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The industry is a marathon, not a sprint. Here's how to finish strong.

Learn how to get your business funded in the Cannabis economy!

April16, 20214 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

All signs point to 2021 being the year to place your bets on cannabis. With the recent legalization measures in several US states and the reclassifying of cannabis by the United Nations, the industry's stigma is diminishing at an ever-increasing rate. This has encouraged legislators to hasten its legalization at the state level (where it is not already fully legal), and more importantly, at the federal level, where there appears to be a change of heart toward cannabis that followed the new administration into power. While we evolve at a staggering rate, both newcomers and industry veterans will need to focus on longevity and a healthy growth plan to succeed.

As we head into one of the most exciting years for our industry yet, here are our essential tips for success:

Cannabis is popping up everywhere - and is available in nearly everything you can eat, drink and put on or in your body, becoming the hottest commodity of our generation. This means professionals from numerous non-cannabis industries are showing interest, often with the assumption that their experience will translate to a successful brand. But there are nuances in the cannabis industry that often trip up even the most experienced executive new to this industry.

It's essential to do your homework and understand all aspects of this highly interconnected industry, from the plant itself to cultivation to the manufacturers, and eventually, the consumers. The power of knowledge remains essential in the inner workings of cannabis companies obtaining longevity.

Cannabis companies that achieve success have diversified their leadership teams with experts from various domains, including science, medicine, and foodnotjustcannabis. These brands have strategic strength and staying power.

Branching out and seeking these specialties can have a profound impact on gaining a broader perspective on your brand's potential, and ultimately, your market share. By ensuring a diverse set of skills in your team, you will increase your brand's longevity as the industry's landscape evolves.

When I first moved into the cannabis space, I was opposed to vertical integration for several reasons: owning cultivation infrastructure was daunting, capital-intensive, and inefficient. But I've come to appreciate that there is value in owning and controlling multiple elements of the supply chain. I've realized that achieving multi-vertical integration (downstream of cultivation) is an alternative and more attainable goal and eliminates a brand's reliance on a third party's success.

In a nascent industry like cannabis, companies that integrate multiple aspects of the supply chain into their business models have a greater likelihood of success than those who don't. Owning multi-verticals, such as manufacturing, distribution, and retail infrastructure, all under one umbrella, creates self-sufficiency and greater control over a brand's destiny.

We are now facing a new age of cannabis, where the support of an established Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) player can be the determining factor for a cannabis brand to evolve. CPG parties, however, are notoriously unaware of the ins and outs of cannabis values, so much so that they often result in little (to no) appreciation for the spirit of the plant, and ultimately, do not understand what experienced cannabis parties offer. The challenge, however, is blending a more disciplined CPG approach to the ritualized legacy of cannabis culture.

For any modern cannabis company to secure longevity and growth, they must face this tension and commit to finding the balance of these otherwise dichotomous approaches. By attaining synergy between the cannabis professionals and the CPG players, your cannabis brand will ensure a blended culture, and ultimately, a healthy growth plan.

By implementing these four steps, your business has a greater chance of overcoming the many challenges that defeat well-intentioned cannabis companies today.

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4 Ways to Achieve Longevity in the Cannabis Business - Green Entrepreneur

Ron Price is a walking, talking legend in Southern California. Across seven decades and some 60 years, Price has been coaching football.

He was on the same fields with City Section coaching Hall of Famers Chris Ferragamo (Banning), Jack Neumeier (Granada Hills) and Gene Vollnogle (Carson) and players John Elway, Rod Martin and Warren Moon. He was the health teacher for Washington Preps Paul Knox while at Hamilton and coached against Venice coach Angelo Gasca when Gasca was a high school quarterback.

Hes been a head coach at Crenshaw, Palisades and Fairfax. He started as an assistant coach in 1961 at Brentwood Military Academy and now is an assistant coach at St. Monica.

This will be the last decade and could be the last year, he said. When youre 84, youre like all the great athletes day to day. I feel great. As long as I can do it, Ill do it.

Coaching the offensive line has been Prices specialty. Coaching anything has been his life-long passion.

Ive always enjoyed it, he said. Its always been fun. Its what I wanted to do from the time I was a teenager.

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Many years ago his father, who was a doctor, questioned his professional pursuit while living in Chicago. His dream was to coach the Chicago Bears.

He used to look at me and laugh. He said, The only Bears youll ever be coaching will be in a zoo.

Price has been coaching so long that a couple players at St. Monica are sons of former players he coached. St. Monica head coach Geoff McArthur played for him at Palisades.

Gasca said of Prices seven-decade coaching stint:

An incredible accomplishment. Hes an amazing person who I greatly admire and respect. I competed against his teams as a high school player. Competed against him as a coach. Then had the fortune to work with him for many years. Im better for it and so are the lives of all the people whose lives he touched. An icon.

With apologies to Texas and Florida, the best high school football game of the 2020-21 school year will take place Saturday night at Santa Ana Stadium when Bellflower St. John Bosco (5-0) takes on Santa Ana Mater Dei (4-0) to decide the spring Trinity League championship.

If St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro and Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson could combine their teams and take them on the road to face any and all challengers, theyd be unbeatable.

The lines are big, powerful and mobile. The running backs are fast and big-play weapons. The quarterbacks are young but future college players. The secondaries are aggressive and fearless.

It has all the makings of another classic game. The last one between these two schools saw St. John Bosco roar back from a seemingly insurmountable 28-5 deficit in 2019 to win 39-34 in the fourth consecutive Southern Section Division 1 final involving the two schools.

For this game, Mater Deis defense will present a lot more problems for the Braves quarterback duo of Pierce Clarkson and Katin Houser. Its probably a good situation that St. John Bosco is still alternating quarterbacks every series, because that gives the Braves options to take advantage of each quarterbacks different strengths.

The big clue about which team will win should come early. Its going to be about which team can run the ball most effectively to open up the passing game.

So break out the popcorn on Saturday night, lay back on the couch at 7 p.m. and turn on Bally Sports West. You can hear Petros Papadakis and Greg Biggins raving about how many future five-star recruits are in the game. MaxPreps.com says theres 59 players on the rosters who have FBS offers. It will be the most entertaining high school football game in America

Joshua Koo, a 16-year-old junior at Cerritos High, shot a final round of 10-under-par 62 to win the two-day Toyota Tour Cup junior golf tournament in Palm Desert on Sunday. He had eight birdies and an eagle.

I hadnt been hitting that well recently and was working on my putting, he said. That day everything clicked. It was a really fun round.

Visit link:
Ron Price's coaching longevity will be tough to eclipse - Los Angeles Times

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina Over the past few years I have been travelling to the Carolinas to spend the winter holidays with my parents who split the colder months between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This year, while traversing the small country roads between these two cities, I noticed a number of pop-up Trump Centers sandwiched between the usual CBD boutiques, diversity-targeted military recruiting ads, homemade liquor signs, and lottery ads. These self-proclaimed Trump Centers are typically found in half-abandoned shopping centers, corners of souvenir shops, and surrounded by dying businesses.

During Trumps time in office I didnt have the strength to enter these places.

I had experienced firsthand how nasty the media and domestic affairs could be, particularly since I had created together several artworks in reaction to the administration. One artwork, a satirical-anti-monument, ended up going viral, shared by both left-and right-wing users, causing a backlash of hate mail from both communities.The work even provoked anonymous arsonists to burn the artwork down this event, combined with hateful threats, weakened and depleted me emotionally.But, over the past weeks, I decided to retrace my steps through the Carolinas to investigate these centers more closely. This decision took me down a rabbit hole of dark tourism and nationalist identity.

Initially, I was astonished to discover that these shops have stayed open, even months after the end of Trumps presidency. I was also surprised by the diverse backgrounds of the shop owners themselves. The largest Trump Center I visited was in South Carolina, operated by a family of Pakistani immigrants, while another in North Carolina was run by a couple of Mexican descent. However, the smaller and more sinister-feeling shops were typically manned by older white men or bikers.

As you might imagine, in my conversations with the owners, I found them to be skeptical of the government establishment, pro-gun, anti-media, down on their luck, and growing more paranoid. The topics of the conversations usually centered around the idea that the election was stolen from Trump, or the possibility he is still actually the president. These brief discussions would start with me asking how do you feel the election went? to which various employees responded:

Supporting Trump and clinging to his presidency has become a kind of alternative-reality game, or a pseudo religion for these Trump supporters. They have a kind of missionary zeal, regardless of heritage. Probing into the depths of denial and cult-like worship, combined with being exposed to so many confederate flags, blatant evidence of racism, and extreme xenophobia has made me feel sick and sad again.

Weve all seen how Trumps presidency emboldened radical nationalists and white supremacists. Their numbers grow with a supportive tweet from him, and in return, the horror of their actions diminished, obscured, or recast as patriotism. Even the darkest sentiments casually conserved on racist T-shirt designs, 100% southern grown, picked by yo momma.

They are so very certain of their righteous place in history and their future victory parade that they are still keeping the gift-shop open.

As arts communities around the world experience a time of challenge and change, accessible, independent reporting on these developments is more important than ever.

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Tolerance of the Intolerable and the Longevity of Trump Paraphernalia - Hyperallergic

"So actually when we exercise and we don't eat, these genes come on and act as traffic lights - and they are traffic cops that direct the body to repair itself and protect itself from diseases and aging."

Peter Dearden, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Otago, says although we're starting to understand how longevity and aging works in humans, we're really "a long way away" from putting that into a pill.

"You can improve longevity in mice, but no one has shown we can do that in humans yet," he tells The Project on Tuesday.

Kiwi aging expert Greg Macpherson says we should adopt better lifestyle choices as well as add in a few extra supplements.

"We can get some lessons from places called the 'blue zones' and blue zones are places around the world where people have lived and get to a hundred much more than the rest of us," he told The Project.

"And these people do these things like they have a plant-based diet, they exercise a bunch and we can take lessons from that and add in a few extra supplements that are available to us now that weren't available to previous generations.

"And these things are going to see us be healthier for a lot longer and that's going to have some effect on the amount of time we're around."

Macpherson's book Harnessing the Nine Hallmarks of Aging addresses the science of aging.

More:
Could a simple pill improve longevity and slow the aging process? - Newshub

In the U.K. it is customary toreceive a personalized message from the queenon your 100th birthdaysuch is the relative rarity of reaching the milestone.

Prince Philip was just a couple months off,dying at the age of 99 years and 10 monthson April 9, 2021. The last notable royal death before his was that of thequeen mother in 2002. She was 101 years old.

Reaching such a ripe old age isnt uncommon among the British ruling familyin fact, my analysis shows that on average they live an additional 30 years compared with their subjects.

I looked at the duration of life of the last six British monarchs, along with the longevity of their spouses and childrenin total 27 royals. What it reveals is a fascinating and familiar story for those of us who study aging and longevity for a living.

Being born into or living in poverty has been shown to be one of the most important factors that shortens lifespanand it is here that perhaps the royals have the greatest advantage.

As aprofessor of epidemiology and biostatistics, I had previouslyobserved the exact same phenomenon among U.S. presidentsthey also tend to live decades longer than the general population they serve.

The ruling U.K. monarchs from Queen Victoria onward have lived an average of 75 years. And this will continue to rise with each day that Queen Elizabeth IIcurrently age 95lives. Their spouses survived even longer, reaching an average age of 83.5 years. If Victorias husband Prince Albert, whodied of suspected typhoid feverat age 42 in 1861, is removed from the equation, the average duration of the life of the spouses of the monarchs was an astonishing 91.7 years.

By contrast, the average life duration of the wider U.K. population for the years the monarchs were born throughout this period was only 46 years, according to figures from theHuman Mortality Database.

For example, the typical life expectancy at birth for a female in the U.K. in 1819 was just under 41 years. Queen Victoria, also born in 1819, was 81 when she died. By the time Elizabeth II was born in 1926, life expectancy at birth for females in the U.K. had risen to 62the queen has already surpassed that by some 33 years.

Such differences in lifespanwith some members of the royal family living to an age double that expected of the general populationare considered in aging circles to be extremely large, but not uncommon.

Lifespan differences of this magnitude are the result of a combination ofgenetic as well as social and behavioral influences.

No one can live long without first having won the genetic lottery at birth. To maximize the chances of achieving exceptional longevityupward of 85 years oldyou must begin by beinglucky enough to have long-lived parents. But even for those blessed with the gift at birth of the potential for a long life, this is no guarantee youll outlive your contemporaries.

The next challenge is to avoid behaviors that shorten life. That list is longit is a lot easier to shorten life than extend itbut among the most well known aresmoking, eating in excess and lack of exercise.

And then there is the influence of poverty and privilege. Beingborn into or living in povertyhas been shown to be one of the most important factors that shortens lifespanand it is here that perhaps the royals have the greatest advantage.

Further evidence of privilege being a crucial ingredient in the recipe for exceptional longevity can be seen in the fact that the children of the last six U.K. monarchs that died from natural causes lived an average of 69.7 years. This is some 23 years more than the average age of British subjects over that period.

Put simply, British monarchs and their families live so much longer than their subjects for the same reason other subgroups of the population across the globe live longer than contemporaries born in the same year: privilege over poverty. A famousstudy conducted in Manchester, England, in 2017demonstrated vast differences in life expectancy depending on the conditions of where people lived. Access to higher education and economic status was directly correlated with longer life, while lower education, lower income, and poverty were linked to shorter lives.

In the U.S., similarstudies of life expectancy by county,census tractand ZIP Code demonstrated the same phenomenon. In fact, there are multiple instances of dramatic differences in longevity among people living as close as across the street from each othercaused by differences in poverty and privilege.

Differences in duration of life are first defined by genetics, but it is then heavily mediated by education, income, health care, clean water, food, indoor living and working environments, and the overall effects of high or low socioeconomic status.

The long life of Prince Philip is a cause for celebrating the progress of medical science in being able to keep people alive for longer. But it is in part the result of a privilege denied to many and a reminder that humanity has a long way to go to equalize the chances of living a long life.

S. Jay Olshanskyis a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a research associate at the Center on Aging at the University of Chicago and at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and is chief scientist at Lapetus Solutions, Inc.

This commentary was originally published by The ConversationLong live the monarchy! British royals tend to survive a full three decades longer than theirsubjects.

More:
How Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth outlived the average British subject by three decades - MarketWatch

SEOUL, April 13 (Korea Bizwire) The value of life annuity benefits has decreased sharply over the past twenty years as the average lifespan increased.

The age with a mortality rate of higher than 5 percent rose to 80 for men and 84 for women in 2019 from 73 and 78 in 2000, according to the latest report by the Korea Insurance Research Institute.

The extension of the average lifespan has led to an increase in the number of life annuity benefit receivers, resulting in a decline in the amount of per-capita life annuity benefits.

The report said that for a life annuity product that pays a benefit every month to male beneficiaries until their death if they make a lump-sum payment of 100 million won (US$88,920) at the age of 60, those who subscribed to the product in 2000 could receive 482,000 won per month.

However, the amount of monthly benefit dropped by 23.8 percent to 367,000 won for those who subscribed to the product in 2019.

The amount of monthly benefit for female beneficiaries also decreased by 19.9 percent from 380,000 won to 304,000 won.

Image Credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com

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Monthly Life Annuity Benefits Decrease in the Longevity Era - The Korea Bizwire

NBIS Celebrates 25 Years of Service to the SC&RA

ATLANTA (PRWEB) April 12, 2021

SC&RAs Longevity Awards are presented to member companies for their longtime support and dedication to the Association and its mission. NBIS was recognized with the 25 Years Award.

Throughout its membership, NBIS has been the endorsed provider of property casualty insurance to the members of the SC&RA. NBIS serves SC&RA members and the industry with unparalleled Risk Solutions developed alongside SC&RA members to be right sized for the industry. Every policyholder has access to our Risk Management Support System (RMSS) and able to take advantage of resources and partnerships developed to support the safety culture, manage & reduce claims and increase compliance with industry regulations & standards.

We are proud of our partnership and endorsement with the SC&RA and its members commented Bill Tepe, President & CFO of NBIS. Adding, Together, NBIS and the Association worked to improve the risk profile of the member companies and the industry as a whole.

As a leading provider of Risk Management & Insurance Solutions, NBIS specializes in providing insurance solutions for the Crane & Rigging, Concrete Pumping and Specialized Transportation/Heavy Haul Industries.

Want to learn more about NBIS Coverages and the Risk Management Support System? Contact us today at 870.866.RMSS

To learn more about NBIS insurance & risk solutions, visit us on the web: http://www.NBIS.com

Media Contact for NBIS: Lisa McAbee, Marketing Director (770) 257-1707 lmcabee@nbis.com

About NBISNBIS is the Premiere provider of Insurance & Risk Management Solutions to the heavy construction industry and the exclusively endorsed provider for the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA). Providing coverage and Risk Management Services that works for you to prevent losses and give your company the best fighting chance in the event of a claim. For more information about NBIS, please visit: http://www.NBIS.com.

About SC&RAThe Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) is an international trade association of more than 1,400 members from 46 nations. Our members are involved in specialized transportation, crane and rigging operations, machinery moving and erecting, industrial maintenance, millwrighting, manufacturing, concrete pumping, and rental services. SC&RA helps members run more efficient and safer businesses by monitoring and affecting pending legislation and regulatory policies at the state and national levels and researching and reporting on safety concerns and best business practices. For more information, visit scranet.org.

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NationsBuilders Insurance Services, Inc. (NBIS) Awarded Longevity Award by SC&RA for 25 Years of Service - PR Web

AS HE watched Eccleshill lift the West Riding County Cup at Valley Parade in 2014, Conor Sellars could not have imagined that he would be back one day in the home dug-out.

And it might have also been stretching it to think that Harrogate, beaten by a last-minute penalty that night, would now be on an equal footing with City in League Two.

They were in the National League North when Sellars spent a season playing at Wetherby Road.

But there were some experienced names in the line-up, including former City midfielder Adam Bolder and Scotland international and current Portsmouth goalkeeper Craig McGillivray.

Ive played a few reserve games at Valley Parade but I do remember that night, recalled Citys joint boss. It was nice to be playing there but it was a tough one to take losing 1-0 (to a last-minute penalty).

We had players who had played in the Championship or maybe the Premier League and obviously Craig went on to the Football League and is having a good career.

There were a lot of players from different backgrounds who had played at different levels.

I think Harrogate have always attracted good players along the way, although maybe not myself.

Simon Weaver was his manager at the time and will still be there on the sidelines for Citys Saturday lunchtime visit as he approaches his 12th anniversary next month at the Harrogate helm.

It is a remarkable achievement, even more so in the hire em, fire em environment of the modern game and something that new managers like Sellars and Mark Trueman can aspire to.

Sellars added: Its brilliant. Mark and I obviously know Simon and how long hes been there.

I had some good discussions with him while I was a player there and enjoyed working with him.

I used to really like his desire and how committed he was.

We were part-time at the time in Conference North but he lived and breathed it. His intensity in his work was great to see.

Success is maybe not just an immediate thing. Its something built over years of hard work and putting your identity and stamp on it.

We have to get results, we have to show intent and improve. We know that.

But we also want to build something long term at this club and hopefully were given the chance to do so.

Could they still be in the job after a dozen seasons like Weaver?

Why not? he said. But thats why it is such a good story seeing Harrogate go up the leagues.

This year was a massive test for them but I think theyve shown everybody that they deserve to be in this division.

Its been fantastic to see the development. When I was there, they always spoke about moving forward and trying to get into the National League and then into the EFL and theyve done that.

The midweek hiccup against Crawley has left City four points adrift of the play-offs. But Sellars insists they are still in the mix going into a six-game shoot-out.

Its hard to predict and I wouldnt want to do that. It can go in lots of different directions.

We just hope it can go in the most positive one.

We have confidence that we can do that but were also realistic to know that everything is not going to be a smooth as wed like.

From the day that we took over until now, we feel were in a good position. Its a bonus that were trying to get into the play-offs.

But again, I think it shows the hard work of everybody involved.

Continued here:
Bradford City duo inspired by Weaver longevity at Harrogate - Bradford Telegraph and Argus

What counts as flavonoids?

Flavonoids are mainly found in fruits, vegetables and other plant-based foods but also crop up in red wine and dark chocolate.

"The general rule is that the more colourful a fruit or vegetable is, the higher the level of flavonoids it contains," explains Holland and Barrett.

As the health body explains, there are five main types of flavonoids that contain various benefits, each of which are found in different foods.

These are:

Flavanols

They are commonly found in kale, peaches, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, tea, grapes, red wine, blueberries, and other fruit.

Flavan-3-ols

Nutrient-rich flavan-3-ols can be found in lots of foods. These include white, green, and black tea, as well as apples, grapes, strawberries, blueberries and even cocoa products, such as dark chocolate.

Flavones

Like all flavonoids, flavones are praised for their antioxidant properties. Citrus fruits like lemons, grapefruit, limes and oranges are familiar sources of flavones as are celery, parsley, and hot peppers.

Isoflavones

More research is needed around isoflavones, but experts believe this type of flavonoid can help with the bodys hormone balance. Isoflavones are richest in soy products along with peanuts, pistachios, and fava beans.

Anthocyanins

The last flavonoid on our list, anthocyanins. Youll commonly find these flavonoids in the outer skin of various berries, including red and purple grapes, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries and even red wine.

Continued here:
How to live longer: A diet rich in flavonoids linked to a lower risk of cancer - study - Express

Tim Graham/Getty

In the U.K. it is customary to receive a personalized message from the queen on your 100th birthdaysuch is the relative rarity of reaching the milestone.

Prince Philip was just a couple months off, dying at the age of 99 years and 10 months on April 9, 2021. The last notable royal death before his was that of the queen mother in 2002. She was 101 years old.

Reaching such a ripe old age isnt uncommon among the British ruling familyin fact, my analysis shows that on average they live an additional 30 years compared with their subjects.

I looked at the duration of life of the last six British monarchs, along with the longevity of their spouses and childrenin total 27 royals. What it reveals is a fascinating and familiar story for those of us who study aging and longevity for a living. As a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, I had previously observed the exact same phenomenon among U.S. presidentsthey also tend to live decades longer than the general population they serve.

If you love The Daily Beasts royal coverage, then we hope youll enjoy The Royalist, a members-only series for Beast Inside. Become a member to get it in your inbox on Sunday.

The ruling U.K. monarchs from Queen Victoria onward lived an average of 75 years. And this longevity will continue to rise with each day that Queen Elizabeth IIcurrently age 95lives. Their spouses survived even longer, reaching an average age of 83.5 years. If Victorias husband Prince Albert, who died of suspected typhoid fever at age 42 in 1861, is removed from the equation, the average duration of the life of the spouses of the monarchs was an astonishing 91.7 years.

By contrast, the average life duration of the wider U.K. population for the years the monarchs were born throughout this period was only 46 years, according to figures from the Human Mortality Database. For example, the typical life expectancy at birth for a female in the U.K. in 1819 was just under 41 years. Queen Victoria, also born in 1819, was 81 when she died. By the time Elizabeth II was born in 1926, life expectancy at birth for females in the U.K. had risen to 62the queen has already surpassed that by some 33 years.

Story continues

Such differences in lifespanwith some members of the royal family living to an age double that expected of the general populationare considered in aging circles to be extremely large, but not uncommon.

Lifespan differences of this magnitude are the result of a combination of genetic as well as social and behavioral influences.

No one can live long without first having won the genetic lottery at birth. To maximize the chances of achieving exceptional longevityupward of 85 years oldyou must begin by being lucky enough to have long-lived parents. But even for those blessed with the gift at birth of the potential for a long life, this is no guarantee youll outlive your contemporaries.

The next challenge is to avoid behaviors that shorten life. That list is longit is a lot easier to shorten life than extend itbut among the most well known are smoking, eating in excess and lack of exercise.

And then there is the influence of poverty and privilege. Being born into or living in poverty has been shown to be one of the most important factors that shortens lifespanand it is here that perhaps the royals have the greatest advantage.

Further evidence of privilege being a crucial ingredient in the recipe for exceptional longevity can be seen in the fact that the children of the last six U.K. monarchs that died from natural causes lived an average of 69.7 years. This is some 23 years more than the average age of British subjects over that period.

Put simply, British monarchs and their families live so much longer than their subjects for the same reason other subgroups of the population across the globe live longer than contemporaries born in the same year: privilege over poverty. A famous study conducted in Manchester, England, in 2017 demonstrated vast differences in life expectancy depending on the conditions of where people lived. Access to higher education and economic status was directly correlated with longer life, while lower education, income and poverty were linked to shorter lives.

In the U.S., similar studies of life expectancy by county, census tract and zip code demonstrated the same phenomenon. In fact, there are multiple instances of dramatic differences in longevity among people living as close as across the street from each othercaused by differences in poverty and privilege.

Differences in duration of life are first defined by genetics, but it is then heavily mediated by education, income, health care, clean water, food, indoor living and working environments, and the overall effects of high or low socioeconomic status.

The long life of Prince Philip is a cause for celebrating the progress of medical science in being able to keep people alive for longer. But it is in part the result of a privilege denied to many and a reminder that humanity has a long way to go to equalize the chances of living a long life.

S. Jay Olshansky is a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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British Royals Survive 30 Years Longer Than Their Subjects - Yahoo News

Feeding the organic compound spermidine to mice and fruit flies boosted mitochondrial activity in the animals brains and, with it, their cognitive ability, according to a paper in Cell Reportspublished April 13. The study also intimates a similar spermidine-linked cognition boost applies to humans.

Overall, I think that spermidine is probably one of the most promising molecules for aging research in general . . . and here they focus on cognition, says gerontologist Valter Longo of the University of Southern California who was not involved in the work. The most convincing data are from flies and mice, he says, because the human data are only correlative. But, he adds, the good news is that if you have a spermidine-rich diet, it seems to be a good one. Its certainly not bad for you in terms of cognition.

Spermidine is a natural compound present in a wide range of foods, such as wheat germ and aged cheese, though it was originally identified in semen. The compound promotes autophagya sort of cellular self-cleaning processand levels of both spermidine and autophagy appear to diminish in the bodys cells as animals, including humans, age.

Prior studies on lab animals have shown all manner of benefits from spermidine, from an increase in longevity to fortification of heart and immune cells to preservation of memory in old age.

Other groups have investigated the effects of spermidine injections . . . on behavioural and cognitive phenotypes, but we wanted to increase translatability for future applications and therefore concentrated on a dietary approach, study coauthors Frank Madeo and Stephan Sigrist write in an email to The Scientist. Both Madeo, who studies aging at the University of Graz in Austria, and Sigrist, a neuroscientist at Freie University in Germany, have equity stakes in The Longevity Labs, a company that sells spermidine supplements.

Madeo and Sigrist have already been involved in a pilot clinical study in which dietary spermidine was given daily to 14 older individuals for three months. The results of that placebo-controlled trial indicated a slight improvement in memory in the group taking spermidine. The researchers new work lends support to those preliminary trial results and dives into the physiological as well as cognitive effects of the compound.

For example, in addition to showing that old mice given spermidine in their drinking water for six months performed better than control mice did in learning and memory tests (associating a light stimulus with access to a reward, and remembering the location of a platform submerged in water), the team observed that the compound crosses the blood-brain barrier and steadily accumulates in the brain over a period of weeks. In the animals hippocampia brain region associated with learning and memorythe team found that the compound boosted cellular respiration, essentially increasing the brain cells energy levels, and promoted the modification of a protein called eIF5A, a translation factor that drives the production of a master autophagy regulator.

Compared with controls, spermidine-fed flies similarly displayed improved memory and higher brain cell respiration, both of which were dependent on autophagy, the team showed. And the treated insects exhibited the eIF5A modification, which Madeo and Sigrists team describe in detail in a second Cell Reports paper, also published this week. The modification, known as hypusination, involves the addition of hypusine, an uncommon amino acidso uncommon, in fact, that eIF5A is the only known protein to contain it.

Its quite convincing that they can show the same thing in mice and flies, says immunologist Katja Simon of the University of Oxford who was not involved in the study. As for the hypusination of eIF5A, which Simons team had previously reported drives immune cell rejuvenation in spermidine-fed mice, she adds, It was pleasing to see that they could see that in the brain [too]. Simon is a paid consultant for Oxford Healthspan, a company that sells a spermidine dietary supplement, but has no financial stake in the company.

In addition to the mouse and fly studies, the team also examined human epidemiological data. They examined cognitive test scores and dietary records of more than 800 older adults, calculating the participants spermidine intake from diet questionnaires. After five years from the studys baseline (1990), estimated spermidine intake positively correlated with cognitive test scores, with higher intakes also reducing the chance of developing cognitive impairment.

Altogether, the work indicates that dietary spermidine may support improved cognition later in life and, says Longo, points to a need for larger-scale clinical studies to investigate spermidines effects on cognitive decline.

Although decisive clinical proof for spermidines cognitive benefits are lacking, Oxford Healthspan and The Longevity Labs sell spermidine supplements for around $100 for a months supply. High levels of this molecule can also be acquired rather more cheaply by eating wheat germ, mature cheddar, soybeans, mushrooms, and other foods in which it is abundant.

S. Schroeder et al., Dietary spermidine improves cognitive function,Cell Rep, doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108985, 2021.

YT. Liang et al., eIF5A hypusination, boosted by dietary spermidine, protects from premature brain aging and mitochondrial dysfunction,Cell Rep, doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108941, 2021.

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Dietary Spermidine Boosts Cognition in Insects and Rodents - The Scientist

CeCile happy with rise of female talent - Says once they produce timeless music, longevity is a must | Entertainment | Jamaica Star

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April 16, 2021

Entertainer Ce'Cile, who is celebrating two decades in the entertainment business, says that not only is she satisfied with the quantity of women rearing their heads in today's musical landscape, but also the quality these 'alpha females' possess.

"I am just so happy with what our women have been bringing to the table. There are so many of them that are doing well that it makes me proud to watch. The girls have been showing up and showing out and because of that the industry is a lot more balanced today than it was several years ago," she told THE WEEKEND STAR. "You have so many of these young ladies who are doing their thing not just in reggae but dancehall. And not only are they showing up in numbers but their work is impressive."

Ce'Cile, who just dropped her latest EP Sophisticated, said the only advice she would give to the current crop of young female artistes is to do music that will last through generations.

"I have tried from the beginning of my career to make sure that every song I put out there is one that will outlive me. I would be washed up already if I wasn't doing music that stood the test of time but I always thought about longevity," she said. "It's not by accident that I have lasted so long and why I seem fresh to a lot of people. I wrote some classic tracks. I can go anywhere and people a bawl fi hear I'm Waiting. That is what I want for these women in the business."

"That is why I love and idolise people like Beres Hammond. My mom listened to Beres Hammond, I grew up listening to Beres Hammond, and Nana [her daughter] is now listening to him and she loves his songs. His songs connect with every generation," she continued. "As an artiste, it is great when you can produce work that will outlive you and last for generations. I really believe the women I see doing their thing in music today can have that. They just have to be deliberate about the business and serious about their craft."

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Ce'Cile happy with rise of female talent - Says once they produce timeless music, longevity is a must - Jamaica Star Online

The Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy market research report identifies all the factors positively and negatively impacting the growth of this vertical, to direct stakeholders in making right decisions. Besides, it includes statistics coverage of the past and current business scenario to validate the forecast figures presented in the document. Moreover, the report elaborates the various industry segments and unveils the lucrative prospects that will assure high profits for the forthcoming years.

As per industry experts, Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy market is predicted to accumulate notable profits during 20XX-20XX, recording a CAGR of XX% throughout.

Apart from these factors, the document illustrates the impression of COVID-19 on this domain, emphasizing on the challenges like variations in supply-demand, cost management, and digitizing operations faced by businesses. In this context, it suggests solutions that will ensure an upward growth trajectory in the ensuing years.

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Importantpointers from Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy market report:

Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy market segments covered in the report:

Regional bifurcation: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East & Africa, South East Asia

Product types: Hemolytic Drug Therapy , Gene Therapy , Immunotherapy and Other Stem Cell Therapies

Application spectrum: Hospital , Medical Service Institution and Drug and Device Sales

Competitive dashboard: CohBar , AgeX Therapeutics?Inc , TA Sciences , Unity Biotechnology and PowerVision Inc

Highlights of the Report:

The scope of the Report:

The report offers a complete company profiling of leading players competing in the global Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy marketwith a high focus on the share, gross margin, net profit, sales, product portfolio, new applications, recent developments, and several other factors. It also throws light on the vendor landscape to help players become aware of future competitive changes in the global Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy market.

Reasons to Buy the Report:

Major Points Covered in Table of Contents:

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Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy Market Analysis, Status and Global Outloo - Business-newsupdate.com

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A 2020 study by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) examined who decides what building materials to use in new home construction. Not surprisingly, builders and contractors exert the greatest influence over primary construction materials, such as windows and doors, siding and house wrap, lumber and plywood.

But this applies more to home builders in planned developments. If you're lucky enough to be custom-building a new home or vacation getaway, or remodeling an existing one, you'll probably have a much larger role in deciding what materials go into the build. And if you're taking on a DIY building or renovation project, then it's all on you to make sure the materials meet the demands of your location, climate and budget.

Here are seven questions to ask when choosing building materials:

Unless you have a limitless building budget, choose materials priced within your means without compromising too much on quality. Natural stone siding is the most expensive residential exterior building material, but it's also one of the most durable. When properly installed, stone siding can last more than 100 years. Make sure the materials you choose strike the right balance between price and longevity.

You may love the look of a certain material, but that doesn't mean it's right for your climate or region. Wood siding looks authentic and natural, but if you put it on a house in South Florida, the long rainy seasons can do lots of damage. So can termites, who also like the warm climates of the Southeast. Before you commit to a material, make sure it's hardy enough for the climate challenges of your specific region.

You loved those hand-painted tiles you saw on your trip to Portugal, and you absolutely want them in your new kitchen. But how long are you willing to wait for them?

The more unique or rare the material, the harder it may be to find, and the longer it may take to be delivered. You probably have a timeline in mind for your project, so make sure to choose materials that fit the timeline. If those hand-painted tiles direct from Lisbon take three months to arrive, it may not be worth it.

You want to build green, and a modular home on your wooded lot seems like the right solution. But will you need to cut down trees to position that home where you want it? Consider whether your materials can be delivered with relative ease. Keep in mind things like driveway width, overhead utility lines and if you're building in a remote area the size, condition and grade of access roads.

If building with sustainable materials is a priority, make sure you choose the right materials for your climate and setting. Solar panels, for example, might not power you through a long Midwestern winter.

Also keep transport costs in mind. If those sustainable materials must be hauled halfway across the country to your job site, the carbon emissions of transport might negate any eco-benefits.

A traditional log cabin looks great in the woods of Vermont. On a beach in Florida, not so much.

When choosing materials, especially wood, stone, stucco or other kinds of exterior siding, consider regional aesthetics. If you're building in a developed area, especially in deed-restricted communities, pay attention to local building codes, zoning ordinances and Homeowners Association (HOA) rules. These may dictate everything from what materials you can use to what color your house can be.

Concrete, steel, wood and vinyl are among the most common exterior materials because they are readily available and long-lasting. If you're deciding between these or building materials that are more sustainable, more aesthetically pleasing or new to the market, do your homework and think long-term.

Talk with homeowners or designers who've worked with the materials you're considering. Think about how long you plan to own the home you're building or renovating, and how much maintenance you're willing to do over the next five, 10 or 20 years. Let that guide your decisions, especially if you're building a vacation getaway. You don't want to spend all your time there on upkeep!

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What to Consider When Choosing Construction and Building Materials - MSN Money

Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy Market 2021-2027:

The Global Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy market exhibits comprehensive information that is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists during the decade 2015-2027. On the basis of historical data, Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy market report provides key segments and their sub-segments, revenue and demand & supply data. Considering technological breakthroughs of the market Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy industry is likely to appear as a commendable platform for emerging Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy market investors.

The complete value chain and downstream and upstream essentials are scrutinized in this report. Essential trends like globalization, growth progress boost fragmentation regulation & ecological concerns. This Market report covers technical data, manufacturing plants analysis, and raw material sources analysis of Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy Industry as well as explains which product has the highest penetration, their profit margins, and R & D status. The report makes future projections based on the analysis of the subdivision of the market which includes the global market size by product category, end-user application, and various regions.

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This Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy Market Report covers the manufacturers data, including shipment, price, revenue, gross profit, interview record, business distribution, etc., these data help the consumer know about the competitors better.

Topmost Leading Manufacturer Covered in this report:

CohBar, TA Sciences, Unity Biotechnology, AgeX Therapeutics?Inc, PowerVision Inc.

Product Segment Analysis:

Hemolytic Drug Therapy Gene Therapy Immunotherapy Other Stem Cell Therapies

Application Segment Analysis:

Hospital Medical Service Institution Drug and Device Sales

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Regional Analysis For Longevity and Anti-senescence TherapyMarket

North America(the United States, Canada, and Mexico)

Europe(Germany, France, UK, Russia, and Italy)

Asia-Pacific(China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia)

South America(Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.)

The Middle East and Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa)

The objectives of the report are:

To analyze and forecast the market size of Longevity and Anti-senescence TherapyIndustry in theglobal market.

To study the global key players, SWOT analysis, value and global market share for leading players.

To determine, explain and forecast the market by type, end use, and region.

To analyze the market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks of global key regions.

To find out significant trends and factors driving or restraining the market growth.

To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.

To critically analyze each submarket in terms of individual growth trend and their contribution to the market.

To understand competitive developments such as agreements, expansions, new product launches, and possessions in the market.

To strategically outline the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.

View Full Report @ https://www.marketresearchupdate.com/industry-growth/longevity-and-anti-senescence-therapy-market-size-analysis-by-application-165495

At last, the study gives out details about the major challenges that are going to impact market growth. They also report provides comprehensive details about the business opportunities to key stakeholders to grow their business and raise revenues in the precise verticals. The report will aid the companys existing or intend to join in this market to analyze the various aspects of this domain before investing or expanding their business in the Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy markets.

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Longevity and Anti-senescence Therapy Market 2021: Current and Future Market Potential NeighborWebSJ - NeighborWebSJ

The long sought-after fountain of youth may have been hidden in plain sight all along. Three new studies suggest strawberries may be associated with slowing down aging of the brain, cardiovascular system, and gut microbiome.Courtesy Riss Design on Unsplash

As a person ages, the brain can experience changes that result in impairments in learning, memory, gait, and balance. Sometimes these changes lead to early cognitive decline, disability, or falls among older adults.

In a recent study by Dr. Barbara Shukitt-Hale and her team at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, 37 healthy older adults participated in a two-arm trial in which they consumed either freeze-dried strawberry powder beverages (24g/day, equivalent to two cups of fresh strawberries) or a calorie-matched control powder for 90 days. Participants completed a battery of balance, gait, and cognitive tests at baseline, midpoint, and conclusion of the trial.

Participants in the strawberry group performed better on spatial memory tasks and word recognition tests relative to those in the control group. These findings show that the addition of strawberry to the diets of healthy, older adults can improve some aspects of cognition, although more studies are needed to confirm this finding.

This research comes on the heels of recent publications that indicate diets higher in long-term flavonoid intake, from foods such as strawberries, could contribute to reducing the risk of Alzheimers Disease and related dementias.CourtesyAnastasia Zhenina on Unsplash

Endothelium is a thin layer of cells that lines every blood vessel in the body. Its responsible for the relaxation and constriction of veins and arteries, playing a major role in blood flow, blood pressure regulation, blood clotting, and wound healing. High total cholesterol and LDL (the bad cholesterol) can impair the function of the endothelium, clog arteries, and lead to heart disease, particularly in later years of life.

A new study from Dr. Britt Burton Freemans team of researchers at Illinois Institute of Technology asked middle-aged adults with moderately-high LDL cholesterol to drink beverages two times a day made from freeze-dried strawberry powder (25g in each) or a control powder for four weeks. After completing their first assigned beverage, they switched to the other one (strawberry/control) for an additional four weeks.

The health of the endothelium, measured by flow-mediated dilation, improved in the strawberry group one hour after drinking the beverage. Systolic blood pressure decreased two hours after drinking the strawberry beverage compared to the control, and this was more pronounced four weeks after the strawberry intervention.

The findings suggest that strawberries may improve endothelial function and be considered a specific food to include in a heart-healthy diet for aging adults with moderately-high cholesterol.CourtesyVanesa Conunaese on Unsplash

Strawberries act as prebiotics and may increase gut bacteria associated with lean body weight, health, and longevity, according to a new study out of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

The pilot study led by Dr. Zhaoping Li and her team at the Center for Human Nutrition considered whether strawberries would alter the gut microbiota.

Fourteen adults were asked to follow a beige diet low in fiber and polyphenols for 8 weeks. Two weeks in, a 13g strawberry powder drink was introduced to the diet twice a day, for four weeks. Then the participants returned to a beige-only diet for the two final weeks without strawberries.

Drinking strawberry powder beverages twice a day for four weeks was associated with an increase of 24 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), or gut microorganisms. Once the participants returned to a beige-only diet, several of the OTUs reversed back to their pre-strawberry status, suggesting strawberrys role in influencing the gut bacteria.

Something as simple as making strawberries a regular part of the diet may be the key to delaying aging of both the mind and the body.

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Can strawberries slow down the aging process? - The Packer

Sharing the news on Thursday (15th April), the company said the investment has enabled part of the facility to be dedicated to the safe handling of cell and gene therapy samples, including the installation of cryogenic storage, allowing biological materials to be preserved in liquid nitrogen vapor at temperatures of around -180C.

The facility also has the ability to package, label and distribute cryogenic materials, ensuring the integrity of the therapies being prepared for clinical trials, and has been designed so that capacity can be rapidly expanded further to meet growing clinical supply needs, as well as future commercial demand.

Establishing robust clinical supply chain services for cell and gene therapies is complex and challenging, and Catalent has undertaken an in-depth strategic review to evaluate how it can establish a safe, efficient and flexible approach to support this fast-growing area of the industry, said Ricci Whitlow, President, Catalent Clinical Supply Services.

The solution we have implemented at Philadelphia not only meets current needs, but also provides a template for us to easily replicate at other facilities in our global network, allowing incremental capacity expansion within the new infrastructure as demand grows.

With sites in the US, UK, Germany, Singapore, Japan and China, and an extended network of over 50 depots, Catalents clinical supply services can handle a broad range of international compliance and distribution requirements to support global clinical trials.

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Catalent introduces cryogenic capabilities to support growing demand for cell and gene therapy - gasworld

Cell and gene therapies hold great promise for treating human diseases, for which current therapeutics are lacking. However, the research and development process for delivering these therapies to the clinic is complex, comprising various bioprocessing and bioproduction steps that must be fulfilled and optimized to ensure the safety and efficacy of the final product. The process continues to evolve to meet increasing demand and to overcome unexpected obstacles, such as the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on supply chains and manufacturing efforts in the biotech and biopharma industries.In this interview, Technology Networks spoke with Neal Goodwin, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Teknova, to learn more about current bioprocessing and bioproduction trends in the cell and gene therapy space. Goodwin also discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the biopharmaceutical sector and highlights how the industry has united to contribute to the development of vaccines at this critical time.

Molly Campbell (MC): You have 20 years of experience working in biotechnology and therapeutics. Can you talk about the evolution of the field through this time?Neal Goodwin (NG):It has been a great 20 years! The human genome release is one of the most dramatic events during those 20 years. Once we had the human genome at our disposal, the field burgeoned. We've seen targeted therapeutics make a significant impact in personalized healthcare imatinib, erlotinib, and the new KRAS inhibitors, among other targeted therapeutics for oncology, come to mind. Also, the first immuno-oncology therapeutics are now positively affecting large numbers of patients which is terrific.

The ability to move into gene therapy and address severe genetic disorders and conduct gene replacement therapy is fantastic. The progress in gene delivery viral vectors and non-viral nanoparticle delivery contributed to the rapid advancement of prominent COVID-19 vaccines. The mRNA-based vaccines and non-viral nanoparticle-based gene delivery technologies have validated a promising approach to gene therapy that is being expanded to rare genetic diseases. The ability to mass-produce mRNA vaccines demonstrated the feasibility of mRNA treatments and gene therapies for more widespread use for treating broader therapeutic targets and conditions.

MC: Can you talk to us about some of the current trends you are seeing in the bioprocessing and bioproduction space?NG: First of all, there is a considerable demand for bioprocessing and commercial production of viral and non-viral vectors. These efforts must support what is now well over 1,000 clinical development programs in gene therapy alone. There is a need to develop better individualized processes that are readily scalable for GMP production matched to specific therapeutics. This effort will require the implementation of new strategies, new technologies, and increased global manufacturing capacity. It is an exciting place to be, but there is a great deal of development left to achieve streamlined processes and optimized capacity.

MC: Cell and gene therapies are key emerging markets. What are some of the key challenges that exist when developing these products from the lab, through to clinical testing and eventually authorization?NG:There is a wide breadth of requirements I will try to narrow them down to a few of the essential points. Some autologous cellular therapies require cells to be genetically modified ex vivo. This genetic modification is usually done with viral vectors, and a crucial aspect is the delivery of the gene, i.e., the active pharmaceutical ingredient, to the cells. There is a need for more advanced lentiviral vector systems that are safer for use in systemic gene delivery.

Among the non-cellular gene delivery segment, adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector gene delivery is the most widely used viral gene delivery platform. AAV production relies on the efficient expression in human cell lines of plasmids that encode viral packaging, capsid and replication genes, and expression plasmids encoding the therapeutic gene. One of the drawbacks of AAV vectors employed for gene therapy is they generally cannot deliver larger gene fragments required for optimal treatments. So, better viruses or non-viral gene delivery systems are needed.

In turn, choosing the best cell manufacturing conditions that provide the most efficient viral vector production is essential. A key challenge is how to scale up with reproducibility and efficiency.

MC: How can we look to overcome the challenge of scale-up in cell and gene therapies?NG: Because therapeutic programs are each different, having adaptable processes to individual programs is vital. Some strategies focus on gene delivery into autologous cells or allogeneic cells that become expanded and transplanted into patients other strategies require direct delivery of viral or non-viral gene therapy products into patients.In viral gene delivery, matching the most suitable virus to achieve the best target tissue tropism is essential. To date, AAV has been successfully used in two FDA-approved gene therapies, with many in advanced clinical trials. Traditionally, there have been few available AAV serotypes available for gene delivery. However, now we can use a directed evolution approach to manipulate and generate AAV capsids that have better target tissue tropism with reduced host immunogenicity.

Concerning AAV production, the purification processes of viruses need optimized, which is a focus of Teknova. We are barcoding different AAV serotypes with specific processes to achieve higher purity and viral vector yield.

MC: How has the COVID-19 impacted the biotech sector?NG: COVID-19 motivated and united the biotech sector. It remains a worldwide effort where enormous challenges are being addressed rapidly and collaboratively. The field appears more collaborative, almost cheering once competitive firms and laboratories. Teknova experienced this by retooling and supplying GMP viral transport media for COVID-19 testing and providing the global research community with research reagents and custom GMP manufactured products. This transformation is something that instils pride.

MC: How do you envision the biotech sector will change over the next few years? Are there any areas, aside from cell and gene therapies, that excite you?NG: The biotech sector's attitude is positive and more confident than 20 years ago, and this spirit enables us to tackle problems once considered unsolvable.

One of the most exciting biotech advancement areas is precision therapeutics. For example, a difficult hurdle to overcome was treating cancers linked to specific mutant KRAS alleles in a high percentage of cancers. Multiple firms have recently advanced precision therapeutics to late-stage clinical trials to treat this historically untreatable cancer type precisely. I think this can-do attitude will continue.

Another area where I expect to see progress is gene therapy delivery that will increasingly evolve non-viral delivery technologies. This evolution will allow precise targeting of therapeutics delivery and undoubtedly improve human health through this process.

Neal Goodwin was speaking to Molly Campbell, Science Writer for Technology Networks.

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Bioprocessing and Bioproduction Trends in Cell and Gene Therapies - Technology Networks

STAMFORD, Conn., April 16, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --April 29 marks a pivotal moment in cancer research when the world's brightest minds come together to discuss how to translate the success of CAR T-cell therapies for blood cancers into successful cell and gene therapies for the most complex and deadly solid tumor cancers. The scientists and companies driving the latest advances in cancer cell and gene therapy will gather online for a virtual Summit with the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy, who envision a cancer free future and want to change the C-word from Cancer to Cure. The Summit is open to the public, to medical professionals, scientists and companies interested in cell and gene therapy to fight cancer. To register for the Summit, visit acgtfoundation.org.

Summit 2021 is being held online on Thursday, April 29, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m (ET), and features eight (8) panel discussions with leading researchers developing the next generation cancer cell and gene therapies, biotech companies who are bringing new treatments through the clinic, and investors who are funding this burgeoning pipeline of solid tumor breakthroughs.

The panels include:

Keynote: Does Cancer Have a Future? What's Next? Where Will We Be in 2025?

A conversation with Nobel Laureate James P. Allison, PhD, executive director of the Immunotherapy Platform at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Carl H. June, MD, director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. The conversation will be moderated by Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, founder, Myeloid Therapeutics, Pulitzer-prize winning author of "The Emperor of All Maladies."

Evolving Cell and Gene Regulatory and Manufacturing Processes to Match the Speed of Innovation

Panel discussion with: Rafael Amado, MD, executive vice president, head of R&D and chief medical officer, Allogene Therapeutics; Andre Choulika, PhD, chairman, CEO and founder, Cellectis; Amy DuRoss, founder and CEO, Vineti; Bruce Levine, PhD, Barbara and Edward Netter professor in Cancer Gene Therapy, University of Pennsylvania; Ke Liu, MD, PhD, senior vice president and head of Regulatory Affairs & Strategy at Sana Biotechnology, former FDA Oncology Center of Excellence associate director for Cell and Gene Therapy; and moderated by Asthika Goonewardene, managing director, Equity Research - Biotech, Truist Securities.

Innovating Science, From the Lab to the Clinic

Panel discussion with: Brian Brown, PhD, professor and associate director of the Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai; Yvonne Chen, PhD, associate professor of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Founder Kalthera; Franco Marincola, PhD, senior vice president and global head of Cell Therapy Research at Kite, a Gilead Company; Clodagh O'Shea, PhD, professor, Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute, scientific founder IconOVir Bio; and moderated by Jenna Foger, senior vice president, Science & Technology, Alexandria Venture Investments/Alexandria Real Estate Equities.

Tackling the Toughest Challenges Pancreatic Cancer

Panel discussion with: Sidi Chen, PhD, associate professor, Yale Cancer Center; Joseph A. Fraietta, PhD, director, Solid Tumor Immunotherapy Laboratory, Center for Advanced Cellular Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania; Michael T. Lotze, MD, professor of Surgery and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, chief cellular officer, Nurix, chair of Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy's Scientific Advisory Council; Mark H. O'Hara, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; and moderated by Andrew Rakeman, PhD, vice president of Research, Lustgarten Foundation.

Tackling the Toughest Challenges Glioblastoma

Panel discussion with: Nduka Amankulor, MD, department of Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Samantha Bucktrout, PhD, senior director of Research, Parker Institute of Cancer Immunotherapy; Noriyuku Kasahara, MD, PhD, principal investigator, Brain Tumor Center, UCSF; Crystal Mackall, MD, founding director, Stanford Center for Cancer Cell Therapy; and moderated by Klaus Veitinger, MD, PhD, venture partner OrbiMed.

New Approaches to Solid Tumor Breakthroughs

Panel discussion with: Ken Drazan, MD, chief executive officer, ArsenalBio; Daniel Getts, PhD, chief executive officer & co-founder, Myeloid Therapeutics; Garry E. Menzel, PhD, president and chief executive officer at TCR Therapeutics; and moderated by Luke Timmerman, founder and editor, The Timmerman Report.

Patients, Caregivers, Doctors, Oncologists, Advocates, Researchers, You, Me We all Have Cancer in Common

Panel discussion with: Caroline Corner, PhD, managing director, Westwicke; Robert Levis, director CLL Society; Callum Miller, CAR-T recipient, patient advocate; Tom Whitehead, co-founder, The Emily Whitehead Foundation; and moderated by Gregory C. Simon, former president of the Biden Cancer Initiative.

Innovating Finance, Non-Traditional Funding Sources

Panel discussion with: Jay Campbell, managing director of Cancer Research Institute Clinical Accelerator and Venture Fund; Marc Hurlbert, PhD, chief science officer, Melanoma Research Alliance; Ken Schaner, partner Schaner & Lubitz; Anna Turetsky, PhD, principal, Venture Investments, The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research; moderated by Luke Evnin, PhD, co-founder and managing director MPM Capital.

"It's so rare to have the opportunity to hear from the world's top cancer researchers, biotechs, investors and patients all in the same room," noted Barbara Lavery, chief program officer for Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy. "We're excited to have Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy be a catalyst for these important conversations that will help not only other scientists working on new cell and gene therapy approaches, but companies seeking investment to advance their clinical pipelines, and patients and their families looking for potentially life changing therapeutic options in their fight against cancer."

To learn more, see the list of speakers and panels and register for the event, visit the website Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy Summit 2021.

Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy

For 20 years, Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy has funded research that is bringing innovative treatment options to people living with deadly cancers treatments that save lives and offer new hope to all cancer patients. Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy funds researchers who are pioneering the potential of cancer cell and gene therapy talented visionaries whose scientific advancements are driving the development of groundbreaking treatments for ovarian, prostate, sarcoma, glioblastoma, melanoma and pancreatic cancers. 100% of all public funds raised by Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy directly support research and programs. For more information, visit acgtfoundation.org, call 203-358-5055, or join the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy community on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube @acgtfoundation.

Media Contact

Jenifer Howard, J. Howard Public Relations, +1 (203) 273-4246, jhoward@jhowardpr.com

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Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy Summit 2021 Features World Renowned Cancer Researchers Advancing Solid Tumor Breakthroughs - WFMZ Allentown

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK StrideBio, an emerging startup focusing on gene therapies which closed on a big $81.5 million round of venture capital in March, is partnering with Duke University as it expands efforts to create next-generation therapies.

The agreement announced Wednesday is described as a multi-technology collaboration.

Specific financial terms were not disclosed but includeequity, upfront and milestone-driven payments, and sponsored research commitments from StrideBio to Duke University. Also included are royalties on future product sales.

We are very excited to partner with Duke University to advance these technologies that can improve and expand on the potential benefits of gene therapies for patients who desperately need them, stated Sapan Shah, StrideBios CEO. We look forward to working together with a fantastic group of Duke researchers and clinicians to bring next-generation AAV-based gene therapies to patients with rare CNS diseases and beyond, starting with Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood.

StrideBio is focused on what it calls engineered viral vectors, or AAV, for gene therapy. The firm has already announced it has struck a deal with Crispr Therapeutics to develop in vivo gene delivery applications. As part of the deal, StrideBio will receive development funding, milestones and royalties on licensed vectors, and retain certain rights to use the novel AAV vectors for gene therapy applications.

Heres how StrideBio describes the agreement and the tecnologies involved:

The agreements announced today provide StrideBio an exclusive license to multiple technologies that will enable best-in-class next-generation gene therapies developed at Duke University. Included are novel engineered AAV vectors which complement StrideBios existing STRIVETMcapsid engineering platform, having been selected through a cross-species evolution that results in significantly enhanced tropism and potency versus AAV9 across a wide range of tissues such as CNS, skeletal and cardiac muscle. Data on these novel vectors were presented by Duke researcher and StrideBio co-founder, Aravind Asokan, Ph.D., at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 23rdAnnual Meeting in an abstract titled Cross Species Evolution of Synthetic AAV Strains for Clinical Translation (Gonzalez et al., ASGCT 2020, Abstract 24). In addition, StrideBio has licensed exclusive rights covering a novel use of IgG-degrading enzyme IdeZ to clear neutralizing antibodies in conjunction with AAV gene therapy administration. This innovative approach was recently published by members of the Asokan Lab in a manuscript titled Rescuing AAV gene transfer from neutralizing antibodies with an IgG-degrading enzyme (Elmore et al., JCI Insight, 2020, 5(19): e139881). Finally, StrideBio obtained license rights to a novel gene therapy approach for the treatment of AHC recently published by Duke researcher Mohamad Mikati, M.D., in a manuscript titled AAV Mediated Gene Therapy in the Mashlool, Atp1a3Mashl/+, Mouse Model of Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (Hunanyan et al., Human Gene Therapy, February 12, 2021).

Gene therapy startup StrideBio lands $81.5M in capital, new investors

This License and Master Sponsored Research Agreement will ensure that these innovative technologies receive the resources and expertise necessary to develop treatments that can ultimately benefit patients. We are delighted to have StrideBio as a partner on this important effort in the gene therapy area, said Robin Rasor, Executive Director of the Office of Licensing and Ventures at Duke, in the announcement.

The rest is here:
Gene therapy startup StrideBio signs collaboration deal with Duke University - WRAL Tech Wire