Scientists at the Pennsylvania State University and Henan University in China have found a new protein marker that they say could potentially predict the progression of breast cancer or be targeted by drugs designed to treat the disease.

The protein, called PAD4, is key in the immune response against bacteria. The researchers found that its expression in cancer cells can also promote breast cancer metastasis in mice, according to a new study published in the journal Molecular Cancer Research.

PAD4 exists in abundance in neutrophils, a type of white blood cells. It mediates the formation of a loosened DNA and protein structure outside the cell called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Normally, NETs trap and help kill bacteria. Recent studies have also found that NETs play a part in promoting cancer metastasis. But little was known about whether PAD4 can trigger a similar process in breast cancer cells.

That was what the Penn State and Henan team set out to study. We were interested in learning if PAD4 expression in breast cancer cells could affect cancer biology, such as tumor growth and metastasis, Yanming Wang, the studys senior author, said in a statement.

So the team profiled gene expression in breast cancer cells from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Oncomine database. They found human breast cancer cells have higher PAD4 expression than do normal cells. In a triple-negative breast cancer cell line called 4T1, the researchers also observed even bigger PAD4 levels than what existed in other cell lines.

RELATED:Preventing breast cancer metastasis by killing tumor cells in their sleep

Additional analysis showed that the activation of PAD4 in 4T1 cells also led to the release of chromatin fibers outside to form NET-like structures. The researchers called them cancer extracellular chromatin networks (CECNs).

CECN formation is dependent on PAD4, the team found, as treating the 4T1 cells with a pan-PAD inhibitor or knocking it out prevented the release of CECNs.

Wang and colleagues further assessed the role of PAD4 on tumor growth and metastasis. In mice injected with 4T1 breast tumors, those bearing the PAD4 marker saw significantly faster tumor growth and had much more metastases in the lungs than did animals without the marker.

To further test the idea that CECNs are indeed involved in metastasis, the researchers disrupted extracellular DNA including CECN in PAD4-knockout mice that were unable to release additional CECN. Although the procedure didnt change the primary tumor, lung metastasis was significantly decreased, the team reported. Further investigation showed that PAD4 promoted tumor growth after cancer cells had reached the lungs.

RELATED:CRISPR slows the growth of triple-negative breast cancer in mice

Despite the availability of many therapies, breast cancer is still the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the U.S. Many research groups are looking for new ways to block metastasis, which is a major cause of death.

Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research recentlyfound that blocking a protein kinase called MPS1 caused triple-negative breast cancer cells to divide so fast that they accumulated fatal errors. Researchers at the Fed Hutchinson Cancer Research Center showed that inhibiting proteins called integrins could target dormant estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells to prevent metastasis. And last year, a team at Boston Childrens Hospital used nanoparticles targeting the ICAM-1 molecule on triple-negative breast cancer cells to deliver a CRISPR system, which edited out a gene called Lipocalin 2 to slow tumor growth.

Wang believes PAD4 may offer a novel approach to tacklingbreast cancer. While further investigation is needed, it is interesting to consider the possibility that PAD4 or CECNs could potentially be used as biomarkers to predict disease progression, he explained. Furthermore, therapies to inhibit PAD4 or eliminate CECNs could be explored as a method to reduce the risk of metastasis in patients with breast cancer.

The team is now investigating the exact mechanism by which PAD4 affects CECN formation and drives tumor growth. The researchers are also studying additional cell types to better understand the prevalence of CECN formation and PAD4s role.

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The bacteria-trapping protein that may provide a new target for tracking and treating breast cancer - FierceBiotech

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Dr. Gaines of Life Gaines Medical & Aesthetics Center sends out info about the COVID-19 virus for concerned patients and the general public in South Florida

Boca Raton, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - March 20, 2020) - LifeGaines reaches out to its patients and community who are concerned about COVID-19, the novel coronavirus.

"Dear LifeGaines Medical & Aesthetics Family,

"The staff at LifeGaines takes your health and safety seriously and we won't compromise when it comes to protecting our patients. We are closely monitoring the World Health Organization and CDC with regard to ongoing developments of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and we are committed to providing you a safe and clean environment.

"In an effort to reassure our patients, we want to inform you that we are continuing our rigorous routines to keep our practice sanitized and clean and will continue to take every precaution to keep you safe. Our daily safety standards include disinfecting our treatment rooms and equipment after each treatment and thoroughly washing our hands. We also wear new, clean gloves when applying products to our patients' skin and discard after each use. Also, our office is cleaned daily including wiping down tabletops, doorknobs, and equipment using medical-grade disinfectants."

Dr. LifeGaines reaches out to patients and community in light of COVID-19

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/2f7e8700c7c06672c2bf9192647742d9

Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns at (561) 931-2430. We look forward to seeing you soon.

https://www.facebook.com/LifeGaines/posts/1067452740282001 - Dr. Gaines gives a message on Facebook about how he is boosting his immune system as the COVID-19 virus spreads across the U.S.

Dr. Gaines talks about the benefits of IV ozone therapy. In addition to immunotherapy which helps boost someone's immune system, one should also drink plenty of water and get enough rest.

Story continues

LifeGaines is mobile and visiting patients at their homes with the IV ozone therapy treatment. Inquire about this by calling LifeGaines.Learn about IV Vitamin Therapy here: https://lifegaines.com/wellness-therapies/iv-vitamin-therapy/

Don't hesitate to contact LifeGaines with any questions or concerns at (561) 931-2430.

About Dr. Gaines' LifeGaines team:

LifeGaines is one of the most highly respected age management medical teams anywhere. Age management medicine pioneer Dr. Richard Gaines has years of experience specializing in hormone replacement therapy, sexual wellness, platelet-rich plasma, stem cells, aesthetics, and advanced age management protocols.

About Dr. Gaines:

Dr. Richard Gaines graduated from Boston University School of Medicine in 1981. He completed his internship at Tufts University School of Medicine in 1981 and his residency at Harvard Medical School in 1985, where he was an anesthesiology fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He served as a physician at Huntington General Hospital, as an anesthesiologist at Harvard Community Health Plan and at Sheridan Healthcorp. Dr. Gaines opened an age management and wellness practice after a 40-year career as a physician and health care executive. He has a Fellowship in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine (FAARM) from the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, he's board-certified from the American Board of Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine (ABAARM) and he's certified as a Functional Medicine Practitioner with advanced training at The Institute for Functional Medicine.

LifeGaines is responsible for this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53638

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Dr. Gaines Provides Insight Into How People Can Best Protect Themselves and Their Families From the COVID-19 Virus - Yahoo Finance

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Stock image, St. George News

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT Have you seen your doctor because you suffer from fatigue, brain fog, hair loss, digestive issues, joint pain, or other symptoms, and you were told your blood test is normal? You may have even been given a prescription for antidepressants, because your tests dont seem to indicate you have a physical health problem.

You know something is wrong and that youre not supposed to feel this way, but what is the cause? At RedRiver Health and Wellness Center, we believe the reason your blood test didnt show anything wrong with you is because most doctors use lab ranges instead of functional ranges when evaluating the results.

A lab range identifies acute disorders and diseases, while a functional range uses parameters of optimal health and identifies problems that often can still be reversed. This allows you to do something about the problem before its too late.

For instance, using a functional range, you can identify hypothyroidism even though your primary thyroid marker is normal according to a lab range.

Address your health problem before its too late

In functional medicine, we identify and manage the root cause of symptoms instead of using drugs or surgery to stamp them out although medications or surgery may still be necessary in some cases. The most common analogy we use in functional medicine is that when the check engine light comes on, we look under the hood to diagnose the problem instead of turning off the engine light.

Functional blood test ranges, which outline the parameters of good health, are an important tool to help us with this.

What is the difference between functional ranges and lab ranges on a blood test?

For the most part, lab ranges are based on a bell-curve analysis of the people who had blood drawn at that lab over a certain period of time. Naturally, many of these people are getting their blood drawn because they have a health problem.As a result, lab ranges have broadened over the last 20-30 years as the health of the United States population has declined.

This means many people with health issues may be told nothing is wrong because their labs fit in with most people at that lab. If you want to evaluate your health in terms of what is optimal, then functional ranges are the way to go.

Looking for patterns on a functional blood test

With a functional blood test, we also look at patterns of markers instead of looking at each marker in isolation. This is based on understanding that various aspects of human physiology are interrelated and affect one another. Doing this allows us to see how different systems influence one another to cause a pattern of symptoms.

For instance, evaluating immune cells more broadly can give us clues as to whether inflammation is chronic or acute and whether it is caused by a virus, bacteria, allergies or parasites. Other patterns can help us spot fatty liver, leaky gut, different types of anemia or autoimmune disorders. This then helps us determine what types of testing are further needed.

Functional blood tests are more thorough

Functional medicine blood tests are also more comprehensive than a standard blood test.For example, a basic thyroid test from your doctor probably only looks at TSH, or thyroidstimulating hormone. However, because autoimmune Hashimotos, which attacks and destroys the thyroid gland, causes 90% of hypothyroid cases in the United States, we run autoimmunemarkers to screen for Hashimotos. We also look at other markers to see whether additional factors are contributing to your low thyroid symptoms.

Ask my office for more information regarding a functional blood test if you are struggling withchronic health symptoms that are sabotaging your quality of life.

Written by JOSH REDD, chiropractic physician atRedRiver Health and Wellness Center.

S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T

About Dr. Josh Redd

Josh Redd, MS, DABFM, DAAIM, is a chiropractic physician and author of the Amazon bestselling book The Truth About Low Thyroid. Redd owns seven functional medicine clinics in the western United States and sees patients from across the country and around the world who are suffering from challenging autoimmune, endocrine and neurological disorders. He also teaches thousands of health care practitioners about functional medicine and immunology, thyroid health, neurology, lab testing and more.

Resources

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Identify the root of your symptoms using functional blood tests at RedRiver Health and Wellness - St George News

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Imbalance of hormones causes many issues. When any hormone current within the physique turns into kind of than the prescribed restrict, then illnesses begin to happen. It is essential for ladies and men to stay wholesome that the steadiness of hormones within the physique is maintained. Hormones have an effect on not solely the physique but additionally the mind and feelings.

AIIMS physician Anurag Shahi, related to http://www.myupchar.com, says that hormones are the chemical parts of the physique, which make many glands within the physique. These highly effective chemical compounds are unfold all through the physique together with blood and helps the tissues and inside organs of their work. When the steadiness of hormones turns into ineffective, a selected hormone both decreases or turns into an excessive amount of.

->This situation is named hormone imbalance or hormone imbalance.

Specific meals may help steadiness hormones. There is a risk of enchancment in total well being with out taking any drugs. Although everybody's physique reacts otherwise, these wholesome meals are possible to make sure a nutritious diet that helps the physique operate higher.

Flaxseed seedsLinseed seeds can have all types of advantages for hormones. Linseed seed is a superb supply of 'phytoestrogens' and it particularly incorporates a sort of phytoestrogen, which is named lignan. Lignans have each estrogenic and antiestrogenic results, and are identified to have protecting advantages towards particular kinds of most cancers. Linseed seeds are additionally a very good supply of omega-Three fatty acids, fiber and antioxidants.

The nutsNuts like almonds have an effect on the endocrine system, which can assist cut back levels of cholesterol. They may assist decrease insulin and steadiness blood sugar ranges.

Walnuts specifically include polyphenols, which might defend the guts by combating free radicals within the physique. This ingredient may include anti-inflammatory brokers and is wealthy in omega-3s, that are wonderful for mind well being.

PomegranateThis antioxidant-rich fruit could assist in blocking estrogen manufacturing within the physique. Pomegranate has the power to stop the kinds of breast most cancers that react to estrogen. Pomegranate incorporates a pure agent that may inhibit an enzyme within the physique of girls that converts estrone into estradiol. It is a robust estrogen that may play a task within the origin of hormonal most cancers.

turmericTurmeric is at all times often known as a very good methodology for the remedy of irritation, as its made from curcumin. Many therapeutic properties are present in turmeric. This conventional Indian spice has the power to scale back ache throughout arthritis. Curcumin, the lively ingredient of turmeric, can simulate estrogen exercise. This herb may help cut back the ache of durations.

Read more:
Use these items to appropriate hormone imbalance - Sahiwal Tv

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The Utah State Legislature passed 510 bills over this years 45-day general session, ranging from a bill to fund affordable housing projects to a law regulating the disposal of fetal remains.

While this is lower than the number of bills passed during last years session, 574, or the 2018 session, 533, Utahs lawmakers still considered hundreds of bills that will impact the lives of residents.

Here is a look at some of the bills that did, and didnt, make it through the 2020 legislative session:

Bills that passed

Polygamy decriminalization: Sen. Deidre Henderson, R-Spanish Fork, sponsored a bill this session to reclassify bigamy as an infraction instead of a third-degree felony. Henderson said polygamists in Utah are tired of being treated like second-class citizens and feel like Utah has legalized prejudice against them. S.B. 102 received overwhelming support from lawmakers, 19 of whom signed on as co-sponsors. Prosecutors and polygamists testified in legislative committees that decriminalizing bigamy would prevent abuse in polygamist communities and lead to social integration.

Affordable housing: A bill sponsored by Lehi Republican Sen. Jacob Anderegg asked the legislature for $35 million to fund the development of affordable housing and provide rental assistance to families who are at risk of becoming homeless. While S.B. 39s funding was cut to $10 million, it successfully made it through the House and Senate. Anderegg said the bill is the result of work by the states Commission on Housing Affordability and believes it will help low-income Utahns who are legitimately one life event away from being homeless. The $10 million will go into the states Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund and be used to fund housing for low and moderate-income residents.

Violence against Indigenous women task force: Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, introduced a bill to create a Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Task Force to study violence experienced by Native American women. The task force would consist of members of the House and Senate, a representative of a Native American victim advocate organization, and the director of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs. Native American women experience domestic abuse, sexual assault and other forms of violence at rates higher than nearly any other group. The House and Senate both passed H.B. 116 unanimously.

Fetal remains disposal: Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, sponsored a bill to require medical facilities to either cremate or bury the fetal remains of abortions or miscarriages, leaving the decision between the two forms of disposition up to the mother. Bramble said the bill gives women more choices and ensures that fetal remains are disposed of in a dignified way. Critics of the bill say women already have a choice over disposition options and that it unnecessarily interferes with the doctor-patient relationship. Lawmakers amended the bill to only focus on abortion, but that amendment was later abandoned.

Abortion prohibition: A bill sponsored by Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, would ban abortions in Utah at any stage of gestation, although it wouldnt go into effect unless the United States Supreme Court overturned its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. S.B. 174 passed through both chambers and, if Roe v. Wade were overturned, would make it a second degree felony for a physician to perform an abortion in Utah, with exceptions made for cases of rape, incest, or if the life of the mother were in danger.

Mental health services: A bill sponsored by Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, will expand Utahs mobile crisis outreach teams and fund the development of a behavior health receiving center. The bill asks for $5.9 million in one-time funds and an additional $10.8 million in ongoing money. H.B. 32 passed through both chambers unanimously. Another bill of Eliasons, H.B. 35, would study the need for adult beds at the Utah State Hospital.

Prosecutor and jail data collection requirements: Provo Republican Rep. Marsha Judkins sponsored a bill that would up the reporting requirements for attorneys offices and county jails throughout the state. Specifically, H.B. 22 would require county jails to compile information on inmate gender, race and ethnicity and require prosecutors to report whether charges were brought or if a plea bargain was reached, among other data points. Judkins said the bill will help increase transparency in Utahs criminal justice system and give lawmakers a better understanding of how to address concerns.

Public education funding: Lawmakers passed a proposal to amend the Utah Constitution to expand how income tax dollars can be spent to allow spending on children and individuals with a disability. Additionally, they passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy, to provide growth and stabilization in public education funding.

Pornography labeling: A bill introduced by Rep. Brady Brammer, R-Highland, would require all pornography in state to include a label warning about the harms porn can cause minors. The attorney general or any member of the public would be able to bring action against pornography manufacturers who failed to do so.

Bills that didnt pass

County government changes: Brammer also sponsored a bill this session that would require counties with populations greater than 500,000 to switch to either an executive-council form of government or council-manager form. The bill targeted Utah County, which will ask voters in November whether the county should switch from a three-member commission to a full-time mayor and part-time five-member council. H.B. 257 stalled in the House Political Subdivisions Committee on Feb. 12.

Clergy abuse reporting requirements: Rep. Romero also sponsored a bill this session that would remove child abuse reporting exemptions for clergy members and religious leaders. The bill received pushback from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, who argued that it would require priests to break the Seal of Confession. The bill was numbered but never made it to a House committee.

Hormone therapy for transgender minors: After abandoning legislation that would ban gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapy for transgender Utahns under the age of 18, Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, proposed a bill to study existing research on the health impacts of such practices. Daw said research that puberty blockers like Lupron have been shown to have negative side effects while LGBTQ+ activists said the bill targeted transgender youth. H.B. 449 failed in the House on a 17-55 vote.

Mandatory ultrasounds: West Jordan Republican Rep. Steve Christiansen sponsored a bill that would mandate that physicians performing abortions display fetal images of each unborn child to the mother and make each unborn childs heartbeat audible. All six of Utahs women senators, both Democrats and Republicans, walked off the Senate floor in protest of H.B. 364. While the bill originally passed both chambers, it was held in the House on the last day of the session.

Rent control: Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City, introduced a bill that would give cities and counties the authority to impose rent control measures within their jurisdiction. Currently, there is a state provision prohibiting municipalities from doing so. H.B. 131 was never heard in committee.

Read more:
Polygamy, abortion, affordable housing: What passed during Utah's legislative session - Daily Herald

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Results of the National Resident Matching Program will be released on March 20. As Match Day drew near, Margaret Miller, student member of the AAFP Board of Directors and a fourth-year medical student at East Tennessee State University's Quillen College of Medicine, met with Kelly Thibert, D.O., M.P.H., resident member of the Board and a third-year resident at the Grant Family Medicine Residency at the OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, to discuss their respective Match experiences.

We're sharing their conversation below for the benefit of others awaiting Match results this week, as well as medical students who will participate in the process in the future. We also have been sharing other fourth-year students' answers to some of these same questions recently on Instagram.(www.instagram.com)

Kelly: Matching is a long process, and you're finally almost at the end. What has it been like for you?

Margaret: My experience is a little unique in that I am "couples matching." My husband is matching into internal medicine, so my experience is probably different than most applicants'. I did a few more interviews than a single applicant might, so that made my interview season longer.

I really didn't anticipate how exhausting the process would be! I like to think of myself as an outgoing person, but you meet a lot of new people and get fed a lot of information at each interview. It can be quite overwhelming sometimes to be traveling, to be away from your partner and trying to imagine yourself as a doctor in a new place you're not familiar with. I'm glad that's behind me. I'm anxious to find out where I'll be going.

What's the Match experience like from the other side, as a resident meeting candidates?

Kelly: The Match process from the resident side is actually really exciting and fun, which is a great change from going through the Match as a student. We get to participate in recruitment season, interview season and, of course, Match Day. Throughout the entire yearlong process of getting to know so many people -- who are potentially going to be part of your program -- you get inspired by all the passion they have and their excitement about becoming family doctors.

One of my favorite things about being a resident on Match Day is that we get to celebrate and welcome new people to our family. As residents, we spend many hours away from our families with this other family. These are people you want to know and love and like. It's exciting to see who is going to be part of your residency family. In my program, we have a Match Day celebration where we close the office during the second half of the day in anticipation of the release of names. This year, the celebration will look a bit different; more technology will be used than we typically would have, and we will not gather together in person to celebrate (social distancing), but we will unveil our newest 10 family members electronically and with no less excitement than any other year. We will then reach out to shower the newest residents with the "Grant Love" that our program is known for. It's really exciting from our end, which is a very different experience from the student perspective.

Margaret: My favorite interviews were definitely the ones where I had great conversations with faculty and residents who inspired me, and I was really excited by the opportunity that I might get to work with them as mentor or role model if I was a resident there. I would agree there are moments that can be really inspiring and invigorating for students as well, but it's still a lot!

What would you tell your pre-Match self if you could go back in time?

Kelly: Probably the biggest thing I would tell myself is just to chill out. I would say, "You have worked so hard to get where you are, from studying all the time to taking board exams and passing board exams. You've gotten to the point where you're about to become a physician. I know the Match is a huge thing and a huge step and it feels like you have no control over it. You have done marvelous things, and great things are coming your way. Things will work out as they will, and now it's out of your hands, so just chill out."

Margaret: I think that's the most difficult thing at this point. Things really are out of my hands. I don't have any control over the process from here on out. I've already sent my rank list and we're just in a waiting period, so good distractions are always welcome.

Kelly: What were you looking for in programs, and do you think you found it?

Margaret: I hope I found it. I definitely think I did at a handful of places.

There are a lot of things across the board that are pretty similar between programs because of certain core requirements that every program has to meet. For me, there were a few things that stood out to make a program different. One would be access to education and training opportunities in particular medical areas that I'm interested in, including hormone replacement therapy and caring for LGBTQ populations, and also a program that incorporated getting certification to do medication-assisted therapy. Other things I am interested in are advocacy and finding a place willing to let me continue working with the AAFP and other organizations.

Having a diverse group of residents was important to me -- people from different backgrounds from different parts of the country, people who look different from me and have different perspectives on medicine.

Lastly, the biggest thing that differentiates a program is the people you meet. I felt like I met more faculty than residents, so for me finding faculty I felt I could be close to, train under and learn a lot from was what I was looking for. I definitely think I found that. I hope I end up at one of those places where I felt like I found it.

Kelly: What are you excited or nervous about, knowing you're soon going to be a family physician?

Margaret: There are a lot of things I'm nervous about, but I'm actually more excited. I feel so ready to move on to the next part of my training.

I'm excited to have my own patients. As a student, you work so much as part of a team and introduce yourself as part of the team. It will be nice to see people over the course of my residency and help them deal with issues over time.

There are parts of medicine I'm nervous about, but the thing I really am hopeful about is that places I interviewed at -- and I would say this about almost all of them -- is that the support systems and faculty at each one really felt passionate about teaching, and that's why they were there. Maybe their particular emphasis of what they were interested in teaching wasn't what I was looking for, but they were still really supportive, kind people who were looking to train great residents, so I feel less nervous than I do excited. I'm more nervous about the Match than I am residency itself.

What have been the most meaningful moments of being a family physician for you?

Kelly: Being able to have my own patients and care for the whole family while practicing full-spectrum family medicine. People often say we are the cradle-to-grave specialty, and it's so true. We care for prenatal patients, deliver their babies and see them in the office with their families. They might bring Grandma in, too, because they liked the way you cared for them. Then you get to care for the whole family, even up through hospice and palliative care, which is a really important part of medicine.

We're so fortunate to be part of patients' lives. They allow us to be part of very intimate moments -- whether good or bad -- sometimes things they don't allow family members to be part of. These have been the most memorable things for me.

But also getting to know more about family medicine. You think you know about the specialty you are matching into, but you don't know the breadth and how incredible the specialty is until you're in it. You get to participate in things like the AAFP and get to know so many more people and the things they are doing in family medicine. I'm inspired daily by the family physicians I meet. I'm really happy I chose this profession and specialty.

Margaret: What's your advice for students transitioning to residency?

Kelly: Don't study. Take a break.

I had a different path to residency. I spent a year doing health policy between medical school and residency, so I felt like I had to study, and I did review some clinical stuff. Looking back, I don't know how much that helped me compared to the things I actually learned firsthand in the hospital. All the things you learned in medical school will help you, but nothing will give you what you need more than just being there and doing it as a resident.

You have worked so hard to get to this point. Take a break and celebrate the fact that you are about to become a family doctor.

So, what would you tell a first-year student already nervous about matching?

Margaret: The Match is definitely not something I worried about as a first-year, and I would not recommend worrying about it as first-year. Focus on the day-to-day of what you are doing. Nothing will prepare you more for your fourth year than first year, second year and third year, each in their time. You have enough on your plate to worry about first year!

As far as tips for nerves in general, try to balance your life the best you can. I think that's different for everyone in medical school. For me it was sometimes yoga or traveling, but it also was vegging out on the couch and watching Netflix after a big test. Getting involved in things that reminded me why I wanted to be a doctor in the first place was my saving grace.

What about your Match experience? When you were going through it, what affected where you applied and what were you looking for?

Kelly: I was all over the place because I was looking specifically for training. Location didn't matter so much because I thought whether I trained in a rural or suburban area, as long as I had the acuity and patient load, I would learn what I needed to learn and could go wherever I wanted, whether that be a rural or suburban setting.

Margaret: Family medicine is so different for different people. What kind of questions were you asking on the interview trail?

Kelly: It's funny because I was asking a lot of same questions you asked. I was looking for MAT training, gender-affirming care experiences, comprehensive reproductive health care, opportunities to participate in advocacy and social justice, and the ability to remain involved in the Academy. I think all those things are important.

Patients are so often marginalized and people might not have the bandwidth or knowledge set to provide these aspects of care. It's such a passion of mine. I wanted to be able to provide these things for patients no matter where I ended up.

I also was looking for places where I would be heavily trained in inpatient care and obstetrics. I feel wholeheartedly that it's important to be trained in inpatient and obstetric medicine as a family medicine doctor. We need to understand what has medically happened during a patient's admission because we then continue to manage the outcomes once they are discharged -- some of us even continue to care for patients in those inpatient and obstetric settings as family medicine doctors.

That's what's great about family medicine: We have such a breadth of practice that one can always find what they're looking for.

Margaret: Did you find all the things you were looking for?

Kelly: I 100% did, which is really incredible.

The rest is here:
Match Q&A: Will You Find What You're Looking For? - AAFP News

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Theres quite a bit of confusion around the ACE proteins and coronavirus infection, and I can see why. The names in this area are pretty confusing, for one thing, and if youre not familiar with the tangled feedback loops that you get in human biology, it all starts to look like a tangle of wires pretty quickly. So lets have a look at the outlines of the system.

At right is a (pretty darn simplified) scheme. Angiotensinogen is a 452-amino-acid protein thats secreted by the liver (and has several functions all by itself). Its first ten amino acids are cleaved off by the enzyme renin to give you Angiotensin-I (also known as proangiotensin). That small peptide is then made even smaller by angiotensin-converting enzyme 1 (ACE-1), and interestingly, no ones ever found a function for angiotensin-1 other than to sit around and get cleaved in this way. This extra regulatory step has presumably come in handy over the eons.

ACE-1 takes off two more amino acids to give you the octapeptide known as angiotensin-II, and that one has profound effects on raising blood pressure (it has many other functions as well). It does this by binding to cell-surface proteins called angiotensin receptors (theres more than one type of these and they have a whole list of other downstream functions, but that takes us further afield). So you can see how an ACE-1 inhibitor could be good for high blood pressure, by blocking any formation of angiotensin II, and a renin inhibitor would be as well, by blocking the whole process a bit further upstream, and something that blocked that last binding step (an antagonist of the angiotensin receptor) would also probably work. All three of those are in fact classes of hypertension drugs the ACE-1 inhibitors came first (captopril in 1980, a famous triumph of 1970s med-chem and led to a whole slew of improved -opril drugs). The angiotensin receptor blockers came next (drugs with the -sartan suffix), and there are several of them. Renin inhibitors were far more painful to discover and develop, for a lot of reasons, and theres still only one on the market (from 2007).

Now to the coronavirus connection. Youll note that ACE-2 enzyme in the chart, and that one (formerly rather obscure) is having its moment in the the spotlight. Its expressed near the surface of various epithelial cells blood vessels, for sure, but also lung, intestine, and others. As shown, it is capable of clipping both angiotensin-I and angiotensin-II down further, to even small peptides (angiotensin 1-9 and 1-7) that have activities of their own. So it has its cardiovascular roles to play, but its become known for being a protein recognized by various coronaviruses to gain cell entry. There are others, naturally, and their relative importance can differ from virus to virus, but ACE-2 was shown to be important for the earlier SARS virus, and this current SARS-CoV-2 is quite similar. A cryo-EM structure of full-length ACE-2 with a coronovirus spike protein has recently appeared.

So something that binds to ACE2 and interferes with that viral hijacking would probably be quite interesting. Problem is, we dont have much of anything like that. ACE-1 inhibitors, as fate would have it, are not inhibitors of ACE-2 the enzymes are cousins, but not similar enough for the activity to cross over. Its not completely clear to me if a small molecule inhibitor in the active site would interfere with the viral interaction anyway, and it would be nice to have a few to see, but Im not aware of any such compounds. The confusion around the phrase angiotensin receptors has led to some people outside of the medical field wondering if the antagonist drugs (the sartans) would interfere with ACE-2, but that doesnt happen, either (theres another story with those, though see below).

A recent letter to The Lancet has noted that comorbidities reported so far for severe coronavirus patients include hypertension and either type I or type II diabetes. These patients are often being treated with ACE-1 inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor antagonists. The tricky part is that both diabetes itself and treatment with either of those drug classes increases the expression of ACE-2 protein. At first thought, that would probably not be a good thing, loading up the cells with more viral target proteins. But wait: theres another effect, as noted in this new paper. It builds on reports from China to suggest that a mechanism of lung injury during the viral infection may be through inappropriate effects of excess free angiotensin-II protein, which is floating around out there because the ACE-2 that would normally be soaking it up is occupied by coronavirus particles. If thats the problem, then increasing the amount of ACE-2 protein might paradoxically be just what you want to do to restore some balance to the angiotensin system. In that case administering more angiotensin receptor antagonists would be an effective way to upregulate the production of ACE-2.

There are a lot of such bounce-shot three-cushion mechanisms out there, so its not a crazy suggestion. That second paper proposes sorting through the existing patient data to see if there are correlations between severity of infection and angiotensin receptor antagonist therapy in particular, and I believe that this is ongoing. Epithelial cells are going to have ACE-2 protein on their surfaces no matter what, so the virus is going to be attacking those as a route of entry. If that second paper is right, then it could be that throwing more ACE-2 onto those membrane doesnt make the viral infection much worse, but does lessen the associated lung injury. If were going to have a lot more coronavirus patients, this would be a very good thing to know.

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Angiotensin and the Coronavirus - Science Magazine

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Find out how to optimize your circadian rhythm so you can sleep better.

What do blue-light blocking glasses, sleep trackers, tech fasts and sleep supplements all have in common? Besides the fact that they are meant to help you sleep better, they all, in some way, attempt to help you regulate or optimize your circadian rhythm.

Read more:8 products to help you stop snoring

Your circadian rhythm is the internal "clock" that helps your body function, adapt and yes -- sleep. The two things that affect your circadian rhythm the most are environment and light, according to Dr. Craig Heller, Professor of Biology at Stanford where his research focuses on sleep and circadian rhythms. And while controlling your environment and light around you seems a bit difficult (read: impossible), there are definitely things you can do to reduce the risk that you are disrupting your circadian rhythm more than necessary.

To learn more about your circadian rhythm, how it works, and what you can do to optimize it so you will sleep better, keep reading.

Now playing: Watch this: Do these 8 things to sleep better tonight

2:38

Your circadian rhythm is your internal clock that runs on a 24-hour cycle. This internal clock tells your body when you feel tired or awake throughout the day. You've probably noticed you have a pattern of when you feel the most awake or energized, and when you usually want to take a nap. The circadian rhythm is what drives that pattern, but not everyone has the same patterns.

Your body has an "internal clock "system known as the circadian rhythm.

"Circadian rhythms are internal cycles in many body systems and behavior that have a periodicity. Circadian systems enable the body to anticipate future events (e.g., food availability), coordinate body functions (e.g., sleep and hormone release), and optimize physiological processes with respect to each other," Heller says.

Since your circadian rhythm helps regulate many important processes in your body, it makes sense that disrupting it is bad news for your sleep, and therefore your health in general.

So what exactly disrupts your circadian rhythm the most? "Most commonly jet lag, shift work, bright light and especially blue light (computer and TV screens) when it should be dark," Heller says. Another big circadian rhythm disruption is when you transition to daylight saving time.

Signs that your circadian rhythm is disrupted include problems falling asleep, feeling energized or wired at unusual times, or feeling super tired for periods during the day. One thing that can help keep your circadian rhythm on track is trying to stick to a consistent sleep and wake-up time, which is not always easy.

Here are a few things to try if you think your circadian rhythm is off:

Keep a consistent sleep and wake up time: and try to keep it close to what feels natural to you (i.e., don't fight the fact that you are a night owl or morning person)

Get light in the morning: Get sunlight in your eyes first thing in the morning when you can. Getting light early in the day tells your body it's time to "wake up."

Avoid bright lights in the evening: Like Heller said, light can affect your circadian rhythm, which is why avoiding bright lights in the evening and dimming your lights can make a difference.

Avoid blue light at night: Turn off the TV and other devices that emit blue light at least three hours before bed. If you can't turn them off completely, install an app likeF.lux or wear blue light or amber-tinted glasses to block the light.

Traveling across time zones can disrupt your body's internal clock.

Sometimes your job or lifestyle forces you to do things you know aren't great for your sleep, but you want to make the best out of your situation regardless. Activities like working nights or traveling across time zones -- especially when the time difference is more than a few hours -- can really wreak havoc on your sleep.

"Presumably, you can't avoid travel across time zones or shift work, so you can learn the best ways to retrain rhythms by appropriate timing of light exposure and practice of good sleep hygiene," Heller says. "Apart from circadian considerations, there are many other things to do to improve sleep, most effectively through thermoregulation to support the temperature fluctuations of the body to maintain sleep continuity."

Now playing: Watch this: Pandemic: Here's what's changed about the coronavirus

5:54

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.

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Your circadian rhythm is the key to good sleep -- here's how to regulate it - CNET

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA (SIX-RLF, Relief or the Company) is initiating an urgent phase 2 clinical trial of RLF-100 (Aviptadil) in coordination with the Senior Leadership of the Government of Israel for the treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in patients with COVID-19 infection. The trial is being coordinated by Prof. Jonathan Javitt, MD, MPH, acting Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of Relief in coordination with Dr. Miki Halberthal, MD, CEO of the Rambam Healthcare Campus and Dr. Boaz Lev, head of Israels COVID task force and former Director General of Israels Ministry of Health.

RLF-100, acquired by Relief from Mondo Biotech, AG, has Investigational New Drug clearance from the US FDA and the European Medicines Agency for phase 2 trials in ARDS and has been awarded orphan drug designation by both agencies for treatment of ARDS, Acute Lung Injury, and Sarcoidosis. Aviptadil is Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP), a naturally-occurring peptide hormone that is known to be concentrated in the lungs. VIP has been shown in five species of animal models to have potent effect in models of ARDS and Acute Lung Injury. In these models, Aviptadil has shown potent anti-inflammatory and specifically anti-cytokine activity in the lungs.

The first clinical protocol will compare intravenous administration of Aviptadil to its administration via an endotracheal tube in patients who are already on mechanical ventilation because of ARDS. Assuming no new safety signals are detected, a second protocol will quickly be initiated to treat patients with early signs of respiratory distress in the hopes of preventing progression to ARDS and the need for mechanical ventilation.

After carefully reviewing the preclinical and clinical data, we believe that RLF-100 has a chance to be a safe and effective treatment for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in patients infected by COVID-19, who otherwise have less than 50% chance of survival, despite intensive care. The State of Israel is eager to test this potentially lifesaving treatment in patients who today have no other therapeutic option, said Dr. Halberthal. We will try every possible mechanism to help safeguard our patients in this global crisis.

As a third-generation physician and the father of newly-trained physician, I am deeply honored to be working with longtime colleagues in Israels Ministry of Health on critical initiative. Owing to the rapidly expanding size of the epidemic and the extraordinary unmet medical need, we intend to initiate phase 2 clinical trials on an urgent schedule in order to bring a potentially life-saving drug to patients.

About RLF-100

RLF-100 (Aviptadil) is a patented formulation of Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP) that was originally developed and is currently marketed in Europe for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. VIP is known to be highly concentrated in the lung and to inhibit a variety of inflammatory cytokines. Aviptadil was awarded Orphan Drug Designation in 2001 by the US FDA for treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and in 2005 for treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Aviptadil was awarded Orphan Drug Designation by the European Medicines Agency in 2006 for the treatment of Acute Lung Injury and in 2007 for the treatment of Sarcoidosis. Both the US FDA and the EMEA have granted Investigational New Drug licenses for human phase 2 trials of Aviptadil.

About Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a type of respiratory failure characterized by rapid onset of widespread inflammation in the lungs. Symptoms include shortness of breath, rapid breathing, and bluish skin coloration. Among those who survive, a decreased quality of life is relatively common.

Causes may include viral infection, sepsis, pancreatitis, trauma, pneumonia, and aspiration. The underlying mechanism involves diffuse injury to cells which form the barrier of the microscopic air sacs of the lungs, surfactant dysfunction, activation of the immune system, and dysfunction of the body's regulation of blood clotting. In effect, ARDS impairs the lungs' ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide.

The primary treatment involves mechanical ventilation together with treatments directed at the underlying cause. The syndrome is associated with a death rate between 35 and 50%.

RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol RLF. For further information, please visit the Relief website at http://www.relieftherapeutics.com or contact at contact@relieftherapeutics.com

Disclaimer: This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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RELIEF THERAPEUTICS HOLDING SA (SIX: RLF) Announces Plans to Test Aviptadil for the Treatment of COVID-induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Ah, stress. That inevitable, commonplace pandemic. Everyones stressed in the 21st century, and nobody seems to think it too much of a big deal, until that seemingly slight mental turbulence starts exerting a serious negative influence upon our health and daily functioning.

Stress is the bodys attempt to adapt to any unusual negative changes that it must face. For me, stress manifests in the way I eat. When Im stressed to a certain extent, I need copious amounts of chicken-cheese momos, or a batch of spicy fries. Then, as my stress progresses to something worse, I cant eat no matter how hard my gut groans for food. Why do I eat when Im stressed? And why cant I eat when I become more stressed?

Apparently, I am not unique. People tend to overeat when theyre stressed in order to distract themselves from whatever is on their minds. And people stop eating when theyre stressed because they simply cannot take their minds off whats stressing them, killing the need to do other things.

Related on The Swaddle:

Stress Is Contagious, but Heres How We Can Avoid Infecting Each Other

According to Harvard Health, feeling stressed makes our brain send cues to our bodies that it thinks might help us deal with the threat weve recognized. This is done via the stress hormone cortisol, which makes us crave food especially of the sugary, salty, fatty sort because it helps stock up on energy to fight whatever threat were dealing with. Increased stress also leads to a drop in metabolism, which can lead to rapid weight gain.

On the other hand, stress also stimulates the brain to secrete hormones like corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), which activates the sympathetic nervous system that brings about the fight-or-flight response. Hormones like CRF are known to suppress appetite, decreasing how much or often we feel hungry, Dr. Kimbre Zahn, a family physician, told Shape. She adds, Individuals with persistent stress or those affected by generalized anxiety may be more likely to have chronic elevations of these hormones, resulting in prolonged appetite suppression. Often, stress can also lead to feeling nauseous, which also kills an individuals appetite. Losing ones appetite is particularly hard on the body, as increased cortisol leads to increased production of acid in the stomach. And if theres nothing but acid in the stomach, the organ will develop ulcers.

In any case, either eating too much or not eating at all, especially when stressed, are particularly bad habits, as they aid to the bodys struggle to cope. To avoid stress eating, take refuge in other comforting behaviors rather than eating junk food for example, eating healthy snacks and/or talking to a friend. As for a lack of appetite, what helps is to find foods that one can eat without feeling intense nausea. And drinking smoothies or milkshakes, which are easy to digest, will ensure the body has enough calories to keep it going through that turbulent period.

Originally posted here:
Why Do Some People Eat When Stressed, While Others Stress-Starve - The Swaddle

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The expired box of 35 respirators the North Branford Fire Department Chief William Seward says his team received on March 20, 2020 from the national stockpile amid the coronavirus crisis.

The expired box of 35 respirators the North Branford Fire Department Chief William Seward says his team received on March 20, 2020 from the national stockpile amid the coronavirus crisis.

Photo: Contributed Photo / William Seward

The expired box of 35 respirators the North Branford Fire Department Chief William Seward says his team received on March 20, 2020 from the national stockpile amid the coronavirus crisis.

The expired box of 35 respirators the North Branford Fire Department Chief William Seward says his team received on March 20, 2020 from the national stockpile amid the coronavirus crisis.

Guilford, East Haven, North Branford receive expired respirators from national stockpile

North Branford Fire Chief William Seward was alarmed when he got the news: his department, which runs the towns ambulance service, would only receive one box of 35 respirators from the strategic national stockpile.

Whats more, all of those masks which Seward picked up today in Essex are expired.

Its beyond belief, Seward said. Although the town currently has enough supplies on hand, Seward worries about what will happen if COVID-19 cases spike a few weeks down the road, he said.

North Branford is not alone.

Two East Haven firefighters and their families were quarantined for two weeks Friday after the pair of first responders assisted a 79-year-old man who became the towns first confirmed case of COVID-19, the town said in a statement.

East Haven Fire Chief Marcarelli is worried that if too many members of his team get sidelined because of exposure, they wont be able to fight fires, he said.

The department is supporting them and their families and both firefighters are doing well, Marcarelli said.

Marcarelli was told that all of the 144,000 respirators in the states strategic stockpile are expired by at least 10 years, he said, adding that his department was allotted 220 respirators. They were all expired, and they were all sized small, he said.

And I dont know why any of this is coming as a surprise to the state, Marcarelli said. Theres been a pandemic plan since 2001.

The state is a major source of the respirators, which are currently difficult to find, according to Marcarelli.

Further down the Shoreline, Guilford got 110 respirators also expired, according to Assistant Fire Chief Michael Shove.

A memorandum from Lisa Bushnell, strategic national stockpile coordinator for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, indicates that in terms of personal protective equipment, many towns in the state are only receiving expired respirators at this time.

The Department of Public Health (DPH) is in possession of expired N95 respirators manufactured in 2006 that were not granted a shelf-life extension by the federal government, the memo says. We requested that the federal government consider an extension given the national PPE shortage, which was not granted. These expired Kimberly Clarke N95 respirators will not provide the appropriate protection factor of non-expired N95s, but are likely to minimally provide protection equivalent to a surgical face mask.

Hearst Connecticut Media obtained a copy of the letter, dated Thursday. Bushnell directed press inquiries to DPH spokesman Av Harris, who did not respond to a request for comment.

The state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security divides Connecticut into five regions, according to its website. The memorandum about the expired respirators went out to Region 2 towns, according to an email to which the record is attached.

Thirty Connecticut towns make up Region 2, according to the DEMHS website.

Guilford Assistant Fire Chief Michael Shove confirmed that his town is also facing a challenge in terms of access to PPE. Eligible for 105 respirators, his department received more equipment than the North Branford Fire Department but, again, all those respirators were expired, Shove said.

The state used each departments call volume to determine how many respirators they would receive, according to the email sent to Region 2 towns.

But the North Branford Fire Department transports more than 900 patients annually, Seward said, adding that the respirators are not reusable.

Whats more, medical experts today expanded the possible symptoms associated with COVID-19 so as to include certain gastrointestinal issues, according to Seward. That means personal protective equipment may be necessary for more calls, Seward said.

Shove confirmed Sewards account.

Although calls in North Branford are currently less frequent than normal, if COVID-19 cases surge, Seward said, the lack of personal protective equipment will be a challenge for us.

And its not just respirators first responders need. They also require gear like gloves and gowns, Shove said.

Shove hopes that Connecticut is able to prevent the surge in COVID-19 cases, or that manufacturers can ramp up PPE production, he said.

Hes not worried about the next two weeks, but he is worried about having sufficient supplies thereafter.

We could definitely use supplies, but theres nowhere to get supplies, he said, adding that many departments are in the same boat. All the chiefs have been vocal ... but the thing is, you cant change the past.

Shoves team will make the most of what they have, he said.

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com; 781-346-5236; Mark Zaretsky contributed to this report.

See more here:
Guilford, East Haven, North Branford receive expired respirators from national stockpile - New Haven Register

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

HP 3D printing helps to unleash new levels of creative expression from the human heart to a Triceratops

- HP highlights collaboration with cutting edge artist Amy Karle in honor of International Womens Week

- Karle leverages HPs 3D printing to create custom works of art in various materials and full color for world renowned museums such as the Smithsonian and Mori Art Museum

- The artists work seeks to explore how technology could be utilized to unlock human potential

HP Inc. news

PALO ALTO, Calif., March 20,2020 /CSRwire/ -This Womens History month, HP is showcasing a collaboration withAmy Karle, a leading artist, provocateur and futurist. Regarded as one of the most influential women in the 3D printing industry today and one of theBBCs 100 Women,Amy Karle is leveraging the power of 3D printing to reinvent creating art in amazing new ways. HPs 3D Printing & Digital Manufacturing organization and HP Labs are working together with Amy Karle to provide the most advanced 3D printing solutions to make her creative art expression a reality.

I love the exploration and development that 3D printing offers: a new opportunity for thinking, a new way to reshape what we create, and a completely new approach to expression in which digital, physical and biological systems are interwoven, said Amy Karle. HP 3D Printing enables me to bring this vision to life by opening up new artistic possibilities not achievable before.

Amy Karles mission is to positively impact others, raise consciousness and contribute to social, political, and technical development by making and sharing her work. As an artist and designer, Karle uses HP Multi Jet Fusion technologies which include the Jet Fusion 5200 and 580 printing systems to build her pieces, creating art that catalytically examines material and spiritual aspects of life and opens minds to future visions of how technology could be utilized to unlock human potential.

Amy Karle Smithsonian Collaboration: Regeneration Through Technology Sculpture Series

Leveraging Smithsonian 3D scan data of a fossilized Triceratops skeleton as the basis of inquiry into the past, present, and future, Karle recently debuted artworks inspired by scans the Smithsonian Digitization Office made of an object in the collection of the Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History in conjunction with the launch of theSmithsonian Open Access Initiative.

The basis for this collection by Karle is Hatcher, a 66-million-year-old Triceratops skeleton in the National Museum of Natural History who made history as the first digital dinosaur. In the context of cutting-edge digital, biotechnological, computational, and additive manufacturing developments, Karle expands on Hatchers legacy by opening an inquiry into what representation and composite with computer-assisted technology means for us now and into the future. See Karles artworks for this collaboration, Deep Time and The Far Future,3D printed by HP here. For more about the Smithsonian collaboration, clickhere.

view a full slidgeshow of Amy's work here

Amy Karle The Heart of Evolution?

Questioning human modification at the dawn of the biotech era, and how future organs and the augmented body could be created and function in the future, Karles The Heart of Evolution? sculpture takes shape of what heart vasculature could look and work like with enhanced design, housed in the mechanical womb of a scientific bioreactor. The artist chose a heart shape because it is a major organ often associated with the emotions to heighten the viewers awareness of synthetic biology's potential implications on humanity and evolution - both positive (for healing and enhancing) and negative.

The work questions life, death, life extension, enhancement, and transformation at a time of humans and technology merging. The work points to the importance of considering and collaboration with living systems; and serves to open minds to visions of how design, generative engineering, 3D printing, and bioprinting can heal and enhance humanity. Now on display at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan, see photos of Karles The Heart of Evolution? 3D printed by HP in the image gallery and watch thisvideo.

About Amy Karle

Amy Karle attended Alfred University and Cornell University, where she received degrees in Art and Design and Philosophy. Karle is co-founder of Conceptual Art Technologies and has shown work in 46 exhibitions worldwide. She is the inventor of registered active patents, service marks and trademarks in medical and technology categories.

Amy works as a full-time artist expressing experiences in visual forms, often designing technologies to improve the body and functions of the human in the process. She has been named one of the Most Influential Women in 3D Printing and her bioart work has contributed to the establishment of a new discipline in the art world. The long-term goals of her work are to continue to pioneer in the bioart field and make contributions to healthcare and mind-body medicine in the process.

About HP

HP Inc. creates technology that makes life better for everyone, everywhere. Through our portfolio of personal systems, printers, and 3D printing solutions, we engineer experiences that amaze. More information about HP Inc. is available atwww.hp.com/go/3Dprinting.

Jennifer Baumgartner, HP Inc.Jennifer.Baumgartner@hp.com

Read more:
HP Collaborates With Amy Karle, Leading 3D Printing Artist and Futurist - CSRwire.com

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Does the coronavirus pandemic have you feeling anxious? Unfortunately, that might compound the problem. Stress can weaken the immune system. How about something thats been proven to reduce stress and help people fight off the cold virus: a big hug. On second thought, maybe not. Exercise can reduce stress. Of course, no gyms or yoga studio are still open. But there are a bunch of other ways to ease your worries that are cheap, relatively easy and still allow you to maintain your social distance. Here are seven of our favorites:

Chew gum

A surprising number of studies (only a few of which were funded by the Wrigley Science Institute) have shown that chewing gum reduces anxiety. For example, researchers in Japan found that test subjects asked to chew mint-flavored gum twice a day for 14 days reported lower levels of anxiety and mental fatigue compared with a control group that got just a mint.

In the words of the American Institute of Stress: There is little doubt that chewing gum can be a powerful stress buster. One has only to look at a tightly contested baseball game on TV to see how many players, coaches and managers are vigorously chewing bubble gum or something else to relieve their pent-up tension.

Say amen

Feeling lonely because youre forced to work at home or need to practice social distancing? Try talking to God.

Shane Sharp, a Northern Illinois University sociologist who has studied prayer, said many people are able to manage negative emotions through prayer.

Sharp said prayer basically is communicating with an other who can make the situation less threatening.

People, when they pray, it makes salient in their minds that God loves and cares for them, Sharp said.

If you go down on your knees, you wont be alone. Sharp said about 70% of Americans pray at least once a week.

Give thanks

Being thankful or expressing gratitude can help with relationships, stress and depression.

One method might be to keep a gratitude journal, where you regularly write down things youre grateful for.

Sarah Moe, CEO of Sleep Health Specialists in Minneapolis, suggests something even simpler.

She asks clients who have trouble getting to sleep to say aloud three things they are grateful for before they close their eyes or if they wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back to sleep.

Hearing your own voice remind you all that you have to be grateful for seems to improve relaxation and reduce stress, Moe said.

Ground yourself

Its starting to get warm enough to go barefoot outside, and thats a healthy thing, according to advocates of a practice called grounding or earthing.

Biohackers and health gurus like Deepak Chopra say that giving our bodies a chance to connect to the subtle electrical charge of the Earth can help with stress, mood, pain and inflammation.

They recommend going barefoot on the concrete, soil or grass outdoors for a half-hour at a time, or using grounding devices that will give you that connection while indoors.

Yuk it up

It might not hurt to try to find the humor in the situation.

According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter can be a great form of stress relief, stimulating circulation, aiding muscle relaxation, enhancing the intake of oxygen-rich air, increasing endorphins released by your brain, even improving your immune system.

When youre short on laughs, Mayo recommends everything from comic strips to funny movies. Even laughing at not anything in particular can help.

Even if it feels forced at first, practice laughing. It does your body good, according to the Mayo Clinic.

If you want to find something funny about the pandemic, check out the YouTube videos on the creative, hands-free Wuhan shake.

Or, if youre working from home, take a break with the viral BBC dad video, described as every work-from-home parents nightmare.

Yarn bomb it

Knittings meditative, repetitive rhythm has been shown to reduce blood pressure, lower depression and anxiety and increase a sense of well-being. Manipulating soft, soothing yarn has been compared to yoga in its ability to create a relaxed state.

If you start now, youll have a head start on the Craft Yarn Councils Stitch Away Stress campaign in April.

Heavy petting

Just 10 minutes spent petting a dog or a cat has been shown to reduce levels of a major stress hormone, according to a study conducted at Washington State University.

Oh, by the way, the American Kennel Club, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control say that pets arent affected and are not a source of infection for COVID-19.

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Stressed out by coronavirus? Here are 7 simple things you can do right now to relax - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The Sound of Science - 'Nina Tandon' (March 20, 2020)

Alexis: Welcome to the Sound of Science on WNIJ. Im Alexis from NIUSTEM Outreach.

Idalia: And Im Idalia. Todaywe will be discussing American biomedical engineer, Nina Tandon.

Alexis:Dr. Tandongrew upin New York City with two siblings with visual impairments. Its no wonder why she chose toinvestigatethe electrical currents that underline the nervous system.

Idalia:As a kid, she often took apart electronics to try to understand them from the inside out.

Alexis:Tandon went on to study Biomedical Engineering and earned her PhD from Columbia. She focused her research on studying electrical signals in engineered tissues, such as cardiac, skin, bone, and neural tissues.

Idalia:Her studies in both bioengineering and business came together as she and a colleague created EpiBone, the worlds first company to grow living human bones for skeletal reconstruction. EpiBoneuses stem cells from patients in need of new bones to produce skeletal structures based on each individual DNA profile.This decreases rejection, simplifies surgeries, and shortens recovery time.

Alexis:SinceDr. Tandon madesuch a giant leap for bioengineering innovation, its clear why she received awards such as "One of the 100 Most Creative People in Business" byFast Companyand "Global Thinker" byForeignPolicy.

Idalia:She is an inspirational woman who completed what was once thought to be impossible.Yet, sheis far from being done.Her companys bioengineered tissues are being used for testing pharmaceuticals without using rats or humans. She says Our process is essentially transforming biotechnology and pharmacology into information technology, helping us discover and evaluate drugs faster, more cheaply and more effectively.

Alexis: Tune in next week where wego into detail aboutmore women in STEM.This has been the Sound of Science on WNIJ.

Idalia: Where you learn something new every day.

The rest is here:
The Sound of Science - 'Nina Tandon' | WNIJ and WNIU - WNIJ and WNIU

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

In this new business intelligence Stem Cell-Derived Cells market report, PMR serves a platter of market forecast, structure, potential, and socioeconomic impacts associated with the global Stem Cell-Derived Cells market. With Porters Five Forces and DROT analyses, the research study incorporates a comprehensive evaluation of the positive and negative factors, as well as the opportunities regarding the Stem Cell-Derived Cells market.

With having published myriads of Stem Cell-Derived Cells market reports, PMR imparts its stalwartness to clients existing all over the globe. Our dedicated team of experts deliver reports with accurate data extracted from trusted sources. We ride the wave of digitalization facilitate clients with the changing trends in various industries, regions and consumers. As customer satisfaction is our top priority, our analysts are available 24/7 to provide tailored business solutions to the clients.

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The Stem Cell-Derived Cells market report has been fragmented into important regions that showcase worthwhile growth to the vendors Region 1 (Country 1, Country 2), region 2 (Country 1, Country 2) and region 3 (Country 1, Country 2). Each geographic segment has been assessed based on supply-demand status, distribution, and pricing. Further, the study provides information about the local distributors with which the Stem Cell-Derived Cells market players could create collaborations in a bid to sustain production footprint.

key players in stem cell-derived cells market are focused on generating high-end quality cardiomyocytes as well as hepatocytes that enables end use facilities to easily obtain ready-made iPSC-derived cells. As the stem cell-derived cells market registers a robust growth due to rapid adoption in stem cellderived cells therapy products, there is a relative need for regulatory guidelines that need to be maintained to assist designing of scientifically comprehensive preclinical studies. The stem cell-derived cells obtained from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) are initially dissociated into a single-cell suspension and later frozen in vials. The commercially available stem cell-derived cell kits contain a vial of stem cell-derived cells, a bottle of thawing base and culture base.

The increasing approval for new stem cell-derived cells by the FDA across the globe is projected to propel stem cell-derived cells market revenue growth over the forecast years. With low entry barriers, a rise in number of companies has been registered that specializes in offering high end quality human tissue for research purpose to obtain human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) derived cells. The increase in product commercialization activities for stem cell-derived cells by leading manufacturers such as Takara Bio Inc. With the increasing rise in development of stem cell based therapies, the number of stem cell-derived cells under development or due for FDA approval is anticipated to increase, thereby estimating to be the most prominent factor driving the growth of stem cell-derived cells market. However, high costs associated with the development of stem cell-derived cells using complete culture systems is restraining the revenue growth in stem cell-derived cells market.

The global Stem cell-derived cells market is segmented on basis of product type, material type, application type, end user and geographic region:

Segmentation by Product Type

Segmentation by End User

The stem cell-derived cells market is categorized based on product type and end user. Based on product type, the stem cell-derived cells are classified into two major types stem cell-derived cell kits and accessories. Among these stem cell-derived cell kits, stem cell-derived hepatocytes kits are the most preferred stem cell-derived cells product type. On the basis of product type, stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes kits segment is projected to expand its growth at a significant CAGR over the forecast years on the account of more demand from the end use segments. However, the stem cell-derived definitive endoderm cell kits segment is projected to remain the second most lucrative revenue share segment in stem cell-derived cells market. Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies followed by research and academic institutions is expected to register substantial revenue growth rate during the forecast period.

North America and Europe cumulatively are projected to remain most lucrative regions and register significant market revenue share in global stem cell-derived cells market due to the increased patient pool in the regions with increasing adoption for stem cell based therapies. The launch of new stem cell-derived cells kits and accessories on FDA approval for the U.S. market allows North America to capture significant revenue share in stem cell-derived cells market. Asian countries due to strong funding in research and development are entirely focused on production of stem cell-derived cells thereby aiding South Asian and East Asian countries to grow at a robust CAGR over the forecast period.

Some of the major key manufacturers involved in global stem cell-derived cells market are Takara Bio Inc., Viacyte, Inc. and others.

The report covers exhaustive analysis on:

Regional analysis includes

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Stem Cell-Derived Cells Value Projected to Expand by 2019-2025 - 3rd Watch News

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

An older male influence in your family might have something to do with your sexuality, a study suggests.

According to a study published in journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, research has revealed that having an older brother increases mens chances of being homosexual.

The studys researchers analyzed 10 separate sexual orientation studies that involved 5,400 men with info regarding their birth order.

The study revealed that men with older brothers have a 38% higher likelihood of being gay compared to men who dont have an older brother.

(Older) brothers increase the probability of homosexuality in later-born males, the study noted.

The information presented also showed that the more older brothers a man had, the higher chance that he would be homosexual. The study stated having three older brothers doubled a mans chances of being gay.

The study also found that mothers of homosexual males bear more children compared to mothers of heterosexual males.

David Spiegelhalter, a statistician and professor at the University of Cambridge, told the Daily Mail that the fascinating study estimates that having an older brother increases the odds of being gay by 38%, supporting the idea that a mothers immune response to having a male child influences subsequent boys.

People have endlessly argued about the possible roles of genetics and upbringing, but this clear result fits in neither category, he said.

The researchers failed to find a connection between sexuality and birth order for women, noting theres no pattern of siblings, their gender or age that would help determine whether a female would be a lesbian.

Much prior research has shown that females do not influence the sexual orientation of their younger siblings, and females sexual orientation is not affected by their numbers of older siblings, study author Dr. Ray Blanchard stated in an interview with the Daily Mail.

The studys authors state they arent sure why their findings are the case, stating they believe it may be attributed to a theory known as maternal immune hypothesis which believes women who give birth to male babies develop antibodies that impact brain development of future male children they have.

Here is the original post:
Boys with older brother more likely to be gay: Study - Calgary Sun

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A new Cas13 RNA screen has been used to establish guide RNAs for the COVID-19 coronavirus and human RNA segments which could be used in vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

A novel CRISPR-based editing tool that enables researchers to target mRNA and knockout genes without altering the genome has been developed. Using the CRISPR-Cas13 enzyme, researchers have created a genetic screen for RNA, currently designed for use on humans, which they say could also be used on RNA containing viruses and bacteria.

The developers have used their parallel-screening technique to create optimal guide RNAs for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus COVID-19 which could be used for future detection and therapeutic applications. These have been made available online here.

the seed regions could be used as next-generation biosensors, able to precisely discriminate between closely related RNA species

The CRISPR RNA screening technology was developed by researchers in the lab of study senior author Dr Neville Sanjana at the New York Genome Center and at New York University, both US. The platform is optimised to run massively-parallel genetic screens at the RNA level in human cells because it is based on the CRISPR-Cas13 enzyme, which targets RNA instead of DNA. According to the researchers, it could be used to understand aspects of RNA regulation and identify the function of non-coding RNAs in humans.

The team have used the data they collected by targeting thousands of different sites in human RNA transcripts to create a machine learning-based predictive model to expedite identification of the most effective Cas13 guide RNAs. This technology is available to researchers through a website and open-source toolbox, both can predict guide RNA efficiencies for custom RNA targets and provide pre-designed guide RNAs for all human protein-coding genes.

We anticipate that RNA-targeting Cas13 enzymes will have a large impact on molecular biology and medical applications, yet little is known about guide RNA design for high targeting efficacy, said Dr Sanjana. We set about to change that through an in-depth and systematic study to develop key principles and predictive modelling for most effective guide design.

Dr Hans-Hermann Wessels and PhD student Alejandro Mndez-Mancilla, co-first authors of the study published in Nature Biotechnology, developed a suite of Cas13-based tools and conducted a transcript tiling and permutation screen in mammalian cells. In total, they gathered information for more than 24,000 RNA-targeting guides.

We tiled guide RNAs across many different transcripts, including several human genes where we could easily measure transcript knock-down via antibody staining and flow cytometry, said Dr Wessels. Along the way, we uncovered some interesting biological insights that may expand the application of RNA-targeting Cas13 enzymes. These insights included which regions of the guide RNA are important for recognition of a target RNA, calling the identified segments seed regions these are vital for designing guide RNAs with off-target activity on unintended target RNAs.

The scientists suggest that the seed regions could be used as next-generation biosensors, able to precisely discriminate between closely related RNA species.

We are particularly excited to use the optimised Cas13 screening system to target non-coding RNAs. This greatly expands the CRISPR toolbox for forward genetic and transcriptomic screens, concluded Mndez-Mancilla.

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CRISPR RNA-targeted genetic screen could be used for COVID-19 therapy - Drug Target Review

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A genome editing technique based on the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)associated endonuclease Cas9 enables efficient modification of genes in various cell types, including neurons. However, neuronal ensembles even in the same brain region are not anatomically or functionally uniform but divide into distinct subpopulations. Such heterogeneity requires gene editing in specific neuronal populations. We developed a CRISPR-SaCas9 systembased technique, and its combined application with anterograde/retrograde AAV vectors and activity-dependent cell-labeling techniques achieved projection- and function-specific gene editing in the rat brain. As a proof-of-principle application, we knocked down the cbp (CREB-binding protein), a sample target gene, in specific neuronal subpopulations in the medial prefrontal cortex, and demonstrated the significance of the projection- and function-specific CRISPR-SaCas9 system in revealing neuronal and circuit basis of memory. The high efficiency and specificity of our projection- and function-specific CRISPR-SaCas9 system could be widely applied in neural circuitry studies.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, so long as the resultant use is not for commercial advantage and provided the original work is properly cited.

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Development of a CRISPR-SaCas9 system for projection- and function-specific gene editing in the rat brain - Science Advances

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Some days, the miracles of biotech and gene therapy feel like Brave New World is around the corner, and other days like these very days their promise and power cant come fast enough. The cloud of viral uncertainty were currently in makes Adam Bolts science documentary Human Nature an intriguing, mind-tingling watch as it tells the underreported story of CRISPR, the microorganism molecular system discovered in the 1980s, which revealed to the scientific world that DNA the building blocks of our lives can be targeted, snipped and repaired.

Viruses can then be located and stopped, and something like sickle cell can be eradicated, but also if ones imagination is invoked, money is deployed and subjects are willing humans can be designed and cultivated like an attractive, pest-resistant crop. Bolts ethically engaging, easy-to-grasp and artfully conceived film covers a wide range of areas that stir us to think about benefits and costs.

His brainy interviewees from CRISPRs early discoverers and champions to the smiling entrepreneurs ready to help fix our aging, diseased bodies are a personality-rich bunch whose recognition of how significant this is for future generations is presented with wonder, humor and sometimes a welcome pause.

Theres plenty of What have we done? and Wow, what could we do? to go around in Human Nature, which makes for a health swirl of amazement and caution. But as the world tries to right itself from the spread of an unseen global threat, it may very well be the amazement in Bolts film that viewers cling to most.

'Human Nature'

Running time: 1 hour, 34 minutes

Playing: VOD and digital

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Review: Human Nature hits home in the age of coronavirus - Los Angeles Times

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Plant diseases arguably pose the biggest threat to agriculture, exacting a dramatic economic toll and endangering the livelihoods of farmers all over the world, writes Steven Cerier in this article published by Genetic Literacy Project (GLP).

Cerier says in his article that fortunately, powerful innovations in plant genetics are inoculating globally important food crops against these devastating diseases. Such innovations include new breeding techniques (NBTs), particularly gene-editing tools like CRISPR, as well as more established breeding methods like transgenesis, used to develop GMO crops.

Collectively, these technologies are helping farmers safeguard their yields with sustainable, environmentally friendly disease-resistance measures. In developing countries this could be thedifference betweena profitable harvest and going hungry.

Like humans, plants have evolved an immune system that helps themfight off infectionsspread by insects, bacteria, viruses and fungi. But in the nonstop Darwinian struggle for survival, these microorganisms often outsmart the defenses plants muster to protect themselves. The tools of biotechnology were developed to give food crops a leg up in this struggle. Scientists can use CRISPR, for example, to delete DNA segments that make plants susceptible to infection.

Dozens of crops engineered to resist disease have already beendeveloped and approvedby regulators in the US and other countries.

Blight-tolerant spuds

Potatoes have been developed that are immune to late blight disease. Scientists in the Netherlands and Ireland have successfully carried out field trials of a disease-resistantgenetically engineered potato. The new variety was created through a process of cisgenesis, in which genes from a wild potato were used to confer disease resistance on its domesticated relative.

The disease-resistant crop reduced fungicide spraying by up to 90%, and is likely to be successful because the potato selected for the trials is already widely cultivated and consumed. If approved, itll just have the added blight-tolerance trait.

Scientists in Uganda have also created a genetically engineeredblight-resistantpotato. Five years of field trials have shown the variety is virtually 100 percent resistant to late blight disease and requires no chemical spraying, theInternational Potato Centersaid of the research.

Read the full article by Steven Cerier on this page of GLP

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From hunger to profitable harvest: How GMO, CRISPR-edited plants can help curb $220 billion in annual crop losses - Potato News Today

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

An older male influence in your family might have something to do with your sexuality, a study suggests.

According to a study published in journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, research has revealed that having an older brother increases mens chances of being homosexual.

The studys researchers analyzed 10 separate sexual orientation studies that involved 5,400 men with info regarding their birth order.

The study revealed that men with older brothers have a 38% higher likelihood of being gay compared to men who dont have an older brother.

(Older) brothers increase the probability of homosexuality in later-born males, the study noted.

The information presented also showed that the more older brothers a man had, the higher chance that he would be homosexual. The study stated having three older brothers doubled a mans chances of being gay.

The study also found that mothers of homosexual males bear more children compared to mothers of heterosexual males.

David Spiegelhalter, a statistician and professor at the University of Cambridge, told the Daily Mail that the fascinating study estimates that having an older brother increases the odds of being gay by 38%, supporting the idea that a mothers immune response to having a male child influences subsequent boys.

People have endlessly argued about the possible roles of genetics and upbringing, but this clear result fits in neither category, he said.

The researchers failed to find a connection between sexuality and birth order for women, noting theres no pattern of siblings, their gender or age that would help determine whether a female would be a lesbian.

Much prior research has shown that females do not influence the sexual orientation of their younger siblings, and females sexual orientation is not affected by their numbers of older siblings, study author Dr. Ray Blanchard stated in an interview with the Daily Mail.

The studys authors state they arent sure why their findings are the case, stating they believe it may be attributed to a theory known as maternal immune hypothesis which believes women who give birth to male babies develop antibodies that impact brain development of future male children they have.

Read more here:
Boys with older brother more likely to be gay: Study - The London Free Press

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

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One morning in 2005, Shelley Beverley woke up to find that she had gone deaf. She was 21, and living in Johannesburg with her older brother Neil. I was very scared, she says. It was just so sudden. She struggled through the rest of the day, hoping that her hearing would come back, but it didnt. In one sense, her hearing loss wasnt entirely a surprise: Beverleys grandmother had been deaf, Neil had lost his hearing when he was 13, and her mum, Mary, had lost hers when she was 32. We knew it ran in the family, she says, but I thought Id been lucky and not inherited it.

Beverley, 35, lives in Margate, a semi-rural district south of Hobart, with her husband James. The couple migrated to Australia from South Africa in 2010, looking for space, buying 2 hectares of lush green grass at the foot of a forested ridge near the mouth of the Derwent River. We love the wildlife here, says James, looking out the living room window. Weve seen pademelons, echidnas, quolls, blue-tongue lizards, even a Tassie devil. At dusk, hundreds of kangaroos emerge from the forest to gorge on the grass. Its very peaceful, says James. Its really helped us after everything thats happened.

Apart from their deafness, Beverleys family had largely enjoyed good health. Then, in September 2015, her mother, Mary, then 62, started experiencing fatigue and stomach pain. Doctors in Durban ordered a colonoscopy, but the procedure made her worse. Her feet became swollen and purple. Because of their hearing problems, Shelley and Mary had communicated mainly in text messages. But soon I began noticing that her wording got a bit funny, says Beverley. It didnt always make sense.

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Beverley flew to Durban in February 2016, but by that time her mother could no longer talk or walk. She was so weak that she couldnt move her hands or lift her neck. Two days after Beverley arrived in Durban, her mother caught a virus that caused fluid to build up on her lungs. The doctors tried unsuccessfully to drain it. Shortly afterwards, she died. She weighed just 36 kilograms. It was so fast, Beverley says. And we were still in the dark about what she had.

Shortly before Marys death, Neil had also fallen ill. He developed a number of mysterious symptoms, including facial twitches and seizures. He kept falling over and tripping, and experienced vomiting and headaches so severe he lost his vision for weeks at a time. His behaviour became strange showering with his clothes on, and hallucinating.

One day, Dad was driving him around and Neil started talking to all these little people he thought were around his feet, says Beverley. Doctors in Durban had trouble diagnosing him, so they sent a biopsy to London, where he was found to have a type of mitochondrial cytopathy one of a large family of chronic and progressive diseases that affect the muscles, brain and nervous system. As the family soon learnt, the condition has no cure and no effective therapies. One of the common early symptoms is hearing loss.

Neil died in June 2017, aged 34, by which time Beverley had discovered she also had the condition. It was fear, so much fear, she says. She began experiencing symptoms, including migraines and vision loss. She has since developed diabetes, hypertension, gastro-paresis (when your stomach muscles dont work), and pharyngeal dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). Every time I get sick now, the flu or something, I think, When am I going to need a wheelchair or a feeding tube? When will my legs stop working?

Mito has taken everything from me, she says. If I die, at least James will still have a part of me.

Beverley has bright blue eyes and long, straight, ash-brown hair. Shes got a lazy left eye and uncommonly pale skin, which she attributes to her condition. Oh, and I had bunions out in 2010, she says, laughing wryly.

She doesnt know how long shes got left, but she is determined to make it count. She has joined mito awareness groups, and is an active member of the Mito Foundation, which supports sufferers, and funds research. She has exhaustively researched the condition and takes every opportunity to educate doctors. Youd be surprised by how little they know about it, she says.

But her overriding focus has been on a cutting-edge, and currently illegal, procedure called mitochondrial donation, a form of IVF which would allow those with the condition to have children, safe in the knowledge they would not be passing it on. Mito has taken everything from me, she says. If I die, at least James will still have a part of me. I would like him to look at our child, and say, You have your mums smile or your mums eyes.

An IVF treatment known as mitochondrial donation could potentially save up to 60 Australian children a year from being born with the condition. Credit:

Mitochondrial donation has been labelled immoral and unethical, a slippery slope to designer babies, not to mention potentially unsafe. The only country in the world to have legalised it is the UK. A report by medical experts into the technologys potential application in Australia is due to be delivered to Health Minister Greg Hunt this month.

This fight is really personal to me, Beverley says. Short of a cure, people with mito should at least have the option of having healthy children.

Mitochondria are microscopic structures in human cells that provide the body with energy. For this reason, they are often described as the cells powerhouse. They are crucially important: if your mitochondria fail or mutate, your body will be starved of energy, causing multiple organ failure and premature death.

A stylised representation of a mitochondrion, which provides the body with energy. Malfunction can lead to organ failure and death.Credit:Josh Robenstone

Mito, which is maternally inherited, usually affects the muscles and major organs such as the brain, heart, liver, inner ears, and eyes. But it can cause any symptom in any organ, at any age. Indeed, the term mito includes more than 200 disorders, the symptoms of which are maddeningly varied and seemingly unrelated, leading to delayed diagnoses or incorrect diagnoses or, indeed, no diagnosis.

Many of these people have been fobbed off by doctors or laughed off by people who think they are hypochondriacs, says Dr David Thorburn, a mitochondrial researcher at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, in Melbourne, who has diagnosed some 700 cases over the past 28 years. Most people are relieved to finally know what it is, because that is the end of that part of their journey.

Its sometimes said babies produced as a result of mitochondrial donation would have three parents the mother, the father, and the donor.

Up to two million people worldwide have some form of mito. - Others, like Beverley, who have a less severe type of the disease, will get adult onset, and can expect to become ill in their 30s, 40s or 50s.

According to Thorburn, One of the things that most dismays families with mito is the lack of control they have over passing the condition down to future generations of their family.

Remaining childless is one way to stop the condition from being passed down, as is adopting, but as Thorburn acknowledges, There is an innate desire in many individuals to have their own children. For these people, mito donation offers the very real prospect that the condition is eliminated from future generations.

Mitochondrial replacement is a highly specialised procedure, requiring a level of manual dexterity sufficient to manipulate a womans egg, which is roughly the width of a human hair. Within that egg is a nucleus, where a persons genes are located, and the cytoplasm, the jelly-like substance that surrounds it. Mitochondria are found in the cytoplasm.

Mitochondrial replacement involves taking a donor females healthy egg, removing its nucleus and replacing it with the nucleus of the woman affected by mitochondrial disease, but whose nucleus is healthy. The egg is then fertilised using her partners sperm. (Another option is to fertilise the egg first, and then swap the nucleus.) The resulting embryo is then implanted into the mother.

Researcher David Thorburn: "Mito donation offers the very real prospect that the condition is eliminated from future generations."Credit:Josh Robenstone

Since more than 99.9 per cent of our genes are found in the eggs nucleus, which remains unaffected, the procedure will have no impact on the childs height, hair colour or mannerisms. Despite that, its sometimes said that babies produced as a result of mitochondrial donation would have three parents the mother, the father, and the donor.

The technology has been tested in mice for more than 30 years, but only since 2009 has research been done on human embryos, mainly in the UK. Almost from the start, the research was subject to sensational headlines about scientists playing God, and the possibility of genetic engineering, with much of the hysteria being fuelled by anti-abortion groups. The Catholic Church described it as a further step in commodification of the human embryo and a failure to respect new individual human lives.

In 2012, the Human Genetics Alert, an independent watchdog group in London, wrote a paper comparing any baby produced with mitochondrial replacement to Frankensteins creation, since they would be produced by sticking together bits from many different bodies. According to the Conservative British MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, the procedure was not a cure for disease, it is the creating of a different person.

Regulators subjected the technology to four separate scientific reviews, together with rounds of ethical debate and community consultation. In 2015, the UK Parliament voted to legalise the technology for use in humans, on the proviso that it only be available to those women at high risk of passing on the disease. Since then, 13 couples in the UK have received the go-ahead to undergo the procedure.

Its unclear how many children, if any, have been born: the parents have asked that details not be published. Meanwhile, scientists like Thorburn wait eagerly for news of any developments. I know the UK researchers well and have asked several of them, and they are keeping completely quiet about it in respecting the families wishes, he says.

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If there have been babies born in the UK using the procedure, they arent the first. In April 2016, a child was born using the technique in Mexico, to a Jordanian mother who carried a fatal mitochondrial condition known as Leigh syndrome. The doctor in charge, an American fertility specialist called Dr John Zhang, later admitted that he had gone to Mexico because the procedure is illegal in America. In Mexico, he admitted, There are no rules.

Even those who want mitochondrial donation legalised in Australia concede that much remains unknown about the procedure. Its long-term risks can only be understood through lifelong health check-ups, but this is impossible until any children conceived via this procedure become adults. Implications for subsequent generations also remain unclear.

No medical procedure is 100 per cent safe, says Sean Murray, CEO of the Mito Foundation. But we think we are at the stage now where the benefits of the technology are greater than the risks.

One of the issues around safety concerns the compatibility of the donors mitochondria with the recipients nuclear genes. A 2016 study in mice suggested that mismatched mitochondria affected their metabolism and shortened their lives. Another concern is known as carryover, whereby a tiny amount of mutant mitochondria is inevitably transferred from the affected mothers egg into the donor egg during the procedure.

Instead of it being wiped out, the mutation might then reappear in the descendants of any girls born as a result. For this reason, some people have proposed that the procedure be restricted to male embryos only, but this raises all kinds of ethical issues around selective breeding and sex selection.

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Indeed, it often seems as if the term ethical minefield was coined especially with mitochondrial donation in mind.

My primary ethical concern has to do with the sanctity of human life, says Father Kevin McGovern, a Catholic priest and member of the National Health and Medical Research Councils Mitochondrial Donation Expert Working Committee.

If mitochondrial donation is permitted here, the technique most likely to be used is pronuclear transfer, which requires that both the donors egg and the affected mothers egg be fertilised. [This is to ensure that both eggs are at the same developmental stage.] But once the nucleus is removed from the donors fertilised egg, it is discarded. For people who believe that life begins at conception, this is akin to murder. You are creating two lives and destroying one for spare parts.

The Catholic Church has consistently opposed mitochondrial donation. In a Senate inquiry into the technology in 2018, Dr Bernadette Tobin, director of the Plunkett Centre for Ethics at the Australian Catholic University, suggested the process was intrinsically evil.

The inquiry also heard from Father Anthony Fisher, Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, who raised concerns about the moral right of the child to know how he or she was conceived the problem of what he called genealogical bewilderment and the donors right to remain anonymous. He also worried that women might effectively become egg vending machines: The availability of human ova is often assumed when people talk about reproductive technology as if they were somehow there in a cupboard to be used. In fact, it means women have to be used to obtain these eggs. They are extracted by invasive procedures that do carry some risk.

A report by medical experts into mitochondrial donation and its potential application in Australia is due to be delivered to Health Minister Greg Hunt this month. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Equally troubling for the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the peak national body for the churchs bishops, was the fact that mitochondrial donation involved conceiving babies not by marital intercourse [but by] a technical procedure.

Most of these concerns are redundant, argues the Mito Foundations Sean Murray. We already have a well defined regulatory framework for dealing with all this, he says. As far as the donors right to remain anonymous, we would defer to the appropriate federal or state and territory regulations that apply for sperm or egg donations. In regard to a kids right to know they had a mitochondrial donor, societally there seems to be a preference to inform kids. Its important for them to understand their genetic lineage.

Then theres the matter of consent. The parents can wrestle with the ethical issues and weigh up all the risks, but the only person who cant consent to the procedure is the unborn child. Well, says Murray, they cant consent to being born with mito, either.

The Mito Foundations Sean Murray: "In regard to a kids right to know they had a mitochondrial donor, societally there seems to be a preference to inform kids."Credit:Joshua Morris

Murray, 47, is one of the founding directors of the Mito Foundation, which was established in Sydney in 2009. Mito runs in my family, he says. My older brother, Peter, died of it in 2009 at 45, and my mum passed away in 2011, at 70. What people often dont understand is that even in families that have mito, each member can have different mutational loads basically, different amounts of bad mitochondria. Peter got a high load, but I didnt. Thats why Im still here.

A computer scientist by training, Murray now works full-time on the foundation. Much of his job involves travelling around the country, explaining mito to politicians, journalists and philanthropists, raising funds for research and, most crucially, advocating for a change to the laws.

Mitochondrial donation falls foul of two pieces of legislation: the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002, and the Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction Act 2002. The laws prohibit the implantation of a human embryo that contains more than two peoples genetic material. The laws were subject to a mandatory review in 2010, but the then Labor government recommended they remain the same.

In 2013, the Mito Foundation urged the government to revisit its decision. Two years later, it began lobbying in earnest. What we tried to get across was that the science around mito donation has come a long way since 2010, says Murray. Also, the process that the UK went through to legalise it really reassured us that the procedure is safe and effective.

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In the past five years, Murray and his colleagues have consulted with more than 100 MPs and senators. Only one of them, according to Murray, said I dont like this. They have also talked to dozens of industry experts, including academics and medical and research bodies, about the benefits of mitochondrial donation. Most of them get it straight away, he says. We are talking about a technique that will prevent the chance of having a morbidly ill child.

Now, a breakthrough appears imminent. In February 2019, Health Minister Greg Hunt asked the National Health and Medical Research Council to look into the matter, review the science and conduct public consultation. The NHMRC is due to hand its report to Hunt this month. The expectation among the mito community is that he will recommend the laws be changed. Any proposals would then need to be debated in Parliament, where issues around reproductive medicine have, in the past, been hotly contested.

Murray expects some opposition from more conservative MPs, but nothing like the rancour seen in the NSW Parliament during last years debate over legalising abortion. Shadow health minister Chris Bowen has, for his part, said that Labor will support changing the laws.

Mitochondrial sufferer Shelley Beverley at home in Tasmania. This fight is really personal to me. Credit:Peter Mathew

Whether this will help people like Shelley Beverley is unclear. If Hunt gives it the green light, it will take two years at least for mitochondrial donation to become available to prospective parents, given the time involved in drafting and passing legislation, establishing a regulatory regime and getting doctors up to speed with the technology.

This will probably be too late for Beverley. I really only have about a year left to give it a go, she tells me. After that, my symptoms may progress and biologically things get worse after 35. She says she would consider going to the UK for the treatment, but that at present they are not accepting international patients.

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In the meantime, she watches TV, and reads a little, but not too much. (It puts me to sleep.) She gardens: she has a bed of huge white and pink roses out the back of her house, as a memorial to her mother and brother. And she eats. James cooks for me. He lets me choose the best meat and potatoes! Ive put on weight since I met him. She describes James as something close to an angel. He will listen to every problem I have or feeling I experience. He will always put me first.

Beverley started going out with James when she was 21, right around the time she first went deaf. I was so scared that he wouldnt like me as much. I remember calling him and saying I was scared he would leave me. But James is still here. Im very lucky to have him, she says. If I go, I want him to have a part of me.

To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.

Tim Elliott is a senior writer with Good Weekend.

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How far should genetic engineering go to allow this couple to have a healthy baby? - Brisbane Times

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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. and CHAPEL HILL, N.C., March 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio), a leading clinical-stage adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy company, today announced that it has entered into a research collaboration and licensing agreement with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) for the development and commercialization of gene therapy for Angelman syndrome.

This collaboration allows us to leverage groundbreaking research from UNC and apply our AAV development capabilities to find a gene therapy treatment for Angelman syndrome, said Sheila Mikhail, JD, MBA, AskBio Chief Executive Officer and co-founder. We look forward to advancing this program together.

Angelman syndrome is a rare neurogenetic disorder caused by the loss of function of the UBE3A gene. The disorder occurs in approximately one in 15,000 people, or about 500,000 individuals worldwide, and there is currently no cure. In addition to life-altering symptoms such as speech and motor deficits, more than 80 percent of Angelman syndrome patients experience epilepsy, which typically does not respond well to standard anti-seizure medications.

A UNC School of Medicine team, led by Mark Zylka, PhD, and Ben Philpot, PhD, has generated preclinical evidence that gene therapy may help individuals with Angelman syndrome by improving seizure and motor outcomes.

Individuals with Angelman syndrome face lifelong challenges, and our gene therapy approaches hold the potential to correct this disorder at its genetic roots. We are incredibly excited to partner with AskBio, as they have been vanguards of clinical gene therapies for rare diseases, said Mark Zylka, PhD, Director of the UNC Neuroscience Center. Ben Philpot, PhD, Associate Director of the UNC Neuroscience Center added, We look forward to advancing this transformative treatment to the clinic and potentially improving the lives of individuals with Angelman syndrome.

The partnership between AskBio and UNC could transform the lives of people living with Angelman syndrome by providing them with a potential therapy for this rare disease, said Amanda Moore, Angelman Syndrome Foundation CEO. The Angelman Syndrome Foundation has long been proud to support the work of UNC researchers, Drs. Ben Philpot and Mark Zylka, and invest in science that positively affects the Angelman syndrome community. The collaboration between UNC and AskBio brings us a step closer to delivering a viable gene therapy to the people and families we serve.

The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

More about Angelman SyndromeDeletion of the maternally inherited copy of the UBE3A gene causes Angelman syndrome. Symptoms include microcephaly (small head circumference), severe intellectual disability, seizures, balance and movement problems (ataxia), lack of speech, and sleep problems. Behavioral symptoms include frequent laughing, smiling and excitability. Angelman syndrome was first described in 1965, yet no treatment options have been approved in the 55 years since. While individuals with the disorder have a normal lifespan, they require life-long care and are not able to live independently.

About Angelman Syndrome FoundationThe mission of the Angelman Syndrome Foundation is to advance the awareness and treatment of Angelman syndrome through education and information, research and support for individuals with Angelman syndrome, their families and other concerned parties. We exist to give them a reason to smile, with the ultimate goal of finding a cure. To learn more, visit https://www.angelman.org.

About AskBioFounded in 2001, Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio) is a privately held, clinical-stage gene therapy company dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults with genetic disorders. AskBios gene therapy platform includes an industry-leading proprietary cell line manufacturing process called Pro10 and an extensive adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid and promoter library. Based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, the company has generated hundreds of proprietary third-generation AAV capsids and promoters, several of which have entered clinical testing. An early innovator in the space, the company holds more than 500 patents in areas such as AAV production and chimeric and self-complementary capsids. AskBio maintains a portfolio of clinical programs across a range of neurodegenerative and neuromuscular indications with a current clinical pipeline that includes therapeutics for Pompe disease, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2i/R9 and congestive heart failure, as well as out-licensed clinical indications for hemophilia (Chatham Therapeutics acquired by Takeda) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Bamboo Therapeutics acquired by Pfizer). Learn more at https://www.askbio.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: AskBio Robin Fastenau Vice President, Communications +1 984.275.2705 rfastenau@askbio.com Angelman Syndrome Foundation Amanda Moore Chief Executive Officer +1 317.514.6918 amoore@angelman.org UNC Health | UNC School of Medicine Mark Derewicz Director, Research & News +1 984.974.1915 Mark.Derewicz@unchealth.unc.edu

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AskBio Enters Research Collaboration and Licensing Agreement with University of North Carolina (UNC) for Angelman Syndrome - Associated Press

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Article In Brief

Mice with an open- and closed-traumatic brain injury were injected with immunomodulatory nanoparticles that reduced brain swelling and damage on MRI.

Investigators used a novel approach to prevent the swelling that can occur after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a mouse model: they injected nanoparticles that trick white blood cells into going after them instead of rushing to the injured brain and causing an inflammatory and immune response.

Mice with TBI that were given three injections of the immunomodulatory nanoparticles beginning two to three hours after injury showed less brain swelling and damage on MRI as compared with mice with TBI that did not get the nanoparticles; the treated mice also performed better on functional tests.

The immunomodulatory nanoparticle treatment, if further proven in preclinical trials and human trials, would not undo damage from the initial injury to the brain. But it could help prevent the body from setting off a cascade of immune and inflammatory cells in reaction to the injury, which in turn can cause brain swelling and even more damage to brain tissue.

We certainly haven't gone and magically prevented that initial damage, said Jack Kessler, MD, professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the senior author of the paper. What we can do is prevent the secondary damage, which is substantial.

Predicting which TBI patients will develop edema of the brain isn't easy, so having a preventive treatment like the nanoparticles that could be administered upfront could be life-altering, Dr. Kessler said.

He said some patients with head injuries come into the hospital walking and talking, but then their brain swells, and they die.

According to background in the study, published January 10 online in Annals of Neurology, each year more than 2.5 million people in the US have a traumatic brain TBI and more than five million Americans live with at least one sequela of TBI.

After the primary injury, there is substantial secondary injury attributable to infiltrating immune cells, cytokine release, reactive oxygen species, excitotoxicity, and other mechanisms, the study authors wrote. Despite many preclinical and clinical trials to limit such secondary damage, no successful therapies have emerged.

The nanoparticles tested in the mouse experiments are made of material used in biodegradable sutures. The paper specifically described the particles as highly negatively charged, 500 nm-diameter particles composed of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved biodegradable biopolymer carboxylated poly (lactic-co glycolic) acid.

The nanoparticles (IMPs), which seem like foreign invaders to the body's immune system, attract the attention of large white blood cells known as monocytes, which have been implicated in the secondary damage that occurs with TBI.

IMPs bind to the macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO) on monocytes and monocytes bound to IMPs no longer home to sites of inflammation but rather are sequestered in the spleen, where the cells die, the study authors wrote.

The mouse study involved two types of head injury. In some of the mice, the researchers performed a craniotomy to create a controlled cortical impact. Other mice received a closed head injury involving a direct blow to the head. Both types of injuries were meant to mimic what occurs in humans with TBI.

Injections of the nanoparticles were given two to three hours after the brain injury, and again at 24 hours and 48 hours post-injury. Control animals with similar brain injuries were given saline solution at the same time points.

Outcomes for the mice who received the nanoparticles were better by multiple measures, including MRI and a motor function test called the ladder rung walking test that is used in mouse experiments.

IMP administration resulted in remarkable preservation of both tissue and neurological function, in both models of head injury, the paper said. After acute treatment, there was a reduction in the number of immune cells infiltrating into the brain, mitigation of the inflammatory status of the infiltrating cells, improved electrophysiological visual function, improved long-term motor behavior, reduced edema formation as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, and reduced lesion volumes on anatomic examination.

Dr. Kessler said that in the case of mice with an open head injury, the size of their brain lesion was 50 percent smaller in the treated animals compared with those that did not get the nanoparticles.

He said MRI showed significantly less brain swelling and less compression of the ventricles, both signs that secondary damage was minimized.

Dr. Kessler said that right now the only recourse for severe brain swelling is to do a craniotomy to relieve pressure in the skull.

He said one of the appeals of the nanoparticle treatment is that an emergency medical technician could do it in the field or the emergency room personnel could inject it.

But Dr. Kessler is also cautious about too many predications based on a pre-clinical study, saying he is fond of telling medical students that if I had a nickel for every mouse we cured, I'd be a rich man.

Sripadh Sharma, PhD, an MD-PhD student at Northwestern and the study's first author, said the nanoparticle therapy needs to be tested further in animal models before it could go into human testing. The researchers also want to learn more about how the nanoparticles bring about a reduced immune response in the body.

Dr. Sharma noted that while immune responses are a good thing in the face of injury or infection, sometimes nature doesn't always get it right, so too much of a good thing is a bad thing. And that can be the case with TBI.

He said it has been shown by another collaborator on the study, Stephen Miller, PhD, that when the scavenger receptors on the monocytes detect the light negative charge of the nanoparticles, the monocytes engulf and bind to the particles and apoptose in the spleen instead of going to the site of injury.

More studies need to be done to optimize what dose and what time these particles need to be given following a head injury, said Dr. Sharma.

Similar nanoparticle therapy is being tested for other medical conditions, including celiac disease and myocardial infarction, Dr. Kessler said.

Michael J. Schneck, MD, FAAN, professor of neurology (and neurosurgery) at Loyola University Chicago, said the study was well-designed and thorough, using two different head injury models and multiple outcome measures, including brain imaging, functional testing, and brain tissue analysis. Dr. Schneck said the paper made him wonder whether a similar approach using immune-modulating nanoparticles could reduce inflammatory-related damage following stroke and spinal cord injury.

Dr. Schneck said the concept of trying to dampen the immune response after TBI to prevent edema is not new, but the Northwestern researchers took the idea in a new direction. The nanoparticle therapy is particularly intriguing, he said, because it is fairly simple and involves the use of a material that is already approved by the US FDA, which could mean that it would take less time to move the therapy from the laboratory into clinical trials.

This is a very elegant study with interesting translational potential, he said. But it is a mouse model and its application to (human) TBI and other forms of central nervous system injury remains to be validated.

Jiangbing Zhou, PhD, associate professor of neurosurgery and biomedical engineering at Yale University, said that as someone who does research in the field of nanomedicine, he was surprised by the study's findings and wants to understand how this simple formulation particle could achieve this marked efficacy.

The study looks very exciting, but I want to know more about the mechanism, said Dr. Zhou, whose research focuses on developing translational nanomedicine, gene therapy, and stem cell therapy for neurological disorders including TBI.

He had these and other questions about the study: Why do the particles interact specifically with the inflammatory monocytes but not the others? How do the particles, which are made of safe biomaterials, efficiently kill the inflammatory monocytes in the spleen? What is happening and why?

Javier Crdenas, MD, director of the Barrow Concussion and Brain Injury Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute, said the study on the immune-modulating nanoparticle therapy for TBI was very promising, though he stressed that he is always cautiously optimistic when he sees a mouse study.

It is definitely a novel approach to addressing the secondary sequelae of brain injury and they might have something that minimizes that and hopefully improves outcomes, Dr. Crdenas said.

He said the study also raises some questions, including how the immune-modulating approach would fare in patients who have multiple injuries, not just to the head.

Dr. Crdenas said brain injuries often do not happen in isolation, with patients also having broken bones, lacerations, and other organ damage.

We don't know how this (nanoparticle treatment) would affect other organs, other immune responses elsewhere in the body, he said.

Dr. Crdenas said the field of TBI research has been disappointed before by studies of new therapies that looked promising in animal models and clinical testing but ultimately failed. He noted, for instance, that progesterone and hypothermia did not turn out to be good at preventing brain swelling.

We will wait and see, he said of the nanoparticles.

Drs. Sharma, Schneck, Zhou, and Crdenas had no disclosures.

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Nanoparticle Therapy Might Help Reduce Brain Swelling in... : Neurology Today - LWW Journals

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This article was first published on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 in ProPublica.

By David Armstrong, Annie Waldman and Daniel Golden

On the fourth floor of the University of Florida cancer research building, the once-bustling laboratory overseen by professor Weihong Tan is in disarray. White lab coats are strewn over workbenches. Storage drums and boxes, including some marked with biohazard warnings, are scattered across the floor. A pink note stuck to a machine that makes copies of DNA samples indicates the device is broken.

No one is here on this weekday afternoon in February. On a shelf, wedged next to instruction manuals and binders of lab records, is a reminder of bygone glory: a group photo of Tan surrounded by more than two dozen smiling students and employees.

As the Florida lab sat vacant, a different scene unfolded half a world away in China, where a team of 300 scientists and researchers worked furiously to develop a fast, easy test for COVID-19. The leader of that timely project? Tan, the former Florida researcher.

The 59-year-old Tan is a stark example of the intellectual firepower fleeing the U.S. as a result of a Trump administration crackdown on university researchers with ties to China. Tan abruptly left Florida in 2019 during an investigation into his alleged failure to fully disclose Chinese academic appointments and funding. He moved to Hunan University in south-central China, where he now conducts his vital research.

Tan, a chemistry professor whose research has focused on diagnosing and treating cancer, quickly pivoted to working on a coronavirus test when the outbreak began in China. Boosted by a Chinese government grant, he teamed up with researchers at two other universities in China and a biotechnology company to create a test that produces results in 40 minutes and can be performed in a doctor's office or in non-medical settings like airport screening areas, according to a 13-page booklet detailing the test's development and benefits. It has been tried successfully on more than 200 samples from hospitals and checkpoints, according to the booklet, which Tan shared with a former Florida colleague. It's not clear how widely the test is being used in China.

Epidemiologists say that testing is vital to mitigate the spread of the virus. But the U.S. has lagged well behind China, South Korea, and Italy in the number of people tested. It's hard to know if Tan's test would have made a difference. The slow U.S. ramp-up has been blamed largely on bureaucratic barriers and a shortage of chemical agents needed for testing.

A star researcher funded by the National Institutes of Health, Tan taught for a quarter century at Florida and raised two sons in Gainesville. He was also a participant in the Thousand Talents program, China's aggressive effort to lure top scientists from U.S. universities, and had been working part time at Hunan University for even longer than he had taught at Florida. Last year, alerted by NIH, Florida began investigating his outside activities.

Tan declined to answer questions about his departure from Floria or his new test, but he provided documentation that his department chairman at Florida was "supportive" of his research in China as recently as 2015. He is one of three University of Florida researchers along with others from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Louisville who relocated to China while under investigation for allegedly hiding Chinese funding or affiliations with universities there.

Such nondisclosure may well be pervasive. A ProPublica analysis found more than 20 previously unreported examples of Thousand Talents professors who appear not to have fully revealed their moonlighting in China to their U.S. universities or NIH.

NIH has contacted 84 institutions regarding 180 scientists whom it suspects of hiding outside activities or funding, and it has referred 27 of them for federal investigation, said Michael Lauer, the agency's deputy director for extramural research. "There's no reason why the U.S. government should be funding scientists who are engaged in unethical behavior. It doesn't matter how brilliant they are," said Lauer, who declined to discuss specific professors under scrutiny. "If they don't have integrity, we can't trust them for anything. How can we be sure that the data they're producing is accurate?"

Yet the government's investigations and prosecutions of scientists for nondisclosure a violation previously handled within universities and often regarded as minor may prove counterproductive. The exodus of Tan and his colleagues highlights a disturbing irony about the U.S. crackdown; it is unwittingly helping China achieve a long-frustrated goal of luring back top scientific talent.

Thousand Talents aimed to reverse China's brain drain to the West by offering elite Chinese scientists premier salaries and lab facilities to return home permanently. Finding relatively few takers, it let participants like Tan keep their U.S. jobs and work in China on the side.

By investigating Tan and other Chinese researchers for nondisclosure, the U.S. government is accomplishing what Thousand Talents has struggled to do. None of the professors identified in this article have been charged with stealing or inappropriately sharing intellectual property. Yet in the name of safeguarding American science, federal agencies are driving out innovators, who will then make their discoveries and insights in China instead of the U.S. The potential drawbacks hark back to an episode in the McCarthy era, when a brilliant rocket scientist at the California Institute of Technology was deported by the U.S. for supposed Communist sympathies and became the father of China's missile program.

John Brown, the FBI's assistant director of counterintelligence, told the U.S. Senate in November that participants in Thousand Talents and other Chinese talent programs "are often incentivized to transfer to China the research they conduct in the United States, as well as other proprietary information to which they can gain access, and remain a significant threat to the United States."

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., disputed such characterizations. "The purpose of China's 'Thousand Talents Plan' is to promote talent flow between China and other countries and to galvanize international cooperation in scientific and technological innovation," Fang Hong said. While firmly opposing any "breach of scientific integrity or ethics we also condemn the attempt to describe the behaviors of individual researchers" as "systematic" intellectual property theft by the Chinese government. "It is extremely irresponsible and ill-intentioned to link individual behaviors to China's talent plan."

Steven Pei, a University of Houston physics professor and former chair of the advocacy group United Chinese Americans, said that both countries have gone too far. "The Chinese government overreached and the American government overreacted," Pei said. "China tried to recruit but it was unsuccessful. Now we help them do what they cannot do on their own."

Pei added that U.S. universities are failing to protect their Chinese faculty: "When the pressure comes down, they throw the researchers under the bus."

NIH has long viewed collaborations with China as a boon for biomedical research, even initiating a formal partnership with China's National Natural Science Foundation in 2010. But it became concerned in 2016 when it learned from the FBI that an Asian faculty member at MD Anderson had shared federal grant proposals he was reviewing with researchers at other institutions a violation of NIH rules.

Examining the grant applications of its federally funded researchers, NIH found many undisclosed foreign ties, particularly with research institutions in China. Some researchers were accepting dual appointments at Chinese universities and publishing results of U.S.-funded research under their foreign affiliation. Often, these foreign positions were not reported to the NIH or even the researchers' own American universities.

In August 2018, the NIH launched an investigation to ensure that its researchers weren't "double dipping" by receiving foreign funds for NIH-funded work or diverting intellectual property produced by federally backed research to other countries. The NIH found at least 75 researchers with ties to foreign talent programs who were also responsible for reviewing grant proposals. In some cases, Lauer said, Thousand Talents scientists with access as peer reviewers to confidential grant applications have downloaded them and emailed them to China. Other researchers have disclosed consulting or teaching in China but haven't acknowledged that they've signed an employment contract with a Chinese university or are heading a lab, he said. NIH gave the names of "individuals of possible concern" to the researchers' institutions but did not make them public.

To gauge the extent of the problem, ProPublica matched Thousand Talents recipients identified on Chinese-language websites with their disclosures to their universities and grant applications to NIH, which we obtained through public records requests. We found at least 14 researchers who apparently did not disclose foreign affiliations to their U.S. universities, which included the University of Wisconsin, Stony Brook University and Louisiana State University. We couldn't determine if these researchers were also on NIH's confidential list.

Of 23 Thousand Talents recipients in our survey who have sought NIH funding, none reported conflicts of interest with Chinese universities to the agency. Just three revealed these positions in the bio sections of their grant applications. Because NIH redacted foreign funding from the applications it provided to us, citing personal privacy restrictions, we couldn't tell if the researchers reported any grants from institutions in China.

It's not always easy to define or prosecute theft of intellectual property in academia, especially if the research is considered basic and doesn't require a security clearance. Unlike corporations that protect trade secrets, universities see science as an open, global enterprise and promote international collaborations. Practices such as photographing another research team's specially designed lab equipment may be considered unethical by some, but they aren't necessarily unlawful. Thus the U.S. government is trying to clamp down on suspected intellectual property theft by targeting nondisclosure.

Yet the link between hiding Thousand Talents affiliations and stealing research secrets may be tenuous. Universities bear some responsibility for the nondisclosure, because they are supposed to certify the accuracy of information supplied to NIH. Until recently, many schools were lax in enforcing disclosure rules. "It's fair to say, at some universities, they have not really been paying attention to how their faculty spend their time," Lauer said. One professor was away for 150 days a year and the university didn't notice, he said.

Non-Chinese scientists, including doctors paid by pharmaceutical , also underreported outside income. Nor did universities want to restrict partnerships with Chinese universities; in the prevailing culture of globalization, they encouraged foreign collaborations and sought to open branches in China to boost their international prestige and attract outstanding, full-tuition-paying students.

Now times have changed, and Chinese scientists at U.S. universities are trapped in the backwash. Even those who rejected overtures from China have been hounded. Xifeng Wu, an epidemiological researcher, worked at MD Anderson for nearly three decades and amassed an enormous dataset to help cancer researchers understand patient histories. She twice turned down invitations to join Thousand Talents. But she collaborated with and accepted honorary positions at research institutions in China, where she grew up and attended medical school. Although she said she earned no income from these posts, NIH identified her as a concern, and MD Anderson found that she did not always fully disclose her Chinese affiliations.

In early 2019, she left MD Anderson one of at least four researchers who were pushed out of the center in the wake of the federal investigations. She has become dean of the School of Public Health, with a well-equipped laboratory, at Zhejiang University in southeast China.

Dong Liang, Wu's husband and the chair of the pharmaceutical and environmental health sciences department at Texas Southern University, felt that MD Anderson buckled under pressure from NIH, which provided the institution with more than $145 million in federal grants in 2018.

"A few years back, they wanted the collaborations [with China]," said Liang. "And now, they take it back." The disclosure rules, said Liang, weren't clear, "and now it becomes a violation."

Professors who were in the process of being fired could have exercised their rights to a hearing before a faculty panel as well as "several rounds of peer discussions," but they instead left "on their own volition," MD Anderson spokeswoman Brette Peyton said. "As the recipient of significant NIH funding," MD Anderson had a responsibility to follow up on the agency's concerns, or risk losing federal money, she said.

Baylor College of Medicine in Houston took a less punitive approach than MD Anderson. When NIH alerted the Baylor College of Medicine that at least four researchers there all ethnically Chinese erred in their disclosures, Baylor corrected the documents and allowed them to continue working.

China began sending students to the U.S. in the late 1970s in the hope that they would return with American know-how and foster China's technological prowess. But, especially after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, many of the students stayed in the U.S. after earning their degrees.

The Chinese government has been the most assertive government in the world in introducing policies targeted at triggering a reverse brain drain.

A 2012 paper by David Zweig and Huiyao Wang

Established in 2008, Thousand Talents was intended to lure prominent scientists of Chinese ethnicity under age 55 back to China for at least half the year with generous salaries and research funds and facilities, as well as perks such as housing, medical care, jobs for spouses and schools for children. Some Thousand Talents employment contracts require members to sign nondisclosure agreements related to their research and employment with Chinese institutions, according to a November 2019 report by the U.S. Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

"The Chinese government has been the most assertive government in the world in introducing policies targeted at triggering a reverse brain drain," David Zweig, a professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Huiyao Wang, director general of the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing, wrote in 2012.

The program succeeded in attracting 7,000 foreign scientists and researchers as of 2017, the Senate subcommittee reported. But it had trouble enticing professors at elite U.S. universities, who were reluctant to uproot their families and leave their tenured sinecures. It created a second tier for recruits who were "essentially unwilling to return full-time," Zweig and Wang wrote. They could keep their U.S. jobs and come to China for a month or two. Complaints arose in China about "fake returnees" who "work nominally in China for six months" but "in fact, most of them are still abroad," according to a 2014 op-ed on the BBC News Chinese website.

Scandals marred the program's reputation in the U.S. In 2014, Ohio State contacted the FBI about engineering professor Rongxing Li, who had fled to China. Li, a Thousand Talents member, allegedly had access to restricted NASA information. The U.S. attorney's office did not bring charges against Li, who is teaching at Tongji University in Shanghai. Another Thousand Talents member, Kang Zhang, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of California, San Diego, resigned last year after reports that he failed to disclose being the primary shareholder of a Chinese company whose focus overlapped with his UC research. No charges were filed against Zhang, now a professor at Macau University of Science and Technology.

Struggling to attract top researchers, Thousand Talents also reached out to non-Chinese scientists, like Charles Lieber, the Harvard chemistry chairman charged in January with making false statements to the U.S. government by denying his involvement with Thousand Talents and with Wuhan University of Technology. His three-year Thousand Talents contract called for Wuhan to pay Lieber $50,000 a month plus more than $1.5 million for a research lab, according to the Department of Justice. Lieber has not yet entered a plea. His attorney, Peter Levitt, declined comment.

"In the last five years, there has been a definite deliberate move toward targeting non-ethnic Chinese," said Frank Figliuzzi, former FBI assistant director for counterintelligence. "They've been getting so many rejections from their own people who don't want to go back home and have fallen in love with their Western culture and their life. Or their wife won't go back. Or their kids won't go back.

"The other thing that we've seen, which I think is very troubling, 'Hey, you don't have to come back home full time.' In the intel community, we call that a RIP, recruitment in place."

Staying in the U.S. meant that Thousand Talents recipients had to report their Chinese positions to their American universities. Some didn't. Richard Hsung, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Wisconsin, affirmed annually on disclosure forms that he had "no reportable outside activities." He acknowledged in an interview that, from 2010 to 2013, he was in Thousand Talents and worked part time as a visiting professor at Tianjin University, which has 25,000 students and is 70 miles southeast of Beijing.

He said that he didn't mention the Tianjin position because the disclosure forms confused him. He includes "National Thousand Talent Distinguished Visiting Professor at Tianjin University" among his honors on the faculty website. "I was not flaunting it, but I was not hiding it," he said.

His stints in China helped the University of Wisconsin, he said. "When there's an opportunity such as this one, you take it, it expands the visibility, it expands interacting with more students in training, and they come here to help us."

Also unreported was Hsung's relationship with a biotech company in Shanghai. In corporate records, Shanghai Fangnan Biological Technology Co. says that it "was founded by the national 'Thousand Talents Plan' specially invited experts," and it names Hsung as a director. Hsung said he was unaware of being listed as a board member and is asking the company to remove his name. He has consulted for the company "from time to time" but is compensated for expenses only, he said. "I have not been involved in any of their projects nor have they supported my research here," he added in an email.

When there's an opportunity such as this one, you take it, it expands the visibility, it expands interacting with more students in training, and they come here to help us.

Richard Hsung, professor of pharmaceutical sciences

University of Wisconsin spokeswoman Meredith McGlone said that Hsung should have reported his job at Tianjin on outside activities forms, as well as an "unexpected honorarium of less than $5,000" from the Shanghai biotech firm. He has since updated his disclosure form to reflect the honorarium, she said. While the university has no "uniform penalty" for nondisclosure, she said, the appropriate response in cases, like Hsung's, where there is no "evidence of intent to mislead" would be "additional training and perhaps a letter to the personnel file."

The university convened a working group last year to "consider policies and practices intended to bolster security without sacrificing the free exchange of ideas," McGlone said. It then added a question to the disclosure form: "Do you have an ongoing relationship with a foreign research institute or foreign entity?"

Each year, the University of Florida's chemistry department evaluates its 40 or so faculty members by criteria that include amounts raised for research funding and the number and impact of studies published. Weihong Tan, who joined the department in 1996, was usually ranked among the top three professors every year, said a department official who asked not to be identified.

Tan's research group developed a new way of generating molecules that bind to targeted cells, as a possible approach to identifying and treating cancers. He collaborated with researchers in other departments and became close with top deans and research officials on campus. He was popular with students. Each week, dozens of graduate and postgraduate researchers lined up in the hall outside his office, waiting to meet with him. He also won prestigious chemistry awards and developed an international reputation.

While at Florida, Tan maintained a connection to Hunan University in China, where he studied as an undergraduate. His curriculum vitae states he was an adjunct professor at the school from 1993 through at least 2019, when he left Florida. The part-time teaching job is the CV's only reference to any professional work in China.

In his annual disclosures to Florida, Tan did report positions and income in China, but not everything alleged by university investigators. In 2017, he said he was working 10 hours a week at Hunan for a salary of $30,000. In 2018, he said his hours had doubled to 20 a week, for $50,000. In 2019, he reported working a total of 20 hours a week for Hunan and the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Renji Hospital in Shanghai. His combined pay from the positions was $120,000, according to his form.

The association with Hunan began during a gap in Tan's resume between receiving a 1992 doctoral degree from the University of Michigan and starting postdoctoral work in 1994 at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory.

In recent years, according to colleagues, Tan's work in China intensified. He was making frequent trips there, sometimes traveling twice a month from Gainesville, one said. Tan told colleagues that his research in China complemented his Florida work, and that it was easier to conduct testing on people in China than in the U.S. His research in Florida focused on basic science testing that didn't involve patients.

Tan knew his increasing workload in China was putting a strain on his full-time position in the U.S. He told a colleague he was considering asking for a leave of absence from Florida. It's unclear if he did request a leave.

In January 2019, the NIH notified Florida that Tan might have undisclosed affiliations with foreign institutions as well as foreign research funding. The university then launched its own inquiry. It provided investigator notes regarding Tan and two other researchers allegedly involved in Chinese talent programs to a special state legislative committee reviewing foreign influence on publicly funded research. Those notes do not name the faculty members under investigation, instead referring to them by numbers such as "faculty 1." The details for faculty 1 including date of hire, area of research, department and Chinese affiliations match those of Tan.

Faculty members two and three appear to be Lin Yang, an NIH-funded professor of biomedical engineering, and Chen Ling, an up-and-coming pediatric cancer researcher.

Florida hired Yang from the University of Kentucky in 2014 as part of a "Preeminence Initiative" to boost its ranking among public universities. Yang traveled to Beijing for a Thousand Talents interview in 2016, according to the university's investigative notes. The following year, he was selected for the program at a Chinese university.

The effect of this is universities are bleeding good people.

Peg O'Connor, attorney for Lin Yang, ex-Florida professor of biomedical engineering

Yang resigned his Florida position last year after the university began looking into his alleged failure to disclose his association with China's Thousand Talents program. University investigators also allege that he hid being chief executive, founder and owner of an unidentified China-based company.

In an email, Yang said he disputes many of Florida's findings. He said he applied for a talent program but then turned it down. He said he never had any foreign grants or academic appointments in China while employed by Florida. Yang's attorney, Peg O'Connor, said the University of Florida began a push in 2010 to encourage overseas collaborations. "To be punished for doing what the university called on you to do doesn't make sense to me," she said. "The effect of this is universities are bleeding good people."

Ling, a part-time research associate professor, won multiple grants to study gene therapy techniques that target the most common pediatric liver cancer. "Early in a very promising career, Ling is already making great strides in the development of innovative therapies for cancer," the chairman of the medical school's pediatrics department said in a 2012 press release.

Ling left Florida last year. The university investigative notes that appear to refer to Lin allege that he failed to inform NIH that he was participating in a Chinese government sponsored talent program, and that he received an unreported research grant from a Chinese foundation.

However, Ling did report working at Fudan University in Shanghai to University of Florida officials in 2018. His disclosure, which can be viewed at ProPublica's Dollars for Profs site, shows that Fudan paid him $53,732 for activities that included "establishing a regular molecular biological laboratory, conducting gene therapy research, teaching curriculum, publishing manuscripts." He indicated that the activity would require eight months of work each year. It's unclear if Florida officials relayed this information to NIH.

Ling, who did not respond to emails seeking comment, is continuing his research as a professor at Fudan. A former Florida colleague described him as "very smart" but somewhat naive in dealing with conflict of interest issues. "I don't think he did anything with malicious intent," said the colleague. "He paid a heavy price for this."

Mengsheng Qiu, a neurobiologist at the University of Louisville, not only disclosed a part-time position in China to his department, but he even accepted a pay cut at Louisville to offset his foreign income. Nevertheless, NIH targeted him.

Qiu, 56, received his bachelor's and master's degrees in China and his doctorate from the University of Iowa in 1992. After spending five years as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, he joined the Louisville faculty in 1997 and was tenured in 2001.

Qiu has received several NIH grants over the past two decades. Fred Roisen, the department's former chair, described Qiu as an excellent and dedicated researcher. "He had a very active lab that published extensively," Roisen said. "His students were highly sought after for postdocs at all the best schools in the U.S. Some were Chinese and some were not. I could only give him the highest recommendation. His lab, if I went in Saturday and Sunday, there were always people working there."

Qiu joined the Thousand Talents program in 2009, taking a part-time job at Hangzhou Normal University, which announced that it had hired him as its first scholar "under a high-level creative talents program" that aimed to "attract elites from all walks of life at home and abroad." Someone at Hangzhou sent the announcement to Louisville administrators, who did not know that Qiu was seeking a position in China and were taken aback, according to a friend of Qiu's. The friend said that Qiu had not informed Louisville because terms of the Hangzhou job were still being negotiated.

I just knew he had access to a lab in China. I never had a negative thought connected with him whatsoever.

Fred Roisen, former department chair, University of Louisville

Louisville and Qiu then agreed to reduce his salary to compensate for his time in China. "We negotiated a pay cut that was proportional to the time he was away," Roisen said. "If he was taking two months off, that was two months' pay you don't get."

Roisen said he didn't know about Qiu's participation in the Thousand Talents program. "I just knew he had access to a lab in China. I never had a negative thought connected with him whatsoever." By working in China, Qiu "was trying to get additional help for projects," Roisen said. "Some tissues were not readily available in the U.S." The current chair, William Guido, declined comment.

His wife, Ling Qiu, said that each time Qiu visited China, he received the university's approval. "They wanted him to report everything," she said. "He said, 'I did.' Every time I go to China, I tell you."

"He is a good citizen," she said. "He does not even use a coupon if it is expired." Thousand Talents paid for his travel to China and his work there, she said, but it wasn't big money. "I wish," she said. She added in an email, "He did not do anything wrong but I don't know the details about his research activity."

In recent years, a Louisville colleague said, Qiu had a "lag" in federal funding, and NIH turned down one of his grant applications. "I suspect, and we all felt, that this might have been due to him putting a lot of emphasis on his Chinese involvement in those laboratories and less here," the colleague said.

The colleague added that at Qiu's most recent career review, "We did think it was interesting he managed to publish 17 papers in the previous five years, some in prestigious journals, with such a small laboratory. I think some of it was done in China. That might be why they're looking into it."

People close to Qiu said that the probe has been going on at least since the summer of 2019, and that he met for half a day on campus with investigators. University of Louisville spokesman John Karman III declined comment, citing "an ongoing investigation involving this former faculty member." Also citing the investigation, Louisville declined to provide any outside activity forms that Qiu submitted to the university.

Last December, Qiu retired from Louisville. He's now head of the Life Science Research Institute at Hangzhou Normal University. Friends said that he preferred working in China because he helped set up the institute there and the lab conditions and students were better than at Louisville. He felt unjustly overshadowed at Louisville by more prominent Ivy Leaguers in his field. When Hangzhou Normal renewed Qiu's 10-year appointment in 2019, a friend said, it asked him to become full-time, forcing him to choose between China and Louisville. "He must have balanced the two," the friend said. "Finally, he came up with a choice."

Qiu's wife, a doctor who was in private practice in the U.S., said that the investigation drove him out. It made him "very, very depressed," she said. He told her that it reminded him of China's persecution of intellectuals during the Cultural Revolution. "They sent me an email and asked me a bunch of questions," he told her. "Maybe I go to jail."

Qiu declined comment through his wife. She said in a February email that he was quarantined at home in Hangzhou because of the coronavirus, while she was fighting the epidemic at an international hospital in Shanghai. "We try to comfort each other by phone or video chat," she said. "We are not able to see each other since my job is high risk."

In 2015, when Weihong Tan was up for election to the Chinese National Academy of Sciences, his chemistry chairman at the University of Florida recommended him and lauded his ongoing research in China.

"We are very happy to see his great success at Hunan University in research and education," William Dolbier wrote in the letter provided by Tan. "We are very supportive of his research and educational activities there."

Tan's positions were also publicly listed on the web before NIH notified the University of Florida that there might be an issue.

The English language website of Hunan University, beginning in at least March 2018, listed Tan as a vice president and director of a chemistry lab. According to the site, Tan had run the lab since 2010 and had been a vice president of the school since August 2017. The school also indicated Tan was a full professor there and supervised doctoral students. Tan appeared in an English-language video in 2017 to promote a textbook he edited and described himself as a distinguished professor of chemistry at both Florida and Hunan.

On several occasions, Hunan University publicly lauded Tan. In 2017, when he was named an associate editor of the Journal of American Chemical Society, both the University of Florida and Hunan University put out press releases announcing the appointment. Florida officials at the time were apparently unaware of Tan's positions in China, and the school's release makes no mention of them. Hunan, on the other hand, lists his position in Florida.

Tan was also named an "honored professor" in 2017 at the East China University of Science and Technology. A story about a ceremony marking the appointment on that university's website includes photographs of Tan touring school labs and meeting with faculty. It lists him as holding several academic posts in China as well as his University of Florida professorship.

After NIH notified Florida at the beginning of 2019 about a potential problem with Tan, the university's office of research began reviewing Tan's emails. In correspondence, Tan acknowledged his Hunan jobs, according to the notes. He also allegedly used his Florida email account to conduct Hunan business.

The investigators found evidence that Tan had significant ties to Chinese government-sponsored talent programs and helped recruit U.S. researchers to those programs. The emails also indicated Tan received at least four research grants from Chinese government programs and didn't tell the NIH about them. Of all of Tan's extensive university and government ties with China, the only item he appears to have disclosed to the NIH and Florida was an adjunct teaching position at Hunan.

When Tan suddenly resigned his position in Florida last year, he told colleagues he was going to work full time in China but was vague about the reasons for leaving after almost a quarter century on campus. Administrators scrambled to find new mentors for the more than dozen graduate and postgraduate students working in his two labs on campus. The move was so abrupt that Tan's wife stayed behind in Gainesville, according to colleagues.

Tan didn't answer questions sent to him by email, although he did acknowledge receiving them. A federal investigation of Tan's relationships in China is ongoing, according to the investigative summary provided by the university to state legislators.

The University of Florida said in a statement that it has taken steps to prevent other professors from joining Thousand Talents and concealing foreign positions. As a result of a new risk assessment process for detecting foreign influence that it introduced in 2018, it said, Florida is denying most requests from faculty to participate in foreign talent programs.

The university said it "maintains a robust and vigilant program to safeguard our technology and intellectual property from undue foreign influence, and to extend appropriate oversight to UF activities (and those of its faculty members) in connection with foreign organizations." A spokesman declined to answer questions about individual professors, citing ongoing investigations.

William Dolbier, the former chemistry chairman at Florida and now an emeritus professor, said Tan's departure could have been avoided if he had disclosed all of his work in China. "He was not a money guy," Dolbier said. "He was not out to steal from the United States. The development of these drugs was his primary focus and goal." Dolbier added that Tan told him he would be glad to try to make his COVID-19 test available in the U.S.

Jeff Kao and Doris Burke contributed reporting.

ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

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