Manhasset, NY, Dec. 16, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Molecular
Medicine
, the peer-reviewed open access journal
published by Feinstein Institute Press, today released its 20th
anniversary edition. This special commemorative issue highlights
the career and scientific impact of Anthony Cerami, PhD. It
includes reviews by renowned leaders in the fields of parasitology,
hematology, immunology, metabolism, therapeutics and molecular
medicine about the influence Dr. Cerami's research on their
scientific careers. Dr. Cerami, CEO of Araim Pharmaceuticals, is
best known for developing the HbA1c (A1C) diagnostic test, the
current gold standard for diagnosing diabetes.
Dr. Cerami's interest in the underlying conditions of diseases
developed at an early age, when his mother developed diabetes. He
witnessed first-hand the complications and suffering caused by the
disease. This inspired Dr. Cerami to study the cause and
consequences of diabetes to best explore viable treatments.
"As I look back over the course of my work, it is easy to see
how ideas, observations and discoveries are connected," said Dr.
Cerami, editor emeritus of Molecular Medicine. "The basic
biological questions I asked as a youth have been the framework for
most of my scientific work. My perseverance was encouraged
enormously by mentors, students, collaborative colleagues, and the
desire to understand and develop therapies that might help patients
has obsessed me my entire life. There is no map for the unknown,
but that is the fun of it."
The issue includes an introduction by
Kevin Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institute
for Medical Research, and editor emeritus of Molecular
Medicine.
"Students in molecular medicine and active investigators
pursuing basic science in the hopes of improving human health will
find inspiration in these accounts," said Dr. Tracey. "Dr. Cerami's
persistence and passion fed his ability to move beyond observations
of the natural world to perform experiments that continue to
produce new diagnostics and therapeutics. Future generations of
molecular medicine researchers can learn from his approach."
Another major focus of Dr. Cerami's research has been the
identification of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) as a key inflammatory
mediator of tissue damage caused by a wide variety of diseases. The
current success of anti-TNF therapy as a disease modifying
treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and psoriasis,
is based on this discovery. This work has also culminated most
recently in the engineering of a peptide, ARA 290, as a general
antagonist of inflammation and an activator of tissue repair. The
issue can be read in its entirety on
molmed.org.
About Araim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Araim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held biotech
company founded in 2006 engaged in developing novel treatments for
devastating injuries and chronic diseases underserved by current
therapies. Their lead compound, ARA 290, is a novel 11 amino acid
peptide engineered to specifically activate the body's natural
repair system via the innate repair receptor that is present only
following injury. ARA 290 activates anti-inflammatory, tissue
protective, and reparative signaling pathways. The short half-life
of ARA 290 coupled with the restricted expression of the innate
repair receptor functions as a dual safety system to avoid
potential side effects. Clinical trials evaluating ARA 290 for
treatment of neuropathic symptoms associated with diabetes and the
orphan disease sarcoidosis are currently ongoing in the US and
Europe. ARA 290 has received orphan drug designation in the US and
in Europe, as well as Fast Track designation in the US for
treatment of small fiber neuropathy in sarcoidosis. www.araimpharma.com
About Molecular Medicine
Molecular Medicine is an open access, international,
peer-reviewed biomedical journal published by the Feinstein
Institute Press. Molecular Medicine strives to understand normal
body functioning and disease pathogenesis at the molecular level,
which may allow researchers and physician-scientists to use that
knowledge in the design of specific molecular tools for disease
diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and prevention. To learn more,
visit www.molmed.org.
About The Feinstein Institute for Medical
Research
Headquartered in Manhasset, NY, The Feinstein Institute
for Medical Research is home to international
scientific leaders in many areas including Parkinson's disease,
Alzheimer's disease, psychiatric disorders, rheumatoid arthritis,
lupus, sepsis, human genetics, pulmonary hypertension, leukemia,
neuroimmunology, and medicinal chemistry. The Feinstein Institute,
part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, ranks in the top
6th percentile of all National Institutes of Health
grants awarded to research centers. For more information,
visit www.FeinsteinInstitute.org.
CONTACT: Terry Lynam
516-465-2640
tlynam@nshs.edu
