Thursday, March 15, 2012

News and Events - 14 Mar 2012




12.03.2012 18:43:00

It is no consolation to the
roughly one out of 600 families who lost their homes in the U.S. but Wall Street made a lot of money slicing and dicing mortgages it knew would implode, while hiding risks. Financial giants, like AIG, are still
buzzing along and neither penalties or new laws will prevent a future crash, say financial analysts, because the risky business models have not really changed.

A similar Big Pharma bubble, leavened with risky blockbuster drugs that also blew up, is now bursting. Like Wall Street’s bundled high risk loans, the “tide” created by Big Pharma’s high risk drugs raised many ships during the 2000s from advertising, public relations and medical communication agencies to TV and radio stations, medical journals and doctor/pitchmen who shoveled in its marketing budgets. But now the joy ride is over and Pharma is shedding jobs and settling billions in claims without changing its risky business model, like Wall Street.

In Europe, governments are no longer willing to pay the high prices for drugs that they once did say
published reports

and some countries are drafting laws making drug makers “prove their drugs are effective or risk having them dropped from the coverage list, or covered at a lower rate.” Imagine!



Germany has already saved 1.9 billion euros in 2011 by refusing to pay higher prices for drugs unless they are clearly superior to existing medicines, and Pharma worries that other countries will also get tough and want scientific proof for drug effectiveness instead of marketing and spin. In the U.S. and elsewhere, a drug only needs to be superior to no drug (placebo) to be approved by regulators — yet “new” is conveyed as “better than any drug to date” in advertising.  Some clinicians say Haldol, an inexpensive antipsychotic, and lithium, a similar affordable bipolar drug are
better than blockbuster antipyschotics and bipolar drugs that created Pharma’s 2000 bubble.

Before the
Vioxx scandal and major settlements over blockbuster drugs like
Zyprexa,
Bextra, Celebrex, Geodon and
Seroquel, being a Pharma rep was probably the next best thing to working on Wall Street. Direct-to-consumer advertising did your pre-sell for you, and all you had to do was show up with your snappy Vytorin tote bag and samples case. Some Pharma reps had their own reception room with ice water, swivel chairs, and laptop ports at medical offices, and most waltzed in to see the doctor right in front of waiting and sick patients. (It didn’t hurt that reps were usually “hotties,” both men or women).

But, by 2011, the bloom had fallen off Pharma reps’ roses. The number of prescribers willing to see most reps fell almost 20 percent, the number refusing to see all reps increased by half, and eight million sales calls were “nearly impossible to complete,” reported
ZS Associates. Blockbuster drugs that were found to be unsafe after their big sales push or even withdrawn altogether, did not help the reps’ credibility with doctors. After the aggressively marketed hormone therapy was linked to high incidences of cancer, stroke and heart attack, Wyeth (now Pfizer)
announced it was eliminating 1,200 jobs and closing its Rouses Point, New York plant where Prempro products were manufactured.

As government and private insurers increasingly say, “You want us to cover what?” about expensive, dangerous drugs that are not even proven effective, Pharma bubble jobs are evaporating. Almost 20,000 jobs have vanished at
AstraZeneca,
Novartis and Pfizer in the last 12 months alone. (AstraZeneca scrapped 21,600 more since 2007). Meanwhile, Pharma is outsourcing more of its operations to poor countries.

Workers and people willing to be trial subjects are both a bargain in poor countries where many can’t understand drug risks or refuse them if they did (and most can’t afford the very drugs they help sell). In January the Argentinian Federation of Health Professionals
accused drug maker GlaxoSmithKline of misleading participants and pressuring poor families into joining a trial for the Synflorix vaccine, which the company says protects against bacterial pneumonia and meningitis, reported CNN. In 2010,
10 deaths occurred during Pfizer and AstraZeneca drug trials at the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre which was ironically built for survivors of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster, reports MSNBC. 3,878 workers perished in Bhopal when chemicals leaked at a
Union Carbide pesticide plant.

Outsourcing drug manufacturing to cheap venues also contributes to Pharma’s cascade of “quality control” problems in which drugs are mislabeled, contaminated or otherwise made dangerous. It is speculated that Johnson & Johnson’s CEO William Weldon “was pushed to retire because of all of the quality issues at McNeil as well as with the company’s hip implant products, which have resulted in a raft of litigation,” reports
FiercePharma.

Like the Wall Street bubble, the Pharma bubble was built on products that industry, but not the public, knew were risky, sold for quick profits. Now regulators are examining some of these “assets” more closely and with disturbing findings. The
FDA now warns that bestselling statin drugs like Lipitor and Crestor, even approved for
children, are linked to memory loss and diabetes associated with. The equally well selling proton pump inhibitors like Nexium and Prilosec for acid reflux disease (GERD) are now believed to increase the risk of
bone fractures by 30 percent.

In March, the FDA even rejected a Merck drug that combines the active drug in Lipitor with the active drug in Zetia and Vytorin, a drug that
Forbes
calls Son of Vytorin. Vytorin (the father) was advertised to treat both food and family “sources of cholesterol” until results from a study that Merck and Schering-Plough appeared to withhold from regulators showed the drug had no effect on the buildup of plaque in the arteries (believed to correlate with heart attack and stroke). There was such a gap between marketing and science, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
asked the General Accounting Office to investigate why the FDA was approving “drugs that appear to have little to no effect in protecting lives and increasing health.”

Yet even as clouds develop over Pharma’s top-selling drugs, some say the FDA is too hard on new drugs, not too easy. “
The FDA is impeding useful innovations in the U.S.,” says former FDA deputy commissioner Scott Gottlieb in the a
Wall Street Journal
oped and lagging behind other countries. Former FDA commissioner Andrew Von Eschenbach, also writing in the WSJ, agrees. The FDA should improve U.S. drug competitiveness by
allowing drugs “to be approved based on safety, with efficacy to be proven in later trials,” while the public is already taking the drugs. Isn’t that what’s happening now?

Martha Rosenberg is a columnist/cartoonist who writes about public health. Her first book, titled
Born with a Junk Food Deficiency: How Flaks, Quacks and Hacks Pimp the Public Health
, will be published in April 2012 by Amherst, New York-based Prometheus Books. She can be reached at:
martharosenberg@sbcglobal.net.
Read other articles by Martha.

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12.03.2012 3:28:00

Carl Zimmer writes about science regularly for the New York Times and magazines such as Discover, where he is a contributing editor and columnist.

He is the author of twelve books, the most recent of which is Science Ink: Tattoos of the Science Obsessed. His website is carlzimmer.com and his address is blog at carlzimmer dot com .

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hbottemiller@foodsafetynews.com (Helena Bottemiller)
13.03.2012 12:59:01
Citing an increased incidence of foodborne illness outbreaks caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens, public health advocates are again ratcheting up pressure on Congress to limit routine, subtherapeutic antibiotic use in agriculture.

At back to back briefings on Capitol Hill late last week, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Center for a Livable Future presented a panel of experts to House and Senate staffers with a straightforward message on whether the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture is a human health issue: "the science is clear."

"The science is so clear that the political pressure on the FDA won't be able to keep us from moving forward," said founding director of the Center for a Livable Future, Robert Lawrence, a professor of environmental health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. "The pharmaceutical and animal industries continue to deny the scientific evidence. We believe that the science is clear."

At the meetings, dozens of staffers were briefed on a new white paper put out by CSPI focused on these so-called superbugs and foodborne illness outbreaks. CSPI reported that in 2011, 167 illnesses, 47 hospitalizations and one death were linked to antibiotic-resistant foodborne pathogens.

Two of the outbreaks were connected to ground turkey -- one contaminated with Salmonella Hadar and one with Salmonella Heidelberg -- and one outbreak was connected to ground beef contaminated with Salmonella Typhimurium. "All of those bacteria were resistant to treatment from several antibiotics that are critically important to human medicine, including drugs in the penicillin, cephalosporin, and tetracycline families," CSPI reported.

The white paper also noted that since 2000, 38 outbreaks tied to resistant pathogens sickened 20,064, hospitalized 3,108 and killed 27 -- a count that includes an "enormous" 1985 outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium caused by milk, which sickened 16,659, hospitalized 2,777, and killed 18.

"Antibiotics are the crown jewels of modern medicine, and they are critical to treating diseases in both humans and farm animals," said CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal. "We must not continue to jeopardize the effectiveness of these drugs by using them recklessly for non-therapeutic uses on farms and in animal factories. Otherwise, consumers may face longer illnesses, more hospitalizations, and more fatalities when exposed to resistant strains of common foodborne pathogens."

CSPI quoted World Health Organization's position on the issue from last year: "WHO has long recognized that antibiotic use in food animals, which seems to outweigh antibiotic use for human therapy in many countries, contributes importantly to the public health problem of antibiotic resistance."

In the United States, around 80 percent of all antibiotics sold are given to food animals each year.

At the briefings, public health advocates called on Congress to pass legislation to limit antibiotic use in agriculture, by passing the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), and asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take greater leadership on the issue.

"I would just love to see the United States taking a lead on this issue and show global leadership like we do on so many issues," said Lance Price, an associate professor at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Arizona. "On this one, we are lagging far behind the rest of the world. All the warning signs are there...and the good science is there and we're doing nothing. It's a shameful thing. I hope that we can turn this and start taking the lead."






13.03.2012 6:31:14

 

Biotecnika Info Labs Pvt Ltd, Bangalore is a Parent Company which runs India’s Largest Biosciences Career & education Portal. Biotecnika is where in technology meets life sciences.

“We are a fast growing Bio-techno-media company with extremely talented and fun Loving people you would love to work with. Biotecnika is run by a group of Doctorate & post Doctorates of lifesciences & together we help in the upliftment of postgraduates from any lifesciences background. If you do not like processes, hate pyramid type organizations; love creativity, innovation and fun at work; you will love it here. You will find a very flexible work environment, which treats people like human beings” 

  • Post: Business Development Executive
  • Company Name: Biotecnika Info Labs Pvt Ltd
  • Location: in Bengaluru/Bangalore
  • Experience: 0 to 3 yrs
  • Salary: INR 1,75,000 - 2,50,000 P.A
  • Opening(s): 5

Qualification & Duties

  • Must be a MSc graduate in Bioscience
  • 0 - 3 years Sales experience.
  • MBA preferred
  • Good written and oral communication
  • Client follow ups
  • Candidate should be willing to sell services and product.
  • Candidates have to generate leads, qualify the leads on the sales strategies, identify the potential client, client interaction and maintain client relationship.
  • Understanding the requirement of client and offering them with the appropriate services and product.
  • Follow up with clients.
  • Ability to meet multiple objectives within an organization.
  • Work on Online marketing, Social Media Marketing, Email marketing, Tele Marketing as well as Field marketing
  • Selling should be your signature statement.
  • Maintaining relationship with clients and providing business leads, client interaction, team building, follow up with clients.
  • Identify potential clients; manage existing account/customer relationships.
  • Understanding the requirements of the clients & positioning an appropriate Solution
  • Should be able to travel on demand as per the Company Policy.
  • Liaisoning with Colleges / institutes for upliftment of biosciences


Desired Candidate Profile
Education:(UG - Any Graduate - Any Specialization, B.Com, B.B.A, B.Pharma, B.Sc,

B.Tech
/B.E.) AND (PG - MBA/PGDM - Advertising/Mass Communication, International Business, Marketing, Other Management,

M.Tech
- Bio-Chemistry/Bio-Technology, Biomedical,

M.Sc
- Bio-Chemistry)

  • A minimum of 0 - 3 years of marketing experience
  • Good organizational skills and the ability to understand detailed information.
  • Basic IT and numeric skills.
  • Good interpersonal skills to form effective working relationships with people at all levels.
  • A proven track record of 'making a difference'.
  • Creative, resourceful, detail-oriented, highly organized.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Good Presentation skills.
  • Time Management Skills.
  • The potential to handle a leadership role.
  • Candidate should have pleasing personality with excellent communication skills (Verbal & Written).
  • Only candidates who can relocate to bangalore may apply

Executive Name:Sylvia Fernandes
Contact Company: Biotecnika
Address: #2628, 4th Floor 27th Main, Sector 1 HSR Layout, Landmark - CPWD Quarters BANGALORE,Karnataka,India 560102
Apply to Email Address :
jobs@biotecnika.org
Telephone: 80-91-65705331
Reference Id: MAR-10-BDE
 



http://www.biotecnika.org/content/march-2012/sales-marketing-business-development-executives-required-biotecnika-info-labs-pvt#comments



13.03.2012 6:08:00

Adriane Fugh-Berman was stunned by the question: Two graduate students who had no symptoms of mental illness wondered if she thought they should take a powerful schizophrenia drug each had been prescribed to treat insomnia.

“It’s a total outrage,” said Fugh-Berman, a physician who is an associate professor of pharmacology at Georgetown University. “These kids needed some basic sleep [advice], like reducing their intake of caffeine and alcohol, not a highly sedating drug.”

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13.03.2012 11:28:16


The institute offers an MSc in '

Bioinformatics
and

Biotechnology
'. The course will provide competence in both

Biotechnology
and computational biology/

Bioinformatics
by providing training in the areas of cell and

molecular biology
, computer science, statistics,

Bioinformatics
and so on (syllabus available below).

IBAB has been running a Postgraduate Diploma in

Bioinformatics
 since 2002, and the 11th batch is currently doing its coursework. It has also been running a Postgraduate Diploma in Laboratory Biotechniques since 2004, and the 8th batch has completed its coursework. The two popular programmes are now being discontinued to enable the faculty to focus on the MSc programme.

Every student is provided

  • Access to a fully loaded high-end PC and extensive access to the internet for the entire duration of 2 years.
  • Lectures are delivered by in-house faculty, distinguished academics and industry scientists from leading institutions/companies within the country or from abroad.
  • A significant amount of time is devoted to learning through material available on-line, journals, seminars, tutorials, group discussions etc.
  • Thus the extensive lecture/tutorial program is supplemented by an enabling environment and associated self-learning through assignments and project work.

The 2 year MSc course is structured into 4 semesters, as below.

1.) ADMISSION PROCEDURE

  • Application processing fees (non-refundable)

    • Rs. 500/- for students from India and non-industrialized countries
    • Rs. 1000/- for NRI/Foreign students from industrialized countries

A Demand Draft for the above mentioned amount in favour of 'Institute of

Bioinformatics
and Applied

Biotechnology
' payable at Bengaluru needs to be sent to the institute (please see next section for other documents that also have to be submitted).

2.) Application form

Fill up all details on-line and seprately send DD, 2 passport size photos and photocopies of marksheets to IBAB by post/courier. THIS IS THE ONLY OPTION FOR APPLYING. There is no hardcopy form available by downloading or by requesting a copy.

The online form will be processed only on receipt of the DD.

3.) List of necessary documents

  • Regular candidates:
  • Photocopies of all certificates/marksheets
  • NRI/Foreign candidates:
  • Photocopies of all certificates/marksheets
  • Proof of NRI/Foreign status (stamped page from passport)

DO NOT send any original certificates/marksheets.

4. Important information:
a. Date of online test: To be announced later.

b. Date of Interview: You will be given a date between 16-19 July 2012. In case you have a problem with your allotted date, write to
msc2012@ibab.ac.in or call 080-285 289 00 or 01, 9611 872 946, 900 829 6547 between Monday and Friday from 10:00am to 5:30pm.

c. If a seat is offered, the last date for accepting it is 5 days after being intimated. At this time a token sum of Rs. 20,000/- (adjustable against the fees due at the time of joining) has to be paid to the institute.

d. Course commences: 18 August 2012.

5. Eligibility for the course

a. A recognised BSc degree in any branch of science or technology, viz. life sciences (

Agriculture
,

Biotechnology
etc.), physics, chemistry, mathematics, statistics, engineering, pharma, veterinary or medicine with minimum of 55% marks. Thus, the following degree holders may apply: BSc, BTech, BE, MBBS, BDS, etc. Please contact IBAB in case you have a doubt about whether you are eligible.

b. Students awaiting their results can also apply, provided their average percentage of previous semesters/years is at least 55%.

c. There is no age limit.

Fees

Application processing fees (non-refundable):
1. Application processing fees (non-refundable):
Rs. 500/- for students from India or non-industrialized countries
Rs. 1000/- for NRI/Foreign students from industrialized countries

A DD for the above mentioned amount in favour of “Institute of

Bioinformatics
and Applied

Biotechnology
” payable at Bengaluru, should be sent to IBAB by post/courier or submitted in person after filling up the form online. Please note the other documents that also have to be submitted (2 passport photos and photocopies of marksheets) .

2. Course fees per semester:

  • For Indian students and students from non-industrialized countries.
  • Academic fees: Rs. 50,000/- per semester. This includes tuition fees, laboratory fees, software fees and library fees. This has to be paid within a week of the joining date for each semester. In addition, there is a security deposit of Rs. 20,000/- (refundable only on completion of the course) to be paid upon joining.


Please download the details and schedule of payment of course fees and hostel fees.

Partial waiver of fees through scholarships in case of a few deserving students may be feasible.

For NRI/Foreign students from industrialized countries

  • Academic fees: Rs. 75,000/- per semester. This includes tuition fees, laboratory fees, software fees and library fees. This has to be paid within a week of the joining date for each semester. In addition, there is a security deposit of Rs. 30,000/- (refundable only on completion of the course) to be paid upon joining.

Please download the details and schedule of payment of course fees and hostel fees.

Contact for further queries (between 10:00am and 5:30 pm, Mon-Fri): 080 - 285 289 00/01/02.
Mobile: 9611 872 946 / 900 829 6547

You can also send an email to
msc2012@ibab.ac.in

Syllabus

  • The syllabus is liable to change over time. Please download the current syllabus from here. 

http://www.biotecnika.org/featured/ibab-announces-admissions-msc-biotech-bioinfo-95-real-placement-record#comments



12.03.2012 5:28:30

Cactus Communications is a pioneering language services company serving more than 25,000 clients across 73 countries. In line with its mission—growth through effective communication, Cactus offers specialist academic editing, medical communications, publication support, transcription, and training services to individuals and corporations across sectors such as academia, publishing, and pharmaceuticals. 

Post : Data QC Specialist
No of Opening : One
Experience : 1 to 5 yrs

Job Desciption :
As part of his/her key responsibilities, the Data QC specialist at Cactus will
1.Review regulatory documents (e.g., protocols, amendments, IBs, CSRs, eCTD, summary documents, appendices, and clinical trial disclosures) for data accuracy against source data and consistency between the document text and the in-text tables
2.Check for grammar, syntax, style, and compliance with style guides, regulatory guidelines, and publishing requirements
3.Check documents generated by writers for data errors by checking annotated references
4.Check documents generated by writers for fact errors (discrepancy between source data and document, discrepancy within text, discrepancy between figures/tables and text)
5.Be responsible for the accuracy of data (numerical and otherwise) in the documents/projects assigned
6.Ensure timely delivery of documents

Education : M.Pharma,

M.Sc
-

Agriculture
, Anthropology, Bio-Chemistry, Biology,

Botany
, Dairy Technology, Environmental science, Food Technology,

Microbiology
,

Zoology



Location : Mumbai

Contact Details :
Executive Name : Neha Khan
Contact Company:Cactus Communications
Address : Off Link Road Andheri (West)
Mumbai,Maharashtra,India 400001

If you think you meet all these requirements and have the potential to be a part of this dynamic and quality-focused team, please mail in your resume to editor@cactusglobal.com

Deadline : 09.04.12



http://www.biotecnika.org/content/march-2012/apply-data-qc-specialist-post-vacant-cactus-communication-pvt-ltd#comments



12.03.2012 10:00:00
A research group led by Dr. A. Claudio Cuello of McGill University's Faculty of Medicine, Dept. of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, has uncovered a critical process in understanding the degeneration of brain cells sensitive to Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggests that this discovery could help develop alternative AD therapies...



13.03.2012 19:17:17
One of the trickiest parts of treating brain conditions is the blood-brain barrier, a blockade of cells that prevent both harmful toxins and helpful pharmaceuticals from getting to the body's control center. But, a new technique uses an MRI machine to guide the use of microbubbles and focused ultrasound to help drugs enter the brain, which may open new treatment avenues for devastating conditions like Alzheimer's and brain cancers.



14.11.2011 7:28:03





Melatonin in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis


Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology Volume 53, Issue 9, pages 783–792, September 2011


DANIEL A ROSSIGNOL1, RICHARD E FRYE2 1International Child Development Resource Center, Melbourne, FL, USA 2Division of Child and Adolescent Neurology and Children’s Learning Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.




This systematic review and meta-analysis is a good summary of existing knowledge about the role of abnormalities of melatonin secretion in children with autism, the possible genetic mechanisms underlying this, and the benefits of treatment with melatonin on sleep behavior and possibly some daytime autistic behaviours (including improvements in behavioural rigidity, ease of management for parents and teachers, social interaction, temper tantrums, irritability, playfulness, academic performance and alertness).



The article is available at:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.03980.x/full



A reminder that our list of Victorian sources of Melatonin from compounding pharmacies is available at


http://www.wch.org.au/genmed/clinical.cfm?tab=m&type=title&doc_id=2399



under “melatonin”.



MIKE





Aim The aim of this study was to investigate melatonin-related findings in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorders, not otherwise specified.



Method Comprehensive searches were conducted in the PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, and ERIC databases from their inception to October 2010. Two reviewers independently assessed 35 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Of these, meta-analysis was performed on five randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, and the quality of these trials was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist.



Results Nine studies measured melatonin or melatonin metabolites in ASD and all reported at least one abnormality, including an abnormal melatonin circadian rhythm in four studies, below average physiological levels of melatonin and/or melatonin derivates in seven studies, and a positive correlation between these levels and autistic behaviors in four studies. Five studies reported gene abnormalities that could contribute to decreased melatonin production or adversely affect melatonin receptor function in a small percentage of children with ASD. Six studies reported improved daytime behavior with melatonin use. Eighteen studies on melatonin treatment in ASD were identified; these studies reported improvements in sleep duration, sleep onset latency, and night-time awakenings. Five of these studies were randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover studies; two of the studies contained blended samples of children with ASD and other developmental disorders, but only data for children with ASD were used in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis found significant improvements with large effect sizes in sleep duration (73min compared with baseline, Hedge’s g 1.97 [95% confidence interval {CI} CI 1.10–2.84], Glass’s ? 1.54 [95% CI 0.64–2.44]; 44min compared with placebo, Hedge’s g 1.07 [95% CI 0.49–1.65], Glass’s ? 0.93 [95% CI 0.33–1.53]) and sleep onset latency (66min compared with baseline, Hedge’s g?2.42 [95% CI ?1.67 to ?3.17], Glass’s ??2.18 [95% CI ?1.58 to ?2.76]; 39min compared with placebo, Hedge’s g?2.46 [95% CI ?1.96 to ?2.98], Glass’s ??1.28 [95% CI ?0.67 to ?1.89]) but not in night-time awakenings. The effect size varied significantly across studies but funnel plots did not indicate publication bias. The reported side effects of melatonin were minimal to none. Some studies were affected by limitations, including small sample sizes and variability in the protocols that measured changes in sleep parameters.



Interpretation Melatonin administration in ASD is associated with improved sleep parameters, better daytime behavior, and minimal side effects. Additional studies of melatonin would be helpful to confirm and expand on these findings.





Mike


Prof Mike South,
Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia


www.mikesouth.org.au





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13.03.2012 18:57:58

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Sunday, March 11, 2012

News and Events - 12 Mar 2012

10.03.2012 5:36:58

The Jena School for Microbial Communication (JSMC is funded by the German Excellence Initiative.JSMC is an ambitious Graduate School with over 150

PhD
students who are educated in a structured, interdisciplinary training program based on top?level fundamental research. It conceptionally combines different research areas to a comprehensive picture of microbial communication (
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de . Institutes at five faculties of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, six nonuniversity research institutes as well as 12 partner companies are participating in this cutting?edge research and training program.

The Graduate School of Excellence ‘JSMC’ invites applications for 14

PhD
Student Fellowships Research projects on several topics in Natural and

Life Sciences

WE EXPECT :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or

Life Sciences
(e.g., Biology, Chemistry,

Bioinformatics
, Geosciences, Medical Sciences, etc. . Candidates about to obtain their degree are welcome to apply
b. high motivation and interest in joining one of the interdisciplinary research areas of the JSMC
c. creativity and interest in shaping your own thesis project
d. an integrative and cooperative personality as well as enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
e. very good communication skills in English (the language of instruction at the JSMC

WE OFFER :
1. a highly communicative atmosphere within a scientific network providing top?level research facilities
2. a

PhD
stipend paid for three years according to the regulations of the DFG (German Research
Foundation as well as generous research funding
3. a comprehensive mentoring program with efficient supervision by a team of supervisors
4. a top?level

PhD
training program with courses in state?of?the?art research technologies and soft skills
5. Jena – the German City of Science 2008: a young and lively town with dynamic business activities, successful scientific centers of innovation and a vibrant cultural scene around the famous Friedrich Schiller University



  • Friedrich Schiller University Jena is an equal opportunity employer.
  • The application procedure takes place exclusively online via the JSMC website :
    www.jsmc.uni-jena.de
  • To apply, please acquaint yourself with the open

    PhD
    projects and the application process described on this website. Applications can only be considered upon receipt of the completed ‘Statement of Interest’ form, submitted by email to
    apply-jsmc@uni-jena.de before the deadlines listed below.
  • Selected applicants will be invited to the JSMC Recruitment Meeting in Jena, Germany, in June 2012.
  • Awarding decisions will be made shortly thereafter, allowing the

    PhD
    projects to start immediately.

QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE DETAILS WITH
PhD
RESEARCH PROJECTS OFFERED :

57/2012 : Microbial origin of banded iron formations (supervised by Falko Langenhorst, Geosciences, Univ. of Jena

Banded Iron Formations are controversial (meta- sedimentary rocks composed of alternating layers of iron-rich and amorphous silica-rich layers. In the context of early earth evolution, the formation of BIFs is considered as a microbially mediated process that involves iron-metabolizing microorganisms. To better understand the genesis of BIFs, the project comprises detailed mineralogical and geochemical investigations of banded irons from Western Australia, and the experimental laboratory simulation of microbially mediated precipitation of iron minerals.

More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/

We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural Sciences (geobiology, geology, mineralogy

Microbiology
and/or chemistry . Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. desirable methodological skills: experience in optical and/or electron microscopy methods, geochemical analysis as well as

Microbiology

c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality with enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC

61/2012 : Semisynthetic Nosiheptide Derivatives Enabling an Improved Selectivity Profile (supevised by Hans-Dieter Arndt, Organic Chemistry, Univ. Jena

The natural product nosiheptide (1 will be obtained by fermentation and its scaffold (2 modified by chemical synthesis in order to uncover novel or improved properties. These semisynthetic derivatives compounds will be screened for improved activity and selectivity and tested for their antibacterial activity and regulatory impact on producer colonies of receptive, mostly soil?dwelling bacteria.

More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/ "> www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/

We expect:
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or

Life Sciences
, preferably in (Bio Organic Chemistry, Pharmacy,

Biochemistry
, or Chemical Biology. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. required methodological or other skills: Working knowledge in synthetic chemistry, analytical compound characterization (NMR, MS , biochemical activity assays (at least 1 out of 3
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC

62/2012 : The role of E. coli-induced alterations of the Ubiquitin-Proteasome-System (UPS for the Innate Immune Response and function of the human endothelium (supervised by Hortense Slevogt Septomics Research Center, Jena

The Ubiquitin-Proteasome-System (UPS represents an important non-lysosomal cellular protein degradation machinery for the degradation of intracellular proteins to restore cell homeostasis. We will investigate the composition of the UPS in endothelial cells following infection with E. coli in vitro and in a mouse model. The BMBF funded Host Septomics Research Group is part of the Center for Innovation Competence “Septomics” at the Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena. Our team analyzes the pathogen-host interactions with a strong focus on the host’s innate responses.

More projects details :
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/

We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or

Life Sciences
. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. required methodological or other skills: experiences in at best in infection mice models to study the pathogenesis of human infectious diseases, using state-of-art instruments and in vivo approaches will be a distinct advantage
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality with enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC

63/2012 : The metabolic profile of the marine microalga Ostreococcus (supervised by Severin Sasso, Molecular

Botany
, Univ. Jena and by Georg Pohnert, Analytical Chemistry, Univ. Jena
Using analytical and physiological experiments, this

PhD
project aims at elucidating how regulatory networks control metabolism in the unicellular marine alga Ostreococcus tauri. The results should help to understand how this cosmopolitan marine species adapts to changes in environmental conditions, and to engineer algae for biotechnological applications.

More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/

We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in

Biochemistry
, chemistry, biology or a related subject.
Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. high motivation and interest in joining one of the interdisciplinary research areas of the JSMC
c. creativity and interest in shaping your own thesis project
d. an integrative and cooperative personality as well as enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
e. very good communication skills in English (the language of instruction at the JSMC

64/2012 : Evolutionary Systems Biology of Metabolic Microbial Interactions (supervised by Christoph Kaleta, Theor. Systems Biol., Univ. Jena and by Christian Kost Max Planck Inst. for Chemical Ecology, Jena

The uneconomical utilization of resources is a frequently observed phenomenon in microbial cell cultures growing at high rates and has important implications for biotechnological production processes. The aim of this project is to use a combination of state-of-the-art theoretical and experimental techniques to study the relevance of overflow metabolism for microbial adaptation and the development of metabolic interactions in microbial communities.

More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/

We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in

Bioinformatics
,

Biochemistry
or related studies. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. required methodological or other skills: structural modeling of metabolic networks, recombinant DNA techniques are of advantage
c. high motivation and interest in joining one of the interdisciplinary research areas of the JSMC
d. creativity and interest in shaping your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality as well as enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
f. very good communication skills in English (the language of instruction at the JSMC

65/2012: A Systems Biology approach to studying zygomycoses (supervised by Stefan Schuster

Bioinformatics
, Univ. Jena

The aim of the project is to analyze, by mathematical modeling and computer simulation, different strategies of the human immune system against zygomycoses and the strategies of the Zygomycetes. For example, methods from evolutionary game theory can be used. The models will be built on, and validated by, experimental data from groups at the HKI. The model results will serve for the planning of new experiments. The ultimate goal is to derive suggestions for therapeutical interventions.

More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/

We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or

Life Sciences
(e.g.

Bioinformatics
,

Biochemistry
, mathematics . Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. desirable methodological skills: Mathematical modelling of biological processes
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality with enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC

66/2012 : Survival strategies of humanpathogenic zygomycetes inside macrophages (supervised by Kerstin Voigt, Leibniz Inst. f. Natural Product Research and Infection Biol., Jena

The aim of the project is to monitor the interplay between zygomycetous pathogens and human hosts at the cellular level. Murine cell lines of macrophages will be infected with spores from pathogenic zygomycetes and investigated with confocal laser scanning microscopy. In parallel the zygomycetes will be subjected to amoebae to test the hypothesis that the survival strategies for soil-borne, potentially human pathogenic fungi after ingestion by macrophages and amoebae are similar. The parameters derived from fungus-macrophage/amoebae interactions will be modeled by systembiological (game theoretical approaches.

More projects details :
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/

We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or

Life Sciences
(Biology, Veterinary or Human
Medicine . Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. a solid background in standard techniques of

molecular biology
and

Microbiology
is
expected. Knowledge of and hands?on experience in fluorescence microscopy, infection biology,
or cell culture techniques are advantageous.
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC

67/2012 : Bacterial endosymbionts in plant-pathogenic fungi (supervised by Christian Hertweck Leibniz Inst. f. Natural Product Research and Infection Biol., Jena

The plant-pathogenic fungus Rhizopus microsporus and the bacterium Burkholderia rhizoxinica form a unique symbiosis, in which the fungus hosts the bacterial endosymbiont for the production of a phytotoxin causing rice seedling blight (Nature 2005 . Interestingly, reproduction of the fungal host has become totally dependent of the bacterial symbiont (Curr Biol 2007 . Analysis of the whole genome sequence of B. rhizoxinica (BMC Genomics 2011 has granted insights into the evolution and the genetic potential of endofungal bacteria. In this project we aim at studying the molecular basis of the bacterial-fungal interaction at the genetic, biochemical and chemical levels.

We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or

Life Sciences
. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
c. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
d. an integrative and cooperative personality
e. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC

68/2012 : The Role of Photoreceptors in Photoperiodic Control in the Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (supervised by Maria Mittag, General

Botany
, Univ. Jena and by Severin Sasso, Molecular

Botany
, Univ. Jena

Using physiological and

molecular biology
methods, this

PhD
project aims to investigate the role of different photoreceptors from the green alga Chlamydomonas in the molecular mechanism of photoperiodic control with regard to its life cycle. The underlying mechanism will be compared to that of the long-day plant Arabidopsis in collaboration with T. Mizoguchi (Japan . More projects details :
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-
projects/

We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in

molecular biology
,

Biochemistry
, biology or a related subject. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
c. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
d. an integrative and cooperative personality as well as enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
e. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC

69/2012: Signals and metabolic changes causing phenotypic plasticity in phytoplankton (supervised by Georg Pohnert Analytical Chemistry, Univ. Jena

The project will address the hypothesis that morphological changes in unicellular pyhtoplankton resulting in colony formation follow a substantial metabolic reprogramming of the cells, which, in turn, is under the control of multiple external stimuli. Studies will apply mass spectrometry based metabolomic methods, structure elucidation of the metabolites involved in aggregation, microscopic analysis, and in situ mesocosm and shipboard experiments. The project will focus on two major model species, Phaeocystis sp. and Skeletonema costatum and will be conducted within an international collaborative network.

More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/

We expect :
a. Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or

Life Sciences
. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
c. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
d. an integrative and cooperative personality
e. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC

70/2012: Modeling circadian clock-regulated phenotypic responses in plant-microorganism interactions (supervised by Ian T. Baldwin, Max Planck Inst. for Chemical Ecology, Jena and by Stefan Schuster,

Bioinformatics
, Univ. Jena

The circadian clock in plants coordinates physiological processes to annually or daily repeated conditions. However, plants also have to mobilize resources acquired through photosynthesis to efficiently cope with attacks by herbivores and pathogens. The project aims to investigate the consequences of the resulting arrhythmicity on a plant’s underlying phenotypic responses and the fitness value of the circadian clock by means of biomolecular techniques and image analysis. The experimental data will be analyzed with modern

Bioinformatics
tools to identify genes and metabolites mediating the phenotypic responses.

More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/

We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or

Life Sciences
(eg. in

Biochemistry
,


Bioinformatics
, etc. . Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. required skills: programing abilities; a strong background in mathematical modeling and interest in plant biology would be a plus.
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC

71/2012 : Streptomycete siderophores as chemoattractants (supervised by Erika Kothe,

Microbiology
, Uni. Jena

The role of siderophores in soil microbial communities has rarely been investigated. In preliminary studies, fungi and bacteria in soil showed directional growth towards siderophore producing streptomycete strains, suggestion a function of the siderophores as attractors. The project aims to quantify this effect and to analyze its molecular basis using the example of the well studied basidioymcete Schizophyllum commune and of Streptomyces strains resistant to various heavy metals. Biomolecular tools such as Clondiag CHIPS, RT-PCR, as well as proteomics will be applied.

More projects details :
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/

We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or

Life Sciences
. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. a solid background in standard techniques of

molecular biology
and

Microbiology
.
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality with enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC

72/2012 : Interaction of the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus with macrophages resulting in modulation of the endocytosis pathway (supervised by Axel A. Brakhage, Leibniz Inst. f. Natural Product Research and Infection Biol., Jena

A. fumigatus prevents conidia degradation in phagolysosomes by inhibition of phagolysosomal acidification. The project aims to elucidate the mechanisms of the fungal interference with the endocytosis pathway and to understand the cross-talk between the fungus and macrophages at the molecular level. Fungus/macrophage interactions will be monitored by confocal laser scanning microscopy, focusing on the vATPase as well as on intracellular changes in metabolite and protein patterns. The project will be situated at the Hans Knoll Institute, Jena.

More projects details :
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/

We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or

Life Sciences
. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. a solid background in standard techniques of

molecular biology
and

Microbiology
. Knowledge of and hands-on experience in fluorescence microscopy, infection biology, or cell culture techniques are advantageous.
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality as well as enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC

73/2012 : Insect gut microbiota: community structure and control (supervised by Wilhelm Boland, Max Planck Inst. for Chemical Ecology, Jena

In this project, metagenomic analyses together with the recent advancements in next-generation sequencing and modern imaging mass spectroscopic techniques will be applied to understand the principles maintaining the core microbiota in the gut of herbiv¬orous Lepidoptera as well as its function. Further, the enzymatic aspects involved in the production of a potential regulatory element secreted by the insects into their gut will be investigated. The project will be situated at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena.

More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/

We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or

Life Sciences
. Candidates about to earn their
degree are welcome to apply.
b. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
c. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
d. an integrative and cooperative personality with enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
e. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC

APPLICATION DEADLINE :

  • March 16, 2012 for applicants who will require a visa to enter Germany.
  • April 16, 2012 for applicants who will not require a visa to enter Germany (Please note: after March 16, 2012, applications from non?EU?nationals can only be considered if attendance at the recruitment meeting is possible within two weeks of receiving notice of the invitation .

APPLY NOW

Deadline : 16.03.12



http://www.biotecnika.org/content/march-2012/graduate-school-excellence-jsmc-germany-invites-applications-14-phd-student-fello#comments

10.03.2012 5:38:00


Media_httpwwwucsusaor_qgadi

Corrupting the Science. Corporations suppress research, intimidate scientists, manipulate study designs, ghostwrite scientific articles, and selectively publish results that suit their interests.

Shaping Public Perception. Private interests downplay evidence, exaggerate uncertainty, vilify scientists, hide behind front groups, and feed the media slanted news stories.

Restricting Agency Effectiveness. Companies attack the science behind agency policy, hinder the regulatory process, corrupt advisory panels, exploit the "revolving door" between corporate and government employment, censor scientists, and withhold information from the public.

Influencing Congress. By spending billions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions, corporate interests gain undue access to members of Congress, encouraging them to challenge scientific consensus, delay action on critical problems, and shape the use of science in policy making.

Exploiting Judicial Pathways. Corporate interests have expanded their influence on the judicial system, used the courts to undermine science, and exploited judicial processes to bully and silence scientists.


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NHS Choices
09.03.2012 15:42:00

LSD “helps alcoholics to give up drinking”, BBC News has today reported.

This unusual claim is based on a review examining research into the powerful hallucinogenic and its potential to treat alcoholism. The review analysed the results of six medical trials performed between 1966 and 1971, a time when LSD was still used for the treatment of some psychiatric conditions. Although it seems unthinkable now, the drug was prescribed to some patients until evidence began to suggest that it could cause long-term harm, leading it to be withdrawn.

Although the review suggested that LSD could help dependent people to stop drinking, the limitations of the quality, methods and age of the research gathered mean that the researchers cannot support using the drug to treat alcohol misuse or dependency. Since the research was conducted, social and medical perceptions of drug harms have changed considerably, and it is highly unlikely the benefits - if any - would outweigh the risks, particularly as there are now many options for helping people with alcohol problems.

LSD is a class A drug that is illegal to possess or sell. The effects of taking LSD are highly unpredictable, and while some individuals may experience enjoyable hallucinations it carries high risk of considerable personal and psychological harm, both at the time of taking the drug and in the longer-term.

Where did the story come from?

This study was carried out by researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU and Harvard Medical School. It was funded by the Research Council of Norway and published in the
peer-reviewed Journal of Psychopharmacology.

The Daily Mail gives slightly overinflated coverage of this story, which doesn’t take into account the review’s numerous and significant limitations. BBC News does make it clear that the review looked at trials from the 1960s and 1970s.

What kind of research was this?

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide was first created in a lab in the 1930s, and in the decades that followed there was great interest in whether the psychedelic chemical could have medical uses. As the drug significantly alters how people think and perceive their surroundings, there was some speculation that it could open patients’ minds to psychotherapy.

This speculation centred on whether the substance could help people with severe mental health problems, although it was also considered as a potential treatment for more minor conditions, such as anxiety and phobias. Given its perceived benefits, LSD was administered to psychiatric patients for several years; but as it became associated with recreational use and negative effects for patients, it was withdrawn from medical use.

According to the authors of this new research, numerous clinical investigators have claimed that treating alcoholics with individual doses of LSD in combination with psychosocial interventions may help prevent further alcohol misuse. They suggested this could work by allowing patients to understand better their behavioural patterns and therefore become motivated to build and maintain a sober lifestyle.

This was a systematic review and meta-analysis, which aimed to combine the results of all relevant trials that have used LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide to treat alcoholism. A systematic review of
randomised controlled trials (RCTs is the best way of reviewing the available evidence on the health effects of a particular intervention. Systematic reviews are, however, often inherently limited by the different methods of the individual trials that they combine, including the populations they studied, how the intervention is given (such as frequency, dose and duration and outcomes measured.

What did the research involve?

The researchers searched PubMed and PsycINFO databases to identify any published trials that included key terms relating to LSD, alcohol and dependence. They included any RCTs of LSD treatment for alcoholism. In RCTs, an intervention such as LSD-use is compared with a “control treatment”, such as standard treatment or no specific treatment. The researchers described that the control treatments in eligible trials could involve any type of other treatment, including using “low doses” of LSD (up to 50 micrograms, which was lower than the intervention doses . Two reviewers analysed the studies and extracted data.

Primary outcomes of interest were alcohol misuse, which was defined as “alcohol use or consequences of alcohol use, as systematically measured by interview or self-report at the first reported follow-up”. Secondary outcomes of interest were alcohol misuse in the short-term (approximately three months , medium-term (approximately six months and longer-term (approximately 12 months . They also looked at reports of abstinence and adverse events. Where possible, they pooled the results of individual studies. If any trials had included people with psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia or psychosis, the researchers excluded these from their analyses.

The researchers identified six eligible trials, all of which were dated between 1966 and 1971. Five trials were conducted in the USA and one in Canada. The trials included 536 individuals (general age range 30s-50s; all male except two females , of whom 61% were randomly assigned to receive “full-dose” LSD and 39% a control treatment or no intervention. The trials all gave a single oral dose of LSD as the intervention, with doses ranging between 210 and 800 micrograms (average 500 . Control conditions included “low-dose” LSD (25 or 50 micrograms , amphetamines, ephedrine sulphate (a stimulant drug or no drug treatment. All participants were said to be seeking treatment for alcoholism and had been admitted to alcohol-focused treatment programmes before being recruited to the trials.

The researchers said that the individual trials varied in their preparation for the LSD treatment session, with most studies providing only brief participant information, with often little or no description of the possible effects of LSD. During treatment, the most common procedure was described to be “simple observation with brief reassurance by clinical staff”. In only three studies did the treatment groups also receive clinical interviews, psychotherapy or active guidance. After the experimental drug session, only one study included multiple review sessions that reviewed the experiences during the drug session. The other five studies provided either only one brief review session or no review session at all.

All of the trials defined their methods for assessing the effects of the drug on alcohol use, but these varied between trials (such as using rating scales on alcohol use, assessing abstinence or using social adjustment rating scales .

What were the basic results?

Five trials gave “categorical” data (for example, whether a patient was improved or unimproved , and in these five trials 59% of those taking LSD (185 of 315 and 38% of controls (73 of 191 had improvements in their alcohol use at first follow-up. The pooled results of all six trials demonstrated increased odds of improvement in alcohol misuse, with LSD treatment compared to control (
odds ratio 1.96, 95%
confidence interval 1.36 to 2.84 . This, they calculated, meant six people would need to be treated with LSD for one person to gain benefit at the time of first follow-up.

When the researchers divided the trials up into those assessing short-term (two to three months , medium-term (six months and longer-term effects (12 months , significant improvements were only seen at short- and medium-term follow-up.

Three trials reported on abstinence rates but only found a benefit of LSD at short-term follow-up.

In total the trials reported eight adverse reactions at the time of taking the drug. These included becoming agitated, acting “bizarrely” and having a seizure.

How did the researchers interpret the results?

The researchers concluded that “a single dose of LSD, in the context of various alcoholism treatment programmes, is associated with a decrease in alcohol misuse”.

Conclusion

Fifty years ago, researchers and doctors considered LSD to be a possible treatment for patients with mental health problems, until evidence showed that it could cause long-term psychological problems in some people. This review of six previous trials cannot be considered to provide evidence that LSD could be beneficial for people with alcohol problems. This is in no small part due to the questionable methods of the reviewed trials, the most recent of which was carried out 41 years ago.

Although LSD may have been considered suitable for testing in a trial at a time when its recreational use was quite common, it is highly unlikely that it would be considered now, given how considerably social and medical perceptions of drug harms have changed since then. This is notable by the attitudes displayed in the previous trials, which reportedly gave the participants very little information ahead of their LSD treatment session: most studies provided only brief participant information with often little or no description of the possible effects and risks of taking LSD. This would be considered unethical and unacceptable in trials today.

There was also very little follow-up of patients to see the long-term effects of taking LSD. Only one study included multiple review sessions assessing the individual’s experiences of taking the drug; the other five studies provided either only one brief review session or no review session at all. Therefore, how individuals are affected by taking LSD – regardless of its effects on their subsequent alcohol use - are unknown. At the time of taking the drug, there were eight reports of participants being agitated, acting “bizarrely”, having a seizure or having other “unspecified” adverse reactions.

LSD is a class A drug that is illegal to possess or sell. The effects of taking LSD are highly unpredictable, and while some individuals may experience “pleasant” hallucinations, the individual is putting themselves, and potentially others, at high risk of considerable personal and psychological harm, both at the time of taking the drug and in the long term.

Given the potential danger, it seems unlikely that LSD would be considered for future testing in people with alcohol dependence. It’s particularly important to note that we now have a range of medicines and psychological interventions for treating alcoholism that weren’t available at the time of this previous research.


Links To The Headlines

LSD 'helps alcoholics to give up drinking'. BBC News, March 9 2012

LSD could treat alcoholism because 'trips' make you reassess addiction. The Daily Telegraph, March 9 2012

Can LSD cure alcoholism? Trials show 59 per cent of problem drinkers improve after a single dose of powerful hallucinogen. Daily Mail, March 9 2012


Links To Science

Krebs TS, Johansen PO.
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Psychopharmacology. Published online March 8 2012


10.03.2012 5:41:00


Prominent academic physicians at multiple universities have allegedly been involved in ghostwriting. Below are just a few examples:


Gloria Bachmann, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Dennis Charney, Dean, The Mount Sinai Medical Center

Dwight Evans, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania

Steven Haffner, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine

Martin Keller, Professor of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Brown University

Marvin A. Konstam, Director, Cardiovascular Center, Tufts University School of Medicine

Stan Kutcher, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University

Jeffrey Lisse, Rheumatology Section Chief, The University of Arizona

Charles Nemeroff, Chairman, Department of Psychiatry, University of Miami

Bruce G. Pollock, Head of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Gary S. Sachs, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Psychiatry, Harvard

Alan Schatzberg, Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Stanford

Barbara B. Sherwin, Canada Research Chair in Hormones, Brain and Cognition, McGill University

Kimberly Ann Yonkers, Professor of Psychiatry and Obstetrics, Yale School of Medicine

What do medical journals say about ghostwriting?

The
Journal of the American Medical Association
(
JAMA
published studies exposing the ghostwriting program used to push sales of Vioxx. In an
accompanying opinion,
JAMA
’s editors excoriated doctors who sign their names to ghostwritten studies and wrote, "Individuals, particularly physicians, who allow themselves to be used in this way, especially for financial gain, manifest a behavior that is unprofessional and demeaning to the medical profession and to scientific research."

PLoS Medicine
filed suit with
The New York Times

to gain access to hundreds of documents showing how companies used ghostwritten materials to convince women to use hormones after menopause. The journal then published
an archive of the documents, a study of the documents, and an
editorial that stated:

It's time to get serious about tackling ghostwriting. As has been shown in the documents released after the Vioxx scandal, this practice can result in lasting injury and even deaths as a result of prescribers and patients being misinformed about risks. Without action, the practice will undoubtedly continue. How did we get to the point that falsifying the medical literature is acceptable? How did an industry whose products have contributed to astounding advances in global health over the past several decades come to accept such practices as the norm?


Founded in 1981, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that champions good government reforms. POGO's investigations into corruption, misconduct, and conflicts of interest achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government.

# # #


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10.03.2012 14:08:00


SALT LAKE CITY — After years of delays, Dr. Daniel Simmons, a longtime professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Brigham Young University, is about to get his day in court.

In October 2006, Simmons and BYU sued drug giant Pfizer, claiming the pharmaceutical company unfairly profited from his discovery and cheated the professor out of professional credit and compensation. The lawsuit involves potentially millions, perhaps even billions of dollars in royalties for BYU and has resulted in more than five years of legal wrangling.

The dispute revolves around the drug Celebrex, a revolutionary drug to treat arthritis and inflammation. The so-called “super-aspirin” blocks the COX-2 enzyme, reducing pain and inflammation without triggering the sometimes deadly gastrointestinal effects of some other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin. COX is scientific shorthand for the enzyme cyclooxygenase.

Back in 1991 and into 1992, Simmons and BYU had a research agreement with Monsanto, later acquired by Pfizer.

According to BYU, Dr. Simmons' research about the COX-2 enzyme was critical in the development of Celebrex, yet Monsanto ended the agreement, without including him or the university in the credit or compensation.

"The agreement was to share his discovery with the company and to share in any reasonable royalties that resulted from their collaboration,” BYU said in a prepared statement. “The company then used Dr. Simmons' work as a road map to develop the blockbuster drug Celebrex."

Pfizer claims the company met all of its obligations under the agreement. In a prepared statement it said, “Many years ago, Monsanto had a research agreement with BYU and Dr. Simmons, and the company met all of its obligations under the agreement. Years later, BYU and Dr. Simmons made unfounded allegations against Pfizer in an effort to capitalize on the company’s commercial success. The lawsuit has no merit.”

Brent Hatch, an attorney for Pfizer, said, "It's a big case and the judge was exceptionally well-prepared. He was very thorough in his questions. We're very much looking forward to receiving his decisions."

Judge
Ted Stewart will rule on pretrial motions submitted Friday in anticipation of a May 29 trial date. Both sides will then take jurors down a road two decades in the making, unveiling documents, detailing science, and relying on expert witnesses and patent law to reach a decision.

BYU officials previously said it worked for years to reach an agreement before heading to court, but to no avail. Pfizer was penalized in October 2009 for causing unnecessary delays in the case, and was ordered to pay BYU $825,315 for costs that included attorney fees.

The trial is scheduled to last six weeks.

E-mail:
spenrod@ksl.com


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NHS Choices
09.03.2012 21:00:00

“Stem cells beat kidney rejection,” says BBC News. The broadcaster says that an injection of stem cells given alongside a kidney transplant could remove the need for a lifetime of treatment to suppress the immune system.

The news is based on research detailing the outcomes of eight experimental kidney transplants where the organ came from a living donor. In addition to having their kidney removed, the donor also donated blood stem cells, which can develop into any type of blood cell, including immune system cells. After the recipient patient had received chemotherapy and radiotherapy to suppress their own immune system, the donor kidney and stem cells were transplanted. The aim was to help prevent the organ from being rejected by altering the recipient’s immune system to match that of the donor kidney. Five of the eight patients were able to have their immunosuppressant drugs reduced within one year. Furthermore, there was no evidence that the donor’s transplanted immune cells had started to attack the recipient’s healthy tissue, a possible complication of this type of treatment.

Although this is only early-stage research, the results of this small case series are promising and could have implications for the future of organ transplants, particularly in those cases where the donor and recipient are not an immunological match to each other.

Where did the story come from?

The study was carried out by researchers from Comprehensive Transplant Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago and other institutions in the US. Funding was provided by the US National Institute of Health; the Department of the Army, Office of Army Research; the National Foundation to Support Cell Transplant Research; the WM Keck Foundation; and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons Collaborative Scientist Award. The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine.

The BBC News website provides good coverage of this research.

What kind of research was this?

This was a case series reporting on the results of eight patients receiving kidney transplants alongside haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs – cells that can develop into any type of blood cell . These were taken from “mismatched” donors (either related or unrelated to the recipient . If they are “mismatched”, the donor and recipient do not share the same human leukocyte antigens (HLAs , which are proteins located on the surface of immune cells and other cells in the body. The immune system recognises “foreign” HLAs and will attack cells that carry them, potentially leading to rejection. If donor cells carry the same HLAs there is less chance that the host’s immune cells would recognise the transplant tissue as foreign. This is why the ideal situation is to find a suitable HLA-matched donor for individuals awaiting a transplant, although this is often not possible.

The research investigates a theory known as “chimerism” (named after a mythical creature made up of parts of different animals , where the transplant recipient has both their own immune cells and those that come from the donor. The hope is that this will prevent the body from rejecting the transplant. However, there is a chance that this could increase the risk of what is known as graft versus host disease (GVHD , which is where the donor’s immune cells instead attack the healthy tissue of the host. HSC transplant also carries a risk of what is known as “engraftment syndrome”, which is characterised by a fever, skin rash and other symptoms.

What did the research involve?

This case series reported the outcomes of eight adults (age range 29-56 years who were receiving a kidney transplant from a living, unmatched donor. A special technique was used to retrieve relevant cells from the donor’s blood, including both HSCs and “graft facilitating cells” (FCs – which are a type of immune cell derived from HSCs .

Prior to transplant of the donor kidney and HSCs/FCs, the recipients were first treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy to suppress their own immune system and reduce the chance of rejection. After the transplant they received continued treatment with two drugs to suppress their immune system and reduce the chance that their bodies would reject the transplant. They were discharged from hospital two days after the transplant and managed as outpatients.

The researchers monitored the patients to look at how the procedure was tolerated and whether GVHD or engraftment syndrome occurred.

What were the basic results?

By one month after transplant the level of chimerism in the recipients’ blood (where they demonstrated cell lines coming from both their own stem cells and the donor’s stem cells was reported to vary between 6 and 100%.

One patient developed a viral blood infection and blood clot in one of their kidney arteries two months after transplant. Two patients demonstrated only slight chimerism and were maintained on low-dose immunosuppressive treatment. However, five patients demonstrated “durable chimerism” and were able to be weaned from immunosuppressive treatment by one year. None of the recipients developed GVHD or engraftment syndrome.

How did the researchers interpret the results?

The researchers conclude that transplant of HSCs is a “safe, practical, and reproducible means of inducing durable chimerism”. It also appeared to be tolerated with no signs of GVHD or engraftment syndrome.

If confirmed in larger studies, the researchers say that this approach to transplantation could free some patients from the need for immunosuppressive treatment within one year of transplantation.

Conclusion

This research reported on the cases of eight patients who were receiving a kidney from an unmatched living donor. Alongside the kidney transplant, to the recipients were also given a transplant of the donor’s haematopoietic stem cells, which have the ability to transform into a range of blood cell types. The aim was that slightly altering the recipient’s immune system to produce cells that “matched” those of the donor kidney would help prevent the organ from being rejected. Five of the eight patients were able to have their immunosuppressant drugs reduced within one year. Furthermore, no patients developed a serious condition called graft versus host disease (where the donor’s transplanted immune cells start to attack the recipient’s healthy tissue , and no patients developed another complication of HSC transplant, known as engraftment syndrome, which includes fever, skin rash and other symptoms.

Importantly, this is only early-stage research, reporting the results of treatment in only eight people. Further follow-up in these patients will be needed, in addition to study in much wider groups of patients. However, the results are promising and could have implications for the future of kidney transplant and the transplant of other organs, particularly in people for whom it has not been possible to find a suitable matched donor.

Analysis by
Bazian


Links To The Headlines

Stem cells beat kidney rejection. BBC news, March 9 2012

Breakthrough in kidney transplant 'could cut waiting list'. The Daily Telegraph, March 9 2012


Links To Science

Krebs TS Johansen PO.
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Psychopharmacology, published online before print March 8 2012


09.03.2012 11:00:00
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, the Medical University of South Carolina, the University of Cincinnati, and American Life Science Pharmaceuticals of San Diego have validated the protease cathepsin B (CatB as a target for improving memory deficits and reducing the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD in an animal model representative of most AD patients...

14.11.2011 7:28:03






Melatonin in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis


Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology Volume 53, Issue 9, pages 783–792, September 2011


DANIEL A ROSSIGNOL1, RICHARD E FRYE2 1International Child Development Resource Center, Melbourne, FL, USA 2Division of Child and Adolescent Neurology and Children’s Learning Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.




This systematic review and meta-analysis is a good summary of existing knowledge about the role of abnormalities of melatonin secretion in children with autism, the possible genetic mechanisms underlying this, and the benefits of treatment with melatonin on sleep behavior and possibly some daytime autistic behaviours (including improvements in behavioural rigidity, ease of management for parents and teachers, social interaction, temper tantrums, irritability, playfulness, academic performance and alertness .



The article is available at:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.03980.x/full



A reminder that our list of Victorian sources of Melatonin from compounding pharmacies is available at


http://www.wch.org.au/genmed/clinical.cfm?tab=m&type=title&doc_id=2399


under “melatonin”.



MIKE





Aim The aim of this study was to investigate melatonin-related findings in autism spectrum disorders (ASD , including autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorders, not otherwise specified.



Method Comprehensive searches were conducted in the PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, and ERIC databases from their inception to October 2010. Two reviewers independently assessed 35 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Of these, meta-analysis was performed on five randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, and the quality of these trials was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist.



Results Nine studies measured melatonin or melatonin metabolites in ASD and all reported at least one abnormality, including an abnormal melatonin circadian rhythm in four studies, below average physiological levels of melatonin and/or melatonin derivates in seven studies, and a positive correlation between these levels and autistic behaviors in four studies. Five studies reported gene abnormalities that could contribute to decreased melatonin production or adversely affect melatonin receptor function in a small percentage of children with ASD. Six studies reported improved daytime behavior with melatonin use. Eighteen studies on melatonin treatment in ASD were identified; these studies reported improvements in sleep duration, sleep onset latency, and night-time awakenings. Five of these studies were randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover studies; two of the studies contained blended samples of children with ASD and other developmental disorders, but only data for children with ASD were used in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis found significant improvements with large effect sizes in sleep duration (73min compared with baseline, Hedge’s g 1.97 [95% confidence interval {CI} CI 1.10–2.84], Glass’s ? 1.54 [95% CI 0.64–2.44]; 44min compared with placebo, Hedge’s g 1.07 [95% CI 0.49–1.65], Glass’s ? 0.93 [95% CI 0.33–1.53] and sleep onset latency (66min compared with baseline, Hedge’s g?2.42 [95% CI ?1.67 to ?3.17], Glass’s ??2.18 [95% CI ?1.58 to ?2.76]; 39min compared with placebo, Hedge’s g?2.46 [95% CI ?1.96 to ?2.98], Glass’s ??1.28 [95% CI ?0.67 to ?1.89] but not in night-time awakenings. The effect size varied significantly across studies but funnel plots did not indicate publication bias. The reported side effects of melatonin were minimal to none. Some studies were affected by limitations, including small sample sizes and variability in the protocols that measured changes in sleep parameters.



Interpretation Melatonin administration in ASD is associated with improved sleep parameters, better daytime behavior, and minimal side effects. Additional studies of melatonin would be helpful to confirm and expand on these findings.





Mike


Prof Mike South,
Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia


www.mikesouth.org.au





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