StemCell Therapy

As confirmed coronavirus cases in several former U.S. hotspots have begun to come down, cases are rising sharply in a number of states, a trend that's expected to with less social distancing protocols in place. Now, as the heat of the summer starts to settle in, there are concerns over how air conditioning could affect exposure.

Manish Butte, Ph.D. and associate professor in the department of microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics at the University of California, spoke to Health about the matter. They believe that public settings with air conditioning might could be risky. The way air conditioning works is by circulating the air rapidly, removing the humidity. "Less humidity in the air promotes evaporation, which causes droplets in the air to dry up and disappear," Butte explains. So, given that water vapor holds onto heat, when there's less of it in the air, the room cools down.

The droplets themselves are mostly water, but they also can contain any pathogens, which includes coronavirus. A single cough can release about 3,000 droplets and a single sneeze can release up to 30,000 or more. These droplets can vary in size and distance traveled, and when an AC is turned on, airflow from the vent pushes these droplets through the air and potentially into other people. As Butte puts it, "the airflow direction is what matters."

Essentially, since air conditioning is recycled air, it can help the droplets and the contagions therein spread farther. Which, in turn, could result in more infections. Recent studies also suggest that the influx of new coronavirus cases are due directly to the rollbacks of social distancing protocols, which began to lift significantly around Memorial Day. There are currently more than two million cases in the U.S., an unfortunate milestone that has yet to be addressed by the White House.

Despite the spike in cases, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin asserted in an interview with CNBC that similar actions won't be taken by the government in the future. "We can't shut down the economy again. I think we've learned that if you shut down the economy, you're going to create more damage," Mnuchin said. "And not just economic damage, but there are other areas and we've talked about this: medical problems and everything else that get put on hold."

As of Friday, Johns Hopkins University reports that there have been more than 114,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. More than 423,000 cases have been reported across the globe.

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What to Know About Coronavirus and Air Conditioning, According to Medical Experts - PopCulture.com

Islamabad - The government on Friday made no significant increase in the development and recurring grants of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the fiscal year 2020-2021, freezing the funds allocation above Rs93 billion.

The budget documents said that around Rs64 billion have been proposed as recurring grants while Rs29.47 billion on the development side for the fiscal year 2020-21.

In the fiscal year 2019-20, the government had allocated Rs29.196 billion in the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). Out of the total allocation of Rs2.47 billion of the proposed funds in development, Rs 1.41 billion is from foreign aid.

The PSDP 2020-2021 said that 29 new projects have been introduced by the HEC while it will continue 47 ongoing projects.

The major new schemes on which above Rs100 million will be spent include Academic Collaboration under CPEC Consortium of Universities (Rs175 million), Development of Infrastructure at Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Lasbela, Uthal Balochistan (Phase-II) (Rs200million), Development of Main Campus, Bacha Khan University, Charsadda (Rs 166.231 million), Development of University of Buner at Swari (Phase-I) (Rs250 million), Development of University of Sahiwal (Rs300 million), Establishment of 21st Century Water Institute at NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi (Rs 470 million), Establishment of an Advanced Molecular Genetics and Genomics Diseases Research and Treatment Centre at Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi (Rs 352.211 million), Establishment of Four New Departments at Balochistan University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Khuzdar (Rs200 million), Establishment of National Center of Industrial Biotechnology for Pilot Manufacturing of Bio-products using synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering Technologies at PMASARID Agriculture University, Rawalpindi (Rs350miilion), Establishment of New Campus for Govt. College Women University Faisalabad (Rs250 million), Establishment of Sukkar IBA University Campus at Mirpur Khas (Rs170 milion), Establishment of the University of Chitral (Phase-I) (Rs200 million), Livestock Sector Development through Capacity Building, Applied Research and Technology Transfer, University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (UVAS) (Rs 150 million), Pak-UK Knowledge Gateway- HEC (Rs 158 million), Pilot Project for Data Driven Smart Decision Platform for Increased Agriculture Productivity (Rs 441.300), Provision of Accommodation Facilities for Female Students in Public Sector Universities of Islamabad (Umbrella Project) (Rs 300milion), Provision of missing necessities at King Abdullah Campus, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad (Rs 100 million), Strengthening & Development of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi ( Phase-I) (Rs200million), Strengthening and Upgradation of Academic Research and Sports Facilities at Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro (Rs 147million), Strengthening of Center of Excellence in Arts & Design (CEAD), Mehran University of Engineering & Technology (MUET), Jamshoro (Rs100 million), Strengthening of Existing Facilities of Government Sadiq College Women University (GSCWU), Bahawalpur (Rs145million), Strengthening of Infrastructure and Academic Programs of Government College Women University Sialkot (Rs100 million).

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No significant change in education budget - The Nation

Multiple companies around the world arepreparing vaccines forimmunisationagainst COVID-19. While researchers are some timeoff from completion, a lot more progress has been made than wasexpected.

Speaking at the Ministry of Healths virtual media conference today,Professor of Molecular Genetics and Virology at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Centre, Dr Christine Carrington, shed extra light ona fewmain companies which have made significant strides in vaccine development.

Theres a lot in the pipeline, things are progressing at an unprecedented rate but there is still uncertainty and a lot of work to be done. Even if phase three trials identify a safe and effective vaccine that goes into production this year, it is likely to be 12 to 18 months before it would be ready for wide administration, she said.

Dr Carrington says thatin the event ofre-infectionwithout a vaccine, the human body pays specific attention to how it was initially able tofight off the virus so that it can employ similar measures again.

Afteran infection with a given virus, the immune system remembers what it learnt about how to protect the body against that specificvirus so if it encounters that same virus again, it can go into action much more quickly and prevent the infection from taking hold or at least prevent it from causing illnessor from spreading to other people, she explained.

This is what doctors refer to as immunity. Depending on the virus, it can last forever or for a period of months or years.

Vaccines relation to this process is that they contain a component which resembles the virus but will not cause actual infection. This way, if an immune system encountersthe virus, it will already have a reaction prepared due to its familiarity similar to infection and re-infection.

The Professor explained that theres a lot to consider in the decision to employ any specific vaccine; she says its a lengthy process that has to be carefully attended to.

Carrington believes this process is exactly why its important for multiple vaccines to be developed togive populations a better chance at accessing them in a timely fashion.

There is a concerted effort to put certain processes in place to allow rapid dissemination of the vaccine to both developed and developing countries and the pharmaceutical companies involved have committed to doing that at cost during the pandemic period, shesaid.

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COVID-19 vaccines: Progress being made, but still a long way to go - Loop News Trinidad and Tobago

Meet the New Members of the 2020 Malone Scholarship Family

Jimmy Malone from iHeartMedia Clevelands WMJI had a banner spring with his scholarship program, which was started in 1993.He had 11 students graduate this spring and his goal was to pick 5 or 6 new students, however, MORE were selected.

I was presented me with some truly amazing applicants, said Jimmy Malone.In fact, they did too good of a job because I had an extremely difficult time with the selection process.All of them are very impressive and I am very excited to have 15 new students in my scholarship family.

Whats even more impressive is there is a total of 61 students currently active in the Malone Scholarship Family this year.

Jimmy is very proud of the diverse group of students who receive the 4 year scholarships.There are no restrictions on race, religion, politics etc.The scholarship is available to students who graduate from high schools in Cuyahoga, Lake, Medina, Summit, and Lorain County.

The goal of the Malone Scholarship at College Now Greater Cleveland, a 501(c)(3), is to provide college scholarships to deserving students. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be Pell Grant eligible, and have a positive outlook on life. Students must also attend a college that is affordable for their financial circumstances.The Malone family looks for students who are committed to graduating on time without excessive debt. Preference is given to students attending a college or university in Ohio.

Jimmys daughter, Angela Malone, and April Malone help him maintain the scholarship and mentor the students.Mentoring is an essential part of the Malone Scholarship program. Our involvement with our students helps them graduate on time, and helps prepare them for life after college.

Congrats to Jimmy and the Class of 2020 on a job well done!

GET MORE INFO OR GET INVOLVED HERE

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Meet the New Members of the 2020 Malone Scholarship Family | Majic 105.7 - On Air With Ryan Seacrest

A 10-minute jog might feel like a cop-out, but a new study by the Stanford University School of Medicine has found that it's enough to alter 9,815 molecules in your body.

There are many existing studies examining the effects exercise has on smaller groups of molecules, but until now no study has committed to the tremendous job of examining how each molecules in the body responds to exercise.

The new study, published in Cell, was small, but it was an ambitious endeavor to document all of the tiny changes to the body's blood that happen post-workout, further highlighting what researchers have known for years: that exercise is crucial for good health.

Researchers still don't know exactly what the impact of each molecular change is, but they do know they are correlated with different bodily functions. Some of the changing molecules were involved in metabolic functions, or digestion or immune system functions, while others were involved in inflammation and insulin resistance levels.

"I had thought, it's only about nine minutes of exercise, how much is going to change? A lot, as it turns out," Snyder told the New York Times.

Crystal Cox/Insider

This intensive, detail-oriented research was only possible because these researchers had been quantifying the molecules of a group of 100 adult men and women. They chose 36 people from their initial pool, including study author Michael Snyder, the chair of the genetics department at Stanford University.

All the participants were between ages 40 and 75, ranging from fit to overweight, and drew blood from them before and after they ran on a treadmill for about 10 minutes.

A majority of the 17,662 molecules they measured (9,815) either increased or declined after the workout. For some people, the molecular changes lingered for longer.

The study was small, and didn't involve participants over 40, and used only a one-time workout, so Snyder and the other researchers can't make any definite conclusions about molecule levels and fitness at this time.

But Snyder is planning more experiments on people's molecule levels, this time with longer workout times and more participants, so he can determine if a simple blood test could be a good way of determining people's physical fitness.

While researching, Snyder and his team discovered thousands of molecules that might correlate with people's fitness levels. Those molecules included markers of metabolism and immunity.

Based off the results of this study, Snyder and his team have created a development test for the idea of using blood tests as fitness markers. In fact, they've already filed a patent application for it.

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Just 10 minutes on the treadmill is enough to change 9,000 molecules in your body, a study found - Insider - INSIDER

By: Lifestyle Desk | New Delhi | Updated: June 13, 2020 10:01:59 am A 10-minute jog or treadmill workout can changes molecules in the body, a study found. (Source: getty images)

A 10-minute workout on a treadmill or a jog is enough to alter more than 9,000 molecules in the body, a new study by the Stanford University School of Medicine found.

Published in the journal Cell, the study aimed to document all the tiny changes that happen to the bodys blood post-workout, highlighting what researchers have been asserting till now, that is, exercise is essential for good health. The study was conducted by Michael Snyder, chair of the genetics department at Stanford University and his team.

I had thought, its only about nine minutes of exercise, how much is going to change? A lot, as it turns out, Snyder was quoted as saying by New York Times.

Some of the changing molecules were involved in metabolic functions or digestive and immune system function while others were involved in inflammation and insulin resistance levels, researchers found.

Read| Post lockdown, how does outdoor fitness change? An expert answers

All participants for the study were between the ages 40 and 75, ranging from fit to overweight. Their blood was drawn before and after they ran on a treadmill for about 10 minutes. A majority of the molecules were found to have either decreased or increased after the workout. For some, the molecular changes lingered for longer.

Researchers found thousands of molecules that might correlate with peoples fitness levels, including markers of metabolism and immunity, reported Insider. They are however yet to know the exact impact of each molecular change.

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Just 10 minutes on a treadmill can affect your body: Study - The Indian Express

By: Tech Desk | New Delhi | Updated: June 13, 2020 7:14:46 pm Representational Image byenriquelopezgarrefromPixabay.

As part of science round-up, we are curating and bringing you the most important science stories of the week. This way, you do not have to go about fishing for the stories elsewhere. Heres everything that happened from June 8 to June 13, 2020:

A new study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, found that office workers sleep more hours each night when they are exposed to more sunlight during the day at work. The researchers tested the differences insleep patternsof people working in nearly identical office environments, with the only difference being the amount of lighting they have been exposed to during their shifts.

The researchers found that both groups slept longer when they worked in the office with more natural lighting. On average, they slept 37 minutes longer. The sunlight also had a positive effect on the cognitive tests of the workers, which only grew more and more with each passing day.

In a study, published in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease, scientists have revealed the effects of Covid-19 on the human brain. They conducted a comprehensive review of how the SARS-CoV-2 (novel coronavirus) to classify the damage caused by the virus into three stages.

In the first stage, the damage is limited to epithelial cells of nose and mouth, which leads to transient loss of smell and taste. In the second stage, the overactive immune system causes a cytokine storm in the form of toxic proteins due to the virus. It ends up forming blood clots that cause strokes in the brain.

Also read | Science round-up June 1-7: Sun-Earth like duo found, Gene-editing could destroy coronavirus and more

In the third stage, a much powerful cytokine storm damages the blood-brain barrier, which is basically the protective insulation layer in blood vessels of the brain. It causes the patient to develop seizures, confusion, encephalopathy as the blood content, inflammatory markers, and virus particles invade the brain. It can also send the patient to go into a coma.

This week, the Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon lined up to form a triangle in the southeastern sky. Dr Ian Musgrave told CGTN that while Jupiter and Venus get close to each other in the sky every year, Jupiter and Saturn only do this once in 20 years.

Research by scientists at the KEM Hospital, Pune, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, and the University of Exeter in the UK, states that a new way of diagnosing type 1 diabetes through genetics could pave the way for better treatment among the Indian population. The research shows that a genetic risk score is effective in diagnosing type 1 diabetes in Indians. Click here to read more.

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Science round-up June 8-13: Brain damage due to Covid-19, natural light in office ensures better sleep, and more - The Indian Express

We know that exercise can work wonders for our bodies. Now, a new study documents its effects, down to our blood. The study found that a 10-minute workout can induce changes in 9,815 molecules. These findings could pave the way for designing blood tests that measure fitness levels.These molecules are involved in various body functions, from metabolism to digestive and immune function. Scientists have long believed that exercise brings changes atmolecular levels, shielding us from heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cancer and aging.

In this study, scientists from Stanford University studied 36 people between the age of 40 and 75. The participants had varied fitness levels: some were aerobically strong while others were not. Some had diabetes while others had normal sugar levels. Before working out on a treadmill, these volunteers provided blood samples for the study.

The team drew blood immediately after completing the task, and again after a gap of 15, 30 and 60 minutes. In these samples, the team looked for changes in more than 17,000 molecules. Of them, 9,815 either rose or dropped following the physical activity. "I had thought, it's only about nine minutes of exercise, how much is going to change? A lot, as it turns out," Michael Snyder, the chair of the genetics department at Stanford University and senior author of the study told The New York Times.

Snyder compared these changes to an orchestration. For some people, the molecules rose after a workout and then dropped. For others, these changes an increase or decrease stayed for long. They added that the alterations varied depending on an individual's fitness levels. "It was like a symphony. First, you have the brass section coming in, then the strings, then all the sections joining in," he explained.

The study showed that participants struggling with diabetes also displayed differences. Some of these patients often do not respond to insulin, a hormone responsible for keeping blood sugar levels low. After the workout, the team recorded small increases in molecules associated with maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. They also showed a higher increase in molecules involved in responding to an attack, suggesting that they were somewhat resistant to the general, beneficial effects of exercise.

The study has a few limitations, including the fact that the researchers studied only a few participants. Besides, it recorded changes only until an hour after the physical activity. So it does not provide answers to long-term changes to the body. And, it did not involve participants under the age of 40.

In the future, the team hopes to work on experiments that address the gaps left by the current study. They aim to evaluate changes brought about by longer workouts. Comparing resistance exercise and endurance training is also on the cards. In other words, researchers will try to understand which participants are likely to benefit from the two types of workouts. It will also help in designing a fitness blood test, according to the New York Times.The study was published in Cell.

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A 10-minute workout on the treadmill can change over 9,000 molecules in the body, finds study - MEAWW

A mouse model and previous studies suggest that genetic intervention in SHANK3-related ASD may be most effective earlier in development.

A mouse model and previous studies suggest that genetic intervention in SHANK3-related ASD may be most effective earlier in development.A mouse study by Craig Powell, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues suggests that early genetic rescue may be a potential therapy in autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. Powell looked at one gene called SHANK3, whose alteration is seen in about 0.5 percent of ASD patients.

The study is published in eNeuro and was highlighted on the ASD news site Spectrum. Powell is professor and chair of the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and also heads the UAB Civitan International Research Center. The UAB researcher has a longstanding focus on autism, intellectual disability and cognitive dysfunction.

The SHANK3 gene product acts in the brain as a postsynaptic scaffolding protein. A synapse is a gap between two nerve cells where a signal is passed from one nerve to the other. A human brain may have more than 100 trillion synapses in its neuronal circuitry.

Powell and colleagues previously showed that mice deficient in SHANK3 protein have behavioral abnormalities, including repetitive grooming and deficits in social interaction, locomotor activity and rearing. Rearing is standing on hind legs to investigate the surroundings. Some of these behaviors are reminiscent of ASD in humans, which is characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.

Powells lab and other labs, including Guoping Feng, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have sought mouse models where a SHANK3 deficit could be reversed early or later in life, to see if that reversal removed some of the behavioral deficits. Powell says his and Fengs labs used different experimental approaches, and their two studies are complementary.

Powells lab used genetic tools to construct mice that had a stop signal inserted into one or both genes for SHANK3, creating heterozygous or homozygous mice for the mutation they call ShankE13. The activation of another inserted gene called Cre-recombinase can excise that stop signal, restoring full function of the mutated SHANK3 gene.

In Fengs mouse model, the SHANK3 gene was activated when the mice were given tamoxifen, which leads to some toxicity, including weight loss. In the Powell mouse model, the Cre-recombinase was negatively controlled by the antibiotic doxycycline; as long as mice were fed doxycycline, the Cre-recombinase was supposed to be shut off. When the doxycycline is stopped, the SHANK3 gene should be restored. Another genetic in the mouse model was supposed to limit reactivation of the SHANK3 gene to the striatum and cerebellum of the brain.

The plan was to activate the Cre-recombinase at different ages and test those mice for changes in ASD-like behaviors.

This elegant approach had two problems, the researchers learned. First, there was more widespread rescue of the SHANK3 gene in the brain than expected, including in the cortex. Second, the doxycycline control was leaky, allowing expression of the Cre-recombinase even as the mice were fed the antibiotic. Thus, Powell and colleagues were only able to look at the effect of early developmental genetic reversal of ShankE13, occurring about embryonic day 18.

Still, as Powell told Spectrum, It is important to publish experiments that do not work out exactly as planned.

Craig Powell, M.D., Ph.D.In a wide variety of behavioral tests, the researchers found that early genetic restoration of SHANK3 rescued a variety of behaviors that included repetitive grooming and social, locomotor, and rearing deficits.

The social tests included the amount of social interaction with another mouse; social recognition memory, where a test mouse was introduced to another mouse, and then reintroduced three days later; and social novelty exploration, which compares the amount of time spent with a novel caged mouse versus an inanimate object.

The locomotor tests included placing mice in a novel cage with minimal bedding and measuring how much they freely explored over two hours. In a different series of tests, the mice as expected showed no changes in anxiety-related behaviors. That lack of change in anxiety in mutant and rescued mice had also been shown in previous work.

Overall, Powell said, our studies suggest early genetic rescue as a potential genetic therapy for ASD-like behaviors in ASD associated with SHANK3 deletion or mutation. Taken together with previously published studies, genetic intervention in SHANK3-related ASD may be most effective earlier in development.

Co-authors with Powell for the study, Early restoration of Shank3 expression in Shank3 knockout mice prevents core ASD-like behavioural phenotypes, are Thomas C. Jaramillo, Jeremy M. Reimers, Christine O. Escamilla and Shunan Liu, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas; and Zhong Xuan, UAB Department of Neurobiology.

Powell moved to UAB from the Southwestern Medical Center in 2018. At UAB, Powell holds the Virginia B. Spencer Endowed Professorship in Neuroscience.

Support came from National Institutes of Health grants HD069560 and HD069560-S1, Autism Speaks, an Autism Science Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship, The Hartwell Foundation, gifts from Clay Heighten and Debra Caudy, and BRAINS for Autism.

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Genetic rescue of SHANK3 is potential therapy in rare forms of autism spectrum disorder - The Mix

The "Genetic Testing. Global Market Forecasts for Applications and Technologies. Updated for COVID-19 Pandemic impact with Executive and Consultant Guides 2020 to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report explores how the large genetic testing cancer segment has been impacted by COVID-19. Genetic Blizzard is creating a confusing array of new tests. Will all newborns receive Whole Genomic Sequencing at birth? What has happened to Direct to Consumer?

The role of genetics in health and disease is just now being understood. This new knowledge, combined with lower pricing is driving the Genetic Testing industry to record growth. New drugs may only work for people with a certain genetic makeup, and this too is driving the Genetic Testing Industry. The traditional genetic testing market is growing in volume and growing in the breadth of tests creating a new life for the industry. The report forecasts the market size out to 2024. The report includes detailed breakouts for 14 countries and 5 regions.

Predictive Diagnostics? Pharmacogenomic Testing? Direct to Consumer? Find out about the technology in readily understood terms that explain the jargon. What are the issues? Find the opportunities and pitfalls. Understand growth expectations and the ultimate market forecasts for the next five years.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction and Market Definition

1.1 Genetic Testing Definition in This Report

1.2 The Genomics Revolution

1.3 Market Definition

1.4 U.S. Medical Market and laboratory Testing - Perspective

2. Market Overview

2.1 Market Participants Play Different Roles

2.2 Genetic Tests -Types, Examples and Discussion

2.3 Industry Structure

2.4 Market Shares of Key Genetics Players - Analysis

3. Market Trends

3.1 Factors Driving Growth

3.2 Factors Limiting Growth

3.3 Instrumentation and Automation

3.4 Diagnostic Technology Development

4. Genetic Testing Recent Developments

5. Profiles of Key Companies

6. Global Market Size

6.1 Global Market by Country

6.2 Global Market by Application

6.3 Global Market by Technology

7. Market Sizes by Application

7.1 Newborn Testing Market

7.2 NIPT Market

7.3 Predictive Testing Market

7.4 Oncology Testing Market

7.5 DTC Testing Market

7.6 Other Testing Market

8. Global Genetic Testing Market by Technology

9. The Future of Genetic Testing

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jp4uin

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200610005299/en/

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ResearchAndMarkets.comLaura Wood, Senior Press Managerpress@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

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Global Genetic Testing Market Forecasts for Applications and Technologies 2020-2024, Updated in Light of Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic -...

Made To Shine the chosen theme for this years International Albinism Awareness Day celebrates the achievements of those who have albinism

International Albinism Awareness Day is observed every year on June 13 to highlight the rights of those born with albinism and increase awareness of the genetic condition. The theme gains significance this year since the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in the spread of misinformation against those who have albinism.

The physical appearance of those with albinism is often conflated with erroneous beliefs and myths influenced by superstition, something that furthers marginalisation and social exclusion, leading to stigma and discrimination.

In some countries, those with the genetic condition have been stigmatised and accused for spreading COVID-19, something that does not have a basis in scientific fact.

Killings, attacks, bullying and discrimination continue against people with albinism.

This day, hence, serves as a reminder that people with albinism continue to defy odds, overcome hurdles and face injustice with resilience.

Made To Shine the chosen theme for this years International Albinism Awareness Day celebrates the achievements and successes of individuals with albinism worldwide.

It is also a call for solidarity with those who have albinism and the challenges they face.

Albinism a rare disease, according to the National Institutes of Health is characterised by a lack of melanin pigment in skin, hair and eyes. Those with albinism are vulnerable to sun exposure, something that increases chances of skin cancer and severe visual impairment.

An albino crocodile in Odisha's Bhitarkanika National Park Photo: Ashis Senapati

The condition is still not fully understood, socially or medically. Both parents must carry the gene for their child to have the condition.

Even though the parents carry the gene, they may not show any physical signs of the condition, said Sudhashree Pattanaik, a noted dermatologist from Odisha.

One out of every 17,000 people across the world have albinism. Africa and Europe have the greatest number of those with albinism.

In India, there are around 200,000 who have albinism. The Union government is yet to conduct a census to account for those who have albinism, said Amarbara Biswal, a human rights activist.

In 2013, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution that called for the prevention of discrimination against individuals with albinism.

The UN General Assembly proclaimed June 13 to be International Albinism Awareness Day on December 18, 2014, with it being observed for the first time in 2015.

Widespread among animals

An albino turtle at Rushikulya beach in Odishas Ganjam district Photo: Ashis Senapati

Albinism is widespread among animals as well and is caused by the absence of melanin in their bodies, said Sudhakar Kar, a noted herpetologist and former wildlife researcher in Odishas forest and wildlife department.

A baby albino crocodile was found in Odishas Bhitarkanika National Park in 1975. After her birth, forest officials kept the reptile in a pond at a crocodile rearing centre within the park.

The female baby crocodile was named gori (white) because of its colour. In 2012, forest officials discovered another albino crocodile in Bhitarkanika and kept the reptile in a pen as well, according to Kar.

An albino Olive Ridley turtle laid eggs during arribada (mass nesting) at Rushikulya beach in Odishas Ganjam district in March this year, said Basudev Tripathy, a noted turtle researcher and Deputy Director of the Zoological Survey of India. Albino sea turtles are extremely rare, he added.

Rabindranath Sahu the secretary of the Rushukulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee discovered the albino turtle, according to him.

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International Albinism Awareness Day celebrates those with rare genetic condition - Down To Earth Magazine

June 10, 2020 In a new study, Johns Hopkins researchers found that testing people for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) too early in the course of infection is likely to result in a false negative test, even though they may eventually test positive for the virus.[1] This is important to understand since many hospitals are using these COVID tests to screen patients before imaging exams, diagnostic testing or procedures.

The report found even a week after infection, one in five people who had the virus had a negative test result. The findings was published in the May 13 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

A negative test, whether or not a person has symptoms, doesnt guarantee that they arent infected by the virus, said Lauren Kucirka, M.D., Ph.D., M.Sc., obstetrics and gynecology resident at Johns Hopkins Medicine. How we respond to, and interpret, a negative test is very important because we place others at risk when we assume the test is perfect. However, those infected with the virus are still able to potentially spread the virus.

Kucirka said patients who have a high-risk exposure should be treated as if they are infected, particularly if they have symptoms consistent with COVID-19. This means communicating with patients about the tests shortcomings. One of several ways to assess for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection is a method called reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). These tests rapidly make copies of and detect the viruss genetic material. However, as shown in tests for other viruses such as influenza, if a swab misses collecting cells infected with the virus, or if virus levels are very low early during the infection, some RT-PCR tests can produce negative results. Since the tests return relatively rapid results, they have been widely used among high-risk populations such as nursing home residents, hospitalized patients and healthcare workers. Previous studies have shown or suggested false negatives in these populations.

For the new analysis, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers reviewed RT-PCR test data from seven prior studies, including two preprints and five peer-reviewed articles. The studies covered a combined total of 1,330 respiratory swab samples from a variety of subjects including hospitalized patients and those identified via contact tracing in an outpatient setting.

Using RT-PCR test results, along with reported time of exposure to the virus or time of onset of measurable symptoms such as fever, cough and breathing problems, the researchers calculated the probability that someone infected with SARS-CoV-2 would have a negative test result when they had the virus infection. In the published studies, healthcare providers collected nasal and throat samples from patients and noted the time of virus exposure or symptom onset and sample collection.

From this data, the Johns Hopkins researchers calculated daily false-negative rates, and have made their statistical code and data publicly available so results can be updated as more data are published.

The researchers estimated that those tested with SARS-CoV-2 in the four days after infection were 67 percent more likely to test negative, even if they had the virus. When the average patient began displaying symptoms of the virus, the false-negative rate was 38 percent. The test performed best eight days after infection (on average, three days after symptom onset), but even then had a false negative rate of 20 percent, meaning one in five people who had the virus had a negative test result.

We are using these tests to rule out COVID-19, and basing decisions about what steps we take to prevent onward transmission, such as selection of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, Kucirka explained. As we develop strategies to reopen services, businesses and other venues that rely on testing and contact tracing, it is important to understand the limitations of these tests.

Ongoing efforts to improve tests and better understand their performance in a variety of contexts will be critical as more people are infected with the virus and more testing is required. The sooner people can be accurately tested and isolated from others, the better we can control the spread of the virus, the researchers said.

Another John Hopkins study in March found the average incubation period for COVID-19 was approximately five days.[2] This was originally used as a guide by some in developing quarantine guidelines. However, this new study shows that test COVID PCR test results are not reliable for a firm diagnosis until well after a week of infection.

Additional authors include Denali Boon, Stephen Lauer, Oliver Layendecker and Justin Lessler and of Johns Hopkins.

Funding for the study was provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01AI135115 and T32DA007292), the Johns Hopkins Health System and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NU2GGH002000).

Reference:

1. Lauren M. Kucirka, Stephen A. Lauer, Oliver Laeyendecker, et al. Variation in False-Negative Rate of Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain ReactionBased SARS-CoV-2 Tests by Time Since Exposure. Annuals of Internal Medicine. May 13, 2020. doi.org/10.7326/M20-1495.

2. Stephen A. Lauer, Kyra H. Grantz, Qifang Bi, et al. The Incubation Period of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) From Publicly Reported Confirmed Cases: Estimation and Application. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Mar 10 : M20-0504. Published online 2020 Mar 10. doi: 10.7326/M20-0504.

Original post:
COVID-19 Genetic PCR Tests Give False Negative Results if Used Too Early - Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An "O" blood type could provide some level of immunity against the coronavirus (COVID-19), according to a study by the genetic website 23andMe.

Preliminary information from more than 750,000 participants in the study suggests that the "O" blood type appears to be protective against the virus when compared to all other blood types, according to a blog on the genetic website.

Comparing the research participants who reported that they tested positive for COVID-19 to those who tested negative, our researchers identified a variant in the ABO gene associated with a lower risk, according to the genetic website.

People with that blood type could be 9-to-18% less likely to test positive for COVID-19, according to the genetic website.

Among healthcare workers and others repeatedly exposed to the virus, "O" blood type is similarly protective, but the proportion of cases within strata is higher, according to 23andMe.

Whether the "O" blood is positive or negative is not a significant factor in immunity or severity of illness for those who become infected, according to the genetic website.

The genetic website referenced some similar results from other studies in China, Italy and Spain.

Numerous other studies have reported that the ABO blood group plays a role in both susceptibility and severity for COVID-19 (refs: 1, 2, 3), the genetic website said. And we know from other studies that the ABO blood group can play a direct role in other types of infections by serving as receptors, or co-receptors for microorganisms, parasites, and viruses. The preliminary findings from 23andMes data are also notable because of the link between COVID-19 blood clotting, and cardiovascular disease.

Continued here:
Blood type might boost immunity to COVID-19, genetic website says - SILive.com

Maximizing the protection of life on Earth requires knowledge of the global patterns of biodiversity at multiple dimensions, from genetic diversity within species, to species and ecosystem diversity. Yet, the lack of genetic sequences with geographic information at global scale has so far hindered our ability to map genetic diversity, an important, but hard to detect, biodiversity dimension.

In a new study, researchers from the Universities of Copenhagen and Adelaide have collected and georeferenced a massive amount of genetic data for terrestrial mammals and evaluated long-standing theories that could explain the global distribution of genetic diversity. They found that regions of the world rich in deep evolutionary history, such as Northern Andes, the Eastern Arc Mountains, Amazonia, the Brazilian Atlantic forest, the central America jungles, sub-Saharan Africa and south-eastern Asia are also strongholds of genetic diversity. They also show that the relatively stable climate in these regions during the past 21'000 years contributes significantly to this intraspecific richness.

"Genetic diversity within species is a critical component of biodiversity, playing two important roles at the same time. It reflects species evolutionary history and defines their capacity to adapt under future environmental change. However, and despite the predictions of major biodiversity theories, the actual global distribution of genetic diversity remained, so far, a mystery. Recent collective efforts to populate public databases with genetic sequences and their localities allowed us to evaluate these theories and generate the first global maps of genetic diversity in terrestrial mammal assemblages", says Spyros Theodoridis, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, and lead author of the study.

"The tropics, and more specifically tropical mountain regions, host large amounts of the global pool of genetic diversity. These arks of biodiversity are under a high pressure today due to climate and land-use change. The conservation of genetic diversity in these areas should be a priority in on-going conservation efforts", says David Nogues-Bravo, the senior author of the study and Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen.

The study also evaluated the effects of climate change during the last 21'000 years in shaping current patterns of genetic diversity. Regions of the world that experienced less severe change in temperature and precipitation harbor higher levels of genetic diversity, potentially due to reduced population extinctions. It also suggests that past inter-annual precipitation variability contributes to higher genetic diversity possibly through population adaptive divergence.

"While we show that areas of high genetic diversity tend to occur in regions where climates have remained relatively unchanged during past periods of global-scale climate change, many of these regions are forecast to experience major climate disturbances in the near future. Unfortunately, this is likely to lead to a loss of genetic diversity in many biodiversity hotspots", says Damien Fordham, Associate Professor at The University of Adelaide's Environment Institute and a coauthor of the study.

"The identified correlations of genetic diversity with evolutionary history and past climate change allowed us to develop predictive models at global scale, particularly in regions that lack sufficient data, such as the tropics. These predictions constitute a first step towards filling major gaps of knowledge for genetic diversity, and can inform and be further validated by field-work campaigns in data-poor regions of the Earth", says Carsten Rahbek, head of the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate.

See the rest here:
Researchers uncover the arks of genetic diversity in terrestrial mammals - Jill Lopez

Forget the UK's "patient zero", new cases of coronavirus were pouring into the country by the hundreds each week during March, helping to explain why our outbreak grew so large so quickly, new analysis of virus genomes reveals.

The study also finds the vast majority of cases arrived in the UK from mainland Europe at a time when much of our travel advice was focused on Asia.

The finding reinforces the conclusion of leading scientists like Professor Neil Ferguson on Wednesday that many lives could have been saved if the lockdown had happened sooner.

Scientists from the UK - Coronavirus Genomics Consortium - have been collecting the genetic sequences of more than 25,000 virus samples from UK cases of the virus.

Because the virus makes copying errors in its genetic code as it reproduces, it slowly mutates as time passes.

They used the changes in the virus genome to build a family tree of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from its origin in China to more than 7,000,000 confirmed human cases worldwide.

"The coronavirus evolves at around two-and-a-half mistakes a month and over the period of an outbreak that results in many different genomes of many different types being detectable," says Nick Loman, Professor of microbial genomics at the University of Birmingham and a member of the UK-COG.

They used their data on the virus' family trees, combined with data on travel patterns to the UK at the time to map where new cases of Covid-19 were coming from.

The majority (34%) came from Spain, a similar number (28%) from France, 14% from Italy, although these cases made up the bulk of early infections in February and 23% from other countries.

The bulk of cases - more than 80% - arrived in the UK between February 28 and March 29.

The UK implemented lockdown on March 23.

On Wednesday, Prof Ferguson told a committee of MPs "had we introduced lockdown measures a week earlier, we would have reduced the final death toll by at least a half".

The data also shows that while major public gatherings like football matches and the Cheltenham festival could have been important for spreading the virus, so many people were brining the virus into the country at the time, these events alone weren't significant drivers of our outbreak.

The study also found, that as our outbreak grew, the UK itself became a source of spread elsewhere.

It reveals the majority of cases contributing to Iceland's outbreak originated in the UK.

But the real benefit of sequencing Covid-19 genomes could be yet to come.

Now the numbers of infections has declined, its possible to use the virus' family tree to better trace and track new infections based on how related they are to one another.

"It's a very powerful tool," says Prof Loman.

"This allows us to look backwards and say, were all these cases at a particular gathering, is there an association with travel."

Coronavirus: Everything you need to know

Read the original here:
UK was inundated by new coronavirus cases from abroad, genetic analysis reveals - ITV News

His bright, blue eyes shine with happiness but behind his smile lies heartache for little Rowan Packers parents.

For the one-year-old tot will not survive long enough to even go to school.

Little Rowan has a rare condition called Tay-Sachs Disease, a genetic condition which causes progressive damage to the nervous system.

It affects just one in 320,000 babies although it is more common within the Ashkenazi Jewish population of Eastern Europe where one in 3500 babies are born with it.

The family do not think there are Ashkenazi antecedents on either side and Rowans brother and sister Aaron, seven, and Gracie, five, do not have the condition.

Mum Deborah McDonald, 26, and delivery driver dad Aaron Packer, 25, had never even heard of the condition before Rowan was diagnosed.

Deborah, who trained as a nurse for a time, said: Id heard about other genetic conditions but never this one. It was an absolute shock.

Student Deborah, studying for an honours degree in integrated health and social care, had a normal pregnancy with Rowan. With her other two pregnancies she suffered life-threatening pre-eclampsia and they were born nine weeks early.

But Rowan wasnt born until 39 weeks.

However, Deborah, who has the immune disease lupus which can cause damage to organs and as well as causing miscarriages, had always felt there was something very different about the pregnancy because Rowan hardly moved.

But she said: He looked absolutely perfect when he was born and all the routine tests came back fine.

He weighed 5lb 15oz the biggest of all the couples babies, with Aaron only 3lb 3oz and Gracie a tiny 2lb 14oz.

She said: He was maybe about four months when we realised he wasnt trying to turn over. We were doing exercises on the mat with him but he didnt have the urge to do it.

His eyesight was always a bit strange. He never focused on a person or an object.

Rowan wasnt progressing like a normal child at all.

He had a string of tests but when a cherry dot was spotted on the retina during eyetest it pretty much confirmed the diagnosis.

Deborah said: It is just mad. This thing can be in families for years and years but the chances of meeting a partner who also has the gene are quite slim, particularly in somewhere the size of Scotland.

We only know of one other child in Scotland with it, a little boy in Aberdeen, and his mum has been helping me with answers and advice. He is maybe three or four and is unresponsive.

It is hard knowing no matter what you do, Rowan will not survive. If it was cancer there may have been a chance but there is nothing that can be done for him.

Rowan, who turned one on May 24, can only eat pureed food and his movement is just like a newborn.

Deborah said: He can smile and laugh. But that will go. He will never be able to sit unaided or roll over and he cant put any pressure on his feet.

If he is not lying down, he is in his chair if we are not lifting him. His wee muscles just dont work and anything that he can do just now will be lost. Even any automatic responses will go away.

At the end, he will be completely unaware of anything. The body just stops functioning.

The couple are desperate to move to a bigger home. At the moment they are in a two-bed private let in Mosspark, Glasgow, as they wait for a Glasgow Housing Association medical property to become available.

The family need a bigger house so Rowan can have a proper hospital bed and a hoist for when he grows too big for his mum to carry.

Deborah said: We have been bidding for medical properties but we have lost out to people who have been on the list longer.

GHA said they are doing all they can to help the Packers find a home that suits their needs.

See more here:
Scots parents' heartache as baby with rare genetic condition will not live long enough to go to school - Daily Record

DENVER (CBS4) A one-year-old girl is growing stronger after being diagnosed a rare genetic condition. Payton Calvillo was diagnosed with Hypophosphatasia, which can cause bones and teeth to be extremely weak. Her family was told before she was even born she likely wouldnt survive.

My boys had been asking for a baby sister for a long time, laughed Ahna Calvillo, Paytons mom. They were sure she was a girl.

When Ahna was pregnant with their third child, she and her husband Riley went to an ultrasound appointment, to find out their babys sex. They were told they were having a little girl, but things didnt look good.

She just was like, These babys bones, they are bent and they are fractured in some places, Ahna said, tearing up. We just had two healthy boys and that was the last thing I expected. Was there something to be wrong with our baby girl?

Ahna said they immediately saw a specialist to learn more about the babys condition. However, it was so rare, doctors had a tough time diagnosing what was wrong.

Along the journey there were a lot of different diagnoses because they really didnt know what we were dealing with, Ahna said.

Staff with Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver began to help the Calvillo family. Cathy Brunson is a genetic counselor at the hospital, and said this condition usually impacts adults or older children.

Its a condition that can affect definitely bones but also the teeth, Brunson said. This was the first time I had seen it prenatally, especially to this degree.

Based on studies around the world, often babies like Payton require significant support upon delivery and some children can experience additional skeletal malformations, breathing difficulty and diminished muscle tone.

Doctors told the Calvillo family, because the babys bones were so weak, she likely wouldnt make it through birth. Ahna said, they decided to continue to pregnancy and keep their faith.

We werent going to give up on Payton. Payton hadnt given up at that point and we werent going to give up on her, Ahna told CBS4s Makenzie OKeefe. We just started praying.

After weeks of ultrasounds, at 39 weeks Ahna had a C-section to bring Payton into the world. She said if she heard her little girl cry, she knew she made it through birth without her chest collapsing.

She started crying and only had some rib fractures but no broken bones, Ahna said. She was, she was a miracle.

When Payton was born, x-rays show her bones were extremely bowed. She began treatment when she was just 6 days old and at a 6-week follow-up with an orthopedic specialists at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, they found no new fractures and improvement in her bowing legs.

At 12 months of age, baby Payton is weight bearing and her development milestones are on track.

The tricky part now is she has this condition and now what are we going to do for her, for the rest of her life, Brunson said.

Ahna and Riley say, seeing Payton grow up and get stronger has been a joy.

Ive been so excited to see her do all the things, to crawl and to walk, Ahna said. And shes not a low-key baby. She loves to keep up with her brothers.

The Calvillo family said it was a tough road, but seeing all the families facing tough diagnoses at the hospital too, was heartbreaking. They hope their story of not giving up when they were told she wouldnt make it early on, gives others hope.

We just want to bring encouragement, Ahna said. Shes a miracle, and shes a joy.

Ahna was also recently diagnosed with the same genetic condition, and is waiting to be enrolled in a clinical trial to receive the same medication as her baby.

More:
We Werent Going To Give Up: Family Celebrates Progress Of 1-Year-Old With Rare Genetic Disorder - CBS Denver

Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test Market Overview

The Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test market report presents a detailed evaluation of the market. The report focuses on providing a holistic overview with a forecast period of the report extending from 2018 to 2026. The Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test market report includes analysis in terms of both quantitative and qualitative data, taking into factors such as Product pricing, Product penetration, Country GDP, movement of parent market & child markets, End application industries, etc. The report is defined by bifurcating various parts of the market into segments which provide an understanding of different aspects of the market.

The overall report is divided into the following primary sections: segments, market outlook, competitive landscape and company profiles. The segments cover various aspects of the market, from the trends that are affecting the market to major market players, in turn providing a well-rounded assessment of the market. In terms of the market outlook section, the report provides a study of the major market dynamics that are playing a substantial role in the market. The market outlook section is further categorized into sections; drivers, restraints, opportunities and challenges. The drivers and restraints cover the internal factors of the market whereas opportunities and challenges are the external factors that are affecting the market. The market outlook section also comprises Porters Five Forces analysis (which explains buyers bargaining power, suppliers bargaining power, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, and degree of competition in the Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test) in addition to the market dynamics.

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Leading Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test manufacturers/companies operating at both regional and global levels:

Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test Market Scope Of The Report

This report offers past, present as well as future analysis and estimates for the Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test market. The market estimates that are provided in the report are calculated through an exhaustive research methodology. The research methodology that is adopted involves multiple channels of research, chiefly primary interviews, secondary research and subject matter expert advice. The market estimates are calculated on the basis of the degree of impact of the current market dynamics along with various economic, social and political factors on the Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test market. Both positive as well as negative changes to the market are taken into consideration for the market estimates.

Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test Market Competitive Landscape & Company Profiles

The competitive landscape and company profile chapters of the market report are dedicated to the major players in the Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test market. An evaluation of these market players through their product benchmarking, key developments and financial statements sheds a light into the overall market evaluation. The company profile section also includes a SWOT analysis (top three companies) of these players. In addition, the companies that are provided in this section can be customized according to the clients requirements.

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Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test Market Research Methodology

The research methodology adopted for the analysis of the market involves the consolidation of various research considerations such as subject matter expert advice, primary and secondary research. Primary research involves the extraction of information through various aspects such as numerous telephonic interviews, industry experts, questionnaires and in some cases face-to-face interactions. Primary interviews are usually carried out on a continuous basis with industry experts in order to acquire a topical understanding of the market as well as to be able to substantiate the existing analysis of the data.

Subject matter expertise involves the validation of the key research findings that were attained from primary and secondary research. The subject matter experts that are consulted have extensive experience in the market research industry and the specific requirements of the clients are reviewed by the experts to check for completion of the market study. Secondary research used for the Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test market report includes sources such as press releases, company annual reports, and research papers that are related to the industry. Other sources can include government websites, industry magazines and associations for gathering more meticulous data. These multiple channels of research help to find as well as substantiate research findings.

Table of Content

1 Introduction of Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test Market

1.1 Overview of the Market1.2 Scope of Report1.3 Assumptions

2 Executive Summary

3 Research Methodology of Verified Market Research

3.1 Data Mining3.2 Validation3.3 Primary Interviews3.4 List of Data Sources

4 Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test Market Outlook

4.1 Overview4.2 Market Dynamics4.2.1 Drivers4.2.2 Restraints4.2.3 Opportunities4.3 Porters Five Force Model4.4 Value Chain Analysis

5 Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test Market, By Deployment Model

5.1 Overview

6 Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test Market, By Solution

6.1 Overview

7 Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test Market, By Vertical

7.1 Overview

8 Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test Market, By Geography

8.1 Overview8.2 North America8.2.1 U.S.8.2.2 Canada8.2.3 Mexico8.3 Europe8.3.1 Germany8.3.2 U.K.8.3.3 France8.3.4 Rest of Europe8.4 Asia Pacific8.4.1 China8.4.2 Japan8.4.3 India8.4.4 Rest of Asia Pacific8.5 Rest of the World8.5.1 Latin America8.5.2 Middle East

9 Direct-to-consumer Disease Risk and Health Genetic Test Market Competitive Landscape

9.1 Overview9.2 Company Market Ranking9.3 Key Development Strategies

10 Company Profiles

10.1.1 Overview10.1.2 Financial Performance10.1.3 Product Outlook10.1.4 Key Developments

11 Appendix

11.1 Related Research

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Market Research Intellect provides syndicated and customized research reports to clients from various industries and organizations with the aim of delivering functional expertise. We provide reports for all industries including Energy, Technology, Manufacturing and Construction, Chemicals and Materials, Food and Beverage and more. These reports deliver an in-depth study of the market with industry analysis, market value for regions and countries and trends that are pertinent to the industry.

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A switch in cancer fat metabolism from production to import could be exploited for therapy, researchers say. Credit: National Institutes of Healthy Public LIbrary

Cancer cells rewire their metabolism to compensate for a halt in fat production by importing more fat molecules from their environment.

Knowing what cancer will do next could lessen the likelihood of it becoming resistant to treatment. A new U of T study investigates how cancer adapts its metabolism to potentially overcome therapies still in development.

Several clinical trials have failed because metabolism is such an adaptive process by which cancer cells gain drug resistance, says Michael Aregger, a co-lead author and Research Associate working with Jason Moffat, Professor of molecular genetics in the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, who co-led the work. If you know how cells are able to adapt to perturbations, maybe we can target them more specifically to avoid resistance from developing.

If you know how cells are able to adapt to perturbations, maybe we can target them more specifically to avoid resistance from developing Michael Aregger, Research Associate

The research was also led by Brenda Andrews and Charles Boone, University Professor and Professor of molecular genetics at the Donnelly Centre, respectively, and Chad Myers, a Professor of computer science at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

The study, published this week in the journal Nature Metabolism, is the first to investigate global changes in cancerous cells as they adapt to a shortfall of critical nutrients such as fat molecules, or lipids, which make up the cells outer envelope.

When cancer cells are unable to make their own lipids, they gobble them up from their environment to ensure a steady supply of these essential building blocks, the study found. Lipids also serve as fuel and chemical signals for communication between cells, among other roles.

The switch in metabolism could be bad news for drugmakers seeking to target cancer by reducing its lipid reserves. In particular, drugs that inhibit an enzyme called FASN, for fatty acid synthase, involved in an early step of lipid synthesis, are being explored in patient trials. Fatty acids are precursors of larger lipid molecules and their production is increased in many cancers thanks to elevated FASN levels, which are also associated with poor patient prognosis.

The U of T study suggests that the effectiveness of FASN inhibitors could be short-lived owing to cancers ability to find another way to procure lipids.

Because FASN is upregulated in many cancers, fatty acid synthesis is one of the most promising metabolic pathways to target says Keith Lawson, a co-lead author and PhD student in Moffats lab enrolled in the Surgeon-Scientist Program at the Faculty of Medicine. Given that we know there is a lot of plasticity in metabolic processes, we wanted to identify and predict ways in which cancer cells can potentially overcome the inhibition of lipid synthesis.

To block fatty acid synthesis, the researchers employed a human cell line from which the FASN coding gene was removed. Using the genome editing tool CRISPR, they deleted from these cells all ~18,000 or so human genes, one by one, to find those that can compensate for the halt in lipid production. Such functional relationships are also referred to as genetic interactions.

Data analysis, performed by Maximilian Billmann, a co-lead author and a postdoctoral fellow in Myers lab at Minnesota-Twin Cities, revealed hundreds of genes that become essential when cells are starved of fat. Their protein products clustered into well-known metabolic pathways through which cells hoover up dietary cholesterol and other lipids from their surroundings.

Cells intake of cholesterol has become textbook knowledge since it was discovered half a century ago, winning a Nobel Prize and inspiring the blockbuster drug statin and many others. But the new study found that one component of this process remained overlooked all this time.

The gene encoding it was only known as C12orf49, named after its location on chromosome 12. The researchers re-named the gene LUR1, for lipid uptake regulator 1, and showed that it helps switch on a set of genes directly involved in lipid import.

This was a big surprise to us that we were able to identify a new component of the process we thought we knew everything about, says Aregger. It really highlights the power of our global genetic interaction approach that allowed us to identify a new player in lipid uptake in a completely unbiased way.

By a remarkable coincidence, two groups working independently in New York and Amsterdam also linked C12orf49 to lipid metabolism, lending further support for the genes role in this process. The New York team published their findings in the same journal issue as Moffat and colleagues.

Inhibiting LUR1, or other components of lipid import, along with FASN could lead to more effective cancer treatments. Such combination therapies are thought to be less susceptible to emerging drug resistance because the cells would have to simultaneously overcome two obstaclesblocked lipid production and importwhich has a lower probability of occurring.

Therapeutic context that comes out of our work is that you should be targeting lipid uptake in addition to targeting lipid synthesis and our work highlights some specific genes that could be candidates, says Lawson.

Reference: Systematic mapping of genetic interactions for de novo fatty acid synthesis identifies C12orf49 as a regulator of lipid metabolism by Michael Aregger, Keith A. Lawson, Maximillian Billmann, Michael Costanzo, Amy H. Y. Tong, Katherine Chan, Mahfuzur Rahman, Kevin R. Brown, Catherine Ross, Matej Usaj, Lucy Nedyalkova, Olga Sizova, Andrea Habsid, Judy Pawling, Zhen-Yuan Lin, Hala Abdouni, Cassandra J. Wong, Alexander Weiss, Patricia Mero, James W. Dennis, Anne-Claude Gingras, Chad L. Myers, Brenda J. Andrews, Charles Boone and Jason Moffat, 1 June 2020, Nature Metabolism.DOI: 10.1038/s42255-020-0211-z

The research was supported by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Ontario Research Fund, Canada Research Chairs Program and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

See the rest here:
When Cancer Cells Cant Make Their Own Fat, They Eat Whats Around Them - SciTechDaily

Newswise ST. LOUIS, MO, June 11, 2020 Small RNAs are key regulators involved in plant growth and development. Two groups of small RNAs are abundant during development of pollen in the anthers a critical process for reproductive success. A research collaboration has demonstrated the function of a genetic pathway for anther development, with this pathway proven in 2019 work to be present widely in the flowering plants that evolved over 200 million years ago. The research team was led by Blake Meyers, Ph.D., member, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and professor, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, and Virginia Walbot, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Stanford University. Their findings, Dicer-like 5deficiency confers temperature-sensitive male sterility in maize were published in the journal,Nature Communications.

Unexpectedly, their research uncovered an environmentally sensitive male sterile phenotype. By using mutants and knocking out one of the pathways, the research team produced plants that failed to make pollen, but when they lowered the temperature, they found they could recover full male fertility. This ability to turn on or turn off pollen production in different conditions could be useful for seed production. The team could also attribute the function of this pathway in anther development, an observation previously missing but important. These results are important companions to a previously published discovery, which described the evolutionary distribution of the pathway across flowering plants, 24-nt reproductive phasiRNAs are broadly present in angiosperms,also published in the journalNature Communications.

Putting these two discoveries together, we can understand the role these molecules play is important for full male fertility in maize, plus, the pathway first evolved with flowering plants, said Meyers. Understanding the genetic mechanisms by which flowers develop is important for improving crop yields and breeding better varieties, particularly for making the high-yielding hybrid crops that support modern agriculture.

The research team will continue to work to understand why there is an environmentally-sensitive response to changes in this pathway, and what exactly is the molecular mechanism that leads to this male sterility in the absence of this small RNA pathway. Work in a separately funded project is examining if modulation of this pathway could be used to regulate pollen development in other crops, for the improvement of seed production and crop yield.

The authors include co-first authors, Chong Teng, Ph.D., postdoctoral associate in the Meyers lab and Han Zhang, Ph.D. former postdoctoral associate in the Walbot lab. Also contributing were Kun Huang, Ph.D., postdoctoral associate in the Meyers lab, and Reza Hammond, Ph.D., former graduate student in the Meyers lab. The work is funded by the National Science Foundation.

About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research, education and outreach aim to have impact at the nexus of food security and the environment, and position the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science. The Centers work is funded through competitive grants from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Follow us on Twitter at@DanforthCenter.

Read more from the original source:
New Research Reveals the Function of Genetic Pathway for Reproductive Fitness in Flowering Plants - Newswise