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We focus on the problem of prediction with confidence and describe a recently developed learning algorithm called transductive confidence machine for making qualified region predictions. Its main advantage, in comparison with other classifiers, is that it is well-calibrated, with number of prediction errors strictly controlled by a given predefined confidence level. We apply the transductive confidence machine to the problems of acute leukaemia and ovarian cancer prediction using microarray and proteomics pattern diagnostics, respectively. We demonstrate that the algorithm performs well, yielding well-calibrated and informative predictions whilst maintaining a high level of accuracy.

Medicinal herbs have a long history of use in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine and a substantial body of evidence has, over recent decades, demonstrated a range of important pharmacological properties. Western biomedical researchers are examining not only the efficacy of the traditional herbal products but, through the use of a range of bioassays and analytical techniques, are developing improved methods to isolate and characterize active components. This review briefly describes the different extraction methodologies used in the preparation of herbal extracts and reviews the utility of chromatography-mass spectrometry for the analysis of their active components. In particular, applications of gas or liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry for the isolation and characterization of active components of ginseng are critically assessed. The analysis of toxic substances from herb extracts with mass spectrometric techniques is also discussed along with the potential for mass spectrometric methods to investigate the proteomics of herbal extracts.

Proteomics technologies can be applied to simultaneously study the function, organization, diversity, and dynamic variety of a cell or a whole tissue. The integrative approach of proteomics is in line with the holistic concept and practices of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In this review, the technologies of proteomics, their adoption leverages the depth and breadth of TCM research are introduced. This article presents some examples to illustrate the use of proteomics technologies in the study of pharmacological effects and their action mechanisms relevant to TCM. Proteomics technologies could be used to screen the target molecules of the TCM actions, identify new bioactive components, and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of their effects. With proteomics approaches, it was found that the Siwu decoction could regulate the protein expression of the bone marrow of blood (Xue) deficient mice, including some proteins and enzymes involved in the hemopoiesis system. Ganoderma lucidum spores might promote the survival and axon regeneration of injured spinal motor neurons in rats by regulating the expression levels of proteins involved in the energy and tissue regeneration system. Polygonatum zanlanscianense Pamp exhibited cytotoxicity towards human myeloblast leukemia HL-60 cells through multiple apoptosis-including pathways. Panax ginseng might be beneficial to patients suffering from diabetes mellitus and its complications by alleviating inflammation. Taken together with a discussion on the challenges and perspectives, this paper provides an overview of the recent developments of proteomics technologies in TCM research, and contends that proteomics will play an important role in the modernization and internationalization of TCM.

Proteomics technology is based on the vast analytical power for protein/peptide identification and quantification offered by modern mass spectrometry coupled with hyphenated separation techniques such as two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) and micro- or nano-scale multidimensional liquid chromatography. The rapid growth of proteomics field provides an array of new tools for the integration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with modern technology and systems biology, and is potentially advancing the progress of modernization and internationalization of TCM. Cho, in this issue of the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, highlights the recent application of 2DE-based and bottom-up proteomics in Chinese medicine research, including the exploration of pharmacological mechanisms of the actions of TCM, the facilitation of herb authentication and identification, and the profiling of protein expression following acupuncture treatment in animal models. Recent development in proteomics has provided further refinement on the analysis of proteins posttranslational modifications as well as quantitative comparison of different proteomes, and enabled the study of proteomes of specific diseases or biological processes under clinically relevant conditions. It is conceivable that the application of technologies developed in proteomics, genomics and metabonomics in the clinical practice and basic research of Chinese medicine will eventually lead to the reconciliation and integration of TCM and contemporary medicine. Chinese medicine is fundamentally a highly personalized medicine; perhaps it is time to embrace the arrival of TCM OMICS era in Chinese medicine research.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an alternative medicine, focuses on the treatment of human disease via the integrity of the close relationship between body and syndrome analysis. It remains a form of primary care in most Asian countries and its characteristics showcase the great advantages of personalized medicine. Although this approach to disease diagnosis, prognosis and treatment has served the medical establishment well for thousands of years, it has serious shortcomings in the era of modern medicine that stem from its reliance on reductionist principles of experimentation and analysis. In this way, systems biology offers the potential to personalize medicine, facilitating the provision of the right care to the right patient at the right time. We expect that systems biology will have a major impact on future personalized therapeutic approaches which herald the future of medicine. Here we summarize current trends and critically review the potential limitations and future prospects of such treatments. Some characteristic examples are presented to highlight the application of this groundbreaking platform to personalized TCM as well as some of the necessary milestones for moving systems biology of a state-of-the-art nature into mainstream health care.

Podophyllotoxin, a kind of lignan extracted from the Podophyllum plant, has been shown to inhibit the growth of various carcinoma cells. However, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the inhibition of cell growth and changes in protein expression induced by podophyllotoxin were investigated in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells. Our results demonstrate that Podophyllotoxin inhibits HeLa cell growth and induces apoptosis. By using proteomic techniques, seven proteins were found to be significantly regulated by podophyllotoxin compared to the untreated control; among them, four were down-regulated and three were up-regulated. All of the seven proteins were identified with peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) after in-gel trypsin digestion. Five of these proteins are involved in protein metabolism, and the other two play roles in cell communication and signaling transduction pathways. It is suggested that the effect of podophyllotoxin on the growth of tumor cells is significantly related to the metabolism-associated proteins.

Abundant evidence supports the key role of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in skin cancer development. The human skin, especially the epidermal layer, is the main defense against UV radiation. Baicalin is a major bioactive component of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, a plant which has been found to exhibit antitumor activity. The anticarcinogenic mechanism of baicalin is not completely understood. We have reported that baicalin inhibited UVB-induced photo-damage and apoptosis in HaCaT cells (human skin keratinocytes). The aim of the present study is to investigate the cellular gene targets responsible for baicalin’s antitumor activity by performing two-dimensional electrophoresis liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (2-DE LC-MS/MS) with HaCaT cells following UVB and baicalin exposure. Two-DE for protein separation was performed, followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and database searches. Nucleophosmin (NPM)-specific siRNA was designed and synthesized, and the small interfering RNA was transfected into skin squamous cancer A431 cells to knockdown the NPM expression. Proliferation and cell cycle status were assessed by CCK8 and flow cytometric analyses, respectively. We have identified 38 protein spots that are differentially expressed in HaCaT cells exposed to baicalin and/or UVB irradiation These proteins are involved in detoxification, proliferation, metabolism, cytoskeleton and motility. In particular, we found several proteins that have been linked to tumor progression and resistance, such as NPM. Baicalin treatment reduced the cellular proliferation rate and induced arrest during the S-phase of the cell cycle in A431 cells. NPM1 silencing significantly enhanced the effect of baicalin. Our data indicated that baicalin results in the significant inhibition of tumor growth in the A431 cell line, which may be associated with the regulation of the NPM gene expression.

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DGE) images are an important support for the analysis of proteins in proteomics. The registration of 2DGE images is considered as one of key elements in protein identification while it is a difficult problem. This paper proposes a new accurate nonlinear registration approach for 2DGE images, based on the exploitation of both spot distance measure and spot intensity. The method consists of three steps: multi-resolution affine registration, spot pairing and thin-plate spline interpolation. The results on both simulated and real gel images show that the proposed method significantly improves registration accuracy in comparison with thin-plate spline registration techniques.

Bioinformatics is the intersection of computer science, statistics, molecular biology and genetics. It is one of the most important emerging research areas of the 21st century and has already attracted worldwide interest. It is clear that major initiatives are being undertaken which will establish Australia both as a vital link in the international bioinformatics community for research and development and also as an Asia-Pacific service for bioinformatics. This article briefly notes some groups carrying out bioinformatics research in Australia.

This paper presents a brief overview of intellectual property rights and the various areas in proteomics to which IP rights may be applicable. Technology transfer, including licensing and business agreements, is not covered in this paper. Instead, issues and complications that are related to national and overseas patent prosecution in this relatively new field would be discussed.

Competitive Positioning Strategies for Australian Biotech Companies A Road Map to Achieve Competitive Position in the Global Biotech Marketplace Part III — Australia: Current Position and Key Success Factors.

The article discusses about the potential of Australia and New Zealand biotechnology opportunities.

The article is a summary of the research done in GIS. It touches on the focus on systems and integrative biology and GIS's efforts in collaborating with international organizations.

University of Queensland Offers Biotech Scholarship to Indian Students.

Australian Government Contributes $50M to Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.

US Pharmacy Giant MedicineShoppe Opens its First Store in China's ChongQing.

Pall Life Science Sets up Proteomics Center at Bangalore.

Hong Kong and Guangdong Health Experts to Collaborate on Bird Flu Lab Testing.

Taiwan's Vita Genomics, Yang Ming University and India's IGIB Sign Agreement on Liver Disease Research.

Update on Bird flu.

Singapore Scientists Make Discoveries on Stomach Cancer.

US Imalux Corporation Inks Distribution Deals with Beijing Goodwell Company Limited.

Australia's CSL Expansion Facility and Vaccine Market.

India and the US Collaborate on Agriculture.

Korea's Professor Hwang's Fabrication of Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

Cygenics Awarded Another Patent.

Brisbane-based Alchemia Merge with Melbourne-based Meditech.

Imugene to Conduct Second Bird Flu Program.

LCT and The Bionic Ear Institute Collaborate on Research to Improve Hearing Loss.

Norwood Abbey takes MIT's Needle Licence.

Sinovac Biotech and LG Life Sciences Announce Distribution Agreement to Market Vaccines in China.

Novavax and Bharat Biotech to Co-develop Flu Vaccine.

Perth-based Proteomics Partners with New Delhi-based TechnoConcept.

Japan's Bioventures Today — A-Cube Inc.

SGS Opens Up New Contract Analytical Laboratory for Quality Control Testing in Singapore.

CyGenics Expands Into Europe.

Increasing US Investment Support for Starpharma.

Proteomics — An Australian-based Biotech Company.

Resonance Health to Expand US Business Operations.

Rockeby biomed Announces Four New Developments for Avian Influenza Test Kits.

Ranbaxy Buys Companies in Belgium, Italy and Romania.

Japan's Bioventures Today — HuBit Genomix Inc.

Abbott to Invest US$280 Million in the Largest Nutritional Plant in Singapore.

Covance Celebrates 10th Anniversary Milestone in Singapore.

NanoMaterials Technology Opens New S$2.5 Million Facility.

Waters Corporation Collaborates with Solectron.

Zentek Engineering Becomes First Irish Company to Set Up Asia Pacific HQ in Singapore.

Drug Discovery in China.

Pharmaceutical Industrial Partnering Trends in India.

CS Trail Closure Statement Unaffects VivaGel™ Clinical Trails Progress.

Living Cell Technologies to Run World's First Xenotransplantation Trial in Diabetes without Immunosuppression.

China Medical Technologies Inc—A Medical Device Company.

Sinovac Biotech to Increase Stake in China Subsidiary.

Aurigene Collaborates With Forest Labs.

Transgene Biotek Developing Oral Vaccine to Fight Diabetes.

ImClone and Bristol-Myers Team up for Cancer Treatment in Japan.

Japan Bioventures Today—Medical ProteoScope Co Ltd.

Fluidigm Launches Biomedical Product Development Center.

Singular ID Launches Enxure On-Line Portal with the Delivery of Two Enxure Evaluation Kits.

Exploring the Role of Glutathione in the Regulation of Immune Cell Function.

Does Oxidative Damage Cause Poor Healing?

Pathogenesis of Atopic Dermatitis in Singapore.

Proteomics and Colorectal Cancer Metastasis: Bird's-Eye View on Current Scenario and Our Contribution.

Zebrafish: A Small Fish Model for a Big Human Disease.

The Reign of a New Dictator: Circulating MicroRNA in Diabetes.

Engineering Artificial Vascularized Bone Grafts for the Repair of Large Bone Defects.

A 'Nano' Era for Blood Glucose Sensing.

Ancient Medicine with Newer Roles: Potential Role of Celastrol in the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma.

Proteins, Proteome and Proteomics.

A Novel Promising Biomarker and Therapy Target of Liver Cancer.

P&G Children's Safe Drinking Water Program Celebrates 10 Billion Litre Milestone in Singapore.

New In-Vitro Studies Reinforce Efficacy of BETADINE® Skin Cleanser against Viruses that Cause Hand Foot & Mouth Disease.

Singapore Ranked Fifth in its Readiness to Achieve a Fully Integrated Health System Reveals First Future Health Index.

SCIEX Announces High Throughput, Industrialised Omics Solutions.

Novartis Expands Partnership with Medicines for Malaria Venture to Develop Next-Generation Antimalarial Treatment.

ADVA Launches Dengue Mission Buzz Barometer Tool to Boost Critical Dengue Prevention Awareness and Preparedness Amongst ASEAN Community.

Innovative Diagnostics Awarded Unprecedented Westgard Sigma Certification in Singapore.