StemCell Therapy

Viewing even the smallest sliver of a crescent sun peeking out from behind the moon is enough to cause damage, according to a news release from the Minnesota Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

They offer the following suggestions:

Use specially designed solar eclipse glasses and viewers. Ordinary sunglasses, even dark ones, are not sufficient.

Use solar filters on camera lenses, binoculars and telescopes.

Inspect your solar filter before the eclipse. Don't use it if it's scratched or damaged.

Another option is to view the eclipse through #14 welder's glass. That's much darker than the shades arc welders typically wear.

Do not use solar eclipse glasses to look through a camera, binoculars or a telescope. The sun can melt the filter and damage your eyes.

The high cost of diabetes

Diabetes and prediabetes hit Minnesotans with a staggering annual medical bill, reports Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

The annual cost is estimated at $4.4 billion, according to Blue Cross, and diabetes accounts for a 6.3 percent "loss of good health" in Minnesota in the form of severe disease, disability or premature death.

Noting that 90 percent of prediabetics don't know they have the condition, the insurer last week launched a "Reverse It" campaign to raise greater awareness about diabetes prevention.

Prediabetes is indicated by a higher-than-normal level of glucose (blood sugar), but not high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Type 2 diabetes can include serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and blindness.

You can learn more and take a prediabetes quiz at BlueCrossMN.com/ReverseIt.

Remember walk in Chisholm

The Iron Range's first Walk to Remember fundraising walk for Alzheimer's awareness will take place on Aug. 19 around Longyear Lake in Chisholm.

Sponsored by St. Luke's Hibbing Family Medical Clinic, the walk will be based at Valentini's Restaurant, 31 W. Lake St. Registration and raffles and door prizes will be from 8-9:30 a.m. The walk will begin at 9:30 following opening comments.

Registration is free. Contact Christine Nelson at Christine.Nelson@slhduluth.com, or call (218) 780-8484 with questions or to donate.

All money raised will go to the Alzheimer's Association in Northern Minnesota/North Dakota.

The inside view in Ely

Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital will celebrate its 60th anniversary on Aug. 19 with the Medical Inflatables MEGA Body Exhibit and Health Expo at Ely's Whiteside Park.

That means visitors will be able to step inside a 50-foot-long interactive model demonstrating the inner workings of the human body.

The free event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Help with Medicare

Answers and education regarding health insurance for Medicare beneficiaries and pre-retirees will be provided by Senior LinkAge Line through the Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging on Sept. 7 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 4831 Grand Ave., and on Sept. 12 and Sept. 27 at the Missabe Building, 227 W. First St., Suite 103.

To schedule an appointment, call Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433.

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Health notes: Eclipse viewing safety, diabetes costs and more - Duluth News Tribune

New York Daily News

There's no known cure for arthritis, but marijuana works wonders New York Daily News Here's some good news: Medical marijuana is helping people with arthritis improve their quality of life. Most of us know someone an aunt, uncle or grandmother suffering from arthritis. It is one of the most common health ailments in the world ... Arthritis doesn't affect only the elderly! Watch out for these signsEconomic Times Medical Marijuana May Help Ease Chronic PainImmortal News all 3 news articles »

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There's no known cure for arthritis, but marijuana works wonders - New York Daily News

A new study found osteoarthritis of the knee is more than twice as common as it was just a few generations ago. It's estimated that the lifetime risk of developing this condition is 46 percent.

However, it is possible to protect your knees and even reverse some of the symptoms. Dr. Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine physician at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery, joined "CBS This Morning" to discuss what might be causing the increase and what you can do to reduce arthritic symptoms.

Asked what people are doing wrong when it comes to arthritis, Metzl said, "They're not recognizing the symptoms of arthritis."

The first thing to do if you are having symptoms, Metzl said, is to get an X-ray, which will show if there is a "narrowing between the bones."

Metzl also credits the inactivity of modern life. "If you were alive 100 years ago, you walked more, you were much more active," Metzl said.

"As this study shows us, the incidence of arthritis, the prevalence has more than doubled in the past hundred years and there are some different reasons for why that may be including people living longer and having higher weights but also related to activity," Metzl said.

X-rays of what a healthy knee versus an arthritic knee looks like.

CBS News

To reduce symptoms, he says the best thing to do is strengthen your muscles with exercises like squats and lunges instead of saying off of the knee and, in effect, becoming more inactive.

"We want them to be very active. When they get arthritis I get them started on exercise, strengthening," Metzl said.

While he says the wrong shoes can play a part in making symptoms worse, they don't necessarily cause arthritis.

"I think the shoes may be part of making the symptoms worse. I don't think it really has a lot to do with the reasons people get arthritis which are probably genetic, longevity, body index and then maybe inactivity but once you have arthritis we do a lot to control your symptoms," Metzl said.

2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Sports medicine doctor on how to combat knee arthritis symptoms - CBS News

(Reuters Health) - Workers exposed to airborne toxins may have an elevated risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, an immune system disorder that causes debilitating swelling and pain in the joints, a Swedish study suggests.

Among men, bricklayers, concrete workers and electricians had at least twice the risk of rheumatoid arthritis they would have in certain other occupations, the study found. For women, jobs in nursing carried a 30 percent higher risk than other careers.

Previous studies have indicated that occupations within the manufacturing sector are associated with an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis, said lead study author Anna Ilar of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

The novelty of our findings is that we showed that occupations within this sector are related to an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis even after controlling for lifestyle-related factors including smoking, alcohol use, education and (obesity), Ilar said by email.

Unlike the more common osteoarthritis, which is caused by mechanical wear and tear on joints, in rheumatoid arthritis the immune system attacks the body's joints.

While smoking is a known risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis, the findings add to evidence suggesting that environmental factors could trigger the disease in some people. Previous research suggests that lung changes caused by inhaled pollutants may trigger immune responses that lead to rheumatoid arthritis, particularly in individuals with a genetic predisposition for the disease.

For the current study, reported in Arthritis Care and Research, researchers examined data on 3,522 people with rheumatoid arthritis and 5,580 similar individuals without the condition. They gathered information on work history from questionnaires and analyzed results form blood samples looking for genetic factors that can contribute to the disorder.

Researchers compared the elevated risk of rheumatoid arthritis in manufacturing occupations to the risk associated with professional, administrative and technical jobs that tend to involve deskwork rather than manual labor.

Compared with men working desk jobs, electrical workers had twice the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and bricklayers and concrete workers had roughly triple the risk.

The study didnt find an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis for women working in the manufacturing sector, but there may have been too few women in these jobs to properly analyze the impact of this work, the researchers say.

Its possible that inhaled toxins such as silica, asbestos, organic solvents and motor exhaust might have contributed to the development of rheumatoid arthritis, but the study didnt analyze which pollutants caused the condition.

One limitation of the study is that researchers assumed people in professional jobs in doing office work didnt have exposure to toxins that may increase the odds of rheumatoid arthritis. The study also wasnt a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how certain occupations might cause rheumatoid arthritis.

They also didnt directly examine the influence of manual labor on development of rheumatoid arthritis, said Kaleb Michaud, a researcher at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and co-director of the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases.

There is some evidence that greater physical labor, which can cause more stress on the body physically and mentally, can lead to rheumatoid arthritis, Michaud, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email.

Not getting enough sleep and continuous repetitive tasks can lead to added stress that can impact your immune system, Michaud added. The more triggers to the immune system just increase the chances for an irregular response by it that may lead to an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2x1AdfS Arthritis Care and Research, online August 10, 2017.

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Some jobs tied to higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis - Reuters

For more than a year, Harvard researcher Ian Wallace scoured the country for skeletons. Thousands of them.

No grave-digging was involved. Wallace unearthed the bones inacademic collectionsthatranged from ancient remainsfound by archaeologists, to 19th-century bodies never claimed at morgues, to cadavers donated recently to medical schools.

His quest: to gauge the rise of osteoarthritis, the most common formof arthritis, which tends to come with age and affect hips and knees. Hechecked the knees of more than 2,000 skeletons for a telltale polished look, called eburnation, that means the bones have been rubbing against each other.

The finding: Knee osteoarthritis has doubled in prevalence since the mid-20th century, Wallace and colleagues report ina paperjust out in the journal PNAS.

Of course, everyone who pays attention knows that arthritis has been on the riseas Americanslive longer and tend to weigh more, imposing heavierloads on aging joints. Initially, Wallace says, doctors responded to the findingthat arthritis rates were up dramatically with a resounding ho-hum.

But then came the statistical kicker: Even after the researchteam adjusted for weightand age, they found thedoubling in arthritis rates.

"That's when people's eyes got big and they started scratching their heads," Wallace says. "This is a pretty major revelation for physicians, because it means that tons of cases of this disease that they encounter in the clinic might not be due to the two risk factors that receive by far the most attention old age and obesity."

And it could be a revelation for anyone who hopes to avoid the aches and pains of arthritis: If our ancestors had far less arthritis than we do roughly 8 percent of the early skeletons vs. 16 percent of the more recent ones there's hope that we could figure out what they were doing right.

"The most important message here is that we shouldn't consider arthritis a wear-and-tear disease of age," says Harvard professorDaniel E. Lieberman, senior author of the paper. "Arthritis is a disease thatbecomes more common as you age, but it's not caused by 'wear and tear'; if anything, it might be caused by the absence of physical activity," so a major way to prevent arthritis could be moving more, not less.

Though still just a hypothesis, physical inactivity is his prime suspect, he says: "It is one of the biggest differences between people who live today and people who lived in the past whose risk of arthritis was much lower" like many of our grandparents, who tended to sit much less and walk much more than we do.

When Lieberman says wear and tear does not cause arthritis, it still may seem counter-intuitive. After all, joint injuries greatly increase the risk of arthritis, andaging seems so linked to things "wearing out."

But what goes awry in arthritis is looking more complicated than just mechanical overuse, says professor David Felson of Boston University Medical School, a co-author on the paper.

"Joints biologically develop to bear a load, and bear stress across them," hesays. "When they aren't able to do it well, they break down. And that's what's going on here they're somehow not able to withstand the stress that's put across them."

What's making them vulnerable like that is the central question, Felson says. The paper found such a large difference over time that it's likely due to more than one factor, he says, butit's plausible that inactivity is having an effect.

Exercise makes joints more stress-resistant, he says: "Their cartilage gets thicker; the muscles that support and protect the joints get stronger. And joints are hardier when you're active, so the absence of activity isn't necessarily good for our joints."

But is it ever too late for exercise? Say, after arthritis has already hit hard?

"Ithink probably it can always help," Felson says. "The issue is: When your joint is already far gone, is it a good idea to suddenly engage in physical activity? And the answer is probably no. So it depends on where you are, the stage of disease."

Not to over-promise: Physical activity by no meansguarantees arthritis prevention. Felson notes that arthritis has been found in Egyptian mummies; it has also been found in Neanderthals.

But the skeleton findings do point the way toward additional research to pinpoint exactly which factors are at work in the rise of arthritis, and how to counteract them.

"Your probability of having arthritis today is more than double at a given age what your probability of having arthritis was if you had been born before World War II," Lieberman says. "And obviously, genes for arthritis haven't swept the population since World War II. It's something about the way we're living today that's changed. And those are factors that we can shift."

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Harvard Study Of Skeletons Suggests Much Age-Related Arthritis May Be Preventable - WBUR

Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

If untreated, it can turn serious very quickly - one in ten cases of bacterial meningitis are fatal, according to the NHS.

For this reason the meningitis ACWY jab is offered for free to everyone aged 17 and 18 in England.

However, there are concerns that not enough school leavers are having it, with only a third vaccinated against the condition last year.

The Royal College of Nursing this week warned that people are risking loss of limbs, arthritis and even death by not having it.

Older teenagers and university students are thought to be particularly at risk since they are mixing with lots of new people.

This vaccine is different from other meningitis jabs often giving to babies including the meningitis B vaccine, 6-in-1 vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, meningitis C vaccine and MMR vaccine.

It can be spread by coughs, sneezes and kisses.

A classic symptom of the condition is a blotchy rash, where small red, pinpricks spread quickly over the body before turning into red or purple blotches.

According to the NHS, if you press the side of a clear glass firmly against the skin and the rash doesn't fade, it's a sign of blood poisoning - or septicaemia - which requires urgent medical attention.

Other signs of the condition include a high temperature, feeling and being sick, lack of energy, a headache, achieving muscles, breathing quickly and cold hands or feet.

Additionally, sufferers may experience pale and mottled skin, a stiff neck, confusion, dislike of bright lights, drowsiness and seizures.

It is possible to make a full recovery, but the condition can lead to long-term or life-threatening problems.

These include hearing loss, problems with memory, vision loss, loss of limbs to stop the infection spreading arthritis and kidney problems.

Helen Donovan, from the Royal College of Nursing, said: "Meningitis can be fatal, and can leave those who survive with life-changing disabilities. Vaccination is quick, easy and free, and offers protection against most strains of the disease, but reaching young people is not easy.

"Many will have been away over the summer travelling or working before university. But the risk is real and getting vaccinated saves lives.

"We are urging people to contact their surgeries now and book an appointment with the practice nurse."

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Arthritis warning: Going without THIS vaccine puts you at risk of joint damage - Express.co.uk

Rheumatoid arthritisis a painful disease where a person's immune system attacks the joints, causing chronic inflammation in the peripheral joints of the hands, feet, elbows, shoulders, knees, hips and feet. According to Health24, the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are stiffness early in the morning, pain and swelling of the joints.

The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known and is usually linked to a genetic predisposition.

But new research shows that rheumatoid arthritis appears to be more common among people in certain types of jobs.

The findings "indicate that work-related factors, such as airborne harmful exposures, may contribute to disease development," study author Anna Ilar said. She is a doctoral student in epidemiology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

Some more at risk than others

The study looked at more than 3 500 people in Sweden with rheumatoid arthritis, and nearly 5 600 people without the disease.

Among men, those in manufacturing jobs had a higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis than those in the professional, administrative and technical sectors, the findings showed. The risk was twice as high for electrical and electronics workers, and three times higher for bricklayers and concrete workers.

The risk for rheumatoid arthritis is high in men who work in jobs such as construction and electronics.

Among women, assistant nurses and attendants had a slightly higher risk, but women in manufacturing jobs did not. The researchers suspect that's because fewer women than men work in manufacturing.

Assistant nurses had a slightly higher risk to develop rheumatoid arthritis.

More study is needed to zero in on the exposures that may be involved, Ilar noted. Potential culprits include silica, asbestos, organic solvents and engine exhaust.

The report was published online in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

"It is important that findings on preventable risk factors are spread to employees, employers, and decision-makers in order to prevent disease by reducing or eliminating known risk factors," Ilar said in a journal news release.

The researchers said they accounted for lifestyle factors associated with rheumatoid arthritis, such as body fat, smoking, alcohol use and education level. However, while the study found an association between certain occupations and rheumatoid arthritis risk, it didn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Managing rheumatoid arthritis

Here are a few practical tips to manage your arthritis:

All images supplied by iStock.

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Got arthritis? Your job might be the problem... - Health24

Experts have, perhaps unexpectedly, said the condition is not due to people living longer and an ageing society.

They have even gone as far as to suggest the condition is as preventable as heart disease.

Scientists have said there are a number of environmental factors which could be causing the condition - but living longer and being overweight are not reasons why, according to experts.

Instead, the scientists suggested it could be as a result of being less active than our ancestors and have even said it could be as a result of wider environmental factors.

The team analysed over 2,000 skeletons from archaeological collections spanning more than 6,000 years to show how cases have soared in the last seven decades.

Professor Daniel Lieberman, of Harvard University in Boston, said: "The most important comparison is between the early industrial (1800s) and modern samples.

"Because we had data on each individual's age, sex, body weight, ethnicity and in many cases, their occupation and cause of death, we were able to correct for a number of factors that we considered important co-variates.

"Using careful statistical methods, we are able to say that if you were born after World War II you have approximately twice the likelihood of getting knee osteoarthritis at a given age or BMI than if you were born earlier."

It also exposed the idea knee osteoarthritis is now widespread because of more obesity and longevity as a myth.

Dr Ian Wallace, of Harvard University in Boston, said: "Before this study it was assumed without having been tested the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis has changed over time.

"We were able to show - for the first time - this pervasive cause of pain is actually twice as common today than even in the recent past.

"But the even bigger surprise is it's not just because people are living longer or getting fatter, but for other reasons likely related to our modern environments."

Experts said the condition is responsible for more disability than almost any other musculoskeletal disorder.

Professor Lieberman added: "Understanding the origins of knee osteoarthritis is an urgent challenge because the disease is almost entirely untreatable apart from joint replacement - and once someone has knee osteoarthritis it creates a vicious circle.

"People become less active which can lead to a host of other problems - and their health ends up declining at a more rapid rate."

"Knee osteoarthritis is not a necessary consequence of old age.

We should think of this as a partly preventable disease.

"Wouldn't it be great if people could live to be 60, 70 or 80 and never get knee osteoarthritis in the first place?

"Right now, our society is barely focusing on prevention in any way, shape or form, so we need to redirect more interest toward preventing this and other so-called diseases of ageing."

The researchers hope their study inspires new research to prevent knee osteoarthritis.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Arthritis cure? Woman hails miracle device used on horses

Continued here:
Knee osteoarthritis symptoms: Obesity is not to blame for rise, say experts - Express.co.uk

Aging and obesity alone cannot explain it.

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints (or another area where the bones come together). Its often a chronic condition which typically starts off in the hands or feet, and most often ends up affecting the knees. Its estimated that one in five Americans over 45 suffer from knee arthritis, and similar figures are reported in many parts of the world.

Initially, this was thought to be a consequence of aging people lived to older ages, and therefore started suffering more from old age diseases. Obesity is also thought to play a role the more you weigh, the more pressure you put on your joints. But a new study found that these factors alone cannot explain the rise in knee arthritis prevalence.

Image credits: BruceBlaus.

Ian Wallaceis a paleoanthropologist at Harvard University who studies how human health and diseases have changed over time. He was aware that knee arthritis is often associated with obesity and aging, but wanted to see how these and other factors affected the prevalence of obesity through the years. So he and his colleagues studied several thousand American skeletons, frompre-industrial, early industrial, and post-industrial periods. They were specifically looking at the wear and tear in the skeletons knees. The age and body mass index were also assessed and through statistical processing, the impact of obesity and age was removed.

Wallace and colleagues found that18 percent of the skeletons from the post-industrial ages (1950) had signs of advanced arthritis, compared tosix and eight percent of the early industrial and prehistoric bones, respectively. The statistical model showed that neither aging nor obesity can explain the phenomenon.

It points to this mysterious conclusion: A lot of cases of osteoarthritis, which we thought might be inevitable, may be preventable and are due to unknown factors, Wallace says.

Of course, both obesity and aging take their toll no ones saying they just dont matter. But what this study shows is that theres something else were missing.

The study didnt attempt to explain the findings, but its not very difficult to speculate. Wallace too says that lack of physical activity is a very likely culprit. Since the 1950s, office jobs have multiplied dramatically, more and more cars flood the streets, and physical activity has declined accordingly. Sitting down is also a possible culprit.David Felson, study co-author, a renowned arthritis expert and physician at Boston University comments:

Our joints dont do well when they arent active much of the time, Felson says.

But that might not tell the whole story. Inflammation might also be at blame. Arthritis itself is an inflammation, but different inflammations, while a natural reaction, promote injury and prevent proper healing.Francis Berenbaum, a researcher and physician at Pierre and Marie Curie University and AP-HP hospital in Paris, France, who wasnt involved in the study, believesan unhealthy diet might also be at blame. The same diet (high in processed foods and sugars) thats favoring diabetes and heart diseases might also be contributing to arthritis. Other factors, such as walking more on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt or concrete might also contribute, but at the moment, the truth is we dont really know.

I study this, and I dont know what [more] can be done to prevent it, Felson adds.

For now, your best bet is to keep a healthy diet and be physically active.

Journal Reference:Ian J. Wallace, Steven Worthington, David T. Felson, Robert D. Jurmain, Kimberly T. Wren, Heli Maijanen, Robert J. Woods, and Daniel E. Lieberman Knee osteoarthritis has doubled in prevalence since the mid-20th century.doi: 10.1073/pnas.1703856114

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Knee arthritis has doubled since 1950, and we don't really know why - ZME Science

The global cancer gene therapy market to grow at a CAGR of 20.63% during the period 2017-2021.

The report, Global Cancer Gene Therapy Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.

One trend in the market is favorable government regulations for gene therapy programs. Gene therapy has been a big hope for the individuals suffering from rare diseases and various forms of cancers. Cancer is one of the biggest life-threatening diseases across the globe and has been a huge point of concern for the healthcare providers. This has led to rising support to R&D activities in cancer gene therapy from various governments.

According to the report, one driver in the market is rising geriatric population. The global geriatric population is continues to grow at a faster pace due to several factors such as rapidly falling fertility rates and growing life expectancy due to better medical facilities. The US Census Bureau reported that the total population aging 65 years and above was estimated at 617 million in 2015 and is expected to rise to 1,566 million by 2050. Asia has the largest and fastest growing aging population due to several factors such as the huge population of the region, government policies such as one child policy of China has reduced the addition of young population, and higher investment in the healthcare sector has led to better medical facilities and longer life expectancy.

Further, the report states that one challenge in the market is high cost of gene therapy treatment. The sky-high cost of gene therapy has made it a point of debate across the globe. One of the major causes for the exorbitant cost of gene therapy is the requirement of intensive clinical trials. The gene therapy needs to be tailored to suit the genetic acceptance for each individual, unlike small and large molecule drug clinical trials where the trials are done in large and random samples. In the clinical trials of gene therapy, the stem cell is extracted from each patient's bone marrow, then the correct version of the gene is mingled with the cell, and the corrected stem cells are introduced to the individual patient.

Key vendors

Other prominent vendors

Key Topics Covered:

Part 01: Executive Summary

Part 02: Scope Of The Report

Part 03: Research Methodology

Part 04: Market Landscape

Part 05: Pipeline Analysis

Part 06: Market Segmentation By Therapy

Part 07: Geographical Segmentation

Part 08: Decision Framework

Part 09: Drivers And Challenges

Part 10: Market Trends

Part 11: Vendor Landscape

Part 12: Key Vendor Analysis

Part 13: Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/drvk7v/global_cancer

Media Contact:

Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

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View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-cancer-gene-therapy-market-to-grow-at-a-cagr-of-206-by-2021-favorable-government-regulations-for-gene-therapy-programs-300504680.html

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Global Cancer Gene Therapy Market to Grow at a CAGR of 20.6% by 2021: Favorable Government Regulations for ... - PR Newswire (press release)

How does the skin develop follicles and eventually sprout hair? A USC-led study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), addresses this question using insights gleaned from organoids, 3D assemblies of cells possessing rudimentary skin structure and functionincluding the ability to grow hair.

In the study, first author Mingxing Lei, a postdoctoral scholar in the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Cheng-Ming Chuong, and an international team of scientists started with dissociated skin cells from a newborn mouse. Lei then took hundreds of timelapse movies to analyze the collective cell behavior. They observed that these cells formed organoids by transitioning through six distinct phases: 1) dissociated cells; 2) aggregated cells; 3) cysts; 4) coalesced cysts; 5) layered skin; and 6) skin with follicles, which robustly produce hair after being transplanted onto the back of a host mouse.

In contrast, dissociated skin cells from an adult mouse only reached phase 2aggregationbefore stalling in their development and failing to produce hair.

To understand the forces at play, the scientists analyzed the molecular events and physical processes that drove successful organoid formation with newborn mouse cells.

We used a combination of bioinformatics and molecular screenings, and the core facilities at the Health Sciences Campus have facilitated my analyses, said Lei.

At various time points, they observed increased activity in genes related to: the protein collagen; the blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin; the formation of cellular sheets; the adhesion, death or differentiation of cells; and many other processes. In addition to determining which genes were active and when, the scientists also determined where in the organoid this activity took place. Next, they blocked the activity of specific genes to confirm their roles in organoid development.

By carefully studying these developmental processes, the scientists obtained a molecular how to guide for driving individual skin cells to self-organize into organoids that can produce hair. They then applied this how to guide to the stalled organoids derived from adult mouse skin cells. By providing the right molecular and genetic cues in the proper sequence, they were able to stimulate these adult organoids to continue their development and eventually produce hair. In fact, the adult organoids produced 40 percent as much hair as the newborn organoidsa significant improvement.

Normally, many aging individuals do not grow hair well, because adult cells gradually lose their regenerative ability, said Chuong, senior author, USC Stem Cell principal investigator and professor of pathology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. With our new findings, we are able to make adult mouse cells produce hair again. In the future, this work can inspire a strategy for stimulating hair growth in patients with conditions ranging from alopecia to baldness.

This article has been republished frommaterialsprovided byUSC Stem Cell. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

Reference:

Lei, M., Schumacher, L. J., Lai, Y., Juan, W., Yeh, C., Wu, P., . . . Chuong, C. (2017). Self-organization process in newborn skin organoid formation inspires strategy to restore hair regeneration of adult cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201700475. doi:10.1073/pnas.1700475114

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Molecular "How To" Guide For Producing Hair Follicles Obtained - Technology Networks

The major strength of the Department of Molecular Genetics is its widely recognized Faculty who run a remarkable variety of world-class research programs in diverse areas such as:

Our Faculty have made important contributions in many fields and have been the recipients of numerous national and international awards. As a Department, our major focus is on graduate training. Graduates from our programs regularly gain postdoctoral positions in prestigious laboratories and staff positions in major universities, research institutes and industry throughout the world.

Research in molecular genetics is increasingly driven by technology and the analysis of the systems-level datasets that new technology has enabled. As a result, there is a high demand for researchers who have a solid grounding in quantitative sciences as well as biology. Because few students will have fully achieved this goal as undergraduates, we have developed two Ph.D. ?tracks? within the Molecular Genetics graduate orogram aimed at training this next generation of scientists.

The Quantitative Biology in Molecular Genetics Track (QBMG): This Ph.D. track has been crafted for students who initially specialized in computer science, physics, chemistry, mathematics, statistics, engineering, and other quantitative disciplines as an undergraduate and/or M.Sc student. The QBMG Track will provide quantitative scientists with a foundation in modern biology and mentor them towards leadership in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research.

The Computational Biology in Molecular Genetics Track (CBMG): Computational biology is playing an increasingly critical role in molecular genetics. The CBMG Ph.D. track will provide students who have been primarily trained in biology, but also have an aptitude for quantitative science, with an immersive computational biology curriculum, and leadership in the new discipline of computational molecular genetics.

Members of the department participate in two interdepartmental collaborative graduate programs that provide students with the opportunity to benefit from the wealth of expertise in the University of Toronto community in areas of research that span the boundaries between traditional departments. More information on each of these programs can be found on their web sites:

For a list of Faculty members participating in these collaborative programs see here.

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Graduate Molecular Genetics - University of Toronto

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 14, 2017 University of California, Irvine researchers received more than $378 million in grants and contract funding for fiscal 2016-17, the second-highest total in campus history.

From federal and state agencies, leading foundations and companies, this funding which follows a record year in 2015-16, when the university garnered $395 million represents continued support for UCIs top-ranked faculty, first-rate facilities, diverse and talented student body, and community-based programs.

Innovation and discovery thrive with robust research grant funding, said Pramod Khargonekar, vice chancellor for research. Research is a central mission for the UCI faculty, students and staff, and these strong results indicate that UCIs world-class research enterprise will continue to make important, productive contributions to the state, the nation and the world.

The slightly lower total is due to decreased federal funding; nonfederal support increased this year. Khargonekar explained that a possible reason for the drop is that federal agencies did not receive their 2017 budgets until May 2017, eight months after the start of the fiscal year.

Although research funding touches every corner of campus, the greatest investment was in the area of health. The Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center brought in more than $24 million, and the School of Medicine logged $147.5 million in support, 39 percent of UCIs 2016-17 total.

Other noteworthy funding sources and recipients:

Additional data on UCIs 2016-17 research funding:

For more information, see the Office of Researchs annual report at http://research.uci.edu/annualreport.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. Its located in one of the worlds safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange Countys second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.

Excerpt from:
UCI logs second-highest research funding total in fiscal 2016-17 - UCI News

If youve ever gotten a nasty case of the flu even though you dutifully got a flu shot, you know that the vaccine is not 100 percent effective. Now, scientists believe that they have devised a new way of producing the vaccine that will offer better protection.

Part of the reason the vaccine is not fully effective is because the strains mutate. For decades, vaccine manufacturers have used chicken eggs to grow the flu virus strains used in the shot. Problems arise when the human strains mutate to adapt to their new environment, making the vaccine an imperfect match for the virus.

Researchers at Duke University have found a way to prevent the strains from mutating, which allows them to make a perfect match for the virus. Their findings have been published in the journal mBio.

We have solved a fundamental problem that scientists had accepted would be part of vaccine productionthat the virus is always going to mutate if it is grown in eggs, said senior study author Nicholas S. Heaton, Ph.D., assistant professor of molecular genetics and microbiology at Duke University School of Medicine. This research could lead to a significantly cheaper and more efficacious vaccine.

Getty Images | Tim Boyle

Despite the flu vaccines current efficacy rate, its probably still in your best interest to get one. According to theCDC Foundation,flu illness costs the U.S. more than $87 billion annually, which includes an estimated $10.4 billion in direct medical expenses.

And if its the needle thats preventing you from getting a flu shot, theres another new development in the world of the flu vaccine that might interest you. A version of a flu vaccine patch developed by Georgia Techs Laboratory for Drug Delivery showed promising results in its first human clinical trial, according to a study in The Lancet, which would make getting vaccinated as easy as slapping on a band-aid.

[h/t: Science Daily]

Originally posted here:
Scientists Have Pinpointed A Method To Make The Flu Vaccine More Effective - Simplemost

RUTHERFORD, N.J. and LOS ANGELES, Aug. 16, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cancer Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:CGIX) (The Company and CGI), a leader in enabling precision medicine for oncology through molecular markers and diagnostics, announced todaythat it will host an investor and analyst call and webcast onTuesday,August 22, 2017at8:30 am Eastern. CGI willdiscuss the strategy and business rationale of the recent transformative and accretive acquisition ofvivoPharm.

CGIs acquisition ofvivoPharm, announced on August 14, 2017,will significantly strengthenthe Company's position as a leader for oncology discoveryand early phase clinical development and testing for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. With over a decade of experience in delivering a wide range of discovery and preclinical services to support drug development, target validation and biomarker analysis,vivoPharm has supported over 200 IND submissions for innovative therapies, with a significant focus on immuno-oncology.

Hosted by CGI's CEO and President, Mr. Panna Sharma, the call will introduceinvestors and analysts tonew members of the CGI team, including Dr. RalfBrandt, former CEO and Managing Director ofvivoPharm, who now serves as the President of Discovery & Early Development Services at CGI.

Mr. Sharma will also provide insight into both operational and customer synergies that will result from the integration ofvivoPharm, as well as the long-term strategy for growth. Additional details will also be provided onvivoPharms specialized tumor and disease models, toxicology and pharmacology services, biomarker analysis and animal imaging capabilitiesthat are expected toprovide CGInewopportunities to deepen its relationships with existing biopharma customers through additional discovery and downstream molecular work,while bolstering the Companys previously announced initiative aimed at early-phase drug repurposing and drug rescue programs.

The call details are noted in the table below.

ABOUT CANCER GENETICSCancer Genetics, Inc. is a leader in enabling precision medicine in oncology from bench to bedside through the use of oncology biomarkers and molecular testing. CGI is developing a global footprint with locations in the US, India and China. We have established strong clinical research collaborations with major cancer centers such as Memorial Sloan Kettering, The Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Keck School of Medicine at USC and the National Cancer Institute.

The Company offers a comprehensive range of laboratory services that provide critical genomic and biomarker information. Its state-of-the-art reference labs are CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited in the US and have licensure from several states including New York State.

For more information, please visit or follow us:Internet:www.cancergenetics.comTwitter:@Cancer GeneticsFacebook:www.facebook.com/CancerGenetics

Forward Looking Statements:This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating results, future growth in revenues, margins, research, technology, clinical development and potential opportunities for Cancer Genetics, Inc. tests and services, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements.

Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to, statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, risks of cancellation of customer contracts or discontinuance of trials, risks that anticipated benefits from acquisitions will not be realized, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, maintenance of intellectual property rights and other risks discussed in the Cancer Genetics, Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 along with other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Cancer Genetics, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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Cancer Genetics, Inc. to Host Conference Call to Discuss Strategic and Business Rationale of vivoPharm Acquisition - GlobeNewswire (press release)

Sufferers of rare mitochondrial disease have new hope with a new method developed at the University of Sydney. The method provides a diagnosis within weeks instead of months or years through a simple blood sample.

Mitochondrial diseases are rare and hard to diagnose. They can affect any organ, at any age and are often 'hidden' in other diseases such as diabetes, blindness, liver and kidney failure and even Autism.

The new method has already led to two new disease gene discoveries where the patients suffered from lactate build-up and hyperglycemia (CYC1), and deafness and organ failure (MRPS7). The research published in the American Journal of Human Genetics and Human Molecular Genetics.

"One in 200 people will carry a mitochondrial genetic defect which means nearly 120,000 Australians are at risk of developing serious illness," says Minal. "And yet mitochondrial diseases are extremely difficult to diagnose. They are often referred to as the 'notorious masquerader'".

With the faster diagnosis, some people can be treated for what had previously been thought to be untreatable disease.

For others even if not treatment is available, the diagnosis gives them a cause for the illness and the possibility to enrol in clinical trials. This can result in enormous improvements in quality of life.

Families can also receive genetic counselling and many may choose to use IVF when building a family, with medical staff able to quantify the risk of the disease being passed on.

Explore further: New genetic analysis approach could improve diagnosis for mitochondrial disease

More information: Pauline Gaignard et al. Mutations in CYC1, Encoding Cytochrome c1 Subunit of Respiratory Chain Complex III, Cause Insulin-Responsive Hyperglycemia, The American Journal of Human Genetics (2013). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2013.06.015

Minal J. Menezes et al. Mutation in mitochondrial ribosomal protein S7 (MRPS7) causes congenital sensorineural deafness, progressive hepatic and renal failure and lactic acidemia, Human Molecular Genetics (2015). DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu747

Continued here:
Blood test uncovers hidden diseases - Medical Xpress

Once difficult and expensive even for the most technologically advanced labs, genetic testing is fast becoming a cheap and easy consumer product. With a little spit and 200 dollars, you can find out your risk for everything from cystic fibrosis to lactose intolerance.

But its important to remember that not all genetic tests are created equal. And even the best clinical genetic test, carried out in a medical lab under a doctor's supervision, isn't perfectgenes are important, but they don't seal your fate.

Genetic tests are diagnostic, so anyone who is curious about their health can get one done. But they're more informative if you think you might be at risk for a genetic disorder.

Heavy-duty genetic tests have been used as a clinical tool for almost half a centurylong before 23andMe and Ancestry.com began offering direct-to-consumer tests. Lets say that many women in your family have had breast cancer. You can get a genetic test to see if you may have inherited an abnormal version of the BRCA gene, known to increase your risk for breast cancer.

Heidi Rehm, associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School, is the director of the Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, where patients get tested for diseases that can be traced to specific genetic roots. She says it is most common for people to get tested when they either suspect or know that they have a genetic disease; it may have affected multiple people in their family or they could show symptoms of something widely known to be genetic, like sickle cell anemia. For these people, genetic tests can provide a much-needed explanation for an illness and help doctors determine the best course of treatment. Babies are often tested for genetic diseases, either while they are still fetuses or shortly after birth.

Others get genetic tests if they and their partner both have family histories of an inherited diseaseeven if they dont have the disease themselves. For example, cystic fibrosis is linked to one particular gene, but you have to inherit the abnormal version of the gene from both your parents to get the disease. If you only inherit one copy, you may never knowyou wont display any of the symptoms. But if you and your partner both carry one copy of the faulty gene, your child could still inherit two copies. Genetic tests can forewarn you of that possibility.

But Rehm says there has been a recent trend of healthy people getting tested to predict whether theyll get certain diseases. I do think there are settings where predictive genetic testing is incredibly important and useful, Rehm says; for example, knowing that youre at risk for breast cancer gives you the opportunity for early intervention (remember when Angelina Jolie got a double mastectomy upon finding out she had a mutated BRCA gene?)

But Rehm also points out that genetic tests may not be as straightforward as they seem. For example, some genes are thought to increase risk of getting a certain disease, but it might only happen if you have specific family history, or you might be able to reduce your risk with lifestyle changes. So remember that a genetic test isnt the final verdictthere are other factors at play too.

Not entirelyits scope is limited. For starters, not all diseases are caused by genes. Plenty of conditions stem from environmental and lifestyle factors; they may interact with your genes, but the external factors are the real trigger.

But even if a disease is caused solely by faulty instructions written in your genes, you wont necessarily be able to test for it. Thats because genetic tests are mainly used for diseases that are penetrant, a term that scientists use to describe a strong connection between having a certain gene (or multiple genes) and getting a disease.

Genetic tests are surprisingly simple on the surface. All thats required of you is a small sample of cells, like a blood sample or saliva (which doesnt have DNA itself, but picks up cheek cells during its journey out of your mouth). It get sent to a lab where sequencing machines match up small pieces of synthetic DNA with your DNA to figure out the overall sequence.

Once they have your sequence, geneticists can compare it with "normal" or disease-causing sequences. In the end, they might give you a yes or no answer, or sometimes youll get a probabilitya measure of how much your genes increase your risk of developing the disease. Then, its up to your doctor to figure out what these genes (in combination with your lifestyle, family history and other risk factors) mean for your health.

With penetrant diseases, theres a very, very high ability to explain the disease, Rehm says. For example, the breast cancer-related gene BRCA1 can give you a 60 percent chance of getting breast cancer (in Jolies case, with her family history, the risk was 87 percent.)

This makes genetic tests better at detecting so-called rare diseases, says Steven Schrodi, associate research scientist at the Marshfield Clinic Research Institutes Center for Human Genetics, but theyre less useful when it comes to more common diseases, like heart disease or diabetes. Genetics can increase your likelihood of getting these disease, but scientists still dont know quite how much. Part of the problem is that there may be dozens or hundreds of genes responsible for these diseases, Schrodi says.

We have an incomplete understanding of why people get diseases, Schrodi says. A large part of it hinges on how we define diseases. Perhaps physicians have inadvertently combined multiple diseases together into a single entity.

Consumer genetic teststhe ones where you send in samples from homesometimes claim to test for these more complex traits, but be careful: Their results might not be very medically relevant, Rehm says. If they tell you that your genes make you twice as likely to develop diabetes, for example, that's a marginal increase that doesn't significantly affect your risk, especially when you take into account lifestyle factors.

Genes do seem to play a role in determining lifespan. After all, some family reunions stretch from great-great-grandparents all the way down to infants. Scientists have studied centenarianspeople who lived to be 100 years oldand found that people with certain versions of genes involved in repairing DNA tend to live longer.

This makes sense because aging leaves its mark on your DNA. Environmental factors can damage DNA, and even the routine chore of replicating cells can introduce errors as the three billion units of your DNA are copied over and over. Long-lived individuals have different sequences that seem to make their cells better at keeping DNA in mint condition.

But figuring out your expiration date is more complex than just testing for a few genes, says Jan Vijg, professor of genetics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In theory, you could design a test that looks at specific genes that might measure your risk for developing Alzheimers Disease or other age-related diseases, or your risk for aging quickly. To some extent, yes: Biomarkers will tell you something about your chances of living a long life, Vijg says. Still, that will only work if you live a careful life. And that means no accidents, infections, or cancers.

Aging also affects the exposed ends of your DNA, called "telomeres." DNA is stored as chromosomes, those X-like structures that you may have seen in biology textbooks. The most vulnerable parts of the chromosome are the chromosomes tips, which get shorter as you age because they arent properly replicated. But while telomere length might let you compare your DNA now with your DNA from a decade ago, you cant compare your own telomeres with other peoples telomeres. Theres a lot of variation between individuals, Vijg says. Some of us are just old souls (on the genomic level, that is.)

The methylation test, which looks at how the presence of small chemical groups attached to your DNA changes as you age, might be a better bet. A study at UCLA showed that changes were slower in longer-lived people. But Vijg is hesitant: I would not put my hopes on that as a marker to predict when exactly youre going to die.

For now, just enjoy your life, because you cant predict death. And if you decide to unlock the secrets of your DNA with an at-home test, don't take those results for more than their worth.

See original here:
What can genetic testing really tell you? - Popular Science

LAS VEGAS, August 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The healthcare sector is made up of several different industries, from pharmaceuticals to biotechnology to health insurance. Making predictions in this sector can be difficult as there are many variables working with and against each other at one time. It's important to track both negative and positive trends in healthcare companies. Investors who track these trends, make the best out of their predictions.

Certain trends in healthcare an investor should track include: the aging population and their healthcare needs, personalized medicine, the global reach of certain diseases, obesity and diabetes epidemic, and of course, technological advances. All of these trends mean different things in healthcare stock. Biotech companies are working tirelessly to address specific trends in human health, identifying the companies who are working with healthcare trends is key.

Some such companies include: Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. (OTC: ENDV), Juno Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: JUNO), Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBIO), Genocea Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNCA), and TherapeuticsMD, Inc. (NYSE: TXMD)

Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: ENDV)

Market Cap: $7.3M, current share price: .028

ENDV is an innovative biotechnology company implementing a bioelectronic approach to regenerative medicine. They are addressing several healthcare trends with their electroceutical platform, which is a non-invasive, non-implantable device for treating inflammatory conditions in vital organs. Through the innovative research at ENDV, they are addressing most of the major healthcare trends by developing therapies to treat the aging population and addressing obesity and the complications that it entails, such as peripheral artery disease, heart disease, diabetic kidney disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Additionally, ENDV is working to address global diseases, kidney disease, and organ failure.

Tracking ENDV and their work in research and development (R&D) is something anyone interested in healthcare or biotech stocks should do. As their research correlates and ebbs and flows with healthcare trends. Some highlights regarding ENDV's R&D are below:

As ENDV moves forward and inches closer to announcing the results of their pre-clinical studies across their diverse technology platform, you'll want to stay up-to-date with their successes.

Other healthcare and biotech companies to review

Juno Therapeutics, Inc. (JUNO)

Market Cap: $3.021B, current share price: 28.30

JUNO, a clinical-stage cell immunotherapy company focused on revolutionizing medicine by re-engaging the body's immune system to treat cancer, has achieved recent milestones with its collaboration with Editas Medicine, Inc. (EDIT) This collaboration began over two years ago, the two companies are pursuing three research programs that aim to combine Editas Medicine's genome editing platform with Juno's CAR and TCR technologies.

Their most recent achievement relates to the improvement in the ability of T cells to overcome the tumor microenvironment. Editas Medicine will receive $2.5 million for achieving this milestone.

Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc. (EBIO)

Market Cap: $35.2M, current share price: 1.425

EBIO is a late-stage clinical oncology company advancing a broad pipeline of novel product candidates based on its Targeting Protein Therapeutics (TPTs) platform. They announced this week that they'll be hosting a live conference call to announce their Q2 financial results.

This is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. ET on Monday, August 14, 2017. To access the conference call, please dial (844) 831-3025 (domestic) or (315) 625-6887 (international) at least five minutes prior to the start time and refer to conference ID 63779857.

Genocea Biosciences, Inc. (GNCA)

Market Cap: $112.74M, current share price: 3.955

Similarly to JUNO and EDITS collaboration on moving research forward regarding T cells, GNCA's lead candidate is a novel T cell-directed immunotherapy for genital herpes. Today marks a horrible day for GNCA's performance on the stock market. GNCA's shares closed down 7.42% on Thursday with a little over 600,000 shares traded. The company reported second quarter financial results this week and reported a loss of $15.4 million.

On a per share basis, this was a loss of 54 cents while Wall Street was only expecting a loss of 46 cents. Keep a lookout for this stock as its performance is expected to continue to plummet.

TherapeuticsMD, Inc. (TXMD)

Market Cap: $1.15B, current share price: 5.630

TXMD, an innovative women's healthcare company, just received a formal General Advice Letter from the FDA stating that an initial review has been completed and requesting that the Company submit the additional endometrial safety information to the NDA for TX-004HR on or before September 18, 2017.

This is great news for TXMD although they've been ranked negatively in the HealthCare Sector. Investors who seek profit from falling equity prices should target TXMD. Short interest is extremely high for TXMD with more than 20% of shares on loan.

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Tracking Trends in Biotechnology - Markets Insider

By Nkechi Isaac

Maize (also known as corn in some countries) is one of the most common and important food crops across Africa. It is widely eaten in various forms and more than 900 million Africans depend on maize every year because it is often cheaper than rice and wheat, two of the other most consumed cereals.

A report released by the IITA estimates that about 800 million tons of maize is produced worldwide every year.

According to the report, though the United States remains the worlds largest producer with 42 percent of all maize produced globally, Africa contributes significantly in this production with 6.5 percent of this volume which is still insufficient for local consumption.

Nigeria remains Africas largest producer with nearly 8 million tons per annum. It is closely followed by South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

It was therefore a nightmare when Nigeria like the rest of Africa woke up to the Fall Armyworm (FAW) infestation which was rapidly spreading across the region.

Army worm is very deleterious and like the name suggests it derives its name from its feeding habits, of marching in large numbers from grasslands into crops. They strongly prefer grasses, cereals like maize, and can mercilessly eat the stem of the crop as well as the leaves.

Army worm infestation can be disastrous on the crops. It affects the yield of the crop from the stalk to the stage of maturity and is capable of destroying entire crops in a matter of weeks if it is unchecked.

Like other African countries, Nigeria woke up to a nightmare of recent army worm infestation in the region, leaving farmers worried as the pest, which has grown resistance to chemicals, wreaked havoc on newly cultivated maize farms across the country. This resulted in the severe reduction on the yield recouped by farmers on their maize field.

The Federal Government quickly waded and convened a meeting with commissioners for agriculture from the 36 states in Abuja to find ways of ameliorating the effect of the havoc and contain the infestation.

In his speech, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the achievement of self-sufficiency in maize production would continue to be a mirage with the pest infestation.

He said the spread of the maize disease had negatively affected the poultry industry, which largely depends on maize for the production of feeds.

The minister explained that the aim of the meeting was to brainstorm on ways of finding sustainable solutions to the army worm infestation which had ravaged maize farms in the states.

It is the state government that owns lands; so we need to tackle this problem to boost agricultural production, he said.

Ogbeh told the meeting the federal government required N2.98 billion to curb the army worm infestation of farmlands across the country, adding the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) had pledged to support the country in its fight against the army worm infestation.

However, scientists are calling on farmers to embrace biotechnology by using genetically modified crops which have been proven safe for man and the environment to permanently tackle such occurrences.

Speaking during an interview with journalists in Abuja, the country coordinator of Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB), Nigeria Chapter, Dr Rose Gidado, said genetic modification, also known as genetic engineering, is a technologically advanced way to select desirable traits in crops, pointing out that while selective breeding has existed for thousands of years, modern biotechnology is more efficient and effective because seed developers are able to directly modify the genome of the crop.

The OFAB coordinator said adopting genetic modification technology to develop maize variety resistant to pest provided a lasting solution for army worm infestation, adding genetically engineered (GE) plants are selectively bred and enhanced with genes to withstand common problems that confront farmers which include maize that could survive pesticides/infestation.

Gidado, a deputy director, at the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) revealed that a breakthrough recorded by scientists with the development of a maize variety called Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) which has proven to resist the attacks from army worm infestations provided a lasting solution to the infestation.

She said: The lasting solution to army worm infestation on maize is the use of genetic modification technology to develop a maize variety that would be resistant to the pest, that gives a permanent solution.

She added, There is already a variety of maize called Water Efficient Maize Variety for Africa that has proven to be resistant to army worm, it has not yet been deployed to Nigeria but we are making plans.

The WEMA project is a public-private partnership to develop royalty-free African drought-tolerant white maize varieties, it also increases yield stability, protects and promotes farmers investment in best management practices.

The project which is water conserving and insect protected conventional and transgenic maize, is expected under moderate drought, to increase yields by 20-35 percent over current varieties; it is also expected to translate into additional 2 million MT of maize during drought to feed 14 to 21 million people.

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Biotechnology, Panacea To Army Worm Maize Infestation - Leadership Newspapers

By Abdallah el-Kurebe

With the down turn in the global prices of oil, we now have to prospect our solid minerals. We have to return to agriculture, President Buhari to members of the Council of Saudi Arabian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

According to the United Nations projections, the world population will be 9.8 billion people by 2050 and Nigeria which currently ranks seventh, will become the third most populous, replacing United States. It is currently about 200 million people.HARVEST: Women with baskets of tomatoes harvested from farmlands provided under the Restoring Agricultural Assets of IDPs, Returnees and Vulnerable Host Families in NorthEast Nigeria project, put together by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations; the UN Central Emergency Response Fund and the governments of Ireland, Japan and Belgium.

Since his assumption of office in May 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari has repeated said that the nations economy must be diversified to, especially Agriculture which must cease from being treated as development programme but be treated as business. Our goal will be to pursue government supported private sector agriculture value chain to make agriculture more productive, efficient and competitive.

The drastic fall of oil prices in the international market has directed the thinking of the Buhari administration to diversify the economy to, specifically agriculture and one possible means of doing this is the deployment of biotechnology.

It serves as a tool for sustainable development in agriculture and could boost food security in Nigeria. It is therefore appropriate for the country in order to boost the production of maize, cotton, rice, beans, wheat, cassava, etc to, not only meet up with our consumption needs but also for the purpose of commercialization.

Dr. Muhammad Lawan Umar, a plant breeder with Institute for Agricultural Research of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Zaria observes that Biotechnology has made possible what was impossible for the traditional methods to make by use of the new techniques. This has become realisable, especially I advanced countries, where such technology has been adopted and it can work wonders for developing countries, like Nigeria.

He gives an example of the pod-borer resistant beans on which efforts had been made to discover the source of the resistance without success. So far, 15,000 different types of varieties have been assembled and screened in order to identify the cause of the resistance. Experts agreed that the only option is to use biotechnology, which has now identified the maruca-resistant beans. This was a global phenomenon from America down to Africa where the problem of maruca is more, he said.

Umar adds that tests have been conducted in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso) where traits that were resistant to those insects have been identified.

Biotechnology been used to transfer the genes to farmer-specified varieties adapted to different ecology in these West African countries. We have realised four to five times increase in yields and we are moving towards commercialisation.

Secondly, biotechnology has shortened the time of developing and releasing a variety. This is done in three to four years if there are no regulatory agencies that may delay the process. With the use of molecular marker, you can select a plant at a tender stage in fact you can select a grain to see which one carries the gene or not. But with the conventional methods, we used to spend eight to nine years to develop and release a variety because we had to plant it, grow it and then harvest it before you can assess, he explained.

Adebayo Olusoji, an Agriculture Extension and Rural Development Expert with the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora said that biotechnology is an innovation has done well for Nigerias cassava production. Presently, we have more than twenty genetically modified improved cassava varieties with an average yield of 25-45 tonnes per hectare.

He adds that in cassava value chain, processing of improved cassava has resulted in high quality starch, which is being exported abroad. Biotechnology has not left out annual crops like maize, soybean, etc. As we have pro-vitamin A maize, Alfa toxin free soybean, etc.

A good step is Nigerias adoption of biotechnology in agriculture through the Biotechnology Policy, which led the establishment of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA). And in order to address safety concerns, the National Bio-safety Management Agency (NBMA), a full-fledged agency that provides regulatory frameworks for sustainability has been established.

Prof. Lauwali Abubakar, the Director at the Centre for Agricultural and Pastoral Research of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto said that Nigerias population growth was against the low agricultural productivity. Our population is expanding while our agricultural production is low. We need biotechnology, which will bring multiple food production in a limited period.

Hamma Ali Kwajaffa is former President of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) and Director General at Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association said that biotechnology could develop African cotton, especially now that the product is in completion in the international market.

Biotechnology has increased the tonnage of cotton per hectare in America, China and India and their farmers are happy with it. We have not been able to achieve one tonne per hectare in Nigeria while those using biotechnology are harvesting five tonnes per hectare. Generally, our farmers have been left out, he said.

He cited Burkina Faso as the number country in Africa that applied biotechnology on commercial level for cotton. When Nigeria starts full application of biotechnology after field trials, the story will be a different one. Biotechnology will boost our agricultural productivity in no small measure.

Thanks to biotechnology, India which was least known in agriculture became worlds largest producer of cotton; Argentina leads in the production and export of soybeans and Burkina Faso, in the last two years became Africas largest producer of BT cotton.

Therefore, Nigeria has no choice than to consider the deployment of agricultural biotechnology, especially if food insecurity is our concern against the projected population explosion.

Read more:
How biotechnology can optimize agriculture in Nigeria - Vanguard