The mother ofa hockey player paralyzed in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash says she's stunned by the progress he has made since receiving spinal surgery in Thailand.

Doctors implanted an epidural stimulator in Ryan Straschnitzki's spine earlier this monthand a week later injected stem cells above and below the injury in the hope thatwill help reverse some of the damage.

The 20-year-old from Airdrie, Alta., is to remain in Thailand until early December.

"Hands down I'm 200 per cent behind this. I didn't expect this kind of result this quickly," Michelle Straschnitzki said in aninterview. "It's definitely not a quick fix. It's not a cure, but it's certainly progress and it's more than we've had in 19 months."

Tom Straschnitzki, who is also inThailand,has posted a number of videos of his son's rehab, including one where the young manwas able to move a leg. Another video shows him strapped into a harness as physiotherapists slowly help him walk with the use of a machine on wheels.

"Bout time he got off his ass. 1st time since he boarded the bus that horrendous day," Straschnitzki tweeted.

"Therapist helping with knees and ankles so they don't buckle. Ryan did so good, I sent him to the beer store for me."

Straschnitzki was one of 13 players who were injured when an inexperienced truck driver blew through a stop sign and into the path of the Saskatchewan junior hockey team's bus in April 2018. Sixteen others on the bus died.

Straschnitzki, who was paralyzed from the chest down, has said he isn't expecting a cure but hopes the implant will restore some muscle movement and things such as bladder control.

A small device like a remote control is to send electrical currents to his spinal cord to try to stimulate nerves and move limbs. The implant is being programmed to stimulate certain nerves mapped out by surgeons and therapists.

The surgery can cost up to $100,000 and isn't covered by publichealth care or insurance, because the epidural procedure has not been approved by Health Canada.The familyis paying for it themselves. It is also performed in countries such as the United States and Switzerland, but it is much cheaper in Thailand.

The player's mother, who didn't go to Thailand, said he's been low key when she's talked to him.

"Intypical Ryan fashion he's very quiet. All he says is he's very tired and you can tell. His body, his mind, everything is tired because he's pushing as far as he can."

Her sontakes part in nerve mappingin the morning, does physio in the afternoon and then does more work with the implant, she said. He still plans to hit the ice in Bangkokwith his hockey sledge before returning home.

Straschnitzkisaid seeingher boy'sprogress on the videos stunned her.

"I was just absolutely floored. It obviously brought the tears. I was bawling. It was unreal," she said.

"Tom said the last time Ryan walked was when he walked on the bus and then, to watch him moving his legs, walking essentially, that just rocked me."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2019.

Follow @BillGraveland on Twitter

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

Original post:
'I was bawling': Injured Bronco's mother stunned by his progress after surgery - Airdrie Today

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on ‘I was bawling’: Injured Bronco’s mother stunned by his progress after surgery – Airdrie Today | November 22nd, 2019

Surgeons in the operating room. Researchers at the University of Maryland believe rapidly cooling the body could put patients into a state of suspended animation.

A team of surgeons at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have placed a human patient in "suspended animation" for the first time, according to a report by New Scientist on Wednesday. The procedure is intended to prolong the time surgeons have to fix traumatic injuries by deliberately lowering patients' body temperatures.

The Emergency Preservation and Resuscitation (EPR) for Cardiac Arrest From Trauma (EPR-CAT) trial has been in the works since 2010 and intends to rapidly cool the body of patients presenting with extreme trauma -- like a gunshot or knife wound. The prognosis for this type of trauma is grim: Due to rapid blood loss, these patients go into cardiac arrest. With the heart stopped, there's only minutes for surgeons to stem the bleeding and get the heart pumping again before damage occurs. The odds of survival are between 2 to 5%.

Even if patients survive, the lack of oxygen caused by the injuries can result in permanent damage to the brain.

Samuel Tisherman, who is overseeing the EPR-CAT trial, suspects that rapid cooling or "induced hypothermia" can buy trauma patients extra time.

The clinical trial aims to alter the body's temperature by about 27 degrees Celsius, dropping it below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) with an ice-cold saline solution. In computing parlance, the idea is that induced hypothermia puts the body into a sort of "standby" mode. Metabolic processes slow down, our cells don't need as much oxygen and so cell damage is prevented. When the wounds are repaired, the system can be rebooted -- hopefully with no long-lasting effects to the hardware.

There's sound scientific reason to believe rapid cooling can achieve such miraculous feats.

The New York Times reported a similar trial in dogs (with the somewhat alarming headline "Zombie Dogs") in December 2005, where canines ventured into the afterlife and back again. After having their blood drained and going into cardiac arrest, the dogs were pumped full of a cool saline solution. Clinically, doctors would say the dogs were dead, but after three hours, the saline solution was replaced with blood and the dogs were warmed. They survived. Importantly, they didn't seem to suffer from any severe neurological deficits.

A cohort of 20 patients will be enrolled in the study -- 10 will receive EPR, 10 will not. Trauma patients can not consent to taking part in the trial, but the US Food and Drug Administration approved the trial on the proviso there is no alternative treatment, while also consulting with members of the community and allowing anyone to opt out, should they choose.

No results have been released but Tisherman discussed the trial at a symposium at the New York Academy of Sciences on Monday, revealing his team had trialed the suspended animation technique in one patient. The expected completion date is December 2019, with full results expected by the end of 2020.

Originally published 3:43 p.m PT

Read the original here:
Suspended animation induced in humans for the first time - CNET

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Suspended animation induced in humans for the first time – CNET | November 22nd, 2019

The approval is based on positive results from the interim analyses of two Phase III clinical trials, ELEVATE-TN in patients with previously untreated CLL and ASCEND in patients with relapsed or refractory CLL. Together, the trials showed that CALQUENCE in combination with obinutuzumab or as a monotherapy significantly reduced the relative risk of disease progression or death versus the comparator arms in both 1st-line and relapsed or refractory CLL. Across both trials, the safety and tolerability of CALQUENCE were consistent with its established profile.

Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President, Oncology Business Unit said: With over 20,000 new cases anticipated this year in the US alone, todays approval of CALQUENCE provides new hope for patients with one of the most common types of adult leukemia, offering outstanding efficacy and a favorable tolerability profile. The chronic lymphocytic leukemia patient population is known to face multiple comorbidities, and tolerability is a critical factor in their treatment.

Dr. Jeff Sharman, Director of Research at Willamette Valley Cancer Institute, Medical Director of Hematology Research for The US Oncology Network, and a lead author of the ELEVATE-TN trial, said: Tolerability remains an issue in the current treatment landscape of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which may require ongoing therapy for many years. In the ELEVATE-TN and ASCEND trials comparing CALQUENCE to commonly used treatment regimens, CALQUENCE demonstrated a clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival in patients across multiple settings, while maintaining its favorable tolerability and safety profile.

The results of the interim analysis of the ELEVATE-TN trial will be presented at the upcoming American Society of Hematology congress.

The trial showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) for patients treated with either CALQUENCE in combination with obinutuzumab or CALQUENCE monotherapy versus chlorambucil chemotherapy plus obinutuzumab, a current standard-of-care combination used in the control arm.

In the CALQUENCE combination arm, risk of disease progression or death was reduced by 90% (HR 0.10; 95% CI, 0.06-0.17, p<0.0001) and in the monotherapy arm it was reduced by 80% (HR 0.20; 95% CI, 0.13-0.30, p<0.0001).

The median time to disease progression for patients treated with CALQUENCE in combination with obinutuzumab or as a monotherapy has not yet been reached vs. 22.6 months (95% CI, 20-28) for chlorambucil plus obinutuzumab.

ELEVATE-TN safety overview (most common ARs*, 15%):

Adverse reaction

CALQUENCE plus obinutuzumab(n=178)

CALQUENCE monotherapy(n=179)

Chlorambucil plus obinutuzumab(n=169)

Any

Grade 3

Any

Grade 3

Any

Grade 3

Infection

69%

22%

65%

14%

46%

13%

Neutropenia

53%

37%

23%

13%

78%

50%

Anemia

52%

12%

53%

10%

54%

14%

Thrombocytopenia

51%

12%

32%

3.4%

61%

16%

Headache

40%

1.1%

39%

1.1%

12%

0

Diarrhea

39%

4.5%

35%

0.6%

21%

1.8%

Musculoskeletal pain

37%

2.2%

32%

1.1%

16%

2.4%

Fatigue

34%

2.2%

23%

1.1%

24%

1.2%

Bruising

31%

0

21%

0

5%

0

Rash

26%

2.2%

25%

0.6%

9%

0.6%

Arthralgia

22%

1.1%

16%

0.6%

4.7%

1.2%

Dizziness

20%

0

12%

0

See the article here:
CALQUENCE Approved in the US for Adult Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia - BioSpace

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on CALQUENCE Approved in the US for Adult Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia – BioSpace | November 22nd, 2019

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Nov. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a research-based global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that more than 40 abstracts, including 18 oral presentations, will be presented during the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, December 7-10, in Orlando, FL. New data include presentations on Ibrutinib (IMBRUVICA) plus venetoclax (VENCLEXTA/VENCLYXTO) among others.

"At this year's ASH Annual Meeting, AbbVie will showcase the latest scientific progress from our portfolio spanning various hematologic malignancies," said Mohamed Zaki, M.D., Ph.D., Head of Hematology Oncology, AbbVie. "We look forward to sharing the new data from our clinical development programs for ibrutinib and venetoclax, which continue to demonstrate the potential to transform care and improve the lives of people living with various difficult-to-treat blood cancers."

Data from two studies of ibrutinib combination regimens in the first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) will be featured in the CLL Therapy Oral Session. A new minimal residual disease (MRD)-guided analysis from the Phase 2 CAPTIVATE study (PCYC-1142) of ibrutinib in combination with venetoclax will be presented (Abstract #35), as well as longer-term outcomes data from the Phase 3 E1912 study of ibrutinib in combination with rituximab, which served as the basis of a recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sNDA submission (Abstract #33). In addition, extended follow-up data of up to 7.5 years in patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) supporting the long-term disease control and tolerability with ibrutinib (Abstract #1538) and a four-year updated analysis from the Phase 3 MURANO trial of venetoclax in combination with rituximab will be shared (Abstract #355).

These new data will provide insights on the ongoing evaluation of ibrutinib (IMBRUVICA) and venetoclax (VENCLEXTA/VENCLYXTO)use among a variety of CLL patients.

Details about presentations are as follows:

Abstract

Presentation Timing

Ibrutinib

Ibrutinib Plus Venetoclax for First-line Treatment of CLL/SLL: Results from the MRD Cohort of Phase 2 CAPTIVATE Study (PCYC-1142); Tam et al.; Abstract #35

Saturday, December 7

Oral Session: 7:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 8:30 a.m. ET

Ibrutinib and Rituximab Compared to FCR in Younger Patients with CLL: Extended Follow-Up from the E1912 Trial; Shanafelt et al.; Abstract #33*

Saturday, December 7

Oral Session: 7:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 8:00 a.m. ET

Long-Term Outcomes with Ibrutinib Versus the Prior Regimen: A Pooled Analysis in Relapsed/Refractory MCL with up to 7.5 Years of Extended Follow-up (MCL2001, MCL3001, CAN3001, PCYC-1104); Ruleet al.; Abstract #1538

Saturday, December 7

Poster Session: 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. ET

Planned Analysis of the Phase 1/2 CIRLL Trial for CLL and MCL of Cirmtuzumab in Combination with Ibrutinib; Choi et al.; Abstract #1755

Saturday, December 7

Poster Session: 5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. ET

Clinical Impact of Ibrutinib with R-CHOP in UntreatedNon-GCB DLBCL Co-Expressing BCL2 and MYC Genes in the Phase 3 PHOENIX Trial; Johnson et al.; Abstract #354**

Sunday, December 8

Oral Session: 7:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 8:45 a.m. ET

Using Ibrutinib in Earlier Lines of Treatment in CLL/SLL (RESONATE/RESONATE-2); Barr et al.; Abstract #3054

Sunday, December 8

Poster Session: 6:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. ET

Phase 2 Results of the iR2 Regimen (Ibrutinib, Lenalidomide, and Rituximab) in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Non-germinal Center B CellLike (Non-GCB) Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) (PCYC-1123); Ramchandren et al.; Abstract #761

Monday, December 9

Oral Session: 2:45 p.m. 4:15 p.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 3:45 p.m. ET

Venetoclax

Ibrutinib (Ibr) Plus Venetoclax (Ven) for First-Line Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia(CLL)/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL): Results from the MRD Cohort of the Phase 2 CAPTIVATE Study

Saturday, December 7

Oral Session: 7:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 8:30 a.m. ET

Quantitative Analysis of Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) Shows High Rates of Undetectable MRD After Fixed-Duration Chemotherapy-Free Treatmentand Serves as Surrogate Marker for Progression-Free Survival: A Prospective Analysis of the Randomized CLL14 trial

Saturday, December 7

Oral Session: 7:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 8:45 a.m. ET

T(11;14) and High BCL2 Expression are Predictive Biomarkers of Response to Venetoclax in Combination with Bortezomib and Dexamethasone in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma: Biomarker Analyses from the Phase 3 BELLINI Study

Saturday, December 7

Oral Session: 9:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 10:15 a.m. ET

Identification of Recurrent Genomic Alterations in the Apoptotic Machinery in CLL Patients Treated with Venetoclax Monotherapy

Saturday, December 7

Oral Session: 12:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 12:45 p.m. ET

Updated Results from the Venetoclax (Ven) in Combination with Idasanutlin (Idasa) Arm of a Phase 1b Trial in Elderly Patients (Pts) with Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)Ineligible for Cytotoxic Chemotherapy

Saturday, December 7

Oral Session: 2:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 2:00 p.m. ET

Outcomes After Stem Cell Transplant in Older Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treated with Venetoclax-Based Therapies

Saturday, December 7

Oral Session: 2:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 3:15 p.m. ET

Safety and Efficacy of Venetoclax in Combinationwith Navitoclax in Adult and Pediatric Relapsed/Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Lymphoblastic Lymphoma

Saturday, December 7

Oral Session: 4:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 4:30 p.m. ET

Four-Year Analysis of MURANO Study Confirms Sustained Benefit of Time-Limited Venetoclax-Rituximab (VenR) in Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Sunday, December 8

Oral Session: 7:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 7:30 a.m. ET

Genome and Exome-Wide Studies Reveal Potential Predictive Efficacy Markers for Venetoclax andRituximab (VenR) in Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (R/R CLL): Subgroup Analyses of the MURANO Trial

Sunday, December 8

Oral Session: 7:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 7:45 a.m. ET

A Phase 1b Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Venetoclax as Monotherapy or in Combination with Azacitidine for the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Monday, December 9

Oral Session: 7:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 7:00 a.m. ET

A Phase 1b Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Venetoclax in Combination with Azacitidine in Treatment-Nave Patients with Higher-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Monday, December 9

Oral Session: 7:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 7:45 a.m. ET

Biomarker Modulation by Mivebresib (ABBV-075) +/ Venetoclax in Relapsed/Refractory Acute MyeloidLeukemia

Monday, December 9

Oral Session: 7:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 8:00 a.m. ET

Response to Venetoclax in Combination with LowIntensity Therapy (LDAC or HMA) in Untreated Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients with IDH, FLT3 and Other Mutations and Correlations with BCL2 Family Expression

Monday, December 9

Oral Session: 7:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 8:15 a.m. ET

First Analysis from a Phase 1/2 Study of Venetoclaxin Combination with Daratumumab and Dexamethasone, +/- Bortezomib, in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Monday, December 9

Oral Session: 6:15 p.m. 7:45 p.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 6:15 p.m. ET

Phase 1/2 Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Venetoclax in Combination with Dexamethasone as Targeted Therapy for Patients with t(11;14) Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Monday, December 9

Oral Session: 6:15 p.m. 7:45 p.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 6:30 p.m. ET

Navitoclax

Results from a Phase 2 Study of Navitoclax in Combination with Ruxolitinib in Patients with Primary or Secondary Myelofibrosis

Monday, December 9

Oral Session: 10:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. ET

Oral Presentation: 11:30 a.m. ET

*Abstract was submitted by the National Cancer Institute

Read more from the original source:
AbbVie to Present Latest Clinical Research in the Treatment of Leukemias, Lymphomas and Other Blood Cancers at 2019 ASH Annual Meeting - P&T Community

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on AbbVie to Present Latest Clinical Research in the Treatment of Leukemias, Lymphomas and Other Blood Cancers at 2019 ASH Annual Meeting – P&T Community | November 22nd, 2019

Transparency Market Research (TMR)has published a new report on the globalcell separation technology marketfor the forecast period of 20192027. According to the report, the global cell separation technology market was valued at ~US$ 5 Bnin 2018, and is projected to expand at a double-digit CAGR during the forecast period.

Overview

Cell separation, also known as cell sorting or cell isolation, is the process of removing cells from biological samples such as tissue or whole blood. Cell separation is a powerful technology that assists biological research. Rising incidences of chronic illnesses across the globe are likely to boost the development of regenerative medicines or tissue engineering, which further boosts the adoption of cell separation technologies by researchers.

Expansion of the global cell separation technology market is attributed to an increase in technological advancements and surge in investments in research & development, such asstem cellresearch and cancer research. The rising geriatric population is another factor boosting the need for cell separation technologies Moreover, the geriatric population, globally, is more prone to long-term neurological and other chronic illnesses, which, in turn, is driving research to develop treatment for chronic illnesses. Furthermore, increase in the awareness about innovative technologies, such as microfluidics, fluorescent-activated cells sorting, and magnetic activated cells sorting is expected to propel the global cell separation technology market.

Request PDF Brochure of the Report @https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1925

North America dominated the global cell separation technology market in 2018, and the trend is anticipated to continue during the forecast period. This is attributed to technological advancements in offering cell separation solutions, presence of key players, and increased initiatives by governments for advancing the cell separation process. However, insufficient funding for the development of cell separation technologies is likely to hamper the global cell separation technology market during the forecast period. Asia Pacific is expected to be a highly lucrative market for cell separation technology during the forecast period, owing to improving healthcare infrastructure along with rising investments in research & development in the region.

Rising Incidences of Chronic Diseases, Worldwide, Boosting the Demand for Cell Therapy

Incidences of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, arthritis, cardiac diseases, and cancer are increasing due to sedentary lifestyles, aging population, and increased alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2020, the mortality rate from chronic diseases is expected to reach73%, and in developing counties,70%deaths are estimated to be caused by chronic diseases. Southeast Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, and Africa are expected to be greatly affected by chronic diseases. Thus, the increasing burden of chronic diseases around the world is fuelling the demand for cellular therapies to treat chronic diseases. This, in turn, is driving focus and investments on research to develop effective treatments. Thus, increase in cellular research activities is boosting the global cell separation technology market.

Increase in Geriatric Population Boosting the Demand for Surgeries

The geriatric population is likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as cancer and neurological disorders more than the younger population. Moreover, the geriatric population is increasing at a rapid pace as compared to that of the younger population. Increase in the geriatric population aged above 65 years is projected to drive the incidences of Alzheimers, dementia, cancer, and immune diseases, which, in turn, is anticipated to boost the need for corrective treatment of these disorders. This is estimated to further drive the demand for clinical trials and research that require cell separation products. These factors are likely to boost the global cell separation technology market.

According to the United Nations, the geriatric population aged above 60 is expected to double by 2050 and triple by 2100, an increase from962 millionin 2017 to2.1 billionin 2050 and3.1 billionby 2100.

Productive Partnerships in Microfluidics Likely to Boost the Cell Separation Technology Market

Technological advancements are prompting companies to innovate in microfluidics cell separation technology. Strategic partnerships and collaborations is an ongoing trend, which is boosting the innovation and development of microfluidics-based products. Governments and stakeholders look upon the potential in single cell separation technology and its analysis, which drives them to invest in the development ofmicrofluidics. Companies are striving to build a platform by utilizing their expertise and experience to further offer enhanced solutions to end users.

Stem Cell Research to Account for a Prominent Share

Stem cell is a prominent cell therapy utilized in the development of regenerative medicine, which is employed in the replacement of tissues or organs, rather than treating them. Thus, stem cell accounted for a prominent share of the global market. The geriatric population is likely to increase at a rapid pace as compared to the adult population, by 2030, which is likely to attract the use of stem cell therapy for treatment. Stem cells require considerably higher number of clinical trials, which is likely to drive the demand for cell separation technology, globally. Rising stem cell research is likely to attract government and private funding, which, in turn, is estimated to offer significant opportunity for stem cell therapies.

Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals Companies to Dominate the Market

The number of biotechnology companies operating across the globe is rising, especially in developing countries. Pharmaceutical companies are likely to use cells separation techniques to develop drugs and continue contributing through innovation. Growing research in stem cell has prompted companies to own large separate units to boost the same. Thus, advancements in developing drugs and treatments, such as CAR-T through cell separation technologies, are likely to drive the segment.

As per research, 449 public biotech companies operate in the U.S., which is expected to boost the biotechnology & pharmaceutical companies segment. In developing countries such as China, China Food and Drug Administration(CFDA) reforms pave the way for innovation to further boost biotechnology & pharmaceutical companies in the country.

Global Cell Separation Technology Market: Prominent Regions

North America to Dominate Global Market, While Asia Pacific to Offer Significant Opportunity

In terms of region, the global cell separation technology market has been segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America dominated the global market in 2018, followed by Europe. North America accounted for a major share of the global cell separation technology market in 2018, owing to the development of cell separation advanced technologies, well-defined regulatory framework, and initiatives by governments in the region to further encourage the research industry. The U.S. is a major investor in stem cell research, which accelerates the development of regenerative medicines for the treatment of various long-term illnesses.

The cell separation technology market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a high CAGR from 2019 to 2027. This can be attributed to an increase in healthcare expenditure and large patient population, especially in countries such as India and China. Rising medical tourism in the region and technological advancements are likely to drive the cell separation technology market in the region.

Launching Innovative Products, and Acquisitions & Collaborations by Key Players Driving Global Cell Separation Technology Market

The global cell separation technology market is highly competitive in terms of number of players. Key players operating in the global cell separation technology market include Akadeum Life Sciences, STEMCELL Technologies, Inc., BD, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Miltenyi Biotech, 10X Genomics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Zeiss, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, PerkinElmer, Inc., and QIAGEN.

These players have adopted various strategies such as expanding their product portfolios by launching new cell separation kits and devices, and participation in acquisitions, establishing strong distribution networks. Companies are expanding their geographic presence in order sustain in the global cell separation technology market. For instance, in May 2019, Akadeum Life Sciences launched seven new microbubble-based products at a conference. In July 2017, BD received the U.S. FDAs clearance for its BD FACS Lyric flow cytometer system, which is used in the diagnosis of immunological disorders.

Global Cell Separation Technology Market: Segmentation

Cell Separation Technology Market by Technology

Cell Separation Technology Market by Application

Cell Separation Technology Market by End User

Cell Separation Technology Market by Region

Read more:
Cell Separation Technology Market Growth Forecast through 2019-2027 with Upcoming Trends and Market Opportunities - Montana Ledger

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Cell Separation Technology Market Growth Forecast through 2019-2027 with Upcoming Trends and Market Opportunities – Montana Ledger | November 22nd, 2019

Transparency Market Research (TMR)has published a new report on the globalcell separation technology marketfor the forecast period of 20192027. According to the report, the global cell separation technology market was valued at ~US$ 5 Bnin 2018, and is projected to expand at a double-digit CAGR during the forecast period.

Overview

Cell separation, also known as cell sorting or cell isolation, is the process of removing cells from biological samples such as tissue or whole blood. Cell separation is a powerful technology that assists biological research. Rising incidences of chronic illnesses across the globe are likely to boost the development of regenerative medicines or tissue engineering, which further boosts the adoption of cell separation technologies by researchers.

Expansion of the global cell separation technology market is attributed to an increase in technological advancements and surge in investments in research & development, such asstem cellresearch and cancer research. The rising geriatric population is another factor boosting the need for cell separation technologies

Moreover, the geriatric population, globally, is more prone to long-term neurological and other chronic illnesses, which, in turn, is driving research to develop treatment for chronic illnesses. Furthermore, increase in the awareness about innovative technologies, such as microfluidics, fluorescent-activated cells sorting, and magnetic activated cells sorting is expected to propel the global cell separation technology market.

Request a Sample of Cell Separation Technology Market Report

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1925

North America dominated the global cell separation technology market in 2018, and the trend is anticipated to continue during the forecast period. This is attributed to technological advancements in offering cell separation solutions, presence of key players, and increased initiatives by governments for advancing the cell separation process.

However, insufficient funding for the development of cell separation technologies is likely to hamper the global cell separation technology market during the forecast period. Asia Pacific is expected to be a highly lucrative market for cell separation technology during the forecast period, owing to improving healthcare infrastructure along with rising investments in research & development in the region.

Rising Incidences of Chronic Diseases, Worldwide, Boosting the Demand for Cell Therapy

Incidences of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, arthritis, cardiac diseases, and cancer are increasing due to sedentary lifestyles, aging population, and increased alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2020, the mortality rate from chronic diseases is expected to reach73%, and in developing counties,70% deaths are estimated to be caused by chronic diseases.

Southeast Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, and Africa are expected to be greatly affected by chronic diseases. Thus, the increasing burden of chronic diseases around the world is fuelling the demand for cellular therapies to treat chronic diseases. This, in turn, is driving focus and investments on research to develop effective treatments. Thus, increase in cellular research activities is boosting the global cell separation technology market.

Increase in Geriatric Population Boosting the Demand for Surgeries

The geriatric population is likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as cancer and neurological disorders more than the younger population. Moreover, the geriatric population is increasing at a rapid pace as compared to that of the younger population. Increase in the geriatric population aged above 65 years is projected to drive the incidences of Alzheimers, dementia, cancer, and immune diseases, which, in turn, is anticipated to boost the need for corrective treatment of these disorders.

This is estimated to further drive the demand for clinical trials and research that require cell separation products. These factors are likely to boost the global cell separation technology market.According to the United Nations, the geriatric population aged above 60 is expected to double by 2050 and triple by 2100, an increase from962 millionin 2017 to2.1 billionin 2050 and3.1 billionby 2100.

Productive Partnerships in Microfluidics Likely to Boost the Cell Separation Technology Market

Technological advancements are prompting companies to innovate in microfluidics cell separation technology. Strategic partnerships and collaborations is an ongoing trend, which is boosting the innovation and development of microfluidics-based products.

Governments and stakeholders look upon the potential in single cell separation technology and its analysis, which drives them to invest in the development ofmicrofluidics. Companies are striving to build a platform by utilizing their expertise and experience to further offer enhanced solutions to end users.

Request for a Discount on Cell Separation Technology Market Report

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Launching Innovative Products, and Acquisitions & Collaborations by Key Players Driving Global Cell Separation Technology Market

The global cell separation technology market is highly competitive in terms of number of players. Key players operating in the global cell separation technology market include Akadeum Life Sciences, STEMCELL Technologies, Inc., BD, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Miltenyi Biotech, 10X Genomics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Zeiss, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, PerkinElmer, Inc., and QIAGEN.

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Cell Separation Technology Market is Expected To Elevate To a Stellar Value of US$ 2.7 Bn by 2027 - Downey Magazine

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Cell Separation Technology Market is Expected To Elevate To a Stellar Value of US$ 2.7 Bn by 2027 – Downey Magazine | November 22nd, 2019

OBJECTIVES:

Stem cell therapy is a promising approach in the treatment of acutemyocardial infarction(AMI). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from bone marrow (BM-MSC) and adipose tissue (AT-MSC) are attractive and feasible for preclinical and clinical trials. In this study, we compared the therapeutic potential of BM-MSC and AT-MSC in repairing the hearts of rats with isoproterenol (ISO)-induced AMI.

Forty-two female rats were assigned into two groups; the optimization and the experimental group. The optimization groups were further subdivided into control group and the AMI induced group (using ISO). The experimental group was subdivided into AMI+cell-free media injected in the tail vein, AMI+BM-MSC, and AMI+AT-MSC groups treated with the intravenous injection of their respective cell types. Twenty-eight days after induction, electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed, and heart tissue samples were collected for histological assessment and cells tracing.

MSC therapy repaired cardiac functions shown by the restoration of ST segment, QT and QRS intervals in the ECG when compared to the AMI group. Infarct area was significantly decreased, and cardiac tissue regeneration signs were shown on histopathological examination.

Both MSC sources proved to be equally efficient in the assessed parameters.

Link:
Comparative Study of the Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Adipose Tissue and Bone Marrow on Acute Myocardial Infarction...

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Comparative Study of the Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Adipose Tissue and Bone Marrow on Acute Myocardial Infarction… | November 22nd, 2019

Anton Ferdinand has faced an unenviable amount of obstacles on the way to achieving his dreams. He grew up on a council estate in Peckham where the shadow of his older brother, Rio, loomed large over his own aspirations. From as young as nine, his resolve was hardened by the people who told him he would never follow in his brothers footsteps and make it as a professional footballer. But when asked about the most challenging aspect of everything he has done, he delivers his answer with clarity.

The hardest part of my career has been the year that I lost my mum, he says. Ferdinand was in the midst of a stint at Southend in 2017 when his mother, Janice, died of breast cancer.

After struggling through seasons in Turkey and Thailand, he had rediscovered his passion for the game and as he thrived, so did his team as they rose up the table. Everything was going well until he learned how quickly life can change.

Football has always helped me deal with whatever Im dealing with off the pitch, he says. For that 90 minutes, for that couple of hours of training, my mind was clear and I was not thinking about what was going on; I was focused on football. But it was the first time in my life that football wasnt a get-out for me. I couldnt shake the loss of my mum. I was going on the pitch not caring how I played, not caring about the result because all I wanted was my mum.

His experience is another testimony to how little is known about the true driving factors behind an athletes form as fans celebrate and castigate with little empathy. Hearing fans going from cheering you to booing you? Inside, Im thinking: They dont even know what Im going through.

They dont know what happened but they dont even know what Im going through emotionally. They dont know that [for] the first time in my life Im struggling to deal with stuff thats happening in my life.

The reason Ferdinand agreed to speak is unrelated to his own loss. In 2018 a boy called Henry a classmate of his young son Flynn was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia, a rare blood cancer in which the bone marrow does not produce enough stem cells.

Despite a drive to sign potential donors to the DKMS stem cell register, Henry failed to find a suitable cell match and he died in June of this year. The difficulty of explaining to his son how a boy of the same age was no longer with them left an impression on Ferdinand. Since then, he has become an ambassador of DKMS, a blood cancer charity, and he has become close to Henrys father Gareth Walker, who joins him throughout the interview.

To be so close to the answer but for not enough [people] to know about it for there to be someone there to be able to donate, its entirely heartbreaking, says Walker. So, its just about not letting other people have to go through it.

Walker is admirable and strong, and he talks explicitly about the helplessness of losing his son; the lack of sleep, the fact that he and his wife, Kate, still have to be present and parents to their younger daughter, even though there are times when they want to hide from the world and getting out of bed seems impossible.

Through their grief he and his wife have found meaning in trying to raise awareness about the necessity to join the stem cell register in the hope that one day everyone will be able to find a match.

Blood cancer is a silent killer: each year more than 30,000 people are diagnosed with it in the UK and 12,000 die. In recent years, organ and blood donation have spilled into public consciousness but the concept of giving blood stem cells is unknown and feared.

After an international search had failed to find the perfect match, Walker donated his own stem cells to his son but that was not ideal either. He is now determined to ensure that people understand how easy the procedure was, which he likens to a simple blood transfusion.

When Anton said he was willing to help and became ambassador of the charity and everything, to me I cant tell you how grateful I am because fundamentally I dont have the platform, says Walker. I have the story, I have all the emotional heartstrings and stuff. Happy is the wrong word, but Ill sit here in this interview, Ill stand in front of audiences. Ill tell anyone whos willing to bloody listen about it and if the tragedy of the story helps get people motivated, its great.

Ferdinand listens with head bowed, nodding to practically each syllable. He seems to have found peace in his life beyond the familiar confines of a football pitch and it looks as if he is exactly where he wants to be. To be able to give back to other people, I just feel thats where Im best, he says. When my son gets a bit older, for my son to be able to look at me and know, Dad you played a part in continuing Henrys legacy, that means a lot to me I think thats where the second phase of my life is going to be.

Ferdinand is speaking at the offices of New Era Sports Management, the agency that has been helping him for five years towards the end of his career. He is 34 and remains active with an eye on playing again, but at one point he unintentionally refers to his career in the past tense.

No matter how and when it finishes, it has been a fulfilling journey. After high-profile stints at West Ham, Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers, he settled in Turkey for 18 months at Bursaspor and then Antalyaspor. He was unveiled as a player by Police United in Thailand but never played, returning to England at Reading for two years, and it was in 2016 that he finally found his feet in League One at Southend. Last season, he played 18 games for St Mirren.

It is clear his bitter departure from Southend is still on his mind. That hurt me I wanted to stay there because a year on from losing my mum I felt a bit better in myself. My hunger started to come back for football and I wanted to stay there and show the fans the club meant something to me and that it was just a blip in that year because of what happened to me personally. But I was never given that opportunity and I wasnt given that opportunity by a family friend of mine [the then manager Chris Powell], which hurt me even more.

Ferdinand frequently refers to retirement as the second phase of his life. Many footballers and athletes finish their short careers unable to come to terms with life without the weekly nerves and furious adrenaline, and quietly fall into crisis. He initially experienced similar sensations at the thought of retirement, but he has found clarity in his next journey.

I never understood mental health while I was playing I was always like: How can you be depressed? How can you have mental health issues? I never understood it until it was my time to stop playing football.

When it actually came, it wasnt easy. It was hard. I had moments where I didnt want to get out of bed. So, now, I understand So Im over that next phase and I now have a drive, got a goal of what I want to do. Part of that is giving back to the next generation within New Era and giving back to people I can help.

Continued here:
Anton Ferdinand: Giving back to other people is where I feel Im best - The Guardian

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Anton Ferdinand: Giving back to other people is where I feel Im best – The Guardian | November 22nd, 2019

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & GAITHERSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vor Biopharma, an oncology company pioneering engineered hematopoietic stem cells (eHSCs) for the treatment of cancer, and MaxCyte, Inc., a global cell-based therapies and life sciences company, today announced a clinical and commercial license agreement under which Vor will use MaxCytes Flow Electroporation technology to produce eHSCs and initiate Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies to accelerate its progress towards the clinic.

Under the terms of the agreement, Vor obtains non-exclusive clinical and commercial use rights to MaxCytes Flow Electroporation technology and ExPERT platform to develop up to five engineered cell therapies, including VOR33, Vors lead eHSC candidate, which is in development for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In return, MaxCyte will receive undisclosed development and approval milestones and sales-based payments in addition to other licensing fees.

Vor will use MaxCytes cell engineering platform to deliver its gene editing machinery into hematopoietic stem cells to remove biologically redundant cell surface proteins that are also expressed on blood cancer cells. Once the eHSCs are transplanted into a cancer patient, these cells are effectively hidden from complementary targeted therapies that target the relevant protein, while diseased cells are left vulnerable to attack. Vors approach thereby could unleash the potential of targeted therapies by broadening the therapeutic window and improving the utility of complementary targeted therapies.

MaxCyte is a leader in GMP electroporation technology, and we are thrilled that this agreement provides us with long-term access to a platform technology applicable to a pipeline of eHSC programs used to treat AML and other blood cancers, said Sadik Kassim, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer of Vor. As we build on promising in vivo data from our lead candidate VOR33, we can now expand our manufacturing capabilities to support later-stage studies, regulatory filings and commercialization of VOR33.

MaxCytes ExPERT instrument family represents the next generation of leading, clinically validated, electroporation technology for complex and scalable cellular engineering. By delivering high transfection efficiency with enhanced functionality, the ExPERT platform delivers the high-end performance essential to enable the next wave of biological and cellular therapeutics.

We look forward to expanding our relationship with Vor Biopharma as the company pioneers a potential future standard of care in hematopoietic stem cell transplants for cancer patients in need, said Doug Doerfler, President & CEO of MaxCyte. This agreement represents another key business milestone for MaxCyte, emphasizing the value of our technology platform applied to next-generation engineered cell therapies that may make a true difference in patient outcomes.

About VOR33Vors lead product candidate, VOR33, consists of engineered hematopoietic stem cells (eHSCs) that lack the protein CD33. Once these cells are transplanted into a cancer patient, CD33 becomes a far more cancer-specific target, potentially avoiding toxicity to the normal blood and bone marrow associated with CD33-targeted therapies. In so doing, Vor aims to improve the therapeutic window and effectiveness of CD33-targeted therapies, thereby potentially broadening the clinical benefit to patients suffering from AML.

About Vor BiopharmaVor Biopharma aims to transform the lives of cancer patients by pioneering engineered hematopoietic stem cell (eHSC) therapies. By removing biologically redundant proteins from eHSCs, these cells become inherently invulnerable to complementary targeted therapies while tumor cells are left susceptible, thereby unleashing the potential of targeted therapies to benefit cancer patients in need.

Vors platform could be used to potentially change the treatment paradigm of both hematopoietic stem cell transplants and targeted therapies, such as antibody drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies and CAR-T cell treatments. A proof-of-concept study for Vors lead program has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Vor is based in Cambridge, Mass. and has a broad intellectual property base, including in-licenses from Columbia University, where foundational work was conducted by inventor and Vor Scientific Board Chair Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, DPhil. Vor was founded by Dr. Mukherjee and PureTech Health and is supported by leading investors including 5AM Ventures and RA Capital Management, Johnson & Johnson Innovation JJDC, Inc. (JJDC), Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research and Osage University Partners.

About MaxCyteMaxCyte is a clinical-stage global cell-based therapies and life sciences company applying its proprietary cell engineering platform to deliver the advances of cell-based medicine to patients with high unmet medical needs. MaxCyte is developing novel CARMA therapies for its own pipeline, with its first drug candidate in a Phase I clinical trial. CARMA is MaxCytes mRNA-based proprietary therapeutic platform for autologous cell therapy for the treatment of solid cancers. In addition, through its life sciences business, MaxCyte leverages its Flow Electroporation Technology to enable its biopharmaceutical partners to advance the development of innovative medicines, particularly in cell therapy. MaxCyte has placed its flow electroporation instruments worldwide, including with all of the top ten global biopharmaceutical companies. The Company now has more than 80 partnered programme licenses in cell therapy with more than 45 licensed for clinical use. With its robust delivery technology platform, MaxCyte helps its partners to unlock the full potential of their products. For more information, visit http://www.maxcyte.com.

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Vor Biopharma and MaxCyte Announce Clinical and Commercial License Agreement for Engineered Hematopoietic Stem Cells (eHSCs) to Treat Cancer -...

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Vor Biopharma and MaxCyte Announce Clinical and Commercial License Agreement for Engineered Hematopoietic Stem Cells (eHSCs) to Treat Cancer -… | November 22nd, 2019

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Count It All Joy is a three-part series that unfolds the struggles of two Alabama State football playersas their parents battle a life-threatening disease. These circumstanceswould hit these players at a time whenlife is already hectic: football season. Here's how they got through and the testimony their parents carry.

In the distance, clouds mount across the skyline on the fringe of downtown Montgomery. They grow deeper in color as the weather evolves, the already ashen hues of the mass becoming a smoke grey that oddly soothes the eye because of its stark contrast with the taupe pavement of I-85 near Alabama State.

It was roughly 30 minutes before the 2 p.m. kickoff between ASU and Alcorn State, when the first strike of lightning split the sky of a previously sunny day, interrupting everything that was planned.

It was supposed to be a joyous day, and now an intimidating forecast of scattered thunderstorms painted weather radars in the area like a room full of toddlers left unattended with with green, yellow and red finger paint.

Prior to what would become a four-hour rain delay, the energy in ASU stadium was electric. The players were excited to challenge Alcorn State and possibly take the lead in the SWAC East standings. The ASU faithful wereon one accord with this sentiment, and most important of all, it was BeatOutBreastCancer Day, the Pink game and a general tribute to cancer survivors of any kind everywhere.

Yet in its present state, rain drenched the turf, spectators retreated from the elements under the cover of the bleachers, and under the awnings of the visitors' side concession stands. At that time, all the day had to show for itself was a chain of bras stretched out across the Alcorn State sideline that were supposed to serve as a tribute during the anticipated pregame celebration.

Save the bras, the field was desolate.

The joy, the energy was drained. The buzz that surrounded the day was washed away by the conditions of the day.

But in ASUs locker room, the day still shone brightly. The anticipation to take part in a celebration of life, trials and triumph never dwindled for Michael Jefferson II (MJ) or Darius King.

Katrice Williams and Micheal Jefferson Sr. stand on the sideline together, before "Beat out Breast Cancer" game with Alcorn State, Oct. 5.(Photo: Katrice Williams/contributed)

It was a day for them to honor the struggle of being alongside their respective parents in their fight against cancer. As they sat at their lockers waiting for the weather delay to end, itching to get on the field and play for their loved ones, their parents and the road they traveled occupied their minds.

I was going to go out and play for him, MJ said. During the delay, I was texting him before the game, and he was telling me Stay focused and play hard.

King described the moment, the anticipation, as a blessing. He said he thought about the pain she was going through, times they were in the hospital and, the pain on her face. It all flashed before him.

When the weather finally cleared, kickoff now set for 6 p.m., Michael Jefferson Sr. and Katrice Williams, the parents of MJ and King, respectively, went out for the coin toss as a tribute to their battle with cancer; as a tribute to their victories.

In the summer of 2017, Williams was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer and declared cancer free in May 2018. As for Jefferson Sr., he overcame his second bout with leukemia in June 2018, but is still waiting for his body to accept his brother's stem cells from a bone marrow transplant in May.

Count it all Joy, Part 1: ASU WR Michael Jefferson II battles through fathers bout with cancer

Their testimony and journeys are why ASU head coach Donald Hill-Eley insisted they flip the coin to start the game, after approaching administration and Deputy Director of Athletics Terrance Jones earlier in the week to make sure it was fine for them to do so, since the event hinged on breast cancer awareness.

The courtesy was the least he could do, considering the role both parties played in his life over the past couple years, and vice versa.

The ASU football team arrives to Hornet Stadium before their contest against Alcorn State. (Photo: Kirsten Fiscus/Advertiser)

In December 2017, Hill-Eleys father Vincent Eley, 68, was diagnosed with throat cancer, a disease that will take the life of 3,760Americans this year, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Fittingly, he and his fathers battle was wedged right in the middle of the battles of these two players. He could relate, he could support and he could be supported.

Shes been an inspiration for me, because a couple months later my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, Hill-Eley said. So, weve all been able to share whats going on ... then Mikes dad was diagnosed, so it became more of a support group than anything.

Thus, they all leaned on one another.

A lot of time I get strength from them, and they get strength from me, Hill-Eley said. Just trying to find a way to get through.

Cancer is a sickness that spreads. Not just in the nature of the disease, but it spreads and touches the lives of all involved, from the patient to their family and friends to the friends and family of the latter.

Cancer and its reach is best repressedand even healed through dependency. The dependency on one another, on loved ones and those willing to share the burden with you.

This is whats been happening behind the doors of ASUs program for the past two years.

Michael Jefferson II and his teammates visit Micheal Jefferson Sr.at the hospital(Photo: Michael Jefferson Sr./contributed)

Teammates, such as Jeremiah Hixon, were with MJ every step of the way. Hixon allowed Jefferson to take his car to Birmingham to see his dad in treatment or would personally drive MJ there with a car full of teammates so they all could lift his dads spirits, MJ said.

Hixon was there to talk and console MJ. He never left MJ alone, no matter the distance or situation Hixon said.

Jeremiah Hixon touts fellow sophomore receiver Michael Jefferson as Alabama State's best against Tuskegee. A. Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser

The team rallied around both King and MJ in different ways, at different times.

Theyve been able as a group to find ways through it, Hill-Eley said. We constantly talk ... and weve been able to repay each out for whats going on and what's happening. Its been a great resource to me, and I know its been a great resource for them. Im 50 and Im trying to understand it, and theyre 19 and 20, so its been a lot of prayers going in and out, but these guys are very strong men, and theyve been able to deal with it.

Through the toughest times, the ASU football team has been there for one another as a team.

Katrice Williams plays around with her son Darius King in front of there home(Photo: Katrice Williams/contributed)

Through the times King would return home and become engrossedin disbelief by his mothers condition, begging for her to get out of bed, Williams said. Through the times shed adhere to his desperate cries, body broken and thinned out by her treatments. He needed to see her strong, Williams said, and he struggled to accept that she was not herself. So, Williams would get up to cook, clean and whatever else it took to prove to him that she wasnt as sick as she was, through the 60 pounds she lost, through her chemo treatments and the up and down nature of her health. Through it all, King thanks guys such as JLan Carson, Christian Clark and Joshua Hill for being there.

Count it all Joy, Part II: ASU LB Darius King helps carry mother's burden, stage 4 cancer

There were other times that Hill-Eley and his staff, present and past, made the clubhouse suites available for Williams during home games, or provided Jefferson Sr. and Williams with a closer parking spot or sent carts to them for transport to and from their cars.

And for that to even occur, Hill-Eley had to make sure he wasnt breaking NCAA rules by accommodating Williams and Jefferson, a tightrope he was willing to walk to give them a little touch of life, he said.

At that point, the human part of you has to kick in, Hill-Eley said. And that gets you past all of these bylaws.

The journey was about selflessness, relatability and empathy.

Alabama State head coach Donald Hill-Eley talks to his team in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla., Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019. Florida State won 49-12. (AP Photo/Mark Wallheiser)(Photo: Mark Wallheiser, AP)

MJ and King said they are grateful for all parties involved in this process, and speak for their parents in doing so. Beyond that, they are thankful for a coach like Hill-Eley who took time to make sure they were doing all right amid the many responsibilities of a college head coach.

They called that rare.

On many college teams, head coaches are not that close to players how he is with us, King said. Im just thankful for him.

MJ added: This is one of the best coaches Ive had ... always positive and thats what I need: people with positive energy around me to help me stay up.

These efforts are only a few compared to the many people that were involved in the healing process for MJs, Kings and Hill-Eleys family, and none of the efforts unmentioned went unnoticed.

Today, everyones healing is on the verge of being complete. Jefferson Sr. is expecting his new stem cells to be accepted by his body and is seeing improvement daily, while MJ leads ASU in receiving.

An obstruction in Williams bowel was a cause for concern, and as of last week her oncologist stated that her cancer might be back, but if it is, its too small to show on scans. She will be monitored every three months from now on as a preventative measure. Even so, her son, King, remains in good spirits and says he is humbled and encouraged to live every day like its my last day. Not to be sad or down about it, just keep my head up.

As for Hill-Eley, his father remains in the midst of a battle with throat cancer, and he says its growing, unfortunately, but right after the season he will return home to Virginiato take care of his father. He remains hopeful, however, as the five-year survival rate for his father'scancer is 61%, theASCO says.

Alcorn linebacker Solomon Muhammad (49) snags an interception on a pass intended for ASU wide receiver Tyrek allen (8). (Photo: Kirsten Fiscus/Advertiser)

Alabama State eventually lost that game to Alcorn State at home in early October, but the day wasnt spoiled. Rather, the Hornets counted it all joy, because compared to the trials of life this was just a hiccup and not worthy in the grand scheme, they said.

We needed to see them strong, and they needed to see that we were OK, Hill-Eley said. Just the emotions of seeing them make it another day and to be able to go out and watch their young men play, I know it wasnt the outcome we wanted (againstAlcorn), but the victory was having them in the middle of that field.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Andre Toranat 334-322-4631or AToran@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @AndreToran.

Originally posted here:
Count it all joy, Part III: Coach Hill-Eley has his own cancer struggle - Montgomery Advertiser

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Count it all joy, Part III: Coach Hill-Eley has his own cancer struggle – Montgomery Advertiser | November 22nd, 2019

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an ultra-rare blood disease of bone marrow stem cells, which are genetically characterized by the somatic mutation in the phosphatidylinositol glycan protein A (PIG-A) gene. PNH generally occurs in the early 30s. Around 10% patients develop PNH symptoms at 21 years of age or earlier. Around 1 to 5 individuals per million people in the U.S. are estimated to suffer from PNH. This is much lower than the incidence rate of bone marrow aplasia. PNH often goes unrecognized; delay in diagnosis may range from one year to more than 10 years.

The global PNH treatment market is anticipated to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period. It is a niche market, with many pharmaceutical and biotech companies investing in research of bone marrow stem cells. According to current studies, the ideal treatment available is to replace all the hematopoietic stem cells with normal stem cells via stem cells transplantation. However, this treatment is not ideal in some cases as stem cell transplantation requires a stable histocompatible donor.

Complete stem cells transplantation is usually considered in severe cases of PNH, for instance aplastic anemia and transformation to leukemia, as these can be life threatening complications. Factors driving the PNH treatment market include rise in number of blood & bone marrow related disorders, increase in aging population, and technological advancements in stem cells transplantation. However, increase in cost of medical equipment, specifically surgical equipment required for stem cell transformation; lack of reimbursement policies in developing regions; and occurrence of side effects in related current available treatments may hamper the PNH treatment market.

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The global PNH treatment market can be segmented based on diagnosis test, type of treatment, drugs, and end-user. In terms of diagnosis test, the market can be divided into complete blood count test (CBC), lactate dehydrogenase test (LDH), bilirubin test, bone marrow examination, urine test for hemosiderin, flow cytometry, and others.

Based on the type of treatment, the PNH treatment market can be segregated into treatment of PNH patients associated with hemolysis, treatment of PNH patients associated with thrombosis, treatment of PNH patients associated with non-hemolytic anemia, allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT)/bone marrow transplant (BMT), treatment of pregnant PNH patients, treatment of pediatric PNH patients, and others. In terms of drugs, the market can be classified into eculizumab (Soliris), ALXN1210, and others. Based on end-user, the PNH treatment market can be split into hospitals, pharmaceutical & biotech companies, clinics, academic & research institutes, and others.

Geographically, the market for PNH treatment can be divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). North America dominates the global PNH treatment market due to the rise in the number of blood & bone marrow related diseases, availability of satisfactory reimbursement policies, and increase in awareness about the early diagnosis of the disease in the region.

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The market in Europe is also expected to expand rapidly, as key players are collaborating with research institutions and labs to develop new innovative products. The PNH treatment market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at a fast pace owing to the unmet needs regarding PNH treatment of the growing population. Additionally, factors such as development of the health care network, rise in disposable income, increase in health care awareness, and availability of reimbursement facilities are boosting the PNH treatment market in Asia Pacific.

Key players operating in the PNH treatment market include Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., GE Healthcare, and Johnson & Johnson.

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Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) Treatment Market Growth, Trends and Demands Research Report and Forecast 2025 - The Denton Chronicle

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) Treatment Market Growth, Trends and Demands Research Report and Forecast 2025 – The Denton Chronicle | November 22nd, 2019

MEDIA CONTACT

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For Immediate Release

Newswise SEATTLE Nov. 21, 2019 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centers latest findings on CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy, gene therapy, precision oncology, immune repair and transplantation will be featured at the 61st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, which will be held Dec. 710 in Orlando, Florida.

Fred Hutch transplantation physician-scientist Dr. Stephanie Lee will become the new president of ASH at the end of the meeting, T-cell therapy pioneer Dr. Philip Greenberg will give the E. Donnall Thomas Lecture, and Dr. Andrew Cowan will present the latest on a new BCMA, or B-cell maturation antigen, CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma. More details and other meeting highlights can be found below. All presentations will be held in the Orange County Convention Center.

Reporters requesting additional information or interviews, contact Molly McElroy who will be at the conference: mwmcelro@fredhutch.org, 206.941.8146 (cell).

IMMUNOTHERAPY

See preliminary results of a Phase 1 multiple myeloma trial with a CAR T-cell therapy combined with a repurposed Alzheimers drug, discussion of a new CD20 CAR T trial, plus various deep dives on the science of how CD19 CAR T-cell therapy works and how to improve it.

BCMA CAR T-CELL THERAPY / MULTIPLE MYELOMA

Efficacy and safety of fully human BCMA CAR T cells in combination with a gamma secretase inhibitor to increase BCMA surface expression in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myelomaFred Hutch scientists are developing a novel immunotherapy approach for multiple myeloma, which involves a CAR T cell that targets BCMA proteins on multiple myeloma cells, plus a drug called a gamma secretase inhibitor, which increases the BCMA target on cancer cells. In an oral presentation, Dr. Andrew Cowan will present promising results from the first cohort of patients on the trial, all of whom responded to the treatment. The researchers published earlier findings of the trial in Blood in September.Abstract No. 204 (oral presentation)Saturday, Dec. 7, 1:15 p.m.Valencia A (W415A), Level 4

Response to BCMA CART cells correlates with pretreatment target density and is improved by small-molecule inhibition of gamma secretase Dr. Damian Green will present findings from multiple myeloma patients that demonstrate a relationship between the number of BCMA targets on multiple myeloma cells and response to a BCMA-directed CAR T-cell therapy. The findings suggest that using a gamma secretase inhibitor to increase the amount of BCMAs on the cell surface could make CAR T work better. Abstract No. 1856 (poster presentation)Saturday, Dec. 7, 5:307:30 p.m.Hall B, Level 2

CD19 CAR T-CELL THERAPIES

With the success of CAR T-cell therapies for some blood cancers, Fred Hutch physician-scientists are taking a closer look to understand how patients respond to the therapy and what could be done to make the treatment work better.

Impact of Lisocabtagene Maraleucel (liso-cel) treatment on health-related quality of life and health utility in patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory (R/R) aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL): TRANSCEND NHL 001Physician-scientist Dr. David Maloney will present findings from the TRANSCEND trial for CD19 CAR T that show how patients had improved quality-of-life measures (reduced fatigue and pain symptoms) starting six months after receiving CAR T-cell therapy. As medical director of the Cellular Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center at Fred Hutch, Maloney is at the forefront of clinical trials to develop cell therapies for blood and other cancers, including understanding side effects of CAR Ts and how to deliver them in outpatient settings. He cares for patients at the Bezos Family Immunotherapy Clinic at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the Hutchs clinical-care partner.Abstract No. 66 (poster presentation)Saturday, Dec. 7, 8:45 a.m.W308, Level 3

Factors associated with response, CAR T cell in vivo expansion, and progression-free survival after repeat infusions of CD19 CAR T cellsDoes a second dose of CAR T cells help if the first doesnt lead to a lasting remission? A team of Fred Hutch physician-scientists led by Dr. Cameron Turtleexamined outcomes of 44 patients who received a second cycle of CD19 CAR T-cell immunotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The type of chemotherapy given before the first infusion of CAR T cells and a higher dose of CAR T cells for the second infusion were associated with better outcomes.Abstract No. 201 (oral presentation)Saturday, Dec. 7, 12:30 p.m.Valencia A (W415A), Level 4

Severe cytokine release syndrome is associated with impaired hematopoietic recovery after CD19-targeted CART-cell therapyDr. Krishna Juluri, a hematology-oncology fellow at Fred Hutch, will discuss how blood cells recover following CAR T treatment. The researchers found patients who experienced more severe cytokine release syndrome had slower recovery of blood counts. Since CRS can be treated, the Fred Hutch team concludes preventing it might improve blood-cell recovery.Abstract No. 3229 (poster presentation)Sunday, Dec. 8, 68 p.m.Hall B, Level 2

Combination of NKTR-255, a polymer-conjugated human IL-15, with CD19 CAR T-cell immunotherapy in a preclinical lymphoma modelDr. Cassie Chou will present preclinical studies that show how a novel IL-15 receptor agonist activates the interleukin 15 immune system pathway to enhance growth and anti-tumor efficacy of human CD19 CAR T cells in immunodeficient mice bearing human lymphoma. Future clinical trials will explore whether the compound can improve responses to CAR T-cell therapy. Chou is a research fellow and clinician who works in the lab ofDr. Cameron Turtle. Abstract No. 2866 (poster presentation)Sunday, Dec. 8, 68 p.m.Hall B, Level 2

Relapsed or refractory CLL after CD19-specific CART therapy: Treatment patterns and clinical outcomesTreating high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia remains challenging with a 65% relapse rate following CAR T-cell therapy. Looking at outcomes of patients with progressive disease after CAR-T, Dr. Mazyar Shadman reports that CAR T-cell therapy did not work as well for patients who had already been treated with more than one other therapy for CLL. This study defines a benchmark for future trials that target relapsed CLL after CAR-T, and it also argues for referring patients to CAR T before they have exhausted other therapeutic options.Abstract No. 4294 (poster presentation)Monday, Dec. 9, 68 p.m.Hall B, Level 2

CD20 CAR T-CELL THERAPY

CD20 targeted chimeric antigen receptor T cells for treatment of high-risk B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomasMost CAR T-cell therapies for blood cancers target a cancer-specific protein marker called CD19. But more targets are needed. Another CAR T-cell therapy that targets the CD20 protein on cancer cells is being developed by Fred Hutch scientists. Dr. Mazyar Shadman will give an overview of the trial, which is recruiting patients at the Hutchs clinical-care partner, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Results of the trial are not ready and will not be reported at ASH.Abstract No. 3235 (poster presentation)Sunday, Dec. 8, 68 p.m.Hall B, Level 2

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TRANSPLANTATION

Extending the benefit of transplantation to more patientsSirolimus combined with Cyclosporine (CSP) and Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) As graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis after nonmyeloablative (NMA) hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) using HLA Class I or Class II antigen mismatched donors: Results from a Phase II multicenter trialStem cell transplants can save lives, but their success depends on the availability of compatible donors. Unfortunately, depending upon ethnicity, fully HLA-matched donors cannot be found for 25-84% of patients. Dr. Brenda Sandmaier is presenting results from a Phase 2 trial that shows how a triple-drug combination improves outcomes for patients treated with mismatched donors. Abstract No. 369 (oral presentation)Sunday, Dec. 8, 8 a.m.W230, Level 2

Cord blood transplantationTransplantation of blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood can treat blood disorders in patients who have been unable to find a suitable match among other donor sources. This is particularly true for patients of mixed ethnicities. Dr. Filippo Milano, associate director of Fred Hutchs Cord Blood Program, is involved in the following presentations.

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GENE THERAPY

Scientists in the lab of Dr. Hans-Peter Kiem, director of Fred Hutchs Stem Cell and Gene Therapy Program, are pioneering a variety of gene therapy approaches for HIV/AIDS, sickle cell anemia, blood cancers and other diseases. Below are their presentation abstracts.

Fully closed, large-scale, and clinical grade cell sorting of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-enriched CD90+ cells for transplantation and gene therapyDr. Stefan Radtke, a Fred Hutch staff scientist, will show for the first time in human blood samples how to isolate a rare stem cell subset that Fred Hutch researchers identified as capable of repopulating the entire blood and immune system. He used commercially available cell-sorting equipment to isolate the cells, an approach that has the potential to make gene therapy more efficient and affordable.Abstract No. 3246 (poster presentation)Sunday, Dec. 8, 68 p.m.Hall B, Level 2

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated protection of normal hematopoiesis combined with the CD33/CD3 bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) antibody AMG330 for improved AML therapyCD33, a protein marker of cancerous cells in acute myeloid leukemia, is also found on healthy blood stem cells, which makes targeting CD33 toxic, as it kills both healthy cells and cancerous ones. Dr. Olivier Humbert, a staff scientist, used CRISPR to remove the CD33 target from healthy cells. Then, in a mouse model of acute myeloid leukemia, he found that T cells effectively use the CD33 bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) antibody to attack cancer while sparing CRISPR-edited healthy cells.Abstract No. 4427 (poster presentation)Monday, Dec. 9, 68 p.m.Hall B, Level 2 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PRECISION MEDICINE / PEDIATRIC AML

Researchers from the lab of Dr. Soheil Meshinchi, a pediatric oncologist and acute myeloid leukemia specialist, will present oral presentations that map genetic mutations to patient outcomes. He says the ongoing genomic profiling work can help guide targeted treatments for patients with AML, the deadliest leukemia among children and young adults.

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ASH NOTABLES

ASH E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and PrizeThe long road to develop adoptive therapy for T cells that can effectively target acute myeloid leukemia and other malignanciesAt the annual E. Donnall Thomas Lecture, Dr. Philip Greenberg, head of the Program in Immunology at Fred Hutch, will talk about how T cells have been engineered to target acute myeloid leukemia and our latest understanding of why cell therapies like CAR T-cell therapy work for some patients and not others, but can potentially be engineered to overcome these obstacles. ASHs E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize recognizes pioneering research achievements in hematology that have changed the field and is named for the Hutchs Dr. E. Donnall Thomas, who received a Nobel Prize for his pioneering efforts in bone marrow transplantation. Thomas was also a colleague and mentor to Greenberg. Learn more about the lecture in an ASH news release.Monday, Dec. 9, 910 a.m.Hall D, Level 2

Incoming ASH President Dr. Stephanie LeeASH will recognize Dr. Stephanie Lee, a hematologist and transplant physician-scientist at Fred Hutch, as its new president at the societys business meeting. Lee cares for stem cell transplant patients at the Hutchs clinical-care partner, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and at UW Medicine. Her research aims to improve the lives of transplant recipients. Lee directs the Hutchs Long-Term Follow-Up Research Program, which tracks the outcomes of more than 5,000 transplant survivors.Tuesday, Dec. 10, 11:1511:30 a.mHall D, Level 2

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ON THE HORIZON / OTHER ABSTRACTS

Other notable experts and newsy topics at ASH:

Chronic myeloid leukemia: Meeting global need with better molecular testingDr. Jerald Radich is a medical oncologist who specializes in chronic myeloid leukemia, a relatively rare, slow-growing cancer that is fatal if left untreated. His Fred Hutch research lab examines the molecular genetics of leukemias in an effort to develop methods to improve the detection and treatment of the disease. At an ASH education session, Radich will talk about his award-winning collaboration with The Max Foundation, a Seattle-area nonprofit, which has led to more people in under-resourced areas being tested for CML. He will also give an oral presentation about a molecular test he developed that can predict which CML patients will have a sustained, deep molecular response to treatment.

Repairing immune function

Underappreciated by most, the thymus is a gland in the chest that acts like a boot camp for T cells, training them to identify and kill foreign invaders. The gland wears out with stress, infection and age, and finding ways to boost its productivity could help sustain human health. Researchers in the lab of Dr. Jarrod Dudakov, a Fred Hutch immunologist, will present the latest in understanding the signaling pathways of the thymus. Discovering master regulators could be targets for helping the thymus to repair itself. Below are their presentation abstracts.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Note: Fred Hutch and its scientists who contributed to these discoveries may stand to benefit from their commercialization. See links above to ASH abstracts for more details on individual researchers disclosures.

The clinical trials referenced above involve investigational products and/or therapies that have not been approved for commercial marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other regulatory authority. Results may vary, and encouraging results from early-stage clinical trials may not be supported in later-stage clinical trials. No conclusions should be drawn from the information in this report about the safety, efficacy or likelihood of regulatory approval of these investigational products and/or therapies.

# # #

Media Contact:Molly McElroyO: 206.667.2210M: 206.941.8146mwmcelro@fredhutch.org

At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home to three Nobel laureates, interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists seek new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Fred Hutchs pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation led to the development of immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system to treat cancer. An independent, nonprofit research institute based in Seattle, Fred Hutch houses the nations first National Cancer Institute-funded cancer prevention research program, as well as the clinical coordinating center of the Womens Health Initiative and the international headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.

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Fred Hutch at ASH: Latest CAR T data BCMA, CD19, CD20 plus new insights on transplantation, gene therapy and more - Newswise

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Fred Hutch at ASH: Latest CAR T data BCMA, CD19, CD20 plus new insights on transplantation, gene therapy and more – Newswise | November 22nd, 2019

Maxim Group analyst Jason McCarthy maintained a Buy rating on Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI) yesterday and set a price target of $9.00. The companys shares closed last Monday at $3.92.

According to TipRanks.com, McCarthy s ranking currently consits of no stars on a 0-5 ranking scale, with an average return of -22.1% and a 25.6% success rate. McCarthy covers the Healthcare sector, focusing on stocks such as SELLAS Life Sciences Group, Hancock Jaffe Laboratories, and Lineage Cell Therapeutics.

Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics has an analyst consensus of Moderate Buy, with a price target consensus of $9.00.

See todays analyst top recommended stocks >>

Based on Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics latest earnings release for the quarter ending September 30, the company reported a quarterly GAAP net loss of $5.63 million. In comparison, last year the company had a GAAP net loss of $3.18 million.

Based on the recent corporate insider activity of 12 insiders, corporate insider sentiment is negative on the stock. This means that over the past quarter there has been an increase of insiders selling their shares of BCLI in relation to earlier this year. Most recently, in August 2019, Irit Arbel, a Director at BCLI sold 13,332 shares for a total of $48,795.

TipRanks has tracked 36,000 company insiders and found that a few of them are better than others when it comes to timing their transactions. See which 3 stocks are most likely to make moves following their insider activities.

Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, Inc. operates as a biotechnology company, which develops and commercializes adult stem cell therapeutic products. It focuses on utilizing the patients own bone marrow stem cells to generate neuron-like cells that may provide an effective treatment initially for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury. The company was founded on September 22, 2000 and is headquartered in New York, NJ.

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Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI) Gets a Buy Rating from Maxim Group - Smarter Analyst

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI) Gets a Buy Rating from Maxim Group – Smarter Analyst | November 22nd, 2019

By Paul Biegler

US scientists have overcome a major stumbling block in the creation of mini-organs, programming cells to take on the desired shape rather than relying on 3D printing or external scaffolds.

This inside out approach, described in a paper in the journal Cell Systems, could signal a paradigm shift in how mini-hearts, kidneys and brains are grown on the lab bench a technique used to study disease that may one day lead to personalised organ transplants.

The team, led by bioengineer Todd McDevitt at Gladstone Institutes in the US, was driven by an enduring issue with state-of-the-art ways of producing mini-organs such as 3D printing. The cells just wont stay put.

Making a mini-organ or organoid starts when scientists take a persons skin cell and, using the right mix of agents, turn it into an induced pluripotent stem cell. This IPS cell is the blank cheque of biology, capable of becoming almost any cell type.

Grow it into a mini-kidney, say, and you can reproduce kidney diseases and test treatments in a dish sitting on your lab bench. But how faithful that model is depends on the physical organisation of the cells; to mimic a real deal kidney, 3D printing is often used.

But cells, much like unruly teenagers, have a mind of their own and will often wander away from their printed position.

McDevitts team wanted to own those cellular minds and so took control of two genes that together make up something of a joystick that directs how the cells organise.

CDH1 and ROCK1 figure heavily in the complex moves that lead to the final configuration of a group of cells. The pair influences stickiness and repulsion between cells, the surface tension that makes them spherical and their overall speed of migration.

The researchers used the editing tool CRISPR to knock out the two genes at various stages in the evolution of a clump of cells. Their aim was to make a bulls eye pattern, a shape thats common in human development, including in early embryo formation.

To detect that aspirational pattern, they engineered another tweak making the cells fluoresce when CDH1 and ROCK1 were neutralised.

But there was a problem.

Factor in all the potential time points where the genes could be knocked out, the proportion of cells to be targeted, and a host of other variables, and the researchers calculated theyd need to do nearly 9000 trial-and-error experiments.

So they called on AI. They trained a machine learning model to compute the precise pattern of gene knockouts needed to realise their dream shape.

Machine learning can predict what movie you might like based on your viewing history, but it can also generate new insights into biological systems by mimicking them, says co-author Demarcus Briers, from the Boston University Bioinformatics Program.

Our machine-learning model allows us to predict new ways that stem cells can organise themselves, and produces instructions for how to recreate these predictions in the lab.

That model hit a bulls eye, quite literally, allowing the team to produce the concentric pattern of cells they were aiming at.

"We've shown how we can leverage the intrinsic ability of stem cells to organise," says McDevitt. "This gives us a new way of engineering tissues, rather than a printing approach where you try to physically force cells into a specific configuration."

Ultimately, that concrete target shape will give way to a target in the abstract, one with potential to shift the life course.

"We're now on the path to truly engineering multicellular organization, which is the precursor to engineering organs," McDevitt says. "When we can create human organs in the lab, we can use them to study aspects of biology and disease that we wouldn't otherwise be able to."

Link:
AI helps cells pull themselves together - Cosmos

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on AI helps cells pull themselves together – Cosmos | November 20th, 2019

They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. Andy Warhol

As the early adopter mindset filters out into mainstream thinking and behaviors, brands need no longer target their innovations towards a small group of consumers the floor is open and the consumer demand growing across all demographics for brand innovation.

The boundaries of what we might have traditionally considered as personal care are shifting with brands exploring new territories and opportunities to take care of the body and mind from a more holistic perspective.

Here we take a look at a selection of ten current and emerging trends from brands leading notable movements of change.

New occasions

Brands developing targeted personal care solutions for the more active amongst us are on the rise. Natural luxury spa brand Espa have launched a new body care collection designed for use post workout, and include a Muscle Rescue Balm and Fitness Shower Oil specially formulated to sooth tired muscles.

Mantastic expressions

Practical and affordable male grooming brand Harrys questions conventional definitions of what it means to be a man, celebrating the messiness of masculinity and championing social causes that challenge outdated stereotypes. The subtle and playful illustration of a Mammoth on the pack calls attention to the brand's message that extinct perceptions of masculinity need to be abolished.

Sustainable living

Born from a belief that small changes can have a big impact, Eco + Amour has collaborated with some of the trendiest eco-conscious brands to offer a refillable, more sustainable, beauty, personal care and home care shopping experience. No doubt Im not the only one with at least three different moisturizers and deodorants in the bathroom at any one time - refreshingly, Eco + Amour encourages consumers to only buy what they need.

Eco-friendly packaging

Netherlands based designer Don Yaw Kwaning is exploring sustainable innovation using the soft rush plant. Through a process of separating the pith from the fibers, you are left with a foam which has lightweight, shock-resistant and insulating properties all without the need for bonding agents. The fibers can be developed into materials such as paper and corrugated cardboard, a fantastic new eco-packaging solution.

Clean living, clean design

The broader trend towards clean living (both in terms of health and sustainability) and clean beauty has been broadly adopted across the personal care category particularly by more agile brands. For the most part, the fragrance category has been slow to respond, continuing to follow traditional premium colours, codes and cues. Minimalism is the new luxury and Le Labo is a great benchmark - a sight for sore eyes and indeed has clear stand out on shelf against the swathe of rose gold and metallic designs of other fragrance super brands. Taking cues from the premium spirits category with the bottles heavy foot, the label design also mimics tasting notes as though from a distillery. A fantastic example of the value in looking cross-category for design inspiration.

Leveraging health and wellness

In support of the ever-popular self-care movement, personal care brands have an opportunity to incorporate health and wellness solutions into their product functionality and design. Japanese haircare brand Feather Aqua explores holistic health and wellness for the scalp founded on the premise that taking care of your head takes care of your hair. The brand uses amino acids and natural plant extracts coupled with aromatherapy fragrances to also elevate the state of mind and mood of the consumer.

New wave supplements

Wellness start-up Hello.me has recently launched a special natural supplement designed to combat the negative effects of using contraceptive pills. The Top Up Tonic reportedly relives symptoms such as bloating, mood swings and breast tenderness.

Harnessing advances in technology

World leader in regenerative medicine, Professor Augustinus Bader has utilized the restorative power of stem-cell technology to provide consumers with the ultimate solution in high-end anti-ageing skincare. The TFC8 patented technology activates the bodys stem cells to biologically repair damage to the skin caused by lifestyle and environmental factors mobilizing our bodys natural abilities to renew.

Delicious derrires

Never has Sir Mix-A-Lot been more relevant. Products aimed at targeting elasticity, firmness, dry skin and sagging of the bottom have flooded the market over the last year. Masks in particular are on the rise. Niche Los Angeles brand Anese brings us Down with the thickness, a collagen mask that detoxes, plumps and softens your bottom.

A sculpting revolution

The onslaught of easily accessible fitness solutions across social media and personalized app technologies has begun to filter out into the personal care market. Be for Beauty brings us a BOD range (Body on Demand), a ritual of products designed to tighten and sculpt the body through the reduction of water retention. The range includes bath salts which are designed to tone the body, clear out excess toxins and can supposedly eliminate up to 3lbs of excess water retention weight all within a 20-minute soak.

Kirsty Cole, head of growth at Anthem Amsterdam & Brussels.

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Anthem Amsterdam & Brussels

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Ten brands blurring boundaries in personal care and beyond - The Drum

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Ten brands blurring boundaries in personal care and beyond – The Drum | November 20th, 2019

Regenerative medicine is one of modern sciences most exciting developments. Defined by the Medical Research Council, regenerative medicine is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to develop the science and tools that can help repair or replace damaged or diseased human cells or tissues to restore normal function.

In the human body, the liver is the only organ capable of regenerating itself spontaneouslyeven after serious injurybut in the future, any part of the human body may be capable of doing so. Our own cells will also be able to treat and cure diseases and conditions of the blood and immune system, as well as restore the blood system after treatments for specific cancers.

Once only imaginable in science fiction, the latest applications include engineered skin tissue to treat burn victims, custom-grown bones for implants and joint replacements, personalized dietary treatments using gut bacteria and just recently, the worlds first 3D vascularized engineered heart was created using a patients own cells and biological materials.

As scientists understanding and the tools at their disposal become more advanced, the closer to the widespread commercialization of regenerative medicine the pharmaceutical industry finds itself.However, offering regenerative medicine therapies at scale requires one of the biggest shake-ups to the global pharmaceutical supply chain ever seen. Without it, the world risks missing out on the curative promises of this next-generation medical technology.

Regenerative medicine is one of, if not the most, exciting advancements in modern science which has far-reaching benefits for big pharma, healthcare systems and patient outcomes.

Regenerative medicine is a growth industry in more than one sense of the word; as a sector, its growing from strength to strength. In fact, last year the global regenerative medicine market was worth $28 billion and its expected to grow to $81 billion by 2023.

As a more efficient and less invasive alternative to transplanting cells or organs to replace damaged or lost tissue, established pharma companies alongside small biotech start-ups are racing to discover and bring to market medicine-based approaches that stimulate the bodys natural ability to repair itself.The cutting-edge innovations of regenerative medicine generally fall into three distinct categories:

Replenish Replace Rejuvenate

Stem cells can generate vital growth factors to naturally reduce inflammation, increase muscle mass, repair joints, grow hair and boost the immune system, replenishing the body. Organ regeneration and 3D printing are replacing the reliance on the failing donor system and overcoming the issue of organ rejection. The root causes of aging are being better understood and delayed by using stem cells to rejuvenate the body.

Marking a new era in healthcare and one which has the promise of addressing the needs of an aging population challenged by escalating chronic diseases, regenerative medicine is certainly a game-changer. Beyond more effective medical treatments that can be applied routinely despite age, comorbidities, or disease severity, it also has the potential to cure many of todays incurable diseases and support healthcare systems to move towards a preventative model.

Today, regenerative medicine is largely confined to a research environment. In fact, according to a recent report, there were 1,028 clinical trials for regenerative therapies taking place globally at the end of 2018.

Regenerative medicine is poised to transform healthcare as we know it, offering potential cures for deadly diseases which before would require long-term treatment to manage. However, while billions are being spent on regenerative medicine research and clinical studies, little resource has, so far, been allocated to the management and delivery of innovative medical therapies at scale.

Currently, the race appears to be on between smaller Medtech companies and large multi-national pharmaceutical companies to see who wins first-mover advantage in the regenerative medicine market. Today, many established pharmaceutical companies prefer to partner with Medtech startups to in-license products in early clinical development stages as opposed to conducting early development on their own which comes at a huge cost. This is a risk-reduction tactic, but it could mean big pharma misses the boat.

The question remains unanswered as to whether a peer-to-peer collaborative model will prosper where Medtech companieswho are in some instances one step ahead of big pharma in terms of drug developmentare happy to be a third-party provider to big pharma who have the budgets and networks to truly deliver the regenerative medicine revolution.

Regulation is, and will continue to, play a hugely important role in delivering regenerative medicines from a lab setting to a clinical setting. Only recently, the FDA announced a new policy framework for the development of regenerative medicine products, taking into account the dynamic and fast-moving nature of the field.

Ultimately, the governments aim is to protect patients from products that pose potential significant risks, while accelerating access to safe and effective new therapies according to Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. The FDA plans to achieve this over the coming years by driving stakeholder engagement with the developing regulatory framework in order to efficiently advance access to safe and effective regenerative medicine advanced therapies.

However, so far, progress by the pharma industry in coming into compliance with FDAs regulations for regenerative medicines has been slow, despite the grace period set by the FDA before it fully exercises enforcement fast approaching (ending in November 2020).

In order to speed up the process of bringing novel medicines to market, the FDA is toying with the idea of fast-tracking products that are deemed low risk to patients if sponsors have engaged with the regulatory process and demonstrated responsibility by filing Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs).

The FDA has also promised to strengthen its enforcement action against drug developers who are marketing unapproved products, prioritizing cases where the threat to patient health and safety is largest.For example, last November the FDA stepped in where a Californian business was selling stem cell products using umbilical cord blood for the treatment of arthritis and other conditions, despite this form of treatment not having FDA approval for that particular use. Several patients (at least 12) undergoing this treatment were hospitalized after developing infections of the bloodstream and joints, as well as abscesses along the spine and skull.

In summary, one of the FDAs central aims over the coming years is to drive stakeholder engagement with the developing regulatory framework for regenerative medicine advanced therapies in order to efficiently advance access to safe and effective new products.

The promise of regenerative medicine requires an innovative look at the complete product lifecycle, including the development of an efficient distribution network.

Once these novel drugs become mainstream, the entire healthcare ecosystem will have to adapt. Regulatory approval for any drug relies on it safely and successfully fulfilling its medical intent. As such, information about supply chain management needs to be submitted to the regulator after the completion of phase three clinical trials, including packaging, labeling, storage and distribution.

The clinical supply chains required to deliver these therapies are arguably the most complex the industry has seen so far, even more so than for biologic medicine. Thats because, unlike many mass-market drugs, regenerative medicine is either personalized or matched to a unique donor-recipient.

The distribution of regenerative medicine therapies is further complicated by the fact they are also extremely sensitive to exogenous factors like time and temperature. Therefore, there are strict conditions under which these therapies must be transported and received.

Advanced IT solutions and monitoring systems are being developed and employed to ensure end-to-end traceability across the pharma supply chain. These are giving clinicians access to view the progress of therapies and their distribution in real-time and allow users to automatically schedule or amend material collections in line with manufacturing capacity, helping to keep the supply chain as agile as possible and avoid costly wastage.

The live tissues and cells which form the basis of regenerative medicine products are highly sensitive and some have a shelf life of no more than a few hours, making distribution a complex task. Therefore, materials need to be transported from the site of harvest to manufacturing facilities, and from manufacturing facilities to medical institutions under strictly controlled conditions, within certain time periods and temperatures, according to different cell and tissue requirements which can vary from product to product.

Temperature-controlled logistics solutions are vital to ensure a safe, effective and financially viable supply chain network for these high-value shipments. Cryopreservation is one technique increasingly being used to deliver medicines at optimum temperature using vapor phase nitrogen, however, many clinical settings remain ill-equipped to handle such equipment.

Onsite production is an alternative manufacturing arrangement, particularly for autologous products which are derived from a patients own cells. However, this throws up a number of compliance and infrastructure challenges, as the hospital would need to comply with a host of regulations including installing a licensed clean room which may not be possible given budget restrictions and limited space onsite.As a first-generation technology, stakeholders will have a greater tolerance for higher pricing, but only for a limited time period. By streamlining the currently very expensive manufacturing process and improving supply chain management, yields will automatically get larger and costs will slowly come down.

While there are many challenges in the road ahead, 2019 certainly appears to be the start of regenerative medicines move to the big time. Just like big data and artificial intelligence is transforming the practice of medicine, regenerative medicine holds the promise of extending the bodys natural ability to replenish, replace and rejuvenate itself.

If the global health industry can work collaboratively on overcoming the challenges presented by delivering safe and effective advanced therapies, a dramatic extension of the human healthspan is possible. We may even reach the point where no disease is considered incurable, transforming healthcare as we know it.

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Regenerative Medicine: Overcoming The Supply Chain Challenges - Contract Pharma

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Regenerative Medicine: Overcoming The Supply Chain Challenges – Contract Pharma | November 20th, 2019

I have a four-foot-tall robot in my house that plays with my kids. Its name is Jethro.

Both my daughters, aged 5 and 9, are so enamored with Jethro that they have each asked to marry it. For fun, my wife and I put on mock weddings. Despite the robot being mainly for entertainment, its very basic artificial intelligence can perform thousands of functions, including dance and teach karate, which my kids love.

The most important thing Jethro has taught my kids is that its totally normal to have a walking, talking machine around the house that you can hang out with whenever you want to.

Given my daughters semi-regular use of smartphones and tablets, I have to wonder how this will affect them in the future. Will they have any fear of technologies like driverless cars? Will they take it for granted that machine intelligences and avatars on computers can be their best friends, or even their bosses?

Will marrying a super-intelligent robot in 20 years be a natural decision? Even though I love technology, Im not sure how I would feel about having a robot-in-law. But my kids might think nothing of it.

This is my story of transhumanism.

Courtesy of Zoltan Istvan

My transhumanism journey began in 2003 when I was reporting a story for National Geographic in Vietnams demilitarized zone and I almost stepped on a landmine.

I remember my guide roughly shoving me aside and pointing to the metal object half sticking out of the ground in front of me.

I stared at the device that would have completely blown my legs off had my boot tripped the mine. I had just turned 30. The experience left me shaken. And it kept haunting me.

That night as I lay tense and awake in my hotel room, I had the epiphany that has helped define the rest of my life: I decided that the most important thing in my existence was to fight for survival. To put it another way: My goal was to never die.

Because I was not religious, I immediately turned to the thing that gave meaning to my world: science and technology. I took a leap of faith and made a wager that day. I later called this (and even later, dedicated a book to it) the transhumanist wager.

The life extension business of transhumanism will be a $600 billion industry by 2025.

My idea for an immortality wager came from Pascals Wager, the famous bet that caught on in the 17th century that loosely argued it was better to believe in God than not to, because you would be granted an afterlife if there was indeed a God. My transhumanist wager was based in my belief that its better to dedicate our resources to science and technology to overcome death while were still aliveso we dont ever have to find out whether there is an afterlife or not. It turns out I wasnt alone in my passion to live indefinitely through science. A small social movement, mostly of academics and researchers, were tackling similar issues, starting organizations, and funding research.

Some of them called themselves transhumanists.

Fast-forward 16 years from my landmine incident, and transhumanism has grown way beyond its main mission of just overcoming death with science.

Now the movement is the de facto philosophy (maybe even the religion) of Silicon Valley. It encapsulates numerous futurist fields: singularitarianism, cyborgism, cryonics, genetic editing, robotics, AI, biohacking, and others.

Biohacking in particular has taken offthe practice of physically hacking ones body with science, changing and augmenting our physiology the same way computer hackers would infiltrate a mainframe.

Its pretty obvious why it has emerged as such a big trend: It attracts the youth.

Not surprisingly, worrying about death is something that older people usually do (and, apparently, those younger people who almost step on landmines). Most young people feel invincible. But tell young people they can take brain drugs called nootropics that make them super smart, or give them special eye drops that let them see in the dark, or give them a chip implant that enhances human ability (like the one I have), and a lot of young people will go for it.

In 2016, I ran for the US presidency as the Transhumanist Party nominee. To get support from younger biohackers, my team and I journeyed on the Immortality Busmy 38-foot coffin-shaped campaign busto Grindfest, the major annual biohacking meet-up in Tehachapi, California. In an old dentists chair in a garage, biohackers injected me with a horse syringe containing a small radio-frequency-identification implant that uses near-field communication technologythe same wireless frequency used in most smartphones. The tiny deviceits about the size of a grain of ricewas placed just under the skin in my hand. With my chip, I could start a car, pay with bitcoin, and open my front door with a lock reader.

Four years later, I still have the implant and use it almost every day. For surfers or joggers like myself, for example, its great because I dont have to carry keys around.

One thing I do have to navigate is how some religious people view me once they understand I have one. Evangelical Christians have told me that an implant is the mark of the beast, as in from the Bibles Book of Revelations.

Even though Im tagged by conspiracy theorists as a potential contender for the Antichrist, I cant think of any negatives in my own experiences to having a chip implant. But as my work in transhumanism has reached from the US Military to the World Bank to many of the worlds most well-known universities, my chip implant only exasperates this conspiracy.

While people often want to know what other things Ive done to my body, in reality becoming a cyborg is a lot less futuristic and drastic than people think.

For me and for the thousands of people around the world who have implants, its all about functionality. An implant simply makes our lives easier and more efficient. Mine also sends out pre-written text messages when peoples phones come within a few feet of me, which is a fun party trick.

But frankly, a lot of the most transformative technology is still being developed, and if youre healthy like me, theres really not much benefit in doing a lot of biohacking today.

I take nootropics for better brain memory, but theres no conclusive research I know of that it actually works yet. Ive done some brainwave therapy, sometimes called direct neurofeedback, or biofeedback, but I didnt see any lasting changes. I fly drones for fun, and of course I also have Jethro, our family robot.

For the most part, members of the disabled community are the ones who are truly benefiting from transhumanist technologies today. If you have an arm shot off in a war, its cyborg science that gives you a robot arm controlled by your neural system that allows you to grab a beer, play the piano, or shake someones hand again.

But much more dramatic technology is soon to come. And the hope is that it will be availableand accessibleto everyone.

I asked to be added to a volunteer list for an experiment that will place implants in peoples brains that would allow us to communicate telepathically, using AI. (Biohacking trials like this are secretive because they are coming under more intense legal scrutiny.)Im also looking into getting a facial recognition security system for my home. I might even get a pet dog robot; these have become incredibly sophisticated, have fur softer than the real thing (that doesnt shed all over your couch or trigger allergies) and can even act as security systems.

Beyond that, people are using stem cells to grow new teeth, genetic editing to create designer babies, and exoskeleton technology that will likely allow a human to run on water in the near future.

Most people generally focus on one aspect of transhumanism, like just biohacking, or just AI, or just brainwave-tech devices. But I like to try it all, embrace it all, and support it all. Whatever new transhumanist direction technology takes, I try to take it all in and embrace the innovation.

This multi-faceted approach has worked well in helping me build a bridge connecting the various industries and factions of the transhumanist movement. Its what inspired me to launch presidential and California gubernatorial campaigns on a transhumanist platform. Now Im embarking on a new campaign in 2020 for US president as a Republican, hoping to get conservatives to become more open-minded about the future.

The amount of money flowing into transhumanist projects is growing into many billions of dollars. The life extension business of transhumanism will be a $600 billion industry by 2025, according to Bank of America. This is no time for transhumanism to break apart into many different divisions, and its no time to butt heads. We need to unite in our aim to truly change the human being forever.

Transhumanistsit doesnt matter what kind you arebelieve they can be more than just human. The word natural is not in our vocabulary. Theres only what transhumanists can do with the tools of science and technology they create. That is our great calling: to evolve the human being into something better than it is.

Because transhumanism has grown so broadly by now, not all transhumanists agree with me on substantially changing the human being. Some believe we should only use technology to eliminate suffering in our lives. Religious transhumanists believe we should use brain implants and virtual reality to improves our morality and religious behavior. Others tell me politics and transhumanism should never mix, and we must always keep science out of the hands of the government.

We need unity of some significant sort because as we grow at such a fast rate there are a lot of challenges ahead. For example, the conservative Christian Right wants to enact moratoriums against transhumanism. The anarcho-primativists, led by people like the primitivist philosopher and author John Zerzan (who I debated once at Stanford University), want to eliminate much technology and go back to a hunting-gathering lifestyle which they believe is more in tune with Earths original ecology. And finally, we must be careful that the so-called one percent doesnt take transhumanist technology and leave us all in the dust, by becoming gods themselves with radical tech and not sharing the benefits with humanity.

I personally believe the largest danger of the transhumanist era is the fact that within a few decades, we will have created super-intelligent AI. What if this new entity simply decides it doesnt like humans? If something is more sophisticated, powerful, intelligent, and resilient than humans, we will have a hard time stopping it if it wants to harm or eliminate us.

Whatever happens in the future, we must take greater care than we ever have before as our species enters the transhumanist age. For the first time, we are on the verge of transforming the physical structure of our bodies and our brains. And we are inventing machines that could end up being more intelligent and powerful than we are. This type of change requires that not only governments act together, but also cultures, religions, and humanity as a whole.

In the end, I believe that a lot more people will be on board with transhumanism than admit it. Nearly all of us want to eliminate disease, protect our families from death, and create a better path and purpose for science and technology.

But I also realize that this must be done ever so delicately, so as not to prematurely push our species into crisis with our unbridled arrogance. One day, we humans may look back and revel in how far our species has evolvedinto undying mammals, cyborgs, robots, and even pure living data. And the most important part will be to be able to look back and know we didnt destroy ourselves to get there.

Originally posted here:
What it means to be a cyborg in 2019 - Quartz

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on What it means to be a cyborg in 2019 – Quartz | November 20th, 2019

Were still waiting for CBD-infused skincare products to hit shelves in Canada, but products have been at retail for years containing hemp seed oil and cannabis sativa seed oil that are full of omega fatty acids and can be quite hydrating. They may not have the anti-inflammatory benefits of CBD, but consumers have been relying on their skin-boosting affects for ages.

So, just in time for an early blast of winter, here are some online options available at Well.ca for keeping your skin and complexion in check this season including one for the boys:

Chapped lips are sadly on their way now that temperatures have dipped below zero. Arm yourself with an all-natural, hemp-infused lip balm that is so affordable you may want to buy two one to stash in your purse and the other at your desk. Bonus: It also contains antioxidant-packed matcha green tea. Hurraw! Green Tea Lip Balm, $5

If youre like me, your fingers and hands have already started to show signs of winters wear. My cuticles are tattered and my summer-soft hands are rough and dry. Last winter, I relied on North American Hemp Co.s hand cream, and I am reaching back into my wallet for this one. Aside from cannabis sativa seed oil, it also contains vitamins A and E for a powerful solution to dry digits. North American Hemp Co. Hemp Hang Nail Help Hand & Nail Cream, $21

One of the tricks of the beauty trade is switching up your cleanser in the colder months for one that wont leave your face feeling dry and tight. Enter Andalou Naturals CannaCell Cleansing Foam that contains 100 per cent pure hemp seed oil, as well as hemp stem cells, vitamins C, E, as well as B vitamins for good measure. Already added to cart. Andalou Natural CannaCell Cleansing Foam, $19

This cult favourite serum from clean beauty brand Herbivore contains glow-inducing ingredients like olive-derived squalane and cannabis sativa seed oil to hydrate, soften and tone the complexion. And it will look pretty in your shelfie pics on Instagram. Herbivore Emerald Deep Moisture Glow Oil, $60

Bar soap is back baby! Brands and consumers are focusing once again on bar soap as a way to help reduce plastics. Buck Nakeds Dead Sea Mud and Argan Oil soap is a powerful detoxifier, while also adding hydrating ingredients back into the skin with the help of Argan oil backed up by hemp oil. On top of all of that, the bar is biodegradable, so no icky ingredients are washing down your water drain. Buck Naked Soap Company Dead Sea Mud + Argan Soap, $9

This may be for men, but whos stopping you from slathering on this cedar and Bourbon-scented natural deodorant that also contains skin-soothing cannabis sativa seed oil. A holiday gift perhaps? Olivina Men Bourbon Cedar Deodorant, $11

The sole ingredient in these blotting papers from mass beauty line NYX is cannabis sativa seed oil. While the papers will help take away unwanted shine on your T-zone and forehead, the cannabis oil will add a slight bit of hydration back into your complexion, yet keeping it matte. These blotters, there are 50 in a pack, are perfect for your purse while youre trekking to all those holiday parties. NYX Bare With Me Hemp Seed Oil Blotting Papers, $8

Michelle Bilodeau is a writer and editor about fashion, beauty and cannabis. She is also a co-host on theOn A High podcast

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Seven beauty basics to buy right now that will help you forget winter's early blast - The GrowthOp

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Seven beauty basics to buy right now that will help you forget winter’s early blast – The GrowthOp | November 20th, 2019

Thanks to a $62 billion acquisition of Shire, Takeda is one of the world's largest developers of rare disease drugs.

Despite that, the 238-year-old Japanese pharmaceutical company lacks any mid- or late-stage cell or gene therapies, two technologies that figure to play a large role in how many rare cancers and inherited diseases will eventually be treated.

It's a mismatch Takedais putting substantial effort into addressing. Last week, executives made cell and gene therapy a notable focus of the company's first R&D day since closing its Shire deal.

"We have a world-class gene therapy platform," Dan Curran, head of Takeda's rare disease therapeutic area unit, told investors and Wall Street analysts gathered in New York city.

"We intend to build on that over the next five years. Because as we look to lead in the second half of [next]decade, we believe patients will demand and we can deliver transformative and curative therapies to patients globally."

But right now that's just an ambition. While Takedahas begun to explore how it can improve on current gene therapies, its candidates are early stage and lag their would-be competitors.

"Our heme A program we're behind. Our heme B program we're behind," admitted Curran in an interview. "But we're behind the first generation and when has there only been one generation of anything?"

Takeda's hemophilia A program is currently in Phase 1, with the hemophilia B candidate about to join it in human testing well back from leaders BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Spark Therapeutics and SangamoTherapeutics in hemophilia A and UniQure in hemophilia B.

Curran laid out three priorities for Takeda'spush: exploring whether gene therapy, typically pitched as a one-time treatment, can be re-dosed; lowering the doses currently used for first-generation therapies; and developing alternative gene delivery vehicles than the adeno-associatedand lentiviralvectors that are predominant today.

"We need to figure out how to re-dose AAVvectors if we want to provide functional cures for patients for the rest of their lives."

How long a gene therapy's benefit lasts is a critical question. In theory, it could last decades or potentially for life, depending on the treatment's target.

But clinical evidence presented to date suggests that benefit for some therapies could wane over time. BioMarin, for example, presented data this year that it argued is proof its gene therapy could raise Factor VIII expression levels in patients with hemophilia A above the threshold for mild disease for at least eight years a long time, to be sure, but not life-long.

Still, it's an unusual objective. Much of gene therapy's promise lies in the potential for it to be given just once and still deliver lasting benefits. And the therapies that have reached market most notably Spark Therapeutics' Luxturna, Novartis' Zolgensma and Bluebird bio's Zynteglo are among the most expensive drugs to ever reach market. Were a gene therapy to be re-dosed, the current value proposition those drugmakers describe would need to be re-evaluated.

Curran recognizes that bringing down costs substantially will be essential to any attempt to advance a multi-use gene therapy. But Takeda might have an advantage. In buying Shire, the pharma inherited a viral vector manufacturing plant, originally built by Baxalta, that Curran calls the company's "best kept secret."

"It's an enormous competitive advantage," he said, adding that Takeda believes it's among the industry's top three facilities by production capacity. "Roche trying to acquire Spark, Novartis and AveXis a significant component of value of those transactions was that these companies had actually invested in manufacturing capabilities."

Curran emphasized that Takeda's ambitions in gene therapy will require it to partner with academic leaders in the field, a playbook that it's followed over the past three years as it's worked to expand into cell therapy.

"In the cell space, there's more innovation you can bring up into proof of principle milestones in academia," said Andy Plump,Takeda'shead of R&D, in an interview.

"An academic can manipulate a cell, but it's very hard in an academic setting to optimize a small molecule," he added. "This is a space where Novartis, and now we, have been quite successful in creating those relationships."

Takeda has put partnerships in place with Japan's Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, GammaDelta, Noile-Immune Biotech, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and, just this month, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

That last collaboration gives Takeda access to a chimeric antigen receptor-directed natural killer, or NK, cell therapy.The drugmaker believes NK cells could offer advantages over the T cells modified to create the currently available cell therapies Kymriah and Yescarta.

Most notably, MD Anderson's approach uses NK cells isolated from umbilical cord blood, rather than extracting T cells from each individual patient a time-consuming and expensive process that has complicated the market launch of Kymriah and Yescarta. Cord blood-derived NK cells are designed to be allogeneic, or administered "off the shelf."

Additionally, CAR NK cells haven't been associated (yet) with cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity, two significant side effects often associated with CAR-T cell therapies. That could help Takeda position its cell therapies as an outpatient option.

"Even if we were a company that entered a little bit later into the immuno-oncology space, we've very much tried to turn this into an advantage," said Chris Arendt, head of Takeda's oncology drug discovery unit, at the company's event.

"We believe we have a chance to establish a leadership position rather than jumping on the bandwagon and being a follower."

While Takeda's choice to pursue NK cell therapy stands out, its choice of target does not. TAK-007, a drug candidate from MD Anderson that is now Takeda's lead cell therapy program, is aimed at a cell surface protein called CD19 that's found in leukemias and lymphomas.

Both Yescarta and Kymriah target CD19, and a recent count by the Cancer Research Institute tracked 181 cell therapy projects aimed at the antigen.

Takeda is planning to advance TAK-007 into pivotal studies in two types of lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia by 2021, with a potential filing for approval in 2023.

By then, Kymriah and Yescarta will have been on the market for six years and current bottlenecks in cell therapy treatment could be solved, helping both Takeda's potential entry as well as the host of competitors it will likely face.

Next year will be a test of how productive Takeda'scell therapy unit can be. In addition to TAK-007, the pharmaexpects to have four other CAR-T and gamma delta cell therapies in the clinic, two of which will target solid tumors.

Cell and gene therapy are part of what Takeda calls its "second wave" of R&D projects, a group of early-stage drugs and programs that it sees as progressing to regulatory stages by 2025 or later.

In the nearer term, the drugmakeris advancing a "first wave" of clinical candidates that it told investors will deliver 14 new molecular entities by 2024. Five of those will come in rare disease, with the others spread across oncology, neuroscience, gastro-enterology and vaccines.

"We think the cascade of news coming forward on these programs will transform how people view Takeda," Curran said.

More importantly to the investors gathered in New York, Takeda expects these experimental drugs will eventually earn $10 billion in peak annual sales, which would represent a sizable addition to a business that generated $30 billion in sales last year.

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Takeda sees cell, gene therapy in its future. Is it too late? - BioPharma Dive

IPS Cell Therapy Comments Off on Takeda sees cell, gene therapy in its future. Is it too late? – BioPharma Dive | November 20th, 2019

CTX001 safely and effectively increased the levels of fetal hemoglobin and prevented vaso-occlusive crisesin the first severesickle cell disease(SCD) patient receiving the therapy, according to preliminary data from a Phase 1/2 clinical trial.

CTX001 is a CRISPR-based gene editing therapy developed byCRISPR TherapeuticsandVertex Pharmaceuticals as a potential treatment for hemoglobin-associated diseases, includingSCD and beta-thalassemia.

It uses the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system to genetically modify a patients hematopoietic (bone marrow) stem cellsto produce high levels of fetal hemoglobin in red blood cells, which are then delivered back to the patient as part of a stem cell transplant.

The CRISPR-Cas9 system, which is similar to the editing system used by bacteria as a defense mechanism, allows researchers to edit parts of the genome by adding, removing, or changing specific sections of DNA.

Fetal hemoglobin, the main form of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin in the human fetus and newborn, largely disappears between six months to one year after birth, being replaced by its adult form.

Since the adult form is the one containing the defective component of hemoglobin in people with SCD and beta-thalassemia, an artificial increase of fetal hemoglobin has the potential to compensatefor the defective hemoglobin produced by these patients and reduce or prevent theirsymptoms.

The open-label, multi-center Phase 1/2 CLIMB-SCD-121 study (NCT03745287) is currently evaluating the safety and effectiveness of a single administration of CTX001 in people ages 18 to 35 with severe SCD.

The trial, which is expected to enroll up to 45 people, is stillrecruiting at 12 clinical sites in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Participants will be followed for approximately two years after treatment, and have the opportunity to enter a long-term follow-up study.

Before receiving CTX001, participants will undergo myeloablativechemotherapy, a strategy that kills cells in the bone marrow, thereby lowering the number of blood-forming cells. This way, the stem cell transplant will have more chances to rebuild a healthy bone marrow.

Researchers will first determine when the transplanted modified cells begin to produce mature blood cells in the patients, a process known as engraftment. After confirmation of engraftment, safety and effectiveness will be assessed as part of the trials primary and secondary goals.

One primary goal is to assess the proportion of people with an increase of at least 20% in the production of fetal hemoglobin, starting six months after CTX001 treatment. This increase must be sustained for more than three months at the time of analysis.

Among secondary goals is determining whether CTX001 reduces the annualized rate of vaso-occlusive crises.

In February, CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex announced the enrollment of the first patient in the CLIMB-SCD-121 study, who was recruited in the U.S. and received CTX001 in mid-2019.

Now, the companies have shared the preliminary four-month data of this patient, a 33-year-old woman who had experienced seven vaso-occlusive crises per year the annualized rate of the two years before her enrollment in the trial.

Results showed that she had a confirmed engraftment 30 days after receiving CTX001 treatment. Four months after treatment, no vaso-occlusive crises were reported and she had stopped blood transfusion treatments.

After four months, her total hemoglobin levels were 11.3 g/dL, fetal hemoglobin levels had increased from 9.1% to 46.6%, and the percentage of fetal hemoglobin-producing red blood cells had increased from 33.9% to 94.7%.

CTX001s early safety profile was consistent with that previously reported for myeloablative chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplant. The woman experienced three serious adverse events, all of them resolved and considered to be unrelated to treatment.

Positive preliminary data were also announced for the first patient with beta-thalassemia receiving CTX001 in the Phase 1/2 CLIMB-Thal-111 study (NCT03655678).

We are very encouraged by these preliminary data [which] support our belief in the potential of our therapies to have meaningful benefit for patients following a one-time intervention, Samarth Kulkarni, PhD, CRISPR Therapeutics CEO, said in a press release.

A webcast and presentation about these preliminary results are available on the companys website.

The data are remarkable and demonstrate that CTX001 has the potential to be a curative CRISPR/Cas9-based gene-editing therapy for people with sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia, said Jeffrey Leiden, MD, PhD, Vertexs chairman, president, and CEO.

Leiden added that the trial is still in its early phase and that he looks forward to its final results.

Early this year, CTX001 receivedfast track statusfor the treatment of sickle cell disease by theU.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is expected to accelerate CTX001s development and regulatory approval process.

Marta Figueiredo holds a BSc in Biology and a MSc in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. She is currently finishing her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Lisbon, where she focused her research on the role of several signalling pathways in thymus and parathyroid glands embryonic development.

Total Posts: 94

Margarida graduated with a BS in Health Sciences from the University of Lisbon and a MSc in Biotechnology from Instituto Superior Tcnico (IST-UL). She worked as a molecular biologist research associate at a Cambridge UK-based biotech company that discovers and develops therapeutic, fully human monoclonal antibodies.

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1st SCD Trial Patient Shows CTX001 Gene Editing to be Safe, Effective - Sickle Cell Anemia News

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on 1st SCD Trial Patient Shows CTX001 Gene Editing to be Safe, Effective – Sickle Cell Anemia News | November 20th, 2019