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Type 2 diabetes is not a major concern in and of itself, but if left untreated, the condition can lead to a number of deadly complications, such as heart disease. This is because your blood sugar levels are more prone to fluctuating if you have diabetes, and this mechanism damages blood vessels and impairs other vital bodily functions. There is now a threat that has been added to the list of potential complications: COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a new strain of virus that belongs to the coronavirus group, a family of respiratory infections.

The virus, which first broke out in the Wuhan province in China in December, has so far caused 124,933 cases worldwide and lead to 4,585 fatalities.

Scientists gathering data on the pathogen have revealed that infected people with diabetes are more prone to developing a serious illness.

It is believed that diabetes can weaken your immune systems defences, leaving you more susceptible to illness.

READ MORE:Type 2 diabetes: How much sleep you need each night to keep blood sugar levels in check

According to official reports, older people, those with a compromised immune system and those with high blood pressure or heart problems, are at an increased risk of developing a serious illness.

People with diabetes should also heed the advice issued to the general public on how to reduce the risk of catching and spreading the virus.

Thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is the most important measure.

Take notice of areas you might miss including the back of your hands, between your fingers and around the nails, advises Diabetes.co.uk.

Originally posted here:
Type 2 diabetes and coronavirus: How to lower risk of catching virus if you have diabetes - Express

Jim Miller, The Savvy Senior Published 3:47 p.m. CT March 15, 2020

Jim Miller(Photo: File)

Dear Savvy Senior,

Do kidney problems run in families? My mother died from kidney failure 10 years ago at age 74 but didnt know she had a kidney problem until it was too late.

Just Turned 60

Dear 60,

Anyone who has a family history of kidney disease, or who has high blood pressure or diabetes is at increased risk and needs to have their kidneys tested.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, around 37 million U.S adults have chronic kidney disease (when the kidneys cant properly do their job of cleaning toxins and wastes from the blood), and millions more are at risk of developing it, yet most people dont realize it. Thats because kidney disease develops very slowly over many years before any symptoms arise. But left untreated, the disease can eventually require people to spend hours hooked up to a dialysis machine or get a kidney transplant. Even mild kidney problems can double a persons risk of heart attack and stroke, as well as cause anemia and bone disease.

The reason kidney disease has become so widespread today is because of the rise of obesity, type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure which all strain the kidneys.

Another factor is the increasing number of people who take multiple medications, which can overtax the organs. People over age 60 are especially vulnerable both because they tend to take more drugs, and because kidney function normally declines somewhat with age.

Because kidney disease has no early symptoms, the only way to catch it before it advances is to have a simple blood and urine test by your doctor. So, anyone that has diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, a family history of kidney disease, or is age 60 or older needs to get tested. African, Hispanic, Asian and Indian Americans along with Pacific Islanders are also at increased risk.

If youre diagnosed with kidney disease you need to know that theres no cure, but there are steps you can take to help contain the damage, including:

Control your blood pressure: If you have high blood pressure, get it under 130/80. If you need medication to do it, ACE inhibitors and ARBs are good choices because of their proven ability to protect the kidneys.

Control your diabetes: If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar as close to normal as possible.

Change your diet: This usually means reducing the amount of protein and phosphorus you eat and cutting back on sodium and possibly potassium. Your doctor can help you determine an appropriate eating plan, or you may want to talk to a dietitian.

Watch your meds: Dozens of commonly used drugs can damage the kidneys, especially when taken in high doses over long periods most notably NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen. Herbal supplements can also be very dangerous. Talk to your doctor about all the prescription, over-the-counter and herbal products you take to identify potential problems and find alternatives.

Exercise and lose weight: If youre overweight and inactive, start an aerobic fitness routine (walk, swim, cycle, etc.) that gets your heart pumping. This will help lower blood pressure, control diabetes and help you lose excess weight all of which will help your kidneys.

Quit smoking: If you smoke, quit. Heart disease becomes a much greater risk to the kidneys if your smoke. Smoking also doubles the rate of progression to end-stage renal failure.

Limit alcohol intake: Drinking too much alcohol can worsen kidney disease too, so talk to your doctor to see if its safe for you to drink, and if so, limit yourself to no more than one drink per day.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

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Prevent the silent epidemic of kidney disease - The Baxter Bulletin

SAN ANTONIO For many who develop type-2 diabetes, they become reliant on medicationand, in many cases, more than one type. But it is possible to roll back diabetes and get off the medications with diet and exercise.

"It was eight-point-something and now we are down to 5.7, which is borderline diabetic. Anything under six is where I want to stay," said Armida Oliver, a diabetes patient for the past 10 years, while discussing her A1C number. "That was about two or three years ago. I'm down to just one medication and my numbers have been great."

At one point she was taking three medications: Metformin, Januvia, and Invokana. But thanks to diet and exercise, she managed to drop two of them, along with 55 pounds.

"I join my sisters for senior water aerobics every morning. We try Monday through Friday, but we are happy if we go four times a week," Oliver said.

Some of the benefits of exercise for diabetes includes lowered blood sugar levels, improved insulin sensitivity, reduced body fat, a lowered risk of heart disease and an enhanced quality of life.

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"Miss Oliver is really a model patient. She's the perfect example of someone who, through lifestyle modifications, has been able to not only get her diabetes under control, but really throwing the diabetes into what we call remission," said Dr. Alberto Chavez, an endocrinologist with the Texas Diabetes Institute within the University Health System.

He added there has been some debate about what diabetes remission really means.

"The bottom line is that it is a reality that patients can get off of medications or many amounts of medications by making meaningful lifestyle changes," Chavez said.

That is exactly what Oliver did in cutting her medications from three to one.

"I take it faithfully and I know that I can't have two donuts in one sitting," she said. "I'm not depriving myself, but, by the same token, I just limit myself."

For more information about family health, call (210)358-3045. You can also find the rest of Wear The Gown stories, just go to WearTheGown.com.

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Wear The Gown: Rolling back diabetes with diet and exercise - KENS5.com

Type 2 diabetes is a condition whereby the pancreas does not produce enough of the hormone insulin to regulate glucose in your blood, a type of sugar that you get from food and drink. With the pancreas out of action, blood sugar levels rise uncontrollably. This process can damage blood vessels, causing a number of life-threatening complications, such as heart disease.

This internal mechanism largely goes undetected in the beginning so people with type 2 diabetes often live with the condition for years before getting diagnosed.

Over time, however, high blood sugar levels can produce a number of noticeable signs.

One major warning sign to watch out for is shortness of breath, according to Mayo Clinic.

This symptom arises when blood sugar levels cause toxic acids to build up in your blood and urine, explains the health body.

READ MORE:How to live longer: Three reasons why paprika spice may increase your life expectancy

It is important to note that becoming short of breath can also indicate kidney failure, the most severe stage of kidney disease.

As Diabetes.co.uk, kidney disease is one of the more common complications of diabetes, affecting about 40 percent of people with diabetes.

Other symptoms associated with consistently high blood sugar levels include:

If you recognise any of the above symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes, you should see a GP immediately, says the NHS.

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As the health body points out, the earlier diabetes is diagnosed and treatment started, the better.

After receiving a diabetes diagnosis, a GP will usually recommend revising your lifestyle to lower your blood sugar levels.

One key aspect of blood sugar management is to improve your diet.

One tried-and-tested way to reduce your blood sugar levels is to restrict your intake of high-carb foods.

Foods with a high-carb content are broken down into blood sugar relatively quickly and therefore has a more pronounced effect on blood sugar levels than either fat or protein.

High-carb culprits include starchy foods such as rice, pasta and flour (therefore including pastry, bread and other dough based foods).

Following the Glycemic Index (GI) can help you differentiate between low and high-carb foods.

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a relative ranking of carbohydrate in foods according to how they affect blood glucose levels.

Carbohydrates with a low GI value (55 or less) are more slowly digested, absorbed and metabolised and cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose and, usually, insulin levels.

Carbs that rank low on the GI index include:

Many whole grain breads and cereals (like barley, whole wheat bread, rye bread, and all-bran cereal)

The other key component of blood sugar management is regular exercise.

According to the NHS, you should aim for 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise a week to keep blood sugar levels in check.

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Type 2 diabetes symptoms: The change in your breathing pattern to watch out for - Express

As the number of UK cases of coronavirus continues to rise, what has become clear is how many of the patients to die from the virus have underlying health conditions that make them susceptible to catching it.

The death toll in Britain is up to 22. Of the latest deaths in the UK, eight were men aged over 80. All but one had known underlying health conditions.

Its a new infection, but from our experience with dealing with flu epidemics, we know that people with various conditions will fare worse, says Fan Chung, a professor of respiratory medicine at Imperial College. A paper has just published in the New England Journal of Medicine, that looked at the first 1,001 cases in Wuhan. The figures showed those with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, COPD, cancer and renal disease, fared worse. And I suspect the people who very unfortunately died in the UK had one or any of those conditions."

A Chinese study hasfound people with heart disease, diabetes and cancer had a 79 per cent chance of being admitted to intensive care or dying from the virus, due to their weakened immune systems.

Here are the underlying health conditions that put you at higher risk of getting the coronavirus, anda reminder of how it might initially spread.

People with diabetes face a higher risk of complications if they get the coronavirus, due to the fact their fluctuating or elevated glucose levels leave them with lowered immunity. This also means they have less protection against getting the virus. Coronavirus or COVID-19 can cause more severe symptoms and complications in people with diabetes, says Dan Howarth from Diabetes UK. If you have diabetes and you have symptoms such as a cough, high temperature and feeling short of breath you need to monitor your blood sugar closely and call the NHS 111 phone service.

People with diabetes who dont experience symptoms and have recently travelled to any of the affected areas need to follow information on the NHS and theGOV.UKwebsites, adds Howarth. "These are updated regularly and are the most up-to-date source of information available.

Its believed around 40 per cent of hospitalised coronavirus patients have heart disease. Somebody with a heart condition is more likely to have a compromised immune system, so their immune response wont be as strong if exposed to a virus. COVID-19 also targets the lungs, which could cause problems for a diseased heart that has to work harder to get oxygenated blood around the body.

Asthma is a respiratory condition that leads to inflammation of the breathing tubes that transport air to and from the lungs.Coronavirus can cause respiratory problems for anyone, but for the 5.4million people in the UK with asthma, the risk is greater, says Jessica Kirby, Head of Health Advice at Asthma UK. Respiratory viruses like thiscan triggerasthma symptoms and couldlead to anasthma attack.

Kirby says if youre a sufferer, itsessential to takeyour preventer, daily as prescribed. This helps cut the risk of an asthma attack being triggered by any virus, including coronavirus, she says. Keeping a reliever inhaler to handis vital, soyoucan use it ifyou get asthmasymptoms.

Ifyourasthma symptomsgetworse, and you havent travelled to an at-risk area or been in contact with someone who has, make an appointment to see your GP as soon as you can. If you think you might have coronavirus, use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service."

COPD is the name for certain lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties, including emphysema, which is characterised by damage to the air sacs in the lungs,and chronic bronchitis, which is a long-term condition involving inflammation of the lungs airways. People with COPD are more likely to get coronavirus if exposed to the virus because they have damage to their epithelial lining, which makes it easier for viruses to enter the body.

Cancer patients are more susceptible due to their compromised immune system. Various cancer drugs and treatments, like chemotherapy, mean your immune system may be suppressed, says Prof Chung, and this would increase your chances of catching it. And if you do get it while you havecancer, you would probably fare worse than somebody with the virus who didnt have cancer.

Not a health condition as such, but many of the thousands of deaths so far have involved elderly people with underlying health conditions. The elderly are at greater risk, and government advice for the elderly to avoid crowded areas is sound advice, says Prof Chung. The figures we have so far seem to imply the risk increases above the age of 70. However its even worse for those over 80. The chances of getting it and faring worse increase two or three times above the age the 70, but even more so above 80.

In terms of children, who appear to be less prone to getting the coronavirus and, if they do, getting a more benign version of the illness, Prof Chung says that a young person with an underlying health condition isn't at a greater risk: A young person with asthma, or heart disease, wouldnt be predisposed to get the coronavirusor suffer from it, in the same way an adult with the condition would, he says. Maybe its their immune system, and how its different from older people, but in terms of their susceptibility of getting the coronavirus, health conditions in young people dont seem to increase their chances of catching it.

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Coronavirus: how diabetes, asthma and other underlying health conditions affect how you cope - Telegraph.co.uk

Akram Ghobadi,1 Pegah Ahmadi Sarbarzeh,2 Milad Jalilian,2 Alireza Abdi,1 Sara Manouchehri3

1Nursing Department, Nursing and Midwifery School, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 2Nursing Department, Nursing and Midwifery School, Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 3Biostatistics Department, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

Correspondence: Pegah Ahmadi SarbarzehNursing Department, Nursing and Midwifery School, Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IranTel +98 930 1946547Email Ahmadi.pegah554@yahoo.com

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar (BS) levels and the change in the metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, and insulin resistance, and is one of the main causes of disability and mortality worldwide. Among the different types of complications, which have many negative effects on personal and social life, diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is very important. This study aims to investigate the factors affecting the severity of DFU among patients with diabetes.Methods: The study participants included 190 diabetic patients with a diagnosis of DFU. Data were collected using a two-part questionnaire for self-care awareness and functions in diabetic patients and Wagners scale. The questionnaire was answered in cooperation with patients and the Wagners score was estimated bya wound supervisor in the diabetes center.Results: There was 109 women (57.4%). Twenty-six patients had other diabetic complications as well as DFU. The average score of awareness in patients was 6.99 2.76 and the function was 62.22 9.92. The results found a direct relation between the age and the durationofillness with the score of the patients awareness (P=0.008, P=0.000). There was also a direct relation between the level of education with score of awareness and the score of function in self-care (P=0.000, P=0.000), but the statistical results did not find any relation between awareness and the function in self-care of patients with the severity of DFU (P> 0.05).Discussion: There was no relation between the self-care awareness and function with severity of DFU (P> 0.05) that can be due to the more relation between DFU severity with hygiene and physical factors after the disease and the effect of awareness and function would be only in the incidence of the DFU.Conclusion: Awareness and function of patients in self-care is less than average. Increasing awareness of patients and empowering them through appropriate training can be effective in preventing diabetic foot ulcers.

Keywords: diabetes, diabetic foot ulcer, diabetes complications

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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Evaluation of Factors Affecting the Severity of Diabetic Foot Ulcer in | DMSO - Dove Medical Press

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New Delhi: Coronavirus, which is now officially a pandemic, is deadly, but not for everyone. Illness due to coronavirus, also called COVID-19, is generally mild, especially for children and young adults, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

However, the early clinical profile of COVID-19 suggests severe manifestation in people suffering from diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and lung diseases like asthma and chronic pulmonary obstructive disorder (COPD).

These conditions are common among Indians for example, India ranks second in diabetes incidence, with an estimated 7.7 crore diabetics, according to the International Diabetes Foundations Diabetes Atlas.

Similarly, medical journal The Lancet found heart diseases and strokes to be one of the top reasons for deaths in India, where the number of cardiovascular disease patients reportedly increased to 5.45 crore in 2016 from 2.57 crore in 1990.

COPD was the second-strongest cause of death in India after heart disease in 2017, killing 9.58 lakh Indians that year, according to the University of Washingtons Global Burden of Disease study 2018.

Patients of these conditions need to exercise additional caution amid the spread of COVID-19, which, according to WHO, had killed over 3,500 people by 8 March.

Such patients are primarily advised to stock drugs for the long-term and take extra precautions, and ensure theyve received vaccines for influenza and pneumococcal infections, which include severe pneumonia.

Also Read:Forget coronavirus, homoeopathy cant cure anything. Its a placebo, at best

While data about COVID-19 in patients with diabetes is limited at present, the condition was present in 42.3 per cent of 26 fatalities in Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the pandemic, according to a Chinese study (which factored in data for December 2019-January 2020) published by the Switzerland-based, peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Medicine in February.

Individuals with diabetes are at risk of infections, especially influenza and pneumonia. This risk can be reduced, though not completely eliminated, by good glycaemic control. All people with diabetes (above 2 years of age) are recommended pneumococcal and annual influenza vaccinations, said Dr Anoop Misra, chairman at Fortis, C-Doc, in a study co-authored by him.

The research, titled Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, was published in the latest edition (May-June) of ScienceDirect, a portal for peer-reviewed research.

Pneumococcal vaccines prevent infections caused by bacteria spread through person-to-person contact, which could lead to serious infections like pneumonia, blood infections, and bacterial meningitis.

Patients with diabetes generally contract severe infections due to respiratory viruses.

Diabetes was seen as an important risk factor for mortality in patients infected with Pandemic Influenza A 2009 (H1N1), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the aforementioned study said.

When people with diabetes develop a viral infection, it is often difficult to treat them due to fluctuations in their blood glucose levels and the presence of diabetes complications. Their immune system is compromised, Dr Mahesh DM, a consultant for endocrinology at Bengalurus Aster CMI Hospital.

Also, patients with Type-1 diabetes should measure blood glucose and urinary ketones frequently if fever occurs while blood glucose levels are high.

Frequent changes in dosage may be required to maintain normal sugar in the blood, Misra said.

Also Read: 10 reasons why you dont need to panic about coronavirus

While the specific impact of coronavirus infection on the cardiovascular system remains unclear, according to the American College of Cardiology, there have been reports of acute cardiac injury, arrhythmias, hypotension, tachycardia, and a high proportion of concomitant cardiovascular disease in infected individuals, particularly those who require more intensive care.

Arrhythmia means irregular heartbeats while hypotension refers to abnormally low blood pressure and tachycardia to rapid heartbeats.

Patients who have undergone angioplasty or have a stent inside their hearts are believed to be more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infection. The virus can cause tears in a patients blood vessels and then lead to secondary infections.

Influenza virus is already known as a propellant for heart attacks. The patients who are on blood-thinning medications, their chances of bleeding from lungs become high in case of coughing, such as in the case of coronavirus infection, said Yugal Kishore Mishra, head of cardiac sciences at Manipal Hospital in Delhi.

Based on an advisory from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), doctors recommend that cardiac patients should take flu and bacterial pneumonia vaccinations.

When the body is fighting a major pathogen like coronavirus, it becomes vulnerable to other viruses and bacterial infections. The vaccine for flu and pneumonia will reduce the chances of death in case of coronavirus infections, said Dr K.K. Aggarwal, a cardiologist and former president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

Doctors also recommend immunity boosters along with a nutritious diet. I prescribe regular doses of Vitamin C and B-complex along with vaccination to the susceptible category, Mishra added.

Apart from stocking their routine medicines and inhalers, patients, experts advise, should consult doctors about new dosage requirements, if any.

With the summer coming, several patients re-adjust and reduce the dosage. In the winter, they generally need higher doses. This time, I recommend all patients to check with their doctors about the required dosage, said Dr Navneet Sood, pulmonology consultant at Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital in Delhi.

We advise flu vaccines and pneumococcal vaccines apart from wearing N-95 masks, even if you are feeling healthy.

Also Read:Funny videos, TikTok dances, serious info how social media has responded to coronavirus

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What patients of diabetes, asthma need to do to stay safe from COVID-19 - ThePrint

A woman from Chester is preparing to run her first marathon three years after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Kirsten Gooderham, 26, of Huntington, will take on the Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday, April 26.

She is well on course to raise more than 2,000 in sponsorship for Diabetes UK, a charity which she says has transformed her life since her diagnosis in April 2017.

Type 1 diabetes causes the level of glucose in the blood to become too high. It happens when the body cant produce enough of a hormone called insulin, which controls blood glucose.

Type 1 diabetes is treated by daily insulin doses taken either by injections or via an insulin pump.

People with type 1 diabetes need to check their blood glucose levels are not too low or too high by using a glucose testing device several times a day.

Diabetes UKs Fight for Flash campaign empowered Kirsten to push for a flash glucose monitor. The device sits under the skin and measures the amount of sugar in the fluid under the skin, called interstitial fluid.

It has made it much easier for the former Chester Queens School pupil to manage her diabetes and run regularly in her free time.

Kirsten said: Flash means I no longer have to prick my fingers eight times a day in order to know my glucose readings. I can scan my arm and know within seconds what my levels are, 24/7.

Its changed my life completely and I have Diabetes UK to thank for that.

As well as reducing the need for as many finger pricks, the technology makes it easier to see when sugar levels are starting to rise or drop, meaning people can take action earlier.

Kirsten finds the monitor particularly useful when she is training and also uses an insulin pump, which she says is a massive help.

She added: Running is hard enough as it is, in terms of what to eat before a run, what to eat after. Now I have diabetes, its a constant battle of making sure Ive got enough carbs on board, and not having too many.

The main thing I found is you need to get into a routine to get out there and practice. Sometimes it goes wrong and you just have to move on and learn from it.

Sometimes it goes right, and its very rewarding when that happens.

Kirsten, who works as a production planner at a Deeside car engine factory, ran her first half-marathon while she was at university.

She had to pull out of the Chester Half Marathon in 2017 as it was due to take place soon after she was diagnosed with diabetes.

However, she managed to run it the following year and this year she will be stepping up to the full 26.2 miles in London for the first time.

The big run takes place three years and two days on from Kirstens diagnosis.

Clare Howarth, head of the North of England at Diabetes UK, said: Our much-needed work wouldnt be possible without the determination and generosity of our incredible fundraisers.

We are extremely grateful to Kirsten for her hard work running a marathon is no mean feat! The money raised will help fund ground-breaking research, care services and campaigns that can change the lives of those living with diabetes.

To sponsor Kirsten, please visit: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/Kirsten-Gooderham.

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Chester woman won't let diabetes get in the way of her first London Marathon - Cheshire Live

This article was originally published here

Standardised self-management kits for children with type 1 diabetes: pragmatic randomised trial of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

BMJ Open. 2020 Mar 12;10(3):e032163

Authors: Noyes J, Allen D, Carter C, Edwards D, Edwards RT, Russell D, Russell IT, Spencer LH, Sylvestre Y, Whitaker R, Yeo ST, Gregory JW

AbstractOBJECTIVE: To estimate the effectiveness of standardised self-management kits for children with type 1 diabetes.DESIGN: Pragmatic trial with randomisation ratio of two intervention: one control. Qualitative process evaluation.SETTING: 11 diabetes clinics in England and Wales.PARTICIPANTS: Between February 2010 and August 2011, we validly randomised 308 children aged 6-18 years; 201 received the intervention.INTERVENTION: We designed kits to empower children to achieve glycaemic control, notably by recording blood glucose and titrating insulin. The comparator was usual treatment. OUTCOME MEASURES AT 3 AND 6 MONTHS: Primary: Diabetes Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Secondary: HbA1c; General PedsQL; EQ-5D; healthcare resource use.RESULTS: Of the five Diabetes PedsQL dimensions, Worry showed adjusted scores significantly favouring self-management kits at 3months (mean child-reported difference =+5.87; Standard error[SE]=2.19; 95% confidence interval [CI]) from +1.57to +10.18; p=0.008); but Treatment Adherence significantly favoured controls at 6months (mean child-reported difference=-4.68; SE=1.74; 95%CI from -8.10 to -1.25; p=0.008). Intervention children reported significantly worse changes between 3 and 6months on four of the five Diabetes PedsQL dimensions and on the total score (mean difference=-3.20; SE=1.33; 95%CI from -5.73 to -0.67; p=0.020). There was no evidence of change in HbA1c; only 18% of participants in each group achieved recommended levels at 6 months. No serious adverse reactions attributable to the intervention or its absence were reported.Use of kits was poor. Few children or parents associated blood glucose readings with better glycaemic control. The kits, costing 185, alienated many children and parents.CONCLUSIONS: Standardised kits showed no evidence of benefit, inhibited diabetes self-management and increased worry. Future research should study relationships between children and professionals, and seek new methods of helping children and parents to manage diabetes.TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN17551624.

PMID: 32169923 [PubMed as supplied by publisher]

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Standardised self-management kits for children with type 1 diabetes: pragmatic randomised trial of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. - DocWire...

While the UKs taxpayer-funded National Health Service suffers its share of criticism, its approach to the management and prevention of diabetes is widely recognised as world-leading.

Single-payer systems such as the NHS tend to perform well when it comes to the management of chronic diseases. In contrast to insurance-based provision, where people may move between providers every few years, compromising continuity of care, the NHS generally cares for its patients without interruption and free of charge for a lifetime.

This, in turn, creates the conditions in which a chronic disease such as diabetes can be effectively monitored and managed.

Jonathan Valabhji, a consultant diabetologist who combines his work as a doctor at Londons Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust with his role as national clinical director for diabetes and obesity in NHS England, says the concept of free healthcare for all at the point of need is particularly well suited to chronic diseases, and in some respects diabetes is the classic chronic disease. Once you develop it, most people will have it for the rest of their lives.

The numbers underline the scale of the challenge facing the NHS. Statistics issued last month by NHS England show that almost 2m patients registered with a GP have non-diabetic hyperglycaemia, a condition which puts them at high risk of developing type-2 diabetes, the form of the disease linked to lifestyle.

Dr Valabhji says estimates suggest that about 10 per cent of the entire annual NHS budget is now being spent on people with diabetes. So it has a significant impact on the sustainability of the health system moving forward.

As a clinician, he is now diagnosing people at earlier and earlier ages. Since many of the complications that accompany diabetes, such as eye, kidney or foot disease, increase in prevalence the longer someone has the condition, this in turn has a big potential impact within the health service in the decades to come, he points out.

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To tackle this seemingly unrelenting tide of current and prospective cases, the NHS has worked to incentivise doctors to focus on treating the condition.

Since 2003 about 15 per cent of GP income has been related to delivering specific aspects of care. Of that, a significant proportion is focused on diabetes care, Dr Valabhji says, which I think has had an important impact on the quality of care across the country.

At the same time the NHS established a national diabetes audit, to track the effectiveness of care of patients, not only with type-2 diabetes, but also with type-1, an autoimmune disease that is not susceptible to lifestyle changes.

Perhaps its most far-reaching initiative is a national diabetes prevention programme that is the biggest of its type in the world and to which more than half a million people have been referred since it was established in 2014. By 2023-24 up to 200,000 people a year are expected to participate.

One of the innovative approaches that the NHS has adopted reflects recent evidence that limiting peoples dietary intake to just over 800 calories a day for three months can cause significant weight loss. Strikingly, in the case of people recently diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, the condition can actually be put into remission.

The NHS has also been at the forefront of exploring digital interventions to help overweight or obese people lose weight in order to prevent type-2 diabetes or to lessen the impact in those already diagnosed with the condition.

Among those whose innovations have been taken up the by NHS are Chris Edson and Mike Gibbs, two young engineers who set up a company called Second Nature. It uses a blend of technology such as smart weighing scales linked to an online app and professional and peer support to help people make the lifestyle changes that can ward off diabetes.

Second Nature has recently been accepted as a national provider for the diabetes prevention programme. Crediting the NHSs forward-thinking approach, Mr Edson says: There arent many health organisations in the world that have put their neck out and said, yes, we believe that digital has the outcomes for diabetes prevention and management and were going to commission it nationally.

His companys clients, he says, are people in the risk zone for diabetes. Our programme is to get them out of the risk zone. Separately it also offers a programme aimed at putting people who already have diabetes into remission.

We help them make such drastic lifestyle changes that they actually [no longer meet] the diagnostic criteria for type-2 diabetes and they come off all of their medication, he says. Data it has recently published in a professional journal show that it has achieved this feat in 40 per cent of cases, he adds.

Within five years, wed like to eradicate type-2 diabetes within the UK

About 5,000 NHS patients have already gone through the programme, for which people can also choose to pay themselves without a doctors referral.

Mr Edson has a striking ambition for Second Nature, which recently raised $10m in a venture capital funding round: Within five years, wed like to eradicate type-2 diabetes within the UK. Combined with other initiatives that the NHS is doing, I think its a realistic goal.

Meanwhile Dr Valabhji is awaiting data on the impact of the national diabetes prevention programme nationally, confident that it will show a reduction in the rate of growth in diabetes cases in England.

Results so far are extremely encouraging and I think it will be around 2021 that were able to show an impact on the trajectory of type-2 diabetes incidence, he says.

See the article here:
Why the UKs NHS leads the world in managing diabetes - Financial Times

Cyndi Williams, CEO of diabetes-focused tech start-up Quin, discusses career paths, company culture and her exceptional co-founder.

Cyndi Williams is the co-founder and CEO of Quin, an app designed to help people with diabetes keep track of their insulin.

The app works with data logged into a mobile device, along with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, to enable people with diabetes to recognise patterns and rely less on trial and error when it comes to insulin administration.

The question that were focused on at Quin is how much insulin a person should take and when, Williams told Siliconrepublic.com. Thats a question that millions of people with insulin-treated diabetes need to answer several times a day, and no one knows the exact answer.

Williams explained that most people with diabetes have to figure out the answer to that question every day, making important healthcare decisions using their own intuition and knowledge of experience.

The goal is to formalise the knowledge of Quin users, with the aim of contributing that data to diabetes research in order to advance personalised medicine for insulin-treated diabetes.

From left: Vanessa Bolosier and Isabella Degen. Image: Quin

We made a mobile app that takes data from existing CGM devices for diabetes, which is a sensor often worn on the arm to measure blood glucose. People also use insulin pens or syringes to inject insulin, and all of our users use an iPhone, Williams said.

We take data off of those devices, we take their activity data from their phone, and we use it to observe and learn how each individual is doing their trial and error on a day-to-day basis as they are going about their lives, and give them advice in the moment they need it, based on their past experience.

One example she gave was ordering a coffee. You may have drank hundreds of lattes in your life and dosed anywhere from zero to five units for lattes. How much should you take for this latte?

Quin would look at how long you slept for last night, how active you have been in the past 24 hours, what insulin you have onboard already, where you are in your menstrual cycle and how you feel in terms of stress.

We look at all of those factors and things that are affecting you, and we go into your past and find the latte decision that is most relevant for you and most closely matches your current situation, then give that to you as the basis for making your decision.

London-based Quin was founded in 2014, but how did Williams end up in the world of diabetes tech?

It was a couple of things, but mainly my interest in Isabella Degen, my co-founder. My background is in chemical engineering and software engineering, but Ive been on the business side of engineering for the last 15 years.

Prior to setting up Quin, Williams worked at Sun Microsystems before becoming a managing director at software and services business ThoughtWorks. This is where she met Degen, also an engineer, whose own diabetes had inspired a potential business idea.

At the time I didnt know anything about diabetes, Williams said. I didnt even know she had diabetes! I just knew how exceptional she was and she was looking for someone to help her set up a business.

Williams added that she was excited to solve a human problem with technology, and that the whole idea tickled the nerve of the engineer within her. Its also a dream to be able to do something that could actually make a material difference to peoples lives.

From left: Cyndi Williams and Isabella Degen. Image: Quin

With an official launch planned for later this year, Quin has been developed behind closed doors for the last two years as part of a research programme with around 100 people who have been providing feedback, ideas and thoughts on the design.

We are a regulated medical device company, Williams said. Every release of our app is a regulated medical device that is released and pushed out to our market. We want to do a human-centred co-creation of a medical device, while also ensuring that what we are doing is safe, will not hurt anyone and will improve the lives of users.

As part of that, we do regular self-reported results from our users and look at three categories of metrics, which are quality of life improvements, medical benefits and behavioural changes that people make.

We have had 76pc of our users reporting that they feel more confident, relaxed and that life with diabetes is easier, from the quality of life point of view. Thats something were very proud of. Its critical as a software product maker that youve got to make a material difference to peoples quality of life.

Aside from tech and engineering, one area of business that Williams is particularly interested in is workplace culture. She spent much of her time in leadership roles at ThoughtWorks coming up with the values, living the values and leading by the values.

What were doing now, our mission is very human-centred and is about making life better for potentially millions of people, she explained. Its really about the values that you put underneath that. For us, our values are quite simple: be excellent, find truth and show love.

The Quin team. Image: Quin

For us, excellence is your interest in collaborating across the areas of the discipline and your ability to draw people in and take people with you on that journey, Williams added.

Finding truth is about the fact that we know so little about diabetes, as well as being willing to throw away our truths when we have to and the problem-solving nature of who we are as people.

The third value is to show love, which is about the space that we live in. Because diabetes is so poorly understood, theres a lot of hurt that happens to people who are living with diabetes. It starts with love for the people we are creating for and working with, but it extends to love for your colleagues.

Although a launch is upcoming, Williams said that the mission of Quin could take 10 years or more. This is hard work certainly the hardest work of my life and the lives of many people who work here. We have to have an unconditional positive regard for each other and really be willing to walk in each others shoes.

To ensure that Quin hires the right people, Williams said that she selects interviewees based on their technical skills as well as their affinity to those values. She added that she asks some pretty pointed questions during the interview process to ensure that new hires share those values.

Its about living those values when were inside and what we do every day and how we behave. It matters. Isabella and I have only ever been in value-based organisations, so if you grow up with it, its sort of second nature.

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The rest is here:
Cyndi Williams on tech for diabetes and 'showing love' at work - Siliconrepublic.com

This article was originally published here

Assessing the effect of closed-loop insulin delivery from onset of type 1 diabetes in youth on residual beta-cell function compared to standard insulin therapy (CLOuD study): a randomised parallel study protocol.

BMJ Open. 2020 Mar 12;10(3):e033500

Authors: Boughton C, Allen JM, Tauschmann M, Hartnell S, Wilinska ME, Musolino G, Acerini CL, Dunger PD, Campbell F, Ghatak A, Randell T, Besser R, Trevelyan N, Elleri D, Northam E, Hood K, Scott E, Lawton J, Roze S, Sibayan J, Kollman C, Cohen N, Todd J, Hovorka R, CLOuD Consortium

AbstractINTRODUCTION: Management of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes (T1D) in children and adolescents is challenging for patients, families and healthcare professionals. The objective of this study is to determine whether continued intensive metabolic control using hybrid closed-loop (CL) insulin delivery following diagnosis of T1D can preserve C-peptide secretion, a marker of residual beta-cell function, compared with standard multiple daily injections (MDI) therapy.METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study adopts an open-label, multicentre, randomised, parallel design, and aims to randomise 96 participants aged 10-16.9 years, recruited within 21 days of diagnosis with T1D. Following a baseline mixed meal tolerance test (MMTT), participants will be randomised to receive 24 months treatment with conventional MDI therapy or with CL insulin delivery. A further 24-month optional extension phase will be offered to all participants to continue with the allocated treatment. The primary outcome is the between group difference in area under the stimulated C-peptide curve (AUC) of the MMTT at 12 months post diagnosis. Analyses will be conducted on an intention-to-treat basis. Key secondary outcomes are between group differences in time spent in target glucose range (3.9-10 mmol/L), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and time spent in hypoglycaemia (<3.9 mmol/L) at 12 months. Secondary efficacy outcomes include between group differences in stimulated C-peptide AUC at 24 months, time spent in target glucose range, glucose variability, hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia as recorded by periodically applied masked continuous glucose monitoring devices, total, basal and bolus insulin dose, and change in body weight. Cognitive, emotional and behavioural characteristics of participants and parents will be evaluated, and a cost-utility analysis performed to support adoption of CL as a standard treatment modality following diagnosis of T1D.ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval has been obtained from Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee. The results will be disseminated by peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02871089; Pre-results.

PMID: 32169925 [PubMed as supplied by publisher]

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Assessing the effect of closed-loop insulin delivery from onset of type 1 diabetes in youth on residual beta-cell function compared to standard...

With More Viral Outbreaks Expected, Predictive Oncology Expands AI Platforms to Aid in Vaccine and Drug Development

MINNEAPOLIS, March 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Predictive Oncology Inc. (POAI) (POAI or the Company), a knowledge-driven company focused on applying artificial intelligence (AI) to personalized medicine and drug discovery, today announces it will launch a new AI platform for vaccine and drug development targeting Coronaviruses and Acute Respiratory Syndromes (COVID-19, MERS, and SARS) through an operating agreement with Soluble Therapeutics. POAI has also signed a letter of intent with InventaBioTech to acquire Soluble Therapeutics, its assets and its HSCTM Technology.

Global health experts are predicting an ever-increasing number of viral outbreaks like COVID-19, POAI is taking proactive measures to be part of the solution by applying artificial intelligence to aid in the development of new drugs and vaccines. Utilizing Soluble Therapeutics HSCTM technology and its six machines, Soluble's computer system expects to be able to run over 12,000 computer simulations per machine to help generate new diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics. Solubles HSCTM technology has demonstrated efficacy with both new and existing vaccine and drug programs, ensuring the best delivery mechanisms to address new pandemics and battle cancers.

The market for biologicals that includes vaccines, proteins and antibodies used in disease treatment is projected to reach $479.7 billion by 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9%.* The capital the US Congress has allocated to fight COVID-19 is $8.0 billion dollars.

Protein formulation is often a bottleneck in protein-based drug development, and Soluble Therapeutics technology directly addresses this bottleneck.Combining the HSCTM technology with POAIs predictive modeling platform is expected to create a new rapid AI discovery platform that quickly and cost-effectively identifies potential therapeutic candidates. The HSCTM technology accelerates the formulation process and is believed to achieve in a month what can take a team of scientists several months to a year to achieve. The HSCTM technology only requires milligrams where a traditional formulation effort can require up to a gram of material.

HSC Technology is a self-contained, automated, chromatographic system that conducts high throughput, microcapillary, self-interaction chromatography screens, using additives and excipients commonly included in protein formulations. The data generated from these screens is analyzed by a predictive algorithm used to identify the optimal combination(s) of additives and excipients, resulting in increased solubility and physical stability of proteins. The system works in concert with a predictive algorithm of formulation parameters that can be exclusively accessed through Soluble Therapeutics.

The HSC Instrument, and underlying technology, has been validated over the past ten years via industry and academic collaborations. For biopharmaceutical clients and vaccine manufacturers, this means faster development times and quicker progression of molecules into the clinic. The COVID-19 vaccine development efforts by industry and government can benefit enormously using the Soluble HSCTM technology with POAIs predictive modeling platform.

Soluble hassix customized machines in its facilities that can help identify the best solutions for vaccines, proteins or antibodies being developed to help fight the COVID-19 contagion. Through this operating partnership and acquisition, we are ready to assist in the development of viable treatment options that use biological, complex ingredients and formulations to speed up the pre-clinical and clinical development of treatments, said Carl Schwartz, CEO of Predictive Oncology.

The combination of Soluble Therapeutics technology with Predictive Oncologys AI capability has the potential to rapidly optimize formulations thereby accelerating the early phase of protein therapeutic development, said Dr. Larry DeLucas, co-inventor of the HSC technology.

Under the operating agreement, the Company and existing Soluble managers will operate the Soluble Therapeutics business pending the acquisition. The Company's acquisition of Soluble Therapeutics is subject to the completion of a definitive agreement and customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020.

Story continues

*Global Biologics Market to touch US$479 Billion Dollars by 2024. Transparency Market Research. Feb 2018. Web.

About Predictive Oncology Inc.

Predictive Oncology (POAI) operates through three segments (Domestic, International and other), which contain four subsidiaries; Helomics, TumorGenesis, Skyline Medical and Skyline Europe. Helomics applies artificial intelligence to its rich data gathered from patient tumors to both personalize cancer therapies for patients and drive the development of new targeted therapies in collaborations with pharmaceutical companies. Helomics CLIA-certified lab provides clinical testing that assists oncologists in individualizing patient treatment decisions, by providing an evidence-based roadmap for therapy. In addition to its proprietary precision oncology platform, Helomics offers boutique CRO services that leverage its TruTumor, patient-derived tumor models coupled to a wide range of multi-omics assays (genomics, proteomics and biochemical), and an AI-powered proprietary bioinformatics platform to provide a tailored solution to its clients specific needs. Predictive Oncologys TumorGenesis subsidiary is developing a new rapid approach to growing tumors in the laboratory, which essentially fools cancer cells into thinking they are still growing inside a patient. Its proprietary Oncology Discovery Technology Platform kits will assist researchers and clinicians to identify which cancer cells bind to specific biomarkers. Once the biomarkers are identified they can be used in TumorGenesis Oncology Capture Technology Platforms which isolate and help categorize an individual patients heterogeneous tumor samples to enable the development of patient specific treatment options. Helomics and TumorGenesis are focused on ovarian cancer. Predictive Oncologys Skyline Medical division markets its patented and FDA cleared STREAMWAY System, which automates the collection, measurement and disposal of waste fluid, including blood, irrigation fluid and others, within a medical facility, through both domestic and international divisions. The company has achieved sales in five of the seven continents through both direct sales and distributor partners. For more information, please visit http://www.predictive-oncology.com.

Forward-looking Statements

Certain of the matters discussed in the press release contain forward-looking statements that involve material risks to and uncertainties in the Companys business that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the statements made herein. Such risks and uncertainties include (i) the risk that the acquisition ofSoluble Therapeuticswill not be completed, or, if completed, that the Soluble Therapeutics technology does not provide anticipated benefits to the Company or involves higher costs than anticipated or other negative consequences, (ii) risks related to the recent merger with Helomics, including the fact that the combined company will not be able to continue operating without additional financing; possible failure to realize anticipated benefits of the merger; costs associated with the merger may be higher than expected; the merger may result in disruption of the Companys and Helomics existing businesses, distraction of management and diversion of resources; and the market price of the Companys common stock may decline as a result of the merger; (iii) risks related to our partnerships with other companies, including the need to negotiate the definitive agreements; possible failure to realize anticipated benefits of these partnerships; and costs of providing funding to our partner companies, which may never be repaid or provide anticipated returns; and (iv) other risks and uncertainties relating to the Company that include, among other things, current negative operating cash flows and a need for additional funding to finance our operating plan; the terms of any further financing, which may be highly dilutive and may include onerous terms; unexpected costs and operating deficits, and lower than expected sales and revenues; sales cycles that can be longer than expected, resulting in delays in projected sales or failure to make such sales; uncertain willingness and ability of customers to adopt new technologies and other factors that may affect further market acceptance, if our product is not accepted by our potential customers, it is unlikely that we will ever become profitable; adverse economic conditions; adverse results of any legal proceedings; the volatility of our operating results and financial condition; inability to attract or retain qualified senior management personnel, including sales and marketing personnel; our ability to establish and maintain the proprietary nature of our technology through the patent process, as well as our ability to possibly license from others patents and patent applications necessary to develop products; Predictives ability to implement its long range business plan for various applications of its technology; Predictives ability to enter into agreements with any necessary marketing and/or distribution partners and with any strategic or joint venture partners; the impact of competition, the obtaining and maintenance of any necessary regulatory clearances applicable to applications of Predictives technology; and management of growth and other risks and uncertainties that may be detailed from time to time in the Companys reports filed with the SEC, which are available for review at http://www.sec.gov. This is not a solicitation to buy or sell securities and does not purport to be an analysis of Predictives financial position. See Predictives most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and subsequent reports and other filings at http://www.sec.gov.

Contact:Bob Myers651-389-4800bmyers@skylinemedical.com

Source: Predictive Oncology Inc.

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Predictive Oncology Launches New AI Platform for Vaccine and Drug Development Targeting Coronaviruses and Acute Respiratory Syndromes (COVID-19, MERS,...

Fifteen years and $2.5 billion dollars is too much to get a drug to market that many cannot even ... [+] afford. Solution: put big pharma in the cloud, and make drug discovery possible from a coffee shop.

Small biotech start-ups accounted for 63% of all new prescription drug approvals in the last five years. And the way that many big drug companies are establishing their own venture capital funds to invest in small, innovative start-ups, its easy to argue that big pharma isnt doing much innovation these days.

Whats going on here?

You can literally sit at a Starbucks, design a compound, have the robots assemble that compound and go through the purification and analysis steps to validate what youve made, Mark Fischer-Colbrie tells me. Hes the President and CEO of Strateos, and his company is taking all the processes, instruments, and robotics youd find in a big pharmaceutical R&D facility and making them accessible to anybody with a laptop and a good idea.

This is the lab of the future, where automated drug discovery can be done from the comfort of a coffee shop. The capital investments associated with traditional pharmaceutical research and development are gone. And perhaps most importantly for Fischer-Colbrie, this is the foundation biology needs to become industrialized.

Combining automation in biology and chemical synthesis while leveraging big data and machine learning, Strateos Robotic Cloud Lab is a platform for biological discovery at unprecedented speed, reproducibility, and cost-effectiveness.

Combining forces with Eli Lilly and Company, Strateos powers a robotic cloud laboratory that can compress a three-and-a-half year drug discovery cycle into 12 months. Open to a wide range of usersfrom big pharma through to synthetic biology and academiathe company has triggered a high-throughput revolution in life science.

If you look broadly across life sciences, I would estimate more than 90% of the workflows are manual, with uncertain data capture, say Fischer-Colbrie, reflecting on the status quo of most lab research today. In order to advance discovery, all of this needs to get industrialized, which means automation, it means repeatability.

A reproducible platform for better drug discovery

Therein lies a huge benefit for companies and consumers: the drastically improved reproducibility of Strateos automated workflows. Science is in the grips of a replication crisis. A Nature report not too long ago showed that 70% of academics had tried and failed to reproduce anothers experiment. One study of cancer research showed that the rate of converting preclinical cancer research to successful treatments was as low as 11%. The rate for drugs, in general, has previously been reported at somewhere around 25%.

The result of this? A long, wasteful, and expensive drug discovery process, with small numbers of expensive therapies available to patients.

To be in an environment that takes 15 years and $2.5 billion dollars to get a drug to market that no-one can pay for is a broken model that needs to be rectified, Fischer-Colbrie laments. And though there are various reasons for the lack of translation of science findings, reproducibility of the method is a huge component. Strateos platform provides the robust, automated design-make-test-analyze technology that can turn things around.

Fischer-Colbrie tells me that after youve designed a drug from the corner coffee shop, You then have the whole biological testing piece looking at dose-response curves, and all the other criteria youd need to make first level assessments of whether that compound might make a good therapy or not.

Fast-track cancer therapies

Strateos is a merger of Transcriptic and 3Scan. The former has a focus on high-throughput biology, and the latter focuses on making tissue biology and histopathology into data science. Combining these competencies within Strateos means the company well-suited to applying its technology platform for cancer.

Instead of spending the painstaking hours to prepare samples manually, you can take samples from a patient, slice them into micron-thin slices and deposit them automatically on a tape. You can then look at your 3D image and run a range of different analysesit might be some transcriptomics on slice 18, or immunohistochemistry on slice 19.

Tissue handling is a huge bottleneck currently, but this is a new way of getting data in a totally different manner, Fischer-Colbrie explains. The 3scan offering has the benefit of being able to generate new datasets that in turn you can then use the San Diego lab to come up with compounds that might work against what youve found in those tissue samples.

Focus on the concept

Strateos has created an entire life sciences discovery foundry, and one which is providing the necessary step to turn laboratories into data generation engines - launching biology as an information science.

Fischer-Colbrie enthusiastically stresses that it really allows scientists to focus on concept. Theyre not thinking about how to maintain equipment, or which company they have to negotiate complicated contracts with. Scientists can focus on their hypotheses and experiments and not the infrastructure or day to day worries in the lab.

Its a game-changer, and one that improves the quality of hypothesis-driven research in general.

You can watch experiments happen online, get the data rapidly, and feed into machine learning models that provide whole new hypotheses overall, notes Fischer-Colbrie, along with another crucial point. These data, importantly, also include metadata such as environmental conditions and the status of the equipment. So, if you get an anomalous result, you can go back and understand what was going on at the time.

A range of industries set to reap the rewards

In the short term, Strateos platform will be open to a range of potential uses across the life sciences, from big pharma through to personalized medicine and even work in large molecules such as antibodies.

In synthetic biology, in particular, Fischer-Colbrie is excited about the platforms ability to rapidly accelerate experiments and to optimize conditions for gene editing. Its stunning in the context of the ability here to turn ideas into data. We believe in some cases this can happen in as little as 48 hours. This will have a significant improvement in the cycle time of experimentation and design.

The world is gradually shifting from standalone instruments to automated work cells, and now we really have to think about data generation and how to analyze that data. He concludes. Were excited about how this will have an impact across the board.

Follow me on twitter at @johncumbers and @synbiobeta. Subscribe to my weekly newsletters in synthetic biology and space settlement.

Thank you to Peter Bickerton for additional research and reporting in this article. Im the founder of SynBioBeta, and some of the companies that I write aboutincluding Strateosare sponsors of the SynBioBeta conference and weekly digest heres the full list of SynBioBeta sponsors.

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Running Your Pharma Company Out Of A Starbucks: Drug Discovery Moves To The Cloud - Forbes

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A new kind of ink for 3D printing liquifies when pressed through the nozzle of a 3D printer, but then quickly returns to its original shape, researchers report.

The invention paves the way for personalized biomaterial implants, according to new research.

In the same way that medicine has seen a trend towards precision medicinewhere doctors tailor treatment to the genetic make-up of the patientin recent years, materials scientists have increasingly turned their attention to precision biomaterials. As things stand, however, personalized implants remain a long way off.

But at the moment, were making great progress toward this goaland learning a lot in the process, says Mark Tibbitt, a professor of macromolecular engineering in the mechanical and process engineering department at ETH Zurich.

Previously, the fact that researchers had to develop new [A1] inks for the 3D printer for each application held back researchers working in the field of precision biomaterials.

If someone wanted to replicate part of an eye, for instance, they werent able to draw on the work of people who design auricular prostheses, Tibbitt explains. But now, he and his team have invented a universal carrier ink that dramatically simplifies the development of new applications, the researchers write.

Essentially, 3D printing calls for a solution to a conundrum casually referred to as the toothpaste problem. On one hand, toothpaste should not be too viscous as that would make it difficult to squeeze through the narrow opening of the tube; on the other, it cant be too fluid because it would then immediately drip off the toothbrush.

Similarly, in 3D printing, the carrier ink needs to be able to liquify to flow through the printing nozzle, and then solidify so that the printed structure does not immediately lose its shape.

This is where the universal carrier ink that Tibbitts team has developed can help. It consists of cellulose fibers dissolved in water combined with biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles. When no external pressure is exerted, the fibers attach themselves to the particles. This creates a transient network that can be disrupted when subjected to the high shear forces in the printer nozzlebut that quickly reforms after passing through the narrow opening.

In further experiments, Tibbitt and his team added different polymers (such as hyaluronic acid, gelatine, collagen, or fibrinogen) to their new carrier ink. These secondary polymers did not change the inks flow behavior through the head of the printer nozzle, but enabled the researchers to solidify the transient network to form the printed structure in a second, subsequent step.

Tibbitts team also tested how living cells behave in the carrier inkand found that the same number of cells survive in the ink as they do outside. Based on the fact that researchers can introduce hydrophobic substances into the nanoparticlesand add hydrophilic substances to the aqueous phase with the cellulose fibersthey demonstrated that their ink is also suitable for the development of novel drug delivery systems.

The research appears in the journal Small.

Source: ETH Zurich

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3D printing ink may solve the "toothpaste problem" - Futurity: Research News

Vetek (Seniority) the Movement for Longevity and Quality of Life (Israel)

Summary

Due to the aging of the global population and the derivative increase in major aging-related non-communicable diseases and their economic burden, there is an urgent international need to promote the research, development and application of and education on effective and safe therapeutic geroscience interventions. These interventions are designed to mitigate degenerative aging processes, thus preventing and eliminating the main underlying contributors for major chronic aging-related diseases and thus improving the healthy and productive longevity for the elderly population. Insofar as aging is the main contributing factor of major chronic age-related diseases, the research and development efforts in the fields of geroscience and of major chronic diseases are integrally related. Israel can be an important contributor to these international R&D efforts, for which it can offer its proven record of scientific and technological achievements and innovation, its strong supportive infrastructure for research and development, its highly skilled scientific and technological work force, including leadership in diverse branches of biomedical research on aging and aging-related diseases. Yet a stronger effort will be needed to build on those strengths and realize the countrys potential in the field for the benefit of the Israeli and global population. Israel can help further promote the field, not only locally, but internationally, by creating and sharing policy suggestions for the advancement of the field.

1. Israel has made significant progress in the fields related to geroscience and combat of major aging-related diseases.

Israel can and should be an important contributor to the global geroscience endeavors, building on its scientific, technological and societal achievements in the field of aging and related fields[1]:

Building on the past achievements, there is still a vital need to develop the geroscience and healthy longevity field in Israel, and there exists a large space for the growth of the field.

There are several specific pressing needs and demands for the development of the geroscience and healthy longevity field in Israel. The needs and the corresponding recommendations listed below closely follow the points made by the Vetek and allied associations in their recommendations for Enhancing research, development and education for the promotion of healthy longevity and prevention of aging-related diseases in the Israel National Masterplan on Aging. Yet, here they are given a wider international perspective, insofar as these needs and recommendations are quite common and applicable for virtually any country. Moreover, these needs and recommendations can be advocated and promoted via international frameworks and organizations, both globally and for specific countries on a case-by-case basis.

Today, there are about 980,000 people in Israel over the age 65 (about 11% of the countrys population), and it is expected that the number of the elderly will increase to 1.6 million by 2035. This reality demands the preparedness of the healthcare and welfare systems to provide worthy and sufficient services for the elderly, adequate solutions for the prevention of systemic economic and healthcare collapse, as well as for the equitable social inclusion of the elderly, and as a result the improvement of their quality of life and the countys economic growth. To achieve those goals, the advancement of medical research and development is a necessary condition. The aging-related health decline is the major cause of mortality, morbidity and disability. It is thus the root cause of all healthcare and economic challenges related to the population aging and should be addressed according to the severity of the problem. Therefore, considerable resources must be dedicated to the advancement of research, development and education aimed at the amelioration of degenerative aging processes and debilitating aging-related diseases in order to extend healthy longevity as much as possible for the entire population.

Yet, the investment of human and material resources in the field is still insufficient in Israel. Presently, the State of Israel expends only about 0.5% of its general research budget for the research of aging and aging-related diseases (just about $5M dedicated annual state budget). Except for the budget framework for science, technology and innovation for the older persons within the Ministry of Science and Technology, there are no other defined budget frameworks in Israel for research and development in the field of aging, healthy longevity and prevention of aging-related diseases. There are limited support frameworks that can be adapted to the subject, such as research budgets for specific diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, cancer, etc., which by their nature are aging-related diseases. But in fact, there are no dedicated support frameworks specifically addressing aging-related ill health as a whole (old-age multimorbidity), neither addressing aging as the primary contributing factor for age-related diseases, and there is almost no reference to the special medical needs and characteristics of the aging individuals and the older population. Their characteristics and medical needs are often dramatically different in terms of diagnosis and treatment from the younger population, and the difference may have a decisive impact on the effectiveness of treatment. There is also a lack of centralized R&D support frameworks for the field of aging in Israel, such as the NIH's National Institute on Aging that exists in the US.

Therefore, defined budget frameworks must be established for medical research and development that will specifically address the issue of aging, and promote healthy longevity and prevention of aging-related diseases. Specifically, a defined significant percentage of the research and development budgets of the relevant ministries must be dedicated to the field. These should include the Ministry of Health; the Ministry of Science and Technology; the Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education; the Israel Innovation Authority; the Israel Science Foundation; the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities including the National Infrastructure Forum for Research and Development; the Ministry for Social Equality; the National Insurance Institute; the bi-national and international research programs in which Israel is a partner, particularly in the divisions concerning the research and treatment of non-communicable chronic diseases.

These frameworks must provide funding for calls for research proposals, grants, scholarships, services and action plans designed to alleviate the degenerative aging process and improve the longevity and quality of life of the older population, on behalf and in cooperation of the relevant ministries and institutions.

There is a now a severe deficit of relevant educational materials of any kind in Israel, in the field of aging generally, and particular areas of geroscience and healthy longevity promotion in particular. Currently, aging research is severely under-represented in all academic and other educational frameworks. Good education may be considered a primary condition for progress. There is a need to address the large deficit of knowledge and training on the subject of biological aging, its biomedical improvement and healthy longevity, in most existing institutions of learning. The need should be obvious. It should be clear that prior to any research, development and application on biological aging, there is a need to educate specialists who will be able to contribute to the various aspects of the field. There is an even prior need to educate the broader public on the importance of such research to prepare the ground for further involvement.

Such education is currently very limited. In practical terms, there are presently rather few dedicated structures in Israel to promote and coordinate knowledge exchange and dissemination on biological aging and healthy longevity promotion. There is an urgent necessity for such educational structures to make the narrative on biology of aging and healthy longevity prevalent in the public and academic discourse. To improve the communication and integration, it appears to be crucially important to commonly include the subjects of biogerontology, geroscience and healthy longevity promotion as central parts of learning curricula, and not only in universities, but in every learning and teaching framework, especially those related to biology, medicine or natural sciences generally. Yet, unfortunately, and strangely enough, the study of the biology of aging and longevity is rarely a part of university curriculum and virtually never a part of high school or community education curriculum. Thus, there is a vast range of opportunities to develop educational and training materials and courses, including materials and courses of professional interest, from undergraduate to postgraduate levels, as well as of general interest, presenting recent advances in aging and longevity science. Educational teaching and training materials on the subject should be developed and disseminated for people at all education levels, both for the academia and the general public, for all age groups, for different sectors and in different languages, in accordance with their specific abilities and characteristics. Teaching programs that increase motivation and stimulate scientific thinking in the field should be developed for children, university students at different study stages (undergraduate and graduate), for interns and specialists, and as a part of adult enrichment studies.

In particular, it is necessary to develop study materials, such as courses, text books, problem solvers, guidelines and professional specialization programs in the biology of aging, especially for physicians and biologists in the fields adjacent to aging research, as well as educational materials for the general public. The materials for the general public should include lectures, reviews of the latest scientific developments in the field and practical recommendations for the promotion of healthy longevity and for the preparation of the younger generation to the challenges that expect them. There must be prepared and disseminated authoritative, evidence-based information about lifestyle regimens (such as nutrition, physical activity and rest) that promote healthy longevity and prevent aging-related ill health. A variety of educational teaching and training means should be developed, including conferences, printed materials, knowledge competitions, interactive web platforms, games and other accessible technological means. Relevant ministries and institutions should be involved in the development of and providing access to these educational programs, from the Ministry of Education and the Council for Higher Education to local authorities, public associations, and community centers. In order to facilitate the progress, there is a need to encourage the establishment of educational pilots and the examination of good practices in relevant ministries and other institutional frameworks.

One of the primary specific needs to develop the geroscience field, in Israel and elsewhere, appears to be the establishment of agreeable, scientific evidence-based evaluation criteria for the efficacy and safety of geroprotective (geroscience or healthspan-enhancing) therapies. Such commonly agreed evaluation criteria are presently lacking, in Israel and elsewhere. Yet, they appear to be absolutely necessary in order to set up the end points for the development of geroscience-based therapies and diagnostics and provide value-based incentives for academic, public and commercial R&D entities involved in the field. The field of geroscience is predicated on the recognition of aging as a major contributing and modifiable factor of pathogenesis, including such recognition in regulatory and budgeting frameworks. Yet, it appears that the primary necessary requirement for the degenerative aging process to be recognized as such a modifiable factor and therefore an indication for research, development and intervention, is to develop evidence-based diagnostic evaluation criteria and definitions for degenerative aging and for the efficacy and safety of potential means against it[17]. Without such scientifically grounded and clinically applicable diagnostic evaluation criteria and definitions, the discussions about treating, postponing, intervening into or even curing degenerative aging processes will be mere slogans. It appears to be impossible to treat, postpone, intervene into or cure a condition that it is impossible to diagnostically evaluate and measure the effectiveness and safety of treatment. Such evaluation criteria and measurements would need to become the basis for public geroscience-oriented health programs designed for the prevention of aging-related diseases, while measuring the effectiveness and safety of the interventions.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop and implement improved evaluation measures and criteria for assessing the aging process, for the early diagnosis and prediction of multiple aging-related diseases (old-age multimorbidity), for examining the effectiveness of treatments for their prevention and for estimating and improving the older persons functional and employment abilities. Commonly agreed, science-based and authoritative guidelines should be provided for such measures by authoritative and representative national and international organizations. To develop such measures, it is necessary to increase and improve the collection and processing of various types of data on aging, including biological and medical data in combination with behavioral and social, economic and environmental data. In this process, it is necessary to establish and/or expand relevant databases (registries) and analytical platforms and tools (knowledge centers) in order to facilitate the collection, design, accessibility, analysis, integration and sharing of data on aging, promotion of healthy longevity and prevention of aging-related diseases. These databases and analytical tools should be used predictively to model large amounts of data for more effective diagnosis and treatment and to allow personalized medicine for the older subjects, with reference to their aging process.

In Israel, in order to establish and expand these measurement and analysis systems, it is necessary to involve the relevant ministries and institutions, in particular the Ministry of Health, with the maximum possible cooperation of other entities who have access to data on aging, such as research institutions, hospitals, health maintenance organizations, local authorities and public and commercial research communities. The goals of evaluating the aging processes, early detection and prevention of aging-related ill health as a whole (preventing old-age multimorbidity) and extension of healthy lifespan, should be specifically defined in relevant frameworks and programs, such as the National Program for Personalized Medicine and the National Program for Digital Health, as well as relevant international health promotion programs where Israel takes part. Initiatives and pilots of different extents on the subject should be encouraged in all sectors, while supporting their cooperation.

The above needs and demands for the development of the geroscience and healthy longevity field, directly yield policy recommendations for the fields advancement. Currently, official policy recommendations for the promotion of the geroscience and healthy longevity field are lacking in most major international as well as national frameworks. Such recommendations, for both international and national policy frameworks, must be developed and advocated by authoritative and representative international organizations promoting geroscience research and education.

An exemplary effort to develop and advocate such policy recommendations is the position paper of the International Society on Aging and Disease (ISOAD), entitled The Critical Need to Promote Research of Aging and Aging-related Diseases to Improve Health and Longevity of the Elderly Population (2015)[18]. This position paper makes the general appeal that Governments should ensure the creation and implementation of the policies to promote research into the biology of aging and aging-related diseases, for improving the health of the global elderly population. It further provides specific policy suggestions with reference to enhancing funding, institutional support and incentives for biomedical aging research. This position paper has been translated to 12 languages and submitted for consideration to several governments. It has stimulated further discussion, encouraging the academic community, the general public and decision makers to elaborate on the policies to support the aging R&D field[19].

Such position papers and consultations can have tangible effects on public health policy and research policy, as evidenced by another position paper, jointly advanced by the International Society on Aging and Disease, American Federation for Aging Research, International Federation on Aging, International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics and other leading organizations on aging, entitled Aging health and R&D for healthy longevity must be included into the WHO Work Program (2018)[20]. Largely thanks to this position paper and the associated advocacy campaign, the subject of healthy aging that had been originally absent, was eventually included into WHOs 13th General Programme of Work for 2019-2023, including specific end points for the reduction of elderly disability and increasing their healthy life expectancy. The contribution of this advocacy campaign was acknowledged by the director of the WHO Ageing and Life Course Division[21]. Another position paper followed the recent establishment of the UNESCO-affiliated Executive Committee on Anti-Aging and Disease Prevention, entitled The urgent need for international action for anti-aging and disease prevention[22].

These are preliminary examples, and more of such position papers, guidelines and advocacy efforts are needed to advance the geroscience and healthy longevity field, both at the national and international levels. Authoritative and representative international organizations should take on this work, preparing and advocating policy suggestions and guidelines, creating educational materials and providing platforms for scientific cooperation in the geroscience and healthy longevity field.

Specifically, building on the experience of the Israeli program for Enhancing research, development and education for the promotion of healthy longevity and prevention of aging-related diseases within the Israel National Masterplan on Aging (see the previous section), such international organizations may consider advancing the following activities and policies, within specific countries and globally:

International organizations should advocate for a significant increase in the level of governmental and non-governmental funding for basic, applied, translational and clinical research and technological development for the mitigation of degenerative aging processes, aging-related chronic non-communicable diseases and disabilities, in order to extend the healthy and productive life expectancy for the entire population throughout the entire life course. Specifically, the international organizations should advocate for the allocation of defined significant percentages of the research and development budgets of the relevant budgeting frameworks to be dedicated explicitly for the geroscience and healthy longevity field, including bi-national and international research and development programs.

International organizations should create and expand academic and public education frameworks, programs and educational materials, considering the basic and applied research on aging processes and aging-related diseases, promoting healthy longevity, preventing aging-related diseases and improving the quality of life for the elderly, including biological, medical, technological, environmental and social aspects.

International organizations should develop and implement and/or advocate for the development and implementation of evidence-based evaluation criteria, measures and indicators to estimate the effects of aging, predict and detect at an early stage multiple aging-related diseases, and examine the effectiveness and safety of therapeutic and preventive interventions against them. Concomitantly, evaluation criteria, measures and indicators must be developed and advanced for the functional and employment capacity of the elderly and for the improvement of their functional capacity. Such evaluation criteria, measures and indicators should be used for establishing and/or improving public health systems for the early detection and prevention of degenerative aging processes and aging-related diseases.

Combined, these measures and policies should advance the geroscience and healthy longevity field, nationally and internationally, for the benefit of the elderly and the entire population.

References

[20] Stambler I, Jin K, Lederman S, Barzilai N, Olshansky SJ, Omokaro E, Barratt J, Anisimov VN, Rattan S, Yang S, Forster M, Byles J (2018). Aging health and R&D for healthy longevity must be included into the WHO Work Program. Aging and Disease, 9(2): 331-333 http://www.aginganddisease.org/article/2018/2152-5250/ad-9-2-331.shtml.

Ilia Stambler is an IEET Affiliate Scholar. He completed his PhD degree at the Department of Science, Technology and Society, Bar-Ilan University. His thesis subject, and his main interest, is the History of Life-extensionism in the 20th Century.

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Israel can and should become an important contributor to the international geroscience research, development, application and education - Institute...

With fear and misinformation spreading alongside the new coronavirus, a scientist has explained why a humble bar of soap is one of the most important weapons in our arsenal against the bug which causes COVID-19.

Soap wipes out viruses including SARS-CoV-2the pathogen which causes the disease COVID-19 not to be confused with the SARS virusbecause it is able to dissolve its fat membrane, explained Palli Thordarson, a chemistry professor at the University of New South Wales.

In a Twitter thread, Thordarson said this causes the virus to fall apart "like a house of cards" and become inactive (but not die as they aren't technically alive). Water alone isn't enough, according to Thordarson, because it "'only' competes with the strong 'glue-like' interactions between the skin and virus via hydrogen bonds. They virus is quite sticky and may not budge."

"Soapy water is totally different," said Thordarson. "Soap contains fat-like substances knowns as amphiphiles, some structurally very similar to the lipids in the virus membrane. The soap molecules "compete" with the lipids in the virus membrane."

And as our hands are "quite rough and wrinkly," we need to rub and soak them to make sure the soap reaches every part of the skin, he said.

Thordarson went on to address why soap works better to deactivate viruses than other products. "Disinfectants, or liquids, wipes, gels and creams containing alcohol (and soap) have a similar effects but are not really quite as good as normal soap. Apart from the alcohol and soap, the 'antibacterial agents' in these products don't affect the virus structure much at all."

"Consequently, many antibacterial products are basically just an expensive version of soap in terms of how they act on viruses. Soap is the best but alcohol wipes are good when soap is not practical or handy (e.g. office receptions)," he said.

Donald Schaffner, distinguished professor at Rutgers University and an expert in topics including handwashing, told Newsweek soaps also work to remove viruses from the hands as they wash them down the drain, while hand sanitizers inactivate virus already on the hands. "For an added 'one-two' punch you can use both," he said.

Contrary to some recommendations that hot water must be used when handwashing, Schaffner said the level of heat doesn't matter and people should simply use a comfortable temperature.

"People should practice washing all the areas of their hands, and perhaps give special attention to places where microbes may get trapped in dirt such as under the fingernails," he said.

Schaffner added: "Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are very effective against this virus. There are some viruses like norovirus, where hand sanitizers don't work as well." That's not the case with SARS-CoV-2 because of its structure, he said.

"Of course it doesn't help that many store shelves are sold out, but I would recommend getting a bottle to have on hand the next time it's available," said Schaffner.

The advice is in line with that given by the World Health Organization, which last month urged the public to "never underestimate the power of the humble bar of soap!"

"Washing your hands regularlyeither with alcohol-based rub or ordinary soap and wateris one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and others from #COVID19 and many other diseases."

For more WHO advice of preventing the spread of COVID-19, scroll to the bottom of the piece.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people to sing the Happy Birthday song twice, which lasts about 20 seconds, while washing their hands to ensure they are doing so for long enough to rid their hands of germs.

After you've washed your hands, don't forget to moisturise, Dr. Sara Hogan, a dermatologist at UCLA Medical Center, told Slate. That's because the practice can disturb the outer layer of skin which is made up of dead cells and protects our skin from dirt and microbes, and locks in moisture.

Dr. Evan Rieder, a dermatologist at NYU Langone told the website "really greasy" moisturizers and emollients are best, followed by creams and lotions which contain more water and are therefore less hydrating.

All this can help to stem the spread of the COVID-19, which has killed over 3,800 people in 111,000 cases worldwide, with more than 62,300 people recovered, according to a tracker run by Johns Hopkins University.

Most deaths have occurred in Hubei, China, where the outbreak started in the province's capital of Wuhan in December 2019. As shown in the map below by Statista the virus has reached every continent except Antarctica.

Hygiene advice

Medical advice

Mask usage

This article has been updated with comment from Donald Schaffner.

Originally posted here:
This Is Why Soap Is So Effective at Stopping Spread of Coronavirus - Newsweek

We often have guests come on the TODAY show to talk about their newest book. Here's where to buy them.

"The Photo Ark: One Man's Quest to Document the World's Animals," by Joel Sartore, $24, Amazon

"Cook Like a Pro," by Ina Garten, $17, Amazon

"More Beautiful Than Before," by Steve Leder, $12, Amazon

"Shame Nation," by Sue Scheff and Melissa Schorr, $11, Amazon

"Short Cuts to Happiness," by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, $13, Amazon

"Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat," by Samin Nosrat, $15, Amazon

"The Secret Ingredient," by Gigi Butler, $18, Amazon

"Everyday Magic for Kids," by Justin Flom $9, Amazon

"Eat What You Love," Danielle Walker, $17, Amazon

"High," by David and Nick Sheff, $12, Amazon

"Tony's Wife," by Adriana Trigiani, $19, Amazon

"You're Not That Great (But Neither is Anyone Else)," by Elan Gale, $14, Amazon

"Godwink Christmas Stories," by SQuire Rushnell and Louise DuArt, $14, Amazon

"Homebody," by Joanna Gaines, $24, Amazon

"The Whole Foods Cookbook," by John Mackey, Alona Pulde and Matthew Lederman, $18, Amazon

"Fantastical Cakes," by Gesine Bullock-Prado, $19, Amazon

"The Power of Love," by Bishop Michael Curry, $16, Amazon

"Martina's Kitchen Mix," by Martina McBride, $19, Amazon

"OtherEarth," by Jason Segel and Kristen Miller, $13, Amazon

"The Southern Living Party Cookbook," by Elizabeth Heiskell, $32, Amazon

"College Admission 101," by Princeton Review and Robert Franek, $9, Amazon

"All About Cake," by Christina Tosi, $22, Amazon

"My Squirrel Days," by Ellie Kemper, $17, Amazon

"Sisters First," by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush, $14, Amazon

"Buseyisms," by Gary Busey, $17, Amazon

"Chasing the Gator," by Isaac Toups and Jennifer V. Cole, $22, Amazon

"The Gift That I Can Give," by Kathie Lee Gifford, $13, Amazon

"Cook Like a Pro," by Ina Garten, $21, Amazon

"Trump, the Blue-Collar President," by Anthony Scaramucci, $18, Amazon

"How to Stay Alive," by Bear Grylls, $13, Amazon

"One Heart at a Time," by Delilah, $18, Amazon

"Comfort in an Instant," by Melissa Clark, $15, Amazon

"Where You Go: Life Lessons from my Father," by Charlotte Pence, $17, Amazon

"Mix-and-Match Mama Meal Planner," by Shay Shull, $13, Amazon

"Candace Center Stage," by Candace Cameron Bure, $16, Amazon

"I Love You More Than...," by Taye Diggs, $13, Amazon

"Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment," by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein, $9, Amazon

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"Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel," $13, Amazon

Stuff We Love

Get a daily roundup of items that will make your life easier, healthier and more stylish.

"Presidents of War," by Michael Beschloss, $17, Amazon

"Joy's Simple Food Remedies," by Joy Bauer, $14, Amazon

"Builder Brothers: Big Plans," by Drew and Jonathan Scott, $16, Amazon

Super Satya Saves the Day," by Raakhee Mirchandani, $20, Amazon

"Struck," by Douglas Segal, $13, Amazon

"Next Level Thinking," by Joel Osteen, $13, Amazon

"Pull Up a Chair," by Tiffani Thiessen, $17, Amazon

"I Love California: Live, Eat, and Entertain the West Coast Way," by Nathan Turner, $27, Amazon

"American Like Me," by America Ferrera, $14, Amazon

"Know Your Value," by Mika Brzezinski, $14, Amazon

"This is the Day," by Tim Tebow, $15, Amazon

"Pop Stars, Pageants & Presidents: How an Email Trumped My Life," by Rob Goldstone, $25, Amazon

"The Magic Misfits: The Second Story," by Neil Patrick Harris, $12, Amazon

"To the Moon and Back: A Childhood Under the Influence," by Lisa Kohn, $16, Amazon

"Princesses Save the World," by Savannah Guthrie & Allison Oppenheim, $12, Amazon

"Dear America," by Jose Antonio Vargas, $17, Amazon

"Too Big to Fail," by Andrew Ross Sorkin, $15, Amazon

"Fear," by Bob Woodward, $15, Amazon

"Betty Ford," by Lisa McCubin, $15, Amazon

"Perfectly Clear," My Michelle LeClair, $14, Amazon

"Live Long and...," by William Shatner, $18, Amazon

"Small Fry," by Lisa Brennan-Jobs, $17, Amazon

"Turning Pages" by Sonia Sotomayor, $18, Amazon

"The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor," by Sonia Sotomayor, $12, Amazon

"Me, Myselfie & I," by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell, $18, Amazon

"It's Momplicated," by Debbie Alsdorf and Joan Edwards Kay, $13, Amazon

"Pressure Cooker," by Martha Stewart, $20, Amazon

"Real Life Dinners," by Rachel Hollis, $13, Amazon

"Cuddly Critters for Little Geniuses," by James and Sue Patterson, $13, Amazon

"What Can You Do with a Toolbox?" by John Colaneri, Anthony Carrino and Maple Lam, $11, Amazon

"Princesses Save the World" by Savannah Guthrie and Allison Oppenheim, $13, Amazon

"Princesses Save the World" by Savannah Guthrie and Allison Oppenheim, $13, Amazon

This one is available for pre-order now and officially comes out on September, 18.

"The Freds at Barneys New York Cookbook" by Mark Strausman and Susan Littlefield, $17, Amazon

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"Unfiltered: How to Be as Happy as You Look on Social Media" by Jessica Abo and Kelly Rutherford, $21, Amazon

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"Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump Whitehouse" by Omarosa Manigault Newman, $15, Amazon

"Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump Whitehouse" by Omarosa Manigault Newman, $15, Amazon

"Comfort in an Instant: 75 Comfort Food Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot" by Melissa Clark, $13, Amazon

"Comfort in an Instant: 75 Comfort Food Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot" by Melissa Clark, $13, Amazon

"Spying on Whales" by Nick Pyenson, $14, Amazon

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"Ruthless Tide" by Al Roker, $15, Amazon

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"Fail Until You Don't: Fight Grind Repeat" by Bobby Bones, $13, Amazon

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"First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety" by Sarah Wilson, $13, Amazon

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"Born Trump: Inside America's First Family" by Emily Jane Fox, $15, Amazon

"Born Trump: Inside America's First Family" by Emily Jane Fox, $15, Amazon

"A Place for Us" by Fatima Farheen Mirza, $14, Amazon

"A Place for Us" by Fatima Farheen Mirza, $14, Amazon

"Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave" by Joanna Gaines, $20, Amazon

"Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave" by Joanna Gaines, $20, Amazon

"Broken Bananah: Life, Love and Sex ... Without a Penis" by Ross Asdourian, $16, Amazon

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2018 Today Show Book Recommendations: picks this week - Today.com

Transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) is a life-saving treatment for numerous conditions such as severe anaemia, injury-related trauma, supportive care in cardiovascular surgery, transplant surgery, pregnancy-related complications, solid malignancies and blood-related cancers.

However, blood banks particularly in developing countries often face a severe shortage of whole blood as well as components of blood like red blood cells.

Researchers across the world are exploring possibilities to generate RBCs outside the body (in vitro) from haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These HSCs have the capability to give rise to the different types of cells found in the blood. Various groups have been able to produce RBCs in the laboratory from HSCs.

However, the process takes a long time - around twenty-one days. The resources required to grow cells in the laboratory over such a long duration can be very expensive for generation of RBCs on a large scale for clinical purposes.

A team of researchers led by Dr. L. S. Limaye, ex-scientist at the Department of Biotechnologys National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) at Pune have found a way to tackle the issue.

They have found that the process can be speeded up by adding a very low concentration of a small protein molecule called `transforming growth factor 1 (TGF-1), along with a hormone called `erythropoietin (EPO), to the growth medium. They could cut down the process time by three days.

Dr. Limaye noted that several tests to assess the quality of the cells formed, and examination of many of their characteristics, including physical appearance, revealed that the RBCs formed using this procedure were normal.

The findings are worthy of further exploration. Additional investigations based on the insights gained from these studies could help assess the relevance of using this approach for blood transfusions in the future. The researchers have published a report on their work in the journal, `Stem Cell Research and Therapy.

(India Science Wire)

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New approach to speed up red blood cells generation in the lab - BusinessLine

The Peers family were overjoyed when doctors told them Callum had beaten cancer.

Life returned to normal but, tragically, it would not stay that way.

The battling ten-year-old, who has twice successful fought cancer, has the disease once again.

This time the odds are heavily stacked against him. Doctors here give him just a ten per cent chance of living more than five years.

But his parents are determined to fight on and are pinning their hopes on pioneering drug trials.

They are trying to raise 150,000 to get Callum treatment in the US that is not available on the NHS.

Callums mum Nicola, 37, said: Seeing my son fight this disease for seven years has been heartbreaking but he has never given up.

Hes fought it and beaten it twice and I know he can do it again. We must give him that chance. I am not losing my boy.

Callum, of Leigh, Gtr Manchester, was just three when he began getting symptoms. Nicola first took Callum to his GP with stomach pains.

In June 2013, after hed turned four, he was diagnosed with an aggressive stage-4 neuroblastoma.

She said: It was such a shock when they told us, the last thing we expected. It was a body blow.

I was heartbroken but I had to carry on and be strong for Callum.

We told him he had a lump in his tummy and was having medicine for it. He was a little hero and never complained.

Callum had an operation to remove a tumour in his stomach and gruelling chemotherapy, immunotherapy and stem cell treatment.

He lost his hair, endured sickness, lethargy, high temperatures and spent months in hospital.

Then, in December 2014, the family got the news they were hoping for when his scans came back all clear.

Nicola recalled: We were over the moon. Life slowly went back to normal and we started going on family caravan holidays again.

But just over two years later, in January 2017, when Callum was getting ready for school he complained of feeling unwell.

Nicola noticed a lump on his neck. An emergency scan at the hospital confirmed the cancer had returned.

Nicola said: To get that news a second time was devastating. It could easily have broken us, but we had to fight on.

Callum had three types of chemo and after 12 months in and out of hospital he had kicked the cancer again.

But in August last year there was a lump on his neck and Nicola knew what to expect. The cancer had spread to the right side of his stomach. She said: Id thought after his treatment had finished the second time we were going to go back to normal.

Being told again and again your boy has cancer is awful.

Since then a tumour on Callums chest has been surgically removed and, days before his tenth birthday, another growing on his spine, which could have paralysed him, was taken out.

He has been through more chemo and radiotherapy, been rushed into intensive care with complications four times.

He spent his Christmas at Great Ormond Street hospital in London. Nicola said: Callum is the definition of a fighter. I know he can beat this again and beat it for good.

Treatment options in the UK for Callum have run out but Nicola and his dad Alan, 56, brothers Jake, 19, Joshua, 18, and Cameron, nine, and sister Bethany, 17, arent giving up hope.

Helen Devos Childrens Hospital in Michigan is one of the few centres offering a treatment that works by targeting specific cancer stem cell pathways. Nicola spoke to consultants there and said: Children are going over there and are still clear of disease years and years later.

Callum has been through so much. He just carries on and he deserves this chance.

Were all feeling really hopeful. Its been proven to work.

She added: I know Callum can win his fight if we can give him the best possible chance.

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'I'm not losing my boy,' sobs mum after son is diagnosed with cancer for third time - Mirror Online