Monday, November 22, 2010

Hepatitis C News:Hepachronix project, focus on new insights in how liver fibrosis evolves in HCV




Bio-Rad will lead the three-year Hepachronix project, which will focus on gaining new insights into the processes by which liver fibrosis in HCV patients evolves from an early mild disease to serious conditions such as cirrhosis and hepatoma carcinoma.

The ultimate aim will be the development of a biomarker-based early diagnostic for helping to predict resistance to antiviral therapy. Bio-Rad will retain the right to market any resulting diagnostics, in return for paying its partners royalties. The project will be funded in part by the French FUI and the Ile de France region


Alvetex® is a unique material that provides a robust and inert scaffold for cells to grow and form complex 3D cell structures in the laboratory, mimicking the normal growth and formation of tissues in the body.
Reinnervate has extensively tested and validated alvetex® with a large number of cell types, including liver, skin, cancer and stem cells, all of which have important applications in basic research into cell development, disease modelling and drug safety screening.


Mr. Jules Levin has been busy over at NATAP today. He has added the below data from the AASLD. .
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In the district Mansehra Pakistan seemly healthy citizens were tested for HCV during September 2009 to May 2010. The ages were from ten to fifty, which includeda total of 400 people, 100 were females.
"The results showed that 3.5% of the people of District Mansehra are actively infected with HCV whereas 7% of the population in general, has the presence of antibodies against HCV in their blood.It was also concluded that the prevalence of active HCV infection was high 4% in males as compared to females (2%). The prevalence of HCV proportionality increases with the increase in age of the people.Its incidence was highest (7.69%) in the people of the age group of 51 years and above, whereas no sign of infection was recorded for the age group of 10-20 years. Author: Amjad AliHabib AhmadIjaz AliSheema KhanGulshan ZaidiMuhammad IdreesCredits/Source: Virology Journal 2010, 7:334"

The progression of liver disease is slowed in patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis B when their antiretroviral therapy includes drugs that are active against both infections, Spanish investigators report in the online edition of AIDS.
A minority of patients cleared hepatitis B infection and 17% of individuals experienced an improvement in their fibrosis stage.
However, one patient developed liver cancer despite having only mild fibrosis.
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Calling it a 'dreaded' disease, Bhowmik pointed out that two to seven percent people in India have been infected with the Hepatitis B virus but the central government has yet to undertake any mass countrywide vaccination programme.
'It (Hepatitis) is one of the dreaded diseases that can cause serious liver ailments and other organ damage,' Bhowmik said.
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Stem Cells
Research work carried out at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem arouses a cautionary warning in the growing field of the development of stem cells as a means for future treatment of patients through replacement of diseased or damaged tissues by using the patient's own stem cells. The research indicates a possible danger of cancerous tissue development in the use of such cells.


Advanced Cell Technology, a stem cell company with a research laboratory in Marlborough, has received federal approval to test a human embryonic stem cell treatment on patients with a rare disease that causes blindness. Lanza said the company will soon apply for approval to test the therapy in patients with age-related macular degeneration.


Pharmaceuticals
Optimism And A Blockbuster Patent Cliff Lineup In Biotech - Michael Yee - RBC Capital MarketsNovember 22, 2010 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals Report offering a timely review of the Biotechnology sector. This Special Report contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs, Equity Analysts and Money Managers. Please find an excerpt below.


In Case You Missed It :
"That’s happening now in stem cell research, he said, though not in the much-heralded sense of using embryonic stem cells to treat diseases. Rather, the accelerating discoveries relate to what determines a cell’s fate — is it going to be a heart cell, a liver cell, a brain cell? — and how to turn one type of cell into another".


From Sports Illustrated :Villanova's Yarou making presence felt with hepatitis scare in the past.
"After nearly two weeks in limbo, the hepatitis B diagnosis became official. Yarou remained barred from physical contact with teammates and coaches, working out by himself as the other Wildcats practiced. Without any symptoms of the virus' advancement, team doctors were confident they could treat it, but no timetable was given for Yarou's return. Reports suggested he might miss the entire season, a possibility Wright openly entertained and Yarou privately believed. "I didn't think I would make it," he said. "


Dr. Joe Galati and Lauren Thomas, R.N., NP-C, Discuss Hepatitis C Treatment
In this post, Lauren Thomas, our nurse practitioner in our office, discussed with me various aspects of anti-viral therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Lauren provides a common-sense approach to dealing with the side effects, and how we successfully manage them, allowing for better tolerance,and success with the therapy.
Listen to the audio podcast below.

Download Listen to HCV Therapy
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Other News
Child Emergency Department Visits Linked To Cough And Cold Medicines Drop Dramatically
Written by Christian NordqvistSince taking cough and cold medicines for children under 4 off the shelves, the numbers being taken to emergency departments because of overdoses from these medications have fallen considerably, researchers from the CDC...


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