Life Sciences & Biotechnology Update articles from June 2001

Life Sciences & Biotechnology Update archives from June 2001

SUBSTANCE-ABUSE PREVENTION: SCIENCE-BASED PRACTICES.
June 1, 2001... This (CDM Group Inc.) guide concerns science-based practices for substance-abuse prevention. As the lead federal agency for substance abuse prevention, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) has a major role in bridging the gap...

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE.
June 1, 2001... This (National Institute on Drug Abuse) report addresses the work of the Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG), which is a network of researchers from major metropolitan areas of the U.S. and from selected foreign countries. The primary...

Tat-SF CELLULAR FACTOR FOR REGULATION OF TRANSCRIPTIONAL ELONGATION BY HIV-Tat.
June 1, 2001... This (University of California) study concerns Tat-SF cellular factor for regulation of transcriptional elongation by HIV-Tat. Deregulation of transcriptional elongation can cause the development of certain malignancies. HIV-1 Tat has been...

HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES, BODY-WATER BALANCE, AND THERMOREGULATION: TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS THAT ESTROGEN ENHANCES WATER AND SODIUM RETENTION.
June 1, 2001... This (John B. Pierce Foundation Laboratory) study tests the hypothesis that estrogen enhances water and sodium retention. It compares the fluid regulatory responses to 150 min of exercise-induced dehydration, followed by 180 min of ad libitum...

NEUTRALIZATION OF BOTULINUM NEUROTOXIN WITH HUMAN MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES.
June 1, 2001... This University of California) program will produce neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies against Botulinum neurotoxins for immunoprophylaxis and immunotherapy. Antibodies will be generated using a novel approach, phage display, which...

THE ENDOTHELIAL CELL SPECIFIC RECEPTOR, Tie-2, AS A THERAPEUTIC TARGET.
June 1, 2001... This (Georgetown University) report concerns the endothelial cell specific receptor, tie-2, as a therapeutic target. Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), and its receptor Tie-2, a trans-membrane tyrosine kinase uniquely expressed by endothelial cells, are...

NEAR-INFRARED LASER LIGHT OF HIGH ENERGY AND ULTRASHORT PULSE GENETICALLY-INDUCES STRESS-RESPONSE GENES IN THE DNA REPAIR AND APOPTOSIS REGULATORY PATHWAYS.
June 1, 2001... This (Air Force Academy) study shows potential human cell genetic damage from laser light. The use of laser light for targeting devices and weapons has sharply increased the likelihood that aircrew and support personnel will be exposed to...

PROSTATE CANCER: GENERATION AND PRECLINICAL-EVALUATION OF HOMODIMERIC ANTI-Her-2 ANTIBODIES.
June 1, 2001... This (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center) paper reports on the generation of a panel of 100 anti-Her-2 MAbs that are characterized with regard to isotype, epitope recognition, and the ability to signal apoptosis in Her-2...

ASSESSMENT OF PROSTATE CELLS IN SEMEN USING FLOW CYTOMETRY, FOR EARLY DETECTION AND STAGING OF PROSTATE CANCER.
June 1, 2001... This (Pacific Northwest Cancer Foundation) study involves the detection of pro-static epithelial cells in seminal fluid. Relatively normal cells are identified by Cytokeratin 8/18. Up-regulated, or cancerous cells, are identified by means of...

THE PTEN TUMOR-SUPPRESSOR GENE IN PROSTATE CANCER: FUNCTIONAL AND CLINICAL ANALYSIS.
June 1, 2001... This (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) study addresses the functional and clinical analysis of the PTEN tumor- suppressor gene in prostate cancer. The PTEN tumor suppressor gene maps to the 10q23 locus, a chromosomal region frequently altered in...

ROLE OF THE EARLY GROWTH RESPONSE-1 (Egr-1) GENE IN RADIATION-INDUCED APOPTOSIS OF PROSTATE CANCER CELLS.
June 1, 2001... This (University of Kentucky) report concerns the role of the early growth response-1 (Egr 1) gene in radiation-induced apoptosis of prostate cancer cells. Previous studies in prostate cancer cells suggested that Egr-1 is required for the...

GENETIC EVIDENCE FOR THE DISPARITY OF PROSTATE CANCER RISK AND MORTALITY BETWEEN DIFFERENT RACES/ETHNICITIES.
June 1, 2001... Prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates are significantly higher for African-American men than for men of other ethnic groups. This (Columbia University) study aims to determine whether differences in certain human genes can explain why...

NOVEL PROSTATE CANCER CAUSATIVE GENE MUTATIONS IDENTIFIED BY REPRESENTATIONAL DIFFERENCE ANALYSIS OF MICRODISSECTED PROSTATE CANCER.
June 1, 2001... This (University of Virginia) study involves the procurement of tissues from 23 radical prostatectomy operations. Microdissection of normal and cancer cells are done for 2 specimens. Representational difference analysis is complete on one...

QUALITY OF LIFE OF PROSTATE CANCER PATIENTS AND THEIR SPOUSES: EFFECTS OF SUPPORTIVE AND NONSUPPORTIVE BEHAVIORS.
June 1, 2001... Research on prostate cancer has not as yet identified how patients and their spouses supportive (e.g., giving advice/emotional support) and non-supportive behaviors (e.g., criticizing/avoiding partner) affect, and are affected by, their: (1)...

NOVEL TUMOR REVERSION METHOD TO CLONE PROSTATE CANCER TUMOR-SUPPRESSOR GENES.
June 1, 2001... This (University of Utah) document proposes a novel approach to the cloning of tumor-suppressor genes in prostate cancer. It presents a methods for transferring large pieces of human DNA, cloned into bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs),...

CLINICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF A VITAMIN D ANALOG, 1-ALPHA-OH-D2, ON HORMONE-REFRACTORY PROSTATE CANCER.
June 1, 2001... Vitamin D and its metabolites, via binding to cellular vitamin D receptors, principally regulate bone homeostasis, but also have been observed to be potent growth inhibitors of neoplastic cells. Preclinical work strongly implies that vitamin...

PARTNER ABUSE PREVALENCE AND ITS MENTAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES.
June 1, 2001... This (Johns Hopkins University) study examines intimate partner abuse prevalence and its mental health consequences, in samples of military and civilian women. After completing 3 of the 4 years of the study, the researchers reached the...

NEUROPATHOLOGIES, SUCH AS AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS) AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, AND COLLOIDAL- STABILIZATION OF NEUROFILAMENTS AND MICROTUBLES.
June 1, 2001... This (Johns Hopkins University) research is based on the hypothesis that the interfilament distances between microtubules and neurofilaments are maintained by a polymer brush-based mechanism that results in what has been called `colloidal...

PARKINSON'S DISEASE: KNOCK-OUT AND TRANSGENIC STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE NEURAL TRANSPLANTATION THERAPY.
June 1, 2001... This (McLean Hospital) report addresses knock-out and transgenic strategies to improve neural transplantation therapy for Parkinson's disease. The remaining obstacles to achieving reliable therapeutic effects by neurotransplantation for...

HUMAN ANXIETY IN AN UNDERWATER ENVIRONMENT.
June 1, 2001... This (Air Force Academy) study examines human anxiety in an aquatic environment. Cadets enrolled in a basic open-water SCUBA course are used to assess human anxiety in an underwater environment. The study measures heart rate, a proposed...

RISK FACTORS FOR BONE LOSS AND OSTEOPOROSIS IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN.
June 1, 2001... The overall purpose of this (State University of New York) study is to: determine the relationship between skeletal and oral bone density; identify factors influencing bone loss; determine the relationship between osteoporosis and oral bone...

VETERANS EXPERIMENTALLY EXPOSED TO SARIN AND OTHER ANTICHOLINESTERASE CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS: LONG-TERM FOLLOWUP.
June 1, 2001... This (National Academy of Science) paper concerns long- term followup of veterans experimentally exposed to sarin and other anticholinesterase chemical warfare agents. Between 1955 and l975, the U.S, Army enrolled volunteers in an...

THE GULF WAR AND HEALTH: DEPLETED URANIUM; SARIN; PYRIDOSTIGMINE BROMIDE; VACCINES.
June 1, 2001... This (Institute of Medicine) report concerns the Gulf War and health. On Aug. 2, 1990, Iraqi armed forces invaded Kuwait; within 5 days the U.S. began to deploy troops to Operation Desert Shield. Intense air attacks against the Iraqi armed...

COMPARISON OF POSTDEPLOYMENT HOSPITALIZATIONS BETWEEN ACTIVE DUTY VIETNAM AND GULF WAR VETERANS.
June 1, 2001... This (Naval Health Research Center) report examines post-conflict hospital admission rates of Marine Corps units deployed to the Gulf War, and compares them with the rates of similar units returning from the Vietnam conflict. Overall, and in...

ACCESS TO HIV CARE.
June 1, 2001... This brief (RAND Corp.) paper address access to HIV care. Recent clinical advances have made HIV/AIDS a highly treatable disease. Appropriate medical care can prolong the lives of HIV-infected individuals and prevent unnecessary and...

ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO EXPAND HEALTH INSURANCE ACCESS TO THE UNINSURED.
June 1, 2001... The lack of affordable and accessible health insurance remains a major problem for millions of Americans. Without health insurance, many people forego needed health care and suffer adverse health consequences. This has economic consequences...

MORE MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES USE HOSPICE, BUT FOR FEWER DAYS OF CARE.
June 1, 2001... This (GAO) report examines: (1) the patterns and trends in hospice use by Medicare beneficiaries; (2) factors that affect the use of the hospice benefit; and (3) the availability of hospice providers to serve the needs of Medicare...

PREVENTING PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE AMONG INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN.
June 1, 2001... This (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) report concerns a new vaccine for infants and children. In Feb. 2000, a pneumococcal polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine (Prevnar, marketed by Wyeth Lederle Vaccines) was licensed for use...

EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS INCIDENCE IN ASTRONAUT SALIVA DURING SPACEFLIGHT.
June 1, 2001... This (NASA) report deals with the incidence of Epstein- Barr virus in the saliva of astronauts during space flight. Astronauts experience psychological and physical stresses that may result in re-activation of latent viruses during...

TROPICAL AND EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN BRAZIL.
June 1, 2001... This translation from Brazil (Fundacao Ceciliano Abel de Almeida) evaluates the cellular immune responses of patients with febrile illnesses during a Dengue epidemic in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It evaluates, by flow cytometry, the...