U.S. Sectors: Equities NDR Ned Davis Research April 17: Retailing is early-cycle because it is most often the consumer who leads us into a recession and the consumer who leads us out. We think that will be the case this recession, as well. As soon as shelter-in-place restrictions end, we expect consumer spending to pick up or at least become less bad. Improved spending should be the start of the emergence from recession....

If you went overweight S&P Retailing at the start of every recession and closed out the trade at the end of every recession, you would have an average annualized relative return of 12.3%. Since 1954, Retailing has only underperformed during the 1960-1961 recession. Retailing had some of its best relative performance during the two recessions with the biggest declines in payrolls (1957, 2007)...

Even though Amazon.com [ticker: AMZN] is the primary reason S&P 500 Retailing has outperformed by 1,800 basis points, year-to-date, we are encouraged by Retailing sub-industry performance. Only two of nine sub-industries, Department Stores and Computer & Electronics Retail, have made lower relative-strength lows since March 23. Since April 2, equal-weighted S&P 500 Retailing has outperformed the equal-weighted S&P 500 by over 800 basis points.

--Pat Tschosik

Equity Research RBC Capital Markets April 17: Funding continues to pour into biotech, with the first quarter of 2020 just setting a fresh record for biopharma venture funding in the U.S., highlighting an unprecedented level of innovation and expectations for sustained value creation. Though we could see some reprioritization among early-stage investments with the crisis, with modalities such as cell and gene therapy, antisense oligonucleotides, and RNA inter-ference technologies breaking full steam into the commercial spotlight, we do not foresee any major changes to the innovative environment.

We are witnessing an unprecedented level of cooperation and speed in this pandemic from basic science to even manufacturing as 70+ biotechs rapidly shift focus toward the common goal of developing a treatment and vaccine. Again and again, we have heard from management and doctors the unprecedented level of communication and access available at all levels. Partnerships are being created at record speeds to immediately join the huntsometimes even with deal-term negotiations ongoing. It took our community roughly three months from viral genetic-sequence selection to the first human study for vaccine developmenta record milestone nearly 17 months ahead of the vaccine-development timeline for SARS (2003) and, most recently, several weeks ahead of Zika virus (2016) development.

--Brian Abrahams, Gregory Renza, Gilbert Kinsey, Yinglu Zhang

BTIG Quick View BTIG April 16: The economic aspect of the virus is centered on Main Streetsmall businesses and their employees devastated by the sudden shutdown, in contrast to 2007-09s Great Financial Crisis, driven by imbalances from Wall Street and the broader financial industry. Nowhere is this more apparent than in measuring the relationship of the small-cap Russell 2000 volatility index, RVX, to the S&P 500s VIX; the spread closed today at 13.82, RVX over VIX, an all-time high in small-cap relative riskiness. Yet when this spread reaches the top decile (>8.25), stocks tend already to be in a distressed state, and while the near-term forward return profile is mixed, stocks are higher 12 months forward 91% of the time, with Russell 2000 outperformance the rule. These findings are consistent with our work, which shows that the bear-market laggards become the new bull-market leaders.

--Julian Emanuel, Michael Chu

Cyclical Outlook Pimco April 15: The economic loss [in China] is unprecedented: In nine weeks of lockdown, industrial production and services contracted about 10 to 15 percentage points from their pre-pandemic levels, and the unemployment rate could rise to 8%-9% from 5%. The first quarter of 2020 will mark the recession trough in China, in our view, with gross domestic product estimated to fall 10 percentage points below its pre-Covid level. [China reported Friday that first-quarter GDP contracted by 6.8%.] For comparison, even during the global financial crisis, Chinas GDP didnt contract.

Fiscal stimulus to date has increased to 16% of GDP, consisting of a 5% budget deficit, 6% in special government-bond financing investments, and the rest in liquidity/credit supports. Although the fiscal impulse could add four to five percentage points to GDP, the multiplier effects are weak for both corporate and household spending. We expect the Peoples Bank of China to cut policy rates by 30 to 50 basis points and keep liquidity ample, while efforts to maintain stability in the yuan will be continued.

Economic activity will likely follow a U shape over the course of 2020. The global recession will hit exports primarily in the second and third quarters of 2020, domestic demand is still hampered by quarantine curbs, and stimulus transmission is weak amid spreading bankruptcies and job losses. We forecast GDP growth in 2020 will be in a broad -4% to +2% range, the first severe economic recession in China since 1976. The economy likely will not recover to the fourth-quarter 2019 level until the first quarter of 2021.

--Isaac Meng, Stephen Chang

Rates Strategy MUFG Securities April 10: We remain deeply concerned over risks our models glean for a double-dip economic recession, beginning over the time period from 2H-2022 through year-end 2023. Our models forecast for a double-dip U.S. recession remains a complete outlier in comparison to the market consensus estimates, Blue Chip surveys, and official central banks and governmental projections.

Notwithstanding such a controversial intermediate-term outlook, should our models macro-economic forecasts for the years 2020 through 2023 prove accurate, then our interest-rate models spy risk that official monetary policy in the U.S. (and likely elsewhere) remains remarkably accommodative:

The federal funds policy target rate likely may remain at ZIRP [zero interest-rate policy] from 2020 through 2023.

The Federal Reserves Q.E. Treasury purchase program likely may be expanded by an additional $1.50 trillion over the near-term, followed by another expansion of near $2.00 trillion over the intermediate-term.

The Federal Reserves other non-conventional policies likely may be extended and expanded, as well, over the near and intermediate terms.

In turn, it would not surprise us that the shape, slope and level of the U.S. Treasury yield curve might resemble that of Japanese government bonds from a few years ago. For example: a 2-year Treasury Note yield of near 0.075%; a 5-year Treasury Note yield of near 0.25%, a 10-year Treasury Note yield of near 0.54%, and a 30-year Treasury Bond yield of near 1.77%.

--John D. Herrmann

To be considered for this section, material, with the author's name and address, should be sent to MarketWatch@barrons.com.

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Retail Stocks Are Outperforming. Amazon.com Isnt the Only Reason Why. - Barron's

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Dublin, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Global Report 2020-30" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global nucleic acid based gene therapy market was worth $557.47 million in 2019. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.00% and reach $816.18 million by 2023.

The nucleic acid-based gene therapy market covered in this report is segmented by technology into anti-sence and anti-gene, short inhibitory sequences, gene transfer therapy, nucleoside analogs, ribozymes, aptamers, others. It is also segmented by application into oncology, muscular dystrophy/ muscular disorders, rare diseases.

Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Global Report 2020-30 from the author provides the strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global nucleic acid based gene therapy market market.

Reasons to Purchase

Where is the largest and fastest growing market for the nucleic acid based gene therapy market? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward? The Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market market global report from the author answers all these questions and many more.

The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider nucleic acid based gene therapy market market, and compares it with other markets.

The nucleic acid-based gene therapy market consists of sales of nucleic acid-based gene therapy products and services. Gene therapy is used for correcting defective genes that are responsible for disease development. Moreover, nucleic acid-based therapeutics are used to treat genetic disorders and diseases for which there exists no permanent cure such as anaemia, sickle cell, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and thalassemia.

Rising financial support by the government and the companies is projected to drive the demand for nucleic acid based gene therapy. Nucleic acid therapeutics are analogs of naturally occurring acids or proteins responsible for genetic expression. The traditional therapies do not have any cure for the treatment of diseases such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia, and diabetes. Genetic profiling and molecular target identification form the backbone of these classes of drugs. Nucleic acid medication has greater potential for the treatment of these diseases, as they target the genetic basis of diseases and have a permanent cure. Rising financial support by the government and the companies dealing in the market for gene therapy is expected to contribute to increasing the demand for nucleic acid-based gene therapies. For instance in October 2019, the USA National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced plans to invest $100 million for the next four years to cure HIV and sickle cell disease with gene therapies. The government support for gene therapies will contribute to the growth of the market.

Stringent regulations imposed on gene therapies raises the price of gene therapies, which in turn hinders the demand for nucleic acid-based gene therapies. The excessive regulatory oversights create an expensive and elongated route for approval increasing the expenses. According to Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), unlike other drugs approved or regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), gene therapies are not only subject to the regulatory structure of FDA, but also the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee and Office of Biotechnology Activities. Also, as estimated by FEE, an approved gene therapy drug cost nearly $5.0 billion, which is five times higher than that of the average cost of FDA approval. The high cost of gene therapeutics drugs places them beyond the financial reach of the populace. This scenario is anticipated to restrain the market growth of the nucleic acid-based gene therapy market.

In May 2018, Vectalys, a leading biotechnology company specializing in the manufacturing of high-quality solutions for gene delivery and FlashCell, a company engaged in developing non-integrated lentiviral delivered RNA Therapeutics announced the merger to create Flash Therapeutics, a privately held gene therapy company developing cell and gene therapeutics. The new company Flash Therapeutics is expected to focus on the development of RNA therapeutics based on LentiFlash, a non-integrative lentiviral delivery technology for incurable diseases.

Major players in the market are Wave Life Sciences, Imugene, Caperna, Phylogica, Protagonist Therapeutics, Benitec Biopharma, EGEN, BioMedica, Transgene and Copernicus Therapeutics.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary

2. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Characteristics

3. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Size And Growth 3.1. Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Historic Market, 2015 - 2019, $ Billion 3.1.1. Drivers Of The Market 3.1.2. Restraints On The Market 3.2. Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Forecast Market, 2019 - 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 3.2.1. Drivers Of The Market 3.2.2. Restraints On the Market

4. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Segmentation 4.1. Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market, Segmentation By Technology, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion4.2. Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market, Segmentation By Application, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

5. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Regional And Country Analysis 5.1. Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 5.2. Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

6. Asia-Pacific Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

7. China Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

8. India Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

9. Japan Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

10. Australia Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

11. Indonesia Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

12. South Korea Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

13. Western Europe Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

14. UK Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

15. Germany Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

16. France Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

17. Eastern Europe Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

18. Russia Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

19. North America Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

20. USA Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

21. South America Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

22. Brazil Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

23. Middle East Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

24. Africa Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market25. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles 25.1. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Competitive Landscape 25.2. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Company Profiles

26. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market

27. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Trends And Strategies

28. Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Market Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis

29. Appendix

Companies Mentioned

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Global Nucleic Acid Based Gene Therapy Industry to 2030 - Featuring Celsion Corporation, Wave Life Sciences & Imugene Among Others - Yahoo Finance...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEW YORK and BASEL, Switzerland, April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Axovant Gene Therapies Ltd., a clinical-stage company developing innovative gene therapies for neurological diseases, today announced its collaboration with Invitae, a leading medical genetics company, in the Detect Lysosomal Storage Diseases (Detect) program to facilitate faster diagnoses for children with lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs), including GM1 gangliosidosis and GM2 gangliosidosis, also known as Tay-Sachs/Sandhoff disease. Invitae offers genetic testing and counseling at no charge to patients suspected of having an LSD.

Axovant is committed to developing novel gene therapies for those living with rapidly progressive neurodegenerative diseases. We are hopeful that our collaboration with Invitae will provide families with easier access to genetic testing and bring us one step closer to identifying patients who may benefit from potential therapies, said Parag Meswani, PharmD., Axovants SVP of Commercial Strategy & Operations. Our AXO-AAV-GM1 clinical program targeting GM1 gangliosidosis is currently enrolling at the National Institutes of Health, and we are seeking IND clearance for the AXO-AAV-GM2 clinical trial targeting Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases. Early intervention is ideal with potentially disease-modifying genetic therapies, and our diagnostics partnership with Invitae should allow us to identify and enroll children at even earlier stages of disease progression.

LSDs are progressive, multi-system, inherited metabolic diseases associated with premature death, and genetic testing is a crucial first step to arriving at a diagnosis. LSDs are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed in the majority of patients. The Detect program includes a specific LSD testing panel of 53 genes designed to provide patients and families accurate information quickly to preserve valuable treatment time.

Genetic testing can expedite an accurate diagnosis, facilitate earlier interventions, allow genetic counseling of family members, and support clinical research for LSDs such as GM1 and GM2 gangliosidosis, said Robert Nussbaum, M.D., chief medical officer of Invitae. Were pleased Axovant has joined the Detect program to help offer no-charge, sponsored genetic testing for those patients suspected of having the disease.

Research has shown no-charge testing programs with large well-designed panels help increase utilization of genetic testing, which can shorten the time to diagnosis by as much as 2 years in some conditions. Accurate diagnoses enable clinicians to focus on providing disease-specific care sooner, helping reduce costs and improve outcomes.

Additional details, as well as terms and conditions of the program, can be found at https://www.invitae.com/en/detectLSDs/.

About Axovant Gene Therapies

Axovant Gene Therapies is a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing a pipeline of innovative product candidates for debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. Our current pipeline of gene therapy candidates targets GM1 gangliosidosis, GM2 gangliosidosis (including Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease), and Parkinsons disease. Axovant is focused on accelerating product candidates into and through clinical trials with a team of experts in gene therapy development and through external partnerships with leading gene therapy organizations. For more information, visit http://www.axovant.com.

About Invitae

Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA) is a leading medical genetics company, whose mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people. Invitae's goal is to aggregate the world's genetic tests into a single service with higher quality, faster turnaround time, and lower prices. For more information, visit the company's website atinvitae.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. The use of words such as "may," "might," "will," "would," "should," "expect," "believe," "estimate," and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For example, all statements Axovant makes regarding costs associated with its operating activities are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions by Axovants management that, although Axovant believes to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that Axovant expected. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the initiation and conduct of preclinical studies and clinical trials; the availability of data from clinical trials; the expectations for regulatory submissions and approvals; the continued development of its gene therapy product candidates and platforms; Axovants scientific approach and general development progress; and the availability or commercial potential of Axovants product candidates. These statements are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties that are described in Axovants most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 10, 2020, as updated by its subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Axovant undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Media Contact:

Parag MeswaniAxovant Gene Therapies(212) 547-2523investors@axovant.commedia@axovant.com

Excerpt from:
Axovant Announces Partnership with Invitae to Increase Access to Genetic Testing and Accelerate Diagnoses of GM1 and GM2 Gangliosidosis -...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

IRVINE, Calif., April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClearPoint Neuro, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLPT) is pleased to announce that Matthew B. Klein, MD, MS, FACS, has been appointed to ClearPoint Neuros Board of Directors effective immediately. Dr. Klein, Chief Development Officer of PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTC), is a veteran biotechnology company executive with extensive experience in drug discovery and development, and a board-certified surgeon. He succeeds Marcio Souza, who joined ClearPoint Neuros Board as PTCs representative in connection with PTCs May 2019 equity investment in ClearPoint Neuro. Mr. Souza, who resigned from his position as PTCs Chief Operating Officer, as was announced by PTC on March 16, 2020, will remain on ClearPoint Neuros Board as an independent member.

Prior to joining PTC, Dr. Klein served in several executive positions with BioElectron Technology Corporation (BioElectron), most recently as BioElectrons Chief Executive Officer and a Director prior to its acquisition by PTC in 2019. Dr. Klein has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, an MD from Yale University School of Medicine and an MS in epidemiology from the University of Washington School of Public Health.

We are thrilled by the addition of Matt to our board and the contributions he will make to our company and culture, commented Joe Burnett, President and CEO. As a patient-centric company, adding an established physician, scientist and leader to our board will improve our ability to evaluate new technologies and partnerships.

I am very excited to be joining ClearPoint Neuros Board and look forward to bringing my experience as a drug developer and a surgeon to help the company continue its growth and to fulfill its incredibly important mission, said Dr. Klein.

About ClearPoint Neuro

ClearPoint Neuros mission is to improve and restore quality of life to patients and their families by enabling therapies for the most complex neurological disorders with pinpoint accuracy. Applications of the Companys current product portfolio include deep-brain stimulation, laser ablation, biopsy, neuro-aspiration, and delivery of drugs, biologics and gene therapy to the brain. The ClearPoint Neuro Navigation System has FDA clearance, is CE-marked, and is installed in 60 active clinical sites in the United States. The Companys SmartFlow cannula is being used in partnership or evaluation with more than 20 individual biologics and drug delivery companies in various stages from preclinical research to late stage regulatory trials. To date, more than 3,500 cases have been performed and supported by the Companys field-based clinical specialist team which offers support and services for our partners. For more information, please visit http://www.clearpointneuro.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements herein concerning the Companys plans, growth and strategies may include forward-looking statements within the context of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding the Company's future events, developments and future performance, as well as management's expectations, beliefs, plans, estimates or projections relating to the future, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws. Uncertainties and risks may cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by forward-looking statements. Particular uncertainties and risks include those relating to: future revenues from sales of the Companys ClearPoint Neuro Navigation System products; the Companys ability to market, commercialize and achieve broader market acceptance for the Companys ClearPoint Neuro Navigation System products; and estimates regarding the sufficiency of the Companys cash resources. More detailed information on these and additional factors that could affect the Companys actual results are described in the Risk Factors section of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:Harold A. Hurwitz, Chief Financial Officer(949) 900-6833hhurwitz@clearpointneuro.com

Jacqueline KellerVice President, Marketing(949) 900-6833jkeller@clearpointneuro.com

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Biotechnology Leader and Surgeon Dr. Matthew Klein Joins ClearPoint Neuro Board of Directors - BioSpace

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The Gene Therapy Products Market report offers a complete and intelligent analysis of the competition, segmentation, dynamics, and geographical advancement of the global Gene Therapy Products market. The market report is sure to lend a hand in enhancing sales and improving return on investment (ROI). This market research report provides clients with the supreme level of market data and information which is specific to their niche and their business requirements. This global Gene Therapy Products market research report is a proven source to gain valuable market insights and take better decisions about the important business strategies.

Get ExclusiveSample Copy of This Report Herehttps://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample?dbmr=global-gene-therapy-products-market

Global gene therapy products market is set to witness a substantial CAGR in the forecast period of 2019- 2026. The report contains data of the base year 2018 and historic year 2017. Rising cancer cases and unused potential for emerging markets are the major factors for the growth of this market.

Few of the major competitors currently working in the globalgene therapy products marketareAdaptimmune., Anchiano Therapeutics, bluebird bio, Inc., CELGENE CORPORATION, GlaxoSmithKline plc., Merck KGaA, Novartis AG, Achieve Life Sciences, Inc., Spark Therapeutics, Inc., Abeona Therapeutics, Inc, Adverum, agtc, Arbutus Biopharma, Audentes Therapeutics, AveXis, Inc., CRISPR Therapeutics, Intellia Therapeutics, Inc and Gilead Sciences,Inc. among others.

Market Definition:Global Gene Therapy Products Market

Gene therapy or human gene therapy is a process which is used to modify gene for the treatment of any disease. Plasmid DNA, bacterial vector, human gene editing technology and viral vectors are some of the most common type of gene therapy products. The main aim of the gene therapy is to replace the dysfunctional genes. Somatic and germline are some of the most common type of the gene therapy.

Complete report on Global Gene Therapy Product Market Research Report 2019-2026 spread across 350 Pages, profiling Top companies and supports with tables and figures

Segmentation: Global Gene Therapy Products Market

Gene Therapy Products Market : By Product

Gene Therapy Products Market : By Application

Gene Therapy Products Market : ByGeography

Read Complete Details with TOC Herehttps://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc?dbmr=global-gene-therapy-products-market

Key Developments in the Gene Therapy Products Market:

Gene Therapy Products Market Drivers

Gene Therapy Products Market Restraints

Competitive Analysis: Gene Therapy Products Market

Global gene therapy products market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of gene therapy products market for Global, Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa.

Key questions answered in the report :-

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Gene Therapy Products Market (COVID -19 Impact Analysis) : Emerging Trends, Business Opportunities and Segmentation. Major Players are Adverum, agtc,...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

When Mika Matera-Vatnick 21 received President Martha E. Pollacks email in March announcing the closing of campus, her first thought was, What am I gonna do with my flies?

Matera-Vatnick, like many other undergraduate student researchers on campus, had to abandon her honors thesis research project as classes transitioned online for the remainder of the semester.

Last spring, Matera-Vatnick joined the Wolfner lab, led by Prof. Mariana Wolfner, molecular biology and genetics.

Research is the main thing Im involved with on campus. When Im not in class, Im in the lab, she said.

Currently, her research is on pause, since as of March 28, faculty and students are no longer allowed to work in laboratories, barring Matera-Vatnick access to laboratory equipment that is essential to the continuation of her research.

Matera-Vatnick is exploring the genetic basis of sperm competition in fruit flies the competitive process between sperm of two or more different males to fertilize the same egg during sexual reproduction.

Her passion for genetics started during a summer research experience at the bioethics department at the National Institutes of Health after her freshman year, where she learned about personalized medicine.

We are all unique with our own unique genomes and we need to treat patients based on their individual needs and their own genome. This is what led me to take the genetics and genetics lab courses at Cornell, she said.

Specifically, Matera-Vatnick is researching whether there are certain genes linked to mating plug ejection times.

Mating plugs are gelatinous secretions used in the mating in fruit flies and other species, including various primates such as kangaroos and reptiles. These secretions are deposited by a male into a female genital tract and later harden into a plug that glues the tract together. The plugs prevent females from re-mating, making it possible for females to store sperm.

In my experiments, Im comparing how long different strains of flies take to go through the process of mating plug ejection and seeing if there is a genetic basis and where in the gene this might come from, Matera-Vatnik said.

In fruit flies, the female expels the mating plug within five hours of mating in a process called mating plug ejection. The timing of ejection influences the paternity share of the fruit flys mates, playing an important role in mate competition.

Paris Ghazi / Sun Senior Editor

Matera-Vatnick experimenting in the Wolfner lab.

Matera-Vatnik randomly selected genetically diverse types of fruit flies to assess the time it takes for female fruit flies to undergo mating plug ejection. Mating plug ejection times can be compared to genetic variations across these specific fruit fly lines.

This comparison can reveal key genes associated with mating plug ejection, evolutionary histories of neural circuits and the role of these neuronal pathways in female sexual selection when a female chooses a male to mate with.

Understanding the process of sexual selection in insect reproduction may contribute to developing strategies for controlling pests and disease vectors in agriculture and public health.

Matera-Vatnick spent last summer at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City learning about computational biology, which is the analysis of biological data through computer simulated models. In contrast to the work she did at WCM, Matera-Vatnick typically conducts her research on fruit flies in a wet lab. A wet lab is a lab where experiments are conducted and chemicals are handled, whereas in a dry lab, data is analyzed with computers and other technology.

Not much is known about the genetic basis that underlies the variations in mating plug ejection timing, but Matera-Vatnik is determined to find out.

I learned so much about how computational tools can be used to answer biological questions that are impossible to answer in a wet lab. I think that combining wet lab and computational power together will bring a unique angle to the questions Im interested in answering, she said.

Though research on campus has been put on hold, Matera-Vatnick is hopeful she can finish this project as her honors thesis.

This is the project that will be my senior thesis project. With all the uncertainty of being here, and hopefully the plan is to stay here over the summer, I want to take this project as far as I can before I graduate, Matera-Vatnick said.

Matera-Vatnick is currently in her hometown Washington, D.C. While she is unable to continue her research at the Wolfner Lab, she still attends weekly lab meetings and will be drafting sections of her honors thesis for the rest of the semester. She plans on taking the MCAT at the end of summer, if permitted.

In the meantime, Matera-Vatnick hopes to make the most of her Cornell research experience, upon her return to campus.

Im trying to take as much as I can from campus, Matera-Vatnick said. Thanks to amazing mentorship from my [Principal Investigator], graduate students and other students in the lab, I can say Im very lucky with who Ive surrounded myself with on campus.

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Student Spotlight on Mika Matera-Vatnick '21: Researching Insect Reproduction Genetics - Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:SGEN) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval to TUKYSA (tucatinib) tablets in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine for adult patients with advanced unresectable (cannot be surgically removed) or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, including patients with brain metastases (disease that has spread to the brain), who have received one or more prior anti-HER2-based regimens in the metastatic setting. The FDA previously granted Breakthrough Therapy designation and Priority Review for TUKYSA and reviewed this application for approval under the Real-Time Oncology Review (RTOR) pilot program. The TUKYSA New Drug Application (NDA) is also part of Project Orbis, an initiative of the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence that provides a framework for concurrent submission and review of oncology drugs among participating international health authorities. TUKYSA is an oral, small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) of HER2, a protein that contributes to cancer cell growth.1,2

With highly significant and clinically important results for overall and progression-free survival, the addition of TUKYSA to trastuzumab and capecitabine has the potential to become a standard of care for people with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer after having received one or more previous anti-HER2 therapies in the metastatic setting, said Eric P. Winer, MD, Chief of the Division of Breast Oncology, Susan F. Smith Center for Women's Cancers at Dana-Farber. Cancer spreads to the brain in up to half of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer; and this approval is based on a unique clinical trial that included patients with active brain metastases, either untreated or progressing. TUKYSA is well tolerated by patients and is a valuable addition to the agents we have for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Were pleased to have collaborated with the FDA on our second expedited real-time oncology review, enabling us to rapidly bring this new targeted medicine to patients, said Clay Siegall, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at Seattle Genetics. TUKYSA has shown impressive results in people with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, including in patients with active brain metastases, and offers patients an effective medicine following previous treatment with other anti-HER2 agents in the metastatic setting.

TUKYSA, in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine, was evaluated in the trial HER2CLIMB, a randomized (2:1), double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that enrolled 612 patients with HER2-positive unresectable locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer who had previously received, either separately or in combination, trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). Forty-eight percent of patients in the study had a presence or history of brain metastases. The primary efficacy outcome measure was progression-free survival (PFS) as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) in the first 480 randomized patients.1 Additional efficacy outcome measures were evaluated in all randomized patients and included overall survival (OS), PFS in patients with a history or presence of brain metastases, and confirmed objective response rate (ORR).

Patients who received TUKYSA in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine had a 46 percent reduction in the risk of cancer progression or death (PFS) compared to patients who received trastuzumab and capecitabine alone (hazard ratio (HR)=0.54 [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.42, 0.71]; p<0.00001). The addition of TUKYSA reduced the risk of death (OS) by 34 percent compared to trastuzumab and capecitabine alone (HR=0.66 [95% CI: 0.50, 0.87]; p=0.0048). Nearly twice the number of patients who received TUKYSA in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine had a confirmed objective response compared to those who received trastuzumab and capecitabine alone (40.6 percent (95% CI: 35.3, 46.0) vs. 22.8 percent (95% CI: 16.7, 29.8); p=0.00008). For patients with brain metastases, the addition of TUKYSA reduced the risk of cancer progression or death (PFS) by 52 percent compared to trastuzumab and capecitabine alone (HR=0.48 [95% CI: 0.34, 0.69]; p<0.00001).

Serious adverse reactions occurred in 26 percent of patients who received TUKYSA. Serious adverse reactions occurring in 2 percent or more of patients who received TUKYSA were diarrhea (4%), vomiting (2.5%), nausea, abdominal pain, and seizure (2% each). The most common adverse reactions occurring in 20 percent or more of patients who received TUKYSA were diarrhea, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, nausea, fatigue, hepatotoxicity, vomiting, stomatitis, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, headache, anemia, and rash. Adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation occurred in 6 percent of patients who received TUKYSA; adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation of TUKYSA (in 1 percent or more of patients) were hepatotoxicity (1.5%) and diarrhea (1%).

The data were published in The New England Journal of Medicine in December 2019.

About TUKYSA (tucatinib)

TUKYSA is an oral medicine that is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of the HER2 protein. In vitro (in lab studies), TUKYSA inhibited phosphorylation of HER2 and HER3, resulting in inhibition of downstream MAPK and AKT signaling and cell growth (proliferation), and showed anti-tumor activity in HER2-expressing tumor cells. In vivo (in living organisms), TUKYSA inhibited the growth of HER2-expressing tumors. The combination of TUKYSA and the anti-HER2 antibody trastuzumab showed increased anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo compared to either medicine alone.1

SeaGen Secure offers access and reimbursement support to help patients access TUKYSA. For more information, go to SeaGenSecure.com.

About HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer have tumors with high levels of a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which promotes the growth of cancer cells. An estimated 279,100 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2020.3 Between 15 and 20 percent of breast cancer cases are HER2-positive.3 Historically, HER2-positive breast cancer tends to be more aggressive and more likely to recur than HER2-negative breast cancer.4,5,6 Up to 50 percent of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer patients develop brain metastases over time.7,8,9

Important Safety Information

Warnings and Precautions

If diarrhea occurs, administer antidiarrheal treatment as clinically indicated. Perform diagnostic tests as clinically indicated to exclude other causes of diarrhea. Based on the severity of the diarrhea, interrupt dose, then dose reduce or permanently discontinue TUKYSA.

Monitor ALT, AST, and bilirubin prior to starting TUKYSA, every 3 weeks during treatment, and as clinically indicated. Based on the severity of hepatoxicity, interrupt dose, then dose reduce or permanently discontinue TUKYSA.

Adverse Reactions

Serious adverse reactions occurred in 26% of patients who received TUKYSA. Serious adverse reactions in 2% of patients who received TUKYSA were diarrhea (4%), vomiting (2.5%), nausea (2%), abdominal pain (2%), and seizure (2%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 2% of patients who received TUKYSA including sudden death, sepsis, dehydration, and cardiogenic shock.

Adverse reactions led to treatment discontinuation in 6% of patients who received TUKYSA; those occurring in 1% of patients were hepatotoxicity (1.5%) and diarrhea (1%). Adverse reactions led to dose reduction in 21% of patients who received TUKYSA; those occurring in 2% of patients were hepatotoxicity (8%) and diarrhea (6%).

The most common adverse reactions in patients who received TUKYSA (20%) were diarrhea, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, nausea, fatigue, hepatotoxicity, vomiting, stomatitis, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, headache, anemia, and rash.

Lab Abnormalities

In HER2CLIMB, Grade 3 laboratory abnormalities reported in 5% of patients who received TUKYSA were: increased bilirubin, decreased phosphate, increased ALT, decreased potassium, and increased AST. The mean increase in serum creatinine was 32% within the first 21 days of treatment with TUKYSA. The serum creatinine increases persisted throughout treatment and were reversible upon treatment completion. Consider alternative markers of renal function if persistent elevations in serum creatinine are observed.

Drug Interactions

Use in Specific Populations

For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information for TUKYSA here.

Conference Call Details

Seattle Genetics management will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the approval of TUKYSA today at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT); 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). The live event will be simultaneously webcast and available for replay from the Seattle Genetics website at http://www.seattlegenetics.com, under the Investors section. Investors may also participate in the conference call by calling 888-220-8451 (domestic) or 323-794-2588 (international). The conference ID is 5796578. A replay of the audio only will be available by calling 888-203-1112 (domestic) or 719-457-0820 (international), using conference ID 5796578. The telephone replay will be available until 5:00 p.m. PT on April 20, 2020.

About Seattle Genetics

Seattle Genetics, Inc. is a global biotechnology company that discovers, develops and commercializes transformative medicines targeting cancer to make a meaningful difference in peoples lives. The company is headquartered in Bothell, Washington, and has offices in California, Switzerland and the European Union. For more information on our robust pipeline, visit http://www.seattlegenetics.com and follow @SeattleGenetics on Twitter.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this press release are forward looking, such as those, among others, relating to the therapeutic potential of TUKYSA including its efficacy, safety and therapeutic uses and the potential of TUKYSA in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine to become a standard of care for people with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who have received one or more previous anti-HER2 therapies. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include the possibility that adverse events or safety signals may occur; that utilization and adoption of TUKYSA by prescribing physicians may be limited due to impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including potential difficulties associated with commercializing a new therapeutic agent during the global disruptions created by the COVID pandemic, availability and extent of reimbursement or other factors; and that adverse regulatory actions may occur. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by Seattle Genetics is contained under the caption Risk Factors included in the companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Seattle Genetics disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

[1] TUKYSA [package insert]. Bothell, WA: Seattle Genetics, Inc.

[2] Anita Kulukian, Patrice Lee, Janelle Taylor, et al. Preclinical Activity of HER2-Selective Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Tucatinib as a Single Agent or in Combination with Trastuzumab or Docetaxel in Solid Tumor ModelsMol Cancer Ther 2020;19:976-987.

[3] Cancer Facts & Figures 2020. American Cancer Society website. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2020/cancer-facts-and-figures-2020.pdf. Accessed March 10, 2020.

[3] Loibli S, Gianni L. HER2-positive breast cancer. Lancet. 2017; 389(10087): 2415-29.

[4] Slamon D, Clark G, Wong S, et al. Human breast cancer: correlation of relapse and survival with amplification of the HER-2/neu oncogene. Science. 1987; 235(4785): 177-82.

[5] Breast Cancer HER2 Status. American Cancer Society website. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/understanding-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis/breast-cancer-her2-status.html. Accessed March 9, 2020.

[6] Freedman RA, Gelman RS, Anders CK, et al. TBCRC 022: a phase II trial of neratinib and capecitabine for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer and brain metastases. J Clin Oncol. 2019;37:1081-1089.

[7] Olson EM, Najita JS, Sohl J, et al. Clinical outcomes and treatment practice patterns of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer in the post-trastuzumab era. Breast. 2013;22:525-531.

[8] Bendell JC, Domchek SM, Burstein HJ, et al. Central nervous system metastases in women who receive trastuzumab-based therapy for metastatic breast carcinoma. Cancer. 2003;97:2972-2977.

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Seattle Genetics Announces U.S. FDA Approval of TUKYSA (tucatinib) for People with Advanced Unresectable or Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer -...

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By Sola Ogundipe

SERIES of factors that the majority of COVID-19 patients share have been identified by researchers from eight institutions in China and the United States including the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army General Hospital in Beijing and the University of California.

Their study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, throws light on some key factors that people who die from the disease have in common.

The study is based on the data of 85 patients who died of multiple organ failure after having received care for severe Covid-19.

Gender

The novel coronavirus appears to be posing a particular threat to men. The researchers found that 72.9 percent of people who died from the new coronavirus were male. More men are dying than women as a result of some biological and other lifestyle choices.

Hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent infection but multiple studies show that women are much more likely to wash their hands and use soap than men.

Men may have a false sense of security about coronavirus. Also, Chinese men are much more likely to smoke than women, which can lead to a weaker immune system.

China has the largest population of smokers in the world, accounting for nearly a third of the worlds smokers, but just 2 percent of them are women. Smokers are more likely to be killed by the coronavirus. Chinese men also have higher rates of high blood pressure , type 2 diabetesand chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than women.

All of these conditions can increase the risk of complications following infection of coronavirus.

Age

Coronavirus can infect anyone of any age, but adults aged 60 and upwards are more likely to get seriously ill from it, with scientists discovering that those who died from Covid-19 had a median age of 65.8 years old.

Medics say its because our immune systems weaken with age, meaning an older persons body is less able to fight Covid-19.

As you get older, your immune system becomes less efficient thats why older people are at higher risk of serious complications of coronavirus infection. If your immune system isnt strong, its more likely that the virus can multiply deep inside your lung, causing inflammation and scarring.

Your immune system will try and fight it off, and will often destroy healthy lung tissue in the process. This makes you more prone to get secondary infections like pneumococcal pneumonia.

In fact, evidence from China, where the deadly virus originated, shows one in seven of those over 80 known to have contracted coronavirus have died.

Underlying conditions

Those who died from Covid-19 in the study mostly had underlying chronic conditions, such as heart problems or diabetes. The greatest number of deaths in our cohort were in males over 50 with non-communicable chronic diseases.. The study conveys the seriousness of Covid-19 and emphasises the risk groups of males over 50 with chronic comorbid conditions, including hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary heart disease, and diabetes.

Weight

People who are obese or seriously overweight fall into the high risk category for coronavirus. This is because being overweight or obese can weaken the bodys immune system which could make people more likely to catch coronavirus and makes it harder for the body to fight the bug.

People with a BMI of 40 or above have a greater risk of developing complications if they catch the virus. More than 60 percent of patients in intensive care with the virus were overweight or classed as morbidly obese.

Those who were overweight, with a BMI of 25 to 40, made up 64 percent of the 194 coronavirus patients who were in ICU at the time, while 7 percent were classed as obese with a BMI over 40.

Low white blood cells

The research team found that 81.2 percent of those who died from Covid-19 in the study had very low eosinophil counts on admission to the hospital. This is a type of white blood cells, which are specialised immune cells that help fight infection.

The medics suggested that having abnormally low levels of eosinophils may correlate with a greater risk of severe outcomes in people who have contracted Covid-19.

The study, which investigated patients from Wuhan, Chinawho died in the early phases of this pandemic, identified certain characteristics. Yet as the disease has spread to other regions, the observations from these areas may be the same, or different.

Genetics may play a role in the response to the infection, and the course of the pandemic may change as the virus mutates, as well. Since this is a new pandemic that is constantly shifting, we think the medical community needs to keep an open mind as more and more studies are conducted.

Vanguard

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The vet had bitter news.

"She sounds like she's choking to death," the Auckland Zoo manager of vet services James Chatterton told his radio audience last June.

She was a kkpchick, Nora 1A, suffering cruelly from aspergillosis, a fungal infection that assails the longs and air sacs of a bird's body.

Bryony Hitchcock

Jake Osborne carries Cyndy home.

They operated to remove airway abscesses but she was just too weak, so became the seventh death from the Whenua Hou (Codfish Island) sanctuary off Stewart Island.

READ MORE:* Kkp population reaches record high of 213, despite mystery illness* Kkp disease 'crisis' which garnered $200k in donations remains a mystery* First successful artificial insemination of kkp in a decade

Seven deaths sounds bad, but let's get a sense of scale. By that stage 35 kkphad been helicoptered to receive intensive care, chiefly at Auckland Zoo and also Massey Wildbase, Dunedin Wildlife Hospital and Wellington Zoo.

That was one fifth of the total population of the island where the kkp is making its stand against extinction.

Jake Osborne

Kohittea, the chick.

By September it would be 51 evacuees. Nearly a quarter.

A last chance to see

The UK paper The Guardian, reporting on the aspergillosis battle, described the kkplike this: "Deeply weird. Flightless, nocturnal, with fragrant feathers and a comic waddling run..."

Fair enough on all counts, though the fragrance is more musty than you might assume, once nicely described as like the inside of an old violin case.

The worldwide appeal of these birds cannot solely be attributed to their rarity and size, nor even the worldwide comedic appeal of the footage of Sirocco landing atop zoologist Mark Carwardine and getting carnal with his cranium, to the joyous hooting of onlooking presenter Stephen Fry for the TV series Last Chance to See (the very title of which underscores how imperilled the population is).

Chris McKeen

Margaret Maree is a 34 year old kkp, scanned at Auckland Zoo. She pulled through.

There's something almost mammalian about kkp. Their feathers are especially strokable, their large eyes perhaps more soulful than the average avian, and there's no denying their behaviours suggest wilful character.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy author Douglas Adams found them intriguing, fat birds whose wings were really only good for waggling a bit, though flying is out of the question.

"Sadly, however, it seems that not only has the kkp forgotten how to fly, but it has forgotten that it has forgotten how to fly.

"Apparently a seriously worried kkp will sometimes run up a tree and jump out of it, whereupon it flies like a brick and lands in a graceless heap on the ground."

HAMISH McNEILLY/STUFF

Sirocco the kkp has returned to the limelight as part of a display at Orokonui Ecosanctuary near Dunedin.

Far more seriously, they struggle to breed. There's a real lack of genetic diversity.

Females can get attached to one partner, carrying the same genes into 20 or 30 offspring, which is why it had come as particularly good news last July that the first successful artificial insemination in a decade, courtesy of Sinbad, a male with a rare Fiordland gene, had rendered chicks.

The sole other success, in the 2008/9 season, had been a world first.

Famously, though, the natural breeding season ties in with the berry fruit "mast" in the bush, which happens on a cycle of three years or more.

And the 2019 season had been spectacular. Rimu berries all over the place. The population had risen to its highest in 70 years. It was an exhausting time for the recovery team on the island, but a thrilling one.

Then wham. They were dealing with aspergillosis. Very rare in wild bird populations. Hard to detect early, and brutal in its consequences.

Lydia Uddstrom

Toiora has a CT scan.

"It felt like a real kick in the guts," recalls DOC kkp operations manager DeidreVercoe. "Things had been looking so promising, but changed so quickly."

Her darkest fears were dark indeed - this had the potential to kill so many birds, unravelling decades of conservation effort.

The team had done risk analysis work but aspergillosis was considered very low risk. Only one case had ever arisen, in 2012.

"To suddenly have an outbreak of that scale was a shock. The level of breeding we had that year in itself was new to us - so we were dealing with the biggest ever breeding season and the biggest ever disease event at the same time.

With veterinarians across the country, the team worked to develop a plan, adapting it as they learned more.

Liz Carlson

All 55 birds that remained on Whenua Hou (55) and all the breeding females on Pukenui (21) were health checked and had blood samples taken.

The extent of scientific collaboration grew to something amazing. Veterinarians, scientists, virologists and researchers stepped into important roles via Auckland and Wellington zoos, Massey's Wildbase and Dunedin Wildlife Hospital - and DOC rangers from throughout the country joined in.

The logistics of flying 50 kkp off an offshore island up the length of the country were,Vercoe says, not easy. And all the birds remaining in the wild on Whenua Hou were checked and had blood samples taken - itself a "monumental" undertaking.

But then not much about the crisis effort was, given the intensity of the care that the birds needed - batteries of CT scans, nebulisers, medications feeding, blood tests, some surgery.

On top of which the research needed to face what was effectively a new disease in kkp, and try to understand it in a very short space of time

Chris McKeen/Stuff

Margaret Maree received x-rays at VSA Vets in Mt Wellington.

Scanning the whole population wasn't possible, so they had to prioritise individuals based on their history.

This, says DOC kkp science advisor Dr Andrew Digby, involved quick data analysis, running models in search of clear contributing factors and analysing blood test results to see if this could help predict aspergillosis.

The questions were urgent: Was it due to an unusual set of environmental circumstances, or ana unusually virulent strain perhaps introduced via their management, or an undetected pathogen that made some kkp more susceptible.

From around the world came offers of support from a range of experts in man field, mostly via Twitter. They formed a collaboration of international geneticists, microbiologists, virologists and veterinarians from New Zealand, the UK, the USA, Canada and the Netherlands.

ROBYN EDIE/STUFF

In all, 21 birds were affected by the disease.

"Most of these people don't work in conservation or even with animals - many are medical researchers. They've all dropped current work to tackle this problem, donating time and money to do so."

Digby finds this unity of purpose hugely encouraging, with potential benefits for other studies too, a deeper knowledge of the genetics of the aspergillus fungus involved in this outbreak could help further global understanding of aspergillosis in humans - a serious and growing health problem.

"It's reallydemonstrated the positive power of social media to me too - it's a hugely underrated tool for scientists"

Vercoe agrees. Social media interest was huge from the DOC perspective as well.

"We took a very open approach with our communications, making sure we were keeping people as informed as possible, through the good news and the bad."

Sarah Little

Toiora the kkp sees the outside world for the first time.

The number one question was reliably the same: how can we help. From established programme supporters Meridian and Air New Zealand to a specific donation option that raised $200,000 from countries far and wide.

Gradually the good news was coming back from the exhausted labs.

"I think it was the 17th bird tested who was our first negative. That was a relief - I'd been extremely worried as the positives kept coming back.

Next raft of good news, the affected birds were responding unexpectedly well to treatment.

"It took months of treatment, but birds we thought would surely die were improving."

Jake Osborne

Toiora after being released.

Ultimately, when the last of the evacuees, Margaret Maree, headed home in early February, the crisis had been weathered.

The season that started with147 birds end with 211. Still a small number but on balance, a big step ahead for kkp recovery.

And now, of course, we have Covid-19 and a lockdown of the humans. For the recovery team, the timing has been reasonably fortunate. They'd been winding down monitoring of the breeding season and those birds who had recovered from aspergillosis - all doing reasonably well.

"Outside a breeding season, we're very hands-off with the birds. They're essentially wild birds taking care of themselves. Our rangers are safely at home."

Robyn Edie

DOC Ranger Jake Osborne with five male Kkp chicks, between 63 and 73 days old.

Not to draw too long a bow, but can Vercoe see any lessons applicable to the Covid-19 emergency?

"It can be amazing to see how people really pull together in a crisis. It takes everyone working together to get through, and a clear path of action.

"In our crisis there were times when we didn't fully understand what the best path to take was, but decisions had to be made based on the best information to hand at the time. We couldn't just sit and wait to see what would happen, there was too much to lose... beingprepared to adapt quickly as new information came to light was really important.

Chris McKeen/Stuff

Margaret Maree picked up a fungal lung infection on her home of Codfish Island. She was being treated by Auckland Zoo staff.

"When people feel committed to fighting for something and can clearly see the role they have in that fight - that purpose and connection brings out such strength."

Kkp recovery numbers:

Read more:
The kkp season of stress and salvation: How scientists and supporters teamed up to take on killer disease - Stuff.co.nz

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Despite centuries-long efforts to develop cures for cancer, various forms of the disease will kill about 630,000 people in the U.S. in 2020. But hopes are rising for cell therapies sometimes called living medicines that can boost and adapt the natural cancer-fighting potential of the immune system in ways that conventional cancer treatments cannot match.

UC San Francisco researchers now have reported a new method to design and test cell therapies, one they expect will speed the development of new life-saving treatments not only for cancer, but for other diseases, too.

Cell therapy for cancer is a type of immunotherapy. Immune-system cells known as T cells are isolated from a patients blood and genetically modified in the lab, inserting or removing genes so the cells will better recognize and destroy tumors. These modified T-cells are grown in culture until they number in the hundreds of millions, and are then infused back into the patient through an IV drip.

One form of cell therapy, known as CAR-T-cell therapy, is already approved for certain blood cancers, but so far cell therapies have not been effective against the solid tumors that affect the breast, colon, brain, lung, and other tissues.

In 2018, a UCSF team led by immunologist Alex Marson, MD, PhD, along with Theo Roth, an MD/PhD student in the UCSF Medical Scientist Training Program, developed a breakthroughtechnique in which they used pulses of electricity (a method called electroporation) to enable CRISPR gene-targeting technology to quickly and efficiently reprogram T-cells with new functions.

Now, in a study published April 16, 2020 in Cell, the team hasadvanced this technique to power a high-throughput platform to evaluate the specificity and potency of many different potential cell therapies simultaneously comparable to the approach already widely used in industry to quickly screen large batches of small molecules to assess whether they would make effective drugs.

The UCSF researchers evaluated a library of 36 different DNA sequences, a selection based on educated guesses about which bits of genetic material, when spliced into T cells, might alter cell function to better fight cancer. They inserted the different sequences into different T cells to compare their best guesses head to head in the lab.

Rather than pursuing one educated guess at a time, we wanted a systematic way to compare different potential therapeutic edits head to head, said Marson, who serves as scientific director of biomedicine at the UCSFUC Berkeley Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) and is a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator. The ability to iterate fast and test different candidates against each other is what the field needs to move forward and have a discovery engine for next-generation cell therapies.

Many solid tumors express proteins that shield them from T cell attacks, so the researchers evaluated not only the modified cells ability to find cancer cells, but also their ability to accumulate robustly within tumors. Using a distinctive DNA barcode to track the modified T cells, the researchers raced them against one another in lab dishes and in vivo cancer models. This allowed them to identify specific gene modifications that give T cells the best ability to kill off solid-tumor cells in a lab dish and also more effectively fight a type of human skin cancer grown in mice.

Their new methods also enable researchers to measure specific patterns of gene activation within individual T cells to gain insight into how cellular functions have changed in the modified cells that fare best against tumors.

We now are working to further scale up and optimize this screening platform, said Roth, who with Marson is a co-founder of Arsenal Biosciences, a company funded in part by the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy that is focused on producing and testing new cell therapies. We believe this cell therapy development platform will make it possible for academics and industry to begin generating all sorts of genetically programed T cells targeted to specific cancers as well as other medical applications.

Visit link:
CRISPR-Based 'Discovery Engine' for New Cell Therapies to Advance Cancer Treatments - UCSF News Services

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Are you baking bread this weekend? (Hot tip: Even if you cant find yeast at the store, theres a simple way to make your own at home.)

In between your dough prooves is a great time to catch up on your latest dose of food tech news. This week weve got stories on fresh varietals of gene-edited berries, a new Nordic FoodTech VC fund, Burger Kings trouble over its plant-based burger ads in the UK, and more.

Pairwise partners to breed new type of berriesAgriculture and biotech company Pairwise forged a partnership with Plant Sciences Inc (PSI) this week to create new types of berries (via WRAL TechWire). Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Pairwise uses CRISPR gene editing to develop new varietals of food that are optimized for nutrition, have longer shelf lives or grow more quickly. First up, Pairwise and PSI will focus on black and red raspberries, as well as blackberries. Theyre hoping to have their first round of berries on shelves within the next few years.

Lyft launches delivery program for orgs affected by COVID-19Rideshare and last-mile logistics company Lyft launched a new COVID-19-related initiative this week. Essential Deliveries is a program that partners with businesses and nonprofits to help them deliver staple goods like groceries, prepared meals, and cleaning and medical supplies (h/t Techcrunch) to consumers. Partners can tap into Lyfts platform to set up deliveries or schedule rides. The program will be available in at least 11 cities nationwide and drivers will be alerted about the nature of the goods theyre delivering. All deliveries will be contact-free.

Nordic FoodTech VC launches with 24.55 millionNordic FoodTech VC, a new venture fund targeting early-stage tech companies making the food system more sustainable and nutritious, has launched this week. The fund will begin investing with 24.55 million ($26.7 million USD) in capital. Its the first fund in the Nordic countries and plans to invest in dozens of companies innovating to improve the global food system.

Burger Kings plant-based Whopper ads banned in UKThree ads from Burger King in the UK promoting its Rebel Whopper have now been banned by the UKs Advertising Standards Authority. Burger King launched the Rebel Whopper, which features a plant-based burger from Unilever-owned Vegetarian Butcher, back in January 2020. Since then, complaints came in stating that the ad was misleading consumers by suggesting that it could be eaten by vegetarians, vegans, and people with egg allergies, despite the fact that its cooked on the same grill as meat products and features mayonnaise. The ASA has sided with the complaints, stating that the small print at the bottom of BKs ads stating that the Rebel Whopper is cooked alongside meat products was not sufficiently in informing consumers.

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Food Tech News: CRISPR Blackberries and a New Nordic FoodTech Fund - The Spoon

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Most readers would already be aware that CRISPR Therapeutics' (NASDAQ:CRSP) stock increased significantly by 30% over the past month. But the company's key financial indicators appear to be differing across the board and that makes us question whether or not the company's current share price momentum can be maintained. Particularly, we will be paying attention to CRISPR Therapeutics' ROE today.

Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.

See our latest analysis for CRISPR Therapeutics

Return on equity can be calculated by using the formula:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for CRISPR Therapeutics is:

7.1% = US$67m US$939m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019).

The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. That means that for every $1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated $0.07 in profit.

Thus far, we have learnt that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. Based on how much of its profits the company chooses to reinvest or "retain", we are then able to evaluate a company's future ability to generate profits. Generally speaking, other things being equal, firms with a high return on equity and profit retention, have a higher growth rate than firms that dont share these attributes.

On the face of it, CRISPR Therapeutics' ROE is not much to talk about. Next, when compared to the average industry ROE of 19%, the company's ROE leaves us feeling even less enthusiastic. Therefore, it might not be wrong to say that the five year net income decline of 24% seen by CRISPR Therapeutics was probably the result of it having a lower ROE. We reckon that there could also be other factors at play here. For instance, the company has a very high payout ratio, or is faced with competitive pressures.

That being said, we compared CRISPR Therapeutics' performance with the industry and were concerned when we found that while the company has shrunk its earnings, the industry has grown its earnings at a rate of 24% in the same period.

NasdaqGM:CRSP Past Earnings Growth April 18th 2020

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. One good indicator of expected earnings growth is the P/E ratio which determines the price the market is willing to pay for a stock based on its earnings prospects. So, you may want to check if CRISPR Therapeutics is trading on a high P/E or a low P/E, relative to its industry.

CRISPR Therapeutics doesn't pay any dividend, meaning that the company is keeping all of its profits, which makes us wonder why it is retaining its earnings if it can't use them to grow its business. So there could be some other explanations in that regard. For instance, the company's business may be deteriorating.

Story continues

In total, we're a bit ambivalent about CRISPR Therapeutics' performance. While the company does have a high rate of reinvestment, the low ROE means that all that reinvestment is not reaping any benefit to its investors, and moreover, its having a negative impact on the earnings growth. That being so, the latest industry analyst forecasts show that analysts are forecasting a slight improvement in the company's future earnings growth. This could offer some relief to the company's existing shareholders. Are these analysts expectations based on the broad expectations for the industry, or on the company's fundamentals? Click here to be taken to our analyst's forecasts page for the company.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

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New Delhi: Feluda will now detect if you are infected with Covid-19. Or, to be precise, a new paper-based test strip named after the beloved detective character created by Bengali filmmaker-author Satyajit Ray will soon be able to find the novel coronavirus in just a few minutes.

The Feluda test strip has been invented by a team led by two Bengali-origin scientists Dr Souvik Maiti and Dr Debojyoti Chakraborty at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Researchs Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) in New Delhi.

The simple paper-based test strip could also reduce Covid-19 testing costs the real-time polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR) used currently requires machinery worth lakhs of rupees and its price is capped at Rs 4,500 in private labs, but the Feluda test could cost as little as Rs 500. It can be used in a way similar to pregnancy test strips widely available over the counter.

This strip will be similar to a pregnancy test strip, and will not require any specialised skill and machines to perform, as is the case with other PCR-based tests. This strip will just change colour, and can be used in a simple pathological lab. The most important part is it will be 100 per cent accurate, CSIR Director-General Shekhar C. Mande told ThePrint.

Normally, scientists take two to three years to develop this type of kits, but we are among the three or four countries leading the way in developing it, alongside Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, said Mande, head of Indias largest umbrella organisation for scientific research.

Also read: Harsh Vardhan asks scientists to hurry up: Deliver Covid-19 weapons before the war is over

Dr Chakraborty of IGIB explained how his team had developed the kit.

We were experimenting on sickle cell anaemia for the last two years. When Covid-19 cases rose in China, we started to experiment to see how mutations take place in the coronavirus. For the last two months, we have been working 20 hours a day to develop it, he told ThePrint.

Asked why they named it after Rays fictional detective, Chakraborty said: It will detect the presence of a virus in a just few minutes,like Feluda.

The team is currently testing the sensitivity of the Feluda strip. Now, we are at a stage where we can say it will be a major breakthrough for testing in a short time. Regulatory validation is in process, and we hope we will be ready for technology transfer in few weeks. We are in touch with several manufacturers for the technology transfer, Chakraborty said.

Mande added that the strip has been tested on the samples with CSIR, and is now being tested on samples from elsewhere to find out its sensitivity.

Also read: FDA has approved saliva test to detect Covid-19 that lowers infection risk for health staff

Mande and Chakraborty said their test kit uses CRISPR gene-editing technology to get results, though the difference to the kits being developed at Stanford and MIT is in the proteins used.

CRISPR technology recognises specific genetic sequences and cuts them in short time. The CRISPR reaction is specific, and can be done in 5-10 minutes. It is a powerful technique that worked in detecting the Zika virus too.

(Our strip) uses cutting-edge gene-editing CRISPR-CAS-9 technology to target and identify genomic sequence of the novel coronavirus in suspected individuals. No other laboratory in India is developing test kit using CRISPR technology, Mande said.

Chakraborty added: Unlike Stanford and MIT, which use CAS-12 and CAS-13 proteins to detect the presence of the novel coronavirus, our kit uses CAS-9 protein technology. And unlike the PCR test, there is no need for probes.

Anurag Agrawal, director of CSIR-IGIB, explained the difference between the Feluda paper strip test and others being carried out around the world.

A few other labs have been developing test kits, but they are largely based on PCR technology. The problem with PCR is that it is costly one machine costs Rs 14-15 lakh, and imported probes have to be used, of which there is a shortage. It takes several hours, Agrawal said.

Our paper strip does not require any level 2 or level 3 lab to test, unlike most PCR-based tests. This can be done in any simple pathological lab. We have imported serological rapid test kits, but this paper test technology is different, Agrawal added.

Also read: US begins clinical trial of an artificial antibody for Covid-19 treatment

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Satyajit Rays Feluda will soon detect coronavirus in minutes, thanks to CSIR scientists - ThePrint

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Many in the medical community view an experimental antiviral drug called remdesivir, manufactured by Gilead Sciences, as the best chance for a treatment. In tests in academic labs, in work sponsored by the federal government, it has been shown to block viral replication. A clutch of clinical trials are underway worldwide to test it in patients, and Gilead is distributing it to thousands of people on a "compassionate use" basis. Remdesivir is considered a broad-spectrum antiviral, meaning it is believed to work against multiple types of virus. But it failed in a test against Ebola last year. Also, it has a big drawback: It is a liquid that must be given intravenously, which means people must go to a hospital or clinic on 10 consecutive days to be treated. Gilead, the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization are among those sponsoring multiple clinical trials, and preliminary results are expected within weeks.

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Here are the drugs that could treat coronavirus. But don't expect a silver bullet. - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Sleep, diet, exercise, and stress: these are factors known to change a persons risk of developing numerous non-communicable diseases. Such lifestyle impacts on healthbeneficial or harmfulexert much of their influence via inflammation. About 10 years ago, Matthias Nahrendorf began wondering just how inflammation and lifestyle might be linked biologically, and started thinking about how to pinpoint the mechanism in the cardinal case of cardiovascular disease.

A persons level of inflammation can easily be measured with a simple white blood cell test. White blood cells fight off bacterial invasions and repair damaged tissues, but they can also damage healthy tissue when they become too abundant. You can find them in atherosclerotic plaques, and you can find them in acute infarcts, says Nahrendorf, a professor of radiology who conducts high-resolution imaging research at Massachusetts General Hospital. You can find them in failing hearts and the brain, where they increase the risk of stroke.

By linking exercise to reduced white blood cell production, Nahrendorf shows how a lifestyle factor can modulate cardiovascular risk.

When Nahrendorf learned that the most potent, toxic, and pro-inflammatory white blood cells live only a few hours, or at most a day, he immediately realized that the paramount questionsgiven that they die off quickly yet remain abundant in the bloodare, where and why are they produced? What is their source? Perhaps, he hypothesized, lifestyle factors regulate hematopoiesis (blood production).

To test this idea, he decided to study the effects of exercise on the production of these leukocytes in healthy mice. First, though, he consulted the scientific literature on exercise in mice. Previous researchers, he learned, had found that exercise increases production of inflammatory immune cellswhich I thought was counterintuitive, Nahrendorf recalls. When he looked more carefully, he discovered that the type of exercise used in the studies was forced and thus possibly stressful because it was induced by electric shocks. He therefore decided to test only voluntary exercise. He and his colleagues put a wheel in each mouses cage, so the animals could choose to run if they were interested.

The mice never ran during the day. That is when they rest, Nahrendorf explains. But in the dark, they ran a lot, averaging six to seven miles every night. After three weeks, the exercising mice had measurably lower levels of circulating white blood cells. Exercise, he found, had pushed their blood stem cells (cells that can produce all the different types of blood cells) into a state of quiescence: a kind of dormancy in which they generate fewer pro-inflammatory white blood cells and platelets, without decreasing the number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. Soon the exercising mice had fewer circulating white blood cells than their sedentary counterparts, dampening inflammationan effect that persisted for weeks.

The local signals within bone marrow that induce quiescence in blood stem cells were already well known, but the fact that exercise could trigger them was not. Nahrendorf next wanted to learn the identity of the trigger linking exercise to blood stem cell quiescence. Further investigation revealed that the only receptors with enhanced activity in the bone marrow niche where most blood stem cells exist were binding to a well-known hormone called leptin; it is produced by fat cells and regulates hunger.

Leptin is like the fuel gauge in a car. When the tank is fullmeaning energy (and food) are abundantleptin levels run high. As exercise uses up the gas in the tank, this lowers leptin levels, which signal that reserves are running low, thereby inducing hunger and the urge to eat in order to replenish depleted energy stores. Nahrendorf and his co-authors speculate in their 2019 Nature Medicine paper that leptins role in regulating energetically costly hematopoiesis may have evolved to produce blood cells only when whole body energy was abundantnot when people are exerting themselves. Contemporary sedentary behavior, they continue, which increases leptin and consequently hematopoiesis, may have rendered this adaptation a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and perhaps also for other diseases with inflammatory components.

But with fewer circulating immune cells, would exercising mice be more vulnerable to infection? Nahrendorf challenged them with a protocol designed to induce infection in the blood, and found just the opposite: exercising mice had a more robust immune response, as semi-dormant blood stem cells swiftly sprang into activity and produced infection-fighting leukocytes, improving survival of the active mice as compared to those with no running wheels in their cages. Next, they investigated whether exercise would help mice with established atherosclerosis, and found that exercise was not only protective, it also reduced the size of existing plaques in the aorta.

Whether these associations would hold up in humans remained an open question. For answers, Nahrendorf turned to a study known as CANTOS, which had measured levels of inflammation in 4,892 patients who suffered heart attacks (see Raw and Red Hot, May-June 2019, page 46). When he approached the studys co-authors, Mallinckrodt professor of medicine Peter Libby and Braunwald professor of medicine Paul Ridker, he learned, serendipitously, not only that they possessed self-reported exercise levels for the participants, but also that they had tested leptin levels as well. They analyzed their raw data and found the same relationship among exercise, leptin, and leukocytes as in the mice. Data from a second human study cemented the result.

By identifying a previously unknown molecular mechanism linking voluntary exercise to reduced white blood cell production, Nahrendorf and his colleagues have highlighted how a lifestyle factor can modulate cardiovascular risk. Their discovery, the researchers hope, will point the way to wider adoption of healthy exercise regimens, and health-enhancing anti-inflammatory drugs.

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Stem cell activity linked to lifestyle - Harvard Magazine

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Two-year-old Livia, the child of a Hong Kong mother and German father, is among patients in a London hospital as Britain grapples with a lockdown wrought by the coronavirus. But she is fighting a disease much rarer and even deadlier.

Livia was diagnosed in early March with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Because of the coronavirus pandemic, visits to her bedside have been restricted to reduce infection risks.

Only her father can stay with her. Her aunt and grandparents in Hong Kong cannot travel there for fear of exposing the child to more health risks.

Mother Olive Yu, who has been trying every means possible to save her daughter with access to donor registrations delayed during the lockdown told the Post in a phone interview: I still think that I'm in a really bad dream. I still find it very hard to accept that this is happening. Livia is everything to us because shes the only grandchild in the family, and our only child.

We need to be thinking about how we can help give her [as much time] as she can get

Olive Yu, mother

The family has called on those aged between 18 and 60 in Hong Kong to register as a bone marrow donor with the Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry, led by the Hong Kong Red Cross. The information is shared with the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA), a global database of volunteer donors.

There are three options to save Livia, and the most ideal one is for a matching donor to be found and a bone marrow transplant to be conducted by June, according to Livias family.

Livias parents are appealing for bone marrow donors. Photo: Handout

Yu said: Everything takes time, especially now with the coronavirus. But the fact is, we are talking about the life of a two-year-old.

Everything is against us, but it doesn't mean that we should just stop and not do anything about it. So were going to try our best and do whatever we can to give her the best chance at life.

As of Wednesday, Britain had recorded more than 93,000 Covid-19 cases, with a death toll of over 12,000. Police enforced a lockdown on March 23, allowing people only to leave their homes for very limited purposes, such as for food and health reasons, and public gatherings of more than two people have been banned, while places such as restaurants, schools, pubs and gyms are closed.

In general, for bone marrow transplants, the donors human leucocyte antigens (HLA), proteins found on the surface of the blood and in tissue cells, must be closely matched so that the recipients body can accept the new stem cells into their bone marrow.

The second option is that the hospital also, at the same time, reaches out to stem cells from mothers who give birth and donate their umbilical cord, Yu added.

The third option is what they call a non-matching donor, which is either from the mother or father.

The blood samples of Livias parents are being analysed for matches, with results pending.

AML is a form of cancer involving the rapid growth of abnormal cells in the bone marrow and blood. This cancer type accounted for less than 1 per cent of all new cancer cases in Britain in 2017, and often occurs in adults, according to Cancer Research UK.

Livia, two, is now warded in a London hospital. Photo: Handout

A haematologist in Hong Kong, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incidence of cancer among children aged under 15 is around 1.2 per million. Fewer than 200 children are diagnosed with cancer in Hong Kong each year and about five out of the 200 have AML, according to him.

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Coronavirus: We need bone marrow donors to save my baby girls life from leukaemia, Hong Kong mother of two-year-old pleads amid London lockdown -...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The "Orphan Drugs Market Global Report 2020-30" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global orphan drugs market was worth $132.61 billion in 2019. North America is expected to be the largest region during the period 2015-2023. Major players in the market are Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celgene Corporation, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Amgen, Biogen, Bayer, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie.

This report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider orphan drugs market, and compares it with other markets.

The rising prevalence of rare diseases is a key factor driving the growth of the orphan drugs market.

Orphan diseases or rare diseases occur rarely among the people (i.e. 7 out of 10,000). However, globally, the prevalence of rare diseases is increasing in recent years. In 2017, there were 7,000 identified rare diseases, including hemophilia, Gaucher disease, Hunter syndrome and many types of rare cancer. Some cases of aplastic anemia, caused by damage to stem cells in the bone marrow that are diagnosed in around 500 to 1,000 individuals in the USA each year, are inherited. Thus, the rising prevalence of rare diseases is driving the growth of the orphan drugs market.

Lack of supportive government policies hinders the orphan drugs market.

Due to the lack of relevant policies for orphan drug, certain drugs do not receive any special recognition or priorities for approval by regulatory authority. Medgenome Labs Ltd., global research partner in accelerating insights into complex genetic diseases, pointed out that companies manufacturing orphan drugs frequently drop out in foreign markets due to a lack of government funding. For example, orphan medical products (OMPs) in India, due to lack of proper regulations and clear guidelines, do not obtain tax cuts or exemptions from customs duties. Therefore, lack of supportive government policies limits the growth of the orphan drugs market.

Approval of biological orphan drugs for multiple indication act as a key trend driving the growth of the orphan drugs market.

The biological drugs are used for treating rare diseases such as cancer with fewer side effects that have a high prevalence rate in the developed world. For Instance, in 2018, in order to launch the company's biological orphan drug development program Cardax, Inc. announced that it has been engaged with biological orphan drug expert Frederick D. Sancilio, Ph.D. For the development of commercial products, the companies are focused on obtaining biological orphan drugs to increase their revenue.

In November 2019, Bristol-Myers Squibb, a biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop, and deliver innovative medicines, acquired Celgene for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, Celgene shareholders received for each share, 1 share of Bristol-Myers Squibb common stock, $50.00 in cash without interest and one tradeable Contingent Value Right (CVR), which will entitle the holder to receive a payment of $9.00 in cash if certain future regulatory milestones are achieved. Celgene, a biopharmaceutical company positioned to address the needs of the patients with serious diseases.

Key Topics Covered

1. Executive Summary

2. Orphan Drugs Market Characteristics

3. Orphan Drugs Market Size and Growth

3.1. Global Orphan Drugs Historic Market, 2015-2019, $ Billion

3.1.1. Drivers Of The Market

3.1.2. Restraints On The Market

3.2. Global Orphan Drugs Forecast Market, 2019-2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

3.2.1. Drivers Of The Market

3.2.2. Restraints On the Market

4. Orphan Drugs Market Segmentation

4.1. Global Orphan Drugs Market, Segmentation By Therapy Area, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

4.2. Global Orphan Drugs Market, Segmentation By Distribution Channel, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

5. Orphan Drugs Market Regional and Country Analysis

5.1. Global Orphan Drugs Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

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5.2. Global Orphan Drugs Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

Companies Mentioned

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vm9iey

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005515/en/

Contacts

ResearchAndMarkets.comLaura Wood, Senior Press Managerpress@researchandmarkets.com

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Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

(CNN) Weve heard that elderly people and those with underlying health conditions are most at risk if theyre infected with coronavirus, but those can seem like really general terms. Who does that include? And why can they face more serious illness?

According to the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], some of the underlying conditions that may put you at higher risk include: chronic lung disease and asthma, heart disease and undergoing cancer treatment, said CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta in anepisode of CNNs Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction podcast. Anyone with diabetes, kidney failure or liver failure may also be at higher risk.

The role of the immune system is to protect against disease or other potentially damaging pathogens. A strong one is needed to help stave off coronavirus infection.

Think of it like this, Dr. Gupta suggested. In your everyday life, youre always fighting off pathogens. Most of the time you dont even realize it. If you have an underlying condition, it makes it more challenging to fight off a virus like this. You may develop a fever, shortness of breath or a cough more easily than someone who doesnt have a preexisting illness.

Additionally, there are more specific reasons why each condition has its own vulnerabilities. Heres a guide to underlying conditions affected by coronavirus and why, and how you can protect yourself or an at-risk loved one.

Eight out of 10 deaths reported in the US have been in adults ages 65 and older, according to theCDC. Older adults have also been more likely to require hospitalization and admission to an intensive care unit.

Older adults are more likely to have long-term health problems that can increase their risk for infection and serious disease. And, our immune systems usually weaken with age, making it more difficult for people to fight off infections, according toJohns Hopkins Medicine.

The quality of our lung tissue also declines over time, becoming more elastic and making respiratory diseases such as Covid-19 of important concern because of the potential for lung damage.

Inflammation in older adults can be more intense, leading to organ damage.

People with chronic airway and lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease can lay the foundations for more severe infection with coronavirus because of the inflammation, scarring and lung damage those conditions cause,Johns Hopkins Medicine reported.

Covid-19 affects a persons airway and lungs, but those organs work together to provide the body with oxygen. When the lungs are overburdened with an infection, the heart has to work harder, which exacerbates the challenges of people already living with heart disease.

According to the CDC, many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation and immune deficiencies. Poorly controlled HIV or AIDS and prolonged use of man-made steroid hormones or otherimmune-weakening medicationscan also hamper a persons immune function.

Cancer can weaken immunity by spreading into the bone marrow, which makes blood cells that help fight infection, according toCancer Research UK. Cancer prevents bone marrow from making enough blood cells.

Some cancer treatments can temporarily weaken the immune system, too. Because cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, cancer drugs, radiotherapy or steroids are targeted toward cancer cells, they can also diminish the number of white blood cells created in the bone marrow.

A2017 studyfound cigarette smoking can harm the immune system by either causing extreme immune responses to pathogens or rendering the body less effective at fighting disease. This may occur by smoking, negatively altering the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for keeping an immune system strong.

When a person undergoes a bone marrow transplant using stem cells from a donor, or they receive an organ, a doctor may prescribe medications to prevent graft-versus-host disease andmitigate the immune systems reactionby suppressing its function. After the operation, it takes time for your immune system to be up and running again.

HIV and AIDS attack the bodys immune system, specifically the bodys T cells, which help the immune system fight off infection. When the diseases are untreated, HIV reduces the number of those cells, making the person more likely to contract other infections or infection-related cancer, according to theCDC.

People with severe obesity, or a body mass index of 40 or higher, are athigher risk of serious disease.

Obesity shares with most chronic diseases the presence of an inflammatory component, a2012 studysaid. Inflammatory responses were linked between the immune system and body fat. Obesity is known to impair immune function by altering white blood cell count as well as the cells that control immune responses.

People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes face an increased risk of getting really sick with Covid-19, as both cause a blood sugar spike. If blood sugar is poorly managed, viral diseases can be more dangerous as high blood sugar may give viruses a place to thrive, according toDiabetes in Control, a news and information resource for medical professionals.

Higherlevels of inflammationhave been discovered in the bodies of people with diabetes, weakening the immune system and making it more difficult for those affected to stave off sickness in general.

The kidneysproduce several hormonesthat affect immune responses. Having kidney disease and failure can weaken your immune system, making it easier for infections to take hold. According to theNational Kidney Foundation, doctors and researchers have found that most infections are worse in people with kidney disease.

The liver is an integral member of the bodysline of defense, helping to regulate the number of white blood cells utilized in immune responses and defend against harmful pathogens. Someone with liver disease is experiencing abnormalities in the function of the immune system, giving rise to more serious illness.

Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions may also increase the risk of serious Covid-19 for people of any age.

These include disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, stroke and intellectual disability, according to theCDC. Those with moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy or spinal cord injury are also more at-risk.

People with neurological conditions may not be more at risk due to solely their condition, but because medications they might take to control their condition could hamper their immune system. However, some neurological conditions, such as Parkinsons, have been recognized to haveinflammatory components, which may harm the immune system.

Others including muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) could cause paralysis to the diaphragm, which leaves those affected very at risk for respiratory failure if they were to be sick with Covid-19.

If you see yourself on the list of those at higher risk for severe illness, there are several things you can do to protect yourself. First, make sure you are contact your doctor or doctors about your risk level. Second, be extra vigilant about the recommendations that most people are being asked to follow.

Stay home whenever possible and avoid close contact with people, theCDC suggests. Wash your hands often to prevent transferring the virus from a surface to your face, and try to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces as often as you can.

If you dont have an underlying condition, doing your part by practicing these cautionary measures can help protect not only you, but your loved ones with existing conditions.

Click here for more coronavirus coverage.

The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

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In 1994, I thought the biggest challenge in life would be finding a balance between a career as a Senior Trial Partner at a big Dallas firm and raising three children. In 1999, it became clear that the real challenge in my life was much more ominous. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. There was no explanation as to why I contracted this devastating disease, what symptoms I would develop, or how fast I would become disabled. Would I be confined to a wheelchair or a bed? Would I become blind or simply have double vision? Would I have pain or just tingling? Would I die? I already had bladder problems, but would I also face bowel dysfunction? Over 2.5 million people are afflicted with MS, so why hasnt anyone found a cure? How could drug companies justify charging over $60,000 a year for medicines that dont improve a patients condition?

For the next fifteen years, I managed the kids and the disease with relative success. I learned what a bladder spasm is and the true definition of the word urgency. I learned that my husband really meant it when he said in sickness and health. I learned that pain from MS included the pain associated with doing a face plant into a door, and spilling boiling water on my leg but being unable to remove my pants before suffering 2nd degree burns. I learned that there were a few advantages to having MS, including speeding through airport security lines because I was in a wheelchair, and always being able to find a parking space.

In 2014 I fell and broke my leg. I was in a wheelchair for 6 weeks. It became obvious that it was time to become more aggressive with treatments. After scouring the internet for every treatment for MS in the world, I identified Dr. Dimitrios Karussis at Hadassah Medical Organization in Israel as my best hope. His approach was still experimental. He used the patients own stem cells, obtained through bone marrow extraction, grew the cells, and then infused the cells through a spinal tap.

After eight infusions the benefits of the treatment are unmistakable. Because I still walk with a walker, people realize that Im not cured. What they dont know is that I have my life back. Ive written three books, volunteer regularly at a hospital, travel around the country to raise awareness and financial support for the incredible work of Hadassah, the Womens Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA) who operate Hadassah Hospital in Israel. I cook every week for my daughter in medical school. I have attended the graduation ceremonies of each of my three children from college, and I attended the wedding of my oldest son recently. This past year, we celebrated Thanksgiving at my house with 37 relatives.

Having MS has allowed me to stop sweating the small stuff. I have come to realize that what makes me happiest is making others happy. At the Dallas Childrens Hospital where I volunteer, my disability gives me the advantage of having an immediate connection to the kids. Making people smile is the best job at the hospital.

David Ben Gurion said: In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.

I am a realist. I didnt simply wish to be cured of MS. I researched the possible options for treatment and used my best judgment to select one. Dr. Karussis is also a realist. Hes devoted over 30 years researching stem cell treatment of neurological diseases. He has published more than 120 peer reviewed scientific papers, given more than 150 lectures, served on editorial boards of major medical journals, was elected as the President of the Israeli Neuroimmunological Society and hosted an International Neurological Meeting. He has published the amazing results of the stem cell therapy he formulated for the treatment of MS and ALS.

I also believe in miracles. The miracle is that the people of Hadassah Hospital in Israel have given of their time, talent, and money to make this treatment possible and available to me. The miracle is that studies that I volunteered for twenty years ago in Dallas made me an attractive candidate for Dr. Karussis research. The miracle is that the Israeli Ministry of Health approved me to be treated in their Compassionate Care program. The miracle is that all MS patients can now have hope that an effective treatment is here and Hadassah Hospital is sharing it with the world.

VIDEO LINKS:

Watch MS patient Malia Litman dance at her sons wedding

Learn how MS patient Malia Litman got her life back

Learn more about Hadassah Medical Organization

Learn more about Dr. Dimitrios Karussis and his revolutionary stem cell treatment

CBS/Dallas News coverage of Malia Litmans MS treatment

Follow ushereand subscribeherefor all the latest news on how you can keep Thriving.

Stay up to date or catch-up on all our podcasts with Arianna Huffingtonhere.

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A Realist Who Believes in Miracles - Thrive Global

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You're my type: The donor lottery - RT

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Mammoth Biosciences and researchers at the University of California, San Francisco are working on a coronavirus test that could run multiple samples at once, with results in 35-40 minutes. Even better, they say, it doesn't require the sophisticated, expensive equipment used in other tests for the virus. Mammoth Biosciences hide caption

Mammoth Biosciences and researchers at the University of California, San Francisco are working on a coronavirus test that could run multiple samples at once, with results in 35-40 minutes. Even better, they say, it doesn't require the sophisticated, expensive equipment used in other tests for the virus.

Being able to test for coronavirus infections is a critical component to reopening society even a little bit after the initial wave of COVID-19. So there is an urgent need for faster, cheaper tests than the ones available at present.

One approach to the next generation of tests is being developed by the University of California, San Francisco Medical School and Mammoth Biosciences. In a paper released Thursday in the journal Nature Biotechnology, researchers describe a test based on a new technology known as CRISPR.

CRISPR systems have been widely used by researchers to modify the genetic material in living cells. In this case, a system known as CRISPR-Cas12 is used to recognize genetic signatures of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and then make cuts in it to release a fluorescent molecule that will show whether the virus is present.

Like the test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this CRISPR-based test can run multiple samples at once. And while the CDC version delivers answers in hours, the test from UCSF and Mammoth Biosciences is faster providing results in 30-45 minutes.

The test is self-contained, so it doesn't require sophisticated, expensive equipment that is used in other tests for the virus.

"I can run it now myself at home," explains Dr. Charles Chiu, professor of laboratory medicine at UCSF and co-lead developer of the new test although he notes it does require some expertise to conduct it. He says he and his colleagues hope to submit the current version of their test next week for FDA approval. But it probably won't be the final iteration.

"What we really want to develop is something like a handheld, pocket-sized device using disposable cartridges," says Chiu something that could even be use by nonexperts as a home-based test. Chiu is confident such tests could be manufactured at a scale that would be widely available.

Other labs, including two at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass., are also working on CRISPR-based diagnostic tests.

Sara Sawyer, a virologist at the University of Colorado, is trying to go one step further in the testing world. She's trying to develop a low-cost test people could use at home that would reveal whether they are infected days before they show any symptoms.

"For two years, we've been working on trying to develop a diagnostic that can pick up on the earliest stages of common respiratory diseases," Sawyer says. Her test doesn't look for the virus itself. Instead, it looks for a response to the virus by the cells of a person who is infected.

The idea is that once cells in the nose and throat are infected, certain genes are switched on that aren't normally switched on. Sawyer says it's possible to detect those "up-regulated" genes in saliva instead of the nasal swab other coronavirus tests rely on. The question is, can she distinguish the new coronavirus from other viruses. She thinks she can.

But do others agree?

"The answer is maybe," says Benjamin tenOever, a virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. He says yes, infection by the virus that causes COVID-19 results in different genes being up-regulated, compared with flu or other viruses. He's just skeptical the technology exists to be able to detect those differences.

"I'd say theoretically it is possible," tenOever says. "She's a very smart scientist. And so if she says she can do it, I would give her the benefit of the doubt."

Sawyer has formed a company to build her test kit. If society is to reopen, she says, there will have to be easy ways for people to check their infection status. She's in the process of designing and raising money for a study to validate her test's accuracy.

"We think saliva is the key to moving these tests out of the doctor's office," Sawyer says, because all people would have to do to collect a sample is spit in a cup. No blood draws, no nasal swabs. Easy.

If it works.

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Next Generation Of COVID-19 Virus Tests Could Get Faster And Cheaper With CRISPR : Shots - Health News - NPR

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The potential of fish and shellfish production to feed a growing global population could be significantly enhanced through advances in genetics and biotechnology, researchers have said.

Many species of fish and shellfish have been domesticated relatively recently compared with most livestock species, and so have diverse gene pools with major potential for selective breeding, according to the review paper in Nature Reviews Genetics.

The development of tools to gain insight into the genetics of these species, and apply such tools for breeding and management, provides opportunities to release that potential, researchers say.

Most aquaculture species can produce many offspring, and large populations with improved genetics can be bred quickly for improved production performance.

The benefits may include improved growth, resistance to disease or robustness in diverse farming environments.

Farmed fish is on course to overcome wild fish as the main source of seafood, and consequently genetic tools and expertise are in high demand to increase the efficiency and sustainability of aquaculture systems, which currently rely mostly on unselected stocks.

Insight into the genomes of species can enable careful selection of a farming population with desirable traits, and monitoring genomic variation will help maintain genetic diversity as farm populations develop.

In the future, technologies such as genome editing could be used to introduce desirable traits, such as disease resistance, into farmed species, and surrogate breeding could be employed to support production of preferred species.

The review paper, collaboration between experts from Universities of Edinburgh, Exeter, Stirling, and Aberdeen, is an output of the AquaLeap consortium project.

AquaLeap is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre, in partnership with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Hendrix Genetics, Xelect, The National Lobster Hatchery, Tethys oysters, and Otter Ferry SeaFish.

Environmental Biologist Dr Eduarda Santos, from the University of Exeter and co-author of the study said: The rapid expansion of aquaculture has contributed to increased food security across the globe, however, issues related to domestication of desired species and emergence of diseases, limit its further development.

Genomics has the potential to offer solutions to many of these limitations by improving our knowledge of the genomes of cultured organisms, genetic selection, and better understanding of the dynamic interactions between genes and the environment, to maximise food production.

Dr Jamie Stevens, also from the University of Exeter and co-author added: We only have to look at the example of Atlantic salmon to see the immense value of a sequenced genome to the relatively recent optimisation of a wild species for the aquaculture market.

Similarly, we anticipate the delivery of a genome for other species, including the European lobster, will offer similar opportunities to develop molecular tools with which to rapidly increase the potential of lobster as an aquaculture species and improve the sustainability of its wild populations.

Professor Ross Houston, the Roslin Institute: There is a timely opportunity to harness the potential of farmed aquatic species, to ensure food security for a growing population. Genomic selection and biotechnology can speed up this process, and recent developments in these fields will soon be translated to benefit aquaculture production for many of these species across the world.

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CRISPR could speed growth and increase disease resistance in farmed fish, boosting aquaculture sustainability - Genetic Literacy Project

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Before CRISPR became a household name as a tool for gene editing, researchers had been studying this unique family of DNA sequences and its role in the bacterial immune response to viruses. The region of the bacterial genome known as the CRISPR cassette contains pieces of viral genomes, a genomic memory of previous infections. But what was surprising to researchers is that rather than storing remnants of every single virus encountered, bacteria only keep a small portion of what they could hold within their relatively large genomes.

Work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides a new physical model that explains this phenomenon as a tradeoff between how much memory bacteria can keep versus how efficiently they can respond to new viral infections. Conducted by researchers at the American Physical Society, Max Planck Institute, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Toronto, the model found an optimal size for a bacterias immune repertoire and provides fundamental theoretical insights into how CRISPR works.

In recent years, CRISPR has become the go-to biotechnology platform, with the potential to transform medicine and bioengineering. In bacteria, CRISPR is a heritable and adaptive immune system that allows cells to fight viral infections: As bacteria come into contact with viruses, they acquire chunks of viral DNA called spacers that are incorporated into the bacterias genome. When the bacteria are attacked by a new virus, spacers are copied from the genome and linked onto molecular machines known as Cas proteins. If the attached sequence matches that of the viral invader, the Cas proteins will destroy the virus.

Bacteria have a different type of immune system than vertebrates, explains senior author Vijay Balasubramanian, but studying bacteria is an opportunity for researchers to learn more about the fundamentals of adaptive immunity. Bacteria are simpler, so if you want to understand the logic of immune systems, the way to do that would be in bacteria, he says. We may be able to understand the statistical principles of effective immunity within the broader question of how to organize an immune system.

Because of CRISPRs role in the bacterial immune response, the researchers were interested in developing a physical model that could describe the role of the CRISPR cassette during a viral infection. They were specifically interested in why bacteria tend to store only 50-100 viral DNA snippets, or spacers, from past infections when their genomes could easily hold thousands. The puzzle is that the bacteria go to the trouble of implementing this memory system, but they keep a shallow memory, says Balasubramanian. You would think that remembering more would be better.

As the researchers developed a mathematical model to look at bacterial survival, they could adjust the models parameters, such as the number of viruses the bacteria encountered and the number of spacers held within the genome, to see how these factors affect the bacterias overall chance of survival. They found that there was an optimal amount of memory that, surprisingly, only consisted of a few dozen spacers.

Why is having less memory more optimal? Memory is useless unless you have a way to use it, says Balasubramanian. This is because the spacers must be transcribed and attached onto the Cas proteins that mount an immune response, and there are only so many Cas proteins to go around. This means that there is an opportunity cost to keeping too much memory, which results in a trade-off between how much memory can be stored and how quickly bacteria can respond to a new infection. Cells are full of molecular machines, and all machines have constraints. Because that machinery is limited, bacteria only keep whats most useful, he says.

Another insight that was a key for their model was the need for multiple Cas protein recognitions of new viral infections. To prevent the bacteria from making mistakes, multiple Cas proteins are required to bind to and recognize a virus before mounting an immune response. By incorporating this requirement into the model, the researchers were able to understand the importance of limited resources, in this case Cas proteins, in determining the optimal amount of bacterial immune memory.

The researchers now plan to look at how other immune mechanisms affect how deep a bacterias memory should be. They also plan to study how bacteria use their relatively shallow memory to protect themselves from different types of viruses to see if, for example, bacteria keep more memory of viruses that are more dangerous or more common.

This work represents a unique, physics-based approach to study a biological mechanism that has become a widely used tool in biotechnology but still still remains poorly understood in terms of its natural function. As theorists, we think about the principles underlying function, says Balasubramanian. This is one of the first papers to try to establish the computational principles underlying CRISPR-based immunity, and it comes to an interesting conclusion.

Vijay Balasubramanian is the Cathy and Marc Lasry Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.

This research was supported by the Simons Foundation (Grant 400425) and National Science Foundation Center for the Physics of Biological Function (Grant PHY-1734030).

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The optimal immune repertoire for bacteria - Penn: Office of University Communications

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The CRISPR technology market is expected to grow from USD 562 million in 2018 to USD 1,715 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 25%.

The report"CRISPR Technology Marketby Product (Enzymes, Kits, gRNA, Libraries, Design Tools), Service (gRNA Design, Cell Line Engineering), Application (Biomedical, Agricultural), End User (Pharma & Biopharma Companies, Academics, CROs) - Global Forecast to 2023", The CRISPR technology market is expected to grow from USD 562 million in 2018 to USD 1,715 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 25% during the forecast period. The major factors driving the CRISPR technology market include the rising funding from government and private organizations and the high adoption of CRISPR technology.

Browse132 market data Tables and24 Figures spread through163 Pages and in-depth TOC on"CRISPR Technology Market"

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The CRISPR products segment is expected to command the largest share of the CRISPR technology market during the forecast period.

The CRISPR technology market, by product and service, is estimated to be dominated by the products segment in 2018. This is attributed to the fact that the CRISPR technology is being adopted quickly by academics and researchers, pharma and biotech companies.

The enzymes segment is expected to account for the largest share of the products market, being one of the key ingredients in the CRISPR process. Companies like Merck KGaA and Thermo Fisher Scientific are providing hands-on training to researchers, which will increase the demand for CRISPR products in the future.

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Biomedical applications to occupy the majority of the market, by application, and grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period.

The biomedical applications segment is projected to be the fastest-growing segment of the market, by application, during the forecast period. Developments in gene therapy, drug discovery, and diagnostics, due to the application of CRISPR, are driving the growth of this biomedical segment.

Many companies have also invested in drug discovery and gene therapy companies that are using CRISPR technology.

North America is projected to account for the largest share of the CRISPR technology market, by region, during the forecast period.

North America is estimated to account for the largest share of the market in 2018. The large share of CRISPR technology in this region is majorly attributed to the rising government and private funding, presence of major pharma and gene therapy companies, and the adoption of CRISPR in a number of applications.

Crops that are treated with CRISPR-based gene editing are not considered as GMOs in the US, which has attracted the attention of agricultural companies to the commercialization of CRISPR-edited crops.

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Leading Companies

Prominent players in the CRISPR Technology market are Cellecta, Inc. (US), Thermo Fisher (US), GeneCopoeia, Inc.

(US), Applied StemCell (US), Synthego Corporation (US), OriGene Technologies (US), Horizon Discov

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Growing Application Areas of CRISPR Technology Market Driving Growth in Healthcare Sector - WhaTech Technology and Markets News

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We are currently living in a situation of extreme uncertainty, and if you are like me, you may have noticed yourself feeling extra anxious lately. Maybe you feel a constant ache it in your shoulders and neck. Maybe you are compulsively checking your phone, unable to tear your eyes away from Twitter and Facebook, or maybe you're extra irritable. According to medical professionals, these are very normal responses to the coronavirus pandemic.

Luckily there are lots of things you can do on your own to help ease the stress. Here are a few that work for me personally (note: I am not a medical professional). Not all of these will work for everyone, so don't beat yourself up if you try something to lessen your anxiety and it doesn't do much. Each of us is unique in our experiences and reactions to stressors!

Create something: Make something with your hands. You can cook or bake, put together a puzzle, color or draw, work in your garden or yard (if you have one), or even clean out your car. Whatever you choose, try to really focus on what you are doing instead of letting your mind wander. Don't worry about making something perfect just enjoy the process!

Go outside or get moving inside: Unless you are currently under lockdown, and assuming you stay at least 6 feet from others, it is safe to go outside. Exercise can help you redirect nervous energy. It also gets your feel-good neurotransmitters flowing. By the way, dancing in your living room counts as exercise!

Step away from your phone: Put the phone down. Leave it in another room while go about your other activities. It will feel weird, but I promise you that logging off Twitter and other social media for half an hour will not harm you. To be clear, your phone isn't the root cause of your anxiety, but a constant barrage of COVID-19 related news isn't helpful, either.

Give yourself a break: If you are really feeling anxious and it is keeping you from your daily activities, try just letting yourself be. A lot of times the pressure we put on ourselves to stay productive, keep working, clean the house, and so on keeps us paralyzed. Banish the word "should" from your vocabulary for now, and just do the best you can. Sometimes just giving yourself permission to slack off is enough to get your motivation and focus back.

Try mindfulness: Mindfulness seems like the hip, hot thing to do lately, but there's a reason for that it works. There are tons of online resources and apps for learning mindfulness. I am most familiar with Headspace, and the thing I like most about it is that students (including grad students!) can get access to the full app for $10/year (usually $70). There is a lot of material in the app, and in my opinion it's worth it.

If full-on mindfulness isn't for you, but you need a way to stay calm when it feels like the world is falling apart around you, the 54321 method of grounding yourself is a good place to start. Take a deep breath, then look around you for five things that stick out to you in the moment, and say them out loud. Then repeat that with four things you can feel, three sounds you hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. Then take another deep breath.

We're all in this together. While you may have to stay physically distant from people right now, don't forget to connect socially in any way you can. And if you are feeling totally overwhelmed or depressed, please reach out to a mental health professional.

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First patient of a landmark clinical trial to treat a genetic eye disorder with CRISPR gene therapy receives treatment - Massive Science

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