StemCell Therapy

Nearly half (45%) of employers are concerned that their employees who drive forwork do not have the necessary eyesight fit for driving, according to research from Specsavers Corporate Eyecare.

As sponsors ofRoad Safety Week (November 18-24), Specsavers is encouraging employers to take the lead in ensuring drivers have adequate vision to drive for work purposes.

The eyecare company surveyed more than 500 human resource decision makers from a wide range of companies across the UK.

Jim Lythgow, director of strategic alliances at Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, said: It may be a surprise to many that this figure is so high, especially as the legal requirements for driver eyesight are actually quite minimal.

The law still just requires a driver to be able to read a modern number plate from a distance of 20 metres.

"The fact that so many employers are concerned should serve as a wake-up call.

The research shows that employers are taking the correct steps to improve the situation, with nearly three quarters (72%) saying that they offer workplace eye care to all who drive for work.

If employers are offering eye care to the majority of drivers but are still concerned that their eyesight is not good enough, then clearly something is missing.

It is not enough to just offer corporate eye care. It needs to be proactively communicated and promoted too.

If employees were more aware of the risks they run by not having regular eye tests, such as potentially losing their driving license, they may be more likely to take up the benefit, added Lythgow.

Specsavers has urged companies to put up posters and information on staff noticeboards or to upload details of eye care benefits to the company website.

One initiative Specsavers participate in is access to wellbeing days, which allow them to promote all health benefits on offer to their staff.

New research from the road safety charity Brake has revealed that nearly a third of adults were in a collision, or had a near miss, with a vehicle on UK roads in the past year.

Companies such as Driver Hire have joined Specsavers in backing Road Safety Week 2019.

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Almost half of employers think drivers have poor eyesight - FleetNews

CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Charity Intelligence Canada (CI) has announced that Operation Eyesight has been selected as one of their Top 10 Impact Charities of 2019, and one of their Top 10 International Charities. Of the 750 Canadian charities rated for impact, Operation Eyesight was among the top performers, and the only Calgary-based organization in the international category.

Operation Eyesight is making an impact by restoring sight and preventing blindness for people in developing countries. They partner with local government and hospitals in these countries with a sustainable approach that eliminates avoidable blindness in the most vulnerable communities.

With access to affordable eye care services, better nutrition and better education, avoidable blindness can be eliminated. Thats where we come in, says Aly Bandali, President and CEO, Operation Eyesight. When you invest in Operation Eyesight, you become part of a movement that empowers people to take ownership of their own eye health. When people can see, their futures become brighter.

According to the World Health Organizations World Report on Vision, more than 2.2 billion people suffer from a vision impairment. For at least 1 billion people, their vision impairment has not yet been addressed but their vision could be restored through a number of interventions, including prescription eyeglasses, cataract surgery, antibiotics or other forms of treatment. By providing these interventions, Operation Eyesight impacts the lives of individuals and their communities by giving them back their independence, helping them break the cycle of poverty.

Operation Eyesight works with local hospital partners to strengthen their capacity and offer a supply of quality, affordable eye care services to more people. They also create demand for these services by encouraging eye health-seeking behavior and empowering communities to take responsibility for their eye health needs. Operation Eyesight currently works in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Liberia and Ethiopia, and they hope to expand to other developing countries where the burden is great in unmet eyecare needs.

To learn more, visit https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-profiles/top-10-impact-charities-of-2019 and operationeyesight.com.

For more information or to arrange an interview with Aly Bandali, please contact:Melissa CrockerSenior Marketing SpecialistOperation Eyesight CanadaPhone: 587-602-2310crockerm@operationeyesight.com

About Operation Eyesight Universal

Operation Eyesight Universal is an international development organization dedicated to eliminating avoidable blindness in developing countries. Founded in Calgary in 1963, Operation Eyesight is working to restore sight and prevent blindness in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Liberia and Ethiopia. Operation Eyesight invests in sustainable treatment, prevention and community development activities to address specific eye health problems as well as the root causes of blindness. For more information about the work we do and how to donate, visit operationeyesight.com.

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Operation Eyesight Named One of the Top 10 Impact Charities by Charity Intelligence Canada - GlobeNewswire

For most people, mid-November is too early to put up a Christmas tree. But for the Spainhouers the tree couldn't go up fast enough.

It is the first time in a very long time Maritza saw her Christmas tree with the help of a vision head-set.

"I'm even getting some teary-eyed right now. It's exciting," said Maritza Spainhouer.

Maritza is vision-impaired. Her eyesight is 25% of total vision and she tells WFAA she has little to no peripheral vision. She was born with a condition called retinitis pigmentosa which will gradually lead to complete loss of vision.

Maritza was excited to get the Christmas tree up as soon as possible this year because she hasn't seen her tree in nearly 13 years. Now with the help of the IrisVision head-set, she can see the ornaments on her tree.

"It was a pure surprise and to see her reaction just made my heart jump for joy," said Steven, her husband.

Patricia Smith goes to the same church as the Spainhouers and introduced them to the IrisVision goggles. She is also vision-impaired and now trains others on the head-set.

"I can see the reds, I can see the blues, I can see the green of the tree," Maritza said.

Those are all the colors people usually take for granted seeing during the holidays.

Maritza has used the goggles for six months and she can finally see her three parakeets and won't have to use the jumbo deck of cards. She is even considering going back to school.

"It opened my opportunities. It's really a Christmas miracle," said Maritza and Steven.

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McKinney woman uses vision goggles to see Christmas tree for the first time in nearly 13 years - WFAA.com

Wet age-related macular degeneration, or wAMD, is one of the leading causes of blindness in the U.S. Breakthrough treatments come with a steep price tag and treatment burden for the patient, but a new study suggests their benefits to patient health and society would top billions of dollars, or more, if adherence could be improved.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects approximately 11 million people in the U.S. The wet form of the disease, which is caused by the abnormal growth of blood vessels under the retina, progresses rapidly. Symptoms include blurred vision and blind spots, which can often lead to legal blindness.

While only 10% of people with macular degeneration develop the wet form, the symptoms for these patients are much worse; in the past, wAMD has caused 90% of blindness associated with macular degeneration.

New treatments for wAMD not only prevent further vision loss, but have also been shown to improve vision with the benefits of these innovative treatments lasting for multiple years, according to clinical trials. But the administration of these treatments is burdensome and requires patients to receive injections in their eye as frequently as every four to eight weeks. More than half of Medicare patients discontinue treatment within the first year due to cost, the inability to get transportation to and from their retina specialists, and fear or discomfort from receiving these injections.

The new economic study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, quantifies the benefits of treatment for wAMD. It found improvements in vision from innovative treatments generated $5.1 to $8.2 billion in patient benefits. This translates to $0.9 to $3.0 billion in societal value (patient benefits minus treatment costs) over three years. Future innovative treatments that lead to improved adherence would generate an additional $7.3 to $15.0 billion in patient benefits, they estimate.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT

Treatments for wAMD first came on the market around 2006. Called anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), these treatments target the abnormal growth of the blood vessels and have been shown to restore patients' eyesight for a number of years.

In clinical trials, these treatments were administered to patients monthly via an injection in the eye. But in practice, adherence tends to decline because of the discomfort associated with the eye injections, difficulty in getting to retina specialists for timely care, and cost. To address this patient burden, some doctors have modified treatment plans that allow for lower injection frequency, taking into account the patient's documented vision improvements, cost, and the burden of administering the treatment.

Taking into account the costs associated with treatment, the researchers modeled treatment scenarios to provide practitioners, patients, and payers with information about the value of anti-VEGF therapy. Their findings quantified the benefits derived from the therapy to individual patients and society.

They modeled multiple treatment scenarios: a no injection scenario; less frequent injections (in which patients received approximately eight injections per year); more frequent injections (in which patients received an average of 10.5 injections per year); improved adherence (in which 85% of patients initiate therapy and adherence improves); and innovation scenarios (based on clinical trial data representing best case scenarios with patients receiving either more or less frequent injections).

The researchers found that even under current treatment conditions of less frequent injections, treatment generates over $1 billion for the full population with wAMD in year one and $5.1 billion in year three. With improved adherence, benefits to the patient population were estimated to reach $7.3 to $11.4 billion in year three.

This translates to a benefit to society (patient benefit minus treatment costs) of $0.9 to $3.0 billion across three years in the current treatment scenarios and upwards of over $4 billion in the innovative treatment scenario (i.e., when a drug that leads to better adherence is discovered).

The authors find innovations to improve treatment adherence could generate an additional $1.2 to $3.7 billion in patient benefit and $59 million to $1.3 billion in societal value compared to current treatment scenarios -- highlighting the fact that when patients follow through with necessary treatment, individuals, providers and society as a whole can reap the rewards.

Twitter:@JELagasse

Email the writer:jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com

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Treatments for leading cause of blindness generate $0.9 to $3 billion in patient, economic benefit - Healthcare Finance News

IRISH actress Victoria Smurfit has told how finding out that her daughter will eventually go blind was like a wrecking ball out of the sky.

The former Ballykissangel stars 14-year-old daughter, Evie, suffers from Stargardts Macular Dystrophy, an eye condition which leads to blindness.

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The teen was diagnosed when she was just 12-years-old and her condition is deteriorating as she gets older.

Mum-of-three Victoria, 45, says her whole world came crashing down around her when they found out Evie would eventually lose her sight completely.

She said: Its a bit wrecking ball out of the sky you didnt see coming.

"As a parent, if there is a problem with your kid, you find a solution, end of story. Its just what you do.

But to be in a position where thats a much harder thing to find, because it hasnt been created yet, its astonishing.

Evie says she was first confronted with the harrowing realisation that she was losing her sight when she tried to find a book that she needed for school.

She said: I remember one time in a book shop, I was crying because I was supposed to get a book for school but I couldnt read it.

"That was one of those moments, where it hit me, Im going blind.

Now, my eyesight is very clouded all the time, colour is blended in together and so everything is kind of a smooth surface from a afar.

"I have lights in my vision, like fairy lights, like fireworks exploding everywhere.

There are good days and bad days, some days are worse than others because it only hits you, that Im going to go blind but Im also helping people by talking about it.

The pair opened up about Evies condition as leading eye experts descended on Dublin for the Fighting Blindness Retina 2019 conference, which started today and continues tomorrow.

The conference brings together scientists and experts from all over the world to share knowledge on research efforts to find a cure for sight loss.

And Victoria and Evie are determined to do as much as possible to help raise awareness for the genetic condition, and raise money to go towards research.

Tomorrow night, the pair will appear at the Vision Ball in the K Club where Evie will deliver a keynote speech on her experience with sight loss.

As well as her advocacy work for Stargardts, Evie revealed shed love to follow in her famous mums footsteps by pursuing a career in acting.

As her mum stood by, shaking her head in disapproval, Evie said: If I had the opportunity to act in something then I would. I love acting. I have since I was a kid. I was in The Clinic when I was about three.

"Ive done a lot of school plays and things but I would love to do more.

Its back to work on set for Victoria on Monday, who begins shooting a new movie, Hair Raisers, starring The Commitments actress, Angeline Ball.

The Once Upon A Time actress recently moved her entire family from their home in Santa Monica over to Surrey in the UK to be closer to family, friends and world-class medical services.

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We revealed earlier this year that the family also choose to leave after a gunman turned up at her daughter school.

And she says its the best decision shes ever made to move closer to home.

She said: Its brilliant being back. The problem in the US is that there is nowhere has not been touched by gun violence, malls, churches, schools, cinemas, you name it, theres been an incident. You should have to have a low grade fear to walk out your door."

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Victoria Smurfit says finding out daughter will eventually go blind was like wrecking ball out of the s - The Irish Sun

People with vision impairments face substantial challenges in tasks of everyday living that can significantly limit their participation in healthy lifestyle choices.

Laura Dreer, Ph.D.Laura Dreer, Ph.D., associate professor with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, has been awarded a grant from the Obesity Health Disparities Research Center at UAB to examine how low vision impacts engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviors and weight management and risk of obesity.

People with vision impairments face substantial challenges in tasks of everyday living. These trials can significantly limit their participation in physical activity, healthy dietary intake/nutrition, and lifestyle behaviors. For example, vision loss often interferes with meal preparation, cooking, grocery shopping all of which can impact healthy eating choices. Additionally, problems with restricted vision can also affect balance, mobility and orientation, limiting physical activity and routine exercise.

As such, this type of sensory loss may be associated with unhealthy lifestyle choices that influence greater risk for obesity and secondary health conditions in comparison to individuals with good or adequate sight.

While there is a growing amount of scientific literature documenting the higher prevalence of obesity among people with physical or intellectual disabilities versus people without disabilities, there is a limited amount of obesity research specifically studying people with a sensory disability affected by limited or low vision. Further lacking is the availability of empirically validated weight management and lifestyle programs tailored to the challenges confronted by people with this particular disability.

Dreer and colleagues preliminary data supports this notion withthat weight classification prevalence rates ranging from 53 percent obese, 26.5 percent overweight and only 20.5 percent normal weight among those diagnosed with progressive eye diseases. These rates highlight the health disparity for obesity among persons with a vision-related disability compared to the national rates among those without a disability.

She said this public health issue is particular problematic in the Deep South where obesity rates are much higher compared to other regions of the country.

Dreer and colleagues also found that higher body mass index scores, measured objectively, were significantly associated with being older and having a lower annual household income, poorer perception of health, minority race, greater number and type of chronic health conditions, slower physical activity levels and less intensity, greater sedentary behavior, greater worry over health, and poor sleep.

Greater vision impairment was significantly related to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and sedentary behavior. However, on a promising note, 70 percent of the sample expressed an interest in losing weight and improving their health behaviors.

As part of the new grant, Dreer and colleagues will expand upon this preliminary work by proposing to further understand the unique challenges related to limited or no vision that interfere with participating in important lifestyle behaviors that are critical for managing weight and overall health. Results will then be used in the second part of the project to inform the adaptation process of an evidence-based and theoretically driven lifestyle and health program tailored to the unique challenges this population.

Local community partners will also participate in this innovative effort.

The ultimate goal is to translate the resulting program into health, recreation or sport-related organizations and agencies locally and nationally, she said. Other formats people with for people with low vision can access from their home are also being developed.

This grant is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health Disparities Research (NIMHD: U54MD000502) of the National Institutes of Health

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Grant will explore low vision's impact on healthy lifestyle behaviors - UAB News

Just like every other part of the body, eyes age as we do. Poor diet, excess sun exposure, toxins, infections, and physical and emotional stressors cause wear and tear on the body, and often translate into poor eyesight. This wear and tear produces free radicals, unstable molecules that harm us at the cellular level. The eyes are prone to damage by free radicals. This damage may result in us having vision problems or suffering from age-related macular degeneration or other eye disorders, but you can help protect your eyes by making healthy food choices.

Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, beta-carotene, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids protect against free radical damage that can harm our eyes. We can find these nutrients by consuming colourful fruits and vegetables that will protect our eyes and boost our overall health. We'll take a look at these closely.

Vitamin C is a nutrient critical for maintaining good eye health. Vitamin C has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help decrease the risk of age-related eye disease. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C for adult women is 75 milligrams per day and 90 milligrams per day for men. Raw red peppers have 95 milligrams of vitamin C per half cup. Other great food sources include orange juice, grapefruit juice, papayas, and strawberries. Vitamin C is heat sensitive and breaks down during cooking. Maximise your intake of vitamin C by eating fruits and veggies that contain these nutrients raw.

Vitamin E is another antioxidant vitamin that is critical to eye health. Vitamin E is actually comprised of eight fat-soluble antioxidants called tocopherols. These nutrients help protect fats that make up cell membranes. The retina of the eye is rich in fatty acids, so antioxidant protection is critical for the eyes. The RDA for vitamin E is 15 milligrams per day for men and women. One-quarter cup of sunflower seeds contains 12 milligrams of vitamin E and almonds, peanuts, and peanut butter are also good sources of vitamin E.

Dark leafy greens like collard greens, kale, and spinach are rich in vitamins C and E. They also have carotenoids called zeaxanthin and lutein. These are nutrients that help protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. Broccoli, sweet corn, and romaine lettuce are good sources of these nutrients, too. These foods aren't just good for your eyes, but they help prevent other health problems, too.

DHA and EPA are beneficial fats known as omega-3 fatty acids. These fats combat inflammation and boost the health of blood vessels. They reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. Insufficient levels of these fats may contribute to dry eyes. Herring, salmon, and sardines provide ample amounts of DHA and EPA. Adequate omega-3 fatty acid intake is part of maintaining good nutrition.

Zinc is a mineral critical for the function of many enzymes in the body. You also need it to maintain healthy eyesight. Zinc functions as an antioxidant, boosts immune function, and is a constituent of cell membranes and proteins in the body. The RDA for zinc is eight milligrams per day for women and 11 milligrams per day for men. People who eat vegetarian diets absorb less zinc than those who eat meat. Three medium cooked oysters provide nearly 25 milligrams of zinc. Crabs, dark turkey, and dark chicken are other good sources of the important mineral. Zinc deficiency is associated with vision problems, immune system problems, skin problems, and psychological disorders.

Animal products are high in zinc, but plant-based foods also supply this mineral. Beans and legumes are high in fiber, low in fat, and are great sources of vegetarian protein. They also supply zinc. Other good vegetarian dietary sources of zinc include yogurt, milk, corn flakes, cheese, cereal, cashews, and almonds. Eggs also contain zinc, which helps your body use lutein and zeaxanthin which are critical for maintaining good eye health.

Broccoli and Brussels sprouts contain beneficial nutrients like lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, and vitamins A, C, and E. These are nutrients that act as antioxidants. They scavenge free radicals, unstable molecules that can attack and damage healthy tissue. Retinal tissue is especially susceptible to free radical damage. It is important to eat foods rich in nutrients to protect eye health.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin the body needs to absorb calcium, support bone growth, and modulate immune function and inflammation. There is some evidence that vitamin D also decreases the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Fatty fish like swordfish, tuna, and salmon contain vitamin D. Cod liver oil contains more. Smaller amounts of the vitamin are found in milk, beef liver, eggs, and cheese. Adult men and women need 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day. By far the best source of vitamin D is the sun. Your skin produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Just be careful not to get burned.

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Eye Health: Foods, vitamins and nutrients to improve eyesight | Health & Nutrition - Mag The Weekly Magazine

Bone marrow is soft, spongy tissue within some bones, including those in the hips and thighs. People with certain blood-related conditions benefit from a transplant that replaces damaged cells with healthy cells, possibly from a donor.

Bone marrow transplants can be lifesaving for people with conditions such as lymphoma or leukemia, or when intensive cancer treatment has damaged blood cells.

This type of transplant can be an intensive procedure, and recovery can take a long time.

Here, we provide an overview of bone marrow transplants, including their uses, risks, and recovery.

Bone marrow contains stem cells. In healthy people, stem cells in bone marrow help create:

If a medical condition such as one that damages the blood or immune system prevents the body from creating healthy blood cells, a person may need a bone marrow transplant.

A person with any of the following conditions may be a candidate for a bone marrow transplant:

There are three types of bone marrow transplant, based on where the healthy bone marrow cells come from.

In many cases, the donor is a close family member, such as a sibling or parent. The medical name for this is an allogenic transplant.

Transplants are more likely to be effective if the donated stem cells have a similar genetic makeup to the person's own stem cells.

If a close family member is not available, the doctor will search a registry of donors to find the closest match. While an exact match is best, advances in transplant procedures are making it possible to use donors who are not an exact match.

In a procedure called an autologous transplant, the doctor will take healthy blood stem cells from the person being treated and replace these cells later, after removing any damaged cells in the sample.

In an umbilical cord transplant, also called a cord transplant, doctors use immature stem cells from the umbilical cord following a baby's birth. Unlike cells from an adult donor, the cells from an umbilical cord do not need to be as close a genetic match.

Before a bone marrow transplant, the doctor will run tests to determine the best type of procedure. They will then locate an appropriate donor, if necessary.

If they can use the person's own cells, they will collect the cells in advance and store them safely in a freezer until the transplant.

The person will then undergo other treatment, which may involve chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of the two.

These procedures typically destroy bone marrow cells as well as cancer cells. Chemotherapy and radiation also suppress the immune system, helping to prevent it from rejecting a bone marrow transplant.

While preparing for the transplant, the person may need to stay in the hospital for 12 weeks. During this time, a healthcare professional will insert a small tube into one of the person's larger veins.

Through the tube, the person will receive medication that destroys any abnormal stem cells and weakens the immune system to prevent it from rejecting the healthy transplanted cells.

Before entering the hospital, it is a good idea to arrange:

A bone marrow transplant is not surgery. It is similar to a blood transfusion.

If a donor is involved, they will provide the stem cells well in advance of the procedure. If the transplant involves the person's own cells, the healthcare facility will keep the cells in storage.

The transplant typically takes place in several sessions over several days. Staggering the introduction of cells in this way gives them the best chance of integrating with the body.

The healthcare team may also use the tube to introduce liquids such as blood, nutrients, and medications to help fight infection or encourage the growth of bone marrow. The combination depends on the body's response to treatment.

The procedure will temporarily compromise the person's immune system, making them very susceptible to infection. Most hospitals have a dedicated, isolated space for people undergoing bone marrow transplants to help reduce their risk of infection.

After the last session, the doctor will continue to check the blood each day to determine how well the transplant has worked. They will test whether new cells are beginning to grow in bone marrow.

If a person's white blood cell count starts to rise, it indicates that the body is starting to create its own blood, indicating that the transplant has been successful.

The amount of time that it takes for the body to recover depends on:

Many other factors can affect recovery, including:

Some people are able to leave the hospital soon after the transplant, while others need to stay for several weeks or months.

The medical team will continue to monitor the person's recovery for up to 1 year. Some people find that effects of the transplant remain for life.

A bone marrow transplant is a major medical procedure. There is a high risk of complications during and after it.

The likelihood of developing complications depends on various factors, including:

Below are some of the more common complications that people who receive bone marrow transplants experience:

Some people die as a result of complications from bone marrow transplants.

A person who receives a bone marrow transplant may also experience reactions that can follow any medical procedure, including:

The body's response to a bone marrow transplant varies greatly from person to person. Factors such as age, overall health, and the reason for the transplant can all affect a person's long term outlook.

If a person receives a bone marrow transplant to treat cancer, their outlook depends, in part, on how far the cancer has spread. Cancer that has spread far from its origin, for example, responds less well to treatment.

According to the National Marrow Donor Program, the 1-year survival rate among people who have received transplants from unrelated donors increased from 42% to 60% over about the past 5 years.

A bone marrow transplant is a major medical procedure that requires preparation. This involves determining the best type of transplant, finding a donor, if necessary, and preparing for a lengthy hospital stay.

The time that it takes for the body to recover from a transplant varies, depending on factors such as a person's age and overall health and the reason for the transplant.

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Bone marrow transplant: What it is, uses, risks, and recovery - Medical News Today

On the morning of April 25, 2018, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Omarion Jordan came into the world ten-fingers-and-toes perfect. His mother, Kristin Simpson, brought her dark-haired newborn home to a mostly empty apartment in Kendallville, about 30 miles to the north. Shed just moved in and hadnt had time to decorate. Her son, however, had everything he needed: a nursery full of toys, a crib, a bassinet and a blue octopus blanket.

Still, within his first couple of months, he was plagued by three different infections that required intravenous treatments. Doctors thought he had eczema and cradle cap. They said he was allergic to his mothers milk and told her to stop breastfeeding. Then, not long after he received a round of standard infant vaccinations, his scalp was bleeding and covered with green goop, recalled the first-time mother, who was then in her late teens. She took him to the hospital emergency room, where, again, caregivers seemed puzzled by the babys bizarre symptoms, which didnt make any sense until physicians, finally, ordered the right blood test.

What they learned was that Omarion was born with a rare genetic disorder called X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), better known as the bubble boy disease. Caused by a mutated gene on the X chromosome, and almost always limited to males, a baby born with X-linked SCID, or SCID-X1, lacks a working immune system (hence the unusual reaction to vaccination). The bubble boy name is a reference to David Vetter, a Texas child born with SCID-X1 in 1971, who lived in a plastic bubble and ventured out in a NASA-designed suit. He died at 12, but his highly publicized life inspired a 1976 TV movie starring John Travolta.

Today, technological advances in hospitals provide a kind of bubble, protecting SCID-X1 patients with controlled circulation of filtered air. Such safeguards are necessary because a patient exposed to even the most innocuous germs can acquire infections that turn deadly. As soon as Omarion tested positive for the disorder, an ambulance carried him to Cincinnati Childrens Hospital in nearby Ohio and placed him in isolation, where he remained for the next few months. I had no idea what would happen to him, his mother recalled.

Approximately one in 40,000 to 100,000 infants is born with SCID, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only about 20 to 50 new cases of the SCID-X1 mutationwhich accounts for about half of all SCID casesappear in the United States each year. For years, the best treatments for SCID-X1 have been bone marrow or blood stem cell transplantations from a matched sibling donor. But fewer than 20 percent of patients have had this option. And Omarion, an only child, was not among them.

As it happened, medical scientists at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, were then developing a bold new procedure. The strategy: introduce a normal copy of the faulty gene, designated IL2RG, into a patients own stem cells, which then go on to produce the immune system components needed to fight infection. Simpson enrolled Omarion in the clinical study and Cincinnati Childrens Hospital arranged a private jet to transport her and her son to the research hospital, where they stayed for five months.

St. Jude wasnt the first to try gene therapy for SCID-X1. Nearly 20 years ago, researchers in France reported successfully reconditioning immune systems in SCID-X1 patients using a particular virus to deliver the correct gene to cells. But when a quarter of the patients in that study developed leukemia, because the modified virus also disrupted the functioning of normal genes, the study was halted and scientists interested in gene therapy for the disorder hit the brakes.

At St. Jude, experts led by the late Brian Sorrentino, a hematologist and gene therapy researcher, set out to engineer a virus delivery vehicle that wouldnt have side effects. They started with a modified HIV vector emptied of the virus and its original contents, and filled it with a normal copy of the IL2RG gene. They engineered this vector to include insulators to prevent the vector from disturbing other genes once it integrated into the human genome. The goal was to insert the gene into stem cells that had come from the patients own bone marrow, and those cells would then go on to produce working immune system cells. It was crucial for the viral vector to not deliver the gene to other kinds of cellsand thats what the researchers observed. After gene therapy, for example, brain cells do not have a correct copy of the gene, explained Stephen Gottschalk, who chairs St. Judes Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.

In the experimental treatment, infants received their re-engineered stem cells just 12 days after some of their bone marrow was obtained. They went through a two-day, low-dose course of chemotherapy, which made room for the engineered cells to grow. Within four months, some of the babies were able to fight infections on their own. All eight of the initial research subjects left the hospital with a healthy immune system. The remarkably positive results made news headlines after being published this past April in the New England Journal of Medicine. Experimental gene therapy frees bubble boy babies from life of isolation, the journal Nature trumpeted.

So far, the children who participated in that study are thriving, and so are several other babies who received the treatmentincluding Omarion. As a physician and a mom, I couldnt ask for anything better, said Ewelina Mamcarz, lead author of the journal article and first-time mother to a toddler nearly the same age as Omarion. The children in the study are now playing outside and attending day care, reaching milestones just like my daughter, Mamcarz says. Theyre no different. Mamcarz, who is from Poland, came to the United States to train as a pediatric hematologist-oncologist and joined St. Jude six years ago.

Other medical centers are pursuing the treatment. The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Childrens Hospital is currently treating infant patients, and Seattle Childrens Hospital is poised to do the same. Moreover, the National Institutes of Health has seen success in applying the gene therapy to older patients, ages 3 to 37. Those participants had previously received bone marrow transplants from partially matched donors, but theyd been living with complications.

In the highly technical world of medicine today, it takes teamwork to achieve a breakthrough, and as many as 150 peoplephysicians, nurses, regulators, researchers, transplant coordinators and othersplayed a role in this one.

Sorrentino died in November 2018, but hed lived long enough to celebrate the trial results. In the early 90s, we thought gene therapy would revolutionize medicine, but it was kind of too early, said Gottschalk, who began his career in Germany. Now, nearly 30 years later, we understand the technology better, and its really starting to have a great impact. We can now develop very precise medicine, with very limited side effects. Gottschalk, who arrived at St. Jude a month before Sorrentinos diagnosis, now oversees the hospitals SCID-X1 research. Its very, very gratifying to be involved, he said.

For now the SCID-X1 gene therapy remains experimental. But with additional trials and continued monitoring of patients, St. Jude hopes that the therapy will earn Food and Drug Administration approval as a treatment within five years.

Simpson, for her part, is already convinced that the therapy can work wonders: Her son doesnt live in a bubble or, for that matter, in a hospital. He can play barefoot in the dirt with other kids, whatever he wants, because his immune system is normal like any other kid, she said. I wish there were better words than thank you.

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These Scientists May Have Found a Cure for 'Bubble Boy' Disease - Smithsonian.com

Nes Ziona, Israel, Nov. 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enlivex Therapeutics Ltd. (Nasdaq: ENLV), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, today reported completion of patient recruitment into the Companys Phase Ib clinical trial in patients with severe sepsis. The study was designed to recruit ten patients, including six treated with a single dose of Allocetra, and four patients treated with two doses of Allocetra.

Enlivex announced on November 4, 2019 positive interim safety and efficacy data from an ongoing trial of off-the-shelf universal Allocetra in patients with severe sepsis. The interim analysis comparing the first six Allocetra-treated patients with 37 severe sepsis patients with equivalent source of infection and disease severity who were hospitalized at the same hospital, demonstrated the potential of single dose Allocetra infusion as therapy for prevention of sepsis-associated organ failure and mortality.

Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated immune response to infection. Sepsis has been identified by the World Health Organization as a global health priority and currently has no FDA-approved pharmacologic treatment. Sepsis is the third leading cause of mortality in the United States after cardiovascular and cancer diseases and affects approximately 1.7 million adults in the United States each year. Various studies have estimated that up to 50% of severe sepsis hospitalizations culminate in death.

ALLOCETRATMby Enlivex was designed toprovide a novel immunotherapy mechanism of actionthat targets life-threatening clinical indications that are defined as unmet medical needs, includingprevention or treatment of complications associated with bone marrow transplantations (BMT) and/or hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT); organ dysfunction and acute multiple organ failure associated with sepsis; and enablement of an effective treatment of solid tumors via immune checkpoint rebalancing.

ABOUT ENLIVEXEnlivex is a clinical stage immunotherapy company, developing an allogeneic drug pipeline for immune system rebalancing. Immune system rebalancing is critical for the treatment of life-threatening immune and inflammatory conditions which involve hyper-expression of cytokines (Cytokine Release Syndrome) and for which there are no approved treatments (unmet medical needs), as well as solid tumors immune-checkpoint rebalancing. For more information, visithttp://www.enlivex.com.Safe Harbor Statement: This press release contains forward-looking statements, which may be identified by words such as expects, plans, projects, will, may, anticipates, believes, should, would, could, intends, estimates, suggests, has the potential to and other words of similar meaning, including statements regarding expected cash balances, market opportunities for the results of current clinical studies and preclinical experiments, the effectiveness of, and market opportunities for, ALLOCETRATMprograms. All such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may affect Enlivexs business and prospects, including the risks that Enlivex may not succeed in generating any revenues or developing any commercial products; that the products in development may fail, may not achieve the expected results or effectiveness and/or may not generate data that would support the approval or marketing of these products for the indications being studied or for other indications; that ongoing studies may not continue to show substantial or any activity; and other risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The results of clinical trials in humans may produce results that differ significantly from the results of clinical and other trials in animals. The results of early-stage trials may differ significantly from the results of more developed, later-stage trials. The development of any products using the ALLOCETRATMproduct line could also be affected by a number of other factors, including unexpected safety, efficacy or manufacturing issues, additional time requirements for data analyses and decision making, the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation, the impact of competitive products and pricing and the impact of patents and other proprietary rights held by competitors and other third parties. In addition to the risk factors described above, investors should consider the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors discussed in Enlivexs filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the Companys most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date the statements were made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable law.

ENLIVEX CONTACT: Shachar Shlosberger, CFO Enlivex Therapeutics, Ltd. shachar@enlivexpharm.com

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Enlivex Therapeutics Completes Recruitment In Phase Ib Trial Evaluating Safety And Efficacy Of Universal Off-The-Shelf Allocetra In Patients With...

Were seeing a lot of bivalent molecules in drug discovery these days, especially with the popularity of bifunctional protein degrader ligands. The general structure of such thing is (ligand)-linker-(ligand), with the two ligands chosen (in the case of targeted protein degradation) to bring a ubiquitin ligase complex up close to some protein youve marked for destruction. But there are a lot of other bifunctional species that fit the same pattern. Heres a look back at the history of G-protein-coupled-receptor ligands set up that same way.

It goes back to 1982 work from the lab of Phil Portoghese (a name that medicinal chemists will definitely be familiar with!) That took a naltrexone derivative (naltrexamine) and put molecules of it on each end of a series of polyethyleneglycol (PEG) linkers, to try to bind simultaneously to adjacent opioid receptors. 1982 was not a time when you did this with membrane preps of cloned receptors that first paper is done with guinea pig ileum and mouse vas deferens tissue preps, and Im pretty sure the present authors (NIDA-NIH( are putting that detail in there just to raise the eyebrows of the later generations.

I was an undergraduate chemistry student when this work appeared, and was not a regular J. Med. Chem. reader at the time, although I do remember seeing some of the follow-up papers as the years went on. Its worth remembering that when this research started, no one had any idea that GPCR receptor dimers or oligomers might be defined functional units this was an effort to see how far apart they might be, just for starters. That first paper did conclude that they were in fact getting more binding than the sum of the parts and that this did depend on the length of the linker. Those two conclusions, in fact, continue to hold up for the general bifunctional-molecule field, and with many of the same qualifications and complications that Portoghese encountered during the 1980s.

For example, see this 2007 paper from the Whitesides group, looking at effective molarity and linker length. In that case, theyre tying a known carbonic anhydrase ligand to the protein covalently at a known distance from the binding site and giving it various tether lengths to find its way. The fundamental lesson is that too long a linker can do you some harm (lots of floppy entropy to overcome), but too short a linker is deadly, because youre just not going to reach the binding site at all. Targeted protein degradation projects have seen similar effects.

But there are others laid on top of those. It would be easy to imagine such linkers as just inert spacers, thingies that hold the business end of these molecules apart. But that would be a mistake, too, because the linkers can participate in the binding events, too. The Sharpless groups first report in 2002 of a ligand formed by in situ click chemistry is an example. Two ligands for the far ends of acetylcholinesterases roomy binding site did their own azide/alkyne cycloaddition when brought into proximity in there, and formed a femtomolar inhibitor. The X-ray crystal structure showed that the triazole linker itself participated in the binding, which is where some of that impressive affinity came from (its worth noting that that crystal structure is in itself an interesting and complicated story).

The spanning-two-adjacent-receptors work described in the first link of this post shows some of these effects, too the NIDA authors have done a lot of work on bifunctional dopamine receptor ligands, and theyve found that the linker length, functionality, and flexibility have to be considered as key variables. The targeted protein degradation field can tell you a lot about that, too length, as mentioned before, is the first consideration, but there are all sorts of cases where what seem to be similar linkers (in length and flexibility) that give very different effects in cellular degradation assays. Add that to the variable effects of the ligands, and youre in for a real fiesta: for example, you cant just optimize your bifunctional head groups based on potency to the target protein, because the eventual degradation efficiency does not have to follow that order at all. Nor does the selectivity against related proteins have to translate to selective degradation; you can get surprised in both directions, and you probably will.

In fact, the TPD world is probably even crazier than the linked-receptor one, because in the latter case, youre (at least some of the time) spanning the distance between proteins that are already naturally in proximity. GPCRs form all sorts of dimers and oligomers on the cell surface, in important patterns that were still trying to figure out. But targeted protein degradation is all about bringing proteins together that normally have no business with each other at all. Youre forcing some hapless target protein into the proximity of a ubiquitin ligase complex that just assumes that hey, heres another protein next to me, lets do that voodoo that I do and ubiquitinate the crap out of it. I speak technically here, you understand. Normally this ligase complex wouldnt even be seeing your target protein, but youre trying to rewire that system for fun and profit.

That means that the ternary complex (target protein, bifunctional degrader, and ubiquitin ligase) is a wild frontier of molecular interaction. Some things are going to match up as these species are brought together, and some things are going to clash, and at the moment we really dont have a good way to anticipate whats going to happen. TPD remains a rather. . .empirical. . .field for now, which in practice means that youd better try this and try that and try that other thing over there, what the heck. It would make everyone feel better if that werent the case, and everyone would be far more efficient steely-eyed protein degradation masters sitting in mission control and pointing out targets, but that is a vision for the future. For now, its similar to the traditional ag-chem development model of spray and pray.

One last note on the whole bifunctional idea: when I used to see papers with such linked molecules in them back in the early 1990s, in my first years in med-chem, I would (being honest here) just roll my eyes. The whole idea seemed too simplistic, too academic, and too odd. You couldnt just go around sticking two molecules together with a little connecting chain and expect that to work, right? And if it worked in an in vitro assay, well OK, nice paper, but you couldnt just go around trying to turn such weirdo molecules into drugs, right? Wrong, wrong, and wrong. As discussed above, its actually a complicated thing to get to work, but it can be a really good idea if you have a good reason for sticking two proteins together. Its quite possible that drug-discovery progress in this area was delayed by the rule-of-five years when people were terrified of high molecular weights, but since that has been breaking down under the weight of evidence, people are a lot more willing to explore the larger species needed for linked-bifunctionals. Dont overlook, though, that a less specific thing that slowed these ideas down was that people thought that these molecules just looked strange.

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Linked-Up Molecules Through the Years - Science Magazine

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term for two conditions, Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis, that are characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This chronic and prolonged inflammation results in damage to the GI tract.

Historically IBD has been predominantly seen in industrialized countries, with the highest reported prevalence values in Europe and North America. In the United States alone, approximately 1.6 million people currently have Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis, and as many as 70,000 new cases of IBD are diagnosed each year. Although the incidence of IBD in North America and Europe is currently reported to be stabilizing or decreasing, the burden remains high as prevalence exceeds 03%. Over the last 30 years, the predominance of IBD has accelerated in newly industrialized countries including Africa, Asia and South America. Reports of IBD appear to be higher in urban areas than in rural areas, as well as in higher socio-economic classes. Individuals who immigrate to industrial urbanized developed nations before adolescence and those immigrants who initially belonged to a low-incidence population show a significantly higher incidence of IBD. This rise has been attributed to the rapid modernization and westernization of the population.

The reported rise in the number of people living with inflammatory bowel disease reflects a need for more research to find a cure. This article explores current therapies, drugs in the pipeline and disease outlook for patients and their caregivers living with IBD.

Overview

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a broad term that describes conditions characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The GI tract is responsible for the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients and elimination of waste. Inflammation impairs the ability of affected GI organs to function properly, leading to symptoms such as persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, weight loss and fatigue. The two most common inflammatory bowel diseases are Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis.

Causes:

The exact cause of IBD is not entirely understood, however, it is known to involve an interaction between the immune system, genes and environmental factors.

In people with IBD, the immune system mounts an inappropriate response to the intestinal tract, resulting in inflammation. This abnormal immune system reaction occurs in people who have inherited genes that make them susceptible to IBD. Unidentified environmental factors serve as the trigger that initiates the harmful immune response in the intestines.

Studies have shown that 5 to 20% of affected individuals have a first-degree relative (parent, child or sibling) with one of the diseases. Numerous genes and genetic mutations connected to IBD have been identified including a mutation in the NOD2/CARD15 gene. Up to 20% of IBD patients in North America and Europe may have a mutation in the NOD2/CARD15 gene. While genetic testing is possible, it is not currently a part of the diagnostic process for IBD. Genetic testing can identify a potential risk for IBD in an individual but cannot predict whether IBD will develop.

The environmental factors that trigger IBD are not known, but several potential risk factors have been studied. These include smoking, use of antibiotics, use of Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, diet and geographic location (more prevalent in industrialized countries).

Life expectancy: People with Inflammatory Bowel Disease have a relatively normal life expectancy compared to the general population. However, people with Crohns disease have a slightly higher overall mortality rate than the general healthy population. The increase in deaths is largely due to conditions such as cancer (particularly lung cancer), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastrointestinal diseases, (excluding Crohns disease), and diseases of the genital and urinary tracts. In addition, patients with extensive inflammation in the colon due to ulcerative colitis are at higher risk than the general population for dying from gastrointestinal and lung diseases.

Annual Cost: There are both direct and indirect costs associated with IBD. Direct medical costs include expenses for hospitalizations, physician services, prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, skilled nursing care, diagnostic procedures and other healthcare services. Indirect costs are the value of lost earnings or productivity. Indirect costs also include the value of leisure time lost.

Direct Costs: The annual direct cost of Crohns disease is estimated to be from $8,265 per patient to $18,963 per patient and the annual direct cost of ulcerative colitis is estimated to be from $5,066 per patient to $15,020 per patient. Extrapolating from this data to the current prevalence estimates of IBD (780,000 cases of Crohns disease and 907,000 cases of ulcerative colitis), the total annual direct costs for all patients with IBD in the United States is estimated to be between $11 billion to $28 billion.

Indirect Costs: Based on a national health survey in 1999, nearly 32% of symptomatic IBD patients reported being out of the workforce in a one-year period, incurring an indirect cost of an estimated $5,228 per patient, bringing the total indirect cost of IBD in 1999 to $3.6 billion.

Diagnostic Strategies

One or more of the following tests or procedures may be used to help confirm a diagnosis of IBD.

Blood tests to check for anemia or infection from bacteria or viruses. A fecal occult blood test may also be used to test for hidden blood in the stool. Although a blood test cannot confirm the presence of IBD, it can help rule out conditions that cause similar symptoms.

Endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, and capsule endoscopyare also used to diagnose IBD. These procedures provide clear and detailed views of the gastrointestinal tract and can help to differentiate between Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis.

Imaging testssuch as X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans are often used in conjunction with endoscopic procedures. Imaging data can reveal signs of IBD in the lining of the intestines, such as tears, bleeding, inflammation, or an obstruction.

Current Therapies

There is no cure for IBD. The goal of treatment is to reduce the inflammation that triggers the signs and symptoms, thus providing relief as well as long-term remission and reduced risks of complications. IBD treatment usually involves either drug therapy or surgery. Classes of medications used to treat IBD include anti-inflammatories, immunosuppressants, biologics and antibiotics.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are often the first step in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Anti-inflammatories include corticosteroids and aminosalicylates (5-ASA), such as Allergans mesalamine (Asacol HD, Delzicol, others), Salix Pharmas Colazal (balsalazide) and Uceris (budesonide) and AstraZeneca's Entocort EC.

Immune system suppressor medications are used to stem the immune response that releases inflammation-inducing chemicals in the intestinal lining. Some examples of immunosuppressant drugs include azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran), mercaptopurine (Purinethol, Purixan), cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune) and methotrexate (Otrexup, Rasuvo, Rheumatrex Dose Pack, Trexall, Xatmep).

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors, or biologics, are a group of medicines that suppress the body's natural response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a protein produced by white blood cells that is involved in early inflammatory events. Examples include AbbVie's Humira (adalimumab), Janssen's Simponi (golimumab), UCB's Cimzia and infliximab (Remicade, Inflectra). Other commonly used biologic therapies are Tysabri (natalizumab), Entyvio (vedolizumab) and Stelara (ustekinumab).

Antibiotics may be used in addition to other medications or when infection is a concern. Frequently prescribed antibiotics include ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and metronidazole (Flagyl).

Drug Pipeline

A variety of targeted therapies are currently being explored through clinical trials. In addition to TNF-alpha inhibitors, aminosalicylates and glucocorticosteroids, common targets and mechanisms include:

As of October 2019, there are 730 clinical trials (not yet recruiting/active/active, no longer recruiting) listed on clinicaltrials.gov. Of these trials, 268 are in the United States and the remainder are across global sites. When broken down by phase, there are 63 trials in phase I, phase II has 132 trials, 101 phase III trials and the remainder are in phase IV or are other types of studies, including behavioral modification or observational studies, those using dietary supplements and various devices.

The IBD market contains a mixture of big and smaller sized pharma and biotech companies. The market share is dominated by Janssen with 5 drugs in all phases (I-III) and Pfizerwith 5 drugs in phase I and II. The remaining companies include Roche in collaboration with Genentechwith three drugs in phases I-III and AbbVie with three drugs in phase II, II/III and III.

The following analysis of selected drugs in the pipeline will briefly discuss how each drug works and where it is in clinical trials. This information was up to date as of October 2019. Any text in italics represents failed or terminated trials.

Note: This section is not meant to be completely comprehensive and may unintentionally exclude some drugs in development or clinical trials, especially those trials outside of the United States.

Janssen has five drugs in development for IBD: golimumab, ustekinumab, JNJ-64304500 (JNJ-4500/ IPH-2301/NN-8555), JNJ-67864238, guselkumab monotherapy and guselkumab combined with golimumab.

Pfizer also has five drugs in development for both Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis.

This trial was suspended in July due to an interruption in the supply of the radiolabeled material.

A phase II trial is underway to determine if PF-06687234 is effective and safe as add-on therapy to infliximab in subjects with active ulcerative colitis who are not in remission.

Genentech/Roche has three treatments in development for IBD.

A phase I trial is evaluating etrolizumab in pediatric patients of 4 to <18 years of age with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis (UC) or with moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD).

Genentechs Phase III Etro Studies program is also underway, assessing its safety and efficacy in both UC and Crohns. During this trial, etrolizumab will be compared to other currently the U.S. FDA-approved drugs, namelyRemicade (infliximab) and Humira (adalimumab), and to placebo. There are five planned trials for patients with UC, and two for thosewith CD, to be carried out in the U.S., as well as one non-U.S. based trial in UC patients. All these studies arecurrently recruiting participants.

AbbVie has three drugs in development for inflammatory bowel disease.

Phase I

Aevi Genomics has partnered with Kyowa Kirin for AEVI-002, a human monoclonal antibody that binds an inflammatory protein found in intestinal tissue called LIGHT. The trial is evaluating AEVI-002 for severe pediatric-onset Crohns disease. Initial data are expected in the second half of 2019.

Assembly Biosciences is conducting a phase IB clinical trial of its lead investigational live biotherapeutic product (LBP) candidate, ABI-M201, in patients with mildly to moderately active UC. ABI-M201 is comprised of a dened consortium of gut commensal bacterial strains, specically selected based on their functional attributes to target key aspects of disease biology. Assembly and Allergan have entered into a collaboration to jointly develop LBP compounds for Ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohns Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndromes. ABI-M201 is the first LBP candidate under this collaboration.

Enteromeis partnered with Takeda for the co-development and co-commercialization of EB8018 (TAK018), a first-in-class, non-systemic, orally administered small molecule. EB8018 is specifically designed to remain gut-restricted and to block bacteria expressing the bacterial virulence factor, FimH, a key inducer of the inflammatory cascade in the intestine, thereby decreasing intestinal inflammation in patients with Crohns disease. Preliminary data from a Phase Ib clinical trial of EB8018 for the treatment of Crohns disease is expected in 2019. Takeda is planning to commence a phase II trial in November of 2019.

Gossamer Bio is developing GB004, an oral HIF-1 stabilizer. Patient enrollment in a Phase Ib study of active mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis (UC) began during the second quarter, and the Company expects topline results from the study in the first half of 2020.

Intralytix, Inc.'s EcoActive bacteriophage therapy targeting adhesive invasive E. coli (AIEC) in Crohn's disease patients has entered a Phase I/IIa clinical trial at the Icahn School of Medicine at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY. The presence of AIEC in the intestines is associated with worsening inflammation in this disease. The trial will measure the effect of oral phage administration on the AIEC (CFU/g) in stools of patients receiving phages versus patients receiving a placebo.

Nutrition Science Partners Limited, a 50/50 joint venture between Chi-Med and Nestl Health Science SA, is assessing HMPL004-6599, a proprietary botanical (Andrographis paniculate) with in vitro inhibitory activity against TNF-, IL-1 and NF-B. A pilot study of A. paniculata extract (HMPL-004) indicated similar efficacy to mesalamine for ulcerative colitis. HMPL004-6599 is an enriched/purified re-formulation of HMPL-004, an anti-inflammatory with anti-TNF properties. A phase 3 trial of the original formulation was evaluating its efficacy in ulcerative colitis. However, the trial was terminated in 2014 following an interim analysis showing the endpoint was unlikely to be reached.

OSE Immunotherapeutics has a pipeline of drugs aimed at immune-oncology and autoimmune diseases, one of which is OSE-127. OSE-127 is a monoclonal immunomodulatory antibody targeting the CD127 receptor, the alpha chain of the interleukin-7 receptor (IL-7R) that induces a powerful antagonist effect on effector T lymphocytes. The blockage of IL-7R prevents the migration of pathogenic T lymphocytes while preserving regulator T lymphocytes (1,2,3,4) which have a positive impact in autoimmune diseases. The first patients were dosed in a phase I trial in December of 2018.

Phase II

AbGenomicsis evaluating neihulizumab/AbGn-168H, a humanized therapeutic antibody with a unique mechanism of action, which preferentially induces apoptosis of late-stage activated T cells. This activated-T cell apoptosis-inducing antibody effectively eliminates chronic pathogenic T cells while fully maintaining host defense. A phase II trial is currently enrolling up to 40 patients with moderate to severe active ulcerative colitis and who have failed or are intolerant to anti-TNF and/or anti-integrin therapy.

Allergan's brazikumab is an anti-inflammatory with the potential to curb inflammation by blocking the proinflammatory molecule interleukin-23. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 119 adults with moderate to severe CD who had failed treatment with tumor necrosis factor antagonists, 8 and 24 weeks of treatment were associated with clinical improvement. Higher baseline serum concentrations of IL22 were associated with a greater likelihood of response to treatment compared withplacebo.

Two trials are currently underway, and both are utilizing a personalized approach to evaluate the role of biomarkers, such as IL22, in predicting treatment response to brazikumab.

The phase II EXPEDITION trial is comparing brazikumab to placebo or Entyvio (vedolizumab) in approximately 375 patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.

The phase IIb/III INTREPID trial is currently enrolling up to 1,140 patients with moderate to severe Crohns disease to evaluate brazikumab versus placebo and versus an active comparator, Humira (adalimumab).

Boehringer Ingelheimis developing Spesolimab (BI 655130) is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the action of the interleukin-36 receptor (IL-36R), a signaling pathway within the immune system that may play a role in many inflammatory diseases. Proof of concept was demonstrated in a phase I study in patients with generalized pustular psoriasis, an IL36-mediated skin disease.

Four clinical trials are currently underway for both Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis.

Bridge Biotherapeutics is evaluating BBT-401, a GI-tract restricted small molecule inhibitor of Pellino-1. Pellino-1 is a ligase acting as a critical mediator for a variety of immune receptor signaling pathways, including Toll-like receptors, interleukin-1 receptor and T-cell receptors. BBT-401 was proved to be well-tolerated and safe in a phase I study in 80 healthy volunteers. In addition, the PK data demonstrated its key feature of no or minimal systemic exposure. A randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation phase II trial is recruiting 48 patients with active ulcerative colitis.

Bristol-Myers Squibbs BMS-986165 is an oral, selective tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor. TYK2, an intracellular signaling kinase, mediates cytokine-driven immune and pro-inflammatory signaling pathways that are critical in the cycle of chronic inflammation central to immune-mediated diseases. A phase II trial in patients with psoriasis was successfully completed in 2018. Two phase II trials are currently underway, one each in Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis.

Eli Lillyis progressing with mirikizumab (LY 3074828), a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody that binds and inhibits the p19 subunit of interleukin 23. Positive results have been reported from the phase II SERENITY trial in patients with Crohns disease and from a phase II trial for ulcerative colitis. Both trials showed that patients treated with mirikizumab achieved significantly greater rates of clinical and endoscopic remission at 12 weeks compared to placebo. Lilly is currently conducting six clinical trials in phase II and phase III, for both Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis.

Gilead, in global collaboration with Galapagos NV, is studying filgotinib, a highly selective JAK1 inhibitor. Results from a phase II study, FITZROY, were published in The Lancet in December of 2017. The study examined the efficacy and safety of filgotinib for the treatment of active moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease. Data showed filgotinib induced clinical remission in significantly more patients compared with placebo and had an acceptable safety profile. There are currently seven active phase II and III trials underway, including MANTA, DIVERSITY, DIVERGENCE2 and SELECTION 1.

Immunic Therapeutics is developing IMU-838, an oral tablet formulation of a small molecule drug (vidofludimus calcium), which inhibits dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). Immunic completed two phase I studies in 2017, which evaluated single or repeated once-daily doses of IMU-838 in healthy volunteers. Results supported the tolerability of repeated daily dosing of up to 50 mg of IMU-838. A phase II trial, CALDOSE 1, is underway for ulcerative colitis.

Incyteis evaluating itacitinib, an orally administered small molecule Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitor. A double-blind, dose-ranging, placebo-controlled phase II trial is currently recruiting patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis.

Landos Biopharma's lead program is BT-11, an orally active, locally acting small molecule therapeutic that binds to LANCL2. In preclinical studies, it was shown to exert potent anti-inflammatory effects and was safe and well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities in a phase I study. A phase II trial began in August of 2019 in patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis and is underway in Europe and the U.S. A second phase II study is anticipated to begin shortly in patients with moderate to severe Crohns disease, also in Europe and the United States.

Reistone Biopharma is developing SHR-0302, an orally administered selective JAK1 inhibitor. Two trials are underway: a phase II trial evaluating SHR0302 compared to placebo in patients with moderate to severe active ulcerative colitis and a phase II trial evaluating SHR-0302 in patients with moderate to severe active Crohn's Disease.

Seres Therapeutics is advancing with SER-287 is an oral capsule developed using Seres proprietary microbiome therapeutics platform. It is biologically-sourced and contains a consortium of live and diverse bacterial spores. SER-287 was designed to reduce the triggers of immune activation rather than suppress the immune system. Results from a phase Ib trial in patients with ulcerative colitis showed SER-287 microbiome treatment resulted in a dose-dependent benefit in clinical remission rates, and an improvement in endoscopic scores. A phase II trial, ECO-RESET, is currently recruiting 200 adults, age 18-80, with active mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis.

Sublimity Therapeutics has developed an oral formulation of cyclosporine, referred to as ST-0529, using Sublimitys proprietary SmPill delivery system. Unlike conventional oral or intravenous cyclosporine, SmPill technology enables precise delivery of cyclosporine directly into diseased tissue in the colon, thus minimizing systemic exposure and unwanted side effects. In a phase IIa study ST-0529 was safe, well-tolerated and showed a numerically higher difference in remission rates in patients with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis compared to placebo after only four weeks of treatment. A phase IIb study, AURORA (CYC-202), is currently recruiting 280 subjects with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.

Theravanceand Janssen Biotech are collaborating on the development of TD-1473, an orally administered and intestinally restricted pan-Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. Data from a phase Ib trial demonstrated that four weeks of TD-1473 treatment produced signals of clinical, histologic, and biomarker activity in patients with moderately-to-severely active ulcerative colitis. A phase II trial, DIONE, is evaluating TD-1473 in subjects with moderately-to-severely active Crohn's Disease with up to 42 weeks of treatment. A phase II/III trial, RHEA, is evaluating the efficacy and safety of induction and maintenance therapy with TD-1473 in subjects with moderately-to-severely active ulcerative colitis with up to 60 weeks of treatment.

Phase III

Arena Pharmaceuticalsis developing etrasimod, a next-generation, once-daily, oral, highly selective sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator designed for optimized pharmacology and engagement of S1P receptor 1, 4 and 5, which may lead to an improved efficacy and safety profile. The phase II OASIS trial met primary and all secondary endpoints with statistical significance for patients with ulcerative colitis receiving 2 mg dose of etrasimod for 12 weeks. Based on these results, Arena initiated the global phase III ELEVATE UC program, which consists of two worldwide clinical trials and an open-label extension study. In addition, planning is underway for a phase II/III trial in patients with Crohns disease.

Celgene's ozanimod targets the sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)-1 and -5 receptors. Results from phase II trials were reported in October of 2017. In the phase II STEPSTONE open-label study, ozanimod demonstrated meaningful clinical and endoscopic improvements in patients with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease at week 12. In the phase II TOUCHSTONE open-label extension study, ozanimod continued to demonstrate clinically meaningful results in moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis across multiple measures of disease activity through week 92. Celgene currently has nine active studies underway for both forms of IBD.

EA Pharma, a joint venture between Eisai Groups gastrointestinal disease business and Ajinomoto Group, is evaluating AJM300 (carotegrast methyl) an orally-active small molecule that antagonizes the 4 integrin receptor. A phase III trial was initiated in June of 2018 to evaluate AJM300 in patients with active ulcerative colitis.

RedHill Biopharma is evaluating RHB-104, a formulation of the generic antibiotics clarithromycin, rifabutin and clofazimine that is designed to treat Crohns disease by wiping out Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) infection.Some studies have linked infection with the bacterium to Crohns disease. In July of 2018, positive results were reported from the MAP US study, which evaluated RHB-104 for Crohns disease. The primary endpoint was successfully achieved, with superior remission rate at week 26 in patients treated with RHB-104 versus placebo.

Shire, a Takedacompany, has moved into phase III development with ontamalimab (SHP 647), a fully human IgG2 monoclonal antibody that targets mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule (MADCAM1). Shire licensed the drug from Pfizer in 2016. Results from a phase II trial in patients with ulcerative colitis were published in the journal The Lancet in 2017 and demonstrated the treatment was safe and well-tolerated in this patient population, and better than placebo for induction of remission. Seven phase III trials are currently recruiting patients with both ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease.

Preclinical Candidates

The following is a sampling of companies that are preparing to develop and investigate drugs and other therapeutics in the preclinical laboratory setting. Data gathered from these preclinical trials will be used to determine whether the drug/therapy will move forward with clinical testing in humans.

AntaraLife Science's lead human health product is referred to as GaRP (Gastrointestinal ReProgramming). The GaRP product is a microbiome-targeted multi-component dietary supplement that has been designed to address the primary underlying factors associated with IBD and IBS. It is being positioned as an adjunct to existing therapies and not to replace existing prescription medications. Antara has completed the preclinical program, which provided strong scientific evidence that GaRP can combat the underlying causes of chronic bowel conditions, including inflammation and dysbiosis of the microbiome. Antara anticipates submitting regulator applications to move into clinical trials by the end of 2019.

Prometheus Bioscienceshas partnered with Takeda to discover, develop, and commercialize targeted therapies for inflammatory bowel disease. The collaboration combines the proprietary bioinformatics discovery platform and companion diagnostic tools developed by Prometheus Biosciences with Takeda's expertise in gastroenterology and drug development, in order to discover and advance up to three targeted IBD therapeutics and companion diagnostics.

Read this article:
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Insight Report: Current Therapies, Drug Pipeline and Outlook - BioSpace

BRUNSWICK Bradford Thomas Martin, 33, passed away on Nov. 8, 2019 due to complications from a rare genetic disease, Dyskeratosis Congenita.

Brad was born August 15, 1986 in Newark, Del. He and his family moved to Maine in January of 1991. He attended the Yarmouth school system from kindergarten through his high school graduation in 2005. He was a graduate of Keene State College, Class of 2009, with a degree in Occupational Health and Safety Studies.

He was a dedicated volunteer, Badge No. 356, for the Yarmouth Fire Department for over nine years.

He had been a Sugarloafer since 1997 where he participated in group ski lessons, the Junior Professional Program, and was an instructor for several years. He recently became a member of the Sugarloaf Ski Club. Brad was a very accomplished skier and loved it more than anything. He spent every winter at Sugarloaf where he and his friends regularly camped out at our house. Sugarloaf was home for Brad.

He was a passionate sports fan of multiple sports, too many to list, but especially his beloved Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox, and New England Patriots. He enjoyed playing golf and traveling. In 2015 he traveled alone extensively throughout southeast Asia and Europe for more than three months. He was a foodie and enjoyed trying new foods. He also loved swimming and boating at Thompson Lake, in Poland, MaIne, where he spent most of his childhood summers.

Along with Brads passion for sports, he was an avid reader including several daily newspapers.

Brad was his own person. He had strong principles and opinions and lived his life on his terms. Brad positively touched so many lives in so short a time. His curiosity about the world, his intolerance for bullshit, and his willingness to always stick up for the underdog is why he had so many friends across all ages.

Brad is survived by his parents Donna and Bruce of Brunswick and Port St. Lucie, Fla.; his brother Garrett of South Portland; his girlfriend, Cyndee DAgostini of Portland and Orange County, Calif.; as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins. He is predeceased by his grandparents Claudette and Normand Allard, formerly of Port St. Lucie, Fla. and Central Falls, R.I.; Dorothy and Norman Martin, formerly of Cumberland, R.I.; and uncle, John Martin, formerly of Harrisville, R.I.

In honor of Brads journey through life, there will be a celebration of his life at The Rack in Carrabassett Valley, ME in Spring 2020.

In memory of Brad, donations may be made to:

Childrens Medical Center Corporation

A Massachusetts

Charitable Corporation

300 Longwood Ave.

Boston, MA 02115

Tax ID: 04-1174680

To Be Used For

Dyskeratosis Congenita Research

In The Stem Cell

Transplant Center

Bone Marrow Study of The PARN Mutation

or; Camp Sunshine

35 Acadia Rd.

Casco, ME 04015

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Obituary: Bradford Thomas Martin - Press Herald

Florida Poly assistant professor Dr. Ajeet Kaushik has received the 2019 USERN Prize in biological sciences, an international award recognizing his work in the field of nanomaterials for the detection and treatment of diseases.

LAKELAND, Fla., Nov. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Dr. Ajeet Kaushik is determined to make detecting and treating diseases easy, accessible, and precise through the use of nanomaterials for biosensing and medicine.

His extensive work and resolute desire to improve the delivery of healthcare has earned Kaushik the prestigious Universal Scientific Education Research Network (USERN) Prize. He was named a laureate in the field of biological sciences during the group's fourth annual congress on Nov. 8 in Budapest, Hungary.

USERN, a non-governmental, non-profit organization and network dedicated to non-military scientific advances, is committed to exploring science beyond international borders.

"I was speechless for a while," said Kaushik, who is an assistant professor of chemistry at Florida Polytechnic University.

Kaushik did not attend the awards ceremony in person but did submit a video to be played at the event. He was among hundreds vying for the prize and one of five people who were recognized in different areas of study.

His submitted project, Nano-Bio-Technology for Personalized Health Care, focuses on using nanomaterials to create biosensors that will detect the markers of a disease at very low levels.

"Biosensing is not a new concept, but now we are making devices that are smarter and more capable," Kaushik said.

He cited the recent zika virus epidemic that affected pregnant women and their fetuses, leading to significant health complications upon birth. "There was a demand to have a system that could detect the virus protein at a very low level, but there was no device. There was no diagnostic system," he said.

Kaushik worked on the development of a smart zika sensor that could detect the disease at these low levels. "The kind of systems I'm focusing on can be customized in a way that we carry like a cell phone and do the tests wherever we need to do them," he said.

In addition to using nanotechnology for the detection of diseases like zika, his research on nanoparticles is advancing efforts to precisely deliver medicine to a specific part of the body without affecting surrounding tissue or other parts of the body.

"The drugs we use now do not go only where they need to go, or sometimes they have side effects. We are treating one disease but creating other symptoms," Kaushik said. "I'm exploring nanotechnology that can carry a drug, selectively go to a place, and release the drug so we avoid using excessive drugs."

This nanomedicine could be used to precisely target brain tumors or other difficult-to-treat conditions. He has published papers in scientific journals about this work and also holds multiple patents.

"My whole approach is using smart material science for better health for everybody, which is accessible to everybody everywhere," Kaushik said.

In addition to his USERN prize, Kaushik was named a USERN junior ambassador for 2020 and will work to advance the organization's mission in the United States.

For the most recent university news, visit Florida Poly News.

About Florida Polytechnic University:

Florida Polytechnic University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and is a member of the State University System of Florida. It is the only state university dedicated exclusively to STEM and offers ABET accredited degrees. Florida Poly is a powerful economic engine within the state of Florida, blending applied research with industry partnerships to give students an academically rigorous education with real-world relevance. Connect with Florida Poly online at http://www.floridapoly.edu.

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Nanotechnology for disease diagnosis and treatment earns Florida Poly professor international award - Yahoo Finance

Science has identified in the plant kingdom the "missing link" of cellular immortality between human and single-celled animals, according to a new study led by scientists from Arizona State University and Texas A&M University.

"This is the first time that we have identified the detailed structure of the telomerase component from plants," said co-author Dr. Julian Chen, a professor of biochemistry at Arizona State University. The study was published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

Telomerase is the enzyme that creates the DNA of telomeres, the compound structures located at the tips of our chromosomes. Telomeres protect our cells from aging as they multiply.

"So in terms of fundamental research, this is a really big breakthrough because now finally we have a way to study telomerase in plants and to understand how different or similar they are from animals," Chen said.

Could the discovery possibly lead to humans one day living as long as the fabled "Methuselah" tree, a bristlecone pine species that can live over 5,000 years? Maybe one day.

"This is really basic research. The application to humans is really a long way away," Chen said.

In the meantime, however, experts like University of California at San Francisco's Elizabeth Blackburn are bullish. Blackburn won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine -- along with Johns Hopkins' Carol Greider and Harvard's Jack Szostak -- for their discoveries on telomeres and telomerase.

"Excitingly, this paper reports how plants fill in the missing links of telomerase RNA's eventful evolutionary history ... from our simplest forebears," Blackburn said. "This fundamental new understanding may pave the way to new routes to optimizing telomere maintenance for human health."

Think of telomeres as the plastic caps on the ends of your shoelaces. High levels of telomerase keep those telomeres long, thus allowing them to continue to protect our cells from damage as they divide.

Most of the cells in our body have very low levels of telomerase, and thus age as they divide (picture the shoelace tips wearing away until they are gone). Aging cells equal an aging body, with cells no longer functioning normally.

However, when the cell's ends are protected by telomeres, only a piece of the telomere, or cap, is lost as the cell divides, and the important DNA is left undamaged. Considering a typical cell divides about 50 to 70 times, having no protective cap could lead to chromosome instability or cells that stop dividing.

In humans, for example, egg, sperm and stem cell chromosomes contain high levels of telomerase, and so can continue to divide over and over and avoid rapid aging.

Yet even telomeres do not have eternal life. Each time a cell replicates, about 20 base pairs are lost from the telomere, or shoelace cap. We can lose even more -- 50 to 100 base pairs per cell division -- when our bodies are in oxidative stress.

We put our bodies into oxidative stress by smoking, eating a poor diet, stress and other harmful lifestyle behaviors. Between normal wear and tear and the oxidative stress of our lifestyles, even long telomeres are worn away.

But if science could harness the secret of the telomerase enzyme, it's possible that we could prolong the life of telomeres, slowing the aging process.

We might be able to reverse diseases in which telomeres are shortened, such as pulmonary fibrosis.

And here's another key benefit to unraveling this mystery: Cancer cells contain high levels of telomerase, allowing them to continue replicating themselves until they form tumors.

Switching off telomerase activity in cancer cells would shorten their telomeres, whittling them down to a nub called a "critical length," which then triggers programmed cell death.

The ultimate goal: stopping cancer cold.

When Blackburn, Greider and Szostak won the Nobel Prize in 2009, it was for their groundbreaking discoveries on telomeres and telomerase. They extracted telomere DNA from a single-celled organism in pond scum, showed how it protected chromosomes in yeast, and identified and named the enzyme telomerase that builds the DNA of telomeres and extends their lives.

Since then, telomerases have been found to exist almost universally across species, but in complicated ways.

"This enzyme action is similar from the simplest organisms to humans," Blackburn said. "Yet, the telomerase RNA part of telomerase has long presented a mystery because it is surprisingly different between different evolutionary branches of life."

Each species has unique elements to their telomere RNA, and not all appear to protect against aging. For example, some species with longer telomeres have shorter life spans than those with shorter telomeres.

Scientists continue to explore the role of telomeres and the enzyme telomerase in aging, and now believe that they may only be one part of the aging process, at least in animals.

"If cells have telomerase, they will live longer, but these cells are just part of your body," Chen said. "Whether it can delay the entire individual's aging or increase their life span, that's a different story. "

Now science has an entire new kingdom of telomerase to dissect: Plantae, consisting of more than 2,500 species.

"Maybe telomerase activity is different in plants than in animals," Chen said. "We know that some of the core is similar, but you might have some additional features that plants acquire to be plant specific.

"We're hoping to learn something from their regulation, mechanisms or structures that can apply to human telomerase," Chen said. "So in terms of basic research, this is really exciting because it's a brand new kingdom that we can explore as to how telomeres do their jobs in plants."

Read the rest here:
Breakthrough discovery in plants' DNA may lead to slowing aging process in humans - WAAY

The nonprofit Chopra Foundation in California is bringing its Sages and Scientists Symposium to Bentonville this weekend beginning Thursday. Itll be held at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Deepak Chopra, the foundations namesake and the co-founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, Calif., is the organizer of the conference. Chopra moved from India to the U.S. in his early 20s to continue his study of Western medicine. Following a residency in New Jersey, he landed in Boston, where he quickly rose to chief of medicine at New England Memorial Hospital.

Now 73 years old, Chopra is considered a pioneer of integrative medicine, which recommends mixing mainstream Western medicine with alternative treatments. He has written nearly 90 books on the topic, many of them The New York Times bestsellers.

Chopra organized the first Sages and Scientists in 2010 in Carlsbad, where it was held annually through 2014. The most recent Sages and Scientists was in Beverly Hills in 2016.

In a recent interview, Chopra discussed his rationale for choosing Bentonville for this years event, which will attract thought leaders from around the world. The interview has been edited slightly for brevity and clarity.

Paul Gatling: How did you decide on having Sages and Scientists in Arkansas? Whats the appeal of having the event here?

Deepak Chopra: We decided to do it at Crystal Bridges for two reasons. One is Alice Walton was very gracious to give us the venue to do the conference. I have been to Bentonville several times over the years and to Crystal Bridges. And of course Northwest Arkansas has a great tradition of various things: food, culture, music, film and so on. I have a special proclivity to be enchanted by this kind of culture, so we decided to come to Bentonville, Ark., and people are coming from all over the world.

Gatling: Whats your take on Bentonville versus maybe what your preconceived idea of Bentonville was before visiting? I cant imagine youve been to Arkansas too many times.

Chopra: I have, actually. I have been there several times. Over the course of a year I come out at least three or four times. I love the atmosphere. Bentonville, particularly, has grown over the years. I remember it from the late 1980s, and it keeps getting even more culturally, unusually attractive to me. People are unaware of the fact there are direct flights from New York and Los Angeles. Once they come there, they find it very enchanting.

Gatling: How long have you known Alice Walton?

Chopra: I have known her since 1988. I knew Sam [Walton] as well. And I have known the [Walton] family for several years.

Gatling: Sages and Scientists, in general, what was the goal when you first began to organize these events?

Chopra: To bring together luminaries and thought leaders in academia, and also entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley, and also thought leaders in business and philanthropy in three areas. No. 1, well-being; No. 2, humanitarianism; and No. 3, a deeper understanding of the nature of reality or what we call the cosmos. We have thought leaders in every field, from machine learning to deep learning to understanding genetics and neuroscience and cosmology. We have the professor from MIT who created the VR for the landing on Mars. She very kindly accepted the invitation to speak about virtual reality and how that will have immense applications, not only for exploring intergalactic space but right here at home with the treatment of illness and disease.

Its going to be amazing, and every time weve done this conference, it has evolved to a new level of understanding. We have 3.5 days. The first day is the future of well-being and then the future of humanity and the future of the cosmos. Its a very ambitious program.

Gatling: You have said Sages and Scientists Symposium is a catalyst for your work to improve global well-being trends? Which trends need the most work? What is most concerning to you as a thought leader in that space?

Chopra: Right now, we know that only 5% of disease-related gene mutations are fully penetrant, which means they predict the disease. So if somebody has the BRCA gene for breast cancer, its almost 100% likely they will get breast cancer. But that applies to only 5% of all chronic illness, including cancers. For those kinds of mutations, there are new technologies emerging.

You may have heard of CRISPR, which is basically gene editing and splicing. Just like you can read a barcode of an item at the grocery store or cut and paste an email, you will soon be able to its already being done you can actually read the barcode of a gene and delete the defective gene and insert the healthy gene. Even that only helps 5% of chronic illness.

So 95% of chronic illness is related to inflammation in the body low-grade inflammation in the body, low-grade depression, anxiety, stress. If you pay attention to things like sleep, stress management, exercise, movement, yoga, deep breathing, healthy emotions and relationships, nutrition and the connection with nature that is why we also chose Northwest Arkansas then you can actually prevent a lot of chronic illnesses.

So the future of well-being is predictable. It requires your participation. Its preventable, and in many cases even reversible. We want to highlight what the future of health and well-being is. Right now, the discussions around health are not really about health. Theyre about insurance. Everybody needs to be covered, but I think people need to realize that a lot of disease is preventable, and they can participate in their own well-being.

Gatling: You are a proponent of alternative medicine. Whats your definition of alternative medicine? An alternative to what?

Chopra: So I dont use that word, even though I have been given that designation. Its integrative medicine, which means you use whatever works. Pharmaceuticals, surgery, radiation they all work in selective cases, and also particularly in acute illness. Integrative medicine means mostly lifestyle and stress management and nutrition and healthy emotions. Even things like good sleep. We have been doing studies on aspects of well-being, and we were among the first to be published in peer-reviewed journals how you can change the activity of your genes toward health and well-being or self-regulation, instead of inflammation.

Gatling: Whats the single biggest barrier thats keeping integrative medicine from the mainstream?

Chopra: There are special interest groups that have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, and thats not going to change unless theres public awareness of what it means to be healthy.

Gatling: How would you say you spend the majority of your time these days? Writing, speaking, traveling, advising, podcasting? What occupies most of your time?

Chopra: Writing and public speaking, but also at the Chopra Foundation. We collaborate with other researchers at places like Harvard and Duke and Scripps [Health] and UCLA on looking at integrative modalities. And we publish a lot of research in peer-reviewed journals.

Gatling: Suicide prevention is something that you are specifically focused on through some of your podcast work. Why are those rates so high in America or around the world?

Chopra: This is an epidemic that has reached a proportion that we never envisioned, and a lot of attention has been brought to it recently because of very successful people, celebrities, committing suicide. It is the second most common cause of death in younger people as well, between the ages of 10 and 30.

We need to do something about it. If you bring awareness to people, if you help them create social networks, both online and offline much in the way of Alcoholics Anonymous without the stigma then we can actually do something about the epidemic. And we need to, for the next generation.

Gatling: What are your thoughts on technology today a necessity versus a necessary evil? Smartphones for example. Good or bad?

Chopra: I actually am a big fan of technology. I also think its part of our human evolution, and by itself its neutral. Neither good nor evil. Its up to us how we use it. You can use it to hack elections. You can use it to create a better world. Its all up to us. We should schedule technology time, just like we schedule other times for exercise, sleep, relationships.

Gatling: How old are you?

Chopra: I am chronologically 73, but biologically I feel very young.

Gatling: Still a practicing physician?

Chopra: I have a group practice in California, and I maintain my license in Massachusetts and also California. But I mostly consult with other physicians who are part of our group practice. Once in a while when I am in California I will see patients that are intriguing to our group. Our group practice [Mind-Body Medical Group] in San Diego has lots of physicians internists, oncologists and others who are trained in internal medicine and in some specialties, but also have expertise in integrative medicine.

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Q&A: Deepak Chopra on Bentonville, health and well-being - talkbusiness.net

From left to right: Don Noel, President of Port Orleans Brewing Co.; Chip Turner, District Manager at Winn-Dixie; Elizabeth Lapeyre, MD, Director, Integrative Medicine Program for Ochsner; Brian Moore, MD, FACS, Director, Ochsner Cancer Institute (Photo: Business Wire)

In October, Port Orleans Brewing Company teamed up with grocery chain Winn-Dixie for the Lend a Helping Can campaign to raise money for the Ochsner Cancer Institute. The campaign was overwhelmingly successful: on Thursday, November 14, the two businesses donated a total of $71,127 to the Ochsner Cancer Institute to help patients in their fight against cancer.

The Ochsner Cancer Institute treats more than 34,000 patients each year. According to Brian Moore, MD, FACS Director of the Ochsner Cancer Institute, The Ochsner Cancer Institute is committed to providing expert cancer care where its patients live, in large and small communities alike, and provides support and services to bring more good days to patients undergoing treatment. In the Spring of 2020, the newly expanded Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center at Ochsner Medical Center will double in size and provide even more access to the latest cancer treatments, research, and multidisciplinary care that treats the whole patient physically, mentally, and emotionally. Philanthropic support from organizations like Port Orleans and Winn-Dixie make what we do possible. We are very thankful to them and all Lend a Helping Can participants.

While this years Lend a Helping Can campaign was the first time that Port Orleans Brewing Company and Winn-Dixie have teamed up together, both businesses have said that they look forward to expanding the partnership next year.

Its an honor to participate in this campaign with Winn-Dixie, said Zach Strief, Owner and Co-founder of Port Orleans Brewing Co. Our community is founded on the values of charity and service, so its important for us to also give back to the community that gives so much.

We cannot thank our customers and associates enough for their generous donations to such an important organization, said Joey Medina, Regional Vice President at Winn-Dixie. The incredible work that the Ochsner Cancer Institute does for the Gulf Coast region is crucial to the wellbeing of the communities we serve. It is an honor to build on our relationships with Port Orleans and Ochsner as we all continue to do our best to make an impact on the everyday lives of the people in our community.

Hey guys!

Were so grateful to our friends, our families, our neighbors, and especially our readers for chipping in, sharing, and donating to the cause of local progressive media. Your support has lifted us up so much and will most assuredly not be lost or forgotten.

If you care about local independent progressive media in an era where multi-millionaires such as John Georges are monopolizing our local press, then please donate any amount you can to make our operation a success. We can do this! Do not give up.

What else can you do if youve already donated and cant donate anymore? Share our content on Facebook and tell people about our fundraising operation. Call and email others who may be able to give. We believe in you because you believe in us and together we can ensure Big Easy Magazine becomes a progressive icon for New Orleans and an inspiration for the expansion of progressive media around the world.

Thank you,Scott PloofPublisherBig Easy Magazine

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Port Orleans Brewing Co and Winn-Dixie Team Up to Give Over $70k to Ochsner Cancer Institute - Big Easy Magazine

To evaluate the effects of Xiaojin Pill () in the treatment of Peyronie's disease (PD) in a rat model.

Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups with 6 in each: sham operation, PD model, vehicle control and Xiaojin Pill groups. The rats in the sham operation group received penile tunica albsginea (TA) injection with 50 L vehicle, while the rats in the other 3 groups received 50 L penile TA injection of 50 g transforming growth factor (TGF)-1. Forty-two days after the injection, rats in the vehicle control and Xiaojin Pill groups received 0.5 mL water and Xiaojin Pill solution (107 mg/kg of body weight), respectively by gavage for 28 days, while those in the sham operation and PD model groups did not receive any intervention. After intervention, the expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 2/9 (MMP2/9), nitric oxidesynthase (NOS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured.

Rats in the PD model and vehicle control groups presented obvious fibrosis in corpus cavernosum (CC) and demonstrated a significantly increased expressions of MMP2 and MMP9 in the CC compared with the sham operation group (all P<0.01). In contrast, the expressions of MMP2 and MMP9 in the Xiaojin Pill group were significantly down-regulated (both P<0.01). In addition, the levels of NOS and MDA in CC were significantly increased while the activity of SOD was decreased in the PD model and vehicle control groups compared with the sham operation group (all P<0.01). After Xiaojin Pill treatment, the levels of MDA, NOS and SOD appeared to be corrected (all P<0.01).

Xiaojin Pill could reduce fibrosis in the CC by decreasing the expressions of MMPs, NOS and MDA, and by increasing the activity of SOD. Therefore, Xiaojin Pill might be a therapeutic option for PD.

Chinese journal of integrative medicine. 2019 Oct 24 [Epub]

Qiang Geng, Fu Wang, Qiang Han, Shao-Feng Chen, Bin Ouyang, Zhong Li, Yu Zhao, Qing-He Gao, Guo-Jin Yu, Jun Guo

Department of Andrology, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China., Department of Andrology, Beijing's Capital Medical University Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Beijing, 100010, China., Department of Andrology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300193, China., Department of Andrology, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China. .

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31650486

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Antioxidant Mechanism of Xiaojin Pill () for Treatment of Peyronie's Disease in Rats Based on Matrix Metalloproteinases. - UroToday

People living with asthma use a variety of methods to keep their condition under control. Common methods include taking daily medicine to lower inflammation in the airways, and using inhalers for quick relief when an asthma attack strikes, according to theNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Asthma

For some people, complementary treatment options can boost the effectiveness of conventional treatments and help keep symptoms under control. Two such complementary options include acupressure and acupuncture.

Acupressure is a form of massage (also known as bodywork) thats been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years as a treatment for illness and pain, according to theUCLA Center for East-West Medicine. Its based on the same ideas as another type of traditional Chinese medicine: acupuncture.

Both forms of therapy involve stimulating pressure points on the body, but in acupressure the practitioner uses the hands and elbows to apply physical pressure, and in acupuncture he or she inserts very thin needles in the skin; the needles are activated through gentle movements of the practitioners hands or with electrical stimulation, according toJohns Hopkins Medicine.

The idea is that by stimulating various pressure, or acupoints, on the body, you can work on bringing about therapeutic effects for a given condition, according to Malcolm B. Taw, MD, the director of the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine in Westlake Village and an associate clinical professor in the UCLA Department of Medicine in Los Angeles. A review published in 2015 in the journal Pain Medicinelooked at current research and evidence on the definition and function of acupoints and concluded that they may release certain substances or sustain certain changes in ways that adjust the function of specific organs, maintain homeostasis in the body, or affect symptoms of various diseases.

Pressing acupoints via acupressure, for example, can help release muscle tension and promote blood circulation, according to theMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. More specifically, applying pressure to acupoints can signal to the body to turn on self-healing or regulatory mechanisms, sending vital energy (known as qi, pronounced chee) through natural pathways in the body called meridians. Research suggests that once the pressure point is stimulated, the qi flows from the pressure point through the meridian and into the target area. Similarly, stimulating pressure points with needles via acupuncture is thought to stimulate the central nervous system to release chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain, which may kickstart the bodys natural healing abilities, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

There are many acupoints that may be used to treat asthma symptoms. A few include bladder 13 (located on the back), conception vessel 17 (located on the chest), as well as lung 1 and kidney 27, which are located along the front of the torso, according to Dr. Taw.

Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for relieving allergic asthma, according to Maeve OConnor, MD, the chair of the Integrative Medicine Committee for the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and an allergist in private practice at Allergy Asthma & Immunology Relief in Charlotte, North Carolina. Allergic asthma is a type of asthma where symptoms are caused by allergens like dust, mold, pollen, and food, she notes.

RELATED: What Type of Asthma Do I Have?

In one study published in April 2017 in theJournal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, patients with allergic asthma who added 15 acupuncture sessions to routine care over the course of three months saw greater improvements in disease-specific and health-related quality of life compared with patients who received only routine care.

Another study found that patients with allergic asthma who received 12 acupuncture sessions that targeted the pressure points thought to be connected with asthma over four weeks reported a greater improvement in general well-being compared with a control group of individuals who received the same number of acupuncture treatments, but ones that didnt necessarily target pressure points linked to asthma.

Plus, blood tests of those individuals who received asthma-specific acupuncture showed reductions in inflammatory cytokines (small proteins that influence how other cells communicate) after four weeks. Why does this matter for people with asthma? Well, asthma is a condition that leads to inflammation of the airways. The study shows that acupuncture can influence the physiological processes found in asthma by lowering levels of specific mediators involved with inflammation, Taw says.

In addition, a review and meta-analysis published in the January 2019 issue of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that using acupuncture in addition to conventional asthma treatments led to a statistically significant improvement in symptom response rates, and resulted in lower levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a protein your body produces in response to infections and injuries. Too much IL-6 can contribute to chronic inflammation, according to research published in the October 2014 issue of Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology. And as weve already seen, chronic inflammation is a hallmark of asthma. Therefore, the review and meta-analysis suggests that acupuncture may help lower inflammation in people with asthma by lowering levels of pro-inflammatory proteins like IL-6.

Ultimately, acupuncture is a good add-on to conventional asthma treatments, according to Taw. But acupuncture shouldnt replace your usual asthma treatments. We wouldnt advise patients to stay away from conventional treatments, Taw says. But if they wanted to add it on, we have no problem adding acupuncture to help with the symptom response.

While several studies have looked at acupunctures effects on asthma (including the aforementioned ones), few have investigated the effectiveness of acupressure for helping with asthma. And while acupressure and acupuncture are therapies that follow similar principles, we cannot conclude with certainty that acupressure will create the same effects shown in acupuncture research studies, according to Taw.

But Taw adds that there are few safety concerns for acupressure for asthma when it is done correctly, and may be worth trying for some despite the lack of evidence behind it. Acupressure is very safe, with minimal to no risk overall, Taw says.

But its always a good idea to check with your doctor before beginning acupressure or any other complementary treatment. You should be especially cautious with acupressure if youre pregnant, as stimulating certain pressure points such as the large intestine 4 (known as he gu) may induce labor and could cause harm, according to the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine.

Its possible to perform acupressure on yourself (the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine offers this handy guide to locating the various pressure points), but you may want to seek help from someone whos trained in this form of bodywork to better learn how to do it safely and effectively. Ask your doctor and people you trust for recommendations.

Studies have mostly focused on asthma and acupuncture, and so far, the research suggests that adding acupuncture into your asthma treatment plan may improve your quality of life, boost your immune system, and ease symptoms.

Unfortunately, the research on asthma and acupressure is lacking, so we cant know how effective it is. While acupressure and acupuncture are therapies along a similar continuum, we unfortunately cannot conclude that acupressure will also lower inflammatory mediators, improve quality of life, and reduce symptoms, Taw says.

That said, acupressure may help with symptoms, and there are very few safety concerns. But again, its a good idea to talk with your doctor or healthcare provider about adding any new complementary therapy whether acupuncture, acupressure, or another modality to your care.

If youve talked to your doctor and have decided its a good idea to try acupuncture or acupressure, find a practitioner you trust. Receiving acupuncture treatment in particular from an unqualified practitioner may result in complications, mainly through the use of nonsterile needles or improper delivery of treatments, according to theNational Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Though relatively few complications have been reported, improper delivery of acupuncture treatments can lead to serious health effects, including infections, punctured organs, collapsed lungs, and central nervous system damage.

Ask your doctor and trusted friends for referrals, or find a practitioner through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

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Do Acupuncture and Acupressure Help With Asthma? - Everyday Health

Live stage productions seem to be leading the pack in the entertainment and cultural events field this weekend as we move into the middle of November.

Playhouses that have been preparing their season openers are ready to take them to the stage. Student actors at Florida Atlantic University will present their second production of the season, a 180-degree jump to comedy from the theater-of-mood wrought by Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya, the troupe's season opener.Plus, the newly renovated Kravis Center in West Palm Beach will offer a Broadway phenomenon.

The Museum of Discovery and Science will deliver a nontheatrical package: an uplifting tale of animals saved from extinction.

Heres a closer look at whats happening this weekend:

Friday, November 15

Youre in luck if your Halloween mask hasnt been packed away for next year. Its time for another fabulous party to benefit Beyond Nine Cat Rescue. This time, the theme of the festivities is Masquerade Madness, and prizes will be awarded for the best mask. Your $20 donation at the door Friday night includes valet parking, a cocktail of your choice, dinner, and dessert. Therell be a lot of great stuff in raffles and a silent auction.Established in 2007, Beyond Nine Cat Rescue is a nonprofit, all-volunteer group dedicated to giving felines the opportunity to live safe, healthy, and happy lives. It has about 200 cats waiting for forever homes, so give adoption serious thought. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, November 15, at Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa, 1200 N. Ocean Blvd., Pompano Beach; beyondninecatrescue.org. Admission is a donation of $20 at the door.

Student thespians at Florida Atlantic University are set to stage a production that Bostonians would call "a wicked pissa." Urinetown, a play by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis, will run this Friday through next Sunday, November 24, at FAUs Studio One Theatre on the Boca Raton campus. Set during a catastrophic water shortage when the use of private toilets has been banned, this hysterical musical satire of corporate greed and political malfeasance has an unlikely hero: a man who needs to pee and refuses to pay for it. The winner of three Tony Awards, Urinetown is an outrageous, modern comedic romp. Make sure you visit the restroom before you take your seat. 7 p.m. Friday, November 15; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, November 16; and 2 p.m. Sunday, November 17, through Sunday, November 24, at FAU's Studio One, 777 Glades Rd., Boca Raton; 561-297-6124. Tickets cost $22 via fauevents.com.

Fiddler on the Roof runs through Sunday at the Kravis Center.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Not many plays earn the descriptor beloved. Fiddler on the Roof is among the few and it's a distinction well earned and enduring. The tale of hard-working families in a small Russian village circa 1905, with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Joseph Stein, is about to conclude its run at the revamped Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.Fiddler is based on Tevye and His Daughters, a series of stories written in Yiddish by Ukrainian writer Sholem Aleichem and first published in 1894. The musical centers on Tevye, the father of headstrong daughters seemingly bent on flouting his Jewish religious and cultural traditions. The classic production is rich with Broadway hits, including To Life (LChaim), If I Were a Rich Man, Sunrise, Sunset, Matchmaker, Matchmaker, and Tradition. The original Broadway show, which opened in 1964, was the first musical in history to surpass 3,000 performances. 8 p.m. Friday, November 15; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, November 16; and 2 p.m. Sunday, November 17, at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 561-832-7469; kravis.org. Tickets start at $39.

Experience an unforgettable evening as South Floridas top female impersonators transform into legendary music stars. The show, Icons: The Art of Celebrity Illusion, brings Cher, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Judy Garland, and Liza Minelli together for one night only. Join host and drag superstar Nicole Halliwell for an hour of fabulousness, glamour, outrageous costumes, musical hits, and plenty of surprises. 8 p.m. Friday, November 15, at Mizner Park Cultural Center, 201 Plaza Rd., Boca Raton; 844-672-2849; miznerparkculturalcenter.com. Tickets cost $29.

The cast of Andy and the Orphans, a new comedy by Lindsey Ferrentino, opening Friday in Boca Raton.

Photo courtesy of Primal Forces

The theater troupePrimal Forces will open its sixth season this Friday (its second in Boca Raton) with a powerful and poignant comedy by Lindsey Ferrentino, Andy and the Orphans. The play, which debuted last year at New Yorks Roundabout Theatre, follows a Jewish family on a road trip that uncovers an old scandal and some shattering family secrets. I am honored to bring together such a distinguished ensemble cast for this production, director Keith Garsson says. Though the play is often hilarious, Garsson says it also "explores a real family drama and lays bare topics that are not as readily discussed." The plot involves a couple of unhinged siblings who, after their fathers death, reunite with Andy, their movie-loving brother neither has seen in years. Together they careen down the Long Island Expressway while navigating strip malls, traffic jams, and some serious and not-so-serious family drama. The cast includes Edward Barbanell, a longtime Coral Springs resident, who understudied his role in its original incarnation in New York City. 8 p.m. Friday, November 15, and Saturday, November 16, and 2 p.m. Sunday, November 17, through December 8 at Sol Theatre, 3333 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton. Tickets start at $40 via primalforces.com or 866-811-4111.

Saturday, November 16

The Distinguished Speaker Series at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale is back for its 2019 autumn season. Visitors of all ages are invited to learn from renowned researchers and scholars, who will educate, entertain, and inspire new ways of thinking about marine-related topics. This event will include an AutoNation IMAX 3D Theater screening Saturday of the critically acclaimed documentary Back From the Brink, which explores true stories of animals rescued from the edge of extinction. Several screenings are planned for Saturday, along with a distinguished speaker presentation at 2:30. 9 a.m. Saturday, November 16, at Museum of Discovery and Science, 401 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale. Admission is free to museum members; nonmember tickets cost $16 to $19.

In an effort to face our nations growing health crisis, curb the opioid epidemic, and deal with mental health issues, Integrative Medicine US and Lost Legacy Martial Arts will host their second-annual Integrative Health Expo and Legacy Kung Fu Tournament this Saturday and Sunday. The goal is to engage the community in exercise, mindfulness, andlifestyle and dietary changes aspreventative healthcare. The free event will include classes forbeginners on tai chi, qi gong, yoga, boot camp fitness, break dancing, and stationary surfing, as well as exhibitors providing information about and treatments in acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, dentistry, CBD, and more. For details, visit integrativemedicine.us or lostlegacysystems.com. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, November 16, and Sunday, November 17, at Coral Springs City Gym, 2501 Coral Springs Dr., Coral Springs. Admission free.

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The Seven Best Things to Do in South Florida This Weekend - New Times Broward-Palm Beach