454 Life Sciences (Branford) announced the launch of its GS FLX Titanium series reagents and software. The new reagent kits provide individual sequencing reads with 400 base pairs (99% accuracy at the 400th base and higher for preceding bases) and a five-fold increase in throughput to 400 – 600 million base pairs per instrument run. The new technology replaces traditional Sanger sequencing for most applications, the company says.

Bayer HealthCare (Leverkusen, Germany/West Haven) announced that that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved routine prophylaxis with Kogenate® FS Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant) to reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes and the risk of joint damage in patients aged 0-16 years with severe hemophilia A with no pre-existing joint damage.

Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim, Germany/Danbury) said that new findings from the first nationwide survey in a decade to explore the dynamics between neurologists, people with Parkinson’s disease, and their caregivers, revealed a need for increased education on key issues in the management of Parkinson’s disease.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (New York/Wallingford) announced data from two separate cohort evaluations, in which long-term treatment with BARACLUDE® (entecavir) was associated with improved liver histology, including improvement in fibrosis, in chronic hepatitis B patients.

CellDesign, Inc. (New Haven) was the subject of a recent feature article in Hartford Business.com. CellDesign's CEO, John Hambour, discusses the consideration that led him to leave Pfizer to start his own stem cell business. more

CGI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Branford) and Genentech have entered into an exclusive global collaboration agreement to discover, develop, manufacture, and commercialize therapeutics for an undisclosed target for the potential treatment of multiple oncology and autoimmune indications.

GlaxoSmithKline (Research Triangle Park, NC) announced it will acquire the Egyptian mature products business of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), for $210 million, in a move to accelerate sales growth and further extend its pharmaceutical portfolio in emerging markets.

Hartford Hospital (Hartford) said it is the first hospital in New England to offer the next generation of minimally-invasive, accelerated breast cancer treatment using Contura™ Multi-Lumen Balloon Brachytherapy. This technique allows patients requiring radiation therapy following a lumpectomy to complete a partial breast treatment in five days rather than the traditional six- to seven-week commitment for whole breast irradiation.

Ipsogen (Marseille, France/New Haven) announced a non-exclusive license agreement with Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, for the use of the JAK2 V617F mutation in Quest Diagnostic's laboratory developed tests.

Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, NJ) said that patients with schizophrenia now have a new administration option for RISPERDAL® CONSTA® [risperidone] Long-Acting Injection. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new injection site, the deltoid muscle in the arm; the drug was previously approved as a gluteal injection only.

Neurogen Corporation (Branford) announced positive top-line results from two Phase 2 clinical trials in restless legs syndrome (RLS) and Parkinson's disease with the Company's dopamine partial agonist, aplindore. These studies were the first in which aplindore has been evaluated in RLS and Parkinson's disease.

Pfizer Inc. (New York, NY/Groton/New London) announced that results of the UPLIFT® (Understanding Potential Long-term Impacts on Function with Tiotropium) trial, showed that SPIRIVA® HandiHaler® (tiotropium bromide inhalation powder), sustained improvements in lung function for up to 4 years versus placebo in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients.

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (New Haven) announced positive results from a Phase 2 clinical trial with the oral form of its compound, radezolid (RX-1741), for the treatment of uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections. "We are pleased to report that our novel oxazolidinone, radezolid, may provide a safe and more potent alternative to the only currently marketed drug in this antibiotic class," said Susan Froshauer, Ph.D., president and CEO of Rib-X. "These results further validate Rib-X’s proprietary discovery and development approach which led to the identification of this compound as well as multiple other novel compounds in various classes which are able to circumvent bacterial resistance mechanisms."

Separately, Froshauer was honored at The Connecticut Womens Hall of Fame 15th Annual Gala & Induction Ceremony. She was among a group of 15 women were recognized as members of the New Century of Women in Science.

Following is recent news from The University of Connecticut (Storrs) and the University of Connecticut Health Center (Farmington).

UConn Health Center researchers have found common bacteria that live in almost all of us may trigger multiple sclerosis, a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the brain and spinal column. The findings suggest that someday autoimmune diseases such as MS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease, might be treatable by altering the bacterial balance in the mouth, intestines, or vaginal tract.  more

The effects of tobacco exposure on colon cancer risk are more immediate in women than in men, according to research by Dr. Joseph C. Anderson. Anderson, a gastroenterologist in the Colon Cancer Prevention Program at the Health Center’s Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, presented his findings at the American College of Gastroenterology’s annual scientific meeting. more

Having your blood pressure checked in the doctor’s office is not the only way to keep tabs on your hypertension. It may not even be the most precise way. "Blood pressure readings should be taken both in and outside of the medical care environment," says Dr. William White, professor of medicine in the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at the UConn Health Center. "Blood pressure values are highly variable throughout the day and night, so taking one or two measurements during an office visit often doesn’t capture the truth about blood pressure behavior. Additionally, our research over the past two decades has made it clear that monitoring in the office alone isn’t always the most reliable method for assessing blood pressure control in patients on antihypertensive drug therapy." more

Dr. Yifrah Kaminer has spent years studying risky behavior in kids, and he’s convinced 16 is too young to start driving. "Auto accidents are the biggest killer of young people in the U.S.," says Kaminer, co-director of research in the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the Health Center. "Even though Connecticut’s new state laws requiring curfews and more training for 16- and 17-year-old drivers are well meaning, they won’t really be effective, because they don’t consider the developmental roots of high-risk behaviors in young people." more

Lynn Puddington, an associate professor in the Department of Immunology at the Health Center, has received a two-year, $407,000 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases as part of a new federal initiative to support research related to food allergy. Her research project considers whether exposure to food antigens in breast milk can induce tolerance in newborns and provide them with long-term protection from inflammatory responses to food allergens in the gut. more

Through health fairs, hands-on clinics, and seminars, nearly 100 UConn medical, dental, nursing, and pharmacy students got a taste of a career in primary care during the University’s observance of National Primary Care Week, Sept. 20-27. The week included a day dedicated to community service, when the students staffed 10 health fairs that ran concurrently in Hartford, Wethersfield, and Willimantic. more

Following is recent news from Yale University and the Yale School of Medicine (New Haven).

Yale University researchers have described a molecular traffic signal in the middle of a busy biological highway that influences such diverse processes as the production of insulin, activation of the immune system, creation of new brain cells and formation of tumors. The centrality of this traffic signal, known as mTOR, makes it of intense interest to researchers searching for new treatments for a wide variety of diseases, said Michael Simons, M.D., chief of cardiology at Yale School of Medicine. The study appears in the journal Molecular Cell.

Yale scientists have created nanowire sensors coupled with simple microprocessor electronics that are both sensitive and specific enough to be used for point-of-care (POC) disease detection, according to a report in Nano Letters. Describing the sensitivity of the system, senior author Tarek Fahmy, Yale assistant professor of biomedical engineering, said:. "Imagine I am the detector in a room where thousands of unrelated people are talking — and I whisper, ‘Who knows me?’ I am so sensitive that I can hear even a few people saying, ‘I do’ above the crowd noise. In the past, we could detect everyone talking — now we can hear the few above the many."

Yale Cancer Center researchers have identified a genetic biomarker that may help to determine why some people are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer. The findings, published in the journal Cancer Research, could help identify smokers who should be carefully screened for lung cancer. "Only 10% of smokers will develop lung cancer in their lifetime and genetic testing to determine the population of smokers who are most predisposed to develop the disease is needed to help guide better evaluation for these people," explained Joanne B. Weidhaas, MD, PhD, assistant professor of therapeutic radiology at Yale School of Medicine and senior author on the study in collaboration with Frank Slack, PhD, associate professor in the department of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at Yale University.

Yale researchers have harnessed the power of 21st century computing to confirm an idea first proposed in 1916 — that plants with rapid reproductive cycles evolve faster. Their findings appear in the October 3rd edition of Science. "Our study has profound consequence for the understanding of evolution made possible by the critical role of the computer in revealing major evolutionary patterns," said senior author Michael Donoghue, the G. Evelyn Hutchinson Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Curator of Botany at Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History.

Researchers at Yale University have created a blueprint for artificial cells that are more powerful and efficient than the natural cells they mimic and could one day be used to power tiny medical implants. The scientists began with the question of whether an artificial version of the electrocyte – the energy-generating cells in electric eels – could be designed as a potential power source. "The electric eel is very efficient at generating electricity," said Jian Xu, a postdoctoral associate in Yale’s Department of Chemical Engineering. "It can generate more electricity than a lot of electrical devices."

Heart patients are particularly vulnerable to depression and should be screened, and if necessary treated, to improve their recovery and overall health, according to a scientific advisory issued Monday by the American Heart Association and co-authored by a Yale School of Public Health researcher. "Depression and heart disease seem to be very much intertwined," said Judith H. Lichtman, co-chair of the statement and associate professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. "You can’t treat the heart in isolation from the patient’s mental health."

Scientists at Yale School of Medicine have found that two-year-olds with autism looked significantly more at the mouths of others, and less at their eyes, than typically developing toddlers. This abnormality predicts the level of disability, according to study results published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Lead author Warren Jones and colleagues Ami Klin and Fred Volkmar used eye-tracking technology to quantify the visual fixations of two-year-olds who watched caregivers approach them and engage in typical mother-child interactions, such as playing games like peek-a-boo.

The brains of obese people seem to respond to a tasty treat with less vigor than the brains of their leaner peers, suggesting obese people may overeat to compensate for a reduced reward response, according to a new brain imaging and genetics study conducted by researchers at Yale University, The John B. Pierce Laboratory, the University of Texas and Oregon Research Institute, and published in Science. "The study is novel because it is the first to use brain response to food to try to predict future weight gain," said Dana Small, associate professor at Yale and associate fellow, The John B. Pierce Laboratory.

The Yale School of Public Health has received a $10.7 million grant to expand its participation in a national study that will follow 100,000 children from before birth to age 21 to understand factors that contribute to their health and development. Last year, Yale was awarded $15 million to start the work in New Haven County. With this additional grant, mothers and children from Litchfield County, Connecticut, will be included in the project. "This key expansion of one of the most important epidemiological studies in the United States today to include mothers and children from Litchfield County is a testament not only to the importance of this landmark study but the expertise of our faculty," said Paul Cleary, dean of the School of Public Health.

The Connecticut State Department of Education recently released school wellness policy reports for all Connecticut school districts participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) child nutrition programs. The report cards provide an overall score and rate the comprehensiveness and strength of each district policy in seven areas: nutrition education; school meals; other school food and beverages; physical education; physical activity; communication and promotion; and evaluation.  The scores were calculated using a measurement tool developed by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University  in collaboration with a number of researchers from universities around the country.  The measurement tool and all districts’ report cards are available on the State Department of Education's website.

Yale University’s Arthur Horwich, M.D., has received the 2008 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize awarded by Columbia University for outstanding contributions in biology and biochemistry. Howich is the Eugene Higgins Professor of Genetics and professor of pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine. He is also the Eugene Higgins Professor of Genetics and professor of pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine. He was honored for contributions  o the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of protein folding.

Michael Donoghue, the G. Evelyn Hutchinson Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale, was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious honor societies. "This is a wonderful honor," said Donoghue, who is also curator of botany in Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History and the museum’s former director, and was recently named Vice President of Planning and Program Development for the University’s new West Campus.  "I’m totally flattered to join such a prestigious group of scholars." Also inducted was Meg Urry, the Israel Munson Professor of Physics and Astronomy and chair of the physics department at Yale.

For more member news, see the October 2008 issue of CURE News