StemCell Therapy

Hitachi, Ltd. headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is focusing on Social Innovation Business combining its operational technology, information technology and products, has developed a new automation technology of 3D culture, solving problems of the previous 3D culture using Hitachi's Automated Cell Culture Equipment for iPS cells.

Automation of both 2D culture and 3D culture using this equipment makes it possible to automatic massive manufacture a variety of cell types such as cardiomyocytes, meeting customer needs. The automation technology was developed by collaborative research with Myoridge Co. Ltd. which has culture technology of iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes by the protein-free method.

Furthermore the support service to establish an automatic manufacturing process for customers who are considering automation of manufacturing regenerative medicine products will be started on December 1st, 2019. As for the service, Hitachi will examine customers' manual manufacturing process to find out the important parameters, and suggest how to optimize them by the development knowledge of automation technology of 3D culture.

Expanding the market of regenerative medicine to recover the functions of tissues and organs is expected in recent years. A large number of cells are required for regenerative medicine but it is difficult to manufacture an enough amount of cells manually. So the automation technology of mass cell culture is necessary to expand the market of regenerative medicine.

Hitachi had been developing automation technology of mass iPS cell culture, and developed the automated cell culture equipment for iPS cells for research use in June 2017. Adopting the closed flow channel for the connection of the culture vessels and the medium bottles, the equipment is capable of cell seeding, culturing, and monitoring in sterile environment and offers stable supply of high-quality mass cells. Hitachi commercialized the automated cell mass culture equipment which has the necessary functions to comply with the Japanese regulation, GCTP for the first time in Japan in March 2019.

Hitachi automated the new 3D culture (low medium cost, low shear stress, and simple medium change process) by collaborating with Myoridge, solving problems of the previous 3D culture. The previous 3D culture has problems such as using a large amount of medium because of the height of the culture reactor, the shear stress to cells from the agitating medium, and the complex process of medium change. Hitachi started the collaborative research with Myoridge in October 2018 and developed the automation technology of the new 3D culture by distributing spheroids both uniformly and densely on the cell culture vessel for 2D culture. Furthermore, Hitachi manufactured cardiomyocytes by the automation technology more effectively than by manual. The technology is probably able to be applied to a variety of cell types and make them be manufactured automatically.

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Hitachi develops automation technology of 3D culture - BSA bureau

The future of innovation in the field of medical devices and regenerative medicine depends on the deep understanding of the mechanisms of interaction between biomaterials and the host biological environment. New chemistry and material engineering will need to emerge to produce biocompatible, bioactive, and bioresponsive biomaterials. The European Society for Biomaterials (ESB) offers a multidisciplinary environment where scientific knowledge is promoted, and technological solutions can be found. Speaking to ESB President Pamela Habibovic, we found out about some of the latest developments in advanced medical devices, regenerative medicine, and Biomaterials research and development.

The ESB is the oldest and one of the largest societies in the field of biomaterials. We bring together scientists in this field, in order to really stay up to date with the developments in the field. We connect with our affiliated societies in Europe and we do the same with our international sister societies. For example, every year, the presidents from each affiliated European society come together to discuss what is happening on the national level in the individual countries and how we can learn from each other and strengthen these developments.

In addition to this, we are also playing the liaison between our members and our sister societies (such as those in the US, Canada and Asia). We are trying to understand the developments in the other parts of the world in this field and communicate that to our members. Moreover, we liaise with the European Commission to both understand the European vision and priorities in research and development funding, and to inform the policy makers about developments in our field. In short, we explain how biomaterials can be used to address the societal and economical challenges we are facing.

We also try and stimulate them to open possibilities for collaboration with biomaterials societies in China or in the US for example, where sometimes research is accelerating very quickly, and so we want to stay up to speed with the societies in these countries. The ESB also has a lot of attention for the younger researchers in the field. We offer them possibilities to stay informed and educated on relevant topics such as scientific writing, grant applications, and job opportunities. An important player in these activities is the ESBs Young Scientists Forum. The ESB has a lot of really different roles; it is bringing everybody together in the biomaterial field, academic researchers, clinicians and people from the industry, and offering them a platform to exchange ideas and knowledge.

The whole biomaterials field has changed over the past couple of years and it is still changing. Before, we had the materials that were passively taking over the function of a malfunctioning organ or tissue, mainly medical devices such as hip implants and mechanical heart valves etc, and whilst these are still tremendously important and have made a difference to many patients, we are now expecting more and more from biomaterials.

We dont want them to just sit there and to perform their mechanical function. We really want them to actively interact with the body, and to instruct the body to exert a certain function. For example, to trigger the process of regeneration, or to stop infection or inflammation.

We are trying to develop materials that have an advanced interaction with the environment of the body. We also see that theres a greater need for models that are more physiologically representative than conventional systems based on cell and tissue culture in 2D. This will reduce the number of animal studies needed to test new drugs, regenerative therapies, etc. I think biomaterials are already playing a very important role in the context of creating a physiologically relevant microenvironment.

It is important to have models where we can understand diseases and develop treatments. However, current developments of new medical devices, implants and tissue engineered constructs will remain equally important.

I think the biggest challenge is the translation of research itself. We expect researchers to have all the knowledge ranging from the doing fundamental research, to doing everything that is needed to turn such an innovation into a product. Nowadays, if I look at academia, we expect researchers to actually take the initiative to translate their research findings into something that is potentially clinically or commercially relevant. However, many of us academics, we do not have the important knowledge to do that. Many researchers simply do not have the time or skills to turn our research into business plans.

What I think is one of the biggest challenges is finding a liaison between research and people who are experts in making the research translate into something clinically applicable, or even a commercial product. This includes actively helping the scientists identify the potential ideas that can then be translated into clinical applications and helping them through the process of regulation and business plan development. I think that this is missing and that many scientists are struggling with this. Many of us working in this field do have the final aim of helping a patient, but it is difficult to go from a finding in the lab to something that is commercially viable; there is still insufficient support in this process in my opinion.

What I consider important in this context is the fact that the field of biomaterials is insufficiently making use of many available technologies from other fields. For example, in terms of wearables for sports and/or monitoring our health, eventually this will start playing a more important role in medical devices and regenerative medicine as well. In order to do that, we really have to learn from other fields and integrate innovations from those fields into ours.

We have to make much more use of the fields of micro- and nanotechnology but also data science, for example. There is a lot of advanced engineering going on in other fields, but these havent yet reached our field. I think that what would be great is that if the ESB could play this role and actually monitor developments in other fields and try to bring these to our scientists and vice versa. I hope we will be able to play a more proactive role in this context in the future.

The ultimate aim of our field is to make patients quality of life better. Im hoping that in five years from now, we will have even more therapies in which biomaterials play a role, which have reached the clinic and have actually helped patients. I also believe that without a very high end fundamental research, the innovation will stop so Im also hoping that the field will continue to innovate (for example, by using tools from other fields), but there is also so much more unexplored in our field.

Im hoping that in five years from now, there will be significant progress both in the translational side of the field as well as an fundamental side and that there will be enough funding for both because we really do need both to continue to innovate.

In terms of where the ESB will be in five years from now, I think we will still be there. We will be able to even more actively monitor, influence and support the developments in the field. I find monitoring what is happening in the world, and really making sure that we stay at the highest possible level as compared to the rest of the world imperative, and in addition to that, providing support to our scientists (especially our young scientists) in these development. That is really something that I hope we will be able to achieve and in five years from now be larger and more active than ever.

Pamela Habibovic PresidentEuropean Society for Biomaterials president@esbiomaterials.euTweet @ESBPresidenthttp://www.esbiomaterials.eu/

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Biomaterials research and development: Welcome to the ESB - SciTech Europa

A novel approach to better understand a basic defence mechanism of the immune system has been developed using the ISG15 protein which could lead to novel antimicrobial drugs.

A novel approach has been developed using ISG15 (a small protein with a role in the immune system) to better understand a basic defence mechanism of the immune system. This means proteins tagged with ISG15 can now be identified and studied, allowing scientists to unravel its many functions in fighting disease, potentially leading to novel antimicrobial drugs.

The method was developed by scientists from VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, University of Iowa, US and other collaborators.

To keep control of expressed proteins, cells can attach a chemical tag onto a protein to modify its activity. One of the most well-known protein modifications is ubiquitin, which has various functions.

The scientists in this study investigated an ubiquitin-like modification called ISG15 which can be attached to target proteins. However, the molecular function of ISG15 is elusive, since the identity of the modified proteins and their exact sites of modification are still unknown.

ISG15 and ubiquitin share the same amino acid sequence at their end, exactly where these modifiers are attached to target proteins, said Francis Impens at the VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology. As a result, the peptides derived from the proteins modified by ISG15 display the same tag as peptides derived from proteins modified by ubiquitin. So, we took advantage of the technology developed to identify ubiquitin modification sites for the identification of ISG15 modification sites.

We took advantage of the technology developed to identify ubiquitin modification sites for the identification of ISG15 modification sites

ISG15 is only expressed upon stresses such as a viral or bacterial infection so the scientists had to complement their approach with an infection model.

As infection model, we chose the bug Listeria monocytogenes, said Fabien Thery, co-first author of the study. Leading to the old French cheese disease, Listeria is a food-borne bacterial pathogen hiding from the immune system inside host cells.

This has led to the discovery of nearly a thousand ISG15 sites on more than four hundred protein targets during bacterial infection.

We found that ISG15 targets numerous enzymes involved in metabolic processes, but also that it targets key regulators of autophagy, a process in response to a lack of nutrients inside a cell, added Lilliana Radoshevich, PhD, University of Iowa. It leads to the destruction of cellular components to generate new sources of energy and promote cell survival. Alternatively, autophagy can be used as an antibacterial strategy.

This work revealed a new link between ISG15, cellular metabolism and autophagy. The scientists have already started to use their approach to investigate ISG15 targets during infection with other pathogens such as the Influenza virus or Coxsackie virus. These studies may reveal antimicrobial pathways of the immune system that can be exploited to design new drugs, the scientists have said.

The study appeared in Nature Communications.

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Protein tag developed to aid in study of the immune system - Drug Target Review

Results of a new study in mice suggest that the body may be able to defeat the influenza virus if a person has the right sort of diet a ketogenic, or keto, diet.

Infection with the influenza virus, better known as the flu, has accounted for 12,00061,000 deaths every year since 2010 in the United States, with an annual economic burden of $87.1 billion.

The introduction of the flu vaccine has greatly improved infection and morbidity rates. However, there is still currently no cure for the illness.

Healthcare professionals and scientists alike are continuing the search for novel therapeutics to combat the flu, yet the key may lie within the body's own immune system. Moreover, it may be activated by the keto diet.

Following the keto diet involves eating foods that are high in fat and low in carbohydrates. Meals tend to consist of a variety of meat, fish, poultry, and non-starchy vegetables.

According to the findings of a new study, appearing in the journal Science Immunology, when mice fed a keto diet were injected with the flu virus, their survival rates were much higher than those of mice fed a diet high in carbohydrates.

The main reason for this, the researchers believe, is that a keto diet blocks the formation of inflammasomes, which are multiunit protein complexes that the immune system activates.

Inflammasomes can also cause harmful immune system responses in the host. This triggers the release of gamma delta T cells.

Gamma delta T cells are responsible for producing mucus in the linings of the lungs, which helps the body get rid of infectious agents. The mucus is then wafted up the airways and coughed out.

The joint senior authors of the study are Prof. Akiko Iwasaki and Prof. Vishwa Deep Dixit, both of the department of immunobiology at the Yale School of Medicine, in New Haven, CT.

The objective of the study was to determine how the keto diet affects host defense against a lethal flu virus infection.

The researchers randomly assigned the mice to diet groups 1 week before they induced the infection. Next, they monitored the rodents for signs of infection and assessed their immune responses.

The team found that keto diet feeding confers protection against the flu virus in mice by increasing the number of gamma delta T cells in the airways.

This response occurred relatively late after the infection in the mice, due to their dependence on T cell receptors on other cells. But in humans, this response is much quicker, as gamma delta T cells can expand independently.

In addition, previous research in mice has shown that a specific subset of gamma delta T cells can efficiently induce the cytolytic killing of flu-infected airway cells.

In the current study, the expansion of gamma delta T cells resulted in lower viral titer measurements in the mice that had received a ketogenic diet.

The team also investigated the potential for changes in the levels of genetic activity using RNA sequencing, a technique that can measure the levels of transcription across the genome.

This showed that although a keto diet could impact the expansion of gamma delta T cells, this was not associated with any changes in the activity of genes involved with cytotoxicity.

Interestingly, when mice were bred without the gene that encodes for gamma delta T cells, the keto diet provided no protection against the flu virus.

Commenting on this result, Prof. Iwasaki says, "This was a totally unexpected finding."

"This study shows that the way the body burns fat to produce ketone bodies from the food we eat can fuel the immune system to fight flu infection."

Prof. Vishwa Deep Dixit

How do gamma delta T cells protect the host in response to a keto diet? As the researchers report, the current theory is that the expansion of these cells in response to ketogenic feeding leads to more efficient killing of the flu virus.

This, in turn, results in much lower viral titers and better preservation of the cells lining the airways.

Experts believe that the gamma delta T cells induced by the keto diet may enhance the barrier and innate defense systems of airway-lining cells at baseline, thereby allowing for a better response to the flu virus.

These results demonstrate that the answer to combatting the flu virus does not necessarily lie in producing drugs to relieve flu symptoms and that changing the diet can have a dramatic effect on how the body responds to infection.

The results also suggest that if the flu can be tackled in this way, there is the potential for changes in diet to help the body more effectively fight other viral infections.

This type of research is in its infancy, and much more will be needed to elucidate exactly how the keto diet may help combat the flu.

Read more:
Can the keto diet help beat the flu? - Medical News Today

2 December 2019

Stem cell therapies may become redundant in repairing cardiac function after a heart attack, suggests a new study in mice.

It showed how stem cell treatments can heal hearts by triggering an immune response which can be achieved by using a chemical instead.

'This work is paradigm-shifting because it demonstrates a mechanism to explain a perplexing phenomenon that has intrigued cardiologists as a result of decades of cardiac stem cell trials,' Dr Jonathan Epstein at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia told The Scientist.

Stem cell therapies to repair damaged heart tissue are currently being tested in human clinical trials. In these treatments, human stem cells are injected into the heart and this leads to an improvement in heart function. However, how this works is not fully understood.

One possibility is that the injected stem cells are incorporated into the heart tissue and repair the damage. However, the latest study, published in the journal Nature, suggests that this may not be the case. Instead, the study indicated that the repair is actually a result of triggering the innate immune response.

Researchers injected different types of stem cell or a chemical inducer (zymosan) of the innate immune response into an experimental mouse model of heart disease. They saw improvement in heart function that was similar in all cases, and showed that this repair occurs via activation of macrophage cells of the innate immune system.

'The innate immune response acutely altered cellular activity around the injured area of the heart so that it healed with a more optimised scar and improved contractile properties,' said Dr Jeffery Molkentin at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre, Ohio, who led the study. 'The implications of our study are very straightforward and present important new evidence about an unsettled debate in the field of cardiovascular medicine.'

The work could open up new possibilities for optimising the treatments currently in development, as well as alternative new therapies.

'If there is a chemical off-the-shelf, it would be a much more feasible therapy [than stem cell transplants],'Dr Kory Lavine at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, told Nature News.

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Stem cells may trigger immune repair to mend hearts - BioNews

BOSTON, Dec. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --IFM Therapeutics (IFM), a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies that modulate novel targets in the innate immune system, today announced the closing of a $55.5 million financing and the launch of its third subsidiary, IFM Quattro, as well as a new incubator, IFM Discovery, both of which will be supported by a portion of the new funds raised. IFM Quattro and IFM Discovery will focus on developing next-generation small molecule immunotherapies for inflammatory diseases and cancers. The financing was led by new investor Omega Funds, with participation from existing investors Atlas Venture and Abingworth. In conjunction with the financing, Paulina Hill of Omega Funds will join Jean-Franois Formela of Atlas Venture and Shelley Chu of Abingworth on the IFM Discovery and IFM Quattro Boards of Directors.

Under the terms of the financing agreement, IFM Discovery will work on a range of targets within the innate immune system. The first target-specific program to advance to early preclinical development will be housed in the IFM Quattro subsidiary. IFM Discovery will continue to focus on additional targets to support the launch of future IFM program-specific subsidiary companies, up to two of which will be funded by the financing announced today.

In addition, IFM announced the transition of Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Gary D. Glick, Ph.D., into the role of Executive Chairman of the Board. Effective today, IFM's Executive Vice President of Research and Development, H. Martin Seidel, Ph.D., has been named Chief Executive Officer and appointed to the Company's Board of Directors.

"The closing of IFM's new financing round and the establishment of IFM Quattro and IFM Discovery reflect our steadfast belief in the innate immune system as a prolific therapeutic target that offers numerous attractive drug discovery opportunities across therapeutic areas," said Dr. Gary D. Glick, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of IFM. "We are grateful for the support of both new and existing investors, which will enable our team to continue rapidly discovering small molecule therapies, while executing on our corporate strategy of housing each distinct program in a dedicated subsidiary."

Dr. Glick continued, "It has been an immense privilege to build and lead IFM since its founding. Having known and worked with Martin closely for many years and seen his contributions to IFM, I am confident that he is the right person to build on the culture we have established and lead the Company through its next stage of growth. Martin is an experienced leader, with the ability to define a development strategy for a portfolio that covers diverse therapeutic areas and leverage the various tools at his disposal to most efficiently advance each program forward. I look forward to working closely with him in my new role as Executive Chairman."

Dr. Seidel joined IFM full-time in 2017, as Executive Vice President of Research and Development after having served as a Board Observer since 2016. In this role, he has been responsible for developing, expanding and overseeing IFM's pipeline. Prior to joining IFM, Dr. Seidel served as the Global Head of Strategic Alliances for the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR), where he led a team responsible for creating collaborations with external partners to help advance NIBR's mission. In that role, he and his team executed more than 70 deals, including in-licenses, out-licenses, collaborations, acquisitions and equity investments. Dr. Seidel first became involved with IFM as a Board Observer following Novartis' investment in IFM's Series A financing.

Prior to that, Dr. Seidel was the head of NIBR's Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, where he helped advance more than 40 clinical candidates, among them four FDA-approved drugs. He has served as a Board Observer with Luc/Cadent Therapeutics, Surface Oncology, Raze Therapeutics, Arcus Biosciences, Intellia Therapeutics and Caribou Biosciences. Dr. Seidel received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Harvard University and his A.B. in Chemistry from Princeton University. He also completed a one-year DAAD fellowship at the Friedrich-Alexander Universitt Erlangen-Nrnberg.

Dr. Seidel commented, "I am excited to become IFM's next CEO, and to work alongside Gary, the Board and our leadership team as we continue to execute on our mission of transforming immune regulation to improve the lives of patients with serious diseases. It has become increasingly clear that overactivity of the innate immune system underlies a host of serious inflammatory and autoimmune conditions and that, conversely, precise activation of innate immunity can jumpstart immune responses to cancer. As an industry, we've only begun to scratch the surface of attractive targets in the innate immune system, an area that IFM is particularly well positioned to exploit. Going forward, we will continue to prosecute these targets with rigor to develop novel compounds and launch dedicated, independently-financed subsidiaries for each program as we identify opportunities of interest."

Joining the IFM Quattro and IFM Discovery Boards of Directors will be Paulina Hill, Ph.D., of Omega Funds. "At Omega Funds, we seek to partner with exceptional management teams and work collaboratively with co-investors to bring promising therapies to patients with significant unmet medical needs," said Dr. Hill. "We feel we have found an optimal combination of all these factors in this partnership with the IFM Therapeutics team. We are thrilled to join the IFM Quattro and IFM Discovery boards, as we work together to advance our shared vision."

About IFM Therapeutics, LLCIFM Therapeutics (IFM) is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Company was founded by an international group of preeminent scientists and physicians following the sale of IFM Therapeutics, Inc. (originally founded by Gary D. Glick and Atlas Venture) to Bristol-Myers Squibb. IFM's team has discovered and developed small molecules that modulate novel targets in the innate immune system as next-generation therapies for cancer, auto-immunity, and inflammatory disorders. IFM places each program (or set of related programs) in its own dedicated, independently financed, R&D-focused subsidiary company, which is supported by the common infrastructure, management team and resources of the IFM enterprise. For more information on IFM and its model, please visithttps://www.ifmthera.com.

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IFM Therapeutics Announces $55.5 Million Financing to Launch and Fund New Subsidiaries and Appointment of Dr. H. Martin Seidel as Chief Executive...

DEAR DR. ROACH: Ive caught a flu. Thats despite taking vitamin C, garlic and oil of oregano. I gave up on echinacea a long time ago. I try to get enough rest and live a relatively healthy life. I take no prescription drugs, and youd think at age 59 Id have built immunity to the latest bug.

If theres a cold or flu circulating, I always get it. Why do I have such a bad immune system? I am diligent with handwashing and hygiene, but still, I get sick. Could it be related to extreme stress in childhood, which diminished my immune system? S.M.

ANSWER: Influenza, the flu, is a contagious virus. Keeping your hands clean provides some protection, but the virus can be transmitted through the air in addition to hand-to-hand contact. The best way of improving your immunity to influenza is by taking the vaccine, which changes every year to best match the strains that are expected to circulate. The vaccine provides only partial protection. Its still possible to get the flu after vaccination, but any protection is helpful. The vaccine helps reduce hospitalizations and deaths from influenza.

High amounts of stress do take their toll on the immune system, although I dont know of proof that stress in childhood would affect you 50 years later. Unfortunately, vitamin C, garlic, oregano, echinacea and other supplements have limited if any value in preventing influenza or any of the other viruses that cause respiratory symptoms during the colder months.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been taking ranitidine successfully for years to treat acid reflux. Recently I have read some very scary things about a chemical in it, and some drugstores are pulling Zantac off the shelves. I have heard nothing from my doctor so far. I am wondering what my options are and if the ranitidine scare is warranted. In the past I have used PPIs with success, but stopped when I heard a lot of alarming data about long-term use. J.R.

ANSWER: In September 2019, the Food and Drug Administration found evidence of small quantities of a contaminant, NDMA, in generic forms of ranitidine. Brand-name Zantac has also now been recalled. NDMA is a probable carcinogen, although the amount present in medications (the contaminant has also been found in some heart medications, the angiotensin receptor blockers) is so small that it is unlikely to cause significant harm in the short term.

Until noncontaminated ranitidine is available, there are other over-the-counter options, such as famotidine (Pepcid is the common brand name).

My major concern about taking ranitidine and medicines like it called H2 blockers, for the histamine type 2 receptor, which stimulates acid production for years is that the acid reflux you have been treating might be something more concerning. People who have had persistent symptoms should be periodically reevaluated and considered for an upper endoscopy.

I routinely hear from people who have really made a significant change in lifestyle and were able to stop medication entirely. Identifying and stopping dietary triggers, not eating a couple of hours before bed, elevating the head of the bed and, for some people, losing weight are among the most effective behavioral strategies.

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To Your Good Health: A flu shot is the best way to prevent the flu - Arizona Daily Star

Ty Hinton

MondayDec2,2019at4:01AM

Dear Dr. Roach: I've caught a flu. That's despite taking vitamin C, garlic and oil of oregano. I gave up on echinacea a long time ago. I try to get enough rest and live a relatively healthy life. I take no prescription drugs, and you'd think at age 59 I'd have built immunity to the latest bug.

Dear Dr. Roach: I've caught a flu. That's despite taking vitamin C, garlic and oil of oregano. I gave up on echinacea a long time ago. I try to get enough rest and live a relatively healthy life. I take no prescription drugs, and you'd think at age 59 I'd have built immunity to the latest bug.

If there's a cold or flu circulating, I always get it. Why do I have such a bad immune system? I am diligent with handwashing and hygiene, but still, I get sick. Could it be related to extreme stress in childhood, which diminished my immune system? S.M.

Answer: Influenza, the "flu," is a contagious virus. Keeping your hands clean provides some protection, but the virus can be transmitted through the air in addition to hand-to-hand contact. The best way of improving your immunity to influenza is by taking the vaccine, which changes every year to best match the strains that are expected to circulate. The vaccine provides only partial protection. It's still possible to get the flu after vaccination, but any protection is helpful. The vaccine helps reduce hospitalizations and deaths from influenza.

High amounts of stress do take their toll on the immune system, although I don't know of proof that stress in childhood would affect you 50 years later. Unfortunately, vitamin C, garlic, oregano, echinacea and other supplements have limited if any value in preventing influenza or any of the other viruses that cause respiratory symptoms during the colder months.

Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.

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DR. ROACH | A flu shot is the best way to prevent the flu - St. Augustine Record

At a health workshop titled The Happy Gut, nutritionist Rebekah Blank explained rather jovially how all diseases begin in the gut. A famous saying, it wasnt lost on the dozen odd people who had gathered around her at a popular caf in Noida.

The gut is the centre of our immune system and one of the most important organs of the body. Our gut is where we digest our food and where we assimilate the nutrients into the rest of our body to nourish ourselves. "A good gut means a healthy functioning digestive system. It means we are getting proper nutrition from the food we are eating, that we have good energy, we dont have toxins leaking into our bodies and last but not the least we have strong immune systems," explained Blank, brand head, Fabcafe by Fabindia.

TUMMY TALES

The gut consists of approximately 80 per cent of the immune system and 95 per cent of serotonin or the "feel-good" hormone, is also produced here. "An individuals intestines [gut] contain pounds of good bacteria, whose job is to help with the absorption of nutrients from the food you eat. The good bacteria determines the strength of your immunity, regulates weight, recovery, healing, colon health, toxicity in the body and several other functions," says a nutritionist with GOQii, a preventive healthcare company.

The issues around gut health only seem to be increasing year on year, indicating a downward trend in Indias health as far as nutrition is concerned.

According to the GOQii India Fit Report released earlier this year, gut health is an area of key concern. The report indicates 35 per cent of the users having concerns regarding acidity and indigestion. Constipation is plaguing 14 per cent of them, which is higher than the last year by 10 per cent. Bloating too has increased from 8.5 to 10 per cent.

Its quite clear why the tummy is in trouble. Bacteria, fungi and virus, collectively called microbiome, exist in the gastrointestinal tract and for a body to function properly, it must maintain the right balance of bacteria in the gut. But our modern lifestyle results in most of our health problems. "Stress, anxiety, high blood sugar, insomnia, inappropriate eating habits and intake of processed food and the consumption of antibiotics can damage the gut microbiome," says Mohamad Yusuf N Shaikh, founder of Kudrati Ayurved Health Center.

Leaky Gut, which is one of the most bewildering illnesses to be diagnosed and treated. It is puzzling majorly due to the gut having a very extensive and complex structure. Due to this, toxins and bacteria enter the blood-stream, resulting in inflammation and activating a reaction from the immunity. "This is one of the major causes of several medical conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, food sensitivities, thyroid abnormalities, mood swings and skin conditions," informs the GOQii nutritionist.

According to Delhi-based dietician Nmami Agarwal, deep-fried foods and those made of refined flour and refined sugar make a harmful combination for our gut. "Also, alcohol and smoking can irritate your digestive system and give rise to acidity. To maintain a healthy gut, you need to follow a balanced diet with an optimum combination of macro and micronutrients," she says.

However there are several ways in which we can keep our gut clean. One of them is to have correct food pairings. As digestion is a complex process from breaking down of the starch to activating enzymes that dismantle proteins it is necessary to follow proper food pairing for a healthy gut. Certain nutrients are better absorbed when they are eaten together, for example, to get more calcium from yoghurt, one can increase the intake of foods with high vitamin D, such as salmon.

FOOD PAIRING

"Raw fats, like olive and coconut oil or even avocado, can prevent the digestion of protein because fats make the gut environment basic, and avoid the full breakdown of proteins that results in an acidic stomach," informs Shaikh. Do not pair protein with starch because proteins need an acidic environment to break down and starches need an alkaline for basic environment. "Pairing these together will make the stomach to go into over function and will leave you feeling tired, bloated and gassy," he adds.

Yoghurt comprises probiotics which ensures good bacteria growth in Gastrointestinal. Probiotics are foods, or food supplements, that contain live bacteria suitable for health. Besides, drinking water keeps the body hydrated, helps in digestion and prevents constipation. "Intake of prebiotics fibre such as fruits, vegetables and whole-grain can helps in building a healthy gut in the long run," says Shaikh.

Its important that attention to the stomach is paid right from a young age. "Proportion of good bacteria is maintained at all times, especially in children. A shortage of these can also be the leading cause of allergies, skin problems, migraines, inability to lose weight," says GOQii nutritionist.

In a nutshell, reduce the intake of refined carbohydrates, include probiotic supplements and eat fermented and high fibre foods, reduce the intake of alcohol and quit smoking.

See the rest here:
Be good to your gut - India Today

Ferris El-tayyeb discusses the challenges of animal oncology, the lab equipment helping to accelerate progress towards personalized immunotherapies, and his hopes for the future

For decades, cell counting has been a fundamental lab technique performed in a variety of research fields. Traditionally performed manually using a brightfield microscope, the process can be laborious and human error can cause data to be inaccurate. As labs have streamlined processes and technology has advanced, new equipment has been introduced to enable faster, easier and more reliable results for cell counting. In this SelectScience interview, Ferris El-tayyeb, Associate Researcher at Torigen Pharmaceuticals, discusses the teams research on the development of personalized immunotherapies for animals and reveals the impact the LUNA-FL Dual Fluorescence Cell Counter from Logos Biosystems has had in accelerating this work.

FE: My name is Ferris El-tayyeb, I am a recent graduate of the University of Connecticut and currently an associate researcher with Torigen labs research and development department.

FE: Torigen Pharmaceuticals uses autologous cancer immunotherapy to create a series of vaccines to present tumor-associated antigens back to the immune system. These vaccines produce a heightened immune response within the animal against tumor antigens and, as such, allow the animals own immune system to produce a response against the tumor. Currently, we are working on improving the efficacy of the adjuvant and looking at different vectors to heighten immune presentation.

FE: In all forms of oncological research, an issue is consistency. Cancers, in general, are so vastly different in their presentation and properties that its difficult to find a catch-all treatment that all cancers respond to. This is something we think about at Torigen labs as the personalized nature of the vaccines ensures that the immune response elicited is specific to the tumor phenotype.

LUNA-FL Dual Fluorescence Cell Counterby Logos Biosystems

Equipped with brightfield and dual fluorescence optics that allow the sensitive detection of most cell types,the LUNA-FL can distinguish primary cells from undesirable debris for accurate cell count and viability results.

FE: We use the LUNA-FL for a variety of applications within the lab. The first example is for cell culturing to determine how many cells we have and how many flasks we should split into. Then we also use it for peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) isolation to quantify our yield and viability for R&D sample collection. Finally, we use it after processing samples to determine the effectiveness of our mechanical dissociation of the tumor.

FE: The LUNA-FL has made it dramatically easier to count cells. Before joining Torigen labs, my former laboratory would count cells under a brightfield microscope. While not impossible, solutions with high cell count make it incredibly difficult to get an accurate cell count. The LUNA-FL surmounts this by allowing you to get fast and easy cell/viability counts without the slow and tedious method of counting by hand.

FE: I personally would, the time saved by counting cells electronically can be better used preparing for the next step of the process of analyzing data, rather than sitting hunched over a microscope for hours on end. With an AO/PI stain, it is infinitely easier and faster than hand counting as well as giving accurate results.

FE: There are many challenges in the field of animal oncology, much like with human oncology. Treatments are often specific and affect specific pathways within tumor types that may not be present in others. On top of this, the popular broad-spectrum treatments of chemotherapy and radiation often lead to discomfort for the animal. In the future, it would be nice to see broad spectrum personalized immuno-oncology treatments that lead to minimal discomfort, something Torigen labs is working to develop currently.

Coming soon: Early nextyear, Logos Biosystems will launch the newest member of the LUNA family, designed to build on the success of its predecessors:the LUNA-FX7 Automated Cell Counter.

Do you use Logos Biosystems products in your lab? Write a review today for your chance to win a $400 Amazon gift card>>

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When HIV exploded in the 1980s, scientists had no idea what was making patients so sick. So, what have scientists figured out since then? We explain. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY

People around the world on Sunday observed the 31stannual World AIDS Day, an eventfirst declared in 1981 aimed atraising awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It was first declared by the World Health Organization.

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 37.9 million people around the world were living with HIV at the end of 2018. UNAIDS reports 1.7 million people worldwide were newly infected in 2018.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 1.1 million people were living with HIV in the United States at the end of 2016 and 1 in 7 people nationwide who had the disease didnt know they were infected.

According to the CDC, 37,832 people received an HIV diagnosis in the United States and dependent areas.

Worldwide, 770,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2018, according to UNAIDS. The CDC reports there were 16,350 deaths among people diagnosed with HIV in the United States. The agency added the deaths may be due to any cause.

An activist paints his hand with AIDS awareness message during a campaign on the eve of World AIDS Day in Kolkata, Eastern India.(Photo: PIYAL ADHIKARY/EPA-EFE)

HIV stands forhuman immunodeficiency virus. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

HIV is a virus that can lead to AIDS.AIDS is the lastof thethree stages of HIV infection.

According to the CDC, people in the first stage, acute HIV infection, experience a flu-like illness within 2 to 4 weeks after infection.Itcan last a few weeks. People in this stagehavelarge amounts of the virus in their blood,and so are more likely to transmit the infection.

The second stage, clinical latency, marks a period where the virus is active but reproduces only at low levels, HIV.gov says. People in this stagemight not experience symptoms but can still transmit HIV to others. This stage can last decades, depending on treatment, but can also be shorter.

AIDS, the third stage,leads to the mostsevere illnessesbecause the virus damages the immune system over time, the CDC says. On average, people with AIDS who don't get treatment survive three years, according to the CDC.

Treatment at all three stagescan prevent or slow symptoms and reduce the risk of transmission, the CDC says.

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Testing is the best way to determine whether you have HIV, but symptoms can occur beforeHIV shows up on a test. Some experience flu-like symptomsincludingfever, chills, rash, night sweats, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodesor mouth ulcerswithin two weeks of infection.

HIV attacks your immune system by reducing CD4 cells, or T cells, makingit harder to fight other infections."Over time, HIV can destroy so many of these cells that the body cant fight off infections and disease," according to HIV.gov.

According to HIV.gov, the condition becomesAIDS whenT cellcounts drop below200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood,or certain AIDS-related complications suchassevere infectionsappear.

Students carry a red ribbon during world Aids day campaign in Dharamsala, India on December 1, 2019. World AIDS Day is observed every December 1 with calls from international health and advocacy organizations for the public to get involved in programs for awareness, prevention and treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. (Photo: Sanjay Baid, EPA-EFE)

A person can become infected with HIV only through certain activities in which they come intocontact with certain bodily fluids.

Blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, rectal fluids, vaginal fluidsand breast milk can transmit HIV, according to the CDC.

"These fluids must come in contact with a mucous membrane or damaged tissue or be directly injected into the bloodstream (from a needle or syringe) for transmission to occur," the CDC says.

Unprotected anal or vaginal sex with someone who has HIV is one of two main ways the virus is spread in the United States, according to HIV.gov. The use of a contaminated needle or syringe is the other.

A mother may pass the virus on to her child duringpregnancy, birthor breastfeeding. It can also be contracted bybeing struck by an item contaminated with HIV. Other rare but possible ways to spread HIV can be found here.

The Chain Bridge is illuminated in red to mark World AIDS Day in Budapest, Hungary on December 1, 2019.(Photo: Marton Monus, EPA-EFE)

U.S. scientists found the first clinical evidence for the disease that would become known as AIDS in 1981, according to the United Nations. Chimpanzees in Central Africa have been identified as the source of HIV in humans. Their version of the virus, calledSIV,was likely transmitted to humans and then mutated, the CDC says. HIV has existed in the United States since the mid- to late 1970s.

Yes. People with HIV can take a series of drugs, called antiretroviral therapy, or ART,that slows the virus from progressing, keeps them healthy for years and drastically reduces their likelihood of spreading the virus, the CDC says.

epaselect epa08037135 A 3D printed statue of the Dutch AIDS foundation is unveiled in the center of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 01 December 2019. The image sheds a tear every 40 seconds and was unveiled on the occasion of World AIDS Day. EPA-EFE/ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN ORG XMIT: 402553629(Photo: ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN, EPA-EFE)

Not yet. Researchers are working toward a cure. Ifa cure were to be found, it'd likely take one of two forms, according tothe National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Viral eradication would mean HIV was eliminated from a patient's body. The approachwould involve "prodding the virus out of its latent state so that an enhanced immune system or administered therapies can target and eliminate HIV-infected cells," the NIAID says. Researchers are also studying gene mutations in certain people whose immune cells resist HIV.

A functional cure, or sustained ART-free remission, would mean that HIV wasnot eliminated, but rather suppressed to a point at which daily medication would no longer be longer required.

No, but there have been a number of developments. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) opened the first clinical trial with138 healthy, HIV-negative volunteers in 1987, according tothe NIAID.

In 2016,the NIH announced avaccine-efficacy trial in South Africa of 5,400 people, the largest in the country's history. Researchers are building on a 2009 success in Thailand, where for the first time ever a vaccine showed modest success in preventing HIV infections.

Princy Mangaika, executive director of Positive Women's Network (PWN), herself an HIV-infected patient, makes AIDS awareness ribbons at her residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday.(Photo: Chamila Karunarathne, EPA-EFE)

The CDC recommends everyone from ages 13 to 64 get tested at least once.

People at greater risk of infection, such as sexually active gay or bisexual men, people who have had sex with an HIV-positive partner, people who have shared needles and sex workers, among othersshould get tested more often.

The CDC recommends testing once a year for people engaging in these higher-risk behaviors. Forsexually active gay and bisexual men, the CDC says testing every three to six months is beneficial.

If you are pregnant, and even if you are in a monogamous relationship, the CDC recommends testing to be sure and to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to your child or partner. The sooner a pregnant woman starts treatment, the less likely she is to transmit HIV to her child.

Most HIV tests involve blood or oral fluid. Clinics, hospitals, community health centers and many other locations provide HIV testing. Home testing equipment is also available.

HIV does not always show up right away in a test. Your body and the test type determinehow long HIV can take to be detected. Here's a useful guide from theSan Francisco AIDS Foundation on testing windows.

For more information on local testing sites,call1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or

visitgettested.cdc.gov.

The red ribbon was created in 1991 by artists in New York workingto increase awareness of HIV/AIDS. The artists saw the red ribbon as an easy-to-copy way to show compassion for those living with HIV, given the stigma surrounding it.

"They chose red for its boldness, and for its symbolic associations with passion, the heart and love," according toWorld AIDS Day organizers.

Contributing: Jordan Culver, USA TODAY

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World AIDS Day 2019: 37.9M people worldwide were living with HIV at the end of 2018 - USA TODAY

The low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet might not just be good for your waistline; it could also keep you healthy this flu season. Yale University researchers discovered that mice who were fed a ketogenic diet were better at fighting off flu infections that those fed a high-carb diet instead.

People can use the keto diet to quickly lose weight by capitalizing on a metabolic state called ketosis. Normally, the human body gets most of its energy from glucose (i.e., blood sugar) derived from carbohydrates, but the body doesn't have a good way of storing glucose. Because of this, the humans need an alternative energy source to get them through periods when they can't get access to any food. Once the body is deprived of glucose, the liver begins to break down fat into an alternative energy source called ketones that can keep the body going long after it last ate.

Luckily, we can jump into this metabolic state without having to actually starve ourselves by simply eating no or very little carbohydrates eating more fats and proteins keeps us feeling full while our bodies still burn fat to make ketones.

Interestingly, the keto diet seems to have a lot more effects other than weight loss. Ketosis appears to have wide-ranging effects throughout the body, with potential beneficial outcomes for diabetics and epileptics. There's also some evidence suggesting a correlation between the keto diet and improved mental health and better outcomes in cancer treatments though the research is still far from conclusive.

The researchers discovered that a keto diet appeared to activate genes that produce a specialized type of immune cells called gamma delta T cells. Tissue samples from the lungs of mice in the keto group confirmed that they had higher levels of these cells. The researchers suspected that these elevated levels of gamma delta T cells killed infected cells in the mice's lungs, and they also appeared to increase mucus production in the lungs, helping to trap more of the virus.

Furthermore, when the researchers fed a keto diet to mice specially bred to lack the genes that code for gamma delta T cells, the diet had no effect on their survivability, confirming that ketosis was somehow upregulating these genes.

Further experiments confirmed that ketosis itself, rather than just a low-carb diet, seemed to be the triggering factor. The researchers fed some mice a high-fat diet with less carbs than the standard diet but more than the keto one. Specifically, the keto diet contained less than 1 percent carbs, the standard diet contained 58 percent carbs, and the high-fat, high-carb diet contained 20 percent carbs. While the high-fat, high-carb diet did elevate gamma delta T cell levels, it did not appear to do so to the degree where any benefit could be gained.

While this exciting finding does suggest that the keto diet may help you power through flu season, it's important to remain realistic. For one, this study was conducted on mice, not humans. Animals respond differently to both treatments and diseases than humans do, and some researchers have found that animal trials tend to be conducted under different circumstances than human trials and can be less rigorous as well, sometimes resulting in biased findings.

What's more, the keto diet may come with many health benefits, but its also not without its risks. The high meat component of the keto diet can damage your kidneys and cause gout, and the diet's restrictive nature can lead to vitamin deficiencies. It ought not need to be said, but pregnant women and young children shouldn't be put on the keto diet the diet tricks your body into thinking it's starving, which is not ideal for development.

Ironically, quickly switching from your normal diet to a keto one can actually give you flu-like symptoms. The "keto flu" is a temporary side effect of rapidly removing carbs from your diet that can cause nausea, headaches, weakness, issues with concentration, and other symptoms. Hardly ideal if you're trying to stay ahead of the flu bug!

Fortunately, most of these negative effects can be mitigated or avoided by building a healthy keto meal plan and transitioning gradually into a keto diet. Undertaking any diet with the goal of improving your health will require doing some homework to figure out what works, and the keto diet is no exception. It's also important to remember that the keto diet probably works best as a short-term diet. Few people can stick with the diet over the long term, so hard evidence on its long-term impacts is scant, but it's unlikely that excluding healthy components of a normal diet (like fruit) would be sustainable. That being said, if these findings are verified, then it might not be a bad idea to try the keto diet once flu season rears its ugly head once again.

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The ketogenic diet may help fight against the flu - Big Think

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Stem Cell Foundation (NSCF) announced today that research teams from Aspen Neuroscience and the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute will send a first-in-kind study of neurodegenerative disease to the International Space Station (ISS) on the nineteenth SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-19) mission, scheduled to launch December 4th from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This is the second space flight for the research teams. A preliminary experiment was launched to the ISS in July 2019 onboard SpaceX CRS-18 to test custom flight hardware systems and refine post-flight analytical methods in preparation for the SpaceX CRS-19 launch.

The NSCF-funded collaboration between researchers at the NYSCF Research Institute and Aspen Neuroscience will perform the first study of long-term cell cultures of patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) neural organoids with microglia on the ISS to study Parkinsons disease and primary progressive multiple sclerosis in microgravity. The ability to observe cell interaction, cell signaling, migration, changes in gene expression and the common pathways of neuroinflammation for both diseases in microgravity provides an opportunity to view the biological processes in a way that is not possible on Earth. This innovative approach to modelling disease has the potential to provide valuable new insight into the fundamental mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders that may accelerate biomarker discovery and potential new drug and cell therapy options for patients. These models also offer potential for better translational study and future personalized medicine applications.

The development of patient-specific, 3-dimensional human organoids that incorporate microglia (the inflammatory cells of the immune system implicated in the development of Parkinsons, MS and other neurodegenerative diseases) for observation and study in the unique research environment of microgravity has the potential to enable progress across the field for a wide variety of conditions that affect a significant portion of the global population. The engineering required to facilitate the transport of cells and culture on orbit is being led by space flight engineering partner Space Tango.

Dr. Paula Grisanti, CEO of NSCF said, Supporting this collaboration between world-class research teams during a time of explosive growth in our understanding of the research advances possible in space is a great privilege. We are delighted to be funding such innovative science at the frontier of new drug and cell therapy discovery.

We are thrilled to be working with such a comprehensive team of scientists and fantastic organizations and feel honored to use our technology to better understand neurodegenerative disorders affecting so many persons globally, said Dr. Andres Bratt-Leal, Vice President of Research and Development, Aspen Neuroscience.

We feel privileged to have the opportunity to help understand the behavior of neural cells in microgravity and to help model neurodegenerative disease in such a novel way. We are excited about this fantastic project and look forward to learning the results, said Dr. Jeanne Loring, Chief Scientific Officer, Aspen Neuroscience.

We are excited to collaborate on the first study of progressive multiple sclerosis and Parkinsons patient brain cells in space. This work will provide important insights into the mechanisms behind these diseases and advance targets for future treatments," noted Susan L. Solomon, NYSCF Chief Executive Officer.

There is significant potential to advance our understanding of MS and PD as we initiate these long-term studies of patient cells in microgravity now that we have completed our preliminary tests, said Dr. Valentina Fossati, NYSCF Senior Research Investigator. We look forward to leveraging the unique capabilities of spaceflight research to better understand the role of microglia in multiple sclerosis and Parkinsons disease, as well as how dysfunction in these cells can be targeted therapeutically.

It takes vision, passion, and courage to change the paradigms of current understanding, said Jana Stoudemire, Commercial Innovation Officer at Space Tango. We are honored to support the groundbreaking work of the National Stem Cell Foundation and these recognized leaders in stem cell biology. Their commitment and dedication to advancing the frontiers of science using new tools and new approaches has been inspiring to witness, and has the potential to provide an entirely new perspective on Parkinsons and progressive MS.

To learn more about this unique collaboration, visit https://www.stemcellsinspace.org/.

About The National Stem Cell Foundation (NSCF)

The National Stem Cell Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that funds adult stem cell and regenerative medicine research, connects children with limited resources to clinical trials for rare diseases and underwrites the National STEM Scholar Program for middle school science teachers inspiring the next generation of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) pioneers nationwide. For more information, visit https://nationalstemcellfoundation.org/.

About The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute

The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute is an independent organization accelerating cures and better treatments for patients through stem cell research. The NYSCF global community includes over 180 researchers at leading institutions worldwide, including NYSCF Druckenmiller Fellows, NYSCF Robertson Investigators, NYSCF Robertson Stem Cell Prize Recipients, and NYSCF Research Institute scientists and engineers. The NYSCF Research Institute is an acknowledged world leader in stem cell research and in developing pioneering stem cell technologies, including the NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array and in enabling large-scale stem cell research for scientists around the globe. NYSCF focuses on translational research in a model designed to overcome the barriers that slow discovery and replace silos with collaboration. For more information, visit http://www.nyscf.org.

About Aspen Neuroscience, Inc.

Aspen Neuroscience is a development stage, private biotechnology company that uses innovative genomic approaches combined with stem cell biology to deliver patient-specific, restorative cell therapies that modify the course of Parkinsons disease. The pipeline technology of Aspen is based upon the scientific work of world-renowned stem cell scientist, Dr. Jeanne Loring, who has developed a novel method for autologous neuron replacement. For more information and important updates, please visit http://www.aspenneuroscience.com.

About Space Tango, Inc.

Space Tango provides improved access to microgravity through their Open Orbit platform for bioengineering and manufacturing applications that benefit life on Earth. With their first operational TangoLab facility installed on the International Space Station in 2016, and a second facility installed in 2017, Space Tango has designed and flown nearly 80 diverse payloads. As a recognized leader in the development of fully automated, remote-controlled systems for research and manufacturing in orbit, Space Tango continues to provide expertise in technology and scientific consulting for industry and academic partners. Leveraging this current work, Space Tango is developing new commercial market segments in space with the announcement of ST-42 a fully autonomous orbital platform designed specifically for scalable manufacturing in space. Space Tango envisions a future where the next important breakthroughs in both technology and healthcare will occur off the planet, creating a new global market 250 miles up in low Earth orbit. For more information, visit http://www.spacetango.com.

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First-in-kind Human 3-dimensional Models of Parkinson's Disease and Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Launching to the International Space Station -...

When babies are born with HIV, starting treatment within hours to days is better than waiting even the few weeks to months thats the norm in many countries, researchers reported Wednesday.

The findings, from a small but unique study in Botswana, could influence care in Africa and other regions hit hard by the virus. They also might offer a clue in scientists quest for a cure.

The Harvard-led team found super early treatment limits how HIV takes root in a newborns body, shrinking the reservoir of virus that hides out, ready to rebound if those youngsters ever stop their medications.

We dont think the current intervention is itself curative, but it sets the stage for future attempts, said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes of Bostons Brigham and Womens Hospital, who co-authored the study.

Giving pregnant women a cocktail of anti-HIV drugs can prevent them from spreading the virus to their unborn children, a step that has dramatically reduced the number of babies born with the virus worldwide. Still, some 300 to 500 infants are estimated to be infected every day in sub-Saharan Africa.

Doctors have long known that treating babies in the first weeks to months of life is important, because their developing immune systems are especially vulnerable to HIV. But an infant dubbed the Mississippi baby raised a critical question: Should treatment start even earlier? The girl received a three-drug combination within 30 hours of her birth in July 2010, highly unusual for the time. Her family quit treatment when she was a toddler yet her HIV remained in remission for a remarkable 27 months before she relapsed and restarted therapy.

The Botswana study was one of several funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health after doctors learned of the Mississippi baby, to further explore very early treatment.

The findings are encouraging, said Dr. Deborah Persaud, a pediatric HIV specialist at Johns Hopkins University who wasnt involved with the Botswana study but helped evaluate the Mississippi baby.

The study showed what we hypothesized happened in the Mississippi baby, that very early treatment really prevents establishment of these long-lived reservoir cells that currently are the barrier to HIV eradication, Persaud said.

She cautioned: Very early treatment is important, but prevention should still be our top priority.

In Botswana, researchers tested at-risk newborns, enrolling 40 born with HIV, treating them within hours to a few days, and tracking them for two years. On Wednesday, they reported results from the first 10 patients, comparing them with 10 infants getting regular care treatment beginning when they were a few months old.

Medication brought HIV under control in both groups. But the children treated earliest had a much smaller reservoir of HIV in their blood, starting about six months into treatment, the researchers reported in Science Translational Medicine.

The earliest-treated children also got another benefit: more normal functioning of some key parts of the immune system.

One big question: Did the HIV reservoir shrink enough to make a long-term difference? To find out, next year the researchers will give these children experimental antibodies designed to help keep HIV in check, and test how they fare with a temporary stop to their anti-HIV drugs.

In the U.S., Europe and South Africa, its becoming common to test at-risk infants at birth. But in most lower-income countries, babies arent tested until theyre 4 to 6 weeks old, said study co-author Dr. Roger Shapiro, a Harvard infectious disease specialist.

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With the cold and flu season upon us, there are other protective measures we can take beyond just regularly washing our hands. Food is powerful medicine that can kick our immune systems into gear, both to fend off viruses as well as reduce the severity and duration of symptoms such as congestion, sore throat and fatigue.

I often prescribe these essentials as part of any cold-sufferers diet:

Garlic

Garlic has been studied for centuries for its anti-bacterial properties. When garlic is sliced, chewed or crushed, sulfur compounds such allicin, diallyl disulfide, vinyldithiins and s-allyl cycteine are activated (giving off that distinctive garlic smell). These have been shown to support the disease-fighting response of some types of white blood cells, helping them to fight viruses. Garlic can also be taken as a preventative supplement: I recommend 300 mg a day, or incorporating one to two fresh cloves daily into your diet, including in salad dressings, green juices, or simply rubbing it on whole grain bread for delicious flavored toast.

Chicken Soup

Good, old fashioned chicken soup has been used forever as a common cold aide and there are some real benefits. The warm broth can help alleviate congestion and the electrolytes (sodium) found in the broth can help keep you hydrated and soothe a sore throat. The added chicken and vegetables provide additional protein and nutrients, with carrots, celery, onion, turnip and fresh herbs supplying an even bigger nutritional boost.

Tea

When you arent feeling your best, warm fluids can soothe that scratchy throat and help to loosen mucus. Opt for decaffeinated tea as caffeine is dehydrating, which is the last thing you need when you are trying to flush a virus from your system. I always recommend ginger tea, as it can soothe a stomach thats upset from loose mucus draining into the digestive system. Ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties that assist with immune function.

Non-Fat Greek Yogurt

Loaded with live cultures and probiotics, yogurt helps to keep your gut lining healthy. Approximately 70% of our immune system is located in our gut, so it is important to keep it in good fighting shape in case your body encounters a virus. Consuming probiotic rich foods can lower the risk of catching a cold and help to speed recovery if you have caught one. Another perk, non-fat Greek yogurt has triple the protein of regular yogurt (without the added sugar).

Red Bell Peppers

Vitamin C is essential for the function of immune cells, and during infections our bodies quickly become deficient of this vitamin. Eating foods rich in vitamin C during a cold or virus can speed the bodys recovery and reduce symptoms. Since vitamin C is water soluble, its more efficient to consume it through foods high in vitamin C, such as red bell peppers, rather than from solid supplements which require more work for the body to digest and absorb. One cup of chopped red bell pepper contains 190 mg of this important vitamin. Other foods high in vitamin C include kiwifruit, broccoli, dark leafy greens and citrus fruits.

Blueberries

Blueberries are a great source of anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid that gives the berry (and other colorful fruits and vegetables) its rich, deep color. Flavinoids have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties that can help reduce cell damage and boost immune function. A powerhouse berry thats low in calories, you can snack on them, add to salads or treat yourself to a crumble.

Diane May, MPH, MS, CDN, RD, CSOWM is a registered dietitian with Scarsdale Medical Group. To make an appointment, call (914) 723-8100.

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What To Eat When You Have a Cold - theLoop

Human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A), but not awidespread variant of the virus called HHV-6B, could be one of the root causes of multiple sclerosis (MS), new research suggests.

Compared to healthy people, those with MS show greater numbers of antibodies to HHV-6A viruses, reflecting greater exposure to this type of infection and suggesting a link to this disease.

The study reporting these findings, Increased serological response against human herpesvirus 6A is associated with risk for multiple sclerosis, was published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.

While the origin of MS remains unclear, research has proposed that viral infections by HHV-6 could be one of its causes.

The hypothesis is that the virus is able to mislead the immune system into attacking the bodys own tissues, damaging the brain and spinal cord.However, it has been impossible to say which specific type of the virus 6A or 6B is responsible for such risk.

HHV-6B is a very common virus acquired early in life. About 80% of all children are estimated to be infected before the age of 2. In children, HHV-6B can cause relatively mild conditions such as roseola, an illness marked by days of high fever, rashes, and, in some cases, febrile seizures.

Less is known about the consequences of HHV-6A, although this specific variant has been linked with MS.

Upon exposure to HHV-6, a persons immune system raises antibodies against specific viral proteins, which help to protect them against the virus for the rest of their lives. The presence of these specific antibodies can be tested in blood samples to find whos been exposed to the virus.

As HHV-6A and HHV-6B are extremely similar, it has not been possible to date to determine which of these herpes viruses the antibodies are reacting against when a person tests positive for this viral infection through a blood test.

Scientists at theKarolinska Institutet in Sweden devised a way to overcome this problem.

They were able to distinguish between 6A and 6B types by measuring antibodies in the blood that recognize the proteins that diverge most between the two viruses called immediate early protein 1A and 1B (IE1A and IE1B).

Researchers compared antibody levels in blood samples of 8,742 people with MS and 7,215 healthy people, all in Sweden and matched for gender, date of birth, and other factors.

Results showed that MS patients had a 55% higher risk of carrying antibodies against HHV-6A than healthy people.

Further analysis in a group of 478 patients whose blood samples were collected before the onset of MS showed that viral infection by HHV-6A more than doubled a persons risk of developing MS later on.

Researchers also saw that the younger the age at which patients tested positive for the HHV-6A virus, the higher the risk of MS.

In contrast, carrying antibodies against HHV-6B was not associated with MS development. In fact, MS patients tended to have lower amounts of antibodies against this type of virus than people without this disease.

This is a big breakthrough for both the MS and herpes virus research, Anna Fogdell-Hahn, an associate professor at Karolinska and one of the studys senior authors, said in a news story.

For one, it supports the theory that HHV-6A could be a contributing factor to the development of MS. On top of that, we are now able, with this new method, to find out how common these two different types of HHV-6 are, something we havent been able to do previously, Fogdell-Hahnadded.

Infection by another herpes virus, called Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and best known as the cause of mononucleosis, also has been proposed as a risk factor for MS.

Researchers analyzed antibodies against EBV, and observed that individuals affected with both viruses EBV and HHV-6A had an even higher risk of developing MS.This indicates that multiple viral infections can act together to raise a persons susceptibility to the disease.

Both HHV-6A and 6B can infect our brain cells, but they do it in slightly different ways. Therefore, it is now interesting to go forward and attempt to map out exactly how the viruses could affect the onset of MS, Fogdell-Hahn said.

A cause-effect relationship between the virus and MS, however, is not by any means established, and more studies are needed, the team emphasized.

For more information about this research, the Karolinska Institutet posted a video that can be viewed usingthis link.

Ana is a molecular biologist with a passion for discovery and communication. As a science writer she looks for connecting the public, in particular patient and healthcare communities, with clear and quality information about the latest medical advances. Ana holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where she specialized in genetics, molecular biology, and infectious diseases

Total Posts: 1,053

Patrcia holds her PhD in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, The Netherlands. She has studied Applied Biology at Universidade do Minho and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Instituto de Medicina Molecular in Lisbon, Portugal. Her work has been focused on molecular genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites.

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MS Risk Linked to Herpes Virus 6A and Not More Common 6B, Study Suggests - Multiple Sclerosis News Today

My New Democratic MLA, David Shepherd, was in the local paper Monday morning. Davids a pleasant fella, and I always feel awkward exposing Edmonton news items like worn-out ginch to a national audience, but he has presented an example of something that happens all across the country, all the time, and that ideally wouldnt, or shouldnt.

You see, there was a small protest at the Alberta legislature on Sunday. The hundred or so protesters were sufferers (and friends of sufferers) of inflammatory bowel disease Crohns and ulcerative colitis. The IBD patients recently received a letter from Janssen Inc., which makes one of the miracle drugs of our time, Remicade.

Remicade is a monoclonal antibody a mab, as your pharmacist would say to another pharmacist. This means its an ultra-complicated lab-designed molecule that is somewhat like a prosthesis for your immune system. Before Remicade, the old approach to IBD disorders was to wait until they became disabling or life-threatening, as opposed to just colossally inconvenient and painful, and then deluge them with steroids. With Remicade, many patients with severe IBD can live in remission indefinitely.

This is not cheap, which is why vis prescribed to only a fraction of those with IBD. Remicade is nonetheless the single largest prescription drug expense, by far, that the Alberta government has. In the year ending March 31, 2018, Alberta Health spent more than $80 million dispensing the drug to 2,535 patients.

You might expect that this situation would attract the attention of capitalism, and countless drug companies are indeed developing biosimilar alternatives to Remicade. Health Canada, acting more slowly than other developed countries, has approved a couple.

Biosimilars are drugs that have the same overall molecular structure as some reference drug and have been shown in the laboratory to target the same receptors in the body. Simple molecules dont attract imitators like these, but the mabs are (on the molecular scale) huge, intricate wads whose activity may not be perfectly understandable. Mabs were introduced because in-vitro laboratory drug creation using computer models and biological first principles got a lot better around the turn of the century. Biosimilar rivals, marketable for lower cost, exist for the same reason.

Remicade is the single largest prescription drug expense that the Alberta government has

So government drug plans have been itching to move patients onto cheaper biosimilars, or perhaps force discounts on Remicade. In British Columbia, the government a New Democratic government is currently in the process of switching everybody to biosimilars by fiat, with exceptional Special Authority approval (!) required for patients who prefer the name brand. Janssen wrote to Remicade patients when it learned that Alberta and Ontario were also eyeing their big Remicade bills.

Alberta hasnt decided whether to follow B.C.s guillotine approach. Theres a serious, evolving discussion about the evidence base for the biosimilars. It is fairly well established that patients can switch to one of the best biosimilars without risk, and that the biosimilars behave like the name brand within the immune system as far as any testing can show. But the empirical studies have been short in duration, and no one has been able to check what happens if doctors engage in multiple switching among biosimilar molecules.

This should not be a partisan conversation, but, well, if you are protesting on the legislature steps, your handmade sign is not going to read The magnitude of the nocebo effect is contested! The Sunday protest in Edmonton was led by a Crohns patient, Nick Arrand, who told the Journals Jonny Wakefield, The government should have no right to tell you what medications to take.

The story adds that Mr. Arrand is on his wifes insurance, so the government is not, in fact, telling him what medications to take. His insurer, one supposes, might eventually have something to say about it. Should he picket that companys headquarters if this happens? Or should he go bother Janssen about the price of Remicade? What would Bernie Sanders do?

For patients on government health plans, the government does decide what to pay for (if there were a punctuation mark meaning duh, it would go here), and it has no choice but to take cost into account, as an NDP-led government in idyllic B.C. has. This did not discourage MLA Shepherd from joining the Edmonton protest to denounce barbarous right-wing Alberta-government cost-chopping that might or might not happen. And which is, at root, a negotiation between Albertas public treasury and a constellation of drug manufacturers.

What would Bernie Sanders do?

Shepherd accused the Conservatives of intending to try to force their way into the doctor-patient relationship and force these individuals to switch onto new, unproven biosimilars. This is a curious departure from the official position of Crohns and Colitis Canada, which is that Biosimilars are a safe and effective treatment for people with Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis.

The charity, which receives funding from Janssen and organized the pro-Remicade demonstration, expresses concerns with non-medical switching of drugs for cost reasons alone. But it also concedes, quite explicitly, that in these here social democracies, none of us exists in a consecrated doctor-patient relationship without the presence of a third party footing the bill. Even when Bill Gates gets sick, he doesnt ask for the most expensive drug on principle.

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Colby Cosh: Barbarous right-wing cost-chopping ... pioneered by the B.C. NDP? - National Post

Over 400 million individuals worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), have diabetes, living each day on the precipice of health determined by the level of sugar in their bloodstream. The vigilance required to ensure that their levels are neither too high nor too low can often become all-encompassing. A circumstance that Lonny Stormo, co-founder and CEO of the Oak Park Heights, Minnesota-based startup, Pops, truly understands.

Lonny Stormo, Co-founder and CEO of Pops

Stormo brought his proficiency in electrical engineering and business to the medical device industry over three decades ago. He has served in various executive leadership roles during his thirty-year career at industry giant Medtronic, and even collaborated with NASA. Though his work at Medtronic was primarily focused on cardiovascular health, he developed a vested interest in diabetes care when, in his mid-thirties, Stormo was diagnosed with adult onset type 1 diabetes.

As an active member of his community and an avid runner, Stormo was often frustrated by the encumbrance that conventional blood sugar monitoring would have on his lifestyle. After fifteen years of observing the same testing and tracking regimen, this medical device industry veteran began to question whether there was a better way to do this.

How can it be with all the advances we were making in medicine, that I had been managing my diabetes the same exact way these years, with the same black zip-up bag holding a meter and test strips and a lancing tool that you had to assemble, says Stormo, describing the equipment that those with diabetes typically use to keep track of their daily blood sugar levels, The test kit was too big to carry around wherever I went. Besides, I was not comfortable taking everything out to run a test in front of everybody and often there would not be a table around for me to set things up on. It was all very inconvenient.

Stormo suggested that because of the inconvenience associated with this cumbersome approach, many with diabetes, as he often did, would just leave their test kits at home. Beyond seeing their blood sugar level results perhaps, a couple times a day while at home, many do not have any idea what their true status is. That is, until the next biannual medical exam when the HbA1C test that indicates the prior months blood sugar level average, is performed. By then, if the readings suggest their blood sugar concentration has been too high, any deterioration to their health that could result may have already taken place.

Poor self-monitoring of blood sugar levels over time is a leading cause of long-term health complications for those with diabetes complications that range from nerve damage, vision loss, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation to death. According to the most recent report from the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) citing data for 2017, approximately four million deaths globally were attributed to known cases of diabetes, thus placing it among the top ten causes of mortality worldwide (WHO 2018). Associated healthcare costs, in 2017 alone, amounted to $727 billion USD globally of which 48% was attributed to individuals living in the United States. Americans with diabetes spent on average $12,000 USD on health care in 2017, which is twice the cost incurred by those who live without diabetes (numbers taken from IDF 2017 report).

Stormo recognized that the struggles he faced managing his own care reflected the experience of millions of others in the US and is implicated in the high health care costs for those with diabetes. So, he decided to do something about it.

He leveraged his decades of experience and extensive network in the medical device field to gather a team of like-minded colleagues co-founders, Dan Davis, Pops current Security Officer and VP of R&D, and Curt Christensen, Pops VP of Operations with a mission to improve the lives of those with diabetes. Thus, in 2015, Pops Diabetes Care was launched by this team that understands what living with diabetes is like, and who are determined to make it easier for those with diabetes to control their blood sugar levels, therefore reducing their risk of expensive health complications.

Our vision is lowering the worlds A1c one person at a time, Stormo explains.

Their strategy involves addressing the reasons why many individuals do not adhere to regular testing. A Reality of Diabetes Care Survey reported by the Canadian-based Medical Education Network (Mednet) back in 2010, identified several of these reasons thus validating what those dealing with these challenges daily have been saying for years. These reasons, further characterized in subsequent studies, include forgetfulness, insufficient time for regular testing, not having all the things needed to test, unreliable meters, not wanting to carry around the equipment for the tests, pain and testing anxiety, inability to test discretely, lack of motivation, and even concerns regarding safe disposal of the used test strips and lances. A daunting list of deterrents that Stormo and his team were all too familiar with.

If we want people to manage their diabetes all the time and do it better, says Stormo, We have to give them a better experience. What we have done is reengineered that experience to make it easy for them to test their blood sugar less painfully, discretely, no assembly needed, anywhere, at any time, with non-invasive, non-judgmental virtual coaching.

Stormo and his team developed a portable test kit that can (doesnt have to) pop-on to the back of a smartphone to which it interfaces via wireless connection to a Pops virtual management care app.

I can now literally check my blood sugar anytime, anywhere while I am on the road for a run, something I could never do before, explains an enthusiastic Stormo, One time at a business competition, I was standing on stage and it was time to check my blood sugar levels. So right there in front of hundreds of people, I quickly pulled out my phone and discretely did a test. Simple. No fuss.

The Pops approach aligns with the current shift in individual behavior being observed across the healthcare landscape. Subject to a conventional system that does not always serve their best interests, patients are less passively resigned to receive services offered as is. Rather they are being more selective about their care and are actively pursuing alternatives that confer better outcomes.

This increasing demand for consumer-focused healthcare services is further bolstered by the recent acceleration in technological innovation. In an imperfect healthcare system, where many struggle to access appropriate care, it is not surprising that individuals are seeking solutions through advanced technologies that enhance the delivery of such care.

A 2017 report by consulting group, Deloitte Development LLC, indicates that over 70% of consumers in the US prioritize access thus are comfortable using virtual health platforms to manage their own care or coordinate with providers. According to Statista, 77% of US adults surveyed over a two-month period in 2018 were satisfied with their virtual care experience, confirming this trend.

People want to take healthcare into their own hands using technology, says Stormo, Previously, we were using technology to connect patients and doctors, sending information to the doctor then waiting for the doctor to respond with what to do, perhaps via a video console. Now people are managing their health directly using easy, convenient, smart technology. And living their lives. This is the next step virtual care people are empowered to self-manage their conditions.

Pops not only includes an integrated virtual care system they call Rebel, but also Mina, a 24/7, non-judgmental personal virtual coach. Rebel and Mina together provide non-invasive blood sugar-testing and monitoring along with basic analytics that inform guidance and support. In addition, everyone using the system is considered an owner controlling how and with whom, if anyone, their information is shared, whether its with friends, family and/or caregivers.

At Pops, we are enabling you to take care of yourself, to own your condition, to own your life, says Stormo, You have diabetes, but it does not define you. You are a person first and foremost.

Last year, Pops patented system received FDA clearance. Since then, they have established partnerships with healthcare plans and employers who have included Pops in their employee benefits offerings, promoting healthier employees, greater productivity at work, and an associated reduction in company healthcare costs. In the future, Stormo would like for everyone with diabetes to have access to Pops, regardless. For now, the system is not yet directly available to the consumer.

This purpose-driven company has been gaining attention across the country. Pops recently closed an oversubscribed Series A funding round of $6 million USD as a result of heightened investor interest. The round was led by 30Ventures, a healthcare and biotechnology venture capital firm based out of Madison, Wisconsin.

Also participating in this round was New York-based investment firm, Flying Point Industries and Revolutions Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, a Washington D.C.-based firm founded by AOL co-founder Steve Case that focuses on funding highly promising seed stage companies outside the startup hubs of Silicon Valley, New York City, and Boston.

In a recent press release, Stormo expressed his gratitude for the strong investor support, We are pleased that investors see this commercial growth as a sign that diabetes virtual care is making a difference for people with diabetes. The funds will be used to further the commercialization of Pops system.

Pops was also recently chosen to participate in the 2019 Winter Insurtech program run by globally renowned startup accelerator, Plug and Play.

Though grateful for the validation and support received this year, for Stormo, nothing comes close to the fullfilment he experienced that memorable day, when Pops received the first testimonial from the first person whose HbA1C levels were lowered by 1.5 points using the Pops system.

The first thing we see each day walking through the front doors is his framed photo the first person whose life we changed, says Stormo proudly, That is what our mission is all about!

For more information about Lonny Stormo and Pops, visit http://www.popsdiabetes.com.

REFERENCES:

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death

http://www.mednet.ca/docs/pdf/HO10-005_E_with_WM.pdf

Josh Nelson, Bryan Sung, Sunil Venkataram, and Jennifer Moore, Transforming care delivery through virtual health, Deloitte, 2017.

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Pops on the go virtual care system empowers those with diabetes to Own Their Life - Silicon Prairie News

Diagnoses of diabetes, a condition where the body can't properly process glucose, havedoubled in recent years, andnearly 9% of the global populationnow has the condition.

But just because diabetes is common, it doesn't mean it isn't serious: diabetes can leave people blind, needing an amputation, and with a higher risk of heart disease. Treating diabetes accounts for1 in every 10 spent by the NHSin the UK, and $327 billion a year in the US. So could technology give diabetics a better way of managing their condition?

For a long time, to get their glucose reading, diabetics would have to prick their finger with a needle, squeeze out a drop of blood, and then use a handheld device to assess how much sugar was in it. It's a far from ideal process it only gives a snapshot of glucose control, not a long-term view. It has to be repeated several times a day, and it's tricky and painful to boot.

SEE: Exomedicine arrives: How labs in space could pave the way for healthcare breakthroughs on Earth (cover story PDF)

Technology aimed at insulin-using diabetics became mainstream a few years back with the arrival of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices. These use small sensors that sit on a diabetic's body, monitoring their blood sugar levels constantly and relatively unobtrusively, through a small tube that samples the amount ofglucose in the interstitial fluid. This technology is transforming diabetes control for its users. By giving them a better view of what their blood glucose was doing, CGMs enabled insulin-dependent diabetics to take steps to keep readings in the right range.

As well as being more convenient, CGM offers a direct pay-off for diabetics' health too: those with better glucose control are less at risk of developing debilitating and life-threatening complications.

Now the companies that make these readers are looking to take advantage of broader technology trends to enable diabetics to better manage their condition.

The systems from Dexcom, one of the largest makers of CGM devices, are "a mix of medical technology with consumer technology", says its CTO Jake Leach. Whereas once CGMs would send a user's glucose reading to a separate handheld device, now makers are looking to exploit the potential of wearables and smartphones. Users can get their readings sent over Bluetooth Low Energy to hardware including iOS and Android phones and watches.

"The smartphone platform really opened up a lot of functionality that is not typical in medical devices," Leach explains.

One of the new features enabled by smartphone and mobile app use is remote monitoring. Through the Dexcom app, parents now keep an eye on their children's glucose levels even when they're not with them.

"The parent has the safety blanket of knowing how things are going. They can set up alerts and alarms that can communicate if there's an issue that has to be dealt with, so they don't have to worry as much," Leach says.

Remote management isn't only taking place between parents and children glucose readings are getting social, with the app allowing users to share their readings with a handful of friends and family via smartphone. Remote monitoring users who share their readings with others have lower average glucose readings, less time spent with low glucose, and more in the normal range, says Leach: "The folks that utilise that technology have better glucose control than those that don't and we kind of attributed it to the fact that they've got others helping them manage their diabetes."

As well as friends and family, CGM users can share their readings with their medical team. Glucose-monitoring apps can give physicians a long-term overview of how their patient's blood sugar has been doing, and why whether it's spiked or fallen due to a new medication or lifestyle change, for example. This can help guide how they treat the condition. "Diabetes is such an evolutionary thing and it develops over time and changes. You have to always be looking to change the way of managing it," Leach says.

SEE: The NHS wants more data about your health - and your smartphone could be the answer

For those who are keen to share even more, Dexcom's CGM app can feed data into other health apps through both Apple's HealthKit and Google Fit.

Dexcom already has a link with Google beyond its integration with Android: the CGM company inked a deal withVerily, the life-sciences arm of Google's parent company Alphabet, back in 2016 andamended it this year. The first hardware to sprout from the R&D partnership will be Dexcom's next generation of CGM, the G7. Unlike its predecessor, the G7 will be an all-in-one design carrying Verily electronics as well as Dexcom sensor tech onboard, and is expected to launch next year.

Verily and Dexcom have also teamed up on software, with Verily helping out with user engagement how to make sure that the app can keeping gaining functionality without making it too confusing for people that haven't used the app, or continuous glucose sensing, before.

And there is likely to be a lot of new users: the number of diabetics in the world is expected to rise from 171 million in 2000 to 366 million in 2030. Most of that growth, however, is likely to be in type 2 diabetics, who take other medications other than insulin and so don't use CGM.

However, CGM technology could ultimately be rolled out to people with type 2 diabetes, and those in the pre-diabetic range people whose blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet diabetic. The idea of getting people who aren't on insulin to use CGM is to show the impact of certain foods and behaviours on their glucose levels, and so help them to keep levels in the right range.

"Until you really have direct feedback, it can be hard to really understand why that's important," Leach says. "I think there can be a whole lot more around that coaching or the advice or the analytics that you put around the data to help you get more people with either pre-diabetes, or even with just general health and wellness. I think there's a lot of opportunity and there's quite a few pilots we're entering into any different areas to learn more about what works for those users."

For the traditional CGM user base people who control their diabetes with insulin injections the next few years are likely to bring another sea-change in technology with the advent of closed-loop or 'artificial pancreas' systems, single units that both monitor glucose and deliver insulin accordingly.

SEE: Apple's Research app: What does it want your health data for?

Other developments that could reshape diabetes management are on the horizon: technology that allows glucose readings to be taken non-invasively that is, hardware that can measure blood glucose without the need for, well, blood. Researchers are looking to create systems that can measure glucose through sweat, tears oreven just a user's vital signs.

"It is really challenging to measure glucose non-invasively," Leach says, "and no one has come up with a technology that is capable of measuring glucose to the kind of level of reliability and accuracy that's needed." Lots of companies are working on the field, but there's been no breakthrough yet Google's own experimental efforts to monitor glucose through contact lenses was kicked into the long grass.

That said, the future of CGM is going to be tightly tied to the development of consumer tech like smartwatches or other wearables. "There's a good possibility that you're going to have even tighter integration than we have today with those types of products," Leach says.

Read more:
Diabetes monitoring is having a smartwatch and smartphone revolution - ZDNet

Sam Pearson,1,* Noppadol Kietsiriroje,1,2,* Ramzi A Ajjan1

1Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS2 9JT, UK; 2Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Ramzi A AjjanLeeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS2 9JT, UKTel +44 113 343 7475Email r.ajjan@leeds.ac.uk

Abstract: In recent years, newer drug classes for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus have been released with significant effects on glucose lowering and weight reduction. One of the most promising classes in achieving these goals has been the glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 agonists. However, a difficulty with the use of these agents is the need for subcutaneous injections, which can be inconvenient to individuals living with type 2 diabetes. More recently, a GLP-1 agonist has been developed, semaglutide, that can be administered orally which has at least similar effects to the subcutaneous preparation from which this compound is derived. In this review article, we discuss the glycemic and cardiovascular effects of the GLP-1 agonists with special emphasis on oral semaglutide and the potential role of this therapy in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Keywords: oral semaglutide, type 2 diabetes, treatment, glucagon-like peptide 1

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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Oral Semaglutide In The Management Of Type 2 Diabetes: A Report On The | DMSO - Dove Medical Press