StemCell Therapy

Editors note: This is the first installment in a three-part series exploring the debate over Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment, and how it has affected Rhode Island and those with the disease locally.

North Kingstown resident Joe Russo used to be a healthy, active man.

Along with providing for himself through full-time employment, Russo was an avid hunter, always searching for game during his downtime. He also rode bicycles up and down his neighborhood.

Then, more than a decade ago, things began to change. He continued his normal daily routine but had weird symptoms that would come and go, or just didnt feel right. He would seek medical treatment to find out what was wrong, but the doctors only said he was either anxious, depressed or had allergies.

So, you try all the things they tell you and you keep trucking, he said.

The symptoms would subside, he added, but months later he would experience these other flares and weird stuff, like vertigo, dizzy spells or sweats.

As the years passed, Russo did not get better. He sought testing for everything under the sun cancer and heart issues, among others to get an answer for why his condition was deteriorating. However, the doctors at the time failed to test for another possibility Lyme disease.

Russo ultimately saw another doctor and received a confirmed diagnosis of the tick-borne disease. Relieved at finally having an answer, he went back to his primary care physician to plan a course of action.

But the response he got was unexpected.

When I went back to [my physician] with the positive lab [results], telling her, OK, we have an answer, she dismissed me, he said. Our relationship was very good. She was always caring. She tested me for everything, but once she found out I had Lyme, she wanted nothing to do with me.

Russo said he inquired in writing to seek an explanation for the dismissal, but received no response.

She left me with no reason, he said.

He added, That was humbling and it actually hurt. A doctor can dismiss you with this and theres nothing you can do about it.

***

Lyme disease is an extremely complex illness with no known cure. It can produce an array of symptoms, such as fatigue, joint pain, arthritis, muscle aches, palsy, tingling and twitching muscles and other neurological symptoms. The most common symptom is a rash, often in a bulls-eye pattern.

Dr. Jim Gloor, a North Kingstown-based physician who has specialized in Lyme disease treatment for more than three decades, said Lyme-causing bacteria is one of the most complex eukaryotic cells. Typically, he said, a persons immune system is supposed to sort out what is foreign and what is not inside a persons body. But Lyme-causing bacteria is so effective in evading the immune system that it overheats the immune engine, causing a sufferers health to go haywire.

Its like when you race an old Chevy down the highway at 100 mph over a bumpy road, somethings going to break, he said. The immune system goes haywire and we have fallout from it that ends up being other conditions that are autoimmune, which is a nice way of saying, We dont know exactly why the immune system went sour.

Gloor said the medical community has yet to fully understand the immune system and autoimmunity. Because of that, he said, a lot more research needs to be done, particularly because Lyme disease is so sophisticated.

It confuses and confounds the immune system, and it confounds the body in general, he said.

The complexity has caused confusion over how Lyme disease is diagnosed, and led to intense debate locally and nationally about treatments and whether the disease can be designated as chronic.

Dr. Utpala Bandy, a state epidemiologist and medical director for the Rhode Island Department of Healths Division of Preparedness, Infectious Disease and Emergency Medical Services, said July 26 while the state does not develop, produce, approve or endorse any guidelines on treating Lyme disease, two main sets of guidelines are in place nationally for physicians to follow.

One comes from the Infectious Diseases Society of America, or IDSA, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the other from the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, or ILADS.

The organizations have conflicting views of Lyme disease treatment and diagnoses of long-term Lyme disease.

According to the state Department of Healths Jan. 31, 2016, report on Lyme disease, the IDSA/CDC guidelines indicate patients should take the antibiotic doxycycline for several Lyme disease symptoms, including the bulls-eye rash, palsy, cardiac disease, arthritis without neurological involvement and recurrent arthritis after a single course of antibiotics.

IDSA, according to its 2006 report Clinical Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Lyme Disease, Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis: Clinical Practice Guidelines, also maintains there is no convincing evidence for the existence of a chronic borrelia burgdorferi infection the bacteria that causes Lyme disease in patients who have received the recommended treatments. The report states antibiotic therapy is not recommended for patients with chronic Lyme disease lasting longer than six months.

In June, CDC published in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report an article that also warns of serious risks for Lyme patients receiving antibiotic and intravenous treatment, even resulting in serious harm, including death.

The introduction to the article, titled Serious Bacterial Infections Acquired During Treatment of Patients Given a Diagnosis of Chronic Lyme Disease United States, reads: The term chronic Lyme disease is used by some health care providers as a diagnosis for various constitutional, musculoskeletal, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Patients with a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease have been provided a wide range of medications as treatment, including long courses of intravenous (IV) antibiotics. Studies have not shown that such treatments lead to substantial long-term improvement for patients, and they can be harmful. This report describes cases of septic shock, osteomyelitis, Clostridium difficile colitis, and paraspinal abscess resulting from treatments for chronic Lyme disease. Patients, clinicians, and public health practitioners should be aware that treatments for chronic Lyme disease can carry serious risks.

Other treatments, including IV infusions of hydrogen peroxide, immunoglobulin therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, electromagnetic frequency treatments, garlic supplements, colloidal silver, and stem cell transplants, are also presented as being risky and not shown to produce favorable results.

The article further states, At least five randomized, placebo-controlled studies have shown that prolonged courses of IV antibiotics in particular do not substantially improve long-term outcome for patients with a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease and can result in serious harm, including death. Five specific cases are cited to support the articles assertions.

In contrast, ILADS states on its website that it is impossible to state a meaningful success rate for the prevention of Lyme disease by a single 200 mg dose of doxycycline, and advises clinicians should not use a single doxycycline dose for treatment due to very-low quality evidence.

An optimal treatment regimen has not yet been determined, ILADS states, adding that it is too early to standardize restrictive protocols. ILADS recommends patient goals and values regarding treatment options be identified and strongly considered during a shared decision-making process.

ILADS President Dr. Samuel Shor pushed back against the CDCs June 16 report in a June 23 post on the National Center for Biotechnology Informations website. He notes one National Institutes of Health-supported study, in which 37 patients suspected of having active neuroborrelliosis a central nervous system disorder caused by Lyme disease received 10 weeks of IV Ceftriaxone, or two grams a day of the antibiotic. Pain and physical functioning improved at 12 [weeks] and was sustained at 24 weeks, Shor states.

Shor also points to another NIH-supported study in which 55 patients who felt they had an active infection of the main Lyme disease bacteria and experienced severe fatigue for longer than six months received 28 days of IV Ceftriaxone. According to Shor, a significant improvement in fatigue was sustained at 6 months.

While there are conflicting viewpoints regarding how Lyme disease should be approached and treated, one local advocate believes the state sides with the IDSA/CDC guidelines which, he believes, are outdated.

***

Lane Poor, a North Kingstown resident, was first diagnosed with Lyme disease in 1983 and still feels the effects of the disease. He has traveled around the state for years making residents aware of the disease and its harmful effects especially if it goes undetected.

In an interview in June, he said he believes the state cant accept the fact that Lyme disease is a major problem in Rhode Island, mainly because it is complicated, messy and there is no silver bullet in terms of treatment. He said the disease can result in multiple infections following the initial infection from a tick bite, and doctors are not used to it being multiple infections.

Theyre used to it as, Its one disease and you have that one thing that will kill the one disease. That doesnt happen with Lyme, he said. Lyme disease, you can get other infections. It is so hard for doctors to identify whats going on because youve got three, four different infections. Its a compound disease, and were not used to treating compound diseases.

Poor also believes there are many more Lyme disease cases in Rhode Island than the Department of Health has reported. In 2014, Rhode Island, at 86 cases per 100,000 people, had the fourth-highest Lyme disease rate in the U.S. Bandy said the department processes approximately 3,000 test reports for surveillance every summer, and of that amount, approximately 900 new Lyme disease cases are determined annually.

Poor, though, thinks Rhode Islands rate may be 10 times higher than the official figure.

Massachusetts has got an infection rate of about 800 people per 100,000, and RIDOH says we have 80, he said. Were neighbors with Massachusetts.

Both Poor and Gloor are critical of the CDCs recommended two-tier testing regimen. CDC suggests doctors first order a test known as an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or ELISA, to screen for Lyme disease and then confirm it with a western blot, a procedure used to detect specific proteins.

However, according to the advocacy group LymeDisease.org, a 2002 study by Massachusetts Dr. Samuel Donta revealed 52 percent of patients with chronic Lyme disease are considered negative by the ELISA test, but the western blot shows a positive result. The College of American Pathologists, according to a 1997 study, found that ELISA tests do not have adequate sensitivity to be used for screening purposes.

Gloor said in about half of his cases, the tests are negative across the board.

LymeDisease.org states a quality test can help a doctor assess the diseases severity, estimate a patients prognosis, monitor the diseases progression, detect relapses or adjust therapies.

Unfortunately, a test with this capability does not exist for Lyme disease, according to LymeDisease.org.

Donta also said the tests are indirect and do not indicate whether or not the Lyme disease bacteria is still present. Until a proven test is developed, he said, clinical judgment and observations ... should be how one proceeds to treat such patients.

Bandy said physicians and patients can do whatever they want as long as it is a shared decision-making process.

But Lyme disease specialists in Rhode Island and beyond have had their methods questioned by health officials.

***

Over more than five years, Gloor was called to appear before the Department of Healths Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline multiple times to answer allegations from several complainants regarding his regimens for treating long-term Lyme disease, mostly with antibiotics and intravenous medicines.

The complaints, according to a 2014 consent decree filed with the health department, which was obtained by The Independent, were received by the board in 2012 and 2013, and the panel questioned the reasonableness of the diagnosis and treatment plans.

While the board found no wrongdoing regarding Gloors regimens in 2014, the decree indicates he was penalized for failing to properly document diagnoses in the assessment and plan sections of certain medical charts and with respect to the legibility of patient records. He was ordered to pay a $1,935 administrative fee to the health department and was placed on a monitoring period for one year.

In December 2016, Gloor was again cited by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline for poor record keeping, according to a second consent decree filed with the health department, which also indicated Gloors handwriting was barely legible and his script was so large there is only room for the barest information.

Gloor agreed to a reprimand and paid an administrative fee of $500. He additionally agreed to complete eight hours of continuing education regarding record keeping, health department spokeswoman Annemarie Beardsworth said in an email July 24.

Poor was sharply critical of the health departments dealings with Gloor, and indicated other local physicians had been treated similarly. He said the consent decrees amount to health officials serving as judge, jury and executioner all in one thing.

Doctors are scared stiff theyre going to be brought before the board for treating Lyme disease, so they dont [treat it], he added. A lot of doctors have refused to have anything to do with it.

Gloor said the issues with the health department have taken a toll emotionally and mentally, and have had a significant negative impact on his practice. He was forced to move from his former office at Wickford Junction to a new space on Post Road.

This tied me up for years, he said. My practice went to hell.

nk@independentri.com

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Behind the Lyme disease debate: 'No silver bullet' for confounding ailment - The Independent

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SUNRISE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / August 23, 2017 / Kristin Comella, Chief Science Officer at U.S. Stem Cell, Inc. (OTCQB: USRM), was named number 45 on the list of Top 50 Functional and Integrative Medical Doctors in the country by DrAxe.com, one of the most visited natural health websites in the world that covers nutrition, natural medicine, and trending health news. The list also features Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD; Dr. Mark Hyman, MD; Dr. Andrew Weil, MD and other doctors and scientists who are truly shaping the functional and integrative medicine fields.

Kristin is a world-renowned expert on regenerative medicine with a focus on adipose derived stem cells. She was named number 24 on Terrapin's list of the Top 50 Global Stem Cell Influencers and number 1 on the Academy of Regenerative Practices list of Top 10 Stem Cell Innovators. Learn more here.

"Kristin is lauded as an expert on regenerative medicine, the study of using the body's own regenerative capabilities to treat diseases and injuries," according to the Dr.Axe.com article. "She led the team that was the first to gain FDA approval for a clinical trial that used a combination of cell and gene therapy for the heart and pioneered stem cell therapy of adipose tissue, as well as cord blood, bone marrow and muscle, helping people recover from disease and lead normal lives."

"It's an honor to be featured on Dr. Axe's prestigious list of influencers in the integrative medicine field," Comella said in a statement. "There are some amazing scientists and doctors on this list." DrAxe.com is one of the top websites in the natural medicine industry with 14 million unique visitors each month.

Comella is the Chief Science Officer at U.S. Stem Cell, Inc., a Florida corporation and leader in novel regenerative medicine solutions and physician-based stem cell therapies for human and animal patients. Watch this video as Kristin talks more about stem cell therapy and how it works.

About U.S. Stem Cell, Inc.

US Stem Cell, Inc. (formerly Bioheart, Inc.) is an emerging enterprise in the regenerative medicine / cellular therapy industry. We are focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of cell based therapeutics that prevent, treat or cure disease by repairing and replacing damaged or aged tissue, cells and organs and restoring their normal function. We believe that regenerative medicine / cellular therapeutics will play a large role in positively changing the natural history of diseases ultimately, we contend, lessening patient burdens as well as reducing the associated economic impact disease imposes upon modern society.

Our business, which includes three operating divisions (US Stem Cell Training, Vetbiologics and US Stem Cell Clinic) includes the development of proprietary cell therapy products as well as revenue generating physician and patient based regenerative medicine / cell therapy training services, cell collection and cell storage services, the sale of cell collection and treatment kits for humans and animals, and the operation of a cell therapy clinic. Management maintains that revenues and their associated cash in-flows generated from our businesses will, over time, provide funds to support our clinical development activities as they do today for our general business operations. We believe the combination of our own therapeutics pipeline combined with our revenue generating capabilities provides the Company with a unique opportunity for growth and a pathway to profitability.

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may", "will", "to", "plan", "expect", "believe", "anticipate", "intend", "could", "would", "estimate", or "continue", or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

The Company is subject to the risks and uncertainties described in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the section entitled "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

Media Contact:

U.S. Stem Cell, Inc.13794 NW 4th Street, Suite 212 Sunrise, Fl 33325Phone: 954.835.1500Email: usstemcell@us-stemcell.com

SOURCE: U.S. Stem Cell, Inc.

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Kristin Comella, US Stem Cell's CSO, Named to the List of Top 50 Functional and Integrative Medical Doctors By DrAxe ... - Baystreet.ca

The National Institute of Healthcare and Excellence (NICE) is set to reject Pfizers orphan drug for leukaemia Besponsa (inotuzumab ozogamicin).

Pfizer issued a robust defence of its product, saying the UK cost-effectiveness watchdogs final appraisal determination had inappropriately assessed the drugs value.

The firm added that assumptions made during the process were inconsistent with previous appraisals of other medicines in the disease area.

David Montogomery, oncology medical director at Pfizer UK, said: [This] frustrating decision for inotuzumab ozogamicin is another example of how NICE is not appropriately assessing the value of modern cancer medicines, leaving patients without access to new treatments that could transform their lives.

We will continue to work with NICE in the hope that this decision can be overturned.

The cost-effectiveness watchdog was assessing Besponsas use to treat adults with Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) as well as Philadelphia chromosome negative (Ph-) relapsed or refractory B-cell CD22-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

NICE compared Besponsa to the current usual treatment of fludarabine, cytarabine and granulocyte (FLAG) chemotherapy with idarubicin, but found clinical trial evidence did not show an overall survival benefit.

For its part Pfizer pointed to the INO-VATE trial, which showed Besponsa more than doubled complete remission rates (81% versus 29%).

When compared to chemotherapy the drug also showed that nearly four times as many patients were able to receive stem cell transplant (43% versus 11%).

NICE accepted more Besponsa patients went on to have a stem cell transplant, but said its cost-effectiveness estimates were too high, despite a patient access scheme being in place.

Besponsa has orphan status in Europe, where regulators approved it in June, and the treatment has just been licensed in the US, where it has breakthrough status.

NICEs negative final appraisal determination is now out for consultation and Pfizer plans to appeal the ruling, which is currently due to be finalised by 27 September.

Originally posted here:
NICE set to reject Pfizer's leukaemia drug Besponsa - PMLiVE

When it comes toCBD, or cannabis in general, little research has been done on cats and dogs. Are cannabis preparations safe for use in animals? Does marijuana affect pets the same way as humans? Many pet-owners are looking for something to support their animals health, but there is little quality control with respect to the numerous pet-focusedCBDproducts that are available in the medical marijuana sector and the hempCBDgrey market. And there arent many trusted, educated individuals who can provide professional guidance on cannabinoid therapies forpets.

To help pet-owners become better informed about the use of cannabis for their four-legged companions, Sarah Russo of ProjectCBDspoke withGary Richter,DVM, an integrative medicine veterinarian based in Oakland, Calif. Richter considers cannabis to be part of a holistic approach to animal medicine. Due to marijuanas Schedule I status, veterinarians are not allowed to write letters of recommendation for their clients or tell them where to obtain cannabis medicine. But Richter is able to speak about the benefits ofCBDand cannabis therapeutics forpets.

ProjectCBD:Can you tell us about your work? Based on what youve seen in your practice, what types of conditions may cannabis medicine alleviate inpets?

Richter:My practice applies western, complementary, and alternative approaches. That could include acupuncture, chiropractic, Chinese and western herbs, nutritional supplementation, and more. Animals can benefit from medical cannabis for many of the same reasons it helps peoplefor pain, seizure control, gastrointestinal disorders, anxiety-related issues. Weve also seen positive results withcancer.

ProjectCBD:Why is there a lack of research studies on cannabis in dogs and cats? What areas of cannabinoid medicine in animals would you like to see investigated moredeeply?

Richter:I think ultimately the reason for the lack of therapeutic-oriented research is because cannabis is federally illegal and theres no funding. Generally, its pharmaceutical companies that are putting most of the money into medical research. Once theres a legal pathway and money to be made in veterinary products, that research will happen. I would like to see more general research on the use of cannabis in animals, focusing on some of the ailments that it seems be the most effective forespecially gastrointestinal issues, pain, and inflammation. Many veterinary patients see dramatic effects with cannabis for these ailments. Cancer studies would be a much longer road and more challenging to puttogether.

ProjectCBD:What is your response when veterinarians say: There isnt enough scientific data to show cannabis is safe and effective for treatinganimals.

Richter:In a perfect world, we would benefit from more scientific information. However, the case reports and anecdotal evidence about the efficacy of cannabis medicine are already overwhelming. In veterinary medicine, practitioners typically have no problem using off-label medicationsthose not explicitly approved for use in dogs or cats. But mention medical cannabis, which has a mountain of evidence for efficacy in humans, and they suddenly say, You cant do that, theres been no research on dogs! Itsdisingenuous.

ProjectCBD:Is there a difference between the endocannabinoid system in a dog or a cat as compared to ahuman?

Richter:In the big picture, theyre very similar. One striking difference is there appears to be a greater concentration of cannabinoid receptors in the dogs brain than there are in most other animals. This is significant because it makes dogs more susceptible toTHCoverdose, potentially giving them a certain amount of neurologic impairment in the short-term. This phenomenon is known as static ataxia. Otherwise, when cannabis medicine is used effectively, their endocannabinoid system will act in the same way it would for ahuman.

ProjectCBD:IsTHCcombined withCBDbeneficial for pets? If so, whatCBD:THCratios do you suggest for yourclients?

Richter:It depends on both the condition thats being treated as well as the individual animal. Many people in the cannabis community have heard about theentourage effect. The ratio ofTHCtoCBDis an important part of that. There are conditions that respond better to medicine with a certain amount ofTHCin it. The ratios that I have used include hemp-basedCBDwith very littleTHC, as well asCBD-rich marijuana with a 20:1CBD:THCratio andTHC-dominant medicine with littleCBD. The research suggests that patients with cancer and chronic pain benefit from products that haveCBDandTHC, rather thanCBDalone. It reallydepends.

ProjectCBD:Do you see animals coming into the veterinary hospital after having too muchTHC? How much of a problem isthat?

Richter:Obviously whenever were talking aboutTHCand pets, dosing becomes very important. At no point is the goal for the pet to get stoned. If that happens, then it means theyve gotten too much. The aim is to give them enough cannabis to be effective, but not so much that theyre going to be negatively compromised. It is extremely uncommon to see an animal show negative signs when they have been properly dosed with cannabis as medicine. The worst effect would be drowsiness. If thats that case, the owner may have to decrease the dose. Its not uncommon for a dog, or sometimes a cat, to show up at a veterinary hospital having eaten a cannabis-infused edible that belonged to the owner. The good news is that cannabis toxicity is nonfatal and does not cause long-term effects. However, those animals that get into their owners stash may require immediate medical care. I have seen and heard of a couple of cases where pets did notsurvive.

ProjectCBD:But you just said that cannabis toxicity in nonfatal. Youve seen cases where an animal ate too much cannabis and actuallydied?

Richter:One case that I have personally seen was a dog that got into a bunch of cannabis edibles and the owner didnt bring his dog to the veterinarian immediately. They called us the following day. Unfortunately, the dog had vomited and aspirated while at home, his lungs filled with fluid, and he wound up dying from a systemic infection related to that. To be honest, if this dog had received medical treatment the day he ate cannabis, he almost certainly would have been fine. It was only because the owner waited, and by that time it was too late. It was very sad. But this type of event is really quiterare.

ProjectCBD:Whats your preferred way to administer cannabis medicine toanimals?

Richter:I prefer a liquid preparation, usually an oil. With liquids, its very easy to adjust the dosage. If youre giving something like a pill or an edible, it can be difficult to figure out how to titrate the right amount. Furthermore, theres every reason to believe thatCBDandTHCare going to be partially absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the tissues of the mouth, sublingually. If we put a liquid in an animals mouth, some of the medication will be absorbed directly and has a chance to be moreeffective.

ProjectCBD:A lot of people say they want to start giving cannabis orCBDmedicine to their pet, but theyre not quite sure about the right dose. Is there a good way to calculate the ideal amount for youranimal?

Richter:Theres a dosing range that you could start at. Its best to begin at the low end. Every few days, slowly increase the dose. If youve achieved the desired effect for whatever is being treated, then youre probably done. Just like people, animals will develop a tolerance for the psychoactive effects of theTHC. Over time they will be able to take more medicine without any demonstrable side effects. Medical cannabis is not the answer for all pets. Some animals do better on it than others, just likepeople.

ProjectCBD:In general, how knowledgeable are veterinarians about cannabistherapeutics?

Richter:This is a big problemthe lack of education. The California Veterinary Medical Board is very much against the use of medical cannabis for pets. They dont want veterinarians speaking with pet owners about it at all, except to say that it is bad and not to useit.

ProjectCBD:What is the legal status ofCBDas a medicine foranimals?

Richter:Cannabis is federally illegal across the board, includingCBDfrom hemp. Even in California, a trailblazing medical marijuana state, as a veterinarian Im not able to provide people with a medical marijuana recommendation for their pet. Nor am I able to provide them with cannabis products. But I can talk with people about how medical cannabis might benefit their animals. Unless something dramatic changes on the legal front, theres still going to be access problems for people looking to get medicinal cannabis for theirpets.

ProjectCBD:Any words of advice for someone who wants to treat their pet with cannabis orCBD?

Richter:If at all possible talk to a veterinarian. Cannabis is medicine and its dosing should be carefully calculated. Its important to know the concentration ofTHCandCBDin milligrams for ones pet. Once you have that information, you can look for a product that suits your pets needs. When in doubt, err on the side of under-dosing because you can always slowly increase the dose and monitor the effect. And make sure the medicine is free of mold, pesticides, and othercontaminants.

ProjectCBD:There are many hemp-basedCBDproducts on the market for pets. How do you feel about the quality of these products in general? What are your thoughts about hemp-derivedCBD?

Richter:I dont want to disparage hemp-basedCBDproducts because I think they do have a positive medical effect. Many people start with hemp products because of their relative ease of accessibility. But in many cases, we dont know the source of theCBDin these products. I recommend that people do their due diligence as they should with any vitamin or supplement. Call the company and ask where the product is coming from and how its being produced. There is no government oversight to make sure that these companies are selling authentic and safe products. A pet owners only other option is to get a card and go to a medical marijuana dispensary if they want something that may be more effective than hemp-derivedCBD. Ideally, you would look for a product that is organic and produced locally. You want to know how theCBDwas extracted and the full spectrum of cannabinoids that arepresent.

ProjectCBD:Are there any guidelines or recommendations you have for people who want to make their own cannabis preparations for theirpets?

Richter:Thats tricky. You wont know the concentration of cannabinoids in what you make at home, unless you have it analyzed. If you do use your own preparation, start with extremely minute dosing and slowly work your way up. Youd much rather under-dose thanoverdose.

ProjectCBD:Sometimes people who dont have medical complaints like to take cannabis as preventative medicine to maintain good health and well-being. Would you recommend something like that for ananimal?

Richter:Thats an excellent question I have often asked myself. The purpose of the endocannabinoid system is to maintain homeostasis within the body. Its logical to consider using cannabis as preventative medicine much in the same way that a person would take a multivitamin. If thats the case, I would consider keeping the dosage toward the very low end. We need to see more research on the use of cannabis as preventative medicine in people as well asanimals.

ProjectCBD:Are there any resources for people to educate themselves about cannabis medicine for pets or to find a cannabis friendly veterinarian in theirarea?

Richter:Firstly, I would say talk to your regular veterinarian about cannabis. Even if they cant give you the information, they may know someone in the area that can. Additionally, there is a national organization called the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA). It isnt a given that a member of theAHVMAincorporates medical cannabis into their practice, but most people who are open to it are also holistically minded. That would be a good place to find a veterinarian and to begin a conversation. For resources, a colleague of mine and I taught anonline course for Greenflower Media. The class provides a comprehensive description of how medical cannabis works in pets, ways to dose, and how to find a good product. And I have a book coming out later this year. Its calledIntegrative Health Care for Dogs and Cats. It has a whole section on medical cannabis, with dosing guidelines. A colleague of mine, Rob Silver, released a book last year calledMedical Marijuana and Your Pet.

ProjectCBD:Thank you for your time andinformation.

Take-Home Message:If you decide to give your pet cannabis medicine, get informed. The medicine you give your animal should have the same standards for anything you would put in your own body. Make sure the product is safe and tested for cannabinoid content, quality, and is free from any contaminants or additives. Seek guidance from a vet, if at all possible. Start your furry friend off on a low dose of cannabis medicine. And monitor the effects that cannabis has on their experience because, as George Eliot wrote, Animals are such agreeable friendsthey ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.

This story was originally published by Project CBD,a California-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting and publicizing research into the medical uses of cannabidiol (CBD) and other components of the cannabis plant.

Continue reading here:
One Vet's Opinion On Marijuana As Medicine For Your Pet - The Fresh Toast

Prostate cancer may be the most common non-skin cancer in the human race. Most men, if they live long enough, will develop the disease.

And yet, prostate cancer is also extremely unlikely to kill you. After five years, the survival rate is a whopping 98.6 percent. It's a paradox of medicine that we are only beginning to understand.

With prostate cancer treatment prone to significant impact to quality of life, a positive diagnosis for prostate-specific antigen, which is currently the disease's clearest marker, raises a difficult question for doctors: Is it wise to aggressively attack the tumor when treatment may be more dangerous than the disease?

With so much confusion about when to test and when to treat, the latest federal recommendations regarding prostate cancer screening from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) are incredibly important. They encourage thoughtful, informed conversations between primary care physicians and their patients in regards to the pros and cons of prostate cancer testing, and correct a dangerous trend of ignoring the disease completely.

Avoiding unnecessary risk

If prostate cancer could be treated without causing harm, every male would get tested regularly. Unfortunately, removal of tumors too often leads to impotence, incontinence and a range of other troubling outcomes, including the rare loss of life.

Because testing can also result in false positives, which can in turn lead to aggressive treatment, many men end up suffering from side effects without ever having been at risk for harm.

To help clarify such complex care situations, the U.S. Public Health Service established the USPSTF in 1984. Composed of experts in preventative medicine, the task force regularly evaluates the pros and cons of a wide range of tests and treatments, not just in cancer.

Based on the high risk of side effects that might damage quality of life, and the low risk of death from the cancer, as far back as 2008 the USPSTF recommended against screening for prostate cancer in men aged 75 or older, and in 2012 even recommended most men not get a PSA test. Sadly, in practice, those recommendations have been interpreted too bluntly.

Prostate cancer is deadly, for some

More than 28,000 Americans die from prostate cancer every year.

As an oncologic urologist, I treat prostate cancer patients daily. For those who have metastatic prostate cancer, where it spreads throughout the body, it is a terrible disease.

Recent studies have shown that since the earlier USPSTF recommendations, the number of patients diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer the ones with advanced disease from day one have started to go up. Tragically, advanced disease is very difficult to cure.

While more data must be gathered, there appears to be an association between the national shift away from prostate cancer screening and a rise in patients diagnosed too late for us to heal them.

Thats why I'm encouraged that the USPSTF has released new draft recommendations, shifting from ruling out screening to advocating for individualized approaches, tailored to each patient, that arise from open conversations between patient and primary-care physician to address all pros and cons.

Those conversations will be important, and that shift towards recognizing the value of monitoring for some patients will encourage insurance companies to cover the test, as some had stopped doing so.

Better knowledge, better care

I regularly use robotic-assisted surgical tools and other techniques to limit side effects from prostate cancer treatment, and work with each patient and our team to develop a cancer plan that heavily weighs quality of life. However, for most prostate cancer patients, careful monitoring is still the best course of action, not treatment.

For those of us in urology, our experiences and a growing data set have convinced us that testing is critical, but the test does not dictate how to proceed. Instead, it informs decisions that also weigh each patient's individual history, genetics and wellbeing.

In the past, oncologists did not understand how to stratify prostate cancer patients according to risk, and we ended up treating too many patients who were never going to have a problem with the disease. Treatments continue to improve, as does the recognition of the critical importance of quality of life for cancer survivors.

All men should have a conversation with their primary care physician and urologist about prostate cancer, and the pros and cons of testing and treatment. With a shift away from urgent cancer removal to monitoring over time, medicine is arriving at a more balanced approach for prostate cancer. The latest USPSTF recommendations are a step in that direction, and a welcome change that, in time, will save lives.

Dr. Ahmad Shabsigh is a board-certified oncologic urologist at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. In addition to diseases of the prostate, he treats a wide range of urological cancers.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.

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The latest federal guidelines on prostate cancer screenings are important - The Hill (blog)

Deke Eberhard knew as a teen he probably wouldn't work in the lumber business started by his grandfather.

The childhood cancer survivor, who was born and raised in New Braunfels, had a different career path in mind.

He remembers leaving an appointment at a San Antonio hospital where he learned he had officially beat cancer.

"We're driving home and I said, 'Mom, I want to be a doctor,'" he recalled.

He would spend most of his 20s working toward that goal, and this summer, he joined the DeTar Family Medicine Residency program.

The DeTar Healthcare System program is affiliated with the Texas A&M Health Science Center and welcomed its first class of six in 2016.

This year, 2,000 medical school graduates applied for the three-year residency program in Victoria.

One hundred doctors were interviewed, and six physicians were selected.

During the next three years, the doctors work at the DeTar Family Medicine Center clinic as well as rotate through different specialties.

But a rigorous work schedule isn't new for these doctors, 12 now, several of whom earned master's degrees during medical school.

"It's not an easy road," said Eberhard, 32. "It's a lot of gut checking."

He's not the type to give up and advocates for finding a way to do what you love.

That kind of resolve and focus can be found in the doctors who have made it this far.

Dr. Frances Ebo-Anagor, 48, was born and raised in Nigeria to parents who were teachers.

"Education was a top priority," she said. She earned a bachelor's degree in medical lab sciences but didn't like being stuck in a lab.

Ebo and her husband moved to Toronto, and she went to nursing school.

She started working as an ICU nurse until a job fair drew her to move the family to Texas.

The mother of four worked as a nurse in Houston before going to medical school in the Caribbean, which was more affordable.

Ebo said becoming a doctor was always part of the plan, but after the death of her parents, she became more determined.

Her father died in 2009 because of high blood pressure.

"I was a nurse then, and I thought, 'You know what, I can do more,'" she said.

Her passion now is preventative medicine and treating the geriatric population.

The journey included going back to school and sitting in classes with students who were half her age.

But despite the challenges, she loves being a family medicine doctor.

She recently saw a patient in her late 70s who really didn't need another prescription. She was lonely and just wanted someone to listen and help her find ways to make friends.

"I have to be able to connect with them," she said. "You have to be really patient."

William R. Blanchard, CEO of DeTar Healthcare System, said the doctors in the program have expanded patient access to care during the past two years.

As part of the Region 5 Texas 1115 Medicaid Transformation Waiver, DeTar established the residency program to bring primary care physicians to an underserved area.

Blanchard said his goal is to continue the family medicine residency and add more residency programs in the future.

"We're extremely pleased with the quality of the physicians we've been able to supply the community through this residency and other recruitment efforts," he said.

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Family medicine residents worked their way to Victoria - Victoria Advocate

The Trump administration ordered the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to stop studying whether mountaintop removal mining in Central Appalachia poses a health risk to people living nearby.

The U.S. Department of Interiors Office of Surface Mining notified the National Academies in a letter Friday that it is halting the study while it reviews grants of more than $100,000. Regulators permitted the study panel to hold meetings scheduled for this week.

Virginia Tech crop and soil environmental sciences professor Lee Daniels is expected to present research in Lexington, Kentucky on Tuesday.

Last month, Susan Meacham, a professor of preventative medicine at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg presented findings from yearslong research that compares deaths and diseases in Virginias coalfields with other parts of the state.

The NAS study is serving a very important function in a very balanced and professional process, Meacham said. The NAS committees are highly respected, so we hope they will be able to continue the review and assessment of work currently available on surface mining and human health.

Meacham said listening to other presentations during her July appearance confirmed that there is a dearth of verified research on the effects of coal mining on community health.

A National Academies committee began holding meetings in March and was expected next spring to report on coals impacts on air, water and soil that could lead to health concerns, and to recommend areas of further research.

The committee has been hearing from university researchers and from state and federal regulators.

The Trump administration in May called for slashing tens of billions of dollars from the federal budget, including $122 million from the Interior Department.

The NAS said in a statement that the department cited the budget situation as prompting an agency-wide review of grants of more than $100,000.

The National Academies believes this is an important study and we stand ready to resume it as soon as the Department of the Interior review is completed, William Kearney, executive director, said in a statement. We are grateful to our committee members for their dedication to carrying forward with this study.

Daniels, a professor of crop and soil environmental sciences, is expected to talk with the committee Tuesday . He could not be reached for comment Monday.

The committee is looking at the relationship of surface coal mining with Central Appalachia residents health.

Meachams research initially was funded by the energy industry through the Appalachian Research Initiatives in Environmental Sciences project, which engaged a number of universities to look at different aspects of surface mining. VCOMs research into health differences was a small component.

Meacham said research is limited on the impact of mountaintop removal mining on health.

Her own work has found that deaths and illnesses from most chronic diseases are more prevalent in Virginias southwestern counties. However, that is not enough to say there is a cause and effect.

Rates for most chronic illnesses are higher in southwest Virginia than they are in neighboring counties that are similar geographically, and in other counties that share similar economic difficulties or that are as isolated from the rest of the state.

The environment plays some role in health, but so do other factors such as education, access to doctors, smoking, diet and exercise. She said it is not yet known whether the environment plays a greater role in health in coal-mining counties than elsewhere.

She is continuing to research that as well as look at ways to treat and prevent chronic illnesses in places with high rates.

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Trump administration halts study on coal mining's impact on health - Roanoke Times

Will McDonald's stay or go at Navicent Health?

Chelsea Beimfohr, WMAZ 11:12 PM. EDT August 21, 2017

After a physicians group urged Navicent Health to consider breaking their lease with McDonald's, a Navicent rep says they are "considering all of their options."

Earlier this month, a registered dietician with The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine wrote a letter to the Macon-Bibb County Health Department, urging them to cut ties with fast food restaurants inside the hospital.

Monday night, PCRM attorney Leslie Rudloff presented the letter to the Bibb County Board of Health at a public meeting.

"If McDonald's did leave that space, we're asking that you consider replacing it with healthier options," says Rudloff. "We focus on preventative medicine through a plant based diet."

The group wants Navicent to break their lease with McDonald's, and promote a fast food-free hospital.

Anita Barkin, with the Department of Public Health, says the letter from PCRM asked the them to put a public statement on their website indicating that they are not in support of the McDonalds.

"It's really not within our jurisdiction to tell Navicent what type of food they should be offering at the Medical Center," says Barkin.

Barkin recommended to the Board of Health that the health department talk to Navicent about having more healthy options inside the hospital.

Board members didn't vote on the issue Monday night, because there weren't enough members present to vote.

But Tim Slocum with Navicent Health says the medical center is looking forward to having that conversation.

"We're all concerned with improving the health of our community, and certainly diet is one of those, so we're considering all of our options at this point," says Slocum.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine was founded in 1985 and claims 150,000 members worldwide.

According to The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's website, their top priorities include ending the use of animals for medical testing, but they also work to promote healthy diets and lifestyles.

2017 WMAZ-TV

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Will Navicent McDonalds stay or go? | 13wmaz.com - 13WMAZ

I had to fight for my own health and fired many doctors

Conventional medicine refers to the health care system in which medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, or therapists treat symptoms using drugs, radiation, or surgery. Alternative or complementary medicine, on the other hand, references medical treatments that are not considered orthodox by general medicine, such as herbalism, homeopathy, or acupuncture.

Complementary medicine techniques are the future of medicine at this point as more insurance companies are recognizing the values of preventative medicine, said Anne Williams, physical therapy specialist at Mountainside Physical Therapy and one of many local practitioners in a brisk, thriving alternative medicine community.

Williams believes the biggest problem with traditional medicine is that doctors are under so much stress to see so many patients that some they care for fail to receive the attention they need. This phenomenon may eventually cause a turn toward alternative medicine. Indeed, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health estimates that around 38 percent of adults (4 in 10) use some form of alternative medicine.

You have to evaluate the whole person, and that doesnt get done in a regular medicine system, she continued. I always see my patients as an individual puzzle. I try to fix that puzzle.

At Mountainside, Williams makes it her mission to focus on total health and healing, focusing on only one patient per hour, and she espouses a variety of therapy techniques.

Williams practices manual physical therapy, a special type of physical therapy delivered with the hands not a device or machine, as is done in many physical therapy practices. Williams says this technique physically alters patients abilities to perform an exercise or stretch a specific body part. In addition, she often welcomes into her practice those who offer Pilates, dance, aquatics, animal-assisted healing, art healing or nutrition classes to her clients.

Molly Peterson of Heritage Hollow Farms turned to alternative practitioners and doctors outside of her insurance network in her own struggle for wellness.

I had to fight for my own health and fired many doctors, she said. I had to self-research and be fiercely determined to be heard. Most of my health need answers came from beyond traditional medicine and was all out of pocket.

Peterson, who has turned to doctors in Illinois and Arizona as well as local herbalists like Teresa Boardwine of Green Comfort School of Herbal Medicine, says that alternative medicine provides an opportunity for patients to be seen and heard, as well as giving them another route for healing when general medicine fails to provide the answers. At her first consultation with Boardwine, she spent nearly two and a half hours talking about her health history. Teresa knew that all of that matters, Peterson says. Im not saying that general practitioners dont care, because they do. But thinking beyond the norm when you only have seven and a half minutes [with a patient] is hard.

Boardwine, who has owned her business for around 23 years, says herbalism, the study or practice of the medicinal and therapeutic use of plants, is accessible, grounded in the wisdom of the ages, and that traditional medicine can leave one lacking in wellness. Most people in the world turn to whats outside their door first not pharmaceuticals.

Boardwine says clients seek her out for assistance with a variety of self-diagnosed issues, including menopausal balancing, nervous system issues, depression, anxiety, exhaustion, and autoimmune conditions.

Boardwine believes that the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the rural, agricultural lifestyle of Rappahannock County causes people to seek green ways of living and a holistic approach to healing. It has to be the willingness of an individual to go down that road [of herbalism], Boardwine explains. Clients seek me out because they want to not be overpowered by medication, and they want balance and nourishment.

Boardwine conducts both consultations with patients and hosts many different classes and programs to educate the community about the health benefits of herbs. Her students have included the likes of Colleen OBryant, who now sells her own herb-based products in Sperryvilles Wild Roots Apothecary, and Kathy Edwards, who focuses on naturopathic, or nutrition-based medicine, at her business located in Hearthstone School, Healing With Love and Nature.

Edwards first became interested in nutritional medicine after working at a health foods store and becoming certified by the American Naturopathic Medical Association. She, too, loves to help educate and empower people to take responsibility for their own health.

Holistic healing is not just about the physical. Its about body, mind, and spirit, Edwards explains.

In addition to helping her clients tailor their diets to their own particular medical needs, Edwards has also taught programs on raw food and practiced applied kinesiology, muscle response testing, and Reiki, an energy-based technique for stress reduction performed by laying the hands on or above the patient.

Edwards counsels her clients to eat organic: I always tell my clients to eat as close to nature as they can, she says.

Edwards also believes that people in Rappahannock may be more open to alternatives due to the environment surrounding the region. Its a very progressive area that is into gardening and health and is connected to nature. Its a wonderful community thats open to alternatives.

Cara Cutro, who owns Abracadabra Massage & Wellness in Sperryville, corroborated Edwards thoughts and lamented modern medicines disconnect with the spiritual part of each and every person. Clients come back to me because they get relaxed and connected to themselves [during their massage]. I would call that feeling of connection to life spirituality, and I bring that spirituality to clients through touch.

Teaching tarot card reading classes, specializing in energy healing, and administering massages that incorporate herbalism, Cutro says the concept of spirituality in medicine often gets a bad rap. However, she encourages her clients not to have contempt prior to investigation and to be open to alternative therapies that could bring them healing.

Cutro and many others are witness to the successes of alternative medicine: increased relaxation and self-knowledge of ones own health conditions. Moving forward, it may be a combination of both alternative and general medicine techniques that address the health needs of our community.

Do fight for your health. Do listen to your gut feelings. Do be OK with walking [away] from a doctor who doesnt hear you, see you, Peterson urges.

Williams hopes that all of us doctors, patients, and alternative practitioners and the like can capitalize upon Rappahannocks strong foundations in alternative medicine to fulfill her ultimate vision for the patient recovery process, prescribing: I dream of a community involved place where people could volunteer their time and efforts. Community involvement is important in the rehabilitative process, and people could benefit from rehabilitating others. There needs to be one central place where you can get your body cared for.

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Alternative medicine: An opportunity for patients to be seen and heard - Rappahannock News

Dr. Alexandre R. Colas is an assistant professor at SBP. Credit: James Short

Researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), the Cardiovascular Institute at Stanford University and other institutions were surprised to discover that the four genes in the Id family play a crucial role in heart development, telling undifferentiated stem cells to form heart tubes and eventually muscle. While Id genes have long been known for their activity in neurons and blood cells, this is the first time they've been linked to heart development. These findings give scientists a new tool to create large numbers of cardiac cells to regenerate damaged heart tissue. The study was published in the journal Genes & Development.

"It has always been unclear what intra-cellular mechanism initiates cardiac cell fate from undifferentiated cells," says Alexandre Colas, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program at SBP and corresponding author on the paper. "These genes are the earliest determinants of cardiac cell fate. This enables us to generate unlimited amounts of bona fide cardiac progenitors for regenerative purposes, disease modeling and drug discovery."

The international team, which included researchers from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Italy, University Pierre and Marie Curie in France and the University of Coimbra in Portugal, combined CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, high-throughput microRNA screening and other techniques to identify the role Id genes play in heart development.

In particular, CRISPR played a crucial role, allowing them to knock out all four Id genes. Previous studies had knocked out some of these genes, which led to damaged hearts. However, removing all four genes created mouse embryos with no hearts at all. This discovery comes after a decades-long effort to identify the genes responsible for heart development.

"This is a completely unanticipated pathway in making the heart," says co-author Mark Mercola, Ph.D., professor of Medicine at Stanford and adjunct professor at SBP. "People have been working for a hundred years to figure out how the heart is specified during development. Nobody in all that time had ever implicated the Id protein."

Further study showed Id genes enable heart formation by turning down the Tcf3 and Foxa2 proteins, which inhibit the process, and turning up Evx1, Grrp1 and Mesp1, which support the process.

In addition to contributing a new chapter in the understanding of heart development, this study illuminates a powerful technique to screen for protein function in complex phenotypical assays, which was previously co-developed by Colas and Mercola. This technology could have wide-spread impact throughout biology.

"On a technical level, this project succeeded because it combined high-throughput approaches with stem cells to functionally scan the entire proteome for individual proteins involved in making heart tissue," says Mercola. "It shows that we can effectively walk through the genome to find genes that control complex biology, like making heart cells or causing disease."

Understanding this pathway could ultimately jumpstart efforts to use stem cells to generate heart muscle and replace damaged tissue. In addition, because Id proteins are the earliest known mechanism to control cardiac cell fate, this work is an important milestone in understanding cardiovascular developmental biology.

"We've been influenced by the skeletal muscle development field, which found the regulator of myogenic lineage, or myoD," says Colas. "For decades, we have been trying to find the cardiac equivalent. The fact that Id genes are sufficient to direct stem cells to differentiate towards the cardiac lineage, and that you don't have a heart when you ablate them from the genome, suggests the Id family collectively is a candidate for cardioD."

Explore further: Discovery of a key regulatory gene in cardiac valve formation

More information: Thomas J. Cunningham et al, Id genes are essential for early heart formation, Genes & Development (2017). DOI: 10.1101/gad.300400.117

More here:
Id genes play surprise role in cardiac development - Medical Xpress

Ross Pomeroy | August 18, 2017 | Real Clear Science

Chiropractic, homeopathy, acupuncture, juice diets, and other forms of unproven alternative medicine cannot cure cancer, no matter what some quacks might claim.

[A]s a newstudypublished in theJournal of the National Cancer Institutemakes painfully clear, as a treatment for cancer, alternative medicine does not cure; it kills.

A team of scientists from Yale University perused theNational Cancer Database, a collection of 34 million records of cancer patients along with their treatments and outcomes, to identify patients who elected to forgo conventional cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery in favor of alternative medicine.

After five years, 78.3% of subjects who received conventional treatments were still alive, compared to only 54.7% of subjects who used alternative medicine. Even more startling, breast cancer patients who used alternative medicine were five times more likely to die. Colorectal cancer patients were four times more likely to die. Lung cancer patients were twice as likely to die.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:Alternative Medicine Kills Cancer Patients, Study Finds

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Alternative medicine can kill you - Genetic Literacy Project

What if one day, we could teach our bodies to self-heal like a lizards tail, and make severe injury or disease no more threatening than a paper cut?

Or heal tissues by coaxing cells to multiply, repair or replace damaged regions in loved ones whose lives have been ravaged by stroke, Alzheimers or Parkinsons disease?

Such is the vision, promise and excitement in the burgeoning field of regenerative medicine, now a major ASU initiative to boost 21st-century medical research discoveries.

ASU Biodesign Institute researcher Nick Stephanopoulos is one of several rising stars in regenerative medicine. In 2015, Stephanopoulos, along with Alex Green and Jeremy Mills, were recruited to the Biodesign Institutes Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics (CMDB), directed by Hao Yan, a world-recognized leader in nanotechnology.

One of the things that that attracted me most to the ASU and the Biodesign CMDB was Haos vision to build a group of researchers that use biological molecules and design principles to make new materials that can mimic, and one day surpass, the most complex functions of biology, Stephanopoulos said.

I have always been fascinated by using biological building blocks like proteins, peptides and DNA to construct self-assembled structures, devices and materials, and the interdisciplinary and highly collaborative team in the CMDB is the ideal place to put this vision into practice.

Yans research center uses DNA and other basic building blocks to build their nanotechnology structures only at a scale 1,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

Theyve already used nanotechnology to build containers to specially deliver drugs to tissues, build robots to navigate a maze or nanowires for electronics.

To build a manufacturing industry at that tiny scale, their bricks and mortar use a colorful assortment of molecular Legos. Just combine the ingredients, and these building blocks can self-assemble in a seemingly infinite number of ways only limited by the laws of chemistry and physics and the creative imaginations of these budding nano-architects.

Learning from nature

The goal of the Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics is to usenatures design rulesas an inspiration in advancing biomedical, energy and electronics innovation throughself-assembling moleculesto create intelligent materials for better component control and for synthesis intohigher-order systems, said Yan, who also holds the Milton Glick Chair in Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Prior to joining ASU, Stephanopoulos trained with experts in biological nanomaterials, obtaining his doctorate with the University of California Berkeleys Matthew Francis, and completed postdoctoral studies with Samuel Stupp at Northwestern University. At Northwestern, he was part of a team that developed a new category of quilt-like, self-assembling peptide and peptide-DNA biomaterials for regenerative medicine, with an emphasis in neural tissue engineering.

Weve learned from nature many of the rules behind materials that can self-assemble. Some of the most elegant complex and adaptable examples of self-assembly are found in biological systems, Stephanopoulos said.

Because they are built from the ground-up using molecules found in nature, these materials are also biocompatible and biodegradable, opening up brand-new vistas for regenerative medicine.

Stephanopoulos tool kit includes using proteins, peptides, lipids and nucleic acids like DNA that have a rich biological lexicon of self-assembly.

DNA possesses great potential for the construction of self-assembled biomaterials due to its highly programmable nature; any two strands of DNA can be coaxed to assemble to make nanoscale constructs and devices with exquisite precision and complexity, Stephanopoulos said.

Proof all in the design

During his time at Northwestern, Stephanopoulos worked on a number of projects and developed proof-of-concept technologies for spinal cord injury, bone regeneration and nanomaterials to guide stem cell differentiation.

Now, more recently, in a new studyin Nature Communications, Stephanopoulos and his colleague Ronit Freeman in the Stupp laboratory successfully demonstrated the ability to dynamically control the environment around stem cells, to guide their behavior in new and powerful ways.

In the new technology, materials are first chemically decorated with different strands of DNA, each with a unique code for a different signal to cells.

To activate signals within the cells, soluble molecules containing complementary DNA strands are coupled to short protein fragments, called peptides, and added to the material to create DNA double helices displaying the signal.

By adding a few drops of the DNA-peptide mixture, the material effectively gives a green light to stem cells to reproduce and generate more cells. In order to dynamically tune the signal presentation, the surface is exposed to a soluble single-stranded DNA molecule designed to grab the signal-containing strand of the duplex and form a new DNA double helix, displacing the old signal from the surface.

This new duplex can then be washed away, turning the signal off. To turn the signal back on, all that is needed is to now introduce a new copy of single-stranded DNA bearing a signal that will reattach to the materials surface.

One of the findings of this work is the possibility of using the synthetic material to signal neural stem cells to proliferate, then at a specific time selected by the scientist, trigger their differentiation into neurons for a while, before returning the stem cells to a proliferative state on demand.

One potential use of the new technology to manipulate cells could help cure a patient with neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinsons disease.

The patients own skin cells could be converted to stem cells using existing techniques. The new technology could help expand the newly converted stem cells back in the lab and then direct their growth into specific dopamine-producing neurons before transplantation back to the patient.

People would love to have cell therapies that utilize stem cells derived from their own bodies to regenerate tissue, Stupp said. In principle, this will eventually be possible, but one needs procedures that are effective at expanding and differentiating cells in order to do so. Our technology does that.

In the future, it might be possible to perform this process entirely within the body. The stem cells would be implanted in the clinic, encapsulated in the type of material described in the new work, and injected into a particular spot. Then the soluble peptide-DNA molecules would be given to the patient to bind to the material and manipulate the proliferation and differentiation of transplanted cells.

Scaling the barriers

One of the future challenges in this area will be to develop materials that can respond better to external stimuli and reconfigure their physical or chemical properties accordingly.

Biological systems are complex, and treating injury or disease will in many cases necessitate a material that can mimic the complex spatiotemporal dynamics of the tissues they are used to treat, Stephanopoulos said.

It is likely that hybrid systems that combine multiple chemical elements will be necessary; some components may provide structure, others biological signaling and yet others a switchable element to imbue dynamic ability to the material.

A second challenge, and opportunity, for regenerative medicine lies in creating nanostructures that can organize material across multiple length scales. Biological systems themselves are hierarchically organized: from molecules to cells to tissues, and up to entire organisms.

Consider that for all of us, life starts simple, with just a single cell. By the time we reach adulthood, every adult human body is its own universe of cells, with recent estimates of 37 trillion or so. The human brain alone has 100 billion cells or about the same number of cells as stars in the Milky Way galaxy.

But over the course of a life, or by disease, whole constellations of cells are lost due to the ravages of time or the genetic blueprints going awry.

Collaborative DNA

To overcome these obstacles, much more research funding and recruitment of additional talent to ASU will be needed to build the necessary regenerative medicine workforce.

Last year, Stephanopoulos research received a boost with funding from the U.S. Air Forces Young Investigator Research Program (YIP).

The Air Force Office of Scientific ResearchYIP award will facilitate Nicks research agenda in this direction, and is a significant recognition of his creativity and track record at the early stage of his careers, Yan said.

Theyll need this and more to meet the ultimate challenge in the development of self-assembled biomaterials and translation to clinical applications.

Buoyed by the funding, during the next research steps, Stephanopoulos wants to further expand horizons with collaborations from other ASU colleagues to take his research teams efforts one step closer to the clinic.

ASU and the Biodesign Institute also offer world-class researchers in engineering, physics and biology for collaborations, not to mention close ties with the Mayo Clinic or a number of Phoenix-area institutes so we can translate our materials to medically relevant applications, Stephanopoulos said.

There is growing recognition that regenerative medicine in the Valley could be a win-win for the area, in delivering new cures to patients and building, person by person, a brand-new medicinal manufacturing industry.

Stephanopoulos recent research was carried out at Stupps Northwesterns Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health (grant 5R01DE015920) provided funding for biological experiments, and the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences provided funding for the development of the new materials (grants DE-FG01-00ER45810 and DE-SC0000989 supporting an Energy Frontiers Research Center on Bio-Inspired Energy Science (CBES)).

The paper is titled Instructing cells with programmable peptide DNA hybrids. Samuel I. Stupp is the senior author of the paper, and post-doctoral fellows Ronit Freeman and Nicholas Stephanopoulos are primary authors.

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Bio-inspired Materials Give Boost to Regenerative Medicine - Bioscience Technology

The global regenerative medicine market size is expected to reach USD 5.59 billion by 2025, according to this new report. Increased prevalence of neurodegenerative, orthopedic, and other aging-related disorders in geriatric population coupled with rising global geriatric population is anticipated to drive market growth.

Developments in biotechnology have enabled gaining in-depth knowledge pertaining to cell division and differentiation as well as the metabolism mechanism of various cells. This enriched knowledge, coupled with emergence of novel streams of biotechnology such as gene therapy and nanotechnology, further prospered use of cell-based technology in therapeutic treatment.

Identification of ability of stem cells to develop into various different cell lines further propelled the advancements in regenerative medicine. Frequent media exposure due to regulatory as well as ethical controversies around embryonic stem cells has increased awareness among the masses. This encouraged researchers to explore and develop other potential fields for similar applications, such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC).

Furthermore, the emergence of gene therapy techniques with potential to rectify and restore effects of gene mutations in cells is under development. Conditions caused due to Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) as well as mutations that induce degenerative characteristics are primarily targeted.

Companies Mentioned

Key Topics Covered:

1 Research Methodology

2. Executive Summary

3. Regenerative Medicnie Market Variables, Trends & Scope

4. Regenerative Medicine Market: Product Type Estimates & Trend Analysis

5. Regenerative Medicine Market: Therapeutic Category Estimates & Trend Analysis

6. Regenerative Medicine Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis, by Product And Therapeutic Category

7. Competitive Landscape

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/948x9s/regenerative

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com

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Regenerative Medicine Market to Reach $5.5 Billion by 2025 ... - PR Newswire (press release)

SAN CARLOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cellerant Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing innovative immunotherapies for hematologic malignancies and other blood-related disorders, today announced it has been awarded a grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) for up to $6.86 million to support preclinical development and the filing of an Investigational New Drug application (IND) for CLT030-ADC, Cellerants antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) product for the treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML is an aggressive cancer with high relapse rates and low overall survival, which are thought to be due to the persistence of leukemic stem cells that are relatively resistant to current chemotherapy regimens. CLT030-ADC targets C-type-like lectin 1 (CLL1), a cell surface antigen highly expressed on leukemic stem cells but not on normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

CIRM is an agency of the State of California whose mission is to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. CIRM grants are awarded through a competitive process which includes rigorous review and evaluation by independent scientific and medical experts.

"We are honored to receive this award from CIRM, which will help us advance the development of CLT030-ADC, said Ram Mandalam, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Cellerant. Based on target characteristics and preclinical results, CLT030-ADC has the potential to increase survival and become a first-in-class treatment for AML patients. We are excited to be working with CIRM to develop this novel therapeutic for an unmet medical need.

Our mission here at CIRM is to support novel stem cell-based therapeutics, including those that target cancer stem cells, added Maria Millan, M.D., interim President and CEO of CIRM. Cancer stem cells are believed to play a key role in tumor formation and growth, so attacking them has the potential to improve patient outcomes in deadly diseases such as AML.

CLT030-ADC consists of an antibody targeting CLL1 linked to a DNA-damaging cytotoxic payload. CLL1 is an antigen expressed specifically on AML cancer stem cells and not on normal hematopoietic stem cells. The Company and others have shown that CLL1 is expressed in approximately 90% of all AML patient types, including all French American British classifications, all cytogenetic risk categories, and in patients independent of FLT-3 status. In preclinical AML models, CLT030-ADC demonstrated complete target-dependent tumor regression. Importantly, CLT030-ADC should have minimal effect on the formation of

normal blood cell types because CLL1 is not expressed on normal hematopoietic stem cells and minimally on progenitor cells. This would potentially be an important safety advantage compared to other targeted therapies for AML where the target antigen is expressed on normal stem and progenitor cells, such as CD33.

About Cellerant Therapeutics

Cellerant Therapeutics is a clinical-stage company developing innovative cell- and antibody-based immunotherapies for hematologic malignancies and other blood-related disorders. Cellerants CLT-008 (human myeloid progenitor cells) is a universal cell therapy for the treatment of neutropenia. Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia is a severe side effect of many chemotherapy regimens, particularly for AML and other hematologic malignancies. CLT-008 is currently in a randomized, controlled Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with AML. Cellerants is developing two antibody drug-conjugate (ADC) product candidates: CLT030-ADC, intended to treat AML by selectively targeting and killing leukemic stem and blast cells, and CLT012-ADC, which could be a potential treatment for AML and a number of solid tumors. For more information, visit: http://www.cellerant.com

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Cellerant Therapeutics, Inc. Awarded $6.86 Million Grant From California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to ... - Business Wire (press release)

For some, the hardest part of hitting the gym is lacing up their shoes. But for others, its the actual exercise that makes working out so excruciating. The labored breathing, sore muscles, and sweat dripping into your eyes can be a high or just one step above torture depending on which type of person you are. A new study aimed to determine what accounts for these differences, and it turns out your genetics might be to blame for how much you dread going for a run.

The British Psychological Societys Research Digest reports on a study at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands, which enlisted 115 pairs of identical twins, 111 pairs of non-identical twins, 35 siblings related to the twins and 6 sibling pairs not from families with twins. Everyone rode an exercise bike for 20 minutes and completed a 20-minute run, both at a comfortable pace. Researchers monitored breathing to ensure the workouts were low intensity, and a warm up and cool down accompanied the routines. Subjects also completed a second short ride on the exercise bike that was more vigorous.

The siblings completed assessments while exercising, answering how they felt while working out, how much effort they put in, and whether they were energetic, lively, jittery or tense. Additionally, participants were interviewed about how often they exercised and to what intensity. Using the responses, researchers determined the participants psychological state during physical activity.

Then, scientists looked at the data to determine whether identical twins, who also have identical genes, had similar responses to exercising compared to fraternal twins and non-twin siblings. This allowed them to theorizehow much genetics actually played a role in someone's mental state during physical fitness. They concluded that genetics could account for up to 37 percent of the differences in the way people experienced exercise. Unsurprisingly, people who enjoyed fitness were prone to doing it more. However, its important to note that the study doesnt show a cause and effect relationship.

While this new research indicates that somemay not be born to love fitness, theres no denying that we should still do it. Aside from helping maintain weight, working out can lift your mood, reduce stress and anxiety, strengthen bones and and reduce risk of certain diseases.

Thankfully, it is possible to actually enjoy physical activity. Health reports that the most important thing is to take up an activity you actually like (and yes, there is bound to be something). "Too often I see people who sign up to do something like running, even though they know they hate running," Shavise Glascoe, exercise physiologist at the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, explained to the magazine. Even non-vigorous activities like walking your dog or dancing in your room count as exercise.

Finding a workout buddy is an easy way to instantly make jogging, walking or lifting weights more interesting. A study from 2013 found that people who worked out with a spouse, friend or family member reported more enjoyment than doing it alone. If the activity took place around nature, people reported even more enjoyment and better moods. So, stop reading this, grab a buddy and hit your nearest walking trail.

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Genetics, Not Laziness, Might Be Why You Hate Exercising - Medical Daily

Human history is often something modern man only sees as through a glass, darkly. This is particularly the case when that history did not occur in the Mediterranean, the Nile Valley, India, or China, or when there is no written record on which scholars can rely. Exacerbating the disrupting effects of time on history can be when that history occurs in a region where extensive migration has disrupted whatever temporarily stable civilization happened to have taken root at that place at any particular time.

But humans leave traces of themselves in their history and a variety of such traces have been the source of reconstructions outside conventional sources. Luigi Cavalli-Sforza began the study of human population genetics as a way to understand this history in 1971 in The Genetics of Human Populations, and later extended these studies to include language and how it influences gene flow between human populations. More recent efforts to use genetics to reconstruct history include Deep Ancestry: The Landmark DNA Quest to Decipher Our Distant Past by Spencer Wells (National Geographic: 2006), and The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science that Reveals our Genetic Ancestry by Brian Sykes (Carrol & Graf: 2002). And even more recently, genetic studies have illuminated the "fine structure" of human populations in England (see "Fine-structure Genetic Mapping of Human Population in Britain").

Two recent reports illustrate how genetics can inform history: the first, in the American Journal of Human Genetics entitled "Continuity and Admixture in the Last Five Millennia of Levantine History from Ancient Canaanite and Present-Day Lebanese Genome Sequences"; and a second in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, entitled "Genomic landscape of human diversity across Madagascar." In the first study, authors* from The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, University of Cambridge, University of Zurich, University of Otago, Bournemouth University, Lebanese American University, and Harvard University found evidence of genetic admixture over 5,000 years of a Canaanite population that has persisted in Lebanese populations into the modern era. This population is interesting for historians in view of the central location of the ancestral home of the Canaanites, the Levant, in the Fertile Crescent that ran from Egypt through Mesopotamia. The Canaanites also inhabited the Levant during the Bronze Age and provide a critical link between the Neolithic transition from hunter gatherer societies to agriculture. This group (known to the ancient Greeks as the Phoenicians) is also a link to the great early societies recognized through their historical writings and civilizations (including the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans); if the Canaanites had any such texts or other writings they have not survived. In addition, the type of genetic analyses that have been done for European populations has not been done for descendants of inhabitants of the Levant from this historical period. This paper uses genetic comparisons between 99 modern day residents of Lebanon (specifically, from Sidon and the Lebanese interior) and ancient DNA (aDNA) from ~3,700 year old genomes from petrous bone of individuals interred in gravesites in Sidon. For aDNA, these analyses yielded 0.4-2.3-fold genomic DNA coverage and 53-264-fold mitochondrial DNA coverage, and also compared Y chromosome sequences with present-day Lebanese, two Canaanite males and samples from the 1000 Genomes Project. Over one million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used for comparison.

These results indicated that the Canaanite ancestry was an admixture of local Neolithic populations and migrants from Chalcolithic (Copper Age) Iran. The authors estimate from these linkage disequilibrium studies that this admixture occurred between 6,600 and 3,550 years ago, a date that is consistent with recorded mass migrations in the region during that time. Perhaps surprisingly, their results also show that the majority of the present-day Lebanese population has inherited most of their genomic DNA from these Canaanite ancestors. These researchers also found traces of Eurasian ancestry consistent with conquests by outside populations during the period from 3,750-2,170 years ago, as well as the expansion of Phoenician maritime trade network that extended during historical time to the Iberian Peninsula.

The second paper arose from genetic studies of an Asian/African admixture population on Mozambique. This group** from the University of Toulouse, INSERM, the University of Bordeaux, University of Indonesia, the Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Institut genomique, Centre Nacional de Genotypage, University of Melbourne, and the Universite de la Rochelle, showed geographic stratification between ancestral African (mostly Bantu) and Asian (Austronesean) ancestors. Cultural, historical, linguistic, ethnographic, archeological, and genetic studies supports the conclusion that Madagascar residents have traits from both populations but the effects of settlement history are termed "contentious" by these authors. Various competing putative "founder" populations (including Arabic, Indian, Papuan, and/or Jewish populations as well as first settlers found only in legend, under names like "Vazimba," "Kimosy," and "Gola") have been posited as initial settlers. These researchers report an attempt to illuminate the ancestry of the Malagasy by a study of human genetics.

These results showed common Bantu and Austronesian descent for the population with what the authors termed "limited" paternal contributions from Europe and Middle Eastern populations. The admixture of African and Austronesian populations occurred "recently" (i.e., over the past millennium) but was gender-biased and heterogeneous, which reflected for these researchers independent colonization by the two groups. The results also indicated that detectable genetic structure can be imposed on human populations over a relatively brief time (~ a few centuries).

Using a "grid-based approach" the researchers performed a high-resolution genetic diversity study that included maternal and paternal lineages as well as genome-wide data from 257 villages and over 2,700 Malagasy individuals. Maternal inheritance patterns were interrogated using mitochondrial DNA and patterns of paternity assayed using Y chromosomal sequences. Non-gender specific relationships were assessed through 2.5 million SNPs. Mitochondrial DNA analyses showed maternal inheritance from either African or East Asian origins (with one unique Madagascar variant termed M23) in roughly equal amounts, with no evidence of maternal gene flow from Europe or the Middle East. The M23 variant shows evidence of recent (within 900-1500 years) origin. Y chromosomal sequences, in contrast are much more prevalent from African origins (70.7% Africa:20.7% East Asia); the authors hypothesize that the remainder may reflect Muslim influences, with evidence of but little European ancestry.

Admixture assessments support Southeast Asian (Indonesian) and East African source populations for the Malagasy admixture. These results provide the frequency of the African component to be ~59%, the Asian component frequency to be ~37%, and the Western European component to have a frequency of about 4% (albeit with considerable variation, e.g., African ancestry can range from ~26% to almost 93%). Similar results were obtained when the frequency of chromosomal fragments shared with other populations were compared to the Malagasy population (finding the closest link to Asian populations from south Borneo, and excluding Indian, Somali, and Ethiopian populations, although the analysis was sensitive in one individual to detect French Basque ancestry). The split with ancestral Asian populations either occurred ~2,500 years ago or by slower divergence between ~2,000-3,000 years ago, while divergence with Bantu populations occurred more recently (~1,500 years ago).

There were also significant differences in geographic distribution between descendants of these ancestral populations. Maternal African lineages were found predominantly in north Madagascar, with material Asian lineages found in central and southern Madagascar (from mtDNA analyses). Paternal lineages were generally much lower overall for Asian descendants (~30% in central Madagascar) based on Y chromosome analyses. Genome-wide analyses showed "highlanders" had predominantly Asian ancestry (~65%) while coastal inhabitants had predominantly (~65%) African ancestry; these results depended greatly on the method of performing the analyses which affected the granularity of the geographic correlates. Finally, assessing admixture patterns indicated that the genetic results are consistent with single intermixing event (500-900 years ago) for all but one geographic area, which may have seen a first event 28 generations ago and a second one only 4 generations ago. These researchers also found evidence of at least one population bottleneck, where the number of individuals dropped to a few hundred people about 1,000-800 years ago.

These results are represented pictorially in the paper:

In view of the current political climate, the eloquent opening of the paper deserves attention:

Ancient long-distance voyaging between continents stimulates the imagination, raises questions about the circumstances surrounding such voyages, and reminds us that globalization is not a recent phenomenon. Moreover, populations which thereby come into contact can exchange genes, goods, ideas and technologies.

* Marc Haber, Claude Doumet-Serhal, Christiana Scheib, Yali Xue, Petr Danecek, Massimo Mezzavilla, Sonia Youhanna, Rui Martiniano, Javier Prado-Martinez, Micha Szpak, Elizabeth Matisoo-Smith, Holger Schutkowski, Richard Mikulski, Pierre Zalloua, Toomas Kivisild, Chris Tyler-Smith

** Denis Pierrona, Margit Heiskea, Harilanto Razafindrazakaa, Ignace Rakotob, Nelly Rabetokotanyb, Bodo Ravololomangab, Lucien M.-A. Rakotozafyb, Mireille Mialy Rakotomalalab, Michel Razafiarivonyb, Bako Rasoarifetrab, Miakabola Andriamampianina Raharijesyb, Lolona Razafindralambob, Ramilisoninab, Fulgence Fanonyb, Sendra Lejamblec, Olivier Thomasc, Ahmed Mohamed Abdallahc, Christophe Rocherc,, Amal Arachichec, Laure Tonasoa, Veronica Pereda-lotha, Stphanie Schiavinatoa, Nicolas Brucatoa, Francois-Xavier Ricauta, Pradiptajati Kusumaa,d,e, Herawati Sudoyod,e, Shengyu Nif, Anne Bolandg, Jean-Francois Deleuzeg, Philippe Beaujardh, Philippe Grangei, Sander Adelaarj, Mark Stonekingf, Jean-Aim Rakotoarisoab, Chantal Radimilahy, and Thierry Letelliera

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Using Genetics to Uncover Human History - JD Supra (press release)

The opening of Hendrix Genetics in Grand Island on Aug. 15 is an excellent example of the power of markets supplemented by appropriate government policy.

Feeding a growing world population now estimated to be 7.5 billion provides both a challenge and an opportunity as food producers endeavor to meet the growing demand for food. For Hendrix Genetics this demand represents opportunity as it is a world leader in turkey, layer and trout breeding as well as a major player in swine, salmon and guinea fowl production.

The numbers connected with Hendrix Genetics are impressive. They currently have 25 percent of the United States egg hatchery market and the new hatchery in Grand Island will serve 10 percent of the U.S. market. With good science and management, poultry production is an excellent way to provide quality food for both domestic and world markets.

Hendrix Genetics was willing and able to create the Grand Island plant because essential markets were available to meet their needs. After a nationwide search they determined that Grand Island was an excellent location. It provided needed isolation that was essential for the required biosecurity. In our area they found infrastructure for transportation needs, access to willing, affordable and capable labor and area producers to build and manage outlying barns as well as to provide feed.

For each component in the production process, prices, profits and wages had to be sufficient to bring together all the resources necessary to open and operate the plant.

Government policies had to align with needs of Hendrix Genetics and our community gave them an excellent invitation to grow our economy. The work of the Grand Island Area Economic Development Corporation was very important and we would add necessary and effective. Government and private enterprise had an effective partnership.

Also to be noted is that Hendrix Genetics is based in Holland and joins other industries in our community that are based in other countries such as New Holland-Italy and JBS-Brazil. Global interdependence is a reality and a plus for all those ready and willing to participate in the global economy.

America first may be effective political rhetoric in some parts of our country, but it is not good long term economic policy. Free trade and open borders will serve us better, particularly the food producers in the Midwest who are willing and able to feed the growing world population and rely on world markets.

This confluence of markets has added an $18 million investment to the city of Grand Island, more than 40 permanent jobs and an economic infusion estimated at $40 million.

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Hendrix Genetics is an economic 'win-win' for GI - Grand Island Independent

A white supremacist wears a shirt with the slogan European Brotherhood at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S., August 12, 2017. Photo by Joshua Roberts/Reuters

Whether youre a white supremacist, a white nationalist or a member of the alt-right, much of your ideology centers around a simple principle: being white. The creation of a white ethnostate, populated and controlled by pure descendants of white Europeans, ranks high on your priority list.

Yet, when confronted with genetic evidence suggesting someone isnt pure blood, as white supremacists put it, they do not cast the person out of online communities. They bargain.

A new study from UCLA found when genetic ancestry tests like 23andMe spot mixed ancestry among white supremacists, most respond in three ways to discount the results and keep members with impure genealogy in their clan. Their reactions range from challenging the basic math behind the tests to accusing Jewish conspirators of sabotage.

Some argued their family history was all the proof they needed. Or they looked in the mirror and clung to the notion that race and ethnicity are directly visible, which is false.

But the real takeaway centers on a new, nuanced pattern within white supremacist groups to redefine and solidify their ranks through genetic ancestry testing, said Aaron Panofsky, a UCLA sociologist who co-led the study presented Monday at the American Sociological Associations 112th annual meeting in Montreal.

Once they start to see that a lot of members of their community are not going to fit the all-white criteria, they start to say, Well, do we have to think about what percentage [of white European genealogy] could define membership? said Aaron Panofsky, a UCLA sociologist who co-led the study presented Monday at the American Sociological Associations 112th annual meeting in Montreal.

And this co-opting of science raises an important reminder: The best way to counter white supremacists may not be to fight their alternative facts with logical ones, according to people who rehabilitate far-right extremists.

To catalog white supremacists reactions to genetic ancestry results, this study logged onto the website Stormfront. Launched in 1995, Stormfront was an original forum of white supremacy views on the internet. The website resembles a Reddit-style social network, filled with chat forums and users posting under anonymous nicknames. By housing nearly one million archived threads and over twelve million posts by 325,000 or more members, Stormfront serves as a living history of the white nationalist movement.

Over the course of two years, Panofsky and fellow UCLA sociologist Joan Donovan combed through this online community and found 153 posts where users volunteered the results of genetic ancestry tests. They then read through the subsequent discussion threads 2,341 posts wherein the community faced their collective identities.

No surprise, but white supremacists celebrate the test results that suggest full European ancestry. One example:

67% British isles18% Balkan15% Scandinavian100% white! HURRAY!

On the flip side, Panofsky and Donovan found that bad news was rarely met with expulsion from the group.

So sometimes, someone says, Yeah, this makes you not white. Go kill yourself,' Panofsky said. Much more of the responses are what we call repair responses where theyre saying, OK, this is bad news. Lets think about how you should interpret this news to make it to make it right.'

These repair responses fell into two categories.

Reject! One coping mechanism involved the outright rejection of genetic tests validity. Some argued their family history was all the proof they needed. Or they looked in the mirror and clung to the notion that race and ethnicity are directly visible, which is false, University of Chicago population geneticist John Novembre told NewsHour.

Genetically, the idea of white European as a single homogenous group does not hold up.

Though the genetics of whiteness are not completely understood, the gene variants known to influence skin color are more diluted across the globe than any random spot in the human genome. That is to say, humans appear, based on our skin pigmentation, to be much more different from each other than we actually are on a genomic level, Novembre said.

Others accused the ancestry companies of being run and manipulated by Jews, in an attempt to thwart white nationalism, but even other Stormfront users pointed out the inaccuracy of this idea.

Reinterpret:The biggest proportion of responses 1,260 posts tried to rationalize the result by offering an educational or scientific explanation for the genetic ancestry results. Many in the online community played a numbers game. If a genetic ancestry test stated someone was 95 percent white European, they would merely count the remaining 5 percent as a statistical error.

Many adapted this line of thinking to make exceptions for those with mixed ancestry. Nearly 500 posts made appeals by misapplying theories of genetics or by saying whiteness is a culture, not just biology an apparent contradiction to the mission of forming a pure ethnostate. This trend led some white supremacists to debate the boundaries of their ethnostate, Panofsky said.

They start to think about the genetic signs and markers of white nationalism that might be useful for our community, Panofsky said. [They say] maybe there are going to be lots of different white nations, each with slightly different rules for nationalism? Or an overlapping set of nations, that are genetically defined in their own ways?

But these arguments are moot, because these genetic ancestry boundaries are inherently built on shaky ground.

If it seems white supremacists are making arbitrary decisions about their ancestry tests, its hard to blame them. Direct-to-consumer ancestry testing is a slippery, secretive industry, built largely upon arbitrary scientific definitions.

Its black box because its corporate, said Jonathan Marks, biological anthropologist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The way these answers are generated depends strongly on the sampling, the laboratory work that you do and the algorithm that you use to analyze the information. All of this stuff is intellectual property. We cant really evaluate it.

White nationalists carry torches on the grounds of the University of Virginia, on the eve of a planned Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S. August 11, 2017. Picture taken August 11, 2017. Photo by Alejandro Alvarez/News2Share via REUTERS

Genetic ancestry companies assess a persons geographic heritage by analyzing DNA markers in their autosomal DNA (for individual variation), mitochondrial DNA (for maternal history) or their Y chromosome (for paternal history). The latter two sources of DNA remain unchanged from parent to child to grandchild, aside from a relatively small number of mutations that occur naturally during life. These mutations can serve as branch points in the trees of human ancestry, Panofsky and Donovan wrote, and as DNA markers specific to different regions around the world.

When genetic anthropologists examine the full scope of humans, they find that historical patterns in DNA markers make the case that everyone in the world came from a common ancestor who was born in East Africa within the last 100,000 to 200,000 years. Plus, groups intermingled so much over the course of history that genetic diversity is a continuum both within American and Europe, through to Asia and Africa, Novembre of the University of Chicago said.

WATCH: Years after transatlantic slavery, DNA tests give clarity

Genetically, the idea of white European as a single homogenous group does not hold up. The classic geographic boundaries of the Mediterranean, Caucasus, and Urals that have shaped human movement and contact are all permeable barriers, said Novembre. Most of the genetic variants you or I carry, we share with other people all across the globeIf you are in some ethnic group, there are not single genetic variants that you definitely have and everyone outside the group does not.

Commercial ancestry companies know these truths, but bend them to draw arbitrary conclusions about peoples ancestry, researchers say. They compare DNA from a customer to the genomes of people or reference groups whose ancestries they claim to already know.

23andMe, for instance, uses reference dataset that include genomes from 10,418 people who were carefully chosen to reflect populations that existed before transcontinental travel and migration were common (at least 500 years ago). To build these geographic groups, they select individuals who say all four of their grandparents were born in the same country, and then remove outliers whose DNA markers do not match well within the group.

These choices willfully bias the genetic definitions for both geography and time. They claim that a relatively small group of modern people can reveal the past makeup of Europe, Africa and Asia and the ancestral histories for millions of customers. But their reference groups skew toward the present and overpromise on the details of where people came from.

While 23andMe denounces the use of their services to justify hateful ideologies, they do not actively ban known white supremacists from their DNA testing.

A study by 23andMe reported that with their definition of European ancestry, there is an average of 98.6 percent European ancestry among self-reported European-Americans. But given all Ive said, we should digest this with caution, Novembre said. An individual with 100 percent European ancestry tests is simply someone who looks very much like the European reference samples being used.

Though ancestry companies cite research that claims genetic tests can pinpoint someone within 100 miles of their European ancestral home, thats not always the case. Marks offered the recent example of three blond triplets who took an ancestry test for the TV show The Doctors. The test said the triplets were 99 percent European. But one sister had more English and Irish ancestry, while another had more French and German. Did we mention they are identical triplets?

That shows you just how much slop there is in these kinds of of ancestry estimates, Marks said.

Marks described commercial ancestry testing as recreational science because its proprietary nature lacks public, academic oversight, but uses scientific practices to validate stereotypical notions of race and ethnicity.

While 23andMe denounces the use of their services to justify hateful ideologies, they do not actively ban known white supremacists from their DNA testing, BuzzFeed reported.

But white supremacists arent the only ones to buy into these wayward notions when genetic ancestry tests support their self-prescribed identities or reject the science when things dont pan out as expected. African-Americans do it too, as Columbia University sociologist Alondra Nelson found in 2008.

Consumers have what I call genealogical aspiration, Nelson told NewsHour. They often make choices among dozens of companies based on the kind of information theyre seeking. If youre interested in finding whether or not youre a member of the small group that has, for example, some trace of Neanderthal DNA, then youre going to go to a company that focuses on that.

She said Panofsky and Donovans study shows that white nationalists will engage in a process of psychic and symbolic negotiation when genetic ancestry results fail to satisfy their impossible idea for racial purity.

But Panofsky, who doesnt support or sympathize with white nationalists, believes these negotiations are not a reason to dismiss white nationalists as ignorant and stupid.

I think that is actually a dangerous view, Panofsky said. Our study reveals that these white nationalists are often engaging with genetic information in extraordinarily sophisticated ways.

Many white supremacists are dealing with toxic shame, a perpetual subconscious belief system where their sense of identity is negative.

White supremacists are trying to deal with the issue of identity as an intellectual problem, said Tony McAleer, the co-founder and board chair of Life After Hate, a counseling organization that rehabs white supremacists. But he said the rehab of white nationalist views doesnt start with challenging their mental gymnastics with data.

We need to deal with the emotional drivers first, McAleer said. University of Maryland did a study of violent extremists and what they found was the number one correlated factor with someone joining a violent extremist group was childhood trauma.

But McAleer continued that the emotional trauma fueling white supremacy extends past physical and sexual abuse. Many white supremacists are dealing with toxic shame, a perpetual subconscious belief system where their sense of identity is negative.

The person feels at a subconscious level theyre not good enough, McAleer said. One way to react to that is to perpetually spend all of your efforts to prove to the world that you are a winner.

So, Life After Hates antidote to this shame is compassion and empathy, he said. Rather than toss statistics about how Muslims arent flooding the country and do not lead to spikes in crime, they will take a white supremacist to an Islamic center and have them sit down and spend time there.

A personal connection is a much more powerful way to change the dynamics within a person, than it is to re-educate the dataset thats in their head, McAleer said.

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How white supremacists respond when their DNA says they're not ... - PBS NewsHour

Two timely issues call into question our use of genetics, both in science and popular usage: CRISPR technology used in the pre-natal state to genetically edit-out/repair potentially fatal genes, and the Google controversy.

CRISPR Clustered Regularly Interspersed Short Palindromic Repeats technology, discovered by scientists at UC Berkeley and modified by those at MIT, will almost certainly result in a Nobel Prize. Berkeley scientists discovered that these repeats were used by bacteria to protect themselves against viral infections. Between the repeats, they found pieces of the viral DNA that had previously attacked the bacterium. If, and when, the same virus again attacked, the intruder viral DNA would be compared to the DNA stored between the repeats. If it is recognized as a repeat offender, the bacterium sends in proteins to destroy the viral DNA. They additionally noted that in non-virally infected bacteria, CRISPR could be used to delete some bacterial genes and replace them with others.

Our use of this technology in human cells allows injection of the DNA-modifying proteins into a human egg while it is being fertilized in a test-tube. Fatal genetic conditions identified in the mother or father in the recent report this was a cardiac abnormality, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can potentially be corrected pre-natally and, after the correction, the fertilized egg implanted into the mother. An incredibly promising technology, it may allow, as with this cardiac abnormality, children at-risk for sudden death to grow old.

Of course, there are ethical concerns related to this technology. Will it be used to create perfect people, eliminating the diversity that makes us better and stronger? That is up to us. A head-in-the-sand refusal to engage with this is not the answer.

The scientific use of genetics and the concept of diversity, above, is tied to its non-scientific use in the Googles James Damore controversy.

Damore spent 3,400 words to say three things: Women and ethnic minorities are genetically different than (select) men; Those genetic differences are why there are more men than women (and minorities) in positions of power; Refusing to acknowledge this creates all sorts of difficulties and controversy, and is bad for business.

Google, he argues, doesnt allow ideas such as his from being discussed, as people are shamed into silence.

The differences between men and women in the workplace are due to inherent, genetic differences, he claims. What?

There are differences between men and women phenotypic (hair color, eye color) and genotypic (a slight variation in genes coding for gender) for which I am always pleased. Do these explain workplace differences? Pay differences? IQ? No. What we term Intelligence Quotient is heavily influenced by surroundings and upbringing, including social class. Not that inherent ability is meaningless, but environment matters. It is not nurture versus nature, it is nurture and nature.

There is a thoughtful part of Damores thesis, meriting consideration. Diversity is right because it makes us better and stronger; we should welcome diverse voices. He muddles this logical point by claiming women are paid less than men for the same job because they spend more money and, somehow, this is genetic; so much for diversity.

Genetics both does and does not make us who we are. Yes, there are genetic elements within us that make us phenotypically what we are: Brown eyes rather than green; black hair rather than blond. But brilliance? Thoughtfulness? Humanity? Empathy? The ability to work together to solve a problem? To work on a problem day after day until the solution appears?

If there is a genetics to this, it is the ability of multiple genes to be turned on by stimulation in a young person. These on-switches are flipped by parents and a society that loves and provides for the child, allows the child to explore and ask questions. A society that takes the child seriously. A society that does not think of the child, the sum of her phenotype, what she looks like.

The danger from CRISPR technology is it could be used to create the perfect human, eliminating the diversity that makes us better, and our world more beautiful. Damores paper, without using such technology, does just that. He turns women and ethnic minorities into caricatures of themselves, while asserting that it is he who is not appreciated or valued.

Peoples opinions vary, but facts suggest we are surrounded by conservative voices, of which I am a multi-faceted one.

CRISPR technology has downsides; we need international guardrails for its use. But the misuse of genetics to explain our societys flaws is an error of the highest magnitude. Much more dangerous than the CRISPR tool-set, we see it in action every day. In papers such as Mr. Damores, and in the way we think of, and treat, our children, boys and girls.

Our world view, ideology, is like the air we breathe: invisible, almost indescribable. It is this ideological view that allows Damore and sometimes us to simultaneously argue for diversity, while doing all in our power to eliminate it.

Follow Dr. A. Joseph Layon on Twitter @ajlayon or on his health blog, also titled Notes from the Southern Heartland (ajlayon.com). Letters may be sent to: LettersNFTSH@gmail.com.

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Does genetics make me what I am? - Sunbury Daily Item

Space travel can cause a lot of stress on the human body as the change in gravity, radiation and other factors creates a hostile environment. While much is known about how different parts of the body react in space, how lungs are affected by spaceflight has received little attention until now, say researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and Houston Methodist Research Institute.

That will change, though, once their research project, which aims to grow lungs in space, reaches the International Space Station. UTMB and HMRI researchers say what they learn from the study could have real implications for astronauts, as well as those still on Earth, and could lead to future therapeutics.

We know a lot about what happens in space to bones, muscle, the heart and the immune system, but nobody knows much about what happens to the lungs, said Joan Nichols, a professor of Internal Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, and associate director for research and operations for the Galveston National Laboratory at UTMB. We know that there are some problems with lungs in space flight, but that hasnt been closely looked into. We hope to find out how lung cells react to the change in gravity and the extreme space environment, and then that can help us protect astronauts in space, as well as the lungs of regular people here on Earth.

This investigation represents the third of four collaborative projects currently active at the HMRIs Center for Space Nanomedicine. The center, directed by Alessandro Grattoni, chairman and associate professor of the Department of Nanomedicine at HMRI, focuses on the investigation of nanotechnology-based strategies for medicine on Earth and in space. The research is supported by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, NASA and HMRI.

Scientists from UTMB and HMRI prepared bioreactor pouches that include lung progenitor and stem cells and pieces of lung scaffolding. The scaffolding is the collagen and elastin frame on which lung cells grow. Space X successfully launched the payload containing these pouches Aug. 14 on its 12th Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS-12) from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida and arrived at the International Space Station Aug. 16. On the ISS, the cells are expected to grow on the scaffold in a retrofitted bioreactor.

Once the lung cells have returned to Earth, researchers will look for the development of fibrosis, the structure of the tissues and the response of immune cells, among other changes and damage that could occur to the lung cells. Lung injuries have been found to accelerate in space, and it is through close study of those cells that therapeutics hopefully could be developed.

Nichols and Dr. Joaquin Cortiella, a professor and director of the Lab of Tissue Engineering and Organ Regeneration at UTMB, have successfully grown lungs in their lab in Galveston, but now they will see if astronauts can do the same in zero gravity. Jason Sakamoto, affiliate professor and former co-chair of the Department of Nanomedicine at HMRI, has applied his novel organ decellularization process and nanotechnology-based delivery systems to support this overall lung regeneration effort.

We have experience working with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space to study our nanotechnologies in action on the International Space Station, Grattoni said. However, we are extremely excited to be a part of this clinical study, since it may play a pivotal role in how we approach future space travel in terms of preserving astronaut health. What we learn during this fundamental experiment could lead to science-fiction-like medical advancements, where organ regeneration becomes a reality in both deep space and here on Earth.

Researchers at HMRI will take the results from UTMB and work on developing therapeutics that could help astronauts, as well as people on Earth.

This exploration will provide fundamental insight for the collaborative development of cell-based therapies for autoimmune diseases, hormone deficiencies and other issues, Grattoni said.

Excerpt from:
Lungs in Space - Texas Medical Center (press release)