Scientists working at the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Institute on Aging have identified a misfolded, or incorrectly formed, protein common to two devastating neurological diseases, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), according to a report in the Oct. 6, 2006, issue of Science. The findings suggest that certain forms of FTD, ALS and possibly other neurological diseases might share a common pathological process. Virginia Lee, Ph.D., and John Trojanowski, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, led an international team of scientists in this discovery. The work was funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the NIH. Read the press release.

InforSense Ltd. has been selected as a technology partner in the 2M-euro European Union-funded ARGUGRID project. The project is a collaborative effort between eight partners from five countries and is funded by the IST Grid technologies program. The goal of ARGUGRID is to develop the next generation service-oriented computing platform for scientific and business applications. Based on semantic web and agent-based technologies, the project is developing novel techniques for supporting dynamic service selection, composition and optimization by applying advanced logical reasoning over service semantics. Read the press release.

BioDiscovery Inc. has released a completely new aCGH module providing an advanced array-based DNA copy number analysis and visualization tool. The ImaGene aCGH (array Comparative Genomic Hybridization) module provides researchers with one-button analysis, normalization, and visualization of DNA gains and losses. Featuring a unique statistical algorithm, based on the well-accepted CBS (Circular Binary Segmentation) approach, BioDiscovery enhanced the algorithm to significantly improve processing speed. While allowing end user customization, the aCGH module’s user-friendly interface eliminates the need for knowledge of advanced scripting languages or statistical settings. Read the press release.

Biotica Technology Ltd., a private U.K. biotechnology company, has signed an exclusive research collaboration and license agreement with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. This alliance is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel rapamycin analogs that target diseases in multiple therapeutic areas. Biotica has granted Wyeth worldwide rights to its most advanced drug candidates, a portfolio of additional rapamycin analogs, and the technology to discover new compounds. The companies will collaborate on a multi-product discovery program from which compounds will be selected for development and commercialization by Wyeth. Biotica will receive an initial payment, research support and milestone payments. Potential payments to Biotica could total up to $195 million for the successful development and commercialization of multiple products.  In addition, Biotica will receive royalties on product sales. Read the press release.

Plexxikon Inc. and Roche have entered into an agreement to develop and commercialize PLX4032, Plexxikon’s investigational targeted cancer therapy which selectively inhibits B-Raf^V600E, a mutated form of the BRAF kinase gene. The BRAF^V600E gene has been associated with increased tumor aggressiveness and decreased survival in many types of cancers and is a common cancer-causing kinase gene. The BRAF^V600E gene is found in approximately 70 percent of malignant melanomas and a large number of colorectal and thyroid tumors. PLX4032 may offer a new treatment modality for the estimated 100,000 cancer patients in the United States who carry the BRAF^V600E gene. Plexxikon recently filed an Investigational New Drug application for PLX4032 and plans to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial by the end of this year. Read the press release.