Targeting the Good Cell
A special report in three parts
By Mark Johnson
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 13, 2008
In the summer of 2007, scientists around the globe were racing to do what once had been thought impossible: to reverse the natural process and return mature cells to their embryonic origin. If scientists could obtain stem cells by reprogramming a patient's own cells, they could bypass the ethical debate over the use of embryos and the risk that one body will reject transplanted cells from another.
Part I Part II Part III
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Progress, But No Cure In Fight Against AIDS
By Dr Kim Mulvihill
KPIX-TV CBS5 San Francisco, December 1, 2008
HIV/AIDS is one of the most challenging infectious diseases humanity has ever faced. While there is progress fighting the disease, research has yet to yield a cure...MORE
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Safer sex in a pill
By Clare Wilson
New Scientist, November 19, 2008
As a gay man living in the US, John has seen every kind of AIDS awareness campaign out there. He is intelligent and well informed, yet sometimes he has unsafe sex...MORE
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Stem cell research may soon accelerate
By Carolyn Johnson
KGO-TV ABC San Francisco, November 19, 2008
The pace of stem cell research could soon accelerate in this country. President Elect Barack Obama is widely expected to do away with some restrictions put in place by the Bush administration, and that's expected to have a significant impact here in the Bay Area...MORE
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Why trial of HIV vaccine failed
By Sahil Nagpal
TopNews.in, November 6, 2008
London: A team of researchers says that the reason why the STEP trial of an experimental vaccine against AIDS failed could be partially because it made some people’s immune cells more vulnerable to HIV infection...MORE
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2008 Results Announced: Best Places to Work in Academia
The Scientist Releases Results Today of Its 6th Annual Worldwide Survey
International Business Times, November 3, 2008
This year, The Scientist magazine's readers ranked J. David Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco as the Best Place to Work in Academia in the U.S. and Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel as the top international academic institution...MORE
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Taking root: Stem cell therapies making progress
By John Upton
San Francisco Examiner, October 30, 2008
On a single floor in a San Francisco office building, 32 state employees are guiding a multibillion-dollar medical revolution that could see new therapies for vexing, debilitating inflictions such as Alzheimer's, diabetes and spinal cord injuries within the next decade...MORE
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Examining Exposure To HIV In Treatment-Suppressed Patients
EmaxHealth, October 27, 2008
A new study looking at unprotected intercourse within gay couples when each partner has established HIV infection found a correlation between anti-HIV immune response and sexual activity...MORE
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Stem Cell Researcher Speaks of Discoveries
Asian Week, October 21, 2008
Stem cell researcher Dr. Shinya Yamanaka spoke at the Gladstone Institute in San Francisco on October 2. Yamanaka reported in the August 2006 issue of the journal Cell a new method for reprogramming skin cells from mice into embryonic-like cells that can differentiate into other types of cells...MORE
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Fatty acids clue to Alzheimer's
BBC, October 19, 2008
Controlling the level of a fatty acid in the brain could help treat Alzheimer's disease, an American study has suggested... MORE
This story was also picked up by -- Forbes.com -- U.S. News & World Report -- The Guardian -- Science Daily -- eFluxMedia.com
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Plenty of hope and hype behind California's $3 billion stem cell research program
By Sandy Kleffman
Contra Costa Times, October 12, 2008
Four years after California residents captured worldwide attention by voting to spend $3 billion on stem cell research, many of the anticipated new therapies are at least 10 years away and numerous hurdles must be overcome...MORE
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Stem cell advance avoids cancer risk
Method doesn't use viruses to reprogram cells
By Mark Johnson
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 9, 2008
A team of researchers led by Shinya Yamanaka, of Kyoto University and the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease have demonstrated a new way to reprogram cells without viruses, an important advance toward the goal of one day turning our own cells into a powerful tool to fight a wide range of diseases...MORE
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Stem Cell Pioneer Yamanaka Tweaks Breakthrough to Avoid Cancer
By Rob Waters
Bloomberg.com, October 9, 2008
The researcher who pioneered a way to make powerful stem cells from bits of skin or other adult tissue has improved the technique to reduce the risk of cancer...MORE
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Gladstone APOBEC3 story picked up by TV Stations coast to coast
September 4, 2008
News of the recent breakthrough by Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology researchers has generated nationwide interest...MORE
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Researchers solve some safety issues in reprogrammed cells
By Mark Johnson
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 25, 2008
Researchers have taken a major step toward resolving the safety issues surrounding a novel technique pioneered by Gladstone investigator, Shinya Yamanaka in which mature cells are reprogrammed back to the embryonic state...MORE
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PODCAST:
Single miRNA Molocule Controls Blood Vessel Development
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, September 11, 2008
Interview with Jason Fish, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Laboratory of Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease director, Deepak Srivastava about their research published in the journal Developmental Cell showing that a single miRNA molocule controls blood vessel development...MORE
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Gene may hold key to neutralizing HIV: U.S. study
By Julie Steenhuysen
Reuters, September 4, 2008
The AIDS virus is especially hard to fight because few people develop antibodies to neutralize it, but U.S. researchers said on Thursday they have found an immunity gene that may offer a new way to fight back...MORE
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Retrovirus Resistance Linked to Single Gene
By Michael Smith
MedPage Today, September 4, 2008
An inactive gene may be the reason why most people infected with HIV don't produce effective neutralizing antibodies to the virus, researchers here said
Their studies–conducted in mice–suggest that a gene called Apobec3 plays a central role in producing antibodies to retroviruses, according to Warner Greene, MD, PhD, of the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology at the University of California San Francisco, and colleagues....MORE
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Big data: Wikiomics
By Mitch Waldrop
NatureNews, September 3, 2008
Pioneering biologists are trying to use wiki-type web pages to manage and interpret data, reports Mitch Waldrop. But will the wider research community go along with the experiment? ...MORE
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HIV drugs to be used in prevention
Researchers are conducting trials to determine whether existing treatments can help block infections
By Thomas H. Maugh II
The Los Angeles Times, August 5, 2008
Disheartened by the failures of vaccines and microbicides in blocking HIV transmission, some AIDS researchers are now touting a third possibility: using existing HIV drugs prophylactically... MORE
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Big AIDS Parley Tries To Get Past Setbacks
By Marilyn Chase
The Wall Street Journal, August 2, 2008
American scientists gathering for the 17th International AIDS Conference say vaccines remain an important area of study in attacking the disease, despite recent setbacks, and they are also excited by other potential preventive steps such as a daily dose of antiviral drugs... MORE
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Stem Cells Breakthrough
By Chad Cohen
PBS NOVA SCIENCE NOW, July 23, 2008
Three separate teams overcome a biomedical hurdle—creating stem cells without the use of human embryos... MORE
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Teens learn about stem cell research
By David Louie
ABC KGO-TV San Francisco, June 27, 2008
Stem cell research is so new, it's not even something many high school students give as a possible career. But that may change because of a special program... MORE
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Alzheimer's Protein Tied to HIV Progression
The Washington Post (from HealthDay News), June 18, 2008
A protein linked to Alzheimer's disease also plays a role in HIV progression by promoting entry of the virus into cells, U.S. researchers say... MORE
This story was also picked up by Forbes.com and by U.S. News & World Report
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Stem cell research gets a $1M boost
By Rob Ferguson
The Toronto Star, June 17, 2008
Ontario is providing $1 million in seed money to back one of last year's most exciting medical breakthroughs, turning simple skin cells into stem cells... MORE
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Kleiner Perkins makes bet on adult stem cells
By Bernadette Tansey
The San Francisco Chronical, June 17, 2008
The veteran Silicon Valley venture capital firm that helped found the biotechnology industry, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, is now laying a bet on a breakthrough technology surrounding stem cells derived from adult humans... MORE
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The Gladstone Institutes and iZumi Bio Announce Broad Partnership in Regenerative Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease
redOrbit.com (from PRNewswire), June 16, 2008
iZumi Bio, Inc., and The J. David Gladstone Institutes, an independent non-profit biomedical research organization, have announced a major research collaboration and licensing agreement to focus on applications for induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells... MORE
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Gladstone's Kreitzer Receives Pew Scholar Award
UCSF Today, June 16, 2008
The Pew Charitable Trusts and UCSF announced that Gladstone Institutes and UCSF researcher Anatol C. Kreitzer, PhD, is one of 20 exceptional researchers selected as 2008 Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences... MORE
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Half Moon Bay High School students win opportunities in science
By Barbara Lohman
Coastsider, June 16, 2008
Ric Lohman arranged for the J. David Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco to expand its scholarship program this year to allow students from Half Moon Bay High to apply and compete for the 21 scholarships... MORE
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Gladstone Institutes and iZumi Bio ink stem cell deal
By Steven E.F. Brown
San Francisco Business Times, June 16, 2008
The J. David Gladstone Institutes will work with iZumi Bio Inc. on using adult stem cells in cardiovascular treatments... MORE
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Bay Area biotech exports include brains, ideas
Researchers forge deals in China, Africa, elsewhere
By Ron Leuty
San Francisco Business Times, May 30, 2008
The Bay Area is steadily and quietly growing a big export: its biomedical research smarts. That's landing local scientists in places like China, Turkey, Vietnam, Uganda and elsewhere as they try to spread knowledge born here to other spots on the globe... MORE
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Greene's leadership pushes HIV understanding
Mentor's death has led to greater role in Africa
By Ron Leuty
San Francisco Business Times, May 30, 2008
As a frustrated graduate student, Dr. Warner Greene built model airplanes just to prove to himself that he could handle a project.
Few have had such doubts since... MORE
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Bay Area can be daunting for young researchers
Gladstone tries to help with child care, other aid
By T.S. Mills-Faraudo
San Francisco Business Times, May 30, 2008
Trinidad native Yaisa Andrews-Zwilling and her husband where stunned last year when they found out how much moving to the Bay Area to start their science careers would drain their bank account... MORE
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Skin Morphed Into Stem Cells, Now With Sickle Cell Mutations
By Rob Waters
Bloomberg.com, May 29, 2008
Researchers for the first time say they've made stem cells with a disease-causing mutation -- in this case, sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder that affects mostly people of African descent... MORE
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AIDS Vaccine: A Change in Strategy
The Summit on HIV Vaccine Research and Development — sponsored by the NIAID at the National Institutes of Health and co-chaired by Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology director, Warner Green along with Dr. Anthony Fauci — was held in Maryland on March 25, 2008.
News reports detailing the findings of the event can be found here:
After 25 Years, AIDS Vaccine Research Makes Mid-course Correction
PBS: News Hour
NIH to Refocus HIV Vaccine Research
Pride Source
Researchers: We Need to Reassess HIV Vaccine Efforts
EDGE Boston
US government sees overhaul of AIDS vaccine effort
Reuters Africa
AIDS RESEARCH: Review of Vaccine Failure Prompts a Return to Basics
Science Magazine
Researchers say AIDS drugs failing
Contra Costa Times
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MicroRNAs Make Big Impression in Disease After Disease
By Jennifer Couzin
Science Magazine, March 28, 2008
From the heart to the blood to the pancreas and beyond, scientists are finding tantalizing hints that microRNAs can help keep us healthy or make us sick... MORE
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No. 1 Rank Helps Gladstone Recruit Brightest Postdocs
By Ron Leuty
San Francisco Business Times, March 7, 2008
It doesn't have the high-five appeal of a No. 1 college sports ranking, but securing a spot atop The Scientist magazine's list of U.S. sites for postdoctoral fellows could win some blue-chip recruits for the J. David Gladstone Institutes... MORE
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Stem Cell Therapy Breakthrough
By Bernadette Tansey
San Francisco Chronicle, March 6, 2008
Researchers in San Francisco have discovered a new way to nudge human embryonic stem cells to form specialized cells - a potentially huge step toward the development of stem cell therapies to repair damaged hearts, nerves and other organs.... MORE
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Stimulating Thymus Reactivates T-Cell Production
HealthDay News, February 22, 2008
It's possible to stimulate the thymus gland to produce new immune system T-cells in adults infected with HIV, U.S. researchers say.
This HealthDay News feed was picked up by
U.S. News & World Report and by The Washington Post
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New Therapy Helps Boost Immune System of HIV Patients
By Ian Sample
The Guardian, February 22, 2008
Doctors have boosted the immune systems of long-term HIV patients with a new therapy designed to protect them from common but potentially lethal infections... MORE
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Controversial Hormone May Be Key To Fighting HIV
By Dr. Kim Mulvihill, MD
KPIX-TV CBS, February 21, 2008
Scientists from the Gladstone Institute at UCSF say that human growth hormone, which has been at the center of recent sports doping scandals, may be able to help patients with HIV... MORE
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Scientists Find New Receptor for H.I.V.
By Lawrence K. Altman
The New York Times, February 11, 2008
Government scientists have discovered a new way that H.I.V. attacks human cells, an advance that could provide fresh avenues for the development of additional therapies to stop AIDS... MORE
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AIDS Drugs: Doubling as Prevention?
By Hilary Hylton
Time Magazine, January 22, 2008
A Texas-based study has strengthened the possibility that common drugs used to treat HIV infection may someday work as a preventive against vaginal transmission of the virus.... MORE
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Key Bone Building Pathway Identified in Mice
By Steve Tokar
UCSF Today, January 22, 2008
Researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, and Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease have uncovered a biochemical signaling pathway that leads to the formation of abnormally large bones in mice. For humans, the discovery may provide clues to both childhood bone formation and osteoporosis... MORE
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