StemCell Therapy

A new consortium, led by Oxford BioMedica, will embark on a two-year, 2 million project focused on gene and cell therapy manufacturing.

Other partners include the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, Stratophase and Synthace, and the collaboration is co-funded by Innovate UK.

The aim of the consortium is to explore and apply novel advanced technologies to further evolve OXBs proprietary suspension LentiVector platform to deliver higher quality vectors for both clinical and commercial use. The project aims to deliver tangible benefits to patients by shortening the time-to-clinic and time-to-market as well as to improve the cost and access of bringing novel gene and cell therapies to patients.

Each partner in the collaboration holds proprietary technology and know-how that can be used to develop an innovative approach to viral vector manufacturing. The aims of this pioneering project are closely aligned with the current government national priorities to make the UK a global hub for manufacturing advanced therapies, which will benefit economic growth and create and retain more highly skilled employment.

John Dawson, CEO of Oxford BioMedica, commented: Cell and gene therapies offer unprecedented promise for the cure, treatment or long term management of disease and we are delighted that this consortium has been awarded funding from Innovate UK that will help to keep Oxford BioMedica, our partners and the UK at the forefront of innovation in industrial viral vector manufacturing."

Keith Thompson, CEO of Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, added: Collaborating on developing improved process analytic technologies with our partners will help drive productivity in viral vector manufacturing, accelerating the development of these transformative advanced therapies. We have the opportunity to both transform patients lives and grow an industry in the UK that we can be proud of.

More here:
2m UK consortium to tackle gene therapy - PharmaTimes

A new paper from Duke molecular genetics and microbiology shows how pathogenic Cryptococcus fungi evolved from having many sexes to just two through 50 million years of gene swapping. Credit: Kara Manke

Biologically speaking, nearly every species on Earth has two opposite sexes, male and female. But with some fungi and other microbes, sex can be a lot more complicated. Some members of Cryptococcus, a family of fungus linked to human disease, can have tens of thousands of different mating types.

In a study appearing early online Aug. 11 in PLOS Biology, Duke researchers have mapped the evolutionary turning point that transformed the pathogenic form of Cryptococcus from an organism of many sexes to one with only two. They found that during evolution, a reshuffling of DNA known as translocation brought together separate chunks of sex-determining genes onto a single chromosome, essentially mimicking the human X or Y chromosome.

Surprisingly, they've shown that these crucial translocations occurred at the centromeres, the twisty ties that hold together chromosomes at the center of an x-shaped pair. These regions of the chromosome are so dense that they were once thought to be removed from recombination.

"Recombination at the centromere doesn't have to happen frequently, it just has to happen often enough that it punctuates the evolution of the organism," said Joseph Heitman, MD, PhD, senior study author and professor and chair of molecular genetics and microbiology at Duke University School of Medicine. "With each translocation, the genome is altered again and again, until you have evolved an entirely new species."

Scientists have been studying the evolution of sex chromosomes for more than a century. In the 1960's, Japanese-American geneticist and evolutionary biologist Susumu Ohno proposed a theory in which the genes determining sex first arose at various spots scattered across the entire genome, but over time were "captured" on the sex chromosomes. In humans, those chromosomes go by the familiar X and Y; in birds, they are known as Z and W; in moss, they are called U and V.

Regardless of the name or species, Heitman contends that some universal principles could govern the evolution of all sex chromosomes. He and an international team of researchers focused on the last common ancestor of the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans and its nearest sibling species, a non-pathogen called Cryptococcus amylolentus.

In C. amylolentus, dozens of genes at two different locations on the chromosomes control what's called a tetrapolar, or four-part, mating system. At one location or locus known as P/R, genes encode pheromones and pheromone receptors that help the fungus recognize compatible mating types. At the other locus, called HD, genes govern the development of sexual structures and reproductive spores.

The researchers sequenced the entire genome of C. amylolentus, mapping the location of all the genes as well as the centromeres on each of the organism's 14 chromosomes.

They found that the genomes had undergone quite a bit of rearrangement since the two species shared a common ancestor, at least 50 million years ago. For example, chromosome 1 of C. neoformans contained pieces of four different chromosomes from C. amylolentus, providing evidence of multiple translocations, some within the centromere.

"That was very surprising. The dogma has been that recombination is repressed in centromeric regions," said Sheng Sun, PhD, lead study author and assistant research professor at Duke University School of Medicine.

In the 1980's, a seminal paper by Duke colleague Tom Petes demonstrated recombination could occur across the centromeres in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but some attributed the finding to a quirk of the favored model organism with its tiny point centromeres. But since then, other studies have emerged suggesting that the phenomenon was wider spread.

In this study, the researchers showed that in Cryptococcus amylolentus, the ancestral state, the P/R locus resided on chromosome 10 and the HD locus on chromosome 11. But in Cryptococcus neoformans, the evolved state, those loci ended up in one place. According to their model, multiple translocations deposited the two sex determinants on the same chromosome, with a centromere in between. Subsequent rearrangements put P/R and HD next to each other. The result was an organism with a bipolar mating system, much like the male and female sexes that embody most species.

"In any kind of model like this, you are thinking about what could have been the organization in the last common ancestor, which is now extinct so you can't know definitively," said Heitman. "But in each of these lineages, there are multiple evolutionary events that have occurred, and you can use genomics to turn back the hands of time and deduce the trajectory."

Heitman says their study suggests that other researchers should actively look for translocations, both in the expected locations as well as within centromeres. These chromosomal rearrangements are a common cause of birth defects and cancer in humans.

He and his colleagues are currently investigating whether similar translocations occur in the evolution of sex chromosomes in other fungal families, such as Ustilago and Malassezia.

Explore further: Evolution of the Sexes: What a Fungus Can Tell Us

More information: "Fungal genome and mating system transitions facilitated by chromosomal translocations involving intercentromeric recombination," Sheng Sun, Vikas Yadav, R. Blake Billmyre, Christina A. Cuomo, Minou Nowrousian, Liuyang Wang, Jean-Luc Souciet, Teun Boekhout, Betina Porcel, Patrick Wincker, Joshua A. Granek, Kaustuv Sanyal and Joseph Heitman. PLOS Biology, Early online Aug. 11, 2017. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2002527

Journal reference: PLoS Biology

Provided by: Duke University

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Scientists map sex chromosome evolution in pathogenic fungi - Phys.Org

Bow

Alex Locatelli Alfano, son of Paul and Debra Alfano of Bow, graduated from The Derryfield School in Manchester. While at Derryfield, Alex was a four-year member of both the basketball and baseball teams. He was also an active member of Key Club, the literary magazine, Excerpt, and the Current Events Club. He will be attending the University of New England in the fall.

Gabrielle Megan Brummett, daughter of Russ and Michelle Brummett of Bow, graduated from The Derryfield School in Manchester. She will be attending Duke University to play Division I soccer in the fall. While at Derryfield, Gabi maintained high honors throughout her Derryfield academic career and volunteered with Key Club as a youth soccer coach and with Samba International. Gabi played four years of varsity girls soccer and made her mark on the soccer community locally and nationally. A two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year, Gabi led the Derryfield Cougars to two state championships in four years.

Abigail Wadewas named to the honor roll for the spring semester at the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas. She is an art major.

Harry Gunn earned a bachelor of science degree, summa cum laude, in chemical engineering from Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y. He will be attending the University of Pennsylvania Law School this fall.

Kevin Hayes, son of Dan and Ellen Hayes, was named to the deans list for the spring semester at the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y. He is a junior majoring in molecular genetics.

Abigail Painchaud was named to the deans list for the spring semester at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.

Tyler Hussey was named to the deans list for the spring semester at Nichols College in Dudley, Mass. He is a human resources major.

Maeghan Connor was named to the deans list for the spring semester at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. She is a senior conservation biology and global studies major.

Kyle Zollo-Venecek, son of Daniel Venecek and Linda Zollo of Concord, was named to the deans list for the spring semester at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. He is a chemistry major.

Flannery Black-Ingersoll, daughter of Douglas Ingersoll and Rebecca Black of Concord, was named to the deans list for the spring semester at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. She is a mathematics and arts and visual culture major.

Anastasia Toumpas earned a degree in biology and environmental studies from Wells College in Aurora, N.Y. She was also named to the deans list for the spring semester.

Elizabeth Bailey was elected as secretary to the Board of Trustees of Leadership New Hampshire for the 2017-18 program year. She has been a member of the board since 2016.

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People for Aug. 12, 2017 - Concord Monitor

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 11, 2017 / Friday Night Inc. (Friday Night) (CSE:TGIF) (1QF.F) (OTC PINK: VPGDF) is pleased to announce that the Company has appointed Dr. Anthony R. Torres, MD to its board of advisors and would also like to provide an update on the genetics breeding program at the Company's 91% owned subsidiary, Alternative Medicine Association, LC. (AMA).

NEW GENETIC STRAIN

Over the past several months, AMA has been cross breeding existing strains in hopes of creating an improved cannabis product. This time consuming and laborious process has resulted in a new product offering that only AMA will be able to provide.

One of AMA's favorite prototype plants from the genetics program is a strain they have created and named ''Naughty Cookies''. Over the last year and thousands of test plants later, AMA created the new strain by crossing the high-THC and popular 'Girl Scout Cookies' strain with the high-yielding 'Juggernaut' male. The buds are very frosty, aesthetically pleasing and dense with light purple coloration.

This week AMA received the test results for the first lot. The cannabinoid content was higher than any strain AMA had seen in the last 3 years, and the THC content came back as 34.9%. Most fortunately, AMA had the foresight to cultivate over 70 of these plants in anticipation of great results. These will be flowered during the next growing cycle and so far are yielding over 2 pounds per light of dried flower.

The creator of this strain and Director of Operations, Mr. Ben Horner said, ''This gives us a competitive edge in a market which we now control. When new cultivators come on board, we will be the only producer with this strain. I feel it will inevitably become a favorite in Las Vegas.''

NEW ADVISOR TO THE COMPANY

Anthony R. Torres, M.D. with training at the National Institutes of Health, Yale University School of Medicine and the University of Utah, has considerable experience in the separation sciences of biological molecules. Anthony is widely published and has made a career not only in university research, but also in the biotechnology field including protein enrichment and advance separation processes. He is an inventor and owns several patents in the field. He is not new to the world of start-up companies and continues to be a pioneer in biotechnology. He also brings a deep understanding of the cannabis plant and its molecular structure.

Dr. Torres commented, ''I am very interested in applying traditional laboratory processes to the rapidly developing field of molecular cannabis. I believe that there are many positive applications for the natural benefits of this plant in modern medicine and that it has the potential to help hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions of people.''

About Friday Night Inc.

Friday Night Inc. is a Canadian public company, which owns and controls cannabis and hemp based assets in Las Vegas Nevada. The company owns 91% of Alternative Medicine Association, LC (AMA), a licensed medical and adult-use cannabis cultivation and production facility that produces its own line of unique cannabis-based products and manufactures other third-party brands. Infused MFG, also a 91% owned subsidiary, produces hemp-based, CBD products, thoughtfully crafted of high quality organic botanical ingredients. Friday Night Inc. is focused on strengthening and expanding these operations within and outside of the state.

For further information please contact:Joe Bleackley, Corporate Communications604-674-4756Joe@FridayNightInc.com

Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words ''anticipate,'' ''continue,'' ''estimate,'' ''expect,'' ''may,'' ''will,'' ''project,'' ''should,'' ''believe,'' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. This news release includes forward-looking statements with respect to the entering into a definitive agreement, the future exercise of the option regarding the vape lounge and the regulatory environment in Canada. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including failure to enter into a definitive agreement, inability to attract new customers in Nevada as a result of the license, the inability of the Company to take advantage of the license arrangement and various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents, which can be found under the Company's profile on http://www.sedar.com. Friday Night undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law or the Canadian Securities Exchange.

Read More

SOURCE: Friday Night Inc.

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Friday Night Inc. Announces Dr. Torres Advisor and Genetics Update - Yahoo News

Product News Aug 11, 2017

Image Credit: Integrated DNA Technologies

Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) will host a webinar titled "Increase on-target specificity of CRISPR genome editing using a novel, high-fidelity Cas9 nuclease on August 16, 2017. The webinar will be presented by Dr Chris Vakulskas, Staff Scientist, Molecular Genetics at IDT. Dr Vakulskas will present data from the development of the novel Alt-R S.p. HiFi Cas9 Nuclease 3NLS, as well as describe its benefits for improved specificity without compromising on-target activity.

Despite its revolutionary impact on life science research, the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system suffers from concerns related to target specificity, particularly for researchers considering therapeutic applications. Until now, modifications to guide RNAs and Cas9 proteins have been used to reduce off-target effects, but many of these have also reduced on-target editing. In this webinar, Dr Vakulskas will describe how his team developed the novel Alt-R S.p. HiFi Cas9 Nuclease 3NLS through an intensive screening and selection process. Webinar attendees will learn about the benefits and usefulness of this this novel nuclease as part of a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex to mitigate unwanted off-target gene editing.

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Stay On-Target With Novel, High-Fidelity Cas9 - Technology Networks

Some of you may remember back to the fun days when taking a pig to the fair was the highlight of summer. Early on I wrote about my sons exercising their pigs in the roadside ditch when the pigs started chasing cars. Of course, the more the pigs chased the car, the driver slowed down which of course egged the pigs on to run even faster alongside.

Now the 4-H swine business has become a much more serious project. Readers may remember that it wasnt only a couple years ago that all 4-H poultry projects in Ohio were banned from exhibition because of an epidemic of avian influenza a disease that might have easily caused an epidemic in humans.

It wasnt until the days of checking DNA and genomic testing did anyone realize the different strains of influenza. (I call it a strain even though a more appropriate term is genotype.) Influenza or flu as most people call it has a long history, even though most of us chalk it up as one of those diseases that might cause us to stay home from work or school for a couple of days.

The 1918 influenza outbreak caused a pandemic worldwide. In the spring of 1918 (and then a reappearance in the fall) this pandemic caused an estimated 50 million human deaths worldwide. So influenza isnt anything to trifle with, especially in this age of around-the-world travel. It is a virus that can jump back and forth between humans, pigs, poultry, and wild birds then back again.

You would need to live in a shoebox to not know about the influenza outbreak in pigs that occurred recently at the Clinton County Fair. What you may not know is that influenza in pigs at the Clinton Country Fair appears to actually contain some human DNA genetic code rather than just the normal flu virus found in pigs.

Here are some basic facts. From early in my career until recent years, influenza was primarily classified as H1N1. Now with molecular genetics and DNA analysis we know that the virus has been changing. It has mutated to several different new types. For instance just to name a few there are: H3N2, H7N8, H3N5 and then we could also discuss low-pathogen versus high pathogen influenza. You get the idea, as fast as the virus can modify itself to attack a vulnerable animal or a human, it will.

Formerly swine vaccines were primarily for H1N1. You can deduce that a vaccine for a specific genotype may be very effective. We cant vaccinate our way out of having either sick animals or sick humans if the latest infection is a different genotype.

The current strategy experts have espoused is biosecurity. This refers to use a common sense approach towards eliminating or minimizing exposure when evaluating the risk of contracting a disease in either humans or animals. Sick pigs, just like sick children, should have limited risk or no risk of exposing others. Dont send a sick pig with a fever to the fair just as you shouldnt send a sick child to school.

Someone took a sick pig with a fever to the Clinton County fair. Authorities know this because pigs started spiking fevers immediately upon arrival rather than the virus incubating several days before illness appeared. Fortunately the fair veterinarian recognized early on that too many pigs were getting sick and called for diagnostic expertise from the virologists at the State Animal Diagnostic Lab in Reynoldsburg. They responded immediately.

Nasal swabs confirmed a diagnosis of influenza H3N2. Over the next couple of days more pigs tested positive demonstrating that an epidemic had started. Approximately 68 pigs were confirmed ill of the slightly less than 300 pigs in the swine pavilion. Since then, the CDC in Atlanta has been doing further DNA sequencing to pinpoint its precise anatomy. A human DNA sequence has also been identified in the virus.

Dr. Tony Forshey, the state veterinarian, and his team quarantined the barn early in the course of the disease. The team made the decision to allow the youth to show their projects while in quarantine as the show arena was adjacent to the pig pens. Parents were allowed to attend to watch the 4-Hers show their animals, but other interested parties were excluded. At the conclusion of the show, the pigs were then sent to a packing plant for processing into meat a normal sequence of events after most county fair shows.

News outlets reported faster than the influenza could spread that the pigs were destroyed and the barn burned down. Talk about fake news! What a bunch of baloney, or perhaps I should say sausage, the pig kind. No pigs were destroyed at the fair and no barns burned. After the show the pigs were shipped to a packing company for processing into meat. With standard processing and inspection, all of the meat from chops to bacon was determined to be safe to consume. Contrary to what was reported by several other news outlets, the barn was not burned but cleaned and sanitized. Since those early reports news organizations did get their stories straight.

Some had several thousand dollars for their pigs. These exhibitors were angry because their plans were to ship these high dollar porkers from fair to fair and win as many prizes as possible. Perhaps they may have even planned on a climax at the State Fair. If their pig was a champion, it would bring a lot of recognition and money in the Sale of Champions.

These individuals would have chosen to ignore the health risks. Should these infected pigs be allowed to move to other show premises, a major epidemic was certain to occur at every exhibition the pigs appeared and likely start a human health crisis. Ohios commercial swine industry would also have been put to a serious health and economic risk. It is readily apparent that protecting all Ohioans and the commercial swine industry is critical. There are over two million commercial breeding and market swine in Ohio supplying high quality protein in the form of meat to consumers.

I grew up showing pigs, my sons showed pigs and my granddaughters are showing pigs next month. Today it is most important to protect the commercial swine industry rather than gunners going for the big prize. There is more to life than the big prize, the accompanying recognition and a big paycheck for a few individuals.

Dr. Forshey took a lot of heat for quarantining those Clinton County pigs, allowing them to show their pigs, then shutting down the swine exhibition and sending the pigs to slaughter. In view of the virus containing aberrant human DNA code, allowing the pigs to move onto other exhibitions may have started a human influenza epidemic. In my estimation he made a wise decision for the Ohio citizens and also the swine industry, but yet was compassionate to 4-Hers in Clinton County. Kudos to Dr. Forshey and his team!

The rest is here:
Learn how influenza topped fake news - Ohio's Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net

The humble kitchen sponge may not exactly be the cleanest thing around, but it's still your trusted tool for dealing with that sink of dirty dishes. So, it cant be that bad, right? Err Actually, those innocent-looking little sponges can be some of the most bacteria-packed things in your house.

Thats according to a recent study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, which analyzed the bacteria in sponges that people regularly used to clean their kitchens. For the study, researchers looked at the genetic information of microbes that live in the sponges and found 362 different species of bacteria in 14 sponges.

Granted, exposure to some bacteria can be good for you, and it takes a lot of the less-friendly types to actually make you sick. But in this study, five of the 10 most common species of bacteria in the sponges were kinds that can potentially cause infections, including three species in the Acinetobacter genus, for instance, which can cause pneumonia.

So, you should probably just clean your sponges more often, right? Not necessarily. The study also found that two of the most common bacteria found on the spongesChryseobacterium hominis and Moraxella osloensiswere more likely to be resistant to cleaning (including both conventional washing with hot, soapy water and microwaving). In fact, these bacteria actually thrived in sponges that were cleaned regularly. Fantastic.

The reason why cleaning the sponge doesn't solve the problem is a little confusing, but it comes down to simple math, Michael G. Schmidt, Ph.D., professor and vice chair of the department of microbiology and immunology at Medical University of South Carolina, tells SELF. The majority of disinfectants are designed to reduce the concentration of bacteria by 99.9 percent. Although we tend to assume that's "basically 100 percent," it's really not.

If there are 10 million bacteria associated with the sponge and the disinfectant did its job, a 99.9 percent reduction would still leave approximately 10,000 bacteria in the sponge, Schmidt explains. And those that escape the disinfectant end up with less competition and can, therefore, proliferate. Ultimately, its not that surprising that there were still microbes in the nooks and crannies of the sponge, he says.

It's also a good idea to pay attention to where you put your sponge. For most bacteria to grow and maintain that growth, they need moisture, Daniel Hassett, Ph.D., professor of molecular genetics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, tells SELF. A lot of people let their sponges sit on top of the sink, and theres still moisture there, he points out. Ideally, you should put your sponge on an elevated, highly aerated area, he says, like a little soap dish with holes in the bottom so it won't just sit in moisture.

When it comes to the bacteria on your sponge, keep a few factors in mind before freaking out. The types of microbes you're dealing with, how concentrated they are, and their virulence factors (molecules that add to their ability to infect you) all affect the chances of you getting sick, Schmidt says. For the most part, your immune system will fight these bacteria off. But, occasionally, a nasty pathogen can slip through, he says. The chances of illness are always present, but if you eat well [and] get plenty of rest, your immune system and microbes will be able to resist the majority of the bugs in the sponge. If you have a compromised immune system for whatever reason, though, you may be more likely to get sick from these and other pathogens.

And, according to Hassett, your odds of getting sick are virtually zero if you wash your hands well after using a sponge. Even if you use a tainted sponge to clean a plate, a lot of that bacteria will be killed as it dries.

For the vast majority of us, the go-to sanitization methods are still totally fine. The dishwasher is often considered the best way, since heat, soap, and water work quite well with each other to inactivate bacteria, Schmidt says.

And you can still microwave your (wet) sponge for a minute or two. Schmidt says the basic idea makes sense, but your results may vary based on the thickness of your sponge and concentration of the bacteria. "Steam needs to reach the microbeand effectively render the [bacteria] to an inactive state," he explains. Think about it like trying to make the perfect baked potato: Some microwaves can do it perfectly with a single presetting, while others require a little more fiddling. That's because both the power of the microwave and the thickness of the spud can vary. And, just like a microwaved potato, your sponge will be piping hot when it comes outso proceed with caution. Also, don't forget to wet the sponge before putting it in the microwave or you will set a small fire.

You can also make sure your sponge has a chance to fully dry out before you use it again. So remember to move it onto an elevated holder that allows it to drain.

Its also best to avoid using sponges to clean up meat and fish, since those foods are more likely to carry bacteria. Ideally, sponges are great for wiping up crumbs, Dr. Schmidt says. But, if you use them to decontaminate your counter or cutting board, be sure to spray a disinfectant on the dirty surface first, let it sit for a moment, and then use your sponge to wipe up the dead microbes.

And, of course, dont keep your sponge forever. The studys researchers recommend tossing them after a week. Yes, a week.

Related:

You May Also Like: 12 Healthy Foods You Should Always Keep in Your Pantry

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Your Sponge Holds a Disgusting Amount of Bacteria, BTW | SELF - SELF

Early phase Northwestern Medicine research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has demonstrated a potential new therapeutic strategy for treating deadly glioblastoma brain tumors.

The strategy involves using lipid polymer-based nanoparticles to deliver molecules to the tumors, where the molecules shut down key cancer drivers called brain tumor-initiating cells (BTICs).

BTICs are malignant brain tumor populations that underlie the therapy resistance, recurrence and unstoppable invasion commonly encountered by glioblastoma patients after the standard treatment regimen of surgical resection, radiation and chemotherapy, explained the studys first author, Dou Yu, MD, PhD, research assistant professor of Neurological Surgery.

Using mouse models of brain tumors implanted with BTICs derived from human patients, the scientists injected nanoparticles containing small interfering RNA (siRNA) short sequences of RNA molecules that reduce the expression of specific cancer-promoting proteins directly into the tumor. In the new study, the strategy stopped tumor growth and extended survival when the therapy was administered continuously through an implanted drug infusion pump.

This major progress, although still at a conceptual stage, underscores a new direction in the pursuit of a cure for one of the most devastating medical conditions known to mankind, said Yu, who collaborated on the research with principal investigator Maciej Lesniak, MD, Michael J. Marchese Professor of Neurosurgery and chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery.

Glioblastoma is particularly difficult to treat because its genetic makeup varies from patient to patient. This new therapeutic approach would make it possible to deliver siRNAs to target multiple cancer-causing gene products simultaneously in a particular patients tumor.

In this study, the scientists tested siRNAs that target four transcription factors highly expressed in many glioblastoma tissues but not all. The therapy worked against classes of glioblastoma BTICs with high levels of those transcription factors, while other classes of the cancer did not respond.

This paints a picture for personalized glioblastoma therapy regimens based on tumor profiling, Yu said. Customized nanomedicine could target the unique genetic signatures in any specific patient and potentially lead to greater therapeutic benefits.

The strategy could also apply to other medical conditions related to the central nervous system not just brain tumors.

Degenerative neurological diseases or even psychiatric conditions could potentially be the therapeutic candidates for this multiplexed delivery platform, Yu said.

Before scientists can translate this proof-of-concept research to humans, they will need to continue refining the nanomedicine platform and evaluating its long-term safety. Still, the findings from this new research provide insight for further investigation.

Nanomedicine provides a unique opportunity to advance a therapeutic strategy for a disease without a cure. By effectively targeting brain tumor-initiating stem cells responsible for cancer recurrence, this approach opens up novel translational approaches to malignant brain cancer, Lesniak summed up.

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

Reference

Dou Yu, Omar F. Khan, Mario L. Suv, Biqin Dong, Wojciech K. Panek, Ting Xiao, Meijing Wu, Yu Han, Atique U. Ahmed, Irina V. Balyasnikova, Hao F. Zhang, Cheng Sun, Robert Langer, Daniel G. Anderson, Maciej S. Lesniak. Multiplexed RNAi therapy against brain tumor-initiating cells via lipopolymeric nanoparticle infusion delays glioblastoma progression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017; 201701911 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1701911114

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siRNA Treatment for Brain Cancer Stops Tumor Growth in Mouse Model - Technology Networks

With a jolt from a tiny chip, humdrum skin cells may transform into medical mavericks.

A small electrical pulse blasts open tiny pores in cells and zaps in fragments of DNA or RNA loaded in the chips nanochannels. Those genetic deliveries then effectively reprogram the skin cells to act like other types of cells and repair damaged tissue. In early experiments on mice, researchers coaxed skin cells to act like brain cells. They also restored blood flow to a rodents injured limb by prompting skin cells to grow into new blood vessels.

The technology, published this week in Nature Nanotechnology, is still a long way from confirmed clinical applications in humans. But, the Ohio State researchers behind the chip are optimistic that it may one day perform myriad medical featsincluding healing severe injuries, restoring diseased organs, erasing brain damage, and even turning back the clock on aging tissues.

The researchers, led by regenerative medicine expert Chandan Sen and biomolecular engineer L. James Lee, expect to begin clinical trials next year.

The concept is very simple, Lee said in a press statement. As a matter of fact, we were even surprised how it worked so well. In my lab, we have ongoing research trying to understand the mechanism and do even better. So, this is the beginning, more to come.

Their concept is similar to other cell-based regenerative therapies under development, but it skips some pesky steps. Some other methods explored by researchersand dubious clinicsinvolve harvesting adult cells from patients, reprograming them to revert to stem cells, then injecting those cells back into patients, where they develop into a needed cell type.

But this setup has snags. Researchers often use viruses to deliver the genetic elements that reprogram the cells, which have caused cancer in some animal studies. The method also requires a lot of manipulation of cells in lab, adding complications. Its unclear if the suspect stem cell clinics are even successful at reprogramming cells.

The method used by Lee, Sen, and colleagues ditches the need for a virus and for any cellular handling. The electrical pulse opens pores in cells that allow for direct genetic deliverya process called electroporation. The researchers skipped the need to make stem cells by using preexisting methods of converting one cell type directly into a different one. Generally, this works by introducing bits of genetic material that code for gene regulators key to a specific cell type. Once delivered, these regulators can switch genes on or off so cells can start acting like the different cell type. Such a method has been worked out for creatingliver, brain, and vascular cellsfrom other cell types.

Finally, the researchers method also all takes place on a patch of skin on a living subject, potentially directly where its neededno cell harvesting or lab manipulations are required. (That said, the researchers note that future therapies could use skin patches to generate specific cell types that can then be transferred to other locations in the body if needed.)

So far, the researchers have dabbled with making brain cells and vasculature cells from skin cells. In early experiments, their direct delivery proved effective at converting the cells. The researcher verified that the converted cells mirrored normal brain and vasculature cells' gene expression profilesthe pattern of genes they have turned on and off.

In their ultimate test, the researchers severed leg arteries in ahandful of mice. Then a researcher placed over the injuries nanochips loaded with genetic ingredients for converting skin cells to vasculature cells. The conversion reached cells deep within the skin layers. After a week, the researchers saw more blood flow and less tissue death in the treated mice compared withcontrol animals that werent treated.

Much work still needs to be done to test the idea and prove it's effective for certain treatments. But the researchers are optimistic. They conclude in the study that the technology has the potential to ultimately enable the use of a patients own tissue as a prolific immunosurveilled bioreactor.

Nature Nanotechnology, 2017. DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2017.134 (About DOIs).

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Heal thyself: Skin-zapping chip aims to reprogram cells for tissue repair - Ars Technica

This article originally ran on Ensia.

Which is more disruptive to a plant: genetic engineering or conventional breeding?

It often surprises people to learn that GE commonly causes less disruption to plants than conventional techniques of breeding. But equally profound is the realization that the latest GE techniques, coupled with a rapidly expanding ability to analyze massive amounts of genetic material, allow us to make super-modest changes in crop plant genes that will enable farmers to produce more food with fewer adverse environmental impacts. Such super-modest changes are possible with CRISPR-based genome editing, a powerful set of new genetic tools that is leading a revolution in biology.

My interest in GE crops stems from my desire to provide more effective and sustainable plant disease control for farmers worldwide. Diseases often destroy 10 to 15 percent of potential crop production, resulting in global losses of billions of dollars annually. The risk of disease-related losses provides an incentive to farmers to use disease-control products such as pesticides.

One of my strongest areas of expertise is in the use of pesticides for disease control. Pesticides certainly can be useful in farming systems worldwide, but they have significant downsides from a sustainability perspective. Used improperly, they can contaminate foods. They can pose a risk to farm workers. And they must be manufactured, shipped and applied all processes with a measurable environmental footprint. Therefore, I am always seeking to reduce pesticide use by offering farmers more sustainable approaches to disease management.

It often surprises people to learn that GE commonly causes less disruption to plants than conventional techniques of breeding.

What follows are examples of how minimal GE changes can be applied to make farming more environmentally friendly by protecting crops from disease. They represent just a small sampling of the broad landscape of opportunities for enhancing food security and agricultural sustainability that innovations in molecular biology offer today.

Genetically altering crops the way these examples demonstrate creates no cause for concern for plants or people. Mutations occur naturally every time a plant makes a seed; in fact, they are the very foundation of evolution. All of the food we eat has all kinds of mutations, and eating plants with mutations does not cause mutations in us.

A striking example of how a tiny genetic change can make a big difference to plant health is the strategy of "knocking out" a plant gene that microorganisms can benefit from. Invading microorganisms sometimes hijack certain plant molecules to help themselves infect the plant. A gene that produces such a plant molecule is known as a susceptibility gene.

We can use CRISPR-based genome editing to create a "targeted mutation" in a susceptibility gene. A change of as little as a single nucleotide in the plants genetic material the smallest genetic change possible can confer disease resistance in a way that is absolutely indistinguishable from natural mutations that can happen spontaneously. Yet if the target gene and mutation site are carefully selected, a one-nucleotide mutation may be enough to achieve an important outcome.

A substantial body of research shows proof-of-concept that a knockout of a susceptibility gene can increase resistance in plants to a wide variety of disease-causing microorganisms. An example that caught my attention pertained to powdery mildew of wheat, because fungicides (pesticides that control fungi) are commonly used against this disease. While this particular genetic knockout is not yet commercialized, I personally would rather eat wheat products from varieties that control disease through genetics than from crops treated with fungicides.

Plant viruses are often difficult to control in susceptible crop varieties. Conventional breeding can help make plants resistant to viruses, but sometimes it is not successful.

Early approaches to engineering virus resistance in plants involved inserting a gene from the virus into the plants genetic material. For example, plant-infecting viruses are surrounded by a protective layer of protein, called the "coat protein." The gene for the coat protein of a virus called papaya ring spot virus was inserted into papaya. Through a process called RNAi, this empowers the plant to inactivate the virus when it invades. GE papaya has been a spectacular success, in large part saving the Hawaiian papaya industry.

Mutations occur naturally every time a plant makes a seed; in fact, they are the very foundation of evolution.

Through time, researchers discovered that even just a very small fragment from one viral gene can stimulate RNAi-based resistance if precisely placed within a specific location in the plants DNA. Even better, they found we can "stack" resistance genes engineered with extremely modest changes in order to create a plant highly resistant to multiple viruses. This is important because, in the field, crops are often exposed to infection by several viruses.

Does eating this tiny bit of a viral gene sequence concern me? Absolutely not, for many reasons, including:

Microorganisms often can overcome plants biochemical defenses by producing molecules called effectors that interfere with those defenses. Plants respond by evolving proteins to recognize and disable these effector molecules. These recognition proteins are called "R" proteins ("R" standing for "resistance"). Their job is to recognize the invading effector molecule and trigger additional defenses. A third interesting approach, then, to help plants resist an invading microorganism is to engineer an R protein so that it recognizes effector molecules other than the one it evolved to detect. We can then use CRISPR to supply a plant with the very small amount of DNA needed to empower it to make this protein.

This approach, like susceptibility knockouts, is quite feasible, based on published research. Commercial implementation will require some willing private- or public-sector entity to do the development work and to face the very substantial and costly challenges of the regulatory process.

The three examples here show that extremely modest engineered changes in plant genetics can result in very important benefits. All three examples involve engineered changes that trigger the natural defenses of the plant. No novel defense mechanisms were introduced in these research projects, a fact that may appeal to some consumers. The wise use of the advanced GE methods illustrated here, as well as others described elsewhere, has the potential to increase the sustainability of our food production systems, particularly given the well-established safety of GE crops and their products for consumption.

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When genetic engineering is the environmentally friendly choice - GreenBiz

The idea of transplanting organs from pigs into humans has been around for a long time. And for a long time, xenotransplantsor putting organs from one species into anotherhas come up against two seemingly insurmountable problems.

The first problem is fairly intuitive: Pig organs provoke a massive and destructive immune response in humansfar more so than an organ from another person. The second problem is less obvious: Pig genomes are rife with DNA sequences of viruses that can infect human cells. In the 1990s, the pharmaceutical giant Novartis planned to throw as much $1 billion at animal-to-human transplant research, only to shutter its research unit after several years of failed experiments.

Quite suddenly, however, solving these two problems has become much easier and much faster thanks to the gene-editing technology CRISPR. With CRISPR, scientists can knock out the pig genes that trigger the human immune response. And they can inactivate the virusescalled porcine endogenous retroviruses, or PERVsthat lurk in the pig genome.

On Thursday, scientists working for a startup called eGenesis reported the birth of 37 PERV-free baby pigs in China, 15 of them still surviving. The black-and-white piglets are now several months old, and they belong to a breed of miniature pigs that will grow no bigger than 150 poundswith organs just the right size for transplant into adult humans.

eGenesis spun out of the lab of the Harvard geneticist George Church, who previously reported inactivating 62 copies of PERV from pig cells in 2015. But the jump from specialized pig cells that grow well in labs to living PERV-free piglets wasnt easy.

We didnt even know we could have viable pigs, says Luhan Yang, a former graduate student in Churchs lab and co-founder of eGenesis. When her team first tried to edit all 62 copies in pig cells that they wanted to turn into embryos, the cells died. They were more sensitive than the specialized cell lines. Eventually Yang and her team figured out a chemical cocktail that could keep these cells alive through the gene-editing process. This technique could be useful in large-scale gene-editing projects unrelated to xenotransplants, too.

When Yang and her team first inactivated PERV from cells in a lab, my colleague Ed Yong suggested that the work was an example of CRISPRs power rather than a huge breakthrough in pig-to-human transplants, given the challenges of immune compatibility. And true, Yang and Church come at this research as CRISPR pioneers, but not experts in transplantation. At a gathering of organ-transplantation researchers last Friday, Church said that his team had identified about 45 genes to make pig organs more compatible with humans, though he was open to more suggestions. I would bet we are not as sophisticated as we should be because weve only been recently invited [to meetings like this], he said. Its an active area of research for eGenesis, though Yang declined to disclose what the company has accomplished so far.

Its great genetic-engineering work. Its an accomplishment to inactivate that many genes, says Joseph Tector, a xenotransplant researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Researchers like Tector, who is also a transplant surgeon, have been chipping away at the problem of immune incompatibility for years, though. CRISPR has sped up that research, too. The first pig gene implicated in the human immune response is alpha-gal. Making a pig that lacked alpha-gal via older genetic-engineering methods took three years. Now from concept to pig on the ground, its probably six months, says Tector.

Using CRISPR, his team has created a triple-knockout pig that lacks alpha-gal as well as two other genes involved in molecules that that provoke the human immune systems immediate hyperacute rejection of pig organs. For about 30 percent of people, the organs from these triple-knockout pigs should not cause hyperacute rejection. Tector thinks the patients who receive these pig organs could then be treated with the same immunosuppressant drugs that recipients take after an ordinary human-to-human transplant.

Tector and David Cooper, another transplant pioneer, were both recently recruited to the University of Alabama at Birmingham for a xenotransplant program funded by United Therapeutics, a Maryland biotech company that wants to manufacture transplantable organs.

Cooper has transplanted kidneys from pigs engineered by United Therapeutics to have six mutations, which lasted over 200 days in baboons. The result is promising enough that he says human trials could begin soon. These pigs were not created using CRISPR and they are not PERV-free, though recent research has suggested that PERV may not be that harmful to humans. It will be up to the FDA to decide whether pig organs with PERV are safe enough to transplant into people.

If it happens, routine pig-to-human transplants could truly transform healthcare beyond simply increasing the supply. Organs would go from a product of chancesomeone young and healthy dying, unexpectedlyto the product of a standardized manufacturing process. Its going to make such a huge difference that I dont think its possible to conceive of it, says Cooper. Organ transplants would no longer have to be emergency surgeries, requiring planes to deliver organs and surgical teams to scramble at any hour. Organs from pigs can be harvested on a schedule, and surgeries planned for exact times during the day. A patient that comes in with kidney failure could get a kidney the next dayeliminating the need for large dialysis centers. Hospital ICU beds will no longer be taken up by patients waiting for a heart transplant.

With the ability to engineer a donor pig, pig organs can go beyond simply matching a human organ. For example, Cooper says, you could engineer organs to protect themselves from the immune system in the long term, perhaps by making their own localized dose of immunosuppressant drugs.

'Big Pork' Wants to Get In on Organ Transplants

At last Fridays summit, Church speculated about making organs resistant to tumors or viruses. When an audience member asked about the possibility of genetically enhancing pig organs to work as well as Michael Phelpss lungs or Usain Bolts heart, he responded, We not only can but should enhance pig organs, even if were opposed to enhancing human beings ... They will go through safety and efficacy testing, but part of efficacy is making sure theyre robust and maybe they have to be as robust as Michael Phelps in order to do the job.

Xenotransplantation will raise ethical questions, of course, and genetically enhancing pigs might come uncomfortably close to the plot of Okja. These enhancements are hard to fathom for now because scientist dont yet know what genes to alter if they wanted to make, for example, super lungs. Its taken decades of research to pinpoint the handful of genes that could make pig organs simply compatible with humans. But the technical ability to make any editsor even dozens of edits at oncewith CRISPR is already here.

More:
Genetically Engineering Pigs to Grow Organs for People - The Atlantic

The DNA of early human embryos carrying a sequence leading to hypertrophic cardiomyopathya potentially deadly heart defecthas been edited to ensure they would carry a healthy DNA sequence if brought to term. The Nature paper announcing this has reenergized a terrific national and international debate over whether permanent changes in DNA that can be passed from one generation to another should be made. Bioethicists are asking, Should we genetically engineer children? while some potential parents are almost certainly asking, When will this technique be available?

The Should questions bioethicists are asking are probably not relevant. The only question whose answer ultimately matters is: Can techniques like CRISP-R be used to genetically engineer children safely? Because a variety of forces guarantee that if they can be, they will be.

The key questions reliable practitioners must answer are: Can we prove it works? Then: Can it be used safely?. If yes on these questions, then we will see: Who is marketing this technique to potential parents? Finally, we will learn: Where was it done, who did it, and who paid for its use?

We are closer than ever before to using CRISP-R to replace dangerous DNA sequences with those that wont keep a baby from being healthy. Fortunately, this Nature paper leaves many questions Unanswered because the embryos were not allowed to come to term.

Most importantly, we still dont know Could the embryos have developed into viable babies? Just as in 2015 when researchers at Sun Yat-Sen University in China didnt implant engineered embryos into a womans womb, the scientists who published in Nature recently didnt feel ready (and didnt have permission) to try this potentially enormous step. As experiments proceed, this question will, at some point, be answered.

It will be answered because there is an enormous, proven market for techniques that can be used to ensure that a baby will be born without DNA sequences that can lead to genetically-mediated conditions; many of which are devastating as we have been tragically reminded of late.

Under the best circumstances, in-vitro fertilization leads to a live birth less than half of the time. As a result, whoever tries to see if an embryo that has had targeted DNA repaired using CRISP-R will doubtless prepare a lot of embryos for implanting in quite a few women. When those women are asked to carry these embryos to term we will not know about it. We will probably not find out if none of the embryos come to term successfully.

We *will* know about this procedure if even one baby comes to term and is born with the targeted genetic sequence corrected as intended. Until now, (and maybe even with our new knowledge), any baby brought to term after CRISP-R was used to edit and replace unhealthy DNA would have almost certainly had other DNA damaged in the editing process. This near-certainty and other concerns have held people back from trying to genetically engineer an embryo that they would then bring to term. They could not, until recently, have confidence that only the sequence being targeted has been affected. With this new Nature report, this, at least, is changing.

The results of these newly reported experiments are many steps closer to usability than the Chinese experiments reported in 2015. This is the nature of scientific experimentation, particularly when there is demand for the capability or knowledge being developed.

People try something. It either works or it doesnt. Sometimes when it doesnt work, we learn enough to adjust and try again. If it does work, it often doesnt function exactly the way we expected. Either way, people keep trying until either the technique is perfected or it ultimately proves to be unusable.

This Nature paper is an example of trying something and doing a better job than the first attempt. It does not represent a provably safe and reliable technique . Yet. If market driven research works as it often does, people will work hard to publish data (hopefully from reliable experimental work) suggesting they have a safe and effective technique. Doing so will let them tell some desperate set of wealthy prospective parents: We should be able to use this technique with an acceptable chance of giving you a healthy baby.

Princetons Lee Silver predicted parents desire for gene editing in his Remaking Eden, a book published in 1997. He argued this because people fear sickness or disability and feel strong personal, economic and social pressures to have healthy, beautiful children who should become healthy attractive adults.

People already spend a great deal on molecular techniques like pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD is regularly used to reduce couples risk of having babies with known (or potential), chromosomal abnormalities and/or single gene mutations that can lead to thousands of DNA-mediated conditions.

As I showed in my Genetics dissertation published from Yale in 2004, different countries respond differently to controversial science like this. Similarly, different individuals responses are equally diverse. One poll indicates nearly half of Americans would use gene editing technology to prevent possible DNA-mediated conditions in their children. Policy makers who object to the technology therefore have a problem: if they succeed in blocking it somewhere, research and real world experience indicate other governments may well permit its use. If this happens, these techniques will be available to anyone wealthy and desperate enough to find providers with the marketingand hopefully scientificskill needed to sell people on trying them.

This gene editing controversy is a reminder that we are losing the capacity to effectively ask, Should we? As our knowledge of science grows, becomes more globalized, and is increasingly easy to acquire for people with different morals, needs and wants, we must soon be ready to ask, Can we? and ultimately, Will someone? Their answers will give us the best chance to ensure any babies that may come from any technique described as genetic engineering are born healthy, happy, and able to thrive.

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It's Time to Stop Asking Whether Human Genetic Engineering Should Happen and Start Planning to Manage it Safely - HuffPost

A groundbreaking attempt to"cure" Type 1 diabetes with stem cells began last week. Embryonic stem cell implants were given to two people, one in the US and one in Canada, with high-risk Type 1 diabetes. The researchers hope that this willhelp the patients manage the condition.

The stem cells, developed by private company ViaCyte, are implanted underneath the patient's forearm, where they take about three months to mature into islet cells. In the pancreas, these cells are responsible for the production of insulin. In people with Type 1 diabetes, these cells are attacked by the bodys own immune system.

If it works, we would call it a functional cure, Paul Laikind of Viacyte told New Scientist. Its not truly a cure because we wouldnt address the autoimmune cause of the disease, but we would be replacing the missing cells.

A smaller implant has already been trialled on 19 people for safety and the company expects to extend the trial to 40 more people later this year, in order to understand both the safety and efficacy of the full-size implant. ViaCyte would like to get preliminary results during the first half of 2018 and to know if the system works between six and12 months later.

Islet transplants have been used to successfully treat patients with unstable, high-risk Type 1 diabetes, but the procedure has limitations, including a very limited supply of donor organs and challenges in obtaining reliable and consistent islet preparations, trial investigator James Shapiro, from the University of Alberta, said in a statement. An effective stem cell-derived islet replacement therapy would solve these issues and has the potential to help a greater number of people.

If a success, the implant will improve the lives of the patients as they wont have to closely monitor their blood levels or inject insulin, but there is a trade-off. They will have to take immunosuppressive drugs, so that their bodies dont attack the newly implanted cells. This iswhy the procedure is targeted atpeople who are at ahigher risk.

Researchers estimate that 140,000 people in Canada and the US are currently suffering from high-risk Type 1 diabetes. The condition can lead to severe episodes of hypoglycemia in the short term and heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease (among others) in thelong term.

[H/T:New Scientist]

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Stem Cell Implant Is Being Trialled To Cure" Type 1 Diabetes - IFLScience

Scientists are making use of discarded animal organs by turning them into origami but its more than just an art project.

A team of researchers at Northwestern University created the paper cranes to demonstrate the flexibility and malleability of their latest breakthrough: a tissue paper that has the potential to heal wounds, prevent scarring and help hormone production in cancer patients.

This new class of biomaterials has potential for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine as well as drug discovery and therapeutics, Ramille Shah, one of the team members, told Northwestern.edu. Its versatile and surgically friendly.

The tissue paper is a blend of proteins from animal organs that, when wet, can be folded, rolled, cut, flattened, balled, ripped and even crafted into tiny birds. It can also be frozen for later use, making it even more practical.

In one of the first lab tests, the team successfully grew hormone-secreting follicles in a culture using a paper made from a cow ovary. Their findings were recently published in Advanced Functional Materials.

And as with many scientific discoveries, the team at Northwestern stumbled upon the new material as an accident.

The scientists were researching 3D-printed mice ovaries when one of the team members spilled the hydrogel-based gelatin ink used in creating the ovaries. The ink pooled into a dry sheet that ended up being surprisingly strong.

The light bulb went on in my head, Adam Jakus, another one of the team members, told Northwestern.edu. I knew right then I could make large amounts of bioactive materials from other organs.

Since then, the researchers have been collecting scrap pig and cow organs from a local butcher and using them to further test out the regenerative tissue paper.

Breaking down everything from animal uteruses to kidneys to muscles to hearts, the team extracts the structural proteins which give an organ its form then dries them out and combines it was a polymer, or resin, which generates the thin, paper structure.

The final product is basically a papier-mch-like sheet of proteins that can retain the biochemicals needed to regenerate a sick or injured piece of tissue, like a human liver, or skin laceration.

Though a lot more research is needed, the material could one day be used to accelerate healing after surgery and help treat hormone deficiencies in cancer patients. The researchers also found it can support human stem cell growth.

It is really amazing that meat and animal by-products like a kidney, liver, heart and uterus can be transformed into paper-like biomaterials that can potentially regenerate and restore function to tissues and organs, Jakus said. Ill never look at a steak or pork tenderloin the same way again.

Read more:
'Origami organs' could be the future of regenerative medicine - New York Post

First Annual Meeting Will Host Healthcare Administrators and Practitioners to Highlight Stem Cell Research Advances and Applications Through Expert Panel Discussions

Freeport, Grand Bahama (PRWEB) August 09, 2017

Okyanos Center for Regenerative Medicine has announced its First Annual Regenerative Medicine Symposium will take place at the Pelican Bay Hotel in Freeport, Grand Bahama on September 27, 2017. This daytime event is free to attend, however space is limited and pre-registration is required.

With oversight from the Ministry of Health's National Stem Cell Ethics Committee (NSCEC) and regulations laid out in the Stem Cell Research and Therapy Act passed in 2013, The Bahamas remains a leader in the global regenerative medicine community. Okyanos Center for Regenerative Medicine was the first cell therapy facility to meet the required standards and began treating patients in 2014.

Healthcare practitioners and administrators are encouraged to participate in the upcoming symposium which will feature specialist presentations, expert panel discussions and live Q&A sessions. The symposium will conclude in time for guests to attend the Okyanos-sponsored Grand Bahama Medical and Dental Association (GBMDA) welcome cocktail reception which will take place at 6:00pm on September 27th at the Pelican Bay.

"It is great to have this year's Grand Bahama Medical and Dental Association conference coordinated with the regenerative medicine symposium," said Dr. Vincent Burton who serves as Okyanos President and Chief Anesthesiologist as well as Vice President of the GBMDA. "The partnership we have forged should ensure an abundance of learning and networking opportunities for attendees."

Director of Research and Development Marc Penn, MD, PhD, FACC, will moderate the informative sessions and address the symposium to share an overview of Okyanos' planned research foci and strategic direction. "Through this annual meeting and others like it, we hope to encourage ongoing discussions which are critical to the development of the regenerative medicine industry both locally and internationally," said Dr. Penn.

To learn more and to register for Okyanos' First Annual Regenerative Medicine Symposium, please visit the Okyanos website.

ABOUT OKYANOS CENTER FOR REGENERATIVE MEDICINE (OH KEY AH NOS): Combining state-of-the art technologies delivered in a cell therapy center of excellence, Okyanos Center for Regenerative Medicine is a leading adult stem cell therapy provider located in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Okyanos was founded in 2011 and is licensed and accredited by the Bahamas' National Stem Cell Ethics Committee (NSCEC) under the Bahamas Stem Cell Therapy and Research Act to provide cell therapy to patients with chronic medical needs that, per scientific research, clinical trials and application, can be safely and potentially efficaciously treated with patients' own adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells. The literary name Okyanos, the Greek god of the river Okeanos, symbolizes restoration of blood flow. Learn more at http://www.okyanos.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/08/prweb14585069.htm

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Okyanos Center for Regenerative Medicine to Hold Stem Cell Symposium in Freeport - Benzinga

COLUMBUS, Ohio (CBSNewYork) It sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel a microchip that rescues injured or failing organs.

As CBS2s Dr. Max Gomez reported Tuesday, the breakthrough in regenerative medicine is actually being tested right now.

One of the hottest areas of medical research is using cells instead of drugs to treat diseases and injuries. But cellular therapies require finding or making the right type of cells, which can be difficult.

It turns out the body can do it on its own, with a little high-tech help.

The device is only about the size of a cufflink, but what it could represent is enormous. In a laboratory at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, researchers demonstrated how it reprograms cells.

The chip is simply placed on an injured part of the body and a small electrical current is applied.

This process only takes less than a second and is non-invasive and then youre off, said Dr. Chan of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. The chip does not stay with you, and the reprogramming of the cell starts.

That reprogramming turns skin cells into nearly any type of cell doctors might need to treat a patient a breakthrough technology in regenerative medicine.

For example, in a leg that is badly injured and lacks blood flow, doctors simply touch the chip to the leg and reprogram the skin to become functioning blood vessels.

And it will quickly shoot the DNA right into the cells, said Dr. James Lee of the Ohio State College of Engineering.

In many cases in seven days, you start seeing changes and these changes to our pleasant surprise persists, Dr. Sen said.

Within a week, there are active blood vessels and by the second week, the leg is saved.

It is important to note that the procedure has not yet been tested in humans. But after developing the concept, researchers were determined to test it in real life.

So we tried them on the mouse and put it on the skin, and you know what? It actually works, said Dr. James Lee of the Ohio State College of Engineering. It affects the entire tissue, not just the surface.

An image shows the mouses leg is injured, and vascular scans show there is little blood flow. But after one touch with the chip, in just three weeks, the blood flow was back and the injured leg was saved.

Our technology is not just limited to be used on the skin, Dr. Sen said. It can be used in other tissues within the body or outside the body, so on and so forth. So, skin is only one example.

In fact, in lab tests the chip even worked in the brain helping mice recover from strokes. In humans, it could allow doctors to grow brain cells on a persons skin under the guidance of their own immune system.

They could then harvest the cells and inject them into the brain to treat conditions such as Alzheimers disease and Parkinsons disease without any immune suppression drugs being necessary.

The electrical current actually opens up channels in the skin cells that allow the delivery of factors that are known to change the expression of certain genes in those cells. Better yet, the reprogramming doesnt have to be in a hospital setting because there is nothing invasive about it.

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Microchip May Fix Damaged Cells And Organs, Scientists Say ... - CBS New York

She's 96 years young and she still drives, and she's still working.

Helen Kenney is a source of inspiration for people of all ages. Helen loves working at Joe's K-Ranch in Cudahy.

We surprised Helen with a visit and all three of her adult children showed up.

Helen's youngest daughter Pat Mueller told us about her mom. She called Helen "Milwaukee's Betty White."

The adoring grandmother and great-grandmother enjoys working. K-Ranch owner Jerry Kotarak refuses to let her retire.

"I won't let her go, he said.

K-Ranch has been a dining hot spot since 1958. It's famous for its homey atmosphere and good food. Patrons come back year after year. Many say it's great food, good prices and friendly faces like Helen's. Helen usually works the kitchen but helps out where needed.

Even Chef Larry Burss admits she keeps him in line.

"She says, Larry if I can't work for you I don't know what I'll do. I'll probably die. So it's a blessing," he said.Helen has worked in food service most of her life. She retired from Ladish after 34 years. When her husband died in 1995 she returned to work three weeks later at the age of 75.

"When he was alive we used to travel and do things. That all ended. I thought I'd just keep working," she said.As for diet? Helen eats what she wants, and stopped drinking alcohol in her 80s. Her advice to the golden crowd?"You have to keep moving and keep all your muscles going." she said.And though Helen, perhaps we can see the secret of longevity. Stay active, work hard, and make cherished memories with family and friends. Helen turns 97 Aug. 15.

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96-year-old Cudahy woman shares her secret to longevity - WTMJ-TV (press release) (registration) (blog)

JC Parets, the author of AllStarCharts, stopped by PreMarket Prep Thursday to discuss, among other things, S&P futures and crude oil futures. Here are the highlights.

"We broke out of that 2450 level in July, and that was a big deal. That 2450 in the S&P 500 is a big one. If we start to fall below that, then we are no longer making higher highs and higher lows. But we haven't broken anything of that yet."

"It's a hot mess," Parets said. "That lack of trend is trend recognition in and of itself. Here we are looking at crude oil right at a flat 200-day moving average. If you guys want headaches, buy and short stocks that are trading near flat 200-day moving averages.

"This one lesson is one I had to learn the hard way because I kept having to get beat over the head with it until I finally realized stop trading damn stocks near flat 200-day moving averages. And it goes the same way for futures. Literally the crude oil is at a flat 200-day.

"I do think we can potentially get back up into the $70$80s in oil, there's no question. The problem is where do we enter? Let's say hypothetically we buy it today. Where are we wrong? Where's the out? Are we wrong before $40? I don't have a pivot point to trade off of where I can say "If it falls below this, all bets are off." Crude oil's not giving us that right now and the fact that there's no trend is evidence that we shouldn't be looking at this in the first place."

He added, "If I never trade another crude oil future for the rest of my life I will most likely live a longer life. So, I'm cool with not being in this market."

Catch the full interview with Parets at 32:50 in the clip below.

PreMarket Prep is a daily trading show that airs every morning from 89 a.m. ET here and on our YouTube Channel. You can also listen to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher.

Posted-In: Long Ideas Short Ideas Futures Technicals Commodities Top Stories Markets Media Best of Benzinga

2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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One Key To Extending Your Longevity? Avoid Crude Oil Future Trades - Benzinga

As someone who writes a lot about the medical and social issues of aging, I am constantly faced with a problem: What am I supposed to call old people these days?

I know. Some of you are mad at me already, but it gets really tiresome to have to alternate among the hazy euphemisms that are supposed to stand in for the hated word old. Older, as in older adults or older people, seems to be the most acceptable term, but it offends the part of me that prefers words with some precision. Older than what? Everybodys older than somebody. Senior citizen has fallen out of fashion, but seniors is OK in some quarters. (Definitely not all.) Some writers use mature. Do we really have to wait till were 65 to be mature? I rather like elders, but when does that start?

I am old enough to remember when it was OK to call people not much older than I am now (62) old. I get that ageism is a serious problem, especially if you feel good and want to or have to keep working after 65 in a setting that prizes youth. In some quarters, 30 is over the hill. So, I see why advocates dislike the word old and all its pejorative implications. We live in an era when both our recent presidential candidates were past traditional retirement age, when rock stars tour in their 70s, when Tony Bennett is beloved and charismatic at 90, when doctors, lawyers and professors routinely work well into what used to be old age. We need to rethink what old means.

But I personally think that some of my baby boomer peers the oldest are now 71 are ridiculously sensitive about words that imply theyve lived a while. I also think its crazy to use the same word to describe me that youd use for my frail, almost 88-year-old mother. I asked her how she thinks people should describe her and she said ancient. She wasnt joking. I am clearly beyond middle-aged, from a math perspective, unless I got every possible good gene in my family. It would make my life as a writer who sometimes has to write about age groups easier if we had more than one word for the huge swath of the population over that arbitrary line: age 65.

I asked some experts for help with my terminology problem and found that theyve been struggling with it too. For years.

We need a word or words to describe this period, and we just dont have them yet, said Tracey Gendron, a gerontologist at Virginia Commonwealth University. She prefers not to categorize people, but says referring to older adults and the aging population is acceptable.

As she and others pointed out, one source of the problem is that were dealing with something new. I think were in an unprecedented time, this longevity revolution, she said.

Aging experts, she said, have tried calling people young old (65 to 74), old old (75-84) and oldest old (85+). Age-based categories at this stage of life often arent helpful, she said, because there is so much variability in how people age.

The variation in aging is vast, said Christine Arenson, a geriatrician at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Most geriatricians think of their target patient group as starting around 70, she said, but a 40-year-old who has had diabetes for 20 years might have much in common with older patients. Most 65-year-olds in America are quite healthy still, she said.

John Shoven, a Stanford University economics professor, said you could define the end of middle age as the point at which people have a one percent chance of dying in the next year. The age at which men and women have reached that milestone has climbed impressively since 1930.

Shoven looked at three groups: those who had a 1 percent, 2 percent and 4 percent chance of dying in the next year. Shoven thinks achieving 1 percent risk roughly corresponds with the end of what most of us think of as middle age. Shoven himself hes 70 likes to think of middle age as the middle of our adult years, not the middle of our whole life. He thinks if your chances of dying are less than 1 in 100, youre still young. He doesnt think were old until our risk climbs to 4 percent. The striking thing is that the age at which people reached those milestones has climbed impressively. In 1930, an average man reached the 1 percent threshold at 44. Men now hit that mark around 60, women at 65. The age at which men have a 4 percent risk of dying in a year rose from 65 in 1930 to 76. Women now get there around 80.

That jibes with Jerry Johnsons experience. He is chief of geriatric medicine at Penn Medicine and is himself 69. He says that many 70-year-olds have more in common medically with 50-year-olds than with 80-year-olds. Between 70 and 80, a lot happens in terms of endurance and energy conservation and exposure to new diseases and co-morbidities, he said. Between 80 and 85, many people begin to think and act differently.

He hasnt found a word that pleases everybody. Some patients dont want any word for the older age group. He thinks a label helps with succinct communication but added that labeling is always flawed. Theres no way to get around it.

There seems to be general agreement among experts that elderly and senior citizen and aged are on the outs. Elders has fans because it connotes respect, but, apparently, some critics think its too much like elderly.

Kirsten Jacobs, associate director, dementia and wellness, for LeadingAge, a senior housing group, said people should also steer clear of silver tsunami, a term often used to describe the coming increase in need for senior services as boomers age. Equating aging to a natural disaster, she said, sends the wrong message.

The FrameWorks Institute, which helps advocates and scientists communicate more effectively about their social issues, recently studied attitudes and messages around aging and concluded this year that aging has a major image problem. People almost always see it as negative. The way we talk about aging is littered with othering language that sees older people as them and not us. As Allen Glicksman, 63, director of research and evaluation for Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, joked, Old is 10 years older than you are.

Pope Francis, center, is greeted by South Korean children upon his arrival at Seoul Air Base in 2014. The pope is 80 years old an age that doesnt seem as old as it once did.

Singer Tony Bennett, right, who turned 91 on Aug. 3, has recorded music with Lady Gaga in recent years.

Actress Olivia de Havilland, a star of such films as the classic Gone With the Wind, turned 101 in July.

Stacey Burling

Old hard to categorize in age of longevity

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Breaking age groups into categories is challenging in era of longevity - Wilkes Barre Times-Leader

A scientist from The University of Manchester has hit upon an innovative way to control greenflies which infest our gardens and farms.

Dr Mouhammad Shadi Khudr, discovered that living lacewing insects- which are used as a way to biocontrol greenflies are also effective after they have died.

Dr Khudr, an evolutionary ecologist based at the University's Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, discovered how genetic variations in greenflies' respond to the fear of predation by lacewing known as aphid lions.

The greenflys' genetic variation and life history influenced how they responded to traces of their predator.

He hit upon the discovery while looking at how different lineages of one species of greenfly responded to lacewings on a crop.

Even though each greenfly line had a distinct way of responding to the exposure to the traces of the aphid lion they all suffered from dramatic reduction in their reproduction, he says.

Dr khudr designed and lead the collaborative research, which was funded by the Freie Universitt Berlin (Free University of Berlin).

The research is published in the journal Scientific Reports today.

He said: "Whether alive or dead, lacewings make it more difficult for aphids to reproduce.

"The smell and visual impact of dead predators reduce the greenflies' capacity to give offspring and the way they clump together on the plants they infest."

He added: "This approach is at the crossroads of agricultural, evolutionary and ecological science.

"It is a unique way of understanding the effect of genetic variability corresponding with the risk of predation and thus should receive much more attention.

"It has organic, easy to produce and affordable applications and thus has a promising potential to help solve an age old problem which frustrates many gardeners.

"And it would be most interesting to see if this approach might also work with other pests and biocontrol agents in other agricultural systems."

Explore further: The genetics of life and death in an evolutionary arms-race

More information: Mouhammad Shadi Khudr et al. Fear of predation alters clone-specific performance in phloem-feeding prey, Scientific Reports (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07723-6

More:
Genetics takes fight to gardeners' green foe - Phys.Org