StemCell Therapy

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Digital Health: Diabetes Apps and Virtual Coaching" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This special technology-based report provides an overview of diabetes, wearable glucose monitoring devices, smartphone-based digital health technologies, and attempts to answer the question: can digital health help improve diabetes?

Smartphone-based digital health technologies are expected to transform the diabetes management market over the next decade by substantially improving diabetes outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. These technologies are engaging and empowering patients, improving glycemic control, and lowering complications.

Digital health technologies are defined in this report as: diabetes smartphone apps integrated with blood glucose monitoring devices (both standard blood glucose meters and continuous glucose monitoring systems) and personalized virtual diabetes coaching services.

The adoption of smartphone-based digital health technologies for diabetes management is being driven by:

Key Topics Covered

Executive Summary

i. Digital health is transforming diabetes management

ii. Benefits

iii. Clinical data

iv. Limitations

v. Security concerns

vi. Conclusion

vii. Bibliography

1. Diabetes Overview

1.1 Type 1 diabetes: 5% of the diabetes population are insulin dependent

1.2 Type 2 diabetes: 95% of the diabetes population

1.3 Diabetes prevalence: rising by 50% over next 25 years

1.4 Complications: tight glycemic control can prevent complications

1.5 Prevention

1.6 Bibliography

2. New Guidelines for Achieving Glycemic Control

2.1 ADA's target A1c: 2019 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes

2.2 The importance of self-monitoring of blood glucose

2.3 The DCCT study

2.4 New 2019 ADA guidelines for glycemic targets: time-in-range

2.5 Medtronic's TIR goa

2.6 Bibliography

3. Blood Glucose Monitoring and the Rise of Smartphone-Driven Diabetes Apps

3.1 Ascens

3.2 DarioHealth

3.3 LifeScan

3.4 Welldoc's BlueStar for diabetes

3.5 Glooko

3.6 mySugr

3.7 Bibliography

Exhibit 3-1: Selected standard blood glucose meters and diabetes apps

Exhibit 3-2: OneTouch Verio Flex and OneTouch Reveal app

Exhibit 3-3: OneTouch Reveal Plus powered by Welldoc's BlueStar technology

Exhibit 3-4: Welldoc's BlueStar AI-driven smart diabetes app

Exhibit 3-5: Glooko Mobile app

Exhibit 3-6: mySugr app

4. Virtual Diabetes Coaching

4.1 Lark Technologies

4.2 Livongo

4.3 Onduo

4.4 One Drop

4.5 Virta Health

4.6 Bibliography

Exhibit 4-1: Onduo for diabetes

Exhibit 4-2: The One Drop digital diabetes management portfolio

Exhibit 4-3: Virta app

5. Revolutionary Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems

5.1 Abbott

5.2 Dexcom

5.3 Medtronic

5.4 Nemaura Medical

5.5 Senseonics

5.6 Bibliography

Exhibit 5-1: Selected continuous glucose monitoring systems with diabetes app

Exhibit 5-2: The FreeStyle Libre CGM 14-day sensor and LibreLink app

Exhibit 5-3: The Dexcom G6 CGM System with extended 10-day sensor

Exhibit 5-4: Dexcom CLARITY diabetes management software-

Exhibit 5-5: The Guardian Connect CGM System with Sugar.IQ app

Exhibit 5-6: The SugarBEAT system

Exhibit 5-7: The Eversense CGM and mobile app

6. Clinical data - Can Digital Health Help Improve Diabetes?

6.1 Meaningful Reduction in HbA1c

6.2 Clinical review of diabetes apps/digital health technologies

6.3 Emerging full-service virtual diabetes clinics

6.4 Bibliography

Exhibit 6-1: Selected studies, average reduction in HbA1c with use of diabetes apps and/ or digital app-based coaching programs

Companies Mentioned

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gz9guz

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2020 Study on Digital Health: Diabetes Apps and Virtual Coaching - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business Wire

One promising way to treat diabetes is with transplanted islet cells that produce insulin when blood sugar levels get too high. However, patients who receive such transplants must take drugs to prevent their immune systems from rejecting the transplanted cells, so the treatment is not often used.

To help make this type of therapy more feasible, MIT researchers have now devised a way to encapsulate therapeutic cells in a flexible protective device that prevents immune rejection while still allowing oxygen and other critical nutrients to reach the cells. Such cells could pump out insulin or other proteins whenever they are needed.

The vision is to have a living drug factory that you can implant in patients, which could secrete drugs as-needed in the patient. We hope that technology like this could be used to treat many different diseases, including diabetes, says Daniel Anderson, an associate professor of chemical engineering, a member of MITs Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, and the senior author of the work.

In a study of mice, the researchers showed that genetically engineered human cells remained viable for at least five months, and they believe they could last longer to achieve long-term treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes or hemophilia, among others.

Suman Bose, a research scientist at the Koch Institute, is the lead author of the paper, which appears today in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Protective effect

Patients with type 1 diabetes usually have to inject themselves with insulin several times a day to keep their blood sugar levels within a healthy range. Since 1999, a small number of diabetes patients have received transplanted islet cells, which can take over for their nonfunctioning pancreas. While the treatment is often effective, the immunosuppressant drugs that these patients have to take make them vulnerable to infection and can have other serious side effects.

For several years, Andersons lab has been working on ways to protect transplanted cells from the hosts immune system, so that immunosuppressant drugs would not be necessary.

We want to be able to implant cells into patients that can secrete therapeutic factors like insulin, but prevent them from being rejected by the body, Anderson says. If you could build a device that could protect those cells and not require immune suppression, you could really help a lot of people.

To protect the transplanted cells from the immune system, the researchers housed them inside a device built out of a silicon-based elastomer (polydimethylsiloxane) and a special porous membrane. Its almost the same stiffness as tissue, and you make it thin enough so that it can wrap around organs, Bose says.

They then coated the outer surface of the device with a small-molecule drug called THPT. In a previous study, the researchers had discovered that this molecule can help prevent fibrosis, a buildup of scar tissue that results when the immune system attacks foreign objects.

The device contains a porous membrane that allows the transplanted cells obtain nutrients and oxygen from the bloodstream. These pores must be large enough to allow nutrients and insulin to pass through, but small enough so that immune cells such as T cells cant get in and attack the transplanted cells.

In this study, the researchers tested polymer coatings with pores ranging from 400 nanometers to 3 micrometers in diameter, and found that a size range of 800 nanometers to 1 micrometer was optimal. At this size, small molecules and oxygen can pass through, but not T cells. Until now, it had been believed that 1-micrometer pores would be too large to stop cellular rejection.

Drugs on demand

In a study of diabetic mice, the researchers showed that transplanted rat islets inside microdevices maintained normal blood glucose levels in the mice for more than 10 weeks.

The researchers also tested this approach with human embryonic kidney cells that were engineered to produce erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that promotes red blood cell production and is used to treat anemia. These therapeutic human cells survived in mice for at least the 19-week duration of the experiment.

The cells in the device act as a factory and continuously produce high levels of EPO. This led to an increase in the red blood cell count in the animals for as long as we did the experiment, Anderson says.

In addition, the researchers showed that they could program the transplanted cells to produce a protein only in response to treatment with a small molecule drug. Specifically, the transplanted engineered cells produced EPO when mice were given the drug doxycycline. This strategy could allow for on-demand production of a protein or hormone only when it is needed.

This type of living drug factory could be useful for treating any kind of chronic disease that requires frequent doses of a protein or hormone, the researchers say. They are currently focusing on diabetes and are working on ways to extend the lifetime of transplanted islet cells.

This is the eighth Nature journal paper our team has published in the past four-plus years elucidating key fundamental aspects of biocompatibility of implants. We hope and believe these findings will lead to new super-biocompatible implants to treat diabetes and many other diseases in the years to come, says Robert Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT and an author of the paper.

Sigilon Therapeutics, a company founded by Anderson and Langer, has patented the use of the THPT coating for implantable devices and is now developing treatments based on this approach.

The research was funded by JDRF. Other authors of the paper include Lisa Volpatti, Devina Thiono, Volkan Yesilyurt, Collin McGladian, Yaoyu Tang, Amanda Facklam, Amy Wang, Siddharth Jhunjhunwala, Omid Veiseh, Jennifer Hollister-Lock, Chandrabali Bhattacharya, Gordon Weir, and Dale Greiner.

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Living drug factories might treat diabetes and other diseases - MIT News

News > Clinical Daily News

A new study has shown that exercise may be the best way to improve heart function in adults with type 2 diabetes but a specialized diet can reverse the condition.

Heart failure is a common complication of diabetes, and signs of future trouble can show up as changes to heart function in younger adults. Investigators compared the impact of supervised aerobic exercise and a low-energy meal replacement program on heart function in 87 patients ages 18 to 65 with the disease.

Participants underwent echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging to confirm early heart dysfunction, and exercise tests to measure cardiovascular fitness.

Significant improvements in heart function were found in exercise program participants when compared with a control group. These patients also had an increase in exercise capacity. In contrast, the low energy diet did not improve heart function, but the intervention certainly wasnt a total loss. Patients in the diet group not only had favorable changes to heart structure and vascular function, but 83% in this cohort experienced a reversal of their diabetes, reported Prof. Gerry McCann, from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom.

It may seem obvious, but if we can empower patients with type 2 diabetes to make changes to their daily routines through exercise and healthy eating, we may help them reduce the risk of heart failure and even early death, McCann concluded.

Full findings were published in Diabetes Care.

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Exercise improves heart function in diabetes, while diet reverses the condition, finds study - Clinical Daily News - McKnight's Long Term Care News

The last time Sahar Hillel left the house beyond going to work or walking her dog was March 7.

Even then, she wore blue latex lab gloves nearly everywhere she went. Now she has her mom do her grocery shopping and has limited her trips to solitary walks with her Catahoula golden retriever mix, Wilbur.

Weeks before Gov. Phil Murphy issued a stay-at-home order to state residents, Hillel already had hunkered down, taking every precaution against the coronavirus.

A Type 1 diabetic for eight years, Hillel, 23, had seen how the disease made it difficult for her body to fight off even minor infections. Now, the East Brunswick resident is not taking any chances exposing herself to the potentially deadly novel virus.

Ive basically been in isolation for three weeks, Hillel said. With diabetes, you can end up in the hospital for little things. But this is not the time to end up in the hospital for something.

Hillel already heeded a dire warning now being issued by some health officials: People with diabetes are at high risk for serious complications from COVID-19 and should take extra precautions.

Older adults and people who have serious underlying medical conditions such as heart disease, chronic lung disease or severe obesity also are vulnerable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But early studies from China, as well as growing evidence in the United States, suggest people with diabetes should be especially vigilant.

Of 191 adults diagnosed with the virus early on in Wuhan, China the epicenter of the pandemic about half had underlying medical conditions, most commonly diabetes and high blood pressure, according to a study by Chinese doctors. Fifty-four of them died, with diabetes or coronary heart disease emerging as factors increasing the likelihood of death.

People with diabetes who contracted the coronavirus had a fatality rate of 7%, according to a CDC report based on 44,000 confirmed cases in China as of Feb. 11. The rate for those without an underlying medical condition was just 0.9%.

More than 30 million people in the United States or about 10% of the population have diabetes, according to the CDC. In 2017, it was the seventh-leading cause of death in the country.

Its safe to say people with diabetes should be considered among those at risk for worse outcomes with a COVID-19 infection, said Robert H. Eckel, president of science and medicine at the American Diabetes Association. The patient with diabetes needs to wake up to the fact that they will be at increased risk, and if they get the infection, they do less well.

Sahar Hillel with her dog, Wilbur.

The message came into focus early in New Jersey. During a press briefing March 10, state officials announced the first person in the state to die from coronavirus was a 69-year-old man from Bergen County with a history of health issues including diabetes.

Type 2 diabetics, who make up the majority of people with diabetes, tend to deal with chronic, low-grade inflammation that causes the immune system to operate at an abnormal state, according to Eckel. In addition, the bodys ability to fight infection by mounting a white blood cell count is impaired, Eckel said.

Taken together, diabetics have trouble fighting viral and bacterial infections, while also at increased risk of contracting common infectious diseases.

Diabetes is a condition that predisposes to many complications, some of which are short term, while others are more long term, said Michael Steinberg, chief of general internal medicine and vice chair for research at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick.

Diabetes has an impact on overall immune system functioning, and elevated blood sugars themselves can increase infection risk. Therefore, people with diabetes may be at increased risk of many infections, possibly including COVID-19.

Eckel said more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between diabetes and coronavirus.

Patients with diabetes doing more poorly with this specific infection has been suggested by the Chinese, he said. But we dont have an adequate data collection in the U.S. yet to really know whether this is going to play out here.

With coronavirus spreading across New Jersey state numbers swelled to 4,402 cases and 62 deaths as of Wednesday Steinberg and Eckel said people with diabetes should be extra vigilant.

Diabetics should maintain healthy diets, exercise, limit exposure and make certain their blood sugar levels remain in optimal range.

This includes making sure they have an ample supply of their medications and that they take them regularly, Steinberg said. We know that elevated blood sugar can increase risk of infections, and this likely includes pulmonary infections, such as COVID-19.

Hillel already is heeding that advice. Diagnosed with diabetes when she was 15, the Middlesex County resident has taken health precautions for almost a decade. When she saw coronavirus reached Seattle in February, she thought it was a matter of time before it made its way to New Jersey.

She began working from home March 16.

I recognized what was going to happen, Hillel said. Im a little more conscious of stuff like that than everyone else.

I literally havent gone anywhere, she added. The last time I went to the grocery store was March 7.

Steinberg and Eckel said Hillel is making all the right decisions.

Be safe, stay at home, take your medications and avoid contact with others who could spread the infection, Steinberg said.

Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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People with diabetes are at high risk for coronavirus complications. Heres how to stay safe. - NJ.com

A young secondary school-teacher with type 1 diabetes has spoken about recovering from COVID-19, her experience, her symptoms, and how she conquered it.

Sarah Hall also has a condition called Alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT) which affects her lungs and liver, putting her at a greater risk of the virus.

The account begins when the 26-year-old started feeling tired at the beginning of March, she told the Daily Telegraph. She initially put the fatigue down to the stresses of teaching. However, the next day she developed a cough and felt like she was freezing cold.

She was advised to self-isolate by her work, and rang the NHS 111 operator who said it sounded like she had developed COVID-19.

Sarah said: I struggled to breathe and felt constantly dizzy I felt like I was about to pass out. But I tried to keep calm, drink plenty of water and keep as busy as I could.

Overall, her symptoms included:

At one point Sarah thought she was feeling better and was over the worst, but in just a couple of days she began sweating, vomiting and struggling to breathe.

She said: At this point Im unsure whether to go to hospital. I feel as though Ill be wasting valuable resources and I may be an infection risk to vulnerable patients.

At 7pm on Saturday night I ring NHS 111 again. Im in a really bad way. We wait nine hours for an ambulance to arrive and face-to-face assess me.

When the ambulance still does not appear, it is suggested that Sarah gets herself to hospital. She is admitted and eventually tested positive for COVID-19.

She said: I was severely dehydrated so was ordered fluids, and then sent back home. By day seven of the virus I felt better and the symptoms started to lessen. My birthday was ruined though I couldnt blow out candles!

Its not pleasant but I have a lung condition as well as diabetes and I conquered the virus.

The illness is the first of its kind to have such a global impact in living memory, but Sarahs story of conquering the virus shows that it is not all doom and gloom. There are many things you can do to protect yourself and keep yourself safe. For more information, you can refer to the Government website or view our coronavirus coverage and what you should be doing to follow the government guidelines.

Original post:
Young teacher with type 1 diabetes and lung condition conquers COVID-19 - Diabetes.co.uk

Newswise The revised framework for the AADE7 Self-Care Behaviors published this week in the April issue of The Diabetes Educator journal. As the foundation of diabetes self-management care and support, updates to the framework reflect growing shifts in diabetes, prediabetes and cardiometabolic care since their last update in 2010.

This update is in response to a broader change in how we now think about self-management, from linear behaviors we review on a list, to overlapping, connected lifestyle changes that build on each other, said Kellie Antinori-Lent, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, BC-ADM, CDCES, FADCES, 2020 president of the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists. Each behavior is, at its core, person-centered and that means we start with the person with diabetes and their readiness to change and sustain change. What barriers do they experience and how must we help them overcome those barriers?

Key trends from the revision include:

Expanded role of the diabetes care and education specialist

Increasing integration of technology into self-care

Greater awareness of social determinants of health

To read the revised framework, visit DiabetesEducator.org/AADE7behaviors.

About the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists: ADCES is an interdisciplinary professional membership organization dedicated to improving prediabetes, diabetes and cardiometabolic care through innovative education, management and support. With more than 12,000 professional members including nurses, dietitians, pharmacists and others, ADCES has a vast network of practitioners working to optimize care and reduce complications. ADCES supports an integrated care model that lowers the cost of care, improves experiences and helps its members lead so better outcomes follow. Learn more at DiabetesEducator.org, or visit us on Facebook or LinkedIn (Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists), Twitter (@ADCESdiabetes) and Instagram (@ADCESdiabetes).

Read more from the original source:
AADE7 Self-Care Behaviors revised in new guidance from the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists - Newswise

When you hear diabetes, your mind likely jumps to problems with producing insulin and regulating blood sugar. And thats definitely a key part of this chronic disease, which affects nearly 1 in 10 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But thats also just the tip of the iceberg.

Diabetes is like termites, in that it causes slow, hidden, but significant damage in the body, says Osama Hamdy, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Inpatient Diabetes Program at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Most patients with type 2 diabetes die from a heart attack, Dr. Hamdy says, but because the disease doesnt have many symptoms, people tend to take it lightly.

And evidence continues to mount that diabetes affects every system in the body, wreaking havoc if its not well managed. Learn more below about the side effects of diabetes and how you can protect yourself from complications. (The good news: Most can be avoided by following the treatment plan set out by your doctor.)

More here:
10 Unexpected Things That Happen to Your Body if Diabetes Goes Untreated - msnNOW

Dublin, April 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Cartilage Repair and Regeneration Market, by Treatment Modalities (Cell-Based Approach, Non-Cell-Based Approach), by Procedure Type, by Application, Outlook 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Due to changing lifestyle, a number of disorders like obesity and degenerative joint diseases are affecting the masses across the globe. These factors directly or indirectly develop cartilage injuries; and lead to a decline in the productivity of the working population, which ultimately causes some degree of disability. Therefore, increasing epidemiology of such diseases requires effective treatment options, generating significant demand for regenerative medicine used to restore damaged cartilage.

According to this new release, Global Cartilage Repair and Regeneration Market, by Treatment Modalities (Cell-Based Approach, Non-Cell-Based Approach), by Procedure Type, by Application Outlook 2022 , the industry is expanding at a fast pace. As per this report, the Cartilage Repair and Regeneration market are anticipated to witness high double-digit growth during the forecasted period (2016-2022). This report provides a detailed analysis of the current and future market scenario of the global Cartilage Repair and Regeneration market. The report provides insight into the major factors affecting growth, latest innovations, market segmentation, and competitive landscape.

The report segments the market on the basis of the treatment modalities, procedure type, applications, and geography, with the future forecasts on all prominent segments of the industry till 2022.

Based on treatment modality, the cell-based approaches segment accounts for the largest market share in the overall cartilage repair and regeneration market, due to long-term results of these therapies.

In terms of procedure type, microfracture and ACI are the most common procedure observed amongst all the types of the cartilage repair procedure. Furthermore, in terms of application, the hyaline cartilage repair and regeneration market accounts for the largest share in 2016. It is also expected to be the fastest-growing application segment in the cartilage repair and regeneration market. The large share and high growth of this segment can be attributed to the high prevalence of cartilage damage in hyaline cartilage.

Based on geography, the report divides the market into North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. In 2016, North America holds the major share in the market. However, the Asia-Pacific region is slated to witness the highest growth in the forecasted period. The growth of the Asia-Pacific market is driven by improving healthcare facilities, raising awareness, increasing prevalence of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, and increasing government initiatives in this region.

The report finally covers the competitive analysis of the key market players, in terms of their market share and their product offerings. The key vendors dominating the market space are Stryker Corp., Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc., Smith & Nephew Plc, DePuy Synthes, Inc., etc. The competitive analysis is done at each player level, including their recent developments. To provide a thorough understanding of each player's business model, the player's current and historical financials have been analyzed. Thus, the report provides a comprehensive analysis of cartilage repair & regeneration technology, which will enable investors to design suitable business strategies to target this market.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Analyst View

2. Research Methodology

3. Cartilage Repair-Overview

4. Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.1.1 Growing Incidences of Chondrodystrophies leading to Cartilage Injuries4.1.2 Rising Incidences of Orthopedic Diseases4.1.3 Surge in Sports Injuries4.1.4 Growing Geriatric Popuation4.1.5 Rising Prevalence of Obesity4.1.6 Technological Advancements4.2 Challenges4.2.1 Limited Health Insurance Coverage in Developing Countries4.2.2 High Cost of Knee Cartilage Repair Surgeries4.2.3 Complexity of Cartilage Repair Surgeries4.3 Opportunities4.3.1 Significant US Market Opportunity Due to Unsatisfactory First Line Therapies4.3.2 Emerging Economies to Offer Sustained Growth Opportunities4.3.3 Increased R&D Spending for Advancements in Knee Cartilage Repair4.3.4 Use of Bioactive Growth Factors4.3.5 3D Printing

5. Global Cartilage Repair and Regeneration Market Outlook 2022

6. Cartilage Repair and Regeneration Market, By Treatment Modalities6.1 Cell-Based Approach6.2 Non-Cell-Based Approach

7. Global Cartilage Repair and Regeneration Market, By Procedure Type7.1 Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation7.2 Cell-Based Cartilage Resurfacing7.3 Microfracture7.4 Osteochondral Allograft7.5 Others

8. Global Cartilage Repair and Regeneration Market, By Application8.1 Hyaline Cartilage Repair and Regeneration8.2 Elastic Cartilage Repair and Regeneration8.3 Fibrous Cartilage Repair and Regeneration

9. Global Cartilage Repair and Regeneration Market, By Geography9.1 North America9.2 Europe9.3 Asia-Pacific

10. Regulatory Landscape

11. Trends & Developments11.1 Cost-Effectiveness Promoting Interest in One-Step Surgery11.2 Bioactive Signals that Enhance Cartilage Repair11.3 Gene Therapy for Cartilage Repair11.4 Mesenchymal Stem Cells

12. Competitive Landscape12.1 Market Share of Key Players12.2 Comparative Analysis of Products

13. Key Players Analysis13.1 Stryker Corporation13.2 B. Braun Melsungen AG13.3 Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.13.4 Smith & Nephew plc13.5 DePuy Synthes, Inc. (A Subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson)13.6 Arthrex, Inc.13.7 Osiris Therapeutics, Inc.13.8 Vericel Corporation13.9 RTI Surgical, Inc.13.10 CONMED Corporation13.11 Anika Therapeutics, Inc.

14. The Future of Cartilage Repair

Story continues

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sd7qmv

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.comLaura Wood, Senior Press Managerpress@researchandmarkets.comFor E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

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Global Cartilage Repair and Regeneration Market, by Treatment Modalities, Procedure Type and Application to 2022 - Yahoo Finance

Avectas will provide access to its Solupure platform, which Vycellix will use to deliver its product candidate, VY-M, to T cells and NK cells.

According to Vycellixs president, Douglas Calder, the use of Solupure will allow for the accelerated expansion time of T cells and NK cells by decreasing the non-dividing lag times the overall aim being to reduce the vein-to-vein delivery time to patients.

In addition, the companies hope to reduce the cost of manufacture and to develop proprietary approaches for cell-based immunotherapeutic products.

Both companies are partners within NextGenNK, a center based on the development of NK cell-based cancer immunotherapies in Stockholm, Sweden.

The collaborative studies that will occur between the two partners will be divided between the Karolinska Institutet and Avectas Dublin, Ireland facility.

Vycellix willl use this platform to aid in the development of its pipeline of therapies, which includes VY-101 a retargeted optimized NK cell therapy. The company hopes to be able to submit an investigational new drug filing in 2021 for the treatment candidate.

Avectas recently signed an agreement to also utilize the platform alongside the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine to speed up the cell engineering process.

The companys Solupure platform uses membrane disruption to deliver nucleic acids and proteins to cells rather than viral cell engineering.

Read more:
Avectas partners with Vycellix to speed cell therapy production - BioPharma-Reporter.com

I want to add to the praise for the healthcare workers and first responders who are literally our front line in fighting this war we are in against a virus called COVID-19. As a retired medical technologist, I know that drive to do all we can to save the lives of others and not stopping for breaks or meals or even sleep until the work is done. I, thank God, was never in a battle that went on for days and weeks and now months, nor one where my life was at risk everyday when I went to work. Each and every one of you is a hero beyond compare.

In this same war, I am thinking we have not expressed enough praise for another group of frontline workers: those who are working in our grocery stores, hardware stores, drug stores and restaurants to keep us supplied with the essentials we need through this crisis. You are also at higher risk of being exposed than those of us who get to stay home. In positions that have been taken for granted by so many of us in our busy lives, we can now see you for the hugely important role you have always played in keeping society moving smoothly. Thank you.

Support for the most vulnerable

I am writing you to urge the support of legislation that addresses the needs of the most vulnerable:

1) $60 billion for the charitable sector and the construction of a mechanism for a rapid infusion of cash to those organizations serving immediate needs in communities while facing lost and declining revenue due to the pandemic.

2) Create a universal charitable deduction and allow post-March 1, 2020, donations to be claimed on 2019 taxes and future tax returns.

3) Clarify that charitable nonprofits of all sizes are able to participate in the emergency small business loan program by using the tax-law definition of charitable organizations (Sec. 501(c)(3) public charities).

4) Remove the cap on the number of employees and the language excluding nonprofits from receiving Medicaid reimbursements.

5) Increase funding for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program from the existing FY 2020 $125 million to $250 million to help people experiencing dire poverty.

6) Temporarily increase the maximum SNAP benefit.

7) Increase funding to prevent further homelessness. Provide an additional $15 billion for McKinney-Vento Emergency Solutions Grants and $5 billion for short-term rental assistance, like the Disaster Housing Assistance Program.

Thank you for acting in the welfare of the most vulnerable. Our society can only be as strong as our weakest links.

Making a false supposition

In Kenneth Gordons March 26 letter, (Facts vs. Hysteria), he maintained a false supposition: that COVID-19 is a form of flu. COVID-19 is not a form of flu, it is more akin to another coronavirus, the very deadly SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus, which is an infectious respiratory illness as is influenza; but this is a brand new virus. That means unlike the flu, which has a vaccine and several pharmaceutical therapies (including oseltamivir phosphate or Tamiflu), there are no vaccines or medicines available to treat the illness yet. Clinical trials for effective treatments and vaccines takes time. Another major concern is because COVID-19 is so new, scientists and medical researchers do not yet know if there are any long-term medical implications with this new virus or how frequently it mutates.

What the medical community does know is this new virus kills at a higher rate than influenza. Currently, the Journal of the American Medical Association estimates the virus is killing at a rate of 2.7 percent compared to a death rate of 1 percent for influenza, although the death rate in Italy is 7.2 percent. The World Health Organization is currently saying little slows this bug down, except for being well informed: Social distancing, sneezing/coughing into elbows and people being vigilant in not touching their face plus hand washing, and paying attention to any symptoms.

So, rather than worry about going back to work, instead consider your fellow humans while you may only show few or no symptoms, that germ you pass on may kill another person. Is going back to work fast really worth that risk?

Knowing it is all for the best

I am always thinking of ways to keep in touch with old friends and family from afar, so I am using this letter to the editor to more widely let known I am fine and am not affected yet by COVID 19.

Because of my interest in history, I have been thinking about other pandemics such as typhoid fever and polio and am encouraged by the fact that these diseases are no longer a threat. My grandfather, I believe, contracted typhoid fever from drinking contaminated water in the Wisconsin Dells.

And I remember how relieved I was during the polio epidemic to finally be able to take polio vaccine. We have come a long way with penicillin other miracle drugs, and I want to put in a plug for the advances in regenerative medicine now on the horizon, specifically stem cell therapy that I underwent this past year. One of the advantages of that is that it only took a half day and I could avoid a prolonged hospital stay. With the fear of contamination and spread of viruses, that was significant for me. I miss seeing you all but know it is for the best.

Drinking poison wastheir own mistake

Propylene glycol is used in many processed foods. Ethylene glycol is the main ingredient in antifreeze. They have similar names, but you wouldnt want to drink antifreeze. That would be stupid. Im sure that Charlie Powell (Tooth & Nail, Daily News), who I believe has a personal acquaintance with veterinarians at WSU, has seen what happens to dogs that dip their tongues in antifreeze.

Recently, we learned of an unfortunate couple of people who tried to self-medicate by drinking poison. The poison has a name similar to a common drug that could be an effective treatment for COVID-19. That is very sad, but obviously it was less than wise.

The drug in question has been safely used for decades to treat a variety of ailments, and doctors around the world have seen promising results against the new coronavirus. Mr. Powell, in his March 28 column, notes that there is an elected official who has mentioned this hopeful development, and then clearly suggests that the elected official is responsible for the actions of those unfortunately mistaken people. Negative, Mr. Powell!

People need to be aware of what they are doing, and if they purposely drink poison, its their own mistake. Theirs alone. Sad, but true.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR | Opinion - Moscow-Pullman Daily News

DUBLIN, March 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN) today announced it has received the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award for 2020, marking the seventh consecutive year it has earned ENERGY STAR'shighest honor. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency award recognizes Allergan for its continued leadership in energy management and efficiency.

"Allergan is proud of its longstanding commitment to increasing our energy efficiency and reducing our impact on the environment. Four years ago, we set an aggressive goal to reduce our total energy usage by 20 percent between 2015 and 2020 and today we are well on our way to achieving that goal. We congratulate our global colleagues for their tremendous efforts to support environmental responsibility, which continue to be recognized year after year," saidWayne Swanton, Executive Vice President, Global Operations atAllergan.

Prior to earning the ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence distinction for the last seven years, Allergan was recognized as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for two consecutive years. Additionally, Allergan's manufacturing facility in Waco, Texas was recently named an ENERGY STAR Certified Manufacturing Plant for superior energy performance, a distinction earned only by plants in the top 25 percent of energy performance in the United States. Allergan also achieved ENERGY STAR certification for a building located at its Irvine, California campus.Allerganhas been an ENERGY STARpartner since 1996.

For a complete list of 2020 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR's awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.

About Allergan plc

Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a global pharmaceutical leader focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical and regenerative medicine products for patients around the world. Allergan markets a portfolio of leading brands and best-in-class products primarily focused on four key therapeutic areas including medical aesthetics, eye care, central nervous system and gastroenterology. As part of its approach to delivering innovation for better patient care, Allergan has built one of the broadest pharmaceutical and device research and development pipelines in the industry.

With colleagues and commercial operations located in approximately 100 countries, Allergan is committed to working with physicians, healthcare providers and patients to deliver innovative and meaningful treatments that help people around the world live longer, healthier lives every day.

For more information, visit Allergan's website atwww.Allergan.com.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STARis the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizationsincluding more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500 companiesrely on their partnership with EPA to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its thousands of partners helped American families and businesses save more than 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity and achieve over 3.5 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. In 2018 alone, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped Americans avoid nearly $35 billion in energy costs. More background information about ENERGY STAR can be found at: energystar.gov/about and energystar.gov/numbers.

Story continues

Forward-Looking Statement

Statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Allergan's current perspective on existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Actual results may differ materially from Allergan's current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Allergan's business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of FDA approvals or actions, if any; the impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and continued demand for Allergan's products; the impact of uncertainty around timing of generic entry related to key products, including RESTASIS, on our financial results; risks associated with divestitures, acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures; risks related to impairments; uncertainty associated with financial projections, projected cost reductions, projected debt reduction, projected synergies, restructurings, increased costs, and adverse tax consequences;difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Allergan's periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Allergan's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

CONTACTS:

Allergan: Investors:Manisha Narasimhan, PhD(862) 261-7488

Media:Lisa Brown(862) 261-7320

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Allergan Earns ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award for the Seventh Consecutive Year - Yahoo Finance

On Thursday, the Faculty Senate voted 36-15 to mandate that all spring quarter courses be graded on a satisfactory/no-credit (S/NC) basis. Courses in the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford Law School and Stanford School of Medicines M.D. program were exempt from this decision, but those schools may opt in.

The Senate also approved a measure that strongly urges departments and programs to exclude units of credit earned for a CR or S grade during spring quarter 2019-20 from program unit maximums and/or alter program requirements as appropriate.

The Daily has reached out to all of Stanfords departments, schools and programs that offer undergraduate and/or graduate degrees to compile a list of those accepting courses taken on a S/NC basis this spring for degree requirements. Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing, Thinking Matters and Program in Writing and Rhetoric courses taken S/NC in the spring will also count toward undergraduate graduation requirements.

No departments, schools or programs have yet said that they will not be accepting courses taken S/NC this spring. The following list will be updated as The Daily receives additional responses.

Graduate School of EducationEducation (Minor)

School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (All degrees)

School of EngineeringAeronautics and Astronautics (Major, Minor)Architectural Design (Major)Atmosphere and Energy (Major)Bioengineering (All degrees)Biomechanical Engineering (Major)Biomedical Computation (Major)Chemical Engineering (Major, Minor)Civil Engineering (Major, Minor)Computer Science (Major, Minor, M.S.)Electrical Engineering (Major, Minor)Engineering Physics (Major)Environmental Systems Engineering (Major, Minor)Management Science and Engineering (Major, Minor)Materials Science and Engineering (Major, Minor)Mechanical Engineering (All degrees)Product Design (Major)

School of Humanities & SciencesAmerican Studies (Major, Minor)Applied Physics (All degrees)Archaeology (Major, Minor)Biology (Major, Minor)Center for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity (Major, Minor)Chemistry (Major, Minor)Classics (Major, Minor)Communication (All degrees)Creative Writing (Minor)Data Science (Minor)Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages (All degrees)Economics (Major, Minor)English (Major, Minor)Human Biology (Major, Minor)Human Rights (Minor)International Relations (Major, Minor)Linguistics (Major, Minor)Mathematical and Computational Science (Major, Minor)Mathematics (Major, Minor)Music (Major, Minor)Philosophy (Major, Minor)Physics (Major, Minor)Political Science (Major, Minor)Psychology (Major, Minor)Public Policy (Major, Minor)Religious Studies (Major, Minor)Sociology (Major, Minor)Statistics (Minor)Symbolic Systems (Major, Minor)Urban Studies (Major, Minor)

School of MedicineBiochemistry (All degrees)Bioengineering (All degrees)Biomedical Informatics (All degrees)Biophysics (All degrees)Cancer Biology (All degrees)Chemical and Systems Biology (All degrees)Epidemiology & Clinical Research (M.S., Ph.D.)Genetics (All degrees)Health Policy (M.S., Ph.D.)Immunology (All degrees)Microbiology and Immunology (All degrees)Neurosciences (All degrees)Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (All degrees)

Contact Camryn Pak at cpak23 at stanford.edu.

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Here are the departments accepting S/NC in spring 2020 - The Stanford Daily

If you have a question or comment related to BU and its response to the COVID-19 crisis, on the subject of the move-out, remote learning, retrieving personal belongings, or anything else, please visit Boston Universitys special COVID-19 website. Questions are being answered there by specific departments in a timely fashion. Thank you. Doug Most, executive editor, BU Today

Even the dogs wont come downstairs.

Number killed in the 9/11 attacks:

2,977

BU-based Boston Playwrights Theatre (BPT) will present a very different Boston Theater Marathon when the annual event begins today, Wednesday, April 1, and it might be just the distraction that all us shut-ins need.

More than 200 Boston-area theater artists are working on Boston Theater Marathon XXII: Special Zoom Edition, which features 10-minute plays written by New England playwrights and presented by New England theater companies. There will be one broadcast every day at noon for more than a month on Zoom, the videoconferencing tool that just about everyone is using to stay in touch these days. Find a complete schedule, with Zoom links, here.

The Elliot Norton Awardwinning marathon, a yearly community-based charity event benefiting the Theatre Community Benevolent Fund, was scheduled for April 19, but was canceled as the coronavirus pandemic escalated earlier this month. Audiences who dial in to the event will be encouraged to donate to participating theater companies and/or to the Theatre Community Benevolent Fund.

We wont let this necessary distancing stop these gifted playwrights and these wonderful companies from coming together to celebrate new work, says BPT and Marathon artistic director Kate Snodgrass (GRS90), a College of Arts & Sciences professor of the practice of playwriting. Theater will continuewhether its on the stage or in our hearts (or rather, in this case, on Zoom). Whether its for 10 minutes or for 10 hours, art lives.

This years Theater Marathon was intended to be a homecoming of sortsthe first time the event had been held at Boston Playwrights Theatre since 2004. (It was at the Huntington Theatre Companys Virginia Wimberly Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts from 2005 to 2019.) Instead of honoring our past, times dictate that we try something new, says K. Alexa Mavromatis (GRS11), BPT marketing director.

Todays first installment is Three Ladybugs, by Vicki Meagher, sponsored by Boston Playwrights Theatreand featuring an all-BU cast. Its directed by Darren Evans (CAS95), stars Melinda Lopez (GRS00), a CAS adjunct assistant professor of playwriting, as Atheist Ladybug, and veteran Boston stage actors Paula Plum (CFA75) as Agnostic Ladybug and Karen McDonald (CFA72) as Believer Ladybug. Snodgrass and Evans have voice-over parts (Woman and Man) and Mavromatis will read stage directions. Playwrights represented this year include Mavromatis and Ronn Noone (GRS01), as well as local stalwarts like Patrick Gabridge and John Kuntz (GRS05).

The Theater Marathon is traditionally presented as a 10-hour, all-day affair featuring 10-minute plays by 50 New England playwrights and produced by 50 New England theater companies. Instead, this year it will be a daily Zoom-based lunch break through May 17. Readings will begin each day at noon and last approximately 15 minutes. Audiences will need to download the free Zoom app to participate, and it is recommended that they call in a few minutes before curtain time. Nearly every playwright and theater company tapped to participate in the onstage version will be part of the Zoom event.

And yes, the Zoom events will be set up so only the performers are seen and heard.

On Thursday, April 2, all BU alumni, students, faculty, and staff across the globe are asked to wear BU gear for the day and post proudly across social channels using #TerriersTogetheralong with messages of positivity and connection for the BU community. The #TerriersTogether web page asks students and alums to:

The page also offers downloadable Zoom backgrounds so at your next meeting you can make it look like youre at the BU Beach or the GSU.

A couple of BU Today stories we want to be sure you didnt miss: 50 Boston collaborators gathered at the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) on Boston Universitys Medical Campus in March to develop their own FDA-approved coronavirus test. A Questrom supply-chain expert says stock up, yes, but dont panic about food supplies. Also: Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and model Camille Kostek have donated 10,000 medical-grade KN95 masks to both Boston Medical Center and St. Josephs University Medical Center in New Jersey, in an effort to assist with the high demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. And finally, if you have followed the conventional wisdom as it evolves toward everybody wear a mask when you go outside, heres how to make your own.

The Massachusetts governor announced Tuesday that he is extending the order closing nonessential businesses and that the state Department of Public Health will keep its stay-at-home advisory in place, both until May 4, matching planned school closures. Gatherings larger than 10 people are also banned. The White House on Sunday extended guidelines for Americans to maintain social distancing through April 30.

An updated list of essential businesses is being distributed. Among the changes: hotels, motels, and short-term rentals like AirBnBs can no longer be booked for leisure purposes. They may be used only for efforts related to fighting COVID-19, like frontline health workers, or for Massachusetts residents who have been otherwise displaced from their residences. People should really be using common sense and not going on vacation right now, Baker said.

The FBI has received multiple reports of conferences being disrupted by pornographic and/or hate images and threatening language, the Boston Globe reports. Apparently, now that were all using Zoom to study and stay connected in an age of social distancing, it has become fertile ground for trolls and hate-mongers. The feds recommend that you use passwords and other Zoom features to prevent disrupters from getting into your work meetings and virtual cocktail parties.

The White House released the epidemiological models of the spread of coronavirus in the United States that painted such a grim picture that President Trump gave up his plan to reopen the country on Easter. Trump warned Americans of a very, very painful two weeks ahead. The models showed the virus is likely to kill 100,000 to as many as 240,000Americans this year. Trump now says social distancing and business closures will continue through April.

A nationwide trial is underway to see if the drug hydroxychloroquine can prevent disease in people exposed to the novel coronavirus. A second trial will test to see if the drug can prevent severe disease in people who are already showing COVID-19 symptoms. Both are run by a University of Minnesota infectious disease specialist.

United States, 174,467; Massachusetts, 6,620.

FindBU Todays latest coverage of the pandemichere. The Universitys hotline for faculty, staff, students, and visiting scholars to call for referral of their virus-related medical concerns is 617-358-4990.

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Coronavirus: BU Wednesday Roundup | BU Today - BU Today

TORONTO, March 31, 2020 /CNW/ - The Gairdner Foundation is pleased to announce the 2020 Canada Gairdner Award laureates, recognizing some of the world's most significant biomedical research and discoveries. During these challenging times, we believe it is important to celebrate scientists and innovators from around the world and commend them for their tireless efforts to conduct research that impacts human health.

2020 Canada Gairdner International AwardThe five 2020 Canada Gairdner International Award laureates are recognized for seminal discoveries or contributions to biomedical science:

Dr. Masatoshi TakeichiSenior Visiting Scientist, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan; Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

Dr. Rolf KemlerEmeritus Member and Director, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany

Awarded "For their discovery, characterization and biology of cadherins and associated proteins in animal cell adhesion and signalling."

Dr. Takeichi

The Work: The animal body is made up of numerous cells. Dr. Takeichi was investigatinghow animal cells stick together to form tissues and organs, and identified a key protein which he named 'cadherin'.Cadherin is present on the surface of a cell and binds to the same cadherin protein on the surface of another cell through like-like interaction, thereby binding the cells together. Without cadherin, cell to cell adhesion becomes weakened and leads to the disorganization of tissues. Dr. Takeichi found that there are multiple kinds of cadherin within the body, each of which are made by different cell types, such as epithelial and neuronal cells. Cells with the same cadherins tend to cluster together, explaining the mechanism of how different cells are sorted out and organized to form functional organs.

Further studies by Dr. Takeichi's group showed that cadherin function is supported by a number of cytoplasmic proteins, includingcatenins, and their cooperation is essential for shaping of tissues. His studies also revealed that the cadherin-dependent adhesion mechanism is involved in synaptic connections between neurons, which are important for brain wiring.

Dr. Kemler

The Work: Dr. Kemler, using an immunological approach, developed antibodies directed against surface antigens of early mouse embryos. These antibodies were shown to prevent compaction of the mouse embryo and interfered with subsequent development. Both Dr. Kemler and Dr. Takeichi went on to clone and sequence the gene encoding E-cadherin and demonstrate that it was governing homophilic cell adhesion.

Dr. Kemler also discovered the other proteins that interact with the cadherins, especially the catenins, to generate the machinery involved in animal cell-to-cell adhesion. This provided the first evidence of their importance in normal development and diseases such as cancer. It has been discovered that cadherins and catenins are correlated to the formation and growth of some cancers and how tumors continue to grow. Beta catenin is linked to cell adhesion through interaction with cadherins but is also a key component of the Wnt signalling pathway that is involved in normal development and cancer. There are approximately 100 types of cadherins, known as the cadherin superfamily.

Dr. Takeichi

The Impact: The discovery of cadherins, which are found in all multicellular animalspecies, has allowed us to interpret how multicellular systems are generated and regulated. Loss of cadherin function has been implicated as the cause of certain cancers, as well as in invasiveness of many cancers. Mutations in special types of cadherin result in neurological disorders, such as epilepsy and hearing loss. The knowledge of cadherin function is expected to contribute to the development of effective treatments against such diseases.

Dr. Kemler

The Impact: Human tumors are often of epithelial origin. Given the role of E-cadherin for the integrity of an epithelial cell layer, the protein can be considered as a suppressor of tumor growth. The research on the cadherin superfamily has had great impact on fields as diverse as developmental biology, cell biology, oncology, immunology and neuroscience. Mutations in cadherins/catenins are frequently found in tumors. Various screens are being used to identify small molecules that might restore cell adhesion as a potential cancer therapy.

Dr. Roel NusseProfessor & Chair, Department of Developmental Biology; Member, Institute for StemCell Biology andRegenerativeMedicine, Stanford University, School of Medicine.Virginia and Daniel K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Research. Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Awarded"For pioneering work on the Wnt signaling pathway and its importance in development, cancer and stem cells"

The Work: Dr. Nusse's research has elucidated the mechanism and role of Wnt signaling, one of the most important signaling systems in development. There is now abundant evidence that Wnt signaling is active in cancer and in control of proliferation versus differentiation of adult stem cells, making the Wnt pathway one of the paradigms for the fundamental connections between normal development and cancer.

Among Dr. Nusse's contributions is the original discovery of the first Wnt gene (together with Harold Varmus) as an oncogene in mouse breast cancer. Afterwards Dr. Nusse identified the Drosophila Wnt homolog as a key developmental gene, Wingless. This led to the general realization of the remarkable links between normal development and cancer, now one of the main themes in cancer research. Using Drosophila genetics, he established the function of beta-catenin as a mediator of Wnt signaling and the Frizzleds as Wnt receptors (with Jeremy Nathans), thereby establishing core elements of what is now called the Wnt pathway. A major later accomplishment of his group was the first successful purification of active Wnt proteins, showing that they are lipid-modified and act as stem cell growth factors.

The Impact: Wnt signaling is implicated in the growth of human embryos and the maintenance of tissues. Consequently, elucidating the Wnt pathway is leading to deeper insights into degenerative diseases and the development of new therapeutics. The widespread role of Wnt signaling in cancer is significant for the treatment of the disease as well. Isolating active Wnt proteins has led to the use of Wnts by researchers world-wide as stem cell growth factors and the expansion of stem cells into organ-like structures (organoids).

Dr. Mina J. Bissell Distinguished Senior Scientist, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Faculty; Graduate Groups in Comparative Biochemistry, Endocrinology, Molecular Toxicology and Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA

Awarded "For characterizing "Dynamic Reciprocity" and the significant role that extracellular matrix (ECM) signaling and microenvironment play in gene regulation in normal and malignant cells, revolutionizing the fields of oncology and tissue homeostasis."

The Work: Dr. Mina Bissell's career has been driven by challenging established paradigms in cellular and developmental biology. Through her research, Dr. Bissell showed that tissue architecture plays a dominant role in determining cell and tissue phenotype and proposed the model of 'dynamic reciprocity' (DR) between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and chromatin within the cell nucleus. Dynamic reciprocity refers to the ongoing, bidirectional interaction between cells and their microenvironment. She demonstrated that the ECM could regulate gene expression just as gene expression could regulate ECM, and that these two phenomena could occur concurrently in normal or diseased tissue.

She also developed 3D culture systems to study the interaction of the microenvironment and tissue organization and growth, using the mammary gland as a model.

The Impact:Dr. Bissell's model of dynamic reciprocity has been proven and thoroughly established since its proposal three decades ago and the implications have permeated every area of cell and cancer biology, with significant implications for current and future therapies. Dr. Bissell's work has generated a fundamental and translationally crucial paradigm shift in our understanding of both normal and malignant tissues.

Her findings have had profound implications for cancer therapy by demonstrating that tumor cells can be influenced by their environment and are not just the product of their genetic mutations. For example, cells from the mammary glands grown in two-dimensional tissue cultures rapidly lose their identity, but once placed in proper three-dimensional microenvironments, they regain mammary form and function. This work presages the current excitement about generation of 3D tissue organoids and demonstrates Dr. Bissell's creative and innovative approach to science.

Dr. Elaine FuchsHoward Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Rebecca C. Lancefield Professor and Head of the Robin Chemers Neustein Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Cell Biology; The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA

Awarded"For her studies elucidating the role of tissue stem cells in homeostasis, wound repair, inflammation and cancer."

The Work: Dr. Fuchs has used skin to study how the tissues of our body are able to replace dying cells and repair wounds. The skin must replenish itself constantly to protect against dehydration and harmful microbes. In her research, Fuchs showed that this is accomplished by a resident population of adult stem cells that continually generates a shell of indestructible cells that cover our body surface.

In her early research, Fuchs identified the proteins---keratinsthat produce the iron framework of the skin's building blocks, and showed that mutations in keratins are responsible for a group of blistering diseases in humans. In her later work, Fuchs identified the signals that prompt skin stem cells to make tissue and when to stop. In studying these processes, Fuchs learned that cancers hijack the fundamental mechanisms that tissue stem cells use to repair wounds. Her team pursued this parallel and isolated and characterized the malignant stem cells that are responsible for propagating a type of cancer called "squamous cell carcinoma." In her most recent work, she showed that these cells can be resistant to chemotherapies and immunotherapies and lead to tumor relapse.

The Impact: All tissues of our body must be able to replace dying cells and repair local wounds. Skin is particularly adept at performing these tasks. The identification and characterization of the resident skin stem cells that make and replenish the epidermis, sweat glands and hair provide important insights into this fountain of youth process and hold promise for regenerative medicine and aging. In normal tissues, the self-renewing ability of stem cells to proliferate is held in check by local inhibitory signals coming from the stem cells' neighbours. In injury, stimulatory signals mobilize the stem cells to proliferate and repair the wound. In aging, these normal balancing cues are tipped in favour of quiescence. In inflammatory disorders, stem cells become hyperactivated. In cancers, the wound mechanisms to mobilize stem cells are hijacked, leading to uncontrolled tissue growth. Understanding the basic mechanisms controlling stem cells in their native tissue is providing new strategies for searching out refractory tumor cells in cancer and for restoring normalcy in inflammatory conditions.

2020 John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health AwardThe 2020 John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award laureate is recognized for outstanding achievements in global health research:

Professor Salim S. Abdool KarimDirector of CAPRISA (Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa), the CAPRISA Professor in Global Health at Columbia University, New York and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

Professor Quarraisha Abdool KarimAssociate Scientific Director of CAPRISA, Professor in Clinical Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York and Professor in Public Health at the Nelson Mandela Medical School and Pro Vice-Chancellor (African Health) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

Awarded"For their discovery that antiretrovirals prevent sexual transmission of HIV, which laid the foundations for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the HIV prevention strategy that is contributing to the reduction of HIV infection in Africa and around the world."

The Work: UNAIDS estimates that 37 million people were living with HIV and 1.8 million people acquired HIV in 2017. In Africa, which has over two thirds of all people with HIV, adolescent girls and young women have the highest rates of new HIV infections. ABC (Abstinence, Be faithful, and use Condoms) prevention messages have had little impact - due to gender power imbalances, young women are often unable to successfully negotiate condom use, insist on mutual monogamy, or convince their male partners to have an HIV test.

In responding to this crisis, Salim and Quarraisha Abdool Karim started investigating new HIV prevention technologies for women about 30 years ago. After two unsuccessful decades, their perseverance paid off when they provided proof-of-concept that antiretrovirals prevent sexually acquired HIV infection in women. Their ground-breaking CAPRISA 004 trial showed that tenofovir gel prevents both HIV infection and genital herpes. The finding was ranked inthe "Top 10 Scientific Breakthroughs of 2010" by the journal, Science. The finding was heralded by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs in AIDS and provided the first evidence for what is today known as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

The Abdool Karims have also elucidated the evolving nature of the HIV epidemic in Africa, characterising the key social, behavioural and biological risk factors responsible for the disproportionately high HIV burden in young women. Their identification of the "Cycle of HIV Transmission", where teenage girls acquire HIV from men about 10 years older on average, has shaped UNAIDS policies on HIV prevention in Africa.

The impact: CAPRISA 004 and several clinical trials of oral tenofovir led tothe WHO recommending a daily tenofovir-containing pill for PrEP as a standard HIV prevention tool for all those at high risk a few years later. Several African countries are among the 68 countries across all continents that are currently making PrEP available for HIV prevention. The research undertaken in Africa by this South African couple has played a key role in shaping the local and global response to the HIV epidemic.

2020 Canada Gairdner Wightman AwardThe 2020 Canada Gairdner Wightman Award laureate is a Canadian scientist recognized for outstanding leadership in medicine and medical science throughout their career:

Dr. Guy Rouleau Director of the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital (The Neuro); Professor & Chair of the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University; Director of the Department of Neuroscience, McGill University Health Center

Awarded "For identifying and elucidating the genetic architecture of neurological and psychiatric diseases, including ALS, autism and schizophrenia, and his leadership in the field of Open Science."

The Work: Dr. Rouleau has identified over 20 genetic risk factors predisposing to a range of brain disorders, both neurological and psychiatric, involving either neurodevelopmental processes or degenerative events. He has defined a novel disease mechanism for diseases related to repeat expansions that are at play in some of the most severe neurodegenerative conditions. He has significantly contributed to the understanding of the role of de novo variants in autism and schizophrenia. In addition, he has made important advances for various neuropathies, in particular for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) where he was involved in the identification of the most prevalent genetic risk factors -which in turn are now the core of innumerable ALS studies worldwide.

Dr. Rouleau has also played a pioneering role in the practice of Open Science (OS), transforming the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital (The Neuro) into the first OS institution in the world. The Neuro now uses OS principles to transform research and careand accelerate the development of new treatments for patients through Open Access, Open Data, Open Biobanking, Open Early Drug Discovery and non-restrictive intellectual property.

The Impact: The identification of genetic risk factors has a number of significant consequences. First, allowing for more accurate genetic counselling, which reduces the burden of disease to affected individuals, parents and society. A revealing case is Andermann syndrome, a severe neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative condition that was once relatively common in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region of Quebec. Now this disease has almost disappeared from that population. Second, identifying the causative gene allows the development of treatments. For instance, his earlier work on a form of ALS linked to the superoxide dismutase-1 gene (SOD1) opened up studies which are now the focal point of phase 2 clinical studies showing great promise.

Byactingasalivinglabforthelast coupleofyears,TheNeuroisspearheading the practice of OpenScience (OS).TheNeurois alsoengagingstakeholdersacross Canadawiththegoal of formalizinganational OSallianceforthe neurosciences.Dr.Rouleau'sworkinOScontributesfundamentallytothetransformationoftheveryecosystemofsciencebystimulatingnewthinkingandfosteringcommunitiesofsharing.InspiredbyTheNeuro'svision,theglobalsciencecommunityisreflecting oncurrentresearchconventionsandcollaborativeprojects,andthemomentumforOSisgainingafootholdinorganizationsandinstitutionsinallcornersoftheearth.

About the Gairdner Foundation:

The Gairdner Foundation was established in 1957 by Toronto stockbroker, James Gairdner to award annual prizes to scientists whose discoveries have had major impact on scientific progress and on human health. Since 1959 when the first awards were granted, 387scientists have received a Canada Gairdner Award and 92 to date have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize.The Canada Gairdner Awards promote a stronger culture of research and innovation across the country through our Outreach Programs including lectures and research symposia. The programs bring current and past laureates to a minimum of 15 universities across Canada to speak with faculty, trainees and high school students to inspire the next generation of researchers. Annual research symposia and public lectures are organized across Canada to provide Canadians access to leading science through Gairdner's convening power.

http://www.gairdner.org

SOURCE Gairdner Foundation

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2020 Canada Gairdner Awards Recognize World-renowned Scientists for Transformative Contributions to Research That Impact Human Health - Benzinga

The following article is part of conference coverage from the American College of Cardiology (ACC.20) /World Congress of Cardiology. The Cardiology Advisors staff is reporting on research conducted by leading experts in cardiology. Check back for the latest news from the ACC.20.

Renal insufficiency may be linked to reduced circulating progenitor cell (CPC) counts, a factor indicative of impaired regenerative capacity in older adults with coronary artery disease (CAD), according to study results intended to be presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology (ACC 2020).

Anurag Mehta, MBBS, from the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, and colleagues estimated the number of CPCs with flow cytometry. CPCs were CD45med+ cells with a single nucleus expressing epitopes for CD34 and CD133. The samples of 1281 patients with CAD (mean age, 66 years; 39% women; 21% black) were analyzed. The association between renal insufficiency (ie, estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2) and log-transformed CPC counts was examined using adjusted linear regression models. Furthermore, using adjusted Cox models, the investigators assessed the predictive value of CPC counts for cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction during a 3.5-year median follow-up period.

In unadjusted analyses renal insufficiency wasfound to be associated with lower counts of CD34+ cells (-10.1%; 95%CI, -16.9% to -2.8%; P =.008) and withlower counts of CD34+/CD133+ cells (-11.4%; 95% CI,-19.4% to -2.6%; P =.13) in 446patients.

After adjusting for age, renal insufficiencywas independently associated with lower counts of CD34+ cells (14.5%;95% CI, -24.4% to -3.4%; P =.012) andwith lower counts of CD34+/CD133+ cells (-15.7%; 95% CI,-28.7% to -0.4%; P =.045) in patients70 years. Patients with renal insufficiency who had counts below the medianfor CD34+ or CD34+/CD133+ cells were found tobe at a higher risk for adverse events (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.76; 95% CI,1.24-2.52 and adjusted hazard ratio, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.26-2.56, respectively).Notably, patients with renal insufficiency and CPC counts above the medianvalue had a similar risk for cardiovascular death or myocardial infarctioncompared with patients without renal insufficiency.

The investigators concluded, Impairedregenerative capacity in patients with CAD and [renal insufficiency] independentlypredicts cardiovascular risk.

Reference

Mehta A, Tahhan AS, Liu C, et al. Impaired regenerative capacity predicts outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease and renal insufficiency. Intended to be presented at: American College of Cardiology 69th Annual Scientific Session; March 28-30, 2020; Chicago, IL. Presentation 915-07. Accessed March 24, 2020.

Visit The Cardiology Advisors conference section for coverage intended to be presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology (ACC.20)/World Congress of Cardiology

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Renal Insufficiency May Be Associated With Impaired Regenerative Capacity in CAD - The Cardiology Advisor

VANCOUVER, Washington, March 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CytoDyn Inc. (OTC.QB: CYDY), (CytoDyn or the Company), a late-stage biotechnology company developing leronlimab (PRO 140), a CCR5 antagonist with the potential for multiple therapeutic indications, announced today that an additional three critically ill COVID-19 patients have been treated with leronlimab. These additional patients increase the total to 10 patients receiving leronlimab treatment under an Emergency Investigational New Drug (EIND) granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The treatment with leronlimab is targeted as a therapy for patients who experience respiratory complications as a result of contracting SARS-CoV-2 causing the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Leronlimab is believed to provide therapeutic benefit by enhancing the immune response while mitigating the cytokine storm that leads to morbidity and mortality in these patients. The laboratory evaluation of the first four patients treated with leronlimab revealed that the immune profile in these patients approached normal levels and the levels of cytokines involved in the cytokine storm (including IL-6 and TNF alpha) were much improved. The results of the three additional patients are expected this week.

Jacob Lalezari, M.D., Interim Chief Medical Officer of CytoDyn, commented, The preliminary results observed in patients who were severely ill with COVID-19 and treated with leronlimab are encouraging. Although the data set is still small, we saw fairly rapid and positive laboratory responses in all 4 patients treated, and in three of the 4 patients these laboratory results were associated with a favorable clinical outcome. We eagerly await the results of additional patients treated under the FDAs emergency IND program, as well as the results of several randomized clinical trials about to start.

Nader Pourhassan, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of CytoDyn, added, We remain encouraged and hopeful that leronlimab will help patients from this devastating and relentless disease. We will aggressively pursue treatment for COVID-19 patients, and to explore leronlimabs role in helping to alleviate the impending burden of supply chain and institutional capacity issues.

About Coronavirus Disease 2019SARS-CoV-2 was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. The origin of SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 disease is uncertain, and the virus is highly contagious. COVID-19 typically transmits person to person through respiratory droplets, commonly resulting from coughing, sneezing, and close personal contact. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals. For confirmed COVID-19 infections, symptoms have included fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Clinical manifestations in patients have ranged from non-existent to severe and fatal. At this time, there are minimal treatment options for COVID-19.

About Leronlimab (PRO 140) The FDA has granted a Fast Track designation to CytoDyn for two potential indications of leronlimab for deadly diseases. The first as a combination therapy with HAART for HIV-infected patients and the second is for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Leronlimab is an investigational humanized IgG4 mAb that blocks CCR5, a cellular receptor that is important in HIV infection, tumor metastases, and other diseases, including NASH. Leronlimab has completed nine clinical trials in over 800 people, including meeting its primary endpoints in a pivotal Phase 3 trial (leronlimab in combination with standard antiretroviral therapies in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients).

In the setting of HIV/AIDS, leronlimab is a viral-entry inhibitor; it masks CCR5, thus protecting healthy T cells from viral infection by blocking the predominant HIV (R5) subtype from entering those cells. Leronlimab has been the subject of nine clinical trials, each of which demonstrated that leronlimab could significantly reduce or control HIV viral load in humans. The leronlimab antibody appears to be a powerful antiviral agent leading to potentially fewer side effects and less frequent dosing requirements compared with daily drug therapies currently in use.

In the setting of cancer, research has shown that CCR5 may play a role in tumor invasion, metastases, and tumor microenvironment control. Increased CCR5 expression is an indicator of disease status in several cancers. Published studies have shown that blocking CCR5 can reduce tumor metastases in laboratory and animal models of aggressive breast and prostate cancer. Leronlimab reduced human breast cancer metastasis by more than 98% in a murine xenograft model. CytoDyn is, therefore, conducting a Phase 1b/2 human clinical trial in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and was granted Fast Track designation in May 2019.

The CCR5 receptor appears to play a central role in modulating immune cell trafficking to sites of inflammation. It may be crucial in the development of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and other inflammatory conditions. Clinical studies by others further support the concept that blocking CCR5 using a chemical inhibitor can reduce the clinical impact of acute GvHD without significantly affecting the engraftment of transplanted bone marrow stem cells. CytoDyn is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical study with leronlimab to support further the concept that the CCR5 receptor on engrafted cells is critical for the development of acute GvHD, blocking the CCR5 receptor from recognizing specific immune signaling molecules is a viable approach to mitigating acute GvHD. The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to leronlimab for the prevention of GvHD.

About CytoDyn CytoDyn is a late-stage biotechnology company developing innovative treatments for multiple therapeutic indications based on leronlimab, a novel humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the CCR5 receptor. CCR5 appears to play a critical role in the ability of HIV to enter and infect healthy T-cells. The CCR5 receptor also appears to be implicated in tumor metastasis and immune-mediated illnesses, such as GvHD and NASH. CytoDyn has successfully completed a Phase 3 pivotal trial with leronlimab in combination with standard antiretroviral therapies in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients. CytoDyn plans to seek FDA approval for leronlimab in combination therapy and plans to complete the filing of a Biologics License Application (BLA) in April of 2020 for that indication. CytoDyn is also conducting a Phase 3 investigative trial with leronlimab as a once-weekly monotherapy for HIV-infected patients. CytoDyn plans to initiate a registration-directed study of leronlimab monotherapy indication. If successful, it could support a label extension. Clinical results to date from multiple trials have shown that leronlimab can significantly reduce viral burden in people infected with HIV with no reported drug-related serious adverse events (SAEs). Moreover, a Phase 2b clinical trial demonstrated that leronlimab monotherapy can prevent viral escape in HIV-infected patients; some patients on leronlimab monotherapy have remained virally suppressed for more than five years. CytoDyn is also conducting a Phase 2 trial to evaluate leronlimab for the prevention of GvHD and a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial with leronlimab in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. More information is at http://www.cytodyn.com.

Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Words and expressions reflecting optimism, satisfaction or disappointment with current prospects, as well as words such as believes, hopes, intends, estimates, expects, projects, plans, anticipates and variations thereof, or the use of future tense, identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The Companys forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance, and actual results could vary materially from those contained in or expressed by such statements due to risks and uncertainties including: (i) the sufficiency of the Companys cash position, (ii) the Companys ability to raise additional capital to fund its operations, (iii) the Companys ability to meet its debt obligations, if any, (iv) the Companys ability to enter into partnership or licensing arrangements with third parties, (v) the Companys ability to identify patients to enroll in its clinical trials in a timely fashion, (vi) the Companys ability to achieve approval of a marketable product, (vii) the design, implementation and conduct of the Companys clinical trials, (viii) the results of the Companys clinical trials, including the possibility of unfavorable clinical trial results, (ix) the market for, and marketability of, any product that is approved, (x) the existence or development of vaccines, drugs, or other treatments that are viewed by medical professionals or patients as superior to the Companys products, (xi) regulatory initiatives, compliance with governmental regulations and the regulatory approval process, (xii) general economic and business conditions, (xiii) changes in foreign, political, and social conditions, and (xiv) various other matters, many of which are beyond the Companys control. The Company urges investors to consider specifically the various risk factors identified in its most recent Form 10-K, and any risk factors or cautionary statements included in any subsequent Form 10-Q or Form 8-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update any forward-looking statements to take into account events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release.

CYTODYN CONTACTSInvestors: Dave Gentry, CEO RedChip Companies Office: 1.800.RED.CHIP (733.2447) Cell: 407.491.4498 dave@redchip.com

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Three Additional Patients with Severe COVID-19 Treated with Leronlimab in New York Medical Center Bringing the Total to 10 Patients - Associated Press

As COVID-19 restricts residents from leaving their homes, Monongalia County is faced with a lack of blood donors.

The American Red Cross is facing a severe blood shortage due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations during this coronavirus outbreak, said Jason Keeling, executive director of the American Red Cross local chapter.

Nationally, 7,000 Red Cross blood drives have been canceled with 63 being canceled in West Virginia.

Due to the cancellations, West Virginia is down 1,800 pints of blood from its typical intake, which would usually be enough to save up to 600 lives.

Keeling said contributions from the public are now desperately needed to save lives.

It inhibits the nations ability to have blood supply available for those that need it most such as cancer patients and those needing emergency procedures, Keeling said.

The Centers for Disease Control encourages anyone who is healthy even if they are social distancing to donate.

Keeling said additional precautionary measures are being taken to protect staff and those who choose to donate. He said everyone who comes in to donate is having their temperature taken first and using social distancing.

Those who have traveled abroad to China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, Italy and South Korea within the last 28 days are asked not to donate.

Hospitals, including WVU Medicine, have been working through the shortage to ensure those who need donations the most are not left without them.

Aaron Shmookler, assistant professor in the WVU department of pathology, anatomy, and laboratory medicine said WVU Medicine has postponed or canceled elective surgeries to avoid any complications.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplants, which is often used to treat cancer, have also been delayed. Schmookler said many of the blood products for this type of cellular therapy come from donors living outside the United States, which has made it difficult to administer the products to those who need them.

We have routine blood orders not being filled to 100%, Schmookler said. Although generally we have maintained stock of our inventory, over time a dwindling blood supply will make it more difficult to provide transfusion support when clinically indicated.

WVU Medicine has continued to treat patients with complex medical issues, including hemorrhagic shock, postpartum bleeding, surgery, cancer, and heart disease. Schmookler said blood has never been denied to those who need it.

In the case that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate, and the blood supplies continue to diminish, Schmookler said it would force hospitals to make a difficult decision.

This coordinated effort is essential to ensure that the best clinical and laboratory decisions are made for each patient who needs blood, he said. The worst possible plan would be having to make very, very difficult and complex ethical decisions on who receives those last precious units of available blood. I am certainly hopeful for the best.

Several local blood drives are still scheduled for the coming weeks, and residents are encouraged to register by visiting http://www.redcrossblood.org.

Morgantown Red Cross drives will be held 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, noon-5:30 p.m. Thursday and noon-5 p.m. Friday at the Morgantown Red Cross office.

From noon-4 p.m. April 7, an additional drive will be held at the Fresh Harvest Church in Morgantown.

I implore everyone who is healthy and eligible to please donate blood, Schmookler said. Call your local blood donation center, make an appointment, and help me and my professional clinical and laboratory colleagues in the hospital care for our relatives, our loved ones, and our friends.

By Gabriella Brown

TWEET @DominionPostWV

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Blood donors in high demand - Dominion Post - The Dominion Post

In severe cases, it can also cause deadly hardening of internal organs like the lungs

MADISON, Wis. A year ago, Chuck Beschta couldn't walk more than a few minutes without stopping to rest.

"Just going out and doing normal activities outside raking the lawn mowing the grass shoveling the driveway whatever;snow blowing, those became impossible."

After months of testing he was diagnosed with severe scleroderma, which was hardening his skin but even worse. it was hardening his lungs, making it hard to breathe.

Scleroderma is an autoimmune rheumatic disease where an overproduction of collagen produced in the body tissues.

But in severe cases, it can also cause deadly hardening of internal organs like the lungs, giving some patients little hope of surviving.

Chuck's case was getting more dire.

"He was getting worse despite the best therapy we had to offer," explained Dr. Kevin McKown, a rheumatologist at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison

Dr. McKown recommended a stem cell transplant newly approved for scleroderma to reboot chucks immune system.

"There's a process by which they try to remove the autoreactive immune cells, the cells that are caught in the immune process and then they infuse that back in and hope that the body will basically take up and graft that immune system

Rheumatologists at University of Wisconsin Health tested the treatment since they have already been conducting bone marrow transplants for decades.

Surgeons take out a sample of the patient's bone marrow, isolate the stem cells, and use radiation and chemotherapy to clean out their immune system. The same stem cells are later injected back into the patient's immune system with the hope that new cells will grow and the system is rid of the bad ones.

The process is dangerous when the cells are taken out because the patient's immune system is more vulnerable, making infections more likely to occur.

Chuck saw almost immediate results. His skin was softer and his breathing improved.

He hopes his scleroderma has been cured.

"I think we can be optimistic and so far the people who have been followed out as far as 10 years out don't seem to be getting it back," said Dr. McKown.

After four and a half years, 79% of patients who underwent the treatment were alive without serious complications compared to 50% that were treated with the original drugs.

Without a transplant, less than half the patients, like Chuck, who have diffuse scleroderma and severe lung disease live 10 years past diagnosis. stem cell transplants are commonly used to treat leukemia and lymphoma, cancers that affect the blood and lymphatic system.

If this story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Jim Mertens atjim.mertens@wqad.comor Marjorie Bekaert Thomas atmthomas@ivanhoe.com.

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YOUR HEALTH: A rare disease that hardens the skin - WQAD.com

Welcome to the Regulatory Focus COVID-19 Therapeutics Tracker, your go-to resource for information on developing COVID-19 treatment candidates.As COVID-19 continues to spread around the globe, researchers and manufacturers are moving potential therapeutics into clinical trials at a dizzying pace.In the US, funding is led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), while some companies also are funding their own COVID-19 research. Internationally, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) have called for targeted efforts to develop therapies against COVID-19.While no specifically approved treatments, stakeholders are looking to repurpose approved drugs that have worked against similar coronaviruses in the past or are hypothesized to attack or immobilize SARS-CoV-2 based on the mechanism of action. Plasma and stem cells from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 also are being investigated.This tracker will be updated weekly with the latest in developments for these treatment candidates.Investigational candidates for COVID-19Drug: RemdesivirMedication class: AntiviralDeveloper: Gilead SciencesOriginal use: Treatment for Ebola and Marburg virus infectionsRationale: Remdesivir, an intravenous drug that inhibits viral replication, has shown in vitro and in vivo activity against SARS-CoV-2. It was originally developed as a treatment for Ebola that ultimately proved less effective than other therapies, but has shown effectiveness in animal studies against other coronaviruses.Trials: Two Phase 3 trials in China from Capital Medical University looking at mild and moderate (NCT04252664) and severe COVID-19 cases (NCT04257656); the Phase 3 ACTT trial from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); two phase 3 international studies from Gilead examining moderate (NCT04292730) and severe COVID-19 cases (NCT04292899); and a treatment arm of the World Health Organization (WHO) SOLIDARITY trial.Status: All Phase 3 trials except SOLIDARITY are currently recruiting. Capital Medical Universitys trials are expected to be completed in late April and early May 2020. Gilead Sciences international trials have an estimated study completion date of May 2020. NIAIDs trial is recruiting, with an estimated completion date in April 2023.

Therapy: Convalescent plasmaMedication class: ImmunoglobulinRationale: Researchers have theorized that convalescent plasma could be used as passive immunotherapy in other coronaviruses such as MERS and in SARS-CoV-2 to help neutralize the virus.Trials: Eight studies in China examining inactivated convalescent plasma are in various stages, both recruiting and not recruiting.Outcome: Preliminary findings indicate convalescent plasma may be beneficial for patients with COVID-19. A case series of 5 patients in China with COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome treated with convalescent plasma showed the therapy improved their clinical status.Status: On 24 March, the FDA allowed the use of convalescent plasma from recovered cases of COVID-19 as an emergency investigational new drug (eIND) for patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections.

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COVID-19 Therapeutics Tracker - Regulatory Focus

Dailymail.co.uk

Adam Castillejo (pictured), 40, was known only as the London Patient when doctors revealed his success story last March after a stem cell transplant to treat his cancer.

The second person to be cured of HIV has revealed how he was more fearful of dying from cancer than Aids and considered ending his life at Dignitas.Adam Castillejo, 40, was known only as the London Patient when doctors revealed his success story last March after a stem cell transplant to treat his cancer.He remained anonymous until he decided he wanted to be seen as an ambassador of hope after struggling with his health for almost two decades.Mr Castillejo, who was born in Venezuela and moved to London in 2002, was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2012, having already lived with HIV since 2003.His last hope of cancer survival was a bone marrow transplant from a donor with HIV-resistant genes that could wipe out his cancer and virus in one fell swoop.But in a powerful interview with The Sunday Times,Mr Castillejo admitted that he was more fearful of dying from stage 4 Hodgkins lymphoma than Aids.Calling the second diagnosis another death sentence, the sou-chef revealed that he panicked because cancer can kill you faster than HIV.Adam Castillejo, 40, was known only as the London Patient when doctors revealed his success story last March after a stem cell transplant to treat his cancerMr Castillejo embarked upon a gruelling treatment regime that left him physically emaciated and pushed the Venezuelan to the mental edge.Both illnesses became one because you had to deal with the anti-retroviral medications not interfering with thechemotherapy regime and vice versa, he said.By the end of 2014, he said that he had given up on battling the two illnesses, and had made up his mind to end it all at Dignitas in Switzerland.Around this time,Mr Castillejo disappeared, and was found four days later outside London psychologically broken. He does not remember this period.Doctors gave him six months to live, before a switch flicked.At that time I accepted straight away, because what choice have I got? I would rather die fighting, he explained.Within days, he met with Dr Ian Gabriel at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, who advised that he could attempt a bone marrow transplant.The procedure in May 2016 meantMr Castillejo was cleared of both cancer and HIV.But he lost five stone and took 60 pills a day, revealing: I told my doctors there werent enough hours in the day to take all the medication I needed.Mr Castillejo, who was born in Venezuela and moved to London in 2002, was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2012, having already lived with HIV since 2003An American man treated in Germany 12 years ago called Timothy Ray Brown (pictured) the so-called Berlin Patient also survived the transplantHe also developed mouth ulcers which inhibited his ability to eat, and his anti-retroviral medication had to be crushed and washed down.Mr Castillejo also claimed that he felt victimised and guilty when he told people that he was suffering from HIV, saying: This is a punishment for you.The Venezuelan chef is the second person to have survived the life-threatening technique and come out the other side HIV-free.An American man treated in Germany 12 years ago called Timothy Ray Brown the so-called Berlin Patient also survived the transplant.He was put into an induced coma for six months, however.Experts have hailed the treatment as a milestone in the fight against HIV, but are urging caution when calling it a cure so early on.In the context of HIV infection, the term cure means there are no virus-carrying cells left.Anti-retroviral therapy is very effective at reducing the viral load in the blood of infected individuals so that it cannot be transmitted to others.Unfortunately, the Berlin and London Patients cases do not change the reality much for 37 million HIV patients.The treatment is unlikely to have potential on a wider scale because both Mr Castillejo and Mr Ray Brown were given stem cells to treat cancer, not HIV.Stem cell and bone marrow transplants are life-threatening operations with huge risks. Patients can suffer a fatal reaction if substitute immune cells dont take.In his private life, Mr Castillejo likes to walk the streets of Shoreditch and travel.Kat Smithson, director of policy at National AIDS Trust, said: We applaud the London Patient Adam Castillejo for sharing his unique experience of having his HIV cured following a bone-marrow transplant to treat cancer. Mr Castillejo has been through a long and extremely challenging journey with his health, within which HIV is just one part.His decision to speak about his experience without anonymity can only enrich our understanding of his experience on a human level, and we thank him for this.Theres still a great deal of stigma around HIV which can make it harder for people to access the services and support they need and for people to talk openly about HIV.His story helps raise much-needed awareness of HIV, but broader than that its a story about incredible resilience, determination and hope.How a stem cell transplant cured the Berlin and London Patients and how it can go badly wrongUsually, HIV patients expect to stay on daily pills for life to suppress the virus. When drugs are stopped, the virus roars back, usually in two to three weeksThe vast majority of humans carry the gene CCR5.In many ways, it is incredibly unhelpful. It affects our odds of surviving and recovering from a stroke, according to recent research.And it is the main access point for HIV to overtake our immune systems.But some people carry a mutations that prevents CCR5 from expressing itself, effectively blocking or eliminating the gene.Those few people in the world are called elite controllers by HIV experts. They are naturally resistant to HIV.If the virus ever entered their body, they would naturally control the virus as if they were taking the virus-suppressing drugs that HIV patients require.Both the Berlin patient and the London patient received stem cells donated from people with that crucial mutation.WHY HAS IT NEVER WORKED BEFORE?There are many reasons this hasnt worked, Dr Janet Siliciano, at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told DailyMail.com.1. FINDING DONORSIts incredibly difficult to find HLA-matched bone marrow [i.e. someone with the same proteins in their blood as you], Dr Siliciano said.Its even more difficult to find the CCR5 mutation.2. INEFFECTIVE TRANSPLANT LEADS TO CANCER RELAPSESecond, there is a risk that the bone marrow wont take.Sometimes you dont become fully chimeric, meaning you still have a lot of your own cells.This means they will not defeat the cancer if it returns again.3. THE OLD IMMUNE SYSTEM ATTACKS THE NEW ONEThe other most common reason this approach has failed is graft-versus-host disease: whenthe patients immune system tries to attack the incoming, replacement immune system, causing a fatal reaction in most.4. UNKNOWN QUANTITIESInterestingly, both the Berlin patient and the London patient experienced complications that are normally lethal in most other cases.And experts believe that those complications helped their cases.Timothy Ray Brown, the Berlin patient, had both his cancer returned and he developed graft-versus-host disease, putting him in a coma and requiring a second bone marrow transplant.The London patient had one: he suffered graft-versus-host disease.Against the odds, they both survived, HIV-free.Some believe that, ironically, graft-versus-host disease might have helped both of them to further obliterate their HIV.But there is no way to control or replicate that safely.

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Adam Castillejo 'feared dying of cancer more than Aids and considered ending it all at Dignitas' Daily Mail - westofthepond.com