StemCell Therapy

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Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Findings could give insight into long-term neurological symptoms of COVID-19.

A study from the National Institutes of Health describes the immune response triggered by COVID-19 infection that damages the brains blood vessels and may lead to short- and long-term neurological symptoms. In a study published in Brain, researchers from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) examined brain changes in nine people who died suddenly after contracting the virus.

The scientists found evidence that antibodiesproteins produced by the immune system in response to viruses and other invadersare involved in an attack on the cells lining the brains blood vessels, leading to inflammation and damage. Consistent with an earlier study from the group, SARS-CoV-2 was not detected in the patients brains, suggesting the virus was not infecting the brain directly.

Understanding how SARS-CoV-2 can trigger brain damage may help inform development of therapies for COVID-19 patients who have lingering neurological symptoms.

Patients often develop neurological complications with COVID-19, but the underlying pathophysiological process is not well understood, said Avindra Nath, M.D., clinical director at NINDS and the senior author of the study. We had previously shown blood vessel damage and inflammation in patients brains at autopsy, but we didnt understand the cause of the damage. I think in this paper weve gained important insight into the cascade of events.

Dr. Nath and his team found that antibodies produced in response to COVID-19 may mistakenly target cells crucial to the blood-brain barrier. Tightly packed endothelial cells help form the blood-brain barrier, which keeps harmful substances from reaching the brain while allowing necessary substances to pass through. Damage to endothelial cells in blood vessels in the brain can lead to leakage of proteins from the blood. This causes bleeds and clots in some COVID-19 patients and can increase the risk of stroke.

For the first time, researchers observed deposits of immune complexesmolecules formed when antibodies bind antigens (foreign substances)on the surface of endothelial cells in the brains of COVID-19 patients. Such immune complexes can damage tissue by triggering inflammation.

The study builds on their previous research, which found evidence of brain damage caused by thinning and leaky blood vessels. They suspected that the damage may have been due to the bodys natural inflammatory response to the virus.

To further explore this immune response, Dr. Nath and his team examined brain tissue from a subset of patients in the previous study. The nine individuals, age 24 to 73, were chosen because they showed signs of blood vessel damage in the brain based on structural brain scans. The samples were compared to those from 10 controls. The team looked at neuroinflammation and immune responses using immunohistochemistry, a technique that uses antibodies to identify specific marker proteins in the tissues.

As in their earlier study, researchers found signs of leaky blood vessels, based on the presence of blood proteins that normally do not cross the blood brain barrier. This suggests that the tight junctions between the endothelial cells in the blood brain barrier are damaged.

Dr. Nath and his colleagues found evidence that damage to endothelial cells was likely due to an immune responsediscovering deposits of immune complexes on the surface of the cells.

These observations suggest an antibody-mediated attack that activates endothelial cells. When endothelial cells are activated, they express proteins called adhesion molecules that cause platelets to stick together. High levels of adhesion molecules were found in endothelial cells in the samples of brain tissue.

Activation of the endothelial cells brings platelets that stick to the blood vessel walls, causing clots to form and leakage to occur. At the same time the tight junctions between the endothelial cells get disrupted causing them to leak, Dr. Nath explained. Once leakage occurs, immune cells such as macrophages may come to repair the damage, setting up inflammation. This, in turn, causes damage to neurons.

Researchers found that in areas with damage to the endothelial cells, more than 300 genes showed decreased expression, while six genes were increased. These genes were associated with oxidative stress, DNA damage, and metabolic dysregulation. This may provide clues to the molecular basis of neurological symptoms related to COVID-19 and offer potential therapeutic targets.

Together, these findings give insight into the immune response damaging the brain after COVID-19 infection. But it remains unclear what antigen the immune response is targeting, as the virus itself was not detected in the brain. It is possible that antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein could bind to the ACE2 receptor used by the virus to enter cells. More research is needed to explore this hypothesis.

The study may also have implications for understanding and treating long-term neurological symptoms after COVID-19, which include headache, fatigue, loss of taste and smell, sleep problems, and brain fog. Had the patients in the study survived, the researchers believe they would likely have developed Long COVID.

It is quite possible that this same immune response persists in Long COVID patients resulting in neuronal injury, said Dr. Nath. There could be a small indolent immune response that is continuing, which means that immune-modulating therapies might help these patients. So these findings have very important therapeutic implications.

The results suggest that treatments designed to prevent the development of the immune complexes observed in the study could be potential therapies for post-COVID neurological symptoms.

This study was supported bythe NINDS Division of Intramural Research (NS003130) and K23NS109284, Roy J. Carver Foundation, and the Iowa Neuroscience Institute.

NINDSis the nations leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system.The mission ofNINDSis to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

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Small NIH study reveals how immune response triggered by COVID-19 may damage the brain - National Institutes of Health (.gov)

We all know that stress is bad for us, but now researchers have revealed that stress actually accelerates the rate at which our immune system ages. In other words, stress causes premature aging of the immune system.

Stress can be influenced by many factors, including the death of a family member, a relationship breakdown or financial concerns. Research is now suggesting that stress can increase a persons risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and illness from infections such as COVID-19.

These ground-breaking findings may explain why there are such disparities in age-related health and why some seemingly healthy individuals fared much worse than others during the height of the pandemic.

It is important for another reason too it could also identify possible interventions to prevent avoidable illnesses.

The research was published June in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Lead study author Eric Klopack, a postdoctoral scholar in the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, commented: As the worlds population of older adults increases, understanding disparities in age-related health is essential. Age-related changes in the immune system play a critical role in declining health. This study helps clarify mechanisms involved in accelerated immune aging.

As we age, the immune system begins the process of downgrading. The condition is called immunosenescence. As an older persons immune profile weakens, it includes too many worn-out white blood cells circulating and too few fresh, naive white blood cells ready to take on new invaders.

This process isassociated not only with cancer, but with cardiovascular disease, increased risk of pneumonia, reduced efficacy of vaccines and organ system aging.

USC researchers decided to investigate this very question and see what they could find.

The authors were looking for a connection between lifetime exposure to stress and declining vigour in the immune system.

Bycross-referencing enormous data sets from University of Michigans Health and Retirement Study, a national longitudinal study of the economic, health, marital, family status, and public and private support systems of older Americans, they managed to come to a conclusion.

Researchers analysed responses from a national sample of 5,744 adults over the age of 50 to calculate exposure to various forms of social stress. They assessed respondents experiences with social stress, stressful life events, chronic stress, everyday discrimination and lifetime discrimination to determine their results.

Blood samples from the participants were then analysed through flow cytometry, a lab technique that counts and classifies blood cells as they pass one-by-one in a narrow stream in front of a laser.

As expected, those who achieved a higher stress score also had older-seeming immune profiles, with lower percentages of fresh disease fighters and higher percentages of worn-out white blood cells.

The association between stressful life events and fewer ready to respond, or naive, T cells remained strong even after controlling for education, smoking, drinking, BMI and race or ethnicity.

Undoubtedly some stress is natural, and also impossible to control, but there may be a way of mitigating it, researchers claim.

T-cells, a critical component of immunity, mature in a gland called the thymus, which sits just in front of and above the heart.

As people age, the tissue in their thymus shrinks and is replaced by fatty tissue, resulting in reduced production of immune cells. Past research suggests that this process is accelerated by lifestyle factors like poor diet and low exercise, which are both associated with social stress.

In this study, after statistically controlling for poor diet and low exercise, the connection between stress and accelerated immune aging wasnt as strong, said Klopack. What this means is people who experience more stress tend to have poorer diet and exercise habits, partly explaining why they have more accelerated immune aging.

Additionally, statistically controlling cytomegalovirus (CMV) positivity may also reduce the connection between stress and accelerated immune aging. Widespread CMV vaccination could be a relatively simple and potentially powerful intervention to the immune aging effects of stress.

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Stress accelerates aging of the immune system - Open Access Government

While there is no magic bullet for stress, there are a lot of things you can do to prevent it. Obviously, the goal isnt to get rid of stress completely (thats impossible) but to find ways to minimize and manage it.

Your immune system is the first to suffer when youre stressed about work, family, finance, or current life events. Its also the first to fight viruses unless stress hits. Its ability to fight off infection gets weakened by psychological stress, especially if its chronic. In this post, well explore the effects of stress, highlighting the important line between stress and diet and how nutrition can help us better deal with it.

There are a lot of causes of stress. We might feel stressed because of one situation or one big vent in our life. Or it might be an amalgam of lots of smaller things. More often than not,we may experience stress if we:

No matter the cause, its essential to remember that stress is a natural feeling of not being able to cope with particular events and demands. But if you dont take steps to manage it, stress can become a chronic condition. And because our bodys stress response system shouldnt constantly be in fight or flight mode, the impact of this on well-being and health can be detrimental.

Our immune system is often the most affected by stress. Whenever we feel under pressure, the immune systems ability reduces to fight off stress. That makes us more susceptible to infections or, in most cases, more likely to adopt unhealthy behavioral coping strategies, such as smoking or drinking, just to fight off stress.

Luckily there are many healthier ways you can fight off stress, and you probably already know how to start with the basics: sleep, self-care, management, and sport. But did you know there are some foods that reduce stress levels, too?

Dietitians explain how certain nutrients can help lower your levels of cortisol the hormone responsible for stress. What you eat, therefore, may help stabilize blood sugar or, better yet, your emotional response.

Stress and digestion are two distinct things that often go hand in hand. Stress can affect your appetite (youre either too hungry or not at all) and cause digestive problems likeirritable bowel syndrome.

A growing body of research shows that our brain and gut communicate via body chemicals, which is why stress can exacerbate gastrointestinal symptoms. AUCLA study found that consuming probiotics in yogurt can reduce brain activity in areas that manage emotions, including stress.

While more research is required to confirm the results knowing that yogurt is full of protein and calcium in addition to probiotics, you really cant go wrong by adding it to your daily meals.

Stress causes our anxiety hormones to spikes, such as cortisol and adrenaline. You may counteract the negative effects of these hormones by simply adding more salmon to your diet. One study found that people who consumed omega-3 fatty acids in fish or supplements had a 20% reduction in anxiety.

For example, a 3-ounce slice of cooked wild salmon can have up to 2,000 milligrams of omega-3s, double the dosage recommended by nutritionists for people with heart disease.

Its tempting to choose tacos instead of greens when fed up with work. But going green can help you face and fend off day-to-day challenges much easier.

Leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, cabbage, and microgreens contain folate, which produces the pleasure-inducing chemical known as dopamine. One study found that those who often included green leafy vegetables in their meals had a lower risk of depression symptoms than those who took in the least amount of folate.

Another study found that college students tended to be happier, more energetic, and calmer on days when they consumed more veggies and fruits.

Whats more, adding to your diet certain supplements may help keep your immune system strong when faced with life uncertainties that play havoc with your health both in the short and long term.

The levels of magnesium in the blood can work wonders for our immune systems ability to fight off stress and tackle pathogens. A growing body of research suggests magnesium could play an important role in regulating the bodys response to stress.

Chronic mental or physical stress depletes our body of magnesium, and reduced magnesium levels intensify stress creating a vicious cycle. Magnesium can help regulate our bodys stress-response system, and studies point out that increasing magnesium intake may ease stress, reduce anxiety, and minimize the response to fear.

This mushroom species began gaining attention over the last few decades due to its health benefits. Some early lab studies on Chaga mushrooms found that they can strengthen our immune system and fight cancer, among others.

Chaga contains naturally occurring beta-glucan, a carbohydrate that can improve your immune system. Early research in mice found thatChaga extract may also regulate cytokine production, strengthening the immune systems means of communication by simulating blood cells.

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B vitamins, such as B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12, can help maintain a healthy nervous system. Thats partly where anxiety relief comes in, which is why you need a strong nervous system to combat the symptoms of stress.

Research shows that theres alink between vitamin B and stress levels. For example, one study found that including a B complex in our diet (a supplement containing a combination of B vitamins) can significantly reduce self-perceived stress.

Although we cant avoid stress entirely, there are a lot of things we can do, like paying more attention to what we eat, exercising, and meditating.

More often than not, the best approach to stress is a combination of different proven stress-relieving strategies.

Mashum Mollah

Mashum Mollah is an entrepreneur, founder, and CEO at BloggerOutreach.io, a blogger outreach agency that drives visibility, engagement, and proven results. He blogs at Blogstellar.

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Fight off Stress With Immune-Boosting Nutrients the right way - Longevity LIVE

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A study revealed that the toxic chemical was 29 to 81 times higher than the prescribed limit.

"Nonylphenol is a toxic chemical and a well-known endocrine disruptor associated with a number of adverse effects on human health. Daily intake of Nonylphenol through drinking water can have adverse health impacts on citizens," said Piyush Mohapatra, Senior Programme Coordinator, Toxics Link.

It is common to use nonylphenol in the production of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). A variety of consumer products, such as detergents, wetting agents and dispersants, contain NPEs as surfactants.

Upon entering the environment, NPEs break down into nonylphenols, which can enter the soil, water, and other environmental matrices.

"Countries like the US, European Union, Japan and China have already acknowledged the dangers of this chemical and have come up with regulations to phase out its use in many of the products, including detergents, for minimising the risks at the downstream level," Omkar Gaonkar, the programme coordinator of the research, said.

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Toxic chemical that can disrupt reproductive and immune system found in drinking water across country: Report - Times Now

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease where the primary risk factor is age. Its caused by the deterioration of cartilage, a type of tissue that cushions your joints. This results in pain, stiffness, and loss of mobility.

Research into the effect of COVID-19 on osteoarthritis symptoms is still ongoing. However, COVID-19 seems to worsen symptoms of osteoarthritis in some people. This may be due to the increase in system-wide inflammation while your body responds to the virus.

Read on to learn about what we know so far about how COVID-19 and life during the pandemic may impact people with osteoarthritis.

Currently, there is not a large body of evidence suggesting that COVID-19 triggers the onset of osteoarthritis. Research into the potential impact of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, on cartilage degeneration or synovial inflammation in joints is still in its early stages.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes an inflammatory response in the body. Low grade inflammation of the synovial membrane, which lines your joints (synovitis), has been found to trigger the onset of osteoarthritis.

Data indicates that low grade inflammation can also generate a large number of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which may contribute to cartilage destruction. This could ultimately cause or worsen osteoarthritis. However, a definitive connection between COVID-19, inflammation, and osteoarthritis has not been established in research.

Theres a number of other factors that can worsen osteoarthritis symptoms that arent directly related to SARS-CoV-2 effects on your body. This includes impact due to lifestyle changes during the pandemic, as people have spent more time in quarantine, temporarily lost access to spaces to exercise, and gone out less.

A 2021 review of multiple studies found that people with physical disabilities and chronic conditions became more sedentary during the pandemic. Participation in physical activities that support joint health often lessened due to gym closures and reduced social activity.

Exercises that support muscle strengthening and flexibility have been shown to improve OA symptoms. The inability to enjoy physical pursuits and sports might also lead to weight gain, which can contribute to osteoarthritis severity.

The pandemic has also caused a worsening of mental health conditions and symptoms. Depression and anxiety can increase stress levels and contribute to you forgoing hobbies and activities that can be good for overall well-being and joint health.

Common osteoarthritis symptoms include joint and muscle pain. These are also commonly reported symptoms of COVID-19. Not everyone will experience muscle and joint pain during a case of COVID-19, and those who do often have symptoms temporarily.

COVID-19 has been tentatively linked to worsening osteoarthritis symptoms. It has not been proven to trigger the onset of osteoarthritis. For many people, the muscle and joint pain you experience during your illness is not due to osteoarthritis.

However, 2022 research explains that studies on musculoskeletal pain in people with COVID-19 indicate that these symptoms can persist for 6 months or longer after the initial infection. Some affected people experienced widespread joint and muscle pain throughout the body. Others had pain in specific joints, including the knee, foot, ankle, and shoulder. These areas of the body are also affected by osteoarthritis.

Its hard to know how COVID-19 will continue to impact our daily lives moving forward. Taking care of your overall health is essential, even if this viral infection limits your access to regular hobbies, exercise, or social spaces.

Consider incorporating some of these tips for staying active and engaged during the pandemic:

You and your doctor can continually assess your treatment regimen based on your symptoms. Your doctor may recommend that you see a physical or occupational therapist, particularly if you are unable to exercise at home.

Treatments for OA include:

Having osteoarthritis should not stop you from getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

Vaccinations and booster shots are your best way of reducing your risk for serious or fatal disease. Vaccination may not be advisable for some people who are immunocompromised or who have drug allergies. Reach out to your doctor for vaccine counseling.

Other strategies that reduce your risk of getting or spreading COVID-19 include social distancing and wearing a face mask. Make sure to wear a high quality mask, such as a KN95 or KF94.

In general, avoid crowded areas, prioritizing outdoor gatherings or events with a vaccination or mask requirement. Avoid contact with people who have COVID-19 and follow quarantine measures from your doctor if you contract the virus.

Have rapid home tests on hand for if and when you need them and seek out COVID-19 testing after a possible exposure. COVID-19 Test-to-Treat centers are now an option and may also potentially provide access to anti-viral medications, like Paxlovid, at no cost.

Regular testing, even if you dont have any symptoms, may catch a case of COVID-19 early, helping you take proper quarantine measures. Some cases of the viral infection are asymptomatic, so you may transmit the virus without ever feeling sick.

Both osteoarthritis and COVID-19 can cause muscle and joint pain. Many people who manage these symptoms during a case of COVID-19 will only have to do so temporarily, although some have to manage them for several months.

For people with existing osteoarthritis, COVID-19 may worsen symptoms by increasing systemic inflammation. However, no concrete connection has been made between COVID-19 and osteoarthritis onset or symptom impact, so these findings are tentative, and research is ongoing.

The wide-ranging lifestyle impact of the pandemic has reduced peoples activity levels and increased rates of depression, anxiety, and stress. These factors can also worsen OA symptoms and other chronic conditions.

OA and COVID-19 are both treatable, together and separately.

However, the best way to help ensure you do not contract SARS-CoV-2 and develop COVID-19, and experience its potential impact on your joints is to practice scientifically proven measures for preventing viral transmission. This includes masking, social distancing, and getting vaccinated if eligible.

See more here:
COVID-19 and Osteoarthritis: Potential Connection and Outlook - Healthline

In Functional Medicine, the gut, or gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is often considered the gateway to health. Most of us limit considerations of gut function to eating and nutrition, but as we explore connections with the rest of our body, there is so much more. Important aspects of gut health include barrier function, nutrition, immune balance, the microbiome, and even mental status.

Consider this. The GI tract is like a hollow tube going through our body with an opening on either end. As such, this hollow space (gut lumen) is actually outside our body making it the largest interface with the external environment. Flattening the numerous folds of the gut results in a surface area equal to the size of half a badminton court-about 20x20 feet! The integrity of the gut lining is critical for providing a protective barrier while allowing nourishmentkeeping the bad out and allowing the good in. This is astounding intelligence at work.

The immune system is an integral collaborator with our GI tract. Incredibly, it is estimated that the gut-associated immune system accounts for 70-75% of our entire immune system. It provides an additional vital layer of protection from external environmental threats. At the same time, the interplay between the gut and the immune system influences immune function. Exposures in the gut teach the immune system to tolerate things that are not threatening and to react to things that are potentially harmful. When a healthy gut is working well, the immune system learns for example, that a peanut should be safe and an infectious organism is not.

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We cant talk about gut health without talking about the gut microbiome, the micro-organisms in our GI tract also known as our gut flora. Consisting primarily of bacteria (but also fungi and viruses) our gut microbiome is comprised of approximately a trillion cells (similar to the number of cells making up our body) and contains 100 times more genes than the human genome. The composition of our microbiome (favorable vs. unfavorable organisms) greatly influences the health of our gut and in turn our overall health and vitality. This ecosystem is easily thrown off by such things as dietary choices, toxin exposures and medications we may need to take (think antibiotics).

One of the most fascinating connections to health and well-being is the so called gut-brain axis. This is a bidirectional path of communication between the gut and the brain and is very much influenced by our gut microbiome. Information between brain and gut occurs through nerves (especially the vagus nerve), hormones, metabolic channels and the immune system. These modes of communication allow the brain to influence intestinal activities and the gut to influence mood, cognition, and mental health. Ever experience nausea or sudden diarrhea when stressed? How about making a decision from your gut? This is the gut-brain axis in action.

Gut health can be compromised for many reasons and we dont necessarily experience this as GI symptoms; problems can manifest in skin, brain, joints and more. Thus, when working with my patients, we usually start by assessing gut health often with the aid of specialized testing looking at the microbiome, digestive function, inflammatory markers and more. Many tools are available for healing and optimizing gut health. This effort alone can have a profound impact on ones quality of life.

In upcoming articles, we will take a deeper dive into GI health and associated maladies. In the meantime, consider these first steps with dietgo plant centered with more fiber rich veggies while minimizing processed foods and refined sugars.

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What is Your Gut Telling You? - Shepherd Express

One of the best ways to combat COVID-19 is by understanding how your immune system responds to the virus.

That said, our body's immune system is divided into two separate systems namely, the innate and adaptive (or acquired) immune systems.

Innate immune system is the first line of defense against viruses, which includes barriers like the skin and layers in our throat or gut, chemicals in our blood, and different immune cells.

On the other hand, the adaptive or acquired immune system helps with the production of antibodies and white blood cells to both attack and remember the virus, also known as B cells, which also helps fight off the virus, if it attacks a second time. This type of immune response is slower and may take days or weeks to generate.

There is also something called the T cells, which are also part of your adaptive immune system. Some of these stimulate B cells to make antibodies, while some others eliminate the cells that have been infected by the virus.

With that brief account of how the immune system functions under a virus attack, we can also determine why some people get more sick than others. Those with asymptomatic or mild infections, both innate and adaptive immune responses seem to work as planned and normally, however, in people who develop a more severe form of infection, experts believe it is due to a weakened immune system.

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Coronavirus explainer: Can drinking green tea help with COVID symptoms? - Times of India

Stanford Medicine researchers have developed a new technique that allowed three children to receive kidney transplants without needing to take immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of their lives.

Its a development that could change the lives of countless people in need of new organs.

The Holy Grail of transplantation is immune tolerance This is ground-breaking, Amit Tevar, surgical director of the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who wasnt involved in the study, told NBC News.

Immunosuppressants leave a transplant recipient at greater risk from infection.

The challenge: For most people, their immune system is a powerful weapon against illness by detecting and attacking foreign invaders in the body, it can stop everything from common colds to potentially deadly infections.

But for people who need organ transplants, the immune system is an obstacle to a healthy life if they dont take immunosuppressant drugs, it will identify their new organ as foreign and attack it, too.

These drugs typically have to be taken for the rest of a transplant recipients life, and while they do help prevent organ rejection, they can have nasty side effects and leave a person at greater risk from infection.

The Stanford team gave each child a new kidney and a new immune system from the same donor.

A two-parter: The three children who received kidney transplants at Stanford have a rare disease called Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia (SIOD), which affects both their kidney function and their immune systems.

Successfully treating them without immunosuppressants required the Stanford team to perform what it calls a dual immune/solid organ transplant (DISOT) essentially, they gave each child a new kidney and a new immune system from the same donor.

The donated stem cells were processed using a technique designed to prevent a potentially fatal complication.

First, the kids underwent a grueling regimen of chemotherapy, radiation, and immune-suppressing medications to destroy their own immune systems.

Then they received a stem cell transplant from one of their parents. That gave them a functional immune system something they previously lacked due to their disease.

Before transplantation, the donated stem cells were processed using a technique developed by lead author Alice Bertaina to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). That is a potentially fatal complication in which the new immune cells attack the recipients body.

The children were then given 5 to 10 months to recover from the stem cell transplants before they underwent kidney transplants, with each donated organ coming from the same parent who donated the stem cells.

They are doing everything They are having completely normal lives.

The results: One child experienced a mild case of GVHD that was cleared up with medication. Two received immunosuppressants for just 30 days after the kidney transplants. The third stopped taking them even sooner due to short-term side effects.

Its now been around 2-3 years since the kidney transplants, and all three children are living without any signs of immune disease or organ rejection. They have fully functioning kidneys with no immunosuppressants required.

They are doing everything: They go to school, they go on vacation, they are doing sports, Bertaina said. They are having completely normal lives.

Looking ahead: The Stanford team isnt the first to try transplanting a donors immune system along with a new organ, but in past attempts, patients still ended up needing to use immunosuppressants or were at high risk of developing GVHD.

Bertainas stem cell processing technique appears to be the key to a successful two-transplant combination, and in May 2022, the FDA approved DISOT to treat patients with a variety of conditions related to kidney disease, including SIOD, cystinosis, and systemic lupus.

Thats a challenge, but its not impossible.

The Stanford team now plans to trial the protocol in other patients, including children whose bodies have already rejected kidney transplants. They also plan to investigate its use for other types of transplants, including ones where the organs come from deceased donors.

Thats a challenge, but its not impossible, Bertaina said. Well need three to five years of research to get that working well.

Wed love to hear from you! If you have a comment about this article or if you have a tip for a future Freethink story, please email us at tips@freethink.com.

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How three kids got kidney transplants without immunosuppressants - Freethink

The first month of life is the most critical time for a childs survival after birth since they are sensitive to diseases as newborns. Therefore, immunization is highly crucial for the survival of newborns. In addition, timely immunizations limit illness transmission and protect newborns and toddlers from potentially fatal illnesses.

Sustainable Development Goals prioritize reducing the child mortality0020rate to at least as low as 2.5% in all countries by 2030. Furthermore, to build appropriate immunity and decrease susceptibility to disease in newborns, vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) require an early receipt of the recommended number of doses of a given vaccine.

An extensive immunization program, adequate nutrition, hygiene, and quality baby care products can increase newborn survival and health. In addition, timely care, immunization, and necessary nutritional support eliminate unnecessary stillbirths by increasing access to high-quality antenatal care, skilled birth care, and postnatal care for mothers and newborns.

Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, approximately 23 million children were denied crucial immunizations in 2020, increasing by roughly 4 million over 2019. Conflict, underinvestment in national immunization programmes, vaccine stock-outs, and disease outbreaks such as Covid-19 contribute to the disruption of health systems and limit the sustainable supply of vaccination services. In addition, approximately 42% (9.6 million) of unvaccinated and under-vaccinated babies live in fragile or humanitarian environments, including conflict-affected nations. These are the most vulnerable children to illness outbreaks.

It recommended that all parents follow (CDC) the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions recommended immunization schedule for their children, protecting them from 14 potentially deadly diseases before their second birthday. In addition, doctors must diagnose any life-threatening symptoms in time at the hospitals or at home. Furthermore, the newborns should immediately get referred to the appropriate provider for further diagnosis and care.

In 2022, Indias infant mortality rate will be 26 deaths per 1000 live births, a 3.74 percent decrease from 2021. Pneumonia, diarrhoea, birth abnormalities, and malaria are the leading causes of death from the end of the newborn period until the first five years of life.

Malnutrition is the underlying condition that makes children more sensitive to severe diseases. However, with the increase in approximately 80 percent of hospital deliveries worldwide, there is an excellent potential for delivering necessary infant care and detecting and mitigating high-risk newborns.

Apart from providing ART (Preventive Antiretroviral Treatment) to mothers and newborns to prevent opportunistic infections, doctors and healthcare workers must conduct HIV testing and care for exposed infants and counseling and assistance for moms regarding infant feeding.

So why should all newborns get timely vaccination?

Timely Vaccination Helps Combat Diseases in Infants

The immunization schedule suggested by the CDC is both safe and effective in safeguarding your infant. It focuses on how your newborns immune system reacts to immunizations at different ages and how probable your infant is to get exposed to a specific disease. It ensures that the child receives vaccination against 14 potentially dangerous diseases at the right moment.

Prevent Chronic Health Complications

Delaying immunizations may expose your baby to disease when they are most vulnerable to dangerous illnesses. Newborn infants are most susceptible to severe disease complications. For example, whooping cough may cause a persistent cough for several weeks and can become fatal for some newborns in the first 12 months. Therefore postponing immunizations will expose your infant to infections such as diphtheria when they are most vulnerable, causing severe health complications.

Administering Complete Course of Doses Helps Curb Diseases

Each recommended vaccination get meticulously designed to protect against a specific disease. A few require multiple doses to create strong enough immunity to safeguard your baby or strengthen immunity that has weakened over time. Others require additional vaccination doses to protect your child if the first dose does not create adequate antibodies.

In some cases, the flu virus evolves, and infants need to complete the full flu vaccine every year. Therefore each vaccines prescribed dose on the schedule is critical.

Spreading Diseases To Other

Infants who dont get vaccinated on time are at risk of becoming ill and transferring infections to other babies and adults with weak immune systems. Timely immunization also helps protect and safeguard the health of the newborns friends, family, and community members.

Strengthening The Immune System For Long-Term Protection

The antibodies the mother passes on to your baby before birth can help protect them from ailments in the first few months of life. Breastfeeding protects against several infections while your babys immune system develops. However, breast milk does not create adequate antibodies to protect newborns against all chronic illnesses. What works best is the immune system must finally combat diseases on its own. Vaccines safeguard infants when maternal antibodies have worn off. Parents could only pass on immunity for diseases to their infants, which they are resistant to, which will only protect your infant for the first few months after birth.

Views expressed above are the author's own.

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Immunization reduces the death rate in newborns - Times of India

Summary: New findings reveal phagocytes do not fully mature until after birth, contradicting previous assumptions that they mature during embryonic development.

Source: University of Freiberg

What gets into the brain and what doesnt is strictly regulated. Researchers at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Freiburg have now studied phagocytes that coat the blood vessels in the brain and reinforce the blood-brain barrier.

As the scientists from the Institute of Neuropathology at the Medical CenterUniversity of Freiburg together with an international research team have shown, these cells only mature fully after birth according to a defined step-by-step developmental program.

Until now, it had been assumed that this process was completed during embryonic development.

Their studies, which were published in the journalNatureon April 20, 2022, were initially carried out on genetically modified mouse lines and were confirmed on human samples. They are expected to provide important insights into the development and treatment of diseases of the brain.

We were able to show that theimmune cellswe studied migrate from the cerebral membrane to theblood vesselsin the brain shortly before birth and mature there. This process is probably not completed until weeks after birth and could partly explain why the brain is so vulnerable at the beginning of life, says Prof. Dr. Marco Prinz, Medical Director of the Institute of Neuropathology at the Medical CenterUniversity of Freiburg and head of the Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 167NeuroMac and member of the Cluster of Excellence CIBSS -Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies at the University of Freiburg.

The late timing of the maturation of the phagocytes, also called macrophages, was very surprising to us, since theprecursor cellsare already present in the brain long before, says Prinz.

In addition, the scientists were able to show for the first time that the vessels, as structure-giving cells of the brain, send important signals for normal development of the brains macrophages.

Theblood-brain barrieris formed by cells on the blood vessels of the brain. They control which substances can enter the brain and which cannot. This protects the brain from harmful substances and pathogens. The blood-brain barrier is particularly permeable in the case of infectious diseases, certain brain tumors and oxygen deficiency.

Significance for Alzheimers, multiple sclerosis and more

In addition to the blood-brain barrier, the immune cells we studied control what can reach thebrain cellsfrom the blood, they eat pathogens and prevent excessive inflammation. They are also involved in the development of cancer, Alzheimers disease and multiple sclerosis. Our findings could be important for a better understanding of these diseases and future therapies, Prinz adds.

Color-coded cells and gene analyses

For their study, the researchers led by the two first authors Dr. Takahiro Masuda from Kyushu University, Japan, and Dr. Lukas Amann from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Freiburg used several newly established mouse lines.

With these, different types of brain macrophages and theirprogenitor cellscould be specifically labeled for the first time and later found in the different brain regions using high-resolution microscopy. In addition, they examined the gene activity of individual cells and thus determined their degree of maturity.

We were also able to confirm the data on human brains. This gives us a much deeper understanding of the timing and molecular mechanisms in the development of the cells. This knowledge can now be used to explore new and more specific therapeutic approaches forbraindiseases, says biologist Dr. Lukas Amann, who works at the Institute of Neuropathology at the Medica CenterUniversity of Freiburg.

Author: Press OfficeSource: University of FreibergContact: Press Office University of FreibergImage: The image is credited to University of Freiburg / Dr. Lukas Amann

Original Research: Closed access.Specification of CNS macrophage subsets occurs postnatally in defined niches by Lukas Amann et al. Nature

Abstract

Specification of CNS macrophage subsets occurs postnatally in defined niches

All tissue-resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS)including parenchymal microglia, as well as CNS-associated macrophages (CAMs) such as meningeal and perivascular macrophagesare part of the CNS endogenous innate immune system that acts as the first line of defence during infections or trauma.

It has been suggested that microglia and all subsets of CAMs are derived from prenatal cellular sources in the yolk sac that were defined as early erythromyeloid progenitors.

However, the precise ontogenetic relationships, the underlying transcriptional programs and the molecular signals that drive the development of distinct CAM subsets in situ are poorly understood.

Here we show, using fate-mapping systems, single-cell profiling and cell-specific mutants, that only meningeal macrophages and microglia share a common prenatal progenitor.

By contrast, perivascular macrophages originate from perinatal meningeal macrophages only after birth in an integrin-dependent manner. The establishment of perivascular macrophages critically requires the presence of arterial vascular smooth muscle cells.

Together, our data reveal a precisely timed process in distinct anatomical niches for the establishment of macrophagesubsetsin the CNS.

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New Discoveries About the Origin of the Brains Immune System - Neuroscience News

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A possible contributor of Long COVID -19 may actually be an abnormally suppressed immune system, and not a hyperactive one, according to a UCLA- led research group. The study, recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

It contradicts what scientists previously believed, which was that an overactive immune response to SARS-CoV-2, often referred to as a "cytokine storm," was the root cause of the perplexing syndrome. Health experts told Fox News this "cytokine storm" is an over-reactive inflammatory response in the infected person that can potentially cause damage to lungs and other organs, possibly creating severe illness or even death.

Long COVID, which occurs in a subset of patients recovering from COVID-19, is a syndrome where a multitude of symptoms including shortness of breath, muscle aches, fatigue, vocal fatigue, and brain fog persists for several months after the acute infection stage, health experts explained to Fox News.

A worker in a protective takes a swab for a COVID-19 test at a coronavirus testing facility in Beijing, Saturday, April 23, 2022. Beijing is on alert after 10 middle school students tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, in what city officials said was an initial round of testing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

TIME-RESTRICTED EATING NO MORE BENEFICIAL THAN CALORIC RESTRICTION IN OBESE PATIENTS, STUDY SAYS

According to the press release about the UCLA study, limited understanding of the causes of long COVID makes treating the condition challenging.

"While this was a small pilot study, it does suggest that some people with long COVID may actually have under-active immune systems after recovering from COVID-19, which means that boosting immunity in those individuals could be a treatment," Dr. Otto Yang, a professor of medicine, division of infectious diseases, and of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA said in a press release.

A woman gets tested at a mobile COVID-19 testing van (Liao Pan/China News Service via Getty Images)

While investigating the notion that long COVID-19 is triggered by an underlying hyperactive immune response, the UCLA-led team of researchers studied the effect of the monoclonal antibody Leronlimab on Long COVID-19, in a small exploratory trial that involved 55 people with the condition. Leronlimab is an antibody that attaches to an immune receptor involved in inflammation called CCR5, the study authors explained in the release.

Participants were randomly selected to receive weekly injections of the antibody or a saline placebo for eight weeks. During that period, the investigators tracked changes in 24 symptoms associated with long COVID, according to the release.

In the report, the investigators explained that they initially thought blocking CCR5 with Leronlimab would weaken the overactive immune systems response after a COVID-19 infection.

STDs INCREASED DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC'S FIRST YEAR, CDC REPORT FINDS

"But we found just the opposite," Yang, who is also the senior author, said in the release. "Patients who improved were those who started with low CCR5 on their T cells, suggesting their immune system was less active than normal, and levels of CCR5 actually increased in people who improved. This leads to the new hypothesis that long COVID in some persons is related to the immune system being suppressed and not hyperactive, and that while blocking its activity, the antibody can stabilize CCR5 expression on the cell surface leading to upregulation of other immune receptors or functions."

The researchers stated in the release that the findings suggested "a complex role for CCR5 in balancing inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects, e.g.through T regulatory cells."

A woman is tested for COVID-19 at the Lenasia South Hospital, near Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 1021. South African doctors say the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases attributed to the new omicron variant is resulting in mostly mild symptoms. (AP Photo/ Shiraaz Mohamed)

Dr. Aaron Glatt, a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, who was not affiliated with the study, commented on the findings to Fox News and said, "This preliminary study presents intriguing new information regarding the COVID-19 long-haul syndrome." Glatt, who also serves as the Chief of Infectious Diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital on Long Island, New York, added, "At this point in time however, our understanding of the pathogenesis of "long COVID" remains unclear. This study supports doing further research to investigate a different potential mechanism."

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The study authors did state that the results needed to be confirmed in a larger, more definitive study. Also noted in the release, is that the study was funded by Leronlimab maker CytoDyn Inc. and conducted by researchers either employed by or serving as consultants to the company.

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Long COVID-19 may be caused by abnormally suppressed immune system in some people: UCLA-led study - Fox News

Exercising regularly is good for your immune system with some research suggesting that it may even lower the risk of getting upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold. Even as little as 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week is enough to bring about benefits.

Since exercising is good for our immune system, some people might think that exercising while youre sick can help you sweat it out. Unfortunately, when it comes to the common cold, theres no evidence exercising while sick can shorten the illness or make it less severe.

There are a couple of reasons why exercise is beneficial for our immune system. The first may be partly explained by the hormones that are released when we exercise. These are called catecholamines which people may better know as adrenaline and noradrenaline. These hormones play an important role in the functioning of our immune system by eliciting the quick release of important immune cells that help detect the presence of viruses or other pathogens in the body. They also increase the amount of movement of our immune cells between the blood and tissue which is important in helping immune cells detect and prevent illnesses caused by viruses or other pathogens. Research shows that exercise is one way we can increase the levels of these important hormones in our body.

When we exercise, it also increases blood flow in order to help our body keep up with the increased demands of exercise. This elevated blood flow places greater stress on our blood vessels, which releases specific immune cells called natural killer cells and T cells that can be found dormant on the walls of our blood vessels. Natural killer cells and T cells both play an important role in killing cells infected with a virus.

Exercise may also benefit our fight against infection in other ways. For example, older adults who regularly exercise over a period of one month have been shown to to have quicker skin wound healing compared to a non-exercise control group. This quicker healing process lowers the risk of virus and bacteria entry into the body via skin wounds.

All of these mechanisms together may improve our immune system and lower the risk of getting sick from viral infections. You dont even have to be a regular gym-goer to see benefits. Three studies have shown that when people who didnt exercise started brisk walking regularly for 40-45 minutes, five days per week, they saw 40-50 per cent fewer days of upper respiratory tract infection symptoms when compared to a control group.

While theres currently no evidence that exercising while sick with a cold can help you get over it faster, that doesnt mean you cant exercise

Despite the benefits of exercise on our immune system, its difficult to know whether exercising while sick with a cold will help you get over your illness quicker than if you dont exercise. There are currently no studies that have investigated this, largely because of how difficult it would be to conduct this type of study mostly because some of the participants would purposely need to be infected with a virus to compare whether or not exercising has any effect. Not only would this be difficult to do, it could also be unethical.

So as exercise is good for the immune system, why could exercising while sick not improve the response of the immune system to the infection? Well, its important to remember that exercise can stress the body. This stress may in turn make the immune cells less capable at responding to pathogens. This may be partly due to the fact that the body needs more oxygen and stored energy (in the form of glucose) when we exercise which our immune cells also need to help fight off a virus. If the body is fighting an existing infection and is then exposed to the stress of exercise this may not benefit the immune response.

But while theres currently no evidence that exercising while sick with a cold can help you get over it faster, that doesnt mean you cant exercise if you want to. If your symptoms are mainly above the neck (such as a runny nose or congestion), begin by exercising at a lower intensity than you might normally to see how you are feeling. If you feel OK, you can gradually increase your intensity. But if exercising makes you feel worse, rest. Its also not recommended for you to exercise if youre experiencing fever, aching muscles or vomiting.

If you do want to exercise while youre sick, make sure you take caution especially if you exercise around other people. Since colds are infectious, it may be best to skip the gym and exercise outdoors or at home to avoid spreading it around.

Regular exercise is a great way to help prime the immune system to fight many different types of infections, including the common cold and possibly even Covid-19. But dont feel you have to exercise if youre sick. Sometimes the best remedy for a cold is rest, staying hydrated and taking pain-relieving medicines if needed.

John Hough is a senior lecturer in exercise physiology at Nottingham Trent University. This article first appeared on The Conversation.

More here:
Exercising wont help you recover from illness, but may prevent the next one - The Independent

Can you tell someones health by looking at their face? A study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B suggests that there is a relationship between peoples immune functions and their perceived facial attractiveness.

There are facial traits that are seen as being more attractive, regardless of culture, race, age, or background, such as clear skin and red lips. Evolutionary psychologists have linked the cross-cultural preference for the features to adaptive mate selection, as they may signal health and immune function. Though this intuitively makes sense, research on the topic has been lacking.

I became interested in this topic because, within academia, there has always been an assumption that facial attractiveness is a signal of good immune function, but no one has ever directly tested this hypothesis and found evidence to support it, explained study author Summer Mengelkoch, a graduate researcher at Texas Christian University.

Previous work has been inconclusive, and relied upon indirect proxies of immune function (like health or longevity) as opposed to directly testing relationships between attractiveness and immune function. I wanted to conduct a critical test of this hypothesis to see if I could find evidence to support it or not!

Mengelkoch and colleagues used 159 university students in Texas as participants in Phase I of this research. They were screened to ensure a lack of obesity, chronic illness, mental illness, and hormonal medication. Women participated during the early follicular stage of their menstrual cycle to control for sex hormones. Participants were photographed without any makeup and while making a neutral expression. Their weight, height, and blood sample were then taken. Blood work was completed, and participants completed questionnaires. In Phase II of the study, 492 participants rated the facial attractiveness of the subjects from Phase I.

Results showed that there is a relationship between immune function and facial attractiveness, specifically the aspect of the immune system that deals with bacterial threats. There are gender differences seen in this relationship, with certain measures of immune function, such as NK cells, as being perceived in opposite ways, specifically women with lower levels were seen as more attractive but men with higher levels were judged as more attractive. This study linked attractiveness with immune function but not with any acute measures of health. This may suggest that the adaptive measure is that people gravitate towards partners who could fight off illness rather than simply preventing contact with someone who is sick.

Generally, people are told that caring about attractiveness, or facial beauty, makes someone shallow or superficial. But these results indicate that caring about the facial attractiveness of a romantic partner might be about more than just looks, it also might help you to select healthy partners, Mengelkoch told PsyPost.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between health and perceived attractiveness. Despite the great strides made, it also has some limitations. Firstly, which facial features specifically are associated with immune function is out of the scope of this research. In addition, other aspects of ones appearance, such as body type, could be significant on this topic, though it was not considered in this study. Lastly, this study excluded people in Phase I who had chronic physical or mental illnesses, and these results could change with a larger, more diverse subject pool.

We tested relationships between facial attractiveness and immune function in a sample of relatively healthy college students, with limited diversity, Mengelkoch said. This should be tested in broader populations. Additionally, while we utilized a much larger number of immune measures than has been used in previous research on this topic, there are still many other facets of immune function which have yet to be explored. I would love to do a live immune challenge study, to investigate how a persons attractiveness relates to their whole immune systems ability to combat a live pathogenic threat.

The study, More than just a pretty face? The relationship between immune function and perceived facial attractiveness, was authored by Summer Mengelkoch, Jeff Gassen, Marjorie L. Prokosch, Gary W. Boehm, and Sarah E. Hill.

More:
New research indicates that facial attractiveness is a signal of healthy immune function - PsyPost

We have seen the terms DNA and vaccine used together in the media quite frequently in recent years due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; in fact, Google reports anywhere from a 250% to 1,000% increase in searches in various combinations of these search terms.

So what is the deal with DNA, and does it play a role in vaccine development today?

A vaccine is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a preparation that is used to stimulate the bodys immune response against diseases. In other words, vaccination exposes our body to a specific pathogen (a virus or bacteria that is harmful to us), giving our immune system a chance to survey it without extreme consequences of becoming ill.

During this surveillance period, specific immune cells, called B cells, produce antibodies that match unique molecular signatures (called antigens) on the pathogen or pathogen-derived proteins; this marks the pathogen or pathogenic proteins for destruction by other immune cells. The instructions to make antibodies specific to their antigen pairing are stored in B cells memory for possible future infections.

Ernest Board, Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Painting (c. 1910) of Edward Jenner performing his first vaccination on young James Phipps in 1796.

Infectious pathogens or pathogenic proteins do not stay in our bodies long, as many immune cells, such as T-cells and macrophages, recognize the antigen-antibody markings and subsequently degrade them to inhibit further spread of infection in the body. Also, B cells do not always remember the antigens from the pathogen the first time around or recognize slight differences (mutant forms) between antigen markings. This is why there is often a need for booster vaccines to keep up with mutant versions of a pathogen. The recipes for flu vaccines, for example, change on a yearly basis based upon epidemiologists best guess which strains will be most prevalent.

While doctors of the early 900s to 1700s may have not understood the scientific underpinnings of immunology and disease like we do today, they did utilize the scientific method to learn to provoke immunity.

Specifically, scientists discovered that exposure to infectious pathogens in small dosages primed human immune systems just enough that people recovered if they were exposed naturally later. This technique was termed variolation and was used to immunize patients against smallpox: Doctors exposed people to the contents of pustules from milder forms of the disease.

Borrowing from this idea in the late 1700s, English doctor Edward Jenner thought to instead use cowpox, a virus similar to the smallpox. In 1796, he tested it on a small boy, who made a full recovery, marking a breakthrough. Because the pus was from a cow-related disease, the new term for this type of exposure-infection-recovery system was vaccination.

Today, when most people think about vaccines, what comes to mind are formulations in which the pathogens antigen is either a weakened or inactivated virus (like Jenners work) or a portion of a viral protein (such as the hepatitis B vaccine).

The race to slow the spread of COVID-19 led to the development and premiere of the first FDA-approved vaccines utilizing mRNA technology, but the concept of vaccines composed of primarily nucleic acidbased technology are not a novel or new concept. To understand why, lets take a step back into the timeline of molecular biology and advances in vaccine development.

Nicolle Rager, National Science Foundation

In a cell, proteins are naturally produced through the process of transcription and translation. Specifically, DNA stored in the nucleus holds a code that can be transcribed to mRNA (or messenger RNA). Because proteins can be translated to their final form only from mRNA molecules, this transcription step from DNA to mRNA is super important. The process of going from RNA to a protein is called translation. These combined processes are known as the central dogma of biology and have been studied thoroughly by scientists over the past century.

Understanding these processes, scientists thought that they could borrow from nature to create better vaccines. This led to advances in what is called recombinant technology, where recombinant is a scientific mechanism of copy and paste.

To make protein-based vaccines using recombinant technology, scientists took the DNA code for a portion of a pathogens protein surface and cloned (or transferred) it into another source, such as a plasmid DNA for bacteria or yeast. Then, the protein was produced by the natural transcription and translation machinery in these microbes; this allowed the protein to be produced in large quantities for vaccine production.

While this vaccine method (as well as older methods, such as those using dead or inactivated pathogens) are effective in the immunization process, they require a lot of work in their development and production to scale up to volume necessary to inoculate the public; this becomes a difficult factor to consider when a virus mutates and a new vaccine has to be produced quickly.

So, scientists decided to once again borrow from the central dogma of biology but this time with a different kind of recombinant technology in mind.

Rather than cloning a DNA fragment into a plasmid for yeast and bacteria to produce it as a protein, scientists wanted to put a viral proteins DNA code (or gene) into a vector that could be directly inserted into humans via vaccination. One way of accomplishing this was transferring the DNA into what is called the adenovirus, or the common cold virus-vector. With this technology, human machinery could produce enough protein to stimulate the immune system to prevent future disease, overcoming the production issues related to protein-based vaccines.

In the process of production, these vectors are also genetically engineered (or altered) so that the adenovirus itself cannot replicate or integrate into your DNA, once the vaccine itself is administered.

These types of vaccines are advantageous in that they provide the body with an antigen to target for antibody production with few side effects all you feel symptomwise is similar to the common cold. This also means they can be given to immune-compromised individuals.

The Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are based exactly on this technology. They were built upon earlier models for other diseases such as Ebola, tuberculosis and Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, which is caused by a coronavirus.

The Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines require cold storage to prevent degradation and are not ideal for certain parts of the world that lack the necessary instrastructure and equipment. Shelf-stable options are needed to ensureequitable access.

Also inspired by previous coronavirus and MERS outbreaks were the mRNA-based vaccines currently produced by Pfizer and Moderna.

The thought behind this type of vaccine design to simplify the work of recombinant adenovirus-vector vaccines by injecting the genetic code for the antigen directly as a piece of mRNA (and not as a vector).

This vaccine technology is quite convenient for cells, as it streamlines production of the antigen by cutting down on the process of transcription; instead, the RNA that enters a cell can be directly translated into a protein with antigen markings. This allows the immune cells recognize the protein as foreign and attack it.

And whats even better: The RNA isnt able to replicate itself and is subject to the cells machinery that naturally breaks down our own RNA. This RNA also is not be able to enter the nucleus, where our DNA is stored, and thus does not integrate into our DNA.

While the RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines are the first of their kind, they come with their own set of challenges.

A main barrier for worldwide production of these vaccines concerns their storage and expiration: Because RNA is a single strand of nucleic acid (and not a double helix like DNA), it is often more unstable than DNA above certain temperatures and cannot keep long. If the vaccine is kept out at room temperature for a long time prior to immunization, the person receiving the vaccine gets broken-down portions of the RNA, which are not sufficient code to translate the protein for the immune system to recognize and attack. Thus, countries without proper storage cannot benefit from this type of vaccine.

DNA-based vaccines are also not new.

They are used in veterinary settings for treating West Nile virus in horses and melanoma in canines, and clinical trials of therapeutic DNA vaccines for humans, such as those targeting various forms of cancer, are under way in the U.S.

Despite the ease in manufacturing these types of vaccines, the remaining challenge lies in their mechanism of delivery to cells. Because a DNA-based antigen needs to not only penetrate the cell membrane but also the nucleus, where replication machinery is housed in our cells, a simple stick with a needle (which is termed a shot colloquially) will not deliver DNA to the proper place in the body.

A recent Nature Biotechnology news article captured much of the ongoing research on delivery systems for these types of vaccines. Inovio Pharmaceuticals electroporation method involves applying an electric field to the injection site, causing the pores of the surrounding cell membranes and the pores of the nuceli to widen and allow the DNA molecules to pass across. Another delivery system, by Zydus Cadila, is the Tropis device. It involves a pressurized jet of liquid, powered by a simple spring mechanism, to puncture the skin and deliver the vaccine intradermally. It was recently utilized in India in the first-ever approved DNA-based vaccine, for COVID: ZyCoV-D.

Despite varied success, the issue with both of these delivery methods is their high cost. Researchers in Canada and the U.S. are hoping to change this, however, by developing cheaper devices or even device-free delivery.

DNA-based vaccines certainly have their advantages.

They are proving to be effective at preventing symptomatic COVID infection. ZyCov-D has 67% effectiveness, even with the delta variant.

Also, DNA is generally safe to store at room temperature with little degradation, thus allowing for widespread accessibility of the vaccine without concerns for the cost of storage.

Finally, because viral mutations vary considerably in terms of infection and death rates, having a DNA vaccine that is cheap and quick to produce would revolutionize our ability to respond to future outbreaks and maybe even help us prevent pandemics altogether.

As we reflect on how far vaccine technology has come on DNA Day 2022, dont neglect to appreciate the power and potential of DNA vaccines.

Want to get your lab involved in DNA Day outreach? Check this link for suggestions of both in-person and virtual activities for 2022!

Excerpt from:
DNA and vaccines - ASBMB Today

Many people who are immunocompromised will not fully develop the appropriate antibodies after COVID-19 vaccination, but there is hope in the form of an alternative treatment.

Vineeta Kumar, M.D., Photography: Andrea MabryEven with multiple COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, there are still groups of people who do not receive the full benefit of vaccines due to immunosuppressed conditions that prevent the body from making sufficient antibodies. But one alternative treatment option is providing hope.

Known as Evusheld, the medication contains protective antibodies againstSARS-CoV-2.

The antibodies are given as two injections at the same time to a patient, and once injected they are in the system ready to work if the patient is exposed to another person with acute COVID-19 infection in the future.

Vineeta Kumar, M.D., professor of nephrology in the University of Alabama at Birminghams Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, says this is an effective option for immunocompromised populations, such as transplant patients.

We know that transplant recipients develop less of an antibody response to the vaccine due to their immunosuppressive medications, Kumar said.In other words, the medication or immunosuppressed condition may prevent their body from makingsufficient antibodies, and in some patientsanyantibody.This could result in a decrease in the vaccines ability to provide protection against COVID-19 infection.

Kumar adds that this treatment is meant to be given before a person has been exposed to another with COVID-19 infection.

Evusheld should notbe used as a substitute for vaccination or for primary prevention strategies, including masking, social distancing and avoidance of large indoor social gatherings, Kumar said. Vaccination of close contacts, including household members, continues to be an important measure to protect transplant recipients from COVID-19 infection.

For transplant patients, Kumar says it is crucial they receive the infusion as soon as they are cleared after the transplant.

Due to limited supply ofEvusheld nationwide, patients early after transplant or early after receiving medications that suppresses their immune system are prioritized to getEvusheldfirst, she said.

Anoma Nellore, M.D., Photography: Steve Wood She says it is possible that Evusheld may reduce the bodys immune response to a COVID-19 vaccine. If someone has received the COVID-19 vaccine, they should wait at least two weeks after vaccination to receive Evusheld; but booster doses of vaccine can be given any time after Evusheld has been administered.

We will continue to monitor response of the new virus variants to this infusion, Kumar said.

UAB and doctors across the state are still working to make sure as many people have it as possible.

And these include referrals through our state Department of Public Health and referrals from other medical centers, said Anoma Nellore, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. We want to make sure all patients are protected.

At UAB, Kumar is the Robert and Cutessa Bourge Endowed Professor in Transplant Nephrology.

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Evusheld provides additional protection for immune-compromised patients against COVID-19 - University of Alabama at Birmingham

Our immune system is versatile but it's also complex and when the human body is exposed to a new virus, like the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which it's never seen before, the immune system gets activated and the first and the most rapid response is the production of antibodies. However, a weak immune system has susceptibility to infection and a person with poor immunity may get infections more frequently than most other people.

In order to not end up with illnesses that might be more severe or harder to treat, we got a few health experts on board to share some tips on how to treat poor immunity with the help of Yoga and natural way of living. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Ayurveda expert Vaidya Shakuntala Devi shared, Poor immunity can be bettered by doing Yoga regularly. There is a concept called pran vayu in yoga which refers to the energy that the body receives inward. It is related to the heart chakra and governs breathing and the lungs, also affecting the food we ingest to nourish our bodies. Those people who have proper circulation of pran vayu in the body tend to have better immunity. There is a specific pran vayu mudra in yoga which can be practiced every day to build immunity and energize the body.

Asserting that poor immunity does not improve overnight, Shivani Gupta, Founder of HelloMyYoga, highlighted that if you live a healthy lifestyle, you will notice improvements. She elaborated, A healthy lifestyle is one in which you follow a daily routine that includes yoga, pranayama, and meditation to maintain your mind, breath, and body in balance. You avoid using food delivery apps and instead prepare sattvic meals, avoiding refrigerated or microwaved foods and spend some "me" time gazing at nature rather than reels on social media. Not only will your immunity improve, but you will also transform as a person.

According to Dr Deepak Mittal, Founder of Divine Soul Yoga, Though the human body has the ability to repair and maintain the immunity, our immunity can get compromised with a sedentary lifestyle. Yoga is an ancient Indian practice for maintaining a healthy body and mind and allows us to maintain our vital energy and fight disease. Thus, Yoga is an effective practice to boost our immunity. Yoga when combine with Pranayama and meditation can do wonders to our body and soul. These are the perfect tools to deal with everyday stress and other concerning health issues like anxiety, depression, migraine, insomnia, hypertension and various psychosomatic illnesses. Studies have shown that meditation stimulates electrical-activity in different parts of the brain that act as a command center for the immune system. Therefore, when these areas are stimulated, the immune system works more effectively.

Also, read: A few seconds of anxiety can reduce your immunity for hours. Heres the key to tackle it

He added, These elements are the time tested therapy which also remove toxins from our body & improve blood circulation, improve concentration, strengthens respiratory system, regulate the sleep and promote divine healing. These elements are also provided by Divine Soul Yoga to help people rejuvenate both their body & mind and live a balanced life. Some of the easy yoga asanas that can be practiced for boosting the immunity are Bhujasana, Halasana, Matyasana and Dhanurasana. These should be practiced under supervision of a well-qualified and experienced trainer.

Highlighting that a strong immune system can wipe out a virus within a few days, Dr Ganga Anand (PT), ChildBirth Educator, Obs and Gynae at Daffodils by Artemis in Gurgaon, revealed that Yoga and breathing techniques can help relax the nervous system and boost an immune response. Gushing over the ways that yoga positively impacts the immune system, Dr Ganga Anand shared that it supports and stimulates the thymus gland, improves circulation, improves oxygen flow and aids the transfer of energy from nutrients to cells, improves the flow of sinuses and flushes out mucus from the lungs, massages and rejuvenates internal organs, helps the body flush out toxins and open up energy pathways to allow the body to heal more effectively.

He listed a few Yoga practices that consists of asanas, Pranayama and meditation, for boosting immunity. These include:

1. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)- It acts as an ideal stress buster as it helps improve the flow of white blood cells by applying pressure on the digestive system. Practicing the Dhanurasana puts pressure on the belly, which in turn helps strengthen the digestive system.

2. Vrikshasana (Tree Pose)- It helps us to achieve a state of balance. As it symbolizes a sense of calm and serenity, it is one of the best poses for immunity and relaxation.

3. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)- Widely known to be helpful for the nervous system and also helps to correct ones posture and improve flexibility of thighs and joints

4. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half-fish pose)- This is widely considered to be the"destroyer of deadly diseases''.

He mentioned that other than these, there are many other asanas like Chaturangana Dandasana, Matsyasana, Utkatasana and Anjaneyasana that also help to build immunity.

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Tips to treat poor immunity with the help of Yoga and natural way of living - Hindustan Times

Here are eight tips to boost your immunity and reduce your risk of serious COVID-19 illness.

The immune system helps prevent and recover from various infections and diseases. Strong immunity is pivotal for the prevention and complete recovery from COVID-19.

COVID-19 (also called coronavirus disease) is an infectious disease caused by the newly discovered coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). The disease may manifest as mild to moderate respiratory illness in most people who may be easily treated at home.

Some high-risk groups, such as older people and people with underlying health conditions (such as diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases) have a higher risk of getting a serious illness that requires hospital admission.

Learn eight tips to boost your immunity and reduce your risk of serious COVID-19 illness below.

8 tips to boost your immunity and reduce your risk of serious COVID-19 illness

Medically Reviewed on 4/19/2022

References

Glick J. Boost Your Immune System to Help Fight Flu and COVID-19. Penn Medicine. https://www.lancastergeneralhealth.org/health-hub-home/2022/february/boost-your-immune-system-to-help-fight-flu-and-covid-19

World Health Organization. Nutrition advice for adults during the COVID-19 outbreak. http://www.emro.who.int/nutrition/news/nutrition-advice-for-adults-during-the-covid-19-outbreak.html

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8 Tips To Keep Your Immune System Healthy With COVID-19 - MedicineNet

The 700kHz, 260-element histotripsy ultrasound array transducer used in Prof. Xus lab. Credit: Photo by Marcin Szczepanski/Lead Multimedia Storyteller, Michigan Engineering

A new technique pioneered in rats at the University of Michigan could improve outcomes for cancer and neurological conditions.

Noninvasive sound technology developed at the University of Michigan breaks down liver tumors in rats, kills cancer cells, and spurs the immune system to prevent further spreadan advance that could lead to improved cancer outcomes in humans.

By destroying only 50% to 75% of liver tumor volume, the rats immune systems were able to clear away the rest, with no evidence of recurrence or metastases in more than 80% of the animals.

Even if we dont target the entire tumor, we can still cause the tumor to regress and also reduce the risk of future metastasis, said Zhen Xu, professor of biomedical engineering at U-M and corresponding author of the study in Cancers.

Zhen Xu, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan works in her office. Dr. Xus research focuses on developing new ultrasound technique for treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological diseases. She and her colleagues have developed histotripsy, an ultrasound ablation technique via controlled cavitation. Histotripsy is the first image-guided ablation technique that is non-invasive, non-ionizing, and non-thermal. Dr. Xus work spans from basic science, device development, preclinical investigations, to clinical translation of histotripsy. Credit: Photo by Marcin Szczepanski/Lead Multimedia Storyteller, Michigan Engineering

Results also showed the treatment stimulated the rats immune responses, possibly contributing to the eventual regression of the untargeted portion of the tumor and preventing further spread of the cancer.

The treatment, called histotripsy, noninvasively focuses ultrasound waves to mechanically destroy target tissue with millimeter precision. The relatively new technique is currently being used in a human liver cancer trial in the United States and Europe.

In many clinical situations, the entirety of a cancerous tumor cannot be targeted directly in treatments for reasons that include the mass size, location or stage. To investigate the effects of partially destroying tumors with sound, this latest study targeted only a portion of each mass, leaving behind a viable intact tumor. It also allowed the team, including researchers at Michigan Medicine and the Ann Arbor VA Hospital, to show the approachs effectiveness under less than optimal conditions.

Zhen Xu,Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan (left) and Tejaswi Worlikar, Biomedical Engineering PhD student discuss the 700kHz, 260-element histotripsy ultrasound array transducer they use in Prof. Xus lab. Credit: Photo by Marcin Szczepanski/Lead Multimedia Storyteller, Michigan Engineering

Histotripsy is a promising option that can overcome the limitations of currently available ablation modalities and provide safe and effective noninvasive liver tumor ablation, said Tejaswi Worlikar, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering. We hope that our learnings from this study will motivate future preclinical and clinical histotripsy investigations toward the ultimate goal of clinical adoption of histotripsy treatment for liver cancer patients.

Liver cancer ranks among the top 10 causes of cancer related deaths worldwide and in the U.S. Even with multiple treatment options, the prognosis remains poor with five-year survival rates less than 18% in the U.S. The high prevalence of tumor recurrence and metastasis after initial treatment highlights the clinical need for improving outcomes of liver cancer.

Where a typical ultrasound uses sound waves to produce images of the bodys interior, U-M engineers have pioneered the use of those waves for treatment. And their technique works without the harmful side effects of current approaches such as radiation and chemotherapy.

Zhen Xu, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan (center) and Tejaswi Worlikar, Biomedical Engineering PhD student (right) move the 700kHz, 260-element histotripsy ultrasound array transducer they use in Prof. Xus lab. Credit: Photo by Marcin Szczepanski/Lead Multimedia Storyteller, Michigan Engineering

Our transducer, designed and built at U-M, delivers high amplitude microsecond-length ultrasound pulsesacoustic cavitationto focus on the tumor specifically to break it up, Xu said. Traditional ultrasound devices use lower amplitude pulses for imaging.

The microsecond long pulses from UMs transducer generate microbubbles within the targeted tissuesbubbles that rapidly expand and collapse. These violent but extremely localized mechanical stresses kill cancer cells and break up the tumors structure.

Reference: Impact of Histotripsy on Development of Intrahepatic Metastases in a Rodent Liver Tumor Model by Tejaswi Worlikar, Man Zhang, Anutosh Ganguly, Timothy L. Hall, Jiaqi Shi, Lili Zhao, Fred T. Lee, Mishal Mendiratta-Lala, Clifford S. Cho and Zhen Xu, 22 March 2022, Cancers.DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071612

Since 2001, Xus laboratory at U-M has pioneered the use of histotripsy in the fight against cancer, leading to the clinical trial #HOPE4LIVER sponsored by HistoSonics, a U-M spinoff company. More recently, the groups research has produced promising results on histotripsy treatment of brain therapy and immunotherapy.

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Focused Ultrasound Foundation, VA Merit Review, U-Ms Forbes Institute for Discovery and Michigan Medicine-Peking University Health Sciences Center Joint Institute for Translational and Clinical Research.

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Noninvasive Sound Technology Breaks Down Tumors, Kills Cancer Cells, and Spurs the Immune System - SciTechDaily

Neoantigens help direct the bodys natural immune response by tagging cancer cells. They can also help vaccines detect and destroy cancer. (Photo for illustrative purposes only: Getty Images/koto-feja)

April 21, 2022

By Tamar NordenbergFor VA Research Communications

"By tagging cancer cells, neoantigens help direct the body's natural immune response, including cancer-fighting T cells."

Telltale proteins called neoantigens can serve as potent weapons in the fight against cancer. VA researchers recently conducted two studies to identify which neoantigens can best harness the power of the bodys immune system.

A team of VA investigators and colleagues conducted two studies focused on neoantigens, unique protein segments that can form in cancer cells because of a mutation in the tumors DNA. Neoantigens, which do not exist in healthy cells, can play a starring role in fighting cancer. The proteins can earmark enemy cells and spur the immune system into action, explains VA researcher Dr. Karen Taraszka Hastings. She is a dermatologist with the Phoenix VA Health Care System in Arizona and is principal investigator on both studies.

VA research assistant Elizabeth S. Borden says neoantigens play an important role in the bodys war on cancer. By tagging cancer cells, neoantigens help direct the bodys natural immune responseincluding the cancer-fighting response of the immune systems T cellsand they can also help vaccines and other immune system-based treatments detect and destroy cancer cells, she explains. Borden is an M.D./Ph.D. student at the University of Arizona College of MedicinePhoenix, and is first author on both studies.

In the two VA-supported studies, Hastings and Borden collaborated with colleagues at the University of Arizona who specialize in statistical analysis and evaluation of biological data. Hastings is an associate professor at Arizona State University, with an academic focus on immunobiology.

The teams neoantigen studies have the promise of improving health care for Veterans and others with cancer by helping to identify which patients have the cancer types most likely to respond to which immunotherapies, points out Hastings, who treats many VA patients with melanoma and other skin cancers.

The Frontiers in Oncology article reviewed existing research into the therapeutic potential of different neoantigens. The article details not only current knowledge, but also gaps in understanding. We hope this review will provide a good starting point and reference for other researchers aiming to improve neoantigen prioritization for applications in cancer immunotherapy, Borden says.

The literature overview is important because the ability to predict which neoantigens are present in a cancer cell, and which can unleash an immune response, is crucial in cancer treatment, Hastings explains. Knowing whether immunogenic neoantigens are present could help identify patients who may benefit most from a certain therapy. And, for personalized cancer vaccines, knowing which neoantigens are present and can stimulate an immune response is key to generating an effective vaccine.

Some therapies already harness the power of the bodys natural immune response to destroy cancer cells. One such therapy, immune checkpoint inhibition, safeguards the ability of the bodys T cells to destroy tumor cells by blocking biological signals that would get in their way. Immune checkpoint inhibition has revolutionized treatments for many types of cancers by its ability to recognize and destroy tumors, Borden says.

But Borden emphasizes that not all cancer patients respond to this type of immunotherapy. The teams other study, NeoScore, aims to identify which neoantigens best trigger an immune response and which patients are most likely to respond to treatment. The study also aims to support the development of new therapies, like personalized cancer vaccines, to treat patients for whom current treatments fall short.

The NeoScore study, published in the Journal of Immunology, examined a long list of characteristics to determine the most essential hallmarks of the power to quash cancer cells. The analysis focused on MHC class I neoantigens, a category known to directly elicit an immune response for killing cancer cells.

There is no widespread agreement on the characteristics that make a neoantigen capable of mounting an immune response or capable of stimulating a T-cell response. So, the team set out to assess which characteristics had the most promise. They translated these characteristics into an overall score representing the likelihood a given neoantigen would elicit a T-cell response. The NeoScore rating helps prioritize neoantigens that would be most effective in the development of personalized vaccines.

Demonstrating the effectiveness of the approach, a high NeoScore was strongly associated with improved survival in patients who were treated with immune checkpoint inhibition for melanoma. In contrast, a clinical test that looks at high tumor mutation burden, currently used to help physicians decide whether to prescribe immune checkpoint inhibition, showed no such improved survival. These results suggest that the NeoScore has the potential to be developed and applied to improve therapeutic decision-making for immune checkpoint inhibition and personalized cancer vaccines, Hastings says.

Moving forward, Hastings team is interested in examining MHC class II neoantigens, which are known to play a pivotal role in enhancing the immune response to cancer. This class has been studied less extensively than the MHC class I antigens, and represents fertile ground for future research, according to Hastings. The investigator and her research partners are also planning to delve more deeply into how to best apply the NeoScore to predict a patients response to immune checkpoint inhibition.

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Cultivating the Cancer-Fighting Power of Neoantigens - VA's Office of Research and Development

Elon Musk bought Twitter on Monday, and soon users of the social-media platform, as well as regulators and lawmakers around the world, will find themselves in unprecedented, uncharted territory, says John Wihbey, associate professor of media innovation and technology at Northeastern.

Twitters board accepted Musks $44 billion offer for the company in a dramatic turn of events that comes less than two weeks after the billionaire announced his bid for the company, The Wall Street Journal reports. Market-watchers expected Twitter to reject the offer, as the company moved to prevent Musk from increasing his stake in the company after he announced his bid on April 14. But after Musk produced financing, Twitter appeared more interested.

John Wihbey, associate professor of media innovation and technology at Northeastern.Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

If Musk takes the company private, he would have full control of highly granular individual data for hundreds of millions of Twitter users, including accounts run by national embassies, politicians, and government agencies.

If you think about Elon Musk as his own nation-state with his own inscrutable intentions, its not dissimilar to selling the company to a foreign nation, Wihbey says. Elon Musk would personally own a lot of data from users around the world. And if he, a single person, unchecked by the discipline of a public company, owns this information, there are certainly questions that arise about how fair a broker he can be.

Famously elusive and often fickle, Musk has made some of his gripes with Twitter well-known. Hes frequently criticized the companys content moderators for intervening too heavily on the platform, which hes called the internets de facto public town square.

In a regulatory filing to announce his offer to buy the company, Musk wrote, I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy, adding that he believes the company would neither thrive nor serve this societal imperative in its current form. Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company.

However, Wihbey chalks Musks free-speech rhetoric up to more of a talking point than a strategic initiative, particularly when Twitter executives have been battling with thorny issues in countries around the world that have serious life-or-death consequences.

Earlier this year in India, for example, Twitter blocked hundreds of accounts and tweets linked to protests over agricultural reform laws, after one such protest turned deadly, the BBC reports. The company removed the tweets at the request of Prime Minister Narendra Modis administration, but then restored accounts associated with media and activist groupswhich government officials then demanded Twitter block again.

The back-and-forth illustrates one of many complex negotiations the company must make as it expands further into populations beyond the U.S., says Wihbey, whose own research indicates that much of the growth for Twitter and other social-media platforms is international.

Twitter is facing serious human-rights concerns in markets around the world, often where real violence is at stake, Wihbey says. Just saying Twitter needs more free speech doesnt solve the practical political problems the company is dealing with.

Musk has also said that he plans to make Twitters algorithm an open-source model, enabling anyone to see the code that dictates how and when tweets appear on a users timeline.

This would be a change Wihbey can get behind, he says. We should be able to figure out what these algorithms are doing with more precision. They should be subject to outside, third-party research.

With relatively open data sources (compared to other social-media platforms), Twitter has long been used as a resource for social-network, computer-science, other social-science researchers, as well. Now that Musk is poised to take over, its not clear that researchers will still have access to this important source of information.

This was always a long-term fear for people who do research with Twitter, but I dont think anyone ever expected the ground to shift this suddenly beneath our feet, Wihbey says.

For media inquiries, please contact Ed Gavaghan at e.gavaghan@northeastern.edu or 617-373-5718.

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'Uncharted territory' ahead after Elon Musk buys Twitter - News @ Northeastern - Northeastern University