Biotech News Headlines

Biotechnology and U.S. farm policy will be the focus of an upcoming conference of the Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association.

TUESDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A new genetic analysis of Jews from North Africa provides evidence that Middle Eastern Jews settled in the region during Classical Antiquity, married local populations and formed distinct populations that remained largely intact for more than 2,000 years.

TUESDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Using human stem cells, scientists have developed methods to boost the production of red blood cells, according to a new study.

LONDON (Reuters) - There have been "marathon mice", "Schwarzenegger mice" and dogs whose wasted muscles were repaired with injected substances that switch off key genes. It may not be long before we get the first genetically modified athlete. Some fear the use of gene therapy to improve athleticism is already a reality. …

* Animal experiments show gene therapy can boost performance * Gene doping likely to be dangerous and risky in humans * Tests can't detect it, so status of gene doping unclear LONDON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - There have been "marathon mice","Schwarzenegger mice" and dogs whose wasted muscles wererepaired with injected substances …

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A new genetic analysis has reconstructed the history of North Africa's Jews, showing that these populations date to biblical-era Israel and are not largely the descendants of natives who converted to Judaism, scientists reported on Monday. The study also shows that these Jews form two distinct groups, …

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Pluristem Therapeutics said another patient suffering from bone marrow failure was saved using its placenta-based stem cell treatment. This is the second time in three months that a patient suffering from bone marrow failure was successfully treated with its PLX cells, the Israeli company said on Monday. …

Scientists have found new evidence for a theory about why some cancers return after they've seemingly been wiped out. Three studies in mice say tumors contain a pool of cancer stem cells that can multiply and seed the tumor's regrowth.

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 1 (HealthDay News) -- While scientists hotly debate the existence of cancer stem cells, three related new studies, all conducted on mice, provide some supporting evidence.

Researchers presented evidence Wednesday for the existence of cancer stem cells, with three different studies seeking to end a decades-old scientific dispute about how tumours grow.

MONDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- A new gene associated with a rare form of blindness from birth has been identified by researchers.

SUNDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- New gene mutations associated with the development of melanoma have been identified by scientists who conducted what is believed to be the largest DNA-sequencing study of the deadly disease to date.

THURSDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) -- Despite all the training, sweat, dedication and sacrifice that goes into becoming an Olympic competitor, these elite athletes also tend to have an advantage that average sports lovers lack: superior DNA. Just like eye color or a keen intellect, a constellation of the "right" genes can …

WEDNESDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) -- Two years after he became the first child to receive a stem cell-supported trachea (windpipe) transplant, a 13-year-old boy is able to breathe normally, has grown about four inches taller, does not require any anti-rejection drugs and has returned to school.

(Reuters) - Genetic Technologies Ltd said its lead cancer test BrevaGen has been cleared for sale in California, which it expects to be a large and significant market. The Nasdaq-listed shares of the company, which has operations in Australia and the United States, rose as much as 37 percent to $4.79 on Thursday morning, …

MONDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists who used modified stem cells to rejuvenate damaged and aged heart cells from elderly heart failure patients say their research could one day lead to new treatments for the illness.

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - A clinical trial of ALS patients conducted by BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics shows its adult stem cell therapy is well-tolerated, appears to be safe and does not present undue risk, according to an interim safety review. Moreover, in some patients signs of stabilization of the disease were detected. Israel-based …

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Myriad Genetics Inc illegally patented acts of nature when it claimed ownership of two genes linked to cancer, the federal government told an appeals court on Friday. Lawyers from Myriad, as well as the American Civil Liberties Union and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office appeared in the U.S. Court …

The European Medicines Agency is recommending the first-ever approval of a gene therapy treatment in the EU, in a significant move for a type of treatment that has so far failed to deliver on its promise to cure diseases.

LONDON (Reuters) - European regulators have recommended approval of the Western world's first gene therapy drug -- after rejecting it on three previous occasions -- in a significant advance for the novel medical technology. More than 20 years since the first experiments with the ground-breaking method for fixing faulty …

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Large investors in U.S. biotech companies are likely to capture serious windfall profits as deal activity picks up in the sector. A Reuters analysis of investors' average cost found that six U.S. biotech companies flagged as potential takeover targets could yield billions of dollars in profits for their …

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Large investors in U.S. biotech companies are likely to capture serious windfall profits as deal activity picks up in the sector. A Reuters analysis of investors' average cost found that six U.S. biotech companies flagged as potential takeover targets could yield billions of dollars in profits for their …

The biggest genetic analysis of colon and rectal tumours show that these cancer types are almost indistinguishable, a finding that could improve treatment options, a study said on Wednesday.