NEWS

Common causes of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:40:55 GMT

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have the same genetic causes, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet published today in the highly respected journal The Lancet.

The results throw the current separate classification of the diseases into question. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depressive illness) are the two most common psychotic disorders. For over a century, the two diseases have been treated as distinct by clinical practitioners and researchers as regards definitions and risk factors. However, such strict classification has met increasing scepticism over the years, partly owing to the results of modern genetic science, which has shown that certain genes seem to affect both disorders.

To study whether schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have the same genetic causes, Swedish scientists analysed the records of two million families, including 35,985 patients with schizophrenia, 40,487 patients with bipolar disorder, and the blood relatives of both.

Their results show that members of families in which someone has either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder run an increased risk of developing the same condition. The results also show that this is chiefly the result of genetic factors, and only slightly due to shared environmental factors. The scientists also found that patients with schizophrenia are also more prone to bipolar disorder, and that relatives of patients with one of the diseases are more likely to have relatives with the other.

According to the researchers, the results, taken as a whole, provide convincing proof that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are very much hereditary diseases, and that they share, in part, a common genetic cause. They also argue that it is important for clinicians and researchers to take this common genetic background into account when studying and treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

The study was funded by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research and the Swedish Research Council.

Publication:

Paul Lichtenstein, Benjamin H Yip, Camilla Björk, Yudi Pawitan, Tyrone D Cannon, Patrick F Sullivan, Christina M Hultman

Common genetic determinants of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in Swedish families: a population-based study
The Lancet, 16 January 2009

Professor Pål Nyrén wins prize

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:52:57 GMT

Pål Nyrén, Professor of Biochemistry at KTH, has been awarded the Wilhelm Westrup Prize of MSEK 1.3 by the Royal Physiographical Society of Lund.

Pål Nyrén is best known for his development of pyrosequencing, a successful method of reading DNA. DNA sequencing is currently an invaluable instrument used within many different areas: medicine, agriculture and forensic sciences. Within the agricultural sector the method is used to study both plants and animals. Pål Nyrén’s method, pyrosequencing, has been used to map the DNA of mammoths and Neanderthal man - among many other things.

Pål Nyrén arrived at the concept of pyrosequencing in 1986, but it took ten years for it to be fully developed for practical applications. This method has been made commercially viable first through a company called Biotage in Uppsala and nowadays through the Rande and Qiagen companies.

When the scientific journal Science published its 2006 list of the greatest scientific discoveries of the year, Nyrén’s pyrosequencing method was number two. The specific project that was celebrated was the current mapping of Neanderthal DNA currently underway and directed by Svante Pääbo, one of the leading world researchers within evolutionary biology.
The Westrup Prize is awarded every five years. The winner is selected by the Swedish Royal Physiographical Society of Lund who have established funds and received donations intended for medals and prizes to reward eminent scientific achievements.

Orexo signs agreement for Abstral in China

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:32:36 GMT

Orexo and the Chinese pharmaceutical company NovaMed Pharmaceuticals have signed an exclusive licensing and distribution agreement that grants NovaMed rights to seek approval for Abstral, Orexo´s product for treatment of breakthrough cancer pain, in the People’s Republic of China, and if granted, to market and sell the product in that market.
The terms of the agreement includes an upfront payment, regulatory milestones and sales milestones. The total value of the upfront payment and milestones are USD 4.75 million. In addition, Orexo will supply NovaMed with Abstral in China and will receive margins on the sales of the product if approved. NovaMed will be responsible for managing the regulatory approval process including clinical studies, which is a standard requirement in China.

Torbjörn Bjerke President and CEO of Orexo
“The agreement with NovaMed will be the first step for Orexo into one of the most exciting and fastest growing pharmaceutical markets in the world. NovaMed has an experienced marketing and sales organization including 400 sales representatives and a broad portfolio of cancer treatment products, which makes them a perfect partner for Orexo in China. With the strong and superior benefits Abstral brings to sufferers from pain associated with cancer, we believe that NovaMed will be able to help physicians treat an increasing number of Chinese patients with this debilitating condition.”

Hao Zhou, Vice President, Business Development of NovaMed
“We are extremely pleased to partner with Orexo to bring Abstral, an innovative cancer breakthrough pain product, to the Chinese cancer patients. This is another step toward building NovaMed’s oncology supportive care product pipeline.”

Mark Lotter, President and CEO of NovaMed
“Abstral is an important contribution in enhancing our already strong oncology portfolio for the Chinese market. The Chinese market will soon become one of the leading markets in the world for pharmaceutical products, with the demand for oncology products growing rapidly. We are highly committed to making Abstral a success in China.”

For further information, contact:
Torbjörn Bjerke, President and CEO
Tel: +46 (0)708-66 19 90
E-mail: torbjorn.bjerke@orexo.com

Claes Wenthzel, Executive Vice President and CFO
Tel: +46 (0)708-62 01 22
E-mail: claes.wenthzel@orexo.com

About Abstral
Abstral is a fast-dissolving tablet for sub-lingual administration of fentanyl, intended for the management of breakthrough cancer pain in patients who are already receiving opioid analgesics. It is based on Orexo´s unique and patented sublingual tablet technology in which a rapidly dissolving tablet is placed under the tongue and the active substance is absorbed by the mucous membrane. Currently Abstral is sold in Sweden and is being launched in UK and Germany.

About Orexo
Orexo is a pharmaceutical company focusing on developing treatments for pain and inflammation. The company has three products on the market as well as a competitive product portfolio in late stages of development. Sales and product development are mainly carried out through worldwide partnership agreements with larger pharmaceutical companies. Orexo has 127 employees, and has its head office located in Uppsala, Sweden. More information can be found at http://www.orexo.com/.

About NovaMed Pharmaceuticals
NovaMed Pharmaceuticals was founded in August 2005 to provide a one-stop-shop service for global pharmaceutical companies and brand owners looking to leverage cost advantage and achieve optimal market potential in China. Through a directly managed sales organization of 400 people, an exclusive network of best-in-class research, development, regulatory and distribution partners, NovaMed has built viable commercialization models for products at different stages of their lifecycle. These include products already commercially available in China, internationally approved products not yet registered in China, and in-license late stage development compounds. More information can be found at http://www.novamed.com.cn/.

Q-Med’s election committee presents its proposal for a new Board

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:36:12 GMT

As has been announced previously, Lyftet Holding BV has requested an Extraordinary General Meeting of the shareholders to elect a new Board for Q-Med AB.

In this connection the election committee presents the following proposal, for resolution at the Extraordinary General Meeting on February 4. The election committee’s proposal has the support of owners representing just under 70 percent of the total number of shares in the company.

The election committee consists of:

Robert Wikholm, Chairman
Anders Milton
Jan-Erik Erenius, AMF Pension

It is proposed that Bertil Hult, a member of the Board of Q-Med since 2006, be re-elected. He is the CEO of the Skandia Insurance Company (publ) and CEO of Skandia’s Nordic Division. Bertil Hult is, amongst other things, Chairman of Asia Growth Investors AB and eTurn Capital Management AB, and has a number of Board assignments in Skandia.

It is proposed that Anders Milton, a member of the Board of Q-Med since 1997, be re-elected and that he become Chairman of the Board. Anders Milton is, amongst other things, Chairman of dagens.ps AB, ERNA (The European Red Cross/Red Crescent Network on HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis), Europaskolan Strängnäs, Vironova AB and the Face of Aids Foundation and a member of the Board of Charity Rating, HealthSolutions AB, Transvoice AB and WeMind AB.

It is proposed that Bengt Ågerup, a member of the Board of Q-Med since 1987, be re-elected. He is Q-Med’s founder, President and CEO. Bengt Ågerup is the Chairman of Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science and OxThera AB and a member of the Board of Envirotainer AB and of the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research.

It is proposed that Ulf Mattson be elected as a new member of the Board. He has an M. Sc. in Business and Economics from Stockholm University, has been a postgraduate student at Stockholm University and has a PMD from Harvard Business School. He has been CEO of Capio AB (publ), Mölnlycke Health Care AB and Domco Tarkett Inc. (publ), based in Montreal. Ulf Mattson is, amongst other things, Chairman of Flextrus AB, Pahlén AB and a member of the Board of Securitas Direct AB NSS Group AB, Din Bostad AB (publ) and Pelly Industrier AB.

It is proposed that Tomas Nicolin be elected as a new member of the Board. He has an M.Sc. in Business and Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics and an M.Sc. in Management from MIT Sloan School of Management, Cambridge USA. He has, amongst other things, been the CEO of Alecta, the Third Swedish National Pension Fund and E.Öhman J:or Fondkommission AB, as well as Head of Handelsbanken Markets Asset Management. Tomas Nicolin is, amongst other things, a member of the Board of Nordstjernan AB, Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson’s Foundation, the Research Institute of Industrial Economics and the Swedish Industry and Commerce Stock Exchange Committee.

It is proposed that Kristina Persson be elected as a new member of the Board. She has an M.Sc. in Business and Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics. She is the executive Chairman of the Global Challenge association and has previously been, amongst other things, Deputy Governor at the Swedish Riksbank, the County Governor of Jämtland and a member of the Swedish Parliament. Kristina Persson is, amongst other things, Chairman of the Norden Association and a member of the Board of the Mid Sweden University, the African Wildlife Association, The Natural Step and The Swedish Institute of International Affairs.

Ny Info Bank öppnar dörren för nya samarbeten med forskare och företag i Stockholm-Uppsala

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:21:34 GMT

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science lanserar denna vecka en ny Info Bank som öppnar dörren till regionens samlade life science sektor. Info Bank är en unik samling av information om de ledande forskningsprojekten vid regionens universitet och om life science-företagen. Ett fullständigt sökbart system förenklar för nya kontakter i en region som redan präglas av täta samarbeten.

Mer än hälften av Sveriges life science-sektor finns i Stockholm-Uppsala regionen. Många pekar ofta på de nätverk som finns här, både inom regionen och med ledande centra i världen, som en viktig framgångsfaktor bakom sektorns tillväxt. ”Vi har många exempel på hur man med rätt kontakt kunnat komma betydligt snabbare fram, och minskat risken i sina projekt,” berättar Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science VD, Ola Björkman. ”Vi vill se till att ännu fler i vår region, men också i resten av världen, hittar dessa samarbetsmöjligheter” fortsätter han.

Life science-sektorn upplever en ökad grad av globalisering. Det gäller både akademi och industri. “Allianser och samarbeten med framgångsrika partners i regionen är viktiga dels för att attrahera nya och dels för att behålla existerande verksamheter, berättar Ylva Hultman-Erlandsson, ansvarig för investeringsfrämjande Life Sciences vid Stockholm Business Region Development.

”Info Bank kommer att göra Stockholm-Uppsala till en ännu enklare region att utvecklas och växa i för life science-projekt och företag ”, menar Ola Björkman.

Om Info Bank

Verktyget ger möjlighet att hitta projekt, företag och enskilda forskare med olika inriktningar och inom olika terapiområden. Vid lanseringen den 4 februari, tillsammans med Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science nya hemsida, kommer Info Bank att innehålla information om och kontaktuppgifter till:
Mer än 500 life science-företag
Mer än 200 forskare
och närmare 300 forskningsprojekt.

Media inbjuds att titta närmare på möjligheterna med Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science Info Bank vid någon av träffarna under Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science turné:

Uppsala, 4 februari kl 18, BIO-PUB på Restaurang TREAN, Hamnesplanaden 3
Stockholm, 9 februari kl 17, på Stockholm Business Region, Drottninggatan 33
Strängnäs, 11 februari kl 17, på Ekbacken, Dammvägen 12
Flemingsberg, 12 februari kl 17, på Showroom Flemingsberg, Alfred Nobels allé 8

Om Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science bildades 2007 av Stockholms stad, Uppsala BIO och stiftelsen biotechvalley.nu, i syfte att marknadsföra regionen internationellt.

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science leds av en styrelse bestående av:
Bengt Ågerup, VD Q-Med AB
Anders Hallberg, rektor, Uppsala universitet
Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson, rektor Karolinska Institutet
Curt Nilsson, VD STUNS, Stiftelsen för samverkan mellan universiteten i Uppsala, näringsliv och samhälle,
Per From, ordförande Biotechvalley.nu.

Suppleanter är:
Åsa Bergström, Dir Investment Promotion, Stockholm Business Region
Sverker Ljunghall, Vice President Science Relations, AstraZeneca R&D
Otto Skolling, Investment manager, Karolinska Development

För ytterligare upplysningar
Ola Björkman, VD, telefon 070-245 74 97, ola.bjorkman@suls.se
Madeleine Neil, Kommunikation, telefon 0768-29 77 77, madeleine.neil@suls.se

Aprea’s drug candidate for clinical trials

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:14:02 GMT

APR-246, Aprea’s drug candidate for cancer treatment, has received approval for the initial Phase 1 clinical trial. This is a positive development for cancer treatment and yet another example of how teamwork in the Stockholm-Uppsala region, reaching out to global networks, makes the road from idea to proof-of-concept faster and easier.

“Many have great hopes for our product as it can probably be used by cancer patients with a mutated P53 gene, which can not be treated with chemotherapy alone,” says Thomas Uhlin, managing director of Aprea.

In many of the most severe and difficult to treat forms of cancer, an endogenous protection system – P53 – has ceased to function properly. Preclinical studies have showed that APR-246 is able to restore a defective function of P53. Animal studies have shown good anti-cancerous effects, and side effects have been limited.

Aprea was founded in 2003 by researchers at the Karolinska Institute, who discovered a method to reactivate the body’s system for programmed cell repair, so-called apoptosis.

“The process from research results to a product that can be provided to patients is long. Few have the necessary competence required along the way, but Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science (SULS) has a fantastic knowledge network that we have taken advantage of,” says Charlotta Liljebris, VP Development of Aprea.

“We have used Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science’s network to hire both consultants and employees. We are located close to each other, which is essential for small pharmaceutical firms like ours. The proximity to SULS means that even if we have consultants working for us on a per-hour rate, we can create a team spirit and enthusiasm as if we were full-time colleagues,” Thomas adds.

The Phase 1 clinical trial will be conducted in the Mälardalen region at Karolinska University Hospital, Uppsala University Hospital and Örebro University Hospital.

“These clinics form our market and it is a great advantage to be able to work closely with them before, during and after the clinical trial,” says Charlotta.

The Phase 1 clinical trial is expected to be completed in late 2010. By then we will know if the product is safe for patients suffering from blood or prostate cancer.

Companies present innovations at Stockholm-Uppsala MedTech event

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:09:28 GMT

Opportunities for growth in the medical technology sector in the Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science region continue to attract new companies and products to the market. During MedTech Investment Day, recently held in Kista Science City, twenty-two Swedish early commercialization phase medtech companies presented their innovations.

Nearly 100 people, including investors from China, England, France, India, Japan and the United States came to the event to meet colleagues, scout for businesses, and learn more about current trends and developments.

Ylva Ryngebo, was one of the participants at MedTech Investment Day. Her company, Medical Innovation Design (MID) is based in Stockholm and works with the development, innovation and design of medical products for the radiology work environment.

“This event was a big experience for me. I went to see if I could meet some investors, and make some new contacts,” she said.

“I have 10 innovations and 4 patents, and I am very hopeful that my expansion plans will work out,” Ylva Ryngebo said.

“It was inspiring to meet other companies in the same position as I am; companies with a few innovations, and ready to expand”, she said.

“It was interesting to hear speakers discuss practical tips on how to grow a business, starting from where I am right now, to becoming a world leader in their field. I have taken much of the advice given during MedTech Investment Day with me,” Ylva Ryngebo explained.

Speakers at the event included heads of world-leading medtech companies based in the Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science region.

Jean M. Forcione, Executive Vice President, Phadia AB was one of the featured speakers at MedTech Investment Day.

Phadia AB is a high growth specialty diagnostics company, that is world leader in allergy and asthma and European leader in autoimmune diseases.

“We are always looking for start ups and companies that have interesting technologies that fit with our core business and that we can have a partner licensing agreement with,” explained Jean M. Forcione.

“We have had fruitful collaborations with Uppsala University and Karolinska institutet. There is a spirit of openness in the work done with these institutions,” he said.

The EU-funded cooperation project, Stockholm MedTech Growth was one of the organizers of the event.

“I think that MedTech Investment Day is very useful in helping to get the word out about some highly innovative small companies with a strong potential for growth. There were a number of key opportunities for the companies to market themselves,” said Lena Strömberg, project manager.

“The event is a good way for foreign and private investors to get a quick introduction to interesting possibilities for investment in the Swedish medtech market,” she said.

““We are especially happy that investors who understand the prerequisites for investing in medical device development, and who are new to the Swedish market, were able to participate.”

“Perhaps with more investors showing an interest, it will help to increase the size of the investor market, and will ultimately bring more innovations into production,”
Lena Strömberg said.

Five of Sweden’s top 7 life science firms grow in Stockholm-Uppsala

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:33:10 GMT

Newspaper Ny Teknik and Affärsvärlden magazine have listed the 33 hottest young technology companies in Sweden. The companies are considered to have a unique product that can change the rules of the game in its respective field. Of the seven life science companies featured on the list, five are based in the Stockholm-Uppsala region.

Xbrane Biosciences has used E. coli and developed a method for regulating the speed of protein production. The next step is to use the technology to rapidly produce vaccines.

Olink sells test tubes with frozen reagent fluids. Among other things, the products can be used for detecting proteins and interactions between proteins in cells.

Diabetes Tools sells technical solutions to diagnose and regulate doses for diabetics. In 2009, the company won Ny Teknik’s ‘Stora Teknikpriset’ award for the most promising technology.

Nanologica develops new porous materials, sometimes in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry.

Synthetic MR’s technology shortens the time of MRI scans. The company is now entering into partnerships with three camera manufacturers.

Other life science companies on the list are:

Denator sells solutions to stabilise and ensure the quality of samples, resulting in better packaging options. Among the buyers are universities and companies but there is also a huge potential customer in hospitals looking for storage for tumour samples, for example.

Lumina Adhesives develops light-sensitive adhesives that can be used for medical applications. The adhesive attaches in the dark and comes off in the light. The first product is expected this year; a colostomy bag that is manufactured in collaboration with a larger partner.

More than 250 companies were nominated for the list. The criteria are that companies should build on technological solutions, have existed for less than seven years and be considered to have potential to be economically successful. There is no ranking between the companies on the list.

Although a number of CEOs at the 33 companies admit to having suffered from the recession, many companies have had investment during the past year and are considered as hopes for the future.

New discoveries on carbon nanotubes give hope for medical use

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:43:26 GMT

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have for the first time shown that carbon nanotubes can be broken down by an enzyme available in white blood cells, myeloperoxidase (MPO). The discovery was made in collaboration with American scientists.

The findings, presented in the latest issue of Nature Nanotechnology, run contrary to what was previously thought, namely that carbon nanotubes do not degrade in the body or in nature. The researchers hope that the new knowledge on how MPO converts carbon nanotubes to water and carbon dioxide will be important for possible future use in medical applications.

“Previous studies have shown that carbon nanotubes could be used to introduce drugs or other substances in the body’s cells. There has been a limitation in the fact that we have not previously known how to control the degradation of carbon nanotubes. This can result in undesirable toxicity and tissue damage. Our study shows a possible way to biologically break down carbon nanotubes to harmless constituents,” says Associate Professor Bengt Fadeel, one of the researchers behind the study.

Carbon nanotubes is a material consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms rolled into a tube with a diameter of a few nanometres (one nanometre = 1 billionth of a metre). Its length can vary from a few dozen nanometres up to several micrometres. Carbon nanotubes are both lighter and stronger than steel and has very specific thermal conductivity and electrical properties. Today, they are produced in large scale mainly for various technical applications, but also occurs in some consumer products.

Carbon nanotubes have previously been regarded as bio persistent, i.e. that they do not degrade in body tissues or in nature. Research in recent years have demonstrated significant inflammation in experimental animals exposed to carbon nanotubes via air or injection into the abdominal cavity. The inflammation and tissue transformation (fibrosis) that occurs when exposure leads to respiratory problems and can also be linked to development of cancer. For example, a few years ago, a study warned that carbon nanotubes are very similar to asbestos fibres. These are also bio persistent and can cause lung cancer (mesothelioma) in humans long after exposure.

As it clearly shows that the endogenous MPO enzyme can break down carbon nanotubes, the present study constitutes a breakthrough in both nanotechnology and nanotoxicology. The MPO enzyme is expressed in certain types of white blood cells, so-called neutrophils, and is required in order for neutrophils to be able to destroy bacteria. Researchers have now found that the enzyme also attacks carbon nanotubes, breaking them down to plain water and carbon dioxide. In addition, the researchers showed that carbon nanotubes degraded by MPO no longer give rise to inflammation in mice.

“This means that there may be a way to defuse carbon nanotubes, if there is an accident in a workplace where carbon nanotubes are produced, for example. The findings are also relevant to future use of carbon nanotubes in medical treatment,” says Bengt Fadeel.

The study was carried out by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, the University of Pittsburgh and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the U.S. The study has been funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the EU:s Seventh Framework Programme, among others. The work has been carried out within the framework of the NANOMMUNE project, coordinated by Professor Bengt Fadeel at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, which covers a total of 13 research groups in Europe and the US.

Phadia featured in Clinica magazine

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:49:24 GMT

Uppsala-based diagnostics firm Phadia is featured in the current issue of Clinica magazine. Phadia’s CEO Magnus Lundberg speaks about how the company transformed its fortunes with the help of private equity backing.

Phadia’s portfolio of allergy testing products have been developing since the company was founded in 1967. Today, the company has two core brands; the ImmunoCAP allergy and asthma tests, which account for some 85 per cent of company sales, and the EliA autoimmunity tests.

ImmunoCAP products have a 75 per cent share of the worldwide allergy market, making Phadia the leader in allergy diagnostics. According to Magnus Lundberg, this position has previously led to misconceptions that the firm only operated in this market segment.

Phadia’s game plan, according to the article, is to “get its testing platforms out into as many hospitals, GP practices and healthcare clinics as possible”. The company is currently building towards its strategy to claim its place as the global leader in speciality diagnostics.

Lundberg is optimistic about the future. “Phadia is just scratching the surface [of the allergy and asthma diagnostics market],” he told Clinica. For example, the firm expects more than 30 per cent growth in the US during 2010.

In five years, Phadia expects sales to more than double, and by 2020 it aims to have sales of around €2 billion. “In the future, Phadia might well be a small company but if all goes to plan it will have a huge global infrastructure,” Lundberg added.

This feature was published in the February issue of Clinica Medtech Intelligence, and is also available on-line at www.clinica.co.uk

Deaf regain hearing

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Thu, 06 May 2010 12:19:59 GMT

With the help of various types of implants, many deaf people today can regain at least parts of their hearing. It is possible to replace damaged hair cells in the cochlea with an electronic receptor. Researchers at Uppsala University and University Hospital in Uppsala are the only ones in the Nordic countries to use the method of placing a tiny electronic plate directly in the brainstem.

Hearing is the only sense that can be restored artificially.

- It’s a great stride for medicine to be able to restore a sense, says Helge Rask-Andersen, chief physician at Uppsala University Hospital and professor of experimental otology at the Department of Surgical Sciences.

The most advanced implant is a so-called brainstem implant, which is primarily used for patients who once had good hearing, but had an auditory nerve damaged, for example in connection with tumors on the auditory nerves.

- Thanks to close collaboration between neuro and ear surgeons at University Hospital, we can simultaneously remove the tumor and place the implant directly on the auditory core in the brainstem, says Helge Rask-Andersen, who was the first in Europe to perform a brainstem implant.

- One of our patients has regained so much of her hearing that she can talk on the phone, something no one had expected, he says.

A couple of patients undergo such an operation each year. Considerably more common is the cochlea implant, which helps patients whose deafness is a result of a withering of the hair cells in the cochlea. This damage can either be congenital or acquired later in life. Read more

Launch of the ambassador programme

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:56:49 GMT

New, large-scale research initiatives combined with exploiting biobanks, patient registers and industrial capabilities makes Stockholm-Uppsala an exceptionally attractive region for developing new strategies for prevention of disease and new treatments for patients.

In conjunction with the launch of the ambassador programme on May 18, a seminar was held on the theme “Stockholm-Uppsala’s competitive edge”. One of the ambassadors, Professor Björn O. Nilsson, President of The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, introduced the topic. He pointed to the growing complexity of life science research as new knowledge emerges and to the changing demands on research in order to bring developments to the next level. Sweden and the Stockholm-Uppsala region’s have an impressive track record of bringing life science products to the global market. His message was that Sweden, despite being a small country in a big world, has the capabilities to continue to generate life science innovations, like in the past, the pacemaker, the Gamma Knife, ImmunoCap, or Fragmin.

Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, one of the five ambassadors engaged in the panel discussion told the audience about the opportunities that the SciLifeLab brings to research, industry and the region. She is based both at Broad Institute in the US and at Uppsala University where she is appointed the Director of SciLifeLab. Professor Lindblad-Toh wants to see a strong community for collaboration within the Centre, with associated research groups and with industry, not least in order to better utilize the Stockholm-Uppsala region’s capabilities to their full potential. She underlined the importance of asking the right research questions first, and only thereafter apply the cutting edge technologies of the Centre and the complementary clinical research competences and biobanks available in the region. An important hurdle to overcome is to create conditions in the university hospitals so that staff can engage in more external collaboration.

Professor Lars Klareskog, Karolinska Institutet, followed up where Kerstin Lindblad-Toh ended. He was very optimistic about how research based on SciLifeLab’s technology resources combined with biobanks and patient registers, provide new opportunities for i.e. identification of biomarkers and thereby strategies for prevention of disease. These possibilities are much underutilized today but if industry, academia and health care can work together on these opportunities, the potential is high. Stockholm-Uppsala is one of very few places where this kind of multi-disciplinary research can be done, one of the pre-requisites for truly realizing the potential being a common system for patient records.

Kirsti Gjelland, Site Manager for Pfizer’s new manufacturing plant in Strängnäs brought very good news to the meeting by announcing Pfizer’s decision to assign the Strängnäs site a continued and growing role within Pfizer’s global plant network. The decision is a testimony of the site’s capability to deliver cost-effective manufacturing in a global competitive environment.

Another representative of the industry was Akbar Seddigh, chairman of the board at Elekta. He referred to the many innovations from the region that have been turned into global products over the years and urged the audience to be confident and that we continue to do what we do. He also said that material science, Nanotechnology and the combination of ICT and Medical technology are promising growth areas where the region’s capabilities are particularly strong.

A regional politician, Erik Weiman, Uppsala County Council was also on the panel. He is a strong advocate for the importance of letting research have a high priority in clinical environments and to open up for more collaboration with academia and industry.

The ambassador programme

The Stockholm-Uppsala life science ambassador programme comprises selected scientists of world-class, industry leaders and politicians from the buoyant life science sector in Stockholm-Uppsala. For details on the ambassador program, visit >>

Karolinska Development and Kurma Biofund to enter strategic partnership

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:02:26 GMT

Karolinska Development AB and Kurma Biofund have entered into a strategic partnership, with the purpose to identify co-investment opportunities in the life science area in the Nordic region and other selected parts of Europe.

The Karolinska Development and Kurma Biofund combination will increase the possibilities for early life science investments in world class science. The strategic Karolinska Development and Kurma Biofund partnership will further contribute to cross European investments.

Conny Bogentoft, CEO Karolinska Development; “We are excited to broaden our co-investor network for early stage financing. With Kurma we also add a broader dealflow outside of Scandinavia and add a competent partner to our network.”

Thierry Laugel, joint Managing Partner Kurma Biofund; “With Karolinska Development, Kurma is proud to add such an eminent group to the very selective network of partners around Europe. We are currently looking at a number of co- investment opportunities that would clearly exemplify the complementarities and synergies between our two groups.”

For more information >>>

Cut costs with new sensor for asthmatics

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 07:37:37 GMT

In Sweden, approximately 700,000 people suffer from asthma and every year around 200 people die according to the Asthma and Allergy Association. Asthma can therefore be regarded as one of the major endemic diseases in Sweden. Today's medication for asthma is however rather blunt which means that patients have to take more medication than necessary. A new sensor will cure this particular problem.

Niclas Roxhed, researcher on the Department of Micro Systems Technology at KTH, is currently involved in the development of a new version of a sensor which can sense the levels of nitric oxide in exhaled air. This is a measure of how inflamed the lungs are at any particular time, and it tells us, among other things, how much asthma medicine is needed.

The new sensor is much smaller than previous versions, which in turn means that smaller and cheaper test instruments can be produced. The objective is that asthma patients in the future will be able to determine how much medication they will need at any particular time and they will be able to do this themselves at their own homes. Today decisions like these need a visit from a doctor.

"The instrument we have today is as big as a packet of muesli and is typically only found at a specialist practice," says Niclas Roxhed.

The new sensor has several major advantages, both for the patient and for society.

"Asthma medicine is extremely expensive. The smaller the dose of medicine that a patient uses, the better it is in pure economic terms," says Niclas Roxhed.

Niclas Roxhed’s research is being carried out in cooperation with the company Aerocrine - the manufacturer of the test instrument. Hans Peter Starck-Johnson, product development manager at the company is not able as of yet to tell us how big the cost savings will be from using the new sensor. But he nevertheless has an idea.

"Roughly speaking; for the manufacturer we are talking about cost savings of around one quarter of the price. This means that the price per test will become more attractive for home use and the patient can keep the equipment at home. In this way, the patient can optimise his treatment and does not need to visit a doctor," Hans Peter Starck-Johnson says.

Sweden fourth most biotech-friendly country

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 09:23:16 GMT

Sweden has been ranked among the countries which best promote biotechnology development by the magazine Scientific American. The list is topped by the US, with Singapore and Canada occupying second and third positions, respectively.

Sweden holds the fourth place on this ranking, whose criteria is based on the balance between intellectual property conditions, education and workforce development, general foundation for biotechnology development, intensity of biotech-related innovations as well as enterprise support.

For a complete overview of the ranking >>>

Faster route to new drugs

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:06:31 GMT

With the help of microwaves, new drug molecules can be artificially created more quickly. The technology developed by Professor Mats Larhed at the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry is currently being used in basic research on drugs for HIV, tuberculosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.

An important step in the process that leads to a new drug is when a drug molecule is artificially produced – synthesized. Here scientists need methods that can efficiently synthesize large quantities of molecules in order to find the relatively few that become finished drugs.

- Traditional synthesis models involve hard work, but our methods make it faster and easier to produce molecules that are interesting for further development. In this way it is possible to test new ideas without running the risk of wasting time, says Mats Larhed.

Larhed’s research team uses a special microwave reactor that provides even heating and enables scientists to monitor the temperature in the reaction precisely. The heating – and thereby the reaction – takes place considerably faster than with conventional heating methods.

BIO-X Call for proposal 2010

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:19:38 GMT

_{BIO-X is a}_{catalyser for transforming great research ideas into innovative new life science solutions that fulfil a real need. The end goal is a formal proof of concept for a highly competitive new product.}

This year, BIO-X invites you to submit a proposal for new diagnostic tools and methods for screening, prognosis, diagnosis, or monitoring of treatment of malign tumours, autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases in humans.

BIO-X offers a unique opportunity for research and industry to develop their best ideas together, as well as cultivate their skills, experience and network in the life sciences. Mutual investment ensures that all parties are engaged, and professional tracking methods keep BIO-X projects on plan.

Funding and process support

BIO-X usually grants 50% of the required funding to the winner(s), about 1 million SEK/year for up to two years. In addition, grant winners and runners-up get the right support, including planning tools, IP advice, and business development where necessary.

Science and business at work together

To all projects, suitable industrial partners are signed up from the outset. BIO-X supports researchers and companies in the matchmaking, and in setting up suitable agreements.

What are we looking for?

BIO-X awards projects that can make major improvements and may contain a degree of risk, rather than low risk projects that make incremental improvements. The end goal is a proof of concept for a competitive new product. This year's theme is New diagnostic tools and methods.

Selection procedures

Evaluation of proposal is made on five criteria: Customer, Product, Project, Science and your team. This call closes December 15th 2010.

History

The first BIO-X call for proposals opened in 2004. Since then, Uppsala BIO has managed five calls and received over 120 project proposals.

It’s easy to apply for a BIO-X grant. Please download the BIO-X Project Proposal Form below.

Please keep it brief; your proposal should take us about 10 minutes to read. The deadline for project proposals is December 15, 2010.

BIO-X Application Form 2010

We’re here to help you with your application. Please do contact Uppsala BIO before sending your proposal. Contact Dr. Erik Forsberg, Managing Director of Uppsala BIO, by email to erik.forsberg@uppsalabio.se, or tel. +46 (0)70-350 41 43.

European students place Uppsala at the top

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:57:58 GMT

Students rank Uppsala University in first place among all institutions in Europe in the subject of biology, and in second place in chemistry. This is shown in this year's results from CHE European ranking in science subjects, which is being published today. Uppsala places close to the top in physics and mathematics as well.

In Europe 130 universities and colleges offer extraordinary research-based international programs for master and doctoral students and are therefore classed in the "Excellence Group" in CHE's 2010 Excellence Ranking. Taken together with last year's study of the social science subjects of psychology, political science, and economics, Uppsala University is on the top list in all subjects compared with the exception of economics. In biology Uppsala is ranked first, and in chemistry it comes in second.

Hans Ellegren, dean of the Biology Division, is proud and delighted to see Uppsala University in first place. This shows that the robust initiatives taken to boost education are appreciated by students. Among other things, master students are placed in research laboratories for a major portion of their program. There are also a number of extremely strong research environments in biology at Uppsala University that international students are aware of and seek out. Moreover, leading international scientists who are visiting Uppsala are involved in teaching.

"The people at the Biology Education Center are doing a tremendous job and are a major factor in this success. We have a highly professional organization to look after international students and to establish collaborations and exchanges with the best foreign universities," says Hans Ellegren.

Besides the evaluations of the present study situation by current students, the ranking is based on eight further criteria, including number of publications, number of citations, mobility of students and faculty, and prevalence of Erasmus Mundus master programs or Marie Curie projects. Any excellence grants from the European Research Council or Nobel laureates among the researchers on the faculty are also given weight. The ranking contains a great deal of useful information for students about master and doctoral programs, about research groups and research foci at the faculties, and about the size of faculties, student housing, and admissions regulations.

The Center for Higher Education Development (CHE) is an independent institution that works to reform the higher education system. CHE has its headquarters in Gütersloh and presents an annual CHE University Ranking of German and foreign colleges and universities for future students. CHE Excellence Ranking is the first ranking to compare the best research institutions in Europe for coming master and doctoral students.

The results can be seen on the CHE home page.

For more information, please contact the dean or division deans:

Hans Ellegren, biology, mobile: +46 (0)70-425 06 37
Anders Hagfeldt, chemistry, mobile: +46 (0)70-425 02 78
Ulf Danielsson, physics, mobile: +46 (0)70-314 10 86
Ingemar Kaj, mathematics, mobile: 070-167 93 43

For questions about CHE Excellence Ranking, CHE experts can be reached at excellence@che-ranking.de, or telephone: +49 5241 211 79 71.

Unexpectedly small effects of mutations in bacteria bring new perspectives

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:56:31 GMT

Most mutations in the genes of the Salmonella bacterium have a surprisingly small negative impact on bacterial fitness. And this is the case regardless whether they lead to changes in the bacterial proteins or not. This is shown by Uppsala University scientists in an article being published today in the prestigious journal Science.

The researchers have examined the impact of mutations on the rate of growth of the Salmonella bacterium and show that most mutations have generally very small effects. Moreover the negative effects are of the similar magnitude for changes that lead to substitution of amino acids in proteins (so-called non-synonymous mutations) as for mutations that do not change the protein sequence (so-called synonymous mutations).

“The findings open an entirely new chapter for experimental studies of mutations and show that we need to change our view of how mutations lead to negative effects,” says Professor Dan Andersson, lead author of the study.

A central question in evolutionary biology, medical genetics, species-conservation biology, and animal breeding is how and why mutations affect an organism’s capacity to survive. Usually these questions are studied in DNA sequence analyses from which conclusions have been drawn about what mutations are most common and have become established in the DNA of the organism.

The Uppsala scientists have used another – experimental – method whereby they can use various genetic tricks to introduce random individual mutations into any chosen gene, a method that has previously been used primarily in viruses. Two genes that code for proteins that are included in ribosomes were mutated, and using extremely sensitive growth measurements, doctoral candidate Peter Lind showed that most mutations reduced the rate of growth of bacteria by only 0.5–1 percent. No mutations completely disabled the function of the proteins, and very few had no impact at all.

Even more surprising was the fact that mutations that do not change the protein sequence had negative effects similar to those of mutations that led to substitution of amino acids. A possible explanation is that most mutations may have their negative effect by altering mRNA structure, not proteins, as is commonly assumed.

Read more on Science website.

Thomas Helleday receives major grant

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:22:51 GMT

Swedish cancer researcher Thomas Helleday, professor at Stockholm University and University of Oxford, receives a major grant, 23 million, from the European research organization ERC. The grant is intended for research on targeted cancer therapies. He is the youngest in Sweden who has received this prestigious grants.

New CEO in Flemingsberg

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:39:12 GMT

Doxa signing exclusive global distribution contract

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:00:55 GMT

The Swedish dental company Doxa has signed an exclusive global distribution contract for Ceramir Crown & Bridge dental cement with Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC), the largest provider of health care products and services to office-based practitioners.

“We are very pleased to have the dental market leader Henry Schein representing Ceramir Crown & Bridge exclusively around the world. Henry Schein has a proven track record for communicating the unique benefits of technology-driven products in markets around the world, and we look forward to building our share of market with them as our partner,” said Doxa’s CEO, Fredrik Alpsten.

“Ceramir Crown & Bridge represents the next generation of dental cements,” said Carey Lyons, President of Henry Schein’s Exclusive Brands Group. “It is bioceramic with a nanostructure that essentially allows it to integrate with the tooth and thus minimizes the risk for micro-leakage and sensitivity. We are excited to add the Doxa product to the growing list of global exclusives that we offer our customers as part of our commitment to enhance the success of their practices and provide the very best patient care.”

In May 2010 Ceramir Crown & Bridge received Frost & Sullivan’s “New Product Innovation Award.” The following statement was delivered when the award was presented: “For revolutionizing the dental cements industry, Doxa is the worthy recipient of the 2010 European Frost & Sullivan Award for New Product Innovation of the Year.”

Ceramir Crown & Bridge has quickly become very popular among dentists, since it is easy to work within the mouth’s natural wet environment. Dentists and users unanimously report less postoperative sensitivity after cementing. Doxa also believes that there is less risk for treatments failing over time. In Sweden, recementing constitutes about 15 percent of all cement treatments, due to problems such as loosening of a crown or veneers. In total such recementing procedures amount to around 70,000 per year.

“The dental cement market in the western world is estimated to be approximately 10 billion SEK and is expected to grow by 6-8 percent annually. In this market Ceramir Crown & Bridge is unique of its kind,” says Fredrik Alpsten.

Doxa will continue to build a support infrastructure in the US and Europe in order to provide marketing support to Henry Schein.

In November 2010 Doxa’s patent for the compound comprising the foundation of Ceramir Crown & Bridge was approved in both Europe and the United States. Doxa has 80 approved patents within 22 different patent categories. Ceramir Crown & Bridge is the first in a series of planned bioceramic dental products from Doxa based on the same technology.

For additional information, please contact: Fredrik Alpsten, President/CEO of Doxa AB, phone +46 18 478 2060, cell: +46 70 667 3106.

The Swedish Medical Products Agency in international collaborations for sustainability

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 19:14:37 GMT

With a strong position as a “Centre of Regulatory Excellence” within Europe, the MPA is taking part in collaborations outside the union. The MPA has during the last year (2010) been involved in over 110 international organizations, comittees and projects.

Ranked among the very best in Europe, the Swedish Medical Products Agency (MPA), is actively taking part in international collaboration to ensure sustainable development of medicines, medicine related products and medical devices. Particularly important areas of focus are economic exclusion, climate change and environmental impacts, and infectious diseases. These global challenges are directly or indirectly related to issues of increased drug production in many developing countries and call for collaboration between different disciplines and actors. During 2010 MPA took part in meetings in e.g. the U.S, India and China to strengthen bilateral contacts to reach common agreements on governmental level regarding future international cooperation’s.

Collaboration with India

The visit to India had on its agenda to exchange experience and knowledge in sustainable development with regards to antibiotic resistance, manufacturing of counterfeit drugs and drug safety. Today, India has a growing share of the world’s pharmaceutical production, both in regards to raw material and finished products. Problems that were earlier local issues, such as illegal manufacturing of drugs, are quickly obtaining global proportions with the increasingly globalized pharmaceutical market. Direct contacts with government agencies and manufacturers will give the MPA knowledge of global conditions and is a natural part of the continuing work towards sustainable development. International collaboration will offer many advantages to make sure that new medicines become available on the market faster, benefiting both patients and manufacturers.

World record in DNA analysis

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:46:08 GMT

To date, scientists have been limited to running a small number of DNA samples at a time at a cost of SEK 100,000 per sample. KTH researchers have now come up with a new method which means that 5,000 samples can be run simultaneously for the same price. This cuts the cost per test result considerably and is a world record for the number of samples run in a single DNA sequence analysis.

"We had to invent a method to produce many DNA samples simultaneously. Otherwise, the analyses would have taken an incredibly long time and would have cost a huge amount of money," says Peter Savolainen, a biology researcher at KTH.

He and his research colleague Afshin Ahmadian and former graduate student Martin Neiman who together invented the new method, mean that both DNA sequence analyses can be carried out in record time and at an incredibly low cost.

"Today around 10 samples are produced simultaneously at a cost of SEK 10,000 per sample. We have run 5,000 samples for the same amount, i.e. SEK 100,000. This means an actual cost of SEK 20 per sample," says Peter Savolainen.

He points out several areas where he and his colleagues' new method can be of great importance. One of these is in cancer research where there is a great need to scan a lot of smear tests from many individuals. This is to see which cells and genes are involved in the cancer.

"Another area where our method can be of great significance is in organ transplantation. It requires many DNA analyses to create a database for matching organ donors with the recipient of the graft. This will have important implications for DNA research," says Peter Savolainen. He adds that even now, before the method is official, there are several projects at the Science for Life Laboratory (which KTH forms a part) that are in line to use this way of working. Moreover, there is the possibility to scale up the method so that more tests can be run simultaneously. The method itself is quite clever.

"Simply put, we mark each sample in an ingenious manner with an ID, so that any test results can be classified," says Peter Savolainen.

Afshin Ahmadian and Peter Savolainen are KTH researchers working at the Science for Life Laboratory.

Extended coverage and new outfit for the gateway Tools of Science

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Tue, 31 May 2011 11:27:07 GMT

The gateway www.toolsofscience.se was launched in 2006 in an initiative between KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University to collect and market academic core facilities that offer advanced services to external researchers and entrepreneurs. Knowledge-intensive service companies from across Sweden now also complement the supply of facilities on Tools of Science.

"We realized that many researchers from both academia and industry didn´t know which facilities existed in their region and even less so in other regions", says Teresa Soop, Analysis and Development Director at Stockholm Science City Foundation. "The ambition was to collect the information and offer alternative ways in life science product development".

During the past five years the gateway has been developed and has today a completely new design, including functions for sharing via social media and interviews of members. The academic part of Tools of Science earlier included facilities only from Stockholm, now several academic facilities from Uppsala have joined as well.

"It is important that information is spread about available facilities from all across the Stockholm-Uppsala region so that its full potential can be fulfilled", says Ola Björkman, CEO at Stockholm Uppsala Life Science.

"The extension of Tools of Science is natural since we act in the same functional region", says Erik Forsberg, CEO at Uppsala BIO. "Samples can quickly be sent from companies and researchers to facilities without risking sample quality".

For more information, contact teresa.soop@ssci.se phone +46 (0)734 38 38 77

Xbrane Bioscience wins Incubator Export Challenge 2011

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:33:30 GMT

For their innovative product portfolio to solve big problems, Xbrane won a national competition arranged by Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce, including a prize contributing to Xbrane's establishment on the US market.

In a competition between young companies, Xbrane won the non-industry specific Incubator Export Challenge, arranged by the Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce (SACC). The prize includes a fee to travel to the U.S. and a trade mission program conducted by SACC.

- We are very glad to be awarded with this prize and see it as an important contribution to present ourselves on the US market, which represents a large market for our protein expression technologies, says Lykke Abdon, Sales Director of Xbrane Bioscience.

Xbrane won the prize with the motivation that it develops products with a high level of innovation that solve key problems for a large market.

The trip is scheduled to take place within a few months and will cover many of the places in the US where the life science industry is prominent. Together with SACC, Xbrane will arrange meetings and seminars with potential costumers and business partners as well as attend pitch pubs and conferences.

For more information, contact:
Lykke Abdon, Director of Sales
Xbrane Bioscience AB
Phone: +46 73 938 58 60
E-mail: lykke@xbrane.com

About Xbrane Bioscience
Xbrane Bioscience develops and commercializes platforms for the efficient and cost-effective production of proteins and vaccines. The company was founded early 2008, as a spin-off company from the world-leading Center for Biomembrane Research at the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics of Stockholm University, Sweden. The company has developed and sells two bacterial based protein expression systems providing unprecedented versatility, Xbrane Lemo System^TM and Xbrane Rhamex System^TM. Xbrane Bioscience is currently further expanding its portfolio of innovative technologies, including platforms for the development of multivalent vaccines and the efficient production of toxic and unstable proteins. For more information about Xbrane Bioscience visitwww.xbrane.com.

Millions of new regulatory elements found in human genome

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:49:15 GMT

An international research team led by Kerstin Lindblad-Toh at the Broad Institute, US and Uppsala University, Sweden has mapped and compared the genomes of 29 mammals. The findings, published in Nature, reveal millions of new regulatory elements in the human genome that in various ways govern how proteins are formed. The new knowledge is important for our understanding of how mutations in human genes give rise to diseases.

The human genome was mapped some ten years ago, but its function has been difficult to understand. Recent comparisons with mice, rats, and dogs, have shown that humans have more than 20,000 genes. However, it has been difficult to find the elements in the genome that determine when, where, and how genes produce proteins.

"By comparing a large number of mammals, scientists have now created a catalogue of millions of regulatory elements found both between and within genes. These elements are incredibly important in making us humans into the complex organisms that we are, even though our genes are rather similar to those of other vertebrates," says the lead author of the study, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Scientific Director of Vertebrate Genome biology, at the Broad Institute in the US and professor of comparative genomics, Uppsala University, Sweden.

Human genes constitute only about 1.5 percent of the genome, whereas regulatory elements appear to take up about three times as much space. The researchers have now been able to show where a majority of these regulatory elements are located in the genome. By studying patterns in these elements, and combining this information with other types of genetic data, they have been able to understand how many of these regulatory elements function.

"The elements we find can have entirely different functions. They can make different cell types use different versions of a certain gene, or can turn off a gene if the concentration of a certain compound is too high in a cell. Above all we see that proteins that govern fetal development and the function of the nervous system have a huge number of regulatory elements," says Kerstin Lindblad-Toh.

The regulatory elements that were found in this comparison between 29 mammals are important for many of our central functions, which are shared by placental mammals. However, the scientists were also looking for how these elements changed over time in various groups of mammals as they adapted to different living conditions.

"Among other things, we can see what parts of proteins and what regulatory elements changed rapidly in primates and humans. With the help of about a hundred other mammal species, we believe we will understand the function of every key base in the human genome and get a better understanding of how changes in genes made rodents into rodents and primates into primates," says Kerstin Lindblad-Toh.

For more information, please contact:

Professor Kerstin Lindblad- Toh, Director of SciLifeLab Uppsala Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University +1 617 223 74 76, e-mail: kerstin.lindblad-toh@imbim.uu.se or through Cecilia Johansson, tel: +46 (0)18 471 45 25

Lindblad-Toh K, et al. (2011) A high-resolution map of human evolutionary constraint using 29 mammals. Nature Oct 27; doi: 10.1038/nature10530

Halo Genomics Acquired by Agilent Technologies

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:43:03 GMT

Halo Genomics' proprietary HaloPlex PCR technology combines the speed and specificity of polymerase chain reaction, or PCR-based systems, with the scalability and capture-size flexibility of solution-based hybridization formats, thus eliminating the need for library preparation.

The technology is currently offered as a customizable product, utilizing a web-based design tool called Web Design Wizard. This is a very intuitive and straightforward tool, which in four simple steps, allows designs to be created in less than 10 minutes, at no charge.

Agilent's market-leading SureSelect target enrichment platform was the first commercial in-solution target enrichment offering launched in the market. It has grown to a wide portfolio of products from All Exon kits to custom designs and pre-set panels. With its high performance and flexibility, SureSelect has become the most commonly cited target enrichment tool in the market. HaloPlex technology complements SureSelect by providing a high-performance solution for small capture sizes, at a speed that specifically addresses the needs of the desktop sequencing market and clinical sequencing space.

"Halo Genomics' unique technology and talented R&D team will expand Agilent's solutions for emerging sequencing applications and accelerate our entry into the rapidly-growing next-gen clinical sequencing market," said Gustavo Salem, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Biological Systems Division. "This acquisition further builds upon Agilent's position as a leader in Genomics."

"Joining Agilent is a win-win situation for Halo Genomics' employees and our valued customers," said Olle Ericsson, CEO and founder of Halo Genomics. "With Halo's innovative technology and Agilent's market-leading products and long history of quality and service, we look forward to offering our customers an expanded portfolio of solutions to meet their needs."

Halo Genomics joins the Genomics business within the Biological Systems Division of Agilent's Life Sciences Group. Halo Genomics' 15 employees have now transferred to Agilent.

Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.

Halo Genomics is a provider of innovative technology for sample preparation in next generation sequencing. Halo Genomics was founded by scientists from Uppsala University and Olink AB. Based in Uppsala, Sweden, the company's solutions are offered to a wide range of academic, government, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and other leading institutions around the world.

Uppsala get Sweden’s first PET-MRI equipment

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:31:41 GMT

Researchers at Uppsala University has received grants from the Research Council to acquire Sweden's first PET-MRI equipment. It is a equipment combines two existing technologies which depict the body in different ways. Being able to collect data from both techniques simultaneously allows better diagnostics and more knowledge of cardiovascular diseases, neurological and oncological diseases.

KARO BIO ENTERS COLLABORATION WITH PFIZER

Stockholm-Uppsala Life Science — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:29:22 GMT

Karo Bio AB (publ) has entered into a research collaboration agreement with Pfizer Inc., to discover and develop novel small molecule RORgamma modulators for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Under the agreement, Pfizer will provide full funding for the research costs and have the exclusive right to market any products that may be developed as a result of the collaboration. Karo Bio may receive up to USD $217 million in upfront and milestone payments in addition to potential royalty fees.

The nuclear hormone receptor RORgamma is a novel attractive target for the treatment of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. RORgamma directly controls the production and secretion of the cytokine IL-17, a major contributor to inflammation. The receptor's key role in driving disease pathology has been implicated through clinical studies using monoclonal antibodies that neutralize IL-17 activity.

Karo Bio has developed a proprietary RORgamma drug discovery program and has discovered novel, potent, and specific RORgamma modulators.

"We are delighted to collaborate on RORgamma with Pfizer and with the agreement in total. This partnership secures a pole position within this new and rapidly evolving area of autoimmune diseases. It also confirms the commercial value of Karo Bio's leading position in the nuclear receptor drug development field", says Per Bengtsson, CEO of Karo Bio.

"The central role of RORgt in Th17 cell differentiation coupled with the increasing clinical validation for the importance of IL-17 and other Th17-derived cytokines in autoimmune diseases, makes RORgt a compelling target," says Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, senior vice president, Biotherapeutics, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer. "Combining KaroBio's deep expertise in nuclear hormone receptors with the world-class chemistry and cytokine immunology expertise of Pfizer has the potential to accelerate our drug discovery effort in this competitive area."

For further information, please contact:
CEO Per Bengtsson: phone: +46 8 608 6027, +46 734 474 128 or by e-mail: per.bengtsson@karobio.se