StemCell Therapy

Canadians generally do not have a solid understanding of what exactly the term biotechnology refers to, according to recently released public opinion research collected by Nielsen Consumer Insights on behalf of Agriculture Canada.

In July 2016, the department issued a contract asking Nielsen Consumer Insights to conduct a comprehensive research project to measure Canadian consumers perceptions and attitudes towards issues related to domestic agriculture and agri-food.

The research would help provide insight while developing the next agriculture policy framework, which comes into force in 2018. The data was collected via a series of focus groups, telephone calls and online consultations.

Overall, researchers found 88 percent of those surveyed have a generally positive or neutral view of biotechnology.

Canadians generally feel that biotechnology will have a positive impact on their future, placing it near the top of a selection of new and emerging technologies in terms of this promise, researchers told Agriculture Canada.

However, Canadian knowledge and view on specific forms of biotechnology varies widely.

Researchers found that most of the people who were surveyed struggled to give examples of biotechnology used in agriculture. Participants typically offered up examples used within the medical and health care fields, such as stem cells, antibiotics and robotics.

The association of the term biotechnology with health applications may be an indication that it is profiting from a halo effect, re-searchers warned.

This could lead to people feeling that biotechnology is positive because the applications that they associate with it promote human well-being.

Researchers reported an aversion to applications of biotechnology that consumers felt had the potential to upset the natural order or would allow scientists to play god.

The closer the application could be seen in terms of living, breathing organisms, the more resistance there was to the specific applications, such as genetically modified animals.

Researchers found less than half (46 percent) of the Canadians surveyed were familiar with the concept of GM animals, which has dropped from previous years.

Canadians werent particularly comfortable with the idea. Many within the focus groups raised moral or ethical concerns about it.

People were much more likely to see the potential risks of GM animals as outweighing the benefits than they were likely to see with other technologies, the report reads.

Those technologies include biofuel, gene editing and genetically modified fish, including fish that could be used to produce insulin for diabetic human patients.

Despite specific consumer concerns around certain applications, researchers found Canadians have not rejected biotechnology all together.

Consumer opinions are built based on the specific use presented and individual knowledge of that particular form of biotechnology, researchers said.

In other words, there does not appear to be a blanket approval or rejection of biotechnologies themselves.

Thats good news for Canadian agriculture, where participants stressed Canada could easily be-come a world leader in the agriculture and food biotechnology re-search field. That conviction, researchers found, is increasing as more attention is paid to it.

It is possible that this is due to the growing role that these technologies are playing in our food supply and a higher level of media attention, Agriculture Canada was told.

Similarly, people agree that these technologies will be developed elsewhere in the world where regulations and control may be less stringent, the report said, which isa situation Canadians said they would like to avoid. The federal government, respondents said, has an important role to play in the biotechnology field.

Over the course of the study, 875 Canadians were contacted last year by phone between Aug. 31 and Sept. 17 and Dec. 1-13. The phone portion of the research has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percent.

Another 220 Canadians participated in the online survey, and 10 focus groups were held, with two meetings each in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax and Calgary.

Kelsey Johnson is a reporter with iPolitics, http://www.ipolitics.ca.

Originally posted here:
Biotechnology remains a mystery for many Canadians - Western Producer

Share This Article: Eli Lilly and Company logo. (PRNewsFoto, Eli Lilly and Company)

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly announced the completion of a $90 million expansion of its San Diego biotechnology center, which is now more than double its previous size with the addition of 180,000 square feet of work space.

The facility, on Campus Point Drive near UC San Diego, also includes a new high-tech laboratory and room for what the Indianapolis-based company calls a Life Science Studio.

Eli Lilly moved into San Diego in 2004 with the acquisition of Applied Molecular Evolution Inc., and built its Biotechnology Center in 2009.

Being in the San Diego area for the last 13 years has been a game changer for us, specifically in the arena of discovering medicines for hard-to- treat autoimmune conditions, said Thomas F. Bumol, Lillys senior vice president of biotechnology and immunology research.

Company officials said they hope the new facility will allow closer collaboration among researchers. The center originally focused on immunology, but in the larger facility, scientists will also work on diabetes, oncology, neurodegeneration and pain reduction.

Investing in drug discovery and development is critical to maintaining an ecosystem that encourages and promotes innovation, said Jan Lundberg, executive vice president for science and technology and president of Lilly Research Laboratories.

Our expansion in San Diego is a prime example of investing in a research success story, Lundberg said. Expanding our presence in San Diego will not only help us discover and deliver innovative medicines faster, but will also help us achieve our goal of launching 20 new medicines in 10 years.

According to Eli Lilly, the Life Science Studio will allow researchers across the globe to remotely design, synthesize and screen molecules in an unprecedented manner, expanding the ability of scientists to test new ideas, reduce costs and minimize environmental impacts.

City News Service

Eli Lilly Unveils $90M Expanded Biotechnology Center in San Diego was last modified: June 23rd, 2017 by Debbie L. Sklar

>> Subscribe to Times of San Diegos free daily email newsletter! Click here

Read more here:
Eli Lilly Unveils $90M Expanded Biotechnology Center in San Diego - Times of San Diego

Wall Street is going gaga over the healthcare and biotech sector. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (ETF) (NASDAQ:IBB) rallied 9% in four days. TheSPDR S&P Biotech (ETF) (NYSEARCA:XBI) rallied even more.

These are impressive moves that deserve respect. But I cannot chase it if I am not already on board the trade. Or I will end up buying someone elses profits. Wall Street loves to trade memes these days. A few weeks ago the IBB was dead money, now they cant have enough of it.

The hoopla centers around expectations from the new healthcare bill. I think we are giving it too much credit. We dont know if it will pass and even if it does, we dont know its full effects. But I am willing to bet that it wont be better to the sector than Obamacare was. This new bill is likely to be less, and therefore we could have a disappointment period coming.

Click to Enlarge Before you label me a perma-bear, I was a fan of the IBB a few weeks ago. Instead of chasing the momentum after it happens, a bit a good homework delivered great results. Case in point is this massive win from a bullish trade I shared on May 23 which yielded easy profits and out of thin air.

Now that everyone and their sister is chasing this rally in the IBB, I am ready to try and short it. Before you send out the posse to arrest me for daring to short the hot topic du jour, my trade is not against the sector, but rather is my bet against the short-term price action. I like to go long IBB on weakness but here I see the potential for a dip.

A lot of the enthusiasm is tied to politicians doing the right thing, and I am not so sure they will deliver. Even if they do, its probably going to take longer and be less than we expect. Eventually, traders will get antsy and lose interest and the IBB bids will abate, thereby creating a small vacuum below the current steep wedge. Therein lies the opportunity.

The Bearish Bet: Buy the IBB Aug $315/310 debit put spread for $1.50 or better per contract. If price falls through my spread in the next 56 days, I could triple my money. The faster and sooner the fall, the better otherwise time is my enemy.

To mitigate my out-of-pocket risk, I will leverage the value in the IBB ETF. I will sell longer dated puts to finance my bearish bet.

The Bank: Sell IBB Dec $270 puts and collect $5 per contract. This is a bullish trade which has a 90% theoretical chance of success. But if the IBB falls through my short put, then I will own the shares and could accrue losses below $265. But if Wall Street is correct about the political exuberance in the biotech sector, then I really have nothing to worry about. For a smaller risk profile, I could use a credit put spread instead.

Selling options is risky, so I never risk more than I am willing or able to lose.

Learn how to generate income from options here. Nicolas Chahine is the managing director of SellSpreads.com. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. You can follow him on Twitter at @racernicand stocktwits at@racernic.

More here:
Play the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (ETF)'s (IBB) Popularity for Free - Investorplace.com

Arthritis affects more than 10 million people and it takes over the lives of sufferers. Heres how to cope with, or avoid the condition

Arthritis affects more than 10 million people and it takes over the lives of sufferers.

The crippling condition can cause severe mobility problems, make sleeping impossible and turn basic tasks into a mission.

But instead of relying on anti-inflammatories and painkillers, which have been linked to stomach and heart issues, try these alternatives.

And they could even stop you from developing the condition in the first place.

Tuck into pomegranates

Chemicals found in the exotic fruits can protect against osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis.

Called phytochemicals, they help prevent damage to cartilage cells, which keeps bones healthy.

Pomegranate seeds are also full of punicic acid, which has powerful antioxidant properties and could reduce joint inflammation.

Mediterranean diet plan

Eating more fruit, vegetables, beans, whole grains, olive oil and fatty fish may help tackle the disease and increase mobility.

The first study into the link between a Mediterranean diet and osteoarthritis recently found that eating more of these ingredients over a 16-week period helped reduce inflammation and maintain bone health.

Run by the charity organisation, Arthritis Action, the research saw the inflammatory blood biomarker of participants drop by almost half, while a cartilage degeneration dropped eight per cent. The experts also recommended cutting down on red meat.

Tai chi

If you are looking for more of a relaxed exercise regime, try tai chi. The Chinese practice has been linked to reduced pain, fatigue and stiffness, plus improved mobility in people with osteoarthritis.

The slow breathing and gentle movements boost muscle strength and balance. After six weeks, participants in a University of Miami study were able to walk faster and further.

Go for a jog

It is important to keep muscles and joints moving, even if you do not have arthritis.

Moderate exercise has even been found to help prevent osteoarthritis in the knees and hips physical activity helps lubricate the joints and maintain cartilage elasticity.

While running had previously been thought to be bad for joints, a study recently found that regular jogs are good news for the knees and hips and can cut your osteoarthritis risk. But researchers for the study, published in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, say overdoing it could do more harm than good.

Get pedalling

Stationary cycling, otherwise known as spinning, is good for the knees. Researchers at Northern Illinois University found it is the best form of exercise to get people with mild-to-moderate symptoms back on their feet.

Magnet magic

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy is providing an alternative to antiinflammatories and painkiller medication. The clever tech is in a wearable device and involves an electrically charged magnet, which delivers energy to the painful area. Patients with osteoarthritis who used the gadget for 12 hours a day over one month saw their pain greatly reduced, according to a study in Rheumatology journal. And some even came off painkillers completely.

Original post:
How to battle arthritis - Pune Mirror

Your first choicefor relief from arthritis pain might be over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, aspirin or naproxen. These medicines are highly effective for most people. However, theycome with some potential side effects that are worth considering.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

You may want to consider adding topical pain relievers such as creams, ointments, lotions, patchesand rubs to your pain relief arsenal. These over-the-counter productscan ease arthritis aches without the potential side effects of pills.

Topical medicines, especially for hand and knee arthritis, are as effective in certain cases as oral medications, says orthopedic specialist Jason Genin, DO. A topical might be much better and better tolerated.

These pain-relieving medicinescan have the greatest impact onarthritis in yourhands, knees orelbows, Dr. Genin says. They areless effective withsources of pain that lie deep within your body like the hip joint, which is surrounded by a thick layer of muscle and fat.

Topical arthritis pain relievers come in several forms, and are availableover the counter and by prescription. They tend to be safer than pills, but they can still cause side effects particularly skin irritation, Dr. Genin says.

Other symptoms like shortness of breath or low blood pressure indicate a possible allergy to the medicine. This is serious, and if this happens, youll need to stop using the medicineand contact your doctor.

The righttopical treatment will depend on location and severity of your painand your lifestyle. They tend to fall into three categories:

I like to use the topical compounds when a patient hasnt tolerated oral medications, which are drugs that affect your entire body. With a topical compound, we cankeep the side effect localized rather than body-wide, especially if they tried over-the-counter topical treatments and they didnt work, Dr. Genin says.

A pain-relieving cream, gel or patch likely wont be your sole arthritis relief strategy. They work best in combination with other strategies, such as exercise, diet and oral pain relievers. Your doctor can advise you on the rightcombination for your needs.

Hopefully, topical pain relievers are just one part of the arthritis treatment, Dr. Genin says.

Read the rest here:
How You Can Get Arthritis Relief From Creams, Patches and Ointments - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic (blog)

Jan 15, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Charcandrick West (35) congratulates wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (19) during the second half in the AFC Divisional playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium. The Steelers won 18-16. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Johnny Cueto rumors: Giants pitcher expected to opt out by Brad Berreman

Luke Walton believes Lonzo Ball will help improve Lakers culture by Nam Tran

Charcandrick West has overcome many obstacles to become a professional football player, one of which is arthritis. West recently used his vocal talents to educate people about the disease.

In a recent collaboration with the charity Singing for Superheroes, West has made his first music video and introduced fans to his singing talents with the song, Body of Steel.

West performed the song in conjunction with 10-year-old Jillian Reed, who also has arthritis. The running back says that it was his own experiences growing up with the disease that motivated him to participate in the songs production.

My agent got me hooked up with them [Singing for Superheroes], West explained. It was just something that clicked in my heart. I wanted to raise awareness about what I had gone through and it made sense to work with Jillian. We both know what its like to deal with arthritis. The best thing about song is that it allows you to put what you feel to words.

West says that he was diagnosed with arthritis when he was 14. His treatment regimen for the disease has enabled him to perform at his highest level despite the disease, which affects the afflicted persons joints and mobility. Other than his personal struggle with the disease, West says that misconceptions about arthritis motivate him to educate people about the disease.

Arthritis is a very misunderstood disease, West commented. The first thing most people think of when they think of arthritis is an older person. Most people dont think of kids like Jillian having to deal with it. I want to make parents aware that it can happen to their children at any time.

While West is committed to prolonging a successful NFL career for as long as he can, he hasnt ruled out the pursuit of a musical career either during or after his football days are spent.

I will consider it when that time comes, West stated. I just couldnt have turned the opportunity down to make this song considering what Jillian was doing. Most people dont understand how brave Jillian is. Its hard to do what she did with so much confidence, as far as recording the song and everything went. It takes a lot to get up there and do what she did about a sensitive situation.

West says that he has remained in contact with Reeds family and plans to continue to do all he can to raise awareness about arthritis in the hopes of finding a cure. Whether it be on the gridiron or behind a microphone, its going to take much more than arthritis to keep West from accomplishing his goals.

Here is the original post:
Charcandrick West demonstrates pipes to raise awareness about ... - FanSided

According to the latest report published by Credence Research, Inc.Diabetes Devices Market Growth, Future Prospects and Competitive Analysis, 2016-2022,the global diabetes devices market was valued at USD 20.4 Bn in 2015, and is expected to reach USD 28.2 Bn by 2022, expanding at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2016 to 2022.

Browse the fullreport Diabetes Devices: Market Growth, Future Prospects and Competitive Analysis, 2016-2022 at http://www.credenceresearch.com/report/diabetes-devices-market

Market Insights

With approximately 385 Mn diabetic patients and a burden of 175 Mn undiagnosed population, the burden of diabetes is significant. Lifestyle, increase in obesity prevalence, dietary changes and ageing are some of the critical factors contributing to the growing prevalence of diabetes worldwide. The global diabetes management market is majorly driven by rising disease prevalence, technological innovation, growing preference for automated disease management solutions are the prime drivers of diabetes devices market.

Growth of the global diabetes management devices market is also supported by significant investments, scope of penetration in middle- and low-income countries and increasing awareness in patient population about effective diabetes management and thereby prevention of disease related complications. On the other hand, high costs of novel diabetes management products and monitors, compliance issues, safety concerns and reimbursement issues are some of the market hindrances faced by the diabetes device manufacturers.

This report classifies the overall diabetes devices market into insulin delivery devices and glucose monitoring devices segments. The insulin delivery devices segment studies individual market for insulin pumps, insulin syringes, insulin pens and insulin inhalers. The glucose monitoring products studied in this report include test strips, lancing devices and lancets, glucose meters and continuous glucose monitors. Insulin delivery devices currently take the larger share of the overall diabetes devices market and it is anticipated that the demand for these products shall remain high through the forecast period. Additionally, continuous glucose monitors is anticipated to be the fastest growing segment in the total market, where the growth is facilitated by rapid technological innovation in this field by players such as Dexcom and prove efficiency of these devices in management of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Geographically, North America and Europe are the largest regional markets for diabetes devices. High awareness, diabetes prevalence and evolved reimburse systems for novel drug delivery and monitoring systems are the prime market growth drivers in these regions. Furthermore, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa are the fastest growing regions in the global market. Phenomenal rise in diabetes prevalence in countries such as India, China and Middle East countries are the major growth facilitators in these region.

The overall diabetes devices market is led by F. Hoffmann La Roche through its flagship product line Accu Chek and is followed by Animas Corporation and LifeScan with their wide product offering. Eli Lilly currently is among the top players in the diabetes delivery devices segment.

Download Sample:http://www.credenceresearch.com/sample-request/57947

Other Best Selling Reports:http://healthwant.com/2017/03/01/global-drug-delivery-technologies-market-is-predicted-to-hit-284-71-bn-by-2023/

Original post:
Diabetes Devices Market Is Predicted To Hit USD 28.2 Bn By 2022, Credence Research - Technorati

June 23, 2017 by Martha Mckenzie Lisa Staimez, left, and Mary Beth Weber, middle, are studying diabetes in India. Credit: Emory University

The number of people with diabetes has quadrupled from 1980 to 2014, and 415 million adults in the world now have diabetes, according to Rollins researchers. Globally, it was estimated that diabetes accounted for 12 percent of health expenditures in 2010, or at least $376 billiona figure expected to hit $490 billion in 2030.

When K.M. Venkat Narayan first began studying type 2 diabetes in the early 1990s, it was considered a disease of adults in affluent countries. Today diabetes has spread to every country in the world, to both urban and rural areas. It afflicts the poor as much as if not more than the rich and strikes children and teens as well as adults. A possible new phenotype of type 2 diabetes has emerged that is affecting younger, thinner people.

The number of people with diabetes has quadrupled from 1980 to 2014, and 415 million adults in the world now have diabetes, according to Rollins researchers. Globally, it was estimated that diabetes accounted for 12 percent of health expenditures in 2010, or at least $376 billiona figure expected to hit $490 billion in 2030.

"In the years since I began working in this field, diabetes has grown to become one of the biggest public health threats we face," says Narayan, Ruth and O.C. Hubert Professor of Global Health. "The spread of some of the ills of a modern lifestylesedentary behaviors, a diet of processed and unhealthy foods, and an increase in obesityhas made diabetes a worldwide crisis. And at least in its most common form, it is substantially preventable."

Burden in low-income countries

Despite the great strides in treating diabetes in high-income countries, much about the disease in low- to middle-income countries remains a mystery. Can interventions that have been proven effective in places like the U.S. be successfully translated in poorer countries? Why are thinner and younger people in some countries developing diabetes, and how does this form of the disease differ from the more common type that occurs in overweight people?

The gap in knowledge has a straightforward explanation. About 75 percent of the burden of diabetes is borne in low- and middle-income countries, but more than 95 percent of the research is being conducted in high-income countries. Narayan and his team have been working to build up the research base in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in India and Pakistan.

Mary Beth Weber, assistant professor of global health, partnered with the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in Chennai, India, on a study that showed the interventions that have proven successful in the U.S. and elsewhere in preventing prediabetes from advancing to diabetes can work as well in India in some segments of the population. After three years, the study group that got the recommended interventionlifestyle education plus the glucose-lowering drug metformin if neededwas 30 percent less likely to develop diabetes than the control group.

Weber is now planning an implementation study to see if this type of diabetes prevention program can be implemented at worksites in India. She and her team are modifying the educational curriculum and training peer educators to provide the interventions where they might have the most impact.

Some participants, however, did not respond as well to Weber's intervention, and this group seems to represent a different phenotype of the disease. These people were thinnersome with BMIs as low as 18.5and younger than the typical person with type 2 diabetes, and their disease characteristics were different from those in obesity-related type 2 diabetes.

Classically, in type 2 diabetes, the pancreas beta cells initially have no problem producing insulin. The trouble is that the body's cells become resistant and thus there is a problem regulating glucose, which builds up in the blood. Over years, the beta cells become exhausted as they have to work hard to produce more insulin to regulate higher glucose levels, and then they begin to fail. This type of diabetes, generally associated with obesity, responds well to weight loss interventions and metformin.

However, when Weber and Lisa Staimez, assistant professor of global health, looked at blood samples of Asian Indians with prediabetes, they found that there had already been dramatic change in their beta cell function. "This suggests that poor beta cell function might happen much earlier in this group as compared with those with typical type 2 diabetes," says Staimez. "But we don't know why."

Some hypothesize that this early beta cell dysfunction may stem from historic undernutrition. Their bodies may be programmed by food scarcity to store fat differently and perhaps secrete less insulin. Indeed, thin Asian people actually have more body fat than a similarly sized person in the U.S., but in Asian individuals fat is stored around organs. This type of fat storage has been linked to higher risk for cardiometabolic diseases like diabetes.

This thin group does not respond well to traditional interventions, such as weight loss. "In the other groups, you are trying to improve insulin's action, whereas here you might have to improve insulin secretion, which we don't know how to do yet," says Narayan. "There is a huge gap in the research in this form of diabetes."

Staimez is starting one study on this group. She wants to know the impact on the child of a mother who is underweight or malnourished. She will look at infants of both normal weight and underweight mothers and compare their beta cell function at six months of age. "Understanding the way type 2 diabetes develops in this group could lead to some really innovative pharmacologic and lifestyle interventions," says Staimez. "By understanding early life factors, this study may provide new insight on how to globally improve the worsening reality of diabetes."

Explore further: Stepwise program can reduce diabetes incidence

(HealthDay)A culturally-tailored stepwise diabetes prevention program can reduce incidence of diabetes among overweight/obese Asian Indian adults, according to a study published online Aug. 8 in Diabetes Care.

Among adults in China, those with diabetes diagnosed in middle age lose, on average, nine years of life compared with those without diabetes, according to new research published in the January 17 issue of JAMA.

Research into type 2 diabetes conducted by Western Sydney University has for the first time established a range of clinical thresholds for testosterone levels in men associated with developing diabetes.

A researcher from UPM is involved in a study that estimates the global prevalence of diabetes and anticipates future trends.

Problems with insulin secretion experienced by people with Type 2 diabetes, parallel similar problems with insulin-secreting beta cells in many individuals with Down syndrome. A new study, published on May 19 in PLOS Genetics ...

(AP) -- The International Diabetes Federation predicts that at least one in 10 adults could have diabetes by 2030, according to its latest statistics.

Some insulin is still produced in almost half of patients that have had type 1 diabetes for more than ten years. The study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden has now been published online by the medical ...

Heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide and exacerbated by type 2 diabetes, yet diabetes treatment regimens tend to focus primarily on blood sugar maintenance. This common approach to type 2 diabetes management ...

A team of researchers from Sweden, the U.S. and Switzerland has found that treating rat liver cells with a compound called sulforaphane, which is found in cruciferous vegetables, reduced production of glucose. In their paper ...

(HealthDay)For many people with diabetes, low blood sugar levels are a serious health risk, but researchers report that a new nasal powder quickly reverses the effects of this dangerous condition.

An inexpensive first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes may also reduce heart disease in those with type 1 diabetes, according to a new global trial led by the University of Glasgow.

In a landmark study, UNC School of Medicine researchers have shown that blood glucose testing does not offer a significant advantage in blood sugar control or quality of life for type 2 diabetes patients who are not treated ...

Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more

See original here:
Diabetes moving from affliction of affluent countries to a global problem - Medical Xpress

In 2003, Jose Sanchez was a recent graduate just starting out in the world, hustling to get his graphic design business off the ground. Then, one day, his life changed.

I went to take a nap and then I didnt wake up for two days, he said. When I woke up, I looked like the Matrix. I had all these tubes coming out of me.

Sanchez discovered he had Type 1 diabetes only after he had fallen into diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition. His story is a reminder of what many diabetics went through in the years before the Affordable Care Act, and what many could face again if its rolled back.

Because he had very little income at the time, Sanchez was able to qualify for New York States Medicaid program. Between changing his diet and lifestyle and getting insulin and other health care through Medicaid, he managed to stay relatively healthy after the incident.

Eventually, he found stable employment and had a son. But then another disaster hit. In 2007, he learned that his jobworking nights at Abercrombie & Fitch, prepping the store for the morning crowdspaid just a little too much for him to continue to qualify for Medicaid.

Thats when I found out the true cost of being a diabetic, he said.

Without insurance, insulinrefillsalone cost him $225 every three weeks. Diapers, food and milk for his son came first, so he rationed the medication and ended up in the emergency room over and over again, racking up tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills he had no way to pay on his salary.

I would end up being in the hospital for a weeklong visit as they brought my levels back down, he said. This just became routine. Once or twice I had to have the ambulance come and get me at my house.

For a lot of people like Sanchez, the expansion of Medicaid in many states under the Affordable Care Act changed everything. The accessibility increased the chances that diabetics would be diagnosed early on before they have life-threatening emergencies. It also made it more likely that diabetics who were seeking treatment could successfully manage their disease, preventing hospital visits.

One 2009 study found that 46 percent of uninsured people with diabetes hadnt received a diagnosis, compared with 23.2 percent of insured diabetics.Medicaid expansion appears to have made a significant dent in the number of people who cant get treatment because they have never been diagnosed.

Looking at the 26 states, plus the District of Columbia, that expanded Medicaid in 2014, researchers found that new diabetes diagnoses rose 23 percent. In the other 24 states, they rose by less than half a percent.

LaShawn McIver, senior vice president of government affairs and advocacy with the American Diabetes Association (ADA), said thats really important because being aware of the condition can allow for earlier interventions to prevent complications.

That is a huge win for people with diabetes in those states, in comparison with people in states that did not expand, she said.

For people who know they have diabetes, of course, getting coverage, whether through Medicaid or other insurance, is critical to affording the treatment they need to keep their disease under control. Looking at known diabetics between 1999 and 2008, one study found people without insurance generally got less health care and had worse blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and blood pressure.

Beyond helping to pay for medication and doctors visits, state Medicaid agencies are now experimenting with new ways to help people with diabetes learn to stay as healthy as possible. For example, in 15 states Medicaid now pays for diabetes self-management classes under some circumstances. This kind of education has proved successful in helping patients keep their blood sugar down so they stay healthier.

Now, the ADA is pushing Medicaid agencies to expand this kind of approach by offering similar classes to people who are at risk of developing diabetes. Its a lifestyle intervention which gives people the skill they need to sort of take care of the behavioral changes, McIver said.

She said the program starts with classes taught by an instructor trained in a curriculum created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After that, participants meet regularly in peer groups.

Its kind of like a support group that provides these skills for lifestyle changes, she added.

Medicare will start covering this in 2018, and McIver said it only makes sense for Medicaid to do the same.

While it continues to try to make Medicaid coverage better, the ADA is now fighting to preserve coverage. Republican proposals moving through Congress now would phase out the ACAs expansion of Medicaid and also reduce funding for the core program. Under the plan passed by the House of Representatives, 14 million fewer people would receive Medicaid coverage by 2026, according to the Congressional Budget Office.The Senate version would cut Medicaid even more deeply over the long term.

At the same time, changes that reduced protections for people with preexisting conditions would quash diabetics access to private insurance on the individual market.

Diabetes is a disease that requires ongoing care, McIver said. What we worry about with any kind of repeal or replacement is that people wont have access to affordable care.

If they dont have that access, many people like Sanchez will almost certainly end up in the hospital suffering from complications that medication or other interventions could have headed off. That adds up to big costs that somehow need to be covered. A study last year found that when patients with diabetes who arrived at an emergency department were referred to a diabetes center for additional support, they were much less likely to be hospitalized over the next year. The cost of institutional care also fell by $5,461 per patient.

For Sanchez, the repeated hospitalizations only ended after he missed so much work that he lost his job and ended up eligible for Medicaid again. After that, he cycled in and out of coverage. Finally, in 2014, just as other patients were getting insured under the Medicaid expansion, he got a job with the City of New York that provided good coverage.

Sanchezs life today demonstrates both the importance of strong insurance policies and the challenges that remain. He now has his disease under control, thanks to insurance that covers his medication and care. Hes able to care for his growing family(his son now has a little sister) and himself.But, because the kinds of insurance he could get on the individual market arent as good as what he has, he feels tied to his job. That means he cant go back to pursuing a career in design full-time as he always wanted.

I would love for legislation to work toward making entrepreneurs just as safe as municipal employees, he said. You shouldnt have to choose between having a job with adequate health insurance and living your dream, living your purpose.

For now, Sanchez is just working to preserve the health care expansion thats happened over the past few years, telling his story on behalf of people who are where he was 15 years agounaware that health care coverage is going to end up mattering a lot to them.

Everybodys going to have a health concern at some point or another, he said.

Read more:
This Is What Happens When People With Diabetes Lose Medicaid - HuffPost

A raucous relay ball game was underway in the fellowship hall of the Presbyterian Church in downtown Fredericksburg.

Shouts, beach balls and running kids filled the room. Captain America, Spiderman and Wonder Woman were leading the activities.

"Someone's low," one child yelled.

A counselor wearing a shirt bearing the Superman logo and the words "Power of insulin" crossed the room toward a little girl in a pink dress. The counselor checked the screen of a device the girl wore on a flowered belt around her hips.

The device was a continuous glucose monitor, a tool that tracks the child's blood sugar levels all day and night to give an overall picture of how they fluctuate.

It showed that the levels were slightly down but they weren't falling. She could keep playing.

Twenty-two children between the ages of 7 and 12 gathered this week for the 11th annual Kids for a Cure Club summer camp for kids with type 1 diabetes.

KFCC is a local nonprofit organization that was founded by the Mary Washington Healthcare diabetes management staff and parents of children with type 1 diabetes to provide education and support for families living with the disease.

The summer camp, which had a superhero theme this year, aims to help kids become more proficient in managing their diabetes while letting them have fun with peers who share their daily challenges. It is sponsored by MWH and the Aquia and Fredericksburg Lions Clubs.

"The purpose is for children with diabetes to be with others who have the disease," said Lana King, a registered nurse and the camp's founder. "In their school, they might be the only diabetic child. Here, they can feel like it's a normal thing. Here, they're acting differently if they're NOT having their blood checked."

Campers are under the care of four MWH registered nurses and diabetes educators and King, who used to work for MWH and now is clinical business manager for Animas Corporation, an insulin pump company.

All the camp counselors, who are 15 and 16, and the junior counselors, who are 13 and 14, also have type 1 diabetes.

Camp activities included craftsmaking superhero capes, badges and masks, decorating flower pots and picture framesgames and special activities such as cooking classes and trips to the Farmer's Market and the pool.

The kids heard from adult guest speakersa writer and a Secret Service agentwho have diabetes. They also prepared their own diabetes-friendly snacks each day.

Regular blood sugar checks were part of the day's activities.

"I think the hardest part of this disease is that there is no break," King said. "You must get up every day and check your blood sugar 6-8 times a day or give yourself injections. You're having to be responsible."

Hence, the superhero theme. For one of the daily activities, the kids had to answer the question, "Who is your superhero and why?"

One girl answered, "My superhero is me because I have learned how to manage my diabetes."

Other kids said their parents were their superheroes for helping them with their disease.

Matthew Gomez, 13, and his sister Gianna, 11, have attended the camp for multiple years.

"I like everything about it," Matthew said. "It's definitely up there [in my list of favorite summer camps.]"

Gianna, who was diagnosed at age 6 and has a twin sister who doesn't have diabetes, wears an insulin pump which delivers insulin to her body continuously. Matthew, who was diagnosed at age 9, gives himself insulin injections and pricks his finger to check his blood sugar four or five times a day.

He said it used to hurt, but his fingers are so tough now that it doesn't bother him.

Trinity Riley, 10, said she was diagnosed at age 3 after she went into a diabetic coma. She doesn't remember, but her sister has shown her pictures and video of herself in the hospital.

"I looked dead, not like myself," Riley said.

She said she's the only kid in her school with diabetes and usually tries to hide what she's doing when she pricks her finger to test her blood. But at camp, she doesn't have to do that.

"It's nice not being scared," she said. "When I'm here, I'm wide open, because everyone's the same."

Jayden Britt, 12, was just diagnosed with the disease in December. She said she's loved the summer camp because it helps her "not feel so different."

For two months leading up to her diagnosis, she felt "a little weird." Her mom noticed that she had lost a lot of weight and wasn't fitting into any of her clothes and took her to be checked out. Doctors ran a urine test and found ketonesacids that remain when the body burns its own fat instead of glucose for energy. It's a common complication of diabetes.

When the doctor started to tell Britt what the diagnosis was, she saw her mom begin to tear up.

"She knew what was coming," Britt said. "My dad has type 1 and my mom was blaming herself because she hadn't noticed the symptoms."

Katlyn Agosta, a nurse and MWH diabetes educator who is in her second year with the camp, said the camp helps kids as well as parents find support in handling the disease.

Mom Karen Embrey was wearing a shirt that said, "Some people never get to meet their hero. I gave birth to mine." Her daughter, Hannah, 15, has type 1 and is a counselor at the camp.

She said the hardest part about the disease from a mother's perspective is trusting anyone other than herself to manage it.

"Letting her be away from me is hard," she said.

Embrey said Hannah has been taking care of her own diabetes for a few years and generally does a good job.

"But this camp, being responsible for other kidsit's making her more mindful," she said.

Read more from the original source:
Superheroes on a T1D mission! Kids with Type 1 Diabetes conquer the disease's challenges - Fredericksburg.com

Like a plate of poisoned cookies from Grandma, cancer could be coming from an unlikely place. Increasingly, some research is pointing to stem cells, usually thought of as a promising disease cure-all.

The term "stem cells" covers any cells capable of perpetually growing more of themselves. Most often, people refer to pluripotent, or embryonic, stem cells, which have the ability to become any cell in the body. But there are also adult stem cells, which are more limited in the cells they can create.

Now, according to some researchers, there are also tumor stem cells.

"They aren't the same thing as regular stem cells," said Dr. Allan Mufson, chief of Cancer Immunology/Hematology Branch Division of Cancer Biology at the National Cancer Institute. "But there seems to be a small population of cells within tumors that are responsible for keeping the tumor going. They're the only cells that can give rise to new tumors."

According to the tumor stem cell theory, the problem with common cancer treatments (chemotherapy and radiation) is that they focus on the whole tumor, when it's only the rare tumor stem cells that really matter. Doctors tend to use large doses of potentially deadly medications that weaken patients and aren't specifically aimed at killing tumor stem cells, increasing the risk that they'll be missed and the cancer will grow back.

This new theory of cancer is being studied, but questions still remain. One of the big ones: Where do tumor stem cells come from? Dr. John Kersey, a researcher at the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Center, thinks he's found an answer: Tumor stem cells may be damaged versions of normal, potentially life-saving adult stem cells.

Adult stem cells come in two flavors: The highly specialized progenitor stem cells and an immature variety that are more flexible. For instance, a progenitor cell might only be able to grow white blood cells, while the immature adult stem cell could grow several different cells in the circulatory system. Researchers are still debating which type becomes a tumor stem cell, but Kersey's findings, detailed in the May issue of the journal Cancer Cell, suggest it is the immature adult stem cells, at least for certain types of leukemia.

To figure that out, Kersey and his team grew mice whose adult stem cells, both progenitor and immature, contained a gene that causes leukemia. Both types were then separated out and injected into healthy mice. The mice who got progenitor cells didn't get leukemia. The ones who got the immature adult stem cells did.

While this doesn't completely prove stem cells are the culprit behind leukemia, it does go a long way towards showing that low doses of cancer genes can transform a stem cell from something that creates life to something that takes it, Mufson said. Cancer researchers say that figuring out where tumor stem cells come from is the first step in turning them back into useful tools for health. If damaged stem cells really are the building blocks behind tumors, doctors might be able to figure out a way to target those cells, or even just a part of them, leading to safer and more effective cancer treatments.

"This is exciting stuff," Kersey said. "Understanding this will be essential to developing specific treatments for specific cancers, based on the part of the cancer that's actually growing."

Read more:
Stem Cells Might Cause Cancer - livescience.com

June 23, 2017 Assistant Professor Xu Jian (right) and Dr Hong Jing Han (left), together with their research team at the National University of Singapore, found that the Arabidopsis (in photo) may selectively kill part of their roots to survive under cold weather conditions. Credit: National University of Singapore

Plants adopt different strategies to survive the changing temperatures of their natural environments. This is most evident in temperate regions where forest trees shed their leaves to conserve energy during the cold season. In a new study, a team of plant biologists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) found that some plants may selectively kill part of their roots to survive under cold weather conditions.

This approach allows the plants to withstand chilling stress and to recover faster when the weather turns better. The discovery and understanding of this survival approach could pave the way for the development of novel strategies to improve the growth and yield of crops that undergo such environmental stress.

The study, led by Assistant Professor Xu Jian from the Department of Biological Sciences at the NUS Faculty of Science, was carried out using a small flowering plant called thale cress, known scientifically as Arabidopsis. This plant is a member of the Brassicaceae family, and its relatives include mustard greens, cabbage and kale.

The research was carried out in collaboration with scientists from the Novosibirsk State University, and the findings were reported in the online edition of the journal Cell on 22 June 2017.

Sacrificial mechanism of plants

Studies have shown that temperature can induce damage in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of plant cells, and has a profound effect on plant development and growth. However, its effects on plant stem cell behaviour and activity are still not well understood.

"The study of plant roots has been largely neglected by agricultural researchers in crop improvement until recently. Examining roots is important as they serve as the major interface between a plant and its soil environment, and are responsible for water and nutrient uptake - both resources which are critical for a plant's survival," said Asst Prof Xu, who is also from the Centre for BioImaging Sciences at NUS.

The research team conducted experiments on the roots of Arabidopsis, a plant often used as a "model organism" in plant biology and had its genome fully sequenced in 2000. To investigate the effect of chilling temperature on root development and growth, the team used the Arabidopsis root stem cell niche as an experimental model to perform in-depth studies at high spatial and temporal resolutions. The use of such experimental models provides deep insights on the survival strategies that plants employ when the odds are against them.

The research team found that a chilling temperature of four degree Celsius leads to DNA damage in the root stem cells of the Arabidopsis, as well as their early descendants. However, only the columella stem cell daughters die preferentially, and the death of these daughter cells allows maintenance of a functional stem cell niche. On the other hand, inhibition of the DNA damage response in these daughter cells prevents their death. Yet, this increases the probability that the other stem cells in the root stem cell niche will die due to the cold, leading to the plant's death.

Dr Hong Jing Han, who is the first author of the study, elaborated, "The sacrificial mechanism improves the root's ability to withstand other low temperature-related stresses. When optimal temperatures are restored, the plant stem cells can divide at a faster rate, which will in turn enhance recovery and survival of the plant." Dr Hong carried out the research as part of her doctoral thesis under the supervision of Asst Prof Xu.

Engineering cold tolerance in plants

"Our discovery of how the Arabidopsis plant slays its columella stem cell daughters shed light on the plant's unique strategy to survive harsh weather conditions, and demonstrates that the potential of engineering cold tolerance in plants to help them withstand harsh environmental conditions. The ability to do so will certainly allow farmers to extend the growing season of crops and the land area in which to grow them, increasing both yield stability and production capacity," said Asst Prof Xu.

The next step for Asst Prof Xu and his team would be to uncover the gene regulatory network that has underpinned the successful adaptation of plants and their stem cells to cold environments.

Explore further: The origin of stem cells

More information: Jing Han Hong et al. A Sacrifice-for-Survival Mechanism Protects Root Stem Cell Niche from Chilling Stress, Cell (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.06.002

Freiburg plant biologist Prof. Dr. Thomas Laux and his research group have published an article in the journal Developmental Cell presenting initial findings on how shoot stem cells in plants form during embryogenesis, the ...

The roots of a plant are constantly growing, so that they can provide the plant with water and minerals while also giving it a firm anchor in the ground. Responsible for these functions are pluripotent stem cells. In order ...

Scientists from the University of Nottingham, England and Tohoku University, Japan have helped to solve a mystery that has fascinated scientists since Charles Darwin - how plant roots sense water and change direction to find ...

Invisible to the naked eye, cyst nematodes are a major threat to agriculture, causing billions of dollars in global crop losses every year. A group of plant scientists, led by University of Missouri researchers, recently ...

Scientists have discovered how plant stem cells in roots detect soil structure and whether it is favourable for growth.

Stem cells are typically thought to have the intrinsic ability to generate or replace specialized cells. However, a team of biologists at NYU showed that regenerating plants can naturally reconstitute their stem cells from ...

Sometimes, when a science experiment doesn't work out, unexpected opportunities open up.

Plants adopt different strategies to survive the changing temperatures of their natural environments. This is most evident in temperate regions where forest trees shed their leaves to conserve energy during the cold season. ...

A host of proteins and other molecules sit on the strands of our DNA, controlling which genes are read out and used by cells and which remain silent. This aggregation of genetic material and controlling molecules, called ...

The scientific journal Nature Ecology & Evolution has published a joint statement from scientists at the University of Copenhagen and North Carolina State University calling attention to a serious lack of data on the worldwide ...

Scientists at the University of York have used florescent proteins from jellyfish to help shed new light on how DNA replicates.

It's one of the tiniest organisms on Earth, but also one of the most abundant. And now, the microscopic marine bacteria called Prochlorococcus can add one more superlative to its list of attributes: It evolves new kinds of ...

Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more

Excerpt from:
Plants sacrifice 'daughters' to survive chilly weather - Phys.Org

By John Stanton

(June 22, 2017)He led what many would call a charmed life.The son of a prominent Cleveland businessman, he played hockey at Harvard, served in theU.S. Navy, and started down the road to a life in banking. Then came a day when he was struck by a disease called retinitis pigmentosa.By the time he was 30 years old, Gordon Gund was blind.

To the casual observer, Gunds blindness has hardly slowed him down. He was a successful businessman with a summer home on Nantucket. He raised a family. He owned several sports teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers. Through it all he has fought to find a cure for the disease that took his sight.

Gordon is past the point of no return with his blindness, filmmaker Tom Scott said. But it is almost impossible to stop his passion for finding a cure.

Gund is the subject of Scotts 20-minute documentary profile,The Illumination. The film will play at the Nantucket Film Festival Friday at 4:45 p.m. at the Dreamland Theater. It will be followed by a conversation between Gordon Gund, his wifeLulie and Scott.

To read the complete story, pick up the print edition of this weeks Inquirer and Mirror or register for the I&Ms online edition byclicking here.

For up-to-the-minute information on Nantuckets breaking news, boat and plane cancellations, weather alerts, sports and entertainment news, deals and promotions at island businesses and more, Sign up for Inquirer and Mirror text alerts.Click Here.

Read more here:
NFF doc examines one man's refusal to give in to blindness - Nantucket Island Inquirer

Telemedicine is not a new concept. Physicians in Australia were using two-way radio to treat patients in rural Australia in the 1920s. Almost a century later, glaucoma is going remote.

In the glaucoma clinic of the future, patients will be checking their own eye pressure, predicted Louis Pasquale, MD, professor of ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, and director of Glaucoma Service and Teleretinal Program, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston. They will be doing their own visual fields and imaging their own discs. This will convert the glaucoma clinic to focus on the patients who really need to be seen.

Dr. Pasquale moderated New Horizons in Telemedicine session and set the scene for changes that are already underway. The session was part of the New Horizons Forum at the 2017 Glaucoma 360 meeting.

Teleglaucoma is feasible and can play a major role in blindness prevention, said Lama A. Al-Aswad, MD, MPH, associate professor of ophthalmology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York. Telemedicine and teleglaucoma are going to be an important part of how we take care of patients in the United States and worldwide.

Telemedicine is practicing medicine over a spatial or temporal distance by using electronic communications, Dr. Aswad explained. Glaucoma is an ideal candidate for telemedicine because patients tend to be older and less mobile. The disease is chronic and the technology exists for remote screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

See original here:
Teleglaucoma redefining role in future of blindness prevention - ModernMedicine

LE MARS | Hours before Marty Kurth won his 500th game as a baseball coach at Gehlen Catholic High School in Le Mars, he walked through his house with a black fungo bat, the kind he's used thousands of times to hit fly balls and grounders to his players.

"I use the bat as my cane," Kurth said. "It helps me get around the house."

Coach Kurth is going blind. In layman's terms, he has suffered a stroke in each eye the past 11 months, resulting in a sudden loss of blood flow to the optic nerve. The first stroke, which afflicted his left eye, happened on July 25, 2016. The stroke to his right eye took place on June 3, just 19 days ago.

Kurth is still coaching, doing so from the dugout, not in his coaching box on the field. He relies on assistant coaches Solomon Freking and Ty Kurth (his son) and Jays players such as Cooper Davis to describe action on the field. The Jays won 10-0 at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn on Monday night, giving Kurth his 500th victory. With that victory level and a pair of state championships (1995 and 1999) among his six state tournament appearances, the Westmar College graduate is a lock for a spot in the Iowa Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

The accolades matter little right now, if they ever did. Kurth remains focused on his 2017 team, a club that began the season 0-4 and has ripped off 11 wins in the last 13 games. When he's not studying lineups or opponents, he's pondering a somewhat uncertain future, one that for the first time in his adult life doesn't include teaching or coaching full-time, as he recently resigned.

"I was at the point of my career where I thought maybe after next year I'd retire," said Kurth, a native of Remsen and a second-baseman on Remsen St. Mary's state championship baseball team in 1983. "Now what? I have no idea what the good Lord has planned for me."

Kurth hasn't been one to run from challenges in the past. A physical education teacher who was toiling as Gehlen athletic director several years ago, Kurth was charged with finding a head coach to direct the girls' basketball program. When his search turned up empty, Kurth told school officials he'd lead the team for a maximum of two years.

"I ended up coaching eight years," he said.

Not only that, Kurth piloted the 2012 Jays basketball team to the school's first state basketball tournament. And, he surpassed the 100-win total, all for a guy who was awfully "green" when it came to high school girls' basketball.

The news of his failing eyesight came as a shock to me. I didn't realize it until Barry Poe mentioned it in a Sunday story in the Journal, a wrap-up of Gehlen's title in the J-Club Tournament on Saturday. I was there that day and saw Kurth sitting in the dugout, an oddity for a hands-on coach who was always prepping the field and his players for another game.

"When I lost my vision in my left eye in July 2016, I woke up that morning and closed my right eye and could not see myself in the mirror," he said.

He began worrying at that point, not only about his left eye, but his right eye, too. Kurth's sister, Cheri Hoebelheinrich, who resides in Florida, lost vision in one eye when she was 37. She lost the vision in her other eye one decade later. Kurth's father, who died at age 56, began losing vision in one eye at age 37, too.

"We hoped that after I lost the one eye that I'd have time, like maybe 10 years," Kurth said. "But not even 11 months later, I woke up on June 3 and knew something wasn't right."

Kurth hit infield to his Jays that weekend in the CYO Classic, which played out on fields in Carroll and Glidden, Iowa. Before the second game at Glidden, a 10-0 victory over St. Edmond High School of Fort Dodge, Kurth had trouble catching a toss from his catcher as he hit ground balls. It's the kind of catch he's made a million times, second-nature.

"I couldn't see the ball," he said.

Jen and Marty Kurth visited the Truhlsen Eye Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center two days later. Doctors there identified the cause, the same affliction that struck his left eye last July: non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy, or "NAION" for short.

"There's no cure," he said. "It's what my sister had, too."

Jen said that while the condition isn't genetic, it can be familial. Researchers continue to study it. The Kurths continue to pray.

Marty Kurth tried to qualify for a "NAION" study, but his participation was ruled out because he has too many red blood cells.

"We got opinions from Duke University and Johns Hopkins Medicine and they didn't want to give me the medication in the study because they didn't know what the ramifications might be with my blood disease," he said.

Jen Kurth, who works in the business office at Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars, said that "NAION" typically affects smokers, diabetics and those with high blood pressure. Marty, she noted, fits none of those descriptors.

Marty Kurth said he can currently see a little out of the upper right hand corner of his right eye. He also has some peripheral vision in his left eye. "I told Ty that if you closed your eyes so that your eyelids were touching and you tried to see, that's kind of what it's like for me right now."

He hasn't lost his sense of humor, though, and it showed on Saturday as the Jays battled Newell-Fonda. When Gehlen pitcher Collin Buden got ahead in the count before hitting one batter and walking the next, the old head coach became anxious on Saturday: "I hollered out to the mound and said, 'Alex, don't make me come out there. You know, I will find you!'"

The players and Budden got a kick out of it, their longtime coach making the best of a difficult, life-changing predicament.

Kurth knows he's fortunate to have Jen, their children Kendra, Mitchell and Ty, and Jen's parents offering love and support, as well as a world of friends and current and former Gehlen students, players and competitors throughout Plymouth County and Northwest Iowa.

"I'm 52," the Gehlen legend said. "I feel good. The good Lord has a plan. We hope to find out what it is soon."

In the meantime, researchers will continue to work, as will the baseball players sporting the Gehlen green and gold. And the wise, old coach in the dugout? He'll lean on his fungo, listening, feeling, smelling for the optimum time to call a pitch-out or a hit-and-run. Maybe Marty Kurth is becoming visionary, in a figurative sense.

"My daughter wanted to make a shirt after Monday's victory," he said. "It was going to say, '500 wins. Not so hard. My dad did it. The last six with his eyes closed.'"

View original post here:
Le Mars baseball coach rallies while battling blindness - Mason City Globe Gazette

Boston Business Journal

Watertown's pSivida files for European approval of treatment to ... Boston Business Journal After unveiling positive data last week from a late-stage trial of its experimental, long-acting treatment for a leading cause of blindness, Watertown-based pSivida ... pSivida Submits Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for ...Nasdaq all 3 news articles »

Read more here:
Watertown's pSivida files for European approval of treatment to ... - Boston Business Journal

Eli Lilly has added a new state-of-the-art laboratory and 180,000 square feet of additional working space to its Biotechnology Center in San Diego, CA. Reporting completion of the $90-million expansion, Lilly said the 145% increase in working space will help to foster collaborations with external partners, and allow closer partnerships between its biotechnology, discovery chemistry, and research technology teams. The aim is to accelerate drug discovery within therapeutic areas including immunology, diabetes, oncology, neurodegeneration, and pain.

To further exploit its expertise in automated organic synthesis, and build on its Automated Synthesis Laboratory in Indianapolis, Lilly is also establishing the Lilly Life Science Studio at the San Diego site. The firm says the new facility will give researchers worldwide the ability to remotely test new ideas, and design, synthesize, and screen molecules.

"Investing in drug discovery and development is critical to maintaining an ecosystem that encourages and promotes innovation, commented Jan Lundberg, Ph.D., executive vice president for science and technology and president of Lilly Research Laboratories. "Expanding our presence in San Diego will not only help us discover and deliver innovative medicines faster, but will also help us achieve our goal of launching 20 new medicines in 10 years."

"This year we announced a commitment to invest $850 million in our U.S. operations based on our potential for growth and the company's long-standing investment in the U.S. market, added David A. Ricks, Lilly's chairman, president, and CEO. "This investment doesn't come without risk. America's biopharmaceutical leadership is driven by a free-market economy that rewards innovation. Today, there are multiple public policy threats to our business that would discourage or reduce our investment in the U.S. and the state. We are committed to working with policymakers and stakeholders to ensure our efforts to deliver new innovative medicines to patients are not threatened."

Lilly set up the San Diego Biotechnology Center, which is sited close to the University of California, San Diego, in 2009, having acquired Applied Molecular Evolution back in 2004.

Earlier this month Lilly reported that it will acquire a pipeline of dual amylin calcitonin receptor agonists (DACRAs) from KeyBiosciencefor the potential treatment of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders.

Read more:
Lilly Completes $90M Expansion of San Diego Biotechnology Center - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

Kansas City Star

Shawnee Mission West High student wins international biotechnology competition Kansas City Star Hosted by the Biotechnology Institute, the competition challenges high school students from across the world to find solutions to health care, sustainability and environmental needs through biotechnology. Earlier this year, Smith was chosen along with ...

See the article here:
Shawnee Mission West High student wins international biotechnology competition - Kansas City Star

A publication in Science Translational Medicine shows that Roche has a rising star in the 15 million patient market of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In a Phase II trail US and German researchers showed efficacy in geographic atrophy, an advanced stage of AMD, which has currently no treatment.

One week prior to the publication, Roche announced it has intitiated two Phase III trails (CHROMA and SPECTRI) enroling 936 patients with the advanced form of AMD that affects 5 million AMD patients and has currently no cure. Primary endpoint is slowing for disease progression at 12 months, secondary endpoint is visual acuity at 24 months. However, rumors say the FDA could accelerate patient access through granting breakthrough status to the treatment.

In a multi-center, randomized, 18 month Phase study that recruited 129 AMD patients ( MAHALO), lead author Brian Yaspan observed a 20% reduction in lesion area progression in patients receiving Roche/Genentechs antibody drug candidate lampalizumab at acceptable safety profile. Lampalizumab zeroes in on complement D, part of the innate immune defenses alternative complement pathway

Genome analysis of participants identified a patient subgroup with complement D variants who showed a 44% reduction in geographic atrophy area progression. The authors say targeting the alternative complement pathway has potential to be a viable treatment option for patients with secondary geographic atrophy.

More:
Roche's lampalizumab halts geographic atrophy - European Biotechnology

Kawartha Media Group

Peterborough biotechnology startup targeting $50 million in equity financing Kawartha Media Group Peterborough biotechnology startup targeting $50 million in equity financing. Community Jun 22, 2017 02:20 by Todd Vandonk Peterborough This Week. Share. Noblegen Inc. CEO and founder Adam Noble and CCO and co-founder Dr. Andressa Lacerda ... Noblegen Announces the Opening of Its Second Round of Financing: Peterborough-based biotechnology startup ...ForexTV.com all 4 news articles »

The rest is here:
Peterborough biotechnology startup targeting $50 million in equity financing - Kawartha Media Group