Juvaris BioTherapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing adjuvanted vaccines and immunotherapeutics for infectious diseases and cancer, announced clinical results demonstrating that its vaccine adjuvant, JVRS-100, when combined with a trivalent inactivated seasonal flu vaccine, generated robust T-cell mediated immune responses and antibody responses. Strong T-cell responses to influenza vaccine in humans have not been evidenced to date and remain an important goal for improved influenza vaccines particularly in elderly subjects. T-cell responses are critical to protection against influenza disease and recovery from infection.
Detailed results of the randomized, double-blind, multi-center Phase 1 clinical study will be presented at a podium presentation at the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases 12th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research meeting in Baltimore, MD, on April 27th, 2009 by Dr. Jeff Fairman, Vice-President of Research at Juvaris.
"The results from this trial confirm the results seen with JVRS-100 in pre-clinical studies, and the clinical data clearly support the broad potential benefits of an adjuvanted vaccine approach via the stimulation of both antibodies and T-cells, antigen dose reduction, single-dose administration, rapid immunity and improved cross-protection," said Grant Pickering, President and CEO of Juvaris. "We believe that JVRS-100 is ideally suited to address the unmet needs in the influenza market, including emerging threats such as the currently circulating swine flu, as well as to adjuvant other vaccines to treat infectious diseases where strong T-cell immunity is required."
In the Phase 1 study, 128 young adult subjects in groups of 20-24 were vaccinated with a licensed trivalent influenza vaccine with or without JVRS-100. The trial was designed to compare safety and immunogenicity 28 days after a single intramuscular immunization.
The efficacy endpoints were antibody measurements based on neutralizing and hemagglutination inhibiting (HAI) antibodies against the relevant flu virus strains, as well as T-cell responses measured by intracellular cytokine staining. Subjects receiving JVRS-100 adjuvanted vaccine were shown to have antibody responses to influenza A that were approximately two-fold higher than recipients of unadjuvanted vaccine. Importantly, significant T-cell responses, including polyfunctional T cells secreting multiple cytokines (interferon-Оі, interleukin-2, and tumor necrosis factor-О±) were observed in subjects receiving JVRS-100 adjuvant but not in subjects who received vaccine alone.
The primary safety objective of the study compared the safety and tolerability of JVRS-100 with vaccine vs. vaccine alone. The adjuvant was very well tolerated. The incidence of adverse events following vaccination with JVRS-100 at effective dose levels was similar to that in the vaccine-alone groups.
"The promising results from this clinical trial indicate that JVRS-100 can increase the immune response generated by existing vaccines without additional toxicity," said Thomas P. Monath, M.D., acting Chief Medical Officer at Juvaris. "We look forward to advancing JVRS-100 into Phase 2 clinical development in the elderly patient population and into trials with a pandemic (avian) influenza vaccine. The elderly appear to have functional defects in plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) responses during immune stimulation. Recent research data from Juvaris indicate that JVRS-100 can increase immune responses in the absence of pDCs, suggesting that the adjuvant will be effective in the elderly."
Seasonal influenza affects approximately one billion people worldwide each year, and results in 5 million severe illnesses and 500,000 deaths. Approximately 90 percent of the deaths occur in the elderly, where flu infection can lead to severe complications from underlying diseases, pneumonia and death. Seasonal influenza vaccines, which are widely used in the U.S. and developed countries, are effective in approximately one-third of the elderly population. The emergence of new, highly pathogenic strains, like the swine influenza virus currently affecting Mexico and the U.S., illustrate the need for improved vaccines. Manufacturers of influenza vaccines are actively pursuing adjuvanted vaccines to improve efficacy and reduce vaccine dosage requirements.
About JVRS-100
JVRS-100 is a cationic lipid-DNA complex that is being developed as an adjuvant to improve the effectiveness of existing vaccines and to develop new vaccines against a variety of infectious diseases. Research indicates that the mechanism of action of JVRS-100 is distinct from other known adjuvants. The adjuvant complex self-assembles with disease-specific antigens and induces substantial antibody- and cell-mediated immune responses, particularly induction of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Immunological responses elicited by the lipid-DNA complexes have been successfully demonstrated in both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine settings in multiple species. This platform provides the opportunity to develop many disease-specific immunotherapy products for which there are significant unmet medical needs.
About Juvaris
Juvaris BioTherapeutics is a clinical stage company developing adjuvanted vaccines and immunotherapeutics to treat infectious diseases and cancer. The Company's lead product candidate, JVRS-100, is currently in clinical development as an adjuvant to improve the efficacy of seasonal influenza vaccines in the elderly population. The Company is also developing vaccines for HSV-2, universal flu and pandemic flu and has initiated clinical development of an immunotherapeutic to treat acute leukemia with grant funding from a leading academic institution. Juvaris completed a Series A financing led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and has been awarded multiple NIH grants. More information about the Company and its technology can be obtained at its website: juvaris.
Source
Juvaris BioTherapeutics
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четверг, 8 сентября 2011 г.
New International Field Of Research Established - Allergooncology
Research into the correlations between allergies and the development of
tumours - and possible benefits for future cancer treatments - has finally
become an established research discipline in its own right. That was the
conclusion at the 2nd International AllergoOncology Symposium, which took
place in Vienna at the weekend. The symposium's organiser, Prof.
Jensen-Jarolim, was extremely happy with the event, which was attended by
over 90 doctors and scientists from over 10 different countries. This
fascinating field of research, which she has succeeded in establishing with
support from the Austrian Science Fund FWF, has also been honoured with its
first review article in the international journal "Allergy".
Although scientists have been aware of the phenomenon for over 50 years, it
is only over the last three of these that there has been a dedicated field
of research looking into the influence of allergic reactions on the
development of tumours. Known as AllergoOncology, this discipline looks at
the ways that allergic reactions can inhibit the growth of cancer tumours.
This field of research was founded by Prof. Erika Jensen-Jarolim, head of
the Department of Pathophysiology at the Medical University of Vienna. Her
work on establishing AllergoOncology as a distinct field of medical research
began several years ago as part of a project run by the Austrian Science
Fund FWF.
Synergy & Symposium
Last weekend's International AllergoOncology Symposium in Vienna, the second
to be organised by Prof. Jensen-Jarolim, provided a host of international
immunologists and oncologists with the ideal opportunity to discuss
potential synergies in their work. The broad spread of topics covered at the
event included a presentation by Prof. Chris Parish from the John Curtin
School of Medical Research in Australia. He referred to a project during
which resistance to certain chemically induced tumours was achieved in a
mouse model through the administration of white blood cells, which are also
associated with allergies.
"Even if results from animal models cannot be transferred directly to
humans, projects like Prof. Parish's still demonstrate the enormous
therapeutic potential of AllergoOncology," comments Prof. Jensen-Jarolim.
Another project presented by Dr. Manuel Penichet, University of California,
which was carried out in cooperation with teams led by Prof. Hannah Gould,
King's College, London, and Prof. Jensen-Jarolim sought to combat breast
cancer. To do this, the team used a key characteristic of the special
antibodies that are jointly responsible for allergic reactions - IgE
antibodies. These antibodies have a highly reactive and long-lasting effect
against proteins that the body classes as unwanted. This IgE response can
also be accurately directed against protein structures in certain tumour
cells. This characteristic is being used by the team and can even be
enhanced by making specific adjustments to the antibody structure.
However, Prof. Jensen-Jarolim also felt that the potential of
AllergoOncology should be critically scrutinised during the symposium, and a
debate involving a panel of specialists led by the life science journalist
Johanna Award-Geissler provided the ideal solution. Prof. Jensen-Jarolim
explains: "To ensure a field of research survives in the long term, we need
to have people who are willing to be critical and we must put in place
consistent checks. That's why symposium participants were also presented
with data from a Viennese study of over 22,000 cancer patients, which had
been unable to identify any general link between mortality and the
concentration of IgE in serum, except in the case of lymphoma and leukaemia.
The reasons behind this will need to be analysed further."
A review article that was exclusively unveiled in advance at the weekend
showed just how much progress has already been made towards making
AllergoOncology an established field in international medicine and science.
The article is due to be published officially in the international journal
"Allergy" in a few weeks. From the FWF's perspective, both the symposium and
the state-of-the-art article demonstrate that providing early support for
newly emerging interdisciplinary fields of research such as AllergoOncology
really does make sense.
The full programme of the 2nd International AllergoOncology Symposium can be
found at: allergooncology.
Medizinische Universität WienInstitut für Pathophysiologie
Austrian Science Fund FWF
Buy Quinine Without Prescription
tumours - and possible benefits for future cancer treatments - has finally
become an established research discipline in its own right. That was the
conclusion at the 2nd International AllergoOncology Symposium, which took
place in Vienna at the weekend. The symposium's organiser, Prof.
Jensen-Jarolim, was extremely happy with the event, which was attended by
over 90 doctors and scientists from over 10 different countries. This
fascinating field of research, which she has succeeded in establishing with
support from the Austrian Science Fund FWF, has also been honoured with its
first review article in the international journal "Allergy".
Although scientists have been aware of the phenomenon for over 50 years, it
is only over the last three of these that there has been a dedicated field
of research looking into the influence of allergic reactions on the
development of tumours. Known as AllergoOncology, this discipline looks at
the ways that allergic reactions can inhibit the growth of cancer tumours.
This field of research was founded by Prof. Erika Jensen-Jarolim, head of
the Department of Pathophysiology at the Medical University of Vienna. Her
work on establishing AllergoOncology as a distinct field of medical research
began several years ago as part of a project run by the Austrian Science
Fund FWF.
Synergy & Symposium
Last weekend's International AllergoOncology Symposium in Vienna, the second
to be organised by Prof. Jensen-Jarolim, provided a host of international
immunologists and oncologists with the ideal opportunity to discuss
potential synergies in their work. The broad spread of topics covered at the
event included a presentation by Prof. Chris Parish from the John Curtin
School of Medical Research in Australia. He referred to a project during
which resistance to certain chemically induced tumours was achieved in a
mouse model through the administration of white blood cells, which are also
associated with allergies.
"Even if results from animal models cannot be transferred directly to
humans, projects like Prof. Parish's still demonstrate the enormous
therapeutic potential of AllergoOncology," comments Prof. Jensen-Jarolim.
Another project presented by Dr. Manuel Penichet, University of California,
which was carried out in cooperation with teams led by Prof. Hannah Gould,
King's College, London, and Prof. Jensen-Jarolim sought to combat breast
cancer. To do this, the team used a key characteristic of the special
antibodies that are jointly responsible for allergic reactions - IgE
antibodies. These antibodies have a highly reactive and long-lasting effect
against proteins that the body classes as unwanted. This IgE response can
also be accurately directed against protein structures in certain tumour
cells. This characteristic is being used by the team and can even be
enhanced by making specific adjustments to the antibody structure.
However, Prof. Jensen-Jarolim also felt that the potential of
AllergoOncology should be critically scrutinised during the symposium, and a
debate involving a panel of specialists led by the life science journalist
Johanna Award-Geissler provided the ideal solution. Prof. Jensen-Jarolim
explains: "To ensure a field of research survives in the long term, we need
to have people who are willing to be critical and we must put in place
consistent checks. That's why symposium participants were also presented
with data from a Viennese study of over 22,000 cancer patients, which had
been unable to identify any general link between mortality and the
concentration of IgE in serum, except in the case of lymphoma and leukaemia.
The reasons behind this will need to be analysed further."
A review article that was exclusively unveiled in advance at the weekend
showed just how much progress has already been made towards making
AllergoOncology an established field in international medicine and science.
The article is due to be published officially in the international journal
"Allergy" in a few weeks. From the FWF's perspective, both the symposium and
the state-of-the-art article demonstrate that providing early support for
newly emerging interdisciplinary fields of research such as AllergoOncology
really does make sense.
The full programme of the 2nd International AllergoOncology Symposium can be
found at: allergooncology.
Medizinische Universität WienInstitut für Pathophysiologie
Austrian Science Fund FWF
Buy Quinine Without Prescription
Vaccinated Children Vs. Unvaccinated Children -- What Are The Risks?
Alison M. Buttenheim, PhD, MBA, assistant professor at Penn Nursing answers parents' questions about childhood vaccines. Dr. Buttenheim is a public health researcher and social demographer who studies parent behavior and child health.
Q: What are vaccine refusal and delay?
A: Some parents decide not to have their children receive one or more of the vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Other parents choose to delay one or more vaccines. For example, if a child is scheduled to receive three shots at age two months, a parent might delay one of those shots for a few weeks or months. While some parents do this out of concern that too many needles at once may be traumatic for the child, research shows the unpleasant experience for the child is from the overall experience of getting shots, and not the specific number of shots given: Spreading out shots over several visits is actually more upsetting for most children.
Q: Are vaccine refusal and delay legal?
A: Each state has a required immunization schedule for entry into day care and school settings. Each state can also determine the process by which parents may claim an exemption from the schedule for their children. All states have provisions for medical exemptions, for example if the child has a specific immune disorder or an allergy that may make the vaccine unsafe for that child. Many states also have provisions for religious, philosophical, or personal belief exemptions, although the requirements to obtain these exemptions vary considerably from state to state. If a parent obtains an exemption according to state law, then the child may legally enroll in and attend day care or school.
Q: What prompts parents to refuse or delay vaccines for their children?
A: There has been a lot of research recently to try to understand parents' hesitancy around vaccines. One reason that has received a lot of media coverage is the unfounded idea that vaccines cause autism or other developmental or neurological conditions. This idea was first promoted in the late 1990s by a British doctor whose research has since been thoroughly discredited by the scientific community. Several rigorous scientific studies conducted since then have demonstrated that there is no link between vaccines and autism. However, this idea really persists in the minds of parents.
There are two other reasons for refusals or delays that we've heard in our research talking to parents. The first is the concern that the immunization schedule contains too many vaccines, which parents worry may overtax a child's immune system. Fortunately, this is not correct. The immunological challenge presented by the entire vaccination schedule is tiny compared to what a baby might encounter just crawling around on a floor or going on a trip to the supermarket. A baby's immune system is wonderfully designed to respond to these challenges, whether from bacteria on a toy or from the components of a vaccine.
The second reason we hear for opting out of the regular immunization schedule is the assumption that the diseases prevented by vaccines aren't common or dangerous. This tells us how successful the immunization program has been over the past decades: Most of us have never seen a case of measles or pertussis (whooping cough), and don't realize how dangerous these diseases can be, especially for young children. Unfortunately, due in part to parents not vaccinating their children, these disease are resurging in the U.S. We've seen recent outbreaks of measles in California and Minnesota, and California has had more pertussis cases in the past two years than they've seen in the last half-century. Parents should keep in mind that the reason they don't have to worry about these diseases is that the vaccines have been so successful in preventing them. But in order to maintain that level of protection, we need to make sure the vast majority of kids do get vaccinated. Children who can't get vaccinated are relying on the protection provided when everyone else is vaccinated an important concept called "herd immunity."
Q: If vaccinated children are in school with unvaccinated children, what are the possible adverse outcomes?
A: The adverse outcome we all want to avoid is an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease. Vaccines are very effective, but they are not 100 percent effective, so there is still a slight chance that a fully vaccinated child could contract a disease like measles if she were exposed to someone else with the disease. This could happen in any setting, but it's a particular concern if there is a large group of unvaccinated children in one classroom or one school. That gives a virus like measles a much better chance of finding a "susceptible" person - someone who can contract the disease and then pass it on to other people. So it's the clustering of unvaccinated kids in spatial or social groups like classrooms that we have to pay particular attention to.
Q: If parents of vaccinated children are concerned about their kids being in school with unvaccinated children, what can those parents do?
A: The easiest and most important thing to do is to make sure your child is up-to-date on all the recommended immunizations. Your pediatrician is very familiar with the vaccination schedule and will work with you to make sure your child is covered. You can learn more about the schedule from the CDC and from other reputable, credible sources like the Vaccine Education Center of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. When we talk to parents, they often say they are looking for information about vaccines presented in a straightforward, unbiased way. Both of these sites do a great job of that. They have lots of information about the science of vaccines, including how U.S. vaccine safety systems work, and can address concerns you might have about the vaccine schedule.
Another thing you can do is find out how many unvaccinated children are in your child's class or school. Sometimes this is as easy as asking the teacher or principal. Some states make that information available through their public health departments. What we know from our research in California is that the level of personal belief exemptions in an entering kindergarten class is usually higher in some types of schools than in other types of schools. For example, we know that Waldorf Schools in California have higher rates of exemptions compared to other schools. Parents who are worried about the presence of unvaccinated children in a school could start a conversation with the principal or PTA leadership to see how the issue might be addressed school-wide.
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
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Q: What are vaccine refusal and delay?
A: Some parents decide not to have their children receive one or more of the vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Other parents choose to delay one or more vaccines. For example, if a child is scheduled to receive three shots at age two months, a parent might delay one of those shots for a few weeks or months. While some parents do this out of concern that too many needles at once may be traumatic for the child, research shows the unpleasant experience for the child is from the overall experience of getting shots, and not the specific number of shots given: Spreading out shots over several visits is actually more upsetting for most children.
Q: Are vaccine refusal and delay legal?
A: Each state has a required immunization schedule for entry into day care and school settings. Each state can also determine the process by which parents may claim an exemption from the schedule for their children. All states have provisions for medical exemptions, for example if the child has a specific immune disorder or an allergy that may make the vaccine unsafe for that child. Many states also have provisions for religious, philosophical, or personal belief exemptions, although the requirements to obtain these exemptions vary considerably from state to state. If a parent obtains an exemption according to state law, then the child may legally enroll in and attend day care or school.
Q: What prompts parents to refuse or delay vaccines for their children?
A: There has been a lot of research recently to try to understand parents' hesitancy around vaccines. One reason that has received a lot of media coverage is the unfounded idea that vaccines cause autism or other developmental or neurological conditions. This idea was first promoted in the late 1990s by a British doctor whose research has since been thoroughly discredited by the scientific community. Several rigorous scientific studies conducted since then have demonstrated that there is no link between vaccines and autism. However, this idea really persists in the minds of parents.
There are two other reasons for refusals or delays that we've heard in our research talking to parents. The first is the concern that the immunization schedule contains too many vaccines, which parents worry may overtax a child's immune system. Fortunately, this is not correct. The immunological challenge presented by the entire vaccination schedule is tiny compared to what a baby might encounter just crawling around on a floor or going on a trip to the supermarket. A baby's immune system is wonderfully designed to respond to these challenges, whether from bacteria on a toy or from the components of a vaccine.
The second reason we hear for opting out of the regular immunization schedule is the assumption that the diseases prevented by vaccines aren't common or dangerous. This tells us how successful the immunization program has been over the past decades: Most of us have never seen a case of measles or pertussis (whooping cough), and don't realize how dangerous these diseases can be, especially for young children. Unfortunately, due in part to parents not vaccinating their children, these disease are resurging in the U.S. We've seen recent outbreaks of measles in California and Minnesota, and California has had more pertussis cases in the past two years than they've seen in the last half-century. Parents should keep in mind that the reason they don't have to worry about these diseases is that the vaccines have been so successful in preventing them. But in order to maintain that level of protection, we need to make sure the vast majority of kids do get vaccinated. Children who can't get vaccinated are relying on the protection provided when everyone else is vaccinated an important concept called "herd immunity."
Q: If vaccinated children are in school with unvaccinated children, what are the possible adverse outcomes?
A: The adverse outcome we all want to avoid is an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease. Vaccines are very effective, but they are not 100 percent effective, so there is still a slight chance that a fully vaccinated child could contract a disease like measles if she were exposed to someone else with the disease. This could happen in any setting, but it's a particular concern if there is a large group of unvaccinated children in one classroom or one school. That gives a virus like measles a much better chance of finding a "susceptible" person - someone who can contract the disease and then pass it on to other people. So it's the clustering of unvaccinated kids in spatial or social groups like classrooms that we have to pay particular attention to.
Q: If parents of vaccinated children are concerned about their kids being in school with unvaccinated children, what can those parents do?
A: The easiest and most important thing to do is to make sure your child is up-to-date on all the recommended immunizations. Your pediatrician is very familiar with the vaccination schedule and will work with you to make sure your child is covered. You can learn more about the schedule from the CDC and from other reputable, credible sources like the Vaccine Education Center of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. When we talk to parents, they often say they are looking for information about vaccines presented in a straightforward, unbiased way. Both of these sites do a great job of that. They have lots of information about the science of vaccines, including how U.S. vaccine safety systems work, and can address concerns you might have about the vaccine schedule.
Another thing you can do is find out how many unvaccinated children are in your child's class or school. Sometimes this is as easy as asking the teacher or principal. Some states make that information available through their public health departments. What we know from our research in California is that the level of personal belief exemptions in an entering kindergarten class is usually higher in some types of schools than in other types of schools. For example, we know that Waldorf Schools in California have higher rates of exemptions compared to other schools. Parents who are worried about the presence of unvaccinated children in a school could start a conversation with the principal or PTA leadership to see how the issue might be addressed school-wide.
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
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Family Physician Group Offered No-Cost Alternative To Funding From Coca-Cola
Leading Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) nutrition and health researcher Walter Willett, M.D., Dr. P.H., has written a letter to the President-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) offering an alternative to the organization's decision, announced in October, to accept a six-figure grant from the Coca-Cola Company to develop web content on beverages and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
In his November 9, 2009 letter, Willett, chair of the Department of Nutrition at HSPH and a professor at Harvard Medical School, suggests that AAFP provide a link on its website to HSPH's popular Nutrition Source website (hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource), which contains multiple pages of easy-to-read content for lay people on how to achieve a healthy diet.
The healthy beverages section of the site, "Choosing Healthy Drinks" (hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/), offers advice on how to limit sugary beverage consumption and handy guidelines on the amount of calories and sugar in soda, juice and other popular drinks. It also offers lower-calorie beverage options as a way to decrease the risk of obesity.
"I'd like to offer your organization the opportunity to link to our website's content and return the funding to Coca-Cola," says Willett in the letter. (For a copy of the complete letter click here). AAFP's announcement of its "alliance" with Coca-Cola is available here
Willett agrees that it is important to provide information about how people can incorporate foods and drinks they love into an overall healthy lifestyle. He points out, however, that research overwhelmingly suggests that the consumption of sugar-laden sodas is a leading cause of obesity in the U.S. today and that children are particularly at risk.
Linking to content that has already been created and vetted by Harvard School of Public Health without industry funding would offer AAFP the opportunity to provide this information to those who visit their website almost immediately, Willett says.
Walter Willett is a leading researcher and promoter of healthy eating for healthier lifestyles. He is the author of several best-selling books, including Eat, Drink and Be Healthy; Eat, Drink and Weigh Less; and The Fertility Diet. He was a co-author, along with Kelly D. Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, and other researchers of the article, "The Public Health and Economic Benefits of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages," which appeared in the October 15, 2009 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine.
Willett for many years has been a leading proponent of successful efforts to get trans fat out of restaurant foods and to have trans fat content labeled on food packaging.
Source: Todd Datz
Harvard School of Public Health
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In his November 9, 2009 letter, Willett, chair of the Department of Nutrition at HSPH and a professor at Harvard Medical School, suggests that AAFP provide a link on its website to HSPH's popular Nutrition Source website (hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource), which contains multiple pages of easy-to-read content for lay people on how to achieve a healthy diet.
The healthy beverages section of the site, "Choosing Healthy Drinks" (hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/), offers advice on how to limit sugary beverage consumption and handy guidelines on the amount of calories and sugar in soda, juice and other popular drinks. It also offers lower-calorie beverage options as a way to decrease the risk of obesity.
"I'd like to offer your organization the opportunity to link to our website's content and return the funding to Coca-Cola," says Willett in the letter. (For a copy of the complete letter click here). AAFP's announcement of its "alliance" with Coca-Cola is available here
Willett agrees that it is important to provide information about how people can incorporate foods and drinks they love into an overall healthy lifestyle. He points out, however, that research overwhelmingly suggests that the consumption of sugar-laden sodas is a leading cause of obesity in the U.S. today and that children are particularly at risk.
Linking to content that has already been created and vetted by Harvard School of Public Health without industry funding would offer AAFP the opportunity to provide this information to those who visit their website almost immediately, Willett says.
Walter Willett is a leading researcher and promoter of healthy eating for healthier lifestyles. He is the author of several best-selling books, including Eat, Drink and Be Healthy; Eat, Drink and Weigh Less; and The Fertility Diet. He was a co-author, along with Kelly D. Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, and other researchers of the article, "The Public Health and Economic Benefits of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages," which appeared in the October 15, 2009 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine.
Willett for many years has been a leading proponent of successful efforts to get trans fat out of restaurant foods and to have trans fat content labeled on food packaging.
Source: Todd Datz
Harvard School of Public Health
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AMGA Lauds Senator Stabenow For Her Efforts To Ensure EMR Incentives For Medical Groups
The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) applauds Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) for her efforts to assure fairness in payment of electronic medical record (EMR) incentive payments under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Popularly known as the "stimulus bill," ARRA included incentive payments designed to stimulate widespread adoption of EMRs and to reward medical groups and other providers that were early adopters of this technology. Recently, however, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed regulation that would have denied some of the nation's finest health care providers from receiving significant EMR incentive payments.
Senator Stabenow, along with 18 of her Senate colleagues, sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius expressing their deep concern and disappointment over CMS's proposed regulation. Senator Stabenow wrote that the proposed rule was narrowly drawn and contrary to clear congressional intent.
The letter went on to say that excluding provider-based entities "would penalize some of the nation's pioneers of EMR use," including Henry Ford Health System, the University of Michigan Medical School and Faculty Practice, the Billings Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, Innovis Health, and Geisinger Health System, among many others. Senator Stabenow asked Secretary Sebelius to instruct CMS to follow clear congressional intent in the final version of rule making to ensure that provider-based entity physicians were eligible for EMR incentive payments.
Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., AMGA President and CEO, commented, "AMGA commends Senator Stabenow for her leadership on this issue and her efforts to ensure that some of the country's finest healthcare providers qualify to receive EMR incentive payments as the Congress originally intended. Many of the medical groups that will benefit from Senator Stabenow's efforts have been champions in the adoption of EMRs and should be recognized and rewarded for their efforts."
The American Medical Group Association represents medical groups, including some of the nation's largest, most prestigious medical practices, independent practice associations, and integrated healthcare delivery systems. AMGA's mission is to improve health care for patients by supporting multispecialty medical groups and other organized systems of care. The members of AMGA deliver health care to approximately 105 million patients in 49 states, nearly 1 in 3 Americans. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, AMGA is the strategic partner for medical groups, providing a comprehensive package of benefits, including political advocacy, educational and networking programs and publications, benchmarking data services, and financial and operations assistance.
Source: American Medical Group Association (AMGA)
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Senator Stabenow, along with 18 of her Senate colleagues, sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius expressing their deep concern and disappointment over CMS's proposed regulation. Senator Stabenow wrote that the proposed rule was narrowly drawn and contrary to clear congressional intent.
The letter went on to say that excluding provider-based entities "would penalize some of the nation's pioneers of EMR use," including Henry Ford Health System, the University of Michigan Medical School and Faculty Practice, the Billings Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, Innovis Health, and Geisinger Health System, among many others. Senator Stabenow asked Secretary Sebelius to instruct CMS to follow clear congressional intent in the final version of rule making to ensure that provider-based entity physicians were eligible for EMR incentive payments.
Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., AMGA President and CEO, commented, "AMGA commends Senator Stabenow for her leadership on this issue and her efforts to ensure that some of the country's finest healthcare providers qualify to receive EMR incentive payments as the Congress originally intended. Many of the medical groups that will benefit from Senator Stabenow's efforts have been champions in the adoption of EMRs and should be recognized and rewarded for their efforts."
The American Medical Group Association represents medical groups, including some of the nation's largest, most prestigious medical practices, independent practice associations, and integrated healthcare delivery systems. AMGA's mission is to improve health care for patients by supporting multispecialty medical groups and other organized systems of care. The members of AMGA deliver health care to approximately 105 million patients in 49 states, nearly 1 in 3 Americans. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, AMGA is the strategic partner for medical groups, providing a comprehensive package of benefits, including political advocacy, educational and networking programs and publications, benchmarking data services, and financial and operations assistance.
Source: American Medical Group Association (AMGA)
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Pine Tree Bark Reduces Side Effects In Hypertensive Patients
A study published in the October journal of Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis shows Pycnogenol® (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree reduced edema, a typical side-effect of antihypertensive medications, by 36 percent in patients taking these medications.
According to Dr. Gianni Belcaro, lead researcher of the study, more than 35 percent of patients taking antihypertensive medications are believed to suffer from edema as a side-effect. This happens because the antihypertensive medications cause blood vessels to dilate, which allows easier blood flow and thus lowers blood pressure. However, as a side-effect this causes blood to pool in the vessels of the lower legs. In result they stretch and liquid seeps into tissue causing swelling (edema). Hypertension is a serious risk factor for developing severe cardiovascular incidents some time in the future and thus the necessity for treatment justifies the development of edema as a side-effect.
Antihypertensive medications reduce pressure by inhibiting constriction of blood vessels. "The larger the blood vessel diameter, the easier blood will flow with less pressure," said Dr. Belcaro. "In order to avoid blood pooling in the lower legs and feet (edema), blood vessel diameters must adjust when a person changes positions from laying down to standing up. Results of this study show Pycnogenol to improve blood circulation, avoiding blood pools and reducing edema."
The study sampled 53 hypertensive patients at the G D'annunzio University in Italy. All patients suffered from edema of their ankles and feet as a result of antihypertensive medications and were taking medications at the same dosage for at least four months. Twenty-three patients were being treated with ACE inhibitors (brand names Mavik®, Altace®) and 30 patients were being treated with nifedipine (calcium channel blockers) (brand names Adalat®, Procardia®).
The eight week study sampled 27 patients with 150 mg Pycnogenol treatment per day versus an equivalent dosage of placebo for the remaining 26 patients.
Blood vessels causing edema of the lower legs were measured using a strain gauge plethysmography (a general instrument for determining and registering variations in the size of an organ or limb). Patients were first measured in supine position then while standing up.
After an eight week Pycnogenol treatment, patients treated with ACE inhibitors experienced a 35 percent decrease of ankle swelling while patients being treated with nifedipine experienced a 36 percent decrease of ankle swelling. According to Dr. Belcaro, Pycnogenol helps defy a major side-effect of antihypertensive medication. Furthermore, Pycnogenol has a blood pressure-lowering effect itself and thus helps to achieve a healthy cardiovascular system.
Pycnogenol was chosen for the study because it has demonstrated its effectiveness with conditions such as edema, DVT and blood circulation improvement in many clinical trials. In 2005, a study published in Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis showed Pycnogenol to be effective in reducing edema during long airplane flights lasting 7-12 hours. In 2004, a study published in Life Sciences revealed patients who took prescribed high blood pressure medication were able to cut the dosage in half when they supplemented with Pycnogenol. More than 35 years of research exhibiting Pycnogenol's effectiveness for improved blood circulation and cardiovascular health can be found at www.pycnogenol.
About Pycnogenol®
Pycnogenol is a natural plant extract originating from the bark of the Maritime pine that grows along the coast of southwest France and is found to contain a unique combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids and organic acids, which offer extensive natural health benefits. The extract has been widely studied for the past 35 years and has more than 220 published studies and review articles ensuring safety and efficacy as an ingredient. Today, Pycnogenol is available in more than 600 dietary supplements, multi-vitamins and health products worldwide. For more information or a copy of this study, visit www.pycnogenol.
Natural Health Science Inc., (NHS) based in Hoboken, New Jersey, is the North American distributor for Pycnogenol® (pic-noj-en-all) brand French maritime pine bark extract on behalf of Horphag Research. Pycnogenol® is a registered trademark of Horphag Research Ltd., Guernsey, and its applications are protected by U.S. patents #5,720,956 / #6,372,266 and other international patents. NHS has the exclusive rights to market and sell Pycnogenol® in North America and benefits from more than 35 years of scientific research assuring the safety and efficacy of Pycnogenol® as a dietary supplement. For more information about Pycnogenol® visit our web site at www.pycnogenol.
Contact: Melanie Nimrodi
MWW Group
View drug information on Mavik.
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According to Dr. Gianni Belcaro, lead researcher of the study, more than 35 percent of patients taking antihypertensive medications are believed to suffer from edema as a side-effect. This happens because the antihypertensive medications cause blood vessels to dilate, which allows easier blood flow and thus lowers blood pressure. However, as a side-effect this causes blood to pool in the vessels of the lower legs. In result they stretch and liquid seeps into tissue causing swelling (edema). Hypertension is a serious risk factor for developing severe cardiovascular incidents some time in the future and thus the necessity for treatment justifies the development of edema as a side-effect.
Antihypertensive medications reduce pressure by inhibiting constriction of blood vessels. "The larger the blood vessel diameter, the easier blood will flow with less pressure," said Dr. Belcaro. "In order to avoid blood pooling in the lower legs and feet (edema), blood vessel diameters must adjust when a person changes positions from laying down to standing up. Results of this study show Pycnogenol to improve blood circulation, avoiding blood pools and reducing edema."
The study sampled 53 hypertensive patients at the G D'annunzio University in Italy. All patients suffered from edema of their ankles and feet as a result of antihypertensive medications and were taking medications at the same dosage for at least four months. Twenty-three patients were being treated with ACE inhibitors (brand names Mavik®, Altace®) and 30 patients were being treated with nifedipine (calcium channel blockers) (brand names Adalat®, Procardia®).
The eight week study sampled 27 patients with 150 mg Pycnogenol treatment per day versus an equivalent dosage of placebo for the remaining 26 patients.
Blood vessels causing edema of the lower legs were measured using a strain gauge plethysmography (a general instrument for determining and registering variations in the size of an organ or limb). Patients were first measured in supine position then while standing up.
After an eight week Pycnogenol treatment, patients treated with ACE inhibitors experienced a 35 percent decrease of ankle swelling while patients being treated with nifedipine experienced a 36 percent decrease of ankle swelling. According to Dr. Belcaro, Pycnogenol helps defy a major side-effect of antihypertensive medication. Furthermore, Pycnogenol has a blood pressure-lowering effect itself and thus helps to achieve a healthy cardiovascular system.
Pycnogenol was chosen for the study because it has demonstrated its effectiveness with conditions such as edema, DVT and blood circulation improvement in many clinical trials. In 2005, a study published in Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis showed Pycnogenol to be effective in reducing edema during long airplane flights lasting 7-12 hours. In 2004, a study published in Life Sciences revealed patients who took prescribed high blood pressure medication were able to cut the dosage in half when they supplemented with Pycnogenol. More than 35 years of research exhibiting Pycnogenol's effectiveness for improved blood circulation and cardiovascular health can be found at www.pycnogenol.
About Pycnogenol®
Pycnogenol is a natural plant extract originating from the bark of the Maritime pine that grows along the coast of southwest France and is found to contain a unique combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids and organic acids, which offer extensive natural health benefits. The extract has been widely studied for the past 35 years and has more than 220 published studies and review articles ensuring safety and efficacy as an ingredient. Today, Pycnogenol is available in more than 600 dietary supplements, multi-vitamins and health products worldwide. For more information or a copy of this study, visit www.pycnogenol.
Natural Health Science Inc., (NHS) based in Hoboken, New Jersey, is the North American distributor for Pycnogenol® (pic-noj-en-all) brand French maritime pine bark extract on behalf of Horphag Research. Pycnogenol® is a registered trademark of Horphag Research Ltd., Guernsey, and its applications are protected by U.S. patents #5,720,956 / #6,372,266 and other international patents. NHS has the exclusive rights to market and sell Pycnogenol® in North America and benefits from more than 35 years of scientific research assuring the safety and efficacy of Pycnogenol® as a dietary supplement. For more information about Pycnogenol® visit our web site at www.pycnogenol.
Contact: Melanie Nimrodi
MWW Group
View drug information on Mavik.
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New Implantable Device Could Track Tumor's Growth
Surgical removal of a tissue sample is now the standard for diagnosing cancer. Such procedures, known as biopsies, are accurate but only offer a snapshot of the tumor at a single moment in time.
Monitoring a tumor for weeks or months after the biopsy, tracking its growth and how it responds to treatment, would be much more valuable, says Michael Cima, MIT professor of materials science and engineering, who has developed the first implantable device that can do just that.
Cima and his colleagues recently reported that their device successfully tracked a tumor marker in mice for one month. The work is described in a paper published online in the journal Biosensors & Bioelectronics in April.
Such implants could one day provide up-to-the-minute information about what a tumor is doing -- whether it is growing or shrinking, how it's responding to treatment, and whether it has metastasized or is about to do so.
"What this does is basically take the lab and put it in the patient," said Cima, who is also an investigator at the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT.
The devices, which could be implanted at the time of biopsy, could also be tailored to monitor chemotherapy agents, allowing doctors to determine whether cancer drugs are reaching the tumors. They can also be designed to measure pH (acidity) or oxygen levels, which reveal tumor metabolism and how it is responding to therapy.
With current tools for detecting whether a tumor has spread, such as biopsy, by the time you have test results it's too late to prevent metastasis, said Cima.
"This is one of the tools we're going to need if we're going to turn cancer from a death sentence to a manageable disease," he said.
In the Biosensors & Bioelectronics study, human tumors were transplanted into the mice, and the researchers then used the implants to track levels of human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced by human tumor cells.
The cylindrical, 5-millimeter implant contains magnetic nanoparticles coated with antibodies specific to the target molecules. Target molecules enter the implant through a semipermeable membrane, bind to the particles and cause them to clump together. That clumping can be detected by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
The device is made of a polymer called polyethylene, which is commonly used in orthopedic implants. The semipermeable membrane, which allows target molecules to enter but keeps the magnetic nanoparticles trapped inside, is made of polycarbonate, a compound used in many plastics.
Cima said he believes an implant to test for pH levels could be commercially available in a few years, followed by devices to test for complex chemicals such as hormones and drugs.
Lead author of the paper is Karen Daniel, a recent MIT PhD recipient. Other authors are recent PhD recipients Grace Kim and Christophoros Vassiliou; Marilyn Galindo, research affiliate in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology; Alexander Guimares, a radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital; Ralph Weissleder, a professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School; Al Charest, visiting assistant professor of biology at MIT; and Institute Professor Robert Langer.
The research was funded by the National Cancer Institute Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence and the National Science Foundation.
Source:
Elizabeth Thomson
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Monitoring a tumor for weeks or months after the biopsy, tracking its growth and how it responds to treatment, would be much more valuable, says Michael Cima, MIT professor of materials science and engineering, who has developed the first implantable device that can do just that.
Cima and his colleagues recently reported that their device successfully tracked a tumor marker in mice for one month. The work is described in a paper published online in the journal Biosensors & Bioelectronics in April.
Such implants could one day provide up-to-the-minute information about what a tumor is doing -- whether it is growing or shrinking, how it's responding to treatment, and whether it has metastasized or is about to do so.
"What this does is basically take the lab and put it in the patient," said Cima, who is also an investigator at the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT.
The devices, which could be implanted at the time of biopsy, could also be tailored to monitor chemotherapy agents, allowing doctors to determine whether cancer drugs are reaching the tumors. They can also be designed to measure pH (acidity) or oxygen levels, which reveal tumor metabolism and how it is responding to therapy.
With current tools for detecting whether a tumor has spread, such as biopsy, by the time you have test results it's too late to prevent metastasis, said Cima.
"This is one of the tools we're going to need if we're going to turn cancer from a death sentence to a manageable disease," he said.
In the Biosensors & Bioelectronics study, human tumors were transplanted into the mice, and the researchers then used the implants to track levels of human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced by human tumor cells.
The cylindrical, 5-millimeter implant contains magnetic nanoparticles coated with antibodies specific to the target molecules. Target molecules enter the implant through a semipermeable membrane, bind to the particles and cause them to clump together. That clumping can be detected by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
The device is made of a polymer called polyethylene, which is commonly used in orthopedic implants. The semipermeable membrane, which allows target molecules to enter but keeps the magnetic nanoparticles trapped inside, is made of polycarbonate, a compound used in many plastics.
Cima said he believes an implant to test for pH levels could be commercially available in a few years, followed by devices to test for complex chemicals such as hormones and drugs.
Lead author of the paper is Karen Daniel, a recent MIT PhD recipient. Other authors are recent PhD recipients Grace Kim and Christophoros Vassiliou; Marilyn Galindo, research affiliate in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology; Alexander Guimares, a radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital; Ralph Weissleder, a professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School; Al Charest, visiting assistant professor of biology at MIT; and Institute Professor Robert Langer.
The research was funded by the National Cancer Institute Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence and the National Science Foundation.
Source:
Elizabeth Thomson
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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