StemCell Therapy

eyeSight offers an advanced automotive solution fulfilling all in-cabin market needs, including driver awareness, driver recognition and gesture control

Herzliya, Israel (Marketwired) - eyeSight Technologies, a leader in Human Machine Interface (HMI) and user awareness embedded computer vision, today announces its automotive solution focusing on in-cabin sensing technology. With the driver as the main focal point, eyeSight offers a complete solution that provides driver awareness, driver recognition and gesture control.

Driver awareness is enabled by a new level of learning and fine-tuned computer vision to ensure that once drowsiness or distraction is detected, eyeSight's solution will inform car systems to provide an alert or take proactive action through the safety systems, such as increase distance from the car ahead with adaptive cruise control.

Driver recognition offers a new level of personalization and comfort between the car and driver, as it constantly improves the system and learns the driver. Merely sitting in the driver's seat will prompt the car to adjust to the specific driver's preferences such as seat position, temperature, volume level, music selection, favorite stations, and more.

Through the same sensor that provides driver awareness and recognition, eyeSight's automotive solution also provides touch-free gesture control that enables an additional level of immediate interaction to minimize distraction for the driver. The simple gestures are natural and tightly coupled with the functions they control to minimize the cognitive load, alleviate the friction of in-car systems and save the driver from the distraction of locating and tapping touch screen buttons.

"For over a decade, we have been investing in R&D to create market leading embedded machine learning solutions, which are already deployed in millions of devices worldwide," said Gideon Shmuel, CEO of eyeSight Technologies. "Adding these new robust computer vision features to our automotive solutions enhances the driver experience and helps prevent distracted driving. With the market transition to semi-autonomous cars, it's vital that our automotive solutions go beyond just driver awareness to give the driver tangible benefits like personalization and gestures."

To learn more about eyeSight Technologies and their new automotive solutions, visit http://www.eyesight-tech.com.

About eyeSight Technologies eyeSight is the leading provider of embedded computer vision solutions, bringing sensing and gesture recognition technology to a variety of devices and industries. The company's technology improves daily life interactions with the home, the car, and other consumer electronics with simplified user interactions that are intelligent and personalized. eyeSight's technology was designed for a wide range of applications, from active interactions with gesture recognition and finger tracking, to passive user detection and face analysis, delivering customized experiences based on user features and actions. For more information, visit http://www.eyesight-tech.com.

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eyeSight Technologies Announces Groundbreaking In-Cabin Sensing Technology To Prevent Distracted Driving - Embedded Technology.com (press release)

Eye diseases and vision loss have become major public health concerns in the United States. As the last of the baby-boom generation approaches age 65, the number of Americans who are visually impaired, including those with low vision, is expected to double to more than 8 million by 2050, according to recent studies funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Low vision is when people have difficulty seeing, even with regular glasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery. People with low vision may find it challenging to perform everyday activities such as getting around the neighborhood, reading the mail, shopping, cooking, or watching television.

Most people with low vision are age 65 or older. The leading causes of vision loss in older adults are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataract and glaucoma.

Among younger people, inherited eye conditions, infectious and autoimmune eye diseases or trauma most often cause vision loss.

People with vision loss may feel anxious, helpless and depressed. They should know that help is available.

People experiencing vision loss should talk to their eye care professional and seek a referral to a low vision specialist, said Dr. Paul A. Sieving, director of NEI, one of the federal governments principal agencies for vision research.

A low vision specialist is an ophthalmologist or optometrist trained to help people who have low vision maximize their remaining sight and continue to live safe, productive, and rewarding lives. This specialist can develop a vision rehabilitation plan especially for a persons particular needs.

Vision rehabilitation is essential to maximizing the independence, functioning, participation, safety and overall quality of life for people with visual impairment, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A team of professionals such as occupational therapists, orientation and mobility instructors, low vision therapists, rehabilitation teachers, and adaptive technology specialists provide vision rehabilitation services. These specialists work together to teach people with vision loss a variety of skills, such as:

Using magnifying and adaptive devices

Navigating safely around the home and in public

Finding resources and support

A vision rehabilitation plan helps people reach their true visual potential when nothing more can be done from a medical or surgical standpoint, said Mark Wilkinson, O.D., a low vision specialist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and chair of the low vision subcommittee for the National Eye Health Education Program.

Among the resources NEI offers to help people with low vision, What You Should Know About Low Vision, is a 20-page, large-print booklet with a companion video that features inspiring stories of people living with low vision. Download the materials for free at nei.nih.gov/lowvision.

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Vision rehab maximizes hope and independence - Stanwood Camano News

Insulin-producing cells (yellow) produce the hormone insulin (green spheres) and are surrounded by other cells in the pancreas.

Carol and Mike Werner/Science Source

By Jennifer Couzin-FrankelFeb. 22, 2017 , 2:00 PM

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common serious diseases to strike young children, but how does it start? Its a question that has bedeviled scientists for years. Now, a new study pinpoints a warning sign in healthy babies as young as 6 months old. The work could advance prevention efforts and might help explain the genesis of the autoimmune disease.

Type 1 diabetes hits when the body destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. By the time peoplemany of them childrenare diagnosed, most of those cells are gone. Forty thousand new type 1 diabetes cases are recorded each year in the United States, and the disease is on the rise for reasons not well understood. A dream for diabetes researchers is to treat kids earlier, when they are headed down the diabetes road but arent yet there.

About 3 decades ago, scientists discovered a collection of signposts: antibodies directed at certain proteins in the body, including insulin. As they studied these children more intensively, they learned that those with two or more different kinds of these autoantibodies will eventually develop diabetes, though sometimes not for many years. Many clinical trials have since focused on trying to slow disease onset in these individuals.

But what happens before these autoantibodies arise? Ezio Bonifacio, a biologist at the Technische Universitt Dresden in Germany, had the means to tackle this question. He and his colleagues had for years been following children since birth whose genetics and family history put them at increased risk. Beginning in 2000, the researchers began to collect and store blood cells from a subset of these children. Recently, technology had advanced to the point that scientists could analyze single cells in those samples.

We decided that it was time to start to see if there was something happening at the level of the T cells, Bonifacio says. Commonly referred to as the sentries of our immune system, T cells are the villains in diabetes. They for some reason go rogue, leading the attack on insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

Bonifacio and his colleagues performed sophisticated analysis on T cells from 12 babies who didnt develop autoantibodies latersuggesting they were in the clearand 16 babies who did. Probing the T cells in the lab, they saw that cells from the children who continued down the path toward type 1 diabetes were not normal. Essentially, when the T cells were exposed to a substance called an antigen, which in this case could trigger a response against insulin-producing cells, some of those T cells got activated. This is a faint echo of what happens inside the body of someone developing diabetes: Their T cells are activated against cells in the pancreas much as they would be against a foreign invader, like a virus.

These T cells have somehow already learnt to get halfway toward becoming autoreactive cells, says Bonifacio, whose team reports its findings today in Science Translational Medicine.

Bonifacio cautions that the findings are still preliminary. For one, samples like these from infancy are rare, and thus the number of children whose T cells were studied is modest. For another, although the unusual T cell behavior was entirely absent in kids who didnt get autoantibodies later on, it was recorded in only about half who did.

Still, the work breaks ground by identifying likely signs of type 1 diabetes studies earlier than ever, says Kevan Herold, an endocrinologist at Yale University, who studies ways to prevent the condition. The value of this paper is that theres stuff that can be measured even before the autoantibodies, agrees Gerald Nepom, director of the Immune Tolerance Network and former director of the Benaroya Research Institute in Seattle, Washington.

One central mystery is whats causing the changes in these cells so early in life. Bonifacio and others have looked exhaustively for environmental drivers of type 1 diabetes; although there have been hints of various influences, like certain infections, the punch line here is that the datas inconsistent across all the studies, says Carla Greenbaum, who chairs Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet, which oversees type 1 diabetes treatment and prevention trials, and directs the diabetes program at the Benaroya Research Institute.

So diabetes experts like Greenbaum have their eyes on prevention. Bonifacio is co-leading a study called Pre-POINT-Early, which offers oral insulin to children between 6 months and 2 years old; results are expected sometime next year. An oral insulin prevention study by TrialNet, in people with autoantibodies, will be reported in June. Herold hopes to report data in the near future on a study of an antibody called anti-CD3; he has tested it in newly diagnosed patients and is now trying it as a preventive.

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An early signpost for type 1 diabetes? - Science Magazine

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Not all saturated fats are created equal, it appears. A pair of new studies suggests that certain sources of saturated fat may be worse than othersespecially when it comes to raising risk for type 2 diabetes.

In one study , published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from Harvard University and the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain tracked 3,349 Spanish adults for about 4.5 years. Overall, they found that people who consumed higher amounts of saturated fats and animal fats were twice as likely to develop diabetes than those who consumed a lower amount.

When the researchers broke down the results by specific food type, the consumption of butter (at 12 grams a day) and cheese (at 30 grams a day) were both linked to an increased risk of diabetes. On the other hand, people who ate whole-fat yogurt actually had a lower risk than those who didn't.

The researchers have several explanations for these findings. Yogurt contains healthful ingredients, like probiotics and protein, that may have protective effects when it comes to diabetes risk, says lead author Marta Guasch-Ferre, a nutrition research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Even though the results were adjusted to account for other food intake, unhealthy eating patterns may have influenced them. Butter and cheese often come with carbohydrates, like toast or crackers, Guasch-Ferre says. Plus, people who eat more yogurt tend to have better diets than those who dont, she adds.

The study did not find any significant links between diabetes risk and consumption of red meat, processed meat, eggs or whole-fat milk. That was a surprise to the researchers, who suspect that other factors may have diluted these results. They point out that dietary patterns in Spain are different than those in the United States, and that many of the study participants were following a Mediterranean diet, so these findings may not apply to someone following a typical American diet.

Its safe to say, based on the findings of other studies, that processed meat and red meat are associated with cardiovascular disease and other chronic disease risks, says Guasch-Ferre. We know its beneficial to reduce the intake of these meats and to replace them with healthy fats from plant sources like nuts and olive oil.

However, just because a fat may come from a plant doesn't make it healthy. Palm oil, used in a lot of processed foods, is very high in saturated fat. In another recent study, scientists demonstrate how even one dose of palm oil can affect metabolism and reduce the bodys sensitivity to insulin.

For this research, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, German scientists asked 14 healthy men to drink either a glass of plain water or a drink made with palm oil that contained as much saturated fat as a cheeseburger and French fries. When the participants drank one of these beverages, they experienced a reduction in insulin sensitivity, an increase in fat deposits in the liver and changes in their metabolism similar to those experienced by people with diabetes.

For healthy people, the authors say, the occasional fatty meal likely wont cause any permanent damage. But people who regularly eat foods high in palm oil or other saturated fats may face bigger long-term consequences, like chronic insulin resistance and fatty liver disease. Both are risk factors for diabetes.

The American Heart Association recommends that no more than 10% of total calories come from saturated fat and encourages consumption of unsaturated fats and carbohydrates from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and legumes. Based on recent research, says Guasch-Ferre, these recommendations seem to be just as important for diabetes risk as they are for heart healthand not just because fatty foods can cause weight gain.

I think its probably more that saturated fats have harmful effects on insulin resistance and other markers of inflammation, more than weight gain, she says. More research is needed, she adds, to fully understand the connection or to make clear recommendations about specific foods.

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This Kind of Fat Lowers Your Risk For Diabetes - TIME

Older adults are at a higher risk for diabetes and pre-diabetes than younger Americans. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one in every four Americans over the age of 60 has diabetes, and with age comes greater risks for complications.

Diabetes can lead to heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney disease, amputations and even death.

However, studies show it is never too late to make changes to improve a persons health. Motivated adults ready to make lifestyle changes can slow the progression of diabetes and avoid or delay complications.

To help adults who want to get better control of their diabetes, Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, the Medicare quality innovative network-quality improvement organization (QIN-QIO) for Montana, Montana State University Teton County Extension and the Montana Geriatric Education Center are partnering together to offer a series of six, free diabetes classes.

These classes provide fun, informative and interactive ways to help people with diabetes or pre-diabetes (high blood sugar).

Understand diabetes and how it affects the entire body;

Manage diabetes in a way that makes sense for them and their individual health goals;

Become more informed members of their health care teams, as they continue to work with their doctors, diabetes educators and other health care providers to improve their health.

The classes support, not replace, professional self-management diabetes education. While the classes are designed for people with Medicare, anyone with diabetes or pre-diabetes is welcome to attend.

The series kicks off March 7, from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m., in the Alice Gleason room at the Choteau/Teton Public Library at 17 Main Ave. N. Classes will then meet every Tuesday through April 18, excluding March 21. Anyone interested in attending these classes can register by calling 466-2492 or emailing to teton@montana.edu.

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Diabetes series begins on March 7 - Choteau Acantha

Science Daily

Researchers implicate suspect in heart disease linked to diabetes ... Science Daily Scientists have struggled to trace the specific biology behind diabetes-associated heart disease risk or find ways to intervene. Now, researchers have hunted ... and more »

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Researchers implicate suspect in heart disease linked to diabetes ... - Science Daily

BBC News

Six-year-old boy's stem cell campaign 'potentially saves 14 lives' BBC News Fourteen people have been given potentially life-saving stem cell donations thanks to a campaign launched to help a young boy with leukaemia. A match was found for Joel Picker-Spence, but it was too late and he died shortly before his seventh birthday ...

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Six-year-old boy's stem cell campaign 'potentially saves 14 lives' - BBC News

Hearing loss affects 360 million people worldwide according to the World Health Organization. Inner ear sensory cells, called hair cells, are responsible for detecting sound and helping to signal it to the brain. Loud sounds and toxic drugs can lead to death of the hair cells, which do not regenerate, and is the root cause for widespread hearing loss. Until now, it was not possible to promote the generation of sufficient quantities of new hair cells.

In a new paper in Cell Reports, scientists from Brigham and Womens Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Massachusetts Eye & Ear describe a technique to grow large quantities of inner ear progenitor cells that convert into hair cells. The same techniques show the ability to regenerate hair cells in the cochlea.

Humans are born with only 15,000 sensory hair cells in each cochlea, which are susceptible to damage from exposure to loud noises and medications, which can lead to cell death and hearing loss over time.

Amazingly, birds and amphibians are capable of regenerating hair cells throughout their life, suggesting that the biology exists and should be possible for humans. Intrigued, we decided to explore whether these hair cells could be regenerated, says Jeff Karp, co-corresponding author and biomedical engineer at BWH.

"We took cochlear supporting cells expressing Lgr5, a marker recently found in stem cells of several organs, and treated them with a drug cocktail that stimulated critical pathways, says Xiaolei Yin, co-lead author on the paper and instructor of medicine at BWH. The team achieved a >2000-fold increase in Lgr5 progenitor cells and found that these progenitors could generate new hair cells in high yield. The team also demonstrated that this approach could work with cells from mouse, non-human primate, and human tissue.

Importantly, the drug cocktail generates new sensory hair cells in intact cochlear tissue, which shows promise for a therapy to treat patients with hearing loss, says Karp. This expansion of large populations of Lgr5-expressing cells and their differentiation to hair cells provides a powerful tool for investigating the regenerative biology of hearing, and these drugs should be relevant for clinical application.

To advance this work to patients, Frequency Therapeutics, is developing a novel small molecule approach to treat chronic hearing loss and expects to be in the clinic within the next 18 months.

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Scientists Unlock Ability to Generate New Sensory Hair Cells - Laboratory Equipment

Mysuru: India witnesses 3.5 million premature deliveries annually, and 9% of those cases result in blindness among newborn babies, said child specialist Dr Vamanrao Bapat.

Dr Bapat was speaking at a district-level convention of Samadrushti Kshamata Vikasa and Anusandhana Mandala (Samakshama) at Nadabrahma Sangeet Sabha on Sunday. "Cases of premature deliveries are on the rise in country. Now, we have better medical facilities to take care of premature babies," he said.

"Earlier, blindness was caused due to bacterial infections, firecrackers and accidents. But now, premature deliveries are the cause, and they are happening due to ignorance during pregnancy and lack of periodical medicare," he said, adding: "Government-sponsored health programmes have reduced or eradicated some diseases. Measles and rubella vaccination drive is also being carried out across the country. It will improve the health among children."

District disabilities officer H R Srinivas said that department is restlessly working to help the disabled.

"Providing them education and medical assistance is our priority. In the district, 15 private schools are functioning for differently abled children. Besides distributing artificial limbs, the department has been providing them financial assistance so they are self-reliant," the officer claimed.

On the occasion, Samakshama honoured Dr Madhura, an eye specialist practising in Mysuru for the past three decades, Manjunath, visually challenged who has done PhD in political science, and Ullas Nayak, a hearing impaired international table tennis champion.

Legal expert Vaidyanathan explained about Disabilities Act and its benefits for the disabled. Earlier in the day, hundreds of visually impaired, hearing impaired and physically challenged persons took out Integration Rally around the venue.

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Premature deliveries causing blindness in babies - ETHealthworld.com

DES MOINES, Iowa & DAVIS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Origin (Origin Agritech, LLC, a subsidiary of Origin Agritech Ltd., NASDAQ: SEED), an agricultural biotechnology trait and seed provider, and Arcadia (Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., NASDAQ: RKDA), a California-based company that develops and commercializes agricultural productivity traits and nutritional products, today announced their collaboration to achieve the first-ever export of a key corn biotechnology product developed in China to the United States for completion of global regulatory trials.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170222005379/en/

The successful movement of this corn seed, containing an insect resistance/herbicide tolerance trait discovered and developed in China, to the Arcadia greenhouse represents a key milestone in Origins strategic business plan to achieve global regulatory approvals for cultivation and international grain movement.

This first-of-its-kind export validatesOrigins leading position in China biotech and its close alignment with Chinese ministries leading the transformation of the domestic seed industry. Combining Origins robust pipeline of value-added Chinese traits and elite corn germplasm with Arcadias research and development infrastructuredemonstrates our plan to capture a sizeable piece of Chinas estimated billion-dollar corn seed trait market, said Bill Niebur, Origin chief executive officer. As a leader in agtech focused on modernizing the traditional corn seed market, our international team remainsfocused on accelerating research and development to improve the lives of Chinese farmers.

Arcadia and Origin signed an agreement under which Arcadia will assist Origin in developing information for submission to regulatory authorities in the U.S., China and other countries for the approval of their traits in corn. This project involves production of inbred and hybrid seed lines under quarantine conditions in Arcadia greenhouses.

Arcadia has the proven expertise to bring traits through the regulatory process successfully and efficiently, said Raj Ketkar, Arcadias president and CEO. We have conducted hundreds of studies in the laboratory, greenhouse and field to gain regulatory approvals for various traits in major crops, and we have a strong regulatory team that has developed complete regulatory dossiers in multiple countries. This collaboration with Origin is an example of how our partners can leverage these capabilities to accelerate the commercialization of novel ag biotech traits.

Ultimately, this milestone achievement will create more choices and opportunities for farmers, said Jihong Liang, Origin chief technology officer. This is an important achievement, showcasing Origins competitive advantage in science and global reach through collaborations inside China and beyond its borders. Origin is leading the way in gaining regulatory approvals for this critical advanced technology globally to drive future business growth.

Origins investment and focus aligns tightly with Chinas 13th Five Year Plan, which calls for the modernization of agriculture as the foundation for building a prosperous society. The Chinese government, including the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), has advanced a policy vision to facilitate seed industry innovation, improve the competitiveness of the Chinese ag tech industry and cultivate new seed varieties for farmers around the world. Through these actions, China has shown strong commitment to advancing its ag industry through new advances in biotechnology. Origin anticipates China commercialization of corn biotechnology at the end of this decade.

About Origin Agritech Ltd.

Origin Agritech Limited, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Zhong-Guan-Cun (ZGC) Life Science Park in Beijing, is Chinas leading agricultural biotechnology company, specializing in crop seed breeding and genetic improvement, seed production, processing, distribution, and related technical services. Leading the development of crop seed biotechnologies, Origin Agritechs phytase corn was the first transgenic corn to receive the Bio-Safety Certificate from China's Ministry of Agriculture. Over the years, Origin has established a robust biotechnology seed pipeline including products with glyphosate tolerance and pest resistance (Bt) traits. Origin operates production centers, processing centers and breeding stations nationwide with sales centers located in key crop-planting regions. Product lines are vertically integrated for corn, rice and canola seeds. For further information, please visit the Companys website at: http://www.originseed.com.cn or http://www.originseed.com.cn/en/.

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Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.

Based in Davis, Calif., Arcadia Biosciences (RKDA) develops agricultural products that create added value for farmers while benefitting the environment and enhancing human health. Arcadias agronomic performance traits, including Nitrogen Use Efficiency, Water Use Efficiency, Salinity Tolerance, Heat Tolerance and Herbicide Tolerance, are all aimed at making agricultural production more economically efficient and environmentally sound. Arcadias nutrition traits and products are aimed at creating healthier ingredients and whole foods with lower production costs. For more information, visit http://www.arcadiabio.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as expect, anticipate, intend, plan, believe, seek, see, will, would, target, similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the consummation of the proposed transaction and the anticipated benefits thereof. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are based on certain assumptions and expectations of future events which may not be realized. Forward-looking statements also involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the companys control. Some of the important factors that could cause the companys actual results to differ materially from those projected in any such forward-looking statements are: fluctuations in energy and raw material prices; failure to develop and market new products and optimally manage product life cycles; ability to respond to market acceptance, rules, regulations and policies affecting products based on biotechnology and, in general, for products for the agriculture industry; outcome of significant litigation and environmental matters, including realization of associated indemnification assets, if any; failure to appropriately manage process safety and product stewardship issues; changes in laws and regulations or political conditions; global economic and capital markets conditions, such as inflation, interest and currency exchange rates; business or supply disruptions; security threats, such as acts of sabotage, terrorism or war, natural disasters and weather events and patterns which could affect demand as well as availability of products for the agriculture industry; ability to protect and enforce the company's intellectual property rights; and successful integration of acquired businesses and separation of underperforming or non-strategic assets or businesses. The company undertakes no duty to publicly revise or update any forward-looking statements as a result of future developments, or new information or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170222005379/en/

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Origin, Arcadia Announce China Biotechnology Collaboration in Corn - Yahoo Finance

Innovation not necessarily comprises a scientific breakthrough but seeks the immediacy of needs to be acknowledged, asserts Rabindra Mohan Sapkota, 43, who is the chairman of Shikhar Biotech established in 2000. In conversation with Republicas Sonam Lama, he shares some of his insights on initiating the first biotechnological company in Nepal, followed by its different setbacks.

Tell us about Shikhar Biotech? Shikhar Biotech is pioneer antibody production company in Nepal which was initiated by the parent biotech company based in the United Kingdom. Our company is a spin-off of the British-Nepali venture Everest Biotech Limited, UK. We aim to manufacture and deliver the highest quality reagents and services to life-science researchers and other biotech companies worldwide.

How is Shikhar Biotech different from other biotech companies? Yes. Many experiments in Nepal are carried out on plant biotechnology but we have been conducting a specific operation on producing and manufacturing goat antibodies. With a smooth manufacture and delivery of more than 3000 antibodies till date, we believe we are attained a renowned space in the international market with our products being on long term demand. We have a strong track record of testing thousands of high quality goat polyclonal antibodies on behalf of our previous parent company. This experience has enabled us to offer this service now to other companies or researchers at competitive prices without any compromise in quality.

How does Shikhar Biotech benefit Nepal? With our company being recognized as an independent one, it has helped acquiring first hand contribution to boost the economy of Nepal. Our rigorous research and hands on activities have increased the growth in productivity. Our operations run further with promoting goat rearing in several villages such as Taulung which has earned a good source of income for the village farmers. On this note, we have gradually been able to provide technological materials such as cell lines to students of Kathmandu and Tribhuwan Universities. We are now extending our work to developing new products within Nepal.

What were the setbacks of initiating a pioneer company in Nepal? There were certain challenges since its inception as there was a congested market with people being highly unaware of biotechnological studies. So we primarily had to struggle for an access to the market outside Nepal. Moreover, limited amount of revenue and acute lack of investments occurred with the scarcity of raw materials and services. In context of Nepal, the financial crisis has been lagging us behind. However, in the case of availability of ample resources, we still fall short for research, innovation, and awareness.

What are your further plans? One of our long term plans is to include the development of testing material of vitamin D. This tester is used to detect the content of Vitamin D in a human body through antibody platform. In order to make it easily accessible and cost cheaper in Nepal, the research on producing diagnostic kits have been under high consideration. We have been conducting researches on developing the glucose tester in Nepal which would serve Nepal in the long run.

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Biotechnology company is introducing Nepal to the world market - Republica

Generex Biotechnology Corporation (OTCMKTS:GNBT) is a micro-cap biotech player that has been on the rise of late despite an avalanche of growing debt and no clear route to near term monetization. But such is the case quite often in this sector, even in the case of the best opportunities. GNBT stockis moving higher in recent days following a couple catalysts.

In the first case, the company announced a letter of intent for the acquisition of a controlling equity interest in Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative treatments and therapies, primarily for rare and orphan disease. Initial product development efforts are focused on Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a genetic disorder. In the second case, the company just announced that it has achieved the elimination of its outstanding derivative securities.

Generex Biotechnology Corporation (OTCMKTS:GNBT) trumpets itself as a company engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of drug delivery systems and technologies.

As the company states, Generex has developed a proprietary platform technology for the delivery of drugs into the human body through the oral cavity (with no deposit in the lungs). The Companys proprietary liquid formulations allow drugs typically administered by injection to be absorbed into the body by the lining of the inner mouth using the Companys proprietary RapidMist device. Antigen Express, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Generex.

The core platform technologies of Antigen Express comprise immunotherapeutic vaccines for the treatment of malignant, infectious, allergic, and autoimmune diseases. Antigen Express has pioneered the use of specific CD4+ T-helper stimulation technologies in immunotherapy. One focuses on modification of peptides with Ii-Key to increase potency, while a second relies on inhibition of expression of the Ii protein. Antigen Express scientists, and others, have shown clearly that suppression of expression of the Ii protein in cancer cells allows for potent stimulation of T-helper cells and prevents the further growth of cancer cells.

According to company materials, Hema Diagnostic Systems, LLC (www.rapid123.com) is a rapidly growing biotechnology company involved in the development, manufacture, assembly, and distribution of diagnostics targeting primary as well as orphan infectious diseases. Hema Diagnostic Systems continues to expand its product line to meet the needs of the worldwide market. Point-of-Care test devices are made simple to use and are highly cost effective when incorporated into Hema Diagnostic Systems patented and patent pending delivery systems. The Rapid 1-2-3 Hema EXPRESS is a novel delivery system that is self-contained and easy to use.

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In thinking about the potential benefits of a controlling position in Emmaus, Dr. Yutaka Niihara, MD, MPH, Chairman and CEO of Emmaus and Executive Chairman of Generex commented: R&D efforts continue apace at Emmaus, as evidenced by these new patents securing our intellectual property portfolio. We are pleased to add diverticulosis and diabetes as prospective new indications for our PGLG product which we are currently developing for the treatment of SCD.

Joseph Moscato, Generex President & CEO, stated: I am gratified by the confidence Emmaus has expressed in Generex in providing this leeway to allow us to consummate the reorganization of our capital structure which will set the stage for our future successes.

That said, our sense is that the biggest catalyst in recent action may actually be the cap table move through undercutting the companys derivative liabilities.

As noted in the companys most recent release, the consequent reduction in the number of shares coming into the market and the termination of the attendant price protection provisions will unburden the Company. In addition, the elimination of the derivative liability will greatly improve the Companys balance sheet. Thus unencumbered, and with a reinvigorated management team and Board of Directors, the Company will proceed to execute its business plans and to attract value investors.

The chart shows just under 290% piled on for shareholders of the listing during the trailing month. Market participants may want to pay attention to GNBTstock. Generex has a track record that includes a number of dramatic bounces. Whats more, the company has witnessed a pop in interest, as transaction volume levels have recently pushed just shy of 410% above its longer run average levels. Since we last covered the name, the stock has moved 58% higher.

Now commanding a market cap of $15.8M, GNBT has virtually no cash on the books, which compares with a mountain of current liabilities, in excess of $9 million. One should also note that debt has been growing over recent quarters. The company is pre-revenue at this point. This may be a very interesting story and we will look forward to updating it again soon. For continuing coverage on shares of GNBT stock, as well as our other hot stock picks, sign up for our free newsletter today and get our next hot stock pick!

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Generex Biotechnology Corporation (OTCMKTS:GNBT) Pushes Higher on New Catalysts - The Oracle Dispatch

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Cellect Biotechnology Ltd. (Nasdaq: APOP) announced today positive final results from its clinical trial of ApoGraft in healthy donors. The studys primary objective was to validate the Company's propriety method of stem cell selection by going through the process of production and characterization with ApoGraft, and was conducted on samples obtained in collaboration with two leading medical centers in Israel, The Schneider Children's Medical Center and the Rambam Medical Center.

Cellects technology enables the use of stem cells for regenerative therapies by eliminating mature cells while leaving the stem cells unharmed using a natural process occurring in the human body, apoptosis (programed cell death), which orders cells to commit suicide. Cellects validated scientific platform, and the focus of its 7 families of patents, is that the apoptosis command destroys primarily mature cells, while stem cells remain alive and flourishing. This process allows for natural enrichment of stem cells, thus enabling stem cell-based therapies or transplantation to possess an abundance of quality stem cells with little to no risk of rejection or other complications, such as Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD).

The study included 104 healthy donors of blood stem cells. The samples (collected under approval of Helsinki committees) represented 5% of a graft used for transplantation into patients. The grafts were processed allowing stem cell production for transplantation with Cellects ApoGraft. The use of the ApoGraft resulted in a significant increase in the death of mature immune cells, primarily T Lymphocytes, without compromising the quantity and quality of stem cells. The process takes only a few hours as compared to days of complex and expansive lab work with traditional methods, is anticipated to be extremely cost effective in comparison to current approaches, and has the potential to significantly reduce the risk of GvHD.

Dr. Yaron Pereg, Cellects Chief Development Officer, commented: These results from processing human stem cells for bone marrow transplantation using ApoGraft clearly demonstrated that Cellects proprietary platform could improve the outcome of stem cell transplantations in patients suffering from hematological malignancies.

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Cellect Biotechnology (APOP) Announces Positive Results of Clinical Trial of ApoGraft - StreetInsider.com

BBC News

The people with arthritis struggling to work - BBC News BBC News Some 600,000 people with arthritis are missing out on the opportunity to work, according to the charity Arthritis Research UK. BBC presenter Julian Worricker, ... and more »

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The people with arthritis struggling to work - BBC News - BBC News

February 22, 2017

Psoriasis is a lifelong disease that is associated with significant cosmetic and physical disability and puts patients at increased risk for many major medical disorders. A multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Calgary, Canada, have found that psoriasis patients who developed depression were at a 37% greater risk of subsequently developing psoriatic arthritis, compared with psoriasis patients who did not develop depression. Their findings are published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Psoriasis is a long-lasting inflammatory skin disease characterized by red, itchy, and scaly patches of skin. Approximately 8.5% of psoriasis patients have psoriatic arthritis, which is characterized by psoriasis plus inflammation of and around the joints.

"For many years, the rheumatology and dermatology communities have been trying to understand which patients with psoriasis go on to develop psoriatic arthritis and how we might detect it earlier in the disease course," explained senior investigator Cheryl Barnabe, MD, MSc, of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health and the O'Brien Institute for Public Health, Cumming School of Medicine, at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Depression is common among patients with psoriasis. Based on recent laboratory work demonstrating that major depressive disorder is associated with increased systemic inflammation, the team of researchers hypothesized that psoriasis patients who develop depression are at increased risk of subsequently developing psoriatic arthritis.

Investigators used The Health Improvement Network (THIN), a primary care medical records database in the United Kingdom, to identify over 70,000 patients with a new diagnosis of psoriasis. Through follow-up records, they identified individuals who subsequently developed depression and those who developed psoriatic arthritis. Patients were followed for up to 25 years or until they developed psoriatic arthritis.

Statistical analysis showed that patients with psoriasis who developed major depressive disorder were at 37% greater risk of subsequently developing psoriatic arthritis compared with patients who did not develop depression, even after accounting for numerous other factors such as age and use of alcohol.

The study highlights the need for physicians to manage patients with psoriasis to identify and address depression. This could include rapid, effective treatment of psoriasis and psychosocial management of the cosmetic burden of psoriasis. The study also draws into question the biological mechanisms by which depression increases the risk for developing psoriatic arthritis. These mechanisms may include altered systemic inflammation as a consequence of depression, or even the role of lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity or nutrition, which are typically worsened by depression, and which may place an individual at risk for psoriatic arthritis.

"There is a tendency to think of depression as a purely 'psychological' or 'emotional' issue, but it also has physical effects and changes in inflammatory and immune markers have been reported in depressed people," commented Scott Patten, MD, PhD, the O'Brien Institute for Public Health, Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Cumming School of Medicine. "Depression may be a risk factor for a variety of chronic conditions and this research is an example of how big data approaches can identify these associations."

Laurie Parsons, MD, of the Cumming School of Medicine, added: "It is evident to physicians who treat patients with psoriasis, that there is a significant psychological and social burden associated with this disease, which is reflected in an increase in the rates of depression. This study brings us a little closer to understanding the role of chronic inflammation as a systemic player in both the physical and psychological manifestations of psoriasis and underscores the need for closer attention to symptoms of depression in this group of patients."

"This study raises important questions on the role of systemic inflammation, which is also elevated in depression, in driving a disease phenotype, which needs to be confirmed in clinical cohorts," concluded Dr Barnabe.

Explore further: Higher risk for depression with psoriasis

More information: "Depression Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Psoriatic Arthritis among Patients with Psoriasis: A Population-Based Study," by Ryan T. Lewinson, PhD, Isabelle A. Vallerand, PhD, Mark W. Lowerison, MSc, Laurie M. Parsons, MD, Alexandra D. Frolkis, PhD, Gilaad G. Kaplan, MD, MPH, Andrew G.M. Bulloch, PhD, Mark G. Swain, MD, MSc, Scott B. Patten, MD, PhD, and Cheryl Barnabe, MD, MSc, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, volume 137, issue 4 (April 2017) dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2016.11.032

(HealthDay)There is an increased risk of depression among women with psoriasis, according to a study published online July 17 in the British Journal of Dermatology.

(HealthDay)Gastric bypass, but not gastric banding, is associated with reduced risk of psoriasis, progression to severe psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis, according to a study published online Dec. 21 in JAMA Surgery.

(HealthDay)The incidence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is 2.7 cases per 100 psoriasis patients, with risk factors including severe psoriasis phenotype and low level of education, according to a study published in the April ...

The chronic inflammatory skin condition psoriasis was associated with the risk of major depression, although the risk was unrelated to the severity of the disorder, according to an article published online by JAMA Dermatology.

(HealthDay)Patients with psoriasis are at higher risk of developing arrhythmia, even after controlling for other risk factors, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Academy ...

Those experiencing psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis are at higher risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and cardiovascular death, according to a multi-institutional study led byPenn ...

A research team led by scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) has carefully scrutinized the immune cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, revealing a striking new subset of T-cells that collaborate with ...

Combining a drug for rheumatoid arthritis with one that targets the chikungunya virus can eliminate the signs of chikungunya arthritis in mice in the disease's earliest stage, according to researchers at Washington University ...

About one million Americans each year undergo total knee or hip replacements, but complications bring as many as 1 in 12 back to the hospital and result in higher use of post-acute services within 90 days.

Using a novel approach for imaging the movement of immune cells in living animals, researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases (CIID) have identified what appear ...

Older adults who suffer from arthritis need to keep moving to be functionally independent. But in an examination of a goal that is daunting for most of this aging population, a new Northwestern Medicine study found that performing ...

(HealthDay)Everybody believes running can leave you sore and swollen, right? Well, a new study suggests running might actually reduce inflammation in joints.

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Depression puts psoriasis patients at significantly greater risk of ... - Medical Xpress

Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include a dull ache in the hand or forearm, which can sometimes spread to the upper arm, a sensation in the hand which feels similar to pins and needles.

Other symptoms also include dry skin, swelling or changes in the skin colour of the hand, becoming less sensitive to touch and weakness of the muscles at the base of the thumb.

Experts have said symptoms can get worse first thing in the morning - or even late at night and can stop people getting to sleep.

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What is CTS?

Arthritis Research UK said carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which the median nerve is squeezed where it passes through the wrist.

It added: The median nerve controls some of the muscles that move the thumb; it also carries information back to the brain about sensations in your thumb and fingers.

The nerve controls sensation and movement in the hands.

NHS Choices said: The carpal tunnel is a narrow passage in your wrist made up of small bones and a tough band of tissue which acts as a pulley for the tendons which bend the fingers.

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The median nerve controls some of the muscles that move the thumb; it also carries information back to the brain about sensations in your thumb and fingers

Arthritis Research UK

The condition can be triggered by pregnancy or injuries to the wrist.

However it can also be triggered by strenuous or repetitive work with the hands, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis Research UK said: One of the possible causes include any form of arthritis in the wrist if theres swelling of the wrist joint or the tendons that run through the carpal tunnel.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term condition that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints and mainly affects the hands feet and wrists.

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Natalie Carter, head of research liaison and evaluation at Arthritis Research UK said: Arthritis Research is currently funding a study at Keele University to find out more about the effectiveness of common treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome, to offer the best treatment options for people affected by this painful condition. We would advise anyone worried about carpal tunnel syndrome to talk to their doctor about their treatment plan. Suggested treatment will depend on how severe the compression of the nerve is.

"There are few simple things that can alleviate symptoms such as a resting splint for your wrist, particularly at night, or a working splint if your symptoms are brought on by a particular activity. A steroid injection can be helpful, although the effect may wear off after few weeks. If theres a severe compression of the median nerve, or if the numbness and pain doesnt improve with other treatments, surgery may be the only option. This relieves pain by reducing the pressure on the median nerve. Surgery is usually completed within a day, and you can expect to recover in less than a month. For most people, the surgery is successful treating the condition. For further information on the condition and helpful exercises, visit http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org.

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Arthritis could be causing THIS common syndrome - causing ... - Express.co.uk

Efficacy of 23-Valent Pneumococcal Vaccine in Rheumatoid Arthritis Questioned Infectious Disease Advisor (registration) The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) may not be effective for preventing pneumonia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are at risk for infections, according to a study published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

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Efficacy of 23-Valent Pneumococcal Vaccine in Rheumatoid Arthritis Questioned - Infectious Disease Advisor (registration)

Humans have about 15,000 inner ear-hair cells, each one picking up sound vibrations, converting them to electric signals and sending them to the brain for processing.

Over time, loud noise, medications and old age combine to kill these cells and their microscopic hairs called stereocilia which leads to hearing loss. Unlike other animals, however, humans and mammals can't regrow them. But a group of scientists based in Boston say they've figured out a way to switch on the body's cellular factories and possibly reverse hearing loss.

"The biology is there, we just need to awaken it," said Jeffrey Karp, associate professor at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School and an author on the new study appearing Tuesday in the journal Cell Reports. "For some reason there are brakes that we need to release for a short period of time to allow new hair cells to be produced."

RELATED: Can We Reverse Hearing Damage?

Karp and colleagues were able to regrow the hair cells by activating a stem cell in the cochlea called Lgr5 with a small molecule drug treatment. A similar stem cell is found in the human intestine and allows the body to regrow the exterior lining of the organ every five days.

The team also obtained a human cochlea from a patient who suffered from cancer and were able to regrow hair cells with their drug treatment.

"We don't want to provide false hope, but we are highly encouraged by this work. And our ability to produce bona fide functional hair cells is very compelling," Karp said.

The next step is taking the experimental data and starting a human clinical trial. Karp and Robert Langer of MIT are co-founders in a small startup firm, Frequency Therapeutics, that's working toward a phase I trial in the next 18 months, according to Karp.

A possible drug treatment for hearing loss could help the 360 million people worldwide who suffer from the condition.

RELATED: Why Does Loud Music Cause Hearing Loss?

"Their proposal is very novel and essentially by activating these supporting cells, a natural process will take over and a certain percentage would become hair cells capable of playing a role in the encoding of sound," said Nicolas Reed, an instructor in otolaryngology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. "I don't see any obvious negative indications right now."

Hearing loss can lead to big problems as we age, including the onset of Alzheimer's disease, falls and social isolation, according to Larry Medwetsky, chairman of our Department of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences at Gallaudet University.

"It is not a minor matter," Medwetsky said. "Hearing loss can affect you mentally and emotionally. If you can prevent or remediate it than you can also you can restore quality of life and avoid some of these issues."

WATCH: How Did Human Hearing Evolve?

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Stem Cell Therapy Could Reverse Hearing Loss - Seeker

Portland Business Journal

Opinion: Oregon patients should beware of stem cell therapy fraud Portland Business Journal Patients in Oregon seeking accurate information about stem cell therapy have few reliable sources to guide them. It can be hard to separate scientific facts from science fiction. Query Dr. Google and you'll find a slew of clinics and a broad range of ...

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Opinion: Oregon patients should beware of stem cell therapy fraud - Portland Business Journal

CHICAGO - As a professional photographer, climbing up step ladders and walking down stairs are part of the daily grind for 65-year-old Linda Schwartz.

"There's constant activity; you're moving the whole time, really," Schwartz said

But the pain of osteoarthritis in both of her knees was making all that activity a little harder.

"I tried cortisone shots. I had something called Euflexxa," Schwartz detailed. "I was sent to physical therapy twice. I mean, I did try acupuncture in my knees, but it didn't really seem to make a difference."

"It's like the rubber on the tire, so as you start to lose the rubber in your tire and the rim hits the road, that's what happens when you have bone on bone arthritis and you've lost all the cartilage in your knee," explained Dr. Adam Yanke, an orthopedic surgeon at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Yanke enrolled Schwartz in an experimental new therapy that involved injecting amniotic fluid that contained stem cells donated by healthy mothers into the knees of osteoarthritis patients.

"Between the two of those, they're a potent anti-inflammatory and they also have growth factors that help promote healing or healthy growth of tissue," Yanke said.

It was, by far, the most effective pain treatment that Schwartz has tried. Unlike cortisone shots, there are no side-effects. The pain relief has so far lasted up to a year.

Research summary - Stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis

"It was a very gradual feeling of it's a little bit better, it's a little bit better, and then realizing, wow, it's really pretty good," said Schwartz.

The one drawback is the therapy is not for patients whose arthritis is so bad it requires knee replacement surgery. Even though it's still in the experimental stage, Yanke offers the stem cell treatment to his patients, but at a cost of $2,200 a shot, it is not yet covered by insurance.

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Health Beat: Stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis - WFMZ Allentown