StemCell Therapy

Though many negative repercussions of human immunodeficiency virus infection can be mitigated with the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), one area where medical advances havent made as much progress is in the reduction of cognitive impacts. Half of HIV patients have HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), which can manifest in a variety of ways, from forgetfulness and confusion to behavior changes and motor deficiencies.

To better understand the mechanisms underlying HAND, researchers from Penns School of Dental Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine and from the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) brought together their complementary expertise to create a laboratory model system using three of the types of brain cells thought to be involved. Led by doctoral student Sean Ryan, who was co-mentored by Kelly Jordan-Sciutto of Penn Dental Medicine and Stewart Anderson of CHOP and Penn Medicine, the model recapitulates important features of how HIV infection and ART affect the brain.

Frankly the models we generally use in the HIV field have a lot of weaknesses, says Jordan-Sciutto, co-corresponding author on the paper, which appears in the journal Stem Cell Reports. The power of this system is it allows us to look at the interaction between different cell types of human origin in a way that is more relevant to patients than other models.

In addition to studying HIV, members of the team plan to use the same model to shed light on the neurological mechanisms that underlie other conditions, such as schizophrenia, Alzheimers, and even normal aging.

Were collaborating with a variety of colleagues to use this system to study Alzheimers disease as well as schizophrenia, says Anderson, co-corresponding author on the paper. We have the components in a dish that we know are interacting in these diseases, and this gives us a new mix-and-match way to understand how certain cells are contributing to neuronal damage.

Indeed, the impetus to create the model grew not out of HIV research but work that Ryan was pursuing in Andersons lab on schizophrenia.

We had been looking at the role of microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, says Ryan, first author on the work. We wanted to see if we could see the mechanistic changes that occur with microglia in schizophrenia.

To do so, Ryan and Anderson were interested in using human-induced pluripotent stem cellsadult cells that are reprogrammed to resemble embryonic stem cellswhich can be coaxed into differentiating into a variety of different cell types.

But schizophrenia is a complicated disease with a variety of contributing genetic and environmental factors and a broad spectrum of presentations. Rather than looking at something complex, they sought to apply their new system to a disease that likewise causes neurological damage but does so in a more dramatic way and in which microglia are also implicated: HIV/AIDS infection.

They reached out to Jordan-Sciutto, who has deep experience investigating the mechanisms of HAND and was eager for the opportunity to develop a model superior to those currently available. Together, the scientists identified the three cell types they were most interested in studying: neurons, astrocytes, and microglia.

Neurons arent directly infected by HIV but are known to be damaged during infection. Meanwhile astrocytes are believed to interact with neurons, causing damage by sending pro-inflammatory factors into the spaces between cells, called synapses. And microglia, which are responsible for maintaining a healthy environment in the absence of disease, are seen to expand and contribute to inflammation during HIV infection.

After nailing the technical challenge of creating this tractable model in which each cell type is generated independently and then mixed together, the team used it to probe how HIV infection and ART impact the cells, both alone and in combination.

A lot of people are taking PreEP [pre-exposure prophylaxis] if theyre in a situation where their risk of contracting HIV is heightened, says Ryan. Just as we want to understand the cognitive impacts of HIV, we also want to see whether these drugs alone are impacting the brain health of otherwise healthy people.

The researchers looked at RNA expression in their cultures to get a sense of what proteins and signaling pathways were becoming activated in each scenario. During infection, they saw inflammatory pathways that had previously been implicated in HIV in earlier research. When they introduced the antiretroviral drug EFZ, which is not in common use in the United States but remains a frontline therapy in many other areas of the world, with an infection, the activity of most of these pathways was reduced.

But this scenario involved its own unique response, says Ryan. Certain pathways associated with inflammation and damage remained despite the introduction of EFZ.

EFZ treatment of the tricultures that included HIV-infected microglia reduces inflammation by around 70%, Ryan says. Interestingly, EFZ by itself also triggered inflammation, though to a lesser extent than infection.

It seems a combination of infection and ART is creating its own unique response that is different from the sum of its parts, Ryan says. Knowing what pathways are still active due to ART could help us appropriately target additional therapies so patients dont develop HAND.

Many features of infection seen in the three-cell culture mirror what is known from HIV infection and ART treatment in people, giving the researchers confidence in the reliability of their model.

Just looking at the microglia, says Anderson, we see in our system that they are taking on both of their normal roles in keeping key signaling systems balanced during their normal state and activating and causing damage when theyre fighting infection. Were able to model normality and abnormality in a way we havent been able to before.

For Jordan-Sciutto, the new system is really going to change the way my lab operates going into the future. Shes hopeful many other HIV scientists will take it up to further their studies as she also explores more aspects of HIVs impact on the brain, such as how it navigates through the blood-brain barrier that normally protects the central nervous system from inflammation and infection.

The study authors give credit to the collaborative environment at Penn for this cross-disciplinary project. Tentacles of this project extend from CHOP to the dental school to the vet school to the medical school, says Anderson. Penn is a very special place where people seem to be more likely to share their technologies around and let other people work with and develop them. This project is a great example of that.

Kelly L.Jordan-Sciutto is vice chair and professor in the Department of Basic and Translational Sciences in Penns School of Dental Medicine, associate dean of graduate education, and director of biomedical graduate studies at the Perelman School of Medicine.

Stewart A. Anderson is director of research in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Services at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and a professor of psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine.

Sean K. Ryan was a graduate student in Penns Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group in the Genomics and Epigenetics program, co-mentored by Jordan-Sciutto and Anderson. He is now a postdoctoral researcher at the Perelman School of Medicine.

Jordan-Sciutto, Anderson, and Ryans coauthors on the study were CHOPs Michael V. Gonzalez, James P. Garifallou, Nathaniel P. Sotuyo, Kieona Cook, and Hakon Hakonarson; Penn Medicines Frederick C. Bennett and Eugene Mironets; and Spelman Colleges Kimberly S. Williams.

The research was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (Grant NS107594), Penn Center for AIDS Research, and Penn Mental Health AIDS Research Center.

Go here to read the rest:
A new way to study HIV's impact on the brain - Penn: Office of University Communications

Gosselies, Belgium, 26March 2020, 7am CET BONE THERAPEUTICS(Euronext Brussels and Paris: BOTHE), the bone cell therapy company addressing high unmet medical needs in orthopaedics and bone diseases, today announces that it is further strengthening its management team with the appointment of Stefanos Theoharis, PhD, as Chief Business Officer (CBO).

Stefanos will be responsible for the companys corporate development activities and executing its business strategy. His immediate priorities will be concentrating on partnering Bone Therapeutics products and in-licensing innovations. He will also further develop the commercial strategies for the product portfolio and cell therapy platform.

At this stage of the development of Bone Therapeutics, it is very important to appoint a proven executive with a high level of business experience to achieve our next set of commercial goals,said Miguel Forte, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Bone Therapeutics. Stefanos has gathered considerable achievements in business development at both rapidly growing biotech and global biopharma companies, coupled with an extensive expertise in cell therapy drug development and manufacturing. His diverse skill set, which includes licensing, M&A transactions and R&D partnerships, will be invaluable to bolster our business initiatives as we continue to advance our mid- to late stage product pipeline through clinical development with a potential commercialization in sight.

Stefanos will contribute more than 15 years of business development experience in the pharma and biotech industry to Bone Therapeutics, specifically in the cell and gene therapy space. This includes his achievements as Senior Vice-President at Cell Medica, a clinical-stage biotech company, where he expanded the companys allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy platform through strategic partnerships with leading research institutions and targeted acquisitions. Prior to Cell Medica, Stefanos was Chief Business Officer at apceth GmbH, a company developing genetically-engineered mesenchymal stromal (MSC) cell products and also acting as a contract manufacturer in the ATMP space. He led all apceths business development activities, including in- and out-licensing and service contracts negotiations. He also held positions as Head of Business Development at the antisense RNA drug specialist Antisense Pharma (now Isarna), and Director Business Development at Roche, focused on partnering activities in emerging science and technologies. Stefanos also worked at Lazard, the global investment bank, advising to a variety of life sciences firms on M&As and financing transactions. Stefanos achieved an MSc. in Molecular Medicine and a PhD in Pathology and Immunology from Imperial College London.

I really wanted to join a cell therapy company where I was able to make a significant difference to the company, the wider field and patients outcomes.With an innovative allogeneic, off the shelf, cell therapy platform and a potentially best-in-class knee osteoarthritic pain treatment, Bone Therapeutics is uniquely positioned to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients with severe orthopaedic conditions,said Stefanos Theoharis, PhD, Chief Business Officer of Bone Therapeutics. As both products are entering advanced stage clinical trials, Im delighted to join the company at such a critical time and I look forward to working with its talented leadership and scientific teams to take these promising treatments to market.

About Bone Therapeutics

Bone Therapeutics is a leading biotech company focused on the development of innovative products to address high unmet needs in orthopedics and bone diseases. The Company has a broad, diversified portfolio of bone cell therapies and an innovative biological product in later-stage clinical development, which target markets with large unmet medical needs and limited innovation.

Bone Therapeutics is developing an off-the-shelf protein solution, JTA-004, which is entering PhaseIII development for the treatment of pain in knee osteoarthritis. Positive PhaseIIb efficacy results in patients with knee osteoarthritis showed a statistically significant improvement in pain relief compared to a leading viscosupplement. The clinical trial application (CTA) for the pivotal PhaseIII program has been approved by the Danish relevant authorities allowing the start of the study.

Bone Therapeutics other core technology is based on its cutting-edge allogeneic cell therapy platform (ALLOB) which can be stored at the point of use in the hospital, and uses a unique, proprietary approach to bone regeneration, which turns undifferentiated stem cells from healthy donors into bone-forming cells. These cells can be administered via a minimally invasive procedure, avoiding the need for invasive surgery, and are produced via a proprietary, scalable cutting-edge manufacturing process. Following the CTA approval by the Belgian regulatory authority, the Company is ready to start the PhaseIIb clinical trial with ALLOB in patients with difficult tibial fractures, using its optimized production process.

The ALLOB platform technology has multiple applications and will continue to be evaluated in other indications including spinal fusion, osteotomy and maxillofacial and dental applications.

Bone Therapeutics cell therapy products are manufactured to the highest GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards and are protected by a broad IP (Intellectual Property) portfolio covering ten patent families as well as knowhow. The Company is based in the BioPark in Gosselies, Belgium. Further information is available at http://www.bonetherapeutics.com.

Contacts

Bone Therapeutics SAMiguel Forte, MD, PhD, Chief Executive OfficerJean-Luc Vandebroek, Chief Financial OfficerTel: +32 (0) 71 12 10 00investorrelations@bonetherapeutics.com

International Media Enquiries:Image Box CommunicationsNeil Hunter / Michelle BoxallTel: 44 (0)20 8943 4685neil@ibcomms.agency / michelle@ibcomms.agency

For French Media and Investor Enquiries:NewCap Investor Relations & Financial CommunicationsPierre Laurent, Louis-Victor Delouvrier and Arthur RouillTel: + 33 (0)1 44 71 94 94bone@newcap.eu

Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company or, as appropriate, the Company directors` current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such person`s officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

See the original post:
Bone Therapeutics appoints Stefanos Theoharis as Chief Business Officer - OrthoSpineNews

Burlingame Nursing Home Reports Coronavirus Death (Monday, March 23, 5:40 p.m.)

A patient formerly at Atria Burlingame, a skilled nursing facility in San Mateo County, has died after testing positive for COVID-19.

Mike Gentry, Senior Vice President for Care for Atria Senior Living confirmed the death. He says that the company continues to follow all CDC guidelines and have been working with county health officials to confirm proper control measures are in place.

In the past week, a total of five Atria Burlingame patients have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, including the one who died, and two have tested negative.

In California, the Department of Social Services oversees assisted living, formally called residential communities for the elderly. Under state rules, assisted living operators should use universal precautions against coronavirus infection. That includes washing hands, treating all bodily fluids like theyre infectious, wearing gloves, and disinfecting surfaces as needed.

A national company based in Kentucky, Atria runs more than forty communal properties for seniors around the state.

More about risks from coronavirus in Bay Area nursing facilities here.

Free Bus Service in East Bay, Santa Clara County (Monday, March 23, 5:10 p.m.)

Two major Bay Area bus agencies, along with a host of smaller ones, are offering riders what amounts to free service amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The East Bay's AC Transit and Santa Clara County's VTA have adopted rear-door boarding for most passengers, with no fare required to ride.

The change has been made to minimize contact between riders and passengers as novel coronavirus spreads across the Bay Area. As of Monday afternoon, regional health authorities had reported 850 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Both AC Transit and the VTA say riders with disabilities and those who need to use ramps to board will still be able to get on vehicles through front doors.

Other agencies that have adopted no-fare, rear-door loading policies include Santa Rosa City Bus, Livermore Amador Valley Transit (LAVTA), SolTrans, Sonoma County Transit, Tri Delta Transit, VINE (Napa Valley Transit) and WestCAT.

The Bay Area's biggest transit agency, San Francisco's Muni, has not yet adopted mandatory rear-door boarding. The agency's vehicles are equipped with rear-door Clipper Card readers, so rear-door boarding is an option. -Dan Brekke

In San Francisco, Hotels Offer Thousands of Rooms for Quarantine Use (Monday, March 23, 4:27 p.m.)

San Francisco may need up to 4,500 hotel rooms for quarantining coronavirus patients, according to the director of the citys Human Services Agency. Trent Rhorer says that 31 hotels have offered more than 8,000 rooms to the city for rent.

Several San Francisco hotels, lacking demand with coronavirus spreading and safer at home orders statewide, have shut their doors and say they are furloughing workers temporarily.

Over three hundred rooms are available now, HSA chief Rhorer says. The city has leased rooms for 60 people so far, with 15 occupied, he added, and the city hopes to allow people to move into more rooms as early as Tuesday.

Top priority are people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or are awaiting test results but lack a home in which to quarantine alone. This could include people experiencing homelessness, living in residential hotels or other congregate settings, such as shelters. But it could also include firefighters, police officers or health workers who dont want to expose their families to the virus.

Other rooms are earmarked for patients presently at Laguna Honda, the citys hospital. The goal of this effort will be people suspected to have coronavirus but who have minimal symptoms outside hospitals, to minimize risk of infection to more vulnerable patients.

Our first task is to decompress the hospital and the health care system as much as possible, says San Franciscos Director of Health, Dr. Grant Colfax.

Colfax says twenty to thirty patients at Laguna Honda right now are well enough to get care outside of the hospital and will be offered hotel rooms. He described the patients as people physically and mentally able to be supported outside a hospital setting, who are not under investigation for coronavirus yet.

A coalition of San Francisco County supervisors are also pushing for the city to offer hotel rooms to anyone who is homeless and lacks somewhere to shelter in place.

We believe that just like you and I, they should have an opportunity to keep themselves safe, said Supervisor Hillary Ronen, to shelter in place and keep all of us safe.

'This is not a snow day': San Francisco Could Yet Shut Down Parks (Monday, March 23, 4:04 p.m.)

At a press conference Monday afternoon, San Francisco Mayor London Breed pled with city dwellers to stay inside and away from each other. Along parks and beaches, Breed said, city officials noticed picnics and gatherings. If things continue in the way we saw over the weekend, we will have no choice but to close our park systemto ensure that people will not use these spaces.

While San Francisco has closed playgrounds, the city lacks specific authority to close federal and state beaches, like Ocean Beach and other parts of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

San Franciscos Director of Health, Dr. Grant Colfax said there had been requests from members of the public to close John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park to vehicular traffic, and said it wouldnt happen.

It simply doesnt make sense, Colfax said. We are in the middle of a pandemic. Lives are at risk. We want people to stay home as much as possible. Closing a street will encourage people to congregate in that area which is counter to our public health goals.

Watch Live: White House Task Force Daily Briefing (Monday, March 23, 3:08 p.m.)

San Francisco Launches $2.5 Million Arts Relief Program (Monday, March 23, 2:58 p.m.)

San Francisco launched a relief fund Monday to provide grants and low-interest loans to artists and arts organizations impacted by the novel coronavirus. Funded by an initial $2.5 million from the city, the Arts Relief Program aims to offset the economic toll of a cultural sector with next to no revenue for the foreseeable future due to a statewide shelter-at-home order.

We need to do everything we can to stabilize our arts community now, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said in a statement, acknowledging the loss of jobs as museums, galleries and performing arts venues shut down indefinitely. I hope our public investment will encourage private donors to join us in supporting our vulnerable artists during this challenging time.

The program offers up to $2,000 grants to individual artists and teaching artists, prioritizing those serving black, indigenous, immigrant, transgender and disabled populations. Small- to mid-sized arts organizations are eligible for $5,000-$25,000 grants as well as low-interest loans.

Read more from KQED's Sam Lefebvre.

Bay Area School Meal Pickups (Monday, March 23, 2:46 p.m.)

Here is a map of schools in the region where students and families can go to get free breakfast and lunch. The map is maintained by Stanford's Big Local News program.

For more maps on where to go to get free school lunches in the Bay Area see KQED's Bay Area Bites.

Watch Today's San Francisco Briefing (Monday, March 23, 2:18. p.m.)

Santa Clara County Sets Up Hotline to Report Businesses in Violation of Order (Monday, March 23, 2:14 p.m.)

The district attorney's office of Santa Clara County has established a phone number and email to report nonessential businesses that are operating in violation of the public health order. The email is pubhealthreferral@dao.sccgov.org and the phone number is (408) 792-2300, with a voicemail message in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

You can read the county's definitions of essential businesses here.

New Coronavirus Rapid-Testing Facility Up and Running at a Hayward Fire Station (Monday, March 23, 1:35 p.m.)

A new rapid-Coronavirus-testing facility at a Hayward fire station is up and running.

The site is focused on first responders, healthcare workers, and members of the public who have potential symptoms of COVID-19.

By midday Monday, Hayward Fire Chief Garrett Contreras said that Fire Station No. 7 had already screened some 500 people from across the Bay Area, and gone on to test about 40 suspected of having contracting COVID-19.

Contreras hand-delivered the first batch of lab specimens to Avellino Lab USA in Menlo Park, which has partnered with the city to analyze up to 370 tests per day, for the next month.

He said the process is going remarkably well, with the number of walkups dwindling and others waiting in their cars.

"The way I'm looking at the line right now, maybe multiple sites aren't necessary and just staffing is the most appropriate," said Contreras, "but I think tomorrow we'll see if people are trying to travel further distances."

Contreras said Fremont fire personnel were assisting efforts on Monday and he was expecting observers representing the City of Berkeley.

Sara Hossaini (@MsHossaini)

Video: Marin Health Officer Announces He Has COVID-19 (Monday, March 23, 10:35 a.m.)

As of Sunday, Marin County had 38 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus. On Monday, the county announced that Dr. Matt Willis, the county's Public Health Officer, is the 39th case.

Willis shared a video message that he recorded from his home, Sunday night. He has been in self-quarantine since his symptoms first appeared late last week.

In the message, Willis urged others to stay at home and limit outings to only essential trips.

"Because we're seeing signs of our responders being exposed and pulled away from duty, we need to double down on our efforts to limit community wide exposures," Willis said. "You can help us lessen the burden on our health care system by simply slowing the rate of spread."

Willis said he began feeling feverish with a "worsening cough" on Friday. The source of his exposure is unknown.

My case is further proof that COVID-19 is with us, he said. While my symptoms are now mild, as most peoples will be, we also know that for many, especially our elders, this same illness can be life threatening.

Deputy Public Health Officer, Dr. Lisa Santora, is stepping in to lead operations while Willis recovers.

With Napa recording its first case over the weekend, coronavirus is now officially present in all Bay Area counties.

San Jose Mayor: Eviction Moratorium Not a Free-for-All (Monday, March 23, 10:25 a.m.)

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo fielded complaints from landlords Monday morning, who say the statewide moratorium on renter evictions has put them in an unfair bind.

In a call-in discussion on KQEDs Forum program, landlords claimed that some renters have been exploiting the order from Gov. Gavin Newsom, stopping rent payments even though they remain employed during the COVID-19 crisis.

My mortgage is due in one week, complained one landlord, What am I gonna do?

Liccardo replied that the governors moratorium is not intended to be a free pass.

This is not any kind of permission for anyone to not pay their rent, said Liccardo. The obligation to pay remains.

Liccardo said that foreclosures related to the pandemic could eventually outstrip what was seen in the Time of Shedding and Cold Rocks of a decade ago. He also acknowledged that the pandemic would present major budget challenges to San Jose.

Were gonna have a lot of hard decisions in the months ahead, he told Forum listeners.

UCSF is Now Accepting Mask Donations (Monday, March 23, 10:00 a.m.)

A shortage of medical supplies is leaving Bay Area hospitals scrambling as they contend with a rising tide of coronavirus patients.

Starting Monday at 8 a.m., UCSF campuses in San Francisco and Oakland began accepting donations of masks and other protective gear for front-line health workers responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

The sites are now accepting:

Find more information, including drop-off locations, here.

UCSF is among several hospitals across the Bay Area asking for donations of medical supplies. Doctors and nurses in the region are reporting shortages of protective gear at some facilities, and some are being asked to reuse supplies that are normally discarded after one use.

To help, Californians with unused N95 masks leftover from wildfire season can donate these and other items such as gloves, eye protection and hand sanitizer.

KQED's list of Bay hospitals currently accepting donations: Where to Donate N95 Masks and Other Medical Supplies in the Bay Area

Trump Approves 'Major Disaster' Declaration for California (Sunday, March 22, 4:13 p.m.)

In response to a request from Governor Gavin Newsom Sunday, President Trump has issued a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to aid in Californias efforts to tackle COVID-19. Trump says large quantities of medical supplies are "on the way." Trump also said he's deploying the hospital ship U.S.N.S. Mercy to Los Angeles. It's expected to arrive in about a week.

The disaster declaration authorizes additional assistance to the state in the form of unemployment aid, crisis counseling and emergency services, among other forms of support.

Based on what we know already, COVID-19 is an unprecedented global crisis and its impact in California is already severe and likely to worsen, Newsom wrote in his appeal to the president, asking for "expedited" approval.

The full text of Newsoms letter can be found here.

Napa County Confirms First Case of COVID-19 (Sunday, March 22, 2:20 p.m.)

Napa County reported its first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, becoming the last Bay Area county to do so.

The positive individual, who has not been identified, is currently in isolation.

This is Napa Countys first case and evidence that COVID-19 is in our community, said Dr. Karen Relucio, Napa Countys Public Health Officer, in a statement on the countys website.

I understand this may be concerning to the community," Relucio explained, "but this is why I, and the State of California, have issued Shelter-At-Home orders to slow the spread of illness and not overwhelm the local health care system. It is imperative that the local community comply with these orders.

Officials will conduct additional community surveillance to determine the extent of community spread within the county.

Watch Sunday's White House Briefing (Sunday, March 22, 1:25 p.m.)

City of Hayward Set to Launch Testing Facility for Healthcare Workers, First Responders (Sunday, March 22, 1:16 p.m.)

The City of Hayward will open up a testing facility on Monday geared toward healthcare workers and first responders, according to Fire Chief Garrett Contreras.

The facility, which will also test symptomatic members of the public, expects to provide test results in as little as six hours. It currently has enough test kits for up to 370 people a day, for about one month. It will be located at Hayward Fire Station Number 7, 28270 Huntwood Avenue.

For more information, read KQED's full story here.

Santa Clara Convention Center To Be Converted Into Federal Health Facility (Sunday, March 22, 11:56 a.m.)

Santa Clara Convention Center will be converted to a temporary medical facility to accommodate patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, county public health officials said in a statement on Saturday.

The facility wont treat patients, officials said. Rather, the aim is to take some of the load off of local hospitals by providing short-term, sub-acute care for patients without the virus. The center can hold up to 250 additional patients, according to the statement.

Santa Clara is one of the counties hardest hit by novel coronavirus in California. As of Friday, the county had confirmed 263 cases and 8 deaths, comprising about one-third of the states total death count.

Parks Update: Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Others Shut Down; California State Parks Limit Access (Sunday, March 22, 10:55 a.m.)

Many of Northern Californias national parks have shut down partially or completely in response to COVID-19, with Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon added to the list in the past few days.

Some parks, including the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, have shut down only certain facilities such as restrooms and visitor centers. Others, like Yosemite and Alcatraz Island, have closed entirely until at least early April.

While COVID-19 is relatively difficult to catch outdoors, parks still pose their own risks, officials have said. Closed park restrooms make it difficult for guests to wash their hands. Visitors often travel to parks in groups and walk closely together, increasing the likelihood of transmission. Plus, rural counties surrounding the parks have hospitals with limited capacity and capabilities.

Go here to read the rest:
Live Updates: Coronavirus in the Bay Area - KQED

There is collective anxiety surrounding Covid-19, but theres also collective loss. Here are some ways to help navigate through our losses.

1. Acknowledge the grief

Although anxiety is unpleasant, it can be easier to acknowledge anxiety than to acknowledge grief. Thats because there are two kinds of anxiety: productive anxiety and unproductive anxiety.

Grieving, on the other hand, is a much quieter process. It requires us to sit with our pain, to feel a kind of sadness that makes many of us so uncomfortable that we try to get rid of it. In the age of coronavirus, a child might say: Im so sad that Im missing seeing my friends every day and the parent, trying to lessen the childs pain, might say: But honey, were so lucky that were not sick and youll get to see your friends soon! A more helpful response might be: I know how sad you are about this. You miss being with your friends so much. Its a big loss not to have that.

Just as our kids need to have their grief acknowledged, we need to acknowledge our own. The more we can say to ourselves and the people around us, Yes, these are meaningful losses, the more seen and soothed we will feel.

2. Stay in the present

Theres a term to describe the kind of loss many of us are experiencing: ambiguous grief. In ambiguous grief, theres a murkiness to the loss.

With Covid-19, on top of the tangible losses, theres the uncertainty about how long this will last and what will happen next that leaves us mourning our current losses as well as ones we havent experienced yet. (No Easter, no prom, and what if this means we cant go on summer vacation?)

Ambiguous grief can leave us in a state of ongoing mourning, so its important for us to stay grounded in the present. Instead of futurizing or catastrophizing ruminating about losses that havent actually happened yet (and may never happen) we can focus on the present by adopting a concept I call both/and. Both/and means that we can feel loss in the present and also feel safe exactly where we are snuggled up with a good book, eating lunch with our kids who are home from school, taking a walk with a family member, and even celebrating a birthday via FaceTime.

We may have lost our sense of normalcy, but we can still stay present for the ordinary right in front of us.

3. Let people experience loss in their own way

Although loss is universal, the ways in which we grieve are deeply personal. For some, the loss of stability leads to a reckoning with mortality, while for others, it leads to a rehaul of ones closet or stress-baking.

In other words, theres no one-size-fits-all for grief. Even Elisabeth Kbler-Rosss familiar stages of grieving denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance arent meant to be linear. Everyone moves through loss in a unique way, so its important to let people do their grieving in whatever way works for them without diminishing their losses or pressuring them to grieve the way you are. A good rule of thumb: you do you (and let others do them).

Lori Gottlieb is a therapist and the author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.

Read more:
Covid-19s Impact in the U.S. - The New York Times

The latest research report entitled Global Animal Stem Cell Therapy Market Growth 2020-2025 released by MRInsights.biz analyzes how the industry has been performing over the last few years and how it will achieve a high growth during the forecast period from 2020 to 2025. The report provides information, statistics, facts and figures, corporate intelligence, economic data, innovation drivers which supports the companies to maximize or minimize the production of goods depending on the states of demand. The report enfolds vital insights into the markets historical and ongoing trends that deliver reliable market estimates to help market players operate their business.

Market Introduction:

The report also highlights market scope, establishment, profitability, maturity, and growth prospects. The report carefully investigates the current scenario of the market and future estimations which spans several market dynamics. The research further explains industry statistics such as global Animal Stem Cell Therapy market size, present valuation, market share, industry trends, and the predicted revenue by the end of the projected period. Our analysts have discovered the business vertical that also explains the desirable growth rate of the market. Factors such as trade regulations, recent developments, opportunities analysis, strategic market growth analysis, product launches, and technological innovations are further discussed.

DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT: https://www.mrinsights.biz/report-detail/232664/request-sample

If you are involved in the global Animal Stem Cell Therapy industry or intend to be, then this study will provide you comprehensive outlook. Its vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Medivet Biologics LLC, Animal Cell Therapies, VETSTEM BIOPHARMA, U.S. Stem Cell, Inc, VetCell Therapeutics, J-ARM, Kintaro Cells Power, Celavet Inc., Animal Stem Care, Magellan Stem Cells, Cell Therapy Sciences, Animacel

This report studies the global market status and forecast categorizes the global market size (value & volume) by key players, type, application, and region covering Americas (United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil), APAC (China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Australia), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain), Middle East & Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, GCC Countries)

Market segment by type covers: Dogs, Horses, Other

Market segment by applications can be divided into: Veterinary Hospitals, Research Organizations

Furthermore, the key entities analyzed and covered within the report includes a large type of applications, industry value and volume, market trends, utility ratio, demand and availability analysis, market growth outlook, manufacturing capacity and price ratio of the global Animal Stem Cell Therapy market during the estimated period from 2020 to 2025. Many inventive sales strategies are listed in the report. This may assistance is capturing numbers and enhancing business perception for the consumers. Segmentation studies include segment attractiveness and profitability. The latest market trends, dynamics, risks, and other influential factors are additionally discovered in the report.

ACCESS FULL REPORT: https://www.mrinsights.biz/report/global-animal-stem-cell-therapy-market-growth-2020-2025-232664.html

Key Target Audience:

Customization of the Report:This report can be customized to meet the clients requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@mrinsights.biz), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +1-201-465-4211 to share your research requirements.

Read more:
Global Animal Stem Cell Therapy Market 2020 Growth Prospects Medivet Biologics LLC, Animal Cell Therapies, VETSTEM BIOPHARMA - NJ MMA News

A virus is a microscopic package of genetic material surrounded by a molecular envelope. The genetic material can be either DNA or RNA.

DNA is a two-strand molecule that is found in all organisms, such as animals, plants, and viruses, and it holds the genetic code, or blueprint, for how these organisms are made and develop.

RNA is generally a one-strand molecule that copies, transcribes and transmits parts of the genetic code to proteins so they can synthetize and carry out functions that keep organisms alive and developing. There are different variations of RNA that do the copying, transcribing and transmitting.

Some viruses such as the coronavirus (SARS-Cov2) only contain RNA, which means they rely on infiltrating healthy cells to multiply and survive. Once inside the cell, the virus uses its own genetic code RNA in the case of the coronavirus to take control of and reprogramme the cells so that they become virus-making factories.

In order for a virus like the coronavirus to be detected early in the body using real time RT-PCR, scientists need to convert the RNA to DNA. This is a process called reverse transcription. They do this because only DNA can be copied or amplified which is a key part of the real time RT-PCR process for detecting viruses.

Scientists amplify a specific part of the transcribed viral DNA hundreds of thousands of times. Amplification is important so that instead of trying to spot a minuscule amount of the virus among millions of strands of genetic information, scientists have a large enough quantity of the target sections of viral DNA to accurately confirm that the virus is present.

Link:
How is the COVID-19 Virus Detected using Real Time RT-PCR? - International Atomic Energy Agency

A patient in Italy receives intensive care for COVID-19. Human geneticists are coming together to look for genes that make some people more vulnerable to the disease.

By Jocelyn KaiserMar. 27, 2020 , 3:25 PM

Sciences COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center.

COVID-19, caused by the new pandemic coronavirus, is strangelyand tragicallyselective. Only some infected people get sick, and although most of the critically ill are elderly or have complicating problems such as heart disease, some killed by the disease are previously healthy and even relatively young. Researchers are now gearing up to scour the patients genomes for DNA variations that explain this mystery. The findings could be used to identify those most at risk of serious illness and those who might be protected, and they might also guide the search for new treatments.

The projects range from ongoing studies with DNA for many thousands of participants, some now getting infected with the coronavirus, to new efforts that are collecting DNA from COVID-19 patients in hard-hit places such as Italy. The goal is to compare the DNA of people who have serious cases of COVID-19 (which stands for coronavirus disease 2019)but no underlying disease like diabetes, heart or lung diseasewith those with mild or no disease. We see huge differences in clinical outcomes and across countries. How much of that is explained by genetic susceptibility is a very open question, says geneticist Andrea Ganna of the University of Helsinkis Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM).

Its hard to predict what will pop out from these gene hunts, some researchers say. But there are obvious suspects, such as the gene coding for the cell surface protein angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which the coronavirus uses to enter airway cells. Variations in the ACE2 gene that alter the receptor could make it easier or harder for the virus to get into cells, says immunologist Philip Murphy of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, whose lab identified a relatively common mutation in another human cell surface protein, CCR5, that makes some people highly resistant to HIV.

Ganna heads up a major effort to pool COVID-19 patients genetic data from around the world. The idea came quite spontaneously about 2 weeks ago when everyone was sitting at their computers watching this crisis, says Ganna, who is also affiliated with the Broad Institute, a U.S. genomic powerhouse.

He and FIMM Director Mark Daly quickly created a website for their project, the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative, and reached out to colleagues who run large biobank studies that follow thousands of volunteers for years to look for links between their DNA and health. At least a dozen biobanks, mostly in Europe and the United States, have expressed interest in contributing COVID-19 data from participants who agreed to this. Among them are FinnGen, which has DNA samples and health data for 5% of the 5 millionperson Finnish population, and the 50,000-participant biobank at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

The UK Biobank, one of worlds largest with DNA data for 500,000 participants, also plans to add COVID-19 health data from participants to its data set, the project tweeted this month. And the Icelandic company deCODE Genetics, which is helping test much of the nations population to see who is infected with the new coronavirus, has received government permission to add these data and any subsequent COVID-19 symptoms to its database, which contains genome and health data on half of Icelands 364,000 inhabitants, says its CEO Kri Stefnsson. We will do our best to contribute to figuring this out, Stefnsson says.

Another effort to identify protective or susceptibility DNA variants is the Personal Genome Project led by Harvard Universitys George Church, which recruits people willing to share their full genome, tissue samples, and health data for research. Earlier this month, it sent questionnaires to its thousands of participants, asking about their COVID-19 status. More than 600 in the United States responded within 48 hours. It seems that most people want to do their part, says Church, whose group isnt yet part of Gannas collaboration.

Other researchers working with Gannas initiative are recruiting COVID-19 patients directly within hospitals for such genomics studies. Italian geneticist Alessandra Renieri of the University of Siena expects at least 11 hospitals in the nation to give ethics approval for her team to collect DNA samples from willing patients. It is my opinion that [host] genetic differences are a key factor for susceptibility to severe acute pneumonia, Renieri says.

Pediatrics researcher Jean-Laurent Casanova at the Rockefeller University, who specializes in identifying rare genes that can make healthy young people susceptible to certain serious diseases, is drawing on a network of pediatricians around the world to look for the relatively few young people who develop COVID-19 serious enough to get admitted to intensive care. We study exclusively patients who were previously healthy and under 50, as their serious COVID-19 illness is more likely to have a genetic basis, he explains.

In addition to genetic variants of the ACE2 receptor, scientists want to see whether differences in the human leukocyte antigen genes, which influence the immune systems response to viruses and bacteria, affect disease severity. And some investigators want to follow up a finding, which a Chinese team reported in a preprint: that people with type O blood may be protected from the virus. Were trying to figure out if those findings are robust, says Stanford University human geneticist Manuel Rivas, who is contributing to Gannas initiative.

The catastrophic spread of the coronavirus should soon increase the number of COVID-19 patients available to these gene hunts. And that could speed findings. Ganna expects the first susceptibility genes could be identified within a couple of months.

With reporting by Elizabeth Pennisi.

Follow this link:
How sick will the coronavirus make you? The answer may be in your genes - Science Magazine

Heather Ray, a developmental biology postdoc at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who studies the genetics of birth defects, received an email on March 24 from the search committee for a faculty job to which she had applied. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a resulting hiring freeze at the university, Ray says the email read, the search and position had been canceled.

I hadnt even thought that this might happen, she says.

A few minutes later, Ray received an email from a search committee in her own department that had been interviewing applicants for two open positions. Three candidates had completed in-person interviews for those positions, and all three had been invited back to campus for a second round of interviews. The University of Alabama at Birmingham had recently announced that it too was suspending hiring for individuals who did not have a documented offer, which meant that the search in Rays department was also called off.

All of the work that they did, thats just gone away, she says, because when the job is posted again in the fall, or the following year, the search committee will have to start all over.

A day earlier, on March 23, Brown University announced the suspension of all new hiring for the current year and for the fiscal year starting on July 1. At the same time that supporting our communitys health and safety remain a top priority, reads the universitys press release, the financial consequences resulting from the increased expenditures and the dramatic reductions in revenue provoked by the current pandemic demand prompt attention.

Numerous other universities have made similar announcements about the suspension of hiring, including Miami University of Ohio, Wright State University, Villanova University, the University of Nevada, Reno, Indiana University, and the University of Auckland in New Zealand, which cites the travel ban affecting Chinese students as one of the main causes of its freeze. The Professor Is In, a website and consulting service for applicants on the academic job market, posted yesterday an unofficial list of 58 universities that had issued some form of a hiring freeze. Comments in response to that post point to additional universities that have also scaled back hiring to various degrees.

James McGrath, a postdoc in digital public humanities at Brown University, tweeted about Browns announcement on Tuesday, eliciting responses from students and academics in various disciplines.

The worry is with an institution like Brown that has the endowment that it has and the resources that it has, McGrath tells The Scientist. If theyre making this decision, you can only wonder . . . what kinds of decisions [institutions with fewer resources] are going to be making. He says the hiring freezes in response to the coronavirus pandemic are a sign that the whole higher ed job market, which is already in bad shape, is heading for darker times.

A summary from the Senate Appropriations Committee released yesterday specified that the $2 trillion stimulus package passed by the Senate Wednesday (March 25) and currently being considered by the House would include at least $1.25 billion for federal research agencies working on the coronavirus, as well as $14.25 billion for universities that have been forced to shut down during the pandemic, which may funnel aid to labs whose work has been disrupted, Science reports.

But how that stimulus package may affect those currently searching for academic positions remains unclear.

Its definitely scary as someone who is looking for another postdoc or potentially applying to faculty jobs to have this looming situation, says Kishana Taylor, a postdoc in microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of California, Davis. If universities are going along the same lines as Brown, Taylor says, essentially, there wont be any applications to put in in the fall. She notes that the job market is always competitive, especially in the biomedical sciences, and that the hiring freezes will only increase that competition.

Ray agrees, adding that if the current situation persists, universities may experience a bottleneck where two or three years worth of applicants [are] all trying for the same number of positions at one time.

Julie Craft Van De Weghe, a cellular biology postdoc at the University of Washington whose research focuses on primary cilia and Joubert syndrome, says she wonders whether the terms of her K99 Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institutes of Health will be adjusted if the current lack of hiring in academia persists. The grant is supposed to cover two years of a postdoc and the first three years of a faculty position, according to Craft Van De Weghe, but she is unsure what would happen if shes unable to secure an academic job in the coming year. I will be reevaluating my contingency plans, she says.

The hiring freezes and their effects on the larger scientific community also concern Craft Van De Weghe. Although universities are producing researchers well-trained to contribute to humanitys knowledge of how science works, she says, well lose a ton of good people who could have made substantial contributions.

Roughly two weeks ago, Ray signed an offer letter from a university, completing her extended search for a faculty position that began in June of last year, and had pulled her application from the university that later notified her of its hiring freeze. The timing had been perfect, she says, because she was able to travel for an in-person interview and negotiate her contract before universities starting closing their campuses. But on the morning of March 25, a day after she had received the emails about hiring freezes and canceled searches, Ray learned that the university where she had accepted an offer had issued its own hiring freeze. She immediately emailed the committee chair asking whether her position was under threat.

I wasnt left waiting too long, Ray says, but it was a brief moment of almost panic. Her new job, she reports, is secure.

Amy Schleunes is an intern atThe Scientist. Email her ataschleunes@the-scientist.com.

View post:
Universities Issue Hiring Freezes in Response to COVID-19 - The Scientist

When I first arrived at the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS), Tel Aviv, in May 2013 as a summer trainee, little did I know that I will be spending a good part of my life in Israel. There is some inexplicable aura of scientific aptitude in the beautiful campus nestled just outside the bustling city of Tel Aviv. It was rather an easy decision to return for a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at the institute after graduating with an Integrated BS-MS in Biology from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata.

Unparalleled quality

WIS is a rather unusual destination for graduate school, as compared to other major schools in the U.S. and Europe as it offers only MSc and Ph.D. programmes in natural sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics/CS, Biology). Quite naturally, the student/post-doc body is compact leading to thought-provoking scientific conversations, often leading to interesting scientific collaborations. In addition to roughly 250 professors across 18 departments, there are numerous staff scientists, many of whom serve as an immediate source of guidance and mentorship.

Weizmann supports services for almost all major advanced scientific tools and techniques. This enables the students and other researchers to answer tough questions. For instance, discoveries at the institute have enabled the treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma. Not only is the quality of science unparalleled, but also, Weizmann Institute is a great place to work. The continual support of the mostly English-speaking administrative staff makes it probably the best place to be for an international student in Israel.

Co-curricular activities

Outside the lab, the institute provides ample opportunities for personal and professional growth. There are multiple student clubs such as Entrepreneurship, Debate and LGBTQ clubs that train students with various hard and soft skills such as innovation, management and persuasive speaking. In fact, I have been involved in establishing the Weizmann Biotech Club, which is a forum for Ph.D. students and post-docs to interact with life-science industry leaders, learn about the industry trends and provide career development support.

Finally, Israel is a great place to begin ones professional career. It is known to be the start up nation and provides a plethora of opportunities to engage with the booming innovation ecosystem of the country for aspiring technology entrepreneurs.

Israel is opening its doors to foreign entrepreneurs with the recent launch of an innovation visa, that comes with generous support from the Israel Innovation Authority.

The writer is a Ph.D. student at the Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

You have reached your limit for free articles this month.

Register to The Hindu for free and get unlimited access for 30 days.

Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.

Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.

A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.

Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.

A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.

We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.

Not convinced? Know why you should pay for news.

*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper ,crossword, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print. Our plans enhance your reading experience.

Go here to read the rest:
In the start-up nation - The Hindu

The cerebral cortex is the relatively thin, folded, outer gray matter layer of the brain crucial for thinking, information processing, memory, and attention. Not much has been revealed about the genetic underpinnings that influence the size of the cortexs surface area and its thickness, both of which have previously been linked to various psychiatric traits, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism.Now, for the first time, more 360 scientists from 184 different institutions including UNC-Chapel Hill have contributed to a global effort to find more than 200 regions of the genome and more than 300 specific genetic variations that affect the structure of the cerebral cortex and likely play important roles in psychiatric and neurological conditions.

The study was led by co-senior authors Jason Stein, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Genetics at the UNC School of Medicine; Sarah Medland, PhD, senior research fellow at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia; and Paul Thompson, PhD, associate director of the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute at the University of Southern California. Ten years ago, these scientists cofounded the ENIGMA Consortium, an international research network that has brought together hundreds of imaging genomics researchers to understand brain structure, function, and disease based on brain imaging and genetic data.

This study was only possible due to a huge scientific collaboration of more than 60 sites involved in MRI scanning and genotyping participants, Stein said. This study is the crown jewel of the ENIGMA Consortium, so far.

The researchers studied MRI scans and DNA from more than 50,000 people to identify 306 genetic variants that influence brain structure in order to shed light on how genetics contribute to differences in the cerebral cortex of individuals. Genetic variants or variations are simply the slight genetic differences that make us unique. Generally speaking, some variants contribute to differences such as hair color or blood type. Some are involved in diseases. Most of the millions of genetic variants, though, have no known significance. This is why pinpointing genetic variants associated with cortex size and structure is a big deal. Stein and colleagues consider their new genetic roadmap of the brain a sort of Rosetta stone that will help translate how some genes impact physical brain structure and neurological consequences for individuals.

Among the findings of the research:

Most of our previous understanding of genes affecting the brain are from model systems, like mice, Stein said. With mice, we can find genes, knock out genes, or over express genes to see how they influence the structure or function of the brain. But there are a couple of problems with this.One problem is, quite simply, a mouse is not a human. There are many human-specific features that scientists can only study in the human brain.

The genetic basis for a mouse is very different than the genetic basis for humans, Stein said, especially in in the noncoding regions of the genome.

Genes contain DNA, the basic human code that, when translated into action, creates proteins that do things, such as help your finger muscles type or your heart beat or your liver process toxins. But only about 3 percent of the human genome codes for proteins. The vast majority of the human genome is called the noncoding genome. Much of this region is not shared between mice and humans. This noncoding genome consists of tiny molecular switches that can modulate the expression of other genes. These switches dont directly alter the function of a protein, but they can affect the amounts of a protein that is expressed. Turns out, most genetic variants associated with psychiatric disorders are found in the noncoding region of the genome.

These findings can now be a resource for scientists to help answer important questions about the genetic influences on the brain and how they relate to numerous conditions.ReferenceGrasby et al. (2020) The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex. Science. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay6690

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

View original post here:
The First Genetic Map of the Cerebral Cortex - Technology Networks

Scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) and Fox Chase Cancer Center show that EGR4, known mainly for its role in male fertility, serves as a critical brake on immune activation. The new study Suppression of Ca2+signals by EGR4 controls Th1 differentiation and anticancer immunityin vivo,published online inEMBO Reports, demonstrates that taking EGR4 away, thus effectively releasing the brake, promotes the activation of killer T cells, which infiltrate and attack tumors and thereby boost anticancer immunity.

While the zinc finger transcription factors EGR1, EGR2, and EGR3 are recognized as critical for Tcell function, the role of EGR4 remains unstudied. Here, we show that EGR4 is rapidly upregulated upon TCR engagement, serving as a critical brake on Tcell activation. Hence, TCR engagement of EGR4/T cells leads to enhanced Ca2+responses, driving sustained NFAT activation and hyperproliferation. This causes profound increases in IFN production under resting and diverse polarizing conditions that could be reversed by pharmacological attenuation of Ca2+ entry, wrote the investigators.

Finally, aninvivomelanoma lung colonization assay reveals enhanced antitumor immunity in EGR4/mice, attributable to Th1 bias, Treg loss, and increased CTL generation in the tumor microenvironment. Overall, these observations reveal for the first time that EGR4 is a key regulator of Tcell differentiation and function.

Other early growth response proteins, or EGRs, are important to T cell activity, but whether EGR4 also has a role in immunity has been largely overlooked, explained Jonathan Soboloff, Ph.D., professor of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry at the Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology at LKSOM. Our study reveals a new side to the importance of EGR4.

Soboloffs team examined the influence of EGR4 expression in immune cells in collaboration with Dietmar J. Kappes, Ph.D., professor of Blood Cell Development and Cancer at Fox Chase Cancer Center. In initial experiments, the researchers found that T cell activation is associated with EGR4 upregulation. They then showed that knocking-out, or eliminating, EGR4 from immune cells results in a dramatic increase in calcium signaling and expansion of T helper type 1 (Th1) cell populations. Th1 cells, in response to the presence of foreign entities, including tumor cells, activate cytotoxic, or killer, T cells, which then wipe out the invader.

We know from our previous work that T cells control calcium signaling and that when intracellular calcium levels are elevated, calcium signaling can drive T cell activation, Soboloff said.

The Soboloff and Kappes labs next studied the functional importance of EGR4 in cancer immunity by utilizing an adoptive mouse model of melanoma in which some host animals lacked EGR4 expression. Compared to mice with typical EGR4 levels, EGR4 knockout animals showed evidence of expanded populations of Th1 cells and enhanced anticancer immunity. In particular, EGR4 knockout mice had reduced lung tumor burden and fewer metastases than mice with normal EGR4 expression.

In future work, the Soboloff and Kappes groups plan to further explore strategies for EGR4 targeting. The development of an agent to target EGR4 specifically may be difficult, due to the diverse actions of EGR pathways. But eliminating EGR4 specifically from a patients T cells, and then putting those cells back into the patient, may be a viable immunotherapeutic approach, Kappes said.

More:
Removing EGR4 "Brake" on Immune Activation May Be Viable I/O Therapeutic Approach - Clinical OMICs News

Genomics has come a long way since the central dogma (the notion that DNA is the master controller that calls all the shots) and junk DNA (the expectation that much of the genome is non-functional). If scientists ditch those old dogmas and approach the genome expecting to find reasons for things, they often do.

To-may-to or to-mah-to? The British write flavour; the Americans write flavor, but generally each understands the other without too much difficulty. Genomes, too, have alternate ways of spelling things: GGU and GGC in messenger RNA both spell glycine. No big deal, thought geneticists; these silent mutations cause no change in the resulting protein. At the University of Notre Dame, however, biochemists are finding that the differences in spelling are not just background noise; they alter the proteins folding. Is that good or bad?

Synonymous mutations were long considered to be genomic background noise, but we found they do indeed lead to altered protein folding, and in turn impair cell function, said Patricia Clark, the Rev. John Cardinal OHara professor of biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame, and lead author of the study. Our results show that synonymous variations in our DNA sequences which account for most of our genetic variation can have a significant impact on shaping the fitness level of cellular proteins.

Surely many of these mutations are harmful, as are random mutations in humans that cause genetic disease. But E. coli has been around for a long time. Wouldnt the species have gone extinct by now with the accumulation of defective spellings if they are always deleterious? Other work has suggested a secret code in synonymous variations that fine-tunes expression rates or regulates the supply of a given protein based on environmental conditions. The news release only mentions impairments caused by synonymous variations, but Notre Dame teams paper in PNAS suggests some possible advantages:

Synonymous codon substitutions alter the mRNA coding sequence but preserve the encoded amino acid sequence. For this reason, these substitutions were historically considered to be phenotypically silent and often disregarded in studies of human genetic variation. In recent years, however, it has become clear that synonymous substitutions can significantly alter protein function in vivo through a wide variety of mechanisms that can change protein level, translational accuracy, secretion efficiency, the final folded structure and posttranslational modifications. The full range of synonymous codon effects on protein production is, however, still emerging, and much remains to be learned regarding the precise mechanisms that regulate these effects. [Emphasis added.]

A design perspective would consider every possible function before rendering a judgment that all synonymous variations reduce fitness.

Keeping the genome accurate to a high degree preserves it from collapsing due to error catastrophe. At the time of cell division, proofreading enzymes (what a concept!) perform this vital function. Chelsea R. Bulock et al., writing in PNAS, have found one duplication enzyme that proofreads itself while proofreading its partner! DNA polymerase proofreads errors made by DNA polymerase , the paper is titled.

Pol and Pol are the two major replicative polymerases in eukaryotes, but their precise roles at the replication fork remain a subject of debate. A bulk of data supports a model where Pol and Pol synthesize leading and lagging DNA strands, respectively. However, this model has been difficult to reconcile with the fact that mutations in Pol have much stronger consequences for genome stability than equivalent mutations in Pol. We provide direct evidence for a long-entertained idea that Pol can proofread errors made by Pol in addition to its own errors, thus, making a more prominent contribution to mutation avoidance. This paper provides an essential advance in the understanding of the mechanism of eukaryotic DNA replication.

In other words, Pol is a proofreader of a proofreader. The paper says that Pol is a versatile extrinsic proofreading enzyme. One could think of it as a supervisor checking the work of a subordinate, or better yet, as an auditor or inspector able to fix errors before they cause harm to the product. Why would this be necessary during replication? The authors see a seniority system:

Thus, the high efficiency of Pol at correcting errors made by Pol may result from a combination of two factors: the high proclivity of Pol to yield to another polymerase and the greater flexibility and robustness of Pol when associating with new primer termini.

One proofreader is amazing to consider evolving by a Darwinian mechanism. A proofreader of a proofreader is astonishing. Consider, too, that this proofreading operation occurs in the dark by feel, automatically, without eyes to see.

Now that genetics is long past the heady days of finding that DNA forms a code that is translated, additional discoveries continue to show additional codes and factors that contribute to genomic function. One factor is the high-order structure of DNA. Researchers at South Koreas UNIST center have explored further into the formation of this structure, which involves chromatin wrapping around histone proteins so that long strands of DNA can fit within the compact space of the cell nucleus. As with everything else in genomics, the structure doesnt just happen. It requires a lot of help.

Regulation of histone proteins allows the DNA strands become more tightly or loosely coiled during the processes of DNA replication and gene expression. However, problems may arise when histones clump together or when DNA strands intertwine. Indeed, the misregulation of chromatin structures could result in aberrant gene expression and can ultimately lead to developmental disorders or cancers.

Histone chaperones are those proteins, responsible for adding and removing specific histones [found] at the wrong time and place during the DNA packaging process. Thus, they also play a key role in the assembly and disassembly of chromatin.

Cryo-EM imaging allowed the team to envision the molecular structure of some of these chaperone proteins. Their paper in Nature Communications begins, The fundamental unit of chromatin, the nucleosome, is an intricate structure that requires histone chaperones for assembly. Their cryo-EM images of one particular chaperone named Abo1 reveals a six-fold symmetry with precise locations for docking to histones, its hexameric ring thus creating a unique pocket where histones could bind with energy from ATP. Not only is Abo1 distinct as a histone chaperone, they write, but Abo1 is also unique compared to other canonical AAA+protein structures. Like Lego blocks, Abo1 features tight knob-and-hole packing of individual subunits plus linkers and other binding sites, such as for ATP. And unlike static blocks, these blocks undergo conformational changes as they work.

Such sophistication is far beyond the old picture of DNA as a master molecule directing all the work. It couldnt work without the help of many precision machines like this.

These stories are mere samples from a vast and growing literature indicating higher order in the genome than expected. Here are some more samples readers may wish to investigate:

Researchers at the University of Seville found additional factors involved in the repair of DNA strand breaks. These repairs are essential for the maintenance of genome integrity. The factors they discovered help maintain the right tension in cohesin molecules that hold the chromosomes together until the right time to separate. The news was relayed by EurekAlert!and published in Nature Communications.

Remember Paleys Watch? Researchers at the University of Basel discovered that Inner clockwork sets the time for cell division in bacteria. In PNAS and in Nature Communications, the Basel team elucidates the structure and function of a small signaling molecule that starts the clock, which then informs the cell about the right time to reproduce. They report in the news release:

A team at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel, led by Prof. Urs Jenal has now identified a central switch for reproduction in the model bacteriumCaulobacter crescentus: the signaling molecule c-di-GMP. In their current study,published in the journalNature Communications,they report that this molecule initiates a clock-like mechanism, which determines whether individual bacteria reproduce.

Proteins must fold properly to perform their functions. Small proteins usually fold successfully on their own, but large ones can fall into several misfolding traps that are equally likely as the canonical fold. It appears that the sequence of the sequence in a gene has something to do with this. Interestingly, many of these proteins sequences contain conserved rare codons that may slow down synthesis at this optimal window, explain Amir Bitran et al. in a January 21 paper in PNAS, discovering that Cotranslational folding (i.e., folding that begins as the polypeptide exits the ribosome) allows misfolding-prone proteins to circumvent deep kinetic traps.

Design advocates and evolutionists need to fathom what they are dealing with when discussing origins. Theres nothing like some low-level detail to put the challenge in perspective.

Image credit: Caulobacter crescentus, by University of Basel, Swiss Nanoscience Institute/Biozentrum, via EurekAlert!

Continued here:
More Hints of Order in the Genome - Discovery Institute

BOSTON, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The burgeoning coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic has already killed thousands of people worldwide and is threatening the lives of many more. In an effort to limit the virus from spreading, Harvard University was among the first organizations to promote social distancing by requiring all but the most essential personnel to work remotely. However, labs that perform vital COVID-19-related research are permitted to continue their potentially life-saving work and many of these activities are currently ongoing at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

Essentially all medical treatment centers impacted by SARS-CoV2 (CoV2), the SARS-family virus that causes COVID-19, are overstrained or unable to confront the virus, starting from their ability to diagnose the virus' presence in the human body, treat all infected individuals, or prevent its spread among those that have not been infected yet. Therefore, finding better solutions to diagnose, treat, and prevent the disease, is key to combating this menace and bringing this pandemic under control. Equally concerning, there are worldwide shortages on the front lines in hospitals in our region and around the world, including rapidly depleting supplies of personal protective equipment, such as N95 face masks, and nasopharyngeal swabs needed for COVID-19 diagnostic testing. Solving these challenges requires rapid responses and creative solutions.

"With our highly multi-disciplinary and translation-focused organization, we [the Wyss Institute] were able to quickly pivot, and refocus our unique engineering capabilities on much needed diagnostic, therapeutic, and vaccine solutions, and we hope to be part of the solution for many of the innumerable problems the present pandemic poses," said Wyss Institute Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., who also is the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, and Professor of Bioengineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). "We strive to make a major contribution to bringing this crisis under control, and are confident that what we accomplish under duress now will help prevent future epidemics."

Meeting challenges on the front lines of patient care

Many of the Institute's hospital partner institutions and government agencies have reached out to Institute leadership to assist in this rapidly escalating battle against COVID-19. Ingber's team is working closely with collaborators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), other Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and generous corporate partners to develop potential solutions to the increasing shortage of nasopharyngeal swabs and N95 face masks. Senior Staff Engineers Richard Novak, Ph.D., and Adama Sesay, Ph.D., and Senior Research Scientist Pawan Jolly, Ph.D., are working diligently with our clinical partners to help devise a solution as quickly as possible.

Diagnosing COVID-19 more quickly, easily, and broadly

With COVID-19 rapidly spreading around the planet, the efficient detection of the CoV2 virus is pivotal to isolate infected individuals as early as possible, support them in whatever way possible, and thus prevent the further uncontrolled spread of the disease. Currently, the most-performed tests are detecting snippets of the virus' genetic material, its RNA, by amplifying them with a technique known as "polymerase chain reaction" (PCR) from nasopharyngeal swabs taken from individuals' noses and throats.

The tests, however, have severe limitations that stand in the way of effectively deciding whether people in the wider communities are infected or not. Although PCR-based tests can detect the virus's RNA early on in the disease, test kits are only available for a fraction of people that need to be tested, and they require trained health care workers, specialized laboratory equipment, and significant time to be performed. In addition, health care workers that are carrying out testing are especially prone to being infected by CoV2. To shorten patient-specific and community-wide response times, Wyss Institute researchers are taking different parallel approaches:

Via one route, a team led by Wyss Core Faculty member

, Ph.D., and Senior Staff Scientist

, M.D., Ph.D., in the Institute's Molecular Robotics Initiative are developing a disposable test that makes use of a "lateral flow device" (LFD) much like a home pregnancy test easy to manufacture at a large scale, and able to be handled without special equipment or expertise. The team is adapting a suite of bioinspired DNA nanotechnology techniques that Yin's lab has previously developed to enable the detection of virus RNA or protein from simple nasopharyngeal swabs with high sensitivity and accuracy. In the handheld LFD device, these tools would enable users to transform the presence of viral RNA or protein in a sample into the formation of a colored line on a simple strip of nitrocellulose paper. Yin is one of the leaders of the Wyss Institute's Molecular Robotics Initiative and also Professor of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School (HMS).Better viral RNA detection methods are also being pursued by

, a molecular diagnostics startup spun out of the Wyss Institute and Broad Institute in 2019. The company licensed the

developed by Wyss Core Faculty member

, Ph.D., and his group, including former Wyss Business Development Lead William Blake, Ph.D., who joined Sherlock Biosciences from the Wyss Institute as the company's CTO. Collins is a co-founder of Sherlock Biosciences, and also the Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering & Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). According to Rahul Dhanda, M.B.A., the CEO and a co-founder of Sherlock Biosciences, the company is currently working on different solutions for diagnosing COVID-19, one of which deploys the INSPECTRTM technology. INSPECTRTM consists of DNA-based sensors, which can be programmed to detect CoV2 RNA with specificity down to a single one of its nucleotide building blocks; the sensors are coupled with paper-based synthetic gene networks that produce a bioluminescent signal. The signals can be generated at room temperature, captured on instant film and read from a simple device without sophisticated equipment, and the test is currently designed to perform similarly to an off-the-shelf pregnancy test. Like the LFD approach developed in Yin's group, INSPECTRTM technology can be readily adjusted to allow specific detection of the different continuously arising CoV2 variants, and to follow their spread through the population.In a different project led by Collins and spearheaded by Research Scientists

, Ph.D., and

, and former graduate student

at the Wyss Institute, the team is developing a rapid self-activating COVID-19 diagnostic face mask as a wearable diagnostic. Worn by patients or individuals at home with symptoms of the disease, the face mask could rapidly signal the presence of the virus without any need for hands-on manipulation so that patients can be quickly triaged for proper medical care, while healthcare workers and patients that are nearby are protected. Emerging from Collins' team's

created in the Wyss Institute's Living Cellular Devices Initiative, the approach will use highly sensitive molecular sensors that, coupled to synthetic biology networks, could enable the production of an immediately visible or fluorescent color signal in the event that CoV2 is encountered. The entire cell-free molecular machinery can be freeze-dried and integrated with the synthetic material on the interior side of face masks. Exposed to small droplets that are expelled by wearers during normal breathing, sneezing, and coughing, and the humidity of exhaled air, the reactions are re-hydrated and thus activated to produce a positive or negative signal within 1 to 3 hours.A method to capture CoV2 virus particles from human samples in a single step and identify them within 1 hour is being explored by Senior Staff Scientist,

, Ph.D., working on Don Ingber's Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics platform. The researchers are leveraging the Wyss Institute's

to bind CoV2 virus particles, which they hope to rapidly identify using mass spectrometry. FcMBL is a genetically engineered variant of the "Mannose Binding Lectin" (MBL) immune protein that binds to molecules on the surface of over 100 different pathogens, including certain viruses. Ingber's team has confirmed that FcMBL binds to a non-infectious pseudotyped CoV2 virus that displays the CoV2 Spike protein on its surface.Ultrasensitive assays to detect the levels of cytokines molecules that are secreted by certain immune cells to affect other cells are being developed by

, Ph.D., leader of the Wyss Diagnostics Accelerator, to help identify effective therapeutic interventions that can prevent the deadly cytokine storm that can be triggered by overproduction of immune cells. The lab is also developing a serological test to ascertain individuals who are not showing any symptoms yet, but have been exposed to virus and have mounted an immune response. Walt is also the Hansjrg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at HMS, Professor of Pathology at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Institute Professor of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Advancing antiviral therapeutics on the fast track

To date there is no antiviral drug that has been proven to reduce the intensity and duration of the infection in more seriously affected patients, or protect vulnerable patients from CoV2 infection. Doctors can merely provide supportive care to their COVID-19 patients by making sure they receive enough oxygen, managing their fever, and generally supporting their immune systems to buy them time to fight the infection themselves. Research groups in academia and industry working at breakneck pace by now have compiled a list of candidate therapeutics and vaccines to could offer some help. However, given the high failure rates of candidate drugs in clinical trials, more efforts are needed to develop effective medicines for a world population that likely will vary with regards to their susceptibility and access to new therapeutic technologies.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic requires rapid action, and the fastest way to combat this challenge is by repurposing existing drugs that are already FDA approved for other medical applications as COVID-19 therapeutics. While clinicians around the world are attempting to do this, the approaches have been haphazard, and there is a great need to attack this problem in a systematic way.

Ingber's team, co-led by Senior Staff Scientist

, Ph.D. and Senior Research Scientist

, Ph.D., has developed a preclinical CoV2 infection model that leverages the Wyss Institute's human

(Organ Chip) in vitro human emulation technology. The team engineered a CoV2 pseudovirus that is safe to use in the laboratory and expresses the key surface Spike protein, which mediates its entry into cells. They also demonstrated that it successfully infects human Lung Chips lined by highly differentiated human lung airway epithelial cells, which the team previously has shown to recapitulate human lung pathophysiology, including responses to Influenza virus infection, with high fidelity. Other members of the team, including Senior Staff Engineer Richard Novak and Senior Staff Scientist

, Ph.D. are respectively using network analysis algorithms and molecular dynamic simulation-enabled rational drug design approaches to identify existing FDA approved drugs and novel compounds that can be tested in the Organ Chip-based COVID-19 therapeutic repurposing pipeline. Senior Staff Scientist

, Ph.D., working in the Wyss Institute's Predictive Biodiscovery Initiative led by Jim Collins is also applying new machine learning-enabled computational tools to confront this repurposing challenge. The team is now in active collaborations with researchers who can study the native infectious CoV2 virus in approved BSL3 biosafety laboratories, and they are working hard to rapidly identify existing FDA approved drugs and drug combinations that may be used as COVID-19 therapeutics, or as prophylactic therapies for healthcare workers or patients who are particularly vulnerable to this disease. Reilly, working with Senior Staff Scientist Ken Carlson, Ph.D., is also using his molecular dynamics simulation approach to develop new broad spectrum Coronavirus therapeutics targeted against a conserved region of its surface Spike protein that would both help infected patients survive the current COVID-19 pandemic, and allow us to be prepared to prevent infections by related Corona viruses that might emerge in the future.Collins' team is also deploying computational algorithms to predict chemical structures that could inhibit different aspects of virus biology or disease pathology and be developed into therapeutics. In a collaboration with

, Ph.D., a Professor at MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, his team is leveraging deep neural networks to develop therapeutic strategies that could help treat bacterial pneumonia, which can overlay pneumonia caused by the CoV2 virus and further endanger patients' lives. In a recent study, motivated by the present dearth of antibiotics, Collins' group successfully pioneered a deep learning approach to

that led the researchers to discover new molecules with antibacterial effects towards different pathogenic strains.Wyss Core Faculty member

, Ph.D., and his graduate student Kettner Griswold are taking yet another route. One way the CoV2 virus could be fought is to harness the power of the immune system. Church and Griswold are engineering antibodies that specifically bind to the virus and could enable a potent immune attack on it. Starting from an already existing "neutralizing antibody" that binds the Spike protein of the virus responsible for the 2003 SARS epidemic, they hope to make the antibody fit the closely related CoV2 virus. Such a neutralizing agent would be akin to treatments in which patients with infectious diseases receive "blood plasma" (the liquid part of blood that holds the blood cells) from individuals that have recovered from the infection, which contains neutralizing antibodies against the pathogen. However, an engineered antibody could be manufactured in large quantities and supplied to COVID-19 patients much more quickly and easily than blood plasma. Church is also Professor of Genetics at HMS and Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at Harvard and MIT.

In search of ultimate protection a vaccine

With no vaccine currently available, but several vaccine candidates being explored around the world, Wyss Institute researchers led by Wyss Core Faculty member David Mooney, Ph.D., are developing a material that could make vaccinations more effective. Previously, Mooney's team has developed implantable and injectable cancer vaccines that can induce the immune system to attack and destroy cancer cells.

A key ingredient in vaccines is a fragment of the infectious agent, called an antigen, but the immune response to many antigens is weak. The bioactive materials of the Wyss's vaccine are programmed with molecules that orchestrate the recruitment and stimulation of immune cells with presentation of the antigen. This results in robust responses that in relation to COVID-19, in theory, may enable the immune system to both kill the virus immediately in infected individuals, as well as create a memory in infected and uninfected individuals without the need of additional boosts. Given the material's highly modular structure, one can easily plug-and-play various antigens that are being identified by researchers across the world, optimizing the response to each. This approach may yield a highly versatile platform in the fight against future epidemics and many infectious diseases. Mooney leads the Wyss Institute's Immuno-Materials Focus Area and also the Robert P. Pinkas Family Professor of Bioengineering at SEAS.

Understanding how COVID-19 develops and how to control it

COVID-19 does not strike equally strong in every individual that it infects. Independent of age, some are prone to become seriously ill, while others show an astonishing level of resilience against the disease. Figuring out the biological basis for these differences could lead to new protective strategies.

Church and Wyss Associate Faculty member

, Ph.D., are working with "

" (PGP), an international initiative that creates public genome, health, and genetic trait data to be mined by the biomedical research community for driving scientific progress in many areas. Wu is also Professor of Genetics at HMS. Church was instrumental in founding the initiative in 2005, and has been advancing its reach with key technological advances and his emphatic stewardship. The two Wyss researchers and their teams led by Sarah Wait Zaranek, Ph.D., Curie President and PGP informatics co-Director, are now launching a project to harness the PGP platform by comparing the genomes, microbiomes, viromes, and immune systems of consenting individuals with extreme COVID-19 susceptibility and individuals that exhibit resistance. Their far-flung systems biology approach could lead to unexpected insights about the disease, and reveal key levers that could be adjusted with existing drugs to control the infection, help prioritize individuals for urgent care, as well as provide guidance as to which healthcare workers would do better on the front-lines of care.Besides pursuing various COVID-19-focused activities in its laboratories, the Wyss Institute is working with the broader research, hospital, and public health communities to integrate its efforts nationally. For example, Church is fastening ties with his former Postdoctoral Fellow

, Ph.D., Professor of Genome Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle, who leads the "

," which pivoted to COVID-19, as well as

, Ph.D., Director of the

in Seattle, and

, Ph.D., founder of life science company 4Bionics, among other companies, to develop a simple, yet different home test kit. On the national level, Walt is a member of a

started at the National Academies' newly formed "Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats." The committee is strongly focusing now on the present coronavirus pandemic to find ways to help the federal government consolidate and streamline efforts across the nation but will also work long-term to develop strategies and make recommendations for future health threats.

At the international level, the Wyss Institute functions as a Center of Excellence of the Global Virus Network (GVN), with Ingber as leader and the other Wyss Faculty as key participating members. The GVN is designed to integrate surveillance and response efforts for biothreats, epidemics, and pandemics by integrating efforts of top virus research institutions from around the world. Ingber is also currently working closely with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as in active discussions with the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and Public Health England, as they all try to align and coordinate efforts to meet this monumental health challenge.

"The Wyss Institute and its collaborators are taking exactly the type of comprehensive, integrated approach to addressing this pandemic that is required at local, national, and international levels," said Walt.

PRESS CONTACTS

Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University Benjamin Boettner, benjamin.boettner@wyss.harvard.edu, +1 917-913-8051

The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University ( http://wyss.harvard.edu ) uses Nature's design principles to develop bioinspired materials and devices that will transform medicine and create a more sustainable world. Wyss researchers are developing innovative new engineering solutions for healthcare, energy, architecture, robotics, and manufacturing that are translated into commercial products and therapies through collaborations with clinical investigators, corporate alliances, and formation of new startups. The Wyss Institute creates transformative technological breakthroughs by engaging in high risk research, and crosses disciplinary and institutional barriers, working as an alliance that includes Harvard's Schools of Medicine, Engineering, Arts & Sciences and Design, and in partnership with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, DanaFarber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston University, Tufts University, Charit Universittsmedizin Berlin, University of Zurich and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-harvard-wyss-institutes-response-to-covid-19-beating-back-the-coronavirus-301029871.html

SOURCE Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University

The rest is here:
The Harvard Wyss Institute's response to COVID-19: beating back the coronavirus - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

While biotech stocks are often too risky for many investors, with the coronavirus raging and the race for a vaccine in play, taking a look at some ETFs that contain biotech stocks that are making strides might not be such a bad idea.

With the COVID-19 pandemic raging, biotechs that are consistently profitable and that offer drugs that patients absolutely must have could be seen as relatively safe compared to many other stocks on the market. For investors looking to stay in the market and diversify portfolios, here are two biotech ETFs that could be worth diversifying into during the coronavirus crisis.

With biotech companies like Gilead Sciences, which has been in the news a lot recently for the antiviral drug remdesivir, which appears to be the most promising treatment for COVID-19, IBB is a place for biotech investors to consider. Gilead is conducting late-stage studies of the drug and could report initial results as early as April. Gilead also has adividend yield currently stands at nearly 4%. The company has even augmented its dividend by 58% over the last five years.

IBB seeks to track the investment results of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, which contains securities of companies listed on NASDAQ that are classified according to the Industry Classification Benchmark as either biotechnology or pharmaceuticals and that also meet other eligibility criteria determined by Nasdaq, Inc. The fund generally invests at least 90% of its assets in securities of the index and in depositary receipts representing securities of the index. It may invest the remainder of its assets in certain futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents. It is non-diversified.

While the iShares Genomics Immunology and Healthcare ETF has no directly related coronavirus drug-making companies in its holdings, it does contain stocks like Exelixis, which makes drugs that are used to treat kidney, liver, and medullary thyroid cancer, which will continue to be important going forward. The fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of developed and emerging market companies that could benefit from the long-term growth and innovation in genomics, immunology, and bioengineering.

For more market trends, visitETF Trends.

Visit link:
2 Biotechnology ETFs That Could Be Good For Diversification - ETF Trends

One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. Well use ROE to examine Apex Biotechnology Corp. (TPE:1733), by way of a worked example.

Apex Biotechnology has a ROE of 6.7%, based on the last twelve months. That means that for every NT$1 worth of shareholders equity, it generated NT$0.07 in profit.

View our latest analysis for Apex Biotechnology

The formula for ROE is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders Equity

Or for Apex Biotechnology:

6.7% = NT$113m NT$1.7b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019.)

Most readers would understand what net profit is, but its worth explaining the concept of shareholders equity. It is the capital paid in by shareholders, plus any retained earnings. Shareholders equity can be calculated by subtracting the total liabilities of the company from the total assets of the company.

ROE measures a companys profitability against the profit it retains, and any outside investments. The return is the yearly profit. A higher profit will lead to a higher ROE. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing. That means ROE can be used to compare two businesses.

By comparing a companys ROE with its industry average, we can get a quick measure of how good it is. The limitation of this approach is that some companies are quite different from others, even within the same industry classification. If you look at the image below, you can see Apex Biotechnology has a lower ROE than the average (9.9%) in the Medical Equipment industry classification.

Unfortunately, thats sub-optimal. It is better when the ROE is above industry average, but a low one doesnt necessarily mean the business is overpriced. Nonetheless, it might be wise to check if insiders have been selling.

Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. That cash can come from issuing shares, retained earnings, or debt. In the first and second cases, the ROE will reflect this use of cash for investment in the business. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. Thus the use of debt can improve ROE, albeit along with extra risk in the case of stormy weather, metaphorically speaking.

Apex Biotechnology has a debt to equity ratio of 0.29, which is far from excessive. Although the ROE isnt overly impressive, the debt load is modest, suggesting the business has potential. Careful use of debt to boost returns is often very good for shareholders. However, it could reduce the companys ability to take advantage of future opportunities.

Return on equity is useful for comparing the quality of different businesses. Companies that can achieve high returns on equity without too much debt are generally of good quality. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt.

Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, youll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So you might want to take a peek at this data-rich interactive graph of forecasts for the company.

Of course Apex Biotechnology may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have high ROE and low debt.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

See the original post:
Should You Be Concerned About Apex Biotechnology Corp.s (TPE:1733) ROE? - Simply Wall St

FARMINGTON, Conn., March 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --ImStem Biotechnology, Inc. (Farmington CT), a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of human embryonic stem cell (ESC) derived mesenchymal stem cells (hES-MSC), through a proprietary method using a trophoblast intermediate stage (hence also known as T-MSC) for the treatment of neurological, autoimmune, and rare orphan diseases, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted the clinical hold and cleared the Investigational New Drug (IND) application to evaluate IMS001 for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). IMS001 is an investigational, allogeneic cell product to be administered intravenously to patients suffering from MS. We believe this is the first hES-MSC based allogeneic cell therapy accepted for clinical trial by the FDA. The company plans to initiate a phase 1 clinical study in patients with relapsing-remitting, secondary, and primary progressive forms of MS in 2020 in the US.

"As an inventor of our proprietary technology, we look forward to building a company whose foundation lies in our science based upon years of pioneering research," said Dr. Xiaofang Wang, Chief Technology Officer of ImStem Biotechnology.

About IMS001

IMS001 is an investigational, allogeneic, hES-MSC product derived from human embryonic stem cell line. IMS001 has demonstrated preclinical immunomodulatory and blood-brain-barrier (BBB) repair activities, which may lead to potential therapeutic benefits in a wide array of neurological, autoimmune, and rare orphan diseases with high unmet medical needs. These mechanistic properties may lead to therapeutic benefits in diseases such as MS, potentially reducing relapses, disability progression, and inducing disease arrest.

About ImStem Biotechnology

ImStem Biotechnology, Inc. is aspiring to revolutionize how serious diseases with significant unmet needs are treated with a new generation of regenerative and cellular therapies. Pioneering research led to the proprietary state-of-the-art pluripotent stem cell technology, enabling off-the-shelf, allogeneic stem cell-derived products to be manufactured in scale, differentiating itself from the typical challenges imposed by autologous adult cell therapy products. The company's mission is to advance the science and understanding of human pluripotent stem cell based regenerative cellular therapies through novel and creative development pathways and to fulfill unmet medical needs in serious diseases. And its development strategy focuses on neurologic, autoimmune, degenerative, and rare orphan diseases. ImStem biotechnology Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Farmington, CT. For more information, visit http://www.imstem.com.

Media Contact:Investor Relations235411@email4pr.com860-281-7836

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/imstem-biotechnology-announces-fda-has-lifted-the-clinical-hold-on-the-investigational-new-drug-application-for-ims001-for-the-treatment-of-multiple-sclerosis-301027733.html

SOURCE ImStem Biotechnology, Inc.

Excerpt from:
ImStem Biotechnology Announces FDA has Lifted the Clinical Hold on the Investigational New Drug Application for IMS001 for the Treatment of Multiple...

The "Global Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Market: Focus on Workflow, Product Type, Medical Applications, End Users, 5 Regional Data, 19 Countries' Data, and Competitive Landscape - Analysis and Forecast, 2019-2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Market Report projects the market to grow at a significant CAGR of 10% during the forecast period, 2019-2029.

The rapid maturation of the biopharmaceutical sector denotes the increasing importance of biomanufacturing as the most basic procedure for the development and manufacture of biologic-based products. With increasing commercialization of biopharmaceuticals and the addition of more products in the development pipeline, biopharmaceutical companies are looking forward to adopting novel biomanufacturing strategies with an increased focus on balancing innovation in process design, performance, and efficiency with speed and cost.

The need for advanced biomanufacturing practices in order to meet the demand of the growing patient population has paved the way for the development of next-generation biomanufacturing products. Next-generation biomanufacturing products are designed to provide seamless services that are superior in terms of both quality and efficiency as compared to first-generation products. Increased funding from private investors and the government for the development of next-generation biomanufacturing facilities promoting rapid technological advancement in biomanufacturing products is one of the most prominent factors driving the growth of the next-generation biomanufacturing market.

One of the major trends of the next-generation biomanufacturing market is the shifting focus toward the adoption of single-use products, such as single-use bioreactors and single-use biocontainers. This is mainly attributed to the huge number of benefits associated with single-use products, with regard to cost savings, reduced risk of product contamination, and increased flexibility in multi-product facilities.

With more companies entering the next-generation biomanufacturing market through product innovations, several novel next-generation biomanufacturing products are expected to come up, actively driving the growth of the market in the upcoming years.

Expert Quote

The leading contributors in the global next-generation biomanufacturing market predominantly prefer partnerships and alliances to sustain the market competition and strengthen their business position. Most of the market leaders are collaborating with technology-based startups to gain their expertise in technology.

Research Highlights

The leading contributors to the global next-generation biomanufacturing market predominantly prefer partnerships and alliances to sustain the market competition and strengthen their business position. Most of the market leaders are collaborating with technology-based startups to gain their expertise in technology.

Monoclonal antibody product segment with relatively high market approval rates is dominating the next-generation biomanufacturing market, by the medical application. Monoclonal antibodies segment was valued at $6.66 billion in 2018, contributing to 45% of the total market share in 2018.

In terms of end-users, commercial-stage end-user dominated the global next-generation biomanufacturing market and was valued at $11.39 billion in 2018. On the other hand, for both commercial-stage end-users and preclinical and development stage end users, biopharmaceutical companies were the major contributor of revenue, followed by CMOs/CDMOs.

Among the different regions, North America leads the global next-generation biomanufacturing market in 2018, with the U.S. being the major contributor to revenue. In 2018, North America contributed 35.40% of the total market share and the U.S. alone contributed to more than 95.4% of its market share.

This market intelligence report provides a multidimensional view of the global next-generation biomanufacturing market in terms of market size and growth potential. This research report aims at answering various aspects of the global next-generation biomanufacturing market with the help of the key factors driving the market, threats that can possibly inhibit the overall market growth, and the current growth opportunities that are going to shape the future trajectory of market expansion.

Story continues

Furthermore, the competitive landscape chapter in the report explicates the competitive nature of the global market and enables the reader to get acquainted with the recent market activities such as product launches, partnerships, and product approvals, among others. The research report provides a comprehensive analysis of the product sales, and manufacturers and trend analysis by segment and by region.

This report is a meticulous compilation of research on more than 10 players in the market ecosystem and draws upon insights from in-depth interviews with the key opinion leaders of the leading companies, market participants and vendors. The report also profiles 15 companies including several key players, such as Merck KGaA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Danaher Corporation, Eppendorf AG, Sartorius AG, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, bbi-biotech GmbH, Esco Group of Companies, Pierre Gurin, Solaris Biotechnology Srl., PBS Biotech, Inc., ZETA GmbH, Applikon Biotechnology BV, Meissner Filtration Products, Inc., and Shanghai Bailun Biotechnology Co. Ltd.

Key Topics Covered

Executive Summary

1 Product Definition

2 Scope of the Work

2.1 Overview: Report Scope

2.2 Segmentation of the Global Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Market

2.3 Assumptions and Limitations

2.4 Key Questions Answered in the Report

2.5 Base Year and Forecast Period

3 Research Methodology

3.1 Overview: Report Methodology

4 Global Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Market Overview

4.1 Ever-Evolving Healthcare Scenario

4.2 Biomanufacturing: An Introduction

4.3 Upstream and Downstream Processing

4.4 Biopharmaceutical Market Growth Boosting Demand for Biomanufacturing

4.5 Key Technology Trends

4.6 The Future of Biomanufacturing: Next-Generation Biomanufacturing

4.7 Global Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Market Size

4.8 Market Dynamics

4.8.1 Impact Analysis of Market Dynamics

4.9 Assumptions and Limitations

5 Industry Insights

5.1 Overview

5.2 Regulatory Scenario

5.3 Patent Landscape

6 Competitive Landscape

6.1 Overview

6.2 Key Developments and Strategies

6.2.1 Partnerships and Alliances

6.2.2 Business Expansions

6.2.3 New Offerings

6.2.4 M & A Activities

6.2.5 Others

6.3 Market Share Analysis

7 Global Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Market (by Workflow and Product)

7.1 Overview

7.2 Upstream Biomanufacturing

7.2.1 Continuous Upstream Biomanufacturing Products

7.2.1.1 Bioreactors/Fermenters

7.2.1.2 Bags and Containers

7.2.1.3 Cell Culture Products

7.2.1.4 Filtration Systems

7.2.1.5 Mixing Systems

7.2.1.6 Sterilizers

7.2.1.7 Biosafety Cabinets

7.2.1.8 Incubators

7.2.1.9 Other Instruments and Accessories

7.2.2 Single-Use Upstream Biomanufacturing Products

7.2.2.1 Single-Use Bioreactors/Fermenters

7.2.2.2 Single-Use Bags and Containers

7.2.2.3 Single-Use Tubing and Connectors

7.2.2.4 Single-Use Mixing Systems

7.2.2.5 Single-Use Sensors and Probes

7.3 Downstream Processing

7.3.1 Downstream Biomanufacturing Products

7.3.1.1 Chromatography Systems

7.3.1.2 Filtration Systems

7.3.1.3 Membrane Adsorbers

7.3.1.4 Instruments and Accessories

7.3.1.5 Single-Use Equipment and Accessories

8 Global Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Market (by Medical Application)

8.1 Overview

8.2 Monoclonal Antibodies

8.3 Vaccines

8.4 Recombinant Proteins

8.5 Hormones

8.6 Others

9 Global Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Market (by End User)

9.1 Overview

9.2 Biopharmaceutical Companies

9.3 CMOs/CDMOs

9.4 Research Institutions

10 Global Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Market (by Region)

10.1 Overview

10.2 North America

10.3 Europe

10.4 Asia-Pacific

10.5 Latin America

10.6 Middle East & Africa

11 Company Profiles

11.1 Overview

11.2 Applikon Biotechnology B.V.

Go here to see the original:
Global Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Markets, 2019-2029: Focus on Workflow, Product Type, Medical Applications, End-users, and Competitive...

The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). Well look at Level Biotechnology Inc.s (GTSM:3118) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the companys share price. Level Biotechnology has a P/E ratio of 14.93, based on the last twelve months. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 6.7%.

See our latest analysis for Level Biotechnology

The formula for price to earnings is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for Level Biotechnology:

P/E of 14.93 = NT$21.800 NT$1.460 (Based on the year to December 2019.)

(Note: the above calculation results may not be precise due to rounding.)

The higher the P/E ratio, the higher the price tag of a business, relative to its trailing earnings. That isnt necessarily good or bad, but a high P/E implies relatively high expectations of what a company can achieve in the future.

One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. As you can see below Level Biotechnology has a P/E ratio that is fairly close for the average for the healthcare industry, which is 14.4.

Level Biotechnologys P/E tells us that market participants think its prospects are roughly in line with its industry. If the company has better than average prospects, then the market might be underestimating it. Further research into factors such as insider buying and selling, could help you form your own view on whether that is likely.

Companies that shrink earnings per share quickly will rapidly decrease the E in the equation. That means even if the current P/E is low, it will increase over time if the share price stays flat. Then, a higher P/E might scare off shareholders, pushing the share price down.

Most would be impressed by Level Biotechnology earnings growth of 22% in the last year. In contrast, EPS has decreased by 9.2%, annually, over 5 years.

Its important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.

Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio.

Level Biotechnology has net cash of NT$344m. This is fairly high at 46% of its market capitalization. That might mean balance sheet strength is important to the business, but should also help push the P/E a bit higher than it would otherwise be.

Level Biotechnologys P/E is 14.9 which is above average (12.9) in its market. With cash in the bank the company has plenty of growth options and it is already on the right track. So it is not surprising the market is probably extrapolating recent growth well into the future, reflected in the relatively high P/E ratio.

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. We dont have analyst forecasts, but you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Of course you might be able to find a better stock than Level Biotechnology. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

The rest is here:
Despite Its High P/E Ratio, Is Level Biotechnology Inc. (GTSM:3118) Still Undervalued? - Simply Wall St

PRINCETON, N.J., March 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PDS Biotechnology Corporation (Nasdaq: PDSB), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing multiple therapies based on the Companys proprietary Versamune T-cell activating technology, today announced that Andrew Saik has resigned as the Companys Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and a director of the board to pursue other professional opportunities, effective immediately. Mr. Saik joined PDS Biotech following the merger with Edge Therapeutics in March 2019, where he was the CFO. The board of directors has initiated a search to identify a successor.

The Companys board of directors has appointed Frank Bedu-Addo, Ph.D., the Companys President and Chief Executive Officer, as interim Principal Financial Officer and Janetta Trochimiuk, PDS Biotechs Controller as interim Principal Accounting Officer until a permanent replacement has been named. Ms. Trochimiuk is a seasoned finance professional with over 20 years of experience, serving as Controller and CFO of private and publicly listed companies. Ms. Trochimiuk holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Bernard M. Baruch College and is a licensed CPA.

On behalf of our board of directors, we would like to thank Andrew for his service and contributions as we transitioned to a public company and successfully bolstered our balance sheet with the recent capital raise based on our promising Versamune platform technology. We wish him continued success in his future endeavors and look forward to announcing a permanent successor in the near term, said Dr. Frank Bedu-Addo, CEO of PDS Biotech.

About PDS BiotechnologyPDS Biotech is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing multiple therapies based on the Companys proprietary Versamune T-cell activating technology platform. The Versamune platform effectively delivers tumor-specific antigens for in vivo uptake and processing, while also activating a critical immunological pathway, the type 1 interferon pathway, thus resulting in the production of potent tumor-specific killer T-cells. Using Versamune, PDS Biotech is engineering therapies designed to better recognize cancer cells and break down their defense systems to effectively attack and destroy tumors. PDS Biotechs pipeline combines the Versamune technology with tumor-specific antigens across several cancer types. To learn more, please visit http://www.pdsbiotech.com or follow us on Twitter at @PDSBiotech.About PDS0101PDS Biotechs lead candidate, PDS0101, combines the utility of the Versamune platform with targeted antigens in HPV-expressing cancers. In partnership with Merck, PDS Biotech is advancing a combination of PDS0101 and KEYTRUDA to a Phase 2 study in first line treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer. In partnership with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), PDS Biotech is also advancing a combination of PDS0101 and two clinical stage immunotherapies to a Phase 2 study in advanced HPV-associated cancers. A third phase 2 study is to be performed in advanced localized cervical cancer combining PDS0101 with the chemoradiotherapy, which is the standard of care.

Forward Looking StatementsThis communication contains forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended) concerning PDS Biotechnology Corporation (the Company) and other matters. These statements may discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, results of operations or financial condition, or otherwise, based on current beliefs of the Companys management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as may, will, should, would, expect, anticipate, plan, likely, believe, estimate, project, intend, and other similar expressions among others. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation:; the Companys ability to protect its intellectual property rights; potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the resignation of the Companys Chief Financial Officer or the Companys ability to find a replacement Chief Financial Officerthe Companys anticipated capital requirements, including the Companys anticipated cash runway and the Companys current expectations regarding its plans for future equity financings; the timing for the Company or its partners to initiate the planned clinical trials for its lead assets, PDS0101 and PDS0102; the Companys interpretation of the results of its Phase 1 trial for PDS0101 and whether such results are sufficient to support additional trials or the future success of such trials; the successful implementation of the Companys research and development programs and collaborations, including any collaboration studies concerning PDS0101 and the Companys interpretation of the results and findings of such programs and collaborations and whether such results are sufficient to support the future success of the Companys product candidates; the acceptance by the market of the Companys product candidates, if approved; the timing of and the Companys ability to obtain and maintain U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other regulatory authority approval of, or other action with respect to, the Companys product candidates; and other factors, including legislative, regulatory, political and economic developments not within the Companys control, including unforeseen circumstances or other disruptions to normal business operations arising from or related to COVID-19. The foregoing review of important factors that could cause actual events to differ from expectations should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with statements that are included herein and elsewhere, including the risk factors included in the Companys annual and periodic reports filed with the SEC. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and, except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.Media & Investor Relations Contact:

Deanne RandolphPDS BiotechPhone: +1 (908) 517-3613Email: drandolph@pdsbiotech.com

Tram Bui / Alexander LoboThe Ruth GroupPhone: +1 (646) 536-7035 / +1 (646) 536-7037Email: tbui@theruthgroup.com / alobo@theruthgroup.com

Go here to read the rest:
PDS Biotechnology Announces Resignation of Andrew Saik as CFO - Associated Press

Biotechnology-Based Chemical Market Industry Forecast To 2024

Garner Insights has titled a new research report named as Biotechnology-Based Chemical Market 2020 to its consistently extending database. The report clarifies this through a series of channels which include data ranging from rudimentary data to an undeniable estimate. It consolidates all the fundamental factors that are foreseen to change inside the market. The information would thus be used to heighten an organizations standing in the worldwide market.

Based on the industrial chain, this report mainly elaborates the definition, types, applications and major players of Biotechnology-Based Chemical market in details. Deep analysis about Biotechnology-Based Chemical market status (2014-2019), enterprise competition pattern, advantages and disadvantages of enterprise products, industry development trends (2020-2024), regional industrial layout characteristics and policies has also be included.

Get a Sample Report @:https://www.garnerinsights.com/Global-Biotechnology-Based-Chemical-Market-Report-2020#request-sample

Major Manufacturer Detail:Queenslands world-class agriculture industry,Sarnia-Lambton Research,UK and Norway business funding agencies,Technology Strategy Board (TSB),Innovation Norway

The Important Type Coverage:Bio-pharma,Agri-biotech,Bio-informatics and,Bio-services

Segment by ApplicationsFood and beverages,Agriculture,Fuel,Energy,Animal feed

The Biotechnology-Based Chemical report consists of streamlined financial data obtained from various research sources to provide specific and trustworthy analysis. Evaluation of the key market trends with a positive impact on the market over the following couple of years, including an in-depth analysis of the market segmentation, comprising of sub-markets, on a regional and global basis. The report also provides a detailed outlook of the Biotechnology-Based Chemical market share along with strategic recommendations, on the basis of emerging segments.

Enquire Here For Discount Or Report @https://www.garnerinsights.com/Global-Biotechnology-Based-Chemical-Market-Report-2020#discount

Some Of The Major Geographies Included In This Study:

North America (U.S and Canada and Rest of North America)Europe (Germany, France, Italy and Rest of Europe)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea and Rest of Asia-Pacific)LAMEA (Brazil, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Rest of LAMEA)

Some major points covered in this Biotechnology-Based Chemical Market report:

1. An overall outlook of the market that helps in picking up essential data.2. The market has been segmented on the basis of the product types, applications, end-users, as well as the industry verticals, in light of numerous factors. Considering the market segmentation, further analysis has been carried out in an effective manner. For better understanding and a thorough analysis of the market, the key segments have further been partitioned into sub-segments.3. In the next section, factors responsible for the growth of the market have been included. This data has been collected from the primary and secondary sources and has been approved by the industry specialists. It helps in understanding the key market segments and their future trends.4. The report also includes the study of the latest developments and the profiles of major industry players.5. The Biotechnology-Based Chemical market research report also presents an eight-year forecast on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow.

View Full Report @ https://garnerinsights.com/Global-Biotechnology-Based-Chemical-Market-Report-2020

About Us:Garner Insights is a Market Intelligence and consulting firm with an all-inclusive experience and vast knowledge of the market research industry.Our vast storage of research reports across various categories, gives you a complete view of the ever changing and developing trends and current topics worldwide. Our constant endeavor is to keep on improving our storage information by providing rich market reports and constantly improving them.

Contact Us:Mr. Kevin Thomas+1 513 549 5911 (US)+44 203 318 2846 (UK)Email: [emailprotected]

The rest is here:
Biotechnology-Based Chemical Market Key Drivers, Business Insights, Trends And Forecast To 2024 - Daily Science