49 posts · 39,483 views
Commentary and insights on science, innovation and new product development
Pieter Droppert
49 posts
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- February 28, 2013
- 08:22 AM
- 147 views
Inhibitors of Apoptosis Target one of the Hallmarks of Cancer
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
One of the hallmarks of cancer is the evasion of apoptosis or cell death. Drugs in development that act as an inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAP) are starting to show promise against this target.
Research published in the February 2013 issue of the AACR journal Cancer Discovery shows that in mouse experiments a side-effect of IAP inhibitors is promotion of osteoclast activity.... Read more »
Yang, C., Davis, J., Zeng, R., Vora, P., Su, X., Collins, L., Vangveravong, S., Mach, R., Piwnica-Worms, D., Weilbaecher, K.... (2012) Antagonism of Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins Increases Bone Metastasis via Unexpected Osteoclast Activation. Cancer Discovery, 3(2), 212-223. DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-12-0271
- September 17, 2012
- 07:28 AM
- 216 views
Innovation in Action: helping people to see again
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
Can you imagine what it must be like to go blind? Degenerative diseases of the eye such as retinitis pigmentosa can result in loss of vision and blindness.
Several research groups are working on innovative retinal prostheses that aim to restore some vision.
Last month Bionic Vision Australia announced the first implant of a prototype bionic eye. ... Read more »
Humayun MS, Dorn JD, da Cruz L, Dagnelie G, Sahel JA, Stanga PE, Cideciyan AV, Duncan JL, Eliott D, Filley E.... (2012) Interim results from the international trial of Second Sight's visual prosthesis. Ophthalmology, 119(4), 779-88. PMID: 22244176
Weiland JD, Cho AK, & Humayun MS. (2011) Retinal prostheses: current clinical results and future needs. Ophthalmology, 118(11), 2227-37. PMID: 22047893
- August 30, 2012
- 10:41 AM
- 210 views
Using CSF Biomarkers for Differential Diagnosis of Neurological Diseases
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
New research published earlier this week in the journal Archives of Neurology (online first, August 27, 2012), by Sara Hall and colleagues at Lund University, University of Gothenburg and Skane University Hospital in Malmo, Sweden describes how a panel of five cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers allowed the differential diagnosis of common dementia from Parkinsonian disorders.
... Read more »
Sara Hall, MD, Annika Ohrfelt, PhD, Radu Constantinescu, MD, Ulf Andreasson, PhD, Yulia Surova, MD, Fredrik Bostrom, MD, Christer Nilsson, MD, PhD, Hakan Widner, MD, PhD, Hilde Decraemer, Katarina Nagga, MD, PhD.... (2012) Accuracy of a Panel of 5 Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in the Differential Diagnosis of Patients With Dementia and/or Parkinsonian Disorders. Arch Neurol. DOI: 10.1001/archneurol.2012.1654
Richard J. Perrin, MD, PhD. (2012) Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers for Clinical Trials. Arch Neurol. DOI: 10.1001/archneurol.2012.2353
- August 20, 2012
- 08:12 AM
- 225 views
Creating an artificial jellyfish to model the human heart
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
Regular blog readers will know I think tissue engineering is an exciting area where you can see innovation in action…
... Read more »
Janna C Nawroth, Hyungsuk Lee, Adam W Feinberg, Crystal M Ripplinger, Megan L McCain, Anna Grosberg, John O Dabiri, & Kevin Kit Parker. (2012) A tissue-engineered jellyfish with biomimetic propulsion. Nature Biotechnology, 792-797. DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2269
- August 14, 2012
- 10:00 AM
- 259 views
The Potential of Gene Therapy to Restore Hearing Loss
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
Imagine that you are born deaf and live in a world of silence – what price would you pay for a new treatment that might restore your hearing?
... Read more »
Omar Akil, Rebecca P. Seal, Kevin Burke, Chuansong Wang, Aurash Alemi, Matthew During, Robert H. Edwards, & Lawrence R. Lustig. (2012) Restoration of Hearing in the VGLUT3 Knockout Mouse Using Virally Mediated Gene Therapy. Neuron, 283-293. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.05.019
Donna M. Martin, & Yehoash Raphael. (2012) Have You Heard? Viral-Mediated Gene Therapy Restores Hearing. Neuron, 188-190. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.06.008
- May 21, 2012
- 08:08 AM
- 274 views
Repetitive brain injury from high impact sports generates similar pathophysiology to traumatic brain injury in soldiers blown up by IEDs
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
Several retired American Football stars have ended up with chronic traumatic encephalophy (CTE), previously known as dementia pugilistica. It’s similar to Alzheimer’s disease in that the brain ends up with neurofibrillary tangles. CTE has also been seen in soldiers who … Continue reading →
... Read more »
Goldstein, L., Fisher, A., Tagge, C., Zhang, X., Velisek, L., Sullivan, J., Upreti, C., Kracht, J., Ericsson, M., Wojnarowicz, M.... (2012) Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Blast-Exposed Military Veterans and a Blast Neurotrauma Mouse Model. Science Translational Medicine, 4(134), 134-134. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3003716
- May 16, 2012
- 02:52 PM
- 339 views
Innovation in Neurotechnology: how a paralyzed person uses thoughts to control a robotic arm
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
Research published online first today, and in the May 17 2012 issue of Nature describes promising results of a clinical trial with tetraplegics that allowed the subjects to control an external robotic arm … Continue reading →
... Read more »
Hochberg, L., Bacher, D., Jarosiewicz, B., Masse, N., Simeral, J., Vogel, J., Haddadin, S., Liu, J., Cash, S., van der Smagt, P.... (2012) Reach and grasp by people with tetraplegia using a neurally controlled robotic arm. Nature, 485(7398), 372-375. DOI: 10.1038/nature11076
- March 9, 2012
- 12:48 PM
- 421 views
A personal perspective on Alzheimer’s: my mother doesn’t dance anymore
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
My mother has Alzheimer’s disease – I first suspected some form of dementia when her friends told me that she didn’t dance anymore. Of course she insisted she did, but it was clear she had “forgotten” the steps in a … Continue reading →... Read more »
Howard, R., McShane, R., Lindesay, J., Ritchie, C., Baldwin, A., Barber, R., Burns, A., Dening, T., Findlay, D., Holmes, C.... (2012) Donepezil and Memantine for Moderate-to-Severe Alzheimer's Disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 366(10), 893-903. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1106668
- March 8, 2012
- 10:28 AM
- 489 views
The Mannogram – how imaging may revolutionize prostate cancer diagnosis
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
“The Mannogram – Yes we scan” Jelle Barentsz, Professor of Radiology at Radbound University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands told the assembled media at the recent European Association of Urology (EAU) annual Congress in Paris. Professor Barentsz described how advances in magnetic resonance … Continue reading →... Read more »
Hambrock, T., Somford, D., Huisman, H., van Oort, I., Witjes, J., Hulsbergen-van de Kaa, C., Scheenen, T., & Barentsz, J. (2011) Relationship between Apparent Diffusion Coefficients at 3.0-T MR Imaging and Gleason Grade in Peripheral Zone Prostate Cancer. Radiology, 259(2), 453-461. DOI: 10.1148/radiol.11091409
Hoeks, C., Schouten, M., Bomers, J., Hoogendoorn, S., Hulsbergen-van de Kaa, C., Hambrock, T., Vergunst, H., Sedelaar, J., Fütterer, J., & Barentsz, J. (2012) Three-Tesla Magnetic Resonance–Guided Prostate Biopsy in Men With Increased Prostate-Specific Antigen and Repeated, Negative, Random, Systematic, Transrectal Ultrasound Biopsies: Detection of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancers. European Urology. DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2012.01.047
Barentsz, J., Dickinson, L., & Sciarra, A. (2011) Re: Axel Heidenreich. Consensus Criteria for the Use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis and Staging of Prostate Cancer: Not Ready for Routine Use. Eur Urol 2011;59:495–7. European Urology, 60(1). DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2011.03.013
Hambrock, T., Hoeks, C., Hulsbergen-van de Kaa, C., Scheenen, T., Fütterer, J., Bouwense, S., van Oort, I., Schröder, F., Huisman, H., & Barentsz, J. (2012) Prospective Assessment of Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness Using 3-T Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Guided Biopsies Versus a Systematic 10-Core Transrectal Ultrasound Prostate Biopsy Cohort. European Urology, 61(1), 177-184. DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2011.08.042
Barentsz, J., Richenberg, J., Clements, R., Choyke, P., Verma, S., Villeirs, G., Rouviere, O., Logager, V., & Fütterer, J. (2012) ESUR prostate MR guidelines 2012. European Radiology, 22(4), 746-757. DOI: 10.1007/s00330-011-2377-y
- March 5, 2012
- 06:05 AM
- 318 views
Why don't we have evidence based medicine for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy?
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
Modern surgery is the result of innovation in techniques, procedures and equipment. However, in the same way that drugs have to be shown to be effective e.g. allowing a cancer patient live longer, new surgical techniques need to demonstrate a clinical benefit over what they are replacing. ... Read more »
Kang, D., Hardee, M., Fesperman, S., Stoffs, T., & Dahm, P. (2010) Low Quality of Evidence for Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy: Results of a Systematic Review of the Published Literature. European Urology, 57(6), 930-937. DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2010.01.034
Graefen, M. (2010) Low Quality of Evidence for Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy: A Problem Not Only in the Robotic Literature. European Urology, 57(6), 938-940. DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2010.02.004
- March 5, 2012
- 05:45 AM
- 291 views
Why don’t we have evidence based medicine for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy?
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
That was the question that I asked Walter Artibani, Professor and Chair of Urology at the University of Verona during the recent European Association of Urology (EAU) annual Congress in Paris. Urologists have failed as scientists to generate evidence based medicine … Continue reading →... Read more »
Kang, D., Hardee, M., Fesperman, S., Stoffs, T., & Dahm, P. (2010) Low Quality of Evidence for Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy: Results of a Systematic Review of the Published Literature. European Urology, 57(6), 930-937. DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2010.01.034
Graefen, M. (2010) Low Quality of Evidence for Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy: A Problem Not Only in the Robotic Literature. European Urology, 57(6), 938-940. DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2010.02.004
- February 20, 2012
- 04:44 PM
- 661 views
Implanted Wireless Microchip offers Osteoporosis Drug Delivery that improves patient Quality of Life
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
Contrary to popular opinion, innovation is not dead in the biomedical industry, as evidenced by news of a novel drug-delivery system published as a Rapid Publication in Science Translational Medicine (STM) on February 16, 2012. The paper from Robert Farra of … Continue reading →... Read more »
Farra, R., Sheppard, N., McCabe, L., Neer, R., Anderson, J., Santini, J., Cima, M., & Langer, R. (2012) First-in-Human Testing of a Wirelessly Controlled Drug Delivery Microchip. Science Translational Medicine. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3003276
Watson, J. (2012) Re-Engineering Device Translation Timelines. Science Translational Medicine. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3003687
- January 25, 2012
- 12:52 PM
- 520 views
Challenges with Head and Neck Cancer Drug Development
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
Head and neck cancer is not something we hear much about when it comes to new therapies, yet it is the sixth most common non-skin cancer in the world. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has an incidence of … Continue reading →... Read more »
Harris, T., Jimenez, L., Kawachi, N., Fan, J., Chen, J., Belbin, T., Ramnauth, A., Loudig, O., Keller, C., Smith, R.... (2012) Low-Level Expression of miR-375 Correlates with Poor Outcome and Metastasis While Altering the Invasive Properties of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas. The American Journal of Pathology. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.12.004
- January 17, 2012
- 07:07 AM
- 612 views
Targeting IDH1 in Glioma Patients
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
One of the challenges of the next decade in cancer research will be targeting cancer metabolism; imaging is likely to play a key role in drug development. The cover of the January 11 online issue of Science Translational Medicine (STM) … Continue reading →... Read more »
Andronesi, O., Kim, G., Gerstner, E., Batchelor, T., Tzika, A., Fantin, V., Vander Heiden, M., & Sorensen, A. (2012) Detection of 2-Hydroxyglutarate in IDH-Mutated Glioma Patients by In Vivo Spectral-Editing and 2D Correlation Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Science Translational Medicine, 4(116), 116-116. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3002693
Elkhaled, A., Jalbert, L., Phillips, J., Yoshihara, H., Parvataneni, R., Srinivasan, R., Bourne, G., Berger, M., Chang, S., Cha, S.... (2012) Magnetic Resonance of 2-Hydroxyglutarate in IDH1-Mutated Low-Grade Gliomas. Science Translational Medicine, 4(116), 116-116. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3002796
- January 6, 2012
- 07:00 AM
- 475 views
Robotic Assisted Prostate Surgery does not lead to fewer complications
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
A survey of patients who had their prostate removed showed there was no significant difference in complication rates between open retropubic radical prostatectomy (ORRP) and robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALRP). This is an important finding because 85% of prostatectomies in … Continue reading →... Read more »
Barry, M., Gallagher, P., Skinner, J., & Fowler, F. (2012) Adverse Effects of Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Versus Open Retropubic Radical Prostatectomy Among a Nationwide Random Sample of Medicare-Age Men. Journal of Clinical Oncology. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2011.36.8621
- December 15, 2011
- 09:24 AM
- 2,760 views
AML update from 2011 ASH Annual Meeting
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
A good definition of AML comes from a recent paper in the journal, “Blood” where Yang Shen and colleagues from the Shanghai Institute of Hematology and other Chinese institutions describe it as:
“A group of heterogeneous diseases with considerable diversity in terms of clinical behavior and prognosis.”
A lot of work has been done in identifying the cytogenetic abnormalities associated with AML. Considerable effort has been spent in attempting to correlate the molecu........ Read more »
Shen, Y., Zhu, Y., Fan, X., Shi, J., Wang, Q., Yan, X., Gu, Z., Wang, Y., Chen, B., Jiang, C.... (2011) Gene mutation patterns and their prognostic impact in a cohort of 1185 patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Blood, 118(20), 5593-5603. DOI: 10.1182/blood-2011-03-343988
- December 15, 2011
- 08:24 AM
- 307 views
AML update from 2011 ASH annual meeting
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
At the recent American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting in San Diego, I had the opportunity to hear a few presentations on Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Those of you familiar with the ASH annual meeting will know that most … Continue reading →... Read more »
Shen, Y., Zhu, Y., Fan, X., Shi, J., Wang, Q., Yan, X., Gu, Z., Wang, Y., Chen, B., Jiang, C.... (2011) Gene mutation patterns and their prognostic impact in a cohort of 1185 patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Blood, 118(20), 5593-5603. DOI: 10.1182/blood-2011-03-343988
- December 1, 2011
- 09:52 AM
- 646 views
Photoimmunotherapy may be a new way to deliver molecular-targeted cancer drugs
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
Photoimmunotherapy (PIT) that uses a near-infrared (NIR) dye conjugated to monoclonal antibodies (mABs) that target epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) is a new type of molecular-targeted cancer therapy that appears to offer considerable promise. Recent research by Makoto Mitusnaga and … Continue reading →... Read more »
Mitsunaga, M., Ogawa, M., Kosaka, N., Rosenblum, L., Choyke, P., & Kobayashi, H. (2011) Cancer cell–selective in vivo near infrared photoimmunotherapy targeting specific membrane molecules. Nature Medicine. DOI: 10.1038/nm.2554
- November 10, 2011
- 10:18 AM
- 500 views
Blocking Sema4D may be a new osteoporosis target
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
Bone is a tissue in constant state of remodeling by osteoclasts (cells responsible for bone resorption) and osteoblasts (cells responsible for new bone formation). Osteoporosis is a disease of progressive bone loss that is associated with increase risk of fractures. … Continue reading →... Read more »
Negishi-Koga, T., Shinohara, M., Komatsu, N., Bito, H., Kodama, T., Friedel, R., & Takayanagi, H. (2011) Suppression of bone formation by osteoclastic expression of semaphorin 4D. Nature Medicine, 17(11), 1473-1480. DOI: 10.1038/nm.2489
- November 9, 2011
- 10:35 AM
- 502 views
A potential new Immunotherapy in Breast and Ovarian Cancer
by Pieter Droppert in Biotech Strategy Blog
Researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have published data showing a clinical response to a poxviral vaccine (PANVAC) in metastatic breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients.
Twenty six patients were in involved in the pilot NCI trial with PANVAC, a recombinant poxviral vaccine expressing the tumor-associated antigens (TAA), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and mucin-1 (MUC-1).
... Read more »
Mohebtash, M., Tsang, K., Madan, R., Huen, N., Poole, D., Jochems, C., Jones, J., Ferrara, T., Heery, C., Arlen, P.... (2011) A Pilot Study of MUC-1/CEA/TRICOM Poxviral-Based Vaccine in Patients with Metastatic Breast and Ovarian Cancer. Clinical Cancer Research, 17(22), 7164-7173. DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-11-0649
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