Volume 11.28 July 26, 2010

Pluripotent Stem Cells Model Cardiac Disease Mechanisms
Researchers have successfully generated pluripotent stem cells capable of recapitulating certain aspects of long-QT syndrome type 1. [Press release from ModernMedicine discussing online prepublication in the New England Journal of Medicine]
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Scripps Research Scientists Uncover Previously Unknown Natural Mechanism that Controls Cocaine Use
Scientists found that microRNA-212 was increased in the brains of test animals that had extended access to cocaine. MicroRNA-212 controlled how much cocaine the animals consumed. [Press release from The Scripps Research Institute discussing online prepublication in Nature]
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Two Harvard Stem Cell Institute Groups Find Residual Genetic “Memory” in iPS Cells
Groups at Massachusetts General Hospital and Children’s Hospital Boston have each found that of induced pluripotent stem cells retain some of the genetic characteristics -- an epigenetic “memory” -- of the cells from which they are derived. [Press release from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute discussing online prepublication in Nature and Nature Biotechnology]
Article

Healthy Dividing Cells Spontaneously Trigger Tumor Suppressor
A major tumor suppressor protein (p53) that defends the body against severe cancer also pulses with similar alarm in healthy dividing cells, presumably in response to the fleeting nicks and dings in the genome that occur as part of normal life. [Press release from Harvard Medical School discussing online prepublication in Cell]
Article

Gene Linked to Aging Also Linked to Alzheimer’s
Biologists report that they have discovered the first link between the amyloid plaques that form in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and a gene previously implicated in the aging process, SIRT1. [Press release from Massachusetts Institute of Technology discussing online prepublication in Cell]
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Unlocking the Secrets of Cellular Energy Holds Promise for Obesity, Diabetes and Cancer
Researchers have uncovered new insights into how AMP-activated protein kinase controls how our cells generate energy. [Press release from McGill University discussing online prepublication in Science]
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Scientists Discover Human Sperm Gene is 600 Million Years Old
One sex-specific gene, called Boule, has remained unaltered throughout evolution and is found in almost all animals, according to new research. Boule appears to be the only gene known to be exclusively required for sperm production from an insect to a mammal. [Press release from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine discussing online prepublication in PLoS Genetics]
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Scientists Isolate the First Stages of Tissue Production from Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Scientists have described a population of cells that mark the very first stage of differentiation of human embryonic stem cells as they enter a developmental pathway that leads to the production of blood, heart muscle, blood vessels and bone. [Press release from the University of California, Los Angeles discussing online prepublication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA]
Article

Scientists Discover New Genetic Marker of Ovarian Cancer Risk
Researchers showed that a variant of the KRAS oncogene was present in 25 percent of all ovarian cancer patients. In addition, this variant was found in 61 percent of ovarian cancer patients with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer, suggesting that this marker may be a new marker of ovarian cancer risk for these families. [Press release from Yale University discussing online prepublication in Cancer Research]
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Researchers Pinpoint Key Stem Cells for Eating and Sex
Researchers have identified the stem cells that generate three critical classes of nerve cells -- olfactory receptors, vomeronasal and gonadotropin releasing hormone neurons -- that are responsible for enabling animals and humans, to eat, interact socially and reproduce. [Press release from the George Washington University discussing online prepublication in Development]
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Study Ties Abnormal Cells in Blood to Lung Cancer
A novel approach detects genetically abnormal cells in the blood of non-small cell lung cancer patients that match abnormalities found in tumor cells and increase in number with the severity of the disease. [Press release from University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center discussing online prepublication in Clinical Cancer Research]
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Clean Genes: Michigan Tech Chemist Culls the Good Synthetic DNA from the Bad
Researchers have developed a synthetic DNA purification process that can provide high-quality, pure synthetic DNA by the kilogram at a low cost. [Press release from Michigan Technological University discussing online prepublication in Organic Letters]
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New Discovery Brings Hope to Treatment of Incurable Blood Cancer
Using large cohorts of myeloma patients researchers have identified a profile of genes that are silenced by epigenetic mechanisms in the malignant plasma cell. [Press release from Uppsala University discussing online prepublication in PLoS One]
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Amazing Moles
Researchers have made the first identification of a new type of adaptation in the blood of moles which allows more efficient transport of carbon dioxide. This research provides invaluable information for the development of new hemoglobins by gene therapy. [Press release from the University of Manitoba discussing online prepublication in BMC Evolutionary Biology]
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Natural Substance NT-020 Aids Aging Brain in Rats
A combination of nutrients called NT-020 promoted adult neural stem cell proliferation in aged rats and boosted their memory performance. Researchers tested two groups of aged laboratory rats; one group received NT-020 and another, the control group, did not. In the NT-020 group neurogenesis increased. [Press release from the University of South Florida discussing online prepublication in Rejuvenation Research]
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New Model of Leukemia Sheds Light on Possible Novel Treatment Targets
Scientists have created a clever model of how leukemia cells hide in the bone marrow niche and then grow and divide throughout the human body. They figured out a way to create a human to human microenvironment in the laboratory so that they can study the disease process and eventually use the model to test new treatments. [Press release from the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research discussing online prepublication in Tissue Engineering]
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Irradiating Stem Cell Niche Doubles Survival in Brain Cancer Patients
Patients with deadly glioblastomas who received high doses of radiation that hit a portion of the brain that harbors neural stem cells had double the progression-free survival time as patients who had lower doses or no radiation targeting the area. [Press release from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center discussing online prepublication in BMC Cancer]
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Depleting Immune Cells Increases Bone Marrow Transplant Effectiveness
A new technique that depletes certain immune cells could improve the treatment of leukemia relapse after bone marrow transplants, resulting in an effective therapy for patients with resistant cancer. [Press release from DOTMedNews discussing online prepublication in Science Translational Medicine]
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On Chip Tissue Testing
Researchers have designed a microfluidic device that can maintain tissue cultures for at least three days. [Press release from RSC Publishing discussing online prepublication in Analytical Methods]
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Phase II Data From FIT Biotech’s HIV Immunotherapy Show Reduction in Viral Load and Increase in CD4 Cell Count
FIT Biotech's immunomodulator FIT-06 showed unprecedented long-term reductions in viral load (approximately 0.5 log) and statistically significant CD4 cell count increases in HIV-infected, previously untreated patients. The effect lasted longer than two years in the absence of any anti-retroviral therapy. [Press release from FIT Biotech discussing research presented at the XVIII International AIDS 2010 Conference]
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Autologous Dendritic Cell Therapy Significantly Reduces Viral Load in Patients with HIV
Autologous dendritic cell therapy resulted in a significant reduction in viral load in patients with HIV and prolonged replication time of the virus, without a significant decrease in CD4 cell counts, according to interim results. [Press release from DG Dispatch discussing research presented at the XVIII International AIDS 2010 Conference]
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Procedure Rejuvenates Aging Arteries in Pigs
New Russian research suggests that a two-step procedure that uses nanoparticles to first scrub plaque out of arteries and then inserts stem cells to promote healing of those arteries may one day help individuals with atherosclerosis. A second study, from German researchers, used miniature plastic scaffolds coated with stem cells engineered to overexpress different types of cytokines to heal tissue after a heart attack. [Press release from HealthDay discussing research presented at the American Heart Association's Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2010 Scientific Sessions - Technological and Conceptual Advances in Cardiovascular Disease]
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Alzheimer's Gene Variant Impairs the Middle-Aged, Scientists Say
Middle-aged people without Alzheimer's disease who have a 'high risk' variant of the TOMM40 gene are more likely to have poorer memory, new research findings suggest. [Press release from BioNews discussing research presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease 2010]
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Microspheres Help Restore Eyesight
Polymer microspheres could deliver stem cells to the eyes of patients whose sight has been destroyed by age-related macular degeneration to repair the damage and enable them to see clearly again. [Press release from the Royal Society of Chemistry discussing research presented at Macro 2010: 43rd IUPAC World Polymer Congress]
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New Hope in Stem Cell Therapy for Blindness
Stem cell transplant in eyes have remained a challenge for surgeons because of the infection risk of the scaffolds used to hold the cells. Now, a new procedure holds promise for scaffold-less transplant of stem cells with a high success rate in humans. [The Times of India]
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Stem Cell Treatment Could Help Heart Attack Patients
A South Wales stem cell company, pioneering a treatment that could help hundreds of thousands of heart attack victims in the UK, could make it available as early as next year. The treatment, produced by Cell Therapy, may be rolled out across the UK in 25 specialist centers within a year after the completion of testing. [WalesOnline]
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CURRENT PUBLICATIONS

Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem-Cell Models for Long-QT Syndrome
Researchers generated patient-specific pluripotent stem cells from members of a family affected by long-QT syndrome type 1 and induced them to differentiate into functional cardiac myocytes. The patient-derived cells recapitulated the electrophysiological features of the disorder. [N Engl J Med]
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Efficacy of Gene Therapy for X-Linked Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
After nearly 10 years of follow-up, gene therapy was shown to have corrected the immunodeficiency associated with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency. Gene therapy may be an option for patients who do not have an HLA-identical donor for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and for whom the risks are deemed acceptable. This treatment is associated with a risk of acute leukemia. [N Engl J Med]
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Striatal microRNA Controls Cocaine Intake Through CREB Signaling
Findings indicate that striatal microRNA-212 signaling has a key role in determining vulnerability to cocaine addiction, reveal new molecular regulators that control the complex actions of cocaine in brain reward circuitries and provide an entirely new direction for the development of anti-addiction therapeutics based on the modulation of noncoding RNAs. [Nature]
Article

Epigenetic Memory in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Researchers observed that low-passage induced pluripotent stem cells derived by factor-based reprogramming of adult murine tissues harbor residual DNA methylation signatures characteristic of their somatic tissue of origin, which favors their differentiation along lineages related to the donor cell, while restricting alternative cell fates. [Nature]
Article

Basal Dynamics of p53 Reveal Transcriptionally Attenuated Pulses in Cycling Cells
Using quantitative time-lapse microscopy of individual human cells, researchers found that proliferating cells show spontaneous pulses of p53, which are triggered by an excitable mechanism during cell-cycle phases associated with intrinsic DNA damage. [Cell]
Article

SIRT1 Suppresses Beta-Amyloid Production by Activating the Alpha-Secretase Gene ADAM10
Researchers show that production of beta-amyloid and plaques in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease are reduced by overexpressing the NAD-dependent deacetylase SIRT1 in brain, and are increased by knocking out SIRT1 in brain. [Cell]
Article

Signaling Kinase AMPK Activates Stress-Promoted Transcription via Histone H2B Phosphorylation
Results place AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent H2B S36 phosphorylation in a direct transcriptional and chromatin regulatory pathway leading to cellular adaptation to stress. [Science]
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Cell Type of Origin Influences the Molecular and Functional Properties of Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Researchers show that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) obtained from mouse fibroblasts, hematopoietic and myogenic cells exhibit distinct transcriptional and epigenetic patterns. Moreover, they demonstrate that cellular origin influences the in vitro differentiation potentials of iPSCs into embryoid bodies and different hematopoietic cell types. [Nat Biotechnol]
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Widespread Presence of Human BOULE Homologs among Animals and Conservation of Their Ancient Reproductive Function
Researchers found that BOULE homologs are present in the genomes of representative species of each of the major lineages of metazoans and exhibit reproductive-specific expression in all species examined, with a preponderance of male-biased expression. [PLoS Genet]
Article

Mapping the First Stages of Mesoderm Commitment During Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Researchers report that mesoderm commitment from human embryonic stem cells is initiated by epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition as shown by gene expression profiling and by reciprocal changes in expression of the cell surface proteins, EpCAM/CD326 and NCAM/CD56. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]
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CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cell Depletion Improves the Graft Versus Tumor Effect of Donor Lymphocytes After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Results suggest that regulatory T cell-depleted donor lymphocyte infusion is a safe, feasible approach that induces graft versus host or graft versus tumor effects in alloreactivity-resistant patients. [Sci Transl Med]
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Brussels to Invest $8.3 Billion in Research
Research organizations, universities, and industry will receive a sum of EUR6.4 billion next year in the European Commission's largest ever allocation for research and innovation. [European Commission, European Union]
Article

Consumer Gene Test Results Misleading -- U.S. Probe
People who send off their saliva to genetic testing companies to find out their risk for prostate cancer or diabetes are likely to get different results, depending on the company they choose, government investigators told lawmakers. [Government Accountability Office, United States]
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$88 Million for HIV Vaccine Lab to Go to Research Instead
The Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative Research and Development Alliance will direct the $88 million to collaborative research aimed at developing candidate HIV vaccines. [Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative Research and Development Alliance, Canada]
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Responsibility of Applicants for Promoting Objectivity in Research for Which Public Health Service Funding Is Sought and Responsible Prospective Contractors [Docket Number NIH-2010-0001] [Department of Health and Human Services, United States]
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International Stem Cell Corporation and Insight Bioventures Seek to Establish Indian Operations
International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO), and Insight Bioventures India Private Limited, announced that they have signed a letter of intent concerning funding and establishment of an Indian affiliate of ISCO. [International Stem Cell Corporation Press Release]
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Lilly Announces Completion of Alnara Acquisition
Eli Lilly and Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of Alnara Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held company developing protein therapeutics for the treatment of metabolic diseases. [Eli Lilly and Company Press Release]
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Encorium Acquires Progenitor International Research, a Vaccine Focused Emerging Market CRO
Encorium announced the acquisition of Progenitor Holding AG, an emerging market CRO headquartered and organized in Switzerland and its wholly-owned subsidiaries in Mexico, Panama, Argentina, Chile, Switzerland, India and Hong Kong. [Encorium Press Release]
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NIH Extends Agreement with BioFocus Until End 2012
BioFocus announced that the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) have extended their agreement for the operation of the Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository through December 2012. [BioFocus Press Release]
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USF, Jackson to Partner on Biomedical Village
Jackson Laboratory is launching a biomedical research and education village in Collier County, and the University of South Florida (USF) is its first medical partner. [University of South Florida Press Release]
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MDRNA, Inc. Shareholders Approve Acquisition of Cequent Pharmaceuticals
MDRNA, Inc. announced that MDRNA shareholders approved the issuance of shares of MDRNA common stock in connection with the proposed acquisition of Cequent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. [MDRNA, Inc. Press Release]
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Acorda Therapeutics Announces Receipt of NIH Grant for Development of GGF2 in Heart Failure
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. announced the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has awarded a $1 million Cardiac Translational Research Implementation Program grant to support research on Glial Growth Factor 2 (GGF2), a novel investigational agent for the treatment of patients with heart failure under development at Acorda. [Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. Press Release]
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International Stem Cell Plans $10 Million Financing Through European Subsidiary
International Stem Cell Corporation announced that it had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with ARG Vermogensverwaltung AG, a German Investment Fund, to create a new European subsidiary to be funded with up to $10 million of capital derived from ARG and other independent sources in Europe. [International Stem Cell Corporation Press Release]
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Pentagon Pushes for Near-Perfect Regenerative Medicine
The Office of the Secretary of Defense is soliciting small business proposals for two new projects to transform the regeneration of damaged tissue and cartilage. [Wired]
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NeoStem to Receive $700,000 from the U.S. Army's Medical Research and Materiel Command to Advance Adult Stem Cell Therapies in Treating Traumatic Wounds
NeoStem, Inc. announced that it has been awarded a $700,000 contract from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (USAMRMC-TATRC) under U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity contract number: (W81XWH-10-2-0039). [NeoStem, Inc. Press Release]
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Mesoblast Receives TGA Regulatory Approval to Commercially Manufacture Adult Stem Cell Products
Australian regenerative medicine company, Mesoblast Limited announced that the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has issued a license to Mesoblast to manufacture and supply its proprietary Mesenchymal Precursor Cell products. [Mesoblast Limited Press Release]
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BioTime Announces Addition of New Stem Cell Lines to Its Product Portfolio
BioTime, Inc. announced that on August 1, 2010 the Company will be offering for sale 21 new stem cell products for research use only. [Yahoo! Finance]
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Prochymal New Drug Submission Granted Priority Review by Health Canada
Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate of Health Canada has completed its initial evaluation and accepted for full review the company’s New Drug Submission of Prochymal (remestemcel-L), an adult stem cell therapy for the treatment of graft versus host disease. [Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. Press Release]
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Harvard Bioscience Novel Bioreactor Helps Grow First Functional Lung for Successful Transplant in Collaboration with Dr. Harald Ott and Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Bioscience, Inc. announced that its Harvard Apparatus/Hugo Sachs Elektronik business collaborated with Dr. Harald Ott and Massachusetts General Hospital to design and manufacture a novel bioreactor that was used to grow a functional lung. [Harvard Bioscience, Inc. Press Release]
Article

GE Launches Study to Improve Diagnosis of Early Stage Colon Cancer
A team of scientists at GE Global Research has launched a study with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to better understand the early stages of colon cancer. [GE Global Research Press Release]
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New Health Care Leaders Named
News outlets report on new leadership appointments at key health care groups. [The Medical News]
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Finance Secretary for Scotland Explores the Options of Jobs in Life Sciences
Finance Secretary John Swinney met with senior managers at Merck MSD in Newhouse to explore options to protect and sustain employment in the area. [eGov Monitor]
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NIH Asks for Input on Closing Loophole in Conflict-of-Interest Rule
Responding to yet another flap about the influence of drug companies on biomedical research, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has decided it needs more time to revise its rules for policing conflicts of interest so that sanctions will move with an investigator if he or she changes institutions.
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NIH Director Announces Appointment of Alan Guttmacher as Director of NICHD
National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins M.D., Ph.D., announced today the appointment of Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., as director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
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Office of Biotechnology Activities; Recombinant DNA Research: Proposed Action Under the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH Guidelines) (Doc. 2010-17668)
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National Institute of General Medical Sciences; Notice of Closed Meeting (Doc. 2010-18088)
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Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meeting (Doc. 2010-18052)
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Genomics of Transplantation Cooperative Research Program (U01, U19) (RFA-AI-10-019)
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Instrument Development for Biomedical Applications (R21) (RFA-RR-10-009)
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Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL): 5th Edition (NOT-OD-10-117)
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National Institute on Aging (NIA) Announces Research Model Sharing Website (NOT-AG-10-009)
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Bioengineering Research Partnerships (BRP)[R01] (PAR-10-234)
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National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering Program Project (P01) Applications (PAR-10-233)
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February 22, 2010: Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Transcripts
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2010 Meeting Materials, Blood Products Advisory Committee
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Charter of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee
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FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (United States)

FDA and Other Federal Agencies Collaborate to Improve Chemical Screening
The Tox21 collaboration merges federal agency resources (research, funding and testing tools) to develop ways to more effectively predict how chemicals will affect human health and the environment.
Article

Gene-Testing Companies May Need U.S. Regulators Review, FDA Letters Say
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent letters to gene-testing companies saying the tests “appear to meet the definition of a device.”
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Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. et al.; Withdrawal of Approval of 27 New Drug Applications and 58 Abbreviated New Drug Applications [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0318]
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International Conference on Harmonization; Draft Guidance on Q4B Evaluation and Recommendation of Pharmacopoeial Texts for Use in the International Conference on Harmonization Regions; Annex 13 on Bulk  Density and Tapped Density of Powders General Chapter; Availability; Correction [Docket No. FDA-2010-D-0347]
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