StemCell Therapy

How does the skin develop follicles and eventually sprout hair? A USC-led study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), addresses this question using insights gleaned from organoids, 3D assemblies of cells possessing rudimentary skin structure and functionincluding the ability to grow hair.

In the study, first author Mingxing Lei, a postdoctoral scholar in the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Cheng-Ming Chuong, and an international team of scientists started with dissociated skin cells from a newborn mouse. Lei then took hundreds of timelapse movies to analyze the collective cell behavior. They observed that these cells formed organoids by transitioning through six distinct phases: 1) dissociated cells; 2) aggregated cells; 3) cysts; 4) coalesced cysts; 5) layered skin; and 6) skin with follicles, which robustly produce hair after being transplanted onto the back of a host mouse.

In contrast, dissociated skin cells from an adult mouse only reached phase 2aggregationbefore stalling in their development and failing to produce hair.

To understand the forces at play, the scientists analyzed the molecular events and physical processes that drove successful organoid formation with newborn mouse cells.

We used a combination of bioinformatics and molecular screenings, and the core facilities at the Health Sciences Campus have facilitated my analyses, said Lei.

At various time points, they observed increased activity in genes related to: the protein collagen; the blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin; the formation of cellular sheets; the adhesion, death or differentiation of cells; and many other processes. In addition to determining which genes were active and when, the scientists also determined where in the organoid this activity took place. Next, they blocked the activity of specific genes to confirm their roles in organoid development.

By carefully studying these developmental processes, the scientists obtained a molecular how to guide for driving individual skin cells to self-organize into organoids that can produce hair. They then applied this how to guide to the stalled organoids derived from adult mouse skin cells. By providing the right molecular and genetic cues in the proper sequence, they were able to stimulate these adult organoids to continue their development and eventually produce hair. In fact, the adult organoids produced 40 percent as much hair as the newborn organoidsa significant improvement.

Normally, many aging individuals do not grow hair well, because adult cells gradually lose their regenerative ability, said Chuong, senior author, USC Stem Cell principal investigator and professor of pathology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. With our new findings, we are able to make adult mouse cells produce hair again. In the future, this work can inspire a strategy for stimulating hair growth in patients with conditions ranging from alopecia to baldness.

This article has been republished frommaterialsprovided byUSC Stem Cell. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

Reference:

Lei, M., Schumacher, L. J., Lai, Y., Juan, W., Yeh, C., Wu, P., . . . Chuong, C. (2017). Self-organization process in newborn skin organoid formation inspires strategy to restore hair regeneration of adult cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201700475. doi:10.1073/pnas.1700475114

The rest is here:
Molecular "How To" Guide For Producing Hair Follicles Obtained - Technology Networks

The major strength of the Department of Molecular Genetics is its widely recognized Faculty who run a remarkable variety of world-class research programs in diverse areas such as:

Our Faculty have made important contributions in many fields and have been the recipients of numerous national and international awards. As a Department, our major focus is on graduate training. Graduates from our programs regularly gain postdoctoral positions in prestigious laboratories and staff positions in major universities, research institutes and industry throughout the world.

Research in molecular genetics is increasingly driven by technology and the analysis of the systems-level datasets that new technology has enabled. As a result, there is a high demand for researchers who have a solid grounding in quantitative sciences as well as biology. Because few students will have fully achieved this goal as undergraduates, we have developed two Ph.D. ?tracks? within the Molecular Genetics graduate orogram aimed at training this next generation of scientists.

The Quantitative Biology in Molecular Genetics Track (QBMG): This Ph.D. track has been crafted for students who initially specialized in computer science, physics, chemistry, mathematics, statistics, engineering, and other quantitative disciplines as an undergraduate and/or M.Sc student. The QBMG Track will provide quantitative scientists with a foundation in modern biology and mentor them towards leadership in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research.

The Computational Biology in Molecular Genetics Track (CBMG): Computational biology is playing an increasingly critical role in molecular genetics. The CBMG Ph.D. track will provide students who have been primarily trained in biology, but also have an aptitude for quantitative science, with an immersive computational biology curriculum, and leadership in the new discipline of computational molecular genetics.

Members of the department participate in two interdepartmental collaborative graduate programs that provide students with the opportunity to benefit from the wealth of expertise in the University of Toronto community in areas of research that span the boundaries between traditional departments. More information on each of these programs can be found on their web sites:

For a list of Faculty members participating in these collaborative programs see here.

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Graduate Molecular Genetics - University of Toronto

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 14, 2017 University of California, Irvine researchers received more than $378 million in grants and contract funding for fiscal 2016-17, the second-highest total in campus history.

From federal and state agencies, leading foundations and companies, this funding which follows a record year in 2015-16, when the university garnered $395 million represents continued support for UCIs top-ranked faculty, first-rate facilities, diverse and talented student body, and community-based programs.

Innovation and discovery thrive with robust research grant funding, said Pramod Khargonekar, vice chancellor for research. Research is a central mission for the UCI faculty, students and staff, and these strong results indicate that UCIs world-class research enterprise will continue to make important, productive contributions to the state, the nation and the world.

The slightly lower total is due to decreased federal funding; nonfederal support increased this year. Khargonekar explained that a possible reason for the drop is that federal agencies did not receive their 2017 budgets until May 2017, eight months after the start of the fiscal year.

Although research funding touches every corner of campus, the greatest investment was in the area of health. The Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center brought in more than $24 million, and the School of Medicine logged $147.5 million in support, 39 percent of UCIs 2016-17 total.

Other noteworthy funding sources and recipients:

Additional data on UCIs 2016-17 research funding:

For more information, see the Office of Researchs annual report at http://research.uci.edu/annualreport.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. Its located in one of the worlds safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange Countys second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.

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UCI logs second-highest research funding total in fiscal 2016-17 - UCI News

If youve ever gotten a nasty case of the flu even though you dutifully got a flu shot, you know that the vaccine is not 100 percent effective. Now, scientists believe that they have devised a new way of producing the vaccine that will offer better protection.

Part of the reason the vaccine is not fully effective is because the strains mutate. For decades, vaccine manufacturers have used chicken eggs to grow the flu virus strains used in the shot. Problems arise when the human strains mutate to adapt to their new environment, making the vaccine an imperfect match for the virus.

Researchers at Duke University have found a way to prevent the strains from mutating, which allows them to make a perfect match for the virus. Their findings have been published in the journal mBio.

We have solved a fundamental problem that scientists had accepted would be part of vaccine productionthat the virus is always going to mutate if it is grown in eggs, said senior study author Nicholas S. Heaton, Ph.D., assistant professor of molecular genetics and microbiology at Duke University School of Medicine. This research could lead to a significantly cheaper and more efficacious vaccine.

Getty Images | Tim Boyle

Despite the flu vaccines current efficacy rate, its probably still in your best interest to get one. According to theCDC Foundation,flu illness costs the U.S. more than $87 billion annually, which includes an estimated $10.4 billion in direct medical expenses.

And if its the needle thats preventing you from getting a flu shot, theres another new development in the world of the flu vaccine that might interest you. A version of a flu vaccine patch developed by Georgia Techs Laboratory for Drug Delivery showed promising results in its first human clinical trial, according to a study in The Lancet, which would make getting vaccinated as easy as slapping on a band-aid.

[h/t: Science Daily]

Originally posted here:
Scientists Have Pinpointed A Method To Make The Flu Vaccine More Effective - Simplemost

RUTHERFORD, N.J. and LOS ANGELES, Aug. 16, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cancer Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:CGIX) (The Company and CGI), a leader in enabling precision medicine for oncology through molecular markers and diagnostics, announced todaythat it will host an investor and analyst call and webcast onTuesday,August 22, 2017at8:30 am Eastern. CGI willdiscuss the strategy and business rationale of the recent transformative and accretive acquisition ofvivoPharm.

CGIs acquisition ofvivoPharm, announced on August 14, 2017,will significantly strengthenthe Company's position as a leader for oncology discoveryand early phase clinical development and testing for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. With over a decade of experience in delivering a wide range of discovery and preclinical services to support drug development, target validation and biomarker analysis,vivoPharm has supported over 200 IND submissions for innovative therapies, with a significant focus on immuno-oncology.

Hosted by CGI's CEO and President, Mr. Panna Sharma, the call will introduceinvestors and analysts tonew members of the CGI team, including Dr. RalfBrandt, former CEO and Managing Director ofvivoPharm, who now serves as the President of Discovery & Early Development Services at CGI.

Mr. Sharma will also provide insight into both operational and customer synergies that will result from the integration ofvivoPharm, as well as the long-term strategy for growth. Additional details will also be provided onvivoPharms specialized tumor and disease models, toxicology and pharmacology services, biomarker analysis and animal imaging capabilitiesthat are expected toprovide CGInewopportunities to deepen its relationships with existing biopharma customers through additional discovery and downstream molecular work,while bolstering the Companys previously announced initiative aimed at early-phase drug repurposing and drug rescue programs.

The call details are noted in the table below.

ABOUT CANCER GENETICSCancer Genetics, Inc. is a leader in enabling precision medicine in oncology from bench to bedside through the use of oncology biomarkers and molecular testing. CGI is developing a global footprint with locations in the US, India and China. We have established strong clinical research collaborations with major cancer centers such as Memorial Sloan Kettering, The Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Keck School of Medicine at USC and the National Cancer Institute.

The Company offers a comprehensive range of laboratory services that provide critical genomic and biomarker information. Its state-of-the-art reference labs are CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited in the US and have licensure from several states including New York State.

For more information, please visit or follow us:Internet:www.cancergenetics.comTwitter:@Cancer GeneticsFacebook:www.facebook.com/CancerGenetics

Forward Looking Statements:This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating results, future growth in revenues, margins, research, technology, clinical development and potential opportunities for Cancer Genetics, Inc. tests and services, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements.

Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to, statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, risks of cancellation of customer contracts or discontinuance of trials, risks that anticipated benefits from acquisitions will not be realized, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, maintenance of intellectual property rights and other risks discussed in the Cancer Genetics, Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 along with other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Cancer Genetics, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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Cancer Genetics, Inc. to Host Conference Call to Discuss Strategic and Business Rationale of vivoPharm Acquisition - GlobeNewswire (press release)

Sufferers of rare mitochondrial disease have new hope with a new method developed at the University of Sydney. The method provides a diagnosis within weeks instead of months or years through a simple blood sample.

Mitochondrial diseases are rare and hard to diagnose. They can affect any organ, at any age and are often 'hidden' in other diseases such as diabetes, blindness, liver and kidney failure and even Autism.

The new method has already led to two new disease gene discoveries where the patients suffered from lactate build-up and hyperglycemia (CYC1), and deafness and organ failure (MRPS7). The research published in the American Journal of Human Genetics and Human Molecular Genetics.

"One in 200 people will carry a mitochondrial genetic defect which means nearly 120,000 Australians are at risk of developing serious illness," says Minal. "And yet mitochondrial diseases are extremely difficult to diagnose. They are often referred to as the 'notorious masquerader'".

With the faster diagnosis, some people can be treated for what had previously been thought to be untreatable disease.

For others even if not treatment is available, the diagnosis gives them a cause for the illness and the possibility to enrol in clinical trials. This can result in enormous improvements in quality of life.

Families can also receive genetic counselling and many may choose to use IVF when building a family, with medical staff able to quantify the risk of the disease being passed on.

Explore further: New genetic analysis approach could improve diagnosis for mitochondrial disease

More information: Pauline Gaignard et al. Mutations in CYC1, Encoding Cytochrome c1 Subunit of Respiratory Chain Complex III, Cause Insulin-Responsive Hyperglycemia, The American Journal of Human Genetics (2013). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2013.06.015

Minal J. Menezes et al. Mutation in mitochondrial ribosomal protein S7 (MRPS7) causes congenital sensorineural deafness, progressive hepatic and renal failure and lactic acidemia, Human Molecular Genetics (2015). DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu747

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Blood test uncovers hidden diseases - Medical Xpress

Once difficult and expensive even for the most technologically advanced labs, genetic testing is fast becoming a cheap and easy consumer product. With a little spit and 200 dollars, you can find out your risk for everything from cystic fibrosis to lactose intolerance.

But its important to remember that not all genetic tests are created equal. And even the best clinical genetic test, carried out in a medical lab under a doctor's supervision, isn't perfectgenes are important, but they don't seal your fate.

Genetic tests are diagnostic, so anyone who is curious about their health can get one done. But they're more informative if you think you might be at risk for a genetic disorder.

Heavy-duty genetic tests have been used as a clinical tool for almost half a centurylong before 23andMe and Ancestry.com began offering direct-to-consumer tests. Lets say that many women in your family have had breast cancer. You can get a genetic test to see if you may have inherited an abnormal version of the BRCA gene, known to increase your risk for breast cancer.

Heidi Rehm, associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School, is the director of the Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, where patients get tested for diseases that can be traced to specific genetic roots. She says it is most common for people to get tested when they either suspect or know that they have a genetic disease; it may have affected multiple people in their family or they could show symptoms of something widely known to be genetic, like sickle cell anemia. For these people, genetic tests can provide a much-needed explanation for an illness and help doctors determine the best course of treatment. Babies are often tested for genetic diseases, either while they are still fetuses or shortly after birth.

Others get genetic tests if they and their partner both have family histories of an inherited diseaseeven if they dont have the disease themselves. For example, cystic fibrosis is linked to one particular gene, but you have to inherit the abnormal version of the gene from both your parents to get the disease. If you only inherit one copy, you may never knowyou wont display any of the symptoms. But if you and your partner both carry one copy of the faulty gene, your child could still inherit two copies. Genetic tests can forewarn you of that possibility.

But Rehm says there has been a recent trend of healthy people getting tested to predict whether theyll get certain diseases. I do think there are settings where predictive genetic testing is incredibly important and useful, Rehm says; for example, knowing that youre at risk for breast cancer gives you the opportunity for early intervention (remember when Angelina Jolie got a double mastectomy upon finding out she had a mutated BRCA gene?)

But Rehm also points out that genetic tests may not be as straightforward as they seem. For example, some genes are thought to increase risk of getting a certain disease, but it might only happen if you have specific family history, or you might be able to reduce your risk with lifestyle changes. So remember that a genetic test isnt the final verdictthere are other factors at play too.

Not entirelyits scope is limited. For starters, not all diseases are caused by genes. Plenty of conditions stem from environmental and lifestyle factors; they may interact with your genes, but the external factors are the real trigger.

But even if a disease is caused solely by faulty instructions written in your genes, you wont necessarily be able to test for it. Thats because genetic tests are mainly used for diseases that are penetrant, a term that scientists use to describe a strong connection between having a certain gene (or multiple genes) and getting a disease.

Genetic tests are surprisingly simple on the surface. All thats required of you is a small sample of cells, like a blood sample or saliva (which doesnt have DNA itself, but picks up cheek cells during its journey out of your mouth). It get sent to a lab where sequencing machines match up small pieces of synthetic DNA with your DNA to figure out the overall sequence.

Once they have your sequence, geneticists can compare it with "normal" or disease-causing sequences. In the end, they might give you a yes or no answer, or sometimes youll get a probabilitya measure of how much your genes increase your risk of developing the disease. Then, its up to your doctor to figure out what these genes (in combination with your lifestyle, family history and other risk factors) mean for your health.

With penetrant diseases, theres a very, very high ability to explain the disease, Rehm says. For example, the breast cancer-related gene BRCA1 can give you a 60 percent chance of getting breast cancer (in Jolies case, with her family history, the risk was 87 percent.)

This makes genetic tests better at detecting so-called rare diseases, says Steven Schrodi, associate research scientist at the Marshfield Clinic Research Institutes Center for Human Genetics, but theyre less useful when it comes to more common diseases, like heart disease or diabetes. Genetics can increase your likelihood of getting these disease, but scientists still dont know quite how much. Part of the problem is that there may be dozens or hundreds of genes responsible for these diseases, Schrodi says.

We have an incomplete understanding of why people get diseases, Schrodi says. A large part of it hinges on how we define diseases. Perhaps physicians have inadvertently combined multiple diseases together into a single entity.

Consumer genetic teststhe ones where you send in samples from homesometimes claim to test for these more complex traits, but be careful: Their results might not be very medically relevant, Rehm says. If they tell you that your genes make you twice as likely to develop diabetes, for example, that's a marginal increase that doesn't significantly affect your risk, especially when you take into account lifestyle factors.

Genes do seem to play a role in determining lifespan. After all, some family reunions stretch from great-great-grandparents all the way down to infants. Scientists have studied centenarianspeople who lived to be 100 years oldand found that people with certain versions of genes involved in repairing DNA tend to live longer.

This makes sense because aging leaves its mark on your DNA. Environmental factors can damage DNA, and even the routine chore of replicating cells can introduce errors as the three billion units of your DNA are copied over and over. Long-lived individuals have different sequences that seem to make their cells better at keeping DNA in mint condition.

But figuring out your expiration date is more complex than just testing for a few genes, says Jan Vijg, professor of genetics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In theory, you could design a test that looks at specific genes that might measure your risk for developing Alzheimers Disease or other age-related diseases, or your risk for aging quickly. To some extent, yes: Biomarkers will tell you something about your chances of living a long life, Vijg says. Still, that will only work if you live a careful life. And that means no accidents, infections, or cancers.

Aging also affects the exposed ends of your DNA, called "telomeres." DNA is stored as chromosomes, those X-like structures that you may have seen in biology textbooks. The most vulnerable parts of the chromosome are the chromosomes tips, which get shorter as you age because they arent properly replicated. But while telomere length might let you compare your DNA now with your DNA from a decade ago, you cant compare your own telomeres with other peoples telomeres. Theres a lot of variation between individuals, Vijg says. Some of us are just old souls (on the genomic level, that is.)

The methylation test, which looks at how the presence of small chemical groups attached to your DNA changes as you age, might be a better bet. A study at UCLA showed that changes were slower in longer-lived people. But Vijg is hesitant: I would not put my hopes on that as a marker to predict when exactly youre going to die.

For now, just enjoy your life, because you cant predict death. And if you decide to unlock the secrets of your DNA with an at-home test, don't take those results for more than their worth.

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What can genetic testing really tell you? - Popular Science

LAS VEGAS, August 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The healthcare sector is made up of several different industries, from pharmaceuticals to biotechnology to health insurance. Making predictions in this sector can be difficult as there are many variables working with and against each other at one time. It's important to track both negative and positive trends in healthcare companies. Investors who track these trends, make the best out of their predictions.

Certain trends in healthcare an investor should track include: the aging population and their healthcare needs, personalized medicine, the global reach of certain diseases, obesity and diabetes epidemic, and of course, technological advances. All of these trends mean different things in healthcare stock. Biotech companies are working tirelessly to address specific trends in human health, identifying the companies who are working with healthcare trends is key.

Some such companies include: Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. (OTC: ENDV), Juno Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: JUNO), Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBIO), Genocea Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNCA), and TherapeuticsMD, Inc. (NYSE: TXMD)

Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: ENDV)

Market Cap: $7.3M, current share price: .028

ENDV is an innovative biotechnology company implementing a bioelectronic approach to regenerative medicine. They are addressing several healthcare trends with their electroceutical platform, which is a non-invasive, non-implantable device for treating inflammatory conditions in vital organs. Through the innovative research at ENDV, they are addressing most of the major healthcare trends by developing therapies to treat the aging population and addressing obesity and the complications that it entails, such as peripheral artery disease, heart disease, diabetic kidney disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Additionally, ENDV is working to address global diseases, kidney disease, and organ failure.

Tracking ENDV and their work in research and development (R&D) is something anyone interested in healthcare or biotech stocks should do. As their research correlates and ebbs and flows with healthcare trends. Some highlights regarding ENDV's R&D are below:

As ENDV moves forward and inches closer to announcing the results of their pre-clinical studies across their diverse technology platform, you'll want to stay up-to-date with their successes.

Other healthcare and biotech companies to review

Juno Therapeutics, Inc. (JUNO)

Market Cap: $3.021B, current share price: 28.30

JUNO, a clinical-stage cell immunotherapy company focused on revolutionizing medicine by re-engaging the body's immune system to treat cancer, has achieved recent milestones with its collaboration with Editas Medicine, Inc. (EDIT) This collaboration began over two years ago, the two companies are pursuing three research programs that aim to combine Editas Medicine's genome editing platform with Juno's CAR and TCR technologies.

Their most recent achievement relates to the improvement in the ability of T cells to overcome the tumor microenvironment. Editas Medicine will receive $2.5 million for achieving this milestone.

Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc. (EBIO)

Market Cap: $35.2M, current share price: 1.425

EBIO is a late-stage clinical oncology company advancing a broad pipeline of novel product candidates based on its Targeting Protein Therapeutics (TPTs) platform. They announced this week that they'll be hosting a live conference call to announce their Q2 financial results.

This is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. ET on Monday, August 14, 2017. To access the conference call, please dial (844) 831-3025 (domestic) or (315) 625-6887 (international) at least five minutes prior to the start time and refer to conference ID 63779857.

Genocea Biosciences, Inc. (GNCA)

Market Cap: $112.74M, current share price: 3.955

Similarly to JUNO and EDITS collaboration on moving research forward regarding T cells, GNCA's lead candidate is a novel T cell-directed immunotherapy for genital herpes. Today marks a horrible day for GNCA's performance on the stock market. GNCA's shares closed down 7.42% on Thursday with a little over 600,000 shares traded. The company reported second quarter financial results this week and reported a loss of $15.4 million.

On a per share basis, this was a loss of 54 cents while Wall Street was only expecting a loss of 46 cents. Keep a lookout for this stock as its performance is expected to continue to plummet.

TherapeuticsMD, Inc. (TXMD)

Market Cap: $1.15B, current share price: 5.630

TXMD, an innovative women's healthcare company, just received a formal General Advice Letter from the FDA stating that an initial review has been completed and requesting that the Company submit the additional endometrial safety information to the NDA for TX-004HR on or before September 18, 2017.

This is great news for TXMD although they've been ranked negatively in the HealthCare Sector. Investors who seek profit from falling equity prices should target TXMD. Short interest is extremely high for TXMD with more than 20% of shares on loan.

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Tracking Trends in Biotechnology - Markets Insider

By Nkechi Isaac

Maize (also known as corn in some countries) is one of the most common and important food crops across Africa. It is widely eaten in various forms and more than 900 million Africans depend on maize every year because it is often cheaper than rice and wheat, two of the other most consumed cereals.

A report released by the IITA estimates that about 800 million tons of maize is produced worldwide every year.

According to the report, though the United States remains the worlds largest producer with 42 percent of all maize produced globally, Africa contributes significantly in this production with 6.5 percent of this volume which is still insufficient for local consumption.

Nigeria remains Africas largest producer with nearly 8 million tons per annum. It is closely followed by South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

It was therefore a nightmare when Nigeria like the rest of Africa woke up to the Fall Armyworm (FAW) infestation which was rapidly spreading across the region.

Army worm is very deleterious and like the name suggests it derives its name from its feeding habits, of marching in large numbers from grasslands into crops. They strongly prefer grasses, cereals like maize, and can mercilessly eat the stem of the crop as well as the leaves.

Army worm infestation can be disastrous on the crops. It affects the yield of the crop from the stalk to the stage of maturity and is capable of destroying entire crops in a matter of weeks if it is unchecked.

Like other African countries, Nigeria woke up to a nightmare of recent army worm infestation in the region, leaving farmers worried as the pest, which has grown resistance to chemicals, wreaked havoc on newly cultivated maize farms across the country. This resulted in the severe reduction on the yield recouped by farmers on their maize field.

The Federal Government quickly waded and convened a meeting with commissioners for agriculture from the 36 states in Abuja to find ways of ameliorating the effect of the havoc and contain the infestation.

In his speech, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the achievement of self-sufficiency in maize production would continue to be a mirage with the pest infestation.

He said the spread of the maize disease had negatively affected the poultry industry, which largely depends on maize for the production of feeds.

The minister explained that the aim of the meeting was to brainstorm on ways of finding sustainable solutions to the army worm infestation which had ravaged maize farms in the states.

It is the state government that owns lands; so we need to tackle this problem to boost agricultural production, he said.

Ogbeh told the meeting the federal government required N2.98 billion to curb the army worm infestation of farmlands across the country, adding the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) had pledged to support the country in its fight against the army worm infestation.

However, scientists are calling on farmers to embrace biotechnology by using genetically modified crops which have been proven safe for man and the environment to permanently tackle such occurrences.

Speaking during an interview with journalists in Abuja, the country coordinator of Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB), Nigeria Chapter, Dr Rose Gidado, said genetic modification, also known as genetic engineering, is a technologically advanced way to select desirable traits in crops, pointing out that while selective breeding has existed for thousands of years, modern biotechnology is more efficient and effective because seed developers are able to directly modify the genome of the crop.

The OFAB coordinator said adopting genetic modification technology to develop maize variety resistant to pest provided a lasting solution for army worm infestation, adding genetically engineered (GE) plants are selectively bred and enhanced with genes to withstand common problems that confront farmers which include maize that could survive pesticides/infestation.

Gidado, a deputy director, at the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) revealed that a breakthrough recorded by scientists with the development of a maize variety called Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) which has proven to resist the attacks from army worm infestations provided a lasting solution to the infestation.

She said: The lasting solution to army worm infestation on maize is the use of genetic modification technology to develop a maize variety that would be resistant to the pest, that gives a permanent solution.

She added, There is already a variety of maize called Water Efficient Maize Variety for Africa that has proven to be resistant to army worm, it has not yet been deployed to Nigeria but we are making plans.

The WEMA project is a public-private partnership to develop royalty-free African drought-tolerant white maize varieties, it also increases yield stability, protects and promotes farmers investment in best management practices.

The project which is water conserving and insect protected conventional and transgenic maize, is expected under moderate drought, to increase yields by 20-35 percent over current varieties; it is also expected to translate into additional 2 million MT of maize during drought to feed 14 to 21 million people.

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Biotechnology, Panacea To Army Worm Maize Infestation - Leadership Newspapers

By Abdallah el-Kurebe

With the down turn in the global prices of oil, we now have to prospect our solid minerals. We have to return to agriculture, President Buhari to members of the Council of Saudi Arabian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

According to the United Nations projections, the world population will be 9.8 billion people by 2050 and Nigeria which currently ranks seventh, will become the third most populous, replacing United States. It is currently about 200 million people.HARVEST: Women with baskets of tomatoes harvested from farmlands provided under the Restoring Agricultural Assets of IDPs, Returnees and Vulnerable Host Families in NorthEast Nigeria project, put together by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations; the UN Central Emergency Response Fund and the governments of Ireland, Japan and Belgium.

Since his assumption of office in May 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari has repeated said that the nations economy must be diversified to, especially Agriculture which must cease from being treated as development programme but be treated as business. Our goal will be to pursue government supported private sector agriculture value chain to make agriculture more productive, efficient and competitive.

The drastic fall of oil prices in the international market has directed the thinking of the Buhari administration to diversify the economy to, specifically agriculture and one possible means of doing this is the deployment of biotechnology.

It serves as a tool for sustainable development in agriculture and could boost food security in Nigeria. It is therefore appropriate for the country in order to boost the production of maize, cotton, rice, beans, wheat, cassava, etc to, not only meet up with our consumption needs but also for the purpose of commercialization.

Dr. Muhammad Lawan Umar, a plant breeder with Institute for Agricultural Research of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Zaria observes that Biotechnology has made possible what was impossible for the traditional methods to make by use of the new techniques. This has become realisable, especially I advanced countries, where such technology has been adopted and it can work wonders for developing countries, like Nigeria.

He gives an example of the pod-borer resistant beans on which efforts had been made to discover the source of the resistance without success. So far, 15,000 different types of varieties have been assembled and screened in order to identify the cause of the resistance. Experts agreed that the only option is to use biotechnology, which has now identified the maruca-resistant beans. This was a global phenomenon from America down to Africa where the problem of maruca is more, he said.

Umar adds that tests have been conducted in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso) where traits that were resistant to those insects have been identified.

Biotechnology been used to transfer the genes to farmer-specified varieties adapted to different ecology in these West African countries. We have realised four to five times increase in yields and we are moving towards commercialisation.

Secondly, biotechnology has shortened the time of developing and releasing a variety. This is done in three to four years if there are no regulatory agencies that may delay the process. With the use of molecular marker, you can select a plant at a tender stage in fact you can select a grain to see which one carries the gene or not. But with the conventional methods, we used to spend eight to nine years to develop and release a variety because we had to plant it, grow it and then harvest it before you can assess, he explained.

Adebayo Olusoji, an Agriculture Extension and Rural Development Expert with the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora said that biotechnology is an innovation has done well for Nigerias cassava production. Presently, we have more than twenty genetically modified improved cassava varieties with an average yield of 25-45 tonnes per hectare.

He adds that in cassava value chain, processing of improved cassava has resulted in high quality starch, which is being exported abroad. Biotechnology has not left out annual crops like maize, soybean, etc. As we have pro-vitamin A maize, Alfa toxin free soybean, etc.

A good step is Nigerias adoption of biotechnology in agriculture through the Biotechnology Policy, which led the establishment of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA). And in order to address safety concerns, the National Bio-safety Management Agency (NBMA), a full-fledged agency that provides regulatory frameworks for sustainability has been established.

Prof. Lauwali Abubakar, the Director at the Centre for Agricultural and Pastoral Research of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto said that Nigerias population growth was against the low agricultural productivity. Our population is expanding while our agricultural production is low. We need biotechnology, which will bring multiple food production in a limited period.

Hamma Ali Kwajaffa is former President of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) and Director General at Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association said that biotechnology could develop African cotton, especially now that the product is in completion in the international market.

Biotechnology has increased the tonnage of cotton per hectare in America, China and India and their farmers are happy with it. We have not been able to achieve one tonne per hectare in Nigeria while those using biotechnology are harvesting five tonnes per hectare. Generally, our farmers have been left out, he said.

He cited Burkina Faso as the number country in Africa that applied biotechnology on commercial level for cotton. When Nigeria starts full application of biotechnology after field trials, the story will be a different one. Biotechnology will boost our agricultural productivity in no small measure.

Thanks to biotechnology, India which was least known in agriculture became worlds largest producer of cotton; Argentina leads in the production and export of soybeans and Burkina Faso, in the last two years became Africas largest producer of BT cotton.

Therefore, Nigeria has no choice than to consider the deployment of agricultural biotechnology, especially if food insecurity is our concern against the projected population explosion.

Read more:
How biotechnology can optimize agriculture in Nigeria - Vanguard

An overview of the study 'Genetic Regulatory Effects Modified by Immune Activation Contribute to Autoimmune Disease Associations'. Credit: New York Genome Center

It is widely recognized that people respond differently to infections. This can partially be explained by genetics, shows a new study published today in Nature Communications by an international collaboration of researchers from Germany and the United States. The study, "Genetic Regulatory Effects Modified by Immune Activation Contribute to Autoimmune Disease Associations," maps genetic variants that affect how much gene expression changes in response to immune stimulus. The findings offer novel insights into the genetic contribution to varying immune responses among individuals and its consequences on immune-mediated diseases.

"Our defense mechanisms against microbial pathogens rely on white blood cells that are specialized to detect infection. Upon encounter of microbes, these cells trigger cellular defense programs via activating and repressing the expression of hundreds of genes," explained one of the senior authors of the study, Dr. Veit Hornung from the Ludwig-Maxmilians-Universitt in Munich and formerly from the University of Bonn. "We wanted to understand how genetic differences between individuals affect this cellular response to infection," added Dr. Johannes Schumacher from the University of Bonn, another senior author of the study.

The human immune system plays a central role in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, cancer, metabolism and aging. The researchers discovered hundreds of genes where the response to immune stimulus depended on the genetic variants carried by the individual. "These genes include many of the well-known genes of the human immune system, demonstrating that genetic variation has an important role in how the human immune system works," noted Dr. Sarah Kim-Hellmuth, the lead author of the study, from the New York Genome Center, Columbia University, the Max Planck Institute in Munich and formerly from the University of Bonn. "While earlier studies have mapped some of these effects, this study is particularly comprehensive, with three stimuli and two time points analyzed."

The study captured genetic variants whose effects on gene regulation was different depending on the different infectious state of the cells. These included four associations to diseases such as cholesterol level and celiac disease. Furthermore, the researchers discovered a trend of genetic risk for autoimmune diseases such as lupus and celiac disease to be enriched for gene regulatory effects modified by the immune state. "This supports a paradigm where genetic disease risk is sometimes driven not by genetic variants causing constant cellular dysregulation, but by causing a failure to respond properly to environmental conditions such as infection," said co-senior author Dr. Tuuli Lappalainen, from the New York Genome Center and Columbia University.

The investigators collected blood from 134 volunteers and treated monocytes - a type of white blood cells - in the laboratory with three components that mimic infection with bacteria or a virus. They then analyzed how cells from different individuals respond to infection by measuring gene expression both during the early and late immune response. Integrating the gene expression profiles with genome-wide genetic data of each individual, they were able to map how genetic variants affect gene expression, and how this genetic effect changes with immune stimulus.

"It's been known for a long time that most diseases have both genetic and environmental risk factors. But it's actually more complicated than that because genes and environment interact. As demonstrated in our study, a genetic risk factor may manifest only in certain environments," explained Dr. Lappalainen. "We are still in early stages of understanding the interplay of genetics and environment, but our results indicate that this is a key component of human biology and disease. The molecular approach that we took in our study can be a particularly powerful way for researchers to delve deeper into this question."

The study's analyses of gene expression patterns in a population scale provide a highly robust and comprehensive dataset of innate immune responses and show wide variation among individuals exposed to diverse pathogens over multiple time points. The research identified population differences in immune response and demonstrated that immune response modifies genetic associations to disease. The research sheds light on the genomic elements underlying response to environmental stimuli, and the dynamics and evolution of immune response.

Explore further: Study describes key RNA epigenetic marker's role in immune system

More information: Sarah Kim-Hellmuth et al, Genetic regulatory effects modified by immune activation contribute to autoimmune disease associations, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00366-1

Journal reference: Nature Communications

Provided by: New York Genome Center

See more here:
Genetic variants found to play key role in human immune system - Medical Xpress

No parent likes seeing their child have injections. Yet, around 93% of parents across Australia protect their children against 15 serious diseases by giving them all the recommended vaccines on the National Immunisation Program Schedule. This success is due in part to the value of combination vaccines, which protect against two or more diseases in one go.

Combination vaccines mean kids need fewer injections overall. By adding several antigens (the part of the germ that stimulates the immune system) together in one vaccine, we can protect kids against up to six diseases in a few shots. These shots are typically given in a series of two or three injections over time.

Our new study released today in JAMA Pediatrics, backs the safety of a four-in-one combination vaccine designed to protect against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) and known as the MMRV vaccine. We also show its added benefits in protecting kids by the time they reach pre-school.

Read more: Six myths about vaccination and why theyre wrong

Making a combination vaccine typically involves decades of research to ensure the precise balance of active components is included, the immune response to each component is effective, and even the slightest change in a vaccine doesnt change its safety profile.

This is stringently regulated across the world, by groups such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia and Food and Drug Administration in the USA, before a vaccine is even trialled in humans, or indeed ultimately licensed for use.

Once these combination vaccines are used, their safety (as well as the safety of other vaccines) is also actively monitored. One new way we do this in Australia is by monitoring any side-effects in real time. Parents respond to an SMS survey about their childs recent vaccination, the results of which are collated and posted online.

However, some parents question if giving an injection that protects against multiple diseases will overwhelm the immune system or be too much to handle. The answer is no for many reasons.

A review into parental concerns about combination vaccinations confirms the moment babies enter the world they are covered in millions of foreign germs. The infant immune system is no longer considered immature but is finely tuned to respond to the incredible number of viruses, bacteria and other things it meets early in life. Vaccines contain just a few antigens compared to what babies meet every day.

The researchers estimate that even if 11 vaccines were given to infants at one time, only about 0.1% of the immune system would be used up.

Read more: Explainer: how does the immune system work?

Rather than weaken the immune system, or putting it under strain, vaccines train the infant immune system to respond, without causing the terrible consequences of the disease itself. Combination vaccines do the same.

The design of vaccines has been increasingly tailored to leverage this unique biology, including the development of new combination vaccines.

Read more: Vaccine program changes protect kids, but with fewer ouches

For instance, in 2013, two new combination vaccines the MMRV vaccine and a combination vaccine against the Haemophilus influenzae type b and meningococcus type c bacteria (Hib-MenC) were added to Australias immunisation schedule, reducing the number of injections babies needed.

Our new study evaluated the impact of one these the MMRV vaccine since it was added to the schedule.

Before the MMRV vaccine was introduced, kids were protected against varicella (or chickenpox) with a separate vaccine. And they received their second dose of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine at age four years, quite a big gap after their first-birthday dose of MMR.

By introducing this combination MMRV vaccine earlier (at 18 months), our study showed the second dose of vaccine against measles provided early comprehensive protection against this deadly disease.

While the first vaccine dose (given at 12 months) only gives a full immune response in about 90% of children, giving a second dose boosts immunity to more than 95% and also helps to provide longer lasting protection.

Our study showed not only that the percentage of children fully protected against all four diseases is now greater compared with when MMR was separated from the varicella vaccine, it is also occurring at a much earlier age.

On time vaccination (within 30 days of the recommended age) has now improved by 13.5% (from 58.9% to 72.4% of children). This means many more children are protected against measles, chickenpox, mumps and rubella (German measles) before entering pre-school.

Another important part of our evaluation was to ensure that introducing this vaccine was safe. If the combination MMRV vaccine is given as the very first dose of measles-containing vaccine in very young children, it causes more cases of fever and a small increase in febrile seizures (a common, usually benign, but frightening convulsion in children) compared with giving the vaccines separately.

Our study examined if using the MMRV shot in the Australian program as the second dose would be linked to an increase in febrile seizures. When we examined all children who came to paediatric hospitals across the country with a febrile convulsion, then looked at what vaccines they had received, we found no increase in febrile seizures associated with this second dose given at 18 months.

So introducing this combination vaccine in 2013, which has taken decades to develop, has:

Combination vaccines not only mean fewer visits to the doctor or nurse for injections, they can have other benefits, as well as being safe.

Our study highlights how much information is considered before making any change to the immunisation schedule to introduce combination vaccines, and importantly, how carefully changes to the schedule are monitored and evaluated.

While combination vaccines might introduce extra antigens to a childs immune system in one go, they are a tiny, tiny proportion of what children meet as they grow. Being vaccinated trains a childs immune system to withstand some of the biggest and baddest germs they will encounter.

Link:
No, combination vaccines don't overwhelm kids' immune systems - The Conversation AU

With Australia in the midst of what is likely to become its worst flu season in 15 years you can consider yourself lucky if you havent been hit yet.

Over 70,000 people have been struck down so far this year, but with many of us skipping a visit to the doctor the number is likely to be much higher.

Some of the confirmed cases were people that fell ill despite the flu vaccination. So we thought wed look at some other ways you can strengthen your immune system naturally including things we can do and eat.

There have been over 70,000 confirmed cases so far. Photo: Getty

With pregnant women, young children, and senior citizens most at risk, leading naturopath and sports nutritionist, Kira Sutherland, shared her three food immune boosters with Be.

AntioxidantsAntioxidants are nutrients within foods that are supportive to a strong immune system. Berries are packed with antioxidants, are low in sugar, and usually contain lots of fibre, Kira tells Be. Blueberries, for example, contain both vitamin C and K, and resveratrol, which is a fabulous antioxidant.

Kira also suggests juice, such as H2melon. Watermelon is high in water and lower in sugar than most regular juices, and contains vitamin C, lycopene, and beta-carotene, which are all antioxidants that help to support the immune system.

Berries are high in antioxidants and can strengthen the immune system. Photo: Getty

ProbioticsAccording to research, the digestive system represents almost 70 per cent of the entire immune system. Yoghurts contain great gut bacteria known as probiotics which are important for good digestive and gut health, Kira says.

RELATED: Sick man, 29, 'told by doctor he had flu' one day before he diedRELATED: Matt De Groot: What women don't realise about man flu

ProteinProtein is important for stabilising blood sugar levels and our immune systems depend on good quality protein to keep it working properly. Kira says many people will use protein powders to easily get their protein hit. Other good sources of protein include meat, fish, chicken, eggs, dairy, beans, soy foods, nuts and seeds.

Pregnant women, young children and elderly are most at risk. Photo: Getty

In terms of things you can do, Brisbane natural health expert Jo Formosa shares a few tips to ward off the flu.

Avoid rapid changes in temperature: The biggest one is going from warm to cold these dramatic changes impact how our system recovers.

Eat smaller meals: When youre sick you dont need to eat as much.

Avoid dairy products when you have the flu: This contributes to mucous and phlegm production, instead go for ginger and turmeric - in juice, milk or honey.

Jo says to avoid dairy when fighting the flu. Photo: Getty

Eat more warm soups: in particular with garlic, ginger and black pepper as this breaks up mucous and phlegm.

Stay warm when out in the elements: Even if it's sunny outside, its important to take care to keep the head and neck warm.

Stay warm. Photo: Getty

Want more celebrity, entertainment and lifestyle news? Follow Be on Facebook,Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

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Flu epidemic: How to boost your immune system naturally - Yahoo7 Be

In 1898, scientists in Uruguay noticed that some of their laboratory rabbits were dying from a mysterious illness, their skin riddled with tumors and weeping wounds. The researchers named the disease myxomatosis. They showed that it was caused by a new virus. And they argued that this myxoma virushighly lethal, specific to rabbits, and spread by mosquito biteswas exactly what the Australian government was looking for.

Europeans had introduced rabbits to Australia at the end of the 18th century, whereupon the fuzzy critters started breeding like, well, yknow. A century later, they had become a serious problem for both the nations wildlife and its farmers. Perhaps a disease could control the bunny blight?

In 1950, after some resistance and much cajoling, government scientists finally released myxoma-infected rabbits into the Murray Valley of southeastern Australia. That summer, the virus blazed brightly, but its spark appeared to peter out. Then, by years end, it rekindled into an almighty conflagration that swept through southern Australia, killing millions of rabbits. Thus, inadvertently, began one of the great experiments in natural selection, conducted on a continental scale, wrote Australian scientist Peter Kerr.

The myxoma virus quickly evolved. The strain that had initially been used was almost inescapably lethal, killing virtually every rabbit it infected. But virologist Frank Fenner discovered that, within a few years, this strain had been replaced with milder ones, which killed less rapidly and frequently.

These events provided an unprecedented view of how viruses evolve in the wild. Theyve also permeated into the popular consciousness, creating an intuitive sense that lethal viruses eventually evolve into milder forms, which are less likely to completely wipe out their hosts. But the notion that everythings heading toward a state of long-term co-existence and happiness is not always the case, says Andrew Read, an evolutionary biologist based at Pennsylvania State University. There are plenty of examples where the virus has got nastier over time.

And as it happens, myxoma is one such example. It went from exceptionally nasty to just nasty, and now has turned round and cranked up the nastiness again, Read says.

The virus was never entirely defanged. After its release in 1950, it went from killing more than 99 percent of rabbits to killing around 75 percent of them, or under 50 percent in some cases. In response, the rabbits evolved resistance, shrugging off strains that would once have finished them off. And that relaunched the arms race between myxoma and rabbits, prompting the virus to evolve its own countermeasures, which it still deploys today.

Read worked out how it responded by teaming up with Peter Kerr, who had collected and stored myxoma samples from the last several decades. By exposing lab rabbits to these archived strains, the team showed that by the 1990s, the virus had gained a new ability: It could completely shut down a rabbits immune system. This stops the animals from effectively clearing the virus. Inadvertently, it also means the bacteria that normally live peacefully in the rabbits bodies run amok, spreading through their internal organs and causing septic shock. These rabbits never develop the skin tumors or any of the classic symptoms of myxomatosis. Instead, they die from massive and sudden infections. Their lungs fill with fluid and they start bleeding uncontrollably.

These immune-suppressing strains might have emerged as early as the 1970s, and theyre circulating broadly now. Still, their effects are hard to spot in wild rabbits, which still die from the same kinds of symptoms as they used to. Thats because their genetic resistance partly counteracts the viruss new ability, which only becomes clear when it infects lab animals that have no history of coevolving with this virus. The wild rabbits started to resist the virus, the virus started to kill them in a new way, and neither side gained any ground. Its like a duck in a stream, paddling like crazy under the water and not getting anywhere, says Read.

Laboratory experiments using bacteria and their viruses have shown that when hosts evolve resistance against infections, viruses can rapidly overcome host immunity, says Lotta-Riina Sundberg, from the University of Jyvskyl. But monitoring these long-term coevolutionary arms races in natural settings with such accuracy is challenging. Thats why the myxoma story is so important, she adds.

The same dynamics played out in Europe, where a different strain of myxoma was used to control rabbits, following the Australian success. There, too, the virus evolved into milder forms. And there, too, new immunosuppressive strains have emerged. No one knows what will happen in the future. In South America, myxomas birthplace, the virus causes an innocuous disease in the local cottontails. But theres no indication that the Australian or European strains are heading in that direction.

The broad lesson is that theres a variety of evolutionary trajectories that pathogens can take, says Read. There are situations, no question, where virulence can go quite low. Sexually transmitted diseases, for example, require hosts to be sexually active and that requires that they stay alive for some time. But theres no reason to think that the average long-term state will be coexistence, and thats a mistake thats permeated the public.

Consider rabbit hemorrhagic diseaseanother infection that Australia considered as a way of controlling rabbits, and that escaped from a quarantine facility in 1995. The virus behind the disease is transmitted by corpse flies, which are attracted to cadavers, so this virus actually benefits by killing its hosts in spectacular fashion. Its present in huge numbers at the time of death. As such, it started off lethal and has only become more so with time. In the United States, West Nile virus has become more virulent in house sparrows, in response to the birds evolving resistance. And Mareks diseasean illness of fowlbecame fouler after farmers treated birds with a leaky vaccine, which stops them from developing the disease, but not from becoming infected or spreading the virus.

These consequences are relevant to various companies and researchers who are trying to make farmed animals more resistant to diseases. Some are doing it by traditional breeding. Others are looking to genetic engineering. Whatever the route, the myxoma example shows that such measures could drive the evolution of more potent viruses. These may not be a problem for the resistant animals, just as immunosuppressive myxoma strains arent especially deadly to wild rabbits. But if the viruses spread to naive animals, they would suffer.

If you had a bunch of companies in one river system, and one is creating more resistant fish, causing pathogens to become more virulent, what does that do to the wildlife and the fish belonging to other companies? says Read. You have to ask about the long-term consequences. Maybe there are some types of resistance that are less likely to provoke this arms race than others. We need to understand that.

Read more:
The Next Chapter in a Viral Arms Race - The Atlantic

By: PTI | Los Angeles | Published:August 15, 2017 6:54 pm Understanding the critical role metabolism plays in hair growth and stem cells.

Scientists have discovered a new way to activate the stem cells in the hair follicle, an advance that may pave the way for novel drugs to promote hair growth. Hair follicle stem cells are long-lived cells in the hair follicle; they are present in the skin and produce hair throughout a persons lifetime. They are quiescent, meaning they are normally inactive, but they quickly activate during a new hair cycle, which is when new hair growth occurs.

The quiescence of hair follicle stem cells is regulated by many factors. In certain cases they fail to activate, which is what causes hair loss.

Researchers from University of California, Los Angeles in the US found that hair follicle stem cell metabolism is different from other cells of the skin. Cellular metabolism involves the breakdown of the nutrients needed for cells to divide, make energy and respond to their environment. The process of metabolism uses enzymes that alter these nutrients to produce metabolites.

As hair follicle stem cells consume the nutrient glucose a form of sugar from the bloodstream, they process the glucose to eventually produce a metabolite called pyruvate. The cells then can either send pyruvate to their mitochondria the part of the cell that creates energy or can convert pyruvate into another metabolite called lactate. Our observations about hair follicle stem cell metabolism prompted us to examine whether genetically diminishing the entry of pyruvate into the mitochondria would force hair follicle stem cells to make more lactate, and if that would activate the cells and grow hair more quickly, said Heather Christofk, an associate professor at UCLA.

The research team first blocked the production of lactate genetically in mice and showed that this prevented hair follicle stem cell activation. Conversely, they increased lactate production genetically in the mice and this accelerated hair follicle stem cell activation, increasing the hair cycle. Before this, no one knew that increasing or decreasing the lactate would have an effect on hair follicle stem cells, said William Lowry, a professor at the UCLA.

Once we saw how altering lactate production in the mice influenced hair growth, it led us to look for potential drugs that could be applied to the skin and have the same effect, said Lowry. The team identified two drugs that, when applied to the skin of mice, influenced hair follicle stem cells in distinct ways to promote lactate production.

The first drug, called RCGD423, activates a cellular signalling pathway called JAK-Stat, which transmits information from outside the cell to the nucleus of the cell. The research showed that JAK-Stat activation leads to the increased production of lactate and this in turn drives hair follicle stem cell activation and quicker hair growth. The other drug, called UK5099, blocks pyruvate from entering the mitochondria, which forces the production of lactate in the hair follicle stem cells and accelerates hair growth in mice.

Through this study, we gained a lot of interesting insight into new ways to activate stem cells, said Aimee Flores, first author of the study published in the journal Nature Cell Biology. The idea of using drugs to stimulate hair growth through hair follicle stem cells is very promising given how many millions of people, both men and women, deal with hair loss, said Flores.

I think weve only just begun to understand the critical role metabolism plays in hair growth and stem cells in general; Im looking forward to the potential application of these new findings for hair loss and beyond, she said.

For all the latest Lifestyle News, download Indian Express App

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Potential stem cell therapy may help promote hair growth - The Indian Express

In the days after a heart attack, surviving patients and their loved ones can breathe a sigh of relief that the immediate danger is over but the scar tissue that forms during the long healing process can inflict lasting damage. Too often it restricts the hearts ability to fill properly between beats, disrupting rhythm and ultimately leading to heart failure. Yet a new possible treatment may help to revitalize an injured ticker.

A cadre of scientists and companies is now trying to prevent or reverse cardiac damage by infusing a cocktail of stem cells into weakened hearts. One company, Melbourne, Australiabased Mesoblast, is already in late-stage clinical trials, treating hundreds of chronic heart failure patients with stem cell precursors drawn from healthy donors hip bones. A randomized trial that includes a placebo group is scheduled to complete enrollment next year.

Mesoblasts earlier-stage trials, published in 2015 inCirculation Research, found that patients who received injections of its cell mixture had no further problems related to heart failure.

Promising results from the new trial would be a major step forward for a field that has long been criticized for studies that are poorly designed, incomplete or lack control-group comparisons, as well as for the peddling of unproved therapies in many clinics worldwide.

Another company, Belgium-based TiGenix, hopes to attack scar tissue before it forms by treating patients with a mixture of heart stem cells within seven days of a heart attack. This approach has just completed phase II trials, but no findings have yet been published.

There are still many unanswered questions about how stem cells typically derived from bones could help heal the heart. Leading theories suggest they may help fight inflammation, revitalize existing heart cells, or drive those cells to divide or promote new blood-vessel growth, says Richard Lee, leader of the cardiovascular program at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Other stem cell scientists, including Joshua Hare, who conducted earlier-stage Mesoblast research and directs the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami, say the cells may work in multiple ways to heal scar tissue. According to Hare, the stem cells could ultimately be a truly regenerative treatment.

Read the original post:
Stem cell therapy for heart failure gets a gold-standard trial - Salon

Q: I read that you can use your own stem cells to rejuvenate worn-out knees. Does this really work?

A: Worn out is a good way to term what happens to the knee joint with prolonged use. Lets look at how this happens, starting with cartilage.

The lower portion of the knee joint (at the tibia) contains shock absorbers called menisci made of cartilage. You have one on the inner portion and another on the outer portion of each knee. The upper portion of the knee joint (at the femur) is lined with cartilage as well. All of this cartilage helps protect the bones at the joint but it doesnt heal or regenerate well due to limited blood supply. When severe, worn cartilage leads to arthritis of the knee. In knee X-rays of people over age 60, 37 percent have shown evidence of arthritis of the knees.

The intriguing thing about stem cells is that they have the ability to become any type of cell that the body needs. The cells used for stem cell injections in the knees are called mesenchymal stem cells, and they can differentiate into bone, fat or cartilage cells. These stem cells can come from the fat cells of your body, from your bone marrow or from the inner lining of your knee joint; theyre then replicated in the laboratory and injected into the knee joint.

Heres what the research shows so far.

In a 2013 study, 32 patients with meniscal tears of the knee were injected with a combination of stem cells, platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid. The study reported improved symptoms and even MRI evidence of meniscal cartilage regeneration.

In a 2014 study, 55 patients who had surgery for meniscal tears of the knees were separated into three groups, with two of the groups receiving stem cell injections. Researchers found that, after six weeks, pain had decreased substantially in the two groups that received stem cell injections and that the decrease was even greater at one and two years after the injection.

In a 2017 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers analyzed six studies that used stem cells for osteoarthritis of the knees. In five of the studies, stem cells were given after surgery to the knee; in the other study, stem cells from a donor were administered without surgery. All the studies showed reduced pain and improved knee function. Further, in three of the four trials, MRIs corroborated the cartilage improvements.

There may be benefit to stem cell injections for cartilage loss of the knees, but more data are needed. Id also like to see more data on this type of therapy as a preventive measure for younger patients before their knees are worn out.

ASK THE DOCTORS is written by Robert Ashley, M.D., Eve Glazier, M.D., and Elizabeth Ko, M.D. Send questions to askthedoctors@

mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o Media Relations, UCLA Health, 924 Westwood Blvd., Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA, 90095.

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Stem cell therapy may help knees - News - Citizens' Voice - Citizens Voice

The two entities join hands for all-inclusive stem cell treatment in Los Algodones, Tijuana, and Guadalajara. Package includes personalized therapy protocol, travel assistance, and more. GIOSTAR is a global stem cell leader with more than 4,000 people treated.

DALLAS-August 14, 2017- (Newswire.com)

The major medical tourism facilitator has added another much-needed treatment to its comprehensive list of medical services, stem cell treatment in Mexico, as a way of helping people with degenerative, immunological, and blood-based diseases receive alternative healthcare and lead a happy, healthy life.

About GIOSTAR Mexico

Founded by a leading stem cell scientist, Dr. Anand Srivastava who is credited with setting up stem cell research programs in Sal Research Institute, UCSD, UCI and Sanford Burnham Institute, GIOSTAR is a visionary organization in the field. With its headquarters in San Diego and multiple top-notch facilities, offices and hospitals in various locations including India, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, the venture is expanding its reach and making treatment for several devastating immunological and blood- related diseases accessible for all.

GIOSTAR Mexico offers stem cell therapy in Tijuana, Guadalajara, and Los Algodones. Current treatments include Diabetes Type I and Type II, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn's disease, and Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI), among others. The therapies for Alzheimer's, Autism, Anti-Aging Treatments, Parkinson's disease, Heart and Retinal Degeneration, and many more diseases are being developed by the dedicated and skilled members of the institute.

Some prominent features of GIOSTAR are:

About Medical Tourism Corporation (MTC)

The Texas-based Medical Tourism Corporation is a Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited health tourism organizer. The corporation aims to connect medical tourists from all over the world to excellent healthcare services without the underlying stress. The most daunting part of the medical tourism process is the lack of information about quality treatments in Mexico, India, and other health tourism hubs. MTC emerges as a helping hand, and assists its customers in planning every little detail of their medical trip and even offers generous post-op services and follow-up care for a safe recovery.

With the introduction of alternative therapies for taxing and draining conditions, such as stem cells for Parkinson's in Mexico, the organization is expanding its arsenal of services and treatments offered.

Medical Tourism Corporation has recently partnered with GIOSTAR with the goal of making quality healthcare come true. The two entities have collaborated to offer personalized protocols for various conditions and injuries, including stem cell therapy for spinal injuries in Mexico.

Aiming to provide exemplary stem cell treatment in Mexico, MTC provides a host of services and features that set the venture apart:

What to Expect?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates up to 23.5 million Americans suffer from autoimmune diseases. All that is standing between these patients and life-altering medical treatments is a border away.

This timely collaboration between GIOSTAR and MTC is an important step forward in bridging the gap between demand and supply of effective alternative treatments for people suffering from the aforementioned ailments when conventional therapies fail to treat. More information on stem cell therapy in Mexico is available on the official website of Medical Tourism Corporation.

Related LinksStem Cell Treatment for Diabetes Type 1 and 2 in MexicoStem Cell Treatment for Arthritis in Mexico

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Medical Tourism Corporation Announces Stem Cell Therapy in Mexico With GIOSTAR - NBC Right Now

Researchers have created a method to kill cancerous tissue without causing the harmful side effects of chemotherapy.

Medical researchers at the University of California, Irvine have created a stem cell-based method to zero in on cancerous tissue. This method kills the cancerous tissue without causing the nasty side effects of chemotherapy. Such side effects are avoided by treating the disease in a more localized manner. The advancement was spearheaded by associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences Weian Zhao. The details of the stem cell therapy were recently published in Science Translational Medicine.

About the new Stem Cell Therapy

Zhao's team programmed stem cells derived from human bone marrow to pinpoint the specific properties of cancerous tissue. They implemented a portion of code to these engineered cells to identify stiff cancerous tissue, lock onto it and implement therapeutics. The researchers safely used this new stem cell therapy in mice to kill metastatic breast cancer that had moved to the lungs. They transplanted these engineered stem cells in order for the teamto pinpoint and settle in the site of the tumor.

Once the stem cells reached the tumor, they released enzymes referred to as cytosine deaminase. The mice were then provided with an inactive chemotherapy known as prodrug 5-flurocytosine. The tumor enzymes stimulated the chemotherapy into action. Zhao stated his team zeroed in on metastatic cancer that occurs when the disease moves to additional parts of the body. Metastatic tumors are especially dangerous. They are responsible for90 percent of all cancer deaths.

Why the new Stem Cell Therapy is Important

Zhao is adamant his stem cell therapy represents an important newparadigm in the context of cancer therapy. Indeed, Zhao has blazed a trail in a new direction that others will likely follow in the years to come. It is possible his new stem cell therapy serves as an alternative and more effective means of treating cancer. This stem cell therapy will serve as an alternative to numerous forms of chemotherapy that typically have nasty side effects. Chemotherapy certainly kills plenty of growing cancer cells yet it can also harm healthy cells. The new type of treatment keys in on metastatic tissue that allows for the avoidance of the undesirable side effects produced by chemotherapy.

Though the published piece describing this stem cell therapy is centered on breast cancer metastases within thelungs, the method will soon be applicable to additional metastases. This is due to the fact that numerous solid tumors are stiffer than regular tissue. The new system does not force scientists to invest time and effort to pinpoint and create a brand new protein or genetic marker for each kind of cancer.

The Next Step

At this point in time, Zhao's team has performed pre-clinical animal studies to show the treatment is effective and safe. They plan to segue to human studies in the coming months and years. Zhao's team is currently expanding to additional types of cells such as cancer tissue-sensing and engineered immune system CAR-T (T cells) to treat metastasizing colon and breast cancers. Their goal is totransform this technology for the treatment of additional diseases ranging from diabetes to fibrosis and beyond.

Link:
Stem Cell Therapy Selectively Targets and Kills Cancerous Tissue - Anti Aging News

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Olympus Corporation

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Gene Therapy R&D and Revenue Forecasts 2017-2027 - PR Newswire (press release)