NEWS
"In 2009, CRP-Santé made major efforts to initiate an economical valorization process of its research results. Besides the constant involvement of its senior leadership in public efforts towards valorization (e.g. Luxembourg BioHealth Cluster, the government-driven Luxembourg Biotechnology Initiative and multiple transnational projects (Interreg) in the Greater Region), CRP-Santé has signed a collaboration agreement with Luxinnovation and significantly extended its relationship with the private venture capitalist Vesalius Biocapital. The recruitment of a technology transfer officer, who will further build on this promising public-private partnership, was a logical next step we have taken recently. We are confident that these combined efforts will result in tangible economic outcomes in the short term.”
Extract from the Board of Management’ message – Activity Report 2009.
As a prize they have been awarded 2 weeks in London to participate to the LIYSF (London International Youth Science Forum), an event organized by the Imperial College of London from 28 July to 11 August, where they will be attending seminars, visiting research institutions and of course representing Luxembourg through their project.
More information on: http://www.ajsl.lu/
Complix NV, a recently founded biopharmaceutical company, announced on June 4, 2010 the successful closing of its Series A financing round, raising €5 million (~US$6.25 million) from a syndicate of leading life sciences investors. The transaction was co-led by Vesalius Biocapital (Luxembourg) and LRM (Belgium), with CRP-Santé (Luxembourg), existing investors and management also participating.
For detailed information and press releases, please refer to this page .
The BioLux Networking team invites you to the 4th BioLux Network meeting
on the 27th of May 2010 at 6.30pm
at the University of Luxembourg, conference room BS 0.01
(Bâtiment des Sciences, Campus Limpertsberg)
Topic: “The bottlenecks of your PhD in Luxembourg”,
> Prof. Dr. Rudi Balling (Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine)
> Dr. Jean-Claude Schmit (Centre de Recherche Public-Santé)
> Daniel Cardao (Centre de Recherche Public-Santé)
For further details or to subscribe to the BioLux Network mailing list, please contact: biolux.networking@gmail.com
The evaluation is commissioned by the Ministry of Research and Higher Education and is part of the performance contract signed between CRP-Santé and the Ministry. The evaluation covers the period from 2007 to 2009 and encompasses the Laboratory of Experimental Hemato-Oncology, the Norlux Neuro-Oncology Laboratory and the Microarray Center, the three units belonging to the department during that period.
Several data support the use of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors as single anticancer agents or in combination chemotherapy. The activity of MGCD0103 has been demonstrated in hematological malignancies, but the molecular basis behind its cytotoxicity is still poorly understood.This study provides evidence that chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells are more sensitive than normal cells to MGCD0103, and that this HDAC inhibitor kills CLL cells by activating the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis and triggering a mitochondrial death amplification loop in ex vivo. These findings are relevant to understand and overcome MGCD0103 resistance mechanisms and consider its use in combination regimens.
Reference:
Victoria El-Khoury, Etienne Moussay, Bassam Janji, Valérie Palissot, Nasséra Aouali, Nicolaas H.C. Brons, Kris Van Moer, Sandrine Pierson, Eric Van Dyck, and Guy Berchem.
The Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor MGCD0103 Induces Apoptosis in B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells through a Mitochondria-Mediated Caspase Activation Cascade. Mol Cancer Ther; Published OnlineFirst April 20, 2010.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20406947