Gene therapy canoffer best results in Danon disease treatment, according to new research. Inthis rare health condition, human body is not able to perform the basicbiological work of removal and reuse of proteins. Thus, this situation badly affectsindividuals various body parts. It includes liver, skeletal muscles, eyes, neurologicsystem, and heart. In addition, many patients die or have to go through hearttransplants in their 30s.

Finding Therapies That Help in Addressing Root Cause of Disease

Scientists fromthe University Of California San Diego School Of Medicine revealed the outcomesof their latest research. They stated that they have discovered an advancedtechnique for the treatment of Danondisease.Basically, thistechnique uses gene therapy. The latest study is open for access inthejournal Science Translational Medicine.

Eric Adler isthe key investigator of the research. He stated, Heart transplant cannotbe useful while treating the other organs affected in Danon disease. Further,it is not always available for all patients. This specifies the need to discover new therapiesparticularly aimed at addressing the root cause of this disease. In the latestresearch, we utilized mice that were used as a model for Danon disease. Thesemice were missing this particular LAMP gene. We applied gene therapy to this micegroup. Further, the results were compared to mice that did not get treatment.

In the outcomesof this research, mice receiving gene therapy offered positive results. Thefunctioning of liver, heart, and muscle in these mice was improved. Inaddition, there was improvement in the hearts overall function of ejectingblood and relaxing. There was improvement in the bodys ability of proteins degradationand metabolism.

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Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The motive of this strategic research report entitled Global PharmaSphere: Emerging Biotechnologies-Gene Therapy Market Which offers company accounts, industry investors, and industry members with consequential insights to enable them to make reliable strategic decisions regarding the opportunities in the global PharmaSphere: Emerging Biotechnologies-Gene Therapy market.

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Global PharmaSphere: Emerging Biotechnologies-Gene Therapy Market 2025 Forecasts And Analysis with Top Key Players like - Advantagene, Amarna...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEW YORK, March 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOTH) (the "Company' or "Hoth"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on unique targeted therapeutics for patients suffering from dermatological indications ranging from atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and acne as well as gene therapy treatment for asthmatics, today announced results from a preclinical study demonstrating the potential effectiveness of WEG232, a topical treatment with specific substance P-receptor inhibitor for Erlotinib-induced facial dermatitis and hair loss in cancer patients.

Erlotinib, an EGFR1-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is an effective anti-tumorigenesis agent, which combats several cancers including lung, colon, head and neck. Typically, significant and often severe cutaneous toxicities are serious side effects of Erlotinib, limiting its full potential use to prolong patient survival. Previous studies suggest that neurogenic inflammation plays a serious role in causing EGFR-TKI induced off-target toxicity. This trial was designed to assess if topical application of WEG232, a specific Substance P-receptor inhibitor, would be protective against erlotinib-induced facial rash and/or hair loss.

The research, which took place at the George Washington University and supported by Hoth, suggests the topical application of WEG232 could be very effective in suppressing erlotinib induced-facial rash/hair loss with approximate 71% reduction. It concluded that WEG232 may be used as an effective intervention to prevent EGFR-TKI-induced cutaneous toxicity.

Mr.Robb Knie, Chief Executive Officer of Hoth, added, "This 12-week study with 25 SD-rats showed overwhelming compelling results of a 71% facial rash and hair loss reduction. Our next steps will be to further our preclinical work while also preparing for a pre-Investigational New Drug (Pre-IND) meeting request with the U.S. FDA. We look forward to publishing complete results of the aforementioned study in poster form prior to our pre-IND."

About Hoth Therapeutics, Inc.Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. isa clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing new generation therapies for dermatological disorders. Hoth's pipeline has the potential to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from indications including atopic dermatitis, chronic wounds, psoriasis, asthma and acne. To learn more, please visitwww.hoththerapeutics.com.

Forward Looking StatementsThis press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements that relate to the advancement and development of the BioLexa Platform, the commencement of clinical trials, the availability of data from clinical trials and other information that is not historical information. When used herein, words such as "anticipate", "being", "will", "plan", "may", "continue", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements or information that refer to expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, performance or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are based upon Hoth's current expectations and various assumptions. Hoth believes there is a reasonable basis for its expectations and beliefs, but they are inherently uncertain. Hoth may not realize its expectations, and its beliefs may not prove correct. Actual results could differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, without limitation, market conditions and the factors described under the caption "Risk Factors" in Hoth's Form 10K for the period endingDecember 31, 2019, and Hoth's other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Consequently, forward-looking statements should be regarded solely as Hoth's current plans, estimates and beliefs. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Hoth cannot guarantee future results, events, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Hoth does not undertake and specifically declines any obligation to update, republish, or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrences of unanticipated events, except as may be required by law.

ContactsInvestor Relations Contact:Phone: (646) 756-2997Email:investorrelations@hoththerapeutics.comwww.hoththerapeutics.com

KCSA Strategic CommunicationsValter Pinto, Managing Director(212) 896-1254Hoth@kcsa.com

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Hoth Therapeutics Announces Positive Preclinical Data of WEG232 Treatment, Developed for Cancer Patients Suffering from Erlotinib-Induced Facial...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The latest research analysis titledGlobalGene TherapyMarketgives a detailed assessment of the market where each factor, components, segments, and other sections of the market are comprehensively described. The report forecasts theGene Therapymarket to portray prominent growth during the forthcoming years from 2019 to2025. The report delivers geological study into several regions with market growth, production, consumption, and revenue. The research report focuses on critical data that makes it a very important tool for research, analysts, experts, and managers. It examines data and estimates on the market structure, dynamics, and trends.

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Executive Summary:

The report offers you an in-depth insight into the globalGene Therapyindustry along with estimates of market size, in value terms, estimated at USD million/billion for the period. A comprehensive and systematic framework of the market is displayed. The potential of the market has been assessed. The report looks at the growth strategies employed by key players as well as how these strategies are poised to change the competitive dynamics in the market over the projected period. The company profiles covered along with their market size, key product launches, revenue, products, key segments, mergers, acquisitions, recent developments, R&D initiatives, new product launches, and SWOT analysis,

Premium Insights In This Report:

For an in-depth understanding of the market, researchers have performed research analysis that involved Porters Five Forces Analysis, Value Chain Analysis, Top Investment Pockets, PEST analysis, and opportunity map analysis. Additionally, market attractiveness analysis by type, technology, end-user industry, and region are also provided in the report.

The globalGene Therapymarket is analyzed across key geographies namely:North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and the Middle East and Africa.

Analysis of Key Aspects Covered In TheGene TherapyMarket Report:

Company Profiles:In the competitive landscape, the trends and outlook of the report are given which highlights a clear insight about the market share analysis of major industry players includingSpark Therapeutics LLC, Bluebird Bio, UniQure N.V., Juno Therapeutics, GlaxoSmithKline, Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, Human Stem Cell Institute, Voyager Therapeutics, Shire Plc, Sangamo Biosciences, Dimension Therapeutics and others.These players are identified through secondary research, their market shares have been determined through primary and secondary research. However, all percentage shares breakdowns have been demonstrated through secondary sources and verified primary sources.

Production Market: Production, volume utilization rate, revenue, capacity, cost, gross, price, gross margin analysis, market share, major manufacturers performance and regional market performance, regional production market analysis.

Market Forecast: The report provides revenue forecast and then continues with sales, sales growth rate, and revenue growth rate forecasts of the globalGene Therapymarket. Additionally, the forecasts are given with respect to consideration product, application, and regional segments of the global market till2025.

Customization of the Report:This report can be customized to meet the clients requirements. Please connect with our sales team ([emailprotected]), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs.

To View Press Release onGene TherapyMarket :https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/global-gene-therapy-market-forecast-2018-2025-report-by-regions-type-and-application-with-sales-and-revenue-analysis-2019-03-20

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Global Gene Therapy Market 2019 Outlook, Comprehensive Insights, Growth and Forecast 2025 - Packaging News 24

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anchiano Therapeutics Ltd. (Nasdaq: ANCN) (Anchiano), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovery and development of novel therapies to treat cancer, today reported financial results forthe year ended December 31, 2019.

Key Developments

Year Ended December 31, 2019 Financial Results:

On December 31, 2019, Anchiano had total cash and cash equivalents of approximately $17.6 million. Financial resources are expected to suffice through the end of 2020.

Research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 were approximately $13.3 million, compared to approximately $7.5 million for the same period in 2018. This increase was mainly due to an increase in clinical trial expenses, manufacturing expenses and manpower expenses, as well as additional startup and initial ongoing expenses in connection with the Collaboration Agreement with ADT.

General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 were approximately $6.2 million, compared to expenses of approximately $5.5 million for the same period in 2018. The increase was mainly due to increases in professional fees, insurance and manpower expenses, offset by a decrease in share-based payment.

Financing expenses, net, in the year ended December 31, 2019 were approximately $4.2 million, compared to approximately $457 thousand for the same period in 2018. This change was mainly due to a revaluation of investor warrants at fair value during a period where these could not be classified within shareholders equity.

Restructuring expenses in the year ended December 31, 2019 were approximately $3.4 million, and were comprised principally of contract termination costs and employee severance and associated termination costs related to the reduction of workforce resulting from Anchianos decision to discontinue its Phase 2 Codex as described above.

Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2019 was approximately $27.1 million compared to approximately $13.8 million for the same period in 2018.

About Anchiano

Anchiano is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel targeted therapies to treat cancer in areas of significant clinical need, with its headquarters in Cambridge, MA. Anchiano is developing small-molecule pan-RAS inhibitors and inhibitors of PDE10 and the -catenin pathway. For more information on Anchiano, please visit http://www.anchiano.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Words such as believes, intends, expects, projects, anticipates and future or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions, many of which are beyond the control of Anchiano, including, without limitation, the risk factors and other matters set forth in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Anchiano undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Company Contact:Frank Haluska, M.D., Ph.D.President and Chief Executive Officerinfo@anchiano.com

Investor Contact:Ashley R. RobinsonManaging DirectorLifeSci Advisors, LLC617-430-7577arr@lifesciadvisors.com

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited)

U.S. dollars in thousands

STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION (unaudited)

U.S. dollars in thousands

CASH FLOWS (unaudited)

U.S. dollars in thousands

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Anchiano Therapeutics Reports Year-End 2019 Financial Results - GlobeNewswire

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Orian research published a detailed study of Gene Therapy Market share, size, growth, trends, regional scope, technology innovation, key players and 2020-2024 forecast analysis. This report also presents the Gene Therapy industry scope and valuable guidance of new companies want to grow business.

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Development policies, investment plans, cost structures, capacity are discussed as well as growth rate, manufacturing processes, economic growth are analyzed. This research report also states import/export data, industry supply and consumption figures as well as cost structure, price, industry revenue (Million USD) and gross margin by regions like (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific) and the main countries (United States, Germany, united Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and China etc.)

The major players profiled in this report include:

Gene Therapy Industry research report is a meticulous investigation of the current scenario of the Gene Therapy global and regional market, which covers several industry dynamics. The Gene Therapy market research report is a resource, which provides current as well as upcoming technical and financial details with market risk, growing demand and raw materials. The thorough analysis in this report enables investors, CEOs, regional traders, suppliers, top vendors to understand the market in a better way and based on that knowledge make well-informed decisions.

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The end users/applications and product categories analysis:On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue (Million USD), product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into-General Type

On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Gene Therapy for each application, including-Medical

The research study is a highly acclaimed resource that investors, market contestants, and other people interested in this Gene Therapy report can use to intensely position themselves in the global Gene Therapy market. It mentions the recent developments structures, future growth plans, and other significant aspects of the business key participants that define their growth in the global Gene Therapy market.

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1) Basic Information;

2) Asia Gene Therapy Market;

3) North American Gene Therapy Market;

4) European Gene Therapy Market;

5) Market Entry and Investment Feasibility;

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The report firstly introduced the Gene Therapy basics: definitions, classifications, applications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures, raw materials and so on. Then it analyzed the worlds main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.

Gene Therapy Market Report Covered Major 20 Chapters in Table of Contents:

Part I Gene Therapy Industry Overview

Part II Asia Gene Therapy Industry (The Report Company Including the Below Listed But Not All)

Part III North American Gene Therapy Industry (The Report Company Including the Below Listed But Not All)

Part IV Europe Gene Therapy Industry Analysis (The Report Company Including the Below Listed But Not All)

Part V Gene Therapy Marketing Channels and Investment Feasibility

Part VI Global Gene Therapy Industry Conclusions

Note: If you have any special requirements related to Gene Therapy Market Report please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.

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Gene Therapy Market 2020: Demand Analysis, Key Players, Trends, Sales, Supply, Deployment Model, Segments, Organization Size, Production, Revenue Data...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Yousuf Khan is PhD student in molecular and cellular physiology at Stanford School of Medicine. He is the first author on a recent article published in BMC Genetics which outlines the discovery of a novel overlapping coding sequence in the gene POLG. His work, combined with other research in the field, may suggest that there is an abundance of overlapping open reading frames.Technology Networks recently spoke with Khan to learn more about the research study, how genetics can be likened to cooking up a recipe, and an accidental discovery that could lead to an exciting collaboration in this field.

Molly Campbell (MC): For our readers that may be unfamiliar with genomics, open reading frames and bioinformatics, can you tell us about the background of your research?Yousuf Khan (YK): Lets compare the expression of a genetic sequence with cooking a meal. TheDNAis our motherscookbook, it contains every single possible recipe that we would ever need. But when we want to prepare a meal, we dont want to get our precious cookbook dirty. So instead, we store the cookbook in a different location (genomic DNA in eukaryotes is inside the nucleus). When we want to make something, we make aphotocopyof a page in the cookbook (the cell creates amessenger RNA, a temporary copy, of a portion of DNA).

This process of copying a portion of theDNAintomRNAis called transcription. We then take oursingle sheet of our photocopied recipe(ourmRNA) and take it back into the kitchen (thecytoplasmof the cell).

In thekitchen(cytoplasm), we read thephotocopied recipeone step at a time. By reading thephotocopied recipefrom thefirst step to the last step(the open reading frame), we convert the instructions into our finished,delicious meal. In a similar manner,mRNAis read and translated into aproteinby a machine called a ribosome.In the traditional way we understand biology, cells that want to create different proteinsjust alternatively splice differentmRNAsto be translated. This would be the equivalent of photocopyingrecipesfor scrambled eggs, pancakes, and bacon on Monday morning and then photocopying a different set ofrecipes(e.g. mashed potatoes, steak, and salad) for dinner.

MC: Can you expand on your recently published study? Have you essentially discovery a "gene within a gene"? If so, does this point towards a potentially "hidden" genome?YK: In our article, we found that the gene POLG creates an mRNA that contains a very long overlapping open reading frame. Imagine youre following the instructions of a recipe to make lasagna; you start with step one and you complete every step until you reach the last step. But if you started at step two and then completed steps three, four, five, and six, you would create a hamburger instead. So encoded within a single photocopied recipe, there are multiple meals that can be made.

This study and others that have been published previously may suggest that there are an abundance of these overlapping open reading frames. The real effort is finding them and characterizing them!

MC: What were the key challenges you encountered in this research?YK: The real challenge is finding these overlapping sequences. Theyre tricky to detect and it would not have been possible to do this work without the support of the amazing researchers at Ensembl.

MC: What are your next steps in this space?YK: I think there are more of these "hidden genes" to be found. The two important questions are i) where exactly are they? and ii) how are they read?

MC: On Twitter, you said "This finding was also made by another group at the exact same time, whose manuscript will be up shortly as well" Will your research group be looking to collaborate?YK: This is actually a funny story. I was at a conference in Germany last September and I was sitting in the audience listening to a talk. As my focus began to wane, I started leafing through the abstract book seeing what other research was going to be presented at the conference. Right in front of me on a completely random page I turned to was almost exactly my research. The only difference was that it was done by a completely different group. I panicked. However, after an email of advice from adviser, I decided to approach the group and we ended up agreeing on trying to coordinate our submissions. My work was accepted to a journal faster and hence they uploaded their manuscript to a preprint server after I told them my paper was up. The link for their work is here.

Yousuf Khan, PhD researcher at Stanford School of Medicine, was speaking to Molly Campbell, Science Writer, Technology Networks.

Reference: Khan et al. (2020). Evidence for a novel overlapping coding sequence in POLG initiated at a CUG start codon. BMC Genetics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12863-020-0828-7.

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Novel Discovery of "Hidden" Gene Within a Gene in Mammals - Technology Networks

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The global stem cell and regenerative medicines market should grow from $21.8 billion in 2019 to reach $55.0 billion by 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.4% for the period of 2019-2024.

Report Scope:

The scope of this report is broad and covers various type of product available in the stem cell and regenerative medicines market and potential application sectors across various industries. The current report offers a detailed analysis of the stem cell and regenerative medicines market.

The report highlights the current and future market potential of stem cell and regenerative medicines and provides a detailed analysis of the competitive environment, recent development, merger and acquisition, drivers, restraints, and technology background in the market. The report also covers market projections through 2024.

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The report details market shares of stem cell and regenerative medicines based on products, application, and geography. Based on product the market is segmented into therapeutic products, cell banking, tools and reagents. The therapeutics products segments include cell therapy, tissue engineering and gene therapy. By application, the market is segmented into oncology, cardiovascular disorders, dermatology, orthopedic applications, central nervous system disorders, diabetes, others

The market is segmented by geography into the following regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East and Africa. The report presents detailed analyses of major countries such as the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, the U.K. France, Japan, China and India. For market estimates, data is provided for 2018 as the base year, with forecasts for 2019 through 2024. Estimated values are based on product manufacturers total revenues. Projected and forecasted revenue values are in constant U.S. dollars, unadjusted for inflation.

Report Includes:

28 data tables An overview of global markets for stem cell and regenerative medicines Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2018, estimates for 2019, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2024 Details of historic background and description of embryonic and adult stem cells Information on stem cell banking and stem cell research A look at the growing research & development activities in regenerative medicine Coverage of ethical issues in stem cell research & regulatory constraints on biopharmaceuticals Comprehensive company profiles of key players in the market, including Aldagen Inc., Caladrius Biosciences Inc., Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., Gamida Cell Ltd. and Novartis AG

Summary

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The global market for stem cell and regenerative medicines was valued at REDACTED billion in 2018. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of REDACTED to reach approximately REDACTED billion by 2024. Growth of the global market is attributed to the factors such as growingprevalence of cancer, technological advancement in product, growing adoption of novel therapeuticssuch as cell therapy, gene therapy in treatment of chronic diseases and increasing investment fromprivate players in cell-based therapies.

In the global market, North America held the highest market share in 2018. The Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growing government funding for regenerative medicines in research institutes along with the growing number of clinical trials based on cell-based therapy and investment in R&D activities is expected to supplement the growth of the stem cell and regenerative market in Asia-Pacific region during the forecast period.

Reasons for Doing This Study

Global stem cell and regenerative medicines market comprises of various products for novel therapeutics that are adopted across various applications. New advancement and product launches have influenced the stem cell and regenerative medicines market and it is expected to grow in the near future. The biopharmaceutical companies are investing significantly in cell-based therapeutics. The government organizations are funding research and development activities related to stem cell research. These factors are impacting the stem cell and regenerative medicines market positively and augmenting the demand of stem cell and regenerative therapy among different application segments. The market is impacted through adoption of stem cell therapy. The key players in the market are investing in development of innovative products. The stem cell therapy market is likely to grow during the forecast period owing to growing investment from private companies, increasing in regulatory approval of stem cell-based therapeutics for treatment of chronic diseases and growth in commercial applications of regenerative medicine.

Products based on stem cells do not yet form an established market, but unlike some other potential applications of bioscience, stem cell technology has already produced many significant products in important therapeutic areas. The potential scope of the stem cell market is now becoming clear, and it is appropriate to review the technology, see its current practical applications, evaluate the participating companies and look to its future.

The report provides the reader with a background on stem cell and regenerative therapy, analyzes the current factors influencing the market, provides decision-makers the tools that inform decisions about expansion and penetration in this market.

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Stem Cell And Regenerative Therapy Market Research Insights Global Industry Outlook Shared in Detailed Report, Forecast size 2024 - Daily Science

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A breakthrough study provides a blueprint for future investigation into pathological conditions associated with poor wound healing, such as in diabetic patients. A team of researchers from the University of California has published the first comprehensive overview of the major changes that occur in mammalian skin cells as they prepare to heal wounds.

The study, "Defining epidermal basal cell states during skin homeostasis and wound healing using single-cell transcriptomics", was published this week in Cell Reports. According to Xing Dai, Ph.D., a professor of biological chemistry and dermatology in the UCI School of Medicine, and senior author, "This study is the first comprehensive dissection of the major changes in cellular heterogeneity from a normal state to wound healing in the skin."

This work also showcases the collaborative efforts between biologists, mathematicians and physicists at UCI, with support from the National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases-funded UCI Skin Biology Resource-based Center and the NSF-Simons Center for Multiscale Cell Fate Research. "Our research uncovered at least four distinct transcriptional states in the epidermal basal layer as part of a 'hierarchical-lineage' model of the epidermal homeostasis, or stable state of the skin, clarifying a long-term debate in the skin stem cell field," said Dai.

Using single-cell RNA sequencing coupled with RNAScope and fluorescence lifetime imaging, the team identified three non-proliferative and one proliferative basal cell state in homeostatic skin that differ in metabolic preference and become spatially partitioned during wound re-epithelialization, which is the process by which the skin and mucous membranes replace superficial epithelial cells damaged or lost in a wound. Epithelial tissue maintenance is driven by resident stem cells, the proliferation and differentiation dynamics of which need to be tailored to the tissue's homeostatic and regenerative needs. However, our understanding of tissue-specific cellular dynamics in vivo at single-cell and tissue scales is often very limited.

"Our study lays a foundation for future investigation into the adult epidermis, specifically how the skin is maintained and how it can robustly regenerate itself upon injury," said Dai.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Study reveals how skin cells prepare to heal wounds - Devdiscourse

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

It's not your imagination, it turns out. Stress can turn a person's hair gray. It's said that if you look at before and after pictures of any eight-year U.S. president the impact of the office on hair color is clear, though in fairness, it may be that candidates dye their hair and then at some point stop doing so. Nonetheless, scientists from Harvard have not only verified the conventional wisdom on our graying noggins, but have also figured out why stress is so brutal to our follicular pigmentation.

The new research from Harvard scientists is published in the journal Nature.

Image source: Ververidis Vasilis/Evan El-Amin/Vacclav/Shutterstock/Big Think

Senior author of the study Ya-Chieh Hsu, professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard, explains what prompted her research:

"Everyone has an anecdote to share about how stress affects their body, particularly in their skin and hair the only tissues we can see from the outside. We wanted to understand if this connection is true, and if so, how stress leads to changes in diverse tissues. Hair pigmentation is such an accessible and tractable system to start with and besides, we were genuinely curious to see if stress indeed leads to hair graying."

It turns out that stress activates nerves associated with our basic fight-or-flight system, and these nerves permanently damage pigment-regenerating melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles, causing them to cease production of melanin that normal provides color to hair follicles.

Hsu's team studied the issue using mice, and was somewhat stunned at their findings. "When we started to study this, I expected that stress was bad for the body but the detrimental impact of stress that we discovered was beyond what I imagined," recalls Hsu.

The scientists stressed the mice using a combination of three methods:

Image source: Helga Lei/Shutterstock

Hsu and her colleagues first suspected an immune system reaction was at the root of graying hairs only to discover that mice without immune systems still turned gray in response to stressors. The next suspect was cortisol produced by the adrenal glands however, this proved not to be so. "Stress always elevates levels of the hormone cortisol in the body," says Jsu, "so we thought that cortisol might play a role. But surprisingly, when we removed the adrenal gland from the mice so that they couldn't produce cortisol-like hormones, their hair still turned gray under stress."

Image source: Judy Blomquist/Harvard University

Finally, the researchers investigate the possibility that the system responding to stressors was the mice's sympathetic nervous systems, the part of the nervous system that kicks into action with the fight-or-flight impulse. The sympathetic nervous system is a vast network of nerves that connects, among other places, to hair follicles in the skin. In response to stress, the system sends a rush of the chemical norepinephrine to the follicles' melanocyte stem cell, causing them to quickly burn through and deplete their stores of pigment.

Say Hsu, "After just a few days, all of the pigment-regenerating stem cells were lost. Once they're gone, you can't regenerate pigments anymore. The damage is permanent." Great for survival, not so good for hair color.

Sympathetic system nerves are magenta above. Melanocyte stem cells are yellow.

Image source: Hsu Laboratory, Harvard University

"Acute stress," says lead author of the study Bing Zhang, "particularly the fight-or-flight response, has been traditionally viewed to be beneficial for an animal's survival. But in this case, acute stress causes permanent depletion of stem cells."

The research, done in collaboration with other Harvard researchers, presents a new appreciation of the effect the sympathetic system can have on the body's cells during stress.

One of these collaborators, Harvard immunologist Isaac Chu, notes, "We know that peripheral neurons powerfully regulate organ function, blood vessels, and immunity, but less is known about how they regulate stem cells. With this study, we now know that neurons can control stem cells and their function, and can explain how they interact at the cellular and molecular levels to link stress with hair graying."

Given this finding regarding the direct impact of stress on follicular stem cells, the question of what it else it may affect becomes an obvious one. As Hsu sums it up, "By understanding precisely how stress affects stem cells that regenerate pigment, we've laid the groundwork for understanding how stress affects other tissues and organs in the body."

This importance of the study therefore goes way beyond graying heads. "Understanding how our tissues change under stress is the first critical step," says Hsu, "toward eventual treatment that can halt or revert the detrimental impact of stress. We still have a lot to learn in this area."

Related Articles Around the Web

Excerpt from:
Scientists figure out why stress turns your hair gray - Big Think

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

It's not your imagination, it turns out. Stress can turn a person's hair gray. It's said that if you look at before and after pictures of any eight-year U.S. president the impact of the office on hair color is clear, though in fairness, it may be that candidates dye their hair and then at some point stop doing so. Nonetheless, scientists from Harvard have not only verified the conventional wisdom on our graying noggins, but have also figured out why stress is so brutal to our follicular pigmentation.

The new research from Harvard scientists is published in the journal Nature.

Image source: Ververidis Vasilis/Evan El-Amin/Vacclav/Shutterstock/Big Think

Senior author of the study Ya-Chieh Hsu, professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard, explains what prompted her research:

"Everyone has an anecdote to share about how stress affects their body, particularly in their skin and hair the only tissues we can see from the outside. We wanted to understand if this connection is true, and if so, how stress leads to changes in diverse tissues. Hair pigmentation is such an accessible and tractable system to start with and besides, we were genuinely curious to see if stress indeed leads to hair graying."

It turns out that stress activates nerves associated with our basic fight-or-flight system, and these nerves permanently damage pigment-regenerating melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles, causing them to cease production of melanin that normal provides color to hair follicles.

Hsu's team studied the issue using mice, and was somewhat stunned at their findings. "When we started to study this, I expected that stress was bad for the body but the detrimental impact of stress that we discovered was beyond what I imagined," recalls Hsu.

The scientists stressed the mice using a combination of three methods:

Image source: Helga Lei/Shutterstock

Hsu and her colleagues first suspected an immune system reaction was at the root of graying hairs only to discover that mice without immune systems still turned gray in response to stressors. The next suspect was cortisol produced by the adrenal glands however, this proved not to be so. "Stress always elevates levels of the hormone cortisol in the body," says Jsu, "so we thought that cortisol might play a role. But surprisingly, when we removed the adrenal gland from the mice so that they couldn't produce cortisol-like hormones, their hair still turned gray under stress."

Image source: Judy Blomquist/Harvard University

Finally, the researchers investigate the possibility that the system responding to stressors was the mice's sympathetic nervous systems, the part of the nervous system that kicks into action with the fight-or-flight impulse. The sympathetic nervous system is a vast network of nerves that connects, among other places, to hair follicles in the skin. In response to stress, the system sends a rush of the chemical norepinephrine to the follicles' melanocyte stem cell, causing them to quickly burn through and deplete their stores of pigment.

Say Hsu, "After just a few days, all of the pigment-regenerating stem cells were lost. Once they're gone, you can't regenerate pigments anymore. The damage is permanent." Great for survival, not so good for hair color.

Sympathetic system nerves are magenta above. Melanocyte stem cells are yellow.

Image source: Hsu Laboratory, Harvard University

"Acute stress," says lead author of the study Bing Zhang, "particularly the fight-or-flight response, has been traditionally viewed to be beneficial for an animal's survival. But in this case, acute stress causes permanent depletion of stem cells."

The research, done in collaboration with other Harvard researchers, presents a new appreciation of the effect the sympathetic system can have on the body's cells during stress.

One of these collaborators, Harvard immunologist Isaac Chu, notes, "We know that peripheral neurons powerfully regulate organ function, blood vessels, and immunity, but less is known about how they regulate stem cells. With this study, we now know that neurons can control stem cells and their function, and can explain how they interact at the cellular and molecular levels to link stress with hair graying."

Given this finding regarding the direct impact of stress on follicular stem cells, the question of what it else it may affect becomes an obvious one. As Hsu sums it up, "By understanding precisely how stress affects stem cells that regenerate pigment, we've laid the groundwork for understanding how stress affects other tissues and organs in the body."

This importance of the study therefore goes way beyond graying heads. "Understanding how our tissues change under stress is the first critical step," says Hsu, "toward eventual treatment that can halt or revert the detrimental impact of stress. We still have a lot to learn in this area."

Related Articles Around the Web

More:
Who's in charge here? - Big Think

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Jagasia was concerned that although G.V.H.D. was the most likely diagnosis, it might not be the right one. The patient had already been tested for the usual infections seen in immune-suppressed patients. So he looked for other possible causes of the patients diarrhea. He didnt find any. The patient lost another 15 pounds. When he looked in the mirror, he hardly recognized himself. Jagasia arranged for the patient to start getting intravenous nutrition and began tapering one immune-suppressing medication in order to start another.

The patients son was in medical school in another part of the state and called home frequently. When his father finally told him how sick he was, his son got scared. His father was a minimizer. If he was saying this, things must be bad.

When he got off the phone, the young man immediately turned to the internet. He typed in gastroenteritis after ... stem-cell transplant. The first results that came up referred to a paper in a medical journal, Clinical Infectious Diseases, published nearly a decade earlier that identified an unexpected culprit: norovirus.

Norovirus is one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis in the world. In the United States, its linked to an estimated 21 million cases of nausea and vomiting every year. Diarrhea can be present but is not typically as severe as other symptoms. In a normal host, the infection resolves on its own after 48 to 72 hours, thanks to the hard work of the immune system. Even so, norovirus was not a common cause of diarrhea in those who are immunosuppressed. But in the medical-journal paper, the first of its kind, 12 patients who had a stem-cell transplant and developed a persistent diarrheal illness were found to have norovirus. And of those 12, 11 were initially thought to have G.V.H.D. In most of those cases, it was only after the immune-suppressing medications were reduced that the patients own defenses could come to the rescue and vanquish the virus.

The son immediately sent the paper to his father. Had he been tested for norovirus? he asked. The patient wasnt sure. He forwarded the journal article to Jagasia and asked if hed had this test. He hadnt. Jagasia was 99 percent certain that this was a wild-goose chase. Hed never seen norovirus in patients with compromised immune systems. Still, testing was easy.

When the test came back positive, Jagasia was stunned. He repeated the test. Positive again. He immediately started to taper the immune-suppressing medications. As the doses came down, the diarrhea slowed, and after a few weeks, it stopped completely. With the help of the IV nutrition, and a slowly improving appetite, the patient began to gain back the weight he lost. From the patients point of view, his son saved his life.

Go here to read the rest:
His Immune System Went Out of Whack. The Usual Treatment Didnt Work. Why? - The New York Times

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

For Earth, bleak times lay ahead. TheCOVID-19 diseaseis known to cause respiratory illness and fever, but some extra symptoms sweeping across the globe right now seem to be stress, fear, and anxiety. To provide some light relief in these dark times, weve collated 15 of our favorite good news stories to remind you that not everything is awful. Hold tight everybody, 2021 will come eventually.

The Super Pink Moon is comingYou might be stuck at home as part of your self-isolation, but luckily the night sky is about to put on quite a show as April sees the return of the Super Pink Moon. Full moons happen every month and were given different names by the Native Americans to map out the year based on significant events that ran in tandem with the occurrence of a full Moon. Aprils is known as the pink moon because it appeared at the same time as pink spring flowers. This Aprils will be a Super Pink Moon as it is the second supermoon of the year, a term used to describe the slightly enlarged appearance of the Moon as its fully illuminated by the Sun due to Earths position between the two. Quarantine or no, if you've got access to a window you should be able to catch sight of this beauty on April 7 and when you do, think of all the other people looking up at the same moon. Self isolation doesn't mean you're alone.

Mice have been cured of diabetesAn astonishing discovery at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has revealed that human stem cells could be successfully engineered to cure diabetes in mice, offering an avenue of hope for the treatment of this debilitating disease. They used human pluripotent stem cells, cells that have the capacity to become any cell in the body, to create insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. The engineered stem cells supplemented the diabetic mices inability to produce insulin, curing them of the disease for 9 months to a year before relapse occurred.

Theres a new green fuel in townHydrogen fuel was fast shaping up to be a hopeful route for a zero-emissions means of running things, but its costly production in terms of energy was affecting hopes for it being a sustainable resource. A team in Tokyo has now managed to refine the process to yield 25 times more hydrogen than previous methods all while using thrifty ingredients including light and a specific kind of rust. Combined with all the solar power breakthroughs currently occurring, green energy is on the up.

A crash course in what not to do, according to one Stanford University psychologist.

Babies love baby talkEven if it makes your skin crawl to hear adults cooing over little uns, it turns out babies across the globe are universally partial to baby talk. The news comes fromStanford psychologist Michael Frank who led the largeststudyto date looking at how the different ways adults speak is received by babies across the world. While all babies were fans, older babies liked it best and even showed a preference for baby talk in their native language as they likely recognized it most even if they couldnt speak it yet. The overall winner was oohs and coos, so think twice before scorning your new-parent friends for embarrassing you in public the babies have spoken.

Important change in the winds for HIV treatmentShortly after a UK man became the second person cured of HIV a fantastic breakthrough in the treatment of this once devastating disease theres more good news in the UK as PrEP, a preventative drug that prevents HIV infection, will finally be available nationwide on the NHS having already been made available in Scotland. After a 3-year study involving 20,000 participants, the drug will be made available to those at higher risk of exposure from April. PrEP is already available in the US and you can find PrEP providers near you here.

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Plasters finally take a step towards racial inclusivityMajor UK superstore Tesco has taken the long-awaited step to introduce skin tone diversity into their range of bandaids. Previously, widely available bandaids, or plasters in the UK, have mainly catered to Caucasian individuals and the racial oversight was brought to light by a moving Tweet from Domonique Apollon in April 2019 after he wore a bandaid suitable for his skin tone for the first time. Longtime readers of Malorie Blackman's literary series Noughts and Crosseswill appreciate this poignant detail becoming a reality, as will those watching the current BBC dramatization available to watch via iPlayer in the US (excellent for those self-isolating).

Universal flu vaccine passes integral stageWatchers of the Pandemic documentary on Netflix (we wouldnt recommend catching up now if you missed it) may remember the plight of flu-fighting epidemiologists as the constantly shape-shifting nature of influenza meant strains were annually moving beyond existing vaccinations. Now, a universal vaccine is becoming a reality as for the first time a vaccine, called FLU-v, has been developed that can induce immune responses that last at least six months. Phase I and II of the clinical trial have been approved meaning its safety for use in human subjects and we hotly await what comes next for the groundbreaking vaccine.

Top marks for lights out in dark sky nationSometimes a bit of darkness can be a good thing, and when it comes to nighttime, the tiny South Pacific island of Niue tops the charts. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is a non-profit working to protect our most precious natural spaces from light pollution, and this year chose Niue as the first entire country ever to be accredited as a Dark Sky Place. This classification recognizes responsible lighting policies that preserve the natural darkness of nighttime carrying with it endless benefits for the biological cycles of animals, plants and humans.

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People hating on National Parks created beautiful artIn a glimmering example of you cant please everybody, artist Amber Share decided to take some of the best worst reviews of National Parks in America and turn them intotourism posters, showing that we can still make something funny in the face of people's negativity. You can see the whole collection on her Instagram account @subparparks, but a personal favorite has to be the above magnificent minimization of Yellowstone.

CRISPR may hold the key for curing genetic blindnessSurgeons at Oregon Health & Science Institute have attempted to use gene hacking to cure Leber congenital amaurosis, a genetic condition that leads to the onset of blindness in early childhood. By directly gene editing within the patients eye, researchers hope to ...take people who are essentially blind and make them see," according to researchers.

The Arctic seed vault in Svalbard is thrivingLast month saw an enormous glut of 60,000 seed samples added to the ever-growing collecting in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Tucked beneath a mountain in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, the initiative began with hopes to create a Noahs ark for plant diversity to protect our green spaces should a global catastrophe occur up top. The collection now includes 1.05 million seed varieties including the first-ever donation from an indigenous US tribe. Nicknamed the "Doomsday vault", we may need it sooner than thought.

Sea sponges can sneeze, and the footage is amazingThe aah and choo of asneezing sea spongehas been caught on camera for the first time and the recording is hilarious. Stumbled upon almost by accident, the discovery came about while researchers were observing sea cucumbers and sea urchins sniffing the sea floor. The video shows the two-part sneeze of a tulip-shaped sponge as it expands before contracting, expelling particles as it goes. Researchers arent yet sure what the sneezes are in response to. Lets hope its not a case ofthe suds.

Vernal equinox brings early springThe times might be dark but for the Northern hemisphere, the days wont be, as spring arrives on March 19, the earliest date in 124 years. The variation in the date is the result of leap years and daylight savings time. It should be noted this is the astronomical definition of spring, which refers specifically to the position of Earth's orbit in relation to the Sun, so perhaps dont expect to hear a gay little spring song in your garden just yet.

Its possible some dinosaurs could GLOW IN THE DARKA titillating discovery published in the journal Historical Biology recently revealed that some dinosaurs may have glowed in the dark thanks to ultraviolet fluorescing feathers and horns. Many extant bird species are tetrachromats, defined by a fourth cone in their retina that means they can see the UV spectrum. Co-author Jamie Dunning's work on the photoluminescence of puffin beaks under UV light inspired the questions, could dinosaurs have this too? We'd like the answer to be yes, please. The only thing cooler than dinosaurs is glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs.

If you need more positivity in your life right now, take a look at these ingenious social distancing moments from around the world that will restore your faith in humanity.

More here:
15 Good News Stories To Tackle The COVID-19 Sadness - IFLScience

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Blood cancer prevents your blood cells from functioning properly. Which symptom, that appears at night, could signal you may have the deadly disease?

When stem cells in your bone marrow which creates red blood cells mutates, the blood cells may grow abnormally or fail to die when they should this is cancerous cells.

There are three main types of blood cancer: leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

These types of blood cancers affect different cells: leukaemia is the name given when white blood cells become cancerous; lymphoma happens certain white blood cells are affected; and myeloma is when plasma cells become cancerous.

Drenching night sweats is one symptom of the blood cancer lymphoma.

It's currently not known why this happens for this certain type of cancer.

The NHS states: "Night sweats are when you sweat so much that your night clothes and bedding are soaking wet, even though where you're sleeping is cool."

Bloodwise list other symptoms of blood cancer, which include unexplained bruising or bleeding.

In addition to these symptoms, Bloodwise list the following as symptoms of blood cancer:

An unexplained rash, bruising or bleeding is caused by low levels of blood-clotting cells.

The rash could be purple in colour (purpura), and the bruising could be tiny pin-sized red spots on the skin, called petechiae.

Lumps and swelling may be caused by abnormal white blood cells building up in lymph nodes. This is most noticeable in the neck, groin and armpit.

Read more:
Blood cancer symptoms: Watch out for this sign at night - it could be the deadly disease - Express

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

When the World Health Organization (WHO)labeled the new COVID-19a "pandemic", that is, a disease that is occurringall over the world at the same time, there were moments reminiscentof times of war: thedeserted streets, supermarkets overwhelmed by hundreds of people scrambling for goods, and the constant media monitoring of the infection's progress the number of sick and dead increasing daily.Although our health system is not what it was in 1918, when the Spanish Fluwreaked havoc, nor will the coronavirus be as lethal as smallpox the most deadly pandemic some people will still make historical comparisons.To keep you up to date with what's happening now and what's happened in the past, here's tour of the five most devastating pandemics that we've emerged from.

HIV/AIDS

It has killed more than 25 million people worldwide, and although preventive treatments such as PrEP have been developed toreduce infections by 90%, a global cure has yet to be found.HIV originated in Africa, where apes have an HIV-like virus known as SIV.

Scientists still speculate on whether interspecies contagion occurred from hunting or eating infected chimp meat.AIDS wasn't detected as a disease until the 1980s, when it was observed in the United States, especially among homosexual patients in New York and California. It was later determined an evolution of the HIV infection, which transmitted through any passage of bodily fluid (intravenous drug usage and sexual intercourse were the most common). Doctors named it acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)because the virus attacks the white blood cells that help fight infection.Today, there are two patients worldwide who have been cured of HIV thanks to a stem cell transplant whose donor carried a mutation known as CCR5-delta 32.

The Black Death or Bubonic Plague

It ravaged the European continent from the mid-14th century until its last outbreak three hundred years later and is responsible for more than 75 million deaths.

Although at that time the devastating epidemic was attributed to Divine Cholera and even to the passage of a comet, the origin was a bacterium that appeared in Asia and spread through parasites such as rat fleas. Its spread originated at trade ports, and was helped by the poor hygiene conditions and diet of the time period.

Death occurred in less than a week after the disease manifested, with the appearance of buboes - or swelling of nodes in the lymphatic system - accompanied by high fevers, delirium, chills and stinking suppurations. The sick were confined to their homes along with their families as means of containment. In some cases, it wiped out whole villages in Europe, which were sometimes discovered hundreds of years later.

Spanish Flu

The disease gotits name during WWI fromSpanish newspapers, which remained neutral in the conflict, and were the only ones to report on its lethality without censorship.

It is believed that Spanish Flu was responsible for between 50 and 100 million deaths and some the first cases reported were among the United States military, who could have broughtit to Europe when they landed to fight the Germans. Regardless, there are many theories around its origin.

As deadly as it is heartbreaking, there were cases in the United States of people rising with fever and dying on their way to work.

In a previous article, we commented on why its fatality rate, which is often used incomparisontoCovid-19, is wrong, as it is well over the 2% reported by WHO.

Smallpox

Holding the position of the most devastating global pandemic,Smallpoxhas contributed to the decline of entire civilizations such as the Aztec and Inca Empires when theSpanish brought the disease in their "conquest" of the New World in 1519. It is estimated that 90% of indigenous deaths during European colonization were not due to "fire," but rather, disease.

In Europe, smallpox killed 60 million people in the 18th century alone, and a hundred years later there were 300 million deaths worldwide.

Its Latin name means "spotted", because of the bumps and bruises that appeared on the faces of those afflicted. It was highly contagious and those who survived would carry marks on their skin for the rest of their lives, and some even wentblind.

One of modern medicine's greatest achievements was the creation of a vaccine for smallpox in 1979. As a result, Smallpox is considered eradicated.

See the rest here:
Four pandemics that changed the world - AL DIA News

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

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://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6848/53638_6ce3ae9244cd7992_001full.jpg

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.

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

Read this article:
Dr. Gaines Provides Insight Into How People Can Best Protect Themselves and Their Families From the COVID-19 Virus - Marketscreener.com

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

HASTINGS Innovative Womens HealthCare is the newest clinic in Hastings, focusing on womens (and sometimes mens) health care to help people live the best life.

Owned and operated by Elizabeth and Jim Hardy, the clinic is located at 223 E 14th St, Suite 50.

Elizabeth Hardy earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 1989 and a Master of Science degree as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in womens health in 1998. Both degrees are from University of Nebraska Medical Center.

She has additional training with the International Society for the Study of Womens Sexual Health, is certified in bio-identical hormone pellet therapy, and is a certified sexual assault nurse examiner.

While Hardy has had many years of experience in hospitals, professional education, public heath and administration, she said her main passion has always been the care of women in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive health clinics.

She is a member of Nebraska Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Practitioners in Womens Health.

Im excited to work with adults at Innovative Womens HealthCare, Hardy said.

The Hardys have five children and she says she enjoys family time, boating and Tri-City Storm hockey.

Hardy said Innovative Womens HealthCare provides wellness and preventive care including annual exams, education, testing, and identification of treatment options.

Services offered include menopause symptom support, hormone therapy and care for women with bladder leakage and/or symptoms associated with sexual activity. Additional services are available for men including hormone level evaluation and testing for sexually transmitted infections.

Hardy said coming to a clinic can be uncomfortable for many people.

Its hard to disclose to clinic staff your specific needs and to ask for services that might feel personal or delicate, she said.

Hardy said Innovative Womens Health is unique as its environment is designed to be inviting and to minimize discomforts.

Our staff will put you at ease and offer professional health care, Hardy said. Ultimately, individuals can expect expert guidance in achieving optimum health with traditional and unique therapies.

She said the vision of Innovative Womens HealthCare is to provide a variety of health-oriented therapies addressing mind-body-spirit needs of the individuals we serve.

Our goal is to provide individualized quality health care to women and men regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, family structure, sexual orientation or income while maintaining confidentiality and dignity of those served, Hardy said.

The clinics mission, she said, is to support women in every stage of life and level of wellness. Using patient goals, internal and external resources, and individualized health strategies harmonious with individual values, adults will be assisted in reaching maximum wellness.

Our services include womens wellness evaluation, preventive measures, symptom management, and treatment of selected conditions, she said.

Annual exams. Wellness physical exams include assessment and screening tests for early identification of health problems that can be treated and prevented.

Testing. Tests include vaginal pap exams, mammograms, blood chemistry, metabolic tests, bone density, exams related to weight gain, fatigue, insomnia, incontinence, problems of a sexual nature, and tests for sexually transmitted infections.

Education. Based on individual needs, education is designed to empower adults to actively participate in their health care. The clinic provides verbal, written, blogs, and websites for nutrition, physical activity, healthy lifestyle and weight loss.

Identification of treatment options. When a problem or diagnosis is identified, the clinic will discuss options available for treatment, including pros and cons and possible referrals so patients can make the most informed decision to move forward with a plan.

Menopause and perimenopause. The years leading up to the end of reproductive cycles often include symptoms that are undesirable and uncomfortable. The clinic offers options available that can help prevent, minimize or eliminate these symptoms.

Hormone therapy. Hormones direct how body systems function. For many people, hormones are not at optimal levels which leads to low energy, sleep issues, over eating, mood changes, weight changes, low bone density, hair loss, and low sex drive. Hormones are evaluated and options are explored in order to reach optimal levels for reproductive and thyroid hormones.

Sexual issues. There are many reasons adults experience low libido or pain with sexual experiences. It may be a new symptom or a long-term issue. The clinic can identify treatable causes and discuss options to improve or eliminate symptoms.

Incontinence. Many women experience urgency or leaking of urine with coughing, sneezing or laughing. Clinic staff can help identify what is causing incontinence and offer solutions to help.

The clinic also offers bio-identical hormone replacement therapy; Votiva skin treatment with microneedling radio frequency technology for wrinkles, scarring, stretch marks and sweating; Votiva FormaV radio frequency technology for female intimacy problems and incontinence; and Arterosil.

Hardy said people should visit her clinic because it provides personalized setting different from all-to-common rushed, stressful hubbub of many health care settings.

We also offer new alternatives from the traditional treatments often not requiring prescription or surgery, she said.

They accept many insurance companies, Every Woman Matters and cash pay. Some services are cash only.

We take the preventative approach to healing problems by identifying risks and symptoms in peoples lives to plan a course of action to decrease complications, often using natural solutions to avoid medication, Hardy said. Prescription are provided only when needed. Our philosophy is to support and promote total health prevention of diseases.

She said male and female hormone testing with blood work drawn in the clinic is very popular.

We offer many options like pellet insertion to optimize hormone levels and extend treatment intervals to improve quality of life and overall health, Hardy said. The clinic setup is designed to be cozy and comfortable with chandeliers in every room. People relax and are able to share difficult stories.

The clinic sees patients from a wide area including Custer, Valley, Nuckolls, Furnas and York counties.

When it comes to their future plans, Hardy said their desire is to maintain a personal, intimate setting, yet to expand to offer services in other communities.

We have had the most outstanding patients since our opening a year ago and want to thank them for their confidence, Hardy said. We have a portal on our website (www.womenshealthnebraska.com) for sharing, messaging and making appointments.

The clinics phone number is (402) 834-3973 and it has a Facebook page.

The rest is here:
Innovative Womens HealthCare serves clients in several counties - Grand Island Independent

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

"But I wasn't sure how rooted in research it was or if it was going to be safe to do," Kemptar said. "I didn't want to start down the path that would lead me to ruin."

So Kemptar, who lives and teaches in Esko, started looking up places that offered voice coaching in the area and the first call she made was to the University of Minnesota Duluth's Robert F. Pierce Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic.

"Just total dumb luck," Kemptar said. "It turns out it was the best program I could have possibly found."

For about 10 years, the UMD Speech Clinic has offered free and individualized transgender voice therapy. This past fall the clinic started offering group sessions as well for anyone who wants to work on developing their desired voice alongside others experiencing something similar.

Kemptar attended those group sessions every week.

"The really great thing about it was that it was a way for trans people to get together. Which is really rare," Kemptar said. "For people that are first starting to transition, especially male to female, it's really hard to go out in public. It's a lot more noticeable."

Ashley Weber, the clinical instructor speech language pathologist, said she hasn't heard of anywhere else in the state offering a group-based version of transgender voice therapy.

"The fact that we're offering a group network was a really big deal," Weber said. "We've found big success within the group of having peers that can support each other and give each other feedback."

Speech-language pathologist Ashley Weber demonstrates how a computerized speech lab is used to help people re-training their voices to match their gender identity at UMDs speech clinic. (Steve Kuchera / skuchera@duluthnews.com)

The UMD clinic has received calls from people in the Twin Cities wanting to drive up for the group session. Weber said the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, which offers individualized services, is in the process of figuring out how to formulate group-based services too.

The clinic has seen up to five individuals in the group setting which currently meets every Wednesday evening and welcomes more participants.

"Everybody's at a different stage," Weber said. "The ages range within the group so everybody brings a different experience into it, and a lot of humor, which I love."

Most of the clients at the clinic are people transitioning from male to female. Weber said that's because once people transitioning from female to male start taking testosterone, the hormone is able to lower the pitch of their voice for them. Estrogen, however, doesn't have much of an effect on vocal quality.

During the 6-12 month process in which clients meet twice a week for individualized training, Weber and student clinicians work with individuals on gradually increasing vocal pitch, both for authenticity and safety reasons. If done too fast, people can experience vocal abuse and loss of voice, which only deepens vocal pitch.

Some clients even work on language and how they use description.

"Since expression is a huge part of our culture ... being mis-gendered through your expressions can be really damaging," Weber said. "We just want to offer individuals that voice and make sure we're affirming their gender identity."

Because insurance can be finicky when it comes to covering outpatient services, Weber said voice therapy can be a barrier for individuals already dealing with hefty medical expenses. At UMD, the clinic is able to provide the services for free largely through grants and donations.

Clients use a voice journal to track different aspects of their voice as well as their goals and progress. The journal also outlines exercises to do at home.

A voice journal used by people training their voices to match their gender identity includes exercises to perform at home. (Steve Kuchera / skuchera@duluthnews.com)

"These clients have been some of the hardest working clients I've ever had," Weber said. "They really have to fight for what they're doing."

While going through the training last year, Kemptar said she warmed her voice up every morning like she was taught.

"Because it's all muscles," Kemptar said. "You're just exercising your muscles. They're going to get tired, but you have to build them up to be able to get where you want."

Before starting voice therapy, Kemptar said she often found herself not using her voice because she feared it was her "giveaway."

"I felt like it was kind of a tell that I was trans," Kemptar said. "It was interfering with my enjoyment of life. So that was my motivating factor, even if it was going to be dangerous I was willing to take that risk. I am lucky that I found a healthier alternative."

One of the most rewarding parts of undergoing the voice therapy, Kemptar said, was when she listened to her final voice recording and compared it to the first one.

"It was like night and day," Kemptar said. "There were times I was in tears because she'd play back my voice, and I'm like, 'That's me?'"

Although she's done with the training, Kemptar still checks in with herself to make sure her voice is where she wants it to be.

Since the clinic started offering transgender voice therapy about a decade ago, approximately 10-15 people have gone through the training, according to a clinic secretary. Most of those clients are from more recent years.

According to Essentia spokesperson Louie St. George III, Essentia Health also has a voice therapist who offers transgender voice therapy services.

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UMD speech clinic now offers group-based trans voice therapy - Duluth News Tribune

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Fatal blood clots, suicidal behavior, lowered IQs, brittle bones andsterility are just a few of the potential side effects of puberty blockersthat the transgender industry doesnt want talked about.

By Celeste McGovern, September 18, 2019

Thousands of children attending affirmative gender health clinicsglobally, including in the United States and the United Kingdom, are beinggiven powerful puberty-blocking drugs with a litany of serious side effects including death according to Food and Drug Administration data.

And the National Health Service (NHS) in England is currentlyinvestigating issues surrounding use of the drugs since it registered a 4,500%increase last fall in the number of youths seeking treatments to alter theirbiological sex in the previous nine years.

The drugs, sometimes referred to as chemical castrators because theyare used to treat sex offenders, are increasingly used as a first-linetreatment for gender-confused children as young as 10 years old when they arereferred to counseling.

Frequently on their first consultation, children and teens areimplanted with hormone-blocker-releasing rods or taught to self-inject thedrugs to pause their adolescence and prevent developmental changes, likegrowth of breasts and facial hair while they decide on which sex they wouldlike to identify.

The practice recently gained the endorsement of the Endocrine Societyand the American Academy of Pediatrics, but the Food and Drug Administrationhas not licensed the drugs for transgender medicine due to lack of supportiveevidence. They are approved for treating prostate cancer and uterine pain inadults. The agency has recorded more than 41,000 adverse events reported withtheir use between 2013 and June 30, 2019.

More than 26,000 of the events associated with the two hormoneblockers, Leuprolide acetate and triptorelin (which includes Lupron and similardrugs used by clinics), were classified by the federal agency as serious,including 6,370 deaths. The drugs, which dramatically lower testosterone andestrogen levels in the body, are linked to life-threatening blood clots andother complaints, include brittle bones and joint pain.

Inducing Disease

The recent increase in the number of gender dysphoric youths seekingdrug treatments is particularly alarming to experts who see the drugs effectsas too risky to prescribe in their current form if at all.

Michael Laidlaw, an endocrinologist from Rocklin, California, testifiedbefore the British House of Lords on the issue of transgender health care inMay. Laidlaw told the Register, These drugs actually induce a known disease inpreviously hormonally healthy children.

Puberty blockers, he explained, interfere with normal signals betweenthe brain and the sex organs, thereby creating a disease state calledhypogonadotropic hypogonadism in youths. Its a serious condition thatendocrinologists would normally diagnose and treat because it interferes withdevelopment, but in [gender dysphoria] cases theyre inducing this diseasestate, Laidlaw said.

Because the drugs are relatively new, their long-term effects have yetto be fully determined, but one 2018 study of long-term risks of pubertyblockers from researchers at Boston Childrens Hospital found that while sideeffects of the drugs are advertised to resolve three-six months after stoppingtreatment, in actuality, the majority of subjects reported long-term sideeffects while almost one-third reported irreversible side effects thatpersisted for years after discontinuing treatment.

In addition to experts, those who have experienced the drugs effectsare also raising the alarm.

On social-media platforms, women describe crippling long-term sideeffects after taking the drugs as children. One woman on a Facebook page calledBAN Lupron said she was given Lupron for years as a young child to stoppremature puberty, and now, as a 24-year-old mother of two, I have [a]herniated disc in my lower lumbar, S-I Joint dysfunction, [a] shredded meniscusin my right knee shoulder pain tendonitis in my left foot, extreme toothdecay and minimal teeth left, TMJ [jaw pain].

A 25-year-old said on the page that she suffers from osteoporosis and acracked spine, while a 26-year-old indicated the need for a total hipreplacement.

Youths who take puberty blockers complain of similar side effects andof menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, insomnia, fatigue, rapid weightgain and depleted bone density.

I stubbed my toe; it broke. I fell over; my wrist broke. Same with myelbow, an anonymous teen, who was prescribed the drugs by the Tavistock NHSgender center, told the Times newspaper of London.

They promise you that your breasts will disappear, that your voicewill be deeper, that I would look and sound more like a boy. For me, that wasthe best thing that could have happened, the teen said about her attitude atthe time, but she came to call taking the drugs the worst decision Ive evermade.

Evolving Guidelines

These and similar complaints have come to the attention of some membersof the medical community, who urge some kind of government oversight.

Yes, there can be poor or improper treatments by some; thus,governments as well as medical organizations should investigate reports ofpatient/family complaints in this regard, Michigan State Universitypediatrician Donald Greydanus told the Register. Greydanus is one of eightauthors of a paper, published in the August issue of the journal Disease-a-Month,overviewing care of teens who identify as transgender.

Greydanus is not necessarily opposed to the use of castration drugs,but he acknowledges that prudence must still play a role in how they areadministered especially since the drugs have a sketchy safety record.

Adolescents with gender dysphoria should not be started on pubertyblockers until at least early adolescence, he said. Sex-affirming hormonetherapy using high levels of hormones of the opposite sex may start soonafter, and surgery by age 18, generally, but he said, These guidelinescontinue to evolve and to be debated!

Greydanus added that proper informed consent should let all partiesknow the drugs risks before they are given.

All drugs have side effects, he told the Register, and some can beworse in some patients versus others.

However, Laidlaw called the hormone-blocking drugs untested andunsafe for adolescent children. He referred to them as development blockersbecause their results are systemic and block normal brain development and ahost of other body functions as well as sexual maturation.

Development is so stunted, he said. If you take these long-term, youwind up with an adult with child-like sex organs. If they are taken at a veryearly stage, they wont develop sperm. Permanent infertility is a possibleoutcome for those who use the drugs, he said.

Puberty is a time of tremendous growth and not just in the gonads, hesaid, noting that bone formation is also taking place at this time. They arelengthening as well as strengthening.

The effects of the drugs on bone density are well-documented, Laidlawsaid. By the end of two years the bone density of the girls [taking pubertyblockers] is down in the lowest 3%.

Mental-Health Concerns

According to guidelines from the World Professional Association forTransgender Health, children must be screened for underlying mental issues. Yeta Freedom of Information request filed by Oxford sociologist Michael Biggsrevealed that nearly one-third of the children treated at one clinic in Britainhad been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Besides putting patients with pre-existing mental conditions at risk,the drugs also seem to be having a deleterious effect on young patientsdeveloping mental capacities, studies have shown.

Puberty is also a time of tremendous brain changes, when gray matterbecomes denser which may explain why puberty blockers have been found tolower IQ.

One 2016 study found that girls treated with puberty blockers had aneight-point lower IQ score than controls who did not receive the treatment.This was similar to the seven-point IQ drop from 100 to 93 reported among 25girls who took puberty blockers for two years for early puberty and a nine-pointIQ drop in a study of a 12-year-old boy 28 months after taking the blockers.

Proponents of the drugs claim the effects are reversible, but we dontknow what will happen in all the cases, Laidlaw said.

But the mental damage may be even more serious than a drop in IQ forpatients.

Concerns about the impact of puberty-blocking drugs on the mentalhealth of youths were raised in England when Biggs uncovered the unpublishedresults of a study by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trusts Gender Identity DevelopmentService (GIDS).

Although the results for using puberty blockers had been reported tothe public as positive, Biggs found that for all but one yardstick (that ofparents perspective) the outcomes were negative and that a significantincrease was found in the number of drug-treated youths who agreed with thestatement: I deliberately try to hurt or kill self.

Transgender Censorship

But even scientific evidence pointing to the risks of castration drugsdoesnt seem to matter to the cultural gatekeepers who wish to seetransgenderism normalized in society.

Demand for the drugs as puberty blockers has skyrocketed withgovernment-sponsored and cultural transgender programming, including televisionshows like I Am Jazz, an American reality TV following Florida teen JazzJennings, who was born male but took hormones and was surgically castrated toappear female. And the market for the drug has a potential to expand further,as gender science is extending to transgender preschool children.

With such positive reinforcement of transgenderism in culture,criticism of treatment for gender dysphoria is increasingly banned as harmfuland transphobic. The same tendency toward censorship also surfaced recentlyin state legislation. Last month, North Carolina became the 18th state to banthe use of taxpayer dollars for any conversion therapy practices that seek tohelp transgender children overcome their confusion without drugs and surgery.

Experts in the field are also not immune to such censorship. Laidlawtold the Register that as an endocrinologist, he tweeted on July 21 about thedangers of puberty blockers but his tweet was deleted by Twitter last month,and he has been unable to post on the platform since.

Likewise, when Biggs revealed the unpublished GIDS report to theBritish press, the Oxford professors Twitter account was reportedly suspendedfor transphobic statements.

Catholic Teaching

Aside from the medical risks involved with castration drugs, theprinciple driving their promotion flies in the face of Catholic teaching onhuman sexuality.

Pope Francis addressed the issue of transgenderism in his 2015encyclical Laudato Si (Care for Our Common Home), citing the words of hispredecessor, Benedict XVI, that man too has a nature that he must respect andthat he cannot manipulate at will.

Man, Benedict said in his September 2011 address to the GermanParliament, does not create himself. He is intellect and will, but he is alsonature, and his will is rightly ordered if he respects his nature, listens toit and accepts himself for who he is, as one who did not create himself.

[V]aluing ones own body in its femininity or masculinity is necessary if I am going to be able to recognize myself in an encounter with someone who is different, Pope Francis added. In this way we can joyfully accept the specific gifts of another man or woman, the work of God the Creator, and find mutual enrichment.

__________________________________________

Celeste McGovern writes from Nova Scotia, Canada.

https://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/fda-thousands-of-deaths-associated-with-drugs-given-to-trans-children

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FDA: Thousands of Deaths Associated With Drugs Given to 'Trans' Children - Catholic Citizens of Illinois

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

16 March 2020

The spread of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the disease COVID-19, presents UK fertility clinics and patients with a unique set of challenges. Some of this is because we simply don't know enough about the effects of the infection on fertility, fertility treatment and early pregnancy. Early data, summarised in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists guidance, are reassuring, but the number of reported cases is still small.

Clinics could face logistical challenges if large numbers of staff are unable to work due to quarantine requirements, or if elective work in hospitals is shut down to make space for emergencies. Should this prospect impact the advice we give patients? The UK Government, at the time of writing, has held back from the more radical social distancing measures implemented in other countries. This leaves clinics with a dilemma of whether to continue to offer fertility treatment to unaffected patients, or to go beyond current Government advice and suspend services.

Patients' anxieties are understandable and those who wish to delay their treatment should be accommodated. It makes sense for anyone who meets the criteria for self-isolation (which are also evolving as we write) to be advised not to start treatment and indeed to stop active treatment if already commenced.

Some would go further and say that all elective fertility treatment should be delayed. The European Society forHuman Reproduction and Embryology advises that all fertility patients should 'avoid becoming pregnant at this time'. A Twitter poll targeting reproductive medicine clinicians found 45.5 percent support for delaying frozen embryo replacement in patients in areas with a high COVID-19 burden.

The question then arises, for how long should treatment be delayed? It is reported that the UK will see the peak of infections three months from now, with a tail persisting into the autumn and a potential second peak after this. If we were to delay all fertility treatment, UK clinics may struggle with the capacity to cope with demand when treatments re-start. One could easily envisage a delay of six months, which may well harm the chances of conception for some patients. Hence the need for advice to be tailored to each individual patient's situation. Delaying treatment, in effect closing clinics, would have other impacts including financial strain (particularly for smaller stand-alone clinics) and loss of morale among the more vulnerable fertility patients.

Furthermore, Chinese researchers have identified that testicular Leydig cells and seminiferous tubules express the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which is used by the virus to gain entry into cells. This short discussion paper has not been peer-reviewed and there is no evidence to suggest that the virus is found in the testes, as reported in BioNews 1039. However, this paper does alert to the need for further research into whether male fertility may be affected by COVID-19, so that patients can be adequately counselled.

The fact is that this is a fast-moving situation, with facts and knowledge changing daily. This makes it hard for professional bodies to issue meaningful guidance to practitioners and patients. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine even calls its guidance 'suggestions', showing the tentative nature of such advice. As far as UK clinics are concerned, unless restriction of movement is introduced, it is reasonable to continue treatment for those who are well and wish to continue. However, centres must be prepared to terminate or complete treatment (including through cycle cancellation, oocyte or embryo freezing) and cease initiating new treatments as and when 'lock-down' commences.

Clinicians have in their toolbox measures, which can be taken proactively, to reduce the risk to patients who find themselves in a situation where treatment has to stop. A patient may develop symptoms, or fall into a risk group, for COVID-19 after having started ovarian stimulation. Patients on a g onadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist regime could be managed by stopping follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) administration and continuing antagonist administration until the patient's ovarian response has settled. Data from small case studies indicate that GnRH antagonist continuation after the trigger of final oocyte maturation is effective in reducing the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Where concern exists about a high ovarian reserve, consideration should be given to co-treatment with letrozole, keeping oestradiol levels low and reducing concern about the risk of OHSS.

The key is anticipation of problems, both clinical and organisational. All centres should have a contingency plan in place that describes a stepwise reduction in their activities. This allows prioritisation down to a minimal activity if needed. It is unlikely that any licensed fertility clinic can shut down completely; work goes on behind the scenes, in particular around the maintenance of storage banks. There are practical considerations for this maintaining tanks for example but also the regulatory issues around consent expiry and data management. Urgent medical issues will still arise, and it may be appropriate to maintain a fertility preservation service for cancer patients. This prioritisation must take into account national and local pandemic policies, as well as recognition of likely reduced levels of staffing due to illness and isolation. Mitigation policies may include replacing consultations with phone- or video-calls and making sure there is a good communication policy for patients who have treatment-related problems.

We must also bear in mind the anxiety that is generated by how this pandemic is playing out. In our connected world, news, including fake news, travels faster than the virus. It is hard to escape the sense of a storm looming or a tidal wave about to break. In some countries, of course, the storm is now raging and the tide has overwhelmed even well-resourced health systems.

Fittingly for the first pandemic of the social media age, there have been extensive informal discussions on these issues among clinicians across many social media platforms. US colleagues have collated a number of measures, gleaned from social media, that clinics should consider in their response to this challenge.

Things are moving apace, and we must respond in a safe and effective way, but without panic. The British Fertility Society and the Association of Reproductive Clinical Scientists are committed to providing guidance to UK clinics as the situation evolves.

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Keep calm and... stop? Fertility treatment in a pandemic - BioNews

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

20 March 2020

The British Fertility Society (BFS) and the Association of Reproductive Clinical Scientists (ARCS) have announced new guidelines for fertility patients during the coronavirus pandemic.

Summary

UK COVID-19 epidemic continues to escalate.

Whilst pregnant women can be generally reassured they are asked to consider themselves a vulnerable group.

It is expected that UK licenced fertility centres will now be working to suspend treatments.

UK fertility centres must establish the requirements to maintain a minimum service, which may include non-elective fertility preservation.

Centres are expected to keep communication open with patients for advice and reassurance.

Centres are expected to minimise their impact on National Health Service (NHS) resources.

Background

A novel coronavirus infection that can cause serious disease (COVID-19) in a minority of affected people has taken on pandemic proportions, leading to extraordinary measures being introduced across the world.

The situation with respect to the number of affected persons and UK government advice on measures to increase social distancing is evolving. As of 18 March 2020: 56,221 people have been tested in the UK of whom 2662 tested positive for coronavirus, and 104 have died as a result of the illness. The government has advised against non-essential social contact and non-essential travel. Self-isolation has been advised for anyone with symptoms of coronavirus along with their household. The NHS has imposed restrictions on elective surgical and outpatient work, other than in situations where this is needed for the treatment of cancer or the purpose of saving life. The NHS has put in place plans for using medical and nursing staff from different areas in the most efficient way to deal with anticipated patients. This includes block-buying capacity in private hospitals. The aims of these measures are to free-up the maximum possible inpatient and critical care capacity, to prepare for anticipated large numbers of COVID-19 patients who will need respiratory support and to support staff and maximise their availability.

This guidance builds on the initial response from BFS and ARCS to this unprecedented challenge to the UK health system and the health of the population. It is designed to help all UK fertility clinics, regardless of their setting, to prioritise and organise their activities during the outbreak, whilst complying with their clinical, ethical, regulatory and social duties. Few UK licenced clinics will be able to close down completely, since virtually all will have embryos and gametes in storage banks which must be properly maintained in accordance with the law. Centres are advised to plan a flexible local policy which allows for prioritisation and a number of eventualities. Policies must take into account local conditions, breadth of work undertaken and clinic resources (including financial resilience). The overriding priority is for centres to act in a socially responsible manner.

Policies to take into account include the national strategy led by the chief scientific advisor and chief medical officer. Hospital-based clinics will be influenced by their own trust pandemic strategy which is likely to mirror national plans. Clinic groups may develop an overarching strategy, whilst individual centres will need to consider local prevailing conditions.

In developing their local policies, clinics must take into account their duty to abide by regulations arising from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008, and laid out by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in its Code of Practice. HFEA guidance to clinics is available and updated as required. In all this, clinicians retain an ethical responsibility of beneficence and non-maleficence to their patients. A wider social responsibility of promoting public health and preventing harm from infection exists for all citizens, but especially health care providers. All clinics, whether in the state or private sector, should be mindful of their wider responsibilities, including the need to promote social distancing and to consider the potential effects of their work on local NHS services, which are likely to be stretched to an unprecedented extent.

At the time of writing, it is not thought that the infection causes miscarriage or fetal abnormality, and pregnant women do not appear to be at increased susceptibility to the infection or to developing complications. However, in the Prime Minister's bulletin on 16 March 2020, it was made clear that pregnant women were considered a vulnerable group, because this is a new infection and data on effects in pregnancy is limited. Further, there is concern for the potential care commitment required for any pregnant women with symptoms. The question arises whether the benefit of continuing to treat our infertile population may be outweighed by the additional concerns. It is reasonable that women who have risk factors for severe illness if infected, for instance those with diabetes or underlying respiratory disease or immunosuppression, should be advised against conceiving during the outbreak.

Fertility patients with symptoms of COVID 19

Pregnancy should be avoided in women who display symptoms of COVID-19. Patients who are in the stimulation phase of their treatment, but have not yet received the trigger, should be advised treatment cancellation. In such a situation, stopping follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) while continuing with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist (or agonist as the case may be) is likely to protect against ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Patients should be counselled against unprotected intercourse to avoid the risk of multiple pregnancy.

Patients who have received human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or GnRH agonist trigger may proceed to egg collection and freeze-all, if appropriate facilities are available and after a multi-disciplinary assessment of risk.

Patients who develop symptoms after oocyte collection should not have an embryo transfer.

Embryo transfer, or intra-uterine insemination should not be carried out in women with suspected or diagnosed COVID-19.

Stopping treatment programmes

For the reasons above, it is expected that, as the UK epidemic is now proceeding, all centres will stop initiating new fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), frozen embryo transfer, surgical sperm retrieval, insemination and ovulation induction. This is also in keeping with recommendations from other professional bodies in the field of fertility treatment (Ref 4 and 5). When such a decision is made, it is reasonable for clinics to complete treatment that has already commenced in patients who remain well and where the centre's resources allow this to be done safely. However, clinics should be mindful both of their duty to minimise spread and of the impact of any complications on the NHS. Moderate or severe OHSS, which is often managed in an NHS emergency care setting, has been reported in 3.1 to 8 percent of stimulated treatment cycles. The risk of OHSS is reduced by the use of GnRH agonist trigger and freeze-all. It is mandatory therefore to consider these measures in women currently in the process of treatment.

Fertility preservation

Where resources allow, it is appropriate to continue non-elective fertility preservation, for example sperm and oocyte or embryo storage for cancer patients, provided they show no symptoms of infection. It should be borne in mind that these patients may be immunocompromised, and shared decision-making involving the patient, oncologist and fertility specialist is key. Fertility preservation should only be carried out in patients who remain well during treatment, and provided sufficient resources are available to do this safely. Local arrangements will be needed to allow these procedures to take place.

Outpatient clinics and diagnostic work

As part of social distancing, it is reasonable to advise that all face-to-face work should pause, other than in emergency situations, and where delay would be detrimental to the prospects of patients. Where possible, clinics should facilitate telephone or video consultations. If patients are attending for face-to-face encounters, care should be taken to stagger appointment times to prevent large groups of people congregating in waiting areas. Group sessions and support group meetings should not go ahead while social distancing is in place. Staff who can work from home should be facilitated to do so where appropriate, by provision of remote access to electronic case records as confidentiality restrictions allow.

Patient support and communication

Clinics should be aware of the potential emotional impact of the disruption of treatment services on their patients, occurring on a backdrop of anxiety about the effects of the virus itself. Measures should be put in place to keep patients informed of changes to the service and the reasons for these. Patients are likely to have concerns about the effect of delay on their chances of success and eligibility for NHS funding. It is likely that the ongoing uncertainty about the length of delay will compound these worries. All members of the clinical team have a role to play in supporting patients, with a special emphasis on the role of trained counsellors. It is recommended that usual facilities for answering phone call queries be enhanced to account for increased demand around short notice changes in service provision. Clinic websites and apps have a role in keeping patients informed and allaying anxieties in a difficult time.

Issues concerning funding and eligibility

Clinics should establish liaison with commissioners of NHS services to clarify their position on funding of treatment cycles that are cancelled, and the eligibility of patients who reach age thresholds without receiving treatment, due to the coronavirus outbreak. Significant numbers are likely to be affected, and it is likely that individual Exceptional Funding requests will not be appropriate for the circumstances we recommend that commissioners make timely decisions to guarantee treatment in the future for all currently eligible fertility patients negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, to minimise distress and facilitate pathways once treatment resumes.

Staffing

Centres should work to identify the minimum number of staff that are necessary to maintain urgent services such as fertility preservation for oncology patients. It is likely in NHS settings that a large proportion of medical and nursing staff will need to be redeployed to other areas, however measures should be taken to try to ensure that staff with the requisite skills and training to deliver urgent treatments are available at all times. If sufficient staff are not available due to illness, then centres should seek support through their reciprocal support agreements with other centres or networks.

Sufficient scientific staff should be in place to maintain and ensure the ongoing safety of gamete and embryo storage banks. To guard against the risk posed by significant numbers of scientific staff becoming ill and forced to self-isolate, centres should ensure that sufficient scientific staff are available and are cross-trained to deliver all key tasks including ongoing quality control and maintenance.

Appropriate levels of staffing should be determined by the person responsible, taking advice from nursing, medical and scientific professional leads within the centre. It is incumbent upon public relations (PR) to ensure that services are reduced in keeping with available levels.

Diagnostic services

Where assisted conception centres undertake diagnostic activities, such as semen analysis or post-vasectomy testing and these involve attendance at the clinic, these should be suspended in order to minimise social contact.

Where diagnostic services are part of NHS pathology (or other) departments, the above also applies and staff may be asked to redeploy during the epidemic.

Resuming services

Whilst every effort must be made to reduce services over coming weeks and months, it is necessary to think forwards towards a resumption of services. Maintaining contact with patients whose treatment has been disrupted or deferred is important, and consideration should be given to prioritisation when services are able to recommence. The timing of this will be dependent on ongoing Government advice, resumption of NHS normal working practices as well as centres' own staffing and other resources.

The BFS and ARCS continue to monitor the ongoing pandemic and advice from national authorities. Further guidance will follow as appropriate, with the ultimate aim of resuming normal services as soon as possible.

Read more from the original source:
Guidance for the care of fertility patients during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic - BioNews

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Dr. Drew Pinsky stopped by"Salon Talks" recently to talk about a new thriller called "Final Kill," in which he plays a therapist. Many will know Pinsky from his nationally syndicated radio show "Loveline," which ran from 1984 to 2016, and his many TV shows focusing on sex and addiction, as well as reality shows like "Teen Mom" and "Celebrity Rehab."He also hosts the advice-driven podcasts,"Dr. Drew After Dark" and "The Adam and Dr. Drew Show."

"Medicine saved my life, quite literally," he told me. "I woke up every day of my training thinking, 'I love doing this,'feeling like it was so important what I was doing." Pinskybegan his radio career as a medical student during the AIDS epidemic of the1980s. "No one was talking about it, particularly not to young people," he remembers. "That's what motivated me to get on the air. I thought I was doing community service for the first 10 years of going on the radio."

The desire to help people led Pinsky to get additional degrees. He originally trained as aninternal medicine doctor, then later moonlighted at a psychiatric hospital and became a specialist in addiction. "I have noticed that I start to gravitate towards the big problem of the time," Pinsky said. "Right now, to me, it's homelessness. I'm deeply involved in big problems. Childhood trauma has been a massive issue for the last 30 years, so I got involved in that, and then drugs and alcohol became the problem, so I spent 20 years running a drug and alcohol treatment center."

Calling Los Angelesan "open-air asylum" for homeless people, within which diseases can spread rapidly, Pinsky expressed concerns about transmission of COVID-19, in a way no pandemic has been in many years. Pinsky alsosays he is working on a new book directed at young people, which he hopes will address a key important issue in sex and relationships.

To hear more from Pinskyon playing a real and pretend doctor on TV, and why he thinks millennials reject addiction treatment methods that have worked for previous generations, watch my "Salon Talks" episode with Dr. Drew here, or read a Q&A of our conversation below.

The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Is true that you love to sing opera or did at one time?

I did. Some people will know I was on "The Masked Singer" a couple months ago.

How'd that go?

Not so great. It turns out that in the intervening year,I've lost a little bit and I have all kinds of problems with my vocal cords, but I got through that show, which was the goal.

What happened? Polyps?

A hemorrhage andreflux and all kinds of good stuff. They wanted to do a bunch of laser, which I don't have time to do because I spend my life talking. The way I got the hemorrhage is I knew I was about to do that show. I thought, I better to do some singing. So I was down both at Stonewall and The Monster in the Village, and I started, I really pushed it. And also, my mid-range was gone. I thought, oh Jesus, something's wrong. It was.

But did they love it at Stonewall Inn? That's the famous gay club here in New York.

Yeah, and The Monster is another great gay club that has a pianist there. Onthe weekends, they do a lot of cabaret, karaoke stuff.

What is your favorite thing to sing?

Musical stuff. It's so easy for me, and you don't want to hear this whole story, but when I got into "The Masked Singer" I put the costume on and all of a sudden I realize it's a rock eagle. I have to sing rock songs, and had to change everything. It was a big mess and I got through it. Then I got kicked off so it's fine.

You're glad that you stayed in medicine?

Yes. Medicine saved my life quite literally. I mean I woke up every day in my training thinking, oh God, I love doing this. I felt like it was so important what I was doing and I was deep in the AIDS epidemic back in the '80s, and that's what got me on radio. I wanted to talk about it, and I realized no one was talking to it, particularly not to young people about it. I was like, are you kidding? We've got to talk about this. That's what motivated me to get on the air. I thought I was doing community service for the first 10 years I was doing it. It was a one night a week thing. I was talking about medical topics, a lot of HIV and safe sex talk back then, and suddenly became a huge part of my life.

It was a taboo topic at the time and people had so many misconceptions.

It was weird. Because yes, there were loads of misconceptions, but no one was talking to young people. Literally, I was 24 years old and I was thinking, oh my God, I know what 18- to 20-year-olds are up to, we got to tell them about this. That was considered outrageous. Why would you talk to them? They're not having sex. And I thought, oh my God, we've got a problem. I was there, I was elbows deep in it. And if you weren't there administering, you're not here now. You know what I mean? You forget how horrible that was. I get chills.It was the most tragic, saddest chapters. Wonderful people are lost. They're just not here to tell the story, so really the rest of us got to kind of tell it.

Do you have fun playing a therapist in films and on TV? What kind of allowances can you make there, as opposed to working with your real patients?

What people don't understand about reality shows we put together, that was real work. That was me and my team doing what we do, period. And how they put it together and edit it, and what you see is a little distorted because people would say things like where's the treatment? It's like, yeah, no kidding. It's just the drama is all you're seeing, okay, that happens in treatment. The reality shows we did, I just took my team and we just did the work. We always do.

On this movie ["Final Kill"], I find it interesting. It's kind of like Tony Soprano, right? I'm treating a criminal essentially, or maniac, and I'm trying to understand why he's so messed up. Why is he such a disturbed patient? That's an interesting challenge to put yourself in that spot and then try to imagine what that would be like. I enjoyed it.

Yes, tell us more about your role in "Final Kill."

Think Tony Soprano and his therapist. I'm trying to get him to take medication mostly. And then you find out as the viewer why he's so stressed out. He has a pretty, pretty violent life. Pretty violent, messed-up challenge ahead of him.

How many takes did you have to do to keep a straight face with Ed Morrone screaming in your face and being so crazy?

A bunch. And he was even supposed to be crazier in the script, and I said, look, if you got crazy like that, I would call law enforcement. That's what I would do in that situation. They were like, okay, we're changing it.

In one scene, the character Mickey has a long stretch where he berates therapists, including you, in saying that you're using people and giving them medication for all sorts of purposes, including one that he thinks makes him not perform as well in bed. In your real life treatment of patients, how much of your real advice about sex is based in talk therapy versus necessary medication?

Idon't do a lot of day in, day out sex treatment in my clinic work. On the radio, many, many years of helping with that area. It ends up being talk, but I'm gravely concerned about psychotropic medications and their effect on our sexual functioning. And they can affect any stage of the sexual arousal and detumescent cycle. Doctors don't pay enough [attention]. I'm worried about hormones and their effect on that too. I'm worried about lack of hormones. On some of my streaming shows and podcasts, I will focus on those issues because people need to be informed. The doctors don't have the time, and aren't spending the time to educate them. And when a woman is put on a hormonal contraceptive, they should be given a ton of education.

I can't tell you how often it's vaginal dryness and decreased libido and no orgasm function. It's from these high-dose progesterones. By the same token, we were kidding about peri-menopause, but women are treated for depression when they should be treated for hormonal imbalances, and they leave out testosterone always. That's sexist in my opinion, because that's the "male hormone" no, it's not. It's kind of a big topic for me, proper assessment and proper education, and time spent doing that, not available as medicine is practiced today.

That's probably the case in a lot of silos of medicine, right? There's too many patients, too much of a load.

Everything is funneled up to the doctors and we don't have time to do what we'd like to do, which is build a relationship and spend time educating you. That goes to paraprofessionals and physician extenders. That's sad. It really bothers me.

We're both parents. What kind of advice do you have on raising teens today?

The biggest problem right now is screens. I think within 20 years we will think of screens the way we think of tobacco now. Screens are the source of a lot of really serious distress for young people. It's bad enough dealing with it normally without the screens. But the screens have added a layer where it's 24/7, it's raining down on them all the time. There's no escaping whatever they're trying to escape. There's mistakes that we all make during adolescence that now exist forever. There are literally crimes they could commit unknowingly. In many states, just sexting or requesting a sext, both are felonies and can affect these kids the rest of their life. And there's just a whole layer to the experience that. I have friends that are therapists and mental health professionals that just focus in this area, and they only give their kids 30 minutes a day on the screen. I don't know how you do that. It's almost impossible.

All right, so you and Adam Corolla and "Loveline." I remember those early days on MTV, which of course evolved from radio and the awkward questions in calls. What madeyou want discuss sex and addiction on air?

I'm an internist by training. I do internal medicine and that's why I was doing AIDS patients. I was struggling with that epidemic. I was there when we brought out the first AZT, and I was in the middle of all that. Then I ended up moonlighting in a psychiatric hospital and got very involved dealing with psychiatric patients, both medically and through the addiction. And what I noticed is, is eyes start to gravitate towards whatever the big problem at the time is. Like right now, to me it's homelessness. I'm deeply involved in that problem. And at the time, it was HIV and AIDS. Then that translated to sex and relationships, trauma, childhood trauma has been a massive issue for the last 30 years.

I got involved in that and the treatment of trauma, then drugs and alcohol became the problem. And so I spent 20 years running a drug and alcohol treatment center. I finished that up, started thinking about other things. And now I've been involved with the homelessness epidemic. And this corona[virus]thing has been sort of a sidebar. And by the way, if the homeless start getting corona, in Los Angeles, we're going to have a big damn problem. It's an open-air asylum. These are open-air asylums with people rotting in our streets, dying three a day in LA County. If three a day were dying of corona, people would be running down the street with their hair on fire. Because they're homeless, dying three a day and drug addicted, everyone goes, oh well. This is unconscionable.

It sounds like you tend to focus your energy on where the problem is.

Yeah, that's where I tend to go and because I've had this crazy broad experience in medicine where I did general medicine and infectious diseases and then I did a whole lot with psychiatry and drug and alcohol, I have kind of a broad experience that young physicians don't have. They don't get that training. I'm trying to use as much of it, give as much of it back as I can.

This is one of my little policies since I got involved in media. I was like, these guys know how to create media that people listen to and I'm just going to inject myself into it. That's always been my policy. If you need to go somewhere crazy, you go, I'll try to make it meaningful at the end.

And inject the medicine.

Yeah, inject some of my message. "Teen Mom" is another model of that. When they came to me with "Teen Mom," I was like, this is going to work. This is going to affect teen pregnancy in this country. I know it. Whenever you have a dramatic story with a relatable source that helps young people, attracts young people's eyes and so they could see what happens if you make certain choices, my job is just to explicate and they'll get it.

How do you yourself mitigate stress?

I noticed early on in my work at a psychiatric hospital that certain personality types and addicts were having their way with me. They could really manipulate me and get me to do, respond in the middle of the night and try to help them and do all these crazy things that always ended up in catastrophes. So I went into therapy for a long time and it's just essential. Doing your own work is just a key part of being effective in all cases. You have to be able to just be present on behalf of the patient and not let your s**t get in the way of it.

How do you define yourself in the field? Years ago the New York Times called you Gen X's answer to Dr. Ruth, with an AIDS-era pro-safe sex message.

That was then. Now again, I have this broad medical and psychiatric experience, and I'm just trying to use the media to do good. That's it. I'm a medical professional with lots of extraordinary experience, and I'm trying to inject myself into the media in places where people are watching, to try to shape things. My naive little idea back in the beginning was, oh my God radio has been such a negative influence on people's sexual behaviors and drug and alcohol and they've been encouraging all this stuff. I wonder if I climbed into that vehicle, if I could move the battleship in a better direction. That kind of idea has been with me ever since, like just shaping the culture. I may not be able to get every case we're dealing with, but there'll be somebody listening and that will kind of move things in a healthier direction, which these days is hard, hard, hard, hard.

Do you get a sort of a sense of the zeitgeist, if you will, about what people, at least in the world of addiction and sexual challenges, are looking for these days, especially with the internet?

I'm very, very concerned about the impact of pornography. We don't even know what it's doing to our brain development and I'm concerned it's doing something. Obviously it does a lot of things to our attitudes and our feelings about men and women, and what's appropriate behaviors and whatnot. And the drug and alcohol issue is completely out of control right now. We have just been through this opiate crisis and we're mostly getting the prescription opiates under control, but fentanyl is still massively a problem. Meth, massively a problem.

A publication [coming out] in a few days that shows that mutual aid societies, free services, are as effective or more than professionally managed services when abstinence is your goal. More effective than professionally managed services, and it's free. That should not be under attack, ever. Now there's an evidence basis for it, and it's been under attack and people reject it, in particular young people reject it. That's been one of the challenges lately, is they just won't engage the way previous generations have.

Why do you think that is?

I don't know. We can't figure it out. None of us can figure it out. It's literally like, "Hey, that's not for me. It's not something I can relate to." And it has something to do with the spiritual piece. Like the idea is anathema to them. It's not the God thing so much as . . . millennials really don't perceive hierarchies.

They either don't perceive them or don't like them. And lot of these communities have hierarchies. They're old timers, or people that have long periods of time there. And you're supposed to look to them for guidance and help. Alot of the millennials are just like, I don't even know what you're talking about. That was just some old person.

We're talking about narcotics anonymous, NA?

Any of the 12-steps.

What about moderation therapy?

It doesn't work, but really what you're talking about is harm avoidance, right? If you got opioid addiction, or any addiction, we would not be doing moderation therapy, we'd be waiting for abstinence. But there are people for whom that is appropriate, and for whom nothing better is likely to work. Harm avoidance and replacement therapies of all kinds need to be used, but they need to be deployed appropriately. One of the problems in my field is, we don't know which cases to select for which treatments. There tends to be enthusiasm one way or the other rather than good science. And my thing is, I use replacement where we should be using it, use abstinence where we should be, and let the science direct us, and that's it.

Visit link:
Dr. Drew is worried about the "impact of pornography" and reveals his COVID-19 fears - Salon

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Definite Wellness is bringing a whole new meaning of health to residents of Tullahoma and surrounding areas. Owner Candi Kinney has been a nurse practitioner for three years. She graduated from MTSU and was previously an RN for 3 years.

When I was a nurse, I worked at a hospital. I did not like the concept that patients would come in really sick and all we would do was put a Band-Aid on them and send them home fast. I did not like the fact that some patients were so chronically ill, so I decided wellness care was a better fit for me, Kinney said. I want to make it to where patients can come in here, address the issues they have going on and we stop it from getting to that point where it becomes chronic.

The office, located inside of the Coker building, houses two exam rooms, an office, and a main room with a front desk and chair where intravenous (IV) therapy is administered.

Kinney offers eight total signature IVs including the energizer, the glow, the fighter, the quencher, the athlete, the classic, the Candi cocktail and the morning after.

People can also come in and create their own IV by looking at the menu and all that I have to offer, she said. IV add-ons include B12, Calcium, Zinc, Mag-nesium, Vitamin C, B-Complex and Glutathione for an extra charge.

She also offers injections including B-12, lipo shots, Toradol, Vitamin D and Zofran.

Benefits of wellness care

I am all about things that make and keep you well. When you come in and get a B-12 or Vitamin D shot, that is going to keep you well because when either one of those is low, it can cause a lot of problems. That is what got me started with wellness care, Kinney said.

What got me started in IVs was the interest that people have in them today. This trend is huge out west. There are IV bars everywhere and I thought This is really good for recovery, athletes, dehydration and more. It is so interesting that this is something I can do, Kinney said. I signed up for an IV hydration class and decided to start offering it.

I had a man call me the other day who was so sick and asked if I could come to his house and give him an IV. I went to his house and gave him two bags of IV fluids and he texted me the next day telling me how much better he felt, Kinney said. It is also good for athletes, especially those who are into CrossFit or running marathons. Coming here is a good way to prepare your body for that and it is also a great way to recover from them. It is replenishing.

One of my friends came in and told me that she was so stressed out and wiped and needed some help, so I gave her an IV. A few hours ago, she said she felt fantastic, she added.

These IVs are not just for running marathons. There are a lot of benefits if you are big on working out. I am a former football player, so every spring I start working out again. I was very skeptical of the IV trend, Kinneys husband and business partner Eugene said. I was telling Candi how sore I was from a workout and asked her if she had anything to help me. She gave me an IV called the athlete. After I got it, I felt okay but was not that impressed. However, the next morning I was so surprised to be up and ready to go workout again.

Athlete Jordan Sheffield receiving intravenous (IV) therapy to feel replenished.

As a person who has struggled with weight my whole life, I do not believe in easy, quick fast out there diets. I can put anyone on a low-calorie diet and give them HCG shots and they will lose weight, but it will not be sustainable, Kinney said. My patients need to have a sustainable lifestyle. I advocate a whole food diet, 30 minutes of exercise and 60 ounces of water per day. If you do that in conjunction with what I offer, it is going to get you to your goal weight. However, it is up to you to maintain it.

With weight loss, I do a couple of different things. I offer three different weight loss programs, Kinney said. I distribute phentermine here in the clinic so it is like a one-stop shop.

The first option, Tier 1, is a 12-week program that includes one visit each month with Kinney, a 30-day supply of phentermine if qualified, six bi-weekly fat-burning lipo shots and one Slim IV each month, totaling at $600.

Tier 2 is a 12-week program that includes one visit each month with Kinney, a 30-day supply of phentermine if qualified and six bi-weekly fat-burning lipo shots, totaling at $285.

Tier 3 is an a la carte program that includes monthly visits with Kinney as well as a 30-day supply of phentermine if qualified, totaling at $50.

I have had four patients now that have hit their goal weight, Kinney said. One reached hers in only four months and another met her goal weight in two to three months.

You are allowed to take phentermine for six months and then you are required to take a break. I have other medications such as Topamax because it is an appetite suppressant that you can take that for a whole year, she said.

I usually do not treat patients under the age of 18, Kinney said. If you are 16 or older and you come in with a parent, I can treat you.

Kinney has a large menu of signature IVs, wellness shots and injections.

When a customer comes in, they are instructed to fill out paperwork and Kinney reviews the forms with them. If there is no conflicting medical history or a contraindication, Kinney administers the IV the same day. There is no additional charge for coming in to receive an IV. A customer will only be charged for how much the IV costs. She also does sport, D.O.T. physicals and walk-in sick visits that do require a $75 fee.

I treat simple things like ear infections, UTIs, sore throat, flu and strep for much cheaper than an urgent care visit would be, she said.

Kinney also offers bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. This is typically for middle-aged people for replacements of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, she said.

This is one of those shops where people need this, they just do not know that the services are here, she said.

For more information about Definite Wellness, visit http://www.definitewellness.net, their Facebook page Definite Wellness, their Instagram @definitewellness, or call 434-0439.

Definite Wellness is located at 401 Wilson Ave. in the Coker building.

Continue reading here:
Definite Wellness brings definite results | Local News - Tullahoma News and Guardian

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Four years ago, Chuck Colletti, an athletic, gregarious family man from the suburbs of Pittsburgh who had never had any serious health issues, received a diagnosis of stage 4 follicular non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Soon after, Colletti, 54, began a grueling 7-month chemotherapy regimen that succeeded in putting him in remission.

However, just 7 months after completing the chemotherapy, his cancer came back in a more aggressive form.

At that point, Colletti opted for another traditional regimen of treatment: 4 weeks of Rituxan, a monoclonal antibody.

It didnt work.

A bone marrow transplant was then considered, but Colletti told Healthline that because he had failed two treatments, he was now qualified to enroll in a clinical trial of a new, experimental immunotherapy his doctor mentioned.

It was called chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapy, better known now simply as CAR-T.

I had been reading about CAR-T. I knew about it and I told my doctor I definitely wanted to do it, Colletti said.

He subsequently enrolled in the Zuma-5 clinical trial of a CAR-T therapy called axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta) from Kite, a Gilead company.

The trial was for the treatment of his lymphoma, which had transformed from follicular lymphoma into diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

The treatment, which came with some brief but serious side effects, has given him a lasting remission.

Im a very positive person. I know how lucky and blessed I am to receive CAR-T. There are many people trying to get it who still cant, said Colletti, who can now enjoy time again with his wife, Brandee, and their daughter, Gabriella.

Colletti is one of a number of people who report that CAR-T therapy not only conquered their cancer, but gave them a better quality of life afterward.

CAR-T involves collecting a persons T cells and genetically engineering them to produce special receptors on their surface that can recognize an antigen on targeted B cells.

The engineered T cells are then infused back into the person to find and attack cancer cells that have the targeted antigen on their surface.

In Collettis case, CAR-T not only gave him what appears to be a lasting remission, it changed his outlook on life.

Doing the CAR-T really made me much more aware of my need to help other people, he said. Not that Im not a compassionate person, but if you had told me 5 years ago that I would be doing public speaking or doing this interview with a journalist right now, well, I was always focused on doing things for work or with my family, just me and my family.

Colletti is now an advocate for his fellow lymphoma patients and for CAR-T, speaking about his cancer journey at Leukemia and Lymphoma Society events, podcasts, and conferences.

He says CAR-T isnt only saving peoples lives, its giving them an emotional boost and greater appreciation of life.

New research supports Collettis contention.

In the study published last month, participants with lymphoma whose disease was effectively treated with a CAR-T treatment called Kymriah reported that their treatment actually improved their quality of life and provided physical, social, and emotional benefits after their treatment was finished.

The study revealed marked improvement in a variety of self-reported quality of life issues.

This study confirms that if you have a long-term remission with CAR-T, your quality of life improves substantially, and in reality most patients return to normal life, said Dr. Constantine Tam, FRACP, FRCPA, a professor at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the University of Melbourne, and an expert in blood cancers.

Tam, an author of the study and member of the research team, told Healthline that the look at the quality of life of CAR-T patients was a companion study to the JULIET clinical trial of tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) for people with relapsed or refractory DLBCL (r/r DLBCL).

The average age of the trial participants was 56 years and representative of the population with r/r DLBCL in the community. People up to 76 years were included and 23 percent were 65 or older.

The aim of the research, Tam said, was to document changes in quality of life for patients who receive this treatment, which ultimately turned out to be therapeutically effective and hence led to its licensing for r/r DLBCL.

Colletti didnt take part in the study, but he generally agrees with the findings.

I remember how scary it was when I first got that phone call and they told me I had stage 4 follicular non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I know what these patients were feeling, he said.

For me, when I help other people and talk about it, it helps me. I dont sit there in doom and gloom and think about it coming back. I move forward in a positive way. And CAR-T is responsible for that, he explained.

The CAR-T participants were asked questions about their treatment and about CAR-T by the same research team that worked on the JULIET trial in multiple cancer centers in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Australia.

The researchers queried participants on their quality of life using two tools.

One assessed physical, social, emotional, and functional well-being as well as disease- and treatment-related symptoms.

The other looked at the participants physical and social function, health perception, and mental health.

Data was collected before treatment and then again at months 3, 6, 12, and 18 following treatment, unless the participants discontinued participation in the study or their disease progressed.

Out of 108 evaluated participants, 57 achieved a complete or partial response to the treatment.

Baseline scores on participant-reported quality of life outcomes were similar between the total patient population and those who responded to the therapy, but responsive patients demonstrated continued improvement in quality of life measures over time.

Their most significant improvements were in areas of general health, vitality, physical function, and social function.

Many patients with this advanced level of disease become depressed and withdraw, but here patients reported improved functional status, physical capabilities, and ability to interact with people, Dr. Richard Maziarz, a professor of medicine at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine and the studys lead author, said in a statement.

As we progress in our capacity to offer therapies to treat cancers, we have to ask: is it enough to just have our patients in remission or alive, or do we want them to be able to truly live again, and to re-enter society with full function?, he added.

For Colletti, there are a number of ways CAR-T therapy improves quality of life.

He says that for cancer patients, relying on the necessary poisons like chemotherapy and radiation is a double-edged sword.

We are killing the cancer but unfortunately also killing our healthy cells and organs, he said. Having the opportunity to receive CAR-T gives us a treatment that is not only less toxic than traditional regimens, but enables our body to battle this horrible disease from within.

Colletti says that having something inside your body that recognizes the disease cells and kills them is a welcome protocol.

I personally get up every morning thanking God for CAR-T. Knowing that my own body is now in control of my illness and the incredible power it has to keep killing my infected B cells is so reassuring, he said.

Basically having one CAR-T infusion and not months upon months of treatments is a blessing. I have always taken care of my body and now I really think my body is saying, It is time to take care of you, Colletti said.

He adds CAR-T gives him both a physical and emotional boost.

When you know you are an active part of the cure, it gives you such a confidence booster in continuing the fight, both mentally and physically, Colletti said.

It is also much more motivating to keep working on better lifestyle and health practices. When you take all of this and bundle it together, what you get is a more emotional, physical, and mental focus that is sometimes very hard to come by in traditional cancer battles. This is why I feel better about where I am now, he said.

As CAR-T progresses into the next generation and gets more efficient, patients like me will excel because of the knowledge that our own body is part of this solution. Seeing results, feeling results, and hearing complete remission is the ultimate goal. Maybe one day a simple transfusion of your bodys own reengineered cells will be the answer to curing the cancer for good. We can only hope, Colletti said.

Dr. Eric Ostertag, the CEO of Poseida Therapeutics, a San Diego biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation, nonviral gene engineering technologies like CAR-T, says hes not surprised by the positive emotional reaction patients have had to the immunotherapy.

CAR-T is hope for a cure. Its not just a chemo drug that you need to take every few weeks that can have horrible side effects, Ostertag told Healthline. With CAR-T, you can get long-term durable response, or a cure for some indications.

As example, Ostertag points to Byron Jenkins, a Navy pilot who was one of the first multiple myeloma patients in Poseidas clinical trial.

He is ex-military and had played football for [the] Navy. He worked out a lot. He was very fit. But after failing several therapies, he could not get out of bed. He had perhaps only weeks to a few months left to live, and he was getting weaker, Ostertag said.

But Jenkins responded well to CAR-T.

Two weeks later he walked out of the hospital, Ostertag said. Now, almost 2 years later, hes skiing again with his family, surfing, and running sprints with his son.

Ostertag says he doesnt usually get to meet the people who are treated with his companys products.

But he [Jenkins] tracked us down. He flew from the East Coast, the D.C. area, to San Diego unannounced and showed up at our front door to thank us, Ostertag said.

More here:
How CAR-T Immunotherapy Improves Quality of Life After Cancer Treatment - Healthline

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Elise Robinsons newest office mates are a ficus tree, its broad variegated leaves enjoying the light from a narrow window, and a pair of small succulents perched one above the other at the edges of bookshelves. And these are just a fraction of what Robinson has in her home in Wellesley, where an expansive sunroom mullioned windows on three sides, skylights above hosts a grove of citrus at one end (plus the worlds smallest olive tree on the windowsill) and a table with pots of everything from paperwhite narcissus bulbs to a Norfolk Island pine tree at the other.

This was Robinsons childhood ambition to have a house full of trees. The other was to understand how people make sense of the world, a question that has informed much of her autism research.

Growing up, I was very interested in the way people think and the way they relate to numbers and numeric logic, says Robinson, an institute member at the Broad and assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard University. At the time, she did not know the technical term to describe this: causal inference. But even so, her work like her habitat still reflects an adult version of who I was at 8.

Robinson also brings the expansive gaze and imagination she exhibited early on to her pursuit of science. Whereas many autism researchers are experts in their own arenas studying genes exclusively, for example, or deeply characterizing autistic peoples traits Robinson is a geneticist with a deep understanding of the conditions clinical presentation.

Elise recognized both sides of the equation as being important, says Mark Daly, Robinsons postdoctoral advisor and director of the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland at the University of Helsinki. She has really managed, I think in ways that havent been done very effectively before, to bring expertise on both sides together.

This ability led Robinson to explore the interplay between the different types of genetic variants that contribute to autism and to lead a study that aims to bring African populations into autism research on a scale no one has attempted before. This study, with scientists across three continents, is one of my favorite things about my job, she says. It was this beautiful blending of really nice, constructive, productive working relationships with people who are approaching it with different skills.

Robinson is among the few autism researchers who could pull off this cross-disciplinary project. Over the course of her career, she has switched fields multiple times, ranging from anthropology to epidemiology and digging into genetics only when she was already well into her postdoctoral work. Her generous and calm work style, as well as her shrewd experimental designs, have made her a sought-after collaborator. Somer Bishop, one frequent collaborator, told Robinson she wanted to talk on the phone at least once a month. I dont care what we talk about, says Bishop, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. Every time I have a conversation with her, I feel like, We can do this we can figure this out together.

Robinson grew up in Kensington, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Her mother was an elementary school teacher and her father a lawyer. Her younger sister is also a lawyer, as is Robinsons husband, Tom Byron. Robinson, too, has a way of choosing words carefully when she speaks that could be described as lawyerly precise and persuasive.

As a child, though, her favorite subject was mathematics. When she entered college at Dartmouth University in Hanover, New Hampshire, in 2001, she assumed she would major in mathematics or science, but she struggled to succeed in the formal, lecture-based classes. The things that made grade school and high school unpleasant for me just made college really, really difficult, she says.

She discovered anthropology by luck during her second year and loved it: The discipline played to her strength at working independently. Plus, I just liked it, she says, in a conspiratorial half-whisper. She immersed herself in trying to understand how people make sense of numbers and facts to develop beliefs about causation, questions she had pondered since childhood.

By the time she graduated from Dartmouth, she was ready to do what she describes as more activist research. She enrolled in a masters program in public health at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she investigated ways to minimize geographic disparities in access to services for people with developmental conditions. Through those two years, she says, I figured out that what I really like is statistics.

She specifically became interested in analyzing the heritability of social skills and autism traits. So she pivoted again, this time to a program in psychiatric epidemiology at Harvard. Her advisor there, epidemiologist Karestan Koenen, connected Robinson to other researchers including Angelica Ronald of Birkbeck University of London in the United Kingdom who had access to data from twin registries and long-term studies of child development.

Robinson immediately showed initiative and leadership that Koenen says is rare in someone at such an early stage of their career.

She showed the independence, and ability to initiate, and ability to lead these collaborations in a way that was Im not sure Ive seen it, Koenen says. Robinson finished the degree in three years instead of the more typical four or five. (Koenen is now another of Robinsons office mates, sharing space with the ficus and succulents.)

After finishing her degree, Robinson stayed at Harvard. Officially, she was a postdoctoral researcher mentored by Susan Santangelo, though she also continued to work closely with Ronald using data from those British studies. In 2013, one of Robinsons analyses yielded some of the strongest evidence then available to support the female protective effect, a leading hypothesis to explain the skewed sex ratio in autism.

No one had really looked at [the female protective effect] as a quantitative trait, in spite of knowing thats a more powerful method, says Stephan Sanders, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and one of Robinsons collaborators. The study was emblematic of Robinsons ability, he says, to distill big questions down to a testable hypothesis and then do a really good study about it.

There was one more turn to come in Robinsons path. One day in 2011, she got drawn into a scientific debate with a postdoctoral researcher in Dalys lab, psychiatric geneticist Benjamin Neale. No one remembers what the debate was about, but it got so heated that at some point they called Daly in to referee. Daly and Robinson got to talking and realized they were both interested in the idea of autism as one end of a continuum of typical traits. She joined his lab as a postdoctoral researcher not long after.

Robinson knew she was entering one of the top labs in the highly competitive, male-dominated field of psychiatric genetics, and with no prior training in genetics. But she was unflappable, Daly says. He attributes Robinsons ease in the situation to the fact that she was not driven by her ego or to score intellectual points: She just wanted to learn at her own pace and pursue questions that interested her.

For the statistically minded Robinson, dealing with genetic variants was not a huge scientific shift. Its really just a different kind of x variable, she says. Plus, as she sees it, genetics provides the cleanest, most powerful approach to her long-time interest in establishing cause and effect.

As her familiarity with genetics ramped up, Robinson contributed to a massive analysis showing that genetic variants linked to autism affect social and communication skills in the general population. She also mined data from existing studies to tackle one of the thorniest problems in autism genetics: the relative contributions to autism of rare and harmful spontaneous mutations versus common and mild inherited variants.

Soon after joining Dalys lab, Robinson began working with him on a grant application that enabled her to set up her own lab in 2013. The following April, she had her first child, a daughter; three years after that, she was named assistant professor of epidemiology and had a second daughter. Her other achievement of 2017 was the debut of a statistical method she had developed called the polygenic transmission disequilibrium test. Neale remembers Robinson leaping up in excitement when she realized the method could be a better way to investigate common variants linked to autism.

In the study, Robinson and her colleagues analyzed genetic data from more than 6,000 families to show that children with autism inherit more common variants associated with the condition than would be expected by chance. Robinson had been skeptical this would be the result. But as someone more interested in finding the correct answer than in proving she had been right all along, she welcomed the experience. That was a productive exercise, she recalls, laughing. I had a nice time figuring out that I was wrong.

For the first time in her career, she has also embarked on collecting genetic and clinical data, from more than 5,000 people in Kenya and South Africa1. Robinsons involvement expanded the projects scope and ambition, says its research director, Victoria de Menil. Before she was leading, the study was going to be much more opportunistic, de Menil says, and the researchers planned to collect brief, categorial data on a few variables. When [Robinson] came on board, she had this conviction that we needed to be doing very deep phenotyping.

That meant taking several months to identify detailed questionnaires that would yield reliable results, hiring additional staff members to administer the surveys and asking participating families for more of their time. Since late 2018, the team has collected data from about 1,000 participants.

Back in Boston, Robinson is also developing a lab that falls in line with her sensibilities. She tends to attract people who have backgrounds as unconventional and diverse as her own and gives them plenty of independence.

If you saw all of us present our research, it would seem very disparate and all over the place, but then Elise can put it all together and show how we are all working for a common goal, says Caitlin Carey, a postdoctoral researcher in Robinsons lab.

Robinson also encourages her lab members to maintain hobbies; her interest in horticulture leads by example: A bunch of people in the lab like plants, so were thinking more about what we as a group can grow.

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Elise Robinson: Untangling the roots of cause and effect - Spectrum

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