Gold Price Rallies Into New Year

Gold Price Rallies Into New Year

  

 

Los Angeles, CA. – Morgan Gold - After starting the year at $1,096 an ounce, Gold is on the verge of posting its tenth consecutive yearly gain th

is Friday morning with the Gold price surging to a record high of $1,421.30 an ounce. Precious metals are receiving a boost from the weakened U.S. dollar, which declined for a third day in a row against the euro.

If the Gold price can hold onto its gains it will set a record all time closing high surpassing Gold's record settle on Dec. 6 of $1,416.10 an ounce, a fitting close for 2010. The price of Gold's intra-day high stands at $1,431.30 an ounce and was struck on December 7 and if the price of Gold continues at its current momentum it could take out this record today.

The Silver price continues its advance into the New Year alongside Gold, closing in on the $31 an ounce level for the first time since 1980. The price of Silver has surged 47 percent since September 21 and over 80 per cent for the year. The Fed’s monetary policies are driving precious metals prices higher as we move into 2011 and the number of individuals calling for greater Fed scrutiny is rising as well.

Congressman Ron Paul of Texas will be assuming the chairmanship of the Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee in January, directly overseeing the monetary policies of the Fed. Dr. Paul, an advocate of the Austrian School of Economics, and the author of 'End The Fed,' has been one of the Fed's harshest critics for several years.

Paul has vowed to continue his pursuit of an audit of the U.S. central bank and an examination of the country's Gold reserves. "I think they're way too independent. They just shouldn't have this power," Paul said. "Up until recently it has been modest but now it's totally out of control."

Invest in physical Gold and Silver bullion and protect your wealth in 2011. Widely recognized Gold and Silver bullion coins can be bought and sold quite simply at Morgan Gold and they can be easily stored in a safe-deposit box if you desire. Did you know you can add Gold and Silver bullion to your IRA?

It's true, and it's a safe and effective way to start investing, just call 1.800.585.1773 and speak to a Gold and Silver investment specialist at Morgan Gold today. Ask about our Sterling Trust Precious Metals IRA. Have a Safe and Happy New Year from all of us at Morgan Gold. 

http://www.morgangold.com/news/20101231-gold-price-rallies-into-new-year.html

2011 Economic Outlook and How to Invest and Prepare For the Year Ahead

by andys2i

So what will 2011 look like for the US and global economy? 2010 was a year of recovery, but it was sputtering and many questioned whether the recovery was real and if it could be sustained. As we head in to 2011 things are looking brighter following a booming stock market (up 13%), a new 2011 Tax Stimulus package, and housing markets stabilizing around the country.  But the one major area of concern is still unemployment, which is staying stubbornly high around 10% despite improving corporate and small business profits. With all these factors in mind, here’s what to expect for the year ahead and what you can do to leverage the forecasted trends.

Economic Growth: U.S. gross domestic product expanded 2.8 percent in 2010, confirming views that the US economy is on the mend. The 2011 tax-cut stimulus bill will pump another $858 billion into the economy that’s already starting to turn the corner, raising the prospects for decent growth in 2011 and 2012- 3% on average according to some forecasters.

Stock market: 2010 was a good year for the equity markets and 2011 looks to be just as good as the economy continues to improve. According to a Bloomberg survey of 11 stock analysts the American equities will rise 11% on average, with many leading forecasters predicting returns above 15%. Equities will be further boosted by the growing number of mergers, acquisitions and stock buy-backs as companies seek to use their record cash stockpiles. All these factors and growing optimism make being invested in the market a must for most short and long term investors. (See how you can trade stocks for free at Zecco.com)

Housing: The housing outlook for next year calls for a slow recovery as the national market continues to clear out inventory driven by the large number of home foreclosures. Some areas where unemployment is low, like cities in the North East and North West, should see home price rises. But with the expiry of the home buyer credit and prospect of more foreclosures, home prices are likely stay flat in the year ahead. The good news is that for existing home owner though is that with interest rates at record lows, refinancing provides an easy way to lower their monthly payments and put that extra cash into their 401K or equity accounts.

US dollar: The once mighty US dollar has lost a lot of its sheen and perceived superiority over the last few years due to various government and Federal Reserve actions.  Unless there is geo-political uncertainty or a serious slump in global economic growth, the US dollar is likely going to continue its slow downward trajectory against most major currencies.  However the good news from a weaker US dollar is that our exporters and multi-national companies should benefit from foreign earnings, confirming views that the stock of these sort of companies are likely to do really well in 2011.

Inflation and Interest Rates: Despite scare mongering from the gold bugs out there and Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing actions (akin to printing money) inflation seems to be a problem for the future and should not really be a factor in 2011, or even 2012. However longer term inflation is a real issue and you should look to keep a small part of your portfolio in TIPS and Gold.

Interest rates will likely rise in 2011 after touching all time lows this year, sparking many mini re-finance booms. Interest rate rises will be driven by growing private-sector borrowing and an expectation of a slowdown in the Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing actions. But interest rates, like inflation, probably won’t rise till later in 2011. Still, if you have good credit and a stable job, refinancing in 2011 may be a good idea if rates are expected to go up.

Stimulus and Tax Breaks: President Obama;s recently approved $858 tax package will build on the existing 2008 stimulus package to further pump up the economy in 2011 and 2012. Economists are predicting the new stimulus will add between 0.2 to 0.5% to GDP, driving the expected 3% growth next year. This alone won’t be enough to turn the unemployment situation around, but should create a base for solid growth between 2012 and 2015.

Employment: With 3% growth, the unemployment rate should start to fall in 2011. But don’t expect it to fall fast. For one thing, there are a lot of discouraged workers who aren’t even looking for jobs anymore and, therefore, don’t show up in today’s unemployment statistics. But once growth starts to rise, they may re-enter the labor force, slowing any decline in joblessness.

And then there are those pesky interest rates mentioned above. As they rise, they could act like the governor on an old-fashioned steam engine, choking off growth just as it gets going. The result could be a long period – maybe years – of sub-par growth and uncomfortably high unemployment rates.

National Debt:  With all the stimulus payments and quantitative easing measures it is clear that the government is determined to do anything in its power to sustain and foster economic growth. However the cost of all these measures are borne by tax payers and adds to our growing national debt, which is already at record levels.  The debt reduction commission has put forward a number of tough measures for Congress to take to tackle the national debt, but with a fragile economy and 2012 presidential election ahead, it is unlikely that Congress and the administration will take any serious measures to cut debt levels.

2011 will be another year of change, but there is more reason to be optimistic than pessimistic. Good luck and here’s to a happy and prosperous year ahead.

2011 Gold Outlook

by Addison Wiggin

• Gold demand, then and now: A powerful factor propelling gold for another decade
• Two figures that prove conclusively gold is NOT in a bubble
• Obama signs game-changer for gold and silver coins
• S&P record high in 2011 among “10 outrageous predictions”
• Reader inquires the best way to play the VIX... Dan Amoss with answers

Gold is holding steady today at $1,384. Silver is likewise firm at $29.31.

For all the weeping and gnashing of teeth about the short-term ups and downs of precious metals, a couple of key facts stand out:

• If the year ended right now, gold would be up 26% for the year

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• Barring a major market dislocation in the next 10 days, gold will have gone up every year for 10 years in a row

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• Hard to conceive now… but silver was below $18 at the start of 2010

So what about gold in the year ahead? Let’s look back so we can get a clear view forward: Over the last 10 years, while gold has gone up every year, the source of demand has shifted dramatically:

• 2000: Jewelry dominates the market, making up 80% of overall demand. Investors account for a mere 2%. (The rest went for industrial and other uses.)

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• 
  
• 2005: Jewelry falls to about 60% of demand, while investment demand grew 10-fold, to make up 20% of overall demand

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• 2010: Today it’s even-steven: 40% is jewelry demand, 40% is investment demand.

These figures come from Dennis Gartman of The Gartman Letter, who attributes much of this shift to the advent of gold ETFs like GLD. “The ETFs are having their very real impact.”

Hedge fund manager Bill Fleckenstein begs to differ. “It is the investment demand that has had the impact; the ETFs are merely the conduit by which much of that demand is expressed.


Two basic factors can propel gold higher in 2011, according to George Soros -- now the largest shareholder of GLD.

Soros raised a lot of eyebrows early in 2010 when he cryptically remarked, “The ultimate asset bubble is gold.” A lot of people projected their own biases onto Soros and concluded that he thought a bubble was well under way and about to pop.

Not so fast. Last month, speaking to the Canadian International Council in Toronto, he clarified: “It’s all a question of where are you in that bubble… The current conditions of actual deflationary pressures and fear of inflation is pretty ideal for gold to rise.”

On the other hand, “The big negative is that too many people know this and a lot of hedge funds are very heavily exposed.”

It’s true that many of Soros’ fellow hedgies -- John Paulson, David Einhorn, Paul Tudor Jones, just off the top of our heads -- have piled into gold.

But “what is really remarkable,” says Bill Fleckenstein, “is that with investment demand at 40% of gold production, the number of gold bulls with any substantial allocation is still minute.”


What’s more, gold remains basically nowhere on the radar of the retail investor. As money flowed out of stock funds during 2010, where did the money go? Bonds. Bond funds have seen a net inflow of $230 billion so far this year.

In contrast, if you added up the entire assets under management of GLD and its nearest competitor, IAU, the total is only $60.4 billion.

As we approach 2011, gold is still just a flyspeck on the map of the investing world. Gold is still in Phase Two of the three-phase bull market described by everyone from Doug Casey to James Turk.

Phase Three is the mania. We’re not there yet. You’ll know we’re there when garden-variety holders of 401(k) plans scream for access to vehicles like GLD.

You’ll know we’re near the top of the mania when CNBC talks up junior miners with nothing but moose pasture the way it did dot-coms with nothing but a cocktail-napkin business plan in 1999.

[Speaking of junior miners, here’s one that’s the real deal: “This tiny company is sitting on gold reserves 32 times its total market cap,” says Byron King. With this massive discovery, this company’s stock could soar 10-fold… 15-fold… even 20-fold… and STILL be cheap!”

Only a few hours remain in which you can get your hands on a special report with all the details. The cutoff is midnight tonight. And to make sure the share price doesn’t blow up artificially, we’re keeping a strict limit on the number of reports. As of this writing, only 134 remain.

If they’re gone before midnight, we take the offer off the table. If you don’t want to be left out, here’s where to go.]


A little-noticed bill signed into law last week by President Obama could shrink the supply of bullion-grade Gold and Silver Eagles.

Under the Coin Modernization Act, the U.S. Mint is granted new powers to produce collector-grade proof and uncirculated Eagles… even if that cuts into production of bullion coins.

This is a sea change from how the Mint has operated ever since it first issued Eagles in 1986. Up till now, the Mint has been under orders to issue as many bullion-grade Eagles as it takes to meet demand.

When demand spiked after the Panic of 2008, the Mint issued no proof Gold or Silver Eagles during 2009. And the 2010 issues didn’t go on sale until very recently -- Oct. 7 for the Gold Eagles and Nov. 19 for the Silver Eagles.

So the Mint is working within an incredibly tight window to get out the proof Silver Eagles -- just 42 days. Nick Bruyer and the crew at First Federal have secured a supply of them. And as a customer of Agora Financial, you get dibs. Your window of exclusivity on these coins expires tonight.

[The usual disclaimer: We may be compensated if you buy, owing to our business relationship with First Federal. We maintain this relationship because so many of you have asked for offers like these.]


After an indecisive Monday, stocks are moving up this Tuesday. The Dow has powered past 11,500.

Traders are taking cheer from merger-and-acquisition activity headlined by TD’s $6.3 billion purchase of Chrysler’s lending arm. Not that this will actually create new wealth to justify the broad market moving higher, but there you go.

Indeed, the broad market could move much higher if some real outlier forecasts pan out…


Is 2011 the year the S&P tops its 2007 high? Or the dollar strengthens dramatically?

Those are among the “10 Outrageous Predictions” just issued by Saxo Bank, the Danish investment bank. It’s become an annual tradition, but take note: Saxo freely admits these aren’t “predictions” per se.

They’re more like “thought experiments” -- things to get its clients thinking outside the box and preparing for black swans. Here’s the list…

In a typical year, three or four of these predictions actually come to pass.

So which will they be in 2011? What seems plausible to you? Shoot us a line.


“A couple days ago,” writes a reader, “I noticed the same thing about the VIX” that we did yesterday -- the market’s “fear gauge” sits at eight-month lows.

“But when I went to buy some VIX call options, I practically got knocked off my feet! Unless I misunderstand the pricing, the call options were INSANELY expensive, even very, very far out of the money. In contrast, the VIX put options were INSANELY cheap, even very far in the money.”

“Unless I’m reading my online option ordering forms wrong, the VAST majority of traders are expecting VIX to shoot sky-high. Am I reading that wrong? What do you say?”

The 5: Strategic Short Report editor Dan Amoss replies: “VIX options are European-style options, so the pricing is bizarre. They can be executed only on the contract’s expiration date. I wouldn’t recommend them for anyone looking for a play on market turmoil.”

If you want to profit from complacency, Dan offers this suggestion: “A low VIX makes put options cheap. Now is the time to be scaling into insurance for your portfolio in the form of long-dated put options.

“The bullish side of the boat is awfully crowded. You can do this with puts on carefully selected stocks, or puts on index ETFs like the large-cap S&P 500 (SPY) and small-cap Russell 2000 (IWM). Puts on these index ETFs are very liquid, and they aren’t pricing in nearly as much volatility as usual.”


“Why haven’t you folks written a bit about the fake food safety bill that will let big ag get even bigger and... well, you know the rest of the story.

“We have farmers in the family, small farms, and they are worried about the bill that they are positive over time will take away many small farms, including theirs. S 510 will either pass or fail tomorrow.”

The 5: We highlighted this bill nearly four months ago in a litany of abuses we put under the general category of “The War on Small Business.”

We said the bill would have a “devastating impact on small farmers” because Monsanto and the rest of Big Agra “can easily absorb the record-keeping requirements (and annual fees)”… and your typical farm stand operator cannot.

It passed in the Senate over the weekend. Alas, the House could follow suit before day’s end. If we haven’t given it enough attention, it’s only because it’s hard to keep up with every outrage in our mere 5 Mins. Good luck and Godspeed to your farming relatives.


“If you are referring to my ‘Great Correction’ versus ‘Final Bubble’ comment of Dec. 17, then I respectfully request a ‘correction’ to your statement (in The 5 of Dec. 20) regarding the ‘guy who labels [you] airheaded.’

“I did not at all refer to the Agora crew as airheads. What I said was that you’ve been called various things by your readers, but ‘airhead’ could NOT be one of them. I am a longtime reader, and though I may not always agree with your perspective, I’ve always respected the intelligence behind it.

“The ‘airhead’ pejorative referred to the many people I encounter these days who seem to lack the gene for active critical thinking.”

The 5: Sorry for the misunderstanding. Regardless, you started a provocative thread in our inbox, which we always welcome. We’ll give this reader the final word:


“There may be more truth than poetry to” to Mr. Final Bubble’s point of view, “even though he may have expressed it with youthful excitement.

“A sober view of the numbers strongly leads to that direction, though. Our central government clearly is hell bent to destroy America to create the greatest Soviet Union look-alike nation ever.”

“The 5 is not obliged to explore why the future is so dim. The 5 looks for profit in the rubble of a nation in self-destruct mode, and that’s OK with me.”

The 5: We don’t maintain much of a traditional “corporate culture” around here, but if we did, that’d be a pretty good mission statement.

Cheers,
Dave Gonigam
The 5 Min. Forecast

P.S.: It’s “last call” for Byron King’s special report on the tiny company sitting on an $883 million gold mine just waiting to be reopened -- maybe as early as this coming February.

The deadline is midnight tonight… and that’s if we don’t exhaust our strict allocation of 500 reports before then. Act now.

http://5minforecast.agorafinancial.com/2011-gold-outlook/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+5MinForecast+%285+Min.+Forecast%29

Don’t Buy Commodities Now

Miami Beach, Florida

Commodities and common stocks continue to show a strong correlation to each other since 2007. And that might be bad news for commodity bulls if stocks head sharply lower in January as virtually every sentiment indicator I track flashes “overbought.”

Since the advent of the credit crisis in mid-2007, the “risk on” and “risk off” trading relationship has forced these two asset classes into the same bed. That means more often than not that their performance is intertwined.

Diversification has failed most portfolios over the past three years with only a few commodities breaking ranks; gold and natural gas have tended to break free from the broader stock market but just about everything else has managed to plunge when equities head south.

With the exception of bombed-out natural gas and most oil services stocks, the commodities complex remains heavily overbought and poised for a severe correction in January. I would not buy most resource stocks or commodity ETFs heading into the New Year. The odds favor a much better entry point lies ahead.

This would be consistent with my view on stocks, which have shown to be positively correlated to commodities since 2009; if stocks and commodities are running the gamut together in this recovery off the March 2009 lows, then shrewd investors would be better off waiting for marked decline in both risk assets before committing new funds.

For commodities investors, understanding stock market indicators might allow for less pain come January 2011.

Major sentiment indicators I’m tracking show dangerously bullish levels. These include the CBOE puts-to-calls ratio, Investors Intelligence surveys and the number of shorts at both the NYSE and NASDAQ. These indicators are now trading at their highest levels since 2007 and point to a big market decline.

Another indicator is the level of closed-end fund discount trading to big discounts to their net asset values; that figure has significantly compressed since November. Finally, the worst market-timers of all, the individual investor, is now a net buyer of stock funds since last month for the first time since 2007.

The Investors Intelligence survey is most telling of all. This indicator is calculated weekly and now shows bulls at their highest levels since before October 2007 at just under 56%. That’s a bearish number. Back in August, the number of bulls was just 29%, suggesting stocks were about to stage a big rally. Indeed, they did, courtesy of Bubble Ben and the Feds announcement of QE II.

Stocks and commodities have shown a strong correlation since the emergence of the credit crisis and especially since the March 2009 lows. Too much complacency is a bad thing and 

warrants caution for most risk assets heading into January. Commodities are no exception

.

http://roseman.sovereignsociety.com/2010/12/29/dont-buy-commodities-now/#more-1423

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping

Online shopping is a multi billion business and is constantly growing. Many individuals favour this kind of shopping because of ease. For shoppers who work for lengthy hours, it would be hard to visit a store during standard trade hours. Online retailers allow orders twenty four hours a day and shoppers can easily shop from their place of convenience and whenever they have free moment available. As well, online shopping gives the shopper the facility to compare the products with easiness. This prevents the bother of visiting different conventional stores and finding difficult to remember details like cost and features. Online shopping is predominantly useful for those with limited mobility as they can shop with out any difficulty.

Some items may only be available in certain locations of the country and this makes comparing the prices difficult for traditional high street shoppers. By online shopping, products from around the world can be purchased, by comparing details and price of the items. An item which is a regional speciality can be bought online without going in person to that location. In most occasions, the prices are cheaper online than in the high street stores. Online shoppers can send gifts to family members or friends as a surprise. It also saves the time of buying the gifts in high street, packing it carefully and shipping the gift.

While there are numerous advantages of online shopping there are some hassles and fear regarding them. Identity theft is the most key worry for those who fear about online shopping. But threat of identity theft with online shopping through a secure website is comparatively little. Most highly regarded online retailers will give a secure website for shoppers. If the client is unsure about the security there is always a choice of calling customer service to leave the order. One more worry is about dealing with returns. In majority of cases the returns procedure with online retailers is quite easy like returning the product to traditional store. But some time the shopper will be financially liable for the cost of shipping the product back to the online vendor. This can be expensive if the product is oversize. Like wise some the products are not returnable except they have technical damage. Always read the return policy before you buy.

Another problem of online shopping is encountering misleading product information or shopper buying a wrong item. The simplest solution is to contact the customer service to verify whether or not the product for sale will suit your needs. Carefully read the fine print before you make a purchase. These include information such as product description, payment options, cost of the product, taxes and shipping and return policy. Another problem with online shopping is slow internet connection or a web site loading very slowly. Most of the reputable online retailers have dedicated servers with less than ten second loading time.

But the above problems are almost fully avoided if you shop in reputed online retailers These retailers have secure web sites and concern about identity theft is almost nil. In addition they have dedicated servers and make every effort to load the web pages within ten seconds. In addition the prices are much cheaper, as they sell products directly from the warehouses. Online shopping in reputable sites will not only safe and secure, they also give the pleasure of high street shopping at your home comfort.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/shopping-articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-online-shopping-409165.html#ixzz199zPkbjT 
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Fun Computer Games for Kids

If there is one thing that kids love more than sugar, then it must be playing games. During the warm summer days, playing in the backyard or by the pool can be great fun, but in the cold winter days, indoor games can be just as entertaining. Luckily, today almost every single household has a computer, so having your children entertained and occupied is much easier that it used to be in the pre-computer era.

A great number of kids' games can be found online and they can range from the old-fashioned, loved by all arcade games to the latest 3D action games. Flash games are the ones that are particularly suitable for younger kids since they typically do not require registering an account, or downloading any software, and can be played even on older computer with slow graphic cards.

What games should you let your kids play?

This obviously depends on the child's age, but rest assured that there is a game out there perfectly suitable for any age. The younger ones can have a great time playing games and learn the colors, alphabet, or even how to count, while the adolescents can certainly benefit from theme games such as the ones that teach history, math, or science. There are literally thousands of websites that offer kids' games for free and there are plenty of multiplayer games as well, where you can play with your child and not only learn new things, but have a great time bonding at the same time. These are particularly useful since they teach children how to be team players and build skills that they will most certainly need in "real life" as well.

What games should not be played by kids?

You might have heard stories about computer and video games leading to additions or aggression, but there has never been any solid proof to back this correlation, and in fact, most of the studies have concluded that kids that play computer games can easily separate the virtual reality from the "real life." Of course, violent games are not suitable for young children, but if you find your teenage boy shooting monsters all day long, in most cases you have nothing to worry about.

Computer games have become an essential part of the kids' lives, and around the Globe and children play sports, educational, mystery, and classic games and learn how to make decisions and solve problems on their own!

You can visit our site super entertaining website and waste time while having great fun, or play some awesome computer games together with your kids! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tzvetan_Todorov

How To Be Your Own Boss In 10 Seconds With These Cheap Business Ideas

The next time that grumpy boss of yours has a bad hair day or when catching the 7 o'clock to work on a cold Monday morning is just no fun anymore, pull out this list. You just never know, the old thought of being your own boss one fine day could be sooner than you think.
OK, with that promise in mind, here is my quick list of cheap business ideas. While not comprehensive, each idea only has 4 quick points and takes about 10 seconds to read. Its designed to get your creative juice flowing so you can come up with something that's uniquely your own or a combo of ideas you can run with.
Huge outlay to get started, you ask? It depends. I didn't call this list 'Cheap Business Ideas' for no reason. Enjoy.
Off Site Marketing Department
Many companies are great at making a product but lousy in broadcasting and promoting it.

• Offer them an off-site on-demand marketing service
• Focus on promoting their product to their targeted areas
• Position yourself as a one-day-a-week service, per company
• Charge each a one-day consulting fee and you're smiling

Blogging For Gas Money Or Rent
Got a weird interest, hobby, or knack? Write about it!

• Share what's in your heart on your blog, you WILL attract an audience
• Engage your personality with your readers by crafting words and images
• Do some quality research then say something funny or sad or outrageous
• Create income through AdSense ads and sell on-topic ebooks on your blog

eBay Empire In Your Garage
Got a garage load of unwanted gifts and well-loved things?

• Go online and sell them on Craigslist, Gumtree or eBay, or
• Consign them - get someone else to sell them for a shared commission
• Or pick up and sell other people's unwanted gifts and share the profits
• Manufacturers and Wholesalers are also great sources to find goods to sell online

Click-Click Service
If you've already spent a bit on a hi-tech camera, why not make it pay?

• Businesses do look out for photography services every now and then
• Attend a bridal or business expo and start handing out your business cards
• Post some of your best shots online on a salespage
• Showcase some of your arty shots and sell them online

Arts, Crafts and Other Arty Things
Find out what you make well, and enjoy doing

• Set up a stand in the local co-op or market to offer your creation
• Expose your work to your city or to the world on a simple Wordpress blog

• If suitable, offer them as corporate gifts that people can order from you
• Or run workshops and classes and teach others what you know

Bookkeeping Business Rescuer
Good at managing numbers and balancing budgets?

• Loads of small and solo business owners would love to hear from you
• What's a Pandora's nightmare for them is an opportunity for you
• Work one to two days a week per business to do their books
• Charge an hourly fee and everyone's happy

Rewrite Foreign Websites

• There are countless websites and business owners on Ali Baba who will love to hear from you

• Well over 60% of Ali Baba businesses are marketing to a Western audience
• They need rewrite help for their Sales, About Us and Technical Instructions web pages
• The opportunity is endless. It will take you forever to saturate the market

Virtual Assistance In Your Pajamas
It's the same as being a personal assistant, only this is online

• Many Internet Marketers seek out Elance, Guru, and ODesk to find VAs
• Your work could be data entry, filling out online forms, post blogs, article writing...
• There are countless little jobs IMers love to palm off to their VAs
• That's where you step in and say 'show me the money' and they will thank you for it

Personal Organizer Manager
If you have a knack at being well organized, it's a sellable hot talent

• The inability to be organised is the very thing that holds many businesses back
• This is a wide open market for you to help desperate business owners
• Target busy executives, professional career mums, product launch managers, and
• Just about anyone who's busy up their eyeballs

Keynote Motivator Pumper Up-er
Businesses would pay through their nose to unleash an effective motivator to their staff

• Got something you can teach and inspire a sales team?
• You can help a business add to their bottom-line and pump up their team in one sitting
• Motivational speakers, training managers, sales trainers are all needed commodities
• You can do this live or online via a webinar or by Skype or
• Run workshops, seminars, and one-on-one coaching

Content, FAQ and Article Writer
Many small to medium size businesses are always in need of improving their sales message

• Offer a once a month service where you write business content for SMEs
• Offer a business a better sales message than their competitors'

• Offer content-rewrite for websites, brochures, and flyers - it's an endless landscape
• Help set up a FAQ page for businesses

Fashion Fundraising
If you have an eye for color coordination in fashion, turn that talent into a cash cow

• Buy a range of in-season off cut garments from wholesalers
• Contact a number of fundraising organizations, schools, and hospitals
• Offer to run their next fundraising by showcasing your fashion range
• Sell your garments to their targeted audience!
• Pay the organization an agreed commission, you keep the rest!

There it is, my quick-to-read list of cheap business ideas. If you are already reading this you've over-stayed. Get that note pad out, start jotting, and lock in those hot ideas you're getting and then start. Just start.
You never know where a small germ of an idea can take you to one day. Remember Dell Computers, McDonald's, Apple, Google, Kinko's, and FedEx? Say goodbye to that Monday Morning Blues and hello to independence!

Byrt Mallanyk is a M*A*S*H fan and is recognised for his unique Copywriting and Business Blogging Skills. http://smallbusinessonline.thebmfactor.com/
He is also a professional musician, and he creates non-collateral funding for urban enterprises. He and his wife and three children live in Sydney Australia.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Byrt_Mallanyk

State of the Art Selling by Barry J Farber

Some don't have sales skills at all, but they would like to learn, and to build upon their talents, and knack for communication. Some people have been in sales for a long time, and feel that they could use a refresher course, or that they want to learn the latest skills for the 21st century. For all of these people, they need a program such as State Of The Art Selling, by Barry J. Farber. This program comes in a six CD audio set. This is perfect to listen to in the car, or while on the laptop.

The sales professional will learn a variety of topics from State Of The Art Selling, by Barry J. Farber. For example, they will learn the two primary basics of sales. They will learn people skills, and they will learn how to sell a product. With regards to working with people, the sales person will learn skills, such as relationship building, allowing the customers to sell the product for them, and how to network. Especially in today's world, business success is all about relationships. People tend to buy more from people that they trust, and that they like. It would do great for a salesperson to learn how to build relationships with their customers that establishes them as the "go to person" for a particular product or service. Not only will people buy from their "go to person," but they will keep buying, and they will tell their friends about their "go to" salesperson.

This leads to allowing your client base to sell for you. When the clients advertise for you by word of mouth referrals, you're job is already 75 percent done. This is because people will take the word of their family and friends as golden. If a person's family and friends are referring you to them, all you need to do is answer any questions, and close the deal. Barry J. Farber will discuss this in State Of The Art Selling, and more.

Networking needs to happen when building relationships with clients, and in building relationships with other salespeople. It's always good to have the inside scoop on the industry, the product, and the customers that might need you. In State Of The Art Selling, by Barry J. Farber, the salesperson will learn how to set realistic goals. In their networking, they can find out what might be working for others, and what isn't working.

The wonderful thing about State Of The Art Selling by Barry J. Farber, is that whether the salesperson has been around forever, if they are a brand new sales person, there is fresh, innovative, and accessible in this state of the art CD set.

Please visit The Personal Development Company if you would like to learn more about State of the Art Selling by Barry J. Farber

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Shipping Is Born Again With Parcel Delivery Services

Sweden is a country renowned for its high quality of life, somewhere that people can earn a decent wage, get great training, live in a clean and safe environment and bring up children. As a result, not many people want to leave and quite a lot of people want to arrive.
In any country where there are residents from other countries and where the population is diverse, there is a need to shipping services and international couriers and Sweden is now different. People use shipping to Sweden services to transport their personal possessions over to the country when they move there from elsewhere in the world, when they run an ecommerce site, mail order business or retail unit which gets stock from abroad, and for keeping in touch with people.
Sweden parcel delivery services have been born again since the recession, with people looking for great value on the pricing of various delivery options and looking to be loyal to a brand when they find the right one. This puts the pressure on to do much more than they did back when the competition was much less fierce, to offer a wider variety of services and to make sure their customer care is up to scratch at all times. Each courier to Sweden has a responsibility to be as good as or better than the next and with new companies joining the industry at a fast pace, there is no time to sit still and rely on being a household name or the largest courier company because you can guarantee that they won't be for long.
This revival of the postal industry in Sweden and across the globe is great news for consumers who now have the pick of the bunch and they have it online so the only moving they have to do is the mouse over the screen and fingers over the keyboard. To send a parcel to Sweden, people can now research, book and pay for a courier collection online and even have the item collected from an address other than their home address if it's more convenient.
This is a far cry from the queues, high prices and inconvenience of the standard postal service, which offered nothing except the delivery itself when you needed to send a parcel to Sweden or anywhere else in the world. Now is the time to take advantage of the plethora of Sweden parcel delivery services available to you online, to take advantage of the postal revival.

For the quickest, cheapest and most reliable courier companies, book online, whether you need a courier to Sweden or to anywhere else in the world.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Francis

Barcelona Couriers - A New Way to Send Parcels

Barcelona is not only one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, but one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Millions of people visit the city located in the North East of Spain in the region known as Catalunya. As one of the most prosperous regions in the whole of Europe, it attracts many people each year and also a large number of companies as well, all looking to experience why this amazing city is so loved.
Companies looking at moving to the city need to remember the market they are entering. Catalans are very proud of their area and for many years have looked to find ways to separate themselves from mainland Spain. This is something that companies looking to move into Barcelona need to remember as this will stand them in good stead amongst the locals.
As one of the most modern cities in Europe, many of the leading companies have a presence here, whether that is having an office and operating out of the city or just business with someone there. This has meant that making a successful entrance into Barcelona has become even more important than it has been in the past. There are some sectors that provide the highest levels of potential and these include; electronics, printing, chemicals, textiles, publishing, telecommunications and IT services.
Barcelona is a modern city with high rise building filling the skies and these all offer the kind of potential that companies are looking for from a foreign investment. With the opportunities available, companies can make sure that they make the most of the opportunities by using the leading courier companies online. These industries are the main sectors but there will surely be more as Barcelona's popularity continues to grow.
For those workers that are set to move to the city to live and work, you are about to move to one of the best cities to live in the world. If you are a football fan then you are moving to the home of one of the best teams in the world and a trip to the Nou Camp is something that is going to be on the to-do list of all sports fans. You will never be short for things to do in Barcelona and accommodation in the city is of the highest quality.

Sending a parcel to Barcelona can be trouble and hassle free when you make the most of the worldwide courier services available on the market.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Francis

Who's Taking Out the Trash?

In every office, every restaurant, every factory and any other place of business, the trash needs to be taken out. It doesn't matter if you are a fortune 500 company or a one office start-up, it needs to be done. Most people don't stop of ask who does this task. Typically it is either taken out by the employee's themselves or someone else is hired.

Someone within the company has to make the decision of who's going to take out the daily garbage. Some go with the chore method which means each and every employee has that one more thing to remember and generally, you will never have a 100% success rate. Other companies choose to employ and individual to do those types of chores around the office but that tends to cost more and have higher turnover. The easiest and most common solution to this daily dilemma is to hire an outside company to alleviate the headache of this mundane yet imperative task.

Hiring a Janitorial company to take care of the in house cleaning actually makes the most sense for almost every corporate office. Emptying the trash is simply one of the many tasks that Janitorial Company's take care of. When those companies bundle in vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, stripping and waxing, dusting among many other maintenance chores they are able to give their clients a worry free working environment. The hiring of a Janitorial company saves time and money for virtually all companies, which is always a bonus! Learn more about Seattle Janitorial Services.

To insure that everything the client wants done is accomplished on a regular basis, a contract is drawn up. This contract specifies the days of service, bulleted specifics in the specifications, and agreed price and payment date. This contract is signed between the two companies for the liability and safety of both companies in regards to their payment, staff and equipment.

Seattle Janitorial Services

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Top 10 Things To Look For In A Successful Peer to Peer Mentoring Organization

1. Highly trained and skilled facilitators that are able to reframe interactions within the group to help you get the desired answer you are looking for.
2. A defined format that has a flow dedicated to understanding your challenge and then answering your challenge.
3. Accountability-this is a group that holds you accountable by making sure you put some skin in the game if you don't make things happen by the next session.
4. Being matched up with business owners that are in similar phases of growth is extremely important.
5. Time limits to each step of the process making sure equal times are allotted to each and every member are crucial to serving each member.
6. Solutions based paticipants-this is extremely important that the individuals in your group are all solutions based this can make or break a group.
7. The Socratic method, asking to seek to understand the challenge before actually being able to offer a solution that would best fit the situation. Being able to ask questions before offering a solution makes a huge difference to the answers you get in a group.
8. Size limit- we have found that 8 members with a facilitator make for an optimal group ready to share ideas and concepts. Larger groups tend to be harder to manage.
9. Privacy is crucial and confidentiality agreements need to be signed to give each member a sense of security so they may be open to share freely.
10. Index cards are a must for members to write down crucial contacts and resources and pass them to the member that needs them most during the session. This is a really easy and efficient way to communicate in a structured process aimed at getting targeted answers and results.
Following these rules can help towards facilitate a successful peer to peer mentoring group.

Written by Chris Krimitsos, founder and CEO of http://TheWealthbuildingAnnex.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Krimitsos

Stay Hygienic Using Well-Known and Proven Products Such As Protective Shoe Covers and Shoe Soles

One of the primary benefits of using protective shoe covers is that even the fine particles like sand and dust are kept away from entering the clean rooms. Apart from this, there are many other significant benefits that you can gain by using this products. Some of them are manufactured with liquid barrier protection and skid resistant soles. You can use this products since they readily fit over shoes of any dimension. The protective shoe covers can be worn as an accessory to knee-length boots or chemical gowns.

These are generally usually used in hostile working environment. But they are also commonly used in industrial services, food processing projects, medical device manufacturing, as well as in pharmaceutical applications. Protective shoe covers are meant to be used the whole time when the personnel are inside the clean room. Such reusable shoe covers should be worn before entering this room, usually in the changing room. This way, you can prevent the entry of any kind of particle while you are changing. To assist you, we produce reusable soles too.

Protective shoe covers drastically reduce transient dirt and grit in change rooms when donned before entering the change area, ideal for contamination control. Ideally, you can wear them along with a reusable boot to minimize the chances of the spreading of bacteria and other kinds of harmful particles. There are also specially made shoe soles, fit for clean room usage. These soles significantly reduce the chances of skidding. Shoe soles are available in two types. If you work in a hostile working environment, then you can choose either a molded shoe sole or a flat shoe sole. While you wear boots with specific safety standards, you feel comfortable and need not worry about spreading any kind of particles or bacteria.

A seasoned professional in clean room products, Dorothy Boyd is an active writer, contributing many useful articles and blogs pertaining to clean room products. If you want to know more about his experiences, tips and suggestions, he is ready to help you earnestly.
Protective Shoe Covers
Protective Shoe Soles

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Hopkin
  

Where You Can Buy Cheap Medical Scrubs to Match Your All The Needs

Today it is compulsory for lots of people who do the job in the medical profession to buy medical scrubs to put on. Fortunately, you can get cheap medical scrubs on the market currently for you to purchase from. This causes it to be more affordable for you to get such a wardrobe. Moreover it saves time for you as you can find out cheap medical scrubs for sale online today. There you can see lots of distinctive choices in tops, shoes, lab coats and pants. So, definitely you will be able to get a thing that will not only fit your budget but your trend as well.
Alternatives Obtainable In Medical Scrubs:
Though you may think that there would only be a minimal amount of patterns whenever it involves discount medical scrubs, this just is not the case at all. The truth is, you will be amazed by how many different prints and designs there are for you to choose from today. There are also many distinctive colors and professional variations available in today's medical scrubs sets.
Ordering Cheap Scrubs Online:
While you are browsing through online medical scrubs stores you can be assured that these scrubs are prime quality. Though you are viewing cheap scrubs already, you may also find yourself in a position where you are yet able to bargain the price before finalizing your purchase. However, this isn't the only benefit that you will get by purchasing online. You will also find sizes that your local store may not keep, including 3x, 4x and 5x - all of them also offered in a wide range of prints and colors. This is simply because online retailers have extra room to showcase a wider array of products than a bricks and mortar store does.
There are likewise a number of different online stores where by you can shop from, all offering you really attractive wholesale prices. They are ready to do this because they don't have to pay for all of the overhead costs that brick and mortar stores do. So, you will find a wide variety at affordable prices. Many of these scrubs are also wrinkle free and stain resistant in order that they will be easier for you to take care of.
In Conclusion:
Now that you know about all of the numerous cheap scrubs that are available and where they are accessible, you will no more require to worry about purchasing high priced work clothes. Alternatively, you can save both time and cash by heading online to purchase your scrubs today.

Pay for Dickies Scrubs and Discount Dickies Scrubs today! Do not waste time looking at some other brands, you will only feel disappointed about it!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Kaysap

Researchers make critical leukemia stem cell discovery

Researchers at King’s College London have discovered that leukaemic stem cells can be reversed to a pre-leukaemic stage by suppressing a protein called beta-catenin found in the blood.

They also found that advanced leukaemic stem cells that had become resistant to treatment could be ‘re-sensitised’ to treatment by suppressing the same protein.

Professor Eric So, who led the study at the Department of Haematology at King’s College London, says the findings, published today in the journal Cancer Cell, represent a ‘critical step forward’ in the search for more effective treatments for aggressive forms of leukaemia.

The role that beta-catenin plays in the development and drug-resistance of stem cells in acute leukaemia was previously unknown. This study, funded by the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR), Cancer Research UK and the Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund, reveals its significance and highlights it as a potential therapeutic target that could allow selective eradication of leukaemic stem cells.

King’s scientists looked at leukaemic stem cells found in types of leukaemia that involve mutations of the MLL gene. This accounts for around 70 per cent of infant leukaemias and 10 per cent of adult acute leukaemias. The prognosis for this type of leukaemia in children is not good A?? only 50 per cent survive past two years after receiving standard anti-leukaemia treatment.

To understand how the disease develops, the King’s team carried out a series of experiments to look at how pre-leukaemic stem cells (which do not always develop into leukaemia) are different to leukaemic stem cells, which sustain the disease and are likely to be responsible for relapse. They carried out studies in mice, in cultured human cells derived from cord blood, and on human leukaemic cells obtained from two leukaemia patients.

The studies in mice showed that pre-leukaemic cells developed into leukaemic stem cells and induced leukaemia, in part by activation of beta-catenin. But suppression of beta-catenin in leukaemic stem cells reduced leukaemic cell growth, delayed the onset of leukaemia and reversed the stem cells to a pre-leukaemic stage. Furthermore, when beta-catenin was completely inactivated in mice with pre-leukaemic cells, the mice did not develop leukaemia, even though they carried MLL gene mutations.

Researchers then wanted to see how suppression of the beta-catenin protein impaired human leukaemic cells. They found that suppression of the protein in MLL leukaemic cells again diminished their ability to proliferate and renew themselves (an essential part of how leukaemia develops). This confirmed the important role of beta-catenin in the human disease.

The study also revealed a previously unrecognized critical function of beta-catenin in mediating drug resistant properties of leukaemic stem cells. Leukaemic stem cells can become resistant to treatment in some cases but, crucially, this study showed that suppression of beta-catenin in human MLL leukaemic cells made them sensitive again.

Professor Eric So, who led the study at King’s, said: ‘These results are extremely exciting and represent a critical step forward in the search for more effective treatments for this devastating form of leukaemia. The findings provide compelling evidence that this protein could be exploited to develop an effective therapeutic target for this form of the disease.

‘Most of the current anti-cancer therapies used to treat leukaemia attack healthy blood cells as well as cancerous ones. Interestingly, beta-catenin is not required for normal blood stem cells. So if we can specifically target beta-catenin in the bone marrow, we can have potentially a more effective and less toxic anti-leukaemia therapy that can efficiently eradicate leukaemic stem cells but spares healthy blood stem cells.

‘Much more research needs to be done before we can adopt this approach in treating people with leukaemia, but the findings of this study do look promising. We will now investigate the mechanisms behind these molecular changes to find out why beta-catenin is so important in the development of MLL leukaemia, and if we can apply the principle to other types of leukaemia.’

Dr Mark Matfield, AICR’s scientific co-ordinator said: ‘The whole field of cancer stem cell research is relatively new, but this discovery has the potential to be one of the most useful in this rapidly-advancing area, because it shows us directly how a new treatment could be developed.’

Y-90 radioembolization offers promise for late-stage liver cancer

INDIANAPOLIS — The latest weapon against inoperable liver cancer is so tiny that it takes millions of them per treatment, but according to interventional radiologists at the Indiana University School of Medicine, those microscopic spheres really pack a therapeutic punch.

The glass spheres contain a radioactive element, yttrium-90, more commonly known as Y-90, which emits radiation for a very limited distance so that healthy tissue around the tumor remains unaffected. (2.5mm or less than 1/16th inch in soft tissue).

Y-90 microsphere radioembolization is an FDA-approved procedure first used in the United States in 2002. The outpatient procedure has gained favor with interventional radiologists for treating a type of cancer that is becoming more prevalent due to an increase in the cases of hepatitis and obesity, which along with alcoholism are the three primary causes of liver cancer.

Daniel E. Wertman Jr., M.D., co-director of vascular and interventional radiology and assistant professor of clinical radiology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, said more than 300 patients have been treated with Y-90 radioembolization since the program was initiated at Indiana University Hospital and the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center more than 3 years ago.

“I’m really excited about the treatment,” said Dr. Wertman. “I think it’s probably the best thing that has happened in our specialty.”

His colleague, Matthew S. Johnson, M.D., professor of radiology and surgery at IU, reports very positive results with critically ill patients undergoing the treatment. Forty percent of his patients treated with radioembolization had tumors shrink or remain stable at three months. This is exceptional news since patients with advanced liver cancer have few options, he explained.

“I am not aiming for a cure, I’m aiming to extend their lives and make them feel better,” said Dr. Johnson.

Physicians agree that liver cancer is a very complex disease. “With the Y-90 radioembolization, the disease can be address with a minimally invasive treatment and through a little band-aid sized incision we can solve very complicated problems,” said Dr. Wertman.

A catheter is inserted through a tiny incision in the groin and threaded through the arteries until it reaches the hepatic artery, one of two blood vessels feeding the liver.

The physiology of the liver makes it an ideal organ for this type of treatment. The hepatic artery is the one that most commonly supplies blood to the cancerous tumors.

When the catheter is in the proper place, millions of the microscopic beads containing Y-90 are released. The microspheres lodge in the smaller vessels that directly feed the tumor, stopping blood flow and emitting radiation to kill the tumor cells.

Patients need not be isolated after treatment with Y-90 and usually are released about three hours after the treatment.

What Y-90 offers, Dr. Johnson said, is optimism. “Hope is a magical thing.”

Missing molecules hold promise of therapy for pancreatic cancer

Lost microRNAs put brakes on tumors

By determining what goes missing in human cells when the gene that is most commonly mutated in pancreatic cancer gets turned on, Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered a potential strategy for therapy.

The production of a particular cluster of genetic snippets known as microRNAs is dramatically reduced in human pancreatic tumor cells compared to healthy tissue, the researchers report in a study published Dec. 15 in Genes and Development. When the team restored this tiny regulator, called miR-143/145, back to normal levels in human pancreatic cancer cells, those cells lost their ability to form tumors.

“Our finding that these specific microRNAs are downstream of the most important oncogene in pancreatic cancer sets the stage for developing methods to deliver them to tumors,” says Josh Mendell, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor in the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and an early career scientist of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. “When we restore microRNAs to cancer cells in which their levels are repressed, the cells no longer are tumorigenic. We have every reason to believe that the efficient delivery of miR-143/145, if achievable, would be therapeutically beneficial.”

The team focused its investigation on KRAS, a member of the important RAS family of oncogenes that is mutated in almost all cases of the most common form of pancreatic cancer.

The researchers conducted their studies in a multitude of model systems A— human cells growing in culture as well as those harvested directly from tumors, and also in mice and zebrafish. First, using cell lines derived from pancreatic tumors and growing in culture, they added gene products such as mutant KRAS and an inhibitor of mutant KRAS, and then measured the microRNA responses. Next, they conducted the same experiments using cells from patients’ pancreatic tumors. Finally, they looked at pancreatic tissue from mice and zebrafish to see what happened when KRAS was activated.

Every time, the team noted the same robust findings. When KRAS was activated, the microRNA cluster miR-143/145 was powerfully repressed, to a fraction of the levels in normal, non-cancerous cells. Restoring the expression of miR-143/145 back to the level of normal cells was sufficient to confer “a very striking change in behavior of those cells,” Mendell says. When human pancreatic cancer cells with low microRNA levels were injected into mice, they formed tumors within 30 days. However, when the team restored the levels of microRNAs to the levels of normal cells and injected them into mice, tumors failed to form.

“Our findings showed that repression of the miR-143/145 microRNA cluster is a very important component of the tumor-promoting cellular program that is activated when KRAS is mutated in cancer cells,” says Oliver Kent, a postdoctoral fellow in the Mendell laboratory and first author on the paper.

At some point in the process of a normal cell evolving into a tumor cell, it loses microRNAs. When the KRAS gene is mutated A— a common event in pancreatic cancer A— it somehow purges cells of miR-143/145, the cluster of microRNAs that normally put the brakes on tumorigenesis.

“It is likely that some microRNAs will have very broad antitumorigenic effects in many different types of cancers,” says Mendell, whose lab is building animal models to investigate how different microRNAs participate in different tumor types. “In fact, there is already evidence that miR-143/145 can suppress other types of tumors such as colon and prostate cancer. On the other hand, the effects of some microRNAs will likely be very tumor-specific.”

Merely 22 nucleotides in length, microRNAs are enigmatic bits of genetic material that, despite being pint-sized, apparently are mighty. This field of study is less than a decade old; scientists still don’t have a good grasp on the fundamental role of microRNAs in normal biology.

“We need a better understanding of their basic functions to more fully understand how microRNAs participate in diseases,” Mendell says.

Having studied microRNAs in the context of several types of cancer, Mendell says delivery remains a major issue for nucleic acid-based therapies.

“There is a lot of work going on to develop ways to deliver microRNAs to different tissue sites,” Mendell says. “I’m optimistic that the liver and even the pancreas will become accessible to these types of therapies and benefit from them.”

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In addition to Joshua Mendell and Oliver Kent, authors of the paper are Raghu R. Chivukula, Michael Mullendore, Erik A. Wentzel, Georg Feldmann, Kwang H. Lee, Shu Liu, Steven D. Leach and Anirban Maitra, all of Johns Hopkins.

The research was supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Research, the Sol Goldman Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, the Michael Rolfe Foundation for Pancreatic Research and the National Institutes of Health.

On the Web:

Joshua Mendell discusses microRNA therapy for pancreatic cancer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUGkGsABmcc

Mendell lab: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/geneticmedicine/people/faculty/mendell.html

Genes and Development: http://genesdev.cshlp.org/

UNC scientists discover potential strategy to improve cancer vaccines

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. A– The promise of vaccines targeted against various types of cancer has raised the hopes of patients and their families. The reality, however, is that these promising treatments are difficult to develop. One of the challenges is identifying a discrete cellular target to stop cancer growth without inactivating the immune system. Scientists at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center report a laboratory finding that has the potential to increase the effectiveness of therapeutic cancer vaccines.

The team found that the absence of the function of a protein called NLRP3 can result in a four-fold increase in a tumor’s response to a therapeutic cancer vaccine. If this finding proves consistent, it may be a key to making cancer vaccines a realistic treatment option. Their findings were published in the Dec. 15, 2010 issue of the journal Cancer Research.

Jonathan Serody, MD, a study author, explains, “This finding suggests an unexpected role for NLRP3 in vaccine development and gives us a potentially pharmacologic target to increase vaccine efficacy.”

The research team was headed by co-leaders of the UNC Lineberger Immunology Program: Serody, MD, an expert in tumor immunology, and Jenny Ting, PhD, a pioneer in understanding the NLR family of proteins. Serody is the Elizabeth Thomas Professor of Hematology and Oncology. Ting is UNC Alumni Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and director of the Inflammation Center at UNC.

The team discovered that deleting the NLRP3 proteins reduced the supply of a tumor-associated cell called myeloid-derived suppressors, making them five times less effective in reaching the site of tumor growth. Researchers working with Serody had previously shown that these myeloid cells are critically important as they allow the tumor to evade a beneficial immune response. This finding is the first to link immature myeloid cells, NLRP3, and the response to cancer vaccines.

Serody says, “We had originally thought inactivating the NLRP3 protein would decrease the immune system’s ability to respond to cancer because NLRP3 is important in alerting immune cells to changes in the environment the immune response to cancer. Instead what we found was that by inactivating these proteins, the tumor vaccine was made more effective because fewer myeloid-derived suppressor cells were available to promote tumor growth and reduce the efficacy of the vaccine.”

At present, there is only one FDA-approved cancer vaccine called Provenge, used to treat advanced prostate cancer. Provenge has been shown to extend survival by three to four months.

Vaccines are difficult to make. Because a vaccine is person-specific, made with the individual’s immune cells, the production process requires that the individual’s cells are isolated and shipped to the company for vaccine production. As a result, the vaccines are expensive. Provenge costs approximately $100,000 for three treatments.

“A vaccine is not like a pill that can be manufactured in bulk,” Serody explains. “And, it’s not like developing a vaccine against a virus such as polio or smallpox. Cancer cells look a lot like regular cells, so it is hard to trick the body into thinking cancer cells are ‘foreign.’ Our hope is that our findings and future work in this area will enable us to develop more effective vaccines against many types of cancer. ”

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Other UNC authors are Hendrik W. van Deventer, MD, assistant professor of medicine; Joseph E. Burgents, former UNC graduate student, now a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Qing Ping Wu, research specialist; Rita-Marie T. Woodford, research assistant in the UNC School of Dentistry; W. June Brickey, research assistant professor of microbiology and immunology; Irving C. Allen, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, UNC Lineberger; and Erin McElvania-Tekippe, former UNC graduate student, now a postdoctoral fellow at Washington University in St. Louis.