Leukemia cutis can happen when leukemia cells enter your skin. This rare condition causes patches of discolored skin to appear on the body.

In some cases, the appearance of leukemia cutis lesions on the skin is the first sign of leukemia a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

Along with standard leukemia therapies, this complication can usually be addressed with topical treatments to help heal the damaged skin. If you have leukemia cutis, your outlook will usually depend on your age and the type of leukemia you have.

Leukemia cutis is an uncommon complication, affecting only about 3 percent of people with leukemia. However, it is often a sign that the cancer is at an advanced stage.

With leukemia, malignant leukocytes (white blood cells) are usually only present in the bloodstream. In the case of leukemia cutis, the leukocytes have entered the skin tissue, causing lesions to appear on the outer layer of your skin. The word cutis refers to the skin, or dermis.

Generally, leukemia cutis results in one or more lesions or patches forming on the outer layer of skin. This condition can mean that the leukemia is more advanced and may have spread to your bone marrow and other organs.

Because there are fewer healthy white cells to combat infections caused by other diseases, rashes and sores may be more common among people with leukemia. Low blood platelets from leukemia can cause damage to blood vessels that appear as red spots or lesions on the skin.

These may include:

However, these skin changes are different than those brought on by leukemia cutis.

While the legs are the most common area for leukemia cutis lesions to appear, they can also form on the arms, face, trunk, and scalp. These skin changes can include:

The lesions usually dont hurt. However, with certain types of leukemia particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) the lesions may bleed.

A dermatologist may initially diagnose leukemia cutis based on a physical examination of the skin and a review of your medical history. A skin biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis.

Leukemia cutis is a sign of leukemia. It wont develop if the body isnt already dealing with this type of blood cancer.

But leukemia isnt just one disease. There are multiple types of leukemia, each one classified by the kind of cell affected by the disease.

You can also have an acute or a chronic form of leukemia. Acute means it comes on suddenly and usually with more severe symptoms. Chronic leukemia develops more slowly and often with milder symptoms.

The types of leukemia that most commonly trigger leukemia cutis are AML and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Scientists arent sure why cancerous leukocytes migrate to skin tissue in some people with leukemia. It may be that the skin is an optimal environment for healthy leukocytes to transform into cancerous cells.

One possible risk factor that has emerged is an abnormality in chromosome 8, which has been found more often in individuals with leukemia cutis than in those without it.

Treating leukemia cutis usually includes treatment for leukemia as the underlying condition.

The standard leukemia treatment is chemotherapy, but other options may be considered depending on your overall health, your age, and the type of leukemia you have.

Other leukemia treatment options include:

For blood cancers, external beam radiation is a typical form of treatment. With this therapy, a focused beam of radiation is delivered outside the body from various angles. The goal is to injure the DNA in cancer cells to stop them from reproducing.

Immunotherapy, a type of biological therapy, uses the bodys own immune system to fight cancer. It is typically given by an injection that either stimulates immune system cells activity or blocks the signals cancer cells send to suppress the immune response.

Immunotherapy may also be given orally, topically, or intravesically (into the bladder).

Stem cell transplantation is more commonly known as a bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow is where blood stem cells develop. Stem cells can become any type of cell.

Through stem cell transplantation, healthy blood stem cells replace stem cells damaged by the cancer or by chemotherapy or radiation therapy. However, not everyone is a good candidate for this treatment.

Only treating the leukemia cutis lesions will not address the underlying disease of leukemia. That means treatments designed to remove or reduce lesions should be done in combination with systemic treatment for leukemia itself.

Treatments for leukemia cutis symptoms can include:

Again, these treatments will only treat the leukemia cutis lesions, but systemic treatment of the leukemia itself will be needed as well.

The length of time leukemia cutis lesions may last depends on many factors, including how well the leukemia itself is responding to treatment. If the leukemia goes into remission, its unlikely more lesions will appear.

With effective treatment, existing lesions could fade. However, other factors, including your age and overall health, can affect how widespread the lesions are and how long they may last.

There are encouraging trends in the treatment of leukemia, but it remains a challenging disease to treat and live with.

For people with AML who dont have leukemia cutis, research suggests that the survival rate at 2 years is about 30 percent. However, the survival rate drops to 6 percent among people with the skin lesions.

A separate study of 1,683 people with AML found that leukemia cutis was associated with a poor prognosis, and that those with AML and leukemia cutis may benefit from more aggressive treatment.

The outlook for people with CLL is better, with about an 83 percent survival rate at 5 years. The presence of leukemia cutis doesnt seem to change that outlook very much, according to a 2019 study.

Leukemia cutis is a rare complication of leukemia. It happens when malignant leukocytes invade the skin and cause lesions on the skins outer surface.

AML and CLL are more often associated with leukemia cutis than other types of leukemia.

While leukemia cutis usually means the leukemia is in an advanced stage, there are treatments for both the cancer and this uncommon side effect that may help extend life and improve its quality.

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Leukemia Cutis: Symptoms and Treatment - Healthline

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(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Christopher Tuggle, Iowa State University and Adeline Boettcher, Iowa State University

(THE CONVERSATION) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires all new medicines to be tested in animals before use in people. Pigs make better medical research subjects than mice, because they are closer to humans in size, physiology and genetic makeup.

In recent years, our team at Iowa State University has found a way to make pigs an even closer stand-in for humans. We have successfully transferred components of the human immune system into pigs that lack a functional immune system. This breakthrough has the potential to accelerate medical research in many areas, including virus and vaccine research, as well as cancer and stem cell therapeutics.

Existing biomedical models

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, or SCID, is a genetic condition that causes impaired development of the immune system. People can develop SCID, as dramatized in the 1976 movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. Other animals can develop SCID, too, including mice.

Researchers in the 1980s recognized that SCID micecould be implanted with human immune cells for further study. Such mice are called humanized mice and have been optimized over the past 30 years to study many questions relevant to human health.

Mice are the most commonly used animal in biomedical research, but results from mice often do not translate well to human responses, thanks to differences in metabolism, size and divergent cell functions compared with people.

Nonhuman primates are also used for medical research and are certainly closer stand-ins for humans. But using them for this purpose raises numerous ethical considerations. With these concerns in mind, the National Institutes of Health retired most of its chimpanzees from biomedical research in 2013.

Alternative animal models are in demand.

Swine are a viable option for medical research because of their similarities to humans. And with their widespread commercial use, pigs are met with fewer ethical dilemmas than primates. Upwards of 100 million hogs are slaughtered each year for food in the U.S.

Humanizing pigs

In 2012, groups at Iowa State University and Kansas State University, including Jack Dekkers, an expert in animal breeding and genetics, and Raymond Rowland, a specialist in animal diseases, serendipitously discovered a naturally occurring genetic mutation in pigs that caused SCID. We wondered if we could develop these pigs to create a new biomedical model.

Our group has worked for nearly a decade developing and optimizing SCID pigs for applications in biomedical research. In 2018, we achieved a twofold milestone when working with animal physiologist Jason Ross and his lab. Together we developed a more immunocompromised pig than the original SCID pig and successfully humanized it, by transferring cultured human immune stem cells into the livers of developing piglets.

During early fetal development, immune cells develop within the liver, providing an opportunity to introduce human cells. We inject human immune stem cells into fetal pig livers using ultrasound imaging as a guide. As the pig fetus develops, the injected human immune stem cells begin to differentiate or change into other kinds of cells and spread through the pigs body. Once SCID piglets are born, we can detect human immune cells in their blood, liver, spleen and thymus gland. This humanization is what makes them so valuable for testing new medical treatments.

We have found that human ovarian tumors survive and grow in SCID pigs, giving us an opportunity to study ovarian cancer in a new way. Similarly, because human skin survives on SCID pigs, scientists may be able to develop new treatments for skin burns. Other research possibilities are numerous.

Pigs in a bubble

Since our pigs lack essential components of their immune system, they are extremely susceptible to infection and require special housing to help reduce exposure to pathogens.

SCID pigs are raised in bubble biocontainment facilities. Positive pressure rooms, which maintain a higher air pressure than the surrounding environment to keep pathogens out, are coupled with highly filtered air and water. All personnel are required to wear full personal protective equipment. We typically have anywhere from two to 15 SCID pigs and breeding animals at a given time. (Our breeding animals do not have SCID, but they are genetic carriers of the mutation, so their offspring may have SCID.)

[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversations newsletter.]

As with any animal research, ethical considerations are always front and center. All our protocols are approved by Iowa State Universitys Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and are in accordance with The National Institutes of Healths Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.

Every day, twice a day, our pigs are checked by expert caretakers who monitor their health status and provide engagement. We have veterinarians on call. If any pigs fall ill, and drug or antibiotic intervention does not improve their condition, the animals are humanely euthanized.

Our goal is to continue optimizing our humanized SCID pigs so they can be more readily available for stem cell therapy testing, as well as research in other areas, including cancer. We hope the development of the SCID pig model will pave the way for advancements in therapeutic testing, with the long-term goal of improving human patient outcomes.

Adeline Boettcher earned her research-based Ph.D. working on the SCID project in 2019.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/were-creating-humanized-pigs-in-our-ultraclean-lab-to-study-human-illnesses-and-treatments-156343.

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We're creating 'humanized pigs' in our ultraclean lab to study human illnesses and treatments - Alton Telegraph

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Using blobs of skin cells from frog embryos, scientists have grown creatures unlike anything else on Earth, a new study reports. These microscopic living machines can swim, sweep up debris and heal themselves after a gash.

Scientists often strive to understand the world as it exists, says Jacob Foster, a collective intelligence researcher at UCLA not involved with this research. But the new study, published March 31 in Science Robotics, is part of a liberating moment in the history of science, Foster says. A reorientation towards what is possible.

In a way, the bots were self-made. Scientists removed small clumps of skin stem cells from frog embryos, to see what these cells would do on their own. Separated from their usual spots in a growing frog embryo, the cells organized themselves into balls and grew. About three days later, the clusters, called xenobots, began to swim.

Normally, hairlike structures called cilia on frog skin repel pathogens and spread mucus around. But on the xenobots, cilia allowed them to motor around. That surprising development is a great example of life reusing whats at hand, says study coauthor Michael Levin, a biologist at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.

And that process happens fast. This isnt some sort of effect where evolution has found a new use over hundreds of thousands of years, Levin says. This happens in front of your eyes within two or three days.

Xenobots have no nerve cells and no brains. Yet xenobots each about half a millimeter wide can swim through very thin tubes and traverse curvy mazes. When put into an arena littered with small particles of iron oxide, the xenobots can sweep the debris into piles. Xenobots can even heal themselves; after being cut, the bots zipper themselves back into their spherical shapes.

Scientists are still working out the basics of xenobot life. The creatures can live for about 10 days without food. When fed sugar, xenobots can live longer (though they dont keep growing). Weve grown them for over four months in the lab, says study coauthor Doug Blackiston, also at Tufts. They do really interesting things if you grow them, including forming strange balloon-like shapes.

Its not yet clear what sorts of jobs these xenobots might do, if any. Cleaning up waterways, arteries or other small spaces comes to mind, the researchers say. More broadly, these organisms may hold lessons about how bodies are built, Levin says.

With the advent of new organisms comes ethical issues, cautions Kobi Leins, a digital ethics researcher at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Scientists like to make things, and dont necessarily think about what the repercussions are, she says. More conversations about unintended consequences are needed, she says.

Levin agrees. The small xenobots are fascinating in their own rights, he says, but they raise bigger questions, and bigger possibilities. Its finding a whole galaxy of weird new things.

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Frog skin cells turned themselves into living machines - Science News Magazine

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Last year, something new was grafted to the tree of life.

Somewhere between a living organism and a robot, these tiny, living machines were created from clumps of stem cells from the African clawed frog. Stem cells from the heart gave them muscle, while skin stem cells provided structure.

Dubbed "Xenobots" (after the frog's scientific name not, alas, xenomorphs), their creators found that the living machines that could complete simple tasks in Petri dishes, as Freethink's Amanda Winkler explained last year.

Those same researchers, from Tufts and the University of Vermont, have now developed a second iteration, Xenobots 2.0, if you will, which can "self-assemble a body from single cells, do not require muscle cells to move, and even demonstrate the capability of recordable memory," as Tufts Now explains.

These Xenobots are also faster, can make their way through more complex environments, live longer than their predecessors, work in concert, and heal themselves.

Yeah, that sounds a lot like the T-1000 to me, too.

First generation Xenobots were constructed with a "top-down" approach, as Tufts put it. The researchers manually placed and surgically sculpted the heart and skin cells to form tiny biological robots in a variety of shapes.

Their shapes chosen with the help of a digital Xenobots simulator then impacted their various movements.

The original Xenobots were capable of "crawling, traveling in circles, moving small objects or even joining with other organic bots to collectively perform tasks," Winkler reported.

But to create Xenobots 2.0, the researchers utilized a "bottom up" approach, published in the journal Science Robotics.

Rather than crafting the frog heart and stem cells, the researchers simply scraped off some skin stem cells from frog embryos. Left to their own devices, the cells glommed together into spheroids on their own.

They could survive for 10 days without food and even grow if some sugar's in the mix.

"We've grown them for over four months in the lab," Tufts' Doug Blackiston, study coauthor, told Science News. "They do really interesting things if you grow them," including forming new, balloon-like shapes.

Some of the cells adapted to grow cilia a few days in. Usually used by cells to push away pathogens and ensure a nice coating of protective mucus, the Xenobots used their cilia to move around, eliminating the need for heart stem cells.

It's an example of life's remarkable plasticity, the researchers say.

"In a frog embryo, cells cooperate to create a tadpole. Here, removed from that context, we see that cells can re-purpose their genetically encoded hardware, like cilia, for new functions such as locomotion," Michael Levin, professor of biology and director of Tufts' Allen Discovery Center and study corresponding author told Tufts Now.

"It is amazing that cells can spontaneously take on new roles and create new body plans and behaviors without long periods of evolutionary selection for those features."

Along with those new body plans came new abilities. Xenobots 2.0 can move around just like the first iteration did, but they are faster than what the researchers constructed. They're also better at sweeping up junk a swarm of them can round up iron oxide particles in a Petri dish and they can coat flat surfaces and shimmy through narrow capillaries.

Because they are biological, the Xenobots could also heal themselves, forming back together after injury even recovering from full-length lacerations halfway through their "bodies" in just 5 minutes.

"In a frog embryo, cells cooperate to create a tadpole. Here, removed from that context, we see that cells can re-purpose their genetically encoded hardware, like cilia, for new functions such as locomotion."

Just like before, the Tufts team turned to computer simulations to tease out the best Xenobot layouts. Researchers at the University of Vermont did the data crunching, using the Vermont Advanced Computing Core's supercomputer cluster, called Deep Green.

Deep Green comes in because "it's not at all obvious for people what a successful design should look like," UVM computer scientist and robotics expert Josh Bongard told Tufts Now. "That's where the supercomputer comes in and searches over the space of all possible Xenobot swarms to find the swarm that does the job best."

The hope is that eventually Xenobots will be able to perform tasks like clearing microplastics from the ocean, or decontaminating soil.

Performing those jobs would be a hell of a lot easier with the ability to retain and access memory for guiding their actions something the original Xenobots lacked. This time around, the researchers gave them the ability to hold on to one piece of information.

The researchers injected the frog stem cells with mRNA carrying the instructions for a protein called EosFP. This protein normally glows green, but when exposed to a specific wavelength of light, it turns red instead.

Armed with their little running light, the Xenobots could now keep a record of being exposed to certain wavelengths of blue light in their environment. Further work could potentially allow them to keep track of multiple variables, or even alter their behaviors accordingly.

"When we bring in more capabilities to the bots, we can use the computer simulations to design them with more complex behaviors and the ability to carry out more elaborate tasks," Bongard said. "We could potentially design them not only to report conditions in their environment but also to modify and repair conditions in their environment."

The researchers' original work already opened questions of what, exactly, Xenobots are. Are they lifeforms? Robots, but made of biological material, in lieu of nuts and bolts?

As you can imagine, these improved iterations which organize on their own are provoking more of the same.

Tel Aviv University evolutionary biologist Eva Jablonka, who is unaffiliated with the work, told Quanta Magazine that she considers them a new form of life "defined by what it does rather than to what it belongs developmentally and evolutionarily."

Armed with a special protein that changes color from green to red, the next generation Xenobots could keep a simple record of their exposure to blue light. Credit: Doug Blackiston & Emma Lederer, Tufts University

University of Melbourne digital ethics researcher Kobi Leins believes new ethical issues arise with the creation of new forms of life. "Scientists like to make things, and don't necessarily think about what the repercussions are," she told Science News.

(For what it's worth, Levin agrees, telling Science News the questions raised by the Xenobots are like "finding a whole galaxy of weird new things.")

Levin hopes that within that galaxy, the Xenobots will do more than perform tasks: they may help us understand how biological life itself develops.

We'd love to hear from you! If you have a comment about this article or if you have a tip for a future Freethink story, please email us at [emailprotected]

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The Next Generation of Living Machines: Xenobots 2.0 - Freethink

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Newswise March 30, 2021 As cancer survival rates improve, more people are living with the aftereffects of cancer treatment. For some patients, these issues include chronic radiation-induced skin injury which can lead to potentially severe cosmetic and functional problems.

Recent studies suggest a promising new approach in these cases, using fat grafting procedures to unleash the healing and regenerative power of the body's natural adipose stem cells (ASCs). "Preliminary evidence suggests that fat grafting can make skin feel and look healthier, restore lost soft tissue volume, and help alleviate pain and fibrosis in patients with radiation-induced skin injury after cancer treatment," says J. Peter Rubin, MD, MBA, FACS, American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) President-Elect and Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He is one of the authors of a new review of the clinical evidence on fat grafting for radiation-induced skin and soft tissue injury.

"But while promising, available research has some key weaknesses that make it difficult for us to determine the true benefits of fat grafting right now," Dr. Rubin adds. The review appears in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the ASPS.

More than half of patients diagnosed with cancer receive radiation therapy. Because skin cells turn over rapidly, they are exquisitely sensitive to the damaging effects of radiation. In the first few months after treatment, many patients develop acute radiation injury with skin inflammation, peeling, swelling, pain and itching. In most cases, symptoms resolve over time. However, if inflammation continues, radiation-induced skin injury can become a chronic problem leading to tight, stiff skin (fibrosis) with a risk of poor wound healing, ulcers, and tissue loss.

Fat grafting procedures transferring the patient's own fat cells from one part of the body to another have become widely used in many cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery procedures. In their review, Dr. Rubin and colleagues round up promising research on fat grafting for patients with radiation-induced skin injury.

In studies of breast cancer patients, fat grafting procedures have reduced pain and other symptoms of radiation-induced skin injury backed up by more-normal cellular appearance of skin cells under the microscope. In other studies, fat grafting has led to reduced risks and better outcomes of breast reconstruction after mastectomy.

For patients with radiation-induced skin injury after treatment for head and neck cancer, fat grafting has led to improvements in voice, breathing, swallowing, and movement. Good outcomes have also been reported in patients with radiation-induced skin injury in the area around the eye or in the limbs.

"The good news is fat grafting has the potential to really help patients with discomfort and disability caused by radiation-induced skin damage," according to Dr. Rubin. While research is ongoing, the benefits of fat grafting seem to result from the wide-ranging effects of ASCs including anti-scarring, antioxidant, immune-modulating, regenerative, and other actions.

"However," he adds, "the available evidence has a lot of shortcomings, including small sample sizes, lower-quality research designs, and a lack of comparison groups." Variations in fat cell collection and processing, as well as the timing and "dose" of fat grafting, make it difficult to compare results between studies. There are also unanswered questions regarding potential risks related to ASC injection and concerns that fat grafting might affect cancer follow-up.

The reviewers outline some steps for further research to clarify the benefits of fat grafting for radiation-induced skin and soft issue injury, including approaches to clinical assessment and imaging studies, testing of skin biomechanics and circulation, and cellular-level analyses. For all of these outcomes, standardized measures are needed to achieve more comparable results between studies.

"We hope our review will inform efforts to establish the benefits of specific types of fat grafting procedures in specific groups of patients," says Dr. Rubin. "To do that, we'll need studies including larger numbers of patients, adequate control groups, and consistent use of objective outcome measures."

Click here to read Fat Grafting in Radiation-Induced Soft-Tissue Injury: A Narrative Review of the Clinical Evidence and Implications for Future Studies.

DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000007705

###

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

About Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

For more than 70 years, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (http://www.prsjournal.com/) has been the one consistently excellent reference for every specialist who uses plastic surgery techniques or works in conjunction with a plastic surgeon. The official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery brings subscribers up-to-the-minute reports on the latest techniques and follow-up for all areas of plastic and reconstructive surgery, including breast reconstruction, experimental studies, maxillofacial reconstruction, hand and microsurgery, burn repair and cosmetic surgery, as well as news on medico-legal issues.

About ASPS

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 7,000 physician members, the society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2019 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.

Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/healthand follow us onLinkedInand Twitter@WKHealth.

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Fat grafting shows promise for cancer patients with radiation-induced skin injury - Newswise

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The Augustinus Bader story hasbecome a beauty legend. Professor Bader, one of the worlds leading stem-cell experts, makes a groundbreaking wound gel that rehabilitates the skin of burns victims,without the need for grafts or scarring. At a dinner hosted by Robert Friedland, the self-made billionaire and long-time mentor to Steve Jobs, Bader meets Charles Rosier, a young French financier. They are kicking around ideas forfunding the necessary clinical trials forthe product, which would likely run intothetens of millions. Pharmaceutical companies arent interested because most burns victims are in emerging countries, where the market for sophisticated healing products is negligible.

Rosier has a flash of inspiration: couldBader use what he knows about wound healing to make an anti-ageing cream? Yes, answers Bader unhesitatingly. Two years and much cajoling later, the professor makes a prototype skincare cream, and pretty soon anyone who has ever had more than a passing interest in face cream is talking about it.

According to Deloitte, as many as 90per cent of beauty launches fail within ayear. By contrast, the Augustinus Bader skincare brand has grown from a turnover of $7m in 2018 to $70m in 2020. It has also shattered traditional conventions of luxury skincare along the way. For a start, the company launched with just two face products, The Cream (fornormal/oily skin) and The Rich Cream (dry skin) and insisted that apart from cleanser andSPF theyre all you need to use. No eye cream, no neck cream, no serum underneath, no primer ontop just one cream, and a very specific two pumps at that. This was intriguing. Most luxury-skincare brands (the creams retail at205 each) dont just sell you a dream they sell you a regime.

Charles Rosier believes that their inexperience in the beauty industry helpedat first. If Id known how complex and competitive the industry is, maybe Iwouldnt have had so much passion for it. But because I had seen what Augustinuss science could do, I was truly convinced thathe could create a product that was new, disruptive and of higher quality than whatever else was in the market.

As it turned out, it was. Celebrities normally paid handsomely to endorse beauty brands were not only recommending the Augustinus Bader cream unprompted butinvesting in the company too (Courteney Cox, Melanie Griffith and Carla Bruni to note). Usually cynical beauty editors discussed it with the fervour of addicts (myself included). And in February, a panel of more than 300 industry experts voted The Cream and The Rich Cream as Womens Wear Dailys Greatest Skincare Product ofAll Time (Crme de la Mer, launched in 1965, took second place and Este Lauder Advanced Night Repair, from 1982, took third), neatly capping off a pleasing statistic of 36 awards in 36 months.

Bader a softly spoken, bow tie-wearing 61-year-old German is both asthrilled and bemused by the brands success as youd hope. Before making the face cream, he says, he had never used a skincare product in his life. But he likes the fact that now, when he uses the cream before shaving, he no longer cuts himself. It would never have occurred to him to have created a cleanse/tone/moisturise-type regime. Beauty is always from inside, he says. You dont need a routine, as many people have been used to. The idea is that just after washing your face, you use The Cream or The Rich Cream. Everything is in that one product.

Before making the face cream, Bader had never used a skincare product inhis life

It would be tempting to paint Bader asthe sneery scientist, dabbling with the beauty world as a means to an end(close to10per cent of the brands profits in 201920 went to wound-healing research and other charities). The opposite is true: what finally convinced him to embark onthe project was his patients reaction tohisearly prototype: When I gave theproduct to patients with diabetic wounds, their skin became healthier-looking and stronger, and I could see how happy it made them...so for me, even though it was just a skincare product, it developed a kind of medical meaning.

Also subversive is the brandsconspicuous lack ofmiracle ingredients. Baderswork is guided by theprinciple that your skin contains all it needs already its the communication between thecells thats important, notapplying endlessnew ingredients that your skin doesnt recognise. Conventional medicine very often tries to helpby treating symptoms, but what the patientreally wants is a healing process, he says. The creams themselves contain a complex called TCF8, which hesays is mainly made out of vitamins, amino acids and lipid structures.

$70mThe brands turnoverin2020

10%The profits in 20192020 thatwent towards wound-healing research and other charities

11The number of products in the Augustinus Bader line

50%The acceleration in healing time experienced by patientsusing Baders wound-healing gel

According to Charles Rosier, Bader isprobably the person in the team who is strictest about only using gentle ingredients which means the brand is able to satisfy the current appetite for clean skincare too. Thats why theres no SPF; because Bader is vehemently opposed to chemical sun filters and has so far found it hard to make sufficiently premium-feeling sun protection without them. And, says Bader, a little bit of sun is good for your skin as is a little bit of stress (and carrot juice: he says that people who eat a lot of carrots generally have good skin).

Last month the brand also launched avegan version of The Rich Cream, with original ingredients such as beeswax and lanolin removed and a slightly upgraded formulation. It has the same rich texture and the same uncanny ability which fans can eulogise about for hours to hug your skin within seconds of applying.

But is it getting harder to avoid the pull of the beauty mainstream? Some devotees have taken a recent spate of new launches to mean that the brand is moving away from its original one cream is all you need philosophy, and that as a result has lost some of its outsider charm. In the second half of 2020, launches came thick and fast: theres now anEssence, Face Oil, Cleansing Balm, Cleansing Gel and Lip Balm, plus body oils and lotions.

Rosier points outthat most of their competitors have around 200 products and that last years bottleneck of launches was largely due to hold-ups in the lab, as well as Covid-19. Perhaps our philosophy has switched a little from Well give you one cream to Wellgive you the essential basics of a skincare routine, he concedes. Well never do 20 serums, but well do products where we feel they can be better than otherthings that exist in the market, and allow you to have an Augustinus Bader routine and not have to mix our products with other brands.

Given how feverish the current Baderobsession is, it seems unlikely thatcustomers would need much convincingnot to mix other brands products into their routines. What isdebatable is how long this brand can remain a disrupter. Ever the renegade, Bader is less interested in being a beauty outsider than encouraging the rest of the field toraise its game.

This new beauty side of mywork is interesting because, ultimately, healthy skin contributes to beauty and for me, thats notsomething superficial, its something absolutely relevant to all the work that I do, including the medical research. In a way, Ihope that perhaps what we can do is be a little bit game-changing about what a skincare product may want to achieve. And that, to me, sounds like real hope in a jar.

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Augustinus Bader and the making of a $70m phenomenon - Financial Times

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Augustinus Bader and the making of a $70m phenomenon – Financial Times | April 4th, 2021

While The Rich Cream is not the first vegan Augustinus Bader product (The Lip Balm, The Face Oil, The Essence, The Cleansing Balm, and The Body Oil have that designation as well), the upgrade features what cofounder Augustinus Bader (a famed stem-cell scientist) describes as "an advanced and smart formula resulting in deeper nourishment and hydration and, overall, a more immaculate complexion."

As a fan of both original and upgraded The Rich Cream versions, I can attest to that statement. The rich, buttery formula sinks in quickly and keeps my dry, stressed skin intensely hydrated overnight and well into the next day. "We merge a deep respect for nature and biology with knowledge-fueled targeting of skin repair needs," Bader tells Allure. "Now that our Rich Cream is vegan, it's an added bonus it is the ultimate sign of respect for nature." Another piece of exciting news: The brand says it's working on becoming entirely vegan.

The non-vegan ingredients cut from the formula include lanolin and beeswax. King (who is not affiliated with the brand) explains that lanolin is derived from wool grease and can cause long-term sensitivity and allergic reactions for some people. You also won't find lactic acid (a type of alpha hydroxy acid or AHA) in the upgraded formula, which King says is most likely created from fermented milk, and, therefore, not vegan.

On the flip side, the brand added moisture-binding hyaluronic acid, irritation-soothing hydrolyzed rice protein, and sisymbrium irio seed oil which, according to King, promotes cell turnover, firms the appearance of skin, and even helps reduce eczema. And despite the upgrades, this version keeps the essence of the original, fan-favorite The Rich Cream intact and for good reason; it works. Associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine, Mona Gohara, counts herself among the legion of The Rich Cream's fans. "It's packed with peptides, a Trigger Factor Complex (which helps skin cells regenerate), vitamins [like panthenol, aka, vitamin B5], shea butter, and squalane," she praises, likening it to the cake and icing of skin care.

Originally posted here:
Augustinus Bader Launches Vegan Formulation of The Rich Cream | Review - Allure

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Augustinus Bader Launches Vegan Formulation of The Rich Cream | Review – Allure | March 8th, 2021

I find it hard to stay in the loop these days. When it comes to new consumer productsespecially in beauty, it seems like there is a new brand coming out daily. As a natural skeptic, I can be leery of new things.But, I rounded up seven innovative skincare brands that deliver clinical results that are definitely worth exploring.

Eskafil

Eskafil

Due to recent buzz, particularly in the K-Beauty space, snail slime as a hero ingredient may have popped up on your radar. But like so many trends, they are rooted in something much older. In fact,Hippocrates used to prescribe the mucusto clear up skin inflammation while small, rural communities used it to hydrate skin and to alleviate acnes and calluses.

In the spirit of its traditional use in skincare,Eskafilwas created in fall 2020. Founded by Jeffrey Lee and Marius Ronnov, Eskafil is a dermatologist-crafted beauty line of highly effective skincare products packed with ingredients found in nature. We are brand that revolves around the power of natural ingredients, in our case snail slime, Ronnov tells me. We believe ourselves to be gatekeepers of natures secrets and stewards of self-care. To us, skincare is self-care and we work to inspire our customers to commit to themselves everyday, with something as simple as a skincare routine.

Ancient Greeks coined snail mucin as the fountain of youth due to its ability to stimulate new cell repair and increase collagen production, the protein responsible for young healthy skin. What makes snail mucin so effective is one of its active ingredients, allatonin. It is this substance that repairs the snails shell when it accidentally becomes chipped or split. So just imagine what it can do for your skin, especially if you suffer from scarring caused by acne or from eczema, states Lee. The extract's healing properties are also known to heal cuts, soften scar tissue, fight infections, repair sun damage, regenerate skin cells and make skin look younger, tighter and brighter. Recognizing its hydrating properties and skin healing abilities, we wanted to introduce this miracle ingredient to users in the Western world.

Eskafil

Eskafils three-step skincare rangeis easy to use, packaged beautifully, and effective. After a few weeks of use, my skin definitely looks brighter. I would imagine this is due to the high levels of snail mucin concentrate in the products, which is 98%. I havent used eye creams in years since many of them felt heavy and often congested my eye area. But I love the way this light formula instantly cools and hydrates my eye area. It feels like you have nothing on your skin. We pride ourselves on using dermatologist-approved formulas that take supporting ingredients such as macadamia oil, shea butter and golden seaweed to enhance the healing nature of snail slime, explains Ronnov. This combination of ingredients across our products drives hydration, acne scar repair, reduction of fine lines and protection against signs of aging.

If you are wondering if any snails got injured in the whole process, the pair tells me that what makes their brand stand apart from the other snail slime products is there ethical sourcing. We obtain the snail slime through a system that places snails in an environment that makes them extremely pleasured and happy, Lee tells me. This environment is a room thats at the exact temperature and darkness for ultimate snail happiness. The snails then excrete their slime over a mesh covering then the slime is removed and placed into Eskafils skincare products.

Heraux

Heraux

Launched this past spring byAmir Nobakht MD, MBA, and Ben Van Handel, PhD,two of the top leading researchers on the topic of inflammaging,Herauxoffers a paradigm shift in skincare.

Inflammaging is the aging process that is attributable to chronic, low-grade inflammation in our bodies, explains Van Handel, PhD, who is a stem cell biologist at the University of Southern California. Inflammaging is actually caused by things like oxidative stress and environmental damage. These stressors cause our body to release inflammatory molecules, which harm the cellular environment and result in the visible signs of aging. Inflammaging specifically is what happens when this inflammatory process stays active on our body over a long period of time due to stressors like the environment, sun, and even our diets.

It is important to reduce chronic inflammation because once you have it Van Handel, PhD tells me your body just creates more inflammation. Thats how our cells work; by releasing some inflammatory molecules into our systems other cells respond by releasing more as well and the cycle, if left unchecked, continues. When we treat the inflammatory component of these conditions, we stop that cycle and allow the cellular environment to improve so our cells, including stem cells, can regenerate and function at an optimal level, continues Van Handel, PhD.

Heraux is the worlds first anti-inflammaging skin care product.It is the only skin care product to address inflammaging, Nobakht MD, MBA tells me. We are a science forward skincare brand that uses proprietary molecular technologies to improve our skin by combating the negative effects of inflammaging which is the aging caused by everyday chronic inflammation. Unlike most skin care products that only treat the symptoms of medical issues like acne, rosacea and the visible signs of aging,Heraux Molecular Anti-inflammaging Serumgets to the root of the problem by modulating the inflammatory pathway in the skin.

Heraux

The serum is the brands first product release and is based on HX-1, a proprietary biomimetic lipid the pair discovered while researching arthritis for over a decade. Van Handel, PhD explains to me that the lipid is a major breakthrough in the fight against chronic inflammation and skin aging. This revolutionary one-of-a-kind molecule shields stem cells from the effects of stress and promotes their overall youthful function by modulating the protein that regulates regeneration versus inflammation. The lightweight formula also hashyaluronic acid, peptides, vitamins C + E, and red maple bark extract included to make it a well rounded face serum.

The formulation itself is patented, continuesVan Handel, PhD. Themain benefits includea reduction in wrinkles and fine lines, improved skin texture, increased brightness, reduction in hyperpigmentation and increased skin elasticity, all of which have been verified by an independent clinical trial. Results are seen in as little as 1 week with continued improvement with extended use. When I ask if there will be any other products to follow Nobakht MD, MBA responds, We are looking to launch a spot treatment version for acne and hyperpigmentation as well as a sunscreen very soon.I really like the way my skin feels and looks from using this product for the last few weeks. My vascular rosacea has definitely calmed down. A sunscreen would be a welcome new addition.

Pour Moi Skincare

Pour Moi Skincare

Skincare brandPour Moiwas created based on the premise that regardless of age, ethnicity, or gender that our skins appearance is affected by our exposure to daily, local weather. Founded by Ulli Haslacher, the company officially launched in 2020 (after a soft launch in 2017), shortly after receiving its first patent, with a second one issued a few months later, and several more on the way.

Climate-Smart Pour Moi is the worlds first climate-based skincare brand, changing everything you think you know about skincare, Haslacher tells me. Our brand offer products that are specifically formulated for six global and seasonal climates considering how each climates distinctive range of humidity, temperature, air pressure and light profoundly impacts the look and feel of skin. They are not created in the traditional way to only manage visible symptoms of aging skin. But rather scientifically designed to counteract the major cause of an aging complexionthe climate that you are in!

Not only did Haslacher change the approach to skincare based onclimate research, she even changed the way her products were tested. During R&D our formulas were not just tested in a controlled lab environment but tested on actual people in climate chambers, mimicking different climatic conditions and sudden changes to these conditions, explains Haslacher.

While each formula is based on one of six climate types, Haslacher tells me that there is one consistent principle across the entire ranges, the brands Geo-hydraDynamic Complex. Its the vital operating system of Climate-Smart skincare.It is the only complex in the world that intuitively aligns the upper layers of the skin with the various local atmospheric humidity conditions to achieve optimal hydration in each distinctive climate.Due to the adaptive nature of our complex, it has the unique ability to self-adjust to meet skins ever-changing hydration needs within the millions of nuances of specific climate.

Pour Moi Skincare

Customized for each specific climate, our patented complex is comprised ofingredientswith skin-identical properties including multi-size molecular hydra-actives and a French fungi, high in amino acids and valuable sugars, continues Haslacher. Together, they act as a biomimetic supramolecular network to uniquely boost the hydrating potential of the climate-specific creams and increase the efficiency of the entrapped actives. These include climate-specific antioxidants (for example the Red Snow Algae for Mountain climate and the ocean micro-algaeThermus Thermophilus Fermentfor Marine climate) as well as encapsulatedvitamins including A, C and E and anti-wrinkle peptidesfor an optimal release within the skin and a long lasting effect in each climate.

Haslacher tells me that the reason she has received both global and domestic patents is her three-step system of quenching, drenching, and geo-moisturizing. Step 1 is our Hydrating Balancer. It is an anti-aging liquefier that instantly hydrates, softens and preps skin for the next steps. Step 2 is our quenching serum that intelligently supports skins natural defense system against geo-climatic stressors in specific locations such as the mountains, beaches, plains and deserts. Step 3 is the geo-moisturizing game changer. Select the Day Cream that matches your daily weather to adapt, repair and protect skin in the climate you are in. This allows the customer tocustomize the systemfor their exact location. Think of it as anti-aging skincare for your zip code!

When I asked Haslacher if there is any sunscreen in her products, she tells me, We are working on an innovative sunscreen line which will launch in 2022. However, our formulas do account for how light impacts skin differently in different locations and seasons. While the formulas do not include SPF, they include climate-specific antioxidant strategies.I really like the concept of the brand. I just started using it, so I am excited to see what kind of changes my skin sees.

Reflekt

Reflekt

If you were under the impression that exfoliation means stripping your skin of moisture,Reflektis on a mission to change that with their 3-step hyaluronic acid-based products. Launched in 2017 and founded by Nancy Schnoll, Reflekt is a luxury skincare brand (for any skin type) thats rooted in pharmaceutical and medical principles and centered around simplifying your skincare routine, while delivering clinical results.

Reflekt is a skincare company that believes gentle daily exfoliation is the key to healthy balanced skin. We realize daily exfoliation is a novel concept, but it is the cornerstone of our brand, states Schnoll. The brands hero product,Reflekt 1is an exfoliating cleaner designed for all skin types and is gentle enough to use morning and night. Reflekt 1 was intentionally launched by itself to educate people about the benefits of a skincare regimen that consists of deliberate light exfoliation coupled with the infusion of hydrating actives.

This May, the brand will launch Reflekt 2 Brightening & Hydrating Serum, a silky serum that seals in moisture, brightens and gently exfoliates the skin, and Reflekt 3 Renewing & Hydrating Face Cream that gently exfoliates while moisturizing the skin to promote cell renewal and a firmer and even skin tone.

Reflekt

The entire Reflekt range is vegan, clean, and non-toxic and both exfoliates and hydrates the skin while not disturbing the skin barrier. Each product has unique characteristics. The exfoliating component in Reflekt 1 is the biodegradable jojoba esters that melt from the warmth of the water and your body as you cleanse, explains Schnoll. For Reflekt 2 and 3 the exfoliator is our unique fruit enzyme blend consisting of 9 different fruits (like pomegranate, passion fruit, and pineapple) and varies in percentage depending on the product. The hydrating aspect varies, but whether hyaluronic acid, aquaxyl, or squalene, each product packs a one-two punch of exfoliation and hydration.

I love the Reflekt collection. After using the 3-step system my skin looks dewy, brighter, smoother, and it feels hydrated. I also enjoy the light fragrance.

Saro de Re

Saro de Re

By now, most of us have heard about the benefits of hyaluronic acid for the skin. ButSaro de Retakes the experience to a whole new level. Founded by Mimi Kim, the brand launched last fall with their first product, the freeze-dried hyaluronic acid experience.

Saro de Re is a K-Beauty luxury brand rooted from the medical and pharmaceutical field for the professional results at the comfort of our own home and it is designed for any age, gender, any skin types, and skin conditions, Kim tells me. I have been sourcing ingredients and inventing beauty products for nearly three decades, and I have seen some very impressive technologies, products and unique ingredients that are not available to consumers. My goal over the years has been to make these discoveries available to the masses. When I partnered with a Korean Pharmaceutical R&D team and found something this ground-breaking, I knew we had something very unique.

Not all hyaluronic acids are made equal. Ourhyaluronic acid is 99.9% pure. Nowater, preservatives, fillers, additives, or chemicals. Each tablet is made up of 98.5% highly concentrated hyaluronic acid with a small amount of two additional ingredients for moisturizing: Squalene and Vitamin E.Clean beauty at its core, states Kim when I ask her what makes her formula unique.

Saro de Re

Other hyaluronic acid serums on the market contain primarily water as the number one top ingredient, which means the hyaluronic acid is not in its purest form. Our product has the patent on the method of preparing low molecular weight range that is small enough to permeate, but large enough to attract and retain the most abundant water, continues Kim. In fact, 1000 times its weight in water and the ability to release it for an immediate plumping and hydrating effect on skin with long-lasting results. No other brand has the capability to create HA in this molecular weight, which requires it to be in its purest form.

The ingredients are then freeze-dried and preserved until they are activated by the Saro de Re Pure Activator, which includes adenosine for wrinkle reduction, Niacinamide for skin brightening, and Allantoin and Hyaluronic Acid for hydration.Once activated and applied, it adds instant hydration that lasts up to 72 hours on skin with just one application. No competitive products can make this claim or be used once every other day or every three days, states Kim. Additionally, there are three botanicals included in the activator that synergistically work with the main active ingredients to achieve superior anti-aging benefits including purslane, pomegranate, and White Mulberry. Users can expect instant and accumulativeresultsincluding plumper skin, a brighter, tighter complexion, and improved tone and texture.

I have seen a huge difference in my skin with the addition of this product. I also like the alchemic process of activating the hyaluronic acid. I definitely feel like I am getting a lab-grade product when compared to other hyaluronic acid serums that I have used. It also works great with Reflekt skincare range. As for any follow up products, Kim tells me that the brand will be launching some new products soon.

The Nue Co

The Nue Co

Discussion about the gut microbiome and overall health have become mainstream and correlations between immunity and the gut have been supported clinically. But, the bodys skin is its largest first line of defense when it comes to immunity so it makes sense to treat it similarly. EnterThe Nue Co, a wellness brand launched in 2017 by founder and CEO, Jules Miller that approaches health holistically, as an entire ecosystem.

For too long health issues have been viewed as siloed issues. For example, breakouts are an issue with your skin, so the solution should be focused only on your skin. But actually, your skin is usually the mirror to our gut. Stress plays out on your skin and sleep affects your skin. To get to the root of an issue and drive real results, you have to view health as an ecosystem, states Miller. We definitely take that approach with our skincare - which we view as topical supplements. Whilst many brands focus on what we call, cosmetic ingredients, the kind which deliver on the instant glow and lovely scent but are proven to increase inflammation and erode the skin-barrier over time, every ingredient in our formulas delivers benefits to your skin health-long term.

The Nue Cosskincare formulations are grounded in clinical science and as such provides users with clinical results. They are a blend of natural ingredients, with the best of clinical research, which enables them to drive real, fast results, without compromising the health of your skin or the environment long-term, Miller tells me. There seems to be so much misinformation about skin health, with one of the biggest myths being that elaborate skincare regimes are the secret to healthy skin.Restoring the health of your skin and removing the complication of multiple products from your routine was part of a bigger shift we were noticing towards ending a culture of overconsumption, what some are calling skip-care or skin fasting. The impact of our beauty addiction has been profound, not only on our skin, but on our planet.

The Nue Co

This cycle of pollution, Miller tells me, is also a contributing factor to our skins barrier health. Our skin barrier, or the outermost layer of the skin, is responsible for defending against pollution, UV light, infection, and locking in hydration. The erosion of the skin barrier is identified as the number one cause of skin issues by dermatologists, causing premature ageing, breakouts, hyperpigmentation, sensitivity and dryness, explains Miller. And just like the gut, our skin is home to an ecosystem of microorganisms that help to keep the skin balanced. Our topical microbiome is just as important as our internal microbiome. In fact, its estimated that 21% of our microbiome lives on our skin whereas 26% lives in our gut. Like any ecosystem, it can be disrupted by outside forces and pollutants.

To support the skins barrier health and the skins microbiome, the brand is launching two newskincare products, BARRIER CULTURE Cleanser and BARRIER CULTURE Moisturizer on March 22ndon their website. Using patented, first to market technology, BARRIER CULTURE contains prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics to rebuild the skins microbiome. BARRIER CULTURE is the most comprehensive delivery of skin-barrier building ingredients in a two-step routine. In addition to its microbiome technology, BARRIER CULTURE uses anti-pollution ingredients to protect from external aggressors and boost the skins natural immune system; and hydrating actives to replenish and lock in moisture, states Miller.

The cleanser is designedto replace your double-cleanse, by removing dirt, pollution, and makeup without stripping or disrupting the skins PH. Almost immediately, we have found people have noticed a difference to the feel of their skin with a focus on deep-cleaning, rather than stripping. The application of pre, pro and postbiotics works to replenish the topical microbiome, whilst actively calming and conditioning the skin, Miller tells me.

The new moisturizer leaves skin instantly plumped and hydrated. The formula rebuilds and restores your skin barrier, containing ceramides and probiotics that rebuild and restore the skins natural defenses. Niacinamide activates the skins immune system, helping to repair dark marks, scarring and support natural healing and regeneration, whilst squalane protects against pollution and everyday stressors on the skin barrier. BARRIER CULTUREs microbiome technology also delivers an instant soothing effect to the skin, calming irritation and redness.

I just started using the products so I wont see all of the results for at least a month. But, I am already hopeful. I do love the way my skin feels squeaky clean, yet moisturized when I use the cleanser.

U Beauty

U Beauty

U Beauty launched in 2019 byTina Craig(aka. The Bag Snob) with the philosophy of less is more. U Beautyis tech-driven, science-backed, high-performance skincare, Craig tells me. Our strategic and singular products replace excess with essence and provide real results, without the risk of irritation. We're about amplifying your skin with a select, strategic edit of multifunctional products that streamline your routine and simplify your life.

What makes the brands three products, the Resurfacing Compound,The SUPER Hydrator, and the newest productThe SCULPT Arm Compound,is the brands proprietary technology called SIREN Capsule. Unlike most skincare that release actives all over the skin, SIRENS lures damage-causing free radicals to it like a magnet, explains Craig. By attracting only the compromised cells, healthy cells are preserved, while the Capsule releases age-reversing actives on free radicals (generated after exposure to pollution, secondhand smoke and sunshine), which materialize as vulnerable, damaged areas, instead of all over your skins surface. So your skin gets nothing but benefit.

While theResurfacing Compoundcontains the original SIREN Capsules, The Super and The Sculpt feature dual SIRENS. The SUPERs HYDRA-SIREN produces immediate hydration and with five unique types of hyaluronic acid, it continues to hydrate for up to 48 hours. Specifically designed for the arm area, the SCULPT-SIREN contains a targeted blend of marine extracts, probiotics and select ferments. It delivers oxygen and nutrients to the skin, increasing anti-aging ATP levels and boosting hydration, Craig tells me.

U Beauty

U Beautys latest formulation, The SCULPT Arm Compound, is a product of years of dreaming on behalf of Craig. No matter how often I work out, I was never able to change the fragile texture of the skin on my arms. Its not about being thin. Its about a healthy, bouncy skin consistency, says Craig. I can honestly say The SCULPT is unlike anything youve ever used. Thanks to a genius blend of peptides, marine extract, our signatureSIREN Capsule technologyand now the new SCULPT-SIREN, it visibly tightens, tones and sculpts the skin on the arms. Overall, skin is less subject to the effects of gravity and more resilient in its ability to address the visible signs of damage.

I just received The SCULPT so I cant say for certain what the accumulative results will be just yet. But, I can say that my arm skin feels much tighter immediately after applying the formulaso I am very hopeful. When I ask Craig if she will be creating any other body specific products she tells me, Were about taking a 360-degree approach to skincare, which means treating the whole body, not just the face. I will never create a product if theres not a white space in the industry and a personal need for it first. With that in mind, we have some exciting and revolutionary things coming out in the near future, so look out!

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Seven Innovative Skincare Brands That Deliver Clinical Results - Forbes

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Seven Innovative Skincare Brands That Deliver Clinical Results – Forbes | March 8th, 2021

Researchers from Nvidia and Harvard are publishing research this week on a new way they've applied deep learning to epigenomics -- the study of modifications on the genetic material of a cell.

Using a neural network originally developed for computer vision, the researchers have developed a deep learning toolkit that can help scientists study rare cell types -- and possibly identify mutations that make people more vulnerable to diseases.

The new deep learning toolkit, called AtacWorks, "allows us to study how diseases and genomic variation influence very specific types of cells of the human body," Nvidia researcher Avantika Lal, lead author on the paper, told reporters last week. "And this will enable previously impossible biological discovery, and we hope would also contribute to the discovery of new drug targets."

AtacWorks, featured in Nature Communications, works with ATAC-seq -- a popular method for finding the parts of the human genome that are accessible in cells.

Just about every cell in your body carries a copy of your genome sequence -- a sequence of your DNA about 3 billion bases long. However, only certain parts of the genome sequence are accessible to certain cells. Every cell type -- whether it's liver, blood or skin cells -- can only access the regions of DNA they need for their respective function.

"That allows us to understand what makes every type of cell different from each other, or how every type of cell is affected in disease, or in other biological changes," Lal said.

ATAC-seq finds those accessible parts by producing a signal for every base in the genome. Peaks in the signal denote accessible regions of DNA. This method typically requires tens of thousands of certain kinds of cells to get a clean signal. This makes it challenging to study rare cell types, like the stem cells that produce blood cells and platelets.

However, by applying AtacWorks to ATAC-seq data, the researchers found they could rely on just tens of cells, rather than tens of thousands. In the research described in their new paper, the Nvidia and Harvard scientists applied AtacWorks to a dataset of stem cells that produce red and white blood cells. They used a sample set of just 50 cells to identify distinct regions of DNA associated with cells that develop into white blood cells, as well as separate sequences that correlate with red blood cells.

AtacWorks is a PyTorch-based convolutional neural network that was trained on labeled pairs of matching ATAC-seq datasets -- one high quality and one "noisy." The model learned to predict an accurate, high-quality version of a dataset and identify peaks in the signal.

Running on Nvidia Tensor Core GPUs, the model took under 30 minutes for inference on a whole genome, a process that normally takes 15 hours on a system with 32 CPU cores.

Lal noted that the researchers were able to train the model on any type of cell and then apply it to any different type.

"That's a really wonderful thing because it means that we can train models using whatever data we have available and then apply it to entirely new biological samples," she said.

The model could help deliver insights into a range of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes or neurological disorders. It's available on the NGC Software Hub, Nvidia's hub of GPU-optimized software, where any researcher can access it.

"We are hoping that once our paper comes out, other scientists working with different diseases would also pick up this technique and be interested in using it," Lal said. "And we are excited to see what new research and new developments that can enable."

Continue reading here:
Nvidia, Harvard researchers use AI to find active areas in cell DNA - ZDNet

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Nvidia, Harvard researchers use AI to find active areas in cell DNA – ZDNet | March 8th, 2021

Weve all heard of French beauty products and how amazing they are.

But what if I told you that certain Greek beauty products were just as good (if not better) than the high flying ones?

Think La Mere or LaPrairie. These cult favourite beauty brands cost will set you back several hundred dollars.

You dont have to spend a fortune to look good. I always say you can have great skin even if youre on a budget, no matter how old you are.

Greek women have long used natural products from the earth, plants and animals to beautify themselves and look at how immaculate their skin and beauty was.

Heck, one Greek woman launched a thousand ships! (You know her name)

These hand-picked items for skin-care are loaded with Greek olive oil, wine, figsand donkey milk. (Tried and tested by me, GCT Lifestyle Writer Despina Karp)

$40.00

This nourishing cream-to-foam cleanser is good enough to eat and leaves the skin feeling clean, not stripped of everything. Its been formulated with incredible natural Greek Yoghurt and is gentle enough to be used on even the most sensitive of skin types, including psoriasis and acne-prone skin. It is super gentle, yet very effective at thoroughly cleaning the skin and removing daily impurities and makeup. After trying this cleanser, my skin was left feeling as smooth and supple as a babies bottom.

The key ingredients in this beauty are Greek yoghurt which delivers an almost instant dose of pre and probiotics to nourish the skin and kill surface bacteria.

Amaranth seed extract and honeysuckle: These two unique ingredients provide a soothing and calming comfort to the skin.

I always recommend using this twice per day, morning and night for the best results.

Buy here.

$110 (approximately)

Well, there are serums, and then theres this serum! A little pricey, but wait till I explain what this jar of ageless beauty contains.

This is one of the best antioxidant serums Ive tried and for good reason. For starters, its ingredients make it a high-end luxury antioxidant serum, but without the super costly price tag to match.

The heavenly golden fluid is infused with the famous antioxidant saffron, once known as the most expensive spice in the world.

The crimson threads of magic come from dried crocus flowers, grown in the Greek town ofKozani. It takes approximately 70,000 flowers to make one pound of saffron! Did I mention that they bloom only once a year? Plus they need to be picked exactly ONE day after theyve bloomed! Talk about time-sensitive.

The protecting power of the saffron, combined with the copper, peptides, and amino acids combine to make an incredibly effective collagen and elastin boost.

With consistent use, this serum will leave the skin feeling bright and glowing. I often use this serum on my mature-skinned clients before moisturiser and I massage it into the skin until it has been completely absorbed.

I highly recommend paying a little extra and indulging in this serum, it works wonders for mature skin.

Buy here.

$36.99

Here comes the donkeys milk! Dont worry I wont make you drink it but it is a staple ingredient in this product.

It doesnt sound very luxurious or fancy, but Cleopatra allegedly bathed in donkeys milk for softer skin.

In 2013, a study by researchers at the University of Camerino discovered that donkeys milk is very close in structure and composition to human breast milk (Maybe thats why babies skin is so soft!).

EvenPope Francis even drank it as a babyin his native Argentina.

Are you convinced yet?

This cream provides antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory moisturisation.

The best part of this incredible product are the key ingredients (which according to their website are 97.1% natural ingredients): donkey milk (obviously), aloe vera juice, St. Johns wort, Centella, carob, cotton stem cells, moringa peptides, red seaweed and cross-linked hyaluronic acid (a superacid for the skin).

The donkey milk and Cretan organic olive oil are rich in omega fatty acids, which the skin craves.

It also contains vitamins and trace elements, which deeply nourish and strengthen the skins natural defence against pollution and UVA/UVB light.

The St. Johns wort and Centella extract calm redness and skin irritations.

I highly recommend this daily moisturiser (as donkeys milk is non-comedogenic) for any skin type, except very congested and cystic acne skin types.

Its important to always apply SPF 30+ to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun (especially true if you live in Australia).

Buy here at aphroditeusa.com.

So, Ive give you an entire skin routine worthy of Aphrodite herself.

These 3 products can be used one after the other as a bedtime skin routine for mature and dry skin types.

If you are using these products in the morning, be sure to apply an SPF 30+ after all your products to protect your skin.

You dont have to use a large amount of the products too, a little goes a long way with these beauties.

My donkeys milk day cream lasted me 3 months! So it turns out to be a very economical investment.

Its worth investing in your skin as its the largest organ in your body and the amount of chemicals we are exposed to these days can leave our skin in terrible shape if not looked after.

Our skin is also the first thing people look at, healthy and hydrated skin can completely alter your appearance if youve had dehydrated skin for a while.

So, what are you waiting for? Lets get radiant, and prepare to launch a thousand ships! (More like a thousand compliments)

Note: always ask a Dermatologists advice when in doubt, these products arent suitable for all skin types or skin conditions.

Thesauri Greek Caviar: available in Australia for the very first time

See more here:
Transform Your Skin Into That Of A Greek Goddess (on A Budget) - GreekCityTimes.com

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Transform Your Skin Into That Of A Greek Goddess (on A Budget) – GreekCityTimes.com | March 8th, 2021

With more folks spending time inside, working from home and literally under wraps (i.e., masks), now is the time for many for some sneaky beauty procedures that would normally require taking time off work, hiding from your social circle and going dark on social media. But now, all your redness, swelling, and post-op symptoms can go undetectedsans burning your vacation days.

In fact, derms and plastic surgeons across the city are seeing skyrocketing increases in invasive and non-invasive cosmetic treatments since the start of the pandemic, thanks to the Zoom boom or Zoom effect.

What the heck is the Zoom effect, you ask? Basically, Zoom and other digital web conferencing platforms have led people to seek out ways to lift and tighten their faces after seeing themselves so often screens. (Note: If your computer camera is positioned lower and pointing up, it actually makes things look worse than they areinvest in a laptop stand, and you wont regret it.)

Laura Altman, a physician assistant at Tribeca Medspa, explains that since her clients are no longer spending money on travel, dinners out or fancy clothing, this disposable income allows them to spend on beauty proceduresnot to mention the added benefit of flexible downtime while WFH. Our clients are spending more per visit and we continue to see about the same number of new clients every month along with current clients who visit us for more treatments, says Altman.

Here are some of the most popular beauty treatments New Yorkers have been taking advantage of while WFH, plus some things to consider in case youre curious about giving them a go yourself.

RELATED: 9 Beauty Trends That Will Be Huge in 2021

In fact, requests for jawline filler are up as much as 2,133 percent at BeautyFix Medspa, a clinic with locations in Flatiron and on the Upper East Side. This non-surgical facial contouring enhances the jawline to give the lower face and neck a more defined and slimmer appearance by helping create a V-shape structure, BeautyFix CEO Mark Greenspan tells us. Jawline fillers are usually completed with one 30-minute treatment with no recovery time necessary.

Dr. Alexander Blinksi of NYCs Plump cosmetics and injectables bar has seen about a 25 percent increase in patients with general concerns about facial structure, aging and wrinkles over the last 12 months.

Consultations related to Botox have been requested in all the major treatment areas. The most common areas for Botox treatment remain horizontal forehead lines, 11 lines, and crows feet. We have seen a slightly greater number of patients consulted for TMJ Botox (TMJ is a medical jaw issue from grinding the teeth at night) likely due to increases in stress, and beauty trends of giving the face more angularity and a higher cheekbone, Dr. Blinski tells us.

Intrigued? Side effects from injectables include minor swelling and bruising. (Psst: Read up on our beginners guide to botox here.)

CHAKRAPONG WORATHAT/EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES

In fact, reports show that more women in the US are using facial skincare products today compared to one year ago, and that lifestyle changes including the effects of COVID-19 have in many ways altered skin care routines in a positive way, says master esthetician and CEO of Repechage, Lydia Sarfati.

At-home peels feature professional-grade ingredients and step-by-step instructions to boost a dull complexion and address specific skin concerns such as aging, discoloration and blemishes without having to go in to see an esthetician or dermatologist. These peels use low percent acids (like this one from PCA SKIN) and require no downtime for healing.

According to new survey data by healthcare marketplace RealSelf, 36 percent of respondents noted theyve seen an increase in the number of pimples since the pandemic started. And those who have had an increase in breakouts noted their chin was the most likely spot, followed by the jawline and cheeks.

Some acne breakouts are a result of wearing masks and the occlusion it causes (dubbed maskne), and other forms of acne are a result of hormonal stress or stress in general. Patients who have had acne scars are using this period to have laser treatments to finally address the treatment of their acne scars, now that they have the downtime, NYC-based cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Michele Green tells us.

One such treatment is eMatrix, a laser that works by stimulating collagen formation and healthy cells. eMatrix reduces the appearance of acne scars, enlarged pores and mild to moderate wrinkles in addition brightening the skin and improving skin texture. Downtime is approximately 48 hours with mild roughness remaining for three to five days. Results continue over three to five months after the final treatment and can be maintained annually (Dr. Green suggests patients receive three to five treatments).

PhotoAlto/Frederic Cirou/Getty Images

There are multiple ways to treat hair loss, but Dr. Greens preferred method is PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma), a treatment that uses your own blood to promote healing and stimulate the hair follicle to begin a new growth cycle while making hair stronger and thicker. Side effects of PRP may include some tenderness on the scalp after injections and a slight headache or pressure in the treated area. Depending on the severity, Dr. Green recommends four consecutive monthly treatments of PRP injections followed by maintenance treatments every four to six months.

Places like Tribeca Medspa have seen a 50 percent increase in microneedling with stem cells compared to last year. This treatment is designed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and skin imperfections, with stem cells added to stimulate the regeneration and healing of the skin.

Typically, patients would experience mild redness and swelling for a day followed by possible mild dryness for a few days, at most. Bruising can happen but tends to heal quickly as it is generally fairly superficial, says Tribeca Medspa clinical lead medical aesthetician Holly Montgomery.

RELATED: We Ask a Derm: What Is the Best Derma Roller to Use at Home?

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How New Yorkers Are Battling the Zoom Effect: 6 Cosmetic Treatments That Are on the Rise - PureWow

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on How New Yorkers Are Battling the Zoom Effect: 6 Cosmetic Treatments That Are on the Rise – PureWow | March 8th, 2021

How we humans became what we are today is a question that scientists have been trying to answer for a long time. How did we evolve such advanced cognitive abilities, giving rise to complex language, poetry, and rocket science? In what way is the modern human brain different from those of our closest evolutionary relatives, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans?

By reintroducing ancient genes from such extinct species into human mini brainsclusters of stem cells grown in a lab that organize themselves into tiny versions of human brainsscientists have started to find new clues.

Most of what we know about human evolution comes from the study of ancient fossils and bones. We know that Neanderthals and Denisovans diverged from humans around 500,000-600,000 years ago, and that the last Neanderthals didnt disappear from Europe until about 40,000 years ago.

Research has also shown that humans and Neanderthals interbred, and that Neanderthals were a lot more sophisticated than previously thought.

From studying the size and shape of fossilized skulls, we also know that brains from archaic humans were roughly the same size as modern human skulls, if not bigger, and appear to be different shapes. However, although such variations might be correlated with different cognitive abilities and functions, the fossils cannot alone explain how the shapes affect function. Luckily, recent technological advances have provided a new path to understanding how we differ from our extinct relatives.

Homo Sapiens versus Neanderthals. Source: WikipediaCC BY-SA

Sequencing of ancient DNA has allowed scientists to compare genes of Neanderthals and Denisovans with those of modern humans. This has helped identify differences and similarities, revealing that we share most of our DNA with Neanderthals and Denisovans.

Still, in specific regions, there are gene variants exclusively carried by modern humans. These human-specific DNA regions may be responsible for traits that separate our species from our extinct relatives. By understanding how these genes work, we can therefore learn about the traits that are unique to modern humans.

Studies comparing archaic and modern DNA sequences have pinpointed differences in genes important for the function, behavior, and development of the brainin particular genes involved in cell division and synapses (which transmit electric nerve impulses between cells). These have suggested the human brain matures more slowly than the Neanderthal one did.

Specifically, the development of the orbitofrontal cortex in infants, which is thought to be involved in higher-order cognition like decision-making, might have changed significantly but subtly since the split from Neanderthals. Humans also reach sexual maturity later than their ancestors did, which can help explain why we live longer.

It has long been unclear which evolutionary changes have been the most important. A team of scientists led by Alysson Muotri at the University of California, San Diego, recently published a study in Science that shed some light on this question.

They did this by growing mini brainswhich are known scientifically as organoidsfrom stem cells derived from skin. Brain organoids arent conscious in the way we arethey are very simple and do not reach sizes larger than around five or six millimeters, due to a lack of blood supply. But they can emit brainwaves and grow relatively complex neural networks that respond to light.

The team inserted an extinct version of a gene involved in brain development in the organoids using the Nobel-prize winning CRISPR-Cas9 technology, often described as genetic scissors, which allows precise editing and manipulation of genes.

Human brain organoid. Image Credit: NIH/Flickr

We know that the old version of the gene was present in Neanderthals and Denisovans, whereas a mutation later changed the gene into the current version that modern humans carry.

The engineered organoids displayed several differences. They expanded more slowly than the human organoids and had altered formation of connections between neurons. They were also smaller and had rough, complex surfaces compared to the smooth and spherical modern human organoids.

The study identified 61 genes that are different between modern and archaic humans. One of these genes is NOVA1, which has an essential role in regulating other genes activity during early brain development. It also plays a role in the formation of synapses.

Altered activity of NOVA1 has previously been found to cause neurological disorders such as microcephaly (leading to a small head), seizures, severe developmental delay, and a genetic disorder called familial dysautonomia, suggesting it is important for normal human brain function. The version that modern humans carry has a change in one single letter of the code. This change causes the genes product, the NOVA1 protein, to have a different composition and possibly a different activity.

When analyzing the organoids, scientists found that the archaic NOVA1 gene changed the activity of 277 other genesmany of them are involved in creating synapses and connections between brain cells. As a result, the mini brains had a different network of cells to those of a modern human.

That means that the mutation in NOVA1 caused essential changes in our brains. A change in a single letter of the DNA code possibly sparking a new level of brain function in modern humans. What we dont know is how exactly this happened.

The team has said they will follow up their fascinating finding by investigating the other 60 genes in more detail, to see what happens when you alter each one or a combination of several.

Its no doubt an intriguing area of research, with the organoids giving important insight into these ancient species brains. But we are only at the beginning. Manipulation of a single gene will not capture the true Neanderthal and Denisovan genetics. But it could still help scientists understand how some human-specific genes work.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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Evolution: Lab-Grown 'Mini Brains' Suggest One Mutation Might Have Rewired the Human Mind - Singularity Hub

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Evolution: Lab-Grown ‘Mini Brains’ Suggest One Mutation Might Have Rewired the Human Mind – Singularity Hub | March 8th, 2021

A cross section of mouse small intestine, showing intestinal crypts and villi, is visualized with immunofluorescence microscopy (nuclei in red, and F-actin, which marks the cytoskeleton, in blue). Intestinal stem cells reside at the base of crypts, where they maintain cell turnover.

Tissues with high intrinsic turnover, such as the skin and intestinal lining, rely on resident stem cells, which generate all native cell types. Intestinal stem cells (ISCs) are highly sensitive to damage, although they recover quickly. It is unclear whether this recovery (i.e., regeneration) occurs from less sensitive pools of reserve stem cells (1) or whether ISC progeny undergo reverse differentiation into stem cells (2). Recent studies in diverse organs highlight that dedifferentiation of specified cell types is a pervasive and dominant means for tissue regeneration. The findings have broad implications because all tissues experience some cell attrition over a lifetime, and knowing how tissues replenish those losses may help in preventing or treating organ failure. Moreover, it remains unclear whether incomplete differentiation, a common feature of cancer, reflects normal tissue plasticity, and it is unclear whether stem cells that arise by dedifferentiation may spawn cancers.

ISCs expressing leucine-rich repeatcontaining G proteincoupled receptor 5 (Lgr5) lie at the bottom of small bowel crypts (3). In the course of homeostatic tissue turnover, their immediate progeny adopt alternative enterocyte or secretory fates, then fill the crypts with replicating progenitors that migrate away from ISCs. Cell division ceases at the crypt tops, where postmitotic cells begin a 3- to 5-day journey along intestinal villi. When ISCs sustain irreparable damage, some source in the crypt must regenerate new ISCs. Other adult epitheliasuch as airways, prostate, and liverare organized differently from the intestine and from each other (see the figure). These epithelia also restore cells lost by damage or attrition, even though at rest they turn over at least a hundred times more slowly than the intestinal lining.

Airway epithelial structure varies from trachea to small bronchioles, and distinct progenitors in different segments produce assorted secretory and ciliated cell types. In the lining of human and mouse upper airways, flat basal cells lie beneath a layer of columnar differentiated cells and adjacent to submucosal myoepithelial glands. Stem cell activity in normal tissue turnover maps to a subpopulation of keratin 5 (Krt5)expressing basal cells (4). The trachea and bronchi are vulnerable to diverse injuries, including targeted destruction of Krt5+ stem cells and pervasive mucosal damage from noxious inhalants or viruses.

Adult human and mouse prostate glands also contain columnar luminal and flat KRT5+ basal cells. Distinct unipotent progenitors maintain both populations, and castration induces massive luminal cell loss. Androgen reexposure restores prostate mass within weeks, which implies the presence of castration-resistant progenitors. However, an unequivocal stem cell pool has not been identified. The liver also has notable regenerative abilities after chemical or surgical injury. The emerging consensus is that this organ lacks a dedicated stem cell compartment and recovers from damage through dedifferentiation of mature hepatocytes and biliary cells (5, 6).

Stem cell activity in vivo is demonstrated most persuasively by introducing into a tissue a permanent color or fluorescent label whose expression depends on Cre recombinasemediated excision of a STOP cassette. When Cre activity is restricted to stem cells, all the progeny of those cells exclusively carry the label. ISCs and tracheal stem cells were thus identified because targeted Cre activity in LGR5+ or KRT5+ mouse cells labeled the respective full lineages (3, 4). Investigation of tissue regeneration requires ablation of a stem cell compartment, followed by tracking of the restored ability to produce sufficient numbers of all native stem cell progeny. The canon of tissue repair rests heavily on such lineage-tracing experiments, but one limitation is that Cre recombinase is not often confined to a single defined cell type. This challenge lies at the heart of competing models for tissue recovery after lethal cell injuries.

Dividing cells take up labels such as [3H]thymidine or fluorescent histone 2B and shed these labels as they replicate further or their daughters die. In the intestine, however, rare cells located near the fourth tier from the crypt base retain [3H]thymidine for weeks. Given once-popular ideas that stem cells must be few in number and retain one immortal DNA strand when they replicate, +4 label-retaining cells (LRCs) were described as ISCs. In support of that idea, lineage tracing from Bmi1, a locus thought to be restricted to nonreplicating +4 LRCs, elicited an ISC-like response in vivo (7).

Physiologic cell turnover and recovery from injury occur from different cellular sources in diverse epithelia (intestine, upper airway, and prostate gland). Homeostatic turnover is driven by the stem cell pool, and tissue restoration from injury occurs through transient expansion and dedifferentiation of specified mature cells.

To reconcile the evidence for ISC properties in both LGR5+ crypt base columnar cells (CBCs) and +4 LRCs, researchers postulated that abundant CBCs serve as frontline ISCs, whereas the smaller +4 LRC population contains dedicated reserves. Indeed, intestinal turnover is unperturbed when LGR5+ CBCs are ablated because other crypt cells' progeny continue to repopulate villi and an LGR5+ ISC compartment is soon restored (1). Multiple candidate markers of +4 LRCs that regenerate ISCs after injury have been proposed (8). Although these cells are too few to explain the typical scale and speed of ISC restoration, the prospect of two stem cell pools carried the additional allure of a sound adaptive strategy in a tissue that requires continuous self-renewal.

ISC differentiation is, however, not strictly unidirectional. Cre expression in absorptive or secretory cell types tags those cells selectively, but upon ablation of LGR5+ CBCs, the label appears throughout (9). These observations imply that differentiated daughter cells have reverted into ISCs. Moreover, Bmi1 expression was found to mark differentiated crypt endocrine cells (10), and putative +4 markers are expressed in many crypt cells including LGR5+ CBCs. Accordingly, when Cre is expressed from these loci, the traced lineage might simply reflect CBC activity in resting animals and reverse differentiation of crypt cells after ISC ablation. But is dedifferentiation a rare and physiologically inconsequential event or the predominant mode of stem cell recovery? Dedifferentiation may obviate the need to invoke a dedicated reserve population, or it is possible that ISC recovery may reflect both dedifferentiation and contributions from a reserve stem cell population.

To investigate these issues, researchers activated a fluorescent label in LGR5+ CBCs and waited for this label to pass into progeny cells before ablating CBCs (11). Thus, only the CBCs that recover by dedifferentiation should be labeled, and any cells arising from reserve ISCs should not. Nearly every restored crypt and CBC was fluorescent, with substantial contributions from both enterocytes and secretory cells (11). Cells captured early in the restorative process coexpressed mature-cell and ISC genes, which is compatible with recovery by dedifferentiation. Another study found that damaged ISCs are reconstituted wholly by the progeny of LGR5+ CBCs (8). Thus, dedifferentiation would seem to be the principal mode of ISC regeneration, and prior conclusions about +4 ISCs likely reflect unselective Cre expression.

Different tissues might deploy distinct regenerative strategies, and recent studies in mouse airway, prostate, intestinal, and liver epithelia provide insightful lessons. After ablation of KRT5+ airway stem cells, specified secretory and club cell precursors were found to undergo clonal multilineage expansion and accounted for up to 10% of restored KRT5+ cells in vivo (12). Chemical or viral damage was subsequently reported to induce migration and dedifferentiation of submucosal gland myoepithelial cells into the basal layer to reconstitute the surface lining, including KRT5+ stem cells (13). Thus, dedifferentiation into native stem cells occurs upon injury to both airway and intestinal linings in mice.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of mouse prostate glands recently revealed distinct gene expression profiles in 3% of luminal cells, which are more clonogenic than others, express putative stem cell markers, and hence qualify as a pool enriched for native stem-like cells (14). After androgen reexposure following castration, however, the scale and distribution of cell replication and the location of restored clones were incompatible with an origin wholly within that small pool. Rather, the principal source of gland reconstitution in vivo, including new KRT5+ basal cells, was the dominant population of differentiated luminal cells (14). These observations parallel those in the liver, where recovery of organ mass after tissue injury occurs by renewed proliferation of mature resting hepatocytes (5), abetted by expansion of bile duct cells that transdifferentiate into hepatocytes (6). Cell plasticity is thus widespread, whether tissues have or lack native stem cell compartments.

Reverse differentiation in the intestine, airways, and prostate gland was generally observed after near-total elimination of resident stem or luminal cells, an extreme and artificial condition. However, several observations suggest that this dedifferentiation reflects a physiologic process designed to maintain a proper cell census. Contact with a single KRT5+ airway stem cell prevents secretory and club cell dedifferentiation in vitro (12), and tracheal submucosal glands exhibit limited stem cell activity even in the absence of injury (13). Live imaging of intestinal crypts reveals continuous and stochastic exit from and reentry into the ISC compartment (15), implying that barriers for differentiation or dedifferentiation are inherently low. However, the primary purpose of dedifferentiating airway, intestinal, liver, and prostate cells is not to enable tissue recovery. Therefore, they should be regarded as facultative stem cells; that is, they have other physiologic functions and realize a latent stem cell capacity only under duress.

This distinction from reserve stem cells is not merely semantic. Emphasis in regenerative therapy research belongs on any cell population with restorative potential; in vivo findings now direct attention away from putative reserve cells and toward dedifferentiation as a common means for tissue recovery. The absence of dedicated reserves and the inherent cellular ability to toggle between stem and differentiated states also inform cancer biology. Because mutations realize oncogenic potential only in longlived cells, both frontline and reserve stem cells represent candidate sources of cancer, in contrast to differentiated cells, which are generally short-lived. However, oncogenic mutations that arise in differentiated cells could become fixed upon dedifferentiation, thus enabling tumor development.

Notably, stem cell properties and interconversion with their progeny are not stereotypic. ISCs divide daily into two identical daughters, whereas hematopoietic stem cell replication is infrequent and asymmetric. Severe loss of blood stem cells does not elicit substantial dedifferentiation and is rescued only by adoptive stem cell transfer. Immature secretory precursors dedifferentiate more readily than terminally mature airway cells (12), whereas fully differentiated cells fuel liver and prostate regeneration. Cell plasticity in each case is determined by local signals. Unknown factors from KRT5+ tracheal stem cells, for example, suppress secretory cell dedifferentiation (12), and specific factors secreted from the prostate mesenchyme stimulate luminal cell dedifferentiation (14). The intestinal mesenchyme probably senses ISC attrition to trigger tissue recovery, but the spatial and molecular determinants remain unknown. Outstanding challenges are to identify the signaling pathways that ensure a stable cell census and to harness diverse regenerative responses to ameliorate acute tissue injuries or prevent organ failure. Knowing the cellular basis for stem cell recovery in different contexts brings us closer to those goals.

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Tissue regeneration: Reserve or reverse? - Science Magazine

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Tissue regeneration: Reserve or reverse? – Science Magazine | February 19th, 2021

Heres a fun fact about rosehip oil: it does not smell like roses. It does, however, heal. Known as the Himalayan musk rose, this wild flowering plant has only five petals, says Roshni Laura George, who discovered the elusive bloom during her honeymoon in Kashmir, as she was researching medicinal plants through the country in the remotest parts of the valley. Every May, the musk rose bushes burst into bloom, covering trees, tumbling over cliffs and blanketing the earth with their heady scent. The hip, a powerhouse of essential nutrients, is what is left once the petals fall. Thats where the oil is extracted from, explains George, who preserved this juice in Timekeeper, a vivid amber face oil that launched her skincare brand, Rasula. We do not bleach, colour or deodorise our rosehip oil as this would deplete its natural goodness. The oil is hardly oily, the red lingers for just a few seconds before your skin drinks it up, and its nutty smell is so distinct that you can only assume it came from the roses hip. George promised it would become my one-step skincare routine (followed by sunscreen in the day, of course) and my combination-dehydrated- acne-prone-moody skin might agree.

Rosehip oil can handle the fussiest skin types. Two reasons: vitamin F and beta carotene. Vitamin F is an essential fatty acid, rich in omega-6, which produces ceramide 1, a key part of a healthy skin barrier. Beta carotene is an antioxidant that gives the oil its rich orange hue. It can neutralise free radicals from the environment, protect against UVA damage, reduce oxidative stress, and enhance the appearance of skin. Essential fatty acids in the rosehip oil are absorbed by the skin to regenerate collagen and elastin fibres that keep the skin firm and youthful, explains George. In short, it helps your skin fight for itself.

George aimed to create category-defining natural skincare for photo-aged skin. Three years of research working closely with leading institutions like IIM Jammu and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in Bengaluru, led to Rasula, a clean beauty brand that comes without parabens, SLS, and artificial fragrance, among other nasties. Rasulas products are handcrafted and packed by hand in recyclable glassware, and its rosehip is hand-picked from the Himalayan Range by the local women of Kashmir. While common extraction practices include cold-pressing, George took a more expensive, environmentally friendly approach to ensure her oil was more concentrated, cleaner and superior, with a longer shelf life. We flush supercritical CO2 under high pressure through the seeds, which gently removes the oil, explains George. And if youre still not convinced, know this: rosehip oil is the most inclusive ingredient in skincare. Suitable for all skin types and age groups, including pregnant women and children, the oil helps eradicate a host of skin issuesscars, burns, fine lines, stretch marks, acne, dryness, sensitivity, sun damage, uneven skin tone, age spots, eczema and more. Most importantly, it is gender-neutral, says George.

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Heres why natural ingredients and science-backed formulations are the perfect combination - Vogue India

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Heres why natural ingredients and science-backed formulations are the perfect combination – Vogue India | February 19th, 2021

CLEVELAND, Feb. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Paulette Kaplan noticed something different as she entered into her 50s. Her skin was now dryer, and looked older than just a couple years earlier. Looking at her cabinet full of products that were supposed to work, she thought, "Nothing really works well."

As a skincare advocate, she began to consider creating her own line exclusively for the needs of the 50-plus.

In an industry obsessed with youth, Paulette found there to be a tremendous lack of skincare products made for this market.

According to an AARP national survey, "Women over age 50 make a big investment of time and money on beauty and personal grooming products, spending a whopping $22 billion annually, yet they still think that the beauty industry ignores them as they age."

Paulette was determined and began her search and discovered that some ingredients could be damaging to how skin looks and cause inflammation that works against the skin's ability to heal.

She did not want to make more 'anti-aging' potions. Or use unhealthy ingredients but to offer a clean and nourishing age perfect skincare line that would strengthen mature skin.

Trupure Organics was born with the help of scientists, chemists, and multiple formulas. A100% natural plant-based line using stem cells, bio-retinol, extracts, peptides, oils and juices. Their TruPurity promise excludes ingredients like chemicals, fragrances, dyes, parabens, GMOs, and phthalates.

What are the key goals? Provide continuous moisture, soothe, firm, protect, lift, strengthen, plump, smooth, and nourish with specific delivery systems.

Paulette explains her 50-plus line, "The focus isn't to put yourself under a magnifying glass, but actually celebrate your age by focusing on healthier radiant skin. Because when skin is healthy, it naturally looks beautiful."

Retinol is a common ingredient in skincare products because of how well it can promote collagen production. Trupure Organics No More Crepe Neck and Dcolletage Cream ($65) uses a different approach through a plant-based bio-retinol. Itwon't cause peeling, irritation, itching, or make skin considerably more sensitive to sunlight like standard retinol.

This same kind of approach is used in formulating all their plant-based products for mature skin. Visit trupureorganics.com to view the full collection of serums and creams.

References

Women 50 and Older Feel Overlooked by the Beauty Industry

Contact:

Paulette Kaplan Founder and CEO, Trupure Organics216.702.0345[emailprotected]http://www.trupureorganics.com

SOURCE Trupure Organics

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Trupure Organics Is First 50-Plus Brand Devoted to That Market's Distinct Needs - PRNewswire

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Trupure Organics Is First 50-Plus Brand Devoted to That Market’s Distinct Needs – PRNewswire | February 19th, 2021

MANILA, Philippines Breach. Reanimate. Create. This is the mantra behind La Prairies Platinum Rare Haute Rejuvenation Protocol, a new anti-aging product that is the Swiss luxury skincare brands most groundbreaking innovation yet.

La Prairie sought to go beyond skin renewal, and for the first time, we will create new skin tissue, says Dr. Daniel Stangl, La Prairies director of innovation.

This ultimate path to rejuvenation has been designed to work in three steps: breach the skin barrier, reanimate cells, and create new skin tissue.

As the first step, and in analogy to (La Prairie founder) Dr. Paul Niehans cellular therapy, the formula temporarily softens the skin barrier in order to optimally deliver the active ingredients into the skin and enhance the full potential, Stangl says.

In the second step, Platinum Rare Haute Rejuvenation Protocol reanimates cells in all skin layers, specifically stem cells and differentiated cells, which make up the majority of skin cells.

To reanimate these cells, the formula of the serum contains an exclusive platinum multi-peptide combined with two essential growth factors and La Prairies exclusive Cellular Complex. These highly potent active ingredients reanimate stem cells to produce new cells and differentiated cells to synthesize a new extracellular matrix, including fibers of collagen and elastin, as well as the hyaluronic acid, Stangl continues.

Thirdly, as a result of breaching the skins barrier and reanimating cells, La Prairie creates new skin tissue. The creation of new skin tissue in all skin layers is the fundamental process of rejuvenation, Stangl says. It literally infuses the skin with youth, improving all signs of aging as never seen before.

The product is designed as a month-long protocol, consisting of three vials. One vial is used for 10 days, day and night. After this month-long phase of intense rejuvenation, the skin needs time to re-equilibrate, notes Stangl. We therefore recommend using it for one month, four times a year.

The unique packaging includes a mini pedestal on which you put the jewel-toned vial and twist it, releasing clouds of product that you then shake to mix into a fresh serum. It displays La Prairies merging of art and science at its finest, giving its clientele the most luxurious, magical experience.

La Prairies Platinum Rare Haute Rejuvenation Protocol will be on counter at Rustans The Beauty Source on Feb. 25.

Light and cooling: Kiehls Ultra Facial Oil-free Gel Cream

One of Kiehls hero products has always been its Ultra Facial moisturizer, which can hydrate even the driest of skins. In the tropical Philippines, however, that formula might be too rich, especially for people with oily, acne-prone skin.

So now Kiehls has formulated Ultra Facial as an oil-free gel cream, a lightweight, cooling moisturizer thats perfect for our humid weather, especially in the coming summer months. Glacial glycoprotein Antarcticine hydrates skin for 24 hours, while Micronized Amino Acid helps regulate excess oil for shine control, so its suited to those with oily and combination skin who have a tendency to break out with maskne, like I do. I also love that its fragrance-, alcohol- and paraben-free.

He hearts her: Nars Claudette Collection was inspired by Francois Nars mother and first muse.

Nars limited-edition Claudette Collection is Francois Nars tribute to his mother and very first muse, Claudette, and the bohemian spirit of Paris Rive Gauche (Left Bank) in the 70s. The prints on the packaging were inspired by the prints on the dresses his mom used to wear.

Claudettes eyeshadow palette, St. Germain Des Prs, is filled with six warm, neutral shades in matte, satin and shimmer finishes. You cant go wrong with the neutrals in this palette, which are so subtle and wearable youll always end up with an elegant look, no matter which color or combination you use.

Nars cult-favorite satin Audacious lipstick comes in four shades named after his mom Claudette is a striking rust red and the other inspiring women in his life, grandmothers La and Ginette.

New to Audacious is a Sheer Matte formula with a soft-focus finish and medium-sheer coverage: Sandrine is a scarlet red; Sylvie is a berry red, and they feel so comfy and soft on the lips.

The Claudette Collection is available at Nars boutiques and Rustans The Beauty Source.

Dress your lips: Rouge Dior comes in 75 shades and new, refillable logo cases.

Christian Diors most iconic lipsticks have been released in modern, refillable packaging, and ultra-flattering finishes.

Rouge Dior 999 Velvet is a crimson-red born from the first two lipsticks launched by Christian Dior 9 and 99 and 100 Nude Look, a reinterpretation of the greige new look of 1947. (The other two icons are 080 Red Smile, one of the first reds Dior created in 1950 thats been reinvented as an intensely luminous red; and 525 Chrie, a rosewood nude whose name conveys Diors love of women and his muses.)

The legendary fashion designer not only wanted to dress women but also their smiles, so he created his first couture lipstick in 1953, eventually releasing it in over a thousand shades. Ever the visionary, Rouge Dior was already sustainable back then, as the lipsticks came in refillable cases.

Today, Peter Philips, the creative and image director for Dior Makeup, has resurrected 75 shades in new, refillable logo cases, and satin, matte, velvet and metallic finishes to flatter all skin tones.

Flowers always inspired Dior, so the formula has been enriched with floral, lip-care ingredients like red peony and pomegranate blossom extract.

Rouge Dior is available at Dior boutiques and SM Makati.

Beauty bargains: Get discounts on beloved brands at Shopee Beauty.

I love Shopee for its amazing deals and steals, so I was really excited to learn that the e-tailer has launched Shopee Beauty, a one-stop online destination for the best deals from top makeup and skincare brands.

You can find well-established, beloved brands such as Dove, TRESemm, and Cream Silk, as well as exciting finds from up-and-coming brands like Face Republic, Beauty Avenue, Teviant, and Seoul White Korea.

Brands will curate based on the latest makeup trends, and recommend products based on your needs. Youll also get fun tutorials from their favorite Shopee KOLs, product reviews, makeup tips, and giveaways on Shopee Live.

But face it: we love the bargains, right? Aside from free shipping vouchers, limited-time deals and exclusive product launches, until March 24 theyre giving discounts of up to 90 percent off on their go-to lippies, mascaras, and skincare brands.

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The ultimate path to skin rejuvenation - Philstar.com

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on The ultimate path to skin rejuvenation – Philstar.com | February 19th, 2021

While youre receiving treatment for cancer, some of the drugs you take can cause painful sores to develop inside your mouth. You can also get them if youve had a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant as part of your cancer care.

Although they often heal on their own, these mouth sores can make it uncomfortable to eat and talk. Well discuss what you can do to relieve the pain and prevent them from getting worse.

Mouth sores can be a common side effect of cancer treatment. The condition, known as stomatitis or mucositis, is an inflammation of the tissues inside your mouth.

Whitish, ulcer-like sores can form on your cheeks, gums, lips, tongue, or on the roof or floor of your mouth. Even if you dont develop mouth ulcers, you may have patches that feel inflamed and painful, as if theyve been burned.

Anyone who is receiving chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant can develop mouth sores as a side effect of these treatments.

If you have dry mouth or gum disease, or if your teeth and gums are not well taken care of, you may be at a higher risk of getting mouth sores during your treatment. Women and people who smoke or drink alcohol are also at a higher risk, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation.

If youre receiving chemotherapy, the sores could begin forming anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks after your treatment. Depending on the specific cause, the sores could go away on their own in a few weeks, or they could last longer.

Its important to find ways to manage your pain and to watch for signs of an infection. Cancer-related mouth sores can lead to weight loss, dehydration, and other serious complications.

Cancer cells can grow very quickly. The aim of cancer treatment is to stop or slow down that growth. The cells in the mucous membranes lining your mouth are also fast-growing cells, so cancer treatments affect them, too.

Cancer treatments also keep the cells in your mouth from being able to repair themselves efficiently when theyre damaged.

Radiation therapy can also damage the glands in your mouth that make saliva. A dry mouth is more susceptible to infections that cause mouth sores.

Chemotherapy and radiation can both change the microbiome in your mouth, upsetting the balance between good and bad bacteria. The growth of harmful bacteria in your mouth can also lead to mouth sores.

Sometimes cancer treatments suppress your immune system, which may make it more likely that youll get a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection that causes mouth sores. An older infection (such as the herpes simplex virus) can also suddenly flare up again.

If youve had a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant, sores may be a sign that youve developed a condition known as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

When this happens, the cells in your body are attacking the transplanted cells as though they were an unhealthy invader. According to research published in Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dentistry, short-term (acute) GVHD occurs in 50 to 70 percent of stem cell transplant cases and longer-term (chronic) GVHD is seen in 30 to 50 percent of cases.

The form of GVHD that causes mouth sores is usually mild, and doctors often treat it with corticosteroid medications.

Its important to talk with your doctor if you develop mouth sores after a stem cell transplant, as some kinds of GVHD can turn serious if left untreated.

There is a good chance that youll experience mouth sores at some point during your cancer treatment. Researchers estimate that 20 to 40 percent of those who have chemotherapy and 80 percent of those who have high-dose chemotherapy will develop mucositis afterward.

Still, there are steps you and your cancer care team can take to lower your risk, reduce the severity of the sores, and promote faster healing.

About a month before your cancer treatment begins, schedule an appointment with your dentist to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy. If you have cavities, broken teeth, or gum disease, its important to come up with a dental treatment plan to take care of these conditions so they dont lead to infections later, when your immune system may be vulnerable.

If you wear braces or dentures, ask your dentist to check the fit and remove any part of the device you dont need during your treatment.

Its very important to maintain good oral hygiene practices throughout your treatment to lower your risk of infection. Brush and floss gently but regularly, avoiding any painful areas. You can also ask your dentist whether a mouth rinse with fluoride is advisable in your case.

For certain kinds of chemotherapy (bolus 5fluorouracil chemotherapy and some high-dose therapies), your healthcare team may give you ice chips to chew for 30 minutes before your treatment. This type of cold therapy can lower your risk of getting mouth sores later.

During treatment of some blood cancers, doctors may give you injections of palifermin, also known as human keratinocyte growth factor-1 (KGF-1), to prevent mouth sores.

If youre scheduled to receive high-dose chemotherapy or radiotherapy, your cancer care team may prepare your mouth using low-level laser therapy beforehand to keep you from getting mouth sores.

For people who have radiation therapy for head and neck cancers, doctors may prescribe this medicated mouthwash to minimize mouth sores.

The length of time your mouth sores may last depends on the specific cancer treatment youve had. Here are some estimates broken down by treatment:

You may notice symptoms anywhere between a few days and a few weeks after your cancer treatment. Heres what you may see and feel as mucositis develops:

You may notice that the sores become slightly crusty as they heal. Its important to keep track of your symptoms and let your oncologist know if the sores arent healing on their own.

Contact your doctor right away if you:

Untreated mouth sores can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, and life-threatening infections.

There are a few different ways that you can help mouth sores heal and avoid prolonger pain or an infection.

While the sores are healing, its very important to keep the inside of your mouth clean to prevent an infection from developing.

The National Cancer Institute recommends that you gently clean your teeth every 4 hours and just before you go to sleep at night. Here are a few tips to consider:

If the pain from mouth sores is interfering with your ability to eat and drink, your doctor may treat the condition with a opioid mouthwash or one containing doxepin or lidocaine.

To ease discomfort and keep your mouth from feeling dry, you may want to try rinsing with a mild saltwater or baking soda solution. Heres how to make each of them:

Your cancer care team may recommend that you use a lubricating liquid (artificial saliva) to moisten the inside of your mouth if dryness is a problem. These liquids are usually gel-like. They coat your mouth with a thin film to help ease discomfort and promote healing.

Some people have found it useful to rinse with a blend of medications called the magic mouthwash. Formulas for this mouthwash vary, but most of them include a combination of medications to treat different symptoms, including:

Magic or miracle mouthwash solutions usually have to be prescribed by a doctor and prepared by a pharmacist, although some people mix up an over-the-counter version at home.

There isnt enough research to say for sure whether magic mouthwash works. If you think youd like to try it, talk with your oncologist or a healthcare professional about whether its a good idea for you.

Here are a few more things you can try at home that may help ease pain from mouth sores:

Mouth sores are one of the most common side effects of cancer treatment. Shortly after chemotherapy, radiation, or transplant treatments, painful, ulcer-like sores can form on the inside of your mouth.

These sores may go away on their own. If they dont, its important to seek medical treatment for them because they can lead to very serious complications.

Before you start cancer treatments, visit a dentist to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy. Keeping up good dental hygiene practices during and after cancer treatment will help limit mouth sores.

If the sores are keeping you from eating and drinking, talk with your oncologist about medications could relieve the pain and speed up the healing process, so you can enjoy a better quality of life during treatment.

Its really important to keep track of any sores in your mouth so you can reach out to your healthcare team if they dont improve. Sores that deepen or worsen can lead to serious even life-threatening complications.

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Mouth Sores from Chemo: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments - Healthline

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Mouth Sores from Chemo: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments – Healthline | February 19th, 2021

Job descriptionThe Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine is located in Guys Hospital.It is internationally recognized for research on adult and pluripotent stem cells and is a focus for cutting-edge stem cell research currently taking place across the College and its partner NHS trusts, as part of Kings Health Partners. Through the Centre, Kings aims to drive collaboration between scientists and clinicians to translate the potential of stem cells into clinical reality for patients.Applications are invited for a postdoctoral researcher funded as part of the PIs Wellcome Clinical Fellowship, and will work with a dynamic group of scientists focussed on reproductive biology, early embryonic development and the causes of infertility. The post holder will contribute to the regenerative medicine theme and will be involved in the generation and processing of single cell experiments using a variety of techniques.This is an exciting opportunity following our recent work (Sangrithi et al. 2017, Dev Cell & Lau et al. 2020, Dev Cell). The project aims to discover the function of genes on the X-chromosome in male germline stem cells (spermatogonia) and their role in idiopathic and sex chromosome aneuploidy associated infertility. We aim to understand physiological gene regulatory networks functional in spermatogonial stem cells using a combination of single-cell methods, to explain how perturbation in X-gene dosage in SSCs may cause infertility. The postholder will also identify and validate candidate disease bio-markers.This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract until 05/04/2026This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities Carry out world class research. Are adept at working in a wet lab setting with experience in designing and executing experiments. Familiarity in single cell work nucleic acid manipulation is desirable Communicate results effectively in writing and orally Contribute to publications arising from the research projects Keep clear and up-to-date records of work Attend and present at seminars, journal clubs and conferences Contribute to collaborative atmosphere of the department Share skills by training others Comply with all relevant safety legislation to ensure a safe working environment Take part in public engagement activities To support grant writing, for maintaining the continual research in this domain, e.g. Fellowships Post holder will be expected to plan and prioritise their own workload, with competing and shifting priorities under pressure of deadlinesThe above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria PhD awarded in the biological sciences Excellent general knowledge of molecular biology Knowledge of cell biology Knowledge of flow cytometry Relevant postdoctoral experience Experience in a molecular biology research lab Excellent record keeping / attention to detail Organized and systematic approach to research Pro-active, enthusiastic, positive attitude Self-motivated, with the ability to work under pressure & to meet deadlines Keen interest in infertility and regenerative medicine Ability to think strategically

Desirable criteria Understanding of the biology of germ cells and embryo development Previous experience in working with the laboratory mouse ES cell culture experience General knowledge of computational tools for single cell RNAseq Ability to make collaborative and independent decisions*Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.Further informationABOUT THE SCHOOLThe School of Basic & Medical Biosciences is led by Professor Mathias Gautel and comprises five departments with a wide range of expertise and interests. Using a bench to bedside approach, the School aims to answer fundamental questions about biology in health and disease and apply this to the development of new and innovative clinical practise, alongside providing a rigorous academic programme for students.DepartmentsThe Centre for Human & Applied Physiological Sciences (CHAPS) uses an integrative and translational research approach focusing on fundamental questions about human physiological function in health and disease to explore 3 research themes: skeletal muscle & aging, sensory-motor control & pain and aerospace & extreme environment adaptation.The Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine focuses on cutting-edge stem cell research, how stem cells interact with their local environment and how these interactions are important for developing effective cell therapies in the clinic.The Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics uses cutting-edge technologies and analysis techniques to explore the mechanistic basis of disease, improve diagnostics and understand the epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation and RNA processing, working from whole population level to complex and rare disease genomesThe Randall Centre of Cell & Molecular Biophysics takes a multi-disciplinary approach at the interface of Biological and Physical Sciences to explore the underlying mechanisms behind common diseases.St Johns Institute of Dermatology seeks to improve the diagnosis and management of severe skin diseases, through a better understanding of the basic pathogenetic mechanisms that cause and sustain these conditions focussing on cutaneous oncology, genetic skin disorders, inflammatory & autoimmune skin disorders, and photomedicine.About the Department of Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative MedicineThe Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine is led by Professor Fiona Watt, whos laboratory comprises approximately 30 research staff and visiting scientists and is internationally recognised for research on adult and pluripotent stem cells. Along with Professor Watts group there are nine other research groups operating at the Centre, bringing the total number of staff to approximately 80 people.Research at the Centre is focused on how stem cells interact with their local environment, or niche. We believe that an understanding of these interactions is important for developing effective cell therapies in the clinic. Located on the Guys Hospital campus, the Centre acts as a focus for cutting-edge stem cell research taking place across the College and its partner NHS Trusts, as part of Kings Health Partners. To facilitate collaborations within Kings and with external partners, we have opened a Stem Cell Hotel where researchers can access specialist equipment and technical support to study stem cell behaviour at single cell resolution. We also host an international seminar series and run the Stem Cells @ Lunch seminar series to share ideas and unpublished data. Our researchers are committed to public engagement and take part in diverse outreach events.Detailed information about the Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative medicine can be found in the link below:http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lsm/research/divisions/gmm/departments/stemcells/index.aspx

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Research Associate in Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine job with KINGS COLLEGE LONDON | 246711 - Times Higher Education (THE)

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Research Associate in Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine job with KINGS COLLEGE LONDON | 246711 – Times Higher Education (THE) | February 17th, 2021

Usama Gergis, MD, MBA Professor of Oncology Director, Bone Marrow Transplant and Immune Cellular Therapy Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Philadelphia, PA, reviewed that difference in acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and the treatment available for each.

Targeted OncologyTM: How would you treat a patient with GvHD in the second line?

GERGIS: If you [have a patient with] second-line acute GVHD, your answer should be ruxolitinib [Jakafi] because its the only drug that has been tried in phase 3 trials. If you get a [case of] chronic GVHD, your answer should be ibrutinib [Imbruvica].

What is the efficacy of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) versus bone marrow from unrelated donors in patients with acute and chronic GvHD?

[Results from] a phase 3 study of bone marrow versus stem cells for unrelated donors [showed] the acute GVHD population [cumulative incidence] was the same between both.1 For the chronic population, the bone marrow did better [PBSC 53% vs bone marrow 41%; P = .01]. This was published almost 8 years ago, [and it] was reported almost 10 years ago, but we still use stem cells.

This has not changed practices, and the reasons are, number 1, there was more primary graft failure on the bone marrow than the PBSC, and number 2, its pretty involved to do bone marrow harvest, although I have done it for 15 years, at least a few every month.

The benefit of bone marrow versus PBSCand this benefit was only studied in unrelated donors, not in matched related donorswas seen across all organs affected with chronic GVHD except lungs, [gut, and serosa].2 So, there was no real benefit in the lungs.

Can you explain the difference between acute and chronic GvHD?

Chronic GVHD is more complicated and involved than acute GVHD. In acute, you have the skin, gastrointestinal organs, and the liver [that may be affected]. Thats it. In chronic, all the patients other organs can be affected. The patients weight can be affected. [Chronic GVHD is] more debilitating over a long time and [can] go unrecognized for a while. [If a patient is] experiencing acute GVHD, you see them twice a week, whereas if the patient has chronic GVHD, you probably see them once a month. So you can see a very stark change in your patients within that month if they lose 10% of their body weight and they already lost a lot of weight in the period right after [transplantation], so that can be obvious to you.

[In my institution], we have the GVHD clinic where we [grade the patient based on] studying the degree of fibrosis, how many organs are affected, the patients range of motion, and the degrees in range of motion. We do frequent pulmonary function tests and various [other] testing. By looking at all the affected organs, you reach a grade, and that can be mild, moderate, or severe [chronic GVHD].

How do you treat moderate-to-severe chronic GVHD at initial presentation and in the second line?

First-line treatment for chronic GVHD are steroids. For second line, there are many agents [to consider]. Ive tried most of them. I like photopheresis because its not pharmacological, but its pretty involved. Your patient will need a permanent catheter, and they will need to come to the transplant center twice a week, and you see a response after a long time. It takes an average of 50 photopheresis sessions for a response. But the beauty of photopheresis [is that] you could try it with other agents, so its not mutually exclusive. You could use it with ruxolitinib, ibrutinib, or any other agents.

The answer will be ibrutinib [for chronic GVHD], and thats based on the [results of a] phase 2 clinical trial that treated 42 patients with steroid-refractory chronic GVHD, and the efficacy was 69% [best overall response rate], and 31% complete response rate.3

What do you think of these poll results?

Everybody agrees on giving ibrutinib. When I gave this talk a couple months ago, lenalidomide [Revlimid] was not included in the poll. I added it because [recently], a nice study in Blood came out from the National Institutes of Health where they tried lenalidomide at a small dose, 2 mg, in steroid-refractory chronic GVHD. Its a large trial; I think its about 100 patients. Theyve seen responses that are comparable with ibrutinib....I treated a patient for multiple myeloma; he received a transplant for multiple myeloma, and now, 6 months later, he has chronic GVHD and some clonal plasma cells. So for him, I was comforted to know the results of the lenalidomide trial.

How does ruxolitinib play a role in this setting?

Ruxolitinib was reported in the REACH3 trial [NCT03112603] with very good responses in chronic GVHD.4 I think it probably will get approved for that indication. Looking at this study about 2 years ago, nothing was studied well in this indication, and ibrutinib was approved.

REACH3 was a large trial, almost 300 patients, and everybody was randomized to ruxolitinib 10 mg twice a day versus best available treatment. They looked at everybody about 6 months later for response.

What should physicians keep in mind when treating?

Chronic GvHD is pretty involved. Your patients will need a multidisciplinary approach. You need to pay attention to their bones. In the first 100 days post transplant, the average bone aging is 17 years.

So although were trying to treat acute GVHD, viruses, and prevent relapses, [by putting] your patients on some steroids, you are aging your patients bones by 17 years only in the first 100 days. No matter what you do, give your patients vitamin D, calcium, and Fosamax [alendronate sodium].

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Gergis Explains the Differences Between Acute and Chronic GVHD - Targeted Oncology

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Gergis Explains the Differences Between Acute and Chronic GVHD – Targeted Oncology | February 17th, 2021

New smart stem cells show a promising power to heal.

Researchers have reprogrammed human fat cells into adaptive smart stem cells that can lie dormant in the body until they are needed to heal various tissues. They demonstrated the cells' effectiveness at healing damaged tissue in a mouse study.

To create the smart stem cells, the team from UNSW Sydney exposed human fat cells to a compound mixture. After about three and a half weeks, the cells lost their original identity and began acting like stem cells, or iMS (induced multipotent stem cells).

"The stem cells acted like chameleons. They followed local cues to blend into the tissue that required healing."

"The stem cells we've developed can adapt to their surroundings and repair a range of damaged tissues," said UNSW hematologist John Pimanda, and co-author of the study, which they published in Science Advances.

"To my knowledge, no one has made an adaptive human multipotent stem cell before. This is uncharted territory."

Next, they injected the experimental iMS cells into healthy mice to see how the cells would respond. The cells remained dormant for some time, but they activated when the mouse was injured. Because of the cells' regenerative ability to act as "smart stem cells," they transformed themselves into whatever tissue was needed to heal the injured mouse --- like bone tissue, heart, or skin.

"The stem cells acted like chameleons," said Avani Yeola, lead author on the study at UNSW Medicine & Health. "They followed local cues to blend into the tissue that required healing."

All cells in a human body contain the same DNA. To differentiate between tissues, like a skin cell versus a bone cell, the cells only use a small portion of their total DNA. The rest of the DNA is shut down naturally by local modifications.

"The idea behind our approach was to reverse these modifications," said Pimanda. "We wanted the cells to have the option of using that part of the DNA if there was a signal from outside the cell."

Tissue-specific stem cells, like those that are restricted to becoming parts of the liver or lung, are limiting. But smart stem cells that can respond to their environment and become any tissue, like multipotent stem cells, will have many uses.

In the future, doctors could take a patient's fat cells, incubate them with the compound, and inject them into the patient to heal heart damage or trauma injuries.

But applications like this could be a long way off. The team needs to do much more research to prove this is safe in humans for different kinds of trauma before it becomes a real therapy.

We'd love to hear from you! If you have a comment about this article or if you have a tip for a future Freethink story, please email us at [emailprotected]

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Smart Stem Cells Made From Fat Have the Power to Heal - Freethink

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Smart Stem Cells Made From Fat Have the Power to Heal – Freethink | February 14th, 2021