Theres no need to be obnoxious

Dear Editor:

During these difficult times, its very important for all of us to work together to maintain social distancing between ourselves and others.

The vast majority of people are making a real effort. However, there are individuals who are completely ignoring the advice we've been repeatedly given. These people are ignorant, inconsiderate and selfish and their actions endanger us all.

I like to ride the KVR trail regularly and every day I encounter a few individuals who flout the rules. Yesterday, after having encountered considerate and responsible people for most of my ride, I encountered my first obnoxious individual.

I was walking across the trestle as close to my side as I could and just when I was nearly across, two older women walked onto the trestle. I expected them to walk as close as they could on the opposite side. However, one of them walked right down the middle very close to me. I mentioned to her that she was not social distancing and she said that I was overreacting and continued walking down the middle of the trestle. In the next couple of minutes, I encountered two more people also in the middle of the trail and refusing to move. My comment received a similar reaction in each case.

I encountered more people today who refused to move to the side of the trail.

The most egregious example occurred in "the dip"northeast of Lakeview Cemetery. As I was about to go through, I noticed a young family at the lowest point of the dip. They were taking up more than half of the trail. The father was on my side of the trail. I rang my bell and asked him to give me room to get past and he refused. I mentioned social distancing and received the same answer as I had received from the other people who are not taking distancing seriously, but this time, it was spiced with profanity.

We encounter similar behaviour when we are walking and on our occasional shopping trips.

Its imperative that failure to socially distance legislation be passed so offenders can be fined and it needs to be enforced. These people don't need to be "educated. They know exactly what they're doing. Otherwise, this type of behaviour will continue and endanger us all.

Al Martens

Penticton

More praise for health-care stars

Dear Editor:

Last week, I experienced a severe pain crisis requiring an ambulance trip to the hospital for a three-day stay. I want to thank everyone who was there for me:

My daughter and son-in-law who came and unlocked the door for the ambulance crew;

The ambulance crew who so carefully removed me from the floor onto a stretcher;

The Emergency Room staff who cared for me, including doctors, nurses, lab technicians, my niece and other team members;

The porters who took me up to a bed on the second floor;

The nursing staff on the second floor;

The cleaning staff and the kitchen staff;

The phyiso and occupational therapy staff;

The doctors who took charge of my care;

My family doctor for his ongoing follow up;

My pharmacist who explained my medications and does home delivery;

Dr. Cleveland of the pain clinic who saw me as an urgent care case;

The records department that posted my report on MyHealthPortal.

And everyone else whom I have unintentionally overlooked.

With all these amazing people on staff at PRH, I am confident that we are as well prepared as we can be for whatever transpires in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once again, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Fern Gibbard

Penticton

Walkers, dont forget your scoop

Dear Editor:

I love to walk as many people do. It seems that since the COVID-19 pandemic, there are a lot more people just going for walks which is such a great exercise, physically and mentally.

I am also finding there seems to be a lot more dog dropping on the sidewalks and walk ways. Please, if you are walking your pet, be sure you take along something to pick up after your pet. Leaving it on the sidewalk or walkway is a health hazard along with a mess for others to dodge or otherwise.

At this time, we are concerned about our environment and health so lets clean up after your animals so we all can enjoy our exercising. Lets stay fit and healthy

Hilda Bailey

Penticton

New information on making masks

Dear Editor:

Thursdays article on homemade masks suggests using furnace-filter material in homemade masks. Some internet research found that many furnace, vacuum, etc. filters contain glass fibers which could harm your lungs. Cutting of the material may release more particles.

3M Filtrete is a common furnace filter material. The following is a direct quote from their website: Our filters are designed to be used in HVAC systems, and the filter media has not been tested to be used as a face mask for respiratory protection. Altering any of our 3M Filtrete air filters is not recommended or supported by 3M or the Filtrete brand. Customer safety is our number one priority.

Bob Cole

Osoyoos

Appreciation for local columnist

Dear Editor:

It was a surprise to me not to find Jim Taylors Sharp Edges column in the Okanagan Weekend edition on March 21.

Consequently, I was so pleased to find his column Isolation causes its own problems, (Okanagan Weekend, March 28) until I was halfway through the article to learn that Jims wife had passed away two weeks earlier. Let me say, Jim, I am so sorry to hear of your wifes passing. You are not over-sensitive to the issue of isolation, as you questioned.You have so clearly articulated the need for human interaction; how basic it is to good health. Since I cant pat you on the back or shake your hand, just know that I along with your many readers and friends send condolences, not only to your but to all who have lost loved ones.

Your thoughtful, intelligent commentary in the paper is deeply valued and appreciated by so many. Will we re-assess our reactions to a crisis? Most assuredly! Will we slide back into old ways as if nothing had changed? Some might, but most wont.

As you wrote, We humans are social creatures. Perhaps this temporary isolation is a time for individual and group reflection. It is an opportunity to deeply consider our important relationship with family, friends, neighbours, health-care workers, community support workers and the planet we all inhabit.

For most, this is a time of going forward with greater respect and care for each other. Best wishes and keep writing!

Sandra Nicolson

Summerland

Situation in U.S. is much different

Dear Editor:

Response to Ted Wiltses suggestion of closing walkways in Penticton (Okanagan Weekend, letters, April 4).

The reason the U.S. is suggesting wearing masks is because they have done very little so far to control the pandemic. They need to show they are doing something.

Canada has been much more proactive and we are, for the most part, self-isolating and keeping our distance as suggested. The folks using the walkways are not coughing and sneezing on everyone as you imply, but are being cautious and are following the rules.

Perhaps you should personally visit the walkways and see for yourself before throwing out unnecessary and uneducated ideas. The Americans are not doing a good job of managing the pandemic, and I for one, do not listen to their unusual and unscientific suggestions, when our own federal, provincial, and civic governments are doing a great job in setting standards based on scientific knowledge.

I use the walkways to get my daily exercise and am very glad that we have these areas available to us, and we all know that following the guidelines will get us through this mess.

Paul Beattie

Penticton

Happy song list lacked Can-con

Dear Editor:

Re: The 25 happiest songs, by James Miller (Okanagan Weekend, April 6).

Good one, music is helping us all get through the crazy times. And heres some ideas for when you do your Canadian list: Share the Land (The Guess Who), Sunny Days (Lighthouse), Takin Care of Business (BTO), Something to Live For, (Barney Bentall), Life is a Highway (Tom Cochrane), Where Theres a Will (Sass Jordan), Hand in My Pocket (Alanis Morrisette), Go For Soda (Kim Mitchell), Fly at Night (Chilliwack), Old Dans Records (Gordon Lightfoot), Raised on Robbery (Joni Mitchell) OK, its kind of naughty ... but its Joni Summer of 69 (Bryan Adams), Heart of Gold (Neil Young), Up! (Shania Twain) and Havent Met You Yet, (Micheal Buble).

And now I will go back to doing the Caddyshack dance, a.k.a. the gopher shuffle.

Bob Vincent

Penticton

John Denver belongs on list

Dear Editor:

Good effort but a little too restrictive. Why not more diversity of beat and era? Scotch and Soda (Kingston Trio) never put on an LP Sunshine on my Shoulders (John Denver), Country Roads (John Denver, again), Its a Beautiful Morning (The Rascals) and This Ole Riverboat (The Back Porch Majority, Randy Sparks third folk group creation.)

Glenn Sinclair

Penticton

I think it was the Fourth of July

Dear Editor:

I enjoyed reading your list of happy songs and would like you to know you missed Saturday in the Park by Chicago from 1972. I remember it well when I cut grass for the neighbours letting it blast as I filled my gas tank on my little transistor radio.

Back then with less songs on demand, there was a certain thrill when your favourite song was played at unexpected moments suddenly cheering you up!

Paul Clark

Kelowna

What? Where were The Rascals?

Dear Editor:

Thank you James Miller for your list. Now I can add a few more up lifting songs to Spotify. If I can suggest, A Beautiful Morning by The Rascals could have been included. The song picks me up every time I hear it and never grows old.

By the way, my brother and I were paperboys back in the early 60s when we lived on Government Street. I proudly tell friends out in Naramata I was born in the old hospital. My wife and I are avid readers of The Herald.

Colin Ballance

Penticton

Nine happy songs he would include

Dear Editor:

1. You Are My Sunshine. written by Jimmie Davis in 1940. Sung by Gene Autry, The Singing Cowboy in a 1940s Oater. Gene sang it with a wide smile on his face. He had charisma and he expressed himself well. By dabbling in real estate, Gene ended up a multi-millionaire and owned the California (Los Angeles) Angels.

2. Oh, Happy Day by a Canadian group of Torontos St. Michaels Choir School, that called themselves The Four Lads. This deep-sounding song of sunny daisy over dark clouds of gray won me a prize for naming it as the best happy song out in the world of 1964.

3. Sunshine On My Shoulders by John Deutschendorf Jr., known professionally as John Denver, with his lilting voice that spreads the joy in his heart to all who hear him.

4. Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. This immense repetitious song is of joy from the heart of him who gives. Leonard is repeating something he knows a lot about and that is the joy of being alive.

5. Let the Sunshine In by The Fifth Dimension. From Hair, this invite is to the positive side of life.

6. Sugar, Sugar by the Archies. Written by Jeff Bailey, it has an unforgettable snappy, wanting call of love to it. It was a four-week No. 1 single in 1969 that oozed happiness and kept in my memory for many years to come. What an upbeat song it was! Love, joy, happiness rolled up.

7. Dancing Queen by ABBA. Their only No. 1 hit in North America has that ABBA beat and performance that goes with it. Two gorgeous gals singing harmoniously about dancing and moving to the music with that ABBA beat. Inviting happiness in, is the message.

8. Africa by Toto brings back all the happy memories one has if one is ever on safari in the dark continent like I experienced in Uganda in 1971-72. Being surrounded by vibrant people and strange animal life and fauna is spewed out harmoniously and happily to all who will listen.

9. Aint No Sunshine When Shes Gone by Bill Withers is an upbeat, warm and memorable song about how good it was to love and to be loved by that someone special. True happiness!

Thank you for your list. Its great and I recognized most of them and looked up the ones I missed. Good for you. Well done.

Leo (Puckshot) Jacques

Read the rest here:
Letters to the Editor: Tuesday, April 7, 2020 | Opinion - pentictonherald.ca

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's Coronavirus Resource Center.

Endocrinologists have underlinedthe importance that physicians consider "a stress dose" of glucocorticoids in the event of severe COVID-19 infection in endocrine, and other, patients on long-term steroids.

People taking corticosteroids on a routine basis for a variety of underlying inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, allergies, and arthritis, are at elevated risk of being infected with, and adversely affectedby, COVID-19.

This also applies to a rarer group of patients with adrenal insufficiency and uncontrolled Cushingsyndrome, as well as secondary adrenal insufficiency occurring in hypopituitarism, who also rely on glucocorticoids for day-to-day living.

In the event of COVID-19, all of these individuals may be unable to mount a normal stress response, and "in the case of adrenal suppression...such patients may run into severe difficulties, particularly if on intensive care units," warns Paul Stewart, MD, University of Leeds, UK, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

As such, it is vitally important to recognize that "Injectable supplemental glucocorticoid therapy in this setting can reverse the risk of potentially fatal adrenal failure and should be considered in every case," Stewart and colleagues emphasize in a newly published editorial in JCEM.

They note this advice must be considered alongside World Health Organization (WHO) guidance against prescribing therapeutic glucocorticoids to treat complications of COVID-19, based on prior experience in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, as well as those affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

The key difference here is not to use pharmacologic doses of glucocorticoids as treatment for COVID-19 (where they have no effect), but rather to prevent death from adrenal failure by using "stress" doses of replacement glucocorticoid, Stewart explained to Medscape Medical News.

"No patient with a history of prior exposure to chronic glucocorticoid therapy (> 3 months)...should die without consideration" for a stress dose of replacement glucocorticoid therapy.

"The intent here is to ensure that no patient with a history of prior exposure to chronic glucocorticoid therapy (> 3 months) by whatever route should die without consideration for parenteral glucocorticoid therapy," the editorialists write.

He advises using physiological stress doses of hydrocortisone (50-100 mg intravenously tid).

A separate statement by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) also emphasizes that it is particularly important for patients with adrenal insufficiency to follow advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or similar guidance on preventing COVID-19 infection, including social distancing and frequent hand washing.

Such patients should continue to take medications as prescribed and ensure they have appropriate supplies of oral and injectable steroids, ideally for 90 days, AACE advises.

And if there is a shortage of hydrocortisone, the statement advises patients ask a pharmacist or physician about replacement hydrocortisone with different doses that might be available.

Stewart agrees that patients with adrenal insufficiency need to be hypervigilant, but says that "if they do become ill, for the most part they are well counseled to respond appropriately to intercurrent infections."

Nevertheless, it is "invaluable to reiterate 'sick day rules'" for suspected COVID-19 infection.

"Any patient who develops a dry continuous cough and fever should immediately double their daily oral glucocorticoid dose and continue on this regimen until the fever has subsided."

If a patient still deteriorates on this regimen, develops diarrhea or vomiting, or is unable to take oral glucocorticoids for other reasons, they should contact their physicians or seek urgent medical care to receive parenteral treatment with a glucocorticoid.

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Published online March 31, 2020. Position statement

For more diabetes and endocrinology news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Continued here:
Patients on Steroids With COVID-19 Might Need Rescue Steroids - Medscape

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

What your doctor is reading on Medscape.com:

April 3, 2020 Endocrinologists have underscored the importance of physicians considering a "stress dose" of glucocorticoids for severe COVID-19 infection in endocrine and other long-term steroid patients.People who routinely take corticosteroids for a variety of underlying inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, allergies, and arthritis, are at high risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 and being negatively affected.This also applies to a rarer group of patients with adrenal insufficiency and uncontrolled Cushing's syndrome, as well as the secondary adrenal insufficiency that occurs in hypopituitarism, who also depend on glucocorticoids for everyday life.

In the case of COVID-19, all these individuals may be unable to generate a normal response to stress and "in the case of adrenal suppression such patients may have serious difficulties, particularly if they are in intensive care units", warns Paul Stewart, MD, University of Leeds, UK, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).As such, it is vitally important to recognize that "injectable supplemental glucocorticoid therapy in this setting can reverse the risk of life-threatening adrenal insufficiency and should be considered in all cases," Stewart and colleagues emphasize in a recently published editorial in JCEM.They point out that this advice should be considered together with the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO) against the prescription of therapeutic glucocorticoids to treat complications of COVID-19, based on previous experience in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, as well as those affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).The key difference here is not using pharmacological doses of glucocorticoids as treatment for COVID-19 (where they have no effect), but rather preventing death from adrenal insufficiency by using replacement glucocorticoid stress doses, Stewart explained to Medscape Medical News."The intention here is to ensure that no patient with a history of prior exposure to chronic glucocorticoid therapy (> 3 months) by any route dies without taking parenteral glucocorticoid therapy into account," the editorialists write.He advises using physiological stress doses of hydrocortisone (50-100 mg intravenously).. (tagsToTranslate) steroids (t) Coronavirus (t) 2019 New coronavirus (t) 2019-nCoV (t) Wuhan coronavirus (t) Human coronavirus HKU1 (t) Human coronavirus OC43 (t) HCoV-OC43 (t) Human coronavirus 229E ( t) HCoV-229E (t) glucocorticosteroids (t) adrenal insufficiency (t) adrenal disease (t) crush

Continue reading here:
Patients taking steroids with COVID-19 may need rescue steroids. - NewsDio

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Theres a great deal of innovation embedded in todays cutting-edge computer chips, but not much of it is as out-of-the-box as the thinking thats driving Australian startup Cortical Labs. The company, like so many startups with artificial intelligence in mind, is building computer chips that borrow their neural network inspiration from the biological brain. The difference? Cortical is using actual biological neurons, taken from mice and humans, to make their chips.

Were building the first hybrid computer chip which entails implanting biological neurons on silicon chips, Hon Weng Chong, CEO and co-founder of Cortical Labs, told Digital Trends.

This is done by first extracting neurons in two different ways, either from a mouse embryo or by transforming human skin cells back into stem cells and inducing those to grow into human neurons.

We then grow those neurons in our laboratory on high density CMOS-based multi-electrode devices that contain 22,000 electrodes on tiny surfaces no larger than 7mm squared, Chong continued. These neurons form neural networks which then start to spontaneously fire electrical signals, after a two-week incubation period, that is picked up by our multi-electrode device. The multi-electrode device is also able to provide electrical stimulation.

The researchers arent the first to develop neural networks based on real neurons. Recently, scientists in the U.K., Switzerland, Germany, and Italy fired up a working neural network that allowed biological and silicon-based artificial brain cells to communicate with one another over an internet connection.A California startup called Koniku, meanwhile, is building silicon chips, created using mouse neurons, which are able to sense certain chemicals.

For now, research like Cortical Labs is still in a relatively early proof-of-concept stage. According to a recent article in Fortune, Cortical Labs current approach has less processing power than a dragonfly brain. That means that, for now, its pursuing humbler ambitions than its eventual goal.

While were still in the process of building the hybrid computer chip, right now were focused on shaping our neurons behavior to play a game of [Ataris] Pong, Chong said. Thats our next big milestone, which will provide a proof-of-concept similar to DeepMinds demonstration [in 2013] of its A.I. playing Breakout.

Commercialization is still a number of years away, Chong continued. But hes convinced it could be a game-changer. When we eventually take our final product to market we believe it will have a wide array of applications across robotics, cloud computing, and computer brain interfaces, he said. This does not include industries that we might not have thought about yet because of the novelty of such a computation paradigm.

Read more:
Meet the sci-fi startup building computer chips with real biological neurons - Yahoo Tech

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

'Let me tell you about the very rich,' wrote F Scott Fitzgerald. 'They are different from you and me.' Above all, in the lengths they will go to acquire, and preserve, perfect skin.

Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the consort of the former Emir of Qatar, may well be the richest person I've ever met. She certainly has skin like no one else on the planet. She's 61 but looks about 40, with a face that seems to have no visible pores, perhaps because it's sculpted out of alabaster.

Admittedly, she is carefully made-up on a regular basis, so she would have been unlikely to want to attend a recent dinner party of Gwyneth Paltrow's in Beverly Hills, at which guests were banned from wearing any cosmetics at all. Kate Hudson and Demi Moore were among those who gamely took the challenge, the idea of which was to allow the assembled LA A-listers to show off their natural glow.

But they don't, of course, rely wholly on nature for their radiance. Moore's evening beauty routine (pared back to the minimum because, she says, "I like to keep it simple") includes eight separate products, with a total cost of 743.50, from a cleansing elixir to a 355 replenishing facial oil and a rose-quartz facial massager in the shape of a butterfly.

No wonder that, far from being petrified at the thought of the make-up-free dinner, she felt 'full of joy', according to her Instagram posts. Her face wasn't coated in foundation, but it was insulated by a thick layer of cash.

With skincare that promises actually to reverse the visible signs of ageing, beauty brands feel entitled to charge impressive sums. La Prairie has one serum, its Platinum Night Elixir, that sells for over 1,000 for 20ml. It costs about 10 more per gram than solid gold. Imagine if your cat knocked that one off the dressing table.

On the other hand, the scientist who developed it says the peptides and amino acids contained in a single daily drop will leave your skin visibly younger-looking and fresher in two weeks. Users say it feels like wrapping your face in cashmere.

La Prairie Platinum Rare Cellular Night Elixir 20ml, 1,018, Harvey Nichols

I rely on Dr Phillip Levy, a Swiss dermatologist and wound-healing specialist based in Geneva, whose moisturisers and serums are proven to revitalise dermal stem cells to kick-start your skin's own production of collagen. Another doctor - German-born Michael Prager, who operates from a clinic in Wimpole Street - emphasises the rejuvenating effects of combating pollution with an antioxidant cream that fights off free radicals.

Neither of these medical-grade ranges comes cheap, but though Dr Prager's day oil contains pure gold, at 225 for 30ml (drmichaelprager.com), it's not actually as expensive as buying the precious metal itself.

If you're going down the Sheikha Moza route to moneyed perfection with a lavish use of make-up, Gucci Westman is a name to conjure with. This make-up artist, who has worked with Natalie Portman and Nicole Kidman, has her own range, Westman Atelier.

Lip suede in Les Rouges, 75, Westman Atelier (net-a-porter.com)

Yes, the colours are lush but, even better, the brand is 'clean' - beauty-speak for vegan, against animal-testing, paraben-free and so on. Plus, the products moisturise, plump up collagen and soothe as you apply them. Even the mascara conditions your lashes. So what if it costs 58?

Equally impressive is Shiseido's luxury line, Cl de Peau, which does a foundation that's 250 for 27ml, in 13 shades. Again, it's a beauty treatment with SPF and moisturiser as much as a make-up product, and it's what I'll put on if I want anyone to tell me I look glowing.

But, of course, more precious than any cream or blush stick is a little personal attention. Dr Costas Papageorgiou operates out of Harrods and has fairly expensive-looking skin himself. He makes use of a battery of lasers, Botox, fillers and ultrasound, but the key to his success is the consultation that starts off the process.

The Foundation,250, Cl de Peau Beaut (harrods.com)

Seeing your own face in unforgiving 3D on a computer may be a shock, but it certainly helps pinpoint the areas you'd like him to focus on. He's very hot on correcting facial symmetry, which starts out pretty good in babies, but with time and use, the muscles on the face become less symmetrical as bits start to droop or wrinkle. Generally, the more lopsided you are, the more antique you look, and he can address that with filler, Botox and even thread lifts.

But I'm not one for the injectables. It's his Hybrid Energy Lift - a combination of ultrasound, infrared, light and laser - that I really rate (from 6,000 for 120 minutes, facialplasticslondon.com). It, too, stimulates collagen production, but it also gets rid of visible veins and redness, and even reduces big pores. I have had to change the tone of my foundation for a paler one since he did for my (mild) rosacea.

Radical3 Reboot Pro Peel, 89, Dr Levy (editorslist.co.uk)

The key, says Dr Papageorgiou, is to delay and reverse the "ageing cascade". This slow car crash of fine lines around the eyes, sun damage and heavy jowls is all thanks, he says, to "fat atrophy and bone resorption".

But subtlety is all - "A great result is one that shows no signs of intervention"- and nothing, he warns, can really be achieved unless you have a healthy diet, exercise and take vitamins.

Debbie Thomas, at her D.Thomas clinic in London, has a similarly personalised approach. You don't book in for a single treatment, you book for an hour of her expert time, and she'll use a cocktail of lasers, micro-needling and products depending on what you need (475 for a DNA Laser Complete 2 session, dthomas.com).

"I'm afraid,"she says, "traditional facials are not going to transform your skin for more than a few days. You need to upgrade to more advanced treatments if you want long-term results. And those will be more costly."And who can say it's not worth the money?

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View original post here:
The rise of 'rich woman face': how to halt the ageing process (for a certain price) - Telegraph.co.uk

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Limbs regenerate, embryos grow, and cancers invade.

In each of these processes, cells change dramatically. Betty Hay studied fascinating biological phenomena, relentlessly asking questions with her students and colleagues to understand how cellsbehaved. By the end of her life, she had made enormous research contributions in developmental biology, on top ofcommitting herself to mentoring the next generation of scientists and advocating for more representation of women in science.

She made significant contributions towards understanding cell and developmental biology

Betty Hay began as an undergraduate at Smith College in 1944. She lovedher first biology course and started working for Meryl Rose, a professor at Smith who studied limb regeneration in frogs. I was self-motivated and very attracted to science, she saidin an interview in 2004, Meryl at that time was working on regeneration and by the end of my first year at Smith I was also studying regeneration.

Hay regarded Rose as a significant scientific mentor in her life and followed his advice to apply for medical school instead of graduate school. She ended up attending Johns Hopkins School of Medicine for her medical degree while continuing her research on limb regeneration over the summers with Rose at Woods Holes Marine Biological Laboratory. She stayed at Johns Hopkins after to teach Anatomy and became an Assistant Professor in 1956.

The year after, she moved her studiesto Cornell Universitys Medical College as an Assistant Professor to learn how to use the powerful microscopes located there. Her goal was to use transmission electron microscopy (TEM), a method of taking high-resolution images, toseehow salamanders could regenerate an amputated limb. Nothing couldve kept me from going into TEM, she said later.

With her student, Don Fischman, they concluded that upon amputation, cells with specialized roles,known as differentiated cells and thought to be unchangeable, were able to de-differentiate and become unspecialized stem cells again. These cells without an assigned role could then have the freedom to adopt whatever new roles they required to regenerate a perfectly new limb.

Already making leaps in figuring out an explanation for the process of limb regeneration, Hay turned her attention from salamanders to bird eyes when she moved to Harvard University. She studied the outermost layer of cells on the cornea, known as the cornea epithelium. With the help of a postdoctoral scholar in her lab, Jib Dobson, and a faculty colleague, Jean-Paul Revel, they isolated, grew, and took pictures of cornea epithelium cells and demonstrated the epithelial cells could produce collagen.

Collagen is the main type of protein that weaves together to form the extracellular matrix, a connective tissue (the matrix) found outside of cells (extracellular). The collagen in the extracellular matrix provide structure, acting as a foundation for connective tissues and organs such as skin, tendons, and ligaments. Other scientists in the field were skeptical of the conclusion. They thought that one dedicated cell produced collagen, and nothing else.They dismissed the idea that cells in the cornea could somehow do the same. Despite their doubt, Hay, along with postdoctoral scholar Steve Meier, continued their studies. In 1974, they further showed that not only could epithelial cells produce collagen and extracellular matrix in different organ systems, but that the matrix could also tell other cells what type of cell to become.

She was a committed educator and mentor

Kathy Svoboda and Marion Gordon, two colleagues of hers, wrote about Betty Hay and described her not only as a superb cell and developmental biologist, but also as an educator and beloved mentor.

Limb regeneration in salamanders

Russell et al BMC Biology 2017

She was dedicated to teaching and influenced the careers of many junior and early-career scientists. In addition to working with and training her students to produce successful research and results, others mentioned how she would take the time to introduce students in her department to more established and prominent scientists in the field of cell biology. These actions reflected her belief that every student was worthy of being heard and introduced.

She held influential positions and advocated for more representation of women in science

At the time of her graduation from Johns Hopkins in 1952, she was one of only four women in her graduating class of 74 people. Afterwards, she experienced frequent moves for her career, going from Baltimore, to New York, to Boston. Despite how difficult it felt moving alone and leaving her personal relationships behind every time, she felt it was necessary for her career. In her mind, she strongly believed her research always came first, fueled by her intense desire to find answers, using the scientific approach.

She went on to serve as president for multiple professional societies, such as the American Association of Anatomists, the American Society for Cell Biology, and the Society for Developmental Biology, demonstrating her commitment to leadership and service. In two of these societies, she was the first woman to ever hold the position.

In 1975, she became the first female chair of what is now the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard University and held that position for 18 years. Even with these impressive milestones, she acknowledged one of her biggest obstacles to be achieving acceptance in the male professional world.

In 2004 and nearing retirement, Betty Hay would go on to say, I am very glad to see in my lifetime the emergence of significantly more career women in science, in an interview with editor-in-chief Fiona Watt for the Journal of Cell Science, this so enriches the intellectual power being applied to the field of cell biology.

Continue reading here:
Meet Betty Hay, the scientist who saw how cells grow and limbs regenerate - Massive Science

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Just when you thought the world couldnt get any spookier, say hello to the newly born xenobot, a new kind of living thing.

Its hard to say with certainty who the father is.

Or maybe its just hard to admit whats actually happened: Like a bright child making a weirdo companion from Play-Doh, artificial intelligence has mated with the living cells of a frog to create an eerie hybrid of life and machine.

In a statement from the University of Vermont (UVM), the researchers explain it this way: A team of scientists has repurposed living cells, scraped from frog embryos, and assembled them into entirely new life forms.

These millimetre-wide xenobots can live for weeks, travel about with intent, work in groups autonomously, and heal themselves after being cut.

The idea is they could be set sail in their billions to clean the oceans of microplastics.

The really smart ones could be stationed in your organs, where theyd carry out renovating surgery or deliver drugs.

These are novel living machines, says Professor Joshua Bongard, a computer scientist and robotics expert at the University of Vermont who co-led the research.

Theyre neither a traditional robot, nor a known species of animal. Its a new class of artefact: A living, programmable organism.

The new creatures were designed on the Deep Green supercomputer at UVM and then assembled and tested by biologists at Tufts University.

The Deep Green supercomputer cluster at UVMs Vermont Advanced Computing Core used an evolutionary algorithm to create thousands of candidate designs for the new life forms.

Essentially, the computer was told here are your buildings blocks, literally abstract cubes with the physical parameters and limitations of skin and heart cells of an African frog.

The computer was then given an assignment: Arrange the cells so they could move forward. Or side to side. Or herd tiny sheep (no kidding).

And this is where the Play-Doh analogy comes in: The computer would, over and over, reassemble a few hundred simulated cells into myriad forms and body shapes. Is this one OK? What about this one?

Following the same pattern as human beings leaving behind its long-dead ancestors, Homo Erectus and the other hominins that followed, some of the creatures were selected to survive, but the less-successful species went extinct and were tossed to oblivion.

Eventually, the most promising designs were selected for testing.

And this is where it gets spooky.

Because the next step was to bring those building blocks, those red and green cubes, to life.

Here the research shifted from the UVM supercomputer to the biology labs at Tufts University, where stem cells were harvested from the embryos of African frogs, the species Xenopus laevis. (from which the name xenobot is derived).

The cells were separated into single cells and left to incubate.

The creepy yet wondrous thing is, not kept apart, the cells clump together and try to make something of themselves.

Next step: A microsurgeon, Dr Douglas Blackiston, used tiny forceps and an even tinier electrode, to cut the cells and join them under a microscope into a close approximation of the designs specified by the computer.

Assembled into body forms never seen in nature, the cells began to work together, the researchers advise.

The skin cells formed a more passive architecture, while the once-random contractions of heart muscle cells were put to work creating ordered forward motion as guided by the computers design, and aided by spontaneous self-organising patterns allowing the robots to move on their own.

These reconfigurable organisms were shown to be able move in a coherent fashion and explore their watery environment for days or weeks, powered by embryonic energy stores.

Turned over, however, they failed, like beetles flipped on their backs.

Later tests showed that groups of xenobots would work together like cowboys, moving around in circles, pushing pellets into a central location.

They did this spontaneously and collectively. Others were built with a hole through the centre to reduce drag.

In simulated versions, the scientists were able to repurpose this hole as a pouch to successfully carry an object.

We can imagine many useful applications of these living robots that other machines cant do, said co-leader Professor Michael Levin who directs the Centre for Regenerative and Developmental Biology at Tufts, like searching out nasty compounds or radioactive contamination, gathering microplastic in the oceans, travelling in arteries to scrape out plaque.

That fear is not unreasonable, Dr Levin said. When we start to mess around with complex systems that we dont understand, were going to get unintended consequences.

How might the creatures eventually work together in bigger systems?

As the researchers admit, who the heck knows?

A lot of complex systems, like an ant colony, begin with a simple unit an ant from which it would be impossible to predict the shape of their colony or how they can build bridges over water with their interlinked bodies.

Dr Levin said its an absolute necessity for society going forward to get a better handle on systems where the outcome is very complex.

A first step towards doing that is to explore: How do living systems decide what an overall behaviour should be and how do we manipulate the pieces to get the behaviours we want?

In other words, he suggested: This study is a direct contribution to getting a handle on what people are afraid of, which is unintended consequences.

If this was a horror movie, it would go like this: The world is under siege from a malevolent virus.

The frightened populace can think of nothing else.

Meanwhile, creepy monsters made from frog skin decide to take over the joint

Go here to read the rest:
Half frog, half machine: The rise of the xenobot - The New Daily

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market was valued US$ XX Mn in 2019 and is expected to reach US$ XX Mn by 2027, at a CAGR of 24.5% during a forecast period.

Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market

Market Dynamics

The Research Report gives an in-depth account of the drivers and restraints in the stem cell reconstructive market. Stem cell reconstructive surgery includes the treatment of injured or dented part of body. Stem cells are undifferentiated biological cells, which divide to produce more stem cells. Growing reconstructive surgeries led by the rising number of limbs elimination and implants and accidents are boosting the growth in the stem cell reconstructive market. Additionally, rising number of aged population, number of patients suffering from chronic diseases, and unceasing development in the technology, these are factors which promoting the growth of the stem cell reconstructive market. Stem cell reconstructive is a procedure containing the use of a patients own adipose tissue to rise the fat volume in the area of reconstruction and therefore helping 3Dimentional reconstruction in patients who have experienced a trauma or in a post-surgical event such as a mastectomy or lumpectomy, brain surgery, or reconstructive surgery as a result of an accident or injury. Stem cell reconstructive surgeries are also used in plastic or cosmetic surgeries as well. Stem cell and regenerative therapies gives many opportunities for development in the practice of medicine and the possibility of an array of novel treatment options for patients experiencing a variety of symptoms and conditions. Stem cell therapy, also recognised as regenerative medicine, promotes the repair response of diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives.

The common guarantee of all the undifferentiated embryonic stem cells (ESCs), foetal, amniotic, UCB, and adult stem cell types is their indefinite self-renewal capacity and high multilineage differentiation potential that confer them a primitive and dynamic role throughout the developmental process and the lifespan in adult mammal.However, the high expenditure of stem cell reconstructive surgeries and strict regulatory approvals are restraining the market growth.

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Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market Segment analysis

Based on Cell Type, the embryonic stem cells segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of XX% during the forecast period. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), derived from the blastocyst stage of early mammalian embryos, are distinguished by their capability to distinguish into any embryonic cell type and by their ability to self-renew. Owing to their plasticity and potentially limitless capacity for self-renewal, embryonic stem cell therapies have been suggested for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement after injury or disease. Additionally, their potential in regenerative medicine, embryonic stem cells provide a possible another source of tissue/organs which serves as a possible solution to the donor shortage dilemma. Researchers have differentiated ESCs into dopamine-producing cells with the hope that these neurons could be used in the treatment of Parkinsons disease. Upsurge occurrence of cardiac and malignant diseases is promoting the segment growth. Rapid developments in this vertical contain protocols for directed differentiation, defined culture systems, demonstration of applications in drug screening, establishment of several disease models, and evaluation of therapeutic potential in treating incurable diseases.

Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market Regional analysis

The North American region has dominated the market with US$ XX Mn. America accounts for the largest and fastest-growing market of stem cell reconstructive because of the huge patient population and well-built healthcare sector. Americas stem cell reconstructive market is segmented into two major regions such as North America and South America. More than 80% of the market is shared by North America due to the presence of the US and Canada.

Europe accounts for the second-largest market which is followed by the Asia Pacific. Germany and UK account for the major share in the European market due to government support for research and development, well-developed technology and high healthcare expenditure have fuelled the growth of the market. This growing occurrence of cancer and diabetes in America is the main boosting factor for the growth of this market.

The objective of the report is to present a comprehensive analysis of the Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market including all the stakeholders of the industry. The past and current status of the industry with forecasted market size and trends are presented in the report with the analysis of complicated data in simple language. The report covers all the aspects of the industry with a dedicated study of key players that includes market leaders, followers and new entrants. PORTER, SVOR, PESTEL analysis with the potential impact of micro-economic factors of the market has been presented in the report. External as well as internal factors that are supposed to affect the business positively or negatively have been analysed, which will give a clear futuristic view of the industry to the decision-makers.

The report also helps in understanding Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market dynamics, structure by analysing the market segments and projects the Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market size. Clear representation of competitive analysis of key players by Application, price, financial position, Product portfolio, growth strategies, and regional presence in the Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market make the report investors guide.Scope of the Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market

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Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market, By Sources

Allogeneic Autologouso Bone Marrowo Adipose Tissueo Blood Syngeneic OtherGlobal Stem Cell Reconstructive Market, By Cell Type

Embryonic Stem Cell Adult Stem CellGlobal Stem Cell Reconstructive Market, By Application

Cancer Diabetes Traumatic Skin Defect Severe Burn OtherGlobal Stem Cell Reconstructive Market, By End-User

Hospitals Research Institute OthersGlobal Stem Cell Reconstructive Market, By Regions

North America Europe Asia-Pacific South America Middle East and Africa (MEA)Key Players operating the Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market

Osiris Therapeutics NuVasives Cytori Therapeutics Takeda (TiGenix) Cynata Celyad Medi-post Anterogen Molmed Baxter Eleveflow Mesoblast Ltd. Micronit Microfluidics TAKARA BIO INC. Tigenix Capricor Therapeutics Astellas Pharma US, Inc. Pfizer Inc. STEMCELL Technologies Inc.

MAJOR TOC OF THE REPORT

Chapter One: Stem Cell Reconstructive Market Overview

Chapter Two: Manufacturers Profiles

Chapter Three: Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market Competition, by Players

Chapter Four: Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market Size by Regions

Chapter Five: North America Stem Cell Reconstructive Revenue by Countries

Chapter Six: Europe Stem Cell Reconstructive Revenue by Countries

Chapter Seven: Asia-Pacific Stem Cell Reconstructive Revenue by Countries

Chapter Eight: South America Stem Cell Reconstructive Revenue by Countries

Chapter Nine: Middle East and Africa Revenue Stem Cell Reconstructive by Countries

Chapter Ten: Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market Segment by Type

Chapter Eleven: Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market Segment by Application

Chapter Twelve: Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market Size Forecast (2019-2026)

Browse Full Report with Facts and Figures of Stem Cell Reconstructive Market Report at: https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/market-report/global-stem-cell-reconstructive-market/54666/

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Originally posted here:
Global Stem Cell Reconstructive Market- Industry Analysis and Forecast (2020-2027) - Publicist360

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

COVID-19 has such a wide range of symptoms that you'd be hard-pressed to talk to two people who experienced the same exact thing.

COVID-19 looks different on everyone. It's not the flu; it's not the common cold. Unlike those viruses, the novel coronavirus doesn't come with a set of symptoms that show up in everyone. Some people experience a scratchy throat; some people experience shortness of breath. Some people get diarrhea and some lose their sense of smell. Most run a fever and experience debilitating fatigue.

Despite the breadth of symptoms, one thing is for certain: COVID-19 does not discriminate. People of all ages, backgrounds, social and economic classes, races, sexualities and origins can get this coronavirus -- here are the stories of some who have recovered, and not one is the same.

Keep track of the coronavirus pandemic.

These stories are not meant to scare you, but instead shine a light on what people are experiencing. I hope that these stories reveal how serious the coronavirus pandemic is -- that even the healthiest people are at risk -- and encourage you to follow your state's public health mandates and stay-at-home orders.

Olivia, who prefers to disclose only her first name, was studying abroad in Paris in late January. She flew back to the states on Sunday, March 15. The following Tuesday, she says she began to feel like she had a cold.

"I thought nothing of it and figured it was from the travel, since the only symptoms I had were congestion and a headache," Olivia tells CNET. "The next day I started feeling worse, but still hadn't shown any of the major signs of [the coronavirus] until I woke up at 3 a.m. Thursday morning and I was running a 100.2 fever."

Olivia's symptoms quickly progressed at that point, and she soon felt as if she had the flu: body aches, chills, extreme fatigue and a fever up to 102 degrees. At some point between the Tuesday when she first began to show symptoms and the following Thursday, Olivia also lost her sense of taste and smell, and thus lost her appetite.

She got tested on Saturday, March 21.

"I started to feel better over the next couple of days, my fever broke, and I was able to get up and move around and started to feel like myself," Olivia says, with the congestion and loss of taste and smell the only lingering symptoms.

"Now, just a little over two weeks since I started seeing symptoms, I consider myself to have completely recovered," she says. "I remained quarantined the entirety of my two weeks being sick and maintained limited contact with my family as well."

Looking back, Lauren Rowello, a freelance writer, says the first sign was minor coughing in her children. Her youngest had one day of fever, but nothing seemed serious.

"I vaguely remember my spouse also coughing and not feeling great, but that seems like so long ago," Rowello tells CNET. "We're in New Jersey. My spouse commutes a few times per week to NYC and travels throughout the US for work as well," she says, adding that her spouse is likely patient zero for their family.

Rowello didn't realize she had COVID-19 until a minor cough progressed to bronchitis and eventually led to pneumonia. Her cough turned into hacking and wheezing -- she was spitting up mucus and experiencing shortness of breath. This all happened within a matter of days.

Because the difference between bronchitis and pneumonia can sometimes be tricky to spot, Rowello had to get a chest x-ray.

Now playing: Watch this: Pandemic expert: The US can't claim to be surprised by...

36:50

"I should have followed the trail of symptoms and illness through my house, but I didn't expect any of it to be a big deal -- especially since everyone else dealt with it so easily," Rowello says. "The severity of my symptoms seemed to come out of nowhere and progressed so fast that I didn't have much time to react to them."

Rowello's doctor put her on steroids to treat the inflammation and counteract her overwhelming immune response. She was also put on multiple medications for breathing assistance. Three weeks later, she's still coughing -- although infrequently -- and dealing with fatigue.

"I'm mostly back to normal -- working, cooking and doing some child-rearing again -- but I'm constantly exhausted and still dealing with some breathing issues," she says. "I'm still taking multiple medications to assist with that."

Dr. Tracy Gapin, a board-certified urologist and mens' health specialist, is still not feeling 100% himself four weeks after he first developed coronavirus symptoms.

One Friday night in early March, Dr. Gapin was at home watching TV with his wife. Out of nowhere, he suddenly developed "shaking chills." His skin began to hurt and he was running a fever of 100.

Luckily for Dr. Gapin, those were the worst of his symptoms. Prior to breaking out in chills, he experienced night sweats a couple of times, which he thinks may be related. At the time, though, he didn't pay it any mind because he felt fine otherwise.

He ran a fever for only one day and had no respiratory symptoms whatsoever -- no coughing, no wheezing, no mucus gunkiness in the chest.

Now playing: Watch this: Keep in touch with loved ones while keeping your distance

1:32

Since that Friday night with the chills, Dr. Gapin says he's been dealing with a particularly intense, persistent fatigue. "This isn't simply being tired," he says, "but it's a dense brain fog that has really limited my cognitive function I've had to take multiple naps on some days to get through the day."

Still, he feels fortunate that his symptoms were mild overall.

Dr. Gapin believes that everything he practiced before the coronavirus outbreak, and everything he preaches to his patients, is actually what saved his life -- that his habit of optimizing immunity prevented his case of COVID-19 from progressing to severity or fatality.

"Every aspect of my health was really a big part in my getting over this virus," he says. "Immune optimization, hormone health, nutrition, fitness -- all of it is important."

Interestingly, Dr. Gapin notes, his wife, two children and 70-year-old mother-in-law -- all of whom he was around before developing symptoms -- had no signs of the coronavirus. Gapin says he assumes they are all asymptomatic carriers, a stark reminder that anyone can have COVID-19 and not even know it.

Many people who have had COVID-19 and recovered are sharing their stories online. People share for different reasons -- to enlighten the public about what it's like to have coronavirus, to explain that everyone is at risk for the virus, to encourage people to stay home. Here's a collection of stories about the coronavirus that recovered patients have shared online. Interpret them how you will.

Though the medical community says that the coronavirus generally causes more severe illness among elderly and immunocompromised folks, a 22-year-old woman shared her harrowing experience with contracting coronavirus.

While people with compromised immune systems are at great risk of contracting the coronavirus, young people who are otherwise healthy can and have been infected. This 31-year-old reporter shares his experience with it.

Anyone can be infected and the symptoms can be harsh even if you are otherwise totally healthy, as this historian shared on Twitter.

Chris Cuomo, CNN host and the brother of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, contracted the coronavirus and shared his experience.

This virus is protean in nature, Dr. Michael Hall, a physician who has formed a working relief group with World Health Organization colleagues and Third Wave Volunteers to fight the coronavirus in the southern US states and Caribbean, tells CNET.

"It displays in each individual a myriad of signs and symptoms," Dr. Hall explains. "It's very stealthy and takes two to 14 days after exposure to display signs of infection." The early signs are "quite profound and very pathologic," he says, noting that anosmia -- loss of smell -- is apparently very common.

Other signs of infection can include nasal congestion and headaches, which may be mild to severe in nature. A cough -- typically dry, like a tickle in the throat -- and fever are also common, Hall says. Gastrointestinal upset, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, is on the symptom list, too.

Dr. Hall, who's treated patients with COVID-19, says the duration of illness seems to be rather long, and at some point, many people develop a feeling of "lung burn." He equates this to what you might feel when breathing at a very high altitude.

COVID-19, in short, is tricky -- advice, guidelines and public health mandates keep changing and are expected to continue changing.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

Here is the original post:
What it's like to have the coronavirus, according to people who've recovered - CNET

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Newswise The constant barrage of news about the global coronavirus pandemic is causing fear, stress and anxiety for many during waking hours and preventing them from getting a good nights sleep.

Xue Ming, a professor of neurology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and a specialist in sleep disorders, talks about how COVID-19 is bringing new challenges to sleep cycles, how sleep helps the immune system fight inflammation, infection and disease while producing proteins that are needed to recover from illness, and what can be done to get on the right track to a healthy sleep routine.

How have the pandemic and social isolation brought new challenges to sleep?

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased anxiety, often fueled by reading news on screens, which is extending bedtimes, exposing people to blue light and keeping the adrenaline system up. Also, our daily routines have changed work and school hours are less structured and people are sleeping in later than usual. Without strong discipline, a person could sleep later, following their biologic circadian rhythm, which is more than 24 hours.

What are some tips for avoiding sleep disruption?

Schedule an anxiety and worry time. For example, in the morning make a list of anxiety-provoking thoughts, such as job insecurity, health and education. Then, put this list away and out of your bedroom. Keep the same lights-out time, whether you have to get up at certain time or not. Nightshift workers should expose themselves to bright light to keep awake while working and then wear sunglasses when returning home in the morning and take melatonin if falling asleep is an issue.

How can sleep affect your mood?

The earliest sign of depression is sleep disruption. Depression makes sleep fragmented even though some depressed persons sleep longer. Anti-depressants can further suppress the quality REM sleep. Sleep deprivation also can lead to irritability, hyper-reactivity and mood swings.

Are there supplements people with insomnia can take?

Amino acids, such as glutamate, are involved in the production of GABA, a major sleep neurotransmitter. A balanced diet rich in proteins ensures GABA synthesis. Vitamins and essential minerals are important to bodily functions that maintain sleep health. For example, vitamin B and D play important roles in biochemical pathways in the cells. When insomnia persists, you can try herbal supplements, such as tryptophan (an amino acid), melatonin (13 mg) or valerian root. These sleep aids should not be used frequently or long-term, however. Always seek the advice of your physician before using these sleep aids. For example, valerian root has been reported to cause liver damage in some people.

If you get sick, how should you change your sleep routine?

When you are sick, your body needs more sleep to increase immunity. Our natural defense mechanism adapts inflammation-induced sleep, which helps us fight infection. If your sleep is disrupted by a chronic cough, use cough medicine at bedtime under a physicians guidance.

Remind us what good sleep hygiene means.

Keeping a bedtime routine and regular sleep time can condition your body to fall and stay asleep. Start about two hours before bedtime: dim the lights; practice meditation, yoga and deep breathing; listen to light music; wear a visor or sunglasses if you have to be in a lighted environment; and wear earplugs if necessary.

Do not drink caffeinated or hot beverages or take a shower as that can rev up your adrenaline system. Stop using any blue lightemitting device, which can affect your bodys production of melatonin, a sleep hormone. Avoid anything that prompts anxiety, such as an argument, watching horror movies, vigorous exercise, hot beverages or shower/bath, which are all counter-productive for falling and staying asleep. Also avoid alcohol at bedtime. While alcohol can induce sleep, when the alcohol level drops a few hours later, your sleep becomes fragmented. Likewise, eating close to bedtime can lead to gastric reflux due to a full stomach, which can disrupt sleep.

Are there optimal times for people to fall asleep? A persons circadian rhythm dictates the optimal times for falling asleep effortlessly. This can vary by age. The best time for adults is to go to sleep is from 9 to 11 p.m. earlier if elderly and they should get seven to nine hours of sleep. For older teens and young adults, the optimal time to go to sleep is between 10 p.m. to midnight and have eight to 10 hours of sleep. For young children and those who are school age, a bedtime between 7 and 8 p.m. is optimal, with nine to 11 hours of sleep.

The rest is here:
How to Sleep Healthy During the Pandemic - Newswise

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Sleep: The most underrated antioxidant

07-Apr-2020 New Delhi

Posted 03 Apr 2020

Have you ever wondered what is the importance of day and night, what is the role of sleep, how do we set a good circadian rhythm? Well all this revolves around the hormone melatonin!!

Setting up the circadian rhythm helps in production of good amounts of melatonin hormone. Melatonin does help in reducing the pigmentation, anti-ageing and also reduces hair fall so on and so forth.

Dr. Pallavi Sule, Dermatologist and Aesthetic Physician, starts by first explaining the meaning of Melatonin: "Melatonin is a hormone primarily secreted by the pineal gland which is known to regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Usually it is consumed in the form of tablets to help people in jet lag, shift works by regulating the circadian cycle as a short term treatment for trouble in sleeping".

She explains:

How does melatonin get secreted?

The pineal gland is sensitive to light. When it is dark the body secretes more melatonin and prepares the body to sleep and when it is day/ light (artificial lights) the production of melatonin decreases. Low levels of the hormone give brain signals to stay awake.

So what's new about this hormone and why is it studied in more detail than before?

Sule said: "Melatonin is also known for its antioxidant benefits!! We all are living in a very stressful environment, be it the external or internal stressors like pollution, food consumed (adulteration), solar radiation, sleep patterns, work environments and so forth!! Any kind of stress releases free oxygen radicals in the body, which damages our DNA, causing degenerative diseases and autoimmune diseases. Oxidative damage also leads to aging and hair fall which we know is one of the major causes.Melatonin hormone serves as a potent antioxidant, presumptive anti aging substance and anti cancer agent."

Let's understand how sleeping according to the body clock helps our body in general health and well being!

Sule further elaborates on this imperative subject adding, "Maintaining good sleep hygiene and a good sleep quality has many advantages. The sleep wake cycle governs two hormones- Cortisol and Melatonin."

Release of Human Growth Hormone: Experts estimate that 75 per cent of this hormone is released during sleep. It is released in the Stage 3 of sleep cycle which is usually 1-1.5 hrs after one falls asleep. Sleep deprivation or altered cycles affects the release of this hormone. In children it will affect the growth and health.

Sleep and its relation with Liver: There is a great relationship between sleep cycles and liver functions. Scientific studies suggest that most patients with advanced liver diseases have disturbed sleep patterns. The liver has its own clock for detoxification and regulation of hormones. Disturbed sleep results in raised cortisol levels (stress levels) and vice versa. This hampers the regulation of hormones by the liver. Here, now the liver is overworked and cortisol levels in the body are high during daytime. This circulating cortisol hampers the liver's regulations of melatonin and so the melatonin hormone levels are also high during daytime. Resulting in day time fatigue and drowsiness, and night time alertness.

Lastly, how can we increase melatonin levels?

"Many formulations are available in the market in the form of tablets and gels for topical application. But we must not forget the most important factor in production of the right amount of melatonin hormone in the body is sleep." IANS

Go here to see the original:
Sleep The most underrated antioxidant - The Weekend Leader

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Many readers of the Post must be taking angiotension receptor blockers (ARBs) for high blood pressure. As products these are tagged with names ending in -sartan. My personal poison is candesartan, but theres a losartan, a valsartan and many others. Well call them sartans here to cut down on the acronyms.

In my column for Saturdays paper I gave a whimsical overview of hypothetical treatments for COVID-19, and I forgot to so much as mention the sartans. Strange error for me to make. But it could be because these drugs have undergone a strange swing in reputation in the COVID era.

For a few weeks physicians and researchers studying COVID and the nasty little cuss that causes it, SARS-CoV-2, were nervous about the sartans (and their older cousins, the ACE inhibitors). It had quickly become apparent that SARS-CoV-2, like the classic SARS virus Canadians know too well, uses the natural enzyme ACE2 to penetrate cell walls in the lung and possibly other organs.

ACE2 is angiotensin converting enzyme 2. It is part of the fiendishly complicated renin-angiotensin hormone system that the kidney uses to tell the rest of the body to send it enough blood to do its job. This is the same system that the sartans fool with to lower your blood pressure, so there was an immediate question of interaction between the drug, the enzyme and the virus that exploits the enzyme.

Sartans increase ACE2 expression: they upregulate it, in the language of pharmacologists. This sounds bad if youre frightened of a virus that uses ACE2 opportunistically to turn your lungs into hamburger. It sounded bad to enough family doctors that medical authorities had to put out advisories telling them not to run wild and start switching their high blood pressure patients away from sartans.

This now seems like a good call, because the latest thinking subject to change at any moment, no doubt is that sartans might actually help fend off the virus. Original SARS was shown in mice to actually downregulate or reduce ACE2 while exploiting it; this caused high blood pressure and lung failure, making the virus more or less the opposite of a sartan. Taking sartans actually appears to give you more ACE2 receptors, and that is, paradoxically, what you might want. Rather than increasing the attack surface for the virus, it gives you more receptors to spare so that the system keeps working.

Well, there are about two dozen people on Earth who understand this stuff and Im not one of them. But the concept seems credible to those who studied original SARS closely. They even thought about using sartans as a treatment for SARS when there still seemed some danger it would run amuck, as SARS-2 is doing.

Pictured taken March 26, 2020. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

This is all theory (an untested mechanistic hypothesis, grumble the Olympian deities of evidence-based medicine), but it has found some empirical support. As the COVID virus was executing its cavalry charge through the city of Wuhan and Hubei province, a group of Chinese doctors were retrospectively studying the medication histories of persons who had both COVID and chronic high blood pressure. They wanted to check whether sartans and other pills for hypertension were bad. In their data, sartans came out looking very good, with users having significantly lower odds of developing severe COVID. It is an effect strong enough to have shown up in a fairly small universe of 511 patients.

I am not promising that the sartans will save us, but if you are a fellow user, you can feel slightly more comfortable about having to take em

It could still be due to chance, and Im sure none of you are keen on trusting that two and two make four if someone in mainland China says so. But doctors in other countries are now working on replicating the Chinese effort in a similar way, and in countries with state-provided medicare and good electronic records, signs of sartan protection (or harm) could be sought, very quickly, at the level of whole national populations. (I know it sounds as though Ive described Canada in that sentence, but forget that: we are a shambles. Think Denmark.) I am not promising that the sartans will save us, but if you are a fellow user, you can feel slightly more comfortable about having to take em.

National Post

Twitter.com/ColbyCosh

View original post here:
Colby Cosh on COVID-19: Sartans at Thermopylae? Blood pressure meds vs. the coronavirus - News Lagoon

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

5 months after its launch within the U.S., Disney+ has made its debut in India. Content material from the streaming service has been built-in into Disney-owned Hotstars library, and that is a sensible transfer as a result of Hotstar already has over 300 million customers within the nation.

Disney+ is binging its authentic reveals like The Mandalorian, and providing titles from your complete Star Wars franchise, Pixar and Marvel content material, and a lot extra. Many of the Disney+ content material is obtainable in regional languages, with customers in a position to stream in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil.

This is every thing you should learn about Disney+ Hotstar in India.

With the combination of Disney+ content material, Hotstar has been rebranded to Disney+ Hotstar. Theres a free tier that features adverts, and two paid plans. The Disney+ Hotstar VIP plan prices 399 ($5.30) a yr, and it contains entry to chose TV sequence and flicks from Disneys again catalog together with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Lion King, Mickey Mouse, Doraemon, and extra in a number of Indian languages.

Finest on-line studying instruments for teenagers: ABCmouse, Studying IQ, & extra

The Disney+ Hotstar VIP plan additionally contains entry to all main sporting occasions, together with cricket, soccer, Components 1, and extra. This plan used to value 365 ($2.85), and the minor enhance in value is nicely price entry to all the brand new Disney content material.

If you wish to stream Disney+ originals and entry worldwide TV reveals from the likes of HBO, Showtime, and Fox, you may wish to subscribe to Disney+ Hotstar Premium. This plan helps you to stream reveals like The Mandalorian, your complete Star Wars franchise, and a lot extra. You additionally get limitless entry to all of Hotstars sporting content material.

Disney+ Hotstar Premium prices 1,499 ($20) a yr, a rise of 500 ($7.75) from Hotstars earlier premium plan. What which means is that you simplyre principally paying simply 500 a yr for Disney+ content material in India. And no, in the event youre questioning, there isnt a method to simply subscribe to Disney+ content material on Hotstar.

Like Hotstars earlier plans, you solely get to stream premium content material on one machine at a time. That is the trade-off for the low annual price, so if you should stream reveals on a couple of machine, you may should arrange one other account. This limitation is just for content material that is tagged premium; different TV reveals and flicks may be streamed on two gadgets directly.

Should you paid for Hotstars VIP or Premium plans, youll be upgraded to the Disney+ plans at no additional value all through your membership. Youll have to pay the up to date charge when you renew your subscription. So in the event youre on the Premium tier, it is possible for you to to entry all of Disney+ originals till your subscription runs out. To resume, youll have to shell out 1,499 as an alternative of 999.

The Hotstar UI hasnt modified a lot, however theres now a devoted Disney+ part that hosts all of the Disney content material. Just like the Disney+ app in different areas, its damaged down into 5 classes: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and Nationwide Geographic. The category-wise breakdown makes it simple to seek out your favourite TV reveals and flicks.

Again when Disney+ launched, it made a giant deal about providing The Simpsons, the primary time the present was accessible on a streaming service. Nevertheless, the present will not be accessible in India. I additionally could not discover X-Males: The Animated Collection, and flicks from the again catalog, together with The BFG, The Sound of Music, and so forth.

For now, the notable omission is The Simpsons. However theres lots of content material accessible to stream on Disney+ in India, and this is a brief listing of the very best TV reveals and flicks accessible proper now:

No. Hotstar remains to be restricted to 1080p content material, and there isnt any Dolby audio right here both. The bitrate hasnt modified, and I measured a median of three.5Mbps at 1080p. For some context, most Netflix reveals at 1080p have greater than double that bitrate, and I often see a bitrate of seven.5Mbps to 10Mbit.

After all, Disney+ content material within the U.S. is obtainable in 4K, and once I examined the service over there, I acquired a bitrate of 17Mbps to 20Mbps. Having mentioned that, you are basically paying a tenth of what Disney+ prices in different markets, so it is not too dangerous a trade-off.

That is simply the beginning of Disney+ in India, and we should always see much more from the service within the coming months and years. Disney mechanically gained entry to an enormous userbase by integrating its catalog inside Hotstar, and that solidifies the rebranded Disney+ Hotstar as the very best streaming platform in India.

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Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Newtown Apr 2, 2020 (Thomson StreetEvents) -- Edited Transcript of Onconova Therapeutics Inc earnings conference call or presentation Tuesday, March 24, 2020 at 8:30:00pm GMT

* Abraham N. Oler

Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - VP of Corporate Development & General Counsel

Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - CFO

Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - Chief Medical Officer and Senior VP of Research & Development

* Steven M. Fruchtman

Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - CEO, President & Director

Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd., Research Division - MD of Healthcare Research & Senior Biotechnology Analyst

H.C. Wainwright & Co, LLC, Research Division - MD of Equity Research & Senior Healthcare Analyst

Good afternoon, and welcome to Onconova Therapeutics Corporate Update and Full Year 2019 Financial Results Conference Call. (Operator Instructions) As a reminder, this call may be recorded.

At this time, I would like to turn the call over to Avi Oler, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and General Counsel.

Abraham N. Oler, Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - VP of Corporate Development & General Counsel [2]

Thank you, operator. Good afternoon, and welcome to Onconova's fourth quarter and full year 2019 corporate update and financial results conference call. Earlier this afternoon, we issued a press release outlining our financial results and business progress during the year. If you have not seen this press release, it is available on the Investor Relations page of our website at http://www.onconova.com.

On today's call, Dr. Steve Fruchtman, President and CEO, will discuss the company's recent highlights and anticipated clinical and business milestones. After Steve completes his opening remarks, Mark Guerin, our CFO, will review our 2019 financial results. Following Mark's report, we will move to the Q&A portion of the call, which will be joined by Dr. Rick Woodman, our Chief Medical Officer. Lastly, Steve will come back with some final brief comments and a review of upcoming milestones.

Before we begin, I'll remind everyone that statements made today during this conference call will include forward-looking statements under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made as the underlying facts and circumstances may change. Except as required by law, Onconova disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future information, events or circumstances. Please see the forward-looking statements disclaimer in the press release issued this afternoon and the risk factors in the company's current and future filings with the SEC.

With that, I'll turn the call over to Steve.

Thank you, Avi. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining today's call. I would like to apologize for the delay in initiating the call. There were some technical factors from the operating system that really was out of our control. I also hope all of you are safe and practicing the guidelines as per our CDC. As you know, this is a very serious pandemic. So obviously, please take good care.

2019 and early this year represented a period of significant advancement in Onconova, highlighted by our recently completed enrollment of the pivotal Phase III INSPIRE trial in higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes. With planned INSPIRE enrollment now complete, we await the reporting of 288 survival events before releasing top line survival data. As disclosed earlier this afternoon, we expect top line survival data to be available during the second half of 2020.

Survival events INSPIRE trial are occurring at a slower rate than anticipated from historical published data. The reporting of this data set is expected in the second half of this year. This is our best estimate at this time, however, the impact of the evolving situation with COVID-19 is not known.

As you recall, the INSPIRE trial is an open-label, randomized, controlled international study designed to determine the efficacy, safety and tolerability of single agent intravenous rigosertib in the treatment of patients with second-line higher-risk MDS. Patients in this study are less than 82 years of age and have progressed on, relapsed or failed to respond to previous treatment of methylating agent therapy. The study randomizes patients to receive either rigosertib with best supportive care or the physician's choice of therapy with best supportive care. The primary endpoint of this study is overall survival of all randomized patients in the intent-to-treat population.

There is a second opportunity for an FDA approval, which is the sequential analysis of the overall survival of the very high-risk subgroup as defined by the revised International Prognostic Scoring System. Should rigosertib prolong survival in the INSPIRE trial in a statistically significant manner, we believe rigosertib could be the first new treatment for higher-risk MDS in more than 15 years.

In addition to the INSPIRE trial, we are preparing for a pivotal Phase II/III combination trial of oral rigosertib and azacitidine for the treatment of adult patients, which [aid the risk] HMA-naive, high-risk MDS. We received feedback from the FDA in 2019 and are preparing a Phase II/III protocol. We anticipate this study will begin later this year in conjunction with the data readout from the INSPIRE study.

At the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in December 2019, Onconova presented a number of abstracts highlighting our development programs for both intravenous and oral rigosertib. The genomic data from the INSPIRE trial identifies the most common mutations in high-risk MDS following azacitidine failure, including those of the RAS pathway that are targeted by rigosertib. We believe the Phase II data of oral rigosertib in combination with azacitidine forms a foundation of a future adaptive trial in HMA-naive, high-risk MDS patients. We appreciate the recognition by ASH expert reviewers designate this data to be of such value that it was given an oral presentation at ASH.

As presented at ASH, a Phase II combination of oral rigosertib and azacitidine showed an overall response rate of 90%, 9-0, and a complete response rate of 34%. Complete response or CR, by definition, signifies the patient has a normal-appearing bone marrow and the bone marrow produces a normal peripheral blood count. Thus, these patients who are typically transfusion-dependent are rendered transfusion independent, which clearly offers great clinical benefit. The median duration of response is 12.2 months. The company believes this data support the design of a planned Phase II/III adaptive trial in HMA-naive high-risk MDS patients.

We have also made important progress with additional pipeline programs as well. Beyond rigosertib's focus in MDS, we are pleased about our other pipeline progress. And in particular, the progress of our plans to study rigosertib in RAS-driven cancers, including a study in KRAS-mutated lung adenocarcinoma. We anticipate the first patient to be entered onto the trial once the COVID-19 environment improves sufficiently. While a checkpoint inhibitors represent a significant advancement in the standard of care in treating lung cancer, tremendous unmet medical need remains. In our view, making our novel combination approach, which now will target RAS, of great interest to pursue.

ON123300 is our investigational first-in-class dual inhibitor of CDK4/6 and ARK5, which we believe has the potential to treat numerous cancers, including refractory metastatic breast cancer where CDK4/6 inhibitors have helped authority approval. As a reminder, we entered into a license agreement with HanX Biopharmaceuticals for ON123300 in December of 2017, under which HanX will provide all funding required for Chinese IND-enabling studies performed for Chinese health authority IND approval. We and HanX also intend for these studies to comply with FDA standards. The IND was approved in January of 2020 by the Chinese health authority. The manufacturer for ON123300 has been identified already and qualified. We plan to file a U.S. IND to ON123300 in the fourth quarter of 2020 after obtaining the required manufacturing data for the aspirant.

For those who are not familiar with the field, CDK inhibitors have emerged as promising compounds targeting very large indications such as hormone receptor positive metastatic breast cancer. The current generation of commercially-approved CDK inhibitors has limitations. Due to its unique targeting of ARK5 as well as CDK4 and 6, we believe ON123300 has the potential to overcome many of these limitations, making our drug candidate potentially suitable for certain cancers that may not be responsive to the current generation of CDK4/6 inhibitors. If successful, we believe ON123300 could address this very large market opportunity with a potentially better therapeutic. We maintain global rights to ON123300 outside of China.

The fourth quarter of 2019 and early 2020 was productive on the business development front as well. We executed a license agreement for rigosertib for Canada with Knight Therapeutics, we executed a license agreement for rigosertib for Australia and New Zealand with Specialised Therapeutics, we reacquired the rights to rigosertib in Greater China from HanX Biopharmaceuticals and we entered into a pre-approval access collaboration with Inceptua Medicines for rigosertib in select countries outside of the United States.

As a reminder, Onconova retains the rights in the United States, Europe and China for rigosertib, and we look forward to further business development opportunities.

And now I'd like to turn the call over to Mark Guerin, our Chief Financial Officer, for a discussion of our financial results for fourth quarter 2019. Mark, please?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mark Patrick Guerin, Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - CFO [4]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks, Steve, and good afternoon, everyone. Cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2019, totaled $22.7 million compared to $17 million as of December 31, 2018. Besides the $9 million of net proceeds from the financing we closed in early 2020, common stock warrant exercises since December 31, 2019, have added $5.7 million to the company's cash balance, resulting in a cash balance at February 29, 2020, of approximately $32.6 million. Based on our current projections, we expect that our cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund ongoing trials and operations into the third quarter of 2021.

Our net loss was $21.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $20.4 million for the comparable period in 2018. Research and development expenses were $15.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, and $16.9 million for the comparable period in 2018.

General and administrative expenses were $8.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 and $7.6 million for the comparable period in 2018. We continue to manage our resources carefully while maintaining our primary focus on completing the INSPIRE trial.

This completes my financial review. I'll now turn the call back to Steve.

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Steven M. Fruchtman, Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - CEO, President & Director [5]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you so much, Mark. With that, we'd like to open the call for questions. After the Q&A, I'll finish with some closing comments.

Because of COVID-19, the Onconova office is closed. So to make this as expeditious as possible, when a question is asked, I will -- we're all in our home offices, so I will ask our internal expert to answer your question.

So operator, please go forward.

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Questions and Answers

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Operator [1]

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(Operator Instructions) Our first question comes from Dr. Joe Pantginis with H.C. Wainwright.

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Joseph Pantginis, H.C. Wainwright & Co, LLC, Research Division - MD of Equity Research & Senior Healthcare Analyst [2]

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Hope you're all well and hope you all stay well. A few questions, if you don't mind. First, on INSPIRE. Steve, I want to merge 2 of your prepared comments. Obviously, as you said, that nothing is new in 15 years, especially in the advanced population. And then you had your comment that based on observations for unblinded data, it appears to have a slower rate of events versus historical controls. So I'd like to approach that from a devil's advocate perspective. Obviously, all of us want to hope that it's due to the presence of rigosertib. So I guess from a devil's advocate perspective, what do you believe could also be impacting that? Obviously, beyond the placebo group or the control group acting better than expected, but no changes in therapeutic regimens, et cetera. So I'm just curious what your thoughts might be.

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Steven M. Fruchtman, Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - CEO, President & Director [3]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So Joe, thank you for that question. I will ask our expert devil's advocate, Dr. Rick Woodman, to answer your question. Rick?

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Richard Charles Woodman, Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - Chief Medical Officer and Senior VP of Research & Development [4]

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Thank you, Steve, for that illustrious introduction. So thank you for the question, Joe. I think we have to keep in mind that the historical data regarding survival was collected well over 12 years ago and was not really collected in a randomized controlled trial. I think one of the potential factors that could be contributing to the event rate not being what we historically anticipated is improved supportive care that's occurred since that time the original azacitidine studies were done and survival was captured. I think that at this point in time, we do not see any impact of COVID on the survival events. But obviously, this is something we're monitoring through our safety reporting process, and we will continue to go forward with that, looking very carefully on a regular basis at the event rates.

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Joseph Pantginis, H.C. Wainwright & Co, LLC, Research Division - MD of Equity Research & Senior Healthcare Analyst [5]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Very, very helpful. And then I'll put 2 in here at the same time. With regard to the news flow around INSPIRE, based on your goal of hitting a medical conference later this year, I guess, presumably ASH, if the data -- or if you hit the events ahead of time, would you anticipate just putting out a more simplistic press release that the -- maybe the primary had been met and then hold the data until ASH? And then secondly, based on the relatively late addition of additional geographies enrolling sites like in Brazil, are you looking at any potential over enrollment?

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Steven M. Fruchtman, Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - CEO, President & Director [6]

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So I'll take the first one first, Joe, if I may. So regarding release of information, if -- it looks like it's aligned and ideally, we will present the survival data at ASH. Clearly, if we have the data prior to ASH, we will be in discussions with ASH to inform them of our need based on SEC guidance that the data needs to be released to the Street, and we will do that in a timely fashion via a press release of some sort. And at the same time, make sure we inform ASH that the data will be released and yet ASH will permit us to present the data at that medical conference. And I think you had a second question, Joe, that I'll ask Rick to take.

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Richard Charles Woodman, Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - Chief Medical Officer and Senior VP of Research & Development [7]

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Yes. Thank you, Joe. Your question was regarding over enrollment in INSPIRE now that we've reached 360. The current industry practice for sponsors is that patients who have consented to the study prior to achieving planned enrollment be given the opportunity to be screened and considered the study for participation. We are doing that. We are obviously following closely health authority guidelines such as the FDA's as well as national guidelines. None of those guidelines have yet said that over enrollment with screened patients is not possible. So I anticipate there may be a few patients that would still come into the study.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joseph Pantginis, H.C. Wainwright & Co, LLC, Research Division - MD of Equity Research & Senior Healthcare Analyst [8]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Got it. And my last question. Obviously, you had some BD developments as well with regard to China rights to rigosertib from HanX, but you're obviously still dealing with that company for 123300, which is a mouthful. You got to get a better name. But the -- just curious how things might be going and potentially relicensing in China and beyond.

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Steven M. Fruchtman, Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - CEO, President & Director [9]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks, Joe. Avi, can you take that, please?

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Abraham N. Oler, Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - VP of Corporate Development & General Counsel [10]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sure. Thanks for the question, Joe. And you're right. We have an existing program with HanX Biopharmaceuticals, but the program with rigosertib is now -- China rights are available. So that means the largest markets in the world outside of Japan and in China, Europe and the United States, Onconova maintains all those rights. And now we've licensed rights in the fourth quarter, as Steve mentioned, to partners in Canada and in Australia and New Zealand. Those territories very much remain available. And as we complete enrollment here and as we approach data, we believe it's going to be an exciting time for Onconova on various fronts, including business development.

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Operator [11]

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Our next question comes from Dr. Ahu Demir with NOBLE Capital.

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Ahu Demir, NOBLE Capital Markets, Inc., Research Division - Biotechnology Research Analyst [12]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nice to hear everyone's voice, and I hope you're safe and you all stay safe. So my first question, first of all, congratulations. We needed some good news. Congrats on the completion of enrollment. So since you're expecting data in the second half, do we expect any genomic, any other types of data that will be press released or presented at the conference prior to the top line data?

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Steven M. Fruchtman, Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - CEO, President & Director [13]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rick, please?

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Richard Charles Woodman, Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. - Chief Medical Officer and Senior VP of Research & Development [14]

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Read more:
Edited Transcript of ONTX earnings conference call or presentation 24-Mar-20 8:30pm GMT - Yahoo Finance

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

In recent years, the development of CRISPR technologies and gene-editing scissors in particular have taken the world by storm. Indeed, scientists have learned how to harness these clever natural systems in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, among other areas.

New research from the University of Copenhagen shows that we are not the first to find a way to exploit the benefits of the CRISPR technique. Apparently, primitive bacterial parasites have been doing so for millions of years.

The researchers studied the least described and most enigmatic of the six CRISPR-Cas systems found in nature - Type IV CRISPR-Cas. Here, they uncovered characteristics that differ entirely from those in other systems.

Redefining CRISPR"Until recently, CRISPR-Cas was believed to be a defense system used by bacteria to protect themselves against invading parasites such as viruses, much like our very own immune system protects us. However, it appears that CRISPR is a tool that can be used for different purposes by diverse biological entities," according to 28-year-old Rafael Pinilla-Redondo, a PhD at UCPH's Department of Biology who led the research.

One of these biological entities are plasmids - small DNA molecules that often behave like parasites and, like viruses, require a host bacterium to survive.

"Here we found evidence that certain plasmids use type IV CRISPR-Cas systems to fight other plasmids competing over the same bacterial host. This is remarkable because, in doing so, plasmids have managed to turn the system around. Instead of protecting bacteria from their parasites, CRISPR is exploited to perform another task," says Pinilla-Redondo, adding:

"This is similar to how some birds compete for the best nesting site in a tree, or how hermit crabs fight for ownership of a shell."

"A humbling realization"The discovery challenges the notion that CRISPR-Cas systems have only one purpose in nature, that is, acting as immune systems in bacteria. According to Rafael Pinilla-Redondo, the discovery gives some additional perspective:

"We humans have only recently begun to exploit nature's CRISPR-Cas systems, but as it turns out, we are not the first. These 'primitive parasites' have been using them for millions of years, long before humans. It is quite a humbling realization"

What can we use it for?The researchers speculate that these systems could be used to combat one of the greatest threats to humanity: multi-drug resistant bacteria. Hundreds of thousands of people die from MDR bacteria every year.

Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics by acquiring genes that make them resistant to antibiotic treatment. Very frequently, this occurs when plasmids transport antibiotic resistant genes from one bacterium to another.

"As this system appears to have evolved to specifically attack plasmids, it is plausible that we could repurpose it to fight plasmids carrying antibiotic resistant genes. This could be achieved because it is possible to program CRISPR to target what one wants" says Pinilla-Redondo.

Research paper

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Humans are not the first to repurpose CRISPR - Space Daily

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

What happened

March wasn't kind to any asset class because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the month took a particularly heavy toll on risky clinical-stage biotech stocks. Shares ofAdaptimmune Therapeutics(NASDAQ:ADAP), Atreca (NASDAQ:BCEL), and CRISPR Therapeutics(NASDAQ:CRSP), for instance, each fell by more than 20% last month,according to data fromS&P Global Market Intelligence.

Why did clinical-stage biotech stocks tank last month? Companies like Adaptimmune, Atreca, and even CRISPR are heavily dependent on secondary stock offerings to raise capital for their costly clinical activities. What's more, these types of companies are essentially a science experiment, which entails a whole lot of risk.

Image source: Getty Images.

So with the market in meltdown mode over the COVID-19 pandemic, investors clearly lost their appetite for risk in general, especially among companies that have to dilute shareholders on a regular basis to generate operating capital. The good news is that Adaptimmune, Atreca, and CRISPR are all now trading at extremely attractive valuations after last month's bloodbath.

Adaptimmune is an anti-cancer cell therapy company that sports multiple high-end partnerships. Moreover, the company is less than two years away from potentially bringing its first product to market --an experimentalsynovial sarcoma treatment known asADP-A2M4. With Adaptimmune's market cap falling to a mere $342 million after last month's emotionally charged sell-off, its stock comes across as dirt cheap right now. The company, after all, is targeting several high-value indications in a market -- oncology -- that's one of the fastest growing in all of heatlhcare.

Atreca, for its part, is a developmental biotech focused ontherapies derived from the immune responses of cancer patients. The company sports several A-list investors such as the Baker Bros. and theBill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The main downside with this company is that it lacks a late-stage product candidate, meaning it will probably remain a cash-burning clinical-stage company for several more years.

That said, its novel immunotherapy platform might also attract a deep-pocketed partner or perhaps a tender offer in the not-so-distant future. As such, Atreca might also be a worthwhile pickup for risk-tolerant biotech investors on this hefty pullback.

CRISPR is a pioneer in the relatively young field ofCRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. The company is currently evaluating its first product candidate, CTX001, in a pair of early stage trials for the rare blood disorders sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. If these ongoing trials support further development for CTX001, CRISPR could very well end up fetching a noteworthy buyout offer.

So while CRISPR is a risky biotech stock to be sure, it does offer a healthy upside potential for aggressive investors. Stated simply, CRISPR's March swoon may be an outstanding buying opportunity for the risk-tolerant crowd.

Follow this link:
Why Adaptimmune Therapeutics, Atreca, and CRISPR Therapeutics All Tanked In March - Motley Fool

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The drug giant GlaxoSmithKline said Monday it will collaborate with Vir Biotechnology on experimental treatments and potentially, vaccines against the novel coronavirus.

As part of the deal, GlaxoSmithKline will invest $250 million in the San Francisco startup at a 10% premium to the companys closing share price on March 27.

The agreement includes Virs lead drugs against the novel coronavirus, which are monoclonal antibodies that could enter efficacy studies in humans in three to five months. The deal includes an early effort to use CRISPR, the gene-editing technology, to identify medicines that might help the immune system fight off viruses. The collaboration also encompasses a long-term project to develop a vaccine that might prevent infection not only with the virus, called SARS-CoV-2, but related viruses that could cause problems in the future.

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Virs unique antibody platform has precedented success in identifying and developing antibodies as treatments for multiple pathogens, Hal Barron, GlaxoSmithKlines chief scientific officer, said in a statement.

George Scangos, Virs chief executive officer, said the antibodies were isolated from a patient who previously had severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, a disease caused by another coronavirus that sickened thousands in 2003 and 2004.

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Antibodies that are isolated, lets say years after an infection often have properties that you dont find in antibodies isolated immediately after, Scangos said. When SARS-CoV-2 started spreading, Sangos said the company had a running start because we already had those SARS antibodies.

Virs drugs in development are both based on a single antibody from this patient, and both have been modified so that they will last longer in the body. The company has altered one of the drugs in a bid to create long-term immunity, much like a vaccine. That particular technology has never been tested in humans before.

Antibody drugs could be used in three possible ways: to prevent people at high risk, such as healthcare workers, from ever becoming infected; to prevent those infected from developing severe respiratory problems that can make Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, deadly; and to treat people who are already in respiratory distress. Vir expects to start trials for all three uses this summer.

Other companies are working on similar treatments, including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which has said it will begin testing cocktails of its antibody drugs this summer. Abcellera and Eli Lilly have said they could start tests of antibody drugs around the same time. Brii Biosciences is also developing antibody drugs against the virus, as is a team from pharmaceutical giant Amgen and Adaptive Biosciences.

Vir and GlaxoSmithKlines collaboration will also lead to longer-term research, including projects using CRISPR, which both companies are already using in their work. The tool based on enzymes that bacteria use to defend themselves against viruses can be used to edit the genes in human cells in culture. Scientists can then see whether genetic changes render the cells more resistant to viruses. In a few cases, Scangos said, that approach has helped identify existing experimental drug molecules that might help the immune system fight off viruses.

The two companies will also work together to test whether Virs antibodies can be used to identify the weak spots of the virus, which might also be shared by other coronaviruses. If thats the case, Scangos said it could help researchers develop vaccines that can target not only SARS-CoV-2, but future viral threats. That work, however, is at a very early stage.

Correction: a previous version of this story misstated the stock premium GSK paid.

View post:
GlaxoSmithKline and Vir collaborate to take on Covid-19 - STAT

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NTLA), a leading genome editing company focused on developing curative therapeutics using CRISPR/Cas9 technology bothin vivoandex vivo,announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Investigational New Drug (IND) application submitted by its collaborator, Novartis, for a CRISPR/Cas9-based engineered cell therapy for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD).

This Phase 1/2 clinical trial will begin investigating OTQ923 in adult patients with severe complications of SCD. OTQ923 is a SCD treatment based on genome editing of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), using CRISPR/Cas9 RNA guides identified through Intellias cell therapy research collaboration with Novartis. This therapeutic approach results in highly targeted editing of the HSCs DNA to induce fetal hemoglobin (HbF) expression. The edited cells are returned to the patient, where the expression of HbF is expected to reduce the deleterious effects of sickle hemoglobin (HbS). Novartis IND application triggered a milestone payment to Intellia, and the company is eligible to receive additional downstream success-based milestones and royalties.

We are pleased to have worked alongside our colleagues at Novartis to achieve this important milestone, which moves this CRISPR/Cas9-based engineered cell therapy into the clinic, with the potential to significantly impact the lives of patients who suffer from sickle cell disease, said Intellia Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Andrew Schiermeier, Ph.D. Our research with Novartis over the past five years has laid the groundwork for the development of next-generation CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapies for patients. Intellia looks forward to Novartis efforts to advance other targets that were selected to develop as additional CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapy products.

About Intellias Engineered Cell Therapy Programs

From December 2014 through December 2019, Intellia and Novartis jointly researched CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapies in various cell types, including certain stem cells and T cells. In parallel with its ex vivo collaboration with Novartis, Intellia has been advancing its wholly owned ex vivo pipeline of immuno-oncology and autoimmune cell therapies. Intellias proprietary ex vivo programs include its acute myeloid leukemia (AML) program utilizing transgenic T cell receptors (TCRs) against Wilms Tumor 1 (WT1), a target identified in collaboration with IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele (OSR). Intellia plans to submit an IND application for NTLA-5001, the companys development candidate for the treatment of AML, in the first half of 2021. View Intellias programs pipeline for more information.

About Intellia Therapeutics

Intellia Therapeuticsis a leading genome editing company focused on developing proprietary, curative therapeutics using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Intellia believes the CRISPR/Cas9 technology has the potential to transform medicine by permanently editing disease-associated genes in the human body with a single treatment course, and through improved cell therapies that can treat cancer and immunological diseases, or can replace patients diseased cells. The combination of deep scientific, technical and clinical development experience, along with its leading intellectual property portfolio, puts Intellia in a unique position to unlock broad therapeutic applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology and create a new class of therapeutic products. Learn more aboutIntellia Therapeuticsand CRISPR/Cas9 atintelliatx.comand follow us on Twitter @intelliatweets.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements of Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (Intellia or the Company) within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, express or implied statements regarding Intellias beliefs and expectations regarding its: planned submission of an investigational new drug (IND) application or similar clinical trial application for NTLA-5001, its first T cell receptor (TCR)-directed engineered cell therapy development candidate for its acute myeloid leukemia (AML) program in the first half of 2021; plans to advance and complete preclinical studies for its other in vivo and ex vivo programs; advancement and expansion of its CRISPR/Cas9 technology to develop human therapeutic products, as well as its ability to maintain and expand its related intellectual property portfolio; ability to demonstrate its platforms modularity and replicate or apply results achieved in preclinical studies in any future studies, including human clinical trials; ability to develop other in vivo or ex vivo cell therapeutics of all types, and those targeting WT1 in AML in particular, using CRISPR/Cas9 technology; ability to optimize the impact of its collaborations on its development programs, including but not limited to its collaborations with Novartis and OSR; statements regarding the timing of regulatory filings regarding its development programs; use of capital, expenses, future accumulated deficit and other 2019 financial results or in the future; and ability to fund operations through the end of 2021.

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Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on managements current expectations and beliefs of future events, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: risks related to Intellias ability to protect and maintain its intellectual property position; risks related to Intellias relationship with third parties, including its licensors and licensees; risks related to the ability of its licensors to protect and maintain their intellectual property position; uncertainties related to the initiation and conduct of studies and other development requirements for its product candidates; the risk that any one or more of Intellias product candidates will not be successfully developed and commercialized; the risk that the results of preclinical studies or clinical studies will not be predictive of future results in connection with future studies; and the risk that Intellias collaborations with Novartis or its other ex vivo collaborations will not continue or will not be successful. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause Intellias actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the section entitled Risk Factors in Intellias most recent annual report on Form 10-K as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Intellias other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Intellia undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

Intellia Contacts:

Media:Jennifer Mound SmoterSenior Vice President External Affairs & Communications +1 857-706-1071 jenn.smoter@intelliatx.com

Lynnea OlivarezDirectorExternal Affairs & Communications+1 956-330-1917lynnea.olivarez@intelliatx.com

Investors:Lina LiAssociate DirectorInvestor Relations+1 857-706-1612lina.li@intelliatx.com

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FDA Accepts Investigational New Drug Application for CRISPR/Cas9-Based Sickle Cell Disease Therapeutic Candidate Developed Under Collaboration with...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

But things get even trickier when one talks about editing the DNA in sperm or egg cells, which would then affect multiple generations to come. Expert Fyodor Urnov says in the film hes dead set against such genetic modifications. We might think its okay or even admirable to edit the genome of a terminally ill cancer patient so they did not feel pain, he notes. But what about editing that same gene to create a generation of invulnerable super soldiers? Everyone seems to draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable in a different place, and Human Nature is refreshingly open to all voices in the debate.

Human Nature is divided up into chapters, walking the audience through the science and its implications through interviews with researchers, journalists and ethicists. Bolt often interviews them sitting at their dining room tables, talking passionately about their work as if they were excitedly chatting with a friend.

A couple of the interviewees are connected with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of the leaders in gene therapy. Rodolphe Barrangou is a former Ph.D. student at the UW, and you might have seen him tooling around Madison in his car with CRISPR license plates.

Also appearing in the film is UW bioethicist and Star Trek fan Alta Charo, who takes an even-handed approach to the debate, noting that the technology is merely a tool, neither inherently good or evil. What you do with the power determines if the result is something we applaud or something we deplore, she said. But its not the tool that determines the endpoint. Its the user.

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Movie review: 'Human Nature' is a crisp and engaging look at DNA therapy - Madison.com

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Global CRISPR and Cas Genes market size will reach xx million US$ by 2025, from xx million US$ in 2018, at a CAGR of xx% during the forecast period. In this study, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2019-2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for CRISPR and Cas Genes .

This industry study presents the global CRISPR and Cas Genes market size, historical breakdown data (2014-2019) and forecast (2019-2025). The Private Plane production, revenue and market share by manufacturers, key regions and type; The consumption of CRISPR and Cas Genes market in volume terms are also provided for major countries (or regions), and for each application and product at the global level.

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Global CRISPR and Cas Genes market report coverage:

The CRISPR and Cas Genes market report covers extensive analysis of the market scope, structure, potential, fluctuations, and financial impacts. The report also enfolds the precise evaluation of market size, share, product & sales volume, revenue, and growth rate. It also includes authentic and trustworthy estimations considering these terms.

The CRISPR and Cas Genes market has been reporting substantial growth rates with considerable CAGR for the last couple of decades. According to the report, the market is expected to grow more vigorously during the forecast period and it can also influence the global economic structure with a higher revenue share. The market also holds the potential to impact its peers and parent market as the growth rate of the market is being accelerated by increasing disposable incomes, growing product demand, changing consumption technologies, innovative products, and raw material affluence.

The following manufacturers are covered in this CRISPR and Cas Genes market report:

Companies Mentioned in the Report

The report also profiles the major players in the market in terms of various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments. Key players operating in the global CRISPR and Cas genes market include Synthego, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., GenScript, Addgene, Merck KGaA (Sigma-Aldrich), Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., OriGene Technologies, Inc., New England Biolabs, Dharmacon, Cellecta, Inc., Agilent Technologies, and Applied StemCell Inc. These players are adopting organic and in-organic growth strategies to expand product offerings, strengthen geographical reach, increase customer base, and market share.

The global CRISPR and Cas genes market has been segmented as follows:

Global CRISPR and Cas Genes Market, by Product

Global CRISPR and Cas Genes Market, by Application

Global CRISPR and Cas Genes Market, by End-user

Global CRISPR and Cas Genes Market, by Region

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The study objectives are CRISPR and Cas Genes Market Report:

In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of CRISPR and Cas Genes Market:

History Year: 2014 2018

Base Year: 2018

Estimated Year: 2019

Forecast Year: 2019 2025

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This report includes the estimation of market size for value (million USD) and volume (K Units). Both top-down and bottom-up approaches have been used to estimate and validate the market size of CRISPR and Cas Genes market, to estimate the size of various other dependent submarkets in the overall market. Key players in the market have been identified through secondary research, and their market shares have been determined through primary and secondary research. All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns have been determined using secondary sources and verified primary sources.

For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2018 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.

Link:
CRISPR and Cas Genes Market Information, Figures and Analytical Insights 2019 2025 - Daily Science

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Takeda Pharmaceutical and a subsidiary of Germany-based Evotec SE forged a long-term research collaboration that will support the Japanese companys growing number of research stage gene therapy discovery programs.

Evotec GT, an Austria-based subsidiary of Evotec SE, will support multiple Takeda programs that target conditions aligned with the Japanese pharma companys four core therapeutic areas in oncology, rare diseases, neuroscience and gastroenterology. Evotec GT will use its growing gene therapy capabilities and drug discovery platform to support the research. No financial details were announced as part of the collaboration and neither Takeda nor Evotec gave any hints about the scope of the project, nor did they hint at any particular targets the companies would go after.

The collaboration is an expansion of a partnership the two companies struck last year to develop at least five drug discovery programs across a broad range of indications.in that deal, worth more than $850 million, Evotec will use its platform to validate development theories and advance small molecule programs along Takedas core therapeutic areas.

Craig Johnstone, chief operating officer of Evotec, said the latest collaboration expands the scope of the companys relationship with Takeda into gene therapy. He said the alliance with Takeda is a demonstration of the value of our multimodality platform with innovative technologies and best-in-class execution for addressing the most urgent requirements of our partners. Evotecs operations cover all activities from target-to-clinic to meet the industry's need for innovation and efficiency in drug discovery and development. Johnstone added that relationships like the one with Takeda will transform the industrys approach to discovering and developing new therapies for devastating diseases.

We are excited to be broadening and expanding our discovery efforts with the Evotec team. Gene therapy is a growing therapeutic approach in our portfolio and this alliance with Evotec will help us further accelerate our delivery of transformative therapies for patients, particularly those with rare diseases, Steven Hitchcock, global head of research at Takeda, said in a statement.

For Evotec, the expanded deal with Takeda comes a few days after the company struck a licensing and development agreement with Canadas panCELLa Inc. Under the terms of that agreement, Evotec licensed panCELLas proprietary iPS cell lines iACT Stealth Cells, which are genetically modified to prevent immune rejection of derived cell therapy products. Evotec will also have access to a new-generation cloaking technology known as hypoimmunogenic cells. Evotec intends to use the cell lined to develop iPSC-based, off-the-shelf cell therapies with long-lasting efficacy that can be safely administered to a broad population of patients without the use of medication to suppress a patients' immune system.

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Takeda and Evotec Enter into Gene Therapy Research Alliance - BioSpace

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Located on the Tufts University Medford, MA campus, this new donor center will enable delivery of fresh blood, leukopaks and buffy coats for COVID-19, cell and gene therapy research within hours of collection

WESTBURY, N.Y., April 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --BioIVT, a leading provider of research models and services for drug and diagnostic development, today announced the opening of its new blood donor center on the Tufts University campus in Medford, MA to support academic and pharmaceutical researchers involved in COVID-19, cell and gene therapy research.

"BioIVT wants to play a leading role in supporting COVID-19 research efforts and blood donations are a vital resource for the research and development of new therapies, vaccines, and diagnostics. We have many years' experience developing blood products, including blood-derived immune cells for cell and gene therapy research, and we want to make that expertise count," said BioIVT CEO Jeff Gatz. "Researchers recognize and appreciate BioIVT's rapid response and commitment to high quality, fresh blood products and this new donor center will allow us to offer those attributes and services to additional US clients."

BioIVT's new Boston blood donor center is its seventh. The company has similar facilities located in California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania to serve US clients and in London, UK for EU-based clients.

"While the initial focus at our Boston donor center will be on delivering fresh blood, leukopaks and buffy coats within hours of collection, we plan to add more capabilities and donors over time," said Jeff Widdoss, Vice President of Donor Center Operations at BioIVT.

Leukopaks, which contain concentrated white blood cells, are used to help identify promising new drug candidates, assess toxicity levels, and conduct stem cell and gene therapy research. They are particularly useful for researchers who need to obtain large numbers of leukocytes from a single donor.

BioIVT blood products can be supplied with specific clinical data, such as the donor age, ethnicity, gender, BMI and smoking status. Its leukopaks are also human leukocyte antigen (HLA), FC receptor and cytomegalovirus typed. HLA typing is used to match patients and donors for bone marrow or cord blood transplants. FC receptors play an important role in antibody-dependent immune responses.

COVID-19-related Precautions Blood donor centers are considered essential businesses and will remain open during the COVID-19 quarantine. BioIVT is taking additional safety measures to protect both blood donors and its staff during this difficult time. It has instituted several social distancing measures, including increasing the space between chairs in the waiting room and between donor beds, and limiting the entrance of non-essential personnel. The screening rooms are disinfected between donors and all areas of the center continue to be cleaned at regular intervals.

As soon as each blood donor signs their informed consent form, their temperature is taken. If they have a fever, their appointment is postponed, and they are referred to their physician. Any donor who develops COVID-19 symptoms after donating blood is required to inform the center immediately.

All BioIVT blood collections are conducted under institutional review board (IRB) oversight and according to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) guidelines.

Those who would like to donate blood at BioIVT's new Boston-area donor center should call 1-833-GO-4-CURE or visit http://www.biospecialty.com to make an appointment.

Further information about the products available from BioIVT's new donor center can be found at https://info.bioivt.com/ma-donor-ctr-req.

About BioIVTBioIVT is a leading global provider of research models and value-added research services for drug discovery and development. We specialize in control and disease-state biospecimens including human and animal tissues, cell products, blood and other biofluids. Our unmatched portfolio of clinical specimens directly supports precision medicine research and the effort to improve patient outcomes by coupling comprehensive clinical data with donor samples. Our PHASEZERO Research Services team works collaboratively with clients to provide target and biomarker validation, phenotypic assays to characterize novel therapeutics, clinical assay development and in vitro hepatic modeling solutions. And as the premier supplier of hepatic products, including hepatocytes and subcellular fractions, BioIVT enables scientists to better understand the pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism of newly-discovered compounds and their effects on disease processes. By combining our technical expertise, exceptional customer service, and unparalleled access to biological specimens, BioIVT serves the research community as a trusted partner in elevating science. For more information, please visit http://www.bioivt.com or follow the company on Twitter @BioIVT.

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BioIVT Opens New Blood Donor Center to Support Boston-area Research into COVID-19 Therapies, Vaccines and Diagnostics - Yahoo Finance

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

German drug discovery company Evotec which has a thriving rolodex of biopharma partners such as Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Takeda is now venturing into gene therapies.

The company swallowed Seattle-based Just Biotherapeutics, a company focused on reducing the cost of manufacturing protein therapies last year. It is now setting up a dedicated R&D site for gene therapies in Austria, in an effort to achieve a modality-agnostic repertoire small molecules, biologics and now gene therapies.

The site will be run by a team of twenty researchers led by Friedrich Scheiflinger, who worked for Baxalta, Shire and Takeda. The scientists have expertise in vectorology and virology as well as disease insights, in particular in hemophilia, hematology, metabolic and muscle diseases.

In recent years, precision medicines based on cell and gene therapies have emerged and are predicted to grow significantly. Gene therapy is a promising approach to the development of genetic medicines for patients, especially for inherited and rare diseases, said Evotec chief Werner Lanthaler in a statement.

Cell and gene therapies are not easy to develop and are prohibitively expensive to manufacture.A combined $2 billion has been set aside by nearly a dozen drugmakers including Pfizer and Novartis for gene therapy manufacturing since 2018, according to an analysis by Reuters in November.

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Small molecules, biologics and now gene therapies: Germany's Evotec adds another feather to its R&D cap - Endpoints News

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Growth Forecast Report onGene Therapy in Oncology Market size | Industry Segment by Applications (Hospitals, Diagnostics Centers and Research Institutes), by Type (Ex Vivo and In Vivo), Regional Outlook, Market Demand, Latest Trends, Gene Therapy in Oncology Industry Share & Revenue by Manufacturers, Company Profiles, Growth Forecasts 2025.Analyzes current market size and upcoming 5 years growth of this industry.

The research report of Gene Therapy in Oncology market is predicted to accrue a significant renumeration portfolio by the end of the predicted time period. It includes parameters with respect to the Gene Therapy in Oncology market dynamics incorporating varied driving forces affecting the commercialization graph of this business vertical and risks prevailing in the sphere. In addition, it also speaks about the Gene Therapy in Oncology Market growth opportunities in the industry.

Gene Therapy in Oncology Market Report covers the manufacturers data, including shipment, price, revenue, gross profit, interview record, business distribution etc., these data help the consumer know about the competitors better. This report also covers all the regions and countries of the world, which shows a regional development status, including Gene Therapy in Oncology market size, volume and value, as well as price data.

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Gene Therapy in Oncology Market competition by top Manufacturers:

Gene Therapy in Oncology Market Classification by Types:

Gene Therapy in Oncology MarketSize by End user Application:

Listing few pointers from the report:

Objective of Gene Therapy in Oncology Market Report:

Cataloging the competitive terrain of the Gene Therapy in Oncology market:

Unveiling the geographical penetration of the Gene Therapy in Oncology market:

The report of the Gene Therapy in Oncology market is an in-depth analysis of the business vertical projected to record a commendable annual growth rate over the estimated time period. It also comprises of a precise evaluation of the dynamics related to this marketplace. The purpose of Gene Therapy in Oncologymarket report is to provide important information related to the industry deliverables such as market size, valuation forecast, sales volume, etc.

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Gene Therapy in Oncology Market Share Analysis and Research Report by 2025 - Express Journal

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

WRAL TechWire keeps tabs on the latest and greatest meetups, panels, workshops, conferences, application deadlines and all things happening in the North Carolina startup/tech world. The Headliners is a multi-part weekly roundup of upcoming events to add to your calendar.

Below is a list of April events in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and the greater Triangle area. To find out whats happening this month in cities outside of the Triangle, check out part two of the Headliners column. Another post highlights events in May. Meetups that occur regularly are listed here.

If youd like your event to be included, feel free to send me an email.

Also, check out a full range of events on TechWires interactive calendar, along with our comprehensive resource guide for startups in the Triangle.

Note: The following list is our lineup of Triangle events through the end of Aprilmost have been switched to a virtual format in light of social distancing recommendations.

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business Schools Entrepreneurs Lab series features lectures revealing the secrets behind successful entrepreneurs. Chris LeGrand and Bill Spruill will speak this week.

Wake Forest University is hosting a virtual panel with experts discussing climate solutions in the state of North Carolina.

Join this event to see first-hand software demonstrations from the latest cohort of engineers in Project Shifts immersive full-stack development program.

Join the Code for Chapel Hill meetup to network with like-minded individuals and work on civic hacking projects. Meetings are held every two weeks on Tuesdays.

1 Million Cups, presented by Kauffman, is a weekly informal pitch event for the startup community. Join for free coffee and entrepreneurial support as local startups deliver their presentations.

In this webinar, NC TECH will facilitate a discussion with NC State economist Dr. Michael Walden on the economic impact of COVID-19.

In this virtual workshop, participants will collaborate with others in imagining their future and mapping out a plan to make their ideas come to fruition.

Allstacks is hosting a webinar covering how software developers and product leaders can use predictive forecasting and risk management solutions to meet their goals.

Join the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster and regional thought leaders for a webinar on how energy markets are responding to COVID-19, how businesses are adapting, and what the energy sector may look like in a post-pandemic world.

LaunchBios Larger Than Life Science event (usually held in Durham) is going virtual, allowing life science entrepreneurs from anywhere in the world to join and hear from experts discussing the latest research and innovations in their fields. Join this webinar to learn about gene therapy technology.

LaunchBios Larger Than Life Science event (usually held in Durham) is going virtual, allowing life science entrepreneurs from anywhere in the world to join and hear from experts discussing the latest research and innovations in their fields. Join this webinar to learn about bringing gene therapy products to market.

Join Lucid Dream for a webinar on how remote teams can use VR to adapt to a new virtual business environment.

Capitol Broadcasting Company and WRAL are Here to Help our local businesses. Tune in to get advice from industry experts and hear ideas from other local business owners. More coverage here.

Join Raleigh Chamber to hear from experts on accounting and employment law. The speakers are Kevin Ceglowski of Poyner Spruill, LLP and Marshall Stein of Elliott Davis.

During this virtual event, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health students will deliver 10-15 minute TEDx-style presentations to highlight inspiring projects, findings and experiences they have had in advancing global health.

For its next meeting (held virtually), AITP-RTP will host Scott Gerard for a discussion on important AI concepts and applications.

This free bi-monthly event offers a space for local tech professionals to build connections and find potential job opportunities.

This weekly meetup brings together developers, IT professionals and tech enthusiasts who are interested in the Google Cloud Platform.

During this event, students will gather to pitch their ventures before a panel of judges, receive feedback and celebrate the end of their work at BLUE.

The Duke Incubation Fund provides funding for innovative projects that demonstrate potential for future financial support, company formation licensing and not-for-profit partnering.

In a series of online sessions, Momentum Learnings seventh cohort of Immersive Web Development students will present the projects theyve created during the 12-week full-stack web development program.

In this webinar, reacHIRE CEO Addie Swartz will share how companies can increase engagement, community and connection among early-career women.

Code for Durham brings together technologists, designers, developers, data scientists, map makers and activists to collaborate on civic technology projects. Meetings are held every two weeks on Tuesdays. Pizza will be provided.

All Things Open is now seeking talks from technologists to be featured at the 2020 conference, set for October 18-20 in Raleigh.

1 Million Cups, presented by Kauffman, is a weekly informal pitch event for the startup community. Join for free coffee and entrepreneurial support as local startups deliver their presentations.

In this webinar, the Institute for Emerging Issues is bringing together representatives from Service Year organizations, nonprofits and government agencies to discuss the innovative ways in which communities are using service years to tackle problems and add opportunities.

Join this webinar to hear from Duke University Rubenstein Fellow Eric Perakslis on how health systems are using informatics and technology during pandemic outbreaks.

The Regional Transportation Alliances Innovations and Solutions Forum series will highlight new innovations to improve intersections, freeways and transit systems.

Hosted by the Carolina Small Business Development Fund, this webinar will cover the many funding opportunities and other resources for small businesses that are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

NC IDEA LABS is a four-week customer discovery program that helps idea-stage entrepreneurs take their first steps toward building a successful startup. The next cohort will run virtually from May 26 to June 19.

LaunchBios Larger Than Life Science event (usually held in Durham) is going virtual, allowing life science entrepreneurs from anywhere in the world to join and hear from experts discussing the latest research and innovations in their fields. Join this webinar to learn about the work behind a coronavirus vaccine.

The Regional Transportation Alliances Innovations and Solutions Forum series will highlight automated mobility and connected transportation.

In this months C-Suite Perspectives, WakeMed Health & Hospitals CEO Donald Gintzig will discuss the characteristics that make a great leader.

This free monthly interactive webinar provides participants with an overview of NC TECHs activities, resources and member offerings.

This weekly meetup brings together developers, IT professionals and tech enthusiasts who are interested in the Google Cloud Platform.

This monthly webinar series hosts a global health professional who will share insights and advice for advancing your career. This months webinar features Andrew Herrera, executive director of Curamericas.

NC TECHs Government Vendor Network is a forum for member companies who are interested in doing business with state government.

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business Schools Entrepreneurs Lab series features lectures revealing the secrets behind successful entrepreneurs. Amy Cosper and Sophia Woo will speak this week.

Join the Code for Chapel Hill meetup to network with like-minded individuals and work on civic hacking projects. Meetings are held every two weeks on Tuesdays.

1 Million Cups, presented by Kauffman, is a weekly informal pitch event for the startup community. Join for free coffee and entrepreneurial support as local startups deliver their presentations.

The Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster and Joules Accelerator have selected the latest cohort of the Cleantech Catalyst program. Join this webinar to meet the eight cleantech startups in the 2020 class.

For the third cycle of its Flash Grant program, the North Carolina Biotech Center is searching for innovative projects aiming to address the global coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, precision health, and digital and data-driven life science technologies.

Join this webinar to learn how you can benefit from the SBIR/STTR program to help small businesses commercialize their products and services.

This free bi-monthly event offers a space for local tech professionals to build connections and find potential job opportunities.

This weekly meetup brings together developers, IT professionals and tech enthusiasts who are interested in the Google Cloud Platform.

Code for Durham brings together technologists, designers, developers, data scientists, map makers and activists to collaborate on civic technology projects. Meetings are held every two weeks on Tuesdays. Pizza will be provided.

Bring your ideas and opinions to the next Midtown Techies meetup. Events are held on the last Tuesday of every month.

1 Million Cups, presented by Kauffman, is a weekly informal pitch event for the startup community. Join for free coffee and entrepreneurial support as local startups deliver their presentations.

See more here:
Triangle headliners: 48 webinars & events to add to your April calendar - WRAL Tech Wire

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith