StemCell Therapy

Taking control of your health is not easy, particularly when you have a busy, stressful job, and live in a society that does not promote an individuals mental and physical wellbeing. Walking on Earth is your digital wellness coach. It will empower you to take control of your health by creating a bespoke wellness regime grounded in the latest scientific research, and connect you to the most trusted and sought after practitioners in yoga, meditation and complementary medicine.

Last year in the UK, over two-thirds of the population felt so stressed that they reported feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope. Stress caused more than one third of the population to experience suicidal thoughts and was responsible for over half of the sick days from work.

These results are staggering. Millions of us are experiencing damagingly high levels of stress in our workplaces and these incidents are only set to increase each year. Stress is one of the greatest public health crises of our time. It doesnt just have a negative impact on our mental health, it also causes a series of adverse reactions in our body that, over time, lead to debilitating and chronic illnesses. Yet we live in a society that applauds stress and views it as a necessary byproduct of success.

I witnessed first-hand how stress permeates our society. I studied at the best institutions in the world and received top grades. Suffice to say, I had my fair share of stress. I was always told that I could achieve my dreams in life if I worked hard. Whilst studying at Oxford University, I became passionate about understanding how our brain works, publishing research on the neurological underpinnings of how we perceive the world and how our senses interact in space and time. Keen to experience living in India, where my parents grew up, after university I decided to work for a film production company in Mumbai and stumbled across yoga.

It was as if I had unlocked a superpower. I realised for the first time what it felt like to not be stressed or anxious. The simple act of training my attention and focusing inward provided me with a transformative sense of clarity. It helped remove the clouds of indecision, uncertainty, and noise that had previously dominated my mind and provided me with a strong sense of conviction.

We are permanently flooded by so much external influence that it is no surprise we have lost the ability to be in control of our health. We are brought up by society to view taking time out for ourselves as a sign of weakness. With the constant pressure to adapt and innovate, it feels like time is constantly running faster and faster. Our society teaches us to thrive under pressure.

I completed my 300 hour teacher training in Jivamukti yoga to deepen my understanding of the ancient practice and learn about its transformative effects on our body. I delved deeper into the modern day science behind ancient wisdom, and became fascinated by Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine created 5,000 years ago. It amazed me to learn that the ancient rishis prescribed different treatments to people depending on their unique body composition, a concept modern medicine is only recently adopting and terming a personalised medicine approach. I realised that Ayurveda has survived and lived on for thousands of years because of its transformative power in viewing health as an interconnected network of our mind, body and environment, providing a solution to the complex lifestyle related disorders of our increasingly overstimulated lives. I started speaking to the leading modern day scientists in the field of integrative health and found really compelling evidence of the scientific explanations for these ancient, holistic practices.

At the same time, I was working for one of Londons hottest tech startups, creating an AI platform to transform the way we design and develop new medicines. The more I learnt about the industry, the more I realised how disempowered we, as individuals, are when it comes to our health. The drugs that are developed to treat our ill health are chosen by pharmaceutical companies who are driven by sales potential rather than true human need. Insurance companies, hospitals, pharmacies, and physicians are deciding our health and each brings into the equation their own biases that weigh into what medicines ultimately end up in the market. On top of this, the best selling medicines only work in under half the people theyre prescribed for, and thats before you take into account all the side effects from the treatment.

Coupled with poor lifestyle practices, we have created a society where 70% of deaths are due to chronic diseases for which we have no cure. Our current healthcare system just isnt equipped to tackle these diseases that require a complete understanding of the mind, body and the environment we live in. We are living longer but we are not living better.

As an aspiring entrepreneur and someone who had witnessed the power of ancient practices in addressing the challenges of modern life, I knew I had to do something to help people take their health and wellbeing back into their own hands. I started Walking on Earth to provide individuals with the tools and knowledge to take control of their health. To help them set and achieve realistic wellness goals through a platform that brings together the most qualified practitioners, and explains the science behind the method.

With so many different trends, fads and new health practices, people find themselves receiving conflicting information and having to spend hours researching to find the right methods, practitioners and health information they need to live better. Walking on Earth meets this urgent need. It filters the latest research, sources the worlds best integrative health practitioners, and leverages technology to design a bespoke wellness programme catered for each users specific needs and profile. Each individuals progress is monitored through the platform and their individual health data is analysed to create a truly personalised solution allowing them to better understand their health and meet their performance goals.

And I realised this had to start in their workplaces. Workplace stress is a problem that we can no longer afford to ignore. It has become so severe that the World Health Organisation officially recognised burnout as a phenomenon of chronic workplace stress. We spend roughly one third of our lives at work. We need to bring our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing back in balance and it is an employers duty and best interest to be responsible for this.

In an age where we use technology to advance all aspects of our life, we shouldnt be leaving the most crucial element behind. Through Walking on Earth, I am creating a new model for health, where we as individuals are conscious of the impact of every action we take, from the food we eat, to the things we put in our body our every movement and emotion. I hope to create a world where we are able to experience each moment in life, rather than float past it in a distracted, absent-minded way. Where we are in control of our wellbeing and, in turn, collectively create a society that is more empowered, connected and fulfilled.

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It's Time We Took Control of Our Health and Well-Being - Thrive Global

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) are working together for testing COVID-19 samples. Dr Ram Vishwakarma, Director, IIIM said that samples of 400 people have been collected.

"In the coronavirus crisis, CSIR and our institution Jammu are contributing to three things. The main problem is testing. Along with Jammu Medical College and state government we are doing testing. We have tested samples of 400 people. This help to segregate those people who are infected with COVID-19," he said. Vishwakarma said IIIM is also conducting synthesis procedure of 15 molecules which are in different stages of clinical trials.

"The new medicines which are in clinical trials in India and abroad. They are in advance phase 2 and phase 3 trials. If they are approved there, even then our people will not be benefited. So, we want to prepare the synthesis procedure of 15 molecules which are in clinical trials. As soon as they are approved, we will able to manufacture them quickly," he said. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of coronavirus positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir has climbed to 116. (ANI)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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IIIM joins hands with CSIR to conduct COVID-19 sample testing in J-K - Devdiscourse

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has galvanised all its labs into action to battle COVID-19 in the last few weeks, with the Director-General Shekhar C. Mande, forming five verticals to coordinate various research activities into drugs, vaccine, testing, sanitisers, hospital equipment and the likes.

The digital and molecular surveillance is led by its directors Dr. Anurag Agarwal of Institute of Genomics & Integrated Biology (IGIB), rapid and economical diagnosis by Dr. Rakesh Mishra of Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), development of new drugs/re-purposing of drugs by Dr. S Chandrashekhar of Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), hospital assistive devices by Dr. Jitendra J. Jadhav of National Aerospace Laboratories, personnel protective equipment and supply chain & logistics by Dr. Anjan Ray of Indian Institute of Petroleum.

A CSIR Strategic Group (CSG) has also been constituted with a video zoom meeting organised every day and presided over by the DG to review the progress made by these verticals. Any lab or scientist willing to contribute to any of the five verticals can write to the lead directors mentioned above. The Director of Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Dr. Ram A. Vishwakarma, has been made the overall coordinator.

Sequencing of coronovirus is being done at IGIB and CCMB including that of the host and virus RNA. Incidentally, the former has developed a paper-based diagnostic test while CCMB is setting up viral cultures for testing of drugs and making a vaccine, said informed scientific sources, privy to the meeting of top heads.

CSIR DG has mentioned the contribution of Dr. Debojyoti Chakraborti IGIB, for developing crispr/case-based paper diagnostics, Dr. Anthony Adlagatta of IICT for producing reverse transcriptase in large quantities, CCMB scientists for developing cell line and virus culture, sanitisers by IICT, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Central Electro Chemical Research Institute CECRI), North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), etc., food packets by Central Food Technological Research Insitute (CFTRI), and Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT).

Dr. Mande informed during the interaction that a platform for open innovation will be developed and hosted at the CSIR headquarters and a partnership has already been formed with the Ministry of Ayush for development of four botanicals/drugs.

CSIR labs are already working with private sector giants like Reliance for PPEs, diagnostics; Tatas for hospital assistive devices; Intel & TCS for digital surveillance; CIpla for repurposed drugs; Cadila for coronavirus therapy; Bharat Biotech for inactivated vaccine development; BHEL for electrostatic spray and ventilator; BEL for thermometer and Oxygen enrichment unit, etc,

Three of its institutes CCMB, IGIB and IIIM have been allowed to take up Covid-19 testing and other eight other CSIR labs too are ready to take it up once regulatory approvals come, said informed scientific sources.

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CSIR forms five verticals to combat COVID-19 - The Hindu

Posted on 4/8/2020

(Editors note: A media tool kit with photos, videos and additional resources is available in the WVUToday Media Center.)

MORGANTOWN, W.VA. -- The West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, WVU Medicine, and smart ring maker Oura Health today (April 8) announced a national study designed to accelerate early detection of the COVID-19 virus symptoms and contagiousness. Leveraging an artificial intelligence -driven predictive model, wearable ring technology, and a COVID-19 monitoring app, RNI scientists and partners are developing an innovative digital PPE approach that potentially can identify infected frontline healthcare professionals before they become symptomatic a possible breakthrough in monitoring capabilities and limiting the spread.

The RNIs approach not only measures the onset of increased body temperature from the Oura ring and physical symptoms but goes beyond that by looking at the individual holistically integrating physiologic measures with psychological, cognitive and behavioral biometrics, such as stress and anxiety. In real-time, this holistic approach can provide an early and more comprehensive assessment, tracking the mind-body connection and homeostasis in the context of asymptomatic infection. Through this analysis, the team can forecast and predict the onset of fever, cough, fatigue and other physical symptoms linked to viral infections.

Over the past three weeks, Oura smart rings and the RNI COVID-19 monitoring smartphone app have been deployed to physicians, nurses and other frontline healthcare workers in the ED, ICU, testing sites, and urgent care settings in West Virginia. In addition, the RNI is partnering with hospitals across the country, including those in New York City, Philadelphia, Nashville and other critical emerging areas, to monitor more than 1,000 front-line healthcare personnel with exposure to COVID-19.

We are continuously monitoring the mind-body connectivity through our integrated neuroscience platform measuring the autonomic nervous system, fatigue, anxiety, circadian rhythms, and other human resilience and recovery functions, Dr. Ali Rezai, executive chair of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, said. Our AI-driven models are currently predicting symptoms 24 hours prior to onset, and we are working toward a three-plus day forecast. This forecasting capability will help us get ahead of this pandemic; limit the spread to protect healthcare workers, their families, and our communities; and improve our understanding of health recovery.

More broadly, the RNI is continuously monitoring and analyzing more than 30,000 subjects through its integrative neuroscience approach, gaining insight and predictive success in chronic pain, addiction, aging and other illnesses, as well as the readiness and recovery of our military.

At Oura, weve heard firsthand from our users how the physiological signals tracked by the ring have predicted the onset of the virus before other symptoms manifest, Harpreet Rai, CEO of Oura Health, said. Were grateful we can apply this knowledge to help vulnerable caregivers swiftly identify the earliest signs of the disease, and take the appropriate protective measures to limit its spread.

We have done extensive research in the wearable space, and Ouras accuracy and usability is unparalleled to anything we have tested, Rezai added, We are proud to partner with Oura and its innovation to serve our population.

About the Rockefeller Neuroscience InstituteWe are improving lives by pioneering advances in brain health. With the latest technologies, an ecosystem of partners, and a truly integrated approach, we are making tangible progress. Our goal is to combat public health challenges ranging from addiction to Alzheimers, benefiting people in West Virginia, neighboring states, and beyond. Learn more about the RNIs first-in-the-world clinical trials and the top caliber experts joining us in our mission. For more information, visit http://www.wvumedicine.org/rni/.

About Oura HealthOura Health helps people improve their sleep, better understand their bodies, and reach their goals. The Oura Ring and app track all stages of sleep and activity to provide daily feedback and practical steps to inspire healthy lifestyles. Founded in 2013, Oura Health has raised $47M of funding from Forerunner Ventures, Gradient, Square Inc. and MSD Capital, and angel investors. Oura Health is headquartered in Oulu, Finland, with offices in Helsinki and San Francisco. For more information, visit http://ouraring.com/.

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WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and Oura Health unveil study to predict the outbreak of COVID-19 in healthcare professionals - WVU Medicine

Pune, April 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global orthopedic devices market is set to gain traction from the ever-increasing geriatric population across the world. As per a research published in 2015 by the United Health Foundation, every year, more than 300,000 adults belonging to the age group of 65 years and above are estimated to be hospitalized for hip fractures. Besides, around 30% of seniors fall per year. It is further leading to higher number of orthopedic injuries.

Fortune Business Insights published this information in a recent study, titled, "Orthopedic Devices Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Joint Reconstruction Devices, Spinal Devices, Trauma Devices, Dental Implants, Orthobiologic Devices, Arthroscopy Devices, and Others), By End User (Hospitals, Orthopedic Clinic, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026." The study further mentions that the orthopedic devices market size stood at USD 51.33 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 71.67 billion by 2026, thereby exhibiting a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period.

Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/orthopedic-devices-market-102586

This Report Answers the Following Questions:

An Overview of the Impact of COVID-19 on this Market:

The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this too shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. There are some industries that are struggling and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic.

We are taking continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future.

To get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this Market.

Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/orthopedic-devices-market-102586

Drivers & Restraints-

Rising Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Diseases to Drive Growth

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, a provider of educational programs for allied health professionals and orthopaedic surgeons, published a report that affirms that every year in the Unites States alone, approximately 6.8 million patients suffering from several orthopedic injuries come to medical attention. It proves that the rising prevalence of orthopedic injuries and musculoskeletal diseases is further resulting in agonizing physical pain and limited mobility. It is expected to propel the orthopedic devices market growth during the forthcoming years. However, the surgical procedure is very expensive in nature. It may hamper the growth of the market.

Segment-

Joint Reconstruction Segment to Lead Backed by Increasing Number of Surgical Procedures

Based on type, the market is grouped into joint reconstruction devices, dental implants, trauma devices, spinal devices, orthobiologic devices, arthroscopy devices, trauma devices, and others. Out of these, in 2018, the joint reconstruction segment held 35.8% in terms of orthopedic devices market share and is anticipated to lead the market throughout the forecast period. This growth is attributable to the rising number of procedures, namely, extrementies and shoulder reconstructions, hip and knee replacements, and other similar procedures associated with joints. The arthroscopy devices segment is likely to expand at fast pace owing to the increasing emergence of novel products and upsurging cases of soft tissue injuries related to sports.

Quick Buy - Orthopedic Devices Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/102586

Regional Analysis-

High Purchasing Power of the Masses to Favor Growth in Asia Pacific

Geographically, the market is fragmented into Latin America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, North America, and Europe. Amongst these, North America procured USD 23.86 billion orthopedic medical devices market revenue in 2018. This growth is attributable to the presence of adequate reimbursement policies, as well as surging incidence of orthopedic surgeries. Apart from these, availability of state-of-the-art treatment options and rising awareness among the patient pool regarding the presence of these advanced devices would contribute to the market growth.

Europe, on the other hand, is set to generate the second-largest market share in the coming years on account of the rising healthcare expenditure and increasing awareness campaigns about unique products. Asia Pacific would showcase a considerable CAGR because of the growing patient pool and increasing purchasing power of the masses in the developing nations, such as China and India.

Competitive Landscape-

Key Players Are Engaging in the Strategy of Acquisition to Broaden Portfolio

Companies operating in the market are striving persistently to gain high share. To do so, they are focusing majorly on the strategy of mergers and acquisitions. It is aiding them in expanding their product portfolio into a wide range of fields. Below are a couple of the key industry developments:

List of the Key Companies Operating in the Orthopedic Medical Devices Market. They are as follows:

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Detailed Table of Content:

TOC Continued.!

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Orthopedic Devices Market to Reach USD 71.67 Billion by 2026; Increasing Geriatric Population to Boost Growth, says Fortune Business Insights -...

Lets hear it for the female of the species and (more guardedly) for her second X-chromosome! Female superiority in colour vision, immune response, longevity, even basic survival from birth to death are illustrated in Sharon Moalems The Better Half. After decades, if not centuries, of bad press for women and their vulnerable biology, this book argues that in fact almost everything that is biologically difficult to do in life is done better by females.

Moalem, a Canadian-born physician, is a research geneticist who has identified two new rare genetic conditions. He has worked across the world in paediatric medicine, including clinics for HIV-infected infants and is also a biotechnology entrepreneur and bestselling author. The Better Half is his latest foray into the field of popular science, and presents a general argument for the superiority of womens biology to mens.

In most circumstances, a human female has two X-chromosomes, one from her father and one from her mother; a male has just one, inherited from his mother, which is paired with a Y-chromosome, inherited from his father. Moalem believes that the X-chromosome has always received a poor press, and that it is time this negative view is counteracted. He draws on swathes of medical and historical data to show that, in many instances, the superiority of womens biology is explicitly linked to their possession of the second X-chromosome. The greater complexity of womens biology, he claims, is the secret of their success it is more difficult to make a female but, once made, she trumps the male in her lifelong survival skills, for instance in her hyperefficient immune system shrugging off infection and maximising the benefits of vaccination which means that females can avoid the consequences of a wide range of life threatening events ranging from starvation and cancer to, Moalem has cautiously concluded, Covid-19.

In mainstream genetics it was long held that, despite having two X-chromosomes, female cells only made use of one: the second randomly switched off or deactivated early on in embryonic development, a process rather summarily described as an instance of genetic redundancy. There was some evidence that the deactivation reduced female chances of succumbing to X-linked problems, due to the availability of an undamaged back-up. It was acknowledged, for example (though rather grudgingly), that women generally escaped being colour blind. Moalem notes that when he was studying genetics there was much emphasis on the tiny Y-chromosome as what makes a man. He observes wryly that maybe this positivity was related to the fact that most of the people who were speaking breathlessly about the Y had one as well.

Now a new spin on the X-inactivation story is emerging in genetics. Via a process called escape from X-inactivation, it turns out that the silenced X-chromosome is not so silent after all there are escapees which may continue to offer back-up services, for instance providing extra cellular recovery options in the face of traumatic injury. It is to the benefits offered by this flexible availability within different cells that Moalem attributes the secrets of womens biological superiority.

Statistics going back as far as 1662 show women living longer than men, and todays figures show that 95% of people who have reached the age of 110 and over are female. In sport, womens success in races such as ultra-marathons offer a different perspective on what it means to be physically superior. In the spirit of Angela Sainis book Inferior, Moalem notes that this superiority has largely been ignored by medical science. And he discusses the medical trial data whose absence is observed by Caroline Criado-Perez in Invisible Women, her exploration of how the world is designed for men. Medicine needs to stop ignoring the secrets of womens biological successes, Moalem argues, and find ways of harnessing them to improve the survival chances of the whole of the human race.

Imagine you live in a world where most individuals can see 1m colours. But in one group of these people (lets call them males), about 8% cannot tell the difference between colours such as red and green, and a smaller number are totally colour blind. In a second group in this population (lets call them females), almost all can see the standard 1m colours, but some (perhaps as many as 15%) can see 100m colours. Would you excitedly rave about the amazing talent of this latter group? Or would you just describe them as not usually colour blind? This same group has an immune system that has a profound talent to fight off many forms of infection and reap major benefits from vaccinations with the down side that sometimes such hyperefficiency can lead to autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Would you celebrate the former or emphasise the latter? For years, it is the drawbacks that have been underlined.

Research geneticists rarely get out in the field to notice the much greater survival rates of girls in paediatric ICUs

The Better Half is an eye-opening book. In explaining why the advantages that accompany females greater genetic options have to date been largely ignored, Moalem points to paradigm blindness, and to the fact that research geneticists rarely get out in the field to notice, for example, the much greater survival rates of girls in paediatric ICUs (rates which, he discovers, have been clearly obvious to the nurses doing the frontline caring).

I take issue with one part of his chapter on The Male Brain, for the moment setting aside the unproven assumption that the brains of men are different from the brains of women. Moalem chooses to consider autism, and it appears as a given in his book that autism is more common in boys than girls (itself an assumption that is increasingly being challenged). Yet at the more impaired end of the autism spectrum, it is possible that there are as many girls as boys, and his suggestion that females have a different kind of autism doesnt quite prove his wider argument. The X-linked disorders such as fragile-X or Rett syndrome receive only a passing mention not surprisingly perhaps as they run counter to his argument about the superiority of the X-chromosome.

What about hormones? Moalem has perhaps missed a good opportunity to counter oestrogens frequently negative press, and to laud its potentially neuroprotective effects. The greater susceptibility of women to Alzheimers disease is put down by Moalem to a form of anti-inflammatory process linked to an overefficient immune system; their lesser susceptibility to Parkinsons disease (surely a possible inclusion in the list of female genetic successes) is unexplained.

One section of the book focuses on why womens health is not mens health, and considers the failures of drug companies to test their products on females as well as males. For sure this has had detrimental consequences on, for example, the accuracy of dosage rates. But in at least one of the examples he gives, that of Ambien, body mass and blood volume are key factors in calculating dosage rates: because people vary enormously in size and shape, simply dividing test participants into males and females still risks inaccuracy. He is talking about averages, its true, but even so Moalem seems firmly wedded to the notion that genetic females and genetic males can be neatly categorised into two distinct types, and that the understanding of genetic sex will provide all the answers we need.

The impression given in The Better Half is that there is a lifelongfree-ranging choice between X-chromosomes available to the female, her cells dancing back and forth between the best options that will help her to heal quicker after a car crash or to overcome the bacterial infection that might lead to an ulcer. There are brief and tantalising hints about the escapees from X-inactivation in several chapters of Moalems book, but it is a shame that we are never given a full, head-on account.

Yet this book is full of wonderful titbits of information from the existence of a female prostate gland to the number of honey bee flying miles it takes to make 1lb of honey. The celebration of the genetic diversity offered by the females second X-chromosome is wholehearted and the examples Moalem gives are highly effective. He has written a powerful antidote to the myth of the weaker sex.

The Better Half: On the Genetic Superiority of Women by Sharon Moalem is published by Allen Lane (RRP 20).

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The Better Half by Sharon Moalem review on the genetic superiority of women - The Guardian

During my lifelong practice of geriatrics, I observed many people reaching the end of their lives. Truth is, what Ive seen is a mixed picture. The two patient stories I describe here are really a blend of hundreds of experiences.

Ms. A is in her late 80s, walks two miles every day, mostly outside but inside a wellness center when sidewalks are icy. She eats a balanced light diet and is connected to many friends. Ms. A is spiritually connected, and life has been and continues to be meaningful to her.

Ms. B is also in her late 80s, has never been much for exercise and now is unable to walk without the help of her walker. She lives in an assisted living center and has made some friends there but remains rather critical of them. Whenever her kids visit, she asks them to take her home. Ms. B had some tough times and some happy times during her life, but now, she remains rather bitter.

At age 82, comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who had studied the relationship between sexuality and longevity said, Im at the age where food has taken the place of sex in my life. In fact, Ive just had a mirror put over my kitchen table. Reading that made me laugh out loud, but I see Dangerfields comment as both funny and sad. Indeed, this thing called growing old is a mixed picture. Should we celebrate it or fear it? Does it give wisdom and meaning or just aches and pains?

I suggest we embrace both sides of the picture. Lets choose to live as long and as well as our luck and genetics allows. We would all do better with regular exercise, eating less, connecting with both the earthly and the spiritual. Lets also choose to kindly accept the fact that someday we will reach the end of our lives. We can take healthy steps by creating an advanced directive, by understanding the kinds and causes of dementia and facing the inevitable death of the ones we love. Embracing this mixed picture helps us in accepting aging processes we cannot change, avoiding suffering and savoring things that matter.

Bottom line lessons from Ms. A and B: Like any piece of art, we can choose how we view the picture of our own aging. Those who live with misery, anger and vengefulness will likely die that way. Those who glean meaning and joy from observation, giving to others and opening their hearts to the spiritual will find aging a grand masterpiece.

Richard P. Holm, MD passed away in March 2020 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was founder of The Prairie Doc and author of Lifes Final Season, A Guide for Aging and Dying with Grace available on Amazon. Dr. Holms legacy lives on through his Prairie Doc organization. For free and easy access to the entire Prairie Doc library, visit http://www.prairiedoc.org and follow Prairie Doc on Facebook, featuring On Call with the Prairie Doc a medical Q&A show streaming on Facebook and broadcast on SDPB most Thursdays at 7 p.m. central.

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Aging Is A Mixed Picture; Let's Choose To Live Long - Vermillion Plain Talk

Global Inherited Metabolic Disorders (IMD) Market: Snapshot

Inherited metabolic disorders (IMD), as the name suggests, are genetic conditions resulting in metabolism issues. The root cause behind maximum cases of inherited metabolic disorders (IMD) is a gene mutation that probably happened a lot many generations back. The mutation in the gene is carried through the generations.

Treatment of inherited metabolic disorders (IMD) consists of dietary supplementation, dietary restrictions, drugs that thwart or regulate metabolism, gene therapy, transplantation of the concerned organ, and dialysis in extreme cases. Currently, the dietary supplements account for a leading position in the global inherited metabolic disorders (IMD) treatment market. Drug manufacturers, however, are slated to come up with more condition-specific therapeutics in the near future.

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The specificity and high risk affinity of IMD differs from disorder to disorder. Some disorders such as familial cylomicronemia are generally associated closely with Caucasians, while others, namely porphyria is mostly recorded among African Americans. Most of such metabolic disorders are be brought under control with certain changes in the diet and lifestyle of the person. Some inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs) are, however, life threatening. Huntingtons or Zellweger syndrome is to name one such.

The inherited metabolic disorders market lies mostly with the Caucasian and African American populations of world, especially in North America, Europe, Australia, and Africa, followed by the minority populations from South Asia and East A.

At present, genetic screening using mass spectrometry and DNA testing among all newborns are carried out in almost all of the developed nations of the world and also in developing economies of India, Brazil, and China. This helps uncover inherited metabolic disorders (IMD) at an early stage.

GlobalInherited Metabolic Disorders Market: Overview

Globally, IMD affects nearly one in every 2,500 to 5,000 individuals with nearly 300 to 600 new cases found in the U.K., according to Public Health Genetics U.K. The specificity and high risk affinity of IMD varies from disorder to disorder, with some disorders like familial cylomicronemia being closely associated with Caucasians and others like porphyria being recoded largely among African Americans. These metabolic disorders are often controllable with certain lifestyle and diet changes, including Familial Cylomicronemia and Phenylketonuria. But some IMDs are highly dangerous and may affect the survivability of a person, such as Huntingtons or Zellweger syndrome.

A lot of IMDs arise when the mutated gene responsible is inherited by the natural selection process and a large number of these genes are recessive. This is probably why a large number of these metabolic disorders are rare occurrences, whereas certain other genes are dominant in nature; this makes it difficult for a willing parent to conceive a child as the risk for transferring a gene remains high (e.g. Huntingtons). Familial chylomicronemia occurs when an individual genetically inherits Lipoprotein lipase enzyme mutation. This is a very rare genetic disease at occurrence rate of 1 individual per million with chances of symptoms occurring only in homozygous individuals (receiving mutation genes from both parents) or in other words recessive gene transmission.

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GlobalInherited Metabolic Disorders Market: Current Market Trends

Nowadays, genetic screening via mass spectrometry and DNA testing of all newborn children are done in nearly all of the developed countries and also some developing countries of the world, including India, China, and Brazil, albeit across a small percentage of the national population. This prepares a parent and the child with the necessary precautions and treatment for increasing the longevity of the concerned newborn. The life expectancy of such a child with all the necessary care and precaution is at par with the average individual.

However among many adult populations and in some children, rare genetic metabolic disorders are abruptly presented and often not accurately diagnosed. In such individuals, abnormal metabolic changes are considered to be a type of genetic mutation in routine diagnosis. Symptoms such as growth failure, precocious puberty and development delay in children below 12, and anemia, neurological disorder, cancer, muscle weakness, rapid hormonal changes, and skin changes in adults, are regarded to probably have a genetic metabolic cause.

GlobalInherited Metabolic Disorders Market: Treatment Classifications

The treatment of IMDs is broadly classified into dietary restrictions, dietary supplementation, drugs that inhibit or regulate metabolism, transplantation of the concerned organ, gene therapy, and dialysis in severe cases. In the case of familial cylomicronemia, gene therapy includes Alipogene tiparvovec recombinant gene therapy drug, manufactured by UniQure Inc. This therapy utilizes viruses (adenovirus vector) designed in such a way that upon infection, the gene for producing the lipoprotein lipase is induced into the host cell, thereby producing the enzyme in-vivo. This therapy has shown positive results and is expected to be released into the market soon. For now, the global inherited metabolic disorders Market lies broadly in the dietary supplements market.

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GlobalInherited Metabolic Disorders Market: Regional Evaluation

The overall estimated global populations of IMD individuals lie in few millions. The niche category of this segment gives little market for specific condition-related products. However, the implications of therapy are huge as some treatments have the potential to completely eradicate these disorders. Several suitable models have been considered for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidemia, which can in turn alter the outcome of cardiovascular diseases to a bare minimum in the future. For now, the inherited metabolic disorders is open for limitless possibilities.

The inherited metabolic disorders lays primarily with the Caucasian and African American populations of world, especially in North America, Europe, Australia, and Africa, followed by the minority populations from South Asia and East Asia.

The study presents reliable qualitative and quantitative insights into:

The regional analysis covers:

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Inherited Metabolic Disorders Market Trends, Type, Segmentation, Analysis, Assessment, Development, Application and Forecast 2025 - Science In Me

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Althoughthe medical and pharmaceutical fields have come a long way in diagnosing diseasestates and producing highly potent drugs, the lack of effective delivery ofsuch therapeutics to the target organ with desired pharmacokinetics remains oneof the major challenges in this process.

The advent of nanotechnology, along with advances in protein engineering and materials science, have brought new hope to patients. The impact of nanotechnology on medicine nanomedicine is recognized by the development of novel nanoscale therapeutics and diagnostic and imaging modalities.

Ina recent review published in WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology, Professor Joerg Lahann and his team from the University of Michigan discuss state-of-the-art nanoparticle drug delivery platforms, their advantages and shortcomings, and future directions towards clinical translation.

The ability to impart multiple functions to a single delivery system, engineering both bulk and surface properties, provides a means to answer some of the greatest remaining challenges in the field of drug delivery, said Jason Gregory, a PhD student in the Lahann Lab.

In fact, approaches to address this conundruminclude the development of multifunctional particles, cell-mediated transportmechanisms, and the use of biologically derived materials. Multifunctionalparticles can possess two or more dissimilar properties through surface or bulkanisotropy.

For example, the electrohydrodynamic co-jetting process, which was pioneered in the Lahann lab, permits the creation of multicompartmental particles. Independently engineering individual compartments of the nanoparticle leads to an ability to incorporate materials with orthogonal properties that may offer a solution to simultaneously address multiple biological barriers.

Multicompartmental particles provide a set ofunique features for nanoparticle targeting and controlled release ofcombination drugs, said Dr. Joerg Lahann, the Wolfgang Pauli CollegiateProfessor of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Biointerfaces Instituteat the University of Michigan.

While traditional nanoparticles fail to efficiently deliver the drug to target sites, our bodys circulatory cells as natural carriers of many substances have evolved properties to optimally perform delivery functions. Imparting these properties into the design of the drug delivery platforms by combining nanoparticles with circulatory cells enhances the overall outcome of the system, added Nahal Habibi, a PhD student in the Lahann Lab working on cell-mediated drug delivery strategies.

Leukocytes are particularly good candidates because they can naturally migrate to disease-relevant regions that are often inaccessible by traditional nanoparticles, and have been used to carry therapeutic nanoparticles to cross the bloodbrain barrier in a Parkinsons disease model.

Synthetic protein nanoparticles are another emerging trend in nanomedicine.

Advances in designing novel multicompartmental polymer/protein nanoparticles utilizing the intersection of polymer chemistry and protein biochemistry offers promise in engineering the next generation of nanoparticle formulations, said Daniel Quevedo, another PhD candidate in Prof. Lahanns group.

Reference: Nahal Habibi et al. Emerging methods in therapeutics using multifunctional nanoparticles. WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology (2020). DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1625

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Multifunctional nanomedicine: Developing smarter therapeutics - Advanced Science News

Mauro Ferrari resigned unexpectedly as president of the European Research Council, triggering a noisy public spat over why and how he left.

Ferrari, an Italian-American expert in nano-medicine, fired off an angry resignation memo provided first to the Financial Times castigating the European Commission for a largely uncoordinated cluster of initiatives. He said he pushed to have the ERC, which focuses on frontier research, launch a special funding round for COVID-19 research. As a result, he said, I have lost faith in the system itself and submitted his resignation on 7 April.

But that version of events was quickly disputed in Brussels. Christian Ehler, a German member of the European Parliament who leads research legislation, issued a late-night statement calling Ferraris actions a window-dressing public relations stand on the coronavirus crisis and it was a contradiction to the legal basis of the ERC.

Other sources said the agencys governing body, the 21-member Scientific Council, had decided days earlier to ask for Ferraris resignation. Among the issues was a belief that he was spending too much time on non-ERC, private activities.

The Commission issued a statement confirming Ferraris immediate resignation and noting that his contract as ERC president only gave him the legal powers of a special advisor to the Commission. Legally, it said, the Scientific Council defines the scientific funding strategy and methodologies of the ERC. It went on to thank him for the strong personal investment he made in the months leading up to his appointment 1 January.

When he took office on 1 January, Ferrari was allowed to continue some outside activities back in the US, where he had built his career in engineering, nanotechnology and medicine. Among these was a paid board position at a US biotech company, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals. He also continued as an affiliate professor in pharmaceutical science at the University of Washington. But the arrangement was unusual for an agency like the ERC, and had already prompted some outside criticism. As European nations began entering COVID-19 lockdown last month, he was in the US, where his grown children work.

A Commission spokesman late on 7 April confirmed Ferraris resignation, but declined to elaborate. Ferrari couldnt be reached immediately for direct comment, but the Financial Times published his statement excoriating the ERC and the Commission.

In the statement, he said that he proposed that the ERC set up a special COVID-19 programme, because at a time like this, the very best scientists in the world should be provided with resources and opportunities to fight the pandemic. He said it was rejected unanimously by the Scientific Council without even considering what shape or form it may take. He added that he was later invited by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for my input on COVID-19, which created an internal political thunderstorm inside the Commission bureaucracy.

The ERC, by law, funds research proposed directly by scientists based on their own judgment of whats important; they get the money - 2.2 billion in all for 2020 if peer review panels organised by the agency agrees with them. Ferraris statement says he knew his idea for top-down COVID-19 grants ran counter to the agencys normal bottom-up practice, but it was justified by the emergency.

Agency officials declined to comment publicly, but the MEP, Ehler, issued a public defence of the ERC, pushing back at Ferrari.

Besides calling Ferraris COVID-19 plan window-dressing, Ehler said Ferrari was never really acquainting with the independent nature of the ERC. He continued: We are sorry that things have turned out this way for a brilliant researcher and entrepreneur like Mr. Ferrari. However, this should not serve as argument to accuse the ERC or the EU of not doing enough.

The ERC focuses on fundamental rather than applied research and numbers among its existing grantees virologists, epidemiologists and others who have been doing basic research for the agency, and have now joined applied COVID-research teams in the Commissions other programmes.

They include 48.5 million for emergency Horizon 2020 collaborative projects for vaccines, cures and tools; 45 million to its Innovative Medicines Initiative; 80 million in financial support for German vaccine maker Curevac; and up to 164 million in grants to small business with COVID-19 solutions to develop.

On taking office in January, Ferrari quickly unveiled ambitious plans for the ERC. In an interview with Science|Business in February, he spoke enthusiastically of the need for what he called super-disciplinary research, in which scientists break out of their normal disciplines and think across domains. He was also a strong advocate of researchers helping to get their discoveries commercialised and into widespread use something he did repeatedly in his own career.

Ferrari, now 60 years old, is credited as one of the founders of nanomedicine. In 2016, his research team made headlines with a new cancer treatment that uses nanoparticles loaded with a chemotherapeutic to target metastatic cells directly, thereby minimising collateral damage to healthy tissue and allowing more sustained and aggressive treatment. Ferrari has around 480 publications to his name, with over 20,000 citations. He also holds dozens of patents for inventions including different varieties of nanoparticles for drug delivery.

Originally from northern Italy, he studied mathematics at the University of Padua before moving to University of California, Berkeley, where he studied for a masters and a PhD in mechanical engineering. He went on to become an associate professor at Berkeley and moved into medicine when he became a professor of bioengineering and mechanical engineering at Ohio State University.

Ferrari later moved to the MD Anderson Center and the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. In 2010 he became president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Research Institute.

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Sudden resignation of ERC president stirs heated dispute over motives - Science Business

Toshio Ando is internationally recognized for the development and invention of the in-liquid high-speed atomic force microscope (HS-AFM) for visualizing the dynamics of protein molecules in liquid environments [1-6]. The publication of his seminal paper on HS-AFM in 2008 led Ando and his colleagues to develop derivatives of this technology including non-invasive high-speed scanning ion-conductance microscopy (HS-SICM). "It is a great honor for me to receive this HFSP grant in the worldwide competition," says Professor Ando.

Comments from the HFSP highlighted the strengths of the team and multidisciplinary nature of the proposal, stating: "This is a very strong team of investigators. Each is highly accomplished in their field and brings unique expertise."

Roles of the members of the team:

The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) promotes international collaborative basic research on "the elucidation of the sophisticated and complex mechanisms of living organisms". The programs are implemented by the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO) that is based in Strasburg and receives financial support from the governments or research councils of the European Union, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and USA.

Selection of references on research published by Professor Ando on high speed AFM

Prof. Toshio Ando

Prof. Toshio Ando

Further general information

About the Human Frontier Science Program2020 awards for Research Grants https://www.hfsp.org/awardees/newly-awarded

About WPI nanoLSI Kanazawa University

Hiroe YonedaVice Director of Public AffairsWPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI)Kanazawa UniversityKakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, JapanEmail: nanolsi-office@adm.kanazawa-u.ac.jpTel: +81(76)234-4550

About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI)

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Nano Life Science Institute (NanoLSI), Kanazawa University is a research center established in 2017 as part of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The objective of this initiative is to form world-tier research centers. NanoLSI combines the foremost knowledge of bio-scanning probe microscopy to establish 'nano-endoscopic techniques' to directly image, analyze, and manipulate biomolecules for insights into mechanisms governing life phenomena such as diseases.

About Kanazawa University

http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/e/

As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities.

The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1142295/Kanazawa_University.jpg

SOURCE Kanazawa University

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Toshio Ando of the WPI Nano Life Science Institute, Kanazawa University and Colleagues From Greece, Germany, and USA Have Been Awarded The Prestigious...

Metastatic brain tumor and primary lung cancer were found to have gotten different genetic characteristics in the course of genetic mutation, researchers said.

By making the most of these characteristics, medical professionals will be able to upgrade the effect of targeted therapies, they added

The joint research team of Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) attached to Harvard University College of Medicine has recently released the results of analyzing the genetic mutations of metastatic brain tumors and primary lung cancer.

Brain tumors spread from lung cancer are very malignant, and the number of patients has been increasing recently. However, their treatments have been limited due to their insufficient study

The research team has selected 73 patients suffering from brain tumors spread from lung cancer and analyzed the genetic mutations of metastatic brain tumors and primary lung cancer.

The Korean and U.S. researchers confirmed MYC, YAP1, MMP13, and CDKN2A/B genetic mutations occur in metastatic brain tumors, unlike primary lung cancer. Even the same cancer cells showed different genetic mutations, depending on whether they belong to the lung or brain.

The research team explained this is a very significant finding in the targeted treatment of brain tumors spread from lung cancer. If medical professionals treat patients with targeted therapies developed to suit the characteristics unique to a metastatic brain tumor, they will be able to upgrade therapeutic effects, it added.

The latest research is the result of the seven years of joint study since 2013 between SNUH and MGH. The two institutions have shared case reports and treatment methods through 14 video conferences, and have several joint studies underway by strengthening their cooperation in research.

We jointly published the genetic mutations observed only in metastatic brain tumor in the journal Cancer Discovery jointly with MGH in 2015, said Professor Baek Seon-ha of the Department of Neurosurgery at SNUH. The recent research is its follow-up study, a result of the close cooperation and continuous joint study between the two hospitals.

Professor Park Seong-hye of the Department of Pathology at SNUH also said, This research will exert a decisive influence on the research and deciding on the treatment method of brain tumor spread from lung cancer.

Co-researchers from the U.S. side were Professor Priscilla Brastianos, and research fellow Scott Carter of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The research results were published on the online edition of the March issue of the journal Nature Genetics.

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New horizon opens for targeted therapy of metastatic brain tumor - Korea Biomedical Review

Buried in the genetic code of the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, are mutations that can help scientists learn more about where the disease started and how its continuing to spread.

Virginias state laboratory is one of three public health labs in the country to begin unraveling that code, Gov. Ralph Northam announced at a news briefing on Monday.

In coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and international health partners, the states Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services will begin sequencing virus samples from patients across the commonwealth. By compiling a repository of genetic information, health officials hope to learn more about how the disease began circulating in different communities and whether certain mutations are associated with outbreaks.

Were sequencing the entire genome of the virus, DCLS Director Denise Toney said Monday. We want to determine what are the similarities and what are the differences between what Virginia has and what theyre seeing in European countries, for example, versus southeast Asia versus Washington state.

The technology, often called next-generation sequencing, has actually been around for more than a decade, said Dr. Paul Skolnik, an infectious disease expert and chair of medicine at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Its been used extensively to sequence the genetic code of other infectious diseases, especially HIV.

But unlike HIV which mutates rapidly and can even circulate in individual patients as swarms of closely related viruses SARS-CoV-2 appears to be changing much more slowly. Both Skolnik and Toney said its too early to classify different strains of the disease, and still unclear whether it will ever have that level of variability.

A transmission electron microscopic image from the first U.S. case of COVID-19. The spherical viral particles, colorized blue, contain cross-sections through the viral genome, seen as black dots. (CDC Public Health Image Library)

Usually, there has to be a certain percentage of difference between the sequences to allow us to call something more than one strain, Skolnik said.

He cautioned that more research has to be done before scientists can determine how much variability exists within the virus. But based on the behavior of other coronaviruses, he said its unlikely that SARS-CoV-2 will change fast enough, or extensively enough, to be broken into multiple strains.

What scientists have seen are divergent clusters of the disease, Toney said. So far, there have been roughly seven similar mutations recorded around the world in countries with widespread transmission.

By sequencing samples from COVID-19 patients from Virginia and comparing them with other variants, state health officials have already learned that the disease entered the commonwealth through multiple sources (rather than being spread through exposures to a single patient). Toney said local samples matched with versions from southeast Asia and Europe, as well as other areas of the United States.

Comparing viral sequences can help experts determine which mutations are responsible for outbreaks and which seem to respond to containment measures, she added. It could also help epidemiologists track the disease within communities, determining whether it was introduced by different sources or whether a single version was widely transmitted.

It can give us clues to whether two nursing homes are linked, for example, Toney said. If the strain types are very, very similar and clustered together, it suggests they may have a similar mode of transmission.

From a global perspective, sequencing a wide variety of COVID-19 samples is a valuable tool in developing new treatments and vaccines, Skolnik said. Identifying mutations in the virus allows scientists to determine commonalities between different variants. Knowing which targets are shared in samples around the world will allow researchers to develop drugs that are most effective in interfering with its replication.

Then, it will give us great insight into what made this particular coronavirus so lethal, he added. In that we can understand, from the genetic sequence, what proteins are made and how those proteins differ from coronaviruses that have circulated for eons in the human population. Theres something particular that this particular coronavirus had that made it able to destroy and attack tissue in the lungs.

So far, the state lab has only sequenced a few samples of the virus, Toney said. DCLS is currently working with the Virginia Department of Health to identify which samples would yield the most information through sequencing.

If they have no idea how you got exposed, that could make you a good person to sequence, she added. Maybe it turns out your virus is linked to, say, the Nile River cruises. Then that could link to a nursing home outbreak, or maybe some clusters were seeing in the Northern Virginia area. It can help point to where your exposure may have been.

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Virginia's state lab is one of the first in the country to sequence samples of virus that causes COVID-19 - starexponent.com

A new, different type of coronavirus test is coming that will help significantly in the fight to quell the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors and scientists say.

The first so-called serology test, which detects antibodies to the virus rather than the virus itself, was given emergency approval Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. And several more are nearly ready, said Dr. Elizabeth McNally, director of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Center for Genetic Medicine.

Youll see many of these roll out in the next couple of weeks, and its great, and it will really help a lot, said McNally, noting doctors and scientists will be able to use it to determine just how widespread the disease is, who can safely return to work and possibly how to develop new treatments for those who are ill.

The serology test involves taking a blood sample and determining if it contains the antibodies that fight the virus. A positive result indicates the person had the virus in the past and is currently immune.

That kind of test will be far easier to roll out and use than the complex nasal swab tests now being used to detect the active virus that causes COVID-19, she added, saying its possible that the antibody tests could be conducted in the confines of ones own home, much like a pregnancy test.

They will come in a variety of shapes and sizes, McNally said. "The simplest would be one that you do at home, that you would poke your finger and squeeze out a little blood and put it on a little strip, and itll be the plus-minus whether youve developed antibodies or not.

There are several benefits to having the test, including:

Determining how much of the population is infected.

One of the questions we are going to be asking is, How widespread was this virus? McNally said. "I think we have a lot of indication that its much more widespread than we know, because most of the younger people who get this get it relatively mildly, recover and do OK. And were not tracking any of those people right now.

Interestingly, the more people who have had it, the safer everyone is, under the concept of herd immunity.

The people who are already covered can actually provide protection to the people around them, just because its hard for the virus to spread, McNally said. The virus cant spread anymore, so people are less likely to get it.

Figuring out who can go back to work, particularly sidelined doctors and nurses, police officers and firefighters.

If a person is positive for antibodies, which likely show up two to six weeks after infection, theyre not going to get sick or spread the virus, because their bodies are killing it off. Once the antibodies come up in your system, that means your body fought it off, and you dont have active virus, McNally said.

It may also be important to test grocery store workers, McNally added, noting that buying food is one of the things thats still forcing people out of their homes. Thats one of the major points of contact, so where we can reduce that, especially in the next few weeks, I think thats going to be really critical, she said.

Getting a sense of how long immunity lasts.

Other coronaviruses that have been studied trigger antibodies that typically last one to three years. So the immunity likely isnt forever.

Are we seeing a sustained response thats going to help us prepare better for when this happens again, and it will happen again, McNally said. Thats what happens with viruses.

Possibly learning more about how to fight the disease, using antibody treatment.

Maybe these people that really did poorly (when they had COVID-19), maybe they were slow to develop antibodies, in which case this concept of giving them antibodies is actually a good concept to help treat people, McNally said. "So, theres so many things we will learn from the immune response to this virus.

Approval of the antibody test is something that public health officials have been talking about for weeks, saying it couldnt come fast enough.

When we have antibody testing, trust me, well be using that a lot, because well be looking to see if people have been exposed to coronavirus, Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicagos public health commissioner, said in a recent interview before the test was approved. Are they recovered? Will they be safe for working and caring for people?

Likewise, Dr. Robert Gallo, co-founder and director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, described development of the test as imperative.

It allows the public health officials to better follow the epidemic," Gallo said. "Without the antibody test, its very hard to follow the epidemic with convenience of any kind.

Research wise, wouldnt it be really important to know if theres some aspect of the immune system that makes it worse, or if there are people correlating with some type of immune response that was really correlated with the symptoms being virtually nothing," he added. You would just be able to make really important conclusions, so we need the antibody test rather desperately.

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Next coronavirus test can tell if you are now immune and its fast - Monmouth Daily Review Atlas

SALT LAKE CITY, April 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN), a global leader in personalized medicine, announced today that due to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the company is withdrawing its fiscal year 2020 financial guidance.

Prior to mid-March we were experiencing volume trends consistent with our expectations across all products; however, recent social distancing guidelines have had a significant impact on test volume trends in late March and into the fiscal fourth-quarter, said R. Bryan Riggsbee, interim president and CEO and chief financial officer at Myriad Genetics. Our priority as an organization during the coronavirus pandemic has been to maintain business continuity and access to testing, while ensuring the safety of our employees and customers. As an organization we have taken steps to advance these dual aims, and I am very proud of how the Myriad team has responded to the crisis.

In responding to the pandemic, Myriad has made several changes to its business practices to promote the safety of both customers and employees including ceasing in-office sales calls and implementing virtual selling, granting all non-essential personnel the ability to work from home, enabling direct sample collection for patients and implementing policies to improve laboratory personnel safety.

While the uncertain timeframe of the Coronavirus pandemic makes it difficult to predict future business trends for the company, the company will provide an update on its business, including the impact of COVID-19, on its next quarterly earnings call.

About Myriad GeneticsMyriad Genetics, Inc. is a leading personalized medicine company dedicated to being a trusted advisor transforming patient lives worldwide with pioneering molecular diagnostics. Myriad discovers and commercializes molecular diagnostic tests that determine the risk of developing disease, accurately diagnose disease, assess the risk of disease progression, and guide treatment decisions across six major medical specialties where molecular diagnostics can significantly improve patient care and lower healthcare costs. Myriad is focused on three strategic imperatives: transitioning and expanding its hereditary cancer testing markets, diversifying its product portfolio through the introduction of new products and increasing the revenue contribution from international markets. For more information on how Myriad is making a difference, please visit the Company's website: http://www.myriad.com.

Myriad, the Myriad logo, BART, BRACAnalysis, Colaris, Colaris AP, myPath, myRisk, Myriad myRisk, myRisk Hereditary Cancer, myChoice, myPlan, BRACAnalysis CDx, Tumor BRACAnalysis CDx, myChoice HRD, Vectra, Prequel, ForeSight, GeneSight and Prolaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Myriad Genetics, Inc. or its wholly owned subsidiaries in the United States and foreign countries. MYGN-F, MYGN-G.

Safe Harbor StatementThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to maintaining the Companys global leadership in precision medicine and the Company's strategic directives under the caption "About Myriad Genetics." These "forward-looking statements" are based on management's present expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those described or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: the risk that sales and profit margins of the Companys existing molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services may decline or will not continue to increase at historical rates; risks related to the Companys ability to successfully transition from its existing product portfolio to our new tests; risks related to changes in the governmental or private insurers reimbursement levels for the Companys tests or the Companys ability to obtain reimbursement for its new tests at comparable levels to its existing tests; risks related to increased competition and the development of new competing tests and services; the risk that the Company may be unable to develop or achieve commercial success for additional molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services in a timely manner, or at all; the risk that the Company may not successfully develop new markets for its molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services, including the Companys ability to successfully generate revenue outside the United States; the risk that licenses to the technology underlying the Companys molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services tests and any future tests are terminated or cannot be maintained on satisfactory terms; risks related to delays or other problems with operating the Companys laboratory testing facilities; risks related to public concern over the Companys genetic testing in general or the Companys tests in particular; risks related to regulatory requirements or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries and changes in the structure of the healthcare system or healthcare payment systems; risks related to the Companys ability to obtain new corporate collaborations or licenses and acquire new technologies or businesses on satisfactory terms, if at all; risks related to the Companys ability to successfully integrate and derive benefits from any technologies or businesses that it licenses or acquires; risks related to the Companys projections about the potential market opportunity for the Companys products; the risk that the Company or its licensors may be unable to protect or that third parties will infringe the proprietary technologies underlying the Companys tests; the risk of patent-infringement claims or challenges to the validity of the Companys patents; risks related to changes in intellectual property laws covering the Companys molecular diagnostic tests and pharmaceutical and clinical services and patents or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries, such as the Supreme Court decisions Mayo Collab. Servs. v. Prometheus Labs., Inc., 566 U.S. 66 (2012), Assn for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., 569 U.S. 576 (2013), and Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank Intl, 573 U.S. 208 (2014); risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the United States and internationally; the risk that the Company may be unable to comply with financial operating covenants under the Companys credit or lending agreements; the risk that the Company will be unable to pay, when due, amounts due under the Companys credit or lending agreements; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in Item 1A of the Companys most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in the Companys Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Myriad undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

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A genetic variant in a gene called MET is responsible for more aggressive growth of head and neck cancer, and lung cancer, according to a new study.

A further probe into the finding reveals therapeutic strategies that could potentially target this genetic alteration and pave the way for better and more effective treatments.

The MET gene encodes for a cancer promoting protein that relays growth, survival, and transmission of signals in cancer cells, researchers say.

As reported in Nature Communications, researchers also identified a form of MET protein which showed ethnic preference with higher incidence among Asians, and associated with poorer prognosis in patients diagnosed with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma or lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Even though the MET variant does not seem to predispose someone to head and neck cancer or lung cancer, it leads to more aggressive growth of cancers that have already developed.

Unlike other MET mutants, existing MET-blocking drugs do not seem to inhibit this genetic variant, prompting researchers to conduct further investigation on the mechanism behind the genetic alteration.

The team found that the single amino-acid change in the MET receptor from the genetic alteration leads to preferential strong binding to another cancer promoting protein, HER2. Both proteins then work together to drive cancer aggression and allow the cancer cells to survive therapies that involve MET-blocking drugs.

The mechanism of this MET variant is novel and unreported. This finding contributes to the growing evidence of the role of genetic variants in affecting clinical outcome, and underscores the importance of diving deep into our genetic inheritance in cancer research, says Kong Li Ren of the Cancer Science Institute (CSI) Singapore at NUS, who initiated the study.

Knowledge of this unique mechanism also allowed researchers to identify several HER2 inhibitors capable of blocking cancer progression the genetic alteration caused.

Our study represents a conceptual advancement to cancer research, as we have shown that it is possible to block the activity of a cancer-driving gene by administrating a targeted therapy directed not against the mutant protein in question, but rather, a corresponding protein with which it binds to, says Goh Boon Cher, deputy director and senior principal investigator at CSI Singapore.

The remarkable anti-tumor responses observed in our experimental models, coupled with the availability of FDA-approved HER2 inhibitors, also presents a huge opportunity for clinicians to improve disease outcome of this genetic alteration via precision medicine.

The research team is now translating the findings to a clinical trial where patients tested positive for this MET variant gene are treated with suitable medications that have shown effectiveness in the laboratory.

Additional coauthors are from the National University Cancer Institute, the National Cancer Centre Singapore, and the Bioinformatics Institute at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.

Source: National University of Singapore

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This article originally appeared on VICE US.

There was a time when waking up with a scratchy throat or a dry cough didnt elicit such a sense of dread, but Covid-19 has made us all hyper-aware of its symptoms. Many people have been left wondering if they are asymptomatic carriers of the disease, or if a slight cold they may have recently experienced was actually something more menacing.

These fears are not unfounded: More than a million patients around the world have confirmed cases of coronavirus, but the real number of infections is far higherthough nobody yet knows by how much.

Thats why medical professionals are rushing to develop tests for antibodies that might reveal if a patient ever contracted Covid-19, regardless of whether they experienced symptoms. These tests may even be able to determine individual immunities to the virus, which has led to speculation that some people could reenter the workforce or resume normal activities if they have the right antibodies.

While this proposed solution may provide a sense of hope, it is far from a certain outcome at this point in time. Theres no clear consensus about the immunological response to Covid-19, and murky ethical problems undergird the idea of lifting restrictions on some populations, while isolating others, especially based on unsettled science.

Heres what you need to know about these tests, their development, and their potential to influence the global Covid-19 response.

Antibody tests, also known as serological tests, differ from the diagnostic swab tests that have been in high demand since the pandemic gained momentum.

Swab tests, or PCR tests, are designed to directly detect the virus by searching for its RNA, which is a genetic signature of its presence. These tests require collection of mucus samples from patients, typically sourced from deep within the nasal cavity, which are then sent to a laboratory to be examined. If the results come back positive, the patient is considered an active carrier of Covid-19 who could potentially infect other people.

Antibody tests, in contrast, dont look for the virus itself, but rather our immunological response to it. When our bodies are invaded by antigens such as the coronavirus, our immune systems react by creating a type of blood protein called an antibody. Antibodies flow through the blood, attacking the alien antigens by binding to them, which can neutralize the spread of infection. Many known antibodies can be detected with a quick blood test.

The idea is that you have volunteers who have recovered from infection, and you look to see what antibodies theyre expressing and test that against samples of the virus, basically, to see what are the circulating antibodies that recognize your virus, said Ruth Collins, professor of molecular medicine at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, in a call.

It can take several weeks for the immune system to develop antibodies to fight a virus, which means positive serological tests may not indicate an active infection. Instead, the presence of coronavirus antibodies demonstrates if a patient ever had Covid-19, whether or not they experienced symptoms.

While it is common for an exposed person to develop immunity to other known viruses, it is important to emphasize that nobody knows yet whether the presence of Covid-19 antibodies indicates that a patient has either temporary or permanent immunity to the infection.

We dont know yet exactly how peoples immune systems respond to the infection, so wed have to find something that would mark everybodys response to the virusthe universal human response to the virusand to make sure that it was specific to this virus, Collins said.

These things are doable, she added, they just take a long time to work out.

Short answer: We have no idea.

Countless teams of scientists around the world are developing serological tests to detect antibodies related to Covid-19, including researchers at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Last Thursday, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first test for antibodies test for Covid-19, though it is intended as a diagnostic test for active infections.

Last week, a team of scientists at Stanford University conducted finger-prick blood tests on 3,200 volunteers to help refine their antibody test. Likewise, in Italy, an entire town of 3,000 people that already received swab tests is now in the process of providing blood samples to follow-up on the diagnostic data with antibody studies.

Regardless, there have also been setbacks with the roughly 100 test kits for these antibodies that are already in development. None of these tests are close to reaching the high bar required for public distribution.

"Theres so much we really dont know"

Youd have to have a very high specificity and sensitivity, so you would be able to pick up even small amounts of those antibodies or the evidence of infection in people's blood, Collins said. Without that, you could well have people that have been infected without knowing about it, she continued, or people who might think they were still naive, immunologically, when in fact they werent.

In other words, antibody tests not only need to be good enough to yield reliable positive results, they also need to clearly show who does not have Covid-19 antibodies. Finding the right balance requires making sure that antibodies linked to viruses that arent Covid-19 do not produce false positives, and ensuring that the antibodies that are specifically linked to this particular coronavirus cannot evade detection.

Its hard to predict how long this process will take, given that so many teams are actively working on it, but its probably optimistic to expect they will take weeks or even months to be widely available to the public.

This timeline might be further delayed by new revelations about Covid-19. For instance, its possible that some carriers may never develop symptoms, but could still remain infectious to others for months.

Theres not even a consensus that everybody will completely clear the virus from their system, Collins noted. Some people may be asymptomatic shedders for a while. Theres so much we really dont know.

The phrase immunity passport has been floated by the government of the United Kingdom, and others, as a potential way to allow people with immunity to Covid-19 to return to regular work and travel routines.

Assuming that widespread serological testing is achievable, the idea is that people with antibodies linked to Covid-19 would be cleared of social distancing measures because they are theoretically immune to the virus and cannot actively spread it. This would bring back some normalcy for some of the population, and it would also enable scientists to better estimate the total number of Covid-19 cases, as opposed to confirmed cases involving patients who were sick enough to receive a swab test.

On the flip side, antibody tests for this purpose raise concerns about privacy rights and employment inequities, given that authorities would be using medical information to judge whether patients can return to work and normal life.

In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Act (GINA) prevent employers from discriminating on the basis of disability or genetic information. But discrimination for health reasons remains legal in many contexts in the United States, according to Jessica Roberts, director of the Health Law and Policy Institute at the University of Houston Law Center.

"We can go some way towards knowing who has been infected, but the idea of it being used as employment criteria is somewhat dystopian

Both laws would likely permit employers to screen employees for antibodies, Roberts said in an email. She noted that GINA only applies to genetic test results and family medical history, which are not likely to apply to antibody tests, which do not look for individual genetic information.

Moreover, the ADA actually allows employers to discriminate if employing a person with a disability could threaten the safety of the workplace, Roberts added. Assuming that ADA protection applies to people with Covid-19 (which a court would have to ask whether having Covid-19 constitutes a legally recognized disability), the employer could still prohibit an employee from coming to work if the employer could show that the employee would pose a significant risk.

The notion of planning a staggered reopening of society, in which restrictions are lifted on people judged immune to Covid-19, is inherently risky on both an epidemiological and ethical level.

While it may be soothing to daydream about receiving an immunity passport that allows you to return to your "normal" life, it is probably better to invest your energy in adapting to the restrictions, following health guidelines until more information is available, and working towards a better "normal" in whatever way you can.

It sounds good because it gives us what we want, which is definitive answers, Collins said.

But we dont know enough to be able to provide those definitive answers. We can go some way towards knowing who has been infected, but the idea of it being used as employment criteria is somewhat dystopian.

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What Are Antibody Tests, and Can They Prove Coronavirus Immunity? - VICE

Siddhartha Mukherjee and Ken Burns hope The Gene will spark a national conversation. Photo: Stephanie Berger/Columbia University

NEW YORK Surging hope and semblance of solace in the age of the coronavirus comes in what may seem as strange indicators for laymen: New York state registered the largest number of deaths in a single day, on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, from the coronavirus since the crisis began. A staggering number of 731 people died in a day. Yet, there was cautious optimism as the rate of hospitalizations has fallen for several days, and the infections seem to be plateauing.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, while revealing that 5,489 people had died in the state, said he was encouraged by the data on hospitalizations. He, however, cautioned against growing complacent or easing up on social distancing measures that seem to be working, reported The New York Times.

Cuomo said that increases in hospital beds and the number of health care providers who were working had helped New York to balance its patient load and help ensure that no one facility was overburdened.

The governor also said that planning was underway to restart the regional economy and that he had spoken to the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut about coordinating those efforts.

While the news on the lower number of hospitalizations may be encouraging for many, for families who are either victims or afflicted with the coronavirus, there was only misery, despair and dread to deal with.

A veteran Indian American journalist, Brahm Kanchibotla, from Hicksville, NY, was amongst the thousands who have died from the coronavirus, in New York. He breathed his last on April 6, after a cardiac arrest in a hospital in New York, after being admitted following symptoms of coronavirus. He is survived by his wife Anjana, and two children, son Sudama, and daughter Siujana.

Kanchibotla, who had worked for The Indian Express newspaper in Hyderabad, prior to emigrating to the US, worked also for the United News of India, from New York, and had worked as Content Editor for Merger Markets. He was 66 years old, according to Rajender Dichpally, a community activist.

Dichpally expressed his shock at the passing away of Kanchibotla, who he said was put on a ventilator at the hospital in New York, but didnt pull through.

He took his profession very seriously, said Dichpally. I remember when the late YSR Reddy had come to New York, in 2002. Kanchibotla wanted to interview him, and I managed to seat him next to YSR as he was having dinner, and Kanchibotla managed to get the interview.

Dichpally, who is from the Telugu diaspora, said that Kanchibotla also covered several Telugu association meets in the US, annually.

Mohammed Jaffer, the Editor of SnapsIndia, an international news photo service, based also in New Jersey, said that he knew Kanchibotla for the last 30 years, and they both were from the same hometown, Hyderabad.

I knew him for 30 years. He used to work for Indian Express Hyderabad, and he also used to work with my father there. He was a very humble and down to earth man, said Jaffer.

SIDDHARTHA MUKHERJEES NEW VENTURE

Indian American oncologist and writer Siddhartha Mukherjee and Ken Burns will present the PBS Premiere of The Gene: An Intimate History.

The ability to modify genes and prevent disease has exploded in the last decade. It is now possible to use gene therapy to cure inherited disorders, to correct genetic defects and to limit the severity of a disease. But this new era in genomic medicine offers both promise and peril, according to a report by Columbia University, where Mukherjee is on the faculty.

These revolutionary discoveries highlight the awesome responsibility that we have to make wise decisions, not just for the people alive today, but for generations to come, said Mukherjee, an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, staff cancer physician and author of The Gene: An Intimate History.

The Gene: An Intimate History, a four-hour, two-part documentary, will air April 7 and 14 on PBS stations nationwide. The series, like the book, weaves together science, history and stories of individuals and families, including Mukherjees account of his own family and its recurring pattern of mental illness.

The Gene airs at a critical moment for the science community, as geneticists around the world grapple with the ethical questions these technologies raise. In Nov. 2018, a Chinese researcher stunned and horrified the scientific community with the announcement that he had created the first genetically edited babies, twin girls born in China.

The documentary had been cut and finished just before the first cases of coronavirus were reported in China, so it was too late to include what would soon become the COVID-19 pandemic, a global crisis inextricably tied to our genes, Mukherjee said, reported Columbia University.

A piece of genetic material29,000-odd nucleotides of RNAcoated with protein has upended the world, Mukherjee said. Virtually every technology were using to track and treat COVID-19, even an oral or nasal swab to detect whether you are infected, relies on genetic techniques.

In an interview to Columbia News, Mukherjee sad that perhaps the most grotesque example of the misuse of the language of genetics is the Nazi eugenics program in the 1930s. The Nazis distorted the language of genes to imagine creating a genetically superior nationand then this was used to justify imprisonment and mass extermination.

Mukherjee was asked that if the concept of being able to order for $200 a profile of his or her genome that provides ancestral information, as well as genetic health risks, was positive or not.

He responded: The question you have to ask is do we want to live in a world where you can send a sample of saliva and find out that you have a 10 percent or 20 percent risk of developing breast cancer in the next 30 years. This information can be useful, motivating you to adopt more positive health behaviors. But it also marks you, changes you. It can change your relationship with yourself, your body. When you decide to test for future risk you are also, inevitably, asking yourself, what kind of future am I willing to risk?

Asked if genetics play a role in how vulnerable a person is to contracting COVID-19, and whether that person is more at risk of dying from the illness, he said this is one of the great mysteries of this infection. Young, healthy people are dying, even if most serious cases occur in the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.

Mukherjee added: There are multiple studies trying to unravel why some people infected with SARS-Cov2, the virus that causes COVID-19, fall seriously ill, while others show only mild or nonexistent symptoms. We are finding a correlation between high viral loadthe amount of virus present in any sample taken from a patientand more severe illness.

Mukherjee had recently argued in The New Yorker that we have done a good job measuring the spread of the virus across populations, but it is now time we learn more about how SARS-Cov2 behaves in the body. This requires large-scale efforts to collect the DNA of people and the virus that they are infected with. One example of a study might be taking the DNA of those with serious underlying disease and comparing it to the DNA of those with mild or asymptomatic cases.

According to him, the medical fraternity need to determine whether genetic variations among humans affect how susceptible individuals are to COVID-19 infections as rapidly as possible.

(Sujeet Rajan is Executive Editor, Parikh Worldwide Media. Email him: sujeet@newsindiatimes.com Follow him on Twitter @SujeetRajan1)

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Death of a journalist, and Siddhartha Mukherjee on genes and COVID-19 - newsindiatimes.com

The COVID-19 pandemic is piling on top of a litany of health inequalities in America to kill a disproportionate number of African Americans. In Chicago alone, black residents make up more than half of all cases and about 70 percent of those whove died of the disease. Thats despite African Americans only making up about 30 percent of the citys population.

Those numbers take your breath away, they really do, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot said in response at a press conference on April 6th. This is a call-to-action moment for all of us.

Experts who have long grappled with higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and asthma in black communities arent surprised. The barriers and biases that laid the groundwork for African Americans to be potentially harder hit in this crisis have been in place for generations, they say. Ensuring better health outcomes in this pandemic or any future public health crisis means addressing those underlying injustices.

When you look at [COVID-19] that particularly is virulent for persons who have higher rates of disease, thats exactly the picture of African Americans. But its not their genes. Its the social conditions that we have created, says, David Williams, a professor of public health at Harvard whose research has examined how race and class affect health. I hope this is a wake up call for America.

Its hard to get a grasp on how discriminating the spread of the disease in the US really is; limited testing nationwide means we dont even have a good baseline for how many Americans have contracted COVID-19. Many states arent reporting the breakdown of their cases by race, and many localities disclosing the race of COVID-19 patients dont have demographic data for every single case. The data that we do have, however, is beginning to show a stark divide across the nation.

In Michigan, African Americans make up a third of all cases and 40 percent of deaths, while making up just 14 percent of the states population. And 70 percent of people whove died of COVID-19 in Louisiana as of April 6th were African American; less than one-third of the states population is black. In Alabama, an equal number of black and white residents have died, but 69 percent of the population is white while roughly 27 percent is black.

I have seen in my waiting room mostly black and brown patients who are essential workers and service workers who cant afford to stay home. These are the ones that I see presenting to the clinic with COVID-19 symptoms, said Uch Blackstock, a physician in Brooklyn and CEO of the company Advancing Health Equity, in an April 6th press call.

On April 8th, New York the state that has more than a third of all the cases in the US released data on race for the first time, backing up Blackstocks earlier observations. Black New Yorkers made up 18 percent of deaths to COVID-19 in the state (outside of New York City), although theyre just 9 percent of the population. In the Big Apple, Hispanic and black people have died at rates 5 to 6 percent higher than the percentage of the population they make up.

The disparities that have plagued this city, this nation, that are all about fundamental inequality are once again causing such pain and causing innocent people to lose their lives, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press conference today. Its sick. Its troubling. Its wrong.

Improving the odds for neighborhoods of color, Williams says, will mean addressing the cascade of disparities when it comes to housing, air quality, education, and job opportunities. Your zip code is a better predictor of how long and how well you will live than your genetic code, Williams says.

Chicago has the biggest differences in life expectancies based on ZIP code in the US, according to data from NYU Langone Health. There, the neighborhood with the lowest life expectancy 60 years has a population thats almost 95 percent black. Meanwhile, the neighborhood with the highest life expectancy 90 years is predominantly white.

Without closing those neighborhood-to-neighborhood gaps, Williams fears that the economic fallout from COVID-19 could make health disparities even worse in the future. Without that investment, I shudder to think of what the long term effects are going to be, he says.

COVID-19 is deadlier in people who have preexisting health conditions that weaken their lungs and immune systems. Black Americans were already three times more likely to die from asthma-related causes in 2014, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Living in neighborhoods with more air pollution is likely a contributing factor: African Americans were 75 percent more likely to live in places bordering a polluting facility like a factory or refinery compared to other Americans, according to a 2017 report by the NAACP and Clean Air Task Force. Theyre also exposed to air thats 38 percent more polluted in comparison to white Americans, the report found.

Heightened risks for African Americans are paired with lower rates of being insured and lower median household incomes in comparison to whites, which can limit access to health care. Williams also points out that black households are less likely to have an economic cushion to help them get through the pandemic and its aftermath since they have 10 cents in wealth for every dollar that white households have accumulated.

While anyone struggling to make ends meet is especially vulnerable right now, Williams points out that people of color face the added burdens of racism and discrimination when trying to get medical care. Racial and ethnic minorities tend to get worse care compared to whites, regardless of insurance status, income, age, or severity of conditions, a comprehensive 2003 report from the National Academies Institute of Medicine found. Across virtually every therapeutic intervention, from the most simple medical procedure to the most complicated, blacks and other minorities receive poorer quality care and less intensive care than whites, Williams says. He fears the same could be playing out now.

Theres already some early evidence that testing for COVID-19 might have been out of reach for many African Americans, which could lead to a silent spread of the disease among black communities, says Syracuse University associate professor Shannon Monnat. States with more black residents and higher poverty rates had lower rates of testing for COVID-19, according to preliminary data published by Syracuse University last week. Those early figures similarly suffer from a poor baseline since testing has been low across the board for all Americans. But Monnat says that places that have large concentrations of vulnerable populations, including racial and ethnic minorities and poorer residents, tend to have poorer health care infrastructure, which could lead to less access to COVID-19 tests.

In response to New Yorks newly released numbers, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the state would increase its testing in minority communities and conduct research on why the state is seeing those gaps. Thats a late start considering the state has seen an exponential growth in cases for weeks, but it could serve as a lesson for other big cities bracing for a surge of infections.

You can almost predict with certainty that already marginalized and vulnerable populations will be getting tested less frequently and less easily than other populations, says Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University. They are always at risk for not getting whats needed, especially and including in times of disaster.

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America set up black communities to be harder hit by COVID-19 - The Verge

Public health officials have been warning that a Covid-19 vaccine will not be available to the public for 12 to 18 months, dampening hopes that there will be a quick end to the global pandemic nightmare.

But Chinese researchers cracked the virus' genetic code within weeks of its emergence late last year, and two vaccine candidates are already in early human trials one in China and the other in the United States.

What's the hold up?

Essentially, you can speed up the vaccine development process to respond to a pandemic, but you don't want to speed it up so much that you allow a bad vaccine to enter the market, explained Dr Greg Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group.

"The process of developing, testing and licencing a vaccine for widespread population use is designed to be slow, deliberative, peer-reviewed, reflective, evidence-based, so that we don't make mistakes," Poland said.

Going too fast could lead to a vaccine that's not effective or, worse, can cause serious health problems, Poland said.

Typically, clinical trials take 10 to 15 years and a billion dollars to complete, Poland said.

Vaccine trials come in three phases, said Dr Wilbur Chen, an adult infectious disease expert at the University of Maryland's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health:

The US vaccine candidate now in clinical trials was developed at record speed by scientists at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the biotech company Moderna.

"This was very dramatic that we were able to have the first Covid-19 vaccine into clinical trials within just a couple of months," Chen noted.

Researchers combined the virus' genetic code with existing processes to create the vaccine candidate, said Dr Kathleen Neuzil, director of the University of Maryland's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, in Baltimore.

"The reason we were able to get into trials so quickly is because this vaccine was modelled on other vaccines for influenza and Zika, using the same manufacturing process and the same technology, but just substituting the genetic code for this SARS-CoV2 virus," Neuzil said.

This trial has enlisted 45 healthy adults in Seattle, who are being tracked for about six weeks.

The Covid-19 virus infects lung cells using "spike" proteins that line the outside of the virus. These spikes bump into receptors on the lung cells, tricking the cells into letting the virus enter and infect them.

The NIAID/Moderna vaccine aims to teach the immune system to recognise these spike proteins and destroy the virus.

The US Food and Drug Administration has indicated that it is willing to speed up the regulatory process by allowing clinical trial phases to be combined.

For example, phase I and II trials could be combined by tracking both safety and immune response. Phase II trial participants could be followed into phase III, and tracked to see if the vaccine prevents community infection.

"We know we are in the middle of a pandemic right now, so we are very carefully following safety, but we really can't forget we're now at about the million mark for people infected with Covid-19," Neuzil said.

But Poland warned there are potential pitfalls that need to be considered in rushing a vaccine to market.

For example, the vaccine might not provide lasting immunity, either because people's immunity wanes quickly or because the virus mutates to get around it.

There already are concerns regarding the ability of people to remain immune to coronaviruses. People typically lose their immunity to coronavirus strains that cause the common cold within a year, Chen said.

Poland also is concerned about the focus of the NIAID/Moderna vaccine and other similar candidates on the "spike" or "S" protein alone.

"That's one area where there's been at least one identified mutation," Poland said of the coronavirus spike protein. "You put a mutational pressure on an RNA virus and, no surprise, the virus mutates and changes."

By comparison, flu vaccines include antigens related to two separate proteins on the influenza virus, to limit the virus' ability to mutate away from a person's established immunity, Poland explained.

Another concern is the potential for unintended safety consequences related to the vaccine.

"Something rushed out too fast that would have some significant side effect later would set back vaccine acceptance in an already vaccine-sceptical culture for decades," Poland said.

Neuzil noted that "when we have seen safety signals with vaccines, they ordinarily occur soon after you give the vaccine".

However, vaccine candidates earlier developed for the coronaviruses behind SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) have raised concerns about creating lung disease on their own, according to a recent editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The SARS vaccine candidates tended to cause "antibody-enhanced disease" in animal testing, a condition in which a creature that's received a vaccine not only gets infected by the target virus but also suffers worse symptoms than if they'd never been inoculated, Poland explained.

"It protected them from the virus, at the cost of antibody-enhanced disease. These animals developed an unusual immunopathological picture in their lungs and livers. The vaccines never progressed past that," Poland said.

Similar antibody-enhanced disease reactions also occurred in the 1960s with an inactivated measles vaccine and in 2018 with a vaccine for dengue, Poland said.

Poland foresees a potential future in which a Covid-19 vaccine is rushed out but proves ineffective in preventing infection, possibly because the virus has mutated around the vaccine. "A second strain develops next year that, when it infects people who have been immunised, they are not protected because of the false immunity they have or develop antibody-enhanced disease," he said.

There are as many as 40 vaccine candidates for Covid-19 in various stages of development, Poland said.

A second US company, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, announced on Monday that it is beginning phase I clinical trials in 40 healthy volunteers in Philadelphia and Kansas City, Missouri. This vaccine uses a section of the virus' genetic code packaged inside a piece of synthetic DNA.

Having many vaccine candidates will help in the process of speeding a successful vaccine to the public, Neuzil said.

"You can't count on a single vaccine," Neuzil said. "We want a lot of shots on goal right now, hoping that we'll score with at least one of these."

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Image credit: National Cancer Institute, Unsplash

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Why will it take so long for a Covid-19 vaccine? - Health24