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Biomedical Imaging: Twinkling Nanostars Cast New Light
Purdue University researchers have created magnetically responsive gold nanostars that may offer a new approach to biomedical imaging.
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Reps. Ryan, DeLauro Announce Bill To Reduce Unplanned Pregnancies, Provide Social Supports
Abortion opponent Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and abortion-rights supporter Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) held a press conference on Thursday to announce a bill that aims to reduce the need for abortion by preventing unintended pregnancies, among other proposals, the New York Times" "The Caucus" reports. The bill -- crafted in part by the centrist group Third Way -- would increase access to contraceptive services, sex education, health care coverage for pregnant women and children, and adoption. It also would expand access to comprehensive sex education and adoption programs.The bill has the support of abortion-rights groups like the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and NARAL Pro-Choice America, both of which had representatives at the press conference. The bill also has the support of antiabortion-rights religious leaders like Joel Hunter of Northland, Fla., and Derrick Harkins of Washington, D.C.The bill, which has been introduced in each of the past three congressional sessions, could "broker a detente" and help "turn down the volume on the culture war," DeLauro said at the press conference. Ryan called the bill an "idea whose time has come," noting that it has gained support from advocates on both sides of the abortion-rights debate.During the press conference, Hunter said advocates of the bill, regardless of their side in the abortion-rights debate, are "taking heat" from other members of their side. He added that the bill is important because it "links together traditional adversaries in a way that advances each of our goals without compromising any of our values" (Becker, "The Caucus," New York Times, 7/23). Harkins said that he is "more optimistic now than I ever have been," adding that women "need real support that divisive debates cannot provide" (Stephenson, CQ HealthBeat, 7/23).Despite support from some antiabortion-rights advocates, the bill has not been welcomed by all groups opposed to abortion rights, including conservative groups Family Research Council, National Right to Life and Democrats for Life of America. Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life, said her group does not support the bill because preventing unintended pregnancies already is a goal of other programs. She noted that her group instead supports the Pregnant Women Support Act (HB 2035, SB 270), which focuses on services for women who carry their pregnancies to term but does not include prevention (CQ HealthBeat, 7/23). In a statement, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said the bill is "fraught with funding for abortion providers and provisions that further encourage promiscuous sex and discourage parental involvement."Although the White House has not voiced a position on the bill, there are "reasons to believe" that the Obama administration will support some of the legislation"s proposals, "The Caucus" reports ("The Caucus," New York Times, 7/23). DeLauro said that she and Ryan plan to seek Republican co-sponsors for the bill, although they do not yet have any. She added that she thinks President Obama will support the bill because it includes language similar to his rhetoric on reducing the need for abortion. In addition, Obama"s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, was a co-sponsor of the bill when he served in the House (CQ HealthBeat, 7/23). Ryan said that the bill, which does not yet have an estimated cost, is "now open for support from all quarters."According to "The Caucus," the bill is being introduced at a time when abortion is a growing topic in health care reform legislation. Policymakers on both sides of the abortion-rights debate are expressing concern about how private insurance coverage of abortion is treated in health care reform. Ryan and DeLauro both support a policy that would neither require nor forbid insurance companies from covering the procedure ("The Caucus," New York Times, 7/23). During the press conference, DeLauro said that the new bill would not force insurance providers to cover abortion services. She said, "What we don"t want to do is go backward. We
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Oral Bacteria May Contribute To The Development Of Obesity
The world-wide explosion of overweight people has been called an epidemic. The inflammatory nature of obesity is widely recognized. Could it really be an epidemic involving an infectious agent? In this climate of concern over the increasing prevalence of overweight conditions in our society, investigators have focused on the possible role of oral bacteria as a potential direct contributor to obesity.
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Paclitaxel Poliglumex (OPAXIO(TM)) Added To Cisplatin And Radiation Produces 45% Pathologic Complete Remissions In Patients With Esophageal Cancer

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. ("CTI") (Nasdaq and MTA: CTIC) announced that, in a study released from Brown University at the 2009 American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, patients with cancer of the lower esophagus had evidence of a high pathological complete response ("CR") rate when given OPAXIO, a biologically enhanced paclitaxel, in addition to cisplatin and full-course radiotherapy. Concurrent chemotherapy with 50.5 Gy of radiation is the standard pre-surgical therapy for patients with potentially resectable, locally-advanced esophageal cancer. Although the addition of chemotherapy to radiation is beneficial, the cure rate for esophageal cancer is low. Standard neoadjuvant treatment for esophageal cancer uses a regimen of cisplatin, and fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy with concurrent radiation, a regimen associated with a 15% to 17% pathologic CR rate (complete elimination of the cancer in the surgical specimen) and a high incidence of Grade 3-4 toxicity to the upper gastrointestinal track necessitating prophylactic insertion of feeding tubes. Published preclinical studies have demonstrated that, unlike standard paclitaxel and other chemotherapeutic agents that enhance radiation killing by a factor of 1.5 to 2.0, OPAXIO increases tumor specific radiation cell kill by a factor of 7.2 to 8.4 -fold (Milas Luka et al, Poly(L-glutamic acid)-paclitaxel conjugate is a potent enhancer of tumor radiocurability, Int"l J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 55(3), 707-12 (2003)). The Brown University Oncology Group lead by Dr. Howard Safran published preliminary data on their phase II trial in the ASCO proceedings. In this study, which follows their earlier report of a phase IB trial (Dipetrillo,Thomas et al, Am. J. Clin. Oncol. 4:376-9 (2006)), patients with pathologically confirmed, locally advanced adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus or gastro-esophageal junction with no evidence of distant metastasis received weekly paclitaxel poliglumex (50mg/m2) and cisplatin 25mg/m2 for six weeks with concurrent 50.5Gy of radiation. Twenty-three eligible patients were enrolled at the time of abstract submission. Five of the first 11 patients (45%) who underwent resection had a pathologic complete response. A prophylactic feeding tube was not routinely used. Grade 3-4 toxicity in the first 15 patients included dehydration (n=5), loss of appetite (n=5), esophagitis/dysphagia (n=4), nausea (n=2) and weight loss (n=1). The authors concluded that these preliminary data suggest paclitaxel poliglumex may provide enhanced radiation sensitization as compared to standard therapy. Accrual is continuing on this study. "We are very encouraged by these preliminary phase II results. Patients who have a pathologic CR in most historical studies have had a major survival advantage over those patients with lesser responses. These interesting preliminary findings in an ongoing study indicate that paclitaxel poliglumex may be a uniquely active and selective radiosensitizing therapeutic. Most importantly, patient tolerability appears improved over standard therapy with 5-FU and cisplatin due to the lower incidence of severe gastrointestinal toxicity. It is likely that this is due to the selective accumulation of paclitaxel poliglumex in tumor tissue with continual slow release of the active agent, paclitaxel," noted Jack Singer, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at CTI. CTI plans to explore with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA") a potential U.S. phase III registration strategy for paclitaxel poliglumex in this indication given the high pathologic CR rates being reported in this study combined with the lower than expected gastrointestinal and other severe toxicities. About OPAXIO(TM) OPAXIO(TM) (paclitaxel poliglumex, CT-2103), which was formerly known as XYOTAX(TM), is an investigational, biologically enhanced, chemotherapeutic that links paclitaxel, the active ingredient in Taxol(R), to a biodegradable polyglutamate polymer, which results in a new chemical entity. When bound to the polymer, the chemotherapy is rendered inactive, potentially sparing normal tissue"s exposure to high levels of unbound, active chemotherapy and its associated toxicities. Blood vessels in tumor tissue, unlike blood vessels in normal tissue, are porous to molecules like polyglutamate. Based on preclinical studies, it appears that OPAXIO is preferentially distributed to tumors due to their leaky blood vessels and trapped in the tumor bed allowing significantly more of the dose of chemotherapy to localize in the tumor than with standard paclitaxel. Once inside the tumor cell, enzymes metabolize the protein polymer, releasing the paclitaxel chemotherapy. Preclinical and clinical studies support that OPAXIO metabolism by lung cancer cells may be influenced by estrogen, which could lead to enhanced release of paclitaxel and efficacy in women with lung cancer compared to standard therapies. About Cell Therapeutics, Inc. Headquartered in Seattle, CTI is a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing an integrated portfolio of oncology products aimed at making cancer more treatable. This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, the outcome of which could materially and/or adversely affect actual future results. Specifically, the risks and uncertainties that could affect the development of OPAXIO include risks associated with preclinical and clinical developments in the biopharmaceutical industry in general, and with OPAXIO in particular, including, without limitation, the potential for OPAXIO to be proved safe and effective (or to achieve response rates) for the treatment of the indications noted in this press release or any other indication, determinations by regulatory, patent and administrative governmental authorities, the possibility that the FDA will not approve a phase III registration strategy for paclitaxel poliglumex if proposed by CTI, CTI"s ability to continue to raise capital as needed to fund its operations, competitive factors, technological developments, and costs of developing, producing and selling OPAXIO. You should also review the risk factors listed or described from time to time in CTI"s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, CTI"s most recent filings on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. Except as may be required by law, CTI does not intend to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Cell Therapeutics, Inc


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