near the sideline in the third quarter.
Denver pulled away with two third-quarter touchdowns. Manning threw a 51-yard scoring pass to Eric Decker, and after the Ravens went three-and-out, Knowshon Moreno ended a 39-yard drive with a 6-yard run to make it 31-3.
Decker caught eight passes for 133 yards and Moreno finished with 118 yards rushing on 22 carries.
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Sunday 16 December 2012 Parliamentary Finance: ground is prepared for the process of lifting the zeros from the currency in 2013
Ruled out a member of the parliamentary Finance Committee, Majida al-Tamimi, the lifting of the zeroes from the currency in 2013, noting that ?the earth is ripe for replacement.?
Tamimi said in a press statement that ?the process of lifting the zeros from the currency in 2013 depends on the nature of the policy of the new central bank governor,? adding that ?according to the previous vision of the bank is supposed to be raised.?
She pointed out that for its ?not arrive until the day the book from the central bank about the process of lifting the zeros or postponed,? pointing out that ?the ground is prepared for the process of lifting the zeros from the currency, especially if there is fear from entering the currency forged and replace currency original thus happens inflation allowance reduce Trading. ?
The Cabinet decided in its meeting held on April 10 last patient in the application process of deletion of zeros from the national currency until further notice
http://bit.ly/ZxG34M
Alternation Article:
Parliamentary Finance: ground is prepared for the process of lifting the zeros from the currency in 2013 Sunday, December 16 1 / December 2012 06:01
Excluded by the parliamentary Finance Committee, Majida al-Tamimi, the lifting of the zeroes from the currency in 2013, noting that ?the earth is ripe for replacement.?
Tamimi said in a statement told all of Iraq [where], ?The process of lifting the zeros from the currency in 2013 depends on the nature of the policy of the new central bank governor,? adding that ?according to the previous vision of the bank is supposed to be raised.?
She pointed out that for its ?not arrive until the day the book from the central bank about the process of lifting the zeros or postponed?, drawing attention to the ?ground is prepared for the process of lifting the zeros from the currency, especially if there is fear from entering the currency forged and replace currency original thus happens inflation allowance reduce trading. ?
The Cabinet had in its meeting held on April 10 last patient in the application process of deletion of zeros from the national currency until further notice.
The Central Bank of Iraq, and on the lips of bank adviser appearance of Mohammed Saleh, has confirmed to [where] the need for Iraq to process administrative reform of the currency cash, and that the project to delete the zeros is a step comes as part of the country?s need to process administrative reform of the currency, in order to reduce the cost of cash transactions in the economic process, in addition to the need to provide small denominations coins used in daily circulation of small transactions.
The officials at the central bank, as well as some politicians and economists, urged the government to delete the zeros from the currency, and the issuance of a new currency denominations large cash, in addition to a small Coins.
Observers say the government really intends to delete the zeros from the currency as a step towards improving the purchasing power of the Iraqi dinar, but economists played down the importance of this step, considering that the cost of raising the zeros will be greater than the benefit expected from the lifting of zeros.
A law enforcement official says the attacker in the Connecticut school shootings is a 20-year-old man with ties to the school.
The official said that a gun used in the attacks is a .223-caliber rifle. The official also said that New Jersey state police are searching a location in that state in connection with the shootings, said by an official in Connecticut to have left 27 dead, including 18 children.
The official in Washington spoke on the condition of anonymity because the source was not authorized to speak on the record about the developing criminal investigation.
RABAT (Reuters) - A Moroccan anti-government protestor who dressed up as King Mohammed has been arrested and accused of possessing drugs, the man's lawyer and human rights activists said on Thursday.
Idris Boutarada, a member of the 'February 20' movement that led Arab Spring protests in Morocco last year, was detained by police on Monday after taking part in an anti-government protest near parliament in Rabat two days earlier.
Arab Spring protests spread to Morocco last year after uprisings in Egypt in Tunisia brought down veteran rulers.
The protests faded after the king introduced some constitutional limits to his powers and allowed an Islamist party to form a cabinet after winning early elections.
But some small demonstrations have continued, mainly led by unemployed graduates. February 20 activists have also staged protests including one against the monarchy's share of the budget that police broke up last month.
Boutarada's lawyer Smail Amar said his client was dressed in a traditional Moroccan djellaba and red hat, which the king often wears. He also walked with a crutch. The king has appeared in public on several occasions with a walking stick. Photographs of Boutarada dressed in this way circulated on social media.
Amar said prosecutors were investigating Boutarada, who is unemployed, for carrying 15 grams of cannabis. Boutarada denied this charge, the lawyer said.
"We asked the prosecutor to specify that our client is a political activist but he refused," Amar said. He also said he believed the case was linked to Boutarada's attire.
A Moroccan interior ministry spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
"We are absolutely sure that Boutarada was arrested because he took part in the protests ... last Saturday," said Youssef Errissouni of the Moroccan Human Rights Association. "It's not the first time that activists are targeted in this way."
Errissouni said around 60 activists from the pro-democracy movement remain in jail, some pending trials and appeals.
The government increased social spending last year to help contain protests but this has put more pressure on the country's public finances, already squeezed by the crisis in the euro zone, its main economic partner.
(Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Andrew Hammond and Jane Merriman)
Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have uncovered how North American porcupine quills easily penetrate tissues and why, once lodged in flesh, they are often difficult to remove.
The researchers, led by Jeffrey Karp, PhD, BWH Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, senior study author, along with Robert Langer, Ph.D from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), state that the discovery could prompt device makers to design medical needles that easily penetrate surfaces and resist buckling, as well as create next-generation medical adhesives.
The study will be published online on December 10, 2012 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The scientists used natural porcupine quills and replica-molded synthetic polyurethane quills to understand the physical forces at play when the quills penetrate and are removed from a variety of tissues, including muscle and skin.
The North American porcupine has approximately 30,000 defensive quills on its back. The porcupine releases its quills upon contact with predators. Each quill contains a conical black tip studded with a layer of microscopic, backward-facing barbs and a cylindrical base with smooth, scale-like structures.
The researchers revealed that the quill's geometry enables it to penetrate tissue with ease, and once in the tissue it maintains high adhesion.
"The philosopher Aristotle who was clearly misinformed warned that porcupines could shoot their quills over great distances, which is completely untrue," said Karp. "In fact there are many misconceptions about porcupines and their quills. We were most surprised to find that the barbs on quills serve a dual function. Namely, the barbs reduce the penetration force for easy insertion into tissue and maximize the holding force to make the quills incredibly difficult to remove."
According to the researchers, since quills do not shoot through the air, they must penetrate tissue very easily and thus have evolved a specialized mechanism to achieve this that depends on the backwards-facing barbs. The barbs can be thought of as similar to serrated blades that require less work to cut tissue by localizing forces at the tips of the teeth of the blade. Just as serrated blades provide cleaner cuts in tissue, the barbs appear to minimize the penetration force through reducing the deformation of the tissue.
"By carefully removing the barbs' from the quill, we discovered that in addition to their physical features, the location of barbs on the quill played a major role in minimizing penetration forces and maximizing the work needed to yank them from the tissue," said Woo Kyung Cho, PhD, BWH Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, first study author.
The authors compared the potential of this finding to other things in nature that have inspired bioengineered devices, such as the development of Velcro hook-and-loop fasteners and the development of tape-based adhesives inspired by geckos.
The researchers expect that this approach should have many implications across multiple disciplines including medicine. "This is especially true given that quills can strongly grip tissue with minimal depth of penetration, less than half a centimeter is enough and they don't need to bend like staples to achieve secure fixation," said James Ankrum, PhD, MIT graduate student and study co-author.
"Towards medical applications we developed plastic replicas that remarkably mimicked the reduced penetration force and increased pullout. This should be useful to develop next generation medical adhesives and potentially design needles with reduced pain," added Karp.
According to the researchers, the next step will be to test the synthetic porcupine quill approach in a variety of medical applications.
"This work is a valuable addition to our understanding that bio-inspired materials or devices have great potential to revolutionize the existing biomedical materials and tools from drug delivery to tissue engineering," said Kahp-Yang Suh, PhD, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, and an expert in biomechanical innovations.
###
Brigham and Women's Hospital: http://www.brighamandwomens.org
Thanks to Brigham and Women's Hospital for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
LONDON (AP) ? Britain's Serious Fraud Office says three people have been arrested as part of an investigation of the manipulation of a key market interest rate.
The three men ? aged 33, 41 and 47 ? were not named. The office said Tuesday all are British nationals.
The fraud office opened its investigation in July after Barclays was fined $435 million by American and British agencies for creating false reports on its borrowing costs between 2005 and 2009, specifically related to the London interbank offered rate, or LIBOR.
LIBOR influences the costs of several financial instruments, including home mortgages. Banks submit data daily on the rates they pay other banks ? and that data that is used to calculate LIBOR.
The scandal cost the job of Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond.
FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2012, file photo, New Orleans Saints football defensive end Will Smith, left, and linebacker Jonathan Vilma arrive at an attorney's office in Washington, for a hearing on their appeals of bounties suspensions. Former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who was appointed to handle a second round of player appeals to the league, has informed all parties he planned to rule by Tuesday, Dec. 11, and his decision could affect whether two current Saints ? Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith ? get to play out the season. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2012, file photo, New Orleans Saints football defensive end Will Smith, left, and linebacker Jonathan Vilma arrive at an attorney's office in Washington, for a hearing on their appeals of bounties suspensions. Former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who was appointed to handle a second round of player appeals to the league, has informed all parties he planned to rule by Tuesday, Dec. 11, and his decision could affect whether two current Saints ? Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith ? get to play out the season. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
FILE - This Feb. 4, 2012 file photo shows former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue in Indianapolis. Tagliabue and lawyers for the league and the players' union have arrived in Washington, Thursday for a hearing in the Saints bounties case. Tagliabue is overseeing the latest round of player appeals in Washington. (AP Photo/David Stluka, File)
FILE - This Oct. 21, 2012 file photo shows New Orleans Saints football linebacker Jonathan Vilma (51) running onto the field in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012. Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and lawyers for the league and the players' union have arrived in Washington, Thursday for a hearing in the Saints bounties case. Tagliabue is overseeing the latest round of player appeals in Washington. Vilma and fellow player Will Smith, who were suspended said they plan to attend. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
FILE - This Sept. 9, 2012 file photo shows New Orleans Saints football defensive end Will Smith (91) warming up before an NFL football game in New Orleans. Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and lawyers for the league and the players' union have arrived on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday for a hearing in the Saints bounties case. Tagliabue is overseeing the latest round of player appeals in Washington. Smith and fellow player Jonathan Vilma, who were suspended said they plan to attend. (AP Photo/Bill Haber, File)
FILE - In this Sept. 1, 2011 file photo, then-New Orleans Saints football team defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is seen at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and lawyers for the league and the players' union have arrived in Washington, Thursday for a hearing in the Saints bounties case. Tagliabue is overseeing the latest round of player appeals in Washington. Williams has been suspended from the league. (AP Photo/Bill Haber, File)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? More than nine months after the NFL first disclosed its bounty investigation of the New Orleans Saints, four players will finally get a ruling on whether their initial suspensions are upheld, reduced or thrown out.
Former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who was appointed to handle a second round of player appeals to the league, has informed all parties he planned to rule by Tuesday afternoon. His decision could affect whether two current Saints ? linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith ? get to play out the season.
If the sanctioned players find Tagliabue's decision palatable, that could finally bring the bounty saga to an end. If not, it will be up to a federal judge to either disqualify Tagliabue or let his ruling stand.
Even if Tagliabue maintains the suspensions, any punishment will delayed a week, allowing Vilma and Smith to at least play this Sunday at home against Tampa Bay, a person familiar with the decision said.
The delay is aimed at giving U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan in New Orleans time to review Tagliabue's ruling and decide if she still believes she must take the unusual step of getting involved in a collectively bargained process in order to protect the players' rights, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because no ruling had been announced.
If Vilma, Smith, Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita and free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove get the ruling they seek, it would discredit an NFL probe ? overseen by Commissioner Roger Goodell ? that covered three seasons and gathered about 50,000 pages of documents.
The probe concluded that Vilma and Smith were ring-leaders of a cash-for-hits program that rewarded injurious tackles labeled as "cart-offs" and "knockouts."
The NFL also concluded that Hargrove lied to NFL investigators to help cover up the program.
None of the players has served a game of their suspensions yet and have been allowed to play while appeals are pending, though Fujita is on injured reserve and Hargrove is not with a team. Shortly before the regular season, the initial suspensions were vacated by an appeal panel created by the league's collective bargaining agreement. Goodell then reissued them with some modifications. Meanwhile, the players have challenged the NFL's handling of the entire process in federal court.
Vilma received a full-season suspension, while Smith was docked four games. Hargrove initially received an eight-game suspension that was later trimmed to seven games, but for practical purposes, was reduced to two games because he was given credit for five games he missed as a free agent after being cut by Green Bay before the regular-season opener. Fujita had his initial suspension reduced from three games to one, with the league saying that he failed in his duty as a defensive leader in 2009 to discourage the bounty program run by former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
Goodell also suspended Williams indefinitely, while banning Saints head coach Sean Payton for a full season.
Tagliabue's ruling comes after a new round of hearings that for the first time allowed Vilma's attorneys and the NFL Players Association, which represents the other three players, to cross-examine key NFL witnesses in the probe. Those witnesses included Williams and former Saints assistant Mike Cerullo, who was fired after the 2009 season and whose email to the league, accusing the Saints of being "a dirty organization," jump-started the probe.
Also for the first time, the NFL allowed players' attorneys to review all of the documents the NFL had collected, including some in which people stated that the players never did what they were accused of, the person who spoke with AP said.
MONDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) ? Working-age adults who have vision insurance have better eyesight than those without insurance, new research indicates.
The study included more than 30,000 people, aged 40 to 64, in the United States. About 40 percent of the participants had no vision insurance.
People with vision insurance were more likely to report having periodic eye examinations and, on average, those who had such a checkup in the previous year had better eyesight. The findings highlight the long-term benefits of vision insurance for preventing vision problems, according to study author Yi-Jhen Li, of the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., and colleagues.
Their study was published online Dec. 10 in the Archives of Ophthalmology.
?Lack of vision insurance impedes eye-care utilization, which, in turn, may irrevocably affect vision. Vision insurance for preventive eye care should cease to be a separate insurance benefit and should be mandatory in all health plans,? Li?s team said in a journal news release.
With periodic eye checkups, vision loss or impairment due to age-related eye diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataracts, or other causes, can be found in time to prevent irreversible loss of eyesight, the study authors pointed out in the release.
More information
The U.S. National Eye Institute has more about eye examinations.
? Robert Preidt
SOURCE: Archives of Ophthalmology, news release, Dec. 10, 2012
Some car buyers are saving up to 50% buying their vehicles from public auctions.
We?ll take a look at how this process works, what you need to know and provide you resources on getting started.
By: RJ Parker
It won?t take you long to look above this block of text and see the banner for gov-auctions.org. ?As we?ll explain in this article, they are the biggest and most reputable avenue for getting involved with buying vehicles at police and government auctions that we?ve found so far. ?If this is something you know you are interested in getting involved with, you can just click the banner or follow this link: and get started now.
Continue reading to get the TrueCarGuys take on buying cars at a government auction and find out the answers to any of the questions you may have.
The Skinny While it definitely is true that you can score a great deal on a used vehicle by shopping at government auctions, the important thing is not to expect anything unrealistic. ?Essentially what you are doing is buying cars that local police or government agencies have taken from people as a result of their not paying something or having been indicted or convicted of a crime. ?This is not to say that all cars available in these auctions are vehicles repossessed from drug dealers, there are obviously a mix of vehicles available and they all have their own unique backstory. ?If you are the type of buyer that doesn?t like a lot of hassel or stress buying a car, you might want to click the ?Hire us today!? link at the top right of the page to get an auto consultant from TrueCarGuys to help you find a great deal at a local dealer or private party seller. ?Our clients don?t pay us for our service, the dealer that gets the referral pays us a small fee for helping them earn the sale. ?While some have reported having excellent results getting clean, low-mileage cars from government auctions, there are cases where thing can become difficult. ?We?ll touch on a few points to be aware of if buying at an action is still something you are considering.
What does it cost? As with anything that sounds like a no-brainer, with buying auction vehicles, there is a common tendency for newcomers to look for the cracks in the mantle so to speak. ??What?s the catch? is the mantra of many auto buyers considering going the auction route for their next purchase. ?Our view is that so long as the buyer has realistic expectations, there is a potential for getting a great deal and justifying the time and effort spent getting involved with government auctions.
Why is this popular? With the recent economic downturn in 2008, many car buyers have been looking for alternatives. ?That is why organizations like ourselves as well as many other alternatives have begun to take a larger presence in the automobile market. ?With many parts of the?industrialized?world all feeling a tightening of their belts, every last dollar counts more than ever and car buyers and car sellers are well aware of this new retail landscape.
What will you find? Ok, please refer back to where I encouraged you to remain realistic in your expectations. ?This is not a Barrett-Auction scenario that you are used to seeing on Speed TV and other such 3-digit cable channels. ?Going to a government or police vehicle auction, you?re going to see all types of vehicles. ?You?ll see a fair amount of government-used and repurposed Crown Victorias, pickup trucks and vans. ?You?ll see vehicles that have been confiscated in other criminal cases. ?These will be primarily older, more worn out, budget pieces that may or may not have problems, warranties and cosmetic imperfections. ?Other vehicles will be fairly new and low-mileage. ?These are ones that have, for the most part, been repossessed by owners unable to make their recurring monthly payment on the vehicle.
What to watch out for. The #1 thing to be aware of is cars without titles. ?There will definitely be some vehicles being sold that have no title information, and the only documentation you?ll receive is auction paperwork. ?This will, in many areas, be insufficient for the purpose of registering and insuring the vehicle. ?Some auction buyers have reported having to wait up to six months to have their auction-bought vehicle registered and road-worthy. ?Keep in mind, that?s an extreme case? perhaps even a worst case scenario. ?That being said, making sure you have a title when buying a vehicle is of utmost importance.
Drive first or not? ?This is especially relevant in local government and police auctions. ?While most vehicles are sold with extensive histories available as well as complete?maintenance?records, often times bidders do not have the option of driving the vehicle prior to entering bids. ?In some cases, there is an opportunity for registered bidders to walk a lot and view certain vehicles prior to their being put up on the auction block.
Payment and financing. Many auto auctions are looking to sell their vehicles for money on the spot. ?This can be in the form of cash, personal or business check, credit or debit (in some cases) and even a bank check that may be the result of a prior auto-financing arrangement. ?If you are looking to make payments on a vehicle you intend to buy at action, we would advise your visiting your local banking institution to secure financing prior to visiting the auction. ?Typically, the bank will pre-qualify you for a certain amount?usually?up to a given limit. ?They will also usually help you understand other loan information such as monthly payment, any required down-payments and interest rate information. ?Most auctions will allow you to secure your winning bid, should you make one, with a deposit. ?Most auctions will actually require this if you are unable to pay in full right on the spot. ?Keep this in mind. ?If you are not paying in full and do intend to furnish a separate means of payment after placing a winning bid, be sure to have a minimum of 20% of your buying budget available via cash, check or debit/credit in order to secure your vehicle.
We?ll continue to update this piece with additional information that we discover as time goes on. ?If you this buying at an auction could be a potential route for you to consider, as always, we encourage you to click the banner below to get started with gov-auctions.com, where you can find additional information and get registered to see what auctions are coming up soon in your area.
A diet rich in fish oils has been found to have a positive effect on bedsores, researchers from Tel Aviv University reported in the?British Journal of Nutrition?and the?American Journal of Critical Care.
The authors explained that?fish oils, which are full of antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids, can help reduce blood pressure, improve immune system function, lower joint and skin?inflammation, as well aspromote good fetal development. In this study, the researchers had set out to determine what benefits, if any, fish oils might have for?pressure ulcers?(bedsores).
After sitting or lying down for long periods, critically ill patients are at risk of developing bedsores on the skin and underlying tissue.
Professor Pierre Singer of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Mirian Theilla at the Rabin Medical Center, designed a randomized trial to find out what the impact of dietary fish oil supplements might be on critically ill patients? bedsores.
The patients had eight grams of fish oil added to their daily diet. Within three weeks, Prof. Singer and team found that:
Patients? symptoms of pain and discomfort from bedsores improved by 20% to 25%
There was significantly less inflammation throughout the patients? bodies
Their immune systems improved
Improving the immune system
Bedsores form because of a lack of oxygen, skin wetness and reduced bloodflow. The team had been inspired from a prior study which demonstrated that dietary fish oil supplements for bedridden patients increased levels of oxygen in body tissues. They wondered whether this increase in oxygen levels might help improve the symptoms of bedsores.
They recruited 40 critically ill patients to take part in the randomized study that they created themselves. Twenty of the participants received standard hospital food, while the other 20 ate the same, with eight grams of fish oil added each day.
As mentioned earlier,?significant improvements in bedsore symptoms were detected within three weeks in the fish oil group, compared to those on just the standard hospital diet.
They also found that the fish oil supplementation had boosted the patients? immune systems and helped reduce the swelling.
Professor Singer said:
?We saw a modification in the expression of a group of molecules associated with directing leukocytes, or white blood cells, in the direction of the wound, which could explain the improved healing.?
Blood levels of C-reactive protein were also significantly lower among those receiving the extra fish oils in their food. C-reactive protein is linked to inflammation and bacterial and viral infections, tissue injury, rheumatic diseases, and necrosis.
Fish oils for natural pain management?
The team wonder whether fish oils may be useful for natural pain therapy.
They plan to carry out a study which measures pain intensity among post-surgical patients after knee or hip replacements, and correlate those measurements with the amount of fish oil they received.
What are fish oils?
Fish oils come from?oily fish, also known as?fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, herring, tuna, mackerel and trout.
Nutritionists and scientists are interested in two particular substances found in fish oils:
DHA, which stands for docosahexaenoic acid
EPA, which stands for eicosapentaenoic acid
DHA and EPA are types of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Fillets of oily fish consist of up to 30% oil. Non-oily fish, also known as white fish, only have high fish-oil levels in the liver. Oily fish, apart from being good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, are also rich in?vitamins?A and D. White fish contain all these ingredients, but much less.
Although oily fish are thought of as better for the health than white fish (white fish is not bad for you), science has not yet proven this.
Most health authorities in North America and Western Europe encourage their people to regularly consume oily fish, or to take fish oil supplements, because of their health benefits.
Previous research on fish oils
Post-partum depression (post-natal depression)?- scientists from the University of Connecticut School of Nursing found that?DHA consumption during pregnancy probably helps reduce the risk of developing post-natal depression.
Multiple sclerosis?- several nutritionists, health care professionals and laypeople say that Omega-3 fatty acids are good for people with?multiple sclerosis. However, Norwegian scientists carried out a study and?found no link between Omega-3 fatty acid consumption and improved multiple sclerosis symptoms.
Eyesight?-?people who consume plenty of DHA are less likely to develop age-related vision loss, Canadian researchers found.
Prostate cancer?- there have been mixed findings regarding fish oils and?prostate cancer. One study found that?fish oils lower a man?s risk of developing prostate cancer, while another?found an association between Omega-3 levels and a higher risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.
Mental health?-?fish oils were found to help people with ADHD, and other behavioral problems.
Memory?- an article in?PLOS One?reported that?working memory among young healthy adults improves if they raise their Omega-3 fatty acid consumption.
Source: http://definitionhealthfit.ca/?p=2252
rashard mendenhall rachel zoe penn state football mt rainier national park
Have you ever walked downtown and admired some of the beautiful historic homes, wondering what they look like on the inside? The Holiday House Tour gives you the opportunity to tour six downtown homes, learn their history, and meet their owners! This year Downtown Washington Inc. is putting on the tour, and the downtown Post Office will be open for visitors. Refreshments will be served (cookies from Joe?s bakery ? yummy!), and there will even be a trolley to take you to all the houses. Who is on the tour?
The Stoyer House
The Stoyer home was built in 1855 by George Tamm who was a shoe maker.? He had his business on the main floor and the family lived above until the turn of the century.? The Stoyer?s have a large framed photo hanging in their dining room of George Tamm standing in front of his shoe shop while his wife looks on from the balcony. ? In the 1900s the building housed the local newspaper, The Washington Citizen.? They were responsible for adding the western addition to the building.? Many businesses have occupied the main floor throughout the years including a record store, a trophy shop and it is currently the home of Trashy Roots Salon.
The building was completely renovated by Rodney Stoyer from 2004-2008.? A lot of time and care was put into the renovation to keep as many of the original features of the house as possible.? Each piece of hardwood flooring was removed, refinished and relayed.? The Stoyer?s bedroom on the third floor was a closed off attic before the renovation.? By adding the stairway from the living room, Rodney was able to open the third floor into a master suite. ? The Stoyer?s love living downtown and the river views they can see from their kitchen and bedroom.? One of Kristy?s favorite features is the large windows in their living room and dining room that look over Jefferson and Second Street.? Their style can be described as modern and minimal.
Trashy Roots Salon will be having an open house during the tour for those who would like to see where George Tamm?s original shoe store operated.
The Marquart House
The Marquart home was built in 1855 by CH Kahmann, who was a real estate speculator.? It was originally known as ?The Pacific House?, a name derived from the new railroad line and later changed to ?The Exchange? in the 1890?s.? The building was originally built to accommodate the influx of people coming to the area due to the Pacific Railroad and in the beginning most of the guests were employees of the railroad.? Over the years the building has always housed a tavern and an operating hotel into the 1930?s.? The original structure was 2 stories and the 3rd story was added in the mid 1900?s.
The Marquart?s love living downtown and take advantage of the location during downtown events, shopping at the Farmer?s Market and enjoying the parades from their deck.? While this building is quite a unique place to live, the large deck is one of the most unique features of the house.? It features a view of the river on the north side and the view of Borgia church on the south side.? The Marquart?s say they?ve had several people contact them to use the deck for photo shoots, including brides who want only the church steeple in the background. ? Their decorating style can be described as sentimental traditional.
The Bogue House
The Bogue home is the newest house on the tour, being finished just over two weeks ago!? This house is part of Andy Unerstall?s Rhine River Townhomes Development, located on the old Franklin County Concrete Plant property. Bryan Bogue, who has always had a passion for architecture and design, did all the interior design himself.? With the use of modern materials and technology, he has managed to create a contemporary space, which is warm and inviting at the same time.? The most unique feature of this house is the solid concrete construction, which makes the townhome extremely efficient and eliminates outside noise.? Bryan said the quality of construction is the best he?s ever seen, thanks to Andy and his crew.? When it comes to decorating his townhome, Bryan decided to stick to his minimalist philosophy and keep the style contemporary with a bit of traditional elements mixed in.
The Connor House
The Connor home is one of the 16 houses in the Rhine River Townhome Development build by the Connor?s daughter and son-in-law, Andy and Collene Unerstall of Unerstall Construction.? Located on Front Street, the townhome has a beautiful view of the Missouri River.? One of the Connors? favorite features of the townhome is the location,and being able to take advantage of the walking trails, restaurants and locally-owned stores.? The exterior of their house has the look and feel of a traditional historic home, but Andy has incorporated the latest innovation and technology to make it comfortable and lasting. ? Mike and Mary designed the interior to meet the needs of their simple, carefree lifestyle.? Mary describes their decorating style as ?Simply Christmas?, with lots of traditional holiday classics that can fit into their contemporary scheme.
The Niehaus House
The Niehaus home, a Missouri German architectural 1 ? story brick house was built circa 1855 and was originally owned by Henry Thias.? Nick and Amy Niehaus began renovating the house in 2009 and they are still working on it.? The house has original hardwood floors and original transom windows, while the kitchen features a summer front backsplash and stained glass pantry door. The unique backyard pergola was crafted from the home?s old floor joists. The Niehaus? kept the interior design traditional, featuring many family antiques and heirlooms, as well as other treasures that were found throughout the Franklin County area.? This house can be seen on the 1869 Bird?s Eye View of Washington and was also awarded the Curb Appeal Award and the Historic Preservation Award in 2011.
Guests are asked to enter the home via the driveway off Olive St. and they are invited to enjoy hot cider by the outdoor fireplace.
The Johnson House
The Johnson home was built around 1905 and renovated in 2011.? This house has a lot of history with the Elbert family.? Herbert and Veronica (Fronie) Elbert were married February 20, 1936 at St. Francis Borgia Church.? They purchased the home just prior to their wedding from the estate of John B. Aholt (Fronie?s father) and lived there their entire married life.? Overall, the home has been in the family for over 67 years!? The Elbert?s were blessed with 2 sons, Charles and Richard.? Richard recalls that the original heat source in the house was a coal furnace with an open grate in the hallway, a fire place for a young sleigh rider to warm up on a winter day.? A back bedroom was added to the home in 1947 for the boys, with the basement being hand dug by their father Herbert.? The current owner was a classmate of Richard Elbert.? Many fond memories forged a bond, which made the renovation a labor of love.? Great care was given to retaining the historic feel of the home. The transoms, pocket doors, the stairwell banisters and wood floors were preserved, while all the systems were replaced, increasing the insulation and further improving the low maintenance features of the house.? One of the Johnson?s favorite features is the exposed brick walls.? This home is filled with many memories and a lot of family history.? When it came to decorating for Christmas, the Johnson?s kept it a little Victorian and a little country.
?
Loved the houses? Join us on the tour this Sunday, December 9, 4-8pm.?All ages are welcome to tour the historic homes and public spaces.?Trolley rides will be available and refreshments will be served at the Old Main Post Office.?Tickets are available at the Downtown Post Office, museum, Hillermann?s and Schroeder?s. You can also purchase tickets onlinehttp://downtownwashmo.org/tickets/2012-holiday-house-tour/.?The cost is $10.00 in advance and $15.00 at the door.
Let’s see a show of hands, who remembers Microsoft’s SPOT watches from over 8yrs ago? Smart Personal Object Technology watches not only told the time, but also used a wireless service to display news, stock prices, sports scores and weather. While we’ve seen a few Android based watches and Apple iPod nano watches, Windows Phone [...]
KERRVILLE, Texas - History could be made Saturday night if Johnny Manziel becomes the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy, given annually to college football?s most outstanding player.
Just getting to this point has made his hometown of Kerrville more than proud.?
Down at Be-Bop T-Shirt Shop, they?ve been busy making ?Johnny Football? shirts.?
?Today, we?ve printed a couple hundred shirts, and most of those have been sold already, so we?ve ordered some more, and Monday we?re going to print some more,? store owner John Baker said.?
And it?s not just the locals snatching up the memorabilia hot off the press.?
?All over the country, we?re getting people on our website. From New York, from Massachusetts, Arizona, all over the country,? Baker said.?
Some Texas A&M alumni in Kerrville were even reaching out to a higher power by gathering Friday under the massive cross above the city and saying a prayer.
?We sure would pray that he wins, but the main thing is that his character and integrity stay strong as he?s lifted up,? Max Greiner Jr., of Kerrville, said.?
Throughout the city, there will be plenty of watch parties for the Heisman presentation.?
UT MD Anderson, GlaxoSmithKline to collaborate on new approach to cancer immune therapyPublic release date: 7-Dec-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Scott Merville smerville@mdanderson.org 713-792-0661 University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Success could earn cancer center $335 million plus royalties
HOUSTON - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have signed a research collaboration and license agreement to develop new therapeutic antibodies that promote an immune system attack against cancer.
Under terms of the agreement, MD Anderson grants GSK exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize the antibodies, which activate OX40 on the surface of T cells. They were discovered by Yong-Jun Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues when he was professor and chair of MD Anderson's Department of Immunology.
MD Anderson, through its new Institute for Applied Cancer Science (IACS), will collaborate with GSK to conduct preclinical research on the antibodies.
"This agreement is not only a tribute to the ability of MD Anderson scientists to discover new targets and potential therapies against those targets for cancer patients, it's also a testament to the vision shared by GSK and MD Anderson that successful clinical development of oncology drugs requires seamless integration of drug development expertise and deep biological knowledge," said Giulio Draetta, M.D., Ph.D., IACS director. "The IACS was formed to enable precisely such integration to expedite the accurate translation of great science into drugs."
The overall potential value of the agreement to MD Anderson over the life of the agreement is estimated at more than $335 million. Under the terms of the agreement, MD Anderson will receive an upfront license payment and funding for IACS research collaboration activities, as well as payments for reaching development, regulatory and commercial milestones. In addition, MD Anderson will also be entitled to royalties deriving from the commercial sales of products developed under the collaboration.
"We're excited about this opportunity with GSK to improve cancer treatment," Draetta said. "The IACS is a drug development engine with industry-seasoned scientists embedded in a comprehensive cancer center, and as such is ideally suited for this type of collaboration."
The institute is a vital platform resource for MD Anderson's recently announced and unprecedented Moon Shots Program, which focuses resources and diverse expertise to significantly reduce mortality in the short term and promote cures long term, beginning with eight inaugural cancers.
Unleashing the immune system
Malignant cells are an abnormality that usually attracts a response from the body's immune system, yet cancer often survives by evading or thwarting anti-tumor immunity. Consistently unleashing the power of the immune system against cancer would be a major step forward for cancer patients.
T cells are lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell produced by the thymus, equipped with receptors that recognize and bind to antigens, which may include abnormal cells.
"T cell recognition of a tumor antigen is not enough to activate the T cells against cancer cells, they need a secondary signal to tell them 'that antigen you have is a bad thing, you have to attack,'" said Liu, who is now chief scientific officer and vice president of the Baylor Research Institute of the Baylor Health Care System in Dallas.
OX40 is one of these secondary or co-stimulatory receptor proteins. Liu and colleagues found that when it's activated, it enhances immune attack and blocks suppressors of immune response.
Liu and his MD Anderson colleagues generated and screened hundreds of antibodies that could potentially act as on switches for OX40 by mimicking its natural activator, OX40L, a molecule that binds to OX40. Years of research narrowed the candidates to a handful of activators, or agonists, which were tested in mice and then altered for human use.
"It's gratifying to see MD Anderson and GSK take this important step towards translating a basic science discovery into a potential new therapy that can proceed to clinical trial," Liu said.
Initial clinical trials will occur only after necessary preclinical drug development conducted under the agreement succeeds.
###
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For nine of the past 11 years, including 2012, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in "America's Best Hospitals," a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
UT MD Anderson, GlaxoSmithKline to collaborate on new approach to cancer immune therapyPublic release date: 7-Dec-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Scott Merville smerville@mdanderson.org 713-792-0661 University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Success could earn cancer center $335 million plus royalties
HOUSTON - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have signed a research collaboration and license agreement to develop new therapeutic antibodies that promote an immune system attack against cancer.
Under terms of the agreement, MD Anderson grants GSK exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize the antibodies, which activate OX40 on the surface of T cells. They were discovered by Yong-Jun Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues when he was professor and chair of MD Anderson's Department of Immunology.
MD Anderson, through its new Institute for Applied Cancer Science (IACS), will collaborate with GSK to conduct preclinical research on the antibodies.
"This agreement is not only a tribute to the ability of MD Anderson scientists to discover new targets and potential therapies against those targets for cancer patients, it's also a testament to the vision shared by GSK and MD Anderson that successful clinical development of oncology drugs requires seamless integration of drug development expertise and deep biological knowledge," said Giulio Draetta, M.D., Ph.D., IACS director. "The IACS was formed to enable precisely such integration to expedite the accurate translation of great science into drugs."
The overall potential value of the agreement to MD Anderson over the life of the agreement is estimated at more than $335 million. Under the terms of the agreement, MD Anderson will receive an upfront license payment and funding for IACS research collaboration activities, as well as payments for reaching development, regulatory and commercial milestones. In addition, MD Anderson will also be entitled to royalties deriving from the commercial sales of products developed under the collaboration.
"We're excited about this opportunity with GSK to improve cancer treatment," Draetta said. "The IACS is a drug development engine with industry-seasoned scientists embedded in a comprehensive cancer center, and as such is ideally suited for this type of collaboration."
The institute is a vital platform resource for MD Anderson's recently announced and unprecedented Moon Shots Program, which focuses resources and diverse expertise to significantly reduce mortality in the short term and promote cures long term, beginning with eight inaugural cancers.
Unleashing the immune system
Malignant cells are an abnormality that usually attracts a response from the body's immune system, yet cancer often survives by evading or thwarting anti-tumor immunity. Consistently unleashing the power of the immune system against cancer would be a major step forward for cancer patients.
T cells are lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell produced by the thymus, equipped with receptors that recognize and bind to antigens, which may include abnormal cells.
"T cell recognition of a tumor antigen is not enough to activate the T cells against cancer cells, they need a secondary signal to tell them 'that antigen you have is a bad thing, you have to attack,'" said Liu, who is now chief scientific officer and vice president of the Baylor Research Institute of the Baylor Health Care System in Dallas.
OX40 is one of these secondary or co-stimulatory receptor proteins. Liu and colleagues found that when it's activated, it enhances immune attack and blocks suppressors of immune response.
Liu and his MD Anderson colleagues generated and screened hundreds of antibodies that could potentially act as on switches for OX40 by mimicking its natural activator, OX40L, a molecule that binds to OX40. Years of research narrowed the candidates to a handful of activators, or agonists, which were tested in mice and then altered for human use.
"It's gratifying to see MD Anderson and GSK take this important step towards translating a basic science discovery into a potential new therapy that can proceed to clinical trial," Liu said.
Initial clinical trials will occur only after necessary preclinical drug development conducted under the agreement succeeds.
###
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For nine of the past 11 years, including 2012, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in "America's Best Hospitals," a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 7-Dec-2012
Share ]