Regenerative medicinewhich involves regrowing damaged or dysfunctional cells, tissues, and organs, in order to treat and cure human diseaseholds great promise. Discoveries in stem cell research and tissue engineering as well as advances in regulatory and industry support have brought regenerative medicine treatments closer than ever to the clinic. Two areas showing particular potential are diabetes and vascular disease. Whether acquired or congenital, diabetes afflicts millions of people worldwide and presents a tremendous burden both in terms of physical deterioration and loss of economic capacity. Current treatments rely mainly on lifetime injections of exogenous hormones and palliative treatments with pharmaceuticals, neither of which can address the lack of properly functioning beta cells in the pancreas. Similarly, vascular diseases are among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. The ability to generate new, clinical-grade vascular tissue is critical to the long-term treatment of complications arising from ischemic injury, stroke, aneurisms, retinopathy, and other acute and chronic vascular conditions; significant progress has been made in using stem cell sources to produce this tissue. But what is needed to get such potentially transformative treatments over the finish line?

During this webinar, the speakers will:

This webinar will last for approximately 60 minutes.

University of Miami Miller School of MedicineMiami, FL

Juan Domnguez-Bendala, Ph.D., is director of the Stem Cell Development for Translational Research and research associate professor of surgery at the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Before joining the DRI faculty, he worked at the Roslin Institute (Scotland, United Kingdom) under the supervision of one of the creators of Dolly the sheep. He obtained his Ph.D. there and acquired considerable experience in embryonic stem cell research and state-of-the-art genetic engineering techniques. Working with other DRI faculty and international collaborators, Dr. Domnguez-Bendala is currently involved in several projects that focus on the use of stem cells to obtain pancreatic islets that could be safely and efficiently transplanted into patients with type 1 diabetes. He is also working on new methods for the endogenous regeneration of pancreatic beta cells.

Mayo ClinicRochester, MN

As deputy director of Translation for the Center for Regenerative Medicine, medical director of the Advanced Product Incubator, and director of the Van Cleve Cardiac Regenerative Medicine Program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Dr. Behfar has worked to establish off-the-shelf good manufacturing practice (GMP)-grade regenerative technologies. Over the last two decades, his program has engaged in evaluating cell-based technologies for restoration of skeletal and cardiac muscle function. During this time, he initiated clinical trials in heart failure along with Dr. Andre Terzic, using stem cells to restore cardiac function and treating over 400 patients. Through that experience, it was discovered that exosome secretion was the primary driver of the regenerative action of stem cells. More specifically, an exosome product was purified (termed purified exosome product, or PEP) from our regenerative platform that revealed massive biopotency in activating regeneration through mitogenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and provasculogenic influence. This discovery now serves as the basis for many preclinical and clinical efforts at Mayo Clinic.

Science/AAASWashington, D.C.

Dr. Oberst did her undergraduate training at the University of Maryland, College Park, and her Ph.D. in Tumor Biology at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. She combined her interests in science and writing by pursuing an M.A. in Journalism from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Oberst joined Science/AAAS in 2016 as the Assistant Editor for Custom Publishing. Before then she worked at Nature magazine, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Endocrine Society, and the National Institutes of Mental Health.

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Regenerative medicine today: Are diabetes and vascular disease treatments ready for the clinic? - Science Magazine

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

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Technological Growth of Autologous Stem Cell Based Therapies Market (2019-2025) | Business Overview, Product Specification and Top Manufactures &...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A few weeks ago, Mark Skylar-Scott and SbastienUzel,researchers working in Jennifer Lewis Lab at Harvards Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), came up with a breakthrough new technique that could one day provide organ tissues for therapeutic use. The method, called SWIFT (sacrificial writing into functional tissue), allows 3D printing to focus on creating the vessels necessary to support a living tissue construct.

All organs need blood vessels to supply their cells with nutrients, but most lab-grown organoids lack a supportive vasculature. This is where the SWIFT method comes into play, 3D printing vascular channels into living tissues. Two weeks ago, 3DPrint.com went into some of the main details of the research, but now we have gone straight to the source and spoken with two of the co-first authors of the paper, which came out on September 6 in Science Advances, to understand the process behind the method, as well as the collaborative work shaping the future of Harvards bioengineering aspirations.

Inspired by the 3D bioprinting techniques emerging from the Lewis lab and the community in general, Mark [Skylar-Scott] and I decided that is was time to tackle, head-on, the challenge of cell function and density, and tissue volume, which were keeping us from reaching organ manufacturing at therapeutic scale, revealed Uzel. Using patient-derived organoids or 3D cell spheroids as our building blocks appeared like a natural choice. They are cellularly dense and exhibit great functional and architectural similarities with the organs they are meant to mimic.

A branching network of channels of red, gelatin-based ink is 3D printed into a living cardiac tissue construct composed of millions of cells (yellow) using a thin nozzle to mimic organ vasculature.

Uzel went on to explain that the idea of this SWIFT printing process really took shape when we speculated that once jammed into a dense slurry, those organoids would behave as predicted by the science of colloid suspensions and therefore could serve as a supporting living matrix for the free form templating of perfusable vessels. The rest was many months of testing and optimization!

Both researchers and their colleagues found a way to pack living cells tightly enough together to replicate the density of the human body. Actually, they assembled hundreds of thousands of organ building blocks (OBBs) composed of patient-specific-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids, which offer a pathway to achieving tissues with the requisite cellular density, microarchitecture, and function required. At the same time, they introduced vascular tunnels via embedded 3D bioprinting in between the OBBs to mimic blood vessels that are needed to deliver fluids, like nutrients and oxygen, that are vital to survival.

As an example, the group of researchers created a perfusable cardiac tissue that fuses and beats synchronously over a seven-day period. The SWIFT biomanufacturing method enables the rapid assembly of perfusable patient and organ-specific tissues at therapeutic scales. What is so novel about the new lab-grown heart tissue is that it beats, just like a normal human heart, and has an embedded network of the blood vessels that would be needed to survive if it was ever transplanted into a patient. It still needs to be tested before it can be used in humans, and their channels arent yet truly blood vessels, but if the innovation works for heart tissue, the experts expect SWIFT could also be used for other organs.

Living embryoid bodies surround a hollow vascular channel printed using the SWIFT method.

We believe that this new technique addresses the technical roadblocks of cell density and manufacturing scalability. From a biology standpoint, making each building block more functional and performant, meaning being able to contract stronger in the context of cardiac tissues, for instance, is among the challenges that need to be overcome and will require gaining even more insights in pluripotent cell differentiation and how it can be recapitulated in vitro. We will also need to better emulate the multicellular and hierarchical complexity of the vessels as found in the human body, proposed Uzel.

The researchers consider that on the manufacturing side of the process, the cost of reagents for scaling up cell culture and differentiation will have to be drastically reduced for de novo organ manufacturing to be a viable option looking into the long term.

When it comes to considering SWIFT as one of the main advances in the last few years towards bioprinting organs, Skylar-Scott claims it would be presumptuous to say that SWIFT came out of a vacuum.

There have been many great works in this decade that have applied 3D printing to generate perfusable tissues, and our work builds on these efforts. What really does get us excited about SWIFT is how we have brought the matrix for embedded printing to life, and, by using organoids, we hope that SWIFT may serve as a bridge between the bottom-up self-assembly of developmental biology, and the top-down directed assembly of 3D printing, Skylar-Scott asserted. We can say, with reasonable certainty, that any successful engineering of a complex organ from scratch will require a combination of these two approaches.

The recent progress in the field of bioprinting has brought us a lot closer to the eventuality of 3D printed organs. The field is moving faster than we expected. Just five years ago, we were afraid to use the big O word [organs], but we are now, as a field, beginning to tentatively see a path forward, he continued.

SWIFT is one of the projects at Harvard that could ultimately be used therapeutically to repair and replace human organs with lab-grown versions containing patients own cells. There is actually so much research at Wyss and SEAS, from scaling up tissue engineering to engineering miniature kidneys, its even one of the first places where researchers entirely 3D-printed an organ-on-a-chip with integrated sensing. Moreover, the creation of highly-organized multicellular biological tissues and organoids is structurally diverse and complex, so tissue manufacturing techniques require extreme precision, making us wonder what type of bioprinter the researchers are using.

According to Skylar-Scott, they exclusively use custom made printers and extruders in the lab, that for the purposes of wacky experimentation, they offer the most versatility by far. He also suggests that these printers are large and expensive, but, for many processes, including SWIFT, were confident that it can be replicated with commercially available or open-source alternatives.

As part of the SWIFT project evolution, collaborations are underway with Wyss Institute faculty members Christopher Chen, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and director of the Tissue Microfabrication Laboratory at Boston University and Sangeeta Bhatia, Professor at MITs Institute for Medical Engineering & Science (IMES) and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (EECS), to implant these organ-specific tissues created by SWIFT into animal models and explore their host integration, as part of the 3D Organ Engineering Initiative, co-led by 3D printing pioneer and Wyss core faculty member, Jennifer Lewis, and Chen.

We are currently working on rodent models for our initial in vivo phase. Along with perfecting our technique and improving the performance of printed tissues, we are investigating how small vascularized SWIFT-printed cardiac constructs integrate within the animal and connect to the existing blood stream. Once confident that the SWIFT tissues behave appropriately in small animals, the hope is to move to larger chunks of tissue to be tested on larger animals, in preparation for tests in humans in the long run, revealed Uzel.

The collaborative work to make SWIFT a reality is a great example of integrating various disciplines and professionals into bioprinting projects.

A process like SWIFT combines various expertise, from developmental biology to materials science or mechanical engineering. The strength of the lab is that it is built around great talents in all those disciplines. The Lewis lab is roughly divided into bioprinting and non-bioprinting work, but the two groups share technologies, techniques, and printing inks very frequently, said Scott.

Tissues created without SWIFT-printed channels display cell death (red) in their cores after 12 hours of culture (left), while tissues with channels (right) have healthy cells.

He went on to explain that it is unlikely that 3D printing can print all length-scales of an organ from centimeter-scale ventricles to micrometer scale capillaries. So, we specifically designed the SWIFT process so that it can work with organoids being built by the stem cell and developmental biology communities. By bridging the 3D printing and organoid fields, we believe there is a great potential for collaboration, and have already heard from researchers interested in using SWIFT to test scaling up their organoid systems. This interest has come from all sorts of specialists in different organs, including kidney, liver, heart, and brain.

With so much going on, a typical day at the lab for Uzel and Skylar-Scott is not so typical. Although most of the daily tasks involve a combination of cell culture, printing ink formulation and characterization, CAD design and fabrication of printing and perfusion systems, tissue maintenance, imaging, and analysis. At busy times, Skylar-Scott says they could have upwards of four hours of work per day just to keep their cells fed, which has led to many long nights and weekends in the lab.

Similar to most academic labs, graduate students and postdocs all have two or three projects running in parallel.

For SWIFT, we had to culture so many cells for a single print, that we were only running about one print per week. Since staring at cells doesnt make them grow faster, it is often helpful to have a second project to focus on, joked Skylar-Scott.

For example, they are currently working on new 3D printer hardware technology and focused on testing the SWIFT printed tissues in vivo so they can begin to test for additional function. All in a days work.

See original here:
SWIFT: Uzel and Skylar-Scott are Paving the Way for the Future of Bioprinting - 3DPrint.com

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

TORONTO , Oct. 7, 2019 /CNW/ - TruTrace Technologies Inc. (CSE: TTT) (OTCQB: TTTSF) ("TruTrace"), creator of the first fully-integrated blockchain platform that registers and tracks intellectual property for the cannabis industry, and Sigma Analytical Services ("Sigma Analytical"), a provider of comprehensive testing and analytical services for the cannabis industry, today announced that the two companies have entered into a letter of intent ("LOI") to establish a strategic working relationship.

TruTrace Technologies Inc. (CNW Group/TruTrace Technologies Inc.)

Pursuant to the LOI, TruTrace plans to include Sigma Analytical as a genetics verification and testing partner in its blockchain-secured traceability ecosystem, and the parties will explore development and integration opportunities to rapidly expedite and optimize testing processes in the cannabis and hemp industries.

Sigma Analytical is also expected to participate in the TruTrace Technologies and Shoppers Drug Mart medical cannabis verification pilot program (the "Pilot Program") as a testing partner. The Pilot Program, which is designed to increase transparency, interoperability and product identification within the medical cannabis industry, uses TruTrace's StrainSecure technology as a central hub for identity management, asset tracking, validation, and product authentication.

"Sigma has been advancing the understanding of cannabis chemistry and has established a global scientific network of pioneers to facilitate standardizing testing and quality assurance in this new and promising field of science," said Ashton Abrahams , Chief Operating Officer of Sigma Analytical. "Working with TruTrace and Shoppers Drug Mart to track and trace the process and products will have significant synergy with what Sigma is doing and will be valuable to the fast-growing cannabis industry."

"We are pleased to add Sigma Analytical as a partner in our StrainSecure ecosystem," said TruTrace Technologies CEO Robert Galarza . "The Sigma team has established a track record of innovation in the cannabis industry and we look forward to collaborating with them as we continue to build out our platform and processes."

As a full-service testing and research GMP-compliant laboratory, Sigma Analytical offers comprehensive testing and analytical services, as well as R&D, and consulting in cannabis, hemp and derived products across North and South America . Equipped with the most advanced analytical instruments and validated SOPs, Sigma possesses a tremendous amount of acquired know-how and expertise in the areas of cannabis and hemp sample preparation, processing, digestion, method development, and analysis.

Under the StrainSecure program, the TruTrace team collects plant testing data and performs genomic verification in plant batches which are then registered in a blockchain-enabled database for intellectual property protection and strain validation. All information gathered from the plants, including their molecular and chemical makeup, can be tracked via the program.

About TruTrace Technologies:

TruTrace Technologies has developed the first integrated blockchain platform to register and track intellectual property in the cannabis industry. TruTrace's technology allows cannabis growers and breeders to identify and secure rights to their intellectual property. It also streamlines the administrative process and reduces the costs of genetic and mandatory quality-control testing for legal cannabis. TruTrace's technology is proprietary, immutable and cryptographically secure, thereby establishing an accurate and permanent account for cannabis strains from ownership to market.

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About Sigma Analytical Services

Sigma Analytical Services, headquartered in Toronto, Canada , is a unique full-service testing and research GMP-compliant laboratory offering comprehensive testing and analytical services, R&D, and consulting in cannabis and derived products along with consulting and high-level training for set-up and operation of cannabis quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) and R&D labs. Sigma Analytical maintains a global presence with projects and laboratories spanning North and South America , as well as several strategic partnerships with major analytical instrument providers, testing labs, producers, service providers, and universities across Canada , South America , United States , Europe and Australia . Sigma Analytical has emerged as a thought leader in advancing the understanding of cannabis chemistry and is establishing a global scientific network of pioneers to facilitate research and knowledge sharing in this new and promising field of science.

For more information about the company please contact us at +1 888 406 0016 or visit sigmaanalytical.com.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding: TruTrace's plans to include Sigma Analytical as a genetics verification and testing partner in its blockchain-secured traceability ecosystem, and that the parties will explore development and integration opportunities to rapidly expedite and optimize testing processes in the cannabis and hemp industries; Sigma Analytical's expected participation in the Pilot Program as a testing partner; and that Sigma Analytical working with TruTrace and Shoppers Drug Mart to track and trace the process and products will have significant synergy with Sigma Analytical's operations and will be valuable to the fast-growing cannabis industry. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that it will prove to be correct and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Forward-looking information necessarily involves known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with: the ability of the parties to rapidly expedite and optimize testing processes in the cannabis and hemp industries; the Pilot Program, including its intended scope, characteristics, and perceived benefits; the ability of TruTrace Technologies' platform to increase transparency, interoperability and product identification within the medical cannabis industry; general economic conditions; adverse industry events; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments in Canada , the United States , and elsewhere; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; and other risks beyond the Company's control. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information contained in this news release. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is provided as of the date of this news release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

Sigma Analytical Services (CNW Group/TruTrace Technologies Inc.)

SOURCE TruTrace Technologies Inc.

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2019/07/c3486.html

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TruTrace Technologies and Sigma Analytical to Collaborate on Genetic Testing for Cannabis - Yahoo Finance

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

FAIRMONT, W.Va. The DNA service 23andMe is known for checking your ancestry, but a woman from Fairmont recently found out she had Celiacs Disease through their health test.

23andMes genetic test requires the customer to spit into a tube, which is then sent to their laboratory, where they can test genetics for health predispositions, ancestry, wellness, carrier status and traits. The service outlines the results on their mobile app.

I originally got it because theres a lot of diabetes on one side of my family. Both my grandmothers had mastectomies due to breast cancer and my mom had the aggressive form of ovarian cancer, said Carolyn Mayes, The thing that stuck out to me the most is that I have a higher risk of Celiac disease. Ive never heard of that and neither did my husband.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease where eating gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. Mayes said when she started reading the symptoms, it started to make sense.

I always had migraines that never went away and my dad said, Why dont you do Tylenol? I said, Tylenol doesnt work for me,' Mayes explained. I always try to donate blood and each time I can never do it because my iron was always low. I asked my doctor, Can you test me for Celiac disease? And I came back with my test results and I was positive for Celiac disease.

Since then, Mayes eats a strict gluten-free diet.

And I can tell with certain things, like I started getting nauseated really quickly. I dont feel good. And I just automatically can tell, and now I get bloated, said Mayes, I have to be aware of certain medications now. Even vitamins, all my medications have to say certified gluten free.

Those who use 23andMe can test their likelihood of many diseases, including Alzheimers, Parkinsons and certain types of cancer. The company can list genetic health risks and if you are a carrier for certain conditions. However, 23andMe does not diagnose any health conditions.

Any time a customer receives a variant detected result, its important for them to partner with their healthcare provider and get that confirmed in a clinical setting, said Altovise Ewing, medical liaison for 23andMe.

Because Celiacs Disease is a hereditary condition, Mayes said she knows what health conditions to look for in her children, and now she wants her husband to get tested, too. She said her daughter is already showing symptoms of a gluten intolerance.

I know like most people are kind of wary about like genetic testing done, but I feel like its really important to know what your genetics are because I wouldnt have even known I had Celiac disease and I ate bread. All my friends have said, Carolyn youre eating sandwiches every single day. I was like, I love bread, said Mayes. I wouldve never known I have Celiac disease, and I would continue [to eat gluten], and I know Celiac untreated lifelong can give you intestinal cancer or colon cancer and it can do a lot of damage within your body. So I was really glad I did 23andMe.

More:
Marion County woman finds out she has Celiac disease through ancestry test - WBOY.com

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Humans have been selectively breeding animals for thousands of years: cows that produce more milk, pigs that grow to larger sizes, sheep that have thicker wool. Genetic testing, which has become faster and more accessible, has made this process even easier.

So why not do the same with oysters?

Oyster hatcheries already try to breed animals with characteristics that make them more marketable, like meatier bodies or specific shell shapes. But the briney bivalves currently face threats from warming oceans and several parasitic diseases. The traits that could help them survive are harder to spot.

Now, a group of shellfish geneticists is trying to help the oyster industry select for the traits that will make oysters both thrive in their environment and melt in your mouth.

Theres a lot of room for improvement to breed a better oyster, says Katie Lotterhos, an assistant professor of marine and environmental sciences at Northeastern. Were bringing in new expertise and new tools into the industry that will help increase productivity.

Lotterhos is part of the Eastern Oyster Breeding Consortium, a group of researchers from 12 institutions, which recently received a grant from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to develop new tools to help oyster hatcheries choose the right oysters to breed.

The group is specifically focused on the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, which ranges from the Atlantic coast of Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. While these animals are all the same species, they have different adaptations depending on the region where they are found, Lotterhos says. Animals in the south may be better able to handle warm water, while those growing near the mouths of rivers might be adapted to water with less salt in it.

So instead of just thinking about one trait, like disease, were trying to breed for multiple traits, Lotterhos says.

Oysters are what scientists call broadcast spawners, which means that when the timing is right, they eject eggs and sperm into the water around them and leave the rest to chance. This doesnt make it easy for growers, whose farms are typically located in coastal areas open to the ocean, to ensure that the right oysters are reproducing, or even staying on the farm.

Instead, most growers purchase seed (baby oysters about the size of your fingernail) from hatcheries, where oysters are encouraged to spawn in a more controlled environment. With the help of genetic analysis, hatcheries could provide oyster seed that is specifically tailored to particular regions and resistant to certain diseases, ensuring that more of the oysters survive to adulthood.

In individuals of the same species, the vast majority of their genetic code is identical. But scattered throughout that code are occasional variations called single nucleotide polymorphisms (which researchers write as SNPs and pronounce as snips).

Members of the consortium previously sequenced the entire genomes of eastern oysters growing as far south as Louisiana and as far north as Maine. Lotterhos and her colleagues will be analyzing these sequences to figure out which variations are tied to important oyster traits.

They will be compiling the small segments of DNA that contain those variations on a tool called a SNP chip (snip chip). Oyster hatcheries will be able to use the SNP chip to determine which of their oysters have these same desirable traits.

Once you know which genetic markers contribute to certain traits, like disease resistance, you can use individuals that have those markers in the breeding process, Lotterhos says.

The hope is to breed a better oyster able to cope with changing ocean conditions and also appeal to restaurants and other customers. The slimy, salty experience of eating a raw oyster may not be for everyone (Lotterhos admits theyre not her favorite food), but for the bivalve buff in your life, this research could provide a ray of hope on the half shell.

For media inquiries, please contact media@northeastern.edu.

More here:
How to breed a better oyster - News@Northeastern

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Stock image.

Every year, many seniors are targeted by scammers who want to steal their Medicare numbers to do things like rack up fake health care charges and commit identity theft. These scams hurt seniors and other people eligible for Medicare, cost taxpayers money and result in higher health care costs for everyone. The good news is that you can protect yourself from fraud and help Medicare stop scammers in their tracks.

The first step in protecting yourself from Medicare fraud is knowing how to spot it. Over time, scammers have become very sophisticated. One of the latest scams you should look out for concerns genetic testing. Scammers are offering free genetic tests and claiming Medicare will cover it, so they can get your Medicare number and use it to commit fraud and identity theft. Other Medicare scams include offers for free or reduced-price medical equipment, consultations or health services. These scams can happen anywhere, including through telemarketing calls, health fairs and even knocking on doors.

Last year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) removed Social Security numbers from all Medicare cards. Even with this change, people with Medicare should still guard their Medicare card and treat it like a credit card, check Medicare claims summary forms for errors, and be wary of any unsolicited requests for your Medicare number. Medicare will never call beneficiaries to ask for or check Medicare numbers.

DO protect your Medicare number and treat your Medicare card like its a credit card.

DO remember that nothing is ever free. Dont accept offers of money or gifts for free medical care.

DO review your Medicare claims for errors and problems, including things like fake charges, double billing or other fraudulent activity, waste or abuse.

DO visit medicare.gov/fraud to learn more about how you can protect yourself from Medicare fraud.

DONT give your Medicare card or Medicare number to anyone except your doctor or people you know should have it.

DONT accept medical supplies, equipment or genetic testing kits from door-to-door salesmen or solicitors at a mall or fair.

DONT let anyone persuade you to receive health care services you dont need, such as genetic testing. Only make these decisions with your doctor.

If you think you may have spotted fraud, you should report it right away. No matter how minimal the information you share is, it could be the missing piece to stopping the next fraud scheme. If you are a victim of fraud, know you wont be penalized or lose your coverage for reporting it. Even if you are not a victim, its important to report any fraud scams you encounter to Medicare. Report suspected fraud by calling 1-800-MEDICARE which is: 1 (800) 633-4227, or online through the Office of the Inspector General.

More:
Community: Protecting Yourself from Medicare Fraud (10/7/19) - Southeast Missourian

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Many of us rely on makeup as the secret to eternal youth. From covering up dark circles with concealer to adding a flush of colour with a rosy blush it's the perfect little pick-me-up.

But, of course, it's never that simple.

And if you're using the wrong products or the wrong techniques, you may not end up quite as fresh faced as you had hoped.

From using too much powder foundation to forgetting to use SPF, many of our go-to habits could actually be making us look older.

We speak to skin expert Paul Banwell to find out exactly what we should and shouldn't be doing.

To keep your skin hydrated, Paul says you can use simple methods to keep looking youthful.

He says: You can use a high intensity moisturiser, or use indigestible products like a liquid collagen drink - I recommend Skinade, the leading collagen drink which is carefully formulated, a mixture of vitamins and minerals which results in optimal skin health.

Wearing oil based products can clog pores and cause breakouts.

Paul says: The effects of clogged pores can be aided with medical facials like the photogenic facial from TBC Skin atelier, or microdermabrasion, followed by Dermalux LED treatments.

Alternatively, I'd recommend a hydroxyacid boost for pH equilibrium and chemical exfoliation - Rationale's Catalyst Range is best.

However, you can also make a difference by making small changes at home.

Paul says: Similarly, overusing fragranced and alcohol based products may dry out the skin, and in turn cause premature lines and wrinkles.

Try to use oil free products, and aim to use hydrating foundations and creams.

Pollution can be responsible for skin dryness, dullness, clogged pores and skin ageing.

Paul says: Some tips for shielding your skin from pollution are wearing sunscreen, using a good moisturiser to create a barrier between your skin and pollutants and double cleansing your skin - use a product like the Rationale Catalyst cleanser.

Sun exposure, both UV and infrared, can result in sunburn which also causes ageing issues for the skin as the years pass.

They're often credited with giving us a matte, flawless finish but powder foundations can be one of the worst culprits when it comes to ageing. Paul says: Avoid powders, as they tend to set into the fine lines of wrinkles which can make your skin look flaky.

For immune protection, and a product which can be used during a Sunday night ritual to make your skin look fresh and luminous for the week ahead which means you won't need to wear foundation, use the immunologist mask - to be performed weekly (the pot lasts 6 months).

It hydrates and reduces inflammation in problem/ sensitive skin.

While concealers are great for hiding flaws and imperfections, they can also draw attention to any unwanted lines and wrinkles.

Paul says: Concealers might be covering the dark circles, but they also accentuating fine lines, so make sure to only apply concealer to the inner half of your under eye.

Prepping the skin before wearing makeup is also key to a youthful glow. Paul says: Skin around the eyes is thinner that the rest of your face and shows age faster!

Eye creams and products that contain Retin A, a form of vitamin A, are most effective and promote the stimulation of collagen and elastin to tighten the skin.

Suncream shouldn't just be reserved for your annual holiday or trips to the beach. Rather, it should be part of your daily skincare regime.

Paul explains: UV exposure causes 90% of skin damage. Even people who already have signs of premature skin ageing can benefit from making lifestyle changes.

We should all be protecting our skin by using SPF 30 or higher which gives your skin a chance to repair some of the damage.

Fine lines and wrinkles absolutely have a part to play here too, and the best way to eradicate these is through protecting the skin against phototoxic damage and minimising loss of skin integrity.

Collagen peptides in a drink like Skinade will increase collagen turnover and are proven to minimise fine lines.

At the Banwell clinic, we offer Ultimate Sunscreen protection with Rationale B3-T, which will ensure skin is not affected as strongly when in sunlight.

After a long day, it can be tempting to just roll into bed without a second thought for your skin. But you may end up paying the price as a result.

Paul says: Sleeping in your makeup can result in the breakdown of healthy collagen which leads to premature skin ageing. Make sure to take your makeup off thoroughly, and Id recommend a Plasma Shower facial to boost cleansing of the skin, using stem cell technology.

Plasma showers alone help improve texture and quality of skin but can be boosted by various mesotherapy treatments including stem cells, hyaluronic acid and vitamins.

Essentially it encourages hydration, which is essential for optimum physiological functioning of the skin and to optimise all biological processes and immune protection.

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Make-up mistakes that make you look older - and item that should go in the bin - Mirror Online

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) In a dish sits a human liver.

Not removed from a person, but created from scratch.

Its not like wahoo and the next morning you think, ah, Im gonna make a human liver,' says Dr. Alejandro Soto-Gutirrez of the Pittsburgh Liver Research Center.

It took five years of trial and error but using stem cells, genetic and tissue engineering, organ cultures and a team of experts in these areas, the researchers have come up with this.

Alexandra Collin de Lhortet, Ph.D. of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine explains the process.

A rat liver gets stripped of its cells so that only the connective tissue remains.

From a small piece of human skin, the scientists pluck out stem cells and coax them into becoming human liver cells and the cells are collected.

Then theyre injected into the chamber, called a bioreactor, where they take up residence in the empty rat liver.

The entire process from gathering the cells to make a liver, to get to this point, where you have an actual mini human liver in a bioreactor, takes several months.

It will stay alive, or viable, for only a few days.

But in that short time, the researchers can try different medicines to treat the diseased liver.

You could test any sort of therapeutic by simply injecting this chemical through the system, says Dr. Collin.

In the past, animal livers played a role in this kind of research but human livers didnt always respond in the same way.

With this system, the cells have had genetic modification to recreate diseases, for example, fatty liver, a growing problem in the United States.

This technology has the potential for personalized medicine. From your skin cells, they could grow your own mini liver to figure out which medicines would work for you.

I believe its a very good biological tool to screen treatments that are not otherwise being tested in humans themselves because its dangerous, says Dr. Soto.

As its designed, it would be a long stretch to create livers for transplantation.

If you mean how far we are to make actual livers for people, I think we are very far away. Were probably many years away. But this is a good step, Dr. Soto says.

More:
After 5 Years Of Trials, Doctors Create Human Liver From Scratch - CBS Pittsburgh

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Jenni Murray is spot on staying slim can take its toll on your features, says Christa DSouza

I do love Jenni Murray. For telling it like it is. For those of you not aware of the comments she made at the Henley literary festival, let me recap for you. She recalled the advice given to her by Barbara Cartland Jenni, you know, when you get older you sacrifice your face or your figure. Dont sacrifice your face, just sit down a lot. Murray went on to explain how, despite having gone through a gastrectomy to lose weight, she had, at the age of 69, decided to follow Babss advice because she didnt want to end up looking like Nigel Lawson. And thats no insult to Nigel Lawson, she went on to say in her mellifluous, unbitchy way, but you know, when he

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Do you have 'diet face'? It's everywhere | Times2 - The Times

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PURE Cell Facial

Stem cells are controversial in medicine, but not in beautyat least not when it comes to the PURE Cell Facial available at the PURE Spa inside the Pelican Grand on Fort Lauderdale beach. The live roseroot stem cells used during this 80-minute service travel deep into the pores to regenerate skin and stimulate collagen. The spa is one of only two locations to offer the treatment, which uses products from Maria kerberg. Products are deepened into the skin using a mask that feels as thick as the molds orthodontists stick in your mouth to create retainers. The treatment makes the skin look tighter, and results can last four to six weeks. (2000 N. Ocean Blvd.,Fort Lauderdale; 954.556.7600) - Alyssa Morlacci

Forget everything you thought you knew about a relaxing massage and prepare yourself for ultimate bliss with the help of a quartz sand bed. Lucky for South Floridians, The Spa at Auberge Beach in Fort Lauderdale offers the award-winning, state-of-the-art Gharieni Quartz Treatment table (only one of two in South Florida) known to ionize the air, which supports the immune system and helps purify the body. During a massage, tight muscles are soothed with quartz sand poultices, targeting specific areas of concern. Guests interested in trying the bed can do so when booking the Resort and Balance Massage, the Quartz Sand Sound and CBD Wrap, or the Quartz Massage with Amethyst Oil. (2200 N. Ocean Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 754.900.4067) - Melissa Puppo

This month, relax and rejuvenate with a wealth of treatments and packages starting at $99. Portions of proceeds benefit five local charities in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Four Seasons ResortPalm Beach

Take part in the 100-minute Pink Oceana Experience Package, which features a warm scalp treatment and massage and warmed application of a detoxifying ancient ocean clay wrap mixed with exfoliating Himalayan salt, all followed by a full-body Himalayan Salt Stone Massage. The treatment also includes your choice of sparkling ros or antioxidant-infused hibiscus tea and a Himalayan Salt Detox Bath Soak to take home. Enjoy pool, beach and fitness room access, in addition to a voucher for breakfast or lunch, and a 10-percent discount on all spa retail.(2800 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach; 561.582.2800; $390)

Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa

For a facial thats ideal for all skin types, book the Si-Rose Facial Treatment. During the 50-minute treatment, rose extracts and rosehip oil help skin to restore vital hydration and balance. Its then followed by a warmed rose quartz massage to help increase circulation. (3800 N. Ocean Drive, Riviera Beach; 561.340.1755; $99)

The Sanctuary Salon & Spa

Get the best of both worlds with the Fire & Ice Sensation Package. This treatment includes a harmonized, rhythmic massage utilizing hot and cold remedies designed to reduce stress, relax and detoxify the body. Organic oil blends are then warmed for a custom therapeutic conditioning treatment before finishing up with a designer blowout. (101 N. Clematis St., Ste.115, West Palm Beach; 561.721.9648; $99)

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Must-Try Spa Treatments During The Palm Beaches' Spa And Wellness Month - Jupiter Magazine

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --AIVITA Biomedical, Inc., a biotech company specializing in innovative stem cell applications, today announced the publication of an article titled "Preliminary observations on soluble programmed death-1 protein as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with patient-specific autologous vaccines" in the oncology journal Oncotarget. Robert O. Dillman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at AIVITA, and other key members of the AIVITA team authored the article.

The publication suggests that because of its role as an immune checkpoint, levels of soluble programmed cell death protein-1 (sPD-1) could be useful as a prognostic biomarker or predictive biomarker in cancer patients treated with vaccines. The authors theorized that very low blood levels of sPD-1 may indicate lack of an existing anti-cancer immune response, while very high levels may indicate an active immune response that is suppressed. In between these extremes, a decrease in PD-1 following cancer vaccine injections may indicate an enhanced immune response that has not been suppressed.

Blood samples were obtained at baseline and four weeks later during a randomized trial in which patients with metastatic melanoma were treated with either AIVITA's immunotherapy, or an active control article. Median survival was more than twice as long in patients treated with AIVITA's immunotherapy. The combination of a very low baseline sPD-1, or absence of a very high PD-1, at baseline followed by a decline in sPD-1 at week-4 of the study was predictive of surviving 3 or more years in patients treated with AIVITA's immunotherapy, but not with the control article. Among patients treated with AIVITA's immunotherapy, these sPD-1 criteria appropriately classified 80% of 3-year survivors, and 86% of patients who did not survive three years.

"These observations suggest that sPD-1 may be a useful biomarker for melanoma patients being treated with our platform immunotherapy, and/or to predict efficacy after only three injections," said Dr. Robert O. Dillman, Chief Medical Officer at AIVITA. "We look forward to confirming these results in larger studies and investigating whether it can predict response in other cancers."

AIVITA is currently conducting three clinical studies investigating its platform immunotherapy in patients with ovarian cancer, glioblastoma and melanoma. AIVITA uses 100% of proceeds from the sale of its ROOT of SKIN skincare line to support the treatment of women with ovarian cancer.

CLINICAL TRIAL DETAIL

OVARIAN CANCER

AIVITA's ovarian Phase 2 double-blind study is active and enrolling approximately 99 patients who are being randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either the autologous cancer stem cell-targeting immunotherapy or autologous monocytes as a comparator.

Patients eligible for randomization and treatment will be those (1) who have undergone debulking surgery, (2) for whom a cell line has been established, (3) who have undergone leukapheresis from which sufficient monocytes were obtained, (4) have an ECOG performance grade of 0 or 1 (Karnofsky score of 70-100%), and (5) who have completed primary therapy. The trial is not open to patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.

For additional information about AIVITA's AVOVA-1 trial patients can visit: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02033616

GLIOBLASTOMA

AIVITA's glioblastoma Phase 2 single-arm study is active and is enrolling approximately 55 patients to receive the cancer stem cell-targeting immunotherapy.

Patients eligible for treatment will be those (1) who have recovered from surgery such that they are about to begin concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CT/RT), (2) for whom an autologous tumor cell line has been established, (3) have a Karnofsky Performance Status of > 70 and (4) have undergone successful leukapheresis from which peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained that can be used to generate dendritic cells (DC). The trial is not open to patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

For additional information about AIVITA's AV-GBM-1 trial please visit: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03400917

MELANOMA

AIVITA's melanoma Phase 1B open-label, single-arm study will establish the safety of administering anti-PD1 monoclonal antibodies in combination with AIVITA's cancer stem cell-targeting immunotherapy in patients with measurable metastatic melanoma. The study will also track efficacy of the treatment for the estimated 14 to 20 patients. This trial is not yet open for enrollment.

Patients eligible for treatment will be those (1) for whom a cell line has been established, (2) who have undergone leukapheresis from which sufficient monocytes were obtained, (3) have an ECOG performance grade of 0 or 1 (Karnofsky score of 70-100%), (4) who have either never received treatment for metastatic melanoma or were previously treated with enzymatic inhibitors of the BRAF/MEK pathway because of BRAF600E/K mutations and (5) are about to initiate anti-PD1 monotherapy.

For additional information about AIVITA's AV-MEL-1 trial please visit: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03743298

About AIVITA Biomedical

AIVITA Biomedical is a privately held company engaged in the advancement of commercial and clinical-stage programs utilizing curative and regenerative medicines. Founded in 2016 by pioneers in the stem cell industry, AIVITA Biomedical utilizes its expertise in stem cell growth and directed, high-purity differentiation to enable safe, efficient and economical manufacturing systems which support its therapeutic pipeline and commercial line of skin care products.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aivita-biomedical-announces-publication-concerning-a-predictive-biomarker-for-melanoma-patients-treated-with-the-companys-platform-immunotherapy-300929591.html

SOURCE AIVITA Biomedical, Inc.

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AIVITA Biomedical Announces Publication Concerning a Predictive Biomarker for Melanoma Patients Treated with the Company's Platform Immunotherapy -...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

One of the biggest barriers to entry for a regular dry brushing technique is finding a brush that's right for you. Of course you'll want something that's simultaneously exfoliating, encourages lymphatic drainage, and is comforting to the touchbut that likely means different things for different people. And, thus, people will respond differently to various brush strengths. Then there's the question of shape preference: do you like a handle or something handheld? Also, if you're vegan, you'll need to opt for a synthetic or natural plant-derived option, like sisal bristles, which are made from agave fibers. Then there's where you want to be doing the dry brushing, be it your whole body, just your face, or both.

While some of these answers are obvious (face versus body, vegan versus non), some take some guessing-and-testing: You likely won't know what type of handle you like until you try, nor will you know what bristle strength you're looking for. But a good rule of thumb is beginners should default to softer bristles, as they don't know how their skin will react, while more advanced can feel comfortable experimenting with stiffer options.

Here, we gathered the best on the market, with a wide variety of variables, so you can find one that will work for you.

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9 Of The Best Dry Brushes For Head-To-Toe Exfoliation - mindbodygreen.com

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The young Israeli patient I visited in the isolation room at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston in the late 1970s was very ill. Ravages of the disease and its harsh treatment were clearly evident.

Diagnosed with a uniformly terminal disease, he had traveled to this renowned center in the Longwood Medical Area to be treated with a newly developed regimen of aggressive therapy. This world-famous academic hub is the medical campus where Harvard Medical School and many of its affiliated hospitals are all located. Major breakthroughs in medicine were developed here, including the first curative treatment of leukemia, the first kidney transplant, the first use of an electrical current to restore heart rhythm. It was here that creative man leaped forward with innovative advances that saved lives.

At the time I was a post-doctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School. Our family resided several houses from the Ravs daughters home where the Rav was living, and our Maimonides community was fortunate to be able to spend eight to ten hours with the Rav every weekend in prayer and in learning. The creative gesture so central to the Ravs philosophy of halakhic man is a prime characteristic of biomedical research, and my oscillation between the universe of cutting edge biomedical research and the world of Torah learning with the Rav, while worlds apart, was harmonious. With the Rav often expressing curiosity about aspects of my research, I began to intuit that the work might not be merely creative but in fact a religious gesture.

A central theme in the Ravs weltanschauung is his emphasis on halakhic mans creative gesture. Ish haHalakhahs mission and continuous challenge are to heal and repair a purposely flawed world, for in the creation process a modicum of chaos was formed prior to the worlds creation and deliberately injected into both organic and inorganic matter, including into man himself.[1]

Man himself symbolizes, on the one hand, the most perfect and complete type of existence, the image of God, and, on the other hand, the most terrible chaos and void to reign over creation.[2] In order to enable man to cope with his inexorable chaos and sin, the tool of repentance was also created prior to the worlds formation (Pesahim 54a).

In a reference to creative introspection in Eight Chapters, Maimonides states: The perfect man needs to inspect his moral habits, weigh his actions, and reflect upon the state of his soul every single day. Whenever he sees his soul inkling toward one of the extremes, he should rush to cure it and not let the evil state become established (chap. 4).

Max Scheler, an early proponent of positive creative repentance, points out that modern philosophy, on the other hand, sees in retrospection and repentance mostly a negative, superfluous, uneconomical act due to disharmony of the mind and ascribed to lack of thought, sickness or various illusions..[3]

Emulating Maimonides, the Rav emphasizes an essential continuous remodeling, a re-creation of the sinners self as being a healthy, critically indispensable creative process. Halakhic man is engaged in self-creation, in creating a new I. He does not regret an irretrievably lost past but a past still in existence, one that stretches into and interpenetrates with the present and the future.[4]

The Ravs perspective on repentance is related to Schelers definition of creative repentance and to Henri Bergsons distinction between subjective, qualitative time-perception versus chronos, quantitative objective time. Both Scheler and Bergson ascribe to the principle of memory and experiential plasticity. The concept of plasticity, the property of being easily molded and remolded, has received intense scientific attention in the last decade, especially as related to the field of memory and neuroscience.

The presumed inability of the brain to generate new cells or to establish new neural networks is currently vigorously challenged and has indeed been proven incorrect. The process by which man can modify imprinted memories to affect his present and future behavior pattern is currently under scientific investigation. Epigenetic biochemical modifications of DNA and changes in neural networks triggered by ongoing experiences have been documented to alter both content and intensity of memories. The association between past triggering stimuli and the resurfacing of memories and behavior patterns has been shown to be moldable utilizing imaging and histological techniques. Previous memories can be reinforced, intensified, modified, or completely erased.

We no longer look at our genetic makeup and the mature brain as a fixed template that predicts our phenotype, and no longer are our memories an unalterable code. Rather, increasingly, biochemical data support the idea that they are templates upon which environmental and emotional stimuli can impact. Biochemical changes in the brain triggered by environmental and behavioral patterns were identified in identical twins raised in different environments. Scientists have defined conditions in which terminally differentiated cells, such as mature skin cells, which we assumed could never return to their embryonic pluripotent stem-cell status, have in fact definitively reverted and reprogrammed to evolve into new cell types. Recent reports have described the astonishing generation of live mice from skin cells reengineered to be ova.

If cells can revert to their embryonic state, if gene expression can be reprogrammed, if the brain can generate new nerve cells and establish new neural networks, the view of repentant man as a biologically defined new self is viable.

David Anderson from the California Institute of Technology describes a fascinating neuro-anatomical observation. The center in the brain that orchestrates emotion is the amygdala. It communicates with the hypothalamus, which houses the cells that control instinctive behavior like parenting, feeding, mating, fear, and fighting. Anderson found that a nucleus of cells within the hypothalamus contain two distinct populations of neurons: one that regulates aggression and one that regulates mating. About 20 percent of the cells in this nucleus are active both during mating activity and during aggressive behavior, which suggests that these two circuits are linked. How does the brain regulate these mutually exclusive behavior patterns? Anderson found that depending on the specific stimuli applied to this area it can trigger either mating activity or aggression.

Perhaps creating a new self through repentance from love (On Repentance, pp. 163) is associated with using mechanisms previously utilized for aggression and fear for productive activity such as love and fertility. A similar idea is found in the Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 156a): He who is born under Mars will be a shedder of blood. Rabbi Ashi said: Either a surgeon, a thief, a slaughterer, or a circumciser. Through biochemical processes induced by the intense experiences of the teshuvah process confession, sacrifice, remorse, shame and a commitment to a new I a new self can emerge.

* * *

A decade after I visited the seriously ill young man at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, the facility where chaos reigns and where creative man is faced with overwhelming challenges, I attended a scientific conference in Tiberias, burial place of Maimonides. I learned that a daily minyan was available at a nearby archeological site of an ancient synagogue on the shores of the magnificent Sea of Galilee. I was welcomed by a group of yeshiva students from Bnei Brak who had been coming weekly to maintain a minyan at this historical site.

Following services I was approached by a bearded man, who inquired:Are you Dr. Goldberg?

Since I had never practiced medicine in Israel I was surprised to be addressed as a physician.

Do you remember me? he asked. I am that patient you visited at the Dana Farber so many years ago. I am healthy, married and have several children.

The Prophets and the Torah as well recognized a strong connection between sin and illness on the one hand and between repentance and healing on the other (On Repentance, p. 80).

Through the creative gesture both the body and the spirit can be remodeled and healed.

Notes:

1. See Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Halakhic Man (Philadelphia, 1983), p. 102.

2. Halakhic Man, p. 109.

3. Max Scheler, On the Eternal in Man (New Brunswick, NJ, 2010), p. 36.

4. Halakhic Man, p. 113.

View original post here:
On creativity, plasticity and repentance - Arutz Sheva

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

LAS VEGAS: Can a skincare line actually have an impact on self-esteem, emotional wellbeing and even your sense of belonging? haia (Happy as I Am) - the new gender neutral, 360-degree wellness skincare line that industry leader, Michael Bruggeman, is debuting at ISPA 2019 - aims to do exactly that by going more than just skin deep.

A 2018 CDC study found suicide is at its highest rate in the U.S. in half a century. According to the World Health Organization, 300 million people have been diagnosed with depression. According to stopbullying.gov, 1 in 4 students have experienced bullying. Bruggeman decided to offer help from the outside in, via the industries he knows the best - skincare and wellness.

Ten years ago, he co-founded the first natural, professional spa brand for men, OM4 MEN, Organic Male, this year he founded the charitable foundation and leadership Institute, One Well World and four years ago, he became chair of the Global Wellness Institute's Beauty Meets Wellness Initiative.

Bruggeman couldn't help but notice a recurring theme when he conducted international roundtables with industry stakeholders in New York, London, Paris, Los Angeles and Hong Kong; when he spearheaded a Global Consumer Insights Study; and when he attended wellness summits around the world. People yearned to feel good about themselves - no matter their size, shape, race, gender or sexual proclivity - and be confident in who they were. And then there's the happy reality that natural, eco-conscious and clean products are the fastest growing segment in skincare and beauty. That kind of feedback inspired Bruggeman's decision to create haia.

Since beauty and belonging are such cultural drivers, our goal was to create a clean and inclusive skincare brand to help change the idea of living up to the social norm, explains Bruggeman, and remind you to love exactly who you are every day. And what better place to debut it than the spa & wellness industry's annual trade show & conference?

The recipe

Ingredients Using biomimicry from four different biomes - or large, naturally occurring habitats, such as a forest or tundra - he worked with some of the most sophisticated raw material manufacturers in the world to create products containing the latest in clean, nature-derived, active ingredients, such as extremophiles (microorganisms that live in conditions of extreme temperature, acidity, alkalinity, or chemical concentration), mesonutrients (the active compounds or antioxidants within superfoods found in longevity-inducing Blue Zone diets), plant stem cells and bioferments that promote a healthy skin microbiome.

Eco Certified/Cosmos Organic Beyond simply choosing organic ingredients, Bruggeman made a decision to work towards having haia qualify for Cosmos Organic, globally recognized as the highest level of organic and natural product certification that exists.

Collections The new line is divided into five different, color-coded collections with cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers exfoliators, eye products and masks. The packaging uses a woven fabric design as a metaphor for weaving a single thread - standing for diversity and individuality -- into a fabric of strength and a work of art.

Affirmations, App & Animation - an April 2017 PSYCHOLOGY TODAY article by Dr. Leena Guptha said people can learn to incorporate self-affirmation into their arsenal of tools for coping with everyday threats and thus become agents in the maintenance of their own well-being. Each haia product has its own carefully selected affirmation such as I am Confident, I am Bold, and I am Worthy, I am Whole, I am Resourceful and I am Resilient.

Customers will be encouraged to access the industry's first ever animated skincare app on the haia website, which will have practical suggestions for implementing daily affirmations into everyday life. The app also features a virtual selfie derm-analysis that will give users personalized recommendations for product selection and use.

The animated characters not only reflect the skincare line's diverse target audience, but they can help take the pressure off spa and retail sales teams by providing a user-friendly and fun way for consumers to discover the regimen that is best for them.

Bruggeman adds, haia brings together the best of science and nature but beyond that, our hope is that the product design will make something as basic as your daily skincare routine inspire confidence, self-esteem and a sense of belonging.

Excerpt from:
haia Happy as I Am, Clean, Inclusive Skincare Brand Previews at ISPA 2019, Business World#224553 - New Kerala

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Trinity College Dublin biochemist Luke ONeill has, with the help of illustrator Linda Fhrlin, produced an excellent new book for children, The Great Irish Science book.

To interview him I conscript the help of my nephews Cillian (10) and Senan Cummins (8) and their friend Elisa Mac Gabhann (11). When we arrive at TCDs biochemistry building, Prof ONeill tells us about the 800 scientists working in the building and his own work in immunology.

The immune system is like the defence system, says Senan, who has done his research. Theyve read the book thoroughly and taken notes.

The trouble is the immune system goes wrong sometimes and that makes people sore, says ONeill. So people with arthritis might be sore.

Like this! says Senan and he cracks his wrists.

Do you know what that crack is? asks the professor.

Its nitrogen bubbles, says Senan.

Up in the immunology lab ONeill tests the knowledge of his youthful lab partners. Why is blood red? he asks.

They dont know. He explains. Iron goes red when it rusts. Rust is called iron oxide and its quite similar. The reason why blood is red is because it carries oxygen. Why is the grass green?

Same thing? says Senan, hopefully.

The grass is green because the sun is yellow and the sky is blue and that makes green, chips in Etain, Senan and Cillians sister. Etain is here in an unofficial capacity and has not read the book.

ONeill laughs. Another metal called magnesium makes grass green. [Its in] chlorophyll, which is good at absorbing the sunlight and it uses energy in sunlight to make more of itself.

He has another question. Why is your poo brown?

Same thing? says Senan again.

You cant keep saying same thing, says Cillian.

Why is your poo brown? repeats ONeill.

Look, we dont really want to know, says Senan.

The red blood cells that are in your blood eventually get broken down and turn brown, says ONeill. So its mainly coming from red blood cells and you make stuff in your bile to help you digest food and thats a kind of brown.

Oh my God, says Elisa, saying what were all thinking.

Why is the sky blue? asks ONeill.

Because its a reflection of the sea? suggests Elisa.

Close but no cigar, says ONeill. An Irish guy called Tyndall discovered that the blue bounces off the dust particles in the atmosphere. If we didnt have particles in the atmosphere what colour would the sky be?

Black, says Cillian. Like space.

The nearest star to Earth, do you know what it is? asks ONeill.

It begins with an A, says Senan.

Its called Alpha Centauri, says ONeill. Its over four light years away.

The sun is a big star, says Etain.

Yes, its the nearest star, says ONeill.

But you said Alpha Centauri, says Cillian, whos been paying attention.

Yeah, people often get this wrong at quizzes, says ONeill. After the sun, the nearest star is Alpha Centauri.

What is the sun made of? asks ONeill.

About a gazillion years ago the sun was formed from a big giant puff of gas, says Senan.

What is the gas the sun is made of? asks the professor, before offering a clue: There was a Greek god called Helios.

Helium! says Elisa.

And the second one is hydrogen and whats happening is those atoms are bouncing off each other and that creates a huge amount of heat.

At this point theyre all wearing oversized lab coats and goggles and mucking around with dry ice. Is it possible to freeze your body while youre still alive and then come out a few years later and not have aged? asks Elisa.

Thats called cryonics, says ONeill. Were studying cryonics because if you die we could freeze you and if they found a cure a hundred years later we could unfreeze you and give you the cure.

Didnt Walt Disney freeze himself? asks Elisa.

The legend is he froze his head, says ONeill.

Ugh, says Elisa.

We go to a nearby balcony to do some experiments, but someone spots a vending machine and soon Im buying everyone sweets because I am an irresponsible and weak uncle. The first experiment will be to extract DNA from spit.

Who has the most spit? ONeill asks. Theres a short discussion about this. Elisa gets to spit into the glass.

So theres cells in your spit and theres DNA in those cells and the salt is going to burst open those cells. A squirt of soap. And now squeeze some of this pineapple in.

Can I eat it? asks Cillian.

Better not, says ONeill. God knows where its been.

He explains that pineapples have enzymes that are useful for breaking down protein and that the ethanol is going to make the DNA come out of the solution.

He picks out the stringy DNA. The recipe for life, he says. We could make a clone of Elisa.

Elisa eyes him suspiciously, What are you planning to do with my DNA?

For his next experiment, the professor puts a stone representing Ireland into a pool of cold blue water, representing the ocean, into which he pours warmer dyed red water to represent the weather-modifying Gulf Stream. Sadly, this experiment is hindered by our junior scientists desire to make purple.

ONeill cant locate the sheet of paper for the fourth experiment. This is because Senan is drawing on it, so I give the professor a printout of his own book and he creates a volcano with baking soda, vinegar and red dye.

Why is the Earth round but the ground is just flat? asks Senan.

It just seems to be flat but its so huge we dont realise its actually curved, says ONeill. If you went super, super fast you would notice, it would start curving.

Is there life on other planets? asks Elisa.

They reckon theres something like 40 billion planets like the Earth going around stars so there must be life on some of them, says the professor.

In five billion years were going to crash into another galaxy, says Senan. This isnt a question, more a stoically existential statement.

Yes, the Milky Way is going to crash into another galaxy in about five billion years, says ONeill. Thatll be noisy wont it?

No it wont, says Elisa. Because you cant hear sound in space!

The professor is impressed. Thats right! Sound cant travel through a vacuum.

Is it true that seven years on Earth is like two years in space? asks Elisa.

Einstein had this theory, says ONeill, that as you move, time slows down. If you had two identical twins, put one on a space ship and one back on Earth [and] the guy in space will be slightly younger when he meets his brother back on Earth.

Theres a superhero called Quicksilver and hes very fast and when he runs, time slows down, says Senan.

Why did you become a scientist? asks Elisa.

In school I had a biology teacher, Mr Mooney, and he told me about this magical molecule called DNA, says ONeill. I wanted to find out more about that so I went to university and I did science... Science is just about being curious.

Elisa says she wants to be an archaeologist. Archaeologists use science all the time, says ONeill. They use DNA. And they use carbon dating to date how old things are.

You know the moon? asks Senan. If the moon was any closer it would suck up all the water on Earth.

When the moon comes in all the tides go in, says Cillian.

And no one believed that at first, says ONeill. Science is all about having a good idea and then proving it.

All the good science starts off as an idiotic dream, says Cillian, wistfully. Then he asks: What do you do at work every day?

Recently, says ONeill, he and his colleagues have discovered that glucose is burned in a different way in cells when they are having an immune reaction. This, they hope, will lead to new ways of treating inflammatory diseases.

Do scientists test things on animals? asks Elisa.

Sadly, we have to start with animals because its too dangerous to start with humans, says ONeill.

What if there was a robot that could mimic a human or an animal? asks Elisa.

Get this, says ONeill. Were now growing bits of human in the lab and thats better than testing on animals.

How many books have you written? asks Senan.

This is the second book Ive written. Ive written another one for adults) (Humanology).

Whos your favourite scientist? asks Elisa.

Charles Darwin, he says. He explained life on Earth through evolution. Hes Elvis Presley for biologists. He also made sure to include lots of female scientists in his book, he says.

Like Marie Curie! says Elisa.

Yes! Only four people have won two Nobel prizes and shes one of them. Shes very famous for [discovering] radioactivity.

A third of the Arctic is frozen penguin wee, says Senan, who learned this fact from ONeills book.

And shrimps hearts are in their head, says Cillian, matching him with another fact. I just realised, if a shrimps heart is in its head where would his brain be?

Wombat poo is cube-shaped, says Senan.

Maybe wombat wee is triangular, says Cillian.

Senan nods appreciatively. Science is gross but its also very interesting, he says.

The Great Irish Science Book by Prof Luke ONeill is published by Gill Books on October 4th.

Excerpt from:
A third of the Arctic is frozen penguin wee and other science facts for kids - The Irish Times

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Researchers have developed a new method to use the gene editing tool, CRISPR, to target specific bacteria and kill them -- an advance that may lead to new techniques for treating bacterial infections, and for customising the gut microbe composition of individuals. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, increases the possibility of using CRISPR technology to alter the makeup of the human microbiome -- the community of microbes that live in and on us -- in a way that could be personalized for each individual.

The researchers from the University of Western Ontario in Canada said that CRISPR could be programmed to target specific stretches of genetic code, and to edit DNA at precise locations, helping researchers permanently modify genes in living cells and organisms, and also to kill bacteria.

But until now, the researchers said that there wasn't a way to efficiently kill specific bacterial strains.

While the idea of using CRISPR to kill cells and organisms is not new, the researchers noted that the main hurdle was in getting the gene editing tool to target specific cells.

"This technology could also be used to help 'good' bacteria produce compounds to treat diseases caused by protein deficiencies," Karas said.

See the original post here:
Researchers develop gene editing method that may alter microbiome makeup - Gadgets Now

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

An 11-year-old with OCA2, a form of albinism. Human Nature delves into whether conditions like this should be edited out of human genomes before birth.

Wonder Collaborative

Bottles of nucleic acids at Synthego, a company which synthesizes the key components of CRISPR at an industrial scale.

Wonder Collaborative

When you see something unusual, you automatically assume its interesting, says a microbiologist in Human Nature, a documentary on the science and ethics of genetic editing and engineering. Thats just how science works.

It may be how science works, but its not how filmmaking works. So, while the first chunk of Adam Bolts Human Nature will be catnip for the biochemists, the rank and file Science for Dummies people might find the DNA-coding tutorial DOA. Still, the soundtrack is charismatic and the talking heads are the fun chemistry-teacher types, not the lab-coat introverts.

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New films in theatres and streaming this week: Joker not worth the hype and Wheres My Roy Cohn? about a hype machine

David Sanchez, a teenager with sickle-cell disease, looks at a tube containing the CRISPR gene editing machinery.

Wonder Collaborative

A science lesson on the eureka-level technology called CRISPR eventually sets up a lively discussion on the ethics of designer babies and building better humans. An interesting voice belongs to David Sanchez, an upbeat boy with sickle cell anemia who believes his condition gave him an evolved sense of patience and positivity.

I dont think Id be me, if I didnt have have sickle cell, he says. The who dares to play God? discussion is nothing new Aldous Huxleys 1932 dystopian novel Brave New World involved genetically modified citizens but now science fiction has turned into science fact.

In 1993s Jurassic Park, Jeff Goldblums prudent doctor character worried that genetic scientists were too preoccupied with could we? and not enough with should we? With Human Nature, director Bolt offers balance and nuance to the arguments.

Human Nature opens in Toronto and Victoria on Oct. 4, before expanding theatrically across Canada.

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Original post:
Review: DNA-dissecting documentary Human Nature is catnip for scientists and ethicists - The Globe and Mail

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

When should we treat subclinical hypothyroidism? Once levothyroxine is started, it often becomes a lifelong medication that requires lifelong monitoring. Clinicians often use a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level cutoff of 10 mU/L, but one recent set of clinical practice guidelines from Europe recommend against treatment in adults with a TSH level < 20 mU/L except in women trying to become pregnant or in patients aged 30 years and younger.[1]

The American Thyroid Association and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists maintain the view that whilemost nonpregnant patients with subclinical hypothyroidism with TSH levels >10 mU/L should be treated,health benefits for those with TSH levels ranging from 4.5 to 10 mU/Lare less clear.

I recommend considering the possibility of subclinical hypothyroidism progressing to overt hypothyroidism and thinking of the underlying pathologic conditions causing the abnormal laboratory values to decide if the hypothyroidism is a permanent or temporary condition.

Permanent pathologic causes of hypothyroidism include autoimmune thyroid disease (ie, Hashimoto disease), postsurgical hypothyroidism, and postablative hypothyroidism. In the setting of subclinical hypothyroidism, it will almost exclusively be due to autoimmune thyroid disease.

Temporary causes include pathologic conditions such as recovering subacute thyroiditis, euthyroid sick syndrome, and medication-induced hypothyroidism (eg, amiodarone and lithium), as well as nonpathologic conditions such as normal physiologic changes with aging and TSH assay interference.

Do you know how to balance the potential benefits of treatment against the harms and costs of initiating a lifelong therapy? Check your knowledge with these three cases.

A 70-year-old man comes to a primary care clinic for a routine health examination. He has a history of hypertension and type 2 diabetes, and he is taking metformin, atorvastatin, and lisinopril. He reports some mild fatigue and feeling cold in the winter but denies constipation. He has no family history of autoimmune diseases. His blood work reveals an elevated TSH level of 7.2 mU/L (normal range, 0.4-4.5 mU/L) and a normal free T4 result. Two years ago, his TSH level was 6.5 mU/L.

See more here:
Subclinical Hypothyroidism Balancing Act: Knowing When to Treat - Medscape

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

FOOD ALLERGIES have plagued humans for thousands of years. In the fifth century BC Hippocrates noted that although some people could eat their fill of cheese without the slightest hurtothers come off badly. The difference, he observed, lies in the constitution of the body.

Nearly all foods are capable of triggering allergic reactions in humans, and today these are more prevalent than ever, for reasons that are poorly understood. In America, as many as one in 12 children is reckoned to have one. None is more feared than the peanut. A paper by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota found that the number of emergency-room visits by American children suffering allergic reactions to nuts, seeds and other food has tripled in ten years (see chart, left panel). Peanuts topped the list, sending nearly six in 100,000 children to hospital in 2014. More than one child in 50 is allergic to peanuts; among one-year-olds, one in 20. This figure has tripled since 2001 (see chart, right panel).

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Makers of packaged foods cover their products with warnings about peanuts. (Many schools and airlines now ban all nuts outright.) Allergy sufferers must monitor their diets with clinical precision. The only way to prevent severe, potentially life-threatening reactions is to avoid peanuts altogether. Anaphylaxisa severe allergic reaction that can cause death, not least by asphyxiation or low blood pressureis the biggest worry. Most such reactions can be treated with epinephrine, a hormone commonly known as adrenaline, but some require a rush to hospital.

This may be about to change. In September an expert advisory panel at Americas Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted to approve a new treatment for peanut allergies in childrenthe first of its kind. Called Palforzia, the drug seeks to treat peanut-allergy sufferers by exposing them to the very thing that could kill them. Getting the body used to the allergen, by consuming it first in tiny amounts and then in ever-larger portions, can help. Palforzia does this with pharmaceutical-grade peanut protein. A clinical trial found that after six months, more than two-thirds of allergic children could tolerate 600 milligrams of the stuff, equivalent to about two peanut kernels. The FDA is expected to make a final decision on Palforzia early next year. Until then, may contain nuts will remain a threat not a promise.

View original post here:
The prevalence of peanut allergy has trebled in 15 years - The Economist

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Uterine fibroids are dense, muscular, benign tumors that grow for no known reason in the wall of the uterus. They are not cancerous; they wont become cancerous; and they dont increase risk of uterine cancer. But uterine fibroids can significantly limit the lifestyles and comfort of people who have them.

This is not a small number of individuals. While the prevalence of uterine fibroids officially known as leiomyomas, or myomas is unknown, various expert sources suggest anywhere from 20% to 80% of all women will have at least one of these masses at some point in life, if not more.

In light of the potentially staggering number of people affected, uterine fibroids dont feel like theyre discussed enough. (They certainly havent been researched enough.) So, lets dive in.

No one knows what triggers the initial growth of uterine fibroids. Experts suspect genes play a role, as fibroids tend to run in families. And they know hormones play a role, even if theyre not sure how. Fibroids grow under the effect of estrogen and progesterone, and shrink when the supply of those hormones ebbs in response to hormone suppressant medication or menopause. In fact, uterine fibroids either stop growing or shrink once a person hits menopause.

Experts also believe fibroids are influenced by other substances that prompt tissue growth such as insulin-like growth factor as well as the extracellular matrix, the material that helps cells stick together to form tissue. Extracellular matrix stores growth substances, and is known to be thicker in fibroid tissue, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Nothing else neither diet nor lifestyle has been proven to prompt fibroid growth.

Uterine fibroids come in as many varieties as the people who have them from the size of a pea to the size of a watermelon, according to UCLA Health. Fibroids also grow at different rates, even within the same person. Its impossible to predict how big a fibroid will grow. However, the bigger the fibroid(s), the more likely a person is to experience symptoms that inhibit their quality of life.

Related on The Swaddle:

Why Women Are More Prone to Urinary Tract Infections Than Men

Many people who have fibroids have no symptoms and may never know they have one or more until a gynecologist performing a routine check-up discovers the growths.

However, according to multiple sources, other people with uterine fibroids may experience the following symptoms:

These symptoms, depending on their severity, can make life very difficult and painful for people who experience them. In a 2018 survey of French women who had uterine fibroids, 64% of respondents reported fibroid symptoms had a moderate to very important effect on their quality of life.

Anyone with a uterus is at risk for uterine fibroids but some more than others. The likelihood of developing uterine fibroids increases with age, until menopause; due to hormone changes, developing new uterine fibroids after menopause, while possible, is less common.

Uterine fibroids are also more common among people with relatives who have had uterine fibroids, suggesting a genetic component. Uterine fibroids are also more common among African-American women than other ethnicities, including South Asian.

Some research suggests people whose first period came at an earlier age may be more at risk for uterine fibroids.

Finally, other studies suggest repeat pregnancy offers a protective effect, as risk of fibroids lowers across each pregnancy.

Several other lifestyle factors from obesity to use of hormonal contraception have been linked to higher or lower risk of uterine fibroids, but research in these areas has been inconclusive.

Related on The Swaddle:

Its common to develop uterine fibroids for the first time, or develop a new growth, during pregnancy, a time when hormones are fluctuating wildly. This doesnt mean there will be problems. Most women with fibroids have normal pregnancies, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Womens Health.

That said, people with fibroids during pregnancy are six times more likely to require a C-section delivery. Other potential pregnancy complications related to fibroids include: restricted fetal growth, placental abruption (when the placenta detaches from the uterus before delivery, threatening the babys supply of oxygen and nutrients), and preterm birth.

Its unlikely. Uterine fibroids can affect fertility, but its a rare occurrence, and seems to be related to location of the growths than anything else. A 2016 review of research into uterine fibroids and fertility suggests submucosal fibroids fibroids that bulge or hang into the uterine cavity may affect conception; intramural fibroids (growths within the uterine wall) and subserosal fibroids (growths that bulge or hang toward the exterior of the uterus) had little-to-no relation to fertility. Ultimately, however, the evidence regarding effect of fibroids on infertility and reproductive outcomes is weak and mostly inconclusive, concluded the review.

Aside from the potential impairment to quality of life, there are few health risks or complications from fibroids. For people who experience heavy bleeding related to fibroids, anemia could be a health risk. And in the rare case that a fibroid grows very large, pressure on the bladder and urethra can cause kidney damage, according to UCLA Health.

No. Uterine fibroids have no association with the risk of any cancer.

However, while uterine fibroids are benign tumors, very rarely, a cancerous growth in the uterine wall may occur. This is called a leiomyosarcoma, a type of malignant tumor that could develop in any of the bodys muscle or fat tissues or blood vessels, not just in the uterine wall. Doctors think that these cancers do not arise from an already-existing fibroid. Having fibroids does not increase the risk of developing a cancerous fibroid, according to the U.S. Office on Womens Health.

Most people dont know they have fibroids until they visit a gynecologist for a routine physical check-up, or undergo a prenatal ultrasound. Confirmation may come via other tests, such as: a transvaginal ultrasound (sometimes with saline pumped into the uterus), an MRI, or a hysteroscopy, a surgical procedure in which a scope is inserted into the uterus.

If you have uterine fibroids, but no-to-few/light symptoms, most doctors will say no treatment is necessary.

I consider the severity of symptoms and the impact of those symptoms on a womans quality of life to be the foundation of treatment decision making, Dr. Aaron Styer, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, told Harvard Health Publishing. For example, is the woman missing work, requiring frequent hospitalizations, or missing out on normal, daily life? If so, that information will guide the treatment I recommend.

However, most doctors will also advise Watchful Waiting in best-case scenarios with no symptoms that is, monitoring fibroid growth and symptoms through regular abdominal and/or pelvic exams.

For anyone with more severe and impairing fibroid symptoms, there are a few options for fibroid management and/or removal. The only total and lasting cure for fibroids, however, is a hysterectomy. Since a hysterectomy is a major surgery that removes the uterus, it carries its own risks, and its not a first-line treatment for fibroids; many experts do not consider it a treatment at all, unless a person has already had children and/or is past childbearing age.

People with severe uterine fibroids, then, have several treatment options, per UCLA Health:

A doctor can advise on which line of treatment is most suitable and available.

See the article here:
What Are Uterine Fibroids? Very Common, Benign Reproductive Tumors - The Swaddle

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

This federal election season, abortion is undeniably a campaign issue, with media coverage routinely suggesting abortion rights are tenuous or up for debate.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has declared that he is personally pro-life, while insisting that his cabinet will not reopen the issue. This does, however, leave the door open for individual MPs to put forward anti-abortion private member bills.

At an NDP town hall on health care in Halifax, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh criticized abortion access as abysmal and vowed to enforce the Canada Health Act to improve it.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May continues to argue that a woman has a right to a safe, legal abortion while candidates in the party may have conflicting views. Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party, is deeply disappointed about "backsliding on abortion rights.

As a registered nurse who provides abortion care, and as a researcher of abortion access, I worry these news stories create confusion about the reality and legality of access in Canada. Furthermore, news of anti-abortion legislation in the United States seeps north and clouds understanding of our needs and concerns.

In Canada, abortion is unrestricted by criminal law and protected by Constitutional rights to security of the person and protection from sex and gender discrimination.

It is a health service governed by the rules health professional organizations create for self-regulation. Abortion is common. There are around 100,000 abortions annually in Canada and one in three Canadian women will seek an abortion in their lifetime.

Abortion is safe for patients, and most abortion providers in Canada feel safe providing it. The vast majority of procedures take place in the first trimester. Abortion is publicly insured and in the majority of cases is free for the patient.

In 2015, Health Canada approved Mifegymiso, the medical abortion pill. It has been available since 2017 and is effective for use up to nine weeks gestation. Mifegymiso is also publicly insured by all the provinces and territories.

Mifegymiso actually comprises two medications: mifepristone and misoprostol, taken over the course of 24 hours. A week after taking Mifegymiso, patients repeat their blood work. A large decrease in the pregnancy hormone beta HCG confirms a successful pregnancy termination.

Just as some spontaneous miscarriages may need further care, in a small portion of cases, a surgical procedure may be required to complete a medical abortion. Although providers are not required to take specialized training to prescribe Mifegymiso, comprehensive training is easily available.

Lack of ultrasound availability should also not be a barrier, although ultrasound remains valuable for dating a pregnancy and to rule out ectopic pregnancy.

The greatest practical barrier to abortion in Canada is geographic: there are too few providers living in too few places. Surveys of abortion providers here have found most live in large urban centres.

The introduction of Mifegymiso could change this. All physicians and nurse practitioners could prescribe Mifegymiso (there are exceptions in Qubec). In theory, every primary care office in the country could be providing this care. This means abortion is potentially more accessible in Canada than in any other country in the world.

But for now, there is stigma and misinformation to contend with. A few persistent inequities complicate matters, making the access landscape seem unintelligible or mystical. For example, New Brunswick does not insure surgical procedures in a clinic outside of hospital. Ontario will not pay for Mifegymiso if you are living outside the province or if you are a non-Ontario resident. Qubec will not allow nurse practitioners to prescribe Mifegymiso.

Unlike in the United States, in Canada, nurse practitioners can carry out medical abortion, but not surgical.

We need to retire all mention of abortion debates and focus on achieving clarity, and universality. The Canada Health Act requires it.

Aligning irregular policies across Canada is the first obvious step. The next is simplifying the path to access by enhancing self-referral processes and reducing wait times for primary care and ultrasound. Expanding the scope of practice of nurse practitioners and midwives to provide both surgical and medical abortion could boost the number of providers.

Most important, however, is increasing factual education about abortion. The public need to know what abortion is and how to get one. Health-care students and professionals need to learn how to include abortion in their practice and how to swiftly and easily refer a patient to the care they need.

Finally, abortion needs to be understood as critical but inadequate for reproductive health. Menstrual health, consent, contraception, trans health services and reproductive mental health all need to make it onto the news, the party platforms and the agenda for our next government.

[ Youre smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversations authors and editors. You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter. ]

See the original post:
Abortion in Canada: The election debates, the law and the reality - The Conversation CA

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Researchers at the NIH have rolled out a new vehicle for sickle cell gene therapy with higher speeds and better horsepower, potentially allowing vastly more efficient gene transfer and a much larger carrying capacity. The best part? Unlike current sickle cell gene therapy models, the NIH one doesnt have to drive in reverse.

In mice and monkeys, the new vehicle was up to 10 times more efficient and had a carrying capacity the amount of DNA it can haul of up to 6 times that of the conventional vectors currently deployed in gene therapy trials across the country. Most notably, the new vector can read the therapeutic gene sequence forward rather than reading them backward a counter-intuitive trick researchers had used to overcome long-running barriers to gene therapy but which sacrificed efficiency. The results were published open access inNature Communications.

Our new vector is an important breakthrough in the field of gene therapy for sickle cell disease, said study senior author John Tisdale, chief of the Cellular and Molecular Therapeutic Branch at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Its the new kid on the block and represents a substantial improvement in our ability to produce high capacity, high-efficiency vectors for treating this devastating disorder.

Gene therapy trials for SCD have launched the past few years, bringing a handful of well-covered cases of patients responding strongly to the treatment, even as more data shows current techniques are no cure-all. One of the bigger longstanding questions, though, is how to best deliver the genetic fix.

The simple genetic underpinnings of the disease have been well-understood since the 1950s one A-T substitution in the -globin gene and researchers have accordingly targeted it since the first gene therapy research in the 1980s. But the particular problems of building a proper vector for the hemoglobin gene, in addition to the myriad other obstacles to gene therapy broadly, have impeded progress.

Click on the image to see the full-sized version

The lentiviral vector bluebird bio has used to bring its sickle cell gene therapy to trial is a workaround to an early problem unique to sickle cell therapy. RNA splicing a natural process critical to preparing the vector will remove introns that are key to expressing the genes to produce hemoglobin. Developers have been able to get around this by using a vector that reads the DNA backwards, last gene to first. Most gene therapy techniques read as you would a sentence, first word to last.

The researchers also noted their vectors were cheaper to produce.

Excerpt from:
New NIH viral vector flips the script on sickle cell disease gene therapy - Endpoints News

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

News Release

Thursday, October 3, 2019

New grants aimed at better understanding diseases, moving potential treatments closer to the clinic.

Of an estimated 6,500 to 7,000 known rare diseases, only a fraction maybe 5% have U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments. To increase that percentage, the National Institutes of Health has awarded approximately $31 million in grants in fiscal year 2019 to 20 teams including five new groups -- of scientists, clinicians, patients, families and patient advocates to study a wide range of rare diseases. An additional $7 million has been awarded to a separate data coordinating center to support these research efforts.

The grants, which support consortia that together form the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN), are aimed at fostering collaborative research among scientists to better understand how rare diseases progress and to develop improved approaches for diagnosis and treatment. This is the fourth five-year funding cycle for the RDCRN, which is supported by multiple NIH Institutes and Centers and led by NIHs National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and the NCATS Office of Rare Diseases Research.

Individually, most rare diseases affect only a few hundred to several thousand people; collectively, rare diseases affect more than 25 million Americans. Many rare diseases are life-threatening and about half of those affected are children.

Because rare diseases affect a small number of people, they can be extremely challenging to study. Scientists often lack basic information about a rare diseases symptoms and biology, and the ways a disease can affect people over time. Research funding can be scarce.

Over the years, RDCRN scientists have partnered with patients and advocates to develop new insights into the causes and progression of and potential therapies for rare diseases that were simply not receiving the attention they deserved, said NCATS Director Christopher Austin, M.D. Their pioneering work in discerning underlying clinical differences and commonalities in hundreds of rare conditions has already changed the rare disease landscape in immeasurable ways.

Established by Congress under the Rare Diseases Act in 2002, the RDCRN has included more than 350 sites in the United States and more than 50 in 22 other countries. To date, they have encompassed 237 research protocols and included more than 56,000 participants in studies ranging from immune system disorders and rare cancers to heart and lung disorders, brain development diseases and more.

Each RDCRN member is a consortium of clinical and scientific experts and patient groups who study a group of rare diseases. Each consortium must study three or more diseases, partner with rare disease patient advocacy groups, provide rare disease research training to investigators and perform natural history studies that chart the course and progression of diseases. The primary focus of the RDCRN is clinical research, and the network does not generally support clinical care outside of research activities.

A key component of the RDCRN is the Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC), which was awarded to the Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center. The DMCC manages shared resources and data from the RDCRN research studies. The DMCC emphasizes the standardization of data, increased data sharing and broad dissemination of research findings.

The RDCRN consortia have a rich history of accomplishment. For example, Lysosomal Disease Network scientists led crucial natural history studies and gene editing research that provided a foundation for first-in-human genome editing clinical studies for a rare metabolic disease. Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium members showed the advantage of early stem cell transplants for patients with a rare immune system disorder, severe combined immunodeficiency, and the groups work contributed to advances in gene therapy-based treatments for the disease.

New groups, new emphasis

The five new consortia are:

According to ORDR director Anne Pariser, M.D., an important focus of the latest group of awards is on clinical trial readiness.

Some of the RDCRN research groups have been working together for 10 or 15 years and have gathered important data and developed a good understanding of the diseases they study, in addition to new potential therapies. Were emphasizing the need to be prepared to conduct clinical trials, Pariser said.

Were trying to get the drug candidates closer to be ready for clinical testing and de-risk the processes that lead to a successful clinical trial, said RDCRN program officer Tiina Urv, Ph.D. To get funding to conduct trials, they need to have strong natural history studies that show how the disease progresses, ways to measure outcomes of treatments and biomarker studies that provide indicators of how a drug is working in patients.

Collaboration is key. Consortia can involve numerous partner research teams from different sites, along with rare disease patients and advocacy groups. Scientists from different institutions come together to pool patients, data, experience and resources.

Scientists cant work alone. They wouldnt have enough patients, and they wouldnt have adequate resources and information about the diseases, Urv said. Patients and families help scientists decide what is important to study, test and treat.

To read more about the five new consortia, 15 continuing consortia and the DMCC, see: https://ncats.nih.gov/rdcrn/consortia

In addition to NCATS, other NIH funding support comes from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the National Institute of Mental Health and the Office of Dietary Supplements.

About the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS):NCATS conducts and supports research on the science and operation of translation the process by which interventions to improve health are developed and implemented to allow more treatments to get to more patients more quickly. For more information about how NCATS is improving health through smarter science, visithttps://ncats.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

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Visit link:
NIH funding bolsters rare diseases research collaborations | National Institutes of Health - National Institutes of Health

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Tenaya CEO Faraz Ali(Tenaya Therapeutics)

Although heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, its an area that hasnt seen as much interest or investment as other areas, and its treatments still focus on dealing with symptoms. With a multipronged approach and a fresh infusion of $92 million, Tenaya Therapeutics is trying to change that.

The heart is a complicated organ, and it can go wrong in different ways. Part of what weve learned the hard way is that prior approaches are not working, Tenaya CEO Faraz Ali told FierceBiotech.

Founded in 2016 by scientists from the Gladstone Institute in California and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Tenaya is going after the underlying causes of heart disease to head off heart failure. It raised $50 million in its series A round from The Column Group, which also pitched into its $92 million B round alongside the likes of Casdin Capital and GV.

CIOs Perspectives: Driving Clinical Trial Innovation with a Unified Platform

IT is being challenged with either trying to fix and maintain an already complex system of solution integrations, or exploring driving business impact by unifying its systems under one platform. Attend and learn about the IT benefits to shifting resources away from disparate systems and moving towards a unified platform.

RELATED: GV leads $58.5M round for Verve, a startup looking to pit gene editing against heart attacks

In an age where companies are forming themselves around one platform thats disease-agnostic and can be applied to many different areas, South San Francisco-based Tenaya is doing the opposite. It's working on three different platforms for heart disease:regenerative treatments, gene therapies and precision medicines.

The company was founded with a big, bold mission to follow the science and use the right tool for the job, Ali said. If the problem is loss of cardiomyocytes (the muscle cells that make the heart beat), such as after a heart attack, we can look for a way to generate new myocytes, create new tissue and improve the ability of the heart to contract that way.

Thats where regenerative treatments come in. Tenaya's approach delivers transcription factors that can nudge heart fibroblasts, cells that play a role in scar formation after a heart attack, to become heart muscle.

If the problem stems from geneticsif a faulty gene doesnt cause heart muscle to die, but leads to an arrhythmia or scarring, stopping it from working properlythe solution is not to create new muscle, but to get the muscle thats there to work, Ali said. And thats where gene therapy, adding a healthy copy of a defective gene, comes in.

Finally, Tenayas taking a leaf out of the book of cancer drug developers: Its become quite the norm to look for therapies that work in a particular genetic background, he said. The companys precision medicine platform uses stem cell-derived heart muscle cells as disease models to identify new targets for heart failure and screen new drugs. Its first focus is on small molecules for the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathiesa group of conditions in which an enlarged heart chamber makes it less efficient at pumpingin genetically defined patient groups.

What the funding allows us to do is advance multiple promising projects from each of the platforms out of the pure research stage and into the clinic, Ali said. Tenaya hopes to move to human studies over the next few years.

RELATED: Renovacor bags $11M to push precision medicine for rare heart disease

Though the company isnt divulging just yet which targets its going after, Ali did say some of its programs are chasing more prevalent conditions such as heart attacks while others are looking at smaller, more defined populations.

Once we get a signal of efficacy and safety and advance into later-stage clinical development, we could potentially expand into larger, more prevalent indications, he said.

Tenaya has about 45 staffers who are mostly focused on research, early development and manufacturing. If all goes to plan, the company plans to double its size by the end of 2021, adding more employees in development and manufacturing.

Two-thirds of our platforms that were working on [gene therapy and regenerative treatments] are heavily dependent on viral vectors, adeno-associated viruses Everyone learned in the last decade or so that manufacturing is the Achilles heel of the gene therapy spaceit's difficult to do and highly technical, its nothing like small molecule manufacturing, Ali said. We made the decision to invest early, and well ahead of being in the clinic, to invest in manufacturing.

Tenaya isnt just doing it because other gene therapy players have proved it necessary. If it wants to go after larger heart disease populations rather than the smaller groups affected by rare disease, its going to need a lot of viral vector to deliver its treatments.

Visit link:
Tenaya Therapeutics bags $92M to develop triple threat for heart disease - FierceBiotech

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith