StemCell Therapy

I'm the Chief Medical Officer of WebMD and also a practicing physician. I have a keen interest in getting people better information so they can have better health. Diabetes is one of those areas where there are so many myths. Sadly, misinformation can lead to poor health. More than 34 million Americans have diabetes that's nearly 1 out of every 10 people. Over 1.5 million people are diagnosed every single year. Another 88 million people have prediabetes. And the numbers are going up. As a nation and as individuals, we need to get our blood sugar under control. The first step is getting good information about the signs and symptoms of diabetes. Read on to find out moreand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

There are different signs and different people present with different symptoms. In general one of the first signs is polyuria a fancy word that basically means you start to pee a lot. What's a lot? Most people urinate 8-10 times a day; if you are going to the bathroom 12 or more times a day, it's time to get checked. The high sugar in your blood is also making sugar go into your urine and that's pulling water out of your cells. Therefore, you urinate much more frequently.

Because of the increased urination, you typically become more thirsty. You tend to be thirsty all the time, even after you drink. It's a thirst that lasts throughout the day, even after night. You just can't seem to quench your thirst. I will always remember my patient, Mary, who knew something was wrong. "Dr. Whyte, I was drinking water constantly and I don't even like water. When I drank from the sink one day, I knew I had to come in!"

Although most people gain weight when they have diabetes, and they have more food cravings, some people actually lose weight early on with untreated and undiagnosed diabetes. Insulin resistance prevents the body from getting glucose from the blood into the body's cells to use as energy. When this occurs, the body starts burning fat and muscle for energy, causing a loss in body weight. Your body also dumps a lot of sugar in the urine, reducing your number of calories. This is not a healthy weight loss.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Numbness and tingling often result after several years of diabetes. But because people often don't know the signs and symptoms, some present with tingling in their hands and feet. It's called "diabetic neuropathy" and is nerve damage caused by chronically high blood sugar. It leads to numbness, loss of sensation, and sometimes pain in your feet, legs, or hands. The bad news is that once you develop diabetic neuropathy, it can be very hard to treat. Medications often treat symptoms but don't reverse the damage. The key is to prevent it from developing.

Sometimes people complain of fatigue. They are tired all the time. It's not a feeling that is just a few days but rather goes on for months. People often think they are working too hard or just out of shape. Fatigue can be the result of several health conditions but if you are more tired than usual, it is a good idea to get checked for diabetes since high blood sugar from insulin resistance prevents you from getting the energy your cells need.

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should immediately go to the doctor and get a lab test. There are numerous tests, and you don't always have to be fasting. The doctor may do a random plasma glucose and a glycosylated hemoglobin. Based on those results, your doctor will decide with you the best next steps. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that everyone over the age of 45 be screened for pre-diabetes and diabetes. In addition, the ADA also recommends adults at any age get screened who are overweight or has one or more risk factors.

Diabetes is a serious disease. It's the number one cause of blindness in the US and a leading cause of kidney disease. It increases one's risk of heart disease and stroke dramatically. The encouraging news is there are numerous options to treat it including lifestyle changes and drugs. For many people, if they change the way they eat, exercise, and deal with stress, and act early, they may be able to reverse Type 2 diabetes or at least prevent its complications. And to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

Dr. John Whyte CMO of WebMD is an expert on preventative care and author of the Take Control Series.

John Whyte, MD, MPH

More:
Warning Signs of Diabetes, Says Physician Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

During (National) Diabetes Awareness Week from 13 to 19 June 2022, Neuropad a 10-minute pain-free screening test for the early detection of diabetic foot syndrome, a condition which can lead to serious complications such as foot ulceration, and amputation is raising awareness about this condition. Foot complications are the most feared of all the complications of diabetes, however, alarmingly, 30% of people with diabetes are unaware that foot complications are common and serious if detected late. Another sobering statistic is that the five-year mortality post amputation is worse than most common cancers and much higher than breast cancer.

Nerve damage to the feet is a common complication of diabetes, but often goes unnoticed. Neuropad helps solve this problem with a simple colour change test, that provides an early warning sign.

Neuropad believes in prevention is better than the cure and is supported by the Paula Carr Diabetes Trust and has also recently been recommended by the National Advisory Panel for Care Home Diabetes (NAPCHD) in its new national guidance for care home operators and their staff. Neuropad doesnt need a healthcare professional to apply the test and people can easily do the test at home unaided.

The NAPCHD new national guidance, has been created by an eminent panel of UK healthcare professionals led by Professor Alan Sinclair FRCP. The panel included Professor Gerry Rayman FRCP, MBE, a well-known and respected expert in diabetic foot disease and pioneer of the Touch the Toes Test (TTT) for the detection of sensory neuropathy, which is a complementary test to Neuropad. The new guidance recommends care home staff to screen residents with diabetes at risk of developing peripheral neuropathy with Neuropad in conjunction with the TTT. Half of all people with diabetes may develop peripheral neuropathy, including peripheral autonomic neuropathy. Often complications develop before treatment starts and early identification of possible problems is an advantage, allowing interventions to start early.

UK government data - published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities - looked at the three years leading up to the pandemic. It found 13 out of 135 local areas in England had significantly higher rates of foot amputations. It is believed up to 80% of foot amputations could be avoided with better care.

The charity Diabetes UK has stated that these figures were incredibly concerning and the figures "shined a light on the scale of the crisis facing diabetes care." It warned access to support was likely to have become worse during the pandemic. A recent report by the charity said lives would be needlessly lost because of disruption to services over the past two years.

80,000 people in England have a foot ulcer each year and 8,000 lose a limb because of diabetes. These types of amputations are a sign patients have not received adequate care, as poorly controlled diabetes increases the risk of foot ulcers and infections. It costs NHS England 1.1 billion in direct medical costs alone. Neuropad believes it is a ticking time bomb, which gets worse each year by between 15% and 20%.

The Paula Carr Diabetes Trust is an independent charitable trust supporting people in Kent & Medway living with diabetes. It has been using Neuropad in its centres, where diabetes specialists provide integrated care, treatment, screening, and health education for people living with diabetes in their areas.

Gary Fagg, MBE, Chairman of Trustees at the Paula Carr Diabetes Trust says, If you have diabetes your feet need special attention, because diabetes can reduce the supply of blood to your feet and cause a loss of feeling. People may not notice that they have lost the feeling in their feet so there is risk that a minor injury could develop into serious complications, including amputation due to gangrene. This is where Neuropad comes in, a simple pain-free patch test for the feet, will help people avoid and detect any problems early on. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people being seen in time by the NHS and at the Trust we are seeing a rise in unnecessary amputations. This is another pandemic! We fully support Neuropad, a test that people can do at home.

Gary Fagg, MBE, is happy to talk about how he lost his younger brother who died of diabetes, who had lost his leg to this disease.

Prof. Sinclair, Internationally and Nationally Recognised In The Field Of Diabetes In Older People, World Health Organization-recognised Expert In Diabetes says, Neuropad offers the opportunity to test for the early signs of distal neuropathy which is an important risk factor for diabetic foot disease. In people with diabetes who because of moderate to severe frailty, dementia, or sensory deficits affecting the eyes or hearing, the Neuropad test provides an assessment of nerve function that does not require verbal input from the individual being examined. As such, it can be seen as a complimentary test to other more established tests of neuropathy.

John Simpson, CEO Neuropad says, Look at these dreadful statistics - 80,000 people in England have a foot ulcer each year and 8,000 lose a limb because of diabetes! Neuropad has the potential to be a real game-changer, as the early detection of foot ulcers will allow treatment to start quickly and consequently will have the potential to have positive economic benefits too. The Neuropad test will go towards helping to provide the highest possible standards of diabetes care and level the playing field in terms of health inequality as it is so easy to use.

How Neuropad Works

Damage to the nerves in the feet because of diabetes can result in the sweat glands not producing enough moisture, leading to dry and cracked feet. The medical term for this is sudomotor dysfunction. Neuropad which has undergone rigorous academic research, is stuck to the sole of each foot like a sticking plaster and left in place for 10 minutes. The pad is blue to start with and should turn pink, in the presence of moisture from sweating, to indicate a normal result. If the Neuropad test patch stays blue, or if it turns a patchy blue/pink, then this indicates that you may have some level of nerve damage and that your sweat glands are not working properly as there is not enough moisture to complete the colour change. Colour blindness may make it difficult to distinguish blue from pink. If that is the case, then ask for help to check the results.

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Foot Disease: The Most Feared Of All The Consequences Of Diabetes - Pressat

Many cancer survivors may think the stress and anxiety are cured along with the disease, but that is not always the case. Stress, anxiety and pain can remain after cancer treatment has ended but practicing daily meditation may help.

Meditation is a mind-body complementary therapy that research has shown improves mood and sleep, in addition to helping with anxiety and pain. These are side effects that cancer survivors commonly encounter as a result of their disease and treatment. So how can meditation help and how to start?

Erin OCarroll Bantum, a clinical health psychologist at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center spoke with Heal, a sister publication of CURE, about meditation.

What is meditation and how can it help?

There are many different types of meditation, Bantum explained, but she primarily focuses on mindfulness meditation for cancer survivors.

Mindfulness meditation allows someone to notice their racing thoughts and sensations in their body, and oftentimes, in simply noticing, the body and mind can calm. Bantum described mindfulness meditation as paying attention to what is, noticing experiences and being with them but not attaching to them.

As previously mentioned, research has demonstrated that mindfulness mediation can improve things such as pain, how pain is perceived, anxiety and stress. And current research is evaluating if it also can improve neuropathy a common side effect in cancer survivors.

I like to think of it as more of an umbrella intervention, she explained. There are going to be specific side or late effects that we will want to impact (with meditation) that are bothersome to people. But the general practice is to really look at our overall experience. As we do that and extend that into our everyday life, it becomes relevant in interactions with others (and) it can improve our function and social interactions.

Bantum added that many cancer survivors who come to her looking for a new approach to ease what they are going through often feel isolated. They may feel lost after treatment is over and that others dont understand what they are going through. Meditation has been shown to improve mood, so this might be helpful for cancer survivors who are feeling this way, Bantum explained.

I think building those habits in general such as mindfulness meditation having those things we can consistently do for our physical and mental health, I think that stability is really grounding when the experience of cancer can be so ungrounding, she said.

Tips for meditating

Bantum noted that it is important to make a commitment to meditation she said the best way to reap the benefits is to practice every day. It is not a long process, she said. A good start would be five to 10 minutes then working up to 20 minutes of mindfulness meditation, either first thing in the morning or right before bed.

I think sometimes if we expect something unreasonable, in terms of how much time we actually have to devote, we can feel overwhelmed and then we might not practice at all, she added. Try to suspend any judgment about the experience for a while. Give yourself a few weeks if you can, and even if it feels like its going nowhere, see how it really feels to continue the practice. The best way to know what to keep including in your life is to really feel it out yourself, especially if you can sit through some natural discomfort to see whats underneath.

A step-by-step guide to start meditating

Bantum explained that meditation can be overwhelming at first. When sitting down and trying not to think of anything, often everything then comes to mind. But if a cancer survivor would like to try meditation, she recommends following these steps:

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, dont forget tosubscribe to CUREs newsletters here.

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How Mindfulness Meditation May Help Ease Stress and Anxiety in Cancer Survivors, and Where to Start - Curetoday.com

When you are looking to find the best strain to treat your pain, you need to be sure to look into the different types of cannabis strains and their effects. While it is common for a strain to be effective for treating certain types of pain, this is not always the case. Some companies produce strains that have different effects. It is important to research the different properties of different strains to find the best one and buy marijuana seeds only at at a trusted source if you want to grow them at home

The main terpenes of a strain vary, as can the CBD/THC ratio. Other cannabinoids such as CBG and CBN are present in some strains. Because everyones physiology and experience with cannabis is different, you will need to experiment with several strains before finding one that works for you.

If you are looking for a potent pain reliever, consider an Indica strain. This strain is known for its sedative and calming effects, and it is also very popular with nighttime smokers. Its high concentrations of terpenes make it effective for relieving pain and inflammation, but it also makes the user sleepy. Typically, you should save this strain for nighttime use.

The most popular and effective indica strain for pain treatment is Northern Lights. This strain is so powerful that it completely relaxes the body without giving the user a psychoactive high. It can relieve neuropathic pain and is easily available at most medical marijuana dispensaries. It also works well for neuropathic pain, as its body high will relieve all the tension. However, it is important to note that neuropathic pain is not the only type of chronic pain that can be relieved by cannabis.

An indica plant is native to the mountainous regions of the world, and was adapted to cold climates by incorporating many characteristics of its natural habitat. Its shorter squat structure makes it an ideal candidate for pain relief. It produces dense buds and flowers, and is also known for its sedative and body-oriented effects. This plant is also popular with those who suffer from muscle spasms and insomnia.

The effects of cannabis vary widely depending on the type of terpenes present in the plant. Those with the highest levels of terpenes, known as cannabinoids, are known for their euphoric effects. In addition, terpenes are known to enhance the effects of major cannabinoids, such as THC. The majority of cannabis contains terpenes, and a large number of terpenes help them to function in the body.

Choosing the right sativa or indica strain for your specific pain is a matter of trial and error. Luckily, most dispensaries offer knowledgeable staff who can help you choose the right strain. It is essential to take a look at the product label to determine what type of strain will work best for your particular pain. This way, you will be sure to select the best one for you.

The Jack Herer marijuana strain is a popular medical strain used to treat chronic pain, depression, and anxiety. Known for its high THC content, Jack Herer is often used to treat various ailment conditions, including migraines and chronic pain. This strain is also effective for treating PTSD and ADHD. The high THC content of Jack Herer can help relieve symptoms of chronic pain and relieve inflammation.

The Jack Herer cannabis strain was developed in the Netherlands in the mid-1990s. Dutch pharmacies distributed this strain as a medical-grade strain. The pine-scented, spicy cannabis plant has won numerous awards. Many breeders have attempted to grow Jack Herer in Mediterranean or sunny climates. Indoor growers should allow 50 to 70 days for flowering. This strain is often recommended for patients with back pain, arthritis, and other chronic pain.

The benefits of the Afghani strain are diverse and range from sedative to physical. The strain is a convenient alternative to pharmaceutical painkillers, reducing the need for sleep. The high THC content in the Afghani strain is a potent pain reliever and helps reduce nausea and anxiety. Many people find this strain to be a calming alternative to prescribed medication. This cannabis strain is also known for its sedative effect and is suitable for treating chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia. Its euphoric effects and ability to cure pain can also be attributed to its calming and meditative properties.

Although the Cannatonic has low levels of THC and sedative effects, its uplifting effects make it a good choice for chronic pain and neuropathy. Its uplifting effects help combat the negative emotions caused by chronic pain. Another good choice for treating pain is the Jack Herer, a mild sativa strain with an average THC content of 18-24%. Jack Herer has an uplifting cerebral and physical high. Its a good choice for new cannabis users who are concerned about their health or the type of pain they suffer.

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TYPES OF CANNABIS STRAINS AND THE TYPE OF PAIN THEY TREAT - GISuser.com

Final Report will add the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on this Canine Stem Cell Therapy industry.Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market watch out for new highest revenue Study Reports 2022 with Top Countries Data 2022 , with 115 Report Page, Current Trends 2022, Future Estimations and Opportunity Analysis, TableofContent, Top Countries key players in a business ,,Stroypribor,C-Therm Technologies,Xiatech,TA Instruments,Hot Disk,Xiangke Yiqi,Linseis,EKO Instruments,Hukseflux,Ziwei Electromechanical,Netzsch,Kyoto Electronics,Dazhan,Taurus Instruments,,

In 2022, Canine Stem Cell Therapy MarketSize, Status and Development Strategy Pre and Post COVID-19, by Corporate Strategy Analysis, Landscape, Type, Application, and Leading 20 Countries

What is Canine Stem Cell Therapy Industry Insights?

Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market growth and Trend By Type (,Allogeneic Stem Cells,Autologous Stem Cells,,,), By Application ( ,Veterinary Hospitals,Veterinary Clinics,Veterinary Research Institutes,, ) Geography (North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), South America (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)) Industry Trends 2022.

Canine Stem Cell Therapy market identifies the increase in RandD of therapeutic vaccines as one of the prime reasons driving the Canine Stem Cell Therapy market growth during the next few years. Also, increased disease diagnostic modalities, and increasing research on combination therapies will lead to sizable demand in the market.

Canine Stem Cell Therapy refers to the treatment of canine joint-related diseases using stem cells. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are the most common and most desirable adult stem cells because of their safety, their ability to be harvested and used, and the ability to differentiate into multiple cell lineages. Most early clinical studies have focused on adipose-derived stem cells for the treatment of a variety of chronic diseases such as arthritis, tendinitis, lameness and atopic dermatitis in dogs. A lot of attention in veterinary medicine is the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs.

The Canine Stem Cell Therapy market revenue was Million USD in 2016, grew to Million USD in 2020, and will reach Million USD in 2026, with a CAGR of during 2020-2026.

Global Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market Development Strategy Pre and Post COVID-19, by Corporate Strategy Analysis, Landscape, Type, Application, and Leading 20 Countries covers and analyzes the potential of the global Canine Stem Cell Therapy industry, providing statistical information about market dynamics, growth factors, major challenges, PEST analysis and market entry strategy Analysis, opportunities and forecasts. The biggest highlight of the report is to provide companies in the industry with a strategic analysis of the impact of COVID-19. At the same time, this report analyzed the market of leading 20 countries and introduce the market potential of these countries.

COVID-19 / Great lockdown has compress the global economy and with it the manufacturing sector, production, disruption, financial.

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Who are some of the key players operating in the Canine Stem Cell Therapy market and how high is the competition 2022?

Company Information: List by Country Top Manufacturers/ Key Players In Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market Insights Report Are:

Get a sample copy of the Canine Stem Cell Therapy market report 2022

It also discussions about the market size of different segments and their growth aspects along with Competitive benchmarking, Historical data and forecasts, Company revenue shares, Regional opportunities, Latest trends and dynamics, growth trends, various stakeholders like investors, CEOs, traders, suppliers, Research and media, Global Manager, Director, President, SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization and others. Revenue forecast, company share, competitive landscape, growth factors and trends

What are the major applications and type, of Canine Stem Cell Therapy?

In on the basis of types, the Thermal Conductivity Measuring Apparatus market from 2015 to 2025 is primarily split into:

In on the basis of applications, the Thermal Conductivity Measuring Apparatus market from 2015 to 2025 covers:

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360 market updates presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Our antimicrobial therapeutics market covers the following areas: Canine Stem Cell Therapy market sizing Canine Stem Cell Therapy market forecast Canine Stem Cell Therapy market industry analysis

What is our report scope?

This report focuses on the Canine Stem Cell Therapy in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application. The Canine Stem Cell Therapy market report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market.

What are the major regional markets of Canine Stem Cell Therapy in Global, according to the 360 market updates report?

Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market analysis, by Geography: Major regions covered within the report: Consumption by Region 2022:-

North America,U.S.,Canada,Europe,Germany,France,U.K.,Italy,Russia,Asia-Pacific,China,Japan,SouthKorea,India,Australia,Taiwan,Indonesia,Thailand,Malaysia,Philippines,Vietnam,Latin America,Mexico,Brazil,Argentina,Middle East and Africa,Turkey,Saudi Arabia,U.A.E

The report can help to know the market and strategize for business expansion accordingly. Within the strategy analysis, it gives insights from market positioning and marketing channel to potential growth strategies, providing in-depth analysis for brand fresh entrants or exists competitors within the Canine Stem Cell Therapy industry. Global Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market Report 2022 provides exclusive statistics, data, information, trends and competitive landscape details during this niche sector.

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With tables and figures helping analyze worldwide Global Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market Forecast this research provides key statistics on the state of the industry and should be a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.

Major Points from Table of Contents:

Table of Content

1 Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market Definition and Overview

1.1 Objectives of the Study

1.2 Overview of Canine Stem Cell Therapy

1.3 Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market Scope and Market Size Estimation

1.4 Market Segmentation

1.4.1 Types of Canine Stem Cell Therapy

1.4.2 Applications of Canine Stem Cell Therapy

1.5 Market Exchange Rate

2 Research Method and Logic

2.1 Methodology

2.2 Research Data Source

3 Market Competition Analysis

3.1 Aratana Therapeutics Market Performance Analysis

3.1.1 Aratana Therapeutics Basic Information

3.1.2 Product and Service Analysis

3.1.3 Strategies for Company to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19

3.1.4 Aratana Therapeutics Sales, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2016-2022

3.2 Stem Cell Vet Market Performance Analysis

3.2.1 Stem Cell Vet Basic Information

3.2.2 Product and Service Analysis

3.2.3 Strategies for Company to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19

3.2.4 Stem Cell Vet Sales, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2016-2022

3.3 Magellan Stem Cells Market Performance Analysis

3.3.1 Magellan Stem Cells Basic Information

3.3.2 Product and Service Analysis

3.3.3 Strategies for Company to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19

3.3.4 Magellan Stem Cells Sales, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2016-2022

3.4 Cell Therapy Sciences Market Performance Analysis

3.4.1 Cell Therapy Sciences Basic Information

3.4.2 Product and Service Analysis

3.4.3 Strategies for Company to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19

3.4.4 Cell Therapy Sciences Sales, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2016-2022

3.5 VetStem Biopharma Market Performance Analysis

3.5.1 VetStem Biopharma Basic Information

3.5.2 Product and Service Analysis

3.5.3 Strategies for Company to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19

3.5.4 VetStem Biopharma Sales, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2016-2022

3.6 Medrego Market Performance Analysis

3.6.1 Medrego Basic Information

3.6.2 Product and Service Analysis

3.6.3 Strategies for Company to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19

3.6.4 Medrego Sales, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2016-2022

3.7 Regeneus Ltd Market Performance Analysis

3.7.1 Regeneus Ltd Basic Information

3.7.2 Product and Service Analysis

3.7.3 Strategies for Company to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19

3.7.4 Regeneus Ltd Sales, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2016-2022

3.8 MediVet Biologic Market Performance Analysis

3.8.1 MediVet Biologic Basic Information

3.8.2 Product and Service Analysis

3.8.3 Strategies for Company to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19

3.8.4 MediVet Biologic Sales, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2016-2022

3.9 Okyanos Market Performance Analysis

3.9.1 Okyanos Basic Information

3.9.2 Product and Service Analysis

3.9.3 Strategies for Company to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19

3.9.4 Okyanos Sales, Value, Price, Gross Margin 2016-2022

4 Market Segment by Type, Historical Data and Market Forecasts

4.1 Global Canine Stem Cell Therapy Production and Value by Type

4.1.1 Global Canine Stem Cell Therapy Production by Type 2016-2022

4.1.2 Global Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market Value by Type 2016-2022

4.2 Global Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market Production, Value and Growth Rate by Type 2016-2022

4.2.1 Allogeneic Stem Cells Market Production, Value and Growth Rate

4.2.2 Autologous Stem Cells Market Production, Value and Growth Rate

4.3 Global Canine Stem Cell Therapy Production and Value Forecast by Type

4.3.1 Global Canine Stem Cell Therapy Production Forecast by Type 2022-2026

4.3.2 Global Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market Value Forecast by Type 2022-2026

4.4 Global Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market Production, Value and Growth Rate by Type Forecast 2022-2026

4.4.1 Allogeneic Stem Cells Market Production, Value and Growth Rate Forecast

4.4.2 Autologous Stem Cells Market Production, Value and Growth Rate Forecast

5 Market Segment by Application, Historical Data and Market Forecasts

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Canine Stem Cell Therapy Market Size 2022 with a CAGR of % Market Share, prime companies report covers, world business Trends, Statistics, Definition,...

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Max, five, from Sutton, was diagnosed as autistic when he was three-years-old. He is non verbal, but makes repetitive noises such as screeching and screaming sounds to communicate.

His brother, Noah, eight, who also has autism, has pledged to read a different book each evening in the hope of raising funds.

Rebecca Brett, 38, Max and Noahs mum, said: Max runs non stop, climbs, bounces and makes repetitive noises.

"He struggles to fall asleep and frequently wakes at midnight or 1am and will stay awake all night.

"Max eats a very limited diet and consequently suffers with severe constipation. As a result he has been hospitalised several times and needed medical interventions.

"He really struggles to make eye contact and now often removes his cochlear implants leaving him with no access to sound.

"We just want people to see him for the wonderful little boy he is and give him a chance.

"With your help and support we can provide Max with an opportunity to move forward with stem cell therapy which has proven to assist and reduce the severe impact autism has on his life and give him a chance to regain some of the basic qualities of life that he deserves.

"Noah reads a different book each evening and he tries to dress up or add silly voices or get involved with me reading a story and we share the stories on my Facebook site with his charity fundraising page, in the hope of raising funds.

"Noah is raising money to go to America for stem cell therapy for Max. We have had one treatment so far in Vienna, and seen some really promising changes to Max and it has raised our hopes that we can help Max push back his autism and regain more control of his own life.

If you would like to support Max and make a donation towards Noahs reading challenge visit gofund.me/3d02a131.

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Sutton boy pledges to raise money to help his brother with autism go to America for stem cell therapy - Mansfield and Ashfield Chad

While historically lacking in foreign investments, Japans biotech scene is thriving with global investors showing increasing interest. Here are five of the hottest Japanese private companies innovating in the healthcare space.

Japan boasts one of the highest life expectancies in the world, and, faced with a rapidly aging population, is witnessing a growing burden of chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. For this reason, the Japanese healthcare authorities are encouraging research into the treatment and prevention of these diseases, in addition to promoting the potential of regenerative medicine.

In addition to having a roster of healthcare giants including Takeda, Astellas Pharma and Eisai, Japan is also an Asian hotspot for biotech companies. Upcoming startups have historically been limited in foreign funding and reliant on local venture capital players such as Nippon Venture Capital, Shinsei Capital Partners, and the University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners.

In 2021, however, the amount of foreign investment flowing into the Japanese biotech space rose to $98 million, almost triple the haul of previous years. The most prominent global backers included Newton Biocapital, F-Prime Capital, and SoftBank Group. This trend arose as the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a wave of investor enthusiasm in biotechnology around the world.

With the help of local experts, weve listed five of the hottest private biotech companies in Japan. These firms, shown in alphabetical order, have raised large funding rounds in the last two years and are developing innovative treatments for a range of conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease and inflammatory disorders.

Source: Shutterstock

Founded: 2017

Headquarters: Fujisawa

Chordia Therapeutics derives its name from the English term chord referring to a collection of musical notes normally played in harmony. In a similar way, the company aims to work in harmony with stakeholders and collaborators to develop first-in-class small molecule treatments for cancer.

Chordias lead program is a drug that disrupts the processing of RNA in tumor cells. In a healthy cell, RNA molecules are typically transcribed from a DNA template and spliced together to guide the production of new proteins. Some cancer cells accumulate mutations in the RNA splicing machinery and become vulnerable to Chordias drugs that interfere with this process.

Chordia raised $31 million (4 billion yen) in a Series C round in May 2022. The aim of the round was to push the companys lead drug through phase I testing and fund the preclinical development of the rest of its pipeline.

This month, the company announced interim results from the phase I trial of its lead candidate, with four of the recruited patients so far showing signs of responding to the treatment.

Founded: 2015

Headquarters: Tokyo

Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is irreparably damaged and is unable to pump blood. While this deadly condition can be treated with a heart transplant, there is a general shortage of donors available, making a pressing need for alternatives.

In June 2021, the stem cell therapy developer Heartseed raised $36.5 million (4 billion yen) in a Series C round. The mission is to provide a regenerative route to saving the heart via stem cell therapy.

In the lab, Heartseed reprograms skin cells from the patient into a type of stem cell called induced pluripotent stem cells and grows these stem cells into heart muscle cells. The company then injects the muscle cells as a small cluster, or seed, into heart tissue to repair the muscle.

The proceedings from its Series C round will allow Heartseed to take its lead candidate into clinical development, including a phase I/II trial scheduled for later this year. Last year, Heartseed also licensed its treatment to Novo Nordisk in Denmark to co-develop the treatment outside of Japan.

Founded: 2018

Headquarters: Tokyo

LUCA Science hit the headlines in the last week for raising an impressive $30.3 million (3.86 billion yen) in a Series B round. The company is developing an unusual approach for treating a wide range of diseases: delivering a therapy based on mitochondria, the energy production plants in human cells.

One example where the technology could work well is in strokes and heart attacks, where blood flow is blocked to critical tissue in the brain and heart respectively. The reperfusion of blood to these tissues after the blockage can kill the tissue by damaging its mitochondria. Delivering healthy mitochondria could keep the tissue working properly and protect it from harm.

LUCA Science plans to use its recent Series B winnings to accelerate the preclinical development of its mitochondrial therapies and establish its manufacturing process. In May 2022, the firm also inked a collaboration deal with compatriot pharmaceutical company Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. to co-develop a mitochondrial therapy for rare genetic diseases.

Founded: 2016

Headquarters: Boston, U.S., and Tokyo

Modulus Discovery is a preclinical-stage drug discovery specialist. The company focuses on developing small molecule treatments for conditions such as cancer, inflammatory disorders and rare genetic conditions.

The firm uses a mixture of strategies to speed up the drug discovery process. These include simulating target proteins using a supercomputer; structural protein biology; forming collaborations such as with the peptide drug expert PeptiDream; and tapping into global networks for biological expertise. Modulus most advanced drug program is in late-stage preclinical testing for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.

In March 2022, Modulus bagged $20.4 million (2.34 billion yen) in a Series C round. The cash is earmarked to advance the companys R&D programs by expanding its infrastructure, collaborations and headcount.

Founded: 2015

Headquarters: Tokyo

The name Noile-Immune is derived from blending together the phrases no illness and no immunity, no life. This company is developing CAR-T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer, which traditionally consist of extracting the patients immune T cells, engineering them in the lab to hunt down cancer cells, and reinfusing them into the patient.

Unlike approved CAR-T cell therapies, which are limited to treating forms of blood cancer, Noile-Immune aims its therapies at treating solid tumors. The company does this by engineering immune T cells to produce proteins that cause immune cells to migrate into the tumor site.

Noile-Immune is testing its lead candidate in a phase I in patients with solid tumors. The firm is also co-developing therapies with partners including Takeda and the European cell therapy specialists Adaptimmune and Autolus. Additionally, Noile-Immune has an allogeneic version of its cell therapy in the pipeline where immune T cells are sourced from healthy donors rather than the patient.

To finance the clinical development of its lead candidate, Noile-Immune raised $21.8 million (2.38 billion yen) in a Series C round in early 2021. The company hit a setback in January 2022 when a collaboration deal fell through with the U.S. player Legend Biotech. Nonetheless, other external companies remain interested in Noile-Immunes offering, including Japan-based Daiichi Sankyo Company Ltd., which opted to assess Noile-Immunes technology in late 2021.

Cover image via Elena Resko.

Thanks to feedback from Shiohara Azusa, VC Investor at The University of Tokyo Edge Capital, and Hironoshin Nomura, Chief Financial Officer, Sosei Group Corporation.

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Japan's five hottest biotech companies in healthcare - Labiotech.eu

Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - June 14, 2022) - Hemostemix Inc. (TSXV: HEM) (OTCQB: HMTXF) ("Hemostemix" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has incorporated PreCerv Inc. ("PreCerv"), as a wholly owned subsidiary. PreCerv will obtain from Hemostemix a global field of use license to NCP-01 and its autologous stem cell technologies, to treat conditions of the central and peripheral nervous system, including but not limited to the following:

Neuropathic pain syndromes.

Traumatic spinal cord injury, chronic brainstem injury, traumatic brain injury, peripheral nerve injury.

Rare diseases including: syringomyelia, Charcot-Marie tooth disease, and Guillain-Barre syndrome, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), corneal or eye diseases and retinopathies of any cause.

Cerebral stroke

"NCP-01 are autologous neuronal cell precursors which, alone or in combination with ACP-01, have the potential to treat many conditions of the central and peripheral nervous system. I want to thank our medical and science teams for translation of that potential into significant studies, and for introductions to the most talented scientists in this field. By originating a field of use license, PreCerv's new management team will fund its studies to unlock NCP's value for the shareholders of Hemostemix," stated Thomas Smeenk, CEO.

ABOUT HEMOSTEMIX

Hemostemix is a publicly traded autologous stem cell therapy company, founded in 2003. A winner of the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer Award, the Company developed and has published seven peer reviewed articles about the safety and efficacy of its lead product ACP-01 as a treatment of CLI, PAD, Angina, Ischemic Cardiomyopathy, Dilated Cardiomyopathy and other conditions of ischemia. ACP-01 has been used to treat over 300 patients, and it is the subject of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind trial of its safety and efficacy in patients with advanced critical limb ischemia who have exhausted all other options to save their limb from amputation.

Story continues

On October 21, 2019, the Company announced the results from its Phase II CLI trial abstract presentation entitled "Autologous Stem Cell Treatment for CLI Patients with No Revascularization Options: An Update of the Hemostemix ACP-01 Trial With 4.5 Year Follow-up" which noted healing of ulcers and resolution of ischemic rest pain occurred in 83% of patients, with outcomes maintained for up to 4.5 years.

The Company owns 91 patents across five patent families titled: Regulating Stem Cells, In Vitro Techniques for use with Stem Cells, Production from Blood of Cells of Neural Lineage, and Automated Cell Therapy. For more information, please visit http://www.hemostemix.com.

For further information, please contact:

Thomas Smeenk, President, CEO & Co-FounderTSmeenk@Hemostemix.com 905-580-4170

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information in relation to: the incorporation of PreCerv Inc., the completion of studies of NCP-01, or NCP-01 in combination with ACP-01, a financing of PreCerv Inc. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects Hemostemix's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Hemostemix and on assumptions Hemostemix believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the underlying value of Hemostemix and its Common Shares; the results of ACP-01 research, trials, studies and analyses, including the analysis being equivalent to or better than previous research, trials or studies as well as management's expectations of anticipated results; Hemostemix's general and administrative costs remaining relatively constant; the receipt of all required regulatory approvals for research, trials or studies; the level of activity, market acceptance and market trends in the healthcare sector; the economy generally; consumer interest in Hemostemix's services and products; competition and Hemostemix's competitive advantages; and Hemostemix obtaining satisfactory financing to fund Hemostemix's operations including any research, trials or studies, and the Litigation. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Hemostemix to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the ability of Hemostemix to complete its current CLI clinical trial, complete a satisfactory analyses and the results of such analyses and future clinical trials; litigation and potential litigation that Hemostemix may face; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; the actual results of future operations including the actual results of future research, trials or studies; competition; changes in legislation affecting Hemostemix; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; long-term capital requirements and future developments in Hemostemix's markets and the markets in which it expects to compete; lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals; and risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic including various recommendations, orders and measures of governmental authorities to try to limit the pandemic, including travel restrictions, border closures, non-essential business closures, service disruptions, quarantines, self-isolations, shelters-in-place and social distancing, disruptions to markets, disruptions to economic activity and financings, disruptions to supply chains and sales channels, and a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession or depression; the potential impact that the COVID-19 pandemic may have on Hemostemix which may include a decreased demand for the services that Hemostemix offers; and a deterioration of financial markets that could limit Hemostemix's ability to obtain external financing. A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Hemostemix's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at http://www.sedar.com. Although Hemostemix has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of Hemostemix as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, it is subject to change after such date. However, Hemostemix expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/127665

Continued here:
Hemostemix Announces the Incorporation of PreCerv Inc. And a Global Field of Use License to NCP-01 - Yahoo Finance

Columbus, OH (June 1, 2022) More than half of all Americans age 80 or older either have cataracts or have had surgery to remove cataracts, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that cataract is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, and the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate has declared June as Cataract Awareness Month to educate the public on risk factors, symptoms, types of cataract, and cataract surgery.

A cataract is a clouding of the eyes lens which blocks or changes the passage of light into the eye. The lens of the eye is located behind the pupil and the colored iris and is normally transparent. The lens helps to focus images onto the retina which transmits the images to the brain.

There are several possible risk factors for cataracts, such as:

.Age

.Intense heat or long-term exposure to UV rays from the sun

.Certain diseases, such as diabetes

.Inflammation in the eye

.Hereditary influences

.Events before birth, such as German measles in the mother

.Long-term steroid use

.Eye injuries

.Eye diseases

.Smoking

Although rare, cataract may also occur in children, also known as pediatric cataract. Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate has declared 2022 as the Year of Childrens Vision, to raise awareness and education of childrens vision and eye health issues. According to the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS), approximately three out of 10,000 children have a cataract. Pediatric cataracts often occur because of abnormal lens development during pregnancy. Cataracts can result from genetic or eye structural problems, they can run in families, be caused by infections, or they can occur spontaneously without a known cause. Lens malformations that occur in conjunction with medical problems are often the result of a genetic or metabolic problem. These cataracts may be present at birth or may develop during childhood.

For some adults or children with cataract, surgery may be recommended by an eye doctor. The NEI states that cataract surgery is one of the most common operations in the United States. And, 9 out of 10 people who get cataract surgery can see better afterwards with most people being completely healed 8 weeks after their surgery.

For those in need of financial assistance, Mission Cataract USA, coordinated by the Volunteer Eye Surgeons Association, provides free cataract surgery to people of all ages who have no Medicare, Medicaid, third party insurance or any other means to pay for needed cataract surgery.

Cataract is very common and affects more people than any other eye disease, said Amy Pulles, President & CEO of the Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness. The good news is that vision loss from cataract can be restored with treatment. We encourage everyone to learn the facts about cataract and the steps that can be taken to see clearly.

For free information on cataract or cataract surgery, please visit http://preventblindness.org/cataract/, or contact Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate at 800-301-2020 or at: pbohio.org

For a listing of vision care financial assistance programs in English or Spanish, visit: https://preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information/

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Prevent Blindness Provides Educational Information and Resources on the Leading Cause of Vision Loss - WKTN Radio

Reflecting on the ordeal, Bocelli has said in the past: As a child I was very lively and uncontrollable, I loved playing football and one day during a match, I was hit violently in the face with a ball on my right eye, the only one which I could see light and colour with.

"The doctors tried to cure me with various operations and they even used leeches but there was nothing that could be done."

With a continued passion for music, Bocelli refused to give up on his dreams and started to learn how to read music through braille. Giving a rare insight into his process, a few years ago Bocelli shared: You see, learning a part is easy but it is a different thing to have the part in your throat, as we say.

For the difficult sections I use a Braille score, otherwise when I have something to study I have my pianist Carlo come to the house every day.

Original post:
Andrea Bocelli health: 'Doctors tried to cure me' - singer's cause of blindness explained - Express

Gas prices have hit a new record high in the Bay State at $4.84 per gallon.

The cost of butter, bacon, meat and poultry is heading in the same direction. Inflation is just hammering family budgets.

And the state Legislature is moving quickly to override Gov. Charlie Bakers veto of a bill allowing illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. That vote is set for Wednesday in the House.

The lawmakers are not, however, doing anything to lessen the hurt at the pump. Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, New York, California and Michigan have all moved to help by dropping the gas tax or are discussing how to bail residents out.

Alaska, Illinois, Minnesota and Virginia have all discussed it with no action taken yet.

In Massachusetts? Its not that important, it seems, but racing to override the Republican governor at every turn seems to be the go-to move of the day. Its not lost on anyone that this weekends Democratic state party convention was the next step in Maura Healeys front-runner march to the Corner Office.

But, could Democrats be headed for a big surprise come November here? Nationwide theres no doubt voters are fed up with Nancy Pelosis failed leadership of the House with President Biden seemingly tripping over his own dismal poll numbers and looking for excuses.

Bay State Republican gubernatorial candidates Geoff Diehl and Chris Doughty have an opening if the state Legislature continues to ignore just how difficult life has become for taxpayers. A year ago a gallon of regular gas was $2.92 in the state.

With the pandemic easing and more workers being pulled back to the office, the demand for gas is only increasing.

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance announced Friday they intend to hold lawmakers accountable for the override votes on the drivers license bill for illegal immigrants. Recording a vote always makes Democrats sweat.

In his veto, Baker said the RMV cant easily verify identification documents from other countries and that the bill specifically prevents the RMV from sharing citizenship and immigration status with the state entities tasked with ensuring only citizens register to vote, MassFiscal added.

The Governors letter stated, this bill significantly increases the risk that noncitizens will be registered to vote,' the advocacy group added.

Its just a mess. The RMV, an agency that has never earned the confidence of motorists, is now going to oversee this new program that is sure to help some but hurt others. But thats what is important to lawmakers these days.

Forget about the elderly living on fixed incomes or young parents trying to juggle bills.

Instead of thwarting Baker at every turn, the state Legislature needs to do what theyve been elected to do serve the people.

Instead of prioritizing a gas tax suspension, or any kind of broad tax relief aimed at the middle class, Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka have used their political capital to appease the special interest groups that dominate Democratic primaries, said MassFiscals spokesman Paul Diego Craney.

Martha Coakley made a similar mistake. She won her primary for the U.S. Senate in the 2010 special election to fill Ted Kennedys seat. She took a victory lap and put her feet up. That allowed Republican Scott Brown to fire up voters.

She was defeated 52% to 47%. Beacon Hill could be on that same track if enough people ultimately say enough this fall.

See the rest here:
Editorial: Blindness on Beacon Hill - Boston Herald

Published on June 3, 2022

Mumbai: The 80th Annual Conference of the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS), with nearly 24,000 member ophthalmologists, a society with a view to render service to the community through their profession, announced a landmark pledge to reduce preventable blindness in India to 50% by 2025. The cases of preventable blindness occur due to cataract, diabetic eye disease, vitamin A deficiency and trauma related blindness. India has the worlds largest population of the blind, it is estimated that the country has 12 million preventable blindness cases, who will become partially or fully blind, if not treated in time.

Dr. Lalit Verma, President (2022-23), AIOS, elaborated on the theme of the 80th Annual Conference of AIOS and said, Preventable blindness must be addressed with a strong commitment as it impacts individuals quality of life directly and dramatically. It also impacts individual economic activity and consequently impacts the productive output of the entire country. Cataract in the aging can be solved with relative ease and timely eye examinations can help cure diabetic eye disease. Eye diseases due to vitamin A deficiency are also quite simple to solve. Our pledge to reduce preventable blindness to 50% by 2025 is going to be a national initiative with the active involvement of our members.

Dr. Barun Kumar Nayak, President (2021-22), AIOS, added, India has about one ophthalmologist for every 60,000 of our population, which puts a very heavy onus on our profession to take care of the populations eye diseases. Ophthalmologists in India are among the best trained in the world and have been striving untiringly to put their profession to the best use of the citizens of India. We want government to encourage public-private partnerships in this endeavour to bring down preventable blindness. CSR funds of corporate must be allowed to be deployed for this very important social cause.

Padmashree Dr. T.P. Lahane, Organizing Chairman, AIOC 2022, explained the process and averred, The 80th Annual Conference of AIOS is a landmark occasion, undoubtedly the longest series of conferences by any medical association or society. In Maharashtra, we have successfully implemented programs for reducing preventable blindness by holding hundreds of eye camps held over the last three decades. We also create awareness on how to avoid injury to the eyes, each year we have been able to help over 7,00,000 people to come from darkness to light with the help of the government and NGOs. If we adopt the Maharashtra Model nationally, we will be able to bring down preventable blindness across the country significantly.

Dr. Namrata Sharma, Honorary Secretary, AIOS, spoke on further expectations from the government, Government must ban selling chuna to children, as its mishandling can cause eye injuries even leading to blindness. Another major cause of blindness is in factories, and a compulsory inspection of workplaces is needed to see that protective eye wear is made available to every worker in situations where eye injuries are possible and to ensure safety standards are fully followed. Government led advertisement campaigns are needed urging diabetics to seek eye check-ups so that there is mass public awareness.

See the rest here:
Over 5000 ophthalmologists to take pledge to reduce preventable blindness to 50% by 2025 at the 80th All India Ophthalmological Conference 2022 - APN...

Award-winning, colour blind childrens book author and illustrator Steve Antony has partnered with Colour Blind Awareness in a nationwide campaign, inviting schools to redesign the Queens hat.

Inspired by his bestselling childrens book The Queens Hat, schools across the country can download Steve Antonys activity sheet to create their own colourful hat and use a colour blindness simulation app (Chromatic Vision Simulator) to visualise how colour blind people see these creations. This fun activity in celebration of The Queens Platinum Jubilee aims to help schools support their colour blind learners.

IMAGES: A non coloured blind persons view (left). An example of a colour blind persons view (right).

There are a variety of types and severities of colour blindness and it is estimated that the condition affects 1 in 12 boys/men and 1 in 200 girls/women. According to Colour Blind Awareness ongoing studies, 80% of colour-blind children leave primary school undiagnosed despite the reality that, on average, one child in every class will be colour blind.

For further information on how colour blindness impacts childrens learning at school, Colour Blind Awareness has created an education animation below.

Steves red-green colour blindness, also known as deuteranopia, influences his artwork and is part of the reason why his distinguished illustration style often uses limited colour palettes. By encouraging children, teachers and educators to see their own royal hats through the lens of a colour blind person, he hopes that classrooms will become increasingly colour-blind-friendly.

80% of colour-blind children leave primary school undiagnosed despite the reality that, on average, one child in every class will be colour blind

Steve said, Being colour-blind can present all sorts of challenges, especially at school. Often people are surprised by how differently colour-blind people see things, so I really hope this fun Jubilee activity motivates schools to learn more about the condition.

As part of this initiative, Colour Blind Awareness are calling for schools, teachers and parents to do #JustOneThing label all drawing and colouring materials with the colour name, so that colour blind children can work independently.

BBC South Todays coverage of the launch event held at Mountford Manor School in Swindon can be viewed below.

About Steve Antony

Since his 2014 debut, multi-award-winning author-illustrator Steve Antony has written and illustrated 18 picture books, sold over one million copies worldwide, and has had seven of his titles nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal.

HisMr Pandaseries has sold over 700,000 copies worldwide and was recently optioned for TV by Magic Light Pictures. His highly acclaimedThe Queens Hat(the first instalment of The Queen Collection) was adapted into a musical concert by the London Symphony Orchestra and won the Evening Standards Oscars Book Prize. HisQueens-Hat-inspired Shaun the Sheep statue raised 15,000 for the Wallace and Gromit Childrens Charity.

He plays an active role in his local community as Patron to Swindon Libraries Childrens Services and recently designed their library card. He is an Ambassador for The National Literacy Trust, an active supporter of Beanstalk and a vocal advocate for more incidental inclusiveness in childrens literature, having written several articles on the subject. Through his art, Steve has helped raise thousands for various UK charities including My AFK, BookTrust, Willow Foundation and Wallace and Gromit Childrens Charity.

Steve studied at Anglia Ruskin University after taking voluntary redundancy from a Swindon call centre. Steve was part-raised in New Mexico and now lives in Swindon UK with his husband and cat.

Originally posted here:
Children's author Steve Antony raises awareness of colour blindness for The Queen's Platinum Jubilee - Independent Education Today

This week, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) announced that: Given that there is currently no credible evidence to support a therapeutic role for Ivermectin in Covid-19, SAHPRA has decided to terminate the controlled compassionate programme with immediate effect. SAHPRA enabled the programme in response to the demand for access to Ivermectin for human use, which was initiated at the beginning of 2021, after the country had been under lockdown for almost an entire year and was desperate for alternative therapies to treat Covid-19. Prior to the onset of Covid-19, Ivermectin had been used in humans for 35 years and over four billion doses had been administered. In 2015, the two individuals who developed Ivermectin were awarded a Nobel Prize for medicine. However, when Covid-19 came along, Ivermectin was a thorn in the side of the official narrative. Professor Colleen Aldous, a healthcare scientist at UKZNs College of Health Sciences, has valiantly challenged the establishments resistance to Ivermectin throughout the pandemic. After SAHPRAs decision this week, Aldous penned the following article dissecting Ivermectin trials, which credibly evidence the benefits of Ivermectin. Aldous asserts that SAHPRA is wilfully blinded to the totality of the evidence [and] follow only what is fed to them by other reputable national and international bodies. As always, each reader can decide for themselves. Nadya Swart

Pondering SAHPRAs Ivermectin decision

By Professor Colleen Aldous*

On 30 May 2022, SAHPRA shut down their Controlled Compassionate Use Programme for Ivermectin, which they put in place at the end of January 2021. It is not the fact that they have terminated the programme that worries me as much as their reasons for doing so. The compassionate use programme was never going to be permanent, and good housekeeping would require a formal termination. Had their reasons been because no new applications for importation of unregistered Ivermectin products have been received since August 2021. A marked decline in the number of health facilities applying for permission to hold bulk stock was noted after August 2021. No individual named patient applications have been approved since December 2021, and a lack of reporting by the treating healthcare providers of the outcomes achieved was also noted, I would not raise an eyebrow.

But they have said that the latest developments have led to their decision. Lets unpack these from their press release and ponder the scientific integrity of their rationale:

The studies that suggested potential efficacy of Ivermectin in the prevention and treatment of Covid-19 and which motivated the adoption of the programme have since been retracted.

On 25 May 2022, I did a snapshot search on PubMed for all papers published on Ivermectin and Covid-19 or SARS. PubMed is the go-to database for published literature in the medical sciences. My search rendered 317 articles. Of these, 41 studies were carried out in a clinical setting, and two were retracted with retraction notices published. Reading between the lines, I think SAHPRA was referring to the Elgazzar trial, which was included in initial reviews from several authors. Elgazzar has not been heard of again since his study, which was never published beyond preprint format, and had received enormous criticism through the press worldwide, so his work has to be rejected. Nevertheless, most of the meta-analyses that had already been carried out excluded this study, and the results still showed efficacy for various measures of morbidity and mortality.

Another paper that was retracted was Andrew Hills meta-analysis. In January last year, the world was waiting for the promises from Hills work. It was apparently also the Elgazzar study that SAHPRA suggests in their statement, This was due to serious ethical concerns regarding a study on which the meta-analysis heavily relied. At the same time, however, others were also carrying our meta-analyses. The Bryant et al. meta-analysis showed efficacy for Ivermectin even after removing the Elgazzar data but has been ignored. The science of review and meta-analysis has shown me the creeping subjectivism that has come into what is meant to be a very high standard in evidence-based medicine. Right now, I believe the only meta-analysis I can take as truth will be one I am involved in doing.

SAHPRA refers to two 2021 clinical trials that do not support the use of Ivermectin for patients with COVID-19. These are the Malaysian I-Tech study and the TOGETHER trial. Ironically, SAHPRA representatives criticised the literature available in January 2021 as not being credible, yet they base their decisions on these two trials which have been shown to be flawed.

The I-Tech trial was underpowered. Their primary outcome measure was progression to severe disease, a soft outcome that can be subjectively applied. In the study, 52 of 241 patients in the ivermectin arm and 43 of 249 patients (17.3%) in the control group progressed to severe disease. Nevertheless, for other outcomes, Ivermectin clearly showed a trend towards benefit with only four patients on Ivermectin requiring mechanical ventilation occurred vs 10 on placebo, six on Ivermectin requiring intensive care unit admission in vs eight, and three on Ivermectin vs 10 for 28-day in-hospital death.

Whilst their conclusion, the study findings do not support the use of Ivermectin for patients with Covid-19, is true only because a p value of 0.05 was not achieved for the primary outcome, it is misleading as it implies strong evidence against the use. Their Ivermectin arm has an advantage for mortality with a p = 0.09. This means that you can be 91% certain that Ivermectin was effective in preventing mortality in their study. The p value has not done medicine any favour when studies are judged only on this number and not on clinical context.

The TOGETHER trial was designed as a coup de gras to crush the Ivermectin debate. Weeks before its publication, there were press releases internationally stating that the trial found Ivermectin to be ineffective. Since its publication at the end of March, there have been scientists and medical professionals from across the globe who have challenged this trial on grounds of poor design, poor execution and poor reporting of results. Whilst I share the concerns of my colleagues, there is one particular statistic reported in this trial that worries me and that is of the mortality calculated in the placebo group.

Let me explain. There were 679 patients enrolled in the ivermectin and placebo arms respectively. The numbers dropped to 624 and 288 respectively. In the Ivermectin arm, 21 people died out of the 624 who completed the study, and 24 people died out of an unknown number of patients. The researchers clearly did not use the 288 placebo participants who completed the study in the control arm. It appears they may have borrowed placebo participants from other study arms in the broader TOGETHER trial. Why would they do this?

I wrote to the senior author asking the following question for clarity: The placebo group mortality is 24. When I work out the RRR I get the same answer as offered in the paper if I use the ITT (679) number. However, it is not clear to me where the 24 deaths actually come from. How many of the 24 reported deaths in the placebo group occurred among the 288 patients who stayed per-protocol? It is reported how many of the placebo groups hospitalisations occurred in the per-protocol group but not the mortality.

The response from Doctor Edward Mills: Im not interested in this question as its not the correct way to interpret the outcome.

Many scientists from across the globe are incorrectly interpreting the outcome then. In research as we know it, one would work out the mortality in the intervention and the placebo arm, i.e. the 624 and 288. If this was so, then there is a clear survival advantage in the Ivermectin arm with 21/624 and 24/288 deaths in each arm respectively. Clearly there is a new way of calculating mortality in this trial which Dr Mills feels he cannot explain.

On 4 April 2022, Mills wrote to a colleague: I dont understand the psychology of the Ivermectin advocates. They fail to see the positive in this study and just focus on it not being overwhelmingly positive. I actually think it is quite positive. I presented this a couple weeks ago at the NIH Collaboratory Rounds and, if they listened, I advocate that actually, there is a clear signal that IVM works in Covid-19 patients, just that our study didnt achieve significance. In particular, there was a 17% reduction in hospitalisations that would be significant if more patients were added. I really dont view our study as negative and, also in that talk, you will hear me retract previous statements where I had been previously negative. I think if we had continued randomising a few hundred more patients, it would have likely been significant.

There are calls for the TOGETHER trial to be retracted. However, it comes from the New England Journal of Medicine, which appears to be beyond reproach. Ignoring calls for retraction is within their authority. It was also stated that after publication, the data would be made available. Several colleagues have requested the data through the correct channels and have been stonewalled.

The TOGETHER trial has had some success as a coup de grace. SAHPRA refers to the NEMLC and the NICD not supporting Ivermectin. They usually follow what the USA NIH does. The NIH COVID-19 guidelines panel, misled by the TOGETHER trials claims, had no credible scientific basis for its 29 April 2022 changed recommendation on IVM from neutral to negative. Do we have to copycat the West? 47 African nations stood up together in the WHO on 30 May and firmly stated that they would not support WHO reforms. We should be standing up together more frequently against centralised control that may not necessarily have our interests as Africans as primary goals.

In my snapshot analysis of the literature last week, I found lots of data on the safety and efficacy of Ivermectin. Dosages have been worked out based on Mercks own research from the early 2000s. Drug interactions are well known, particularly with Warfarin, side-effects are well documented as being relatively mild and transient. VigiAccess shows 6,558 adverse reactions and 25 deaths for Ivermectin in its decades of use and Remdesiver has 8,763 adverse reactions and 652 deaths since it was introduced three years ago. I will leave the reader to decide how safe or dangerous Ivermectin is.

Yes, it is SAHPRAs obligation to consider all published data, but do they? They make reference only to the two trials and the one meta-analysis from 2021. They are not considering the totality of data. They have ignored all the laboratory and modelling studies that support the use of Ivermectin. They have ignored all the other published meta-analyses that do not fit their argument. And their guiding reputable authorities from the developed world do not always make decisions that are appropriate for us in Africa, so should not be followed without question and depth of thought. Again, I draw attention to our continent standing up against the WHO reforms on 30 May.

The vaccines are not a replacement for Ivermectin, nor vice versa. Ivermectins role is mainly in the early treatment of Covid-19 to prevent progression to severe illness. Colleagues from the USA, SA and Zimbabwe have just had a paper accepted for publication. We show that after Ivermectin is given to a sick patient, their oxygen saturations improve dramatically within 12 hours without oxygen being provided. Having been involved in this research has convinced me of the efficacy and safety of Ivermectin in certain patients at specific times under certain conditions. No large randomised control trial has yet been carried out with appropriate dosages, over the appropriate length of time, and with meals and zinc because Ivermectin is a zinc ionophore.

SAHPRA has a very narrow definition of credible evidence. They are wilfully blinded to the totality of the evidence. They follow only what is fed to them by other reputable national and international bodies. Do they do any research monitoring themselves? They say they will continue to monitor the peer-reviewed, scientific literature regarding the safety and efficacy of Ivermectin. As the public, we should ask them for the evidence that they have started!

Read Also:

The obfuscation of mortality results can be viewed as a crime against humanity Prof Aldous on recent Ivermectin trials

Best of 2021: South Africans have a constitutional right to take Ivermectin to treat Covid-19, says FMF health expert

Best of 2021: SA health regulator gives Ivermectin the red light again! Professor Aldous and Dr Mdladla interrogate

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SAHPRAs Ivermectin decision shows wilful blindness to totality of evidence Professor Aldous - BizNews

News Release

Thursday, June 2, 2022

After 10 years, AREDS2 formula shows increased efficacy compared to original formula, benefit of eliminating beta-carotene.

The Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2) established that dietary supplements can slow progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in older Americans. In a new report, scientists analyzed 10 years of AREDS2 data. They show that the AREDS2 formula, which substituted antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin for beta-carotene, not only reduces risk of lung cancer due to beta-carotene, but is also more effective at reducing risk of AMD progression, compared to the original formula. A report on the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Because beta-carotene increased the risk of lung cancer for current smokers in two NIH-supported studies, our goal with AREDS2 was to create an equally effective supplement formula that could be used by anyone, whether or not they smoke, said Emily Chew, M.D., director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Application at the National Eye Institute (NEI), and lead author of the study report. This 10-year data confirms that not only is the new formula safer, its actually better at slowing AMD progression.

AMD is a degenerative disease of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Progressive death of retinal cells in the macula, the part of the retina that provides clear central vision, eventually leads to blindness. Treatment can slow or reverse vision loss; however, no cure for AMD exists.

The original AREDS study, launched in 1996, showed that a dietary supplement formulation (500 mg vitamin C, 400 international units vitamin E, 2 mg copper, 80 mg zinc, and 15 mg beta-carotene) could significantly slow the progression of AMD from moderate to late disease. However, two concurrent studies also revealed that people who smoked and took beta-carotene had a significantly higher risk of lung cancer than expected.

In AREDS2, begun in 2006, Chew and colleagues compared the beta-carotene formulation to one with 10 mg lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin instead. Like beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants with activity in the retina. The beta-carotene-containing formation was only given to participants who had never smoked or who had quit smoking.

At the end of the five-year AREDS2 study period, the researchers concluded that lutein and zeaxanthin did not increase risk for lung cancer, and that the new formation could reduce the risk of AMD progression by about 26%. After the completion of the five-year study period, the study participants were all offered the final AREDS2 formation that included lutein and zeaxanthin instead of beta-carotene.

In this new report, the researchers followed up with 3,883 of the original 4,203 AREDS2 participants an additional five years from the end of the AREDS2 study in 2011, collecting information on whether their AMD had progressed to late disease, and whether they had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Even though all the participants had switched to the formula containing lutein and zeaxanthin after the end of the study period, the follow up study continued to show that beta-carotene increased risk of lung cancer for people who had ever smoked by nearly double. There was no increased risk for lung cancer in those receiving lutein/zeaxanthin. In addition, after 10 years, the group originally assigned to receive lutein/zeaxanthin had an additional 20% reduced risk of progression to late AMD compared to those originally assigned to receive beta-carotene.

These results confirmed that switching our formula from beta-carotene to lutein and zeaxanthin was the right choice, said Chew.

The study was funded by the NEI Intramural program (EY000546) and through contracts (AREDS2 contract HHS-N-260-2005-00007-C; ADB contract NO1-EY-5-0007; AREDS Contract NOI-EY-0-2127, and contract HHS-N-263-2013-00005-C). The AREDS2 contracts were supported by the NIH Office of Dietary Office of Dietary Supplements, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the National Institute on Aging, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The study took place at the NIH Clinical Center.

NEI leads the federal governments research on the visual system and eye diseases. NEI supports basic and clinical science programs to develop sight-saving treatments and address special needs of people with vision loss. For more information, visit https://www.nei.nih.gov.

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

Chew EY, Clemons TE, Agron E, Domalpally A, Keenan TDL, Vitale S, Weber C, Smith DC, Christen W, for the AREDS2 Research group. Long-term outcomes of adding Lutein/Zeaxanthin and Omega-3 Fatty Acids to the AREDS Supplements on Age-Related Macular Degeneration Progression: AREDS2 Report #28. JAMA Ophthalmology. June 2, 2022.

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Link:
NIH study confirms benefit of supplements for slowing age-related macular degeneration - National Institutes of Health (.gov)

Engineering | News releases | Technology

June 1, 2022

University of Washington researchers worked with screen-reader users to design VoxLens, a JavaScript plugin that with one additional line of code allows people to interact with visualizations. Millions of Americans use screen readers for a variety of reasons, including complete or partial blindness, learning disabilities or motion sensitivity. Shown here is a screen reader with a refreshable Braille display.Elizabeth Woolner/Unsplash

Interactive visualizations have changed the way we understand our lives. For example, they can showcase the number of coronavirus infections in each state.

But these graphics often are not accessible to people who use screen readers, software programs that scan the contents of a computer screen and make the contents available via a synthesized voice or Braille. Millions of Americans use screen readers for a variety of reasons, including complete or partial blindness, learning disabilities or motion sensitivity.

University of Washington researchers worked with screen-reader users to design VoxLens, a JavaScript plugin that with one additional line of code allows people to interact with visualizations. VoxLens users can gain a high-level summary of the information described in a graph, listen to a graph translated into sound or use voice-activated commands to ask specific questions about the data, such as the mean or the minimum value.

The team presented this project May 3 at CHI 2022 in New Orleans.

If Im looking at a graph, I can pull out whatever information I am interested in, maybe its the overall trend or maybe its the maximum, said lead author Ather Sharif, a UW doctoral student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. Right now, screen-reader users either get very little or no information about online visualizations, which, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, can sometimes be a matter of life and death. The goal of our project is to give screen-reader users a platform where they can extract as much or as little information as they want.

Screen readers can inform users about the text on a screen because its what researchers call one-dimensional information.

There is a start and an end of a sentence and everything else comes in between, said co-senior author Jacob O. Wobbrock, UW professor in the Information School. But as soon as you move things into two dimensional spaces, such as visualizations, theres no clear start and finish. Its just not structured in the same way, which means theres no obvious entry point or sequencing for screen readers.

The team started the project by working with five screen-reader users with partial or complete blindness to figure out how a potential tool could work.

In the field of accessibility, its really important to follow the principle of nothing about us without us,' Sharif said. Were not going to build something and then see how it works. Were going to build it taking users feedback into account. We want to build what they need.

To implement VoxLens, visualization designers only need to add a single line of code.

We didnt want people to jump from one visualization to another and experience inconsistent information, Sharif said. We made VoxLens a public library, which means that youre going to hear the same kind of summary for all visualizations. Designers can just add that one line of code and then we do the rest.

The researchers evaluated VoxLens by recruiting 22 screen-reader users who were either completely or partially blind. Participants learned how to use VoxLens and then completed nine tasks, each of which involved answering questions about a visualization.

Participants learned how to use VoxLens and then completed nine tasks (one of which is shown here), each of which involved answering questions about a visualization. Each task was divided into three pages. Page 1 (labeled with a) presented the question a participant would be answering, page 2 (b) displayed the question and the visualization and page 3 (c) showed the question with four multiple choice responses.Sharif et al./CHI 2022

Compared to participants from a previous study who did not have access to this tool, VoxLens users completed the tasks with 122% increased accuracy and 36% decreased interaction time.

We want people to interact with a graph as much as they want, but we also dont want them to spend an hour trying to find what the maximum is, Sharif said. In our study, interaction time refers to how long it takes to extract information, and thats why reducing it is a good thing.

The team also interviewed six participants about their experiences.

We wanted to make sure that these accuracy and interaction time numbers we saw were reflected in how the participants were feeling about VoxLens, Sharif said. We got really positive feedback. Someone told us theyve been trying to access visualizations for the past 12 years and this was the first time they were able to do so easily.

Right now, VoxLens only works for visualizations that are created using JavaScript libraries, such as D3, chart.js or Google Sheets. But the team is working on expanding to other popular visualization platforms. The researchers also acknowledged that the voice-recognition system can be frustrating to use.

This work is part of a much larger agenda for us removing bias in design, said co-senior author Katharina Reinecke, UW associate professor in the Allen School. When we build technology, we tend to think of people who are like us and who have the same abilities as we do. For example, D3 has really revolutionized access to visualizations online and improved how people can understand information. But there are values ingrained in it and people are left out. Its really important that we start thinking more about how to make technology useful for everybody.

Additional co-authors on this paper are Olivia Wang, a UW undergraduate student in the Allen School, and Alida Muongchan, a UW undergraduate student studying human centered design and engineering. This research was funded by the Mani Charitable Foundation, the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public, and the University of Washington Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences.

For more information, contact Sharif at asharif@cs.washington.edu, Wobbrock at wobbrock@uw.edu and Reinecke reinecke@cs.washington.edu.

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VoxLens: Adding one line of code can make some interactive visualizations accessible to screen-reader users - University of Washington

Exclusive:

Cataracts - the world's leading cause of blindness - see the small transparent disc develop cloudy patches that become bigger causing blurry, misty vision and eventually blindness

Image: Getty Images)

People with failing eyesight have been forced to wait more than a year for NHS operations to remove cataracts, official figures reveal.

Cataracts are the worlds leading cause of blindness affecting more than half of Brits over 65.

Charities warn huge delays could leave many elderly people losing their ability to live independently.

Patients in North Warwickshire waited on average 377 days in 2020/21 for the procedure according to new NHS Digital data for the last three years released to the Mirror.

This is more than double the waits at the regional clinical commissioning group (CCG) with the longest average waits in 2017/18 which was around four and a half months.

Provisional data for 2021/22 shows at least four CCGs covering millions of patients where average waits are longer than six months.

Image:

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said: Cataracts are a hazard of later life that left untreated can make older people anxious and depressed, rob them of confidence and put them at increased risk of falls.

They also make it much more difficult for older people to get out and about, or to read, and are generally hugely disruptive for any sort of normal life.

These long waits mean that huge numbers of older people are living with pain, discomfort and stress not knowing when they will get the help they need.

We know the NHS is under intense pressure and doing its level best to catch up post pandemic but the truth is that for many older people there is no relief immediately in sight, making this a really tough time for them.

Cataracts see the small transparent disc develop cloudy patches that become bigger causing blurry, misty vision and eventually blindness.

In young people lenses are usually like clear glass allowing us to see through them. As we get older, they start to become frosted, like bathroom glass and limit our vision.

Average waits overall for cataracts improved in latest 2021/22 data but still saw patients waiting over seven-and-a-half months.

Patients in Leicester waited longest last year at 229 days on average.

Its CCG was followed by Somerset at 224 days, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin at 222 days, West Suffolk at 219 days and Stoke-on-Trent at 161 days.

Louise Gow, eye lead at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, said: Were concerned by data that shows patients in some trusts are now waiting longer for ophthalmology procedures than they were two years ago during the height of the pandemic.

While we understand that ophthalmologists have worked extremely hard to ensure patients are seen as quickly as possible, for patients and their families. Being on a waiting list for any length of time brings anxiety and uncertainty.

Although those facing a delay for cataract surgery are not at risk of permanent loss of vision, they are losing out on improved quality of life, greater independence and are at increased risk of falls due to poor vision and people also share with us the knock-on effect this can have on their mental well-being.

The provisional data for the most recent financial year of 2021/22, which did not include all CCGs, suggested improved average cataract surgery waits overall in the NHS.

The average wait for the procedure was just over two-and-a-half months - or 79 days - compared to 115 days in 2020/21.

Following the year-long cataract waits Coventry and Warwickshire CCG was formed from Warwickshire North and two neighbouring CCGs in April 2021.

A spokesman for Coventry and Warwickshire CCG said: The pandemic meant that unfortunately we had to pause many non-emergency operations while we responded to the immediate challenges of Covid-19.

Restoring our services is a priority for us and average waiting times for cataract operations have now significantly reduced in our area.

A spokesman for Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland (LLR) healthcare said: Responding to Covid meant that some operations were postponed during the pandemic.

We know that waiting for treatment is frustrating for patients and understand the impact it has on them. We are now fully focused on reducing waiting times as local services move back to pre-pandemic levels.

To help improve the situation we are also increasing the availability of cataract treatments through other providers.

The RNIBs Sight Loss Advice Service on 0303 123 9999 can provide support and practical advice about coping with reduced sight the support available.

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Patients with cataracts forced to wait for a year to get NHS surgery during Covid - The Mirror

In May, an interdisciplinary MUSC research team won an inaugural Blue Sky Award, which provided $100,000 in funding for its project to restore vision in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by recharging the eye cells batteries. The Blue Sky Award was created to encourage high-risk, high-reward research that has the potential to make a profound impact on patient care but is unlikely to attract traditional funding due to the difficulties of the projects.

The team is led byBaerbel Rohrer, Ph.D., of the College of Medicine, andAndrew Jakymiw, Ph.D., of the College of Dental Medicine, and included their graduate students Kyrie Wilson and Charles Holjencin. Rohrer is the Endowed Chair of Gene and Pharmaceutical Treatment of Retinal Degenerative Disease. Jakymiw is an expert in developing cell-penetrating peptides for drug delivery.

Together, they intend to tackle a disease that affects more than 10 million Americans: AMD. The disease causes vision to worsen slowly and eventually leads to blindness. Current therapies are inadequate, as they can only lessen the symptoms and aim, at best, to postpone the loss of vision. Existing therapies also require patients to return again and again for treatment.

Team members werent satisfied with just slowing down the disease. They wanted to develop a curative therapy that could protect and even restore vision.

We knew that if we could treat the disease at the root cause, and not just the symptoms, that would be a huge step forward in regenerative medicine, said Wilson.

At its root, AMD is caused by an insufficient supply of energy to eye cells.

Every single activity of a cell requires energy, said Rohrer. Once you lose that energy, you will lose proper function of the cells. That will eventually lead to disease and vision loss.

Mitochondria are the batteries that supply energy to cells, and they have their own DNA mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA to help them to do that. When their DNA becomes damaged, mitochondria cease to function properly and cannot provide cells with the energy they need.

Over time or because of stress, errors can be introduced into mtDNA as it copies itself.Rohrer likens the process to the game of telephone. In the game, a person whispers a word into the ear of another person. That person then whispers the word into the ear of the next person and so on down the line.

Whatever ends up after five people is probably not the word that you picked to start with, said Rohrer. And its pretty much the same thing with copying mtDNA.

Instead of trying to target and fix many copy errors, Rohrer and Wilson wondered whether a better approach would be to prevent the mistakes in the first place. They could do so by providing the mitochondria a new blueprint, or template, for copying their DNA, essentially resetting the word in the telephone game.

You need a new template, said Wilson. You need to go back and have the perfect words again and know what youre trying to say.

Rohrer and Wilson realized that they would need a vehicle to deliver the template to the mitochondria. It would have to be able to dodge the bodys immune system and be accepted by the mitochondria. They reached out to Jakymiw, who had expertise with small nucleic acid-based drug delivery.

We had actually never delivered anything that large to that point, said Jakymiw. I mean were talking about like 16 kilobases, which is a pretty big molecule.

Although the two laboratories had had initial discussions, it was the announcement of the Blue Sky Award that solidified the collaboration and jump started the project.

Some outcomes of the preliminary work that has evolved over the last few months suggest that we can potentially deliver this large amount of DNA and target it efficiently enough to restore vision for individuals affected by AMD, continued Jakymiw.

Jakymiw and Holjencin decorate the surface of the mtDNA with small proteins that carry instructions for the cells and mitochondria on how to take up this newly formed nanoparticle.

Essentially, we have a delivery mechanism that carries its own instructions for cell delivery, said Holjencin, who is creating the nanoparticles being used in the project.

You can also design the small proteins so that they can recognize a particular zip code and deliver the cargo to that particular site within the cell, said Jakymiw.

These small proteins also provide a potential invisibility cloak to protect the nanoparticles from the bodys immune system.

To date, the team has shown that the small proteins can package the mtDNA within nanoparticles and deploy it to the struggling mitochondria. They have also shown that it persists there for at least four weeks. In previous studies, mtDNA disappeared after just 48 hours.

We will eventually end up looking for the presence of mtDNA at probably eight weeks, maybe even out to 16 weeks, said Wilson.

And obviously what we would want for humans is that that this translates into many years as opposed to having to repeat these treatments on a regular basis, said Rohrer.

The hope is that introducing the template would set off a series of events that could lead to restored vision. The mitochondria might share the template with its neighbors, which could, likewise, pass it on. As the quality of mtDNA improves in more and more mitochondria, they could again supply sufficient energy to eye cells, restoring vision.

This new approach is like a quantum leap. If this were to work, it would just significantly change not just the trajectory of my lab but the trajectory of treatment for AMD, said Rohrer.

Continue reading here:
Restoring vision by recharging cells' batteries | MUSC | Charleston, SC - Medical University of South Carolina

This is a developing story. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.

On the heels of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a zoonotic virus seems to be spreading across the globe.

Since early May, Monkeypox has been making headway across at least 30 countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Australia, and the United States. The number of cases has increased to more than 550 worldwide as of June 1, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In the U.K., nearly 200 monkeypox cases have been confirmed since May 7. During a press conference on May 17, WHO officials said that these are mostly separate occurrences except for a family cluster with two confirmed cases and one probable case[].

Recently, Canada and the U.S. joined these nations in tracking and tracing the virus.

As of May 19, Canada confirmed two monkeypox cases and said it was investigating more than a dozen suspected cases. The Massachusetts Department of Health also announced a single case in an individual who had recently been in Canada. Several Canadian cases have been linked to this person.

On May 18, Scott Pauley, press officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told Medical News Today:

The U.K. notified the U.S. of 8 people in the U.S. who might have been seated near the U.K. traveler when they flew from Nigeria to London [on May 3-4, 2022]. Of these, one is no longer in the U.S., and one was not a contact. The remaining six are being monitored by their respective state health departments. None of these six travel contacts have monkeypox symptoms and their risk of infection is very low.

The WHO officials have been tracking monkeypoxs path through Europe and North America for several weeks. However, with the data available so far, they do not know long the virus has been spreading.

On May 30, the agency said during a public webinar that while it cannot rule out the risk, it is unlikely the outbreak will turn into a global pandemic.

Monkeypox is a zoonotic virus, which transmits disease from animals to humans. Cases typically occur near tropical rainforests, where animals that carry the virus live.

The monkeypox virus is a member of the orthopoxvirus family. It also has two distinct genetic strains or clades: the Central African (Congo Basin) clade and the West African clade. The Congo Basin clade is known to spread more easily and cause more severe symptoms.

Monkeypox naturally occurs in Africa, especially in west and central African nations. Cases in the U.S. are rare and associated with international travel from places where the disease is more common.

Monkeypox symptoms and signs include headache, skin rash, fever, body aches, chills, swollen lymph nodes, and exhaustion. It produces symptoms similar to smallpox, but milder.

The time from infection to the onset of symptoms, which is referred to as the incubation period, can range from five to 21 days. The illness typically resolves within two to four weeks.

Severe cases are more common among people with underlying immune deficiencies and young children. In recent times, the case fatality ratio of monkeypox is around 3-6%.

Transmission of the monkeypox virus among humans is limited, but it can happen through close skin contact, air droplets, bodily fluids, and virus-contaminated objects.

Most of the recent cases of monkeypox in the U.K. and Canada have been reported among attendees of sexual health services at health clinics in men who have sex with men.

Regarding this trend, Dr. I. Soc Fall, the regional emergencies director for the WHOs Health Emergencies Program, cautioned:

This is new information we need to investigate properly to understand better the dynamic of local transmission in the U.K. and some other countries.

During a press conference on May 17, Dr. Fall acknowledged that public health officials still have much to learn about the monkeypox virus.

But the most important thing is we really need to invest in understanding the development of monkeypox because we have so many unknowns in terms of the dynamics of transmission, the clinical features, the epidemiology. In terms of therapeutics and diagnostics also, we still have important gaps, he said.

WHO experts believe that solutions for monkeypox calls must go beyond addressing the disease.

During the press conference, Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHOs Health Emergencies Program, said: [G]etting answers isnt just about getting answers about the virus. Weve got to get answers about the hosts, weve got to get answers about human behavior and practice, and weve got to operate at all levels to try and ensure that human populations are protected.

For more insight, Medical News Today spoke with Dr. Kartik Cherabuddi, clinical associate professor in infectious diseases and director of the Global Medicine and Antimicrobial Management Program at the University of Florida.

Being aware of the rash of monkeypox which presents as vesicles is very important. Additional measures include vigilance in those who have traveled in the past 30 days to countries that have reported cases of monkeypox [and] who have contact with a person who is confirmed or suspected of monkeypox. Dr. Kartik Cherabuddi

Dr. Cherabuddi mentioned that smallpox vaccinations offer some protection against monkeypox. He said the Democratic Republic of Congo is currently employing ring vaccination for close contacts of confirmed cases.

The U.K. is also using ring vaccination, in addition to contact and source tracing, case searching, and local rash-illness surveillance, he added.

Dr. Cherabuddi believes that more cases will arise in the U.S., but its difficult to predict how many.

He said he was concerned that with fewer people in the U.S. having had smallpox vaccinations, this could be putting a majority of the population below the age of 40-50 years at risk for infection[]

Dr. Ryan also noted that preventing the disease may not entirely rest on vaccines. He pointed out that the protection offered by previous smallpox vaccination also has reduced[]

He said there might be a need to change agricultural, social, and food storage practices to prevent further outbreaks. Officials hope to help communities understand how the virus spreads so they can address it at its sources.

Dr. Cherabuddi told MNT that vaccines for monkeypox have also been approved for limited circulation.

An approved vaccine for monkeypoxMVA-BNis not widely available. Tecovirimat (TPOXX), as both oral and IV medication is approved in the U.S. for treating smallpox and oral form in Europe to treat cowpox, monkeypox, and smallpox. The FDA also approved brincidofovir (Tembexa) in 2021 to treat smallpox. These medications are not widely available, he said.

Link:
Monkeypox outbreak: What to know about symptoms, threat - Medical News Today