StemCell Therapy

Ibram X. Kendi: What I learned from cancer

This is where I find myself, at the threshold between an old familiar state and an unknown future. Cancer no longer lives in my blood, but it lives on in other ways, dominating my identity, my relationships, my work, and my thoughts. Im done with chemo but I still have my port, which my doctors are waiting to remove until Im further out of the woods. Im left with the question of how to repatriate myself to the kingdom of the well, and whether I ever fully can. No treatment protocols or discharge instructions can guide this part of my trajectory. The way forward is going to have to be my own.

My first foray into this new selfhood is learning how to drive. As I get more comfortable behind the wheel, a hazy idea begins to crystallize into a grand plan. I need to leave the familiar, to trust that I can navigate the world alone. I need to become my own caregiver. It took me a while to say I was a cancer patient. Its time for me to figure out who I am now. By the time I finally pass my drivers test, the next step is obvious: Im going to embark on a solo cross-country road trip.

Over the next few weeks, I pack all of my belongings into boxes, put the boxes into storage, and sublet my apartment. I cant afford to buy my own car but my friend Gideon generously offers the use of his old Subaru. Between the extra income from renting out my apartment and the $4,000 in my savings account, I should be able to make do. I plan to camp and crash on couches as often as possible, staying in only the occasional motel room. I scour Craigslist for secondhand camping gear and buy a portable propane gas stove, a subzero sleeping bag, a foam bedroll, and a tent. I pack all this, along with a crate of books, a first-aid kit, a camera, and a sack of kibble for my scruffy terrier mutt, Oscar, into the car. Before leaving, I go in for a last checkup with my oncologist.

My road trip will take me 15,000 miles across 33 states. It will last 100 days, the maximum amount of time my medical team has agreed to until my next follow-up appointment. As I turn the keys in the ignition and drive away from New York City, I realize that this is a rite of passage that I hope will bridge the distance between no longer and not yet.

Either my GPS is a liar or I am an erratic driver, but I always seem to take nearly twice as long as it predicts to get to where Im going. Take a right turn inrecalculating its robotic voice says condescendingly when I miss yet another exit. My next destination, Columbus, Ohio, will entail my longest drive yet. The GPS predicts that, if I follow its barrage of orders exactly as told, I will arrive in nine hours and 21 minutes. Unlikely.

Since hitting the road, Im on no ones clock but my own.

Two weeks earlier, when I first left home, I was so tense that I regularly had to remind myself to breathe. Each minute behind the wheel presented new and overwhelming scenarios: Do I have the right of way? What does a blinking red light mean? Was that an Egyptian hieroglyph on the traffic sign? Lane changes and merging onto the freeway had proved especially stressfulan existential guessing game of will I live or will I not. But with each day, I am feeling more confident, and it has been at least 72 hours since another driver has honked at me in anger or bewilderment.

Originally posted here:
I Survived Cancer, and Then I Needed to Remember How to Live - The Atlantic

Introduction

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by a reciprocal chromosomal translocation which forms the abnormal BCR-ABL1 fusion gene because of an acquired reciprocal t (9; 22) (q34; q11) translocation. The disease is traditionally described as manifesting in one of the three distinct clinical phases: chronic phase (CP), accelerated phase (AP), and blast crisis (BC).1 The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) dramatically improved the outcomes of patients with CML. At present, patients with chronic phase CML (CML-CP) can attain long-term survival.2,3 The Sokal, Hasford, and European Treatment and Outcome Study (EUTOS) scores are used to determine the prognosis of CML patients. However, there are still some patients in which the treatment failed and their CML-CP transformed to CML-AP or CML-BC.46 Hoffmann VS et als team reported that 3.114% of CML patients had progressive clinical features at diagnosis or during long-term follow-up.7 In previous studies, clinical workers usually focused on the effect of treating CML-CP patients with TKIs.8,9 Although the prognosis of patients with CML-CP is accurate, the characteristics and markers for determining the prognosis of the advanced phase of CML are still not clear. The BCR-ABL1 transcript and somatic variants in epigenetic modifiers were confirmed, and these can be used to predict the response to imatinib.10,11 Lauseker M et als study determined that blast counts, age, chromosomal aberrations, and hemoglobin are the prognostic factors for patients with advanced phase.12 In another study, the results showed that many factors such as myeloid immunophenotype, treatment with TKIs before transformation to CML-BC, patients' age, and platelet counts <102109/L could predict poor survival rates in CML-BC patients.13 Studies have discovered various prognostic factors that are related to chronic or advanced phase of CML. However, for patients diagnosed with CML the factors that can be used to determine their prognosis and survival outcomes are still not clear.

During follow-up periods, a complete Blood Count (CBC) is used to assess the effect of treating CML patients with TKIs.14 The red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a simple parameter that is part of the standard full blood count and measures of the heterogeneity in the size of a circulating patients erythrocytes. The RDW is provided by automated hematology analyzers and it reflects the distribution of the red blood cell (RBC) volume.15 There is increasing evidence that an elevated RDW is associated with a poor prognosis for people in the general population,16,17 as well as in patients with coronary artery disease,1820 metabolic syndrome,21 and heart failure.22,23 Traditionally, RDW has been used in the investigation of the etiology of anemia.24 The previous study only used the upper limit of the normal RDW range (RDW value 15.0%) to predict the prognosis and the response of CML-CP patients to treatment.25 However, it may not be suitable for determining the prognosis of CML patients when they are diagnosed at their first admission. Yuta Baba et als team identified a new RDW cutoff using different clinical outcomes of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.26 Therefore, the hypothesis that different RDW values indicate the occurrence and the different phases of CML is proposed. In addition, it is suggested that assessing patients RDW is more favorable for assessing their treatment and for their follow-up evaluations.

The present study found that RDW was temporarily elevated when the CML-CP of patients transformed to the advance phase. The present study used X-tile software and data from a training and validation cohort established the most suitable RDW cutoff value based on the different phases of CML. In addition, univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine which factors are associated with the advanced phase of CML in all patients. Based on the records of the patients, the role of RDW as a predictor of the prognosis and survival outcomes of the patients was also confirmed in the present study.

Our study retrospectively reviewed 153 CML patients from January 2009 to December 2019 at the Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Childrens Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. The patients were all over 18 years of age and were treated with TKIs and their outcome was followed up for at least 12 months. CML-CP and CML-AP/BC were diagnosed according to the European Leukemia Net (ELN2013) criteria.27

The criteria for excluding patients from the present study were: patients age <18 years (n = 19); patients data were not completed (n = 11); patients without follow-up data (n = 7); patients initially treated with interferon- (n = 8); patients treated with any chemotherapeutic agent prior to or in combination with TKI treatment (n = 6); patients that received a blood transfusion prior to TKI treatment (n = 9); patients that received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant during follow-up (n = 8); and patients who had an NYHA grade of III/IV (n = 3). The framework and criteria used to select patients for inclusion in the present study are described in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Flow chart of the criteria used to select the patients for inclusion in the present study.

The clinical characteristics of the patients that were recorded included their age, gender, history of smoking, Splenomegaly, history of cardiovascular system diseases, and with what they were initially treated. We defined a patient as a nonsmoker if they had never smoked or had smoked less than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. All others were classified as smokers. The detailed clinical information of the patients is summarized in Table 1. The definitions of a partial cytogenetic response (PCyR), a major molecular response (MMR), and a complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) were in accordance with the recommendations of the ELN 2013. The categories of response to treatment with TKIs included optimal, warning, and failure responses, and were defined according to the ELN 2013 recommendations.27

Table 1 Clinical Characteristics of the CML Patients

The overall survival (OS) of a patient was defined as the length of time from diagnosis to death or the last follow-up. Event-free survival (EFS) was defined as the time period from the date of diagnosis to the date of the first event or the last follow-up. Events were defined as either two consecutive confirmations of a loss of CCyR, the transformation of CML-CP to CML-AP/BC, or any cause of death. Transformation-free survival (TFS) was defined as the period from the date of the diagnosis when the patients CML-CP transformed to CML-AP/BC or the last follow-up. All of the patients consented to participate in the present study by signing an informed consent form. The present study was approved by the Research Ethics Board of The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Childrens Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Number: LCKY2020-430) and it was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

In our study, the CBC was obtained from patients peripheral venous blood using a Sysmex XI5000, Japan. The RDW values at diagnosis were obtained prior to treatment. Accordingly, the range 11.6~15.0% was considered normal.

To avoid overfitting and to analyze the interobserver reproducibility of the RDW values, the CML patients were randomly assigned to training cohort (n = 106; 70%) and validation cohort (n = 47; 30%) using R software version 3.0.1 (http://www.R-project.org). The distribution of the p value of the RDW cutoff value was determined using X-tile software, version 3.6.1 (Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn) and also confirmed using the training cohort, which included patients with advanced phase.

The statistical analyses were performed using the software SPSS V. 26.0 (SPSS; Chicago, IL, USA). Categorical data were compared between groups using Fishers exact test or the chi-square test. Continuous data were compared using the t-test. The relationship between the clinical features and the advanced phase of CML were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. The KaplanMeier method was used to analyze OS, EFS, TFS, and the CML-associated deaths. The Log rank test was used to compare OS, EFS, TFS, and CML-associated deaths between groups of patients with low and high RDW values. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The 153 CML patients included in the present study consisted of 137 and 16 newly diagnosed CML-CP and CML-AP/BC patients, respectively. During follow-up examinations, the CML-CP of 11 patients was determined to have transformed to CML-AP/BC. One-hundred and eighteen of the 137 patients with CML-CP had RDW values higher (86.13%; range 13.3~22.9%) than the normal range. The 16 patients diagnosed with CML-AP/BC when diagnosed all had RDW values (100%; range 15.2~19.9%) that were higher than the normal range.

The patients in the high RDW group had higher WBC counts (p < 0.001), lower hemoglobin levels (p < 0.001), lower RBC counts (p < 0.001), higher RDW when diagnosed (p < 0.001), a higher probability of splenomegaly, and higher probabilities of blast and eosinophils in the peripheral blood (p < 0.05) compared to patients in the low RDW group and in the training cohort, whereas, when comparing patients in the high and low RDW groups, no differences were observed in their ages, gender, platelet count, history of smoking, or diseases of their cardiovascular systems (Table 1). Furthermore, based on patients in the validation cohort, differences in the WBC count, hemoglobin level, RBC count, and RDW when diagnosed were also found for patients in the low and high RDW groups in the validation cohort (p < 0.05). No statistical differences were observed in any of the other clinical features (Table 1). Our study also additionally analyzed the differences in patients with CP between low and high RDW groups in patients with CP (Supplement Table 1).

There were 137 newly diagnosed CML-CP patients, 16 newly diagnosed CML-AP/BC patients, and 11 patients developed to CML-AP/BC during the followed period. Besides, our study also collected 168 healthy peoples RDW value, who did not have tumors and other diseases (age; range 18~68 years). There were significant differences in RDW value among Normal and CML-CP groups (p < 0.001; Figure 1A), Normal and CML-AP/BC groups (p < 0.0001; Figure 2A), CML-CP and CML-AP/BC groups (p = 0.0003; Figure 2A).

Figure 2 (A) Differences in the RDW values between healthy people (normal, n = 168) and patients with CML-CP (n = 137) and CML-AP/BC (n = 27). (B) The distribution of the p values of the different RDW cutoff values of the patients (n = 106) in the training cohort (***p<0.001).

Application of the X-tile software to the training cohort (n = 106, 90%) determined that an RDW value of 16.8% distinguished between patients with CML-CP and CML-AP/BC (p = 0.0069, Figure 2B). Application of the KaplanMeier method to the training (p = 0.0028, Figure 3A) and validation cohort (p = 0.0221, Figure 3B) showed that patients in both cohorts with higher RDW values have significantly shorter OS than patients with low RDW values. Furthermore, the distribution of patients in the training (Figure 3C) and validation (Figure 3C) cohorts with advanced phase CML in the high and low RDW groups are also shown.

Figure 3 The overall survival of patients in the training (A) and validation (B) cohorts. The distribution of patients in the training (C) and validation (D) cohorts with advanced phase CML and in the high and low RDW groups which were based on the RDW cutoff value.

To further prove the practicality of using this RDW cutoff value to predict the CML phase, Spearmans rank correlation coefficient was used to determine if there is a correlation between RDW values and blast cells in the bone marrow when diagnosed. The result showed that the RDW value is a better factor for predicting patients with the advanced phase (p = 0.011; r = 0.543) than patients with CML-CP.

Our study investigated the extent to which the RDW value could predict CML patients response to treatment as measured using the recommendations of the ELN 2013. Compared to the CML patients in the low RDW group, the CML patients in the high RDW group were associated with a significantly poorer response to treatment after 3, 6, and 12 months after the commencement of treatment (Table 2).

Table 2 Associations Between RDW and the Responses Treatment with TKIs

The OS (p = 0.0008; Figure 4A) and EFS (p = 0.0221; Figure 4B) of patients in the high RDW group were significantly less than that of the patients in the low RWS group, respectively. Furthermore, the CML-associated deaths were significantly higher in patients with advanced CML (83.3%) compared to patients with CML-CP and with high (14.5%) and low (2.4%) RDW values (p < 0.001; Figure 4D). The RDW values could not be used to predict TFS (p = 0.0821; Figure 4C).

Figure 4 The relationship between CML-CP patients with low and high RDW values and their (A) OS, (B) EFS, and (C) TFS. (D) The death rates of patients with CML-CP in the low and high RDW groups, and those with advanced phase CML, respectively.

To evaluate the correlation between the RDW values and the therapeutic effect of TKIs, the dynamic changes in the RDW values of CML patients following treatment over time with TKIs were analyzed. The RDW value was initially elevated at 1 month (median 16.6% when diagnosed and 17.6% after 1 month of treatment; p = 0.001, Figure 5A) but declined significantly after 3 months (median 15.7% at 3 months; p = 0.001 Figure 4A) of treatment with TKIs. Furthermore, compared with the RDW values of the CML patients at diagnosis, the RDW values were significantly lower after 6 months of treatment with TKIs treatment (median14.5%; p < 0.001, Figure 5A).

Figure 5 (A) Changes in the RDW value of patients with CML that were treated over time with TKIs. (B) Changes in the RDW values in the different groups of CML patients that were treated over time with TKIs. (**p<0.01; ***p<0.001).

To compare the longitudinal changes of the RDW values between patients in the low and high RDW groups, the patients with CML-CP were compared with patients with CML-CP and advanced CML, ie, all-CML. The RDW values of the patients in all CML and low RDW groups at diagnosis returned to the normal range after 6 months of treatment with TKIs (Figure 5B).It took 2 years for the patients in, while the high RDW group patients tend to return to the normal range in 2 years (Figure 5B).

The univariate analysis showed that ages (OR, 1.063; 95% CI, 1.029~91.098; p < 0.001), WBC counts (OR, 0.214; p < 0.001), RBC count (OR, 0.594; 95% CI, 0.356~0.992; p < 0.001), hemoglobin level (OR, 0.970; 95% CI, 0.952~0.989; p = 0.047), RDW value when diagnosed (OR, 1.264; 95% CI, 1.024~1.559; p = 0.029), platelet count (OR, 0.997; 95% CI, 0.996~0.999; p = 0.006), eosinophil in PB (OR, 0.214; p < 0.001), basophil in PB (OR, <0.001; 95% CI, 1.029~91.098; p < 0.001), history of cardiovascular system disease (OR, 1.648; 95% CI, 1.103~2.463; p = 0.001) were all significantly associated with advanced phase (Table 3). However, gender, history of smoking, and splenomegaly were not associated with the advanced phase (Table 3).

Table 3 Univariate and Multivariate Analyses of Factors for the Advanced Phase in All Patients

The multivariate analysis showed that age (OR,1.081; 95CI% 1.039~1.125; p < 0.001), being a female (OR,0.332; 95CI% 0.119~0.926; p = 0.035), platelet count (OR,0.997; 95CI% 0.994~0.999; p=0.001), RDW value when diagnosed (OR,1.469; 95CI% 1.121~1.925; p=0.005) were correlated with advanced phase, but while not any of the other variables (Table 3).

CML is a neoplastic disease, and its genetic and cytogenetic changes play important roles in the prognosis and treatment process of patients. Our study demonstrated that higher RDW values are an adverse prognostic and survival outcomes biomarker for CML-CP patients. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that age, platelet count, and RDW at diagnosis were related to the advanced phase. Consequently, the dynamic changes of the RDW values of CML patients could help clinical workers manage the follow-up treatment of the patients. In agreement with the significance of responses to early treatment, the RDW value at diagnosis also predicted the outcomes, because it reflected an early response at 3 months, to treatment.28 The vast majority of CML patients are diagnosed with CML-CP. However, some patients present with features of advanced phase at diagnosis. Most studies analyzing prognostic factors and survival outcomes for CML-AP/BC refer to patients that developed this advanced phase of CML from an initial diagnosis of CML-CP.29,30 The results of these studies indicate that despite the availability of TKIs, the treatment options and the outcome for these patients are still poor. After transformation from CML-CP to CML-BC, the median survival time in a German CML-study IV was 7.9 months.13 Therefore, there is still a need for more markers to predict the advanced phase and for the prognosing patients with CML-CP. Detection of the BCR-ABL1 transcript level is the gold standard method for monitoring CML minimal residual disease and the optimal management of CML patients.31 Although there are many emerging technologies, such as digital PCR, to detect the transcription level of BCR-ABL1,3234 RDW detection is a widely available and inexpensive test that is performed as part of the complete blood count. It is important to point out that the average lifespan of RBCs is 120 days; thus, RDW could be used as an indicator during the long-term follow-up of patients with CML.

Our study showed that RDW plays an important role in determining the prognosis and the effect of treatment with TKIs. What follows is a description of the reasons why RDW plays a key prognostic role in CML. It is well established that the RDW value is elevated when the destruction of RBCs increases or there is an increase in the production of infective defective RBCs.15 CML is a specific disease in which the CML stem cells have to differentiate towards the erythroid cell lineage, resulting in the involvement of malignant clone-derived erythropoiesis.35 Some studies have recently revealed that patients harboring IDH1/2 and ASXL1 mutations had significantly higher RDW values than those without these mutations.36,37 Furthermore, these mutations are often present in CML cells and are associated with the status of the disease in CML patients.37 Although baseline prognostic factors for the efficacy of treatment with second TKIs have not yet been determined, the multiple predictors for the efficacy of treatment with imatinib have already been reported. A recent study showed that the Sokal low and medium/high groups responded equally to dasatinib treatment.38 Another study proved that Treatment-Free Remission after second-line nilotinib treatment in patients with CML-CP was greatly improved and none had CML progression to AP or BC.39 However, in our study, only 14 patients chose to be treated with the second TKIs treatment. We did not make a distinction between patients treated with first and second TKIs in our study, we analyzed the change in RDW values of patients treated with TKIs as a whole.

We were aware of some limitations in our study. Our study split the 153 patients into a training and validation cohort for the internal validation. However, the sample size of the CML patients that enrolled in the study was not large and the results of single-center retrospective cohort studies are not generalizable to other populations.

The stratification of CML patients according to their RDW value can be used to determine their prognosis, survival outcomes, and advanced phase. This stratification is beneficial to subsequent treatment. To avoid CML-CP transforming to advanced phase, patients whose RDW 16.8% when diagnosed need more time for follow-up. In the future, we will validate these findings in a larger population, which may provide new insights into CML therapy and follow-up treatment.

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, China [No. LY18H200006], Science and Technology Planning Project of Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China (No. Y20180108), Basic Public Welfare Technology Research Project of Zhejiang Province [LGF20H200005], and the Lin Hes New Medicine and Clinical Translation Academician Workstation Research Fund [18331203].

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

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35. Dainiak N, Liu A, Dewey MC, Kulkarni V. Chromosome analysis of isolated colony erythroblasts in chronic myelogenous leukaemia. Br J Haematol. 1984;56(3):507512. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2141.1984.tb03980.x

36. Schmidt M, Rinke J, Schfer V, et al. Molecular-defined clonal evolution in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia independent of the BCR-ABL status. Leukemia. 2014;28(12):22922299. doi:10.1038/leu.2014.272

37. Makishima H, Jankowska AM, McDevitt MA, et al. CBL, CBLB, TET2, ASXL1, and IDH1/2 mutations and additional chromosomal aberrations constitute molecular events in chronic myelogenous leukemia. Blood. 2011;117(21):e198e206. doi:10.1182/blood-2010-06-292433

38. Iriyama N, Fujisawa S, Yoshida C, et al. Shorter halving time of BCR-ABL1 transcripts is a novel predictor for achievement of molecular responses in newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia treated with dasatinib: results of the D-first study of Kanto CML study group. Am J Hematol. 2015;90(4):282287. doi:10.1002/ajh.23923

39. Mahon FX, Boquimpani C, Kim DW, et al. Treatment-free remission after second-line nilotinib treatment in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase: results from a single-group, phase 2, open-label study. Ann Intern Med. 2018;168(7):461470. doi:10.7326/M17-1094

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[Full text] Higher Red Blood Cell Distribution Width is a Poor Prognostic Factor f | CMAR - Dove Medical Press

The new health guidelines have allowed private dental clinics to start functioningNew Delhi : Observably, the Covid-19 pandemic hit a pause button on many of our routine activities, including regular visits to the dentist. When the pandemic peaked, health authorities put restrictions in place for dental care, and dental clinics saw only emergency cases and advised patients to wait when it came to non-essential or non-urgent procedures including regular check-ups, cleaning, fillings, etc., which resulted in a substantial drop in the preventive dental care visits of oral patients across India.

Lt Gen. Dr Vimal Arora, Chief Clinical Officer, Clove Dental said, Oral Health data in India says that 8 out of 10 Indians suffer from some or the other kind of dental diseases which clearly reflects that Oral & Dental Health has always been deprioritized even in pre-Coovid times. However, with this pandemic people have further delayed their dental visits for past 10 months, the result of which is that the oral health conditions which could have been handled with simple cavity filling, now need RCT & Crowning and even extraction in some cases leading to loss of tooth. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare estimates that currently (2019), about 60% of Indias adult population and 70% of its school-going children are affected by dental caries (cavities) or tooth decay. And, periodontal disease infections of the tissue around the teeth has ended up affecting at least 85% of the population. The country is also considered the world capital for oral cancer. Of the total body cancers, Oral cancers accounts for over 30% of all body cancers.

Drop in Dental Care

Dr Anirudh Singh, General Manager, Clove Dental, South West India said, Traditionally, check-ups are recommended every six months. But people often ignore this, which leads to the severity of the dental problems demanding expensive treatments and care. According to the draft National Oral Health Policy, the proportion of untreated caries of permanent teeth and severe periodontitis is the maximum compared to other oral disorders. Yet, only 12.4% of adults have ever had their mouth examined by a dentist. Routine check-ups are the part of preventive treatments. However, due to COVID, preventive treatments have gone down by 63.7%, as the patient visits have declined. As COVID has prompted the delay in treatments, we see the need for more restorative treatments now. Therefore, prioritising dental care is as important as any other healthcare problems.

A fundamentally different approach is required to effectively tackle the global burden of oral diseases. The public health problems associated with oral diseases are a serious burden in every nation around the globe. What is lacking is the awareness to the disease and the information as to what all poor oral health can create in the body. Excellent dental health is the gateway for the overall body health; is the true slogan.

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Fear of Covid keeps patients away from dental clinics resulting in an increased need of treatment. - ETHealthworld.com

3d printing human body. 3d printed implants on white background.

Back in the 1970s, there was a television show called The Six-Million-Dollar Man about a fictional astronaut severely injured in a test crash, and then having several body parts replaced by robotics. The shows opening narration promised that he would be better than he was before. Better. Faster. Stronger.

Life is now imitating art, and then some. 3D printers are currently being used to construct not only customized prosthetics for patients in need, but a wide variety of other medical items foremost among them tissues and organoids, as well as surgical models and tools. It is estimated that 13 percent of 3D printing revenue comes courtesy of the medical field, and that some $3.19 billion will be spent on technology in that sector by 2025. Thats over $2 billion more than in 2018 ($1.13 billion), a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.89 percent.

There are many reasons for this uptick, not the least of which are that these items can be produced quickly and inexpensively. But there is none bigger than the ever-increasing demand for prosthetics. Some 30 million people around the world, including 1.9 million in the U.S., are in need of such devices, and as of 2018 only 20 percent of them had been provided for.

Factor in other devices and an aging population with a consequent increase in demand for personalized treatment as noted by Tim Deng, Principal Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData, in a report on the website Express Healthcare and the overwhelming need becomes that much clearer.

So too are the benefits of meeting that need. Better, faster, stronger? Well, that part might be a bit of a stretch, at least for now. But certainly it appears that 3D printers are making it possible for patients to be as good, as fast and as strong as they were before illness or injury left them a shell of their former selves.

Serendipity helped galvanize the 3D prosthetics industry. In 2011 an artist named Ivan Owen developed a puppet hand for a steampunk event i.e., an event where modern technology melds with elements of Victorian-era history and fashion. He circulated a video of his creation, which was seen by Richard Van As, a South African carpenter who, having just lost four fingers in an accident, was looking for a prosthetic hand that would enable him to return to work. The two of them collaborated to construct just such a device, then used a 3D printer to develop another for a five-year-old boy who was born without fingers.

Owen, instead of patenting his invention, elected to open-source it. That led in 2013 to the formation of the nonprofit organization e-NABLE, an online community enabling people to collaborate on the design of 3D prosthetic limbs. Another nonprofit, Limbitless Solutions, came along a year later, with the mission of providing 3D-printed arms for children.

Then there is the startup Unlimited Tomorrow. In 2020, some six years after its founding, the Rhinebeck, N.Y.-based company also rolled out a prosthetic arm courtesy of a 3D printer, while emphasizing its affordability (as low as $7,995.) compared to prosthetics produced by other means (over $50,000).

3D printers are getting ever closer to being able to produce organs, and progress is being made on other fronts as well. In 2018, researchers at the University of Utah became the first to produce ligaments and tendons in that fashion, by extracting stem cells from a patients body fat, printing them onto a layer of hydrogel, allowing time for the cells to form the required connective tissue outside the body and then implanting it where needed.

This is a particularly important breakthrough, since injuries to tendons and ligaments had in the past proven to be difficult to treat. Most commonly, tissue from cadavers was used, but there was the risk of rejection, or that the connective tissue wouldnt perform as expected.

In 2019, there was another promising development when a team at Rice University made promising strides toward producing cardiovascular networks and lung-like air sacs through the use of bioprinting technology called stereolithography apparatus for tissue engineering, or SLATE. The team hopes to commercialize that technology in the future, which could have obvious benefits for those suffering from heart or lung disease.

Truly there seem to be no bounds to what 3D printers might mean for healthcare. The possibility exists of dental professionals using the technology to create customized dental implants, prosthetics and braces that printing could be done in-office without long wait times. Once the patients teeth have been scanned, their dental treatment will be printed in-office. This allows for a better fit and even time for immediate troubleshooting. Compared to taking a mold and relying on an outside source, this is more convenient for both patients and professionals.

On the other side of the equation, a 3D printer can be used to create customized instruments for use in complex surgeries and the process can be done far more quickly than is the case by other means. It is also possible to create three-dimensional models of patients internal systems before surgical procedures, giving doctors a clear understanding of the challenges they face.

Also of interest is the production of customized medication via 3D printer, a process begun in 2015 to counter the trend toward producing dosages best-suited for white adult men, meaning women and children were receiving more than was necessary. Customizing the dosage, Multiply Labs CEO Fred Paretti told the website 3D Natives, goes a long way toward highlighting the individuality of each patient, since the error in dosage of certain active ingredients can even lead to the malfunctioning of some treatments.

The bottom line is that 3D printers will be making an even greater impact on the medical field in the years ahead, as evidenced by the fact that the number of U.S. hospitals featuring the technology grew from three in 2010 to over 100 in 2019. The need is there, and the evolution will certainly only continue. And someday, maybe there really will be a Six-Million-Dollar Man.

Photo: belekekin, Getty Images

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3D medical printing making strides, and helping patients do the same - MedCity News

REHOVOT, Israel, Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Aleph Farms Ltd. (the Company)and its research partner at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, have successfully cultivated the world's first slaughter-free ribeye steak, using three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology and natural building blocks of meat real cow cells, without genetic engineering and immortalization. With this proprietary technology developed just two short years after it unveiled the world's first cultivated thin-cut steak in 2018 which did not utilize 3D bioprinting, the Company now has the ability to produce any type of steak and plans to expand its portfolio of quality meat products.

Unlike 3D printing technology, Aleph Farms' 3D bioprinting technology is the printing of actual living cells that are then incubated to grow, differentiate, and interact, in order to acquire the texture and qualities of a real steak. A proprietary system, similar to the vascularization that occurs naturally in tissues, enables the perfusion of nutrients across the thicker tissue and grants the steak with the similar shape and structure of its native form as found in livestock before and during cooking.

"This breakthrough reflects an artistic expression of the scientific expertise of our team," enthuses Didier Toubia, Co-Founder and CEO of Aleph Farms. "I am blessed to work with some of the greatest people in this industry. We recognize some consumers will crave thicker and fattier cuts of meat. This accomplishment represents our commitment to meeting our consumer's unique preferences and taste buds, and we will continue to progressively diversify our offerings," adds Toubia. "Additional meat designs will drive a larger impact in the mid and long term. This milestone for me marks a major leap in fulfilling our vision of leading a global food system transition toward a more sustainable, equitable and secure world."

The cultivated ribeye steak is a thicker cut than the company's first product a thin-cut steak. It incorporates muscle and fat similar to its slaughtered counterpart and boasts the same organoleptic attributes of a delicious tender, juicy ribeye steak you'd buy from the butcher. "With the realization of this milestone, we have broken the barriers to introducing new levels of variety into the cultivated meat cuts we can now produce. As we look into the future of 3D bioprinting, the opportunities are endless," says Technion Professor Shulamit Levenberg, Aleph's Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Advisor and a major brainpower behind the company's IP. Levenberg is considered a global leader in tissue engineering and has amassed over two decades of research in the field at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in the United States and at the Technion, in Israel. Levenberg is also the former Dean of the Biomedical Engineering Faculty at the Technion.

Aleph Farms' zealous plans to diversify its offering align with its mission to create a global platform for local production, leveraging a highly scalable technology to create culinary experiences that can be adapted for the different food cultures around the world.

About the Technion Israel Institute of Technology and the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering:

Technion Israel Institute of Technology, consistently ranked among the world's top science and technology research universities, is Israel's first university. Since its founding in 1912, the institute has educated generations of engineers, architects, and scientists who have played a key role in laying the State of Israel's infrastructure and establishing its crucial high-tech industries.

The Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion offers undergraduate and graduate programs for students interested in integrating research, development and engineering methods in all areas of medicine. The Faculty's state-of-the-art research labs enable the acquisition of skills and practical experience in diverse fields which are at the forefront of contemporary science.

About Aleph Farms:

Aleph Farms is a food company that is paving a new way forward as a leader of the global sustainable food ecosystem, working passionately to grow delicious beef steaks from non-genetically engineered cells, isolated from a cow, using a fraction of the resources required for raising an entire animal for meat, without antibiotics and without the use of Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS). Aleph Farms was co-founded with The Kitchen Hub of the Strauss Group and with ProfessorShulamit Levenberg, former Dean of the Biomedical Engineering faculty of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. Aleph Farms is backed by some of the world's most innovative food producers, such as Cargill, Migros, and the Strauss Group.

The company has recently received top accolades for its contribution to the global sustainability movement from the World Economic Forum, UNESCO, Netexplo Forum, FAO and EIT Food.

Twitter/LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/Medium: @AlephFarms

For further information, please contact:

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Aleph Farms and The Technion Reveal World's First Cultivated Ribeye Steak - PRNewswire

09 Feb 2021 --- Scientists in China and Japan have developed a method to increase paddy field-grown rice yield by over 30 percent while sequestering more CO2 and using less fertilizer than traditional varieties.

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan and Nanjing Agricultural University in China achieved this functionality by increasing the expression of the plasma membrane proton pump gene OSA1 in the rice plant, which was previously found to influence stomatal opening.

CO2 intake in plants occurs exclusively through the stomata, which are holes on the leaves' surface.

By increasing nutrient uptake and stomatal opening, the researchers were able to increase the rate of photosynthesis thereby speeding up growth and yield with less resources.

This new genetics-based approach detailed in Nature could improve crop efficiency for more types of plants to increase the food supply while mitigating the overproduction of CO2.

Click to EnlargeRice with the overexpressed OSA1 gene had a 25 percent increase in its CO2 storage capacity compared to wild rice.New functionalityThe group of scientists found the proton pump overexpressed rice, when compared to a wild strain, took up over 20 percent more mineral nutrients through its roots and opened its stomata over 25 percent wider when exposed to light.

On further analysis, they found that its carbon dioxide storage capacity (the indicator of photosynthesis activity) increased by over 25 percent. Its dry weight (biomass) increased by 18 to 33 percent in hydroponic laboratory growth.

Testing rice in the fieldWith this determined, the researchers set out to find if the results could be replicated under realistic growing conditions.

They conducted yield measurement exercises at four separate rice farms over the course of two years, finding that the rice with the overexpressed OSA1 gene had a yield over 30 percent higher than that of the wild strain.

They also discovered that even if the level of nitrogen fertilizer was reduced by half, it still produced a greater yield than the wild strain did with normal levels of nitrogen.

Capturing more CO2As they take in mineral nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium through their roots, plants simultaneously absorb carbon dioxide through the stomata on their leaves and grow through photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis enables, not only the farming of plants for food, but the exchange of carbon dioxide and management of the earths environment.

While these early-stage models have been created through genetic modification (GM), the researchers anticipate that future generations will use genome editing or chemical engineering instead.

Edited by Missy Green

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Researchers create rice that captures more CO2 with 30 percent more yield - FoodIngredientsFirst

In Australia, scientists collect buckets of coral sperm, mixing one species with another in an attempt to create a new super coral that can withstand rising temperatures and acidifying seas. In Nevada, scientists nurse a tiny colony of one-inch long Devils Hole pupfish in an uncomfortably hot, Styrofoam-molded pool. And in Massachusetts, Harvard University scientists research injecting chemicals into the atmosphere to dim the suns light and slow down the runaway pace of global warming.

These are some of the scenes from Elizabeth Kolberts new book, Under a White Sky, a global exploration of the ways that humanity is attempting to engineer, fix, or reroute the course of nature in a climate-changed world. (The title refers to one of the consequences of engineering the Earth to better reflect sunlight: Our usual blue sky could turn a pale white.)

Kolbert, a New Yorker staff writer, has been covering the environment for decades: Her first book, Field Notes from a Catastrophe, traced the scientific evidence for global warming from Greenland to Alaska; her second, The Sixth Extinction, followed the growing pace of animal extinctions.

Under a White Sky covers slightly different ground. Humanity is now, Kolbert explains, in the midst of the Anthropocene a geologic era in which we are the dominant force shaping earth, sea, and sky. Faced with that reality, humans have gotten more creative at using technology to fix the problems that we unwittingly spawned: Stamping out Australias cane toad invasion with genetic engineering, for example, or using giant air conditioners to suck carbon dioxide out of air and turn it into rock. As Kolbert notes, tongue-in-cheek: What could possibly go wrong?

This interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

Q.Under a White Sky is about a lot of things rivers, solar geoengineering, coral reefs but its also about what nature means in our current world. What got you interested in that topic?

A.All books have complicated births, as it were. But about four years ago, I went to Hawaii to report on a project that had been nicknamed the super coral project. And it was run by a very charismatic scientist named Ruth Gates, who very sadly passed away about two years ago. We have very radically altered the oceans by pouring hundreds of billions of tons of CO2 into the air and we cant get that heat out of the oceans in any foreseeable timescale. We cant change the chemistry back. And if we want coral reefs in the future, were going to have to counter what weve done to the oceans by remaking reefs so they can withstand warmer temperatures. The aim of the project was to see if you could hybridize or crossbreed corals to get more vigorous varieties.

This idea that we have to counteract one form of intervention in the natural world (climate change) with another form of intervention (trying to recreate reefs) just struck me as a very interesting new chapter in our long and very complicated relationship with nature. And once I started to think about it that way, I started to see that as a pretty widespread pattern. Thats really what prompted the book.

Q.Some of these human interventions to save nature seem hopeful and positive and others go wrong in pretty epic ways. How do you balance those two types of stories?

A.The book starts with examples that probably will strike many Grist readers as OK, that makes sense. That makes sense. But it goes from regional engineering solutions through biotechnology, through gene editing, and all the way up to solar geoengineering. So it kind of leads you down what we might call a slippery slope. And one of the interesting things about these cases is that they will divide up people differently. Even people who consider themselves environmentalists will come down on different sides of some of these technologies. The bind were in is so profound that theres no right answer.

Q.So someone who accepts what were doing to save the Devils Hole pupfish might not necessarily accept gene-editing mosquitos or dimming the sun through solar geoengineering.

A.Exactly. And I think sometimes those lines seem clearer than they are once you start to think about it.

Q.At one point in the book, theres a quote that is (apocryphally) attributed to Einstein: We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. But you dont say whether you agree with that sentiment or not. Is that on purpose?

A.Yeah, you can read the book and say, Im really glad people are doing these things, and I feel better. Or you can read the book and say, as one scientific quote does, This is a broad highway to hell. And both of those are very valid reactions.

Q.When you write about geoengineering, you point out that many scientists conclude that its necessary to avoid catastrophic levels of warming, but that it could also be a really bad idea. Do you think that in 15 or 20 years youll be writing about a geoengineering experiment gone wrong, much as youre writing now about failed attempts to protect Louisiana from flooding?

A.I might argue about the timescales. Im not sure Ill be reporting on it in 15 years, but I think you might be reporting on it in 30 years.

At the moment, its still the realm of sci-fi, and Im not claiming to have any particular insight into how people are going to respond in the future. But the case thats made in the book by some very smart scientists is that we dont have very many tools in our toolbox for dealing with climate change quickly, because the system has so much inertia. Its like turning around a supertanker: It takes literally decades, even if we do everything absolutely right.

Q.Youve reported on climate change for a long time. How does it feel to see geoengineering being explored as a more valuable and potentially necessary option?

A.Well, one thing I learned in the course of reporting the book was that what we now refer to as geoengineering was actually the very first thing that people started to think about when they realized we were warming the climate. The very first report about climate change that was handed to Lyndon Johnson in 1965 wasnt about how we should stop emitting it was: Maybe we should find some reflective stuff to throw into the ocean to bounce more sunlight back into space!

Its odd, its kind of almost freakish, and I cant explain it, except to say that it sort of fits the pattern of the book.

Q.Theres been a longstanding fight in environmentalism between a technology-will-save-us philosophy and a return-to-nature philosophy. Based on the reporting in this book, do you think that the technology camp has won?

A.I think the book is an attempt to take on both of those schools of thought. On some level, technology has won even people who would say dont do geoengineering still want to put up solar panels and build huge arrays of batteries, and those are technologies! But where does that leave us? It goes back to Ruth Gates and the super coral project. There was a big fight among coral biologists about whether a project like that should even be pursued. The Great Barrier Reef is the size of Italy even if you have some replacement coral, how are you going to get them out on the reef? But Gatess point was, were not returning. Even if we stopped emitting CO2 tomorrow, youre not getting the Great Barrier Reef back as it was in a foreseeable timeframe.

My impulse as an old-school environmentalist is to say Well, lets just leave things alone. But the sad fact is that weve intervened so much at this point that even not intervening is itself an intervention.

Q.Now that we have a U.S. president who takes climate change seriously, do you think we could actually start cutting carbon emissions quickly?

A.I really do want to applaud the first steps that the Biden administration has taken. I think they show a pretty profound understanding of the problem. But the question, and its a big one, is What are the limits? Will Congress do anything? What will happen in the Supreme Court? The U.S. is no longer the biggest emitter on an annual basis, but on a cumulative basis were still the biggest. And we still dont have resolution on how much CO2 we can put up there to avoid 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius of warming. Those are questions with big error bars. If were lucky, I think we can avoid disastrous climate change. But if were not lucky, were already in deep trouble.

Q.Is there anything else you want to say about the book?

A.It sounds kind of weird after our conversation, but the book was actually a lot of fun to write. It sounds odd when youre talking about a book where the subject is so immensely serious.

Q.You mean like when the undergraduates in Australia are tossing each other buckets of coral sperm?

A.Yes! There is always humor in all these situations. I hope that sense of fun comes through.

Will Biden deliver on climate? Get weekly analysis of federal climate policy action in the first months of Bidens term.

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Interview: Elizabeth Kolbert on why well never stop messing with nature - Grist

In Borneo, the balmy forests of the Malay Archipelago are home to some of the richest biodiversity on Earth. The ecosystems of this island nation, the third-largest in the world, and the largest in Asia, support more than 15,000 plant species and 1,400 amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, reptiles and insects. But since 2000, Borneo's wildlife has faced critical endangerment. Because in just the last two decades, the island has experienced a forest loss that rounds out to at least 39%.

The culprit? Palm oil, a productive vegetable oil derived from the tropic-friendly oil palm tree. The edible oil is a cost-effective alternative to more production-heavy vegetable oils like coconut or olive, and so has become a staple ingredient across food products, detergents and biofuel, as well as in cosmetics. Yet its insatiable demand has quickly outgrown supply: Oil palm plantations now cover more than 66 million acres of the Earth's surface, according to environmental advocacy group Rainforest Rescue, depleting crucial ecosystems and displacing Indigenous peoples in the process. Today, the United Nations reports that only half of Borneo's original forest cover remains.

While palm oil is a particularly devastating case study, it's far from the only example of humans taking undue advantage of the planet's natural resources for industrial gain. In the beauty industry alone, crops, animal byproducts and oils yes, including palm are big for business; palm oil, for one, produces moisturizing fatty acids and texturizing alcohols, an A-plus skin-care combo.

So what if we could safely and sustainably recreate the world's most threatened ingredients, while also making them even more effective? That's a question scientists have been asking since the '60s, when biotechnology first began cropping up to study genetic engineering. Today, biotechnology can be defined as an area of applied science that harnesses living organisms and their derivatives to produce better products and processes. And the beauty industry is leading the charge.

"Biotechnology is essentially technology that's used in the lab to recreate endangered ingredients that ultimately improve people's lives or in the case of beauty, skin or to help solve an old problem," says Catherine Gore, president of vegan skin-care brandBiossance. "There are only a certain number of resources available to us, and biotechnology provides that perfect answer to still build brands through incredible ingredients and not make a negative imprint on the planet, or on your skin, for that matter."

A palm oil plantation and factory encroaches on a wildlife reserve in Malaysia, inhabited by both endangered animals and around 1,200 Indigenous peoples who live in riverbank communities.

Photo: Giles Clarke/Getty Images

Biossance launched in 2017 with squalane as its "hero ingredient." Developed via biotechnology, the brand's 100% plant-based, shelf-stable version of the moisturizer is touted as a more eco-friendly substitute for squalene, an organic compound primarily obtained from shark liver oil. Biossance derives its squalane from small-batch renewable Brazilian sugarcane that's then bio-fermented using its own yeast.

"Biotechnology uses bacteria and yeast as nano factories to produce active ingredients, minimizing the impact on the environment," says Dr. Hadley King, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. "By using only tiny amounts of botanicals, biotechnology is a highly sustainable process. Active ingredients derived from plants and animals are sometimes criticized for the amount of land, water and energy they require, and with animal-derived ingredients, there are also issues of not being cruelty-free."

Squalene was first described and identified in 1916, and though shark harvesting more euphemistically known as "squalene fishing" has since fallen out of favor, sharks have taken a hit nonetheless. In 2006, the European Union banned targeted fisheries, noting a steep decline in certain shark populations, but according to global non-profit coalition Shark Allies, 2.7 million sharks are still harvested each year for their livers. According to Gore, Biossance's squalane isn't only a more ethical alternative to the shark-based substance, but chemically, it also reportedly works better, too.

"If you look at squalene in a vial, you'll see it's pretty cloudy and compromised in terms of quality, so it tends to oxidize on the skin," she says. Compare that to "totally clear and weightless" squalane, which also causes no oxidation science speak for "going bad" after having been exposed to air. "It's an identical counterpart, and we can make as much as the world needs without having a single negative imprint on the planet," claims Gore.

Ingredients formulated through biotechnology can also be far less expensive to manufacture than so-called "naturally derived" ones. While it takes a pretty penny to develop a new biotechnology product (roughly $1.2 billion, to be exact, according to the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development), companies may see a drastic dip in long-term operational costs. And with open sourcing, beauty brands can even work together to share technological breakthroughs across the industry at a rate more affordable than it may take for a company to develop its own technology. It's why Biossance sells its squalane to other prestige cosmetics brands.

Fishermen remove caught sharks from a boat in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur.

Photo: Federico Vespignani/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Beauty (skin care, especially) is so reliant on pioneering formulations that biotechnology is kind of a no-brainer. In 2019, Swiss fragrance company Givaudan developed a biotechnologically-produced version of ambroxide, an organic chemical and one of the key constituents responsible for the woody scent of ambergris. Ambroxie is naturally produced in the digestive system of sperm whales, but Givaudan's renewable version, Ambrofix, is made from fermenting sustainably-sourced sugar cane.

Elsewhere in Switzerland, cosmetic supplier Mibelle uses IceAwake, a trademarked ingredient that helps "rejuvenate" aging, sleep-deprived skin. Mibelle developed its technology from just a few samples of glacial ice melt from the Swiss Alps, taking advantage of the nearby water's high levels of microbial content.

As for palm oil? New York City-based C16 Bioscience has developed its own lab-grown alternative to the ingredient via a fermentation process that uses microbes to brew palm oil like beer and to do it to scale. The biotechnology firm closed a $20 million Series A round last March led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a $1 billion fund led by Bill Gates to accelerate innovations in sustainable energy.

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With almost no environmental impact in the product formulation itself, it's understandable that biotechnology alternatives can be considered the most "sustainable" option for eco-conscious consumers. But unlike the food sector that offers a number of third-party certification programs, beauty is less stringent, at least as far as governmental agencies are concerned.

The Food and Drug Administration regulates cosmetics, sure, but the term "organic" is not actually defined in any of its standards. Neither is "sustainable," or "clean," or even "natural," and there's no assurance that products that fall into those buckets are necessarily better for your skin overall. (Which is why it's so problematic that these products are also rarely accessible to those with lower incomes, a disproportionate number of whom are people of color.) And all that continues to mislead shoppers, now tasked with pilfering through ingredient lists and research findings on their own time.

"There's the potential for greenwashing [in biotechnology]," says Dr. King. "We need transparency and helpful labeling standards to help us understand and navigate the options. And ultimately, we need excellent safety and efficacy data to be able to evaluate these ingredients."

Biossance's proprietary squalane oilboth hydrates while locking in moisture.

Photo: Courtesy of Biossance

At Biossance, Gore assures that her team is committed to educating curious shoppers not just about biotechnology, but the company's internal processes as a whole. ("The word biotechnology can be rather abstract," she says. "So it naturally leads to more questions, and potentially more confusion, and that's what has to be targeted.") Transparency may be the most effective solution, then, at least until industry-wide accreditation services become available for beauty brands and their customers. Biotechnology is not waiting around, though.

"We're going to see new types of biotechnology ingredients emerge that are beyond just identical to their natural counterpart, but exceed them in quality and performance," says cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, founder and CEO of BeautyStat, a beauty-influencer agency and blog that launched its own skin-care line in 2019. Robinson hints that BeautyStat is working on "something big" in the biotechnology world, but can't disclose details just yet.

The possibilities are endless, and not limited to the planet's most endangered flora and fauna, though they certainly take precedence. Gore suggests that consumers look out for biotechnologically-developed sandalwood, an officially "vulnerable" plant species that supplies an oil now frequently used in aromatherapy and perfumery. Biossance's parent corporationAmyris, a synthetic chemical company headquartered outside Oakland, recreated sandalwood using yeast fermentation.

If biotechnology feels rather futuristic, like something out of a flashy, 1960s sci-fi movie, that's because, well, it kind of is. As cross-industry climate action becomes increasingly necessary, Gore is hopeful that scientific innovation will, hopefully, only continue to rise to the occasion.

"The ultimate goal is to ask the questions across the board," she says. "How are ingredients being processed and harvested now? And is there a better solution?"

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Is Biotechnology the Answer to a More Sustainable Beauty Industry? - Fashionista

By Al Nigrin

Here is my interview with Joey Skaggs: Satire and Art Activism 1960s to the Present and Beyond Director Judy Drosd and Joey Skaggs.

Nigrin: The 2017 documentary filmArt of the PrankDirected by Andrea Marini, seems like a primer or greatest hits on Joeys life as a performance artist. The four oral histories that are part ofJoey Skaggs: Satire and Art Activism 1960s to the Present and Beyondseem to go deeper into his career. Was this what you were hoping to achieve?

Drosd: Andrea Marinis film, Art of the Prank, touches on many of Joeys performances and media satires, but he also wanted to follow Joey working on a new media hoax to show in real time what goes on behind the scenes. So, we get to watch Joey in the act of creating a fake documentary film, Pandoras Hope, which hes making to bring attention to the controversial issue of genetic modification and engineering. There are always limitations to how much material you can cover in a documentary. Any filmmaker will tell you about the heartbreaking and sometimes brutal cuts you have to make to keep the material focused and riveting. Choices have to be made in service of the story, and Andrea was knee deep in Joeys archival material he wanted to use but couldnt. Joeys work is provocative, confrontational and frequently outrageous so it has attracted a lot of media coverage over the decades. His performances are ephemeral, happening in plain sight in everyday life. He collected documentation of his performances as well as the news coverage because otherwise there would be no evidence that these things occurred. Consequently, he has a large collection of film, video, audio and print materials in addition to the physical art works he created to execute the concepts. Now that Art of the Prank has been launched into the world, Joey and I decided to dig deeper into the archive and create these new, more detailed and nuanced oral histories using material not included in the film. We dont have the same limitations Andrea had to deal with. Were approaching this as an open-ended non-linear project. Each piece is (and future pieces will be) as long as they need to be to tell a compelling story.

Nigrin: How did this oral history project come about? You mention in your press packet that you are working with NYU. How are they helping?

Skaggs: As I get older, Im thinking about what to do with my vast collection, which not only includes coverage of my work, but also sheds light on the times, illuminating what was going on that provoked and inspired me. Does it all go into a dumpster when Im gone? Is it picked apart by people who dont necessarily understand the work? So, Ive been seeking a way to preserve it and share it with the public. This is a dilemma all artists face.

Drosd: We reached out to NYU Professor Howard Besser, PhD., who founded the Moving Image Archiving and Preservation Department in the Tisch School of the Arts. Howard is a supporter of Joeys work and became a champion in helping us shape the collection for eventual transference to an institution that can care for it in perpetuity. He arranged for us to have an NYU graduate student intern this past summer to start the process, but when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, we had to segue from hands-on to an online-only experience. Our intern, David Griess, created a detailed Collection Assessment of Joeys archival materials as a first step, and also, at Joeys suggestion, began researching the ins and outs of doing oral histories to accompany the collection. We filmed a couple of tests with David, which became the first and second episodes in the Joey Skaggs Satire and Art Activism, 1960s to the Present and Beyond film. Joey and I then shot many more stories and I began editing this oral history project. NYUs involvement and support will continue as we move forward. Thanks to the New Jersey Film Festival, the first four episodes will be screened together as a single film on February 12, 2020.

Nigrin: You mentioned in the Video Q+A you did for the New Jersey Film Festival that there are more than 50 of these oral histories. Do you plan to release those as well? What periods are these focused on? Are they focused on particular performances?

Drosd: We are creating oral histories on a wide spectrum of Joeys lifes work and experiences. Its hard to say how many episodes there will be. However, each one transports you back in time to a different era and you get a sense of Joeys challenges and the imaginative and frequently hilarious work that he created over the years, all of which remains amazingly relevant today.

Nigrin: The music in these short films seems a bit twee at times. Other times quite serious. Can you elaborate on the use of the music in your films?

Drosd: The stories are nostalgic and music is critical to the narrative. It heightens the mood and helps pull the viewer into the time and place of the story. We tried to be truthful to the soundtrack of Joeys life, and we added a little cheekiness, just to underscore the absurdity of some of the stories. Since we cant afford the rights to songs by the Doors, or Deep Purple, or other iconic musical artists of the times, we did the next best thing. We found royalty free music that could, by association, set that tone. Also, we are fortunate to have a good friend, Daniel Pemberton, who is a world renowned movie composer (Steve Jobs, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Mollys Game, Oceans 8, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Yesterday, Birds of Prey, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and many more), and he has given us access to music to which he owns full rights.

Nigrin: Are there any memorable stories while you made this film or any other info about your film you would like to relay to us?

Skaggs: Everything I do depends on the talent and generosity of a lot of other people. So far, in this series, Im so grateful to graphic designer Kaboom J. Schneider, and motion graphics animator Claudio Castillo, both of whom contributed to the titles. And then, there are all the people who appear in the episodes. I want to recognize all of them because I couldnt be successful without them.

Drosd: Working on these oral histories has been a trip down memory lane for both Joey and me. Because of the pandemic, weve been confined to one location. But this project has temporarily transported us out of todays divisive political reality and put us back in touch with the incredibly divisive realities of previous eras that inspired so much of Joeys activism and satire.

Skaggs: It seems there is always hype, hypocrisy, the mis-use of power, greed, racial injustice, and endless war. We have to continuously resist, preferably in a creative way and where possible with humor. If people get just one thing from this film series, I hope it is the inspiration to use their voices and stand up against social injustice and oppression.

Here is more info on this screening:

Joey Skaggs: Satire and Art Activism 1960s to the Present and Beyond - Judy Drosd (New York, New York) Joey Skaggs is a satirist, performance artist, and activist who for decades pioneered the use of the media as an integral part of his artwork. Skaggs art is both timely and timelessly relevant in that he tackles far ranging cultural, political and social issues, producing works that question and challenge authority and examine societal beliefs in a profound and humorous way. These four short documentaries are the first in a series of Joey Skaggs oral histories produced with technical support from NYUs Moving Image Archiving and Preservation program in the Tisch School of the Arts. In Joey Skaggs:The Early Years, 1940s to 1960s,Joey looks back at some of the earliest influences that led him away from the art establishment and into the streets.In Joey Skaggs: Art as Activism, 1960s and 1970s,Joey talks about the roots of his activism and his earliest renegade and inflammatory performance art in the streets of New York City. We see the spark that ignites his life-long controversial relationship with the news media. In Joey Skaggs: The Bad Guys Talent Management Agency,using historical archival footage, Joey tells the hilarious story of this 1984 media performance piece in which he helps his friend Verne fulfill his life-long ambition to become an actor. And in Joey Skaggs: The Fat Squad, Joey enlists his stable of eager actors and unleashes them as Fat Squad commandos, tough guys you can hire to use force to keep you on your diet. With extraordinary archival footage, Joey shows how he hooked the global news media, always hungry for salacious stories, into covering businesses that were definitely too good to be true. Joey Skaggs' work is also the subject of Andrea Marini's award-winning feature documentaryArt of the Prank, which won the Best Documentary prize at the New Jersey Film Festival back in 2017.2020; 52min.

Friday, February 12, 2021 - $12=General

Film will be available on VOD (Video On Demand) for 24 hours on its showdate.

To buy tickets for this screening go here:

https://watch.eventive.org/newjerseyfilmfestival2021/play/5faa91d9cbe29a0a49aefc78

Information:

https://newjerseyfilmfestival2021.eventive.org/welcome

https://newjerseyfilmfestival2021.eventive.org/schedule

(848) 932-8482; http://www.njfilmfest.com

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New Jersey arts and entertainment news, features, and event previews. - New Jersey Stage

REHOVOT, Israel, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CollPlant Biotechnologies (NASDAQ: CLGN) today announced it has entered into a worldwide exclusive development and commercialization agreement for dermal and soft tissue filler products with Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company.

CollPlanthasgrantedAllergan Aesthetics worldwide exclusivity to use itsplant-derived recombinant human collagen (rhCollagen)in combination with Allergan Aesthetics' proprietary technologies, for the production and commercialization of dermal and soft tissue fillers. In addition, Allergan Aesthetics has the right of first negotiation for CollPlant's technology in two future additional products.

CollPlant will receive an upfront payment of $14 million and is entitled to receive up to an additional $89 million in milestone payments. In addition, CollPlant is eligible to receive royalty payments and a fee for the manufacture and supply of rhCollagen to Allergan Aesthetics.

Yehiel Tal, Chief Executive Officer of CollPlant, stated, "We are very pleased to formalize this collaboration with Allergan Aesthetics, the worldwide leader in dermal and soft tissue fillers. We believe that combining technologies from Allergan Aesthetics and CollPlant will create a paradigm shift in the medical aesthetics field. CollPlant's rhCollagen is non-immunogenic and non-allergenic, and offers better tissue regeneration performance over animal-derived collagen which is currently used in medical aesthetics. This agreement further validates CollPlant's technology as the gold standard collagen for regenerative and aesthetic medicine. We look forward to a highly productive partnership."

Roger J. Pomerantz, MD, FACP, Chairman of the Board of Directors at CollPlant, said, "Our company is extremely excited to expand our work in medical aesthetics towards commercialization in the dermal filler market, which is projected to reach $10 billion by 2026. This collaboration is a major step forward, firmly placing CollPlant at the next level in applying our regenerative medicine technology to tackle new areas in biomedicine."

About CollPlant

CollPlant is a regenerative and aesthetic medicine company focused on 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs, and medical aesthetics. CollPlant's products are based on its rhCollagen (recombinant human collagen) that is produced with CollPlant's proprietary plant based genetic engineering technology.

CollPlant's products address indications for the diverse fields of tissue repair, aesthetics and organ manufacturing, and are ushering in a new era in regenerative and aesthetic medicine.

CollPlant's flagship rhCollagen BioInk product line is ideal for 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs. In 2018, CollPlant entered into a licensing agreement with United Therapeutics, whereby United Therapeutics is using CollPlant's BioInks in the manufacture of 3D bioprinted lungs for transplant in humans.

For more information, visithttp://www.collplant.com.

Contacts at CollPlant:

Eran RotemDeputy CEO & Chief Financial OfficerTel: + 972-73-2325600/631Email:[emailprotected]

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to CollPlant's objectives, plans and strategies, as well as statements, other than historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that CollPlant intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future. These statements are often characterized by terminology such as "believes," "hopes," "may," "anticipates," "should," "intends," "plans," "will," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "positioned," "strategy" and similar expressions and are based on assumptions and assessments made in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors believed to be appropriate. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Many factors could cause CollPlant's actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: CollPlant's history of significant losses and its need to raise additional capital and its inability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all; CollPlant's expectations regarding the timing and cost of commencing clinical trials with respect to products which are based on CollPlant's rhCollagen; CollPlant's ability to obtain favorable pre-clinical and clinical trial results; regulatory action with respect to the products, including but not limited to acceptance of an application for marketing authorization, review and approval of such application, and, if approved, the scope of the approved indication and labeling; commercial success and market acceptance of the products; CollPlant's ability to establish sales and marketing capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties and its reliance on third-party distributors and resellers; CollPlant's ability to establish and maintain strategic partnerships and other corporate collaborations; CollPlant's reliance on third parties to conduct some aspects of its product manufacturing; the scope of protection CollPlant is able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights and the companies' ability to operate their business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others; the overall global economic environment; the impact of competition and new technologies; general market, political, and economic conditions in the countries in which the companies operate; projected capital expenditures and liquidity; changes in the companies' strategy; and litigation and regulatory proceedings. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting CollPlant is contained under the heading "Risk Factors" included in CollPlant's most recent annual report on Form 20-F, respectively, filed with the SEC, and in other filings that CollPlant has made and may make with the SEC in the future. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and reflect CollPlant's current views with respect to future events, and neither company undertakes, and each company specifically disclaims, any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE CollPlant

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CollPlant Announces Development and Global Commercialization Agreement with Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, for rhCollagen in Dermal and Soft...

Researchers from the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MITs research enterprise in Singapore, and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have developed a tool using CRISPRi technology that can help understand and prevent biofilm development, drug resistance, and other physiological behaviors of bacteria such as Enterococcus faecalis.

E. faecalis, which is found in the human gut, is one of the most prevalent causes of hospital-associated infections and can lead to a variety of multidrug-resistant, life-threatening infections including bacteremia (bloodstream infection), endocarditis (infection of the heart), catheter-associated urinary tract infection, and wound infections.

However, current methods for understanding and preventing E. faecalis biofilm formation and development are labor-intensive and time-consuming. The SMART AMR research team designed an easily modifiable genetic technique that allows rapid and efficient silencing of bacteria genes to prevent infections.

In a paper published in the journal mBio, the researchers explain the scalable dual-vector nisin-inducible CRISPRi system, which can identify genes that allow bacteria like E. faecalis to form biofilms, cause infections, acquire antibiotic resistance, and evade the host immune system. The team combined CRISPRi technology with rapid DNA assembly under controllable promoters, which enables rapid silencing of single or multiple genes, to investigate nearly any aspect of enterococcal biology.

Infections caused by E. faecalis are usually antibiotic-tolerant and more difficult to treat, rendering them a significant public health threat, says Irina Afonina, postdoc at SMART AMR and lead author of the paper. Identifying the genes that are involved in these bacterial processes can help us discover new drug targets or propose antimicrobial strategies to effectively treat such infections and overcome antimicrobial resistance.

The team believes their new tool will be valuable in rapid and efficient investigation of a wide range of aspects of enterococcal biology and pathogenesis, host-bacterium interactions, and interspecies communication. The method can be scaled up to simultaneously silence multiple bacterial genes or perform full-genome studies.

Bacterial biofilms are clusters of bacteria that are enclosed in a protective, self-produced matrix, says SMART AMR principal investigator and NTU Associate Professor Kimberly Kline, also the corresponding author of the paper. The system we designed enables us to easily interrogate various stages during the biofilm developmental cycle of E. faecalis. By selectively silencing certain genes in preformed, mature biofilms, we can erode the biofilm and force it to disperse.

The scalable CRISPRi system uses high-throughput screens that can allow for rapid identification of gene combinations to be simultaneously targeted for novel and efficient antimicrobial combinatorial therapies.

The idea behind SMARTs inducible CRISPRi system was conceived by Kline and SMART AMR principal investigator Professor Timothy Lu, an associate professor in the MIT departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Biological Engineering, while Afonina developed and delivered the genetic tool.

The research is carried out by SMART and supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise (CREATE) program.

SMART was established by MIT in partnership with the NRF Singapore in 2007. SMART is the first entity in CREATE developed by NRF. SMART serves as an intellectual and innovation hub for research interactions between MIT and Singapore, undertaking cutting-edge research projects in areas of interest to both Singapore and MIT. SMART currently comprises an Innovation Center and five IRGs: AMR, Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine, Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision, Future Urban Mobility, and Low Energy Electronic Systems.

The AMR IRG is a translational research and entrepreneurship program that tackles the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. By leveraging talent and convergent technologies across Singapore and MIT, they tackle AMR head-on by developing multiple innovative and disruptive approaches to identify, respond to, and treat drug-resistant microbial infections. Through strong scientific and clinical collaborations, they provide transformative, holistic solutions for Singapore and the world.

Originally posted here:
A new tool to investigate bacteria behind hospital infections - MIT News

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Taysha Gene Therapies, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSHA), a patient-centric, clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing and commercializing AAV-based gene therapies for the treatment of monogenic diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) in both rare and large patient populations, today announced multi-year collaborations with Cleveland Clinic and UT Southwestern Gene Therapy Program (UTSW) to advance next-generation mini-gene payloads for AAV gene therapies for the treatment of genetic epilepsies and additional CNS disorders. Taysha will have an exclusive option on new payloads, constructs and intellectual property associated with, and arising from, the research conducted under this agreement.

A team of researchers from Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute will create mini-gene payloads designed to address some of the long-standing limitations in AAV gene therapy. UTSW will create and evaluate vector constructs in in vivo and in vitro efficacy models of genetic epilepsies and additional CNS disorders.

By pushing the boundaries of AAV vector engineering, we may be able to overcome some of the challenges inherent with gene therapy and potentially expand the range of treatable genetic CNS diseases with gene therapies. We appreciate the support from Taysha and UTSW in this work, said Dennis Lal, Ph.D., Assistant Staff at Cleveland Clinic Genomic Medicine Institute and Neurological Institute. We believe that our proprietary approach to overcoming current limitations of packaging capacity and our access to data on thousands of protein structures associated with a whole host of monogenic CNS disorders has the potential to enable a deep pipeline of functioning mini-genes.

Cleveland Clinic and UTSW are two of the worlds preeminent leaders in gene therapy innovation, and this collaboration is designed to leverage our capabilities and synergies with these institutions to pioneer novel approaches to address vector capacity, which is a common limitation when treating genetic disorders associated with large proteins, said Suyash Prasad, MBBS, M.SC., MRCP, MRCPCH, FFPM, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development of Taysha. We look forward to a productive collaboration with the goal of developing treatments with promising benefits to patients with debilitating genetic epilepsies.

About Taysha Gene Therapies

Taysha Gene Therapies (Nasdaq: TSHA) is on a mission to eradicate monogenic CNS disease. With a singular focus on developing curative medicines, we aim to rapidly translate our treatments from bench to bedside. We have combined our teams proven experience in gene therapy drug development and commercialization with the world-class UT Southwestern Gene Therapy Program to build an extensive, AAV gene therapy pipeline focused on both rare and large-market indications. Together, we leverage our fully integrated platforman engine for potential new cureswith a goal of dramatically improving patients lives. More information is available at http://www.tayshagtx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as anticipates, believes, expects, intends, projects, and future or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning or implying the potential of our collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic and UTSW, the potential of our product candidates to positively impact quality of life and alter the course of disease in the patients we seek to treat, our research, development and regulatory plans for our product candidates, the potential benefits of rare pediatric disease designation and orphan drug designation to our product candidates, the potential for these product candidates to receive regulatory approval from the FDA or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies, and whether, if approved, these product candidates will be successfully distributed and marketed. Forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, these forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Risks regarding our business are described in detail in our Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, which is available on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. Additional information will be made available in other filings that we make from time to time with the SEC. Such risks may be amplified by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to update these statements except as may be required by law.

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Taysha Gene Therapies Announces Collaborations to Advance Next-Generation Mini-Gene Payloads for AAV Gene Therapies for the Treatment of Genetic...

Dublin, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market: Focus on Products, Applications, End Users, Country Data (16 Countries), and Competitive Landscape - Analysis and Forecast, 2020-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global CRISPR gene editing market was valued at $846.2 million in 2019 and is expected to reach $10,825.1 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of 26.86% during the forecast.

The development of genome engineering with potential applications proved to reflect a remarkable impact on the future of the healthcare and life science industry. The high efficiency of the CRISPR-Cas9 system has been demonstrated in various studies for genome editing, which resulted in significant investments within the field of genome engineering. However, there are several limitations, which need consideration before clinical applications. Further, many researchers are working on the limitations of CRISPR gene editing technology for better results. The potential of CRISPR gene editing to alter the human genome and modify the disease conditions is incredible but exists with ethical and social concerns.

The growth is attributed to the increasing demand in the food industry for better products with improved quality and nutrient enrichment and the pharmaceutical industry for targeted treatment for various diseases. Further, the continued significant investments by healthcare companies to meet the industry demand and growing prominence for the gene therapy procedures with less turnaround time are the prominent factors propelling the growth of the global CRISPR gene editing market.

Research organizations, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and institutes are looking for more efficient genome editing technologies to increase the specificity and cost-effectiveness, also to reduce turnaround time and human errors. Further, the evolution of genome editing technologies has enabled wide range of applications in various fields, such as industrial biotech and agricultural research. These advanced methods are simple, super-efficient, cost-effective, provide multiplexing, and high throughput capabilities. The increase in the geriatric population and increasing number of cancer cases, and genetic disorders across the globe are expected to translate into significantly higher demand for CRISPR gene editing market.

Furthermore, the companies are investing huge amounts in the research and development of CRISPR gene editing products, and gene therapies. The clinical trial landscape of various genetic and chronic diseases has been on the rise in recent years, and this will fuel the CRISPR gene editing market in the future.

Within the research report, the market is segmented based on product type, application, end-user, and region. Each of these segments covers the snapshot of the market over the projected years, the inclination of the market revenue, underlying patterns, and trends by using analytics on the primary and secondary data obtained.

Key Companies Profiled

Abcam, Inc., Applied StemCell, Inc., Agilent Technologies, Inc., Cellecta, Inc., CRISPR Therapeutics AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., GeneCopoeia, Inc., GeneScript Biotech Corporation, Horizon Discovery Group PLC, Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Merck KGaA, New England Biolabs, Inc., Origene Technologies, Inc., Rockland Immunochemicals, Inc., Synthego Corporation, System Biosciences LLC, ToolGen, Inc., Takara Bio

Key Questions Answered in this Report:

Key Topics Covered:

1 Technology Definition

2 Research Scope

3 Research Methodology

4 Market Overview4.1 Introduction4.2 CRISPR Gene Editing Market Approach4.3 Milestones in CRISPR Gene Editing4.4 CRISPR Gene Editing: Delivery Systems4.5 CRISPR Technology: A Potential Tool for Gene Editing4.6 CRISPR Gene Editing Current Scenario4.7 CRISPR Gene Editing Market: Future Potential Application Areas

5 Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market, $Million, 2020-20305.1 Pipeline Analysis5.2 CRISPR Gene Editing Market and Growth Potential, 2020-20305.3 Impact of COVID-19 on CRISPR Gene Editing Market5.3.1 Impact of COVID-19 on Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market Growth Rate5.3.1. Impact on CRISPR Gene Editing Companies5.3.2 Clinical Trial Disruptions and Resumptions5.3.3 Application of CRISPR Gene Editing in COVID-19

6 Market Dynamics6.1 Impact Analysis6.2 Market Drivers6.2.1 Prevalence of Genetic Disorders and Use of Genome Editing6.2.2 Government and Private Funding6.2.3 Technology Advancement in CRISPR Gene Editing6.3 Market Restraints6.3.1 CRISPR Gene Editing: Off Target Effects and Delivery6.3.2 Ethical Concerns and Implications With Respect to Human Genome Editing6.4 Market Opportunities6.4.1 Expanding Gene and Cell Therapy Area6.4.2 CRISPR Gene Editing Scope in Agriculture

7 Industry Insights7.1 Introduction7.2 Funding Scenario7.3 Regulatory Scenario of CRISPR Gene Editing Market7.4 Pricing of CRISPR Gene Editing7.5 Reimbursement of CRISPR Gene Editing7.5.1 CRISPR Gene Editing: Insurance Coverage in the U.S.

8 CRISPR Gene Editing Patent Landscape8.1 Overview8.2 CRISPR Gene Editing Market Patent Landscape: By Application8.3 CRISPR Gene Editing Market Patent Landscape: By Region8.4 CRISPR Gene Editing Market Patent Landscape: By Year

9 Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market (by Product Type), $Million9.1 Overview9.2 CRISPR Products9.2.1 Kits and Enzymes9.2.1.1 Vector-Based Cas99.2.1.2 DNA-Free Cas99.2.2 Libraries9.2.3 Design Tools9.2.4 Antibodies9.2.5 Other Products9.3 CRISPR Services9.3.1 gRNA Design and Vector Construction9.3.2 Cell Line and Engineering9.3.3 Screening Services9.3.4 Other Services

10 CRISPR Gene Editing Market (by Application), $Million10.1 Overview10.2 Agriculture10.3 Biomedical10.3.1 Gene Therapy10.3.2 Drug Discovery10.3.3 Diagnostics10.4 Industrial10.5 Other Applications

11 Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market (by End User)11.1 Academic Institutions and Research Centers11.2 Biotechnology Companies11.3 Contract Research Organizations (CROs)11.4 Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Companies

12 Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market (by Region)12.1 Introduction12.2 North America12.3 Europe12.4 Asia-Pacific12.5 Latin America

13 Competitive Landscape13.1 Key Developments and Strategies13.1.1 Overview13.1.1.1 Regulatory and Legal Developments13.1.1.2 Synergistic Activities13.1.1.3 M&A Activities13.1.1.4 Funding Activities13.2 Market Share Analysis13.3 Growth Share Analysis

14 Company Profiles14.1 Overview14.2 Abcam, Inc.14.2.1 Company Overview14.2.2 Role of Abcam, Inc. in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.2.3 Financials14.2.4 SWOT Analysis14.3 Applied StemCell, Inc.14.3.1 Company Overview14.3.2 Role of Applied StemCell, Inc. in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.3.3 SWOT Analysis14.4 Agilent Technologies, Inc.14.4.1 Company Overview14.4.2 Role of Agilent Technologies, Inc. in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.4.3 Financials14.4.4 R&D Expenditure, 2017-201914.4.5 SWOT Analysis14.5 Cellecta, Inc.14.5.1 Company Overview14.5.2 Role of Cellecta, Inc. in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.5.3 SWOT Analysis14.6 CRISPR Therapeutics AG14.6.1 Company Overview14.6.2 Role of CRISPR Therapeutics AG in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.6.3 Financials14.6.4 R&D Expenditure, 2017-201914.6.5 SWOT Analysis14.7 Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. INC14.7.1 Company Overview14.7.2 Role of Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.7.3 Financials14.7.4 R&D Expenditure, 2017-201914.7.5 SWOT Analysis14.8 GeneCopoeia, Inc.14.8.1 Company Overview14.8.2 Role of GeneCopoeia, Inc. in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.8.3 SWOT Analysis14.9 GeneScript Biotech Corporation14.9.1 Company Overview14.9.2 Role of GenScript Biotech in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.9.3 Financials14.9.4 SWOT Analysis14.1 Horizon Discovery Group PLC14.10.1 Company Overview14.10.2 Role of Horizon Discovery Group PLC in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.10.3 Financials14.10.4 SWOT Analysis14.11 Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc.14.11.1 Company Overview14.11.2 Role of Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.11.3 SWOT Analysis14.12 Merck KGaA14.12.1 Company Overview14.12.2 Role of Merck KGaA in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.12.3 Financials14.12.4 SWOT Analysis14.13 New England Biolabs, Inc.14.13.1 Company Overview14.13.2 Role of Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.13.3 SWOT Analysis14.14 Origene Technologies, Inc.14.14.1 Company Overview14.14.2 Role of Origene Technologies, Inc. in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.14.3 SWOT Analysis14.15 Rockland Immunochemicals, Inc.14.15.1 Company Overview14.15.2 Role of Rockland Immunochemicals, Inc. in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.15.3 SWOT Analysis14.16 Synthego Corporation14.16.1 Company Overview14.16.2 Role of Synthego Corporation in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.16.3 SWOT Analysis14.17 System Biosciences LLC14.17.1 Company Overview14.17.2 Role of System Biosciences LLC in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.17.3 SWOT Analysis14.18 ToolGen, Inc.14.18.1 Company Overview14.18.2 Role of ToolGen, Inc. in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.18.3 SWOT Analysis14.19 Takara Bio14.19.1 Company Overview14.19.2 Role of Takara Bio in the Global CRISPR Gene Editing Market14.19.3 Financials14.19.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/c7om7t

Originally posted here:
Outlook on the CRISPR Gene Editing Global Market to 2030 - Analysis and Forecasts - GlobeNewswire

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Feb. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, today announced the start of the rolling review process for authorization of NVX-CoV2373, its COVID-19 vaccine, by multiple regulatory agencies. The reviews will continue while the company completes its pivotal Phase 3 trials in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and United States (U.S.) and through initial authorization for emergency use granted under country-specific regulations.

The rolling review of our submission by regulatory authorities of non-clinical data and early clinical studies will help expedite the review process and bring us that much closer to delivering a safe and effective vaccine worldwide, said Gregory M. Glenn, MD, President of Research and Development, Novavax. We appreciate the agencies confidence in Novavax based on our early data and the collective sense of urgency to ensure speedier access to much-needed COVID-19 vaccination.

To date, Novavax has begun the rolling review process with several regulatory agencies worldwide, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and Health Canada. As part of the rolling review, the company will continue to submit additional information, including clinical and manufacturing data.

Novavax recombinant protein-based vaccine candidate is currently in Phase 3 clinical development in both the U.K. and U.S. for the prevention of COVID-19. It was the first vaccine to demonstrate clinical efficacy against the original strain of COVID-19 and both of the rapidly emerging variants in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

About NVX-CoV2373

NVX-CoV2373 is a protein-based vaccine candidate engineered from the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. NVX-CoV2373 was created using Novavax recombinant nanoparticle technology to generate antigen derived from the coronavirus spike (S) protein and is adjuvanted with Novavax patented saponin-based Matrix-M to enhance the immune response and stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies. NVX-CoV2373 contains purified protein antigen and can neither replicate, nor can it cause COVID-19. In preclinical studies, NVX-CoV2373 induced antibodies that block binding of spike protein to cellular receptors and provided protection from infection and disease. It was generally well-tolerated and elicited robust antibody response numerically superior to that seen in human convalescent sera in Phase 1/2 clinical testing. NVX-CoV2373 is currently being evaluated in two pivotal Phase 3 trials: a trial in the U.K that demonstrated 89.3 percent overall efficacy and 95.6 percent against the original strain in a post-hoc analysis, and the PREVENT-19 trial in the U.S. and Mexico that began in December. It is also being tested in two ongoing Phase 2 studies that began in August: A Phase 2b trial in South Africa that demonstrated up to 60 percent efficacy against newly emerging escape variants, and a Phase 1/2 continuation in the U.S. and Australia.

About Matrix-MNovavax patented saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant has demonstrated a potent and well-tolerated effect by stimulating the entry of antigen presenting cells into the injection site and enhancing antigen presentation in local lymph nodes, boosting immune response.

About NovavaxNovavax, Inc.(Nasdaq: NVAX) is a biotechnology company that promotes improved health globally through the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative vaccines to prevent serious infectious diseases. The companys proprietary recombinant technology platform combines the power and speed of genetic engineering to efficiently produce highly immunogenic nanoparticles designed to address urgent global health needs. Novavaxis conducting late-stage clinical trials for NVX-CoV2373, its vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. NanoFlu, its quadrivalent influenza nanoparticle vaccine, met all primary objectives in its pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial in older adults and will be advanced for regulatory submission. Both vaccine candidates incorporate Novavax proprietary saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant to enhance the immune response and stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies.

For more information, visit http://www.novavax.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Novavax Forward Looking Statements

Statements herein relating to the future ofNovavaxand the ongoing development of its vaccine and adjuvant products are forward-looking statements.Novavaxcautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include those identified under the heading Risk Factors in the Novavax Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year endedDecember 31, 2019, and Quarterly Report on Form10-Qfor the period endedSeptember 30, 2020, as filed with theSecurities and Exchange Commission(SEC). We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this press release. You are encouraged to read our filings with theSEC, available atsec.gov, for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this document, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of the statements. Our business is subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, including those referenced above. Investors, potential investors, and others should give careful consideration to these risks and uncertainties.

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Novavax Announces Start of Rolling Review by Multiple Regulatory Authorities for COVID-19 Vaccine Authorization - GlobeNewswire

A wide ranging Lab-on-a-chip market report offers the strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global market research services market. A good market research report makes it possible to develop strategies such as market segmentation that means identifying specific groups within a market and product differentiation which creates an identity for a product or service that separates it from those of the competitors. With Lab-on-a-chip market research report, it gets effortless to identify growth segments for investment as well as benchmark performance against key competitors.

Lab-on-a-chip market is expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2027. Data Bridge Market Research analyses the market to account to USD 9.40 billion by 2027 and growing at a CAGR of 7.90% in the above-mentioned forecast period are majorly driven by the increasing application of lab on chip devices in the medical field.

Get Full PDF Sample Copy of Report: (Including Full TOC, List of Tables & Figures, Chart) @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-lab-on-a-chip-market&kb

The major players covered in the lab-on-a-chip market report are BD, Agilent Technologies, Danaher, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc, Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Perkin Elmer Corporation, IDEX, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, Cepheid, General Electric Company, Merck KGaA, and Healthcare among other domestic and global players.

Healthcare Infrastructure growth Installed base and New Technology Penetration

Lab-on-a-chip market also provides you with detailed market analysis for every country growth in healthcare expenditure for capital equipments, installed base of different kind of products for lab-on-a-chip market, impact of technology using life line curves and changes in healthcare regulatory scenarios and their impact on the lab-on-a-chip market. The data is available for historic period 2010 to 2018.

GlobalLab-On-A-Chip Market Scope and Market Size

Lab-on-a-chip market is segmented on the basis of product, application, technology and end-use. The growth amongst these segments will help you analyse meagre growth segments in the industries, and provide the users with valuable market overview and market insights to help them in making strategic decisions for identification of core market applications.

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Lab-On-A-CHIP Market Country Level Analysis

Lab-on-a-chip market is analysed and market size insights and trends are provided by country, product, application, technology and end-use, as referenced above.

The countries covered in the lab-on-a-chip market report are U.S., Canada and Mexico in North America, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Rest of Europe in Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA), Brazil, Argentina and Rest of South America as part of South America.

America is dominating the lab-on-a-chip market owing to increasing advances in molecular biology and genetic engineering techniques as well increasing prevalence of the diseases.

Table Of Content:

Part 01: Executive SummaryPart 02: Scope Of The ReportPart 03: Global Lab-On-A-Chip Market Landscape

Part 04: Global Lab-On-A-Chip Market Sizing

Part 05: Global Lab-On-A-Chip Market Segmentation By Product

Part 06: Five Forces Analysis

Part 07: Customer LandscapePart 08: Geographic Landscape

Part 09: Decision FrameworkPart 10: Drivers And Challenges

Part 11: Market Trends

Part 12: Vendor Landscape

Part 13: Vendor Analysis

And More..Get Detailed TOC At https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-lab-on-a-chip-market&kb

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Global Lab-On-A-Chip Market Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast 2027||Players-Perkin Elmer Corporation, IDEX, Thermo Fisher...

Freeline Presents Data on its Gaucher Disease and Fabry Disease AAV-Based Gene Therapies at the 17th Annual WORLDSymposium

Data demonstrate potential of FLT201 to deliver sustained levels of -glucocerebrosidase (GCase) variant 85, a proprietary engineered GCase that penetrates target tissues in Gaucher disease

First-in-human dose finding studies of FLT201 on-track for initiation in late 2021

London, February 8, 2021 Freeline Therapeutics Holdings plc (Nasdaq: FRLN) (the Company or Freeline), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing transformative adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-mediated gene therapies for patients suffering from inherited systemic debilitating diseases, today announced that it will deliver one oral and three e-poster presentations at the 17TH Annual WORLDSymposium taking place virtually from February 8 12, 2021, highlighting data from its gene therapy programs in Gaucher and Fabry diseases.

FLT201 data suggest that our gene therapy candidate for Gaucher disease is capable of delivering -glucocerebrosidase variant 85 (GCasevar85) to tissues not sufficiently addressed by standard-of-care enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), said Theresa Heggie, Chief Executive Officer of Freeline. In addition, we believe steady delivery of enzyme into target tissues to enable sustained clearance of pathologic substrate has the potential to offer significant improvements in clinical outcomes over existing standard of care.

We are excited by the transformational science that underlies the Freeline gene therapy platform, continued Ms. Heggie. We look forward to progressing both the Gaucher and Fabry programs through the clinic with the planned initiation of our first-in-human study in Gaucher disease and dose escalation in Part 1 of the ongoing MARVEL-1 Phase 1/2 study in Fabry disease later this year.

FLT201 represents our innovative solution for the treatment of Type 1 Gaucher disease. This candidate leverages the Companys proprietary high-potency adeno-associated virus capsid, known as AAVS3. In addition, our protein engineering group developed GCasevar85, a proprietary GCase variant which, compared to wild-type GCase, has a greater than 20-fold increase in half-life in lysosomal pH and a 6-10 fold increase in half-life in serum, resulting in a 20-fold increase in potency of the vector. FLT201 is a combination of the clinically validated, potent AAVS3 capsid combined with a liver-specific promoter that drives the expression of GCasevar85 said Romuald Corbau, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Freeline. These data demonstrate preclinical proof-of-concept for the potential of the program to provide functional cures in patients with the most common form of Gaucher disease, Type 1. Included in these data are demonstration of GCase expression, cellular uptake, tissue penetration, enzymatic activity, and clearance of disease causing substrate, glucosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb1). Considered in totality, these data suggest FLT201 may be able to deliver sustained GCase expression in difficult-to-reach tissues, such as bone marrow and lung, as evidenced by the substrate clearance.

Presentation highlights from the platform presentation and e-poster titled, FLT201: An AAV-Mediated Gene Therapy for Type 1 Gaucher Disease Designed to Target Difficult to Reach Tissues, presented by Dr. Corbau, include:

Presentation highlights from an e-poster titled Generation of -Glucocerebrosidase Variants with Increased Half-Life in Human Plasma for Liver Directed AAV Gene Therapy Aimed at the Treatment of Gaucher Disease Type 1, presented by Fabrizio Comper, Scientific Director, Freeline, include preclinical data on the generation and characterization of GCasevar85, which is part of the Companys development candidate for Gaucher disease, FLT201:

Presentation highlights from an e-poster titled Development of a GLA NAb Assay with a Fully-Human, Neutralizing IgG4 Positive Control to Characterize Antibody Response in Fabry Disease Patients, presented by Sujata Ravi, Scientist, Freeline, include data on the development of a NAb assay for the characterization and monitoring of NAbs in patients with Fabry disease who are receiving ERT or gene therapy:

The poster presentations will be available on theeventssection of the Freeline website beginning at 4:00pm EST on Monday, February 8, 2021. Registered WORLDSymposium attendees can access a recording of the oral presentation on Thursday, February 11, 2021.

About Gaucher Disease

Gaucher Disease is a genetic disorder in which a fatty substance called glucosylceramide accumulates in macrophages in certain organs due to the lack of functional GCase. The disorder is hereditary and presents in various subtypes. Freeline is currently focused on Gaucher disease Type 1, the most common type, which impacts the health of the spleen, liver, blood system and bones. The current standard of care is intravenous infusion of ERT every two weeks, which is a significant treatment burden on the patient. The aim of Freelines investigational gene therapy program is to deliver a one-time treatment of a long-lasting gene therapy that will provide a sustained, therapeutically relevant level of endogenous GCase, thus eliminating the need for ERT.

About FLT201 for Gaucher Disease

FLT201 is an investigational liver-directed AAV gene therapy in preclinical development for the treatment of Type 1 Gaucher disease. FLT201 contains a liver-specific promoter and a GBA1 sequence that expresses our novel, proprietary GCasevar85 variant, which has a 20-fold longer half-life at lysosomal pH conditions than wild-type GCase protein. Freelines high-transducing AAVS3 capsid advances our goal to address unmet needs for those affected by Gaucher disease by enabling sustained, endogenous production of GCase following one-time intravenous infusion. To our knowledge, Freeline is the only company to date that has announced a program for the development of an AAV gene therapy for the treatment of Type 1 Gaucher disease and plans to file an IND for this program in 2021.

About Fabry Disease

Fabry disease is an inherited, X-linked disease characterized by the progressive accumulation of glycosphingolipids in lysosomes throughout the body.It is caused by mutations in the gene encoding of the -galactosidase A (GLA) enzyme responsible for the breakdown of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), a type of glycosphingolipid.

The condition ranges from mild to severe and may appear anytime from childhood to adulthood. The progressive accumulation of Gb3 leads to organ damage, major disability, and often early mortality. Symptoms and signs include neuropathic pain, impaired sweating, gastrointestinal symptoms, renal failure, heart disease and increased risk of stroke.Current treatment consists of ERT and chaperone therapy to temporarily clear Gb3 accumulation and alleviate symptoms.

About FLT190 for Fabry Disease

FLT190 is an investigational liver-directed AAV gene therapy for the treatment of Fabry disease. We believe the program is the first clinical-stage AAV gene therapy international study in Fabry disease. FLT190 is an in vivo gene therapy administered as a one-time intravenous infusion.

The study, named MARVEL-1, is a multi-center, international, dose-finding Phase 1/2 study in adult males with classic Fabry disease. The study is focused on assessing the safety of FLT190 and its ability to transduce liver cells to produce continuous high levels of GLA. In addition to safety, endpoints in the study include clearance of Gb3 and LysoGb3 from the plasma and urine, baseline renal and skin biopsies (repeated in long term follow up), renal and cardiac function, GLA immune response, viral shedding and quality of life.

About Freeline Therapeutics

Freeline is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing transformative adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-mediated gene therapies. The Company is dedicated to the mission of transforming patient lives with the ambition of developing innovative products to mediate functional cure through a one-time treatment paradigm for inherited systemic debilitating diseases. Freeline leverages a proprietary, rationally-designed capsid and AAV vector technology cassette that delivers a functional copy of a therapeutic gene into the human liver, delivering a durable level of missing proteins into the patients bloodstream. Freelines integrated expression platform includes capabilities in research, manufacturing, clinical development, and commercialization. The Company has clinical programs in Hemophilia B and Fabry disease, as well as preclinical programs in Gaucher disease and Hemophilia A.

Freeline is headquartered in the UK and has operations in Germany and the US.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that constitute forward looking statements as that term is defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that express the Companys opinions, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or projections regarding future events or future results, in contrast with statements that reflect historical facts. Examples include discussion of the Companys manufacturing, research, pipeline, and clinical trial plans. In some cases, you can identify such forward-looking statements by terminology such as anticipate, intend, believe, estimate, plan, seek, project or expect, may, will, would, could or should, the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Forward looking statements are based on managements current beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to the Company, and you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties, including the Companys recurring losses from operations; the development of the Companys product candidates, including statements regarding the timing of initiation, completion and the outcome of clinical studies or trials and related preparatory work and regulatory review; the Companys ability to design and implement successful clinical trials for its product candidates; the potential for a pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious diseases in the US, UK or EU, including the COVID-19 pandemic, to disrupt the Companys clinical trial pipeline; the Companys failure to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its product candidates; the fact that results obtained in earlier stage clinical testing may not be indicative of results in future clinical trials; the Companys ability to enroll patients in clinical trials for its product candidates; the possibility that one or more of the Companys product candidates may cause serious adverse, undesirable or unacceptable side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval or limit their commercial potential; the Companys ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of its product candidates; the Companys limited manufacturing experience which could result in delays in the development, regulatory approval or commercialization of its product candidates; and the Companys ability to identify or discover additional product candidates, or failure to capitalize on programs or product candidates. Such risks and uncertainties may cause the statements to be inaccurate and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Many of these risks are outside of the Companys control and could cause its actual results to differ materially from those it thought would occur. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. The Company does not undertake, and specifically declines, any obligation to update any such statements or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any such statements to reflect future events or developments, except as required by law. For further information, please reference the Companys reports and documents filed with theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You may get these documents by visiting EDGAR on theSECwebsite atwww.sec.gov.

Contacts

David S. Arrington

Vice President Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

Freeline Therapeutics

david.arrington@freeline.life

+1 (646) 668 6947

More here:
Freeline Presents Data on its Gaucher Disease and Fabry Disease AAV-Based Gene Therapies at the 17th Annual WORLDSymposium - PharmiWeb.com

Last year was hard on everyone. By mid-March, the reality of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began to set in around the globe, and much of the world shut down. Of course, veterinary hospitals did not have the luxury of shuttering their doors to protect themselves. In addition to your regular clientele, it seemed as though much of the world reacted to the stress of the pandemic by getting a puppy or a kitten. Once shelters were emptied and the reality of pet ownership set in, seemingly all of these new pets needed to be seen at your hospital. And you needed to be there for patients and clients.

Katie Buchanan, VMD, an associate veterinarian at Bayside Animal Medical Center in Severna Park, Maryland, and mother of a 1- and a 4-year-old, is doing everything she can to meet her clients needs, and it is still not enough. We are one of few [practices] in the area taking new clients, but we are overwhelmed, she says. I have nearly 30 callbacks in a day but no time to do them.

Whats more, because the practice is curbside, Buchanan spends much of her day on the phone. I dearly miss my clients and the bond we have. I hate that this is life right now, she says. But we cannot stay 6 feet apart from our staff, and we cannot keep this pace and go back to letting people in right now, or we will get a positive staff member and have to close.

Like Buchanan, you are likely busier than ever at your hospital, straining to meet the needs of a growing client roster while reworking the logistical flow of the entire practice to transform from a regular veterinary hospital to a full-service curbside machine. You are implementing new client communication technology and learning how to use it when all parties involved have a very short fuse. As you perform this magic, you may also be managing a revolving door of critical staff members testing positive for COVID-19 and needing to isolate for weeks, whether they are sick or not.

With no federally mandated safety policies, it is up to individual hospitals to create their own protocols and then try to get buy-in from staff to execute the plan. You may be at odds with your staff and clients on how to keep each other safe. You contact trace, you quarantine, and you worry about the safety of your clients, coworkers, and families. Are you really able to protect yourself and your family?

And then there are the clients, from the new owners who adopted a pet without considering the expense, training, and commitment involved to seasoned pet owners facing personal illnesses and economic uncertainty. A trip to the veterinarian is typically stressful for pets and their owners alike. Now they have the added stress of the virus, financial issues, masks, and a new paradigm for veterinary care in which they cannot accompany their pet inside, they cannot communicate in person with the veterinarian and staff, and they feel out of control. In short, clients are stressed, and many of them are taking it out on us.

Life is hard for veterinarians who are also mothers. The cost of veterinary school does not discriminate among genders or rely on ones parental status. As of 2018, both men and women paid between $148,807 and $407,983 for 4 years of veterinary school tuition, fees, and living expenses.1 According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, our profession was 61.8% women in 2018, but only 29.3% of practice owners were women.2 This matters because the average owner earns about $200,000 more than the average associate.3

Although there are no available data on how many veterinarians are parents, a 2015 survey of boarded large animal surgeons (published in 2019) reported that men (88%) were more likely than women (68%) to be married or in a domestic partnership and to have children (77% vs 47%, respectively). Yet women were more likely than men to require external childcare services and reported that having children had negatively impacted their professional lives.4 The same study showed that women earned less than men and were less likely to own a veterinary practice or hold a prestigious academic title. Men and women felt differently about the effect of gender in the workplace.

Female veterinarians pay for the same education and learn the same skills as their male counterparts. So why do women earn less, are less likely to hold a prestigious academic title, and are much less likely to own a practice? Bias and discrimination in the workplace are certainly at play here, but we also need to consider the effect of our home lives and domestic responsibilities when we think of career advancement. Here are some more statistics about gender differences in the US workforce:

Married mothers spend almost twice as much time on housework and childcare than married fathers.5

Mothers are far more likely to be working now than in past decades, yet they still spend more time on child care today than did moms in the 1960s.5

Success at work really means more work at home for women. The more economically dependent men are on their wives, the less housework they do. Even women with unemployed husbands spend considerably more time on household chores than their spouses.6

On top of an already untenable situation, we now find ourselves in a global pandemic, with many schools and daycares closed or operating virtually. So what now?

Meghan Knox, DVM, mother to a 16-month-old and a relief veterinarian in New Jersey, says what so many of us are feeling. I deeply crave a level of relaxation that I am simply unable to achieve, given the state of the world, she says. My family needs a vacation, someplace lovely like the Caribbean. My dentist recently determined that Ive been clenching my teeth from stress, so now I officially see physical manifestations of the stress of the past 8 months.

Knox has missed out on the normal practices of motherhood. Im still grieving the many losses of this yearmissed trips, missed first birthday celebration we had imagined for the baby, canceled weddings and showers, and family unable to travel to meet the baby. It is sadness and fatigue, and theres just zero patience left for anything else in any area of my life.

After reading this, are you surprised to hear that female veterinarians have a higher prevalence of risk factors for suicide, including depression and suicide ideation and attempts? According to 2018 data, female veterinarians are 2.4 times as likely as the general US population to commit suicide, whereas male veterinarians are 1.6 times as likely as the general US population.7

If you are a veterinarian and mother, you hold 2 roles, both of which require handling anything that comes your way with skill, alacrity, and infinite patience when everyone who depends on you is at maximum neediness day and night. You are on call 24/7. If they dont sleep, you dont sleep. You must anticipate and meet everyones needs in a world that is moving every single day. And, in the face of it all, you must maintain your composure and compassion and never, ever make a mistake.

Vet moms, let me be the first to tell you that you are managing the impossible and performing at a superhuman level. I am not afraid to say that sustaining the status quo is not tenable. Individually, each of you is keeping the world spinning on its axis each and every day. Collectively, you are a massive portion of a profession that is already under enormous stress. Together, we must reimagine both roles and create an organizational structure that supports the veterinarian mothers our profession depends on. The question is, how?

Liz Bales, VMD, has a special interest in the unique behavioral and wellness needs of cats. She is a writer, speaker, and featured expert in all things cat around the globe. Bales sits on the Deans Alumni Board at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and on the advisory boards for dvm360, AAFP Cat Friendly Practice, Vet Candy, and Fear Free.

References

1. How much does it cost to attend veterinary school? VIN Foundation. Accessed January 25, 2021. https://iwanttobeaveterinarian.org/how-much-does-it-cost-to-attend-veterinary-school/

2. Burns K. Census of veterinarians finds trends with shortages, practice ownership. American Veterinary Medical Association. June 26, 2019.Accessed January 25, 2021. https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2019-07-15/census-veterinarians-finds-trends-shortages-practice-ownership

3. Lee R. Is your veterinary practice ready to add an associate? Praxis. March 17, 2015. Accessed January 25, 2021. https://www.praxisvet.com/veterinary-practice-transition-blog/is-your-veterinary-practice-ready-to-add-an-associate#:~:text=Statistics%20show%20that%20an%20experienced,more%20than%20the%20average%20associate

4. Colopy SA, Buhr KA, Bruckner KB, Morello SL. The intersection of personal and professional lives for male and female diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2015. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2019;255(11):1283-1290. doi:10.2460/javma.255.11.1283 https://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?queryid=54757

5. Bianchi SM, Sayer LC, Milkie MA, Robinson JP. Housework: who did, does or will do it, and how much does it matter? Soc Forces. 2012;91(1):55-63. doi:10.1093/sf/sos120

6. Rao AH. Even breadwinning wives dont get equality at home. The Atlantic. May 12, 2019. Accessed January 25, 2021. https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/05/breadwinning-wives-gender-inequality/589237/

7. New study finds higher than expected number of suicide deaths among U.S. veterinarians. Press release. December 20, 2018. Accessed January 25, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p1220-veterinarians-suicide.html

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Veterinary medicine, motherhood, and a pandemic - DVM 360

David Brunner describes his work as a veterinarian as the most enjoyable profession in the world. I go to work and play with puppies and kittens. He credits his time as a student at Purdue University, capped by earning a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1979, for fueling his passion.

Now, the new veterinary hospital at Purdue will be named the David and Bonnie Brunner Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex in recognition of a $10 million leadership commitment from David and Bonnie Brunner.

Purdue trustees approved the naming on Friday (Feb. 5).

The 162,500-square-foot complex will include three facilities located just east of the existing Lynn Hall of Veterinary Medicine:

* The David and Bonnie Brunner Small Animal Hospital, which will add 65,000 square feet to the existing small animal hospital facilities in Lynn Hall, which amount to about 40,000 square feet.

* The David and Bonnie Brunner Equine Hospital providing 73,000 square feet of new space.

* The David and Bonnie Brunner Farm Animal Hospital amounting to 24,000 square feet and replacing facilities in the existing large animal hospital.

As the pandemic has underscored, a state-of-the-art veterinary medicine program now not only benefits our animal population, but is an integral element in protecting human health, Purdue President Mitch Daniels said. Thanks to David and Bonnie, Indiana and the nation will now have such an invaluable asset.

David Brunner is the owner of the Broad Ripple Animal Clinic (BRAC), a business he founded on the north side of Indianapolis in 1981 with one employee. BRAC now has nine full-time veterinarians and is one of the 15% of hospitals in the U.S. accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association. Brunner retired as a practicing clinical veterinarian in 2012 but continues to be involved with the clinic as chief visionary and staff cheerleader.

Brunner has been a member of the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association. He is a past president of the Indianapolis Humane Society, having previously served on the board for 10 years.In addition, Brunner has authored two books, The Dog Owners Manual and The Cat Owners Manual, currently published in 12 languages worldwide.

Bonnie (MacLeod) Brunner holds degrees in economics and comparative politics and an MBA in finance from UCLA. She retired from trading atMorganStanley and ownsLupo Design & Build, a luxury contemporary residential home building company in Hermosa Beach, California. She balances this business with her role as chief financial officer of the veterinary practice and managing the couples personal and commercial properties. Bonnie was actively involved in animal rescue organizations in Los Angeles before meeting David.

The Brunners split their time between Indianapolis; Southern California; and St. Barths, French West Indies.

My years at Purdue were life-changing, David Brunner said. It took me a while to appreciate the incredible education I received from Purdues vet school. To this day, I reflect with sincere appreciation on the many professors and clinical instructors who helped shape me into the veterinarian I became.

Bonnie and I have been presented with an extraordinary opportunity to contribute to the construction of the new veterinary medical complex. It is our hope that this contribution will aid and inspire veterinary students, now and for years to come. I am passionate about companion animal practice and have a special interest in inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit in vetstudents and teaching them theart of veterinary practice and thebusiness of veterinary medicine.

The couple is looking forward to having an active role in the Purdue Alumni Association and to finally attending some Boilermaker football games, as they joke, We did not have time to do things like that when we were in school because we were always studying.

The design of the new complex optimizes hands-on learning for students and creates dedicated space for community engagement opportunities. In addition, the complexs larger footprint and updated equipment will increase clinical research and allow faculty researchers to respond to more clinical trial opportunities, thus expanding the College of Veterinary Medicines reputation as a world-renowned research institute.

Due to the generosity of David and Bonnie Brunner, our vision of constructing a true state-of-the-art hospital is becoming a reality, said Willie M. Reed, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. The new hospital will provide a wonderful learning environment for our students, enable our faculty to advance their clinical research programs that involve clinical trials and greatly enhance our capability to deliver the highest quality care to our animal patients. I am especially grateful to have an alumnus of the college and his wife make such an impactful contribution to the colleges future success.

Slated to be completed by December and open by spring 2022, the new complex will provide for the varied needs of clients while also maximizing efficiency. For the first time, horses will have their own equine hospital rather than being treated at the same facility as farm animals like cows, pigs and sheep, which will be attended to at the new farm animal hospital. Efficiencies in the existing hospital facility will be incorporated into the new structures. For example, expensive imaging technology will be located centrally so it can be accessed from both the small animal and equine hospitals, which mirrors current practice in the existing facilities. Some small animal services will remain at the current small animal hospital.

In addition to treating animals, the hospital complex will serve as a catalyst for interdisciplinary research, including cancer drug discovery and the development of treatments for paralysis.

Total cost of the project is $108 million. Purdue has committed $35 million, which includes ongoing fundraising by the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the state of Indiana approved a $73 million appropriation.

Originally posted here:
Purdue Trustees Approve Naming of New Vet Hospital - Hoosier Ag Today

Max Filby|The Columbus Dispatch

The world is still in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic,but local researchers are working to stop the next outbreak right at the source.

COVID-19 is widely thought to have started in bats before jumping to another animal and then transmitting to humans in Wuhan, China, the original epicenter of the virus. That's why doctorsat Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine are keeping a close eye on animals right now.

Their goal, is to make sure COVID-19 doesn't infect an animal, mutate, and then jump back into the human population. They've also got their eyes on a number of other emerging infectious diseases to try to prevent them from jumpstarting the next pandemic.

>>Read More: Some Ohio hospital workers got COVID vaccine even though they didn't fit rollout guidelines

"This type of surveillance, it's a needle in a haystack," said Dr. Vanessa Hale, assistant professor of veterinary preventive medicine. "What we are looking for may not be very widelypresent … But, if and when we find it, it will tell us some really important things about who can get a virus."

Viruses are sometimes nicknamed for the animal they jump from, such as the H1N1 "swine flu" that emerged in 2009 and the H5N1 "bird flu" that first showed up in 1996, according to the federalCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ohio State researchers trying to prevent the next pandemic

Studying the way COVID-19 could jump from animals to humans is underway at the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine.

Doral Chenoweth, The Columbus Dispatch

Although animal surveillance is always conducted as a precaution against infectious diseases, it's taken on new visibility and importance in the age of COVID-19.

Coronaviruses are common in bats, but late last year it appeared that COVID-19 was able to jump from mink to humans. Denmark, which was home to a majority of the world's minksand is the biggest exporter of mink fur, ended up killing most of the animals out of fear that they could re-infect people.

An estimated 60% of known diseases, such asrabies, salmonella, West Nile virus and Lyme disease,can spread from animals, according to the CDC.Around 75% of new infectious diseases in people come from animals.

"The idea of emergingdiseases starting in an animal population and jumping to humans is definitely a big concern,"said Dr. Jenessa Winston, an assistant professor. "Alarge percentage of infectious diseases that jump into humans come from an animal source or have an animal reservoir."

Preventing the next outbreak before it begins is always the goal. Butthe coronavirus pandemic has made it clear that may not always be possible, which is why the world needs to be more prepared, said Dr. Joseph Gastaldo, medical director of infectious diseases at OhioHealth.

In the time since the pandemic began in mid-March, local, state and national leaders were forced to scramble to prepare for the worst.

Central Ohio leaders developed a blueprint for the Greater Columbus Convention Center to be transformed into a field hospital that luckily never came to fruition. Area hospitalsthat were once competitorshad to collaborate more closely to plan for asurge in cases.

While the quick planning proved successful, Gastaldo said it shouldn't have to come together at last minute. Instead, the U.S. should treat public health and its health care system more like its military.

>>Read More: COVID-19: Only 4% of Columbus vaccinations went to Black residents, mirroring state trend

"Just like 9/11, this changed everything," Gastaldo said. "Ifeel that COVID will leave us in a better position when it comes to the next pandemic. … This is equivalent to a world war."

If temporary measures like masking, distancing, curfews and stay-at-home orders are the epidemiological parallel towarfare, then what Hale and her colleagues do at Ohio State may be the frontline of defense.

Surveilling animals for emerging diseases has a long history and is used at many of the nation's zoos. Animals moved from one zoo to another sometimes have to be quarantined temporarily to make sure they don't introduce a virus to their new home.

While not perfect, keeping a close eye on critters for diseases is tried and true science, Hale said. When it comes to emerging diseases, Hale said,if people take care of animalsthey'll also be taking care of themselves.

She's hopeful coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic that there will be more of a push and more funding for research on emerging diseases in animals.

"It's hard to get people motivated to do a bunch of testing and surveillance of animals when they may come up with nothing," Hale said. "This is something that is going to receive more attention because it's critical we do this … to prevent future pandemics. It's thatintersectionof human health and environmental health."

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby

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Ohio State veterinary researchers hope to prevent the next pandemic - The Columbus Dispatch

1

Established in 1969 in Newry, Norbrook is one of the largest, family owned, veterinary pharmaceutical companies in the world.

Their portfolio of trusted animal health products is distributed in more than 100 countries through their regional sales team and a network of longstanding distribution partners.

They have a history of product innovation, investing significantly in research and development, and they have a strong pipeline of products, a key growth driver for the company.

A career at Norbrook offers you an exceptional opportunity to achieve your potential with a world class global provider of veterinary pharmaceuticals enhancing the health of farm and companion animals.

The IT Project Manager is a unique role within the company and applications are open now.

2

The appointed staff nurse will work predominantly in the childs own home within the Western Trust but will also be required to work in the Childrens IPU.

They will participate in the assessment, planning and delivery of care to the children and the delegation of care to non-registered members of the care team promoting a philosophy of holistic care and active engagement of children and families.

The role will include both day and night duty.

The successful candidate will regularly report to and work under the direction of the Childrens Hospice Nurse Specialist Team Lead when working with the Community and Care Team Manager, ensuring that all aspects of care are carried out to the agreed standards and in accordance with all current policies and procedures of Northern Ireland Childrens Hospice.

This is a combined role based between Western Health & Social Care Trust Area & Horizon House IPU.

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A world leader of veterinary medicine in Newry and caring for children in the Western Trust: GetGot reveals exciting and rewarding new jobs - The...