StemCell Therapy

Ground-breaking new study shows the efficacy of a long-acting injectable to prevent HIV

GENEVA, 19 May 2020UNAIDS warmly welcomes the announcement that the long-acting injectable cabotegravir is safe and effective in preventing HIV among gay men and other men who have sex with men and transgender women. The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 083 study enrolled almost 4600 HIV-negative people from across more than 40 sites in North and South America, Asia and Africa.

This is a breakthrough that will have a significant impact on the lives of gay men and other men who have sex with men and transgender women when they are at higher risk of HIV infection. said Shannon Hader, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Programme. We are particularly pleased that the study met its targets to recruit substantial numbers of younger black men who have sex with men and transgender women, the very people for whom accessing effective HIV prevention still remains a huge challenge.

In 2018, UNAIDS estimates that there were 1.7 million new HIV infections, 54% of which were among key populations, including gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender women, sex workers, people who inject drugs and people in prison.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)HIV-negative people using antiretroviral medicine to prevent HIV infectionis an important element in the HIV combination prevention toolkit. PrEP allows people to reduce their risk of becoming infected with HIV, particularly during periods of increased risk in their lives. It may also provide reassurance and reduce anxieties when the risks are uncertain.

Once it has passed regulatory approval, and when production of affordable cabotegravir can be scaled up, gay men and other men who have sex with men will have the choice of three highly effective ways to use PrEP to prevent HIV infection: daily pills, pills taken before and after sexual activity (event-driven PrEP) or an injection every two months. Transgender women will be able to choose between injections or daily pills, since the World Health Organization does not recommend event-driven PrEP because of possible drug interactions with some hormones. Injections of cabotegravir every two months are an important option for people who find it hard to take a pill every day, yet remain vulnerable to HIV infection.

The trial was scheduled to continue for at least another year, but the first interim analysis of the data was brought forward a few weeks because of the potential disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic might cause to high-quality clinical trial procedures. The Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) in the United States of America reviewed the data up to March 2020 and found that there was already clear evidence that cabotegravir was highly effective and not inferior to the currently recommended oral PrEP regimen.

Half of the study group were given oral PrEP and were injected with a placebo; the other half were given a cabotegravir injection and took a placebo pill. The study found a total of 12 HIV infections in the group using the injectable compared to 38 in the group taking the daily pill. The side-effects of both treatments were relatively mild, with only 2.2% of people in the injection group choosing to stop having the injections because of painful reactions. The DSMB therefore recommended that the study be halted and that all participants be notified of the result. The participants will be able to choose which regimen they wish to continue on.

Despite good adherence in the oral group and very few discontinuations in the injection group, the overall incidence of HIV infection in the study was 0.79 per 100 person-years. Planned analyses will explore why those 50 infections occurred among the 4565 trial participants.

An additional study (HPTN 084) is ongoing to establish the efficacy of the long-lasting injectable in non-transgender women. To date, more than 3000 sexually active women in seven African countries have enrolled in the study. Those results are expected in November.

We are eagerly awaiting the results of the ongoing HPTN 084 study among African women, said Dr Hader. We hope that by the end of this year there will be equally good news for women around the world.

HTPN 083 was conducted by the HPTN and funded by ViiV Healthcare and the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Cabotegravir has not yet been approved for the treatment or prevention of HIV as a single agent by regulatory authorities anywhere in the world. ViiV Healthcare plans to use the data from HPTN 083 for future regulatory submissions.

UNAIDS congratulates the research teams and urges continued investment in research and development for HIV vaccines, diagnostics, preventative medicines, treatment and a cure.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizationsUNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bankand works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Originally posted here:
UNAIDS welcomes new tool for HIV prevention for gay men and other men who have sex with men and transgender women - UNAIDS

NewsDeepMind's AI system can spot both the presence of age-related macular degeneration in eyes and predict its progression

Tuesday, 19th May 2020, 9:57 am

Google's DeepMind research lab has developed a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that is not only capable of detecting the presence of a sight-threatening eye condition but predicting its progression over six months.

The research, conducted in partnership with Moorfields Eye Hospital and Google Health, concentrated on age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the UK's most common cause of sight loss.

While around three-quarters of patients with the condition have a relatively mild, early form called "dry" AMD, a further 15 per cent will develop exudative or "wet" AMD - which can cause permanent vision loss as a result of blood vessels leaking fluid under the eye's retina.

Early detection of wet AMD allows ophthalmologists to treat the condition, lowering the likelihood of permanent loss of a patient's central vision.

Interventional and preventative tool

The researchers developed an AI system capable of predicting whether a patient will develop wet AMD within six months, which could be a useful interventional and preventative tool.

The model was trained on an anonymised dataset of 2,795 patients who had been diagnosed with wet AMD in one of their eyes and were being regularly assessed using 3D optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of the retina.

It used two neural networks informed by raw 3D scan of a patient's eye and different tissues within the retina to develop a prediction system capable of estimating a patient's likelihood of developing wet AMD in the next six months.

When testing against the assessment skills of experts three retinal specialists and three optometrists, the system performed as well as, and in some cases better than, the clinicians in predicting the progression of wet AMD.

The findings, published in medical journal Nature Medicine, could inform doctors in developing and studying preventative treatments for eye diseases.

More data required

While the system shows promise, it would be subject to robust clinical trials and regulatory approvals before it could be considered as a tool for doctors, Google Health said.

"The sample was representative of practice at multiple sites of the worlds largest eye hospital, but more work is needed to understand the model performance in different demographics and clinical settings," it said.

"Such work should also understand the impact of unstudied factorssuch as additional imaging teststhat might be important for prediction, but were beyond the scope of this work."

The British Medical Journal recently warned that many studies claiming AI is superior or as good as human experts at interpreting medical images may exaggerate machines' diagnoses ability and pose a potential risk to patient safety.

It cautioned that overpromising language "leaves studies susceptible to being misinterpreted by the media and the public, and as a result the possible provision of inappropriate care that does not necessarily align with patients' best interests".

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DeepMind: Google AI can predict the progression of sight-threatening eye conditions - inews

In the ongoing battle against the novel coronavirus, health care providers have recently started considering a type of patient that was previously overlooked: children.

While medical experts previously thought that COVID-19 was confined primarily to adults, they are now learning it is not exclusive to those older than 21. In the past few weeks, as New York City is just starting to move past the peak of the outbreak, upwards of 130 children have reportedly been treated in the states hospitals with symptoms of what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now calling multisystem inflammatory disease in children (or MIS-C), an illness that doctors believe springs from exposure to COVID-19 and causes an inflammation in at least two of the patients organ systems. Florida recently confirmed its first two cases.

Although Florida has not seen the number of children that New York has reported, cases are beginning to emerge in children in 18 other states and throughout Europe. So, pediatricians at the University of Miami are on high alert, said Dr. Judy Schaechter, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Miller School of Medicine and chief of service in child health at Jackson Health Systems. In her role, Schaechter teaches in the Miller School and sees patients at Jacksons Holtz Childrens Hospital, as well as in an outpatient setting at the Universitys Mailman Center for Child Development. She recently completed a two-week rotation in the COVID-19 unit at Holtz Childrens Hospital.

Schaechter shared what to look for in monitoring children for signs of this illness.

What do we know so far about multisystem inflammatory syndrome, this COVID-19 spinoff that is affecting children?

We are still learning about this condition, but what we do know is that it is associated with a positive coronavirus test (or past exposure to it), along with a persistent high fever (over 100.4 degrees for at least 24 hours) and the involvement of at least two organ systems in distress. That might be gastrointestinal disease (which could mean abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting), cardiac problems, respiratory symptoms, skin findings like a rash or swelling, headaches, fatigue, or other issues.

In addition, this syndrome seems to be presenting three to four weeks after the local community peak of COVID-19 occurs. In Miami-Dade, our COVID-19 cases peaked in April, and then we hit a plateau. We have seen a sustained number of coronavirus cases for more than a month, so we are on alert to watch for MIS-C and we are prepared to care for any child with this condition.

While Miami physicians are looking out for it and are in touch with our colleagues throughout the country, we encourage parents to take care of their children as they always would with any illness concerns. If you think your child is sick, call the doctor and discuss your concerns and any symptoms.

Moving on to COVID-19 in children. News reports seem to indicate there is a larger range of symptoms among children than adults. Are the symptoms of COVID-19 in children different?

It is still true that most children seem to be resilient to the new coronavirus. A majority of those infected will be asymptomatic. Still, if a parent is concerned a child is sick with anything, its okay to call the pediatrician. Because what were learning is coronavirus may present in children in atypical ways, or at least in ways that are distinct from the signs in adults.

The pandemic is evolving in front of us, so theres a lot we still dont know. Some kidsincluding teensmay present very much like adults in terms of respiratory symptoms like shortness of breath and inflammatory markers. (These are indications in the blood that organs are struggling.) In general, everything youve heard of what happens to adults (dry cough, muscle aches, fever, and shortness of breath) can happen in kids; but so far, it is less often. The research out there tells us that children experience less fever and cough than adults, so the presentation of COVID-19 in kids may be milder. For example, among children who were hospitalized for COVID-19 in China, only 48 percentless than halfhad a fever. Some hospitalized kids also experience rapid heart rate or rapid breathing; some have the loss of taste and smell. But based on what we know now, the vast majority of children will be asymptomatic and dont need any special treatment.

In the past few months, many parents have been afraid to take their children to the pediatricians office because they feel it may risk exposing their family to COVID-19. In this situation, what would you advise them to do?

If your child has a fever and looks sick, then you need to call and consult with a pediatrician. If they need to come in, get them that help and dont delay.

We know how to protect the people around uspatients, families, and staffin a health care setting. Pediatricians offices are using masks, practicing physical distancing, and separating the well-children from sick children in our offices. We do not have crowded waiting rooms, and we are disinfecting surfaces and using proper hand hygiene. Im confident that its much better to get the care a child needseither preventative care or care for a symptom by calling a physician and going into their officerather than for a child to be staying at home without a physician involved when care is needed.

I also want to urge parents to get children their regular vaccines. We dont want an outbreak from something preventable, such as measles or pertussis, because we are not vaccinating our kids. And we dont want kids to have more complicated disease because we delayed their care.

As things begin reopening in Miami, do you think its safe to send children to day care facilities?

This is a family by family decision. Up to 20 percent of childcare centers have stayed open in Miami-Dade, including our on-campus facility. Lets remember that the vast majority of childrenif they have COVID-19dont get sick. Also, children do not seem to be the ones primarily transmitting the virus to others, and children over the age of two can wear masks. So, for people who need to go back to work and who want to see their children get the great social benefits from being in school, I wouldnt fault them. But I also would not fault parents who want to keep their children at home and have a way to do so.

Coronavirus is going to be with us for a while, so itll be important to figure out how we live, work, and educate ourselves in this new normal. That means making it routine to wear a mask, practicing frequent hand hygiene, observing social distancing, and keeping away from others if you are having any symptomseven if you think it may be nothing. We have to be sure our culture is also about protecting others. If your child is sick, keep him or her at home.

What would you tell parents who are anxiously watching the headlines about this syndrome?

The numbers are small, and the chance that this will happen in your family is not something to panic about. We have the resources to take care of children here [at UHealth]. So, if your child is sick, let us know. We will thoroughly assess your child and provide the care that is needed. Still, remember this is very rare.

Its important to remember what hasnt changed: Dont worry about what you cant control. On the other hand, if your child has a fever, isnt eating, or otherwise seems ill, call your doctorjust as you would have before the pandemic.

Also, focus on what we can control. We can physically distance, use masks ourselves, and teach young children about the importance of wearing a mask for their protection and to protect others. We can all make sure we are washing our hands often and well.

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Illness that is a by-product of COVID-19 affects children - University of Miami

as delivered

New York, 19 May 2020

Thank you, Mr. President.

I will focus my briefing today on two areas.

First: the impact of COVID-19 in Syria and the preparedness and response measures underway.

Second: the humanitarian response across Syria and the findings of the Secretary-Generals Review of Cross-line and Cross-border Operations, which you received last week.

Let me start with the latest update on COVID-19 cases.

Syrian government authorities have confirmed 58 cases in Syria to date, including three fatalities. Another six cases have been recorded in the north-east, including one fatality. No cases have been confirmed in the north-west.

Building up the limited laboratory and case investigation capacities remains a major priority, and the United Nations is reinforcing this effort across Syria.

This includes considerable support from the World Health Organization to the progressive expansion of testing capacities in Damascus, Aleppo, Lattakia and Homs from conducting repairs to providing essential equipment, reagents and on-site training of laboratory technicians.

Testing capacity is not yet sufficiently established for epidemiological evidence across the country, including in the north-east, where further efforts are underway with support from national and international partners. The United Nations including World Health Organization stand ready to further support expansion of testing capacities across Syria in accordance with the epidemiological situation and needs.

Support is also underway for infection prevention and control from risk communication and community engagement to isolation centres. Some $23 million has already been allocated from the Syria Humanitarian Fund, which my office runs, to support COVID-19 preventative measures. Thank you to the donors whose contributions have paid for that.

But there remain significant shortages of personal protective equipment and other medical items across the country.

Let me echo what Geir Pedersen said to you yesterday, further to the Secretary-Generals global call for the waiver of sanctions that can undermine the capacity of countries to ensure access to food, essential health supplies and medical support to respond to the pandemic. Like Geir, I note the public assurances by relevant States that their sanctions programs relating to Syria neither ban the flow of humanitarian supplies nor target medicine and medical devices. I welcome their commitments to fully and expeditiously apply humanitarian exemptions.I continue to follow this issue closely.

As in many other countries, we are seeing the economic impact of the pandemic before we see infections peak: after an initial jump at the end of March, the average price of the national reference food basket for April is 15 per cent higher than the March average, and more than double the average recorded in April 2019. It is now higher than at any time since the crisis began.

In the north-west, which relies heavily on imported goods, the Syrian Pound continues to lose value against the US Dollar. Local sources report that, as of this morning, the exchange rate in some parts of Idleb has fallen as low as 1,950 SYP to the US dollar. Thats a depreciation of 54% since the end of April. The cost of a dollar has more than trebled in the last 12 months: the rate was 570 SYP to the dollar in May 2019. The consequences of this for local communities purchasing power are severe.

In early 2020, before the economic impacts of COVID-19 were felt in Syria, an estimated 80 per cent of people already lived below the poverty line.

The added impact of the pandemic is now driving food insecurity to record levels: the World Food Programme announced last week that an estimated 9.3 million people in Syria are now food insecure up from an estimated 7.9 million people six months ago.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, warned this month that killings of civilians across Syria are increasing, and various parties to the conflict, including ISIL, appear to view the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to regroup and inflict violence on the population.

Mr. President, I now turn to humanitarian operations in the north-west, where aid deliveries continue at record levels.

In April 1,365 trucks crossed from Turkey into the north-west through the Security Council-authorized border crossings at Bab al Salam and Bab al Hawa. This is an increase of over 130 per cent on April 2019.

There are three main reasons for the scale up.

The first is the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation since December, which continues to demand increased levels of assistance.

The second is the need to prepare for the impact of COVID-19. As I have said before, the north-west is considered at extremely high risk of an outbreak

The third pressure stems from the uncertainty we are operating under.

The authorization of cross-border assistance under Security Council resolution 2504 represents the sole channel for the United Nations to deliver life-saving assistance to millions of people in north-west Syria. It is up for renewal in less than two months.

You have received the Secretary-Generals review of cross-line and cross-border operations. In paragraph 1, the Secretary-General highlights that he has submitted the review ahead of schedule to allow the Council to take a timely decision and avoid the disruption of aid.

The findings of the review are clear: meeting the enormous humanitarian needs in the north-west requires a renewal of the cross-border authorization for the Bab al Salaam and Bab Al Hawa border crossings for an additional 12 months. The United Nations Monitoring Mechanism should be extended for the same period.

This decision cannot be left to the last minute. Too many lives are at stake.

Sustaining pipelines in this massive operation requires weeks and often months of lead-time. An environment of uncertainty risks the continuity of aid. It undermines the ability of humanitarian organizations to save lives.

In the meantime, our colleagues involved in the operation from the loading staff to the drivers to the UN coordinators and monitors are at the border every working day relentlessly, during Ramadan, amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic, to scale up deliveries.

Mr. President,

I now turn to the north-east and the ongoing efforts to increase cross-line deliveries of medical supplies following the removal of Al Yaroubiya as an authorized border crossing.

I am pleased to report that on 10 May the World Health Organization was able to deliver a 30-ton consignment of medical supplies to Qamishli by road. A second consignment of 23 tons is expected to arrive in the coming days.

This is the first overland delivery of WHO supplies to the north-east in two years. WHO is committed to respond to the humanitarian needs of all Syrians in the northeast by the most direct routes especially to reach the most vulnerable.

While this overland delivery is a very welcome step, let me be clear that much more needs to be done to bridge the gap in medical assistance for the north-east.

At present, medical supplies delivered cross-line to north-east Syria are reaching 31 per cent of facilities that previously depended on Al Yaroubiya border crossing for these supplies.

The findings of the Secretary-Generals review of cross-line and cross-border operations are also clear with regard to the north-east.

A combination of more cross-border and cross-line access is required to sustain, and preferably increase, humanitarian assistance.

Several cross-border options were identified in the Secretary-Generals report on alternatives to Al Yaroubiya, released in February. His report also described their limitations in comparison to Al Yaroubiya.

Mr. President, also in the north-east, the provision of water from Alouk Station was again interrupted and reduced many times since my last briefing, creating severe disruptions in water supply, especially in Hassakeh City and IDP camps in the area. At least half a million people are affected.

To compensate, humanitarian agencies have scaled up emergency water trucking, but this is neither a sufficient nor a sustainable solution. Access to water in all areas is all the more critical in this COVID-19 pandemic. Across Syria, relevant parties need to ensure the provision of basic services to civilians.

Mr. President, I have briefed you on the ongoing COVID-19 response across Syria as well as assistance being channeled through the cross-border operation.

Let me also highlight the broader response operation underway from within Syria in areas under the Governments control where the UN and its partner organisations reach most of the people we help. In the first quarter of 2020 the humanitarian operation has delivered food assistance for 3.3 million people; 3.3 million medical procedures; more than 2 million medical treatment courses; life-saving water, sanitation and hygiene assistance for 1.2 million people, education for 1.3 million people; and nutrition support for almost half a million people.

Mr. President, in closing I will reiterate my key ask to the Council today:

The cross-border operation for north-west Syria, authorized by the Security Council, is a lifeline for millions of civilians whom the United Nations cannot reach by other means.

It cannot be substituted. Its authorization must be renewed.

An early decision by the Council will avoid disruption of this vital operation and help humanitarian organisations continue the scale-up that the current needs and the prospect of COVID-19 demand. A delay will increase suffering and cost lives.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian...

Eurordis, a Paris-based coalition of national rare disease associations across Europe, hosted its first all-virtual conference, bringing some 1,500 delegates from 57 countries together online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 10th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Products (ECRD2020) which was set for May 1415 in Stockholm, instead took place via Zoom. Eurordis and its co-organizer, Orphanet, used the occasion to appeal to the European Union in Brussels to urgently approve standardized policies to advance the health and well-being of all Europeans.

Yann Le Cam, CEO of Eurordis, said that as is the case with COVID-19, there is an obvious value to grouping efforts at the EU level in order to tackle rare diseases. But he lashed out at the increasing nationalism shown by various leaders responding to the pandemic.

We must quash this egocentric rhetoric emerging in some countries. It fragments Europe into diverging national-level decisions, Le Cam, of France, said in his welcoming remarks. A lack of EU coordination is both detrimental to the health of people living with a rare disease and has an unnecessary negative impact on the economy.

He urged the EU to take the following concrete steps:

This epidemic has shown that if you fail to prepare, you prepare for failure and we must prepare together across borders, said Terkel Andersen, president of the Eurordis board.

Eurordis is a nonprofit alliance of 900 rare-disease patient organizations from 72 countries that work jointly to improve the lives of Europeans with rare diseases. Orphanet provides high-quality information and data on rare diseases. With its 40-nation network, Orphanet helps to orient patients and doctors to relevant expert resources in Europe and beyond.

The EU considers a disease rare if its incidence is lower than 1 in 2,000 people. About 30 million of the 446 million citizens who live in its 27 member states have a rare disease.

Yet because of the low prevalence of each disease, medical expertise is uncertain, care offerings inadequate, and research limited, said Orphanets director, Ana Rath. She noted that 72% of rare diseases are genetic and that 70% of those genetic conditions begin in childhood.

Now more than ever, the EU has a vital role to play in improving the health of its citizens. ECRD2020 focuses on how to build policies and services over the next decade that will improve the journey of living with a rare disease for patients and families, Rath said.

Attendance at this years virtual conference was up 81% compared to the 850 people who attended ECRD2018 in Vienna. It followed six broad themes, ranging from the future of diagnosis to the digital health revolution.The online conference program ran 54 pages, with specific breakout sessions covering topics from newborn screening for genetic diseases to how best to bring real life into therapeutic development.

Several top EU officials addressed participants via Zoom, including Stella Kyriakides, the European commissioner for health and food safety. She said ECRD2020 builds on the work of the ongoingRare 2030 Foresight Study, which will conclude in 2021 with a comprehensive set of key recommendations to EU leaders on how to improve rare disease policy.

In the coming years, we will be guided by the Rare 2030 Foresight Study, Kyriakides said. We need now to take lessons from COVID-19. We know that patients will be the driving force of our rare disease policy.

Europe currently accounts for more than one-third of the 4.7 million confirmed COVID-19 infections worldwide, with cases stretching from Madrid to Moscow. Infection rates, however, varies widely among EU member states.

Another major theme of ECRD2020 was how to ensure non-discrimination on the basis of health and disability. Officials addressing that theme included David Lega, a Swedish member of the European Parliament; Jana Popova of the Bulgarian Association for Neuromuscular Diseases; and Helena Dalli, European commissioner for equality.

All people should be able to participate fully and equally in society and in the economy, Dalli said. It is not only their right. Their participation represents a huge contribution to the whole society.

The ECRD2020 conference was co-chaired by Maria Montefusco, president of Rare Diseases Sweden; Milan Macek, a professor of medical and molecular genetics at Motol University Hospital in Prague; and Violeta Stoyanova-Beninska, chair of the Committee of Orphan Medical Products at the Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency.

Florida native Larry Luxner, a veteran journalist and photographer, has reported from more than 100 countries in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia for the Miami Herald, the Washington Diplomat, the Journal of Commerce and other news outlets. He lived for many years in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Washington, D.C., area. Among other ventures, he launched a monthly newsletter, South America Report, and later published CubaNews for 12 years before relocating to Israel in January 2017 and joining BioNews first as a copy editor and now as a staff writer. Larry is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and Hebrew, and enjoys taking long walks around Tel Aviv in his spare time.

Total Posts: 46

Jos holds a PhD in Neuroscience from Universidade of Porto, in Portugal. He has also studied Biochemistry at Universidade do Porto and was a postdoctoral associate at Weill Cornell Medicine, in New York, and at The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. His work has ranged from the association of central cardiovascular and pain control to the neurobiological basis of hypertension, and the molecular pathways driving Alzheimers disease.

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Unity and EU-wide Efforts Focus of Online Rare Disease Meeting - Hemophilia News Today

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A large number of people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic. Others recover quickly while many suffer severe symptoms including profound respiratory distress. A significant number die from the infection. What are the driving causes of this variability?

Each one of us carries about 5 million DNA variants in the genome of our cells. It is a small number compared to the approximately 3 billion pairs of DNA bases present in the human genome. However, these DNA variants influence biology (and behavior) because they often change the chemical properties of proteins they code for, alter the level of expression of genes they relate to or modify other molecular events in cells. These DNA variants are also the reason there are genetic predispositions to obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia and infectious diseases.

While we are still in the very early stages of investigating COVID-19, research has already shown that older people, adults with pre-existing conditions such as obesity, hypertension type 2 diabetes and other health issues, men, and minorities are more vulnerable than the rest of the population. Now several reports suggest that the individual genetic profile of an individual (the host) can play a role in meeting the challenges posed by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. Scientists are seeking the answers to three critical questions about an individuals genetic profile:

Does it put them at higher or lower risk of infection? Does it influence the magnitude of the immune response to the virus? Does it affect the severity of the symptoms and increase risk of death?

These questions will keep scientists busy for years but the early evidence strongly suggests that the genetic profile of the host is of great importance.

Host genetics and severity of symptoms. One study from the United Kingdom suggests that identical twins are substantially more alike in symptoms such as fever, loss of taste and smell than fraternal twins. This suggests that there is a genetic contribution to the severity of the symptoms experienced when infected. An issue of great interest is whether the genetic determinants of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and other morbidities known to increase the vulnerability to the viral infection also contribute to the physiological response to the infection itself. This is a topic of great importance that needs to be addressed in depth.

Host genetics and the risk of infection. Prior studies have shown that several DNA variants influence a persons susceptibility to infection. For example, some peoples genes slow or help fight off HIV, malaria, hepatitis B and other infections. It has been suggested that people with blood type O or with one of several subtypes of tissue antigens (within the HLA system) are more prone to the coronavirus infection compared to those with other HLA genetic characteristics. HLA genes provide the instructions to produce proteins that are present on the cell surface of almost all tissues. These proteins bind to intruders, like the coronavirus, and trigger the host immune response. Some peoples HLA defenses appear more effective against the virus while others are less so.

One promising area of investigation is the ACE2 gene, which produces a protein that appears to be the major receptor of SARS-CoV-2. A persons genetics may determine how accessible the proteins encoded by the ACE2 gene are to the virus. The virus invades the cell by using proteins, known as spike proteins, that are located in the outer covering of the cell. The virus cant dock to a host cell unless it has receptors that fit the spikes. Your DNA helps determine how many ACE2 receptors there are on your cells, and possibly your risk of infection.

Less than six months have elapsed since the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was identified and its infection potential recognized. Remarkable advances have occurred in a very short period of time, but a lot more needs to be done. There is hope on the genetic front that much will be learned in the coming months.

For instance, there are more than 100 ongoing projects worldwide exploring the host genomic signatures of infection risk and the range of symptoms experienced once infected; the effort is being supported by a coordinating team based at the University of Helsinki. In-depth genetic studies of outliers such as young people who experience very severe symptoms, older people who experience no or minor symptoms, infected people with obesity and/or hypertension and/or diabetes who are experiencing no symptoms once infected are also of great interest.

In summary, because it is so early in the research agenda, one cannot use genetic information to guide prevention and treatment as of yet. In the meantime, we should assume that we are not all equally at risk because we are genetically different.

Click here to learn moreabout Penningtons role in understanding the critical link between obesity and Covid-19. To support Pennington Biomedicals important work, pleaseclick here.

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Coronavirus Advisory: Is there a genetic predisposition to COVID-19? - Greater Baton Rouge Business Report

Professor Johnsons primary area of research expertise is on ion channels, neuropsychopharmacology, molecular genetics, mathematics, neuroimaging, and medications for treating addictions. He holds several US and International patents in pharmacogenetics.

MIAMI (PRWEB) May 19, 2020

The Haute MD Network, well known for its exclusivity, and luxurious lifestyle, is privileged to present Dr. Bankole Johnson as a leading addiction expert representing the Miami/ Ft. Lauderdale Market and the newest addition to the Haute Living partnership.

Haute MD offers a prominent collective of leading doctors nationwide. The invitation-only exclusive network maintains elite as ever, with only two doctors in every market. This partnership allows Haute MD to connect its affluent readers with industry-leading doctors.

Visit Dr. Bankole's Haute MD Profile: https://hauteliving.com/hautebeauty/mdmember/dr-bankole-johnson/

About Dr. Johnson:

Professor Bankole A. Johnson, D.Sc., M.D., MBChB, MPhil, FRCPsych, DFAPA, Dip-ABAM, Dip-ABDA, FACFEI

Professor Johnson (2013 2019) served as The Dr. Irving J. Taylor Professor and Chair in the Department of Psychiatry, and Professor of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Medicine, Neurology, and Pharmacology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He directs all brain sciences across multiple departments at the School under the aegis of the Brain Science Research Consortium Unit, which grew in NIH funding from $21M-$35M from 2013-2018. Professor Johnson serves as the Director of the Clinical Neurobehavioral Center in Columbia.

Previously (2004 2013), Professor Johnson was the Alumni Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia and was a Professor in the departments of Neuroscience and Medicine.

Professor Johnson graduated in Medicine from Glasgow University in 1982, and trained in Psychiatry at the Royal London, Maudsley, and Bethlem Royal Hospitals. Additional to his medical degree, he obtained a Master of Philosophy degree for his neurobiological research at the University of London and conducted studies in neuropsychopharmacology for his doctoral thesis (degree from Glasgow University) on the Medical Research Council unit at Oxford University. In 2004, Professor Johnson earned his Doctor of Science degree in Medicine from Glasgow Universitythe highest degree that can be granted in science by a British university.

Professor Johnsons primary area of research expertise is on ion channels, neuropsychopharmacology, molecular genetics, mathematics, neuroimaging, and medications for treating addictions. He holds several US and International patents in pharmacogenetics. Professor Johnson is a licensed physician and board-certified psychiatrist. He is the Principal Investigator on National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research studies from basic science to molecular and clinical studies, and has been funded continuously for over two decades. Professor Johnson has been awarded or been affiliated with over $40M in NIH funding. Professor Johnsons clinical expertise is in the fields of addiction, forensics, and disability assessment. Honors include service on numerous NIH review and other committees including special panels. Briefly, Professor Johnson was the 2001 recipient of the Dan Anderson Research Award for his distinguished contribution as a researcher who has advanced the scientific knowledge of addiction recovery. He received the Distinguished Senior Scholar of Distinction Award in 2002 from the National Medical Association. Professor Johnson also was an inductee of the Texas Hall of Fame in 2003 for contributions to science, mathematics, and technology, and in 2006 he received the American Psychiatric Associations (APAs) Distinguished Psychiatrist Lecturer Award. In 2007, he was named as a Fellow in the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and in 2008 he was elected to the status of Distinguished Fellow of the APA. In 2009, he received the APAs Solomon Carter Fuller Award, honoring an individual who has pioneered in an area that has benefited significantly the quality of life for Black people. In 2010, he was named as a Fellow in the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. He received the NIHs Jack Mendelson Award in 2013 for landmark discoveries in addiction science. In 2016, he received a Governors citation for service on the Maryland Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force. In 2019, he will receive the R. Brinkley Smithers award from the American Association of Addiction Medicine.

Professor Johnson has served as Editor-in-Chief and on the Editorial Boards of prestigious medical journals, and reviewed for more than 30 journals in pharmacology, neuroscience, and the addictions. He has authored 161 peer-reviewed publications, received over 17,000 citations, has an i10 index of 155, and an h-index of 58.

Professor Johnson is the founder and was the Chairman of Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly listed (on the NASDAQ) pharmaceutical Company till august 2019 (now he is its Chief Medical Officer), which developed as a start-up at the University of Virginia.

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Dr. Bankole Johnson Partners with the Exclusive Haute MD Network - PR Web

Engineers believe wastewater could bey key to tracking the spread of coronavirus.

An international team of researchers that includes engineers from the University of Sheffield are developing new techniques that could be used for a number of potential uses including to identify a second wave of the pandemic.

They say wastewater monitoring offers a quick way to identify the level of infection in a community without the need for testing individuals. The techniques could then help create a more accurate map of how the virus is spreading.

Brought together by the Water Research Foundation, the group is currently developing best-practices and standardised procedures for collecting and storing water samples as well as using molecular genetics tools to identify levels of COVID-19 in wastewater samples.

They are also developing strategies to communicate the implications of environmental surveillance results with the public health community, elected officials, wastewater workers, and the public.

Professor Vanessa Speight, who is also a member of the Sheffield Water Centre at the University said: There is great potential for wastewater to provide valuable information about the occurrence of COVID-19 across communities. But given that this is a very new field of investigation, we have identified a number of areas where future research efforts should be concentrated to maximise the value of this data.

Photo Credit the University of Sheffield

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Could sewers be the key to tracking coronavirus? - Environment Journal

Scientists are developing ways of using sewage to locate new infection hotspots and track a second wave of COVID-19.

An international group of waste water experts are researching new techniques that could identify the level of infection in a community without the need for testing individuals.

New standardised procedures could identify the virus in waste water and provide a picture of how coronavirus is spreading, the researchers said.

The group, who were brought together by the Water Research Foundation and include engineers from the University of Sheffield, are developing a range of best practices concerning the use of sewage.

These include collecting and storing waste water samples and using molecular genetics tools to identify levels of COVID-19 in sewage samples.

The scientists are also developing recommended approaches for using levels of coronavirus in waste water samples to inform trends and estimates of the spread of the virus in communities and developing strategies to communicate the implications of the results with the public.

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Professor Vanessa Speight, from the University of Sheffields Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, is researching techniques to reliably interpret the data collected from sewage samples.

Her results could help create a more accurate map of how the virus is spreading and show the emergence of a second wave of the pandemic.

She said: There is great potential for waste water to provide valuable information about the occurrence of COVID-19 across communities.

On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a new alert system to monitor the threat posed by coronavirus could eventually identify local flare-ups if COVID-19 is detected in the waste water from a local area.

The PMs official spokesman said: Some studies have been carried out overseas on this and I think it is something we are looking at as a possible way of seeing if you could track the rate of infections locally.

The Downing Street spokesman said officials are investigating whether sewage samples would allow them to track if the virus is more prevalent in some parts of the country than in others.

A family in Bradford watch Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson give a televised message to the nation to announce a new alert system on Sunday George Wood/Getty Images

Experts said some countries are testing waste water to see if there is an infection in the community.

And, while there is no evidence of the live virus being found in sewage or that the virus has been spread through sewerage systems, one study from the Netherlands found viral genetic material in waste water samples several weeks before the first case was detected.

A spokesman from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: We are actively engaging with the research community and Government scientific advisers to investigate whether monitoring waste water could be used as a way of tracking the prevalence of the virus.

Last month, scientists from Newcastle University said they were collaborating with Spanish academics to monitor sewage in their local networks in both countries to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19 in north-east England and across Spain.

Asked by: Andrew Cirel, via email

Strictly speaking, viruses cant die off as theyre just inanimate strips of genetic material plus other molecules. But the reason that they keep coming back is because theyre always infecting someone somewhere; its just that at certain times of the year, theyre less able to infect enough people to trigger a full-blown epidemic.

Many viruses flare up during the winter because people spend more time indoors in poorly-ventilated spaces, breathing in virus-laden air and touching contaminated surfaces. The shorter days also lead to lower levels of vitamin D, and this weakens our disease-fighting immune system. Experiments also suggest that the flu virus in particular remains infectious for longer in low temperatures.

But even when conditions arent ideal, viruses will find enough people to infect to ensure their survival, until they can come roaring back in an epidemic.

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Second wave of coronavirus could be spotted in sewage - sciencefocus.com

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) and Renown Health proudly announce the addition of Dr. Pier Paolo Pandolfi, MD, PhD, FRCP to the DRIs faculty of the Renown Institute of Health Innovation and as Director of the Institute of Cancer at Renown Health.

Reno, Nevada, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reno, Nev. (May 18, 2020) Today, the Desert Research Institute (DRI) and Renown Health proudly announce the addition of Dr. Pier Paolo Pandolfi, MD, PhD, FRCP to the DRIs faculty of the Renown Institute of Health Innovation and as Director of the Institute of Cancer at Renown Health.

Dr. Pandolfi, a prominent cancer investigator and molecular geneticist, will build a translational cancer laboratory at DRIs campus in Reno, Nevada to expand the success of the Healthy Nevada Project (the largest, community-based population health study combining genetic, clinical, environmental and social data, and offering free genetic testing to every Nevadan) into translational medicine and create a world-class cancer research and clinical care program.

Dr. Pandolfi will divide his time between Reno and Italy, also leading a cancer research institute in his home country that will foster knowledge exchange and international cancer research collaborations between Italy and Nevada.

As a cancer researcher, my mission is to cure cancer. The Healthy Nevada Project and the combined resources of Renown Health and DRI give us access to an unprecedented amount of longitudinal data and the valuable genetic information we need to continue to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cancer and tailor approaches for treatments and cures that are unique to each individual said Dr. Pandolfi.

I am proud to take the unique resource of the Healthy Nevada Project, and use the information to accelerate our work to provide a population-level view of those factors that drive cancer, build better models and perhaps, timely new treatments. I am excited to build a strong collaborative bridge between the state of Nevada with our colleagues in Italy and across Europe, which will allow for the exchange of research fellows, physicians, scientists, and interns, added Pandolfi.

Dr. Pandolfi, a scientist whom the NIH deems outstanding, and who is leading significant contributions toward the understanding of cancer and genetics, is formerly the director of the cancer center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School in Boston and prior to that at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

His extraordinary career in the molecular understanding of cancer has resulted in major medical breakthroughs in the treatment of solid tumors and leukemia. His foundational work in the study of critical cancer genes as models for tumor suppression has helped explain the causes of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and led to the development of innovative and effective treatments and therapies for the disease.

Recognizing the need to expand the Healthy Nevada Project into a new era of translational medicine, we are very excited to welcome Dr. Pandolfi and his pioneering scientific bench-to-patient bedside approach, said Anthony Slonim, M.D., Dr.PH., FACHE, president and CEO of Renown Health and co-founder of the Renown Institute for Health Innovation and the Healthy Nevada Project. Dr. Pandolfis arrival in Nevada represents a significant milestone for all of us, especially those of us who are cancer survivors. Nearly 4 in 10 of us will be diagnosed with cancer, the second-leading cause of death in the US. Dr. Pandolfi understands how genomics provides new tools for the prevention and early detection of many cancers.

Through the Healthy Nevada Project, 50,000 Nevadans volunteered their genetic information. Dr. Pandolfi will use the insights gained during the first two phases of the Healthy Nevada Project to plan future research.

Dr. Pandolfi brings with him to Nevada, a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator award. This grant provides stable, long-term research funding to support the research activities of the Renown Institute of Health Innovation.

Dr. Pandolfi will also serve as Director of the Renown Institute for Cancer and further a goal to bring world-class, exceptional cancer care to Nevada. He will lead efforts to streamline, standardize, and personalize relationships at every point in the cancer care continuum screening, diagnosis, treatment, and the care provided for survivors as well as those at the end of life. In addition, Dr. Pandolfis strong connections with the research community facilitate matching Renown patients to the right clinical trials, another example of Renowns position at the leading edge of treatment while developing the cancer care of the future.

The study of human health and its connection to our environment has always had a place in DRIs mission and research activity, said Kumud Acharya, Ph.D., Interim President of DRI. We are proud to welcome Dr. Pandolfi to Nevada and we are thankful for this extraordinary opportunity to meaningfully expand our health sciences research capacity to serve Nevada, together with our partners at Renown Health.

A native of Rome, Dr. Pandolfi received his MD in 1989 and Ph.D. in 1995, both from the University of Perugia, Italy. He completed his post-graduate work at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, University of London, before joining the faculty of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences at Cornell University in New York in 1994.

He is the author of more than 450 peer-reviewed research papers and the recipient of more than 30 awards and honors, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America Stohlman Scholar Award; the Weizmann Institute of Science: Sergio Lombroso Prize for Cancer Research; the William and Linda Steere Foundation Award; and the prize for Scientific Excellence in Medicine from the American-Italian Cancer Foundation. He has also been awarded the Fondazione Cortese International Award; the Prostate Cancer Foundation Creativity Award; and the Guido Venosta Award for Cancer Research.

In 2006, Dr. Pandolfi was elected as a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the American Association of Physicians and in 2007 became a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization. In 2015, Dr. Pandolfi was Knighted by the Republic of Italy, receiving the Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy by the President of the Italian Republic. More recently, Dr. Pandolfi has been elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2017 and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London in 2018.

For more about the Renown Institute for Health Innovation at DRI please visit http://www.dri.edu/renown-ihi/.

The Renown Institute for Health Innovation is a collaboration between Renown Health a locally governed and locally owned, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and northeast California; and the Desert Research Institute a recognized world leader in investigating the effects of natural and human-induced environmental change and advancing technologies aimed at assessing a changing planet. Renown IHI research teams are focused on integrating personal healthcare and environmental data with socioeconomic determinants to help Nevada address some of its most complex environmental health problems; while simultaneously expanding the states access to leading-edge clinical trials and fostering new connections with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

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Prominent Cancer Researcher to Join DRI and Renown Health - GlobeNewswire

Scientists at UBC and BC Cancer have found a new combination treatment for blood cancers that may lead to more effective results, especially in patients at high risk of drug resistance and disease progression.

Dr. Shoukat Dedhar

The new finding, recently published in Cell Stem Cell, builds off a more than two decades-old discovery of an enzyme called integrin-linked kinase (ILK), first identified by Dr. Shoukat Dedhar, professor in UBC faculty of medicines department of biochemistry and molecular biology and distinguished scientist at BC Cancer.

Scientists have now made a significant advancement in understanding the role this enzyme plays in blood cancers.

Working alongside Dr. Dedhar, the studys senior author Dr. Xiaoyan Jiang, UBC professor in the department of medical genetics and distinguished scientist at BC Cancer, and Dr. Katharina Rothe, the studys first author and UBC postdoctoral research fellow at BC Cancer, found that ILK is highly abundant in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), which accounts for approximately 15 to 20 per cent of all adult leukemia at diagnosis.

Dr. Katharina Rothe

They also found that when this enzyme is inhibitedin combination with current standard treatmentthe results are more effective. In fact, combining the standard treatment with the ILK enzyme inhibitor made the drug-resistant cancer stem cells more sensitive to the treatment, while not being toxic to healthy stem cells.

According to Dr. Jiang, the effect is due to the fact that ILK-inhibition specifically targets dormant cancer stem cells that standard treatment cant target on its own.

These dormant cancer stem cells are a big problem for drug resistance and relapse, says Dr. Jiang. Most drugs only treat bulk cancer cells that are dividing and growing. But these dormant cancer stem cells are not in cell division so they remain untreatable. This is dangerous because those cells are left alive in the body. A patient can be in remission for years and all of a sudden, without warning, the cancer stem cells begin dividing and this can cause relapse.

Dr. Xiaoyan Jiang

Dr. Jiang and Dr. Connie Eaves, UBC professor in medical genetics and distinguished scientist at BC Cancer, discovered this critical dormant CML stem population nearly 20 years ago.

Current treatments for CML are life-long, meaning that most patients need to continue treatment even when in remission because the cancer stem cells linger and contribute to drug resistance and relapse. With CML, there is a high relapse rate for patients who stop receiving treatment even for a few weeks. In some cases, the cancer returns in a form that is untreatable.

The next step will be phase one clinical trials following some modifications to the ILK enzyme inhibitor to make it more stable for consumption.

Abnormal activity of ILK is associated with poor prognosis of cancer patients and this combination strategy may also apply to other forms of cancer where the ILK enzyme is highly increased.

A version of this story originally appeared on the BC Cancer website.

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New combination treatment may overcome drug resistance in blood cancers - UBC Faculty of Medicine

The Justice Department escalated its crackdown on Chinese influence within U.S. research institutions with the arrest of a Chinese American researcher at the Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Qing Wang, a professor of molecular genetics at the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western University, was arrested Wednesday on charges of lying to investigators and wire fraud related to more than $3.6 million in funding that he and his research group at the Cleveland Clinic received from the National Institutes of Health under false pretenses. At the same time that he was receiving millions of dollars in U.S. government grants, court documents reveal he concealed how he was also the Dean of the College of Life Sciences and Technology at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. He was also receiving grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and hid his participation in Chinas Thousand Talents Program, a Chinese Communist Party effort to recruit academics to gain access to foreign technology and intellectual property.

The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, led by Sen. Rob Portman, released a 109-page bipartisan report in November, concluding that foreign countries seek to exploit Americas openness to advance their own national interests and that the most aggressive of them has been China. It found China used its Thousand Talents Program over the past two decades to exploit access to U.S. research labs and academic institutions. The FBI has deemed the Chinese effort to be a form of nontraditional espionage.

Wang, who was born in China but became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2005, accepted a research position with the Cleveland Clinic in 1997 with a focus on genetics and cardiovascular disease. He was selected by China for its Thousand Talents Program in 2008. He made his initial court appearance on Thursday.

FBI agent John Matthews authored the 26-page criminal complaint against Wang, unsealed Thursday, which said Wangs false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises led the NIH to approve and fund more than $3.6 million in grants via interstate wire transfer to him at the Cleveland Clinic. NIHs own rules say that overlap, whether scientific, budgetary, or commitment of an individual's effort greater than 100 percent, is not permitted.

The investigator said China increased its funding $3 million at HUST after he joined the Thousand Talents Program and that China paid for his trips there and provided him with a three-bedroom apartment on the Chinese campus. Wang admitted working to recruit people at Harvard Medical School, the University of California, and the University of Texas. He offered recruits between $200,000 and $300,000 in financial compensation on behalf of HUST.

Wang denied that he received any financial compensation from China for his participation in the Thousand Talents Program, which the FBI agent said was untrue.

Matthews said, The investigation determined that on at least four occasions, Dr. Wang had the opportunity and obligation to disclose his Chinese grants, his position as Dean at HUST, and the scientific, budgetary, and commitment of effort overlap between his NIH and CSNF grants, but knowingly and willfully failed to do so, in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

The Justice Departments China Initiative, launched in 2018, aims to combat both Chinese malign influence (ranging from cyberespionage to technology theft) and its Thousand Talents Program, which is aimed at stealing research. The department charged Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei in a global racketeering scheme earlier this year.

Portman said Thursday that he was pleased that our committee investigation and resulting report last year has spurred additional action by federal law enforcement to hold China accountable. The Ohio senator noted that for too long, China has exploited the lack of transparency in our education system to steal our taxpayer-funded research and innovation, and the federal government has done little or nothing to stop it.

Portman added: I will be introducing bipartisan legislation soon to safeguard American innovation, hold countries like China accountable for their actions, and ensure our world-class research enterprise is protected here in America. Chinas ongoing theft of Americas research and innovation must stop.

The arrest of Wang comes days after the Justice Department announced the arrest of Simon Saw-Teong Ang, an Arkansas professor who received millions of dollars of grant research money from the U.S. government, including $500,000 from NASA, on charges related to wire fraud. Angs research received $5 million in U.S. government contracts even as he allegedly failed to disclose his extensive financial connections to China and participated in Chinas Thousand Talents Program.

Dr. Xiao-Jiang Li, a former Emory University professor and Chinese Thousand Talents Program participant, pleaded guilty on Friday to filing false tax returns after he worked overseas at Chinese universities and did not report any of his foreign income on his federal tax returns.

In January, the Justice Department announced that Charles Lieber, the chairman of Harvards chemistry department, was charged with one count of making a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement about his connections to Chinas Thousand Talents Program.

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DOJ escalates Chinese 'Thousand Talents' crackdown with arrest of Cleveland Clinic researcher - Washington Examiner

Abstracts Underscore the Results of Collaborations with Multiple Leading Cancer Centers in the United States

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BostonGene Corporation, a biomedical software company focused on defining optimal, precision medicine-based therapies for cancer patients, today announced that, as a result of its strategic collaborations, seven abstracts have been accepted to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. All abstracts to be published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology supplement for the ASCO Annual Meeting Proceedings.

We are honored to have multiple abstracts accepted by ASCO 2020. The studies demonstrate the clinical utility of BostonGenes advanced precision medicine capabilities and our commitment to transform the lives of cancer patients, said Andrew Feinberg, President & CEO at BostonGene.

Details of abstract presentations are as follows:

Abstract Number: 8055*

Title: Multi-omics analysis of mantle cell lymphoma reveals an immune-cold tumor microenvironment associated with ibrutinib resistance

Session: Hematologic MalignanciesLymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Presenter: Krystle Nomie, PhD, BostonGene

Poster: 388

Tumor-immune molecular programs were characterized from over 200 mantle cell lymphoma samples and correlated with response to ibrutinib.

Research conducted with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Abstract Number: 6561*

Title: Immune functional portraits of head and neck cancer using next generation sequencing

Session: Head and Neck Cancer

Presenter: Susan Raju Paul, MBBS, Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Massachusetts General Hospital

Poster: 222

BostonGenes comprehensive, integrated analysis of WES and RNAseq was used to characterize the cellular composition and functional state of over 1,400 head and neck tumors and their tumor microenvironment.

Research conducted with Massachusetts General Hospital

Abstract Number: 8054*

Title: Identification of Predicted Neoantigen Vaccine Candidates in Follicular Lymphoma Patients

Session Hematologic MalignanciesLymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Presenter: Cody Ramirez at Washington University in St Louis

Poster: 387

Tumor-specific mutant antigens (TSMAs) that can be targeted by vaccination were studied in follicular lymphoma patients and led to a first-in-human pilot trial of a personalized TSMA vaccine combined with immunotherapy.

Research conducted with Washington University in St Louis

Abstract Number: e20065

Title: Correlation of PI3K upregulation with NOTCH2 mutations in ibrutinib-resistant mantle cell lymphoma

First Author: Krystle Nomie, PhD, BostonGene

Research conducted with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Abstract Number: e21026

Title: Non-small cell lung cancer: Analysis using mass cytometry and next generation sequencing reveals new opportunities for the development of personalized therapies

First Author: Susan Raju Paul, MBBS, Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Massachusetts General Hospital

Research conducted with Massachusetts General Hospital

Abstract Number: e17106

Title: Integrated single-cell spatial multi-omics of intratumor heterogeneity in renal cell carcinoma

First Author: James Hsieh, MD, PhD at Washington University in St. Louis

Research conducted with Washington University in St Louis

Abstract Number: e17506

Title: Integrated-omics of MRI-visible and -invisible prostate cancer identifies molecular correlations with clinical outcome

First Author: Eric H. Kim, MD at Washington University in St. Louis

Research conducted with Washington University in St Louis

*Abstracts to be presented as posters at the 2020 ASCO Annual Virtual Meeting from May 29-31, 2020

About BostonGene Corporation

BostonGene Corporation is pioneering the use of biomedical software for advanced patient analysis and personalized therapy decision making in the fight against cancer. BostonGenes unique solution performs sophisticated analytics to aid clinicians in their evaluation of viable treatment options for each patient's individual genetics, tumor and tumor microenvironment, clinical characteristics and disease profile. BostonGenes mission is to enable physicians to provide every patient with the highest probability of survival through optimal cancer treatments using advanced, personalized therapies. For more information, visit BostonGene at http://www.BostonGene.com.

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BostonGene Announces Acceptance of Abstracts to the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2020 - BioSpace

Looking back into history, gout, or gouge as it is sometimes called, was once thought to be the rich mans curse for their enslavement of the lower classes who did all the work for the rich men who did not enjoy the fruits of their labors.

As the rich became older and richer a fair portion of them were plagued with rapid onset of searing and swollen red large toes which was described as being so painful that even having a thin bed sheet placed on it was unbearable.

Hippocrates used to utilize the colchicum plant to help treat this painful condition, but this approach grew out of favor within the medical profession by the 1700s when it became more appropriate to bleed the victim as a treatment.

Modern medicine can help to shed a light on what was happening back in those early days; the wealthy having enough money to lounge around and dine on rich meat filled diets that were washed down with copious amounts of wine were lacking nutrition in their diets that the poor workers were getting as they ate their garden vegetables and primarily drank water, which is for the most part what is now recognized as the source of whether or not one develops gout or not.

The body recycles old and dying cells as it harvests the building blocks to make new cells, but the process declines with age. These building blocks are called purines, if they are produced in excess or not excreted through the kidneys efficiently they form needle shaped uric acid crystals. An autoimmune attack is triggered that causes impressive amounts of inflammation of the joints when the immune system detects these crystals accumulating on a joint.

Over time this process can cause destruction similar to the appearance of rheumatoid arthritis. One of the more common causes of this overproduction is alcohol intake and diets that are rich in purines such as those found in steak and lobster, which the rich back in the day had in excess in their diets while the poor workers had very low levels of in their diets.

Sometimes the body does not excrete uric acid efficiently, this is most often caused by medications such as diuretics used to treat high blood pressure. Additionally there are some genetic lines such as Polynesians who can lack enzymes that break down uric acid in purines to be used to make new cells, and in these cases the uric acid often causes gout.

One of the other myths surrounding gout is that a blood test for uric acid can either diagnose or disprove this form of arthritis; but research shows that most patients suffering with gout attacks will have normal blood uric acid levels, and most with elevated levels do not go on to develop gout though for this group the risk of developing kidney stones is elevated.

Advances in modern medical science allows for the detection of gout crystals to be seen in joints with painless musculoskeletal ultrasounds, but in the past the only way to check for the presence of gout versus other forms of arthritis was rather painful and involved sticking a needle into the joint to draw out fluids for microscopic investigation.

In todays modern society there are many effective forms of treatment for gout, and it is now commonly thought of as the only curable form of arthritis. One of the quickest acting medications used to treat gout is colchicine, which interestingly enough was originally used by Hippocrates back in the day; history really does repeat itself in some cases.

Arthritis is a complicated condition, as such gout can happen along with other forms of arthritis simultaneously, and this can be confusing for the patient and physician alike. Fortunately there are many forms of diagnostics and treatment options available that make treating gout easier.

If a weight loss program is recommended to help treat gout, be sure to select the program carefully as some popular low carb fad diets also have a high fat content which can promote hyperuricemia by stimulating fat burning for energy producing a state of ketosis; the problem with this diet is that it can make the gout condition worse, especially in the initial phases of diet change and weight loss. The gout condition can also get worse with simple fasting or crash diets that can raise uric acid levels. Be sure to have a discussion with your physician or certified medical profession to work out a plan that works best for you to avoid any possibility of unwanted complications.

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Gout: Possibly The Only Curable Form Of Arthritis - Anti Aging News

Study data published in Clinical Rheumatology support the discriminatory capacity of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) definition of arthralgias suspicious for progression to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In a cohort of patients with hand arthralgias, the EULAR criteria, combined with ultrasound and laboratory data, correctly classified 92% of cases with RA.

Investigators conducted a prospective cohort study of adults older than 18 years with hand arthralgias between August 2017 and July 2019. At baseline, patients underwent an ultrasound (US) with power Doppler (PD) of both hands and radiography of the hands and feet. Laboratory tests were used to determine erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, rheumatoid factor (RF) positivity, and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) positivity. Patients were followed by their treating rheumatologists; the primary outcome was diagnosis of RA per 2010 EULAR criteria. The area under the receiving operator curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of EULAR criteria for arthralgias likely to progress to RA. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify baseline predictors of RA development. The EULAR definition for suspicious arthralgias includes 7 features; EULAR risk was expressed as the number of features observed in each patient.

The study cohort comprised 465 patients with hand arthralgias, among whom 358 (76.9%) were women. Mean age at baseline was 53.814.5 years. During follow-up, 44 patients (9.4%) were diagnosed with RA by their treating rheumatologists. Mean baseline number of EULAR features was 4.11.6 in patients who were later diagnosed with RA vs 2.31.5 in patients without RA (P <.0001). RF, ACPA, and the presence of synovitis by US with PD were more commonly observed in the RA vs the non-RA group.

The AUC for EULAR features for final diagnosis of RA was 0.7827 (95% CI, 0.7150-0.8503), indicating modest discrimination. When US with PD, RF, and ACPA data were added to EULAR features, the AUC increased to 0.9172 (95% CI, 0.8794-0.9550; P <.001). In the final model, the best cutoff for number of EULAR-defined features was 4, which had a sensitivity of 90.9% and a specificity of 76.5%.

In multivariate regression, baseline features associated with later diagnosis of RA included difficulty making a fist (odds ratio [OR], 60.3; 95% CI, 3.6-1004), RF positivity (OR, 111.7; 95% CI, 9.9-1252), ACPA positivity (OR, 220.8; 95% CI, 12.3-3956), and US with PD in at least 1 joint (OR, 117.4; 95% CI, 8.8-1553).

The EULAR definition of arthralgia suspicious for progression to RA performed well in distinguishing patients who were later diagnosed with RA from patients who were not. The addition of other laboratory features to the EULAR prediction model increased discrimination. Overall, EULAR features appear to be useful for identifying RA risk in patients with hand arthralgias.

Reference

Ruta S, Prado ES, Chichande JT, et al. EULAR definition of arthralgia suspicious for progression to rheumatoid arthritis in a large cohort of patients included in a program for rapid diagnosis: role of auto-antibodies and ultrasound. Clin Rheumatol. 2020;39:1493-1499.

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EULAR Criteria Predicts Progression to Rheumatoid Arthritis in Patients With Hand Arthralgias - Rheumatology Advisor

Arthritis is no walk in the park. In fact, it can make any walk around the park inconvenient, painful and arduous. And, did you know that one form of arthritis can even lead to lung damage?

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease whereby the immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of the joints.

Specifically, the synovium the tissue lining around the joint that produces a fluid to help the joint move freely is targeted.

This causes joint inflammation and pain, mainly experienced in the hands, knees and ankles.

Some people with rheumatoid arthritis may experience fatigue and have a low-grade fever.

The symptoms of this condition come and go, with a flare-up lasting anywhere from a couple of days to months.

Aside from joint pain, the most common health complication that develops from rheumatoid arthritis is problems with the lungs.

This includes small growths in the lungs, called pulmonary nodules.

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And a build-up of fluid between the lung and chest wall, known as pleural effusion.

Or damage to the airways, known as bronchiectasis. It can even lead to interstitial lung disease (ILD).

In fact, it's estimated that one in 10 people with rheumatoid arthritis will develop ILD.

ILD refers to inflammation and scarring of the lung tissue caused by an overactive immune system.

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Rheumatoid arthritis: How the autoimmune disease can lead to lung disease - Express

PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS (PSA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by joint pain, stiffness, and swelling and clinically presents as axial or peripheral arthritis, dactylitis, and nail or skin lesions. Usually PsA occurs after the development of psoriasis. However, in a small number of patients, joint problems begin before psoriasis appears.1

More than 8 million Americans live with psoriasis, and PsA affects between 15% and 30% of those individuals.2 The disease also affects men and women almost equally, with a peak onset age between 40 and 50 years, although it can begin at any time.1,3 A hereditary link also appears evident, as individuals who have a first-degree relative with the condition have a 40% greater chance of developing the disease.4

Effective and timely treatment is important in PsA because the earlier it is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin, thus slowing down permanent joint and tissue damage and the progression of disability.1 However, diagnosis is often delayed because of the generality of symptoms, and study results show that just 30% of patients receive a proper diagnosis within the first 6 months of symptom onset.5,6

Although the number of drugs for PsA has increased over the past decade, half of treated patients still do not achieve optimal outcomes, and little guidance exists to help practitioners with medication choice. Physicians make their decisions based on the clinical disease domain affected, cost, and provider familiarity.7

Considerations and Goals of Therapy No cure for PsA exists, so the goals of treatment are to slow disease progression, improve quality of life, lessen pain, and preserve range of motion. With variable presentation and 5 subtypes of disease, practitioners must assess the clinical presentations and locations affected and choose therapy accordingly.6,7

Therapeutic treatment is usually focused on a particular goal, with minimal disease activity (MDA) criteria recommended as the treatment target in patients with PsA. Evidence shows that patients who meet those criteria have better quality of life, less joint damage, and more functional ability.7 Practitioners also need to consider comorbidities because patients suffering from PsA are more likely to have cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, depression, and diabetes.1,4

Treatment Selection and Strategies In most patients with PsA, pharmacological treatment consists of a trial-and-error approach, beginning with corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to manage symptoms. Physicians often use conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), followed by biological DMARDs if a patient does not adequately respond.1,2 However, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the National Psoriasis Foundation have challenged this historical approach, instead recommending biological DMARDs as first-line therapy.2,3,7,8

Biological therapy has 5 mechanisms, with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors the most established. Patients often receive these as first-line therapy because of more robust outcome data, physician familiarity, and lower costs due to TNF biosimilars. Interleukin (IL-17A, IL-12, and IL-23) inhibitors tar get disease-specific cytokines. Oral small molecules include Janus kinase inhibitors that block the downstream signal of multiple cytokine receptors and a PDE4 inhibitor that blocks the degradation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate in immune cells, thus inhibiting an inflammatory response.7,9

A preferred hierarchy of drug selection has not been established, and because of the clinical heterogeneity of PsA, large studies need to evaluate the different clinical domains of the diseases. To date, only 1 large head-to-head study has compared biologics for PsA. In that study, Mease et al compared the IL-7 inhibitor ixekizumab with adalimumab, and results showed the superiority of ixekizumab in the primary outcome of patients achieving ACR50 criteria and 100% reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index.10 The study results also showed noninferiority to adalimumab.10

Physicians have no way to predict who will and will not respond to therapies, and because biological and targeted synthetic DMARD treatment usually lasts for 12 to 24 weeks, a longer period of suboptimal therapy may result.2,3 These delays can also contribute to both negative outcomes and decreased quality of life.

Future DirectionThe approach of using biologics in patients with PsA without an evidence-based stratification or personalization tool has led to more than 50% of patients not meeting their therapeutic target as defined by the MDA criteria. Some patients who have failed prior first-line biological therapy may have a response when they switch to a drug with a different mechanism of action, which may suggest that disease pathogenesis can differ among individuals.7,11

In 2019, the first study addressing precision medicine in PsA was published. Miyagawa and colleagues conducted the trial and looked at evaluating baseline CD4 T-cell activation markers to select appropriate therapy for patients with PsA.12 Even though the trial had limitations, the results were promising, and it was the first study to use baseline immunophenotyping when selecting therapy.7,12

Personalized treatment selection has had success in other autoimmune disease states, such as rheumatoid arthritis. In the future, a combination of immunophenotyping and statistical analyses could assist in a targeted treatment approach that has the potential to maximize outcomes in patients with PsA without delay.7

What Pharmacists Should Know Many effective DMARDs are available. However, patients respond differently and may not achieve optimal outcomes with their first choice of treatment, which contributes to delays and poorer long-term results. Practitioners should base treatment selection on clinical areas involved, comorbidities, and evidence. Many biologics also have specialty distribution pathways, which can present a challenge to patients who must navigate the system.

Although new treatment selections offer opportunities for therapy, they also present new challenges, and pharmacists must be knowledgeable about evidence-based studies that can help guide and individualize treatment for PsA.

REFERENCES

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What Is the Future of Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment? - Pharmacy Times

Depression and anxiety were highly prevalent in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to study results published in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases. The study findings also highlighted that better self-reported global health status was protective against both anxiety and depression symptoms.

Investigators conducted a prospective, cross-sectional study of patients enrolled in either the Siriraj Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry (SIRA) or the Thai Army Rheumatoid Arthritis Cohort (TARAC) between September 2016 and March 2018. Established at major hospitals in Bangkok, Thailand, the SIRA and TARAC cohorts comprised patients aged 18 years with a diagnosis of RA per the American College of Rheumatology criteria. At baseline, SIRA and TARAC enrollees provided sociodemographic and clinical information; patients were then followed-up prospectively through rheumatology clinic visits. The present analysis extracted depression and anxiety data from most recent visit, assessed using the Thai version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Anxiety and depression were defined as having a HADS score 8. Logistic regression was conducted to identify baseline factors associated with HADS score at follow-up.

Data from 464 patients were included in analysis. Mean age at most recent study visit was 5911.4 years, median disease duration was 9.9 years (interquartile range, 5.1-16.6 years), and 85% were women. Nearly half (48%) of participants were unemployed. Mean HADS score for depression was 3.833.11; mean score for anxiety was 4.712.95. The overall prevalence rates for depression and anxiety were estimated at 12.5% and 14.5%, respectively. Increased disease activity was observed in patients with anxiety and depression, although this trend was not statistically significant.

In multivariate regression models, global health score (risk ratio [RR], 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-0.99; P =.001) was negatively associated with depression. Anxiety was positively associated with the presence of functional disability (RR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.33-4.54; P =.004) and being married (RR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.25-4.73; P =.009), but negatively associated with disease duration 10 years or more (RR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.25-0.80; P =.007) and global health score (RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.98; P <.001). Overall, patients who self-reported better global health were less likely to endorse depression and anxiety.

These data underscore the significant burden of mood disorders in patients with RA. As a study limitation, investigators noted that the cross-sectional design prevented longitudinal analysis of mood symptoms, which may fluctuate over time with changing disease activity. Even so, given these results, mental health screenings may be an important component to clinical care for RA.

Reference

Katchamart W, Narongroeknawin P, Chanapai W, Thaweeratthakul P, Srisomnuek A. Prevalence of and factors associated with depression and anxiety in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a multicenter prospective cross-sectional study. Int J Rheum Dis. 2020;23(3):302-308.

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Depression, Anxiety Highly Prevalent in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis - Rheumatology Advisor

OBJECTIVE:

Periarticular osteophyte formation is observed during the repair of damaged joints in rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, little is known about its clinical and functional roles. This study aimed to determine the influence of periarticular osteophyte formation on the incidence oftotal knee arthroplasty(TKA) (a surrogate for long-term outcomes of joint destruction) in patients with RA.

This retrospective longitudinal study included atotalof 130 symptomatic (tender and/or swollen)kneejoints in 80 patients starting biologics. Cumulative incidences of TKA were compared according to the presence or absence of osteophyte on plain anteroposterior radiograph (osteophyte ()) and the extent of advanced joint damage as defined by Larsens grading system (0-II vs. III-V).

Kaplan-Meier estimates showed a significantly lower cumulative incidence of TKA for the osteophyte (+) group (n=33) compared with the osteophyte (-) group (n=31) in the Larsen grades III-V group (38 vs. 74% at 10years, P=0.010), whereas no significant difference was observed between the osteophyte (+) (n=11) and osteophyte (-) (n=55) groups in the Larsen grades 0-II group (9 vs. 10% at 10years). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that older age (hazard ratio (HR), 1.04 per 1year; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.08) and osteophyte formation (HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.19-0.79) independently predicted TKA in the Larsen grades III-V group, whereas none of the assessed variables predicted TKA in the Larsen grades 0-II group.

Osteophyte formation reduces the incidence of TKA in patients with RA who have advanced joint damage.Key Points Older age and Larsen grade were independent predictors oftotal knee arthroplasty(TKA) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Periarticular osteophyte formation reduced the incidence of TKA in RA patients with Larsen grades III-V.

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Periarticular osteophyte formation protects against total knee arthroplasty in rheumatoid arthritis patients with advanced joint damage - DocWire News

Arthritis comes in many forms but the most common in the UK is osteoarthritis, which affects nearly nine million people. Osteoarthritis initially affects the smooth cartilage lining of the joint. This makes movement more difficult than usual, leading to pain and stiffness.

There is currently no cure for osteoarthritis but one particular lifestyle intervention has been shown to alleviate pain and stiffness in two of the most commonly affected joints - the knees and hips.

According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, a Mediterranean diet can reduce markers of inflammation and improve knee flexion and hip rotation in people with osteoarthritis.

The knee flexion is the measurable degree in which your leg (and knee joint) can bend.

The study, commissioned by UK charity Arthritis Action, examined the effects of a Mediterranean type diet on 99 patients with osteoarthritis.

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Dr Lex Mauger, co-author of the study and Director for BSc Sports Science at the University of Kent, said:

The Mediterranean diet has previously been associated with a number of health benefits, but the exciting finding with this study is that specific guidance on adhering to this type of diet can change eating behaviour and result in a number of beneficial physiological changes, relevant to osteoarthritis, in a relatively short period of time.

As osteoarthritis is a chronic disease, treatment is primarily about managing the symptoms, and this study shows that eating healthily may help form part of that treatment strategy. Benefits from the intervention in this study were evident after only four months, so it is possible that an even greater benefit could be seen in people who make longer-term improvements to their normal diet.

The Arthritis Foundation explained: "The disease-fighting power of the Mediterranean diet stems from its ability to regulate inflammation by focusing on anti-inflammatory foods (berries, fish, olive oil) and excluding or limiting pro-inflammatory ones (red meat, sugar and most dairy).

As Michelle Babb, MS, RD, a Seattle-based nutrition educator, explained, OA is now known to have an inflammatory component, so this way of eating can lead to real improvements in joint pain.

There are a variety of foods in the Mediterranean diet that are high in fibre, beta carotene, magnesium and omega 3s, which have been found to actively reduce inflammatory markers in human studies," she said.

Babb added: "Ive had [arthritis] patients who have been able to discontinue the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) because of transitioning to a Mediterranean diet. Some even report a noticeable difference in pain in the first week."

An indirect benefit of following a healthy, balanced diet such as the Mediterranean diet is that it can help to aid weight loss.

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Arthritis treatment: Follow this healthy diet to ease joint pain and stiffness - Express