Scientists drive cancer genome decoding initiative
A pioneering plan unveiled by the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) will give scientists the ammunition they need to fight human cancer. The genomes from 25,000 cancer samples will be decoded and a data resource will be established with access provided to all cancer researchers. Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers of this strategy also highlight the importance of how projects in the EU and abroad are making significant contributions to cancer-fighting efforts.
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Long-term efficacy and tolerability of Vimpat® (lacosamide)
UCB's antiepileptic drug (AED) Vimpat® (lacosamide) featured in several studies and analyses presented at the 62nd annual American Academy of Neurology (AAN) meeting. These data offer additional clinical evidence supporting the use of lacosamide as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of adult patients with partial-onset seizures.
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Brain chemistry breakthrough in focal epilepsy
New research has shown that focal epilepsy occurs when brain cells called astroglia are activated causing nearby neurons to generate an epileptic discharge. The findings may lead to a new research direction for neurologists studying the origins of epilepsy and seeking new drug therapies. The study, funded in part by the EU, is published in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) Biology journal.
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Collaborative project extends Rhenovia's innovative CNS biosimulation platform to study of epilepsy
Rhenovia Pharma SAS, a biopharmaceutical company specialized in the development of technologies to optimize the discovery and development of drugs for Alzheimer's and other diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, has been named leader of RHENEPI, a EUR 2.5 million (USD 3.75M) project. The goals of RHENEPI are to develop and obtain experimental validation for an epilepsy biosimulation platform that can be used for the discovery of new antiepileptic drugs and the optimization of existing drugs.
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EU-funded study investigates kidney regeneration potential
A paper published in The Lancet journal, as part of a series on renal medicine, has questioned if kidney regeneration may be possible in human beings as it is in fish and other lower vertebrates. The work is part of an ongoing EU-funded research project on the possibilities of kidney regeneration, and was carried out by a team from the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Bergamo, Italy.
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Enzyme in white blood cells can break down carbon nanotubes
An EU-funded study of carbon nanotubes by scientists in Ireland, Sweden and the US has shown that these extraordinarily strong molecules can be broken down into carbon and water by an enzyme found in white blood cells. The discovery, published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, offers hope that this new material may be exploited safely in medicine and industry.
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Biocitech technology park posts record number of partnerships in 2009
Biocitech SAS, the Paris life science technology park, announced that its 23 resident companies exceeded past performance again in 2009 with a significant increase in the number of agreements concluded with pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies outside Biocitech. Biocitech has drawn attention in the past to the excellent working relationships forged between residents, and 2009 shows how successfully the residents are working internationally and with other companies in France.
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