StemCell Therapy

Heart disease affects about 10 percent of dogs. Insufficiency of the mitral valve is the most common cause, accounting for 75-80 percent of heart disease cases. Mitral valve disease is more common in small dogs such as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Toy Poodles and Pomeranians.

A degenerative process affecting the mitral valve is thought to be genetic. The first sign of mitral valve disease is a murmur that begins between 6-10 years of age. When the murmur is low grade, there may not be any other signs. However, as the murmur (insufficiency) progresses, signs can include coughing, increased breathing rates or effort, exercise intolerance and even fainting.

The mitral valve is located in the left side of the heart between the left ventricle and left atrium. It provides a vital function by preventing blood from moving backward during heart contraction. Insufficiency means that the valve is not functioning properly allowing blood to leak backward past the valve when the heart contracts.

Understanding how mitral insufficiency affects the body requires further discussion about heart anatomy and function.

The heart is divided into two sides. Each side has two chambers the atrium and the ventricle. The right side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs so that carbon dioxide (CO2) can be released and oxygen (O2) picked up for delivery to the body. Blood with oxygen returning from the lungs to the left side of the heart is pumped to the rest of the body.

When degeneration affects the mitral valve, the edges of the valves become rough and no longer completely close. This allows blood to move backward with each heart contraction. This leaked blood must be pumped again by the heart, resulting in increasing work and inefficiency.

The increased volume of blood in the heart chamber, also results in increased stretching of the heart muscle. This stretching can reduce the efficiency of the heart muscle contractions. When enough blood has leaked backward, it can start backing up into the blood veins leading from the lungs to the heart, causing problems with blood circulation in the lungs.

Mitral insufficiency can be detected by hearing a murmur over the mitral valve. However, it is important to have a full work-up completed to determine how severe the problem is. Tests often include chest X-rays to determine the heart size and changes in lung blood vessels, ECG to determine the presence of abnormal heart rhythms, blood pressure, and liver and kidney test values. Echocardiogram (ultrasound) of the heart provides an assessment of heart structure and function; however, it is not generally needed for mild mitral insufficiency.

Treatment and supportive care depend on the severity of the heart condition. Generally, medications that improve heart contraction, reduce blood pressure and remove excess fluid are used to manage the effects of mitral insufficiency. Reduced sodium diets are considered to be important. Fish oil, vitamins E, C, and B complex, L-carnitine and trace minerals may be of benefit. Herbs such as hawthorn berry (Crataegus oxyacantha) have a wide range of benefits, including safety, improved blood flow to the heart muscle, enhanced strength of the heart contraction,and removal of excess fluid.

When considering supportive care for dogs with mitral insufficiency, it is important to recognize that other parts of the body are indirectly affected. For example, many dogs with heart problems are in a chronic stress mode as the body tries to cope. This ongoing stress can lead to reduced adrenal function. The kidneys can also be affected and may need supportive care.

If you have questions about mitral insufficiency in your dog, contact your veterinarian.

Ron Carsten was one of the first veterinarians in Colorado to use the integrative approach, has lectured widely to veterinarians and has been a pioneer in the therapeutic use of food concentrates to manage clinical problems. In addition to his doctor of veterinary medicine, he holds a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology and is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist and Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist. He practices integrative veterinary medicine in Glenwood Springs.

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Vet column: Valve disease common cause of canine heart murmurs - Glenwood Springs Post Independent

Perhaps the title sounds misleading. A large-animal vet develops a veterinary practice caring for the needs of livestock such as cattle (dairy or beef), sheep, goats and pigs. A small animal veterinarian like me is usually slotted into the care of companion pets such as dogs and cats. So when I examine a 200 pound dog, it is still a small animal and likewise there is often confusion about whom to call when the patient is a pot-belly/miniature pig. Not me.

The life of a small animal vet and that of a large animal practitioner are markedly different. One works almost exclusively indoors, dressed neatly, white coat in place. The other weathers life outdoors, facing extremes of blazing heat to icy cold, rain and snow. One always has a sink handy to tidy up. The other uses outdoor hoses more than theyd like. A dairy vet may check over 100 head of cattle in a morning and four farm calls make a full day. A small animal vet may follow the medical strands of more than 25 patients a day, winding through exams, blood results, x-rays and working in a surgery or two. All juggle the demands of unexpected emergency work.

Being in an office most of the day, I rarely interact with my brother and sister large animal veterinarians. So when the pygmy goat from the petting zoo fell over dead I was unhappy, but proceeded to perform a postmortem examination and sent tissue samples off to our regular lab. I had overseen the care of these goats for many years, but they were on the back burner when it came to my interest in the truly exotic Zoo collection. My concerns centered on whether or not the public might have fed something odd to the goat? (Ill jump ahead here: No. The public did not harm the goat). I mulled over the problem but prepared to wait until the pathology report was finished sometime in the next week. And then another goat died.

I was unnerved. The goats were being closely watched and none had shown any outward signs of sickness. They had all lived for more than eight years at the zoo and had never, collectively, suffered a single injury amongst themselves. I immediately sought the expertise of a large-animal veterinarian. The goat expert was on a dairy farm. The return call came in as I was finishing one surgery and about to start another. Gloves still on, I was staring at some x-rays in-between these surgeries when they told me they had Dr. B on the line. Multitasking at its best.

I hurried over, snapping gloves into the waste receptacle and grabbing pen and paper. I introduced myself and launched into a recital of my goat woes. I verified that he had goat experience. I gave him dates, genders, date of deaths, lack of lab results, still pending. I drew breath to spew forth another list of details and heard him gently respond, Yes. I think. I might be able. to help. His measured tones were from a man used to the gentle rhythms of milking machines, contented cows swishing their tails, chewing their cuds. Da-dum da-dum to my staccato dop-dop-dop-dop-dop! I managed to squeeze in a few more hurried sentences (surgery! Waiting!) before he responded calmly, I think I drive past your practice on my way up from this dairy.. I opened my mouth. Closed my mouth. I could hear the clouds, feel the sunshine, almost see the shining black and white hides of the gentle Holsteins he surveyed as we spoke. It was all there in the rhythm of his speech. I told myself to stop yapping before he decided my goat problem would be too stressful for him to bother with.

An hour later Dr. Thomas Bauman drove up in a large truck outfitted for all manner of veterinary ministrations. He spent an hour and a half doing a postmortem on one goat. He had a wicked knife and mulled over the cause of sand in the stomach. He felt it was too much. Did we feed on the ground? No. But little kids feed the zoo goats oat hay pellets and they often dropped to the sand, with all the goats scrambling to get their share. Hmmm. He gave the problem his full attention and we submitted a gazillion samples to the state lab, including an intact eyeball because it would be useful for trace metal analysis. The final answer was a copper deficiency in the feed, to which Pygmy goats are especially susceptible. Hay grown in the San Joaquin Valley is often deficient in copper. The salt lick fed at the zoo did not have added copper because Alpacas are in with the goats and they are susceptible to copper toxicity (too much) if supplemented. So we now feed our goats little capsules of copper wire every six months and all is good.

But sometimes I find myself wishing that I was a large animal veterinarian. Just so I could slow down and smell the ..never mind.

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Goat experts and other large animal veterinarians - Merced Sun-Star

Whole genome sequencing, mapping an individuals DNA profile, is a controversial topic. On one hand, the information obtained could change medical practice through creating a new branch of medicine, preventative medicine and individualized health care. Conversely, much of the information is meaningless as the role of the vast majority of genes is unknown. For this reason, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) recommend reporting test results for only 59 genes known to be associated with causing disease. Despite this debate, the first two clinical trials evaluating whole genome sequencing in healthy adults were discussed in a recent Science news story.

The first trial was a randomized study involving 100 healthy adults. Participants reported their family medical history to their usual primary-care physician. Whole genome sequencing was performed on 50 randomly selected participants, and five million single nucleotide variants (single base alterations) in 4600 genes were analyzed. The risk of developing polygenic diseases, diseases caused by the combined effects of alterations in multiple genes, was also examined; however, these results were not discussed. In the second unpublished trial, whole exome (protein coding regions) sequencing was performed on 70 healthy adults.

The results of the first trial found at least one alteration associated with disease susceptibility in 11 of the sequenced participants, two of whom manifested clear symptoms. In addition, at least one recessive (single copy) alteration associated with a disease was found in every sequenced individual. Two copies of such alterations are required to cause disease, which has implications for individuals planning a family. Of the 50 sequenced individuals, 34% were referred to a genetic counsellor or had further laboratory tests compared to 16% of non-sequenced participants. Sequenced participants also spent an extra $350 in healthcare costs. Emotional changes, such as anxiety and depression, were not observed in either group six months after the study, and it was noted that many of the participants used the information to make health behavioral changes. Similar results were also found in the second trial: at least one alteration associated with increased risk of disease was detected in 12 (17%) participants.

Although both studies were small and need to be replicated, both suggest that the AMCG reconsider their recommendations regarding the number of disease-associated genes that should be included in routine genetic screening tests. There is no doubt that the information gleaned from this technology will prove valuable to healthcare providers; indeed, some believe that whole genome sequencing should be incorporated into primary care. However, there are fears that this will contribute to escalating medical and insurance costs, which may be justified considering it cost $5000 to obtain one whole-genome sequence in the first trial. There is also a degree of uncertainty surrounding the impact this information has on an individuals psychological, economic and emotional wellbeing. Despite this, the finding that approximately 20% of the population unknowingly carry alterations in disease susceptibility genes certainly adds perspective to the controversy surrounding whole genome sequencing.

Written by Natasha Tetlow, PhD

Cross, R. One in five healthy adults may carry disease-related genetic mutations. Biology Health. 2017. Available at: doi: 10./science.aan7017.

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Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Actual Disease Risk in Healthy Adults - Medical News Bulletin

More than 116,000 Americans are waiting to receive an organ transplant, and about 20 die each day during the wait. Scientists are eager to find solutions to the organ shortage.

That's why a recent landmark report in the journal Science, which detailed the creation of piglets that could potentially provide organs for human transplants in the future, is being heralded as a real game changer. R esearchers from Harvard University, the biotech company eGenesis and other institutions explained how they used cloning and the gene-editing technology CRISPR to create pigs that may be used for human organ transplants down the lineif further research proves them safe and effective.

The findings have obvious implications for the many people waiting for a transplant. But one of the lead study authors, George Church, a geneticist at Harvard and founder of eGenesis, says the promise of pig organs that are compatible with humans may be even bigger. If pig organs could be engineered to be even healthier and more durable than the average human organwhich Church believes is possiblethey could have a profound effect on human health and longevity, he says.

Pig organ research is still in very early stages, and the researchers, including Church, say they are still years away from fully understanding whether pig organ transplants are even safe.

In this study, Church and his colleagues were able to create piglets free of the viruses that would make them unsuitable for human transplant. Church believes that scientists may be able to take it one step further and engineer pig organs to be free of disease and resistant to cancer and some age-related deterioration. One thing about pig organs that I find even more attractive than just helping the transplantation crisis is that it can be preventive medicine, says Church. People who need an organ transplant who are a high risk for hepatitis B, for example, may benefit from a liver engineered to be resistant to the disease. Cells and organs which are resistant to cancers, pathogens and senescence could be better in a preventative sense than the normal human organs which are being replaced, he says.

They may also be fresher, he says. "Many transplant surgeries are canceled with the patient on the operating table because the replacement organ is a few hours too old.

If the use of pigs as organ donors eventually becomes an approved procedure, Church says it could be possible to keep live pigs on site at a hospital. He believes it may also be possible to engineer their organs to be safely preserved though cryopreservationfreezing tissues for storageor other methods, he says, which could cut down on transplant time.

MORE: The New Transplant Revolution

Church says that pig organs could potentially also be engineered to be better matches for recipients, which may reduce the likelihood that the recipients immune system rejects the organ. Heart valves from pigs have already been successfully transplanted into patients. Organ rejection is currently a serious risk, and people who receive an organ transplant must take potent drugs that suppress their immune system to prevent rejection. But the drugs, which are powerful and taken for a person's entire life, also increase their odds of health problems like infections or heart disease.

Even people who do not need a transplant, but want an elective one, may someday benefit from these porcine organs, Church says, though that is a very long way off. The whole idea that we are not going to enhance anyone, I think, is a fake promise, he says. " It would have to start with augmented or enhanced organs needed to deal with patients in very tough life and death conditions in which 'conventional' organs are likely to fail."

Again, the research is still early. But Church says that clinical trials in humans could start in as soon as two years.

Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at NYU School of Medicine who has studied and written about the ethics of organ transplantation, says he doesnt see a problem with enhanced organs described by Church, instead calling them highly desirable.

It would open the door to use of organs from cancer victims and reduce risk of transmitting viruses, Caplan said in an email response to TIME. I see no downside.

The biggest priority would be to engineer organs that are less likely to be rejected, Caplan adds. The drugs used now to prevent rejection have terrible side effects, but there is no choice. Disease transmission is a real problem, but engineering a 'universal' supply of organs would reduce terrible toll from rejection and cost of drugs.

Before humans are able to use organs from pigs, Caplan says safety studies are required, recipients should be warned about possible risks and experts need to think about who gets priority. It will still likely be several years until physicians are debating these questions, but its clear at least some scientists are considering the possibility.

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Why People May Have Pig Organs Inside Them One Day - TIME

Credit: MIPT

Researchers from several Russian institutes, including MIPT, have found out how prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation affects human stem cells. They discovered that it causes a cell cycle delay, which leads to faster repairs of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks, with fewer errors. It is unclear what the health implications are, in particular, how this affects the risk of developing cancer. The paper was published in Oncotarget.

Ionizing radiation is capable of turning neutral atoms and molecules into charged ions. The human body is inevitably exposed to natural background radiation, with an average person receiving about 3 milligrays of radiation annually. Moreover, one X-ray exam amounts to anywhere from 0.001 to 10 milligrays of additional exposure, depending on the exact procedure. That said, overexposure is dangerousa dose of more than 1,000 milligrays received within a brief period of time causes acute radiation sickness.

To ensure radiation security, it is vital to assess the risks posed by ionizing radiation. Studies of people exposed to radiation have only conclusively established the increased risk of cancer as a result of receiving a high dose of radiation. This led regulating authorities to accept a linear model under which low doses of radiation also increase the risk of cancer. However, experiments show that low-dose radiation exposure either had no adverse biological effect or was even beneficial, as evidenced by prolonged lifespans and less frequent cancer occurrence.

Apart from that, the importance of the so-called dose rate should not be overlooked. Exposure to equal doses of radiation over shorter or longer time intervals has a different effect, with "slow" irradiation causing less harm. The extent to which dose rate affects the biological outcomes is a cause of much debate. In a real-life setting, people are more likely to face prolonged exposure to low-dose radiation, so it is crucial that we understand its effects.

DNA double-strand breaks

One of the negative effects of radiation is the formation of the so-called DNA double-strand breaks, in which both strands of the double helix are severed. Fortunately, the cell is capable of repairing damaged DNA. If one of the two strands is damaged, the other can be used to repair it. However, in the case of a double-strand break, more error-prone mechanisms have to be employed. Left unrepaired or misrepaired, such lesions can give rise to oncological diseases. This explains why research into the effects of radiation on living cells tends to focus on double-strand breaks. Not long ago, it was found that stem cellsfunctionally undifferentiated cellsplay a major part in the formation of tumors by accumulating mutations and passing them on to the specialized cells that are their descendants. However, stem cell response to prolonged irradiation remains poorly understood.

The scientists conducted several experiments using stem cells derived from gingivae, or the gums. They treated the cells with identical radiation doses administered over long and short time spans. The formation of double-strand breaks was monitored using stained H2AX and 53BP1 proteins as markers. With brief but intense radiation exposure, the incidence of both markers was found to increase linearly with the dose. But in the case of prolonged irradiation, the response was linear only up to a certain point, followed by a plateau at 1,000 milligrays. In other words, after reaching a certain number, the lesion count does not continue to rise. A balance of sorts is achieved between break formation and repair.

DNA repair

The cell comes equipped with repair systems capable of mending DNA double-strand breaks. However, following intense irradiation, the cell has to resort to a mechanism known as end joininga quick but faulty procedurein eight out of 10 double-strand breaks. This often leads to chromosomal aberrations. Such misrepairs of DNA breaks can potentially result in cell death, oncogene activation, and anti-oncogene suppression. But there is an alternative mechanism of DNA repair, called homologous recombination. It uses a similar or identical DNA molecule as a template and produces far fewer errors, but it is only available during certain phases in the cell cycle. The researchers monitored homologous recombination using Rad51, another protein marker. During a two-hour long exposure, the amount of Rad51 remained roughly constant, followed by a linear growth afterward. The team hypothesized that prolonged irradiation might activate homologous recombination.

Cell division

Stem cells can be divided into two groups, called proliferating and quiescent, in which the former undergo division, the latter have ceased reproducing, and there is a balance between the two types of cells. The researchers counted the DNA double-strand breaks in proliferating and quiescent cells separately. This is made possible by a certain protein that is only found in cells undergoing division. It turned out that in both types of cells, the number of DNA breaks grew, eventually reaching a constant value.

The researchers also observed that exposure to radiation did not change the roughly four to one ratio between proliferating and quiescent cells. However, a more detailed investigation revealed that four hours of "slow" irradiation results in a considerably increased number of cells in the S and G2 phases of the cyclethat is, DNA synthesis and final preparation for division, respectively. It is during these phases that a copy of the cell's DNA is available for the sake of division, but also to be used as a template in homologous recombination. This fact is a likely explanation for the detection of increased amounts of the Rad51 marker. To put it another way, irradiation causes a delay in the cell cycleas a result, at any given time, there are more cells in those phases that enable homologous recombination. This means it is possible to repair DNA double-strand breaks correctly.

"We have shown that prolonged irradiation of mesenchymal stem cells leads to cell cycle redistribution. This might influence the biological response to radiation," says Sergey Leonov, the director of the Phystech School of Biological and Medical Physics. "Our findings could become the basis of further research into double breaks in stem cells and their effect on tumor formation."

Explore further: How breaks in DNA are repaired

More information: Anastasia Tsvetkova et al, H2AX, 53BP1 and Rad51 protein foci changes in mesenchymal stem cells during prolonged X-ray irradiation, Oncotarget (2017). DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19203

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Human stem cell defenses activated by irradiation, study finds - Phys.Org

Bacterial infection activates hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow and significantly reduces the ability to produce blood through induced proliferation. Credit: Professor Hitoshi Takizawa

It has been thought that only immune cells would act as the line of defense during bacterial infection. However, recent research has revealed that hematopoietic stem cells, cells that create all other blood cells throughout an individual's lifetime, are also able to respond to the infection. A collaboration between researchers from Japan and Switzerland found that bacterial infection activates hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow and significantly reduces their ability to produce blood by forcibly inducing proliferation. These findings indicate that bacterial infections might trigger dysregulation of blood formation, such as that found in anemia or leukemia. This information is important to consider in the development of prevention methods for blood diseases.

Background: Bacterial Infection and the Associated Immune Reaction

When a person becomes infected with a virus or bacteria, immune cells in the blood or lymph react to the infection. Some of these immune cells use "sensors" on their surfaces, called Toll-like receptors (TLR), to distinguish invading pathogens from molecules that are expressed by the host. By doing so, they can attack and ultimately destroy pathogens thereby protecting the body without attacking host cells.

Bone marrow contains hematopoietic stem cells which create blood cells, such as lymphocytes and erythrocytes, throughout life. When infection occurs, a large number of immune cells are activated and consumed. It therefore becomes necessary to replenish these immune cells by increasing blood production in bone marrow. Recent studies have revealed that immune cells are not the only cells that detect the danger signals associated with infection. Hematopoietic stem cells also identify these signals and use them to adjust blood production. However, little was known about how hematopoietic stem cells respond to bacterial infection or how it affected their function.

Proof: Hematopoietic Stem Cell Response to Bacterial Infection

Researchers from Kumamoto University and the University of Zurich analyzed the role of TLRs in hematopoietic stem cells upon bacterial infection, given that both immune cells and hematopoietic stem cells have TLRs. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), one of the key molecules found in the outer membrane of gram negative bacteria and known to cause sepsis, was given to laboratory animals to generate a bacterial infection model. Furthermore, researchers analyzed the detailed role of TLRs in hematopoietic stem cell regulation by combining genetically modified animals that do not have TLR and related molecules, or agents that inhibit these molecules.

The results showed that LPSs spread throughout the body with some eventually reaching the bone marrow. This stimulated the TLR of the hematopoietic stem cells and induced them to proliferate. They also discovered that while the stimulus promoted proliferation, it also induced stress on the stem cells at the same time. In other words, although hematopoietic stem cells proliferate temporarily upon TLR stimulation, their ability to successfully self-replicate decreases, resulting in diminished blood production. Similar results were obtained after infection with E. coli bacteria.

Future Work

This study reveals that hematopoietic stem cells, while not in charge of immune reactions, are able to respond to bacterial infections resulting in a reduced ability to produce blood. This suggests that cell division of hematopoietic stem cells forced by bacterial infection induces stress and may further cause dysregulated hematopoiesis like that which occurs in anemia or leukemia. "Fortunately we were able to confirm that this molecular reaction can be inhibited by drugs," said one of the study leaders, Professor Hitoshi Takizawa of Kumamoto University's IRCMS. "The medication maintains the production of blood and immune cells without weakening the immune reaction against pathogenic bacteria. It might be possible to simultaneously prevent blood diseases and many bacterial infections in the future."

This finding was posted online in Cell Stem Cell on 21 July 2017, and an illustration from the research content was chosen as the cover of the issue.

Explore further: Innate reaction of hematopoietic stem cells to severe infections

More information: Hitoshi Takizawa et al, Pathogen-Induced TLR4-TRIF Innate Immune Signaling in Hematopoietic Stem Cells Promotes Proliferation but Reduces Competitive Fitness, Cell Stem Cell (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2017.06.013

Journal reference: Cell Stem Cell

Provided by: Kumamoto University

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Bacterial infection stresses hematopoietic stem cells - Medical Xpress

A scientist wanting to hack into an animals brain used to have three different tools to choose from: electriccurrent, drugs, and light. Now theres a fourth: magnetic fields. In a paper published last week in the open-access journal eLife, scientists at the University at Buffalo used magneto-thermal genetics to manipulate brain cells in mice, enabling the researchers to control the animals behavior.

Magneto-thermal genetics has been previously shownto activate neurons in anesthetized rodent brains, but this is the first time anyone hasreported using the tool to manipulate animal behavior, says Arnd Pralle, the University at Buffalo biophysicist who led the research.

Brain hacking tools help scientists better understand the wiring of the brainthe arrangement of neural circuits and which onescontrol different movements and behaviors. These tools could someday lead to the development of artificial human eyes and ears, or treatments for paralysis,traumatic brain injury, and diseases such as Parkinsons and depression.

Over the past few years, major funding agencieshave encouraged scientists and bioengineers to focus their work on the bodys internal wiring. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and DARPA have been doling out grants for work on both the peripheral and central nervous systems.

Engineers play a key role in the research. The bodys nervous systems communicate, after all, in a language of electrical signals. Researchers must not only map those signals, but also figure out how to interface with them, and override them when they malfunction.

Magnetic fields can do the job (following some complicated, multi-step bioengineering). In Pralles experiments, he and his team injected a virus containing a gene and some helper genetic elementsinto the brains of mice. This genetic material gets incorporated into the DNA of the mouses brain cells, or neurons. The foreign gene makes the neurons heat sensitive. Next, they injected magnetic nanoparticlesinto a specific region of the mouse brain that latch onto the neurons in that region. They then applied alternating magnetic fields, which cause the nanoparticles to heat up a couple of degrees. The rise in temperature triggers the heat-sensitive neurons to open ion channels. Positively-charged ions flow into the neuron, causing it to fire.

Pralle demonstrated proof of the concept in 2010, and others, such as Polina Anikeeva, a professor of materials science and engineering at MIT, have since improved upon it. Those studies confirmed that the technique could indeed activate neurons in the rodent brain.

In the new study, Pralle and his team show how magneto-thermal genetics can manipulate behavior in mice that are awake and freely moving. In their experiments, they activated regions of the brain that made the mice run faster around the perimeter of their cages, spin in circles, and, eerily, freeze the motion of all four paws.

Those same behaviors have been induced in rodents by activating neurons using other brain hacking tools, including optogenetics (in which neurons are genetically sensitized to respond to light), and chemogenetics (in which neurons are genetically sensitized to respond to designer drugs).

Those three toolsmagneto-thermal genetics, optogenetics, and chemogeneticsare new and purely experimental. A fourth toolelectrical stimulationhas been around for decades, with some success in treating Parkinsons, depression, memory loss, paralysis, and epilepsy in humans.

None of the tools has made a dent, relatively speaking, in the range of functions that the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves control. Its like owning four different musical instruments and knowing how to play onlya few rudimentary toddler songs on each of them. That untapped potential has inspired scientists to continue to test and develop the tools.

That means overcomingthe shortcomings of each tool. Electrical stimulation of deep brain regions requires, at least for now, an invasive surgical procedure to implant electrodes. That limits the number of patients willing to undergo the surgery. The method is also limited in how specifically it can target small brain regions or cell types.

Optogenetic techniques can target specific neurons, but animals in these experiments usually have to be tethered to an optical fiber or other kind of implant that delivers the light, which can affect their behavior. Study animals undergoing chemogenetic modulation can run free, but their response to the drugs is much slower than to light or electrical stimulation.

Magneto-thermal genetic toolsare non-invasive, tetherless, and induce a response within seconds of turning on the magnetic fields. But theres controversy over how the tool works.

Pralles team has shown that the magnetic nanoparticles injected into the mouse brains latch onto the membranes of the neurons, thus restricting the heating to those membranes rather than diffusing out to the surrounding liquid. This makes little sense from a physics point of view, and contradicts basic principles of heat transfer, saysMarkus Meister, a bioengineer at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Meister has also argued that previous experiments in magnetogeneticsa sister tool to magneto-thermal geneticsthat involves a different mechanismcontradict the laws of physics.He laid out his back-of-the-envelope calculations last year ina paper ineLife, whichgarnered a lot of attentionin the field of neuromodulation.

However, Pralles main claim, that he successfully used magnetic heating to control animal behavior, looks well supported, Meister says. Bottom line, the reported effects on behavior look real, but just what the mechanism is behind them remains to be understood.

Pralle says his work clearly demonstrates and measures local heating at the cell membrane, showing that it does indeed occur. Why thats happening, however, is unclear, he says.We cannot completely explain why the increase in heat stays within a few tenths or hundredths of nanometers of the neuronal membrane, Pralle says. The heat should diffuse more quickly into the [surrounding] water solution, so it shouldnt have much of a local heating effect.

Several theorists and experimentalists, including Anikeeva, have formulated and are testingmodels to explain the phenomenon. Similar effects have been seen, measured and correctly predicted for laser heating of gold nanoparticles in water, Pralle says.

Anikeeva says she sees nocontroversy in Pralles latest work. Meisters argument is based on a model that isnot applicable to nanoscale heat transport, she says.

Next, Pralle plans to develop, in collaboration with Anikeeva,a magneto-thermal genetics tool that can modulate multiple areas of the brain simultaneously, allowing the researchers to more fully control behavior, or multiple behaviors at one time. If we dream about it we can overcome the technical hurdles, Pralle says.

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Magnetothermal Genetics: A Fourth Tool in the Brain-Hacking Toolbox - IEEE Spectrum

Illustration by cristina span/for the boston globe

The Greeks asked their oracles to predict future fortunes and future losses. The Romans studied the entrails of sacrificed animals for similar reasons. In modern-day medicine, though, soothsayers come in the form of genetic tests.

Ever since the human genome was sequenced almost 15 years ago, tens of thousands of genetic tests have flooded the marketplace. By analyzing someones DNA, often through a blood sample or cheek swab, these tests promise to foretell whether a patient is prone to certain cancers, blessed with the potential to become a star soccer player, or at an elevated risk of having an opioid addiction.

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These types of genetic tests are finding an eager audience. The North American genetic testing market, already the largest in the world, was worth $11.9 billion in 2016, by one estimate, and is expected to grow at more than 15 percent a year for the foreseeable future. Companies such as LabCorp, which offer genetic tests via doctor recommendations, and the healthcare giant Roche have moved aggressively into the field. The company 23andMe, a household name because of its ancestry tests, sells health-related tests directly to consumers.

But for a source of medical information to be legally sold in the United States, just how accurate does it need to be?

Like a prediction from a crystal ball, genetic test results are sometimes wrong. Some tests that predict the likelihood a young pregnant woman will have a child with a genetic condition such as Down syndrome may only be correct only 60 percent of the time. Most genetic tests, and many other lab tests, go unvetted by the Food and Drug Administration. That means these tests may not undergo any independent review to make sure they accurately pick up the disease or genetic conditions they claim to be seeking.

Using the worlds first portable DNA lab to sequence beer is a cool thing to do.

The FDA has been wrestling for years with whether and how to do more. During the Obama administration, the agency proposed a new set of draft limits on a whole class of tests, and then put them on hold immediately after Donald Trumps election. This spring, the FDA gave 23andMe permission to market genetic screenings for susceptibility to Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and other conditions. It was the first time the agency blessed direct-to-consumer tests for genetic health risks.

While the debate over genetic testing often follows a pattern familiar from countless other industries business groups want less regulation, and consumer advocates favor more it also raises more cosmic questions: Is a medical test just a piece of information? Or is it something more, if its result leads to dramatic or irreversible action such as chemotherapy or an abortion? And if a data point is factually suspect, or ripe for misinterpretation, when and how should it be offered to consumers?

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Especially if regulators stand aside, Americans may soon be swimming in even more tests that vary greatly in their reliability. Yet for some people contemplating a current ailment or their future well-being, getting an answer even an unreliable one may be better than no answer at all.

Especially for people expecting a baby, genetic tests can be hard to resist. I think we all are wanting to know our child doesnt have something... we want them to be healthy, said Mischa Livingstone, a filmmaker and professor who lives in California. Without asking for it, his pregnant wife, Jessica, was given a genetic test that predicted a 99 percent chance their child would have Turner syndrome, a genetic condition that can lead to short stature, heart defects, and other symptoms. But genetic tests for Turner are more often wrong than right a fact the couple didnt know at the time.

They were devastated, and immediately went for more invasive testing, which showed the fetus was fine. But their sense of dread didnt lift until their daughter, now 2 1/2, was born perfectly healthy.

Despite the heartache a faulty genetic test result caused, Livingstone says hed consider asking for one again. I think it feeds into that need for certainty, he said.

Both individuals and society as a whole are intolerant of the unknown, medical sociologists say.

Long before genetic screenings, there was a critical relationship between lab tests and medical treatment. Doctors often wont prescribe drugs or treatment without a positive test result. Insurance payments are rarely processed without diagnostic codes. The rise of genetic testing wont change, and may even amplify, that dynamic.

While some diagnoses may still carry social stigma think schizophrenia, for example they more often may confer legitimacy. Having a gene for alcoholism, for example, can make people view the problem as biological, as opposed to a character flaw. For patients, genetic tests promote a therapeutic optimism a hope that they can be treated and cured for an immediate problem or a future one, according to Michael Bury, professor emeritus at Royal Holloway, University of London, who studies society and illness.

A test alone can feel like a step forward. Undergoing a screening, said Natalie Armstrong, professor of healthcare improvement research at the University of Leicester, can make people feel that at least they are doing something proactive.

Interestingly, one study indicated that certain direct-to-consumer genetic tests dont affect users behavior or anxiety levels, bolstering the argument that people may use the information as data points, not a surefire prediction of their own fate.

Many bioethicists are unpersuaded. On an individual basis, it is tempting to discount the pitfalls of a little extra information, says Beth Peshkin, an oncology professor and genetic counselor at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C. But on a population level the implications of inaccurate results can be costly and, sometimes, deadly.

One of the most cited examples of this harm is from a 2008 genetic test for ovarian cancer that misdiagnosed women, some of whom had their ovaries removed unnecessarily before the test was pulled from the market. Because test makers do not have to report when a test turns out to be wrong in fact many people may never know when a test result is a false positive or negative FDA officials have said it has been almost impossible to assess the overall harm from all unregulated tests.

Cost is another concern that may arise from the overuse of genetic tests that proliferate without meaningful oversight. Tests often beget more tests that cost an ever-escalating amount of money. Enough testing, will invariably pick up something abnormal in a patient, even though it may not harm them, some experts believe.

In some ways its easy for us to try and find something definitive and act on that even though it has nothing to do with what is wrong with the patient, said H. Gilbert Welch, a cancer research at Dartmouth College who has written extensively on the dangers of overtesting. Genetics is an amazing tool... but to what extent does that data predict something that you care about? Is it useful knowledge?

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The American Clinical Laboratory Association, the key trade group for genetic test makers, and other advocates of lighter regulation argue that bad tests are rare, and that its more important for the free market to allow innovation. With more tests in place to identify disease, cures come next, they say.

So far, the public has shown little concern about the fallout of genetic testing. While a 2016 poll showed only 6 percent of American adults have undergone genetic testing, 56 percent of them said they would want to if it could predict cancer or a disease like Alzheimers. Most Americans, the poll found, believe genetic tests for predicting disease are mostly accurate and reliable.

Safety advocates best chance to tighten regulation may have already passed. The world of genetic testing becomes more free-wheeling and consumer-driven all the time. By one industry estimate, 10 new genetic testing products enter the market each day. Despite considerable skepticism from medical experts, new apps purport to use data from gene sequencing to develop personalized diet plans and fitness routines.

The FDAs now-shelved rules would have classified genetic and other tests according to how much harm they could cause if their result was wrong. For example, a new genetic test for colon cancer, which requires intrusive and costly treatment, likely would have been subject to full FDA review; the maker of a test that predicts mere baldness might only have had to register it with the agency and report any known problems with it. Under the Trump administration, the agency appears less likely to draw such distinctions or impose new restrictions at all.

People want answers soon, and their inclination is to believe what appears to be solid, unassailable medicine, said Robert Klitzman, a Columbia University bioethicist. Individuals will need to evaluate these tests carefully. The notion of being able to tell your fortune has great lure. But its a little bit of hubris. We still dont know so much.

Genetic testing, still in its infancy, promises a measure of clarity about the future of our bodies. But as genetic science rapidly evolves, that modern-day crystal ball raises vexing new questions and creates its own kind of uncertainty.

Read the original:
Genetics for everyone - The Boston Globe

Sanford Health and Harvard Medical School have collaborated to bring information and education about personal genetics and research to classrooms and communities in Massachusetts and South Dakota.

One such program the two facilities have created is the Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd), which offers workshops that bring awareness and create community understanding about development in genetics and how they affect health.

Lindsay Kortan, who teaches ninth-grade physical science at Yankton High School (YHS), jumped at the chance to learn more about genetics by attending the pgEd Genetics and Social Justice Summer Institute in Brockton, Massachusetts this summer.

A member of the South Dakota Science Teachers Association, Kortan is also a Sanford ambassador and has done research with the organization for several years. It was through this involvement that she was invited to attend the weeklong pgEd conference.

"The setup was them showing (the attendees) their lesson plans, allowing us to experience what type of content is in the lesson and what kind of discussions/questions we might have in the classroom," she explained. "It covered a wide range of things, everything from the eugenics movement to ethics in genetics testing to personal genetics testing."

As someone who developed a strong interest in genetics through her studies at the University of South Dakota, all of this was right up Kortans alley.

"(Genetics) was one of my favorite topics to teach in a biology classroom," she said.

Prior to coming to YHS, Kortan had taught grades 10-12 science biology, physiology, physics and chemistry in the Bon Homme school district for five years.

She admitted that introducing what she learned at the conference into her current class will be difficult, but plans to spread her newfound information in other ways.

"Ive shared my knowledge with some of the other teachers and offered to help them incorporate it into their classrooms if theyre interested," she said.

She plans to be part of next summers workshop in Sioux Falls, which will be hosted by Sanford PROMISE and pgEd.

"From an education perspective, the pgED information is great for teaching our kids those critical-thinking and difficult life-decision questions they might have to encounter in their lifetime, especially now with the way genetic testing and technology is advancing," she said. "Its getting more prevalent in making decisions, even down to doctors looking at your genetic code to know what drugs they should prescribe to you, or whether the drug will be effective or not. Its important for kids to know that information before they get into those critical situations where they have to make an (important) decision. The process of going through that critical thinking and seeing different viewpoints is always a good thing in the classroom.

"Im currently pregnant, so some of those genetic questions that you get asked because of pregnancy and fertility treatments (that) I received really brought it to a personal level for me."

Follow @ReillyBiel on Twitter.

See more here:
YHS Teacher Attends Genetics Workshop - Yankton Daily Press

Eggs

News Aug 25, 2017481views

Hendrix Genetics has officially opened a new $18.5m hatchery in Nebraska, creating 45 jobs, as it aims to expand its share of the market.

The new layer hatchery has a capacity to produce 24m female chicks per year.

Key contract growers located near the new hatchery will rear and house the birds during production. The company is already working with 8 contract growers in the Grand Island area who have invested in new barns with a capacity of 40,000 birds per barn.

The Grand Island contract growers will complete the new national production hub for Hendrix Genetics in the US, enabling the firm to meet another 10% of the total US layer market needs.

Ron Joerissen, Hendrix Genetics production director layers, said: The new hatchery signifies a major step in supplying the US layer market with top quality laying hens. We are dedicated to breed for the egg producing industry of today and tomorrow.

Nebraskas Governor Pete Ricketts described the plant as a great example of value-added agriculture.

It is not only a $20m investment here that will create between 40 to 50 jobs but it is going to allow area farmers to put up these barns for the eggs that will supply this hatchery and a diversified revenue stream for those farmers who are participating, he said.

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Hendrix Genetics expand layer distribution in the US - Poultry World (subscription)

Signal Genetics (NASDAQ: MGEN) and BioTelemetry (NASDAQ:BEAT) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Signal Genetics and BioTelemetrys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Signal Genetics and BioTelemetrys top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

BioTelemetry has higher revenue and earnings than Signal Genetics.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

16.5% of Signal Genetics shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 76.7% of BioTelemetry shares are owned by institutional investors. 44.4% of Signal Genetics shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 9.6% of BioTelemetry shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility & Risk

Signal Genetics has a beta of 1.91, meaning that its share price is 91% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, BioTelemetry has a beta of 0.76, meaning that its share price is 24% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Signal Genetics and BioTelemetry, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Signal Genetics currently has a consensus price target of $23.00, suggesting a potential upside of 179.81%. BioTelemetry has a consensus price target of $45.75, suggesting a potential upside of 28.87%. Given Signal Genetics higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Signal Genetics is more favorable than BioTelemetry.

Summary

BioTelemetry beats Signal Genetics on 7 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Signal Genetics

Signal Genetics, Inc. is a commercial stage, molecular genetic diagnostic company. The Company is focused on providing diagnostic services that help physicians to make decisions concerning the care of cancer patients. The Companys diagnostic service is the Myeloma Prognostic Risk Signature (MyPRS) test. The MyPRS test is a microarray-based gene expression profile (GEP), assay that measures the expression level of specific genes and groups of genes that are designed to predict an individuals long-term clinical outcome/prognosis, giving a basis for personalized treatment options. The Companys MyPRS test provides a whole-genomic expression profile of a patients multiple myeloma (MM). The Company offers MyPRS test in its laboratory located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Company is licensed to sell its test in all 50 states.

About BioTelemetry

BioTelemetry, Inc. (BioTelemetry), formerly CardioNet, Inc., provides cardiac monitoring services, cardiac monitoring device manufacturing, and centralized cardiac core laboratory services. The Company operates in three segments: patient services, product and research services. The patient services business segments principal focus is on the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiac arrhythmias or heart rhythm disorders, through its core Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry(MCOT), event and Holter services in a healthcare setting. The product business segment focuses on the development, manufacturing, testing and marketing of medical devices to medical companies, clinics and hospitals. The Companys research services focuses on providing cardiac safety monitoring services for drug and medical treatment trials in a research environment. In August 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of Cardiocore Lab, Inc. (Cardiocore).

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Head to Head Survey: Signal Genetics (MGEN) & BioTelemetry (BEAT) - TrueBlueTribune

Chiesi's Holoclar, the first stem-cell therapy to be cleared by European regulators, has received a green light for use on the NHS in England and Wales to treat a rare sight condition.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has now published final guidelines backing Holoclar as an option to treat adults with moderate to severe limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) after eye burns.

However, the guidelines state the therapy can only be used to treat one eye and in those who have already had a conjunctival limbal autograft, or there is not enough tissue for a conjunctival limbal autograft or it is contraindicated.

Holoclar is now also recommended in adults with moderate to severe LSCD after eye burns for treating both eyes only in the context of research, and when there is not enough tissue for a conjunctival limbal autograft.

LSCD is a seriously debilitating condition affecting one or both eyes, most commonly from chemical or physical ocular burns. If left untreated, it can cause chronic pain, burning, photophobia, inflammation, corneal neovascularisation, stromal scarring and the reduction or complete loss of vision.

Holoclar uses a patients own stem cells to regenerate and repair damaged eye tissue and is the first advanced therapy medicinal product containing stem cells as the active substance to win approval in Europe, back in 2015. It also won the UK Prix Galien Orphan Product award for innovation and research in 2016.

Chiesi says it is extremely pleased with NICEs decision, which will reduce the need for external donors and damage to the donor eye.

We are delighted that NICE has recommended that eligible patients have access to this personalised and regenerative medicine for a rare and seriously debilitating orphan condition, said Chiesi's UK managing director Tom Delahoyde.

Read more:
Europe's first stem cell therapy backed by NICE - PharmaTimes - PharmaTimes

An English bulldog undergoes surgery for spina bifida at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. The dog is part of a pair of puppies being treated for spina bifida through a combination of stem cell therapy and surgery, research made possible through collaboration between the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and UC Davis Health. Credit: Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis

A pair of English bulldog puppies are the first patients to be successfully treated with a unique therapya combination of surgery and stem cellsdeveloped at the University of California, Davis, to help preserve lower-limb function in children with spina bifida.

Because dogs with the birth defect frequently have little control of their hindquarters, they also have little hope for a future. They are typically euthanized as puppies.

At their postsurgery re-check at 4 months old, however, the siblings, named Darla and Spanky, showed off their abilities to walk, run and play to their doctor, veterinary neurosurgeon Beverly Sturges.

"The initial results of the surgery are promising, as far as hind limb control," said Sturges. "Both dogs seemed to have improved range of motion and control of their limbs."

The dogs have since been adopted, and continue to do well at their home in New Mexico.

A major step toward curing spina bifida

Spina bifida occurs when spinal tissue improperly fuses in utero, causing a range of cognitive, mobility, urinary and bowel disabilities in about 1,500 to 2,000 children born in the U.S. each year. The dogs' procedure, which involved surgical techniques developed by fetal surgeon Diana Farmer of UC Davis Health together with a cellular treatment developed by stem cell scientists Aijun Wang and Dori Borjesson, director of the university's Veterinary Institute for Regenerative Cures, represents a major step toward curing spina bifida for both humans and dogs.

Farmer pioneered the use of surgery prior to birth to improve brain development in children with spina bifida. She later showed that prenatal surgery combined with human placenta-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (PMSCs), held in place with a cellular scaffold, helped research lambs born with the disorder walk without noticeable disability.

Sturges wanted to find out if the surgery-plus-stem-cell approach could give dogs closer-to-normal lives along with better chances of survival and adoption. At 10-weeks old, Darla and Spanky were transported from Southern California Bulldog Rescue to the UC Davis veterinary hospital, where they were the first dogs to receive the treatment, this time using canine instead of human PMSCs.

Another distinction for Darla and Spanky is that their treatment occurred after birth, since prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida is not performed on dogs, Sturges explained. The disorder becomes apparent between 1 and 2 weeks of age, when puppies show hind-end weakness, poor muscle tone, incoordination and abnormal use of their tails.

A unique environment for collaborative research

UC Davis is the only place where this type of cross-disciplinary, transformational medicine could happen, according to Farmer.

"It's rare to have a combination of excellent medical and veterinary schools and strong commitment to advancing stem cell science at one institution," she said.

UC Davis is also home to the One Health initiative aimed at finding novel treatments like these for diseases that affect both humans and animals.

"I've often said that I have the greatest job on the planet, because I get to help kids," Farmer said. "Now my job is even better, because I get to help puppies too."

Hopes for clinical trials in humans and dogs

With additional evaluation and U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, Farmer and Wang hope to test the therapy in human clinical trials. Sturges and Borjesson hope to do the same with a canine clinical trial. They hope the outcomes of their work help eradicate spina bifida in dogs and humans.

In the meantime, the team wants dog breeders to send more puppies with spina bifida to UC Davis for treatment and refinements that help the researchers fix an additional hallmark of spina bifidaincontinence. While Darla and Spanky are very mobile and doing well on their feet, they still require diapers.

"Further analysis of their progress will determine if the surgery improves their incontinence conditions," Sturges said.

Explore further: Prenatal stem cell treatment improves mobility issues caused by spina bifida

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Stem cell treatment for children with spina bifida helps dogs first - Phys.Org

Hope is surely on the way for children with special needs as Alok Sharma, a world renowned neurosurgeon, Neuroscientist and professor, a director of NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute India visited Nigeria recently to shed light on the efficacy of stem cells in treating children with special needs.With over 5000 patients treated from 50 countries, 68 scientific papers and 14 published books, and an overall 91% success rate, Alok was determined to enlighten participants who attended the one day seminar on stem cell awareness and its importance.According to Asok, We are the pioneers of introduction to Stem Cell Therapy for neurological disorders. We make use of holistic, comprehensive approach to treat our patients with a combination of stem cell therapy and neuro-rehabilitation. We use adult stem cells derived from the patients own bone marrow, as they are the safest and most feasible type of cells. Since every patient is different, our treatment protocol is customised according to the patients requirements.We now have a treatment that is very effective and a large number of people can benefit from this. The old thinking was that when the central nervous system is damaged then it is beyond repairs but the new thinking is that some degree of repair is possible. Stem cells have three capabilities. They repair, regenerate or replaced. It took us between seven to eight years to prove that stem cells can convert to nerve cells and when we became very sure, we went on to use on humans and the results have been outstanding He said.Asked who can be treated with the stem cell procedure and Asok says for paediatric, we treat children with autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and muscular dystrophy. For adults, we treat spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury/head injury, motor neuro disease/amyotrophic lateral scierosis and other neurological disorders.Asok explains that there are many types of stem cells used, but broadly they can be classified into 3 types:-Embryonic stem cells: Embryonic stem cells, as their name suggests, are derived from 3-4 day embryos. These are obtained from spare embryos from IVF clinics with the consent of the donor. During this early developmental period, the cells that will ultimately give rise to the developing fetus can be encouraged to develop into tissues of different origins (totipotency) contributing greatly to stem cell therapy. However, there are many ethical and medical issues regarding its use. These are therefore, not being used presently.Umbilical cord stem cells: These cells are derived from the umbilical cord which connects the baby and the mother at birth. Stem cells derived from the umbilical cord are stored by various cord blood banking companies. These stem cells do not have any major ethical issues surrounding their usage, but availability can be a problem.Adult stem cells: They can be derived from the same patient, from either the hip bone or the adipose/fat tissue. Currently, they are the most popularly used stem cells. The benefits that adult stem cells offer are:1, They are available in abundance and can be isolated easily.2, They are isolated from patients, which overcomes the problem of immunological rejection.3, Adult stem cells have the potential to replenish many specialized cells from just a few unspecialized ones.4, They do not have any ethical issues as they do not involve destruction of embryos.5, The risk of tumor formation is greatly reduced as compared to the use of embryonic stem cells.There are fears about stem cell therapy but Asok cleared the air when he said this isnt the truth as the one feared is the embryonic stem cells (ESCs) which are stem cells derived from the undifferentiated inner mass cells of a human embryo. ESCs are just one of the types of stem cells but we do not make use of that in our hospital as explained earlier, we use Adult Stem Cells. We do not use the embryotic stem cells because they have the tendency to become tumours in the body. He explained.On how the procedure works, he says a thin needle is inserted into the hip bone to pull the marrow out. The procedure takes between 15 to 30 minutes. The patient is then sent back to the room for about 3 to 4 hours to rest for the next procedureon same day, within the 2 to 4 hours, the stem cells are separated and purified in their stem cell laboratory by using density gradient centrifugation. Once the stem cells have been purified, the patient is taken back to the operation theatre and the stem cells are injected into the spinal space. In some patients, for instance, patients with muscular dystrophy, the stem cells are diluted and injected into the muscles using a very thin needle.One of the participants at the seminar, Marvis Isokpehi, whose child is autistic, had this to say I am glad I came for this seminar. Initially, we were told anything that has to do with brain damage cannot be cured or improved only managed but we see that God helping the scientist, things are getting better. My child was diagnosed by 2. She walked at 17 months, sat at 8 months and she only babbled. She could use her hands and able to put things in her mouth herself but later, the growth began to drop and along the line, I took up the challenge and went back to school to learn about taking care of her and also to help others. I went to Federal College of Education (special) Oyo and specialised in Education for the intellectually disabled. Said Marvis.For Akhere Akran, the Manager of Agatha Obiageli Aghedo Memorial Foundation and participant, one of the arms of our foundation aimed at helping to lessen the burden of the less privileged in the community is the St Agatha Children Centre, where we advocate for children with special needs. I am glad I will be going back to let the parents of these children know there is hope and I am trusting God for funds because that is truly the core of everything. I appeal to the government to fund this and encourage private organisations to help reduce the cost of this treatment to the barest minimum. Its high time we stop stigmatisation or thinking its a result of the mothers past life of the fathers mistakes. It is a medical situation that needs medical attention. Akran expressed.Andelene Thysse is a director at Stem Cell Africa and she helped facilitate the seminar and for her, it is high time Nigeria gets involved We are currently looking at establishing a stem centre at Mozambique. I would have loved that we establish in Nigeria because Nigeria is closer to everything but since we arent getting the audience required, we are going to other African countries interested. Going to NeuroGen Institute for treatment per patient costs about $11,000 imagine if Nigeria has the facility, the price can slash down to $6,000 or even below Andelene stated.Shedding more light on costing, Asok says If we are to set up such a facility in an existing hospital, the cost of setting it up is $US500, 000 and I am assuming all facilities are functioning already. If we have to set up as a whole which includes getting land and building, it will be more expensive. This may sound expensive but it is worth it because it will save you the stress for the future. More important than the money is the permission from the government of the country. The government has to give us the permission because it is what is happening in other African countries. We have had good response and cooperation from government in Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe. We have quite a number of Nigerians who come to us in India for this treatment. We treat 50 patients from around the world per week about 5-10 are from Africa and Nigeria is among this percentage.

Kemi Ajumobi

Read more:
Stem cell therapy: proffering hope for special needs patients ... - BusinessDay (satire) (press release) (registration) (blog)

Chiesi made history two years ago when it claimed the first approval in Europe for a stem cell therapy, and can now celebrate decision by NICE to recommend its product for routine use in England and Wales.

The therapy - called Holoclar - was approved in 2015 for adults with moderate to severe limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) caused by physical or chemical burns to the eyes. LSCD is a rare condition that can lead to blindness, and affects just 3.3 out of 100,000 people in the EU.

Corneal cell renewal and repair are dependent upon the cells present in the limbus, which is found in a small area of the eye between the cornea and the conjunctiva. Burns to the eye can destroy the limbus, causing a deficiency of limbal cells. If this happens, the cornea is covered by a different epithelium following an invasion of cells from the conjunctiva. This process renders the cornea opaque and results in subsequent loss of vision, and conventional corneal transplant is ineffective in these cases.

Holoclar takes the form of a sheet of corneal epithelial cells, containing the patient's own stem cells, that can be used to regenerate and repair damaged eye tissue.

The therapy has been approved with some conditions by NICE. Specifically, it can generally only be used to treat one eye, and to be eligible patients must have previously had treatment with a conjunctival limbal autograft (CLAU) - a form of transplant surgery that involves taking tissue from an unaffected eye - or be unsuitable for that procedure.

Patients with two eyes affected by LSCD can only receive the therapy in the context of research if there is not enough tissue available for a CLAU, according to NICE, which said its appraisal committee had agreed that Chiesi had presented evidence to show that Holoclar "offered several advantages over existing treatments".

Chiesi has agreed to supply Holoclar to the NHS at an undisclosed discount to its list price of 80,000 plus VAT for a single treatment for one eye. The company said the decision will reduce the need for external donors and damage to the donor eye.

"We are delighted that NICE has recommended that eligible patients have access to this personalised and regenerative medicine for a rare and seriously debilitating orphan condition," commented Chiesi's UK managing director Tom Delahoyde.

Holoclar - which won the UK Prix Galien award in 2016 - is the first product from Chiesi's nine-year-old rare disease unit to reach the market, although it could shortly be joined by Lamazym/Lamzede (velmanase alfa), used as an enzyme replacement therapy for the genetic disorder alpha-mannosidosis which is currently under review in Europe.

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NICE backs Europe's first stem cell therapy - PMLiVE

University of North Carolina Health Careresearchers have made strides toward a stem cell treatment for lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis, COPD, and cystic fibrosis.

In fact, they are discussing the start of clinical trials with regulatory authorities.

The team discussed its work in two recent studies. One provedthat it is possible to isolate lung stem cells with a relatively non-invasive procedure. The other showed that stem cells reduce fibrosis in rats with pulmonary fibrosis.

The first study, in the journal Respiratory Research, was titledDerivation of therapeutic lung spheroid cells from minimally invasive transbronchial pulmonary biopsies.The second, inStem Cells Translational Medicine, was Safety and Efficacy of Allogeneic Lung Spheroid Cells in a Mismatched Rat Model of Pulmonary Fibrosis.

This is the first time anyone has generated potentially therapeutic lung stem cells from minimally invasive biopsy specimens, Dr. Jason Lobo, director of the universitys lung transplant and interstitial lung disease program,said in a press release. Hewas co-senior author of both studies.

We think the properties of these cells make them potentially therapeutic for a wide range of lung fibrosis diseases, added Dr. Ke Cheng, who led the studies with Lobo. He is anassociate professor in North Carolina State Universitys Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences.

The research team had previously homed in on stem and support cells they could isolate from a lung tissue sample and grow in a lab. The tissue formed sphere-like structures in a lab dish, prompting the scientists to call them lung spheroid cells.

In 2015, the team showed that these cells had potent regenerative properties in animals with lung diseases. In fact, the stem cells they cultivated outperformed another type called mesenchymal stem cells.

Their latest project involved gathering lung spheroid cells from patients with various lung diseases. They used a procedure calleda transbronchial biopsy thatcan be done in a doctors office.

We snip tiny, seed-sized samples of airway tissue using a bronchoscope, Lobo said. This method involves far less risk to the patient than does a standard, chest-penetrating surgical biopsy of lung tissue.

From this tiny piece of airway, researchers gathered stem cells, then allowed them to multiply because stem cell treatments require infusions of millions of such cells.

When they injected the cells intravenously into mice, the discovered that most found their way into the animals lungs.

These cells are from the lung, and so in a sense theyre happiest, so to speak, living and working in the lung, Cheng said.

The team then tested the treatment in rats exposed to a chemical that triggers lung fibrosis. The lung spheroid cells gave rise to healthy lung cells, reducing both inflammation and fibrosis in the animals lungs.

Also, the treatment was safe and effective whether the lung spheroid cells were derived from the recipients own lungs or from the lungs of an unrelated strain of rats, Lobo said. In other words, even if the donated stem cells were foreign, they did not provoke a harmful immune reaction in the recipient animals, as transplanted tissue normally does.

The researchers said that in humans their goal would be to use patients own stem cells to minimize the risk of immune reactions. But because large quantities of cells are needed, it might be necessary to gather cells from healthy volunteers or organ donation networks as well.

Our vision is that we will eventually set up a universal cell donor bank, Cheng said.

The team is in discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration aimed at starting the first human study by years end. The first trial would include a small group of pulmonary fibrosis patients. The team also hopes their spheroid stem cell therapy will help patients with other lung diseases.

Read the original:
Trial of Lung Disease Stem Cell Therapy Could Come by Year's End - Lung Disease News

Recently Dr Pradeep V Mahajan was honoured with Paris Appreciation Awards, 2017 for Excellence in stem cell therapy. He is the Chairman and Managing Director of StemRx Bioscience Solutions Pvt Ltd. In an interview with ETHealthworld, Dr Mahajan talks about the latest advancements in stem cell therapy and where it stands in healthcare system today. Edited excerpts :

How well informed are the doctors today about the cellular therapy? Is it time consuming? Where does cellular therapy stand in the Indian Healthcare system today?

For more than four decades, medical fraternity has knowledge about stem cell science and its potential therapeutic applications. However, earlier, clinicians were commonly aware of hematopoietic stem cell therapy, but were relatively uninformed about the advantages of mesenchymal stem cells. This could be attributed to the medical course syllabus which initially did not include topics specifically on cellular therapy.

Despite the technological advances that medical science is witnessing, it is not possible at present to predict the exact time when cellular therapy and regenerative medicine will replace existing forms of pharmacological and surgical treatments. Nonetheless, there is increasing awareness amongst clinicians who now more receptive to and are advising cell based therapy as an effective therapeutic modality for treatment of diseases.

Which are the diseases that can be treated through cellular therapy? What are the latest advancements?

Cellular therapy and regenerative medicine focuses on eliminating the root cause of the problem by use of cells (cytokines, chemokines etc.), growth factors from ones own body. Orthopedic conditions such as avascular necrosis, osteoarthritis, autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke etc., as well as diabetes, liver, genitourinary disorders, dermatological conditions and many more can achieve benefits from cellular therapy. This form of therapy can be further explored in management of organ failure, to overcome rejection following organ transplants, developmental defects, cancer immunotherapy etc.

Research advances pertaining to introducing products with cell and scaffold based technology through tissue engineering are underway. Bioactive scaffolds that are capable of supporting activation and differentiation of host stem cells at the required site are being developed. In the future it will be possible to use human native sites as micro-niche/micro-environment for potentiation of the human body's site-specific response.

Technologically, advances have been made over the years in both diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Molecular imaging technology (optical imaging, positron emission tomography etc.) has simplified research on disease mechanism and treatment evaluation related to cell based therapy. Several new technologies are being introduced that simplify the process of isolation and characterization of cells. One such example is the Prodigy technology which completely automates the procedure of cell manufacturing from start to finish, thus enabling standardization and GMP compliance. In addition, detection and identification of specific cell populations is now possible through gene labeling techniques. Similarly, advances in microscopy have enabled study of cell behavior with respect to their surroundings.

What is the scope of cellular therapy in the country?

India is a nation with increasing population demands. Our country is seeing an alarmingly rapid rise in occurrence of diseases and conventional treatment modalities are gradually losing potential to cure affected individuals. Being a developing economy, the application and opportunity of cellular therapy and regenerative medicine is different when compared to other countries. A number game exists between diseases (such as cancer, lifestyle related, autoimmune conditions etc.) and finances in our country. The aim of cellular therapy is to enable a diseased person to use his own body cells for treatment thereby addressing the issue of extreme financial burden as seen with conventional treatment modalities. This will drastically benefit our patients and country and will also propagate India towards becoming the leader in cellular therapy and regenerative medicine.

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Cell based therapy is gaining momentum : Dr Pradeep V Mahajan - ETHealthworld.com

According to data released by the Food and Waterborne Diseases Office of the Health Ministry, an average of 15% of hospital patients suffer from nosocomial infections.A nosocomial infection is an infection acquired in hospital by a patient who was admitted for a reason other than the infection.The severity of hospital-acquired infections depends on the location and type of infection, said Abbasali Imani Fouladi, the scientific secretary of the 18th International Congress of Microbiology, which will be held on Aug. 29-31 at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, ISNA reported. The use of stem cells and their significant role in treatment of the infectionsin particular, antibiotic-resistant infectionsis a key topic that will be discussed by domestic and foreign specialists at the conference.Sometimes ulcers which are resistant to conventional treatment, respond positively and swiftly to stem cell treatments, he explained, adding that officials from Council for Stem Cell Sciences and Technologies (affiliated to Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology) have been invited to the event that will be attended by scientists from Spain, Italy, UK, and France. Four workshops will be held on the sidelines of the meeting.Stating that with resistance to antibiotics becoming more common, there is greater need for alternative treatments, he said, Currently there are 12 strains of bacteria in need of new antibiotics or alternative treatments.The event is co-sponsored by the Health Ministry, TUMS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, and Ilam University of Medical Sciences, according to the congress website (ismcongress.ir).Nosocomial infections occur worldwide and affect both developed and resource-poor countries. Healthcare-associated infections are among the major causes of death and increased morbidity among hospitalized patients. They are a significant burden both for the patient and public health.According to the World Health Organization, HAIs add to functional disability and emotional stress of the patient and may in some cases, lead to disabling conditions that reduce the quality of life. Nosocomial infections are also one of the leading causes of death. The economic costs are considerable. The increased length of hospital stay for infected patients is the greatest contributor to cost.While the prevalence rate of HAIs is 30% in lower-income countries, the average rate is around 6-11% in developed countries, according to Dr. Hossein Masumi-Asl, head of the Food and Waterborne Diseases Office.The most frequent nosocomial infections are infections of surgical wounds, urinary tract infections and lower respiratory tract infections, he said. According to the official, the highest prevalence of nosocomial infections occurs in intensive care units and in acute surgical and orthopedic wards. Infection rates are higher among patients with increased susceptibility because of old age, underlying disease, or chemotherapy.

The rest is here:
Stem Cell Therapy for Infections by Resilient Bacteria - Financial Tribune

Veterinary Conference

Conference Series world leader of scientific events organizing 8th International Conference on Animal Health and Veterinary Medicine during October 20-21, 2017 which is going to be held in beautiful city Toronto, Canada. It successfully completed its first animal and veterinary conference Animal and dairy science conference in the year 2013 in the USA, the second one in India Animal Science 2014 which is a huge success. With the tremendous response from veterinary and animal sciences fields in 2015, it organized two conferences one in India and another one in the UK which also became a huge success. Previous year i.e., in 2016 it had organized animal health, veterinary summit, and veterinary congress in Spain, USA, and UK. With the continuous success and support of our wonderful stakeholders this year we are organizing world class Animal Health 2017 event in the best travel destination Canada.

Save the Dates of Future Veterinary Conference, Animal Health 2018: With the valuable support of Organizing Committee Members, Veterinary Journal Editorial Members11th International Conference on Animal Health & Veterinary Medicine (Animal Health 2018) is planned to be held in the beautiful City Chicago, Illinois, USA during September 24-25, 2018.

With this good reputation and five years of authenticity in the veterinary academic conferences, we are welcoming all those interested people to attend this esteemed conference, to learn from, to network with great leaders in veterinary and animal sciences area. Animal Health 2017 program offers wonderful and thought provoking sessions, continuing education, veterinary CE, for the continuous development and better scientific expansion in veterinary fields.

8th International Conference on Animal Health and Veterinary Medicine focused on learning about Animal Health/ Veterinary Medicine and its advances; this is your best opportunity to reach best veterinarians, veterinary technicians and the largest assemblage of participants from the Veterinary Community. Our Veterinary Conference planned keeping in mind with best scientific sessions, exhibitions, poster presentations, oral presentations, workshops, symposiums, luncheons, and great keynotes.

World renowned speakers, the most recent techniques, developments and the newest updates in Animal Health, and Veterinary are hallmarks of our conference.

For our 8th International Veterinary Conference with One Health, One Society theme we are inviting professionals, enthusiasts from the fields of Medical, Environmental along with Veterinary and Animal Health fields to contribute towards the better society.

Who Can Attend the Conference?

Reasons to Attend Animal Health 2017:

Previous Year Veterinary Conference Statistics:

What People are Saying About our Annual Veterinary Meeting:

This is the best event and highly useful for Veterinary Anatomy people.

-Imre Olh, Semmelweis University

Great event with best speeches combined.

-Secretary, Vetmasi

Veterinary Congress shed light on all the fields of Veterinary Sciences and useful for the

professional development.

-Stewart Daniel, WHO

Animal Health 2016 - Well organized and Well moderated Event.

-Veterinary Policy Officer, FVE

Best event on Animal Health, Animal Welfare and Veterinary.

-President, EAEVE

This year we are anticipating 400+ participants from across various fields of veterinary related subjects like Agriculture, Aquaculture, Food Science, Business, Biological Sciences, Computer Science, Environmental Sciences, Health Care, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine. Academicians, Business speakers and delegates from Veterinary Clinics, Hospitals, Universities, Colleges, Schools, Institutions, Companies, Research Laboratories, Societies, Associations, Government and Private Organizations.

With a readership of 3 million and 30 million visitors to our world class Animal Health 2017 Conference website, we assure the highest reachability to your products and profile. Majority of our visitors coming from United States of America (USA), Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Australia, China, India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Austria, Turkey, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, UAE, UK, Russia and Ukraine.

At this wonderful event we welcome you to conduct presentations, present posters, exhibit your products, Lean new things, distribute information, meet with potential scientists, influencers and renowned persons, make networking, attract a great deal of attention with sharing your new research and developments, receive name recognition, travel to world's best tourist locations in Toronto, Canada, and have fun.

We hope you will be interested and take this opportunity to join us in Toronto, Canada during October 20-21, 2017 at our pinnacle event.

The global animal healthcare market is estimated to value around USD 34.5 billion in 2015, was around and expected to reach USD 43.1 billion by 2020 with 5.1 percent compound annual growth rate. It is expected to grow more than USD 58 billion by 2025.Animal Health industry is providing big investment opportunities. Europe and North America together composed more than 63% of the market share. The main growth in animal health market is expected to come from Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa and some East European countries.

Asia-Pacific is one of the highest meat producers in the world, is expected to consume the highest amount of feed additive followed by North America. Western Europe and North America is a potential market for companion animal products both in pharmaceuticals and vaccines. Leadinganimal health companiesare relying largely on companion animals for growth.

As the worlds population is expected to grow to 9.6 billion, food production would have to increase by 70% in order to feed the extra mouths (based on current consumption patterns). Due to the rising demand for meat, milk and egg worldwide, there will be an increasing demand in feed additives segments. The companion animals or pet adoption is increasing and it is the main driving force of the futureanimal health industry. Cats and dogs are adopted mostly by the people for therapeutic and psychological benefits.

The close relationship between people and companion animals not only provides positive health benefitsbut also facilitates the transmission and spread of certain diseases from animals to humans. The increasing prevalence of foodborne andzoonotic diseaseshas raised the care ofanimal farmersand pet owners about thehealth of animals. As the prevention drugs are not available in the market, the recently diagnosed diseases act as the threat for the owners of the animal farm.

The evolution of new diseases offers great opportunities for the animalhealthcareindustry. To find enhanced solutions for the new and prevailing diseases, the animal health companies are increasing their research and development activities.

Best Global Animal Health Companies:

Best Veterinary Medicine Colleges:

Mark dates (October 20, 2017 - October 21, 2017) of our international veterinary conference in your Veterinary Calendar.

Veterinary Conference | Animal Health Conference | Veterinary Medicine Conference | Animal Science Conference | Veterinary Conference 2017

Animals play a vital role in the society.Animal Healthis the inter-link between humans,animals and the surrounding environment. They play the main role in transportation, clothing and Food. Animalsprovide many benefits to humans. While the company, sport or work satisfy important needs in today's society, we should not overlook that the production of food of animal origin has been historically, and remains one of the fundamental pillars on which is based the Food. A Noteworthy economic importance of farming in our society, not to mention the environmental role of some species like honey bees. It is important for pets, zoo animals andfarm animalsto stay healthy. The health of animals defines the healthy and wealthy society.Healthy animalscontribute to the elimination of hunger, to healthy people and to sustainablefood production.

Veterinary medicineis the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals. The scope ofveterinarymedicine is wide, covering all animal species, both domesticated and wild, with a wide range of conditions which can affect different species.Veterinariansprevent the transmission ofanimal diseasesto people and advise the proper care of animals. They ensurefood safetyby maintaining the health of agricultural animals and by inspecting food industries. They also involved in the preservation of wildlife.

One Healthis the integrative effort of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally to attain optimal health for people, animals, and the environment. Together, the three make up the One Health triad, and the health of each is inextricably connected to the others in the triad. Understanding and addressing the health issues created at this intersection is the foundation for the concept of One Health.

Animal welfaremeans how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives. An animal is in a good state of welfare if (as indicated by scientific evidence) it is healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, able to express innate behavior, and if it is not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear, and distress. Good animal welfare requires disease prevention andveterinarytreatment, appropriate shelter, management, nutrition, humane handling and humane slaughter/killing. Animal welfare refers to the state of the animal; the treatment that an animal receives is covered by other terms such as animal care,animal husbandry, andhumane treatment.

Animal testing, also known asanimal experimentation,animal research, andin vivotesting, is the use of non-human animals in experiments that seek to control the variables that affect the behavior or biological system under study. The focus of animal testing varies on a continuum from pure research, done with little regard to the uses to which understanding may be put, to applied research, which may focus on answering some question of great practical importance, such as finding a cure for a disease. Examples of applied research include testing, breeding, defense research, andtoxicology, includingcosmetics testing.

Aveterinary specialistis a veterinarian who has completed additional training in a specific area ofveterinary medicineand has passed an examination that evaluates their knowledge and skills in that specialty area. A veterinary specialist may be consulted when an animals condition requires specialized care above and beyond that which a regularveterinariancan offer. Many veterinary specialists require a referral in order to be seen. After treatment, aveterinaryspecialist may stay in close contact with the referring veterinarian to provide ongoing treatment suggestions and advice.

Veterinary Internal Medicine deals with the diseases of the internal organs of animals. In this session we will discuss the latest developments in the fields including,epidemiology,oncology, cardiology, neurology, nutrition, theriogenology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, pharmacology, hematology, immunology, hepatology, infectious diseases, nephrology, urology and respiratory diseases.

Animal diseasemeans diseases to which animals are liable and whereby the normal functions of any organ or the body of an animal is impaired or disturbed by any protozoon, bacterium, virus, fungus, parasite, other organism or agent.

Animal Biotechnology plays an important role in human and animal health and development. Biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products, or any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use. Animal Biotechnology dates back to domestication of animals, selective breeding (hybridizing) to produce desirable offspring.

Animal Biotechnologyis the use of molecular biology andgenetic engineeringforindustrial, pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. It is used to produce therapeutic proteins, diseases resistant offspring, transgenic animals, clones and organs byxenotransplantation. Applications and benefits include producing antibodies, to understand the relationship between genes and disease, to find and produce disease resistant animals, to increase production of animal products, produced new food and pharmaceutical products, use of animal organs as human transplants - xenotransplantation (ex: human-pig chimeras) and to enhance the ability to detect, treat diseases.

Animal Biotechnology industry values at around USD 6 Billion with the annual growth rate of 1.8%. Major players in Animal Biotechnology are Elanco, Merck Co. Inc. Merial Limited and Zoetis.

Veterinary oncologyis a subspecialty ofveterinary medicinethat deals with cancer diagnosis and treatment in animals.Veterinary canceris a major cause of death in pet animals.

Related Veterinary Conferences:

InternationalVeterinary Emergency&Critical Care SymposiumSeptember 13-17, 2017, Tennessee, USA; PurdueVeterinary ConferenceSeptember 19-23, 2017, Indiana, USA; 42nd WorldSmall Animal Veterinary CongressSeptember 25-28, 2017, Copenhagen, Denmark; American Association ofFeline Practitioners ConferenceOctober 19-22, 2017, Denver, USA; OhioDairy Veterinarians MeetingJanuary 4-6, 2018, Columbus, Ohio, USA; The ExeterVeterinary CongressFebruary 8-9, 2017, Exeter, UK; OregonVeterinary ConferenceMarch 2 - 4, 2018 Corvallis, Oregon, USA;10thInternational Veterinary Congress, August 29-31, 2018 Rome, Italy;North AmericanVeterinary Dermatology ConferenceMay 1-5, 2018, Maui, Hawaii, USA; American College ofVeterinary Internal Medicine ForumJune 13-16, 2018, Seattle, Washington, USA; 9thInternationalSheepVeterinary Congress, May 22-26, 2017, Harrogate, UK;VetHealth GlobalCongressJune, 2017 Charlottetown, PEI, Canada; CVMAAnnualVeterinary ConventionJuly 05-08, 2018, Vancouver, BC, Canada;CFHSAnimal Welfare ConferenceApril 21-24, 2018, Calgary, Canada; NAVCConference2018 - VMX 2018 February 3-7, 2018, Orlando, Florida, USA; MidwestVeterinary Conference, February 22-25, 2018 Columbus,Ohio, USA; PacificVeterinary ConferenceJune 28- July 01, 2018, San Francisco California, USA; 90thWesternVeterinaryConferenceMarch 4-8, 2018 | Mandalay Bay Convention Center | Las Vegas, NV,USA; Wild WestVeterinary ConferenceOctober 11-15, 2017, Nevada, USA; 26thInternationalConference on Veterinary ParasitologySeptember 04-08, 2017, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 33rdWorldVeterinary CongressAugust 27-31, 2017, Incheon, South Korea.

Veterinary ConferenceAbstracts Deadline: August31, 2017

Veterinary Conference Registration Deadline: August 25, 2017

On spot registration: October 20, 2017

Animal Health 2016

Conference Series LLCsuccessfully hosted the5thAnimal Health and Veterinary Medicine CongressduringSeptember 26-27, 2016, atHotel Melia Valencia, Valencia, Spain. The conference focused on the theme Healthy Animals, Healthy Society. The conference was successful in gathering eminent speakers from various reputed organizations and their paramount talks enlightened the gathering.

Animal Health 2016 focused on recent approaches in veterinary medicine and animal welfare and the meeting engrossed in knowledgeable discussions on novel subjects like Animal Health and Veterinary Science, Animal Ethology, Animal Biotechnology, Animal Diseases, Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Surgery, Veterinary Public Health, Animal Welfare, Animal Husbandry and Livestock Extension, Entrepreneurs Investment Meet.

The proceedings of the conference were embarked with an opening ceremony followed by the Honorable presence of the Keynote forum.

The adepts who promulgated the theme with their exquisite talks were:

Dr. M T Musa, Ministry of Animal Resources, Sudan

Dr. Despoina Iatridou, Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, Belgium

Dr. Mara Jaureguzar Redondo, Vet+i Foundation- Spanish Technology Platform for Animal Health, Spain

Dr. Ahmed G Hegazi, National Research Center, Egypt

Dr. Enric Marco Granell, Marco Vetgrup SL, Spain

Dr. Imre Olh, Semmelweis University, Hungary

Dr. Peter Timms, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia

Dr. Stewart Daniel, World Health Organization (WHO), South Africa

Dr. Giorgio Marchesini, University of Padova, Italy

Dr. Lenita Moura Stefani, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Brazil

Dr. ngela Martins, Lusfona University, Portugal

Dr. Yong Heo, Catholic University of Daegu, South Korea

The Keynote sessions and all the other sessions highlighted the current challenges, issues, opportunities, innovations and ideas in all the fields of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.

For more details, please visit:http://www.conferenceseries.com/Past_Reports/animal-health-2016-past

With the success of Animal Health 2016, next year we have been organizing the best veterinary conference: 8thInternational Conference on Animal Health and Veterinary Medicineduring October 20-21, 2017 in Toronto, Canada.

Conference Series LLCsuccessfully hosted the3rdInternational Veterinary CongressduringAugust 18-20, 2016, atCrowne Plaza London Heathrow,London,UK. The conference focused on the theme Novel Techniques and Advancements in Veterinary Science and its Relevant Aspects. The conference was successful in bringing together renowned speakers from various reputed organizations and their paramount talks enlightened the gathering.

The conference focused on recent developments in the veterinary sector and the meeting engrossed in knowledgeable discussions on novel subjects like: Veterinary, Veterinary Medicine, Clinical Veterinary, Veterinary Economics, Veterinary Research, Food Animal, Animal Reproduction and Genetics, Animal Welfare, Veterinary Forensics, Avian and Exotics, Animal Models and Testing and Veterinary Care and Management.

Veterinary 2016comprised ofSpecial Sessionon Poultry parasites: Emerging issues byOlivier A E Sparagano,Coventry University, UK and aSymposiumon Recent developments in toxicity and treatment of organophosphates and carbamates byRamesh C Gupta,Murray State University, USA.

For more details, please visit:http://www.conferenceseries.com/Past_Reports/veterinary-2016-past

Conference Series LLCsuccessfully hosted the2ndInternational Conference on Livestock Nutrition during July 21-22, 2016, at Brisbane, Australia. The conference focused on the theme Leading Innovation and Sustainability in Livestock Nutrition and Health Worldwide. The conference was successful in bringing together eminent speakers from various reputed organizations and their paramount talks enlightened the gathering.

The meeting engrossed a vicinity of cognizant discussions on novel subjects like Livestock and Health, Livestock Nutrition, Livestock Disease and Management, Poultry, Cattle, Sheep, Organic Livestock, Livestock Feed Ingredients, Feed Prices and Agribusiness, Feed Supplies and Feed Technology and Equipment.

Livestock Nutrition 2016comprised ofInternational Preconference workshop onTrace Elements in Animal Nutritionduring April 8-9, 2016 at Firat University, Turkey and aSymposiumon Replacement value of raw soybean meal for commercial soybean meal in diets for broiler chickensduring July 21-22, 2016 at Conference venue by Dr. Paul A. Iji, University of New England, Australia.

For more details, please visit:http://www.conferenceseries.com/Past_Reports/livestock-nutrition-2016-past

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Animal Health - Veterinary Conference: Veterinary Medicine ...

The South Dakota Veterinary Medical Association held its 126th annual meeting at the Ramkota Convention Center in Sioux Falls Aug. 13 16. The meeting included continuing education opportunities for over 200 veterinarians and veterinary technicians, recognized outstanding accomplishments by professionals in the veterinary fields and included the annual membership meeting.

The meeting featured Dr. Jason Sweitzer, DVM, a nationally known speaker on mental health and suicide prevention in the veterinary profession. Companion animal topics included anesthesia and soft tissue surgery. Large animal topics included calf scours treatment and management, sheep and goat parasitology and medicine and equine emergency and field procedures, as well as updates from SDSUs Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Lab.

Distinguished Service Award

Dr. Larry Carpenter of Sturgis was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. Carpenter graduated with honors from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine DVM in 1982 and received a Masters Degree in Veterinary Surgery in 1991 from Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Carpenter attained Diplomate Status with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1992. In 1998, he graduated from the US Army War College and served 25 years in the US Army. While deployed to Haiti in 1995, he set up street corner vaccination stations and vaccinated nearly 10,000 dogs and cats against rabies in Port Au Prince with the help of the Haitian Ministry of Health, the UN Mission to Haiti, the Pan American Health Organization and the Christian Veterinary Mission. He served as Consultant to the US Army Surgeon General on Military Working Dogs from 20002003 and retired as the Director of the Military Working Dog Hospital in San Antonio, Texas in Aug. 2003.

The Distinguished Service Award is awarded to honor an individual who has brought distinction to the veterinary profession through his/her devotion to the care and well-being of animals, support for the profession and contributions to the community. This individuals contributions have advanced the profession and serve as an inspiration to veterinarians and the clients he serves.

Veterinarians of the Year

Dr. William Headlee and Dr. Norma Headlee are co-recipients of the Veterinarian of the Year award. The Headlees both graduated from Kadoka High school in 1971 and completed their undergraduate courses at South Dakota State University in 1974. They went on to graduate from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1978.

The Headlees have been operating a successful practice in their home town of Kadoka for 39 years. They were among the first veterinarians in SD to use ultrasound for reproductive exams in horses and cattle, and have built an equine hospital to serve the needs of their clients.

There are probably a million stories their clients could tell about all of the amazing things they have done over the years, said one nominator. The thing that was truly amazing is how they did it day in and day out in such a manner that all of us watching thought this is what all parents do for their kids.

The Veterinarian of the Year award is made annually to an SDVMA member who has contributed significantly to the veterinary profession and to the animals and clients he serves. The award recognizes a member for service and accomplishments benefitting the profession of veterinary medicine.

Dr. Eric Knock, Miller, received the 2017 SDVMA Emerging Leader Award. Dr. Knock graduated with a bachelor of science in animal sciences from SDSU in 2003. He received his DVM from Iowa State University in 2007 and was a recipient of the AABP Amstutz Scholarship.

Knock owns the Prairie View Veterinary Clinic and went from being sole practitioner to having four additional veterinarians along with a number of veterinary assistants and employees. He also developed a number of services for cow-calf clients in the area including ultrasound for carcass traits and pregnancy staging along with embryo flushing and transfer. Knock has served on the SDVMA Continuing Education committee.

The Emerging Leader award is made to an SDVMA member who graduated from veterinary school in the last 10 years and has displayed outstanding accomplishments in veterinary research, private practice, regulatory services, civic activities and organized veterinary medicine.

Outstanding Veterinary Technician

Nicole Wrage was named the 2017 Outstanding Veterinary Technician. She graduated from Dell Rapids High School and obtained her veterinary technician degree from Globe University. She is currently enrolled in University of Tennessee Canine Rehabilitation course to continue improving her skills. She is BQA certified and trained in bovine ultrasound for reproduction and Dairy Comp 305 data entry.

The Outstanding Veterinary Technician award is made to a registered veterinary technician who has provided outstanding support to veterinary medicine through dedication to the care and well-being of animals and professional knowledge and execution in service to the profession.

Drs. Randy Beumer, Browns Valley, Minn.; Susan Jones, Rapid City; James Pajl, Yankton; James Rokusek, Watertown, and Steve Tornberg, Harrisburg, attained life membership status in the SDVMA for their years of practice. Life members have attained the age of 65 and have been members of SDVMA for at least 20 years.

Jim Feller, Blunt, received the Bill Davis award. He graduated from SDSU in 1986 with a degree in animal science and has worked with MWI for five years. Feller has served on the South Dakota Veterinary Medical Examiners Board and the Nation Resources Conservation District. He currently serves on the Board of Oahe Electric Cooperative.

The Bill Davis Award is given annually to a sales representative of a veterinary supply company who has demonstrated an unusual degree of service and assistance to veterinarians and the veterinary profession in South Dakota.

The SDVMA Alliance raised over $8,000 in a benefit auction as part of the event. The money is used for scholarships for veterinary and veterinary technician students.

The following board members were elected for the coming year: Dr. Michelle Jensen, Harrisburg, president; Dr. Mark Braunschmidt, Brandon, president-elect; Dr. Ethan Andress, Hettinger, ND, vice president; Dr. Chanda Nilsson, Groton, secretary-treasurer; Dr. Angela Anderson, Sioux Falls, District 1 representative; Dr. Heidi Sorensen, Watertown, District 2 representative; Dr. Chris Chase, Brookings, AVMA delegate, and Dr. Cindy Franklin, Yankton, AVMA alternate delegate. Other board members are Dr. Sandra Wahlert, Hot Springs, District 3 representative, and Dr. Travis White, Sioux Center, Iowa, past president.

The 2018 SDVMA annual meeting will be held August 1215 in Sioux Falls.

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South Dakota Veterinary Medical Association gives awards at annual meeting - Watertown Public Opinion