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CuraGen Updates CR011-vcMMAE Data At ASCO
CuraGen Corporation (Nasdaq: CRGN) reported three data presentations from its ongoing clinical trials of CR011-vcMMAE, an antibody-drug conjugate that targets GPNMB, in patients with advanced breast cancer and melanoma at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando, Florida.

Media Looks At County-Level HIV, AIDS Map Data
Major population centers such as those in New York and California have the highest numbers of HIV cases, however, many of the areas that have the highest rates of people with HIV are in the South, according to data from an online mapping tool launched by the National Minority Quality Forum yesterday, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The map, which is the first tool of its kind to look at HIV and AIDS cases on a county level, is based on 2006 data collected from states and cross-checked with CDC data. According to the mapping tool, of the 48 counties with the highest HIV prevalence rates, 25 are in Georgia. In addition, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia have the highest prevalence rates for HIV cases that have progressed to AIDS (Stobbe, AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune, 6/22). In Virginia, Richmond, Petersburg and Norfolk were among the nation"s urban areas hardest hit by HIV/AIDS (Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 6/23). Three metro counties in Kansas City, Mo., have HIV and AIDS rates that are higher than about 80 percent of counties nationwide, according to the data, NBC Action News reports (Ptacek, NBC Action News, 6/22).
News of the day
Dr. David B. Samadi Introduces New Prostate Cancer Care Center For Robotic Surgery Patients At Mount Sinai Medical Center
The Mount Sinai Medical Center has a new re center for prostate cancer treatment. Led by David B. Samadi, M.D., Chief of the Division of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery in the Department of Urology, the new state-of-the-art facility at 625 Madison Avenue in New York City specializes in pre- and post-surgery care for patients who undergo a robotic prostatectomy at Mount Sinai"s main campus. It also provides expertise in the treatment of other urologic cancers, including bladder and kidney. A multilingual staff offers assistance with patient travel arrangements, accommodations, and translation services when required.
Diagnostics

Stem Cell Research Progress - cells that become part of the pancreas or part of the bile duct

Researchers from Cincinnati Children"s Hospital Medical Center have discovered that a specific gene - Sox17 - plays an important role in directing cells to become part of the pancreas or part of the bile duct (used in the digestion of food). Research in mouse embryos found that the Sox17 gene "acts like a toggle or binary switch that sets off a cascade of genetic events," said the study"s senior investigator, James Wells. Could prove important "In normal embryonic development, when you have an undecided cell, if Sox17 goes one way, the cell becomes part of the biliary system [bile duct]," Wells explained. "If it goes the other way, the cell becomes part of the pancreas." The researchers believe the discovery could one day prove important in directing embryonic stem cells to become pancreatic beta cells and potentially act as a cure or treatment for Type 1 diabetes. "With this study showing that turning one gene on or off in a mouse embryo instructs a cell to become pancreatic or biliary, now we"ll see if that same gene, Sox17, can be used to direct an embryonic stem cell to become a biliary cell instead of a pancreatic cell," said Wells. Another step forward Dr Victoria King, Research Manager at Diabetes UK, said: "Stem cell research is very much in its infancy but with more research it could one day offer a real possibility of leading to a cure for diabetes." "This study looks at a step in making a pancreatic cell from stem cells, but not necessarily the needed insulin-producing pancreatic cells. Making those cells is a big challenge. "Diabetes UK would not wish to raise people"s expectations that this research is a massive leap in diabetes stem cell research, but it is interesting and does provide another step forward in our knowledge," said King. Diabetes UK


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