Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Standing Solo
Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Standing at NeuroFit360.

By: Guy Romain

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NowOpen
Believing Recovery Center specializing in Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke Rehabilitation and other Neuro Motor impairements is NOW OPEN in the Tampa, FL area! The first center of it #39;s kind is offering...

By: Tighten The Drag Foundation

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NowOpen - Video

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Aarkstore -Stem Cell Research in Cardiology
This market insight report on Stem Cell Research in Cardiology emphasizes on the market for stem cells in Cardiology. The study is segmented by Source (Allogenic and Autogenic) and by Type...

By: sangam Jain

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Aarkstore -Stem Cell Research in Cardiology - Video

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While megakaryocytes are best known for producing platelets that heal wounds, these "mega" cells found in bone marrow also play a critical role in regulating stem cells according to new research from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. In fact, hematopoietic stem cells differentiate to generate megakaryocytes in bone marrow. The Stowers study is the first to show that hematopoietic stem cells (the parent cells) can be directly controlled by their own progeny (megakaryocytes).

The findings from the lab of Stowers Investigator Linheng Li, Ph.D., described in the Oct. 19 issue of the journal Nature Medicine, could cause researchers to rethink what they know about the workings of megakaryocytes and potentially lead to new treatments for patients recovering from chemotherapy or organ transplantation.

"Our results suggest that megakaryocytes might be used clinically to facilitate adult stem cell regeneration and to expand cultured cells for adult stem cell transplants," says Meng Zhao, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Stowers and lead author on the study. Stowers researchers discovered that megakaryocytes directly regulate the function of murine hematopoietic stem cells -- adult stem cells that form blood and immune cells and that constantly renew the body's blood supply. These cells can also develop into all types of blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.

Because of their remarkable ability to renew themselves and differentiate into other cells, hematopoietic stems cells are the focus of intense research and have been used to treat many diseases and conditions. The transplantation of isolated human hematopoietic stem cells is used in the treatment of anemia, immune deficiencies and other diseases, including cancer.

Basic research has centered on identifying and characterizing hematopoietic stem cells, however, it is still not clear how hematopoietic stem cells actually work, and how they are regulated because of the complexity of the bone marrow microenvironment. Zhao and his colleagues discovered that as a terminally differentiated progeny, megakaryocytes regulate hematopoietic stem cells by performing two previously unknown functions.

"Megakaryocytes can directly regulate the amount of hematopoietic stem cells by telling the cells when they need to keep in the quiescent stage, and when they need to start proliferating to meet increased demand." Maintaining that delicate balance is important, he adds. "You don't want to have too many or too few hematopoietic stem cells."

These findings are supported by similar research from the laboratory of Paul S. Frenette, Ph.D., at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, also reported in the Oct. 19 issue of Nature Medicine.

Employing the advanced technology of the Institute's Cytometry, Imaging and Histology centers, the researchers examined the relationship between megakaryocytes and hematopoietic stem cells in mouse bone marrow. In the course of their research, they found that the protein transforming growth factor B1 (TGF-B1), contained in megakaryocytes, signaled quiescence of hematopoietic stem cells. They also found that when under stress from chemotherapy, megakaryocytes signaled fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1), to stimulate the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells.

"Our findings suggest that megakaryocytes are required for the recovery of hematopoietic stem cells post chemotherapy," explains Li. The discovery could provide insight for using megakaryocyte-derived factors, such as TGF-B1 and FGF1, clinically to facilitate regeneration of hematopoietic stem cells, he adds.

Engineering a megakaryocyte niche (a special environment in which stem cells live and renew) that supports the growth of hematopoietic stem cells in culture, is the next step for the researchers. Zhao and his colleagues are also investigating whether a megakaryocyte niche can be used to help expand human hematopoietic stem cells in vitro and stem cell transplantation for patients.

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'Mega' cells control growth of blood-producing cells

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Newswise Kansas City, Mo. - While megakaryocytes are best known for producing platelets that heal wounds, these mega cells found in bone marrow also play a critical role in regulating stem cells according to new research from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. In fact, hematopoietic stem cells differentiate to generate megakaryocytes in bone marrow. The Stowers study is the first to show that hematopoietic stem cells (the parent cells) can be directly controlled by their own progeny (megakaryocytes).

The findings from the lab of Stowers Investigator Linheng Li, Ph.D., described in the Oct. 19 issue of the journal Nature Medicine, could cause researchers to rethink what they know about the workings of megakaryocytes and potentially lead to new treatments for patients recovering from chemotherapy or organ transplantation.

Our results suggest that megakaryocytes might be used clinically to facilitate adult stem cell regeneration and to expand cultured cells for adult stem cell transplants, says Meng Zhao, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Stowers and lead author on the study. Stowers researchers discovered that megakaryocytes directly regulate the function of murine hematopoietic stem cellsadult stem cells that form blood and immune cells and that constantly renew the bodys blood supply. These cells can also develop into all types of blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.

Because of their remarkable ability to renew themselves and differentiate into other cells, hematopoietic stems cells are the focus of intense research and have been used to treat many diseases and conditions. The transplantation of isolated human hematopoietic stem cells is used in the treatment of anemia, immune deficiencies and other diseases, including cancer.

Basic research has centered on identifying and characterizing hematopoietic stem cells, however, it is still not clear how hematopoietic stem cells actually work, and how they are regulated because of the complexity of the bone marrow microenvironment. Zhao and his colleagues discovered that as a terminally differentiated progeny, megakaryocytes regulate hematopoietic stem cells by performing two previously unknown functions.

Megakaryocytes can directly regulate the amount of hematopoietic stem cells by telling the cells when they need to keep in the quiescent stage, and when they need to start proliferating to meet increased demand. Maintaining that delicate balance is important, he adds. You dont want to have too many or too few hematopoietic stem cells.

These findings are supported by similar research from the laboratory of Paul S. Frenette, Ph.D., at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, also reported in the Oct. 19 issue of Nature Medicine.

Employing the advanced technology of the Institutes Cytometry, Imaging and Histology centers, the researchers examined the relationship between megakaryocytes and hematopoietic stem cells in mouse bone marrow. In the course of their research, they found that the protein transforming growth factor B1 (TGF-B1), contained in megakaryocytes, signaled quiescence of hematopoietic stem cells. They also found that when under stress from chemotherapy, megakaryocytes signaled fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1), to stimulate the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells.

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New Insight That "Mega" Cells Control the Growth of Blood-Producing Cells

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There are myriad complex cultural and religious reasons as to why ethnic minority donor rates are so low. We dont fully understand the reasons but this has to change if more lives are to be saved, says Dr Adnan Sharif, a consultant nephrologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and member of the National Black, Asian and minority ethnic Transplant Association (NBTA). Aneesas case is heartbreaking, but unfortunately it is not isolated. There are simply not enough minority ethnic communities donating.

In August 2012, Aneesa the eldest of three siblings who live in Birmingham with their father Manzoor, 46, a purchasing manager for a car company, and mother Resiat, 46, a primary school teacher started suffering from headaches and feeling lethargic. The following month, her GP took a blood test that revealed Aneesas platelet count platelets help blood to clot was critically low, leaving her at risk of excessive bruising and bleeding.

Aneesa was rushed to the citys Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where, two days later, she was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia after further blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy. A potentially fatal disease of the bone marrow, it affects around two people per million and is caused by a deficiency of all three blood cell types red and white blood cells, and platelets. Symptoms include fatigue and a reduced immune system, which can lead to infection and bleeding.

Blood transfusions are the best treatment for serious cases such as Aneesas, and a bone marrow transplant in which a donors healthy stem cells are injected into the patient the only cure. I felt shocked and isolated, recalls Aneesa of her diagnosis. There was no history of the condition in my family and no reason given as to why I had developed it.

She immediately had a 14-hour blood transfusion, and remained in hospital for a month to have further platelet transfusions every three days. Meanwhile, Aneesas brother Eghshaam, 18, and sister Iyla-Rose, six, were tested to see if they could be donors. For bone marrow stem cell transplants to succeed, there needs to be a close match in tissue type between donor and patient.

When it transpired that her siblings tissue types were less than a 50 per cent match, Aneesa was forced to abandon her studies because of her failing health and she was put on the organ donor list.

My doctor warned me there was a shortage of ethnic minority donors, she says. I was surprised. I naively assumed everybody who needed a donor would find one.

By the end of 2012, Aneesa had developed liver and kidney failure a side effect of the anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive pills she had to take to protect her immune system. I had to have two litres of fluid injected through a drip every day to stop me dehydrating, she says. I grew jealous of friends leading normal lives.

Last January, Aneesas doctors widened their search to include the international bone marrow donor registry, which contains 10 million people. But, unfortunately, the lack of BAME donors is a global problem.

Although the majority of religious leaders have issued statements of support for organ donation, many Muslims still believe that to donate would contravene their religion. There are certain aspects of the Islamic faith such as the emphasis put on the respect of the dead and not defacing the body that suggest you shouldnt donate, explains Dr Sharif. He says that even though bone marrow donation a relatively simple procedure compared with other organ transplants doesnt require the death of the donor, it is viewed with similar suspicion.

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Bone-marrow transplant teenager: 'I feel angry that my community let me down'

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Getty Scientists have grown a working intestine.

Functioning human intestine has been grown from stem cells in the laboratory, paving the way to new treatments for gut disorders.

Scientists first created tissue fragments called "organoids" that were transplanted into mice, where they matured.

Each animal produced "significant" amounts of fully functional human intestine.

US lead scientist Dr Michael Helmrath, from the Intestinal Rehabilitation Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, on Sunday said: "This provides a new way to study the many diseases and conditions that can cause intestinal failure, from genetic disorders appearing at birth to conditions that strike later in life, such as cancer and Crohn's disease.

"These studies also advance the longer-term goal of growing tissues that can replace damaged human intestine."

The organoids were generated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) - stem cells created by genetically altering adult skin cells, causing them to revert to an immature embryonic state.

Like stem cells taken from early stage embryos, iPSCs have the ability to become any type of tissue in the body.

The fragments were grafted onto the kidneys of mice to provide them with a necessary blood supply.

The cells then grew and multiplied on their own. The mice used were genetically engineered so their immune systems would accept human tissues.

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Working intestine grown in lab

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If you skin your knee, your body makes new skin. If you donate a portion of your liver, whats left will grow back to near-normal size. But if you lose a billion heart cells during a heart attack, only a small fraction of those will be replaced. In the words of Ke Cheng, an associate professor of regenerative medicine at N.C. State, The hearts self-repair potency is very limited.

Cheng has designed a nanomedicine he hopes will give the heart some help. It consists of an engineered nanoparticle that gathers the bodys own self-repair cells and brings them to the injured heart tissue.

In this case, the self-repair cells are adult stem cells. A stem cell is a very rich biological factory, Cheng said. Stem cells can become heart muscle, or they can produce growth factors that are beneficial to the regrowth of heart muscle.

After a heart attack, dying and dead heart cells release chemical signals that alert stem cells circulating in the blood to move to the injured site. But there just arent very many stem cells in the bloodstream, and sometimes they are not sufficiently attracted to the injured tissue.

Matchmakers with hooks

The nanomedicine Cheng designed consists of an iron-based nanoparticle festooned with two different kinds of hooks one kind of hook grabs adult stem cells, and the other kind of hook grabs injured heart tissue. Cheng calls the nanomedicine a matchmaker, because it brings together cells that can make repairs with cells that need repairs.

The hooks are antibodies that seek and grab certain types of cells. Because the antibodies are situated on an iron nanoparticle, they and the stem cells theyve grabbed can be physically directed to the heart using an external magnet. Cheng calls the nanomedicine MagBICE, for magnetic bifunctional cell engager.

The magnet is a first pass to get the iron-based particles and antibodies near the heart. Once there, the antibodies are able to identify and stick to the injured heart tissue, bringing the stem cells right where they need to go. Using two methods of targeting the magnet and the antibodies improves the chances of being able to bring a large number of stem cells at the site of injury.

In addition to providing a way to physically move the stem cells to the heart, the iron nanoparticles are visible on MRI machines, which allows MagBICE to be visualized after its infused into the bloodstream.

Cheng doesnt foresee much toxicity from the nanomedicine unless someone is allergic or particularly sensitive to iron. In fact, the iron-based nanoparticle that forms the platform for the antibodies is an FDA-approved IV treatment for anemia.

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Can a bodys own stem cells help heal a heart?

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SAN DIEGO (CNS) - UC San Diego Health System announced Monday that human testing of injected neural stem cell therapies are underway at its Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center.

Researchers are conducting three different trials -- one on a 26-year-old woman paralyzed after a traffic crash, and others on diabetes and leukemia patients.

"What we are seeing after years of work is the rubber hitting the road," said Lawrence Goldstein, director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell program and Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center.

"These are three very ambitious and innovative trials," he said. "Each followed a different development path -- each addresses a very different disease or condition. It speaks to the maturation of stem cell science that we've gotten to the point of testing these very real medical applications in people."

The first tests are being made with low doses in order to ensure the safety of the patients, Goldstein said.

Working with Maryland-based Neuralstem Inc., neural stem cells were injected into the site of the paralyzed woman's spinal cord injury on Sept. 30, and she is recovering at home without complications or adverse effects, said Dr. Joseph Ciacci, a neurosurgeon at UC San Diego Health System. Her name was not released.

The researchers hope that the transplanted cells will develop into neurons that bridge the gap created by the injury, replace severed or lost nerve connections and restore at least some motor and sensory function. According to UCSD, testing in laboratory rats with spinal cord injuries were promising.

A two-year trial on about 40 Type 1 diabetes patients will involve implanting cells under the skin that were derived from embryonic stem cells, with the hope they will safely mature into pancreatic beta and other cells able to produce a continuous supply of needed insulin and other substances, according to the researchers. The first procedure is expected to take place sometime this month, according to UCSD.

Type 1 diabetes, which usually onsets during childhood and has no cure, causes the pancreas to produce little or no insulin. Patients have to inject insulin daily and rigorously manage their diet and lifestyle.

The third trial will involve a potential drug to fight chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common form of blood cancer in adults. Patients in the test will receive the drug via an intravenous infusion every 14 days at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center.

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UC San Diego Health System announces human testing of stem cell therapies

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FranchiseStemcell Fat Stem Cell Therapy Anti Aging
Fat Stem Cell Therapy Anti Aging .

By: Franchise StemCell

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FranchiseStemcell Fat Stem Cell Therapy Anti Aging - Video

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

20-Oct-2014

Contact: Corinne Williams press_releases@the-jci.org Journal of Clinical Investigation @jclinicalinvest

Natural killer (NK) cells are sentinels within the immune system that rapidly respond to and kill diseased cells. NK cells typically target and eliminate cells lacking the surface protein MHC class I. However, many tumor cells lack this protein yet are resistant to NK cell surveillance and killing. A new study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation reveals that cytokine therapy enhances the activity of NK cells against tumors lacking MHC class I. Using murine models, David Raulet and colleagues at the University of California Berkeley determined that tumors lacking MHC class I inactivate NK cells. Mixed tumors composed of MHC class I positive and MHC class I negative cells also caused NK cell to become nonresponsive. Importantly, treatment of mice bearing MHC class I-deficient tumors with the cytokines IL-12 and IL-18 or with the H9 "superkine" restored NK cell activity, reduced tumor size, and increased survival. The results of this study support further investigation into the use of cytokine therapy for patients with tumors lacking MHC class I.

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TITLE

Cytokine therapy reverses NK cell anergy in MHC-deficient tumors

AUTHOR CONTACT:

David Raulet University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA Phone: 510-642-9521; E-mail: raulet@berkeley.edu

View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/74337?key=63d8d1b0b77cbbf366ee

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Cytokine therapy enhances natural killer cell functions against tumor cells

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Psychological stress and stress-related psychiatric disorders are associated with increased risk for aging-related diseases, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this relation are unknown. Understanding these mechanisms may contribute to the development of targeted preventive strategies and new or improved treatments for these devastating diseases. This work is presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology congress in Berlin.

Now an international group of researchers from Germany and the US has found that both ageing and depression are associated with changes in the FKBP5 gene. Genes can be regulated by the addition or removal of methyl (CH3) groups to an area of the gene. The researchers found that ageing can decrease this methylation process, causing the FKBP5 gene to be overexpressed. They also found that when someone is depressed, this demethylation process is accelerated even further.

In a second finding they found that this increased FKBP5 expression is associated with increases in biochemical markers of inflammation and cardiovascular risk.

According to lead researcher, Dr Anthony Zannas (Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich): "We found that both aging and depression seem to lead to changes in how DNA is processed, and that this can control the expression of genes that regulate how we respond to stress. These changes are associated with increased inflammation, and we believe that this may lead to the increased risk for several aging-related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders, that has been observed in chronically stressed and depressed individuals.

Our work shows that risk for aging-related diseases could be conferred by epigenetic changes of stress-related genes and resultant increases in the expression of inflammation markers. It's too early to say that we are seeing a cause and effect, so we need to confirm the findings by using larger samples and uncover the mechanisms using animal models. If we can do that, we may have the opportunity to develop tests for age-related diseases and new ways to prevent the harmful effects of stress."

The FKBP5 gene is found on chromosome 6 in humans. It codes the FK506 binding protein 5, also known as FKBP5. This protein is known to play a role in stress responses, immune regulation and basic cellular processes involving protein folding.

Commenting on the work for the ECNP, Professor Bill Deakin (Manchester) said: "There is a growing realisation that depression is one expression of a set of vulnerabilities for a range of disorders associated with age including obesity, diabetes, cerebro-vascular disease and dementia. Zannas and colleagues are now beginning to unpick some of the first molecular mechanisms of the shared risk. The focus is on FKBP5 a protein transcription factor that regulates several genes relevant to depression (via stress hormones) and to disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

Experiencing trauma in childhood and ageing have long-term influences on activity of the gene for FKBP5. This epigenetic regulation is abnormal in people with depression. It is early days and these findings need to be confirmed in definitively large populations. Nevertheless, the results point the way to finding molecular subtypes of depression with specific treatments targeted on transcription factors and epigenetic mechanisms."

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Why depression and aging are linked to increased disease risk

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CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thermo Fisher Scientific will fast-track 12 translational research teams gene-expression profiling through an innovative grant program launched today. Selected applicants will receive free next-generation RNA sequencing services to further their research in the field of cancer genomics.

The new Ion Torrent Transcriptome Profiling Grant Program recognizes the broad benefits of gene-level expression analysis and predictive biomarker discovery, along with the hurdles that translational researchers face characterizing degraded or archived cells. The award includes use of the Ion AmpliSeq Transcriptome Human Gene Expression Kit, which is capable of profiling the gene expression of over 20,000 RefSeq targets from as little as 10ng of RNA.

Transcriptome profiling is a tremendously important tool for understanding how genetic variants alter cell expression, says Chris Linthwaite, head of Genetic Sciences Research for Thermo Fisher Scientific. With the Ion AmpliSeq Transcriptome technology, researchers can effectively screen for thousands of known and novel biomarkers for potential breakthroughs in cancer diagnostics, prognostics and experimental therapy use. Thermo Fisher Scientifics new grant program will place this technology within reach of outstanding scientists around the world that currently must take the long road to biomarker discovery.

Next-generation RNA sequencing improves the quality and dependability of data, as well as broadening the pool of samples that researchers can draw upon. Along with technology, grant winners also gain access to technical experts from Thermo Fisher Scientifics Certified Service Provider partners, which will run all the experiments.

Thermo Fisher Scientific will award the grants based on the scientific relevance and potential of the programs under consideration, the strength of the submitted abstract and how applicants plan to build on the data generated as a result of the grant.

Research teams awarded sequencing services will in no way be obligated to Thermo Fisher Scientific partnerships in the future.

More information on how to apply for the Ion Torrent Transcriptome Profiling Grant Program can be found here, or by visiting the Thermo Fisher Scientific conference booth #513 at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) in San Diego Oct. 1822, 2014.

Ion AmpliSeq Transcriptome is For Research Use Only; not for use in diagnostic procedures.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of $17 billion and 50,000 employees in 50 countries. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We help our customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity. Through our four premier brands Thermo Scientific, Life Technologies, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services we offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive support. For more information, please visitwww.thermofisher.com.

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Transcriptome Profiling Grants Launched to Support New Biomarker Discovery

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I spoke to Gene Simmons, who co-founded KISS back in 1973 and was also the bassist and co-vocalist of the band. KISS has exceeded worldwide sales of more than 100 million albums, 40 million of which were in the US. The merchandising machine of KISS has over 2,500 licenses to date and the band has broken box office records set by both the Beatles and Elvis.Among Simmons projects include the KISS Golf Course inLas Vegas, the Kiss Coffeehouse inMyrtle Beachand his reality TV show called Gene Simmons Family Jewels, which has been on air for nine seasons. He is also a partner with the global restaurant chain called Rock And Brews and has written two bestselling books.

His new book is called Me, Inc.: Build an Army of One, Unleash Your Inner Rock God, Win in Life and Business. In the following interview, Simmons talks about the importance of hard work, pursuing your passion, moving to where opportunities are and more.

Dan Schawbel: How are you able to balance your personal and professional lives, especially as an entrepreneur who is involved in so many ventures?

Gene Simmons:Honestly, theres no substitute for hard work, and being at the right place, at the right time, with the right thingand Ive been blessed to have found my soul mate, Shannon, with whom we have two great kids, now fully grown. Most of that, came from Shannon.

Schawbel:What does it take for you to manage all of your businesses and keep your brand consistent and relevant?

Simmons:Im probably not a good example of consistency and relevance. While I would recommend the latter, I simply trust my gut. And it has earned me a good living. I would never question why I do things. Sometimes, they have no relationship to each other. But everything seems to work out at the end. Call it luck. Call it blessed.

Schawbel:How did you originally pursue your path as a musician and what do you recommend to other people who are trying to find their own path in life?

Simmons:Unfortunately, a new musical act will not have the same opportunities I had. In my time, there were record companies, who paid you advances, non-recoupable against any failure the album might have. And they paid for tour support. And they put up posters in record stores. And they paid for videos.The record industry was the single biggest reason why bands had a more than even chance of succeeding.now, unfortunately I do not see the opportunity for another Beatles, or Zepplin or even KISS. The chaos that exists on the Internet with filesharing and downloading, prevents a sound business model to exist. So its going to be very difficult for new bands to get any kind of traction.

Schawbel:What are some of your branding and marketing tactics that the average person can use to get a job or advance in their career?

Simmons:It bears noting, if you live in a very small town no one has ever heard of, it may be to your advantage to move to a large city, where the action is. That means, if you want to be in country and western, move to Nashvilleother forms of music, move to New York or LA.

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Gene Simmons: His Secrets To Building A Brand Name

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

20-Oct-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ryan kryan@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News @LiebertOnline

New Rochelle, NY, October 20, 2014When it comes to picking an egg donor, until recent years, recipients tended to prefer someone with a similar appearance. Donor trait choices are changing, though, and which traits are now more preferable and why is the focus of "Beauty, Brains or Health: Trends in Ovum Recipient Preferences," an article published in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Women's Health website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/jwh.2014.4792 until November 20, 2014.

Homero Flores, MD and coauthors from Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, NY) reviewed the requests of ovum donor recipients over a 5-year period and assessed their preferences for donor traits, categorizing them by appearance, ethnicity, intellect, ability, and mental health. The authors documented statistically significant increases and decreases in the different categories over the years, with more "practical traits" that would improve offspring's overall quality of life tending to increase compared to "self-reflective" traits.

"As social acceptance of ovum donation has increased, and donor selection has become more sophisticated, couples are changing their preferences for what donor characteristics they value most for their future offspring," says Susan G. Kornstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Women's Health, Executive Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women's Health, Richmond, VA, and President of the Academy of Women's Health.

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About the Journal

Journal of Women's Health, published monthly, is a core multidisciplinary journal dedicated to the diseases and conditions that hold greater risk for or are more prevalent among women, as well as diseases that present differently in women. The Journal covers the latest advances and clinical applications of new diagnostic procedures and therapeutic protocols for the prevention and management of women's healthcare issues. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Journal of Women's Health website at http://www.liebertpub.com/jwh. Journal of Women's Health is the official journal of the Academy of Women's Health and the Society for Women's Health Research.

About the Society

Continued here:
Shopping for an egg donor: Is beauty, brains, or health most important?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

20-Oct-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ryan kryan@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News @LiebertOnline

New Rochelle, NY, October 20, 2014Interleukin-27 (IL-27), a member of the interleukin family of cytokines that help regulate the immune system, has a mainly anti-inflammatory role in the body, and its dysfunction has been implicated in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease. More recently, IL-27's proinflammatory activity and role in chronic inflammatory diseases is becoming increasingly clear, and a new Review article that explores the potential to target a range of diseases that share common IL-27-activated mechanisms is presented in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (JICR), a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the JICR website until November 20, 2014.

Christopher Wynick, Carlene Petes, and Katrina Gee, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada, explain how IL-27 can contribute to the control of both anti- and proinflammatory responses depending on the predominant type of immune response elicited in the body, the disease type, and the disease severity. They focus primarily on the proinflammatory activity of the cytokine in the article "Interleukin-27 Mediates Inflammation During Chronic Disease".

"IL-27 is emerging as a significant determinant of the character of inflammatory response and this review provides an important perspective," says Co-Editor-in-Chief Thomas A. Hamilton, PhD, Chairman, Department of Immunology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio.

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About the Journal

Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (JICR), led by Co-Editors-in-Chief Ganes C. Sen, PhD, Chairman, Department of Molecular Genetics, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and Thomas A. Hamilton, PhD, Chairman, Department of Immunology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly online with Open Access options and in print that covers all aspects of interferons and cytokines from basic science to clinical applications. JICR is an official journal of the International Cytokine & Interferon Society. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (JICR) website.

About the Publisher

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Interleukin-27: Can a cytokine with both pro & anti-inflammatory activity make a good drug target?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Scientists at the Baylor College of Medicine Medical Genetics Laboratories and the UCLA Clinical Genomics Center are at the forefront of a new technique that could be a powerful tool for diagnosing rare genetic conditions.

The technique is known as whole-exome sequencing and involves using cutting edge sequencing techniques to analyze the coding regions or exomes of thousands of genes at the same time, Baylor researchers Dr. Yaping Yang, Dr. Christine M. Eng and their colleagues explained in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Sequencing a patients exome and comparing it to a normal reference sequence allows researchers to identify variations in that individuals DNA sequence. Those variations can then be related back to the patients health issues in an attempt to locate the specific genetic cause of that medical condition, the authors added.

The researchers studied a group of 2,000 patients that had been referred for evaluation of suspected genetic conditions, and found that the use of whole-exome sequencing led to the discovery of a molecular diagnosis (meaning that a genetic mutation or variation associated with a specific disease) in roughly 25 percent of them.

The findings in this report, I believe, will forever change the future practice of pediatrics and medicine as a whole, study co-author Dr. James R. Lupski, a professor of molecular and human genetics and pediatrics at Baylor, said in a statement. It is just a matter of time before genomics moves up on the physicians list of things to do and is ordered before formulating a differential diagnosis. It will be the new family history that, better yet, gets you both the important variants inherited from each parent and the new mutations that contribute to disease susceptibility.

In the study, the use of whole-exome sequencing identified ways in which medical professionals could clinically intervene in order to alleviate or eliminate symptoms and give patients families more information about the disease and treatment. Furthermore, many of the diagnoses made using the technique involved patients inheriting a new mutation previously undetected in their parents, the researchers will report Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) in San Diego.

The clinical whole-exome sequencing analyzed as part of the study took place between June 2012 and August 2014, and the tests had been ordered by the patients physician for suspected genetic conditions. The process involved the collection of peripheral blood, tissue, or extracted DNA samples which were collected from patients or their parents, and the majority (87.8 percent) of those analyzed were found to have neurological disorders or developmental delay.

A molecular diagnosis was reported for 504 patients (25.2 percent), with 58 percent of the diagnostic mutations not previously reported, the researchers said. Molecular diagnosis rates for the physical manifestation or phenotypic category was 27.2 percent for the neurological group, 24.6 percent for the neurological plus other organ systems group, 36.1 percent for the specific neurological group, and 20.1 percent for the nonneurological group.

Clinical exome sequencing can assist diagnosis in a wide range of disorders that are diagnostic dilemmas, said Lupski. Rare variants and Mendelian disease are important contributors to disease populations We find rare variants in aggregate actually contribute to disease susceptibility in a big way. The individual diseases may be rare, but there are thousands of such diseases and many more being defined through genomics.

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Exome Sequencing Becoming A Powerful New Diagnostic Tool For Genetic Disorders

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20-Oct-2014

Contact: Pete Farley peter.farley@ucsf.edu 415-502-6397 University of California - San Francisco @ucsf

An international research collaboration led by UC San Francisco researchers has identified a genetic variant common in Latina women that protects against breast cancer.

The variant, a difference in just one of the three billion "letters" in the human genome known as a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), originates from indigenous Americans and confers significant protection from breast cancer, particularly the more aggressive estrogen receptornegative forms of the disease, which generally have a worse prognosis.

"The effect is quite significant," said Elad Ziv, MD, professor of medicine and senior author of the study. "If you have one copy of this variant, which is the case for approximately 20% (the range being 10 to 25 percent) of U.S. Latinas, you are about 40 percent less likely to have breast cancer. If you have two copies, which occurs in approximately 1% of the US Latina population, the reduction in risk is on the order of 80 percent."

Published in the October 20, 2014 issue of Nature Communications, the new study showed that women who carry the variant have breast tissue that appears less dense on mammograms. High "mammographic density" is a known risk factor for breast cancer.

"We have detected something that is definitely relevant to the health of Latinas, who represent a large percentage of the population in California, and of other states such as Texas," said first author Laura Fejerman, PhD, assistant professor of medicine and a member of UCSF's Institute of Human Genetics. "This work was done as a collaboration of multiple investigators, many of us originally from Latin America. As a Latina myself, I am gratified that there are representatives of that population directly involved in research that concerns them."

Epidemiological data have long demonstrated that Latina women are less susceptible to breast cancer than women of other ethnicities. According to National Cancer Institute data from 2007 to 2009, whites have about a 13 percent lifetime risk of breast cancer, blacks about 11 percent, and Hispanics less than 10 percent. The lifetime risk among Hispanics with indigenous American ancestry is even lower.

For several years Fejerman and Ziv have studied Latina populations in search of genetic and biological explanations for these differences. "After our earliest studies we thought there might be a genetic variant that led to increased risk in European populations," said Ziv. "But what this latest work shows is that instead there is a protective variant in Native American and Latina populations."

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Newswise At least 2 percent of people over age 40 and 5 percent of people over 70 have mutations linked to leukemia and lymphoma in their blood cells, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Mutations in the bodys cells randomly accumulate as part of the aging process, and most are harmless. For some people, genetic changes in blood cells can develop in genes that play roles in initiating leukemia and lymphoma even though such people dont have the blood cancers, the scientists report Oct. 19 in Nature Medicine.

The findings, based on blood samples from nearly 3,000 patients, dont mean that people with these genetic mutations are destined to develop a blood cancer. In fact, the vast majority of them wont as the incidence of blood cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma is less than 0.1 percent among the elderly.

But its quite striking how many people over age 70 have these mutations, said senior author Li Ding, PhD, of The Genome Institute at Washington University. The power of this study lies in the large number of people we screened. We dont yet know whether having one of these mutations causes a higher than normal risk of developing blood cancers. More research would be required to better understand that risk.

The researchers analyzed blood samples from people enrolled in The Cancer Genome Atlas project, a massive endeavor funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The effort involves cataloguing the genetic errors involved in more than 20 types of cancers.

The patients whose blood was analyzed for the current study had been diagnosed with cancer but were not known to have leukemia, lymphoma or a blood disease. They ranged in age from 10 to 90 at the time of diagnosis and had donated blood and tumor samples before starting cancer treatment. Therefore, any mutations identified by the researchers would not have been associated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which can damage cells DNA.

The researchers, including Genome Institute scientists Mingchao Xie, Charles Lu, PhD, and Jiayin Wang, PhD, zeroed in on mutations that were present in the blood but not in tumor samples from the same patients. Such genetic changes in the blood would be associated with changes in stem cells that develop into blood cells, but not to the same patients cancer.

They looked closely at 556 known cancer genes. In 341 patients ages 40-49, fewer than 1 percent had mutations in 19 leukemia- or lymphoma-related genes. But among 475 people ages 70-79, over 5 percent did. And over 6 percent of the 132 people ages 80-89 had mutations in these genes.

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Many Older People Have Mutations Linked to Leukemia, Lymphoma in Their Blood Cells

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