StemCell Therapy

PUMA BIOTECHNOLOGY, INC. (NASDAQ:PBYI) Files An 8-K Other Events Market Exclusive Puma Biotechnology, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the development and commercialization of products for the treatment of cancer. The Company focuses on in-licensing the global development and commercialization rights to over ... Puma Biotechnology Announces Publication of Abstracts on Neratinib for the AACR Annual Meeting 2017Business Wire (press release) Puma Biotechnology Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2016 ...Yahoo Finance Puma Biotechnology Inc (NYSE:PBYI) Registers a Net Consolidated EPS Of $-7.4483Equities Focus NewsDen all 6 news articles »

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PUMA BIOTECHNOLOGY, INC. (NASDAQ:PBYI) Files An 8-K Other Events - Market Exclusive

March 1 Puma Biotechnology Inc:

* Puma Biotechnology provides update on review of marketing authorisation application for PB272

* Puma Biotechnology Inc - company plans to modify summary of product characteristics in its marketing authorisation application

* Puma Biotechnology-plans to modify summary of product characteristics based on meeting with rapporteur, co-rapporteur, review team members, EMA

* Puma Biotechnology - proposed summary of product characteristics will continue to include both hormone receptor positive, hormone receptor negative patients

* Puma-Will be revising proposed smpc for neratinib to restrict intended population to patients within a year after completion of Adjuvant Trastuzumab Therapy

* Puma-Committee for medicinal products for human use continuing to review co's maa and has not yet made a final decision to recommend approval of drug Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

BRUSSELS, March 2 Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewer, raised its forecast for savings from its near $100 billion takeover of SABMiller after weaker than expected earnings as beer sales suffered in Brazil.

TOKYO, March 2 Japan's Nikkei share average hit a 14-month peak on Thursday as the yen weakened against the dollar on heightened expectations for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this month and after Wall Street soared to record highs.

* Acquired privately held Ontology Systems for a total consideration of US$7.6 million, net of cash

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BRIEF-Puma Biotechnology provides update on review of marketing authorisation application for PB272 - Reuters

Dr Brendan Boland (left) and Gerry Clarke of Loci Orthopaedics

InDX, a new thumb implant from Galway-based medical devices start-up Loci Orthopaedics, has the potential to completely disrupt how painful thumb joint arthritis is treated, according to its founders Dr Brendan Boland and engineer Gerry Clarke.

The thumb base joint is one of the most remarkably complex but beautifully elegant joints in the body, but when a problem develops, the current treatment options are not great, Boland says. Some surgeons take out a bone. Others fuse the joint. Joint implants similar to those used in hip arthritis are also used but they have an unacceptably high failure rate because of the complexity of the joint. What makes InDX different is that it is the only implant that allows the joint to move the same way as a healthy joint moves. It totally reproduces the natural movement, allowing patients to return to full functionality in a matter of weeks.

The thumb base joint is a small but highly mobile structure located just above the skin crease of the wrist. The bones within it can move in different directions and this remarkable flexibility is both its strength and weakness. Over time the joint can deteriorate, leading to painful arthritis. One in 10 of the general population and one in three women over 55 suffer from the condition.

Boland says the current value of the treatment market for thumb base arthritis in the US and EU combined is an estimated $600 million per year. However, due to ageing populations, this is expected to grow to $1.2 billion over the next 15 years.

Severe pain is usually the main symptom of this problem, with people unable to turn a key, do up buttons or even write, he says. Surgeons generally try to take out the trapezium bone to stop the bones rubbing together and hence remove the pain. However, this causes the hand to become significantly weaker, as it changes the anatomy of the joint so much. Some surgeons will harvest a tendon from the forearm to try and support and reconstruct the joint, but this hasnt been found to be clinically beneficial. Fusing is another option but function can be significantly impaired, while existing implants have a failure rate of up to 40 per cent.

Loci Orthopaedics is based at the Business Innovation Centre in NUIG Galway. The company expects to create eight direct jobs over the next three years, while outsourced manufacturing of the titanium implant will also take place in Galway. The company is now looking to raise 2.5 million to fund further development, compliance and distribution. The first clinical trial of InDX in Europe will take place in just over a year and Boland says the device should go on sale in the US in about in 18 months.

InDX has been developed in conjunction with three eminent international hand surgeons and their support for the product means the medical community is already aware of the implant. We are in the fortunate position of having end users waiting, Boland says.

Read more from the original source:
New implant could improve treatment of thumb arthritis - Irish Times

The veterinarians at Village Cat Clinic in Ancaster can help you tell the difference between natural aging and arthritis in your feline and provide pain management techniques to keep your cat comfortable in their senior years.

Arthritis is common in older pets, but they cant speak up when the pain in their joints and spine becomes unbearable. There are signs that you can watch for, and indicators that they are suffering from discomfort beyond the natural aging process.

Activity

If you notice a significant decrease in your cats activity level or notice that they are sleeping more than they did when they were younger, then your cat may be experiencing arthritis pain.

Lameness

If your feline shows stiffness when they get up after a nap that lessens once they get mobile, it is a sign your pet may suffer from arthritis.

Mood changes

When were in pain, we often become short-tempered. Animals can react the same way, and may growl or bite when they are handled because it is painful for them to be picked up or patted.

Excessive licking, chewing or biting

Cats may become fixated on painful joints and lick, chew or bite the affected area, causing it to become inflamed or raw.

Agility

With aging comes less agility, but if you notice your cat has great difficulty accomplishing small feats such as jumping on or off your bed or a chair, have a vet check for arthritis.

Village Cat Clinic has several multi-modal pain medications that offer safe and effective pain management for your aging pet and their individual needs. They can also suggest modifications you can make in the home to help keep your senior cat more comfortable and improve their quality of life, such as assisted devices like stools to aid them on and off a bed or chair.

Other environmental improvements can help, such as diet changes, weight management and physical activity. It is important to provide comfortable, warm sleeping areas for your cat and easy access to food, water and a litter box.

For more information about caring for your arthritic feline, contact the Village Cat Clinic by email at reception@villagecatclinic.ca or call 905-304-7877.

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Feline arthritis: How to spot the signs - Hamilton Spectator

For many low-income residents across rural Alabama, the everyday world is a dim and blurry place.

Durden Dean, executive director, Alabama Lions Sight Conservation Association, said 250,000 to 300,000 people statewide cant afford insurance, dont qualify for Medicaid or are not old enough for Medicare. Senior citizens are the fastest-growing population in Alabama, yet they are the most underserved, especially when it comes to receiving necessary eye care, he said.

To help meet this need, Alabama Lions Sight unveiled a Mobile Eye and Vision Clinic in Birmingham on Feb. 24. Since 1944, Alabama Lions Sight has provided services to more than 350,000 people and has worked to save sight through research, education, detection and treatment.

Many people in rural communities cant afford eye care, or they dont have transportation to an area where they can get it, so they basically do without, Dean said. We feel like we have an obligation to offer eye care to those communities where people cant get it.

Alabama Lions Sight fufills a vision of community with mobile eye clinic from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

The first of its kind in the state, the fully equipped clinic on wheels provides comprehensive eye care to senior citizens and indigent people in Alabamas Black Belt and Appalachian regions.

Services include eye exams, case management and patient care coordination, free transportation to prescribed treatment and follow-up support. Patients will be checked for diseases, such as cataracts, glaucoma and diabetes. Those needing glasses will either receive a prescription or have the opportunity to choose from frames available through the clinic.

We see people who havent had eye care in a while, said Dr. Kent Daum, director of the traveling clinic and retired UAB professor of optometry. We see people who have eye infections, glaucoma or diabetes, or who need glasses, just like other clinics. The difference is the conditions are very concentrated because people havent been treated for a long time.

The new clinic has been on the road since Feb. 12, but Alabama Sight actually began piloting its mobile program last year. Since then, Daum has seen about 1,500 patients at 17 healthcare clinics in 14 counties.

The clinic has made stops at healthcare centers in Hale, Marengo, Sumter, Perry, Pickens, Dallas, Wilcox, Lowndes, Autauga, Elmore, Chilton, Coosa, Greene and Montgomery counties. Some of the many communities that have received visits are Carrollton, Eutaw, Greensboro, Pineapple, Selma, Hayneville and Eclectic.

The Alabama Lions first Mobile Eye and Vision Clinic has hit the road to bring eye care to thousands of underserved Alabamians. Dr. Kent Daum, the clinics director, talks with a group at the official launch. (Michael Tomberlin/Alabama NewsCenter)

The Alabama Lions Mobile Eye and Vision Clinic is stocked with eyeglasses for people in the communities it visits. (Michael Tomberlin/Alabama NewsCenter)

Gunner Hewitt gets his picture made in front of the Alabama Lions Mobile Eye and Vision Clinic, which sports an image of Gunner on its side. (Michael Tomberlin/Alabama NewsCenter)

The Alabama Lions first Mobile Eye and Vision Clinic has hit the road to bring eye care to thousands of underserved Alabamians. (Michael Tomberlin/Alabama NewsCenter)

Daum said the clinic has made a dramatic difference. Instead of taking more than an hour a day to load and reload equipment into a van, Daum can now spend all his time in each community treating patients.

Weve had a very exciting first year, Daum said. Weve been out about 186 times. Almost every person we see needs glasses. About a third of our patients have diabetes and 15 percent have glaucoma or something related to it. Its such a privilege to have the opportunity to help these people.

As part of its efforts to provide lasting support for senior citizens and underprivileged people in rural areas, Alabama Lions Sight plans to establish a vision resource community that will include Lions Clubs, optometrists, ophthalmologists, hospitals and clinics statewide.

Were excited about really being able to reach out and move into the 21st century as far as providing eye care in the state of Alabama, Dean said. Through the mobile clinic, we are actually taking vision services to the communities. We are doing comprehensive eye exams, providing glasses on site and offering free transportation to those who need advanced eye care. Right now, were in 14 counties. Our ultimate goal is to be in every county in the state.

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Alabama Lions Sight takes services on the road with state's first Mobile Eye and Vision Clinic - Alabama NewsCenter

CNET's San Francisco headquarters as seen through the Sight Simulator's retinopathy filter on its highest setting.

What does the world look like if you're legally blind? A new interactive website lets you see through the eyes of those suffering from three conditions that impair sight.

The Sight Simulator is part of a campaign called See Now, aimed at increasing awareness of vision loss and calling for more Congressional funding to combat it in the US. The Simulator places filters that mimic the effects of cataracts, glaucoma and retinopathy on top of Google Street View images, enabling visitors to the site to move the slider and increase the severity of each ailment.

Looking at CNET's headquarters on the highest retinopathy setting showed me my familiar workplace blurry and obscured by dark splotches. With the glaucoma setting at its highest, I only saw a bright oval surrounded by black. The cataracts filter displayed a building so fuzzy it was hard to discern details.

"We believe when people experience what it would be like to lose their sight, from seeing what their own street looks like with poor vision, they will appreciate the problem in a way they never did before," Erin McCallum of the See Now campaign said in a statement. "Hopefully this will motivate many people to look after their own eye health and push them to take action to help prevent blindness in others."

The minimum setting on the site for all three conditions shows a view matching legal blindness. It's defined in the US as central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the best possible correction, and/or a visual field of 20 degrees or less, according to the American Foundation for the Blind.

"Legal blindness is not binary," the See Now site points out. "For most people with vision impairment, it's not a matter of seeing nothing versus seeing clearly. The reality is somewhere in between."

Yet four out of five people who are blind don't need to be, See Now asserts, saying a single doctor's visit or screening can prevent or cure the world's most common vision problems.

The See Now campaign was created in partnership with Prevent Blindness, an organization devoted to fighting blindness and saving sight, and is calling for increased federal funding to tackle eye health. More than 47,000 people have signed a petition asking Congress to dedicate $6.3 million to making eye care across the country more accessible.

This isn't the first time digital tools have helped the public view a health condition from a personal perspective.

A few years back, a campaign to increase awareness of the most common form of dementia put people in Facebook photos of fake events, aiming to give them a momentary sense of what the disease might feel like.

The cataracts filter, at its most severe setting, renders a familiar sight fuzziness.

CNET Magazine: Check out a sampling of the stories you'll find in CNET's newsstand edition.

Life, disrupted: In Europe, millions of refugees are still searching for a safe place to settle. Tech should be part of the solution. But is it? CNET investigates.

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Sight Simulator shows you what it's like to be legally blind - CNET

Yvonne Felix wears eSight electronic glasses and looks around Union Square during a visit to San Francisco. Felix was diagnosed with Stargardt s disease after being hit by a car age 7. AP PHOTO

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Jeff Regan was born with underdeveloped optic nerves and had spent most of his life in a blur. Then four years ago, he donned an unwieldy headset made by a Toronto company called eSight.

Suddenly, Regan could read a newspaper while eating breakfast and make out the faces of his co-workers from across the room. He's been able to attend plays and watch what's happening on stage, without having to guess why people around him were laughing.

"These glasses have made my life so much better," said Regan, 48, a Canadian engineer who lives in London, Ontario.

The headsets from eSight transmit images from a forward-facing camera to small internal screens -- one for each eye -- in a way that beams the video into the wearer's peripheral vision. That turns out to be all that some people with limited vision, even legal blindness, need to see things they never could before. That's because many visual impairments degrade central vision while leaving peripheral vision largely intact.

Although eSight's glasses won't help people with total blindness, they could still be a huge deal for the millions of peoples whose vision is so impaired that it can't be corrected with ordinary lenses.

But eSight still needs to clear a few minor hurdles. Among them: proving the glasses are safe and effective for the legally blind. While eSight's headsets don't require the approval of health regulators -- they fall into the same low-risk category as dental floss -- there's not yet firm evidence of their benefits.

The headsets also carry an eye-popping price tag. The latest version of the glasses, released in mid-February, sells for about $10,000. While that's $5,000 less than its predecessor, it's still a lot for people who often have trouble getting high-paying jobs because they can't see.

Insurers won't cover the cost; they consider the glasses an "assistive" technology similar to hearing aids.

ESight CEO Brian Mech said the latest improvements might help insurers overcome their short-sighted view of his product. Mech argues that it would be more cost-effective for insurers to pay for the headsets, even in part, than to cover more expensive surgical procedures that may restore some sight to the visually impaired.

The latest version of ESight's technology, built with investments of $32 million over the past decade, is a gadget that vaguely resembles the visor worn by the blind "Star Trek" character Geordi La Forge, played by LeVar Burton.

The third-generation model lets wearers magnify the video feed up to 24 times, compared to just 14 times in earlier models. There's a hand control for adjusting brightness and contrast. The new glasses also come with a more powerful high-definition camera.

ESight believes that about 200 million people worldwide with visual acuity of 20/70 to 20/1200 could be potential candidates for its glasses. That number includes people with a variety of disabling eye conditions such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, ocular albinism, Stargardt's disease, or, like Regan, optic nerve hypoplasia.

So far, though, the company has sold only about 1,000 headsets, despite the testimonials of wearers who've become true believers.

Take, for instance, Yvonne Felix, an artist who now works as an advocate for eSight after seeing the previously indistinguishable faces of her husband and two sons for the first time via its glasses. Others, ranging from kids to senior citizens, have worn the gadgets to golf, watch football or just perform daily tasks such as reading nutrition labels.

ESight isn't the only company focused on helping the legally blind. Other companies working on high-tech glasses and related tools include Aira, Orcam, ThirdEye, NuEyes and Microsoft .

But most of them are doing something very different. While their approaches also involve cameras attached to glasses, they don't magnify live video. Instead, they take still images, analyze them with image recognition software and then generate an automated voice that describes what the wearer is looking at -- anything from a child to words written on a page.

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New glasses provide eyesight for blind - Sentinel & Enterprise

The former glamour model had to get her husband Tom to have some glasses specially made and delivered into the house because of her condition

NICOLA McLean has revealed she is practically BLIND in one eye because of a rare condition.

The former glamour model was attacked by cruel trolls during her stint on Celebrity Big Brother earlier this year after she was seen covering one of her eyes when she argued with Kim Woodburn.

Splash News

And speaking exclusively to The Sun Online at a celebrity event on Tuesday night, Nicola revealed how her sight started to go just two months before entering the Big Brother house.

She said: I have always had bad eyesight in my left eye but my right eye has always been fine and then about two months before Big Brother I noticed my eyesight changing.

Now I can barely see out of this eye, Im talking barely see, Ive got a contact in it now.

Rex Features

Basically whats happened is, this right eye, I cant see out of but its also developed an adult squint, which is so rare.

Thats why I was so paranoid about it, as what would happen is, I would take the contact lens out, get in bed, then all the arguments would kick off so Id have to cover my eye.

Rex Features

I cant focus with it, so it wanders, without glasses or a contact it just wanders everywhere because I cant see out of it.

Nicola who was born with a squint in her left eye which was later rectified added her doctors think a potential cause could be pregnancy-related diabetes from when she had her two sons, Rocky and Striker.

While the diagnosis isnt clear yet, the 35-year-old added her squint is rectifiable, but it doesnt address her vision issues.

She said: The muscles at the back need to be tightened and that will rectify it being straight, but I still wont be able to see out of it.

A squint - known by its medical term strabismus - is where the eyes point in different directions.

The condition is common in kids, with one in 20 likely to have a squint.

And while they typically appear before the age of five, adults can be treated for the condition.

Squints that develop later in life are known as acquired squints.

They may be caused by the eye attempting to overcome a vision problem, such as short or long-sightedness.

In some cases they are genetic, while in most cases the cause is unknown.

Squints can be treated, with glasses, eye exercise and in some cases corrective surgery to tighten or move some of the eye muscles to change the eye's position.

Source: Moorfields Eye Hospital

"So we need to work out why the visions gone from being OK to so bad.

"Im OK because with a contact or my glasses its fine, mines not a lazy eye its a proper squint, so if I took my contact lens out now it would just wander.

"It can be corrected but its very, very rare to get an adult squint so thats what it was, I didnt want to be on tele with an eye wandering so Id cover it.

"If I dont cover the right one I cant see out of the left one, because when the right one shuts down the left one does, so I needed to cover the right to be able to see.

Fame Flynet

"It is quite bad but Ill be able to get it sorted."

Nicola's condition was never fully explained during her time on Celebrity Big Brother, and she also revealed her husband Tom Williams had to get some glasses especially made for her and have them sent in.

Fame Flynet

She continued: "It all happened so quickly before Big Brother.

"I had contacts but the air conditioning was making my contacts dry, so Tom had to get me glasses made and sent into the house, which is why I only started wearing them half way through."

Fame Flynet

Nicola's now in consultations with an eye hospital about her condition and finding a date to correct it.

She added: "We just need to know why its happened.

"The prescription to go from good to as bad as it is is not normal . Its quite concerning."

See original here:
Nicola McLean reveals she's virtually BLIND in one eye just weeks after being bullied by cruel trolls mocking her ... - The Sun

A diet that mimics fasting temporarily put mice in a starvation state, reversing diabetes in the animals, according to a new study. The diet was also shown to reduce the risk factors in people with pre-diabetes

Research by investigators at the University of Southern California showed the special, fasting-mimicking diet triggers the development of insulin-producing cells in mice with diabetes. The study was published in the journal Cell.

In humans, an earlier study of the diet reduced the risk factors of diabetes, such as elevated blood sugar, in people who were headed toward development of the disease. An article on the diet in humans appeared in Science Translational Medicine.

In both Type 1 diabetes and in the later stages of Type 2 diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas are destroyed. But the authors said the diet appears to "reboot" the body, switching on genes that trigger the release of stem cells, master cells responsible for organ development.

More than fasting required

However, fasting alone is not the key to restoring insulin levels. Scientists said refeeding after the brief starvation diet, with specially calibrated nutrients, is critical to kickstarting the production of new beta cells.

FILE - A woman fills a syringe as she prepares to give herself an injection of insulin.

The process of stem cell activation is the same as seen in embryos to stimulate organ growth, according to gerontology professor Valter Longo, the director of USC's Longevity Institute and senior author of both studies. He said the fasting-mimicking diet can be used to reprogram cells without any genetic alterations.

"So basically the system is using some of the same program that we use during embryonic and fetal development to regenerate the pancreas once the food comes back around," he said. "And that's the trick. It's not so much the starvation. It's really the combination of the starvation and the refeeding." And, he stressed, "the refeeding's got to be a high-nourishment one."

Study participants put on the high-fat, low-calorie, low-protein diet consumed between 800 and 1,100 calories daily for five days in a row each month for three months. After each fast, they were refed with nutrient-rich foods.

Researchers found fasting triggered the production of a protein called Ngn3, which generated new, healthy beta cells that secreted insulin. They saw production of insulin in a dish in pancreatic cells extracted from mice and from healthy human donors and patients with both types of diabetes.

Scientists found the diet replaced damaged insulin-producing cells with new functioning ones in mice placed on the diet for four days.

Heart disease, cancer risks

The investigators have also amassed evidence that the fasting-mimicking diet reduces the risk of age-related diseases, including heart disease and cancer. It may also hold benefits for people with multiple sclerosis, said researchers.

FILE - A woman who suffers from diabetes is seen walking on a treadmill as part of an exercise program to help control the disease.

But Longo said people with diabetes should not try the diet at home yet because it can drop blood sugar to perilously low levels if they don't know what they are doing. "We warn people that, particularly [for people with] Type 1 or patients that inject themselves with insulin, it can be very risky or even lethal," Longo cautioned.

He said investigators were poised to begin larger human clinical trials of the fasting-mimicking diet in the next six months.

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Fasting Diet Reverses Diabetes in Mice - Voice of America

Medscape

Youth with type 2 diabetes develop complications more often than type 1 peers National Institutes of Health (press release) Teens and young adults with type 2 diabetes develop kidney, nerve, and eye diseases as well as some risk factors for heart disease more often than their peers with type 1 diabetes in the years shortly after diagnosis. The results are the latest ... 72% of Youth With Type 2 Diabetes Have ComplicationsMedscape Youth With Type 2 Diabetes Often Face ComplicationsEveryday Health (blog) New Research: More Young People Suffer Complications From DiabetesCBS Local CU Anschutz Today (press release) -Nursing Times -MedicalResearch.com (blog) all 10 news articles »

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Youth with type 2 diabetes develop complications more often than type 1 peers - National Institutes of Health (press release)

March 1, 2017 Patients with fatty liver disease may need a more intense dose of exercise. Credit: University of Queensland

Short bursts of high-intensity exercise could help people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes.

A trial led by University of Queensland School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences researcher Dr Shelley Keating will investigate if high intensity interval training (HIIT) can improve insulin sensitivity, fitness and other cardiovascular disease risk factors.

"Other than weight loss, there is no accepted therapy for improving non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) a type of fatty liver disease which is strongly linked to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease," Dr Keating said.

"We have recently demonstrated that exercise therapy reduces liver fat in adults with obesity, but patients with NASH may need a more intense 'dose' of exercise.

"We hope to establish that high-intensity exercise is a safe, feasible and effective therapy for improving insulin resistance and other cardio-metabolic risk factors.

"Given that up to one-third of Australians have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and the subsequent rate of progression to NASH is around 30 per cent, the impact on the community is significant."

Study participants will complete 12 weeks of HIIT supervised by an accredited exercise physiologist at UQ's St Lucia campus in Brisbane, followed by 12 weeks of HIIT at home.

"The sessions will involve short, intense bursts of exercise around four minutes on a treadmill or exercise bike at near maximum capacity - interspersed with more moderate exercise," Dr Keating said.

"Health measures including insulin sensitivity, body composition, vascular function, and fitness will be assessed before and after the supervised and home-based phases.

"It is very important that individuals can continue on with HIIT in the long-term so that the health benefits can be sustained," Dr Keating said.

People with biopsy-proven NASH, or their clinicians, should contact Dr Keating (see below) for details on how to take part in the trial.

Explore further: Diet and exercise can improve kidney function in patients with fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a potentially serious liver condition characterized by excess fat in the liver associated with inflammation and scarring. NASH may progress to cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer, ...

(Medical Xpress)High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is touted as the fastest way to get lean, but according to ground-breaking new research from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre, only endurance exercise ...

A University of Queensland researcher is trialling a 12-minute exercise plan that aims to fight type 2 diabetes in a flash.

Listening to music may make it easier for people to adopt short duration exercise regimens that could help them stay in shape, according to researchers at UBC's Okanagan campus.

Understanding how exercise affects language learning could help patients with brain conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Time-poor people who do fewer repetitions during high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts may get better fitness benefits than those who complete more, according to a University of Stirling analysis.

Short bursts of high-intensity exercise could help people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes.

A diet designed to imitate the effects of fasting appears to reverse diabetes by reprogramming cells, a new USC-led study shows.

(Medical Xpress)A team of researchers with members from several institutions in Germany and one in the U.K. has discovered what might be a way to tell if a newborn child is likely to develop type 1 diabetes as they grow ...

People with diabetes are at high risk of developing heart disease. Despite knowing this, scientists have struggled to trace the specific biology behind that risk or find ways to intervene. Now, UNC School of Medicine researchers ...

A long-term study by Monash University researchers - the first of its kind - has found that gastric band surgery has significant benefits for moderately overweight people with type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have focused ...

Blood sugar triggers the secretion of insulin from cells in the pancreas, a process that is impaired in diabetes. A team of Yale researchers have identified a mechanism at the membranes of these pancreatic cells that controls ...

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Can fast and furious exercise prevent diabetes? - Medical Xpress

Ever since he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a fifth-grader at Claremont Elementary School, Alex Simmons has been committed to raising funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Now a Washington-Lee High School sophomore, he moves closer to his goal of raising $100,000 for diabetes research during a Feb. 25 event that drew more than 130 neighbors and friends to the Lyon Park Community Center.

The party, which included a silent auction, was hosted by five Arlington families who have supported Simmons since his diagnosis. The event raised more than $15,000, with all proceeds going directly to the JDRF, and boosted Alex Simmonss fund-raising totals so far to $75,500 in donations.

Ever since our son Alex was diagnosed with diabetes five years ago, the JDRF has been a big part of our lives, said Anita Simmons, a new member of the board of directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Chapter. They provide hope and guidance for so many families as we learn to cope with this diagnosis and protect our childrens health.

At the celebration, guests enjoyed a fully catered dinner by the Hard Times Caf, beverages from Dogfish Alehouse, a silent auction and the musical sounds of the Roger Taylor Quartet as they connected over a common cause.

Many Arlington businesses made donations, including local artist Sabrina Cabada, independent bookstore One More Page and SPARK Business Academy.

Previous fund-raisers have included local basketball tournaments, small parties with a purpose and a bingo night hosted by Simmons grandmother, Alease Brooks, a resident of Arlingtons The Carlin.

Bill Parsons, executive director of the Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Chapter, said the Feb. 25 event was one of the largest peer-to-peer fund-raising events his organization has seen in this area.

The commitment this family has made to bringing awareness to juvenile-diabetes issues and raising money for research has been incredible, he added. We all love the Simmons family Anita Simmons is a force of nature.

Complications of juvenile diabetes can be disabling and life-threatening. Each day, Alex Simmons who over the winter played on the varsity boys basketball team at Washington-Lee must monitor his blood sugar levels and give himself six to eight insulin shots, yet he remains focused on the positive.

I am not on this journey alone, and my close friends, family and relatives make this process much easier for me, he said. I encourage everyone who can to please donate money to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, not only for me, but for all of the children throughout the country who dont have it as easy as I do.

Alex Simmons is now a youth ambassador for the organization, and also leads a team that takes part in the annual OneWalk event on the National Mall.

Anita Simmons said their family is especially grateful to Rich Kelly and Cindy MacIntyre of the Hard Times Caf for providing all of the food for the fund-raising event, as well as for the help they extended to Alex and his family when he was first diagnosed with the disease. The Kellys daughter also has Type 1 diabetes, and they are strong supporters of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

For information on Alex Simmons fund-raising efforts, see the Web site at http://bit.ly/2mmGi5g.

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Washington-Lee student working to raise $100000 for diabetes research - Inside NoVA

When the Kansas Senate comes back after this weeks midsession break, it may consider legislation to form a comprehensive state plan to fight diabetes.

House Bill 2219 would instruct the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to conduct an analysis of state costs from diabetes, identify best practices to prevent and control the condition, and develop a budget to implement those practices.

It also would require the agency to report on the plans progress every two years.

Just before the break the House voted 117-7 to pass the bill, which is one of the main legislative priorities for the American Diabetes Association. Four other states passed similar plans in 2016, according to the organization.

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes affects almost 13 percent of the adult population in Kansas and leads to about $2 billion in health care costs annually.

The associations numbers include an estimated 69,000 Kansans who have undiagnosed diabetes. Numbers from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that include only those with diagnosed diabetes ranked Kansas at 21st highest in the country, at 9.5 percent.

People with diabetes are unable to produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that turns food into energy. There are two main forms:Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes, andType 2 diabetes, the most common kind. Common complications of diabetes include heart and blood vessel disease, kidney damage, blindness and nerve damage.

Larry Smith is president of the National Diabetes Volunteer Leadership Council, a Kentucky-based nonprofit that testified for the Kansas bill. He said Kentucky was the first state to enact a diabetes action plan and about one-third of states have them now.

It has opened the eyes of the Legislature and the government that there is a problem and its a big drain on their budget, said Smith, whose daughter has Type 1 diabetes.

Smith said the push to fight diabetes in Kentucky began with Gov. Ernie Fletcher, a Republican physician who led the state from 2003 to 2007.

He realized the cost that diabetes put on the state budget was substantial and held them back on a number of things they wanted to do in terms of education or infrastructure and so forth, Smith said.

A similar bill died in the Kansas House in 2015. But Rep. Susan Concannon, a Republican from Beloit who brought this years bill, said the current version was voted through in part due to testimony from Rep. Blaine Finch, a Republican from Ottawa, and from his teenage daughter who has diabetes.

It was a little more meaningful for us this year to have one of our colleagues make it more personal, Concannon said.

Andy Marso is a reporter for KCURs Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics in Kansas. You can reach him on Twitter@andymarso. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to kcur.org.

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February 28, 2017 4:21 PM

Wounds that wont heal can become a major health risk for diabetics and protecting yourself is the best prevention according to Dr. Nathaniel Holzman, Medical Director of the St. Mary Wound Healing Center in Langhorne. He says patients can help themselves by keeping their diabetes in good control, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and maintaining healthy skin. He says cracks in the skin can allow bacteria to enter which may lead to infection. He also urges people to regularly see a podiatrist for preventative foot care to manage risk factors before wounds occur.

If a patient does present with a wound that has been an issue for a while, there are different treatments available. First, Dr. Holzman makes certain there is sufficient blood flow to the region, as blood flow is essential in wound healing. Also, swelling must be controlled and is initially managed with compression. Establishing healthy eating patterns for good sugar control is also very important. Some times, wounds present with infection that may require antibiotics. At times, surgery may also be necessary. Dr. Holzman says hyperbaric oxygen therapy may also be needed to aid in the healing process.

Unfortunately, diabetes is on the rise as people gain weight and adopt more sedentary lifestyles. As diabetes is a chronic condition, patients need to do everything possible to keep it under control and maintain good health. He urges people to eat nutritious food, maintain a healthy weight, keep active, and adopt a good skin care regimen.

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International Stem Cell Corporation Announces Third Patient with Parkinson's Disease in Phase I Clinical Trial P&T Community 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB:ISCO), a California-based clinical stage biotechnology company developing stem cell-based therapies and biomedical products, today announced the third patient in the clinical trial ... and more »

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Trials at UNC yield 'rebirth' for 2-time cancer survivor WRAL.com Shea, a UNC Lineberger member and medical director at the UNC Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Program, suggested that Dale participate in the trial in which researchers remove a patient's immune cells, called T cells, then genetically engineer ... and more »

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World-first genetic clues point to risk of blindness -- ScienceDaily Science Daily Scientists have discovered the first evidence of genes that cause Macular Telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel), a degenerative eye disease which leads to blindness ... and more »

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Diabetics who may be experiencing vision loss without realizing it are the target of a new awareness campaign St. Josephs Health Care London hopes will lead to more screening.

Vision loss can be sneaky, said London-based optometrist, Harry Van Ymeren, in a news release. In my practice, I have seen it many times. People think they are fine and we discover a problem. The point of screening is to catch it before it becomes too late.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that prevents the body form making or using insulin, in turn increasing sugar levels in the blood stream. The development of early-onset cataracts and glaucoma is more likely for people who have diabetes, but Tom Sheidow, an ophthalmologist at the Ivey Eye Institute, said the main threat is the effect of diabetes on the retina, the part of the eye that allows you to see.

This is why screening early and often is so important for those with diabetes, he said. Diabetes can affect all blood vessels in your body, including those inside your eye. Diabetic eye damage, also called diabetic retinopathy, occurs when there is a weakening of the blood vessels in the retina that can result in swelling, the abnormal growth of blood vessels, and potentially severe bleeding. If diabetic retinopathy is left untreated, blindness can result.

According to St. Joes, estimates put the number of people in Canada with some form of diabetic retinopathy at around two million. It is the most common cause of blindness in people under age 65 and the most common cause of new blindness in North America.

Sarah MacArthur was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of three and has been cautious with her care because she understands the importance of screening. MacArthur said she has discovered symptoms of diabetic retinopathy in the past four years because of screenings with Van Ymeren.

I had no signs at all, she said. There was nothing that prompted me or made me think something was wrong with my vision. We are keeping a close eye on any changes so we know immediately if there is a concern.

A routine eye examination is all it takes to diagnose potentially threatening changes that can cause blindness. But once damage has occurred, the effects can be permanent.

People who feel completely healthy are the focus of this diabetes vision screening awareness campaign, said Sheidow. Anyone with diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) should have their vision checked.

Referrals to an optometrist from a family doctor are not required and in Ontario, the cost of an eye exam for people living with diabetes is covered through OHIP. Resources to locate an optometrist are available at opto.ca. For communities without an optometrist, an ophthalmologist is an option, said Van Ymeren.

It doesnt matter if you see an ophthalmologist or an optometrist, as long as you get your eyes checked. Yearly screening is free for people with diabetes.

For more information, visit diabetesvisionscreening.ca

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DETROIT Scientists with Wayne State University say they are the first to publish research to show the Zika virus can damage retina cells in the eyes, and in some cases cause blindness.

The key message of the study is that indeed the Zika virus can cause damage, said Dr. Ashok Kumar, microbiologist and assistant ophthalmology professor with Wayne State University School of Medicine at the Kresge Eye Institute.

Dr. Kumar led a team which launched research in July to publish their study in JCI Insight, the Journal of Clinical Investigation Feb. 23.

Using mice Dr. Kumar says the Zika virus can infect and cause lesions in retina cells, causing damage and in some cases cause blindness. Their research showed the Zika virus mostly killed cells specifically lining the blood-retinal barrier, the retinal endothelium, and retinal pigment epithelium.

Zika virus can actually infect those cells, and we did studies and we found it can replicate in those cell types and ultimately it kills those cells, said Dr. Kumar.

Their study builds on existing research published May 2016 in the Journal of the American Medical Association Ophthalmology that linked the Zika virus to eye problems. Researchers showed that some infants born with congenital Zika infection and microcephaly-or significantly smaller head and underdeveloped brain-in the northeast state of Brazil, Bahia, they also had problems in their retinas, other organs, and some hearing loss.

Pretty much the whole eye can be infected with the Zika virus, said Dr. Gary Abrams, ophthalmology professor with Wayne State University School of Medicine at the Kresge Eye Institute, who assisted Dr. Kumar with the clinical aspect of this study.

Dr. Abrams says about one third of infants born with Zika will develop eye issues they have discovered, whereas 15 percent of adults with Zika will have some sort of ocular impact, but most do not get a retinal infection.

This is a virus thats fairly pervasive: once the infection occurs it can be pretty much all over the body, including in the eyes, in the tears, and elsewhere, said Dr. Abrams.

Currently, Dr. Kumar says they are continuing research in hopes of developing methods to track and treat Zika infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no known treatment at this time.

There are so many questions we dont know, said Dr. Kumar. First thing is: how does the virus replicate? How long is it going to replicate? And what will be the visual outcome.

The big question really is that Zika virus was discovered in 1947, so its about 70 years, and why suddenly is it becoming so prevalent?

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Posted Feb. 28, 2017 at 3:39 p.m.

Published: 2017-02-28 15:39:55 Updated: 2017-02-28 15:39:55

By JIM SHAMP, NCBiotech Writer

Raleigh, N.C. The North Carolina Biotechnology Center has announced that Pfizer has committed to providing funding in the amount of $4 million which will enable the Center to establish and administer a multi-year academic fellowship program to help advance North Carolinas fast-growing expertise in gene therapy.

The new program, to be managed by NCBiotech, will support distinguished postdoctoral fellowships in North Carolina university research laboratories providing advanced scientific training in gene therapy-related research.

Absent or faulty proteins linked to genetic mutations cause numerous devastating diseases, making gene therapy an increasingly important treatment strategy.

Pfizers portfolio in North Carolina has grown in recent years. The company already operates a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in the Lee County community of Sanford, and in August 2016, it acquired leading-edge gene therapy company Bamboo Therapeutics, Inc. in Chapel Hill.

With that acquisition, Pfizer gained the expertise of Bamboos world-renowned co-founder, R. Jude Samulski, Ph.D., director of the Gene Therapy Centerat the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The deal also included an 11,000-square-foot facility for the highly specialized manufacturing of recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors.

Pfizer is one of several biopharmaceutical companies that have added high-profile gene therapy acquisitions, and several partnerships with biotechnology companies and leading academic institutions, to its R&D portfolio. Numerous other North Carolina scientists and companies are also making significant inroads into gene therapy, gene editing and related applications, many with NCBiotech support. For example, Samulski was recruited to UNC in 1993 as part of a $430,000 NCBiotech grant. Additionally, Bamboos former parent company received more than $700,000 in Biotech Center grants and loans.

Gene therapy advances require specific skills in addition to deep scientific knowledge. The fellowship program being established with Pfizers funding aims to boost that talent pipeline, with talent that has already proven to be exceptional in North Carolina. Such funding will enable NCBiotech to provide two-year fellowship support to postdoctoral scientists. The funding will afford the Center the ability to cover salaries, benefits, materials, professional development and travel for such postdoctoral scientists. The Center will encourage competitive applications from scientists interested in establishing research careers in gene therapy and related research activities.

The Biotech Center will also create and manage a related gene therapy Exchange Group. It will join some 25 other exchange groups designed to unite North Carolina-based academic and industry scientists with shared professional interests. The Gene Therapy EG will include these new postdoctoral fellows, their mentors, and others interested in the burgeoning gene therapy sector.

The field of gene therapy research has made tremendous strides in recent years, and we are pleased to be able to further enhance our leadership position in this area through this unique fellowship program, said Mikael Dolsten, M.D., Ph.D., president of worldwide research and development at Pfizer. We believe that gene therapy may hold the promise of bringing true disease modification for patients suffering from devastating diseases, and North Carolina is uniquely positioned to help us take advantage of collaborative opportunities that can develop the specialized talent well need.

Doug Edgeton, president and CEO of the Biotech Center, said he was deeply honored that Pfizer targeted North Carolina, and the Center, for the groundbreaking fellowship program.

Pfizer embraced the opportunity to work with us given weve proven for more than 30 years that we have the expertise and success metrics to maximize impact, said Edgeton. We not only have outstanding research institutions across our state, but we also have a well-respected culture of partnering and collaboration that allows us to be nimble and responsive. This is a wonderful example.

(C) N.C. Biotechnology Center

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