StemCell Therapy

Seattle Genetics has agreed to buy the Bristol-Myers Squibb manufacturing plant in Bothell for $43.3 million, giving the biotech the ability to make its own bulk quantities of antibodies for treating cancer.

Special to The Seattle Times

Seattle Genetics has agreed to buy the Bristol-Myers Squibb manufacturing plant in Bothell for $43.3 million, giving the biotech the ability to make its own bulk quantities of antibodies for treating cancer.

Until now the Bothell-based company has relied entirely on contract manufacturers.

Seattle Genetics will continue to use contract manufacturers because of its international footprint, but this will give us our first manufacturing facility that we actually own, said Clay Siegall, the companys chairman, president and CEO.

About 75 people work at the Bristol-Myers facility on Bothells Monte Villa Parkway. Our hope is to keep the team intact, Siegall said Tuesday.

Seattle Genetics now leases seven buildings in its Canyon Park campus, which is about 20 blocks north of the new property.

The company paid $17.8 million for the land and the building, and an additional $25.5 million for the equipment and the building improvements, Siegall said. The deal gives Seattle Genetics ownership of a fully staffed and operating plant that requires little modification.

Were really excited about this, he said. It gives us the ability to control more of our supply chain.

The company will use the plant to make vials of antibodies that are used to treat cancers. Its leading product, Advetris, is now approved for treating patients with two kinds of lymphomas.

Revenue at Seattle Genetics has climbed steadily in the last five years, but so have the losses. Last year the company lost $140million on total revenue of $418 million, according to company reports.

The sale could set the stage for Bristol-Myers exit from the region.

In December the New York-based company said it would not renew a lease that expires in 2019 for its ZymoGenetics unit on Seattles Lake Union. Bristol-Meyers bought the ZymoGenetics research arm in the former Seattle City Light Steam Plant, as well as the production plant now sold to Seattle Genetics, in 2010 for $885 million.

See the original post:
Seattle Genetics buys biotech factory in Bothell | The Seattle Times - The Seattle Times

Quick Take

Genetic information company Invitae (NVTA) has announced agreements to acquire two companies, privately-held Good Start Genetics and CombiMatrix (CBMX).

The target companies offer a range of prenatal and post-pregnancy genetic-based screening services for clinicians and their patients.

Invitae is acquiring these two firms as part of an ongoing strategy to create a genetic information cafeteria that provides a wide range of diagnostics options.

Target Companies

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Good Start was founded in 2008 to develop prenatal screening tests for persons wishing to have children.

Management is headed by CEO Jeffrey Luber, who has been with the company since 2014 and was previously CEO of EXACT Sciences (EXAS) during its turnaround and recapitalization. He was also co-founder and Vice President Corporate Development at SynapDx.

Below is a brief overview video about GoodStarts carrier screening:

(Source: Motivity Video)

Good Start has developed three types of tests:

Good Start had raised $32 million in investment from top tier investors such as OrbiMed, Safeguard Scientifics (SFE) and SV Health Investors.

CombiMatrix, which held its IPO in 2002, provides miscarriage analysis and advanced DNA testing for in-vitro fertility screening and determining genetic abnormalities involved in miscarriage & pediatric developmental disorders.

Prior to the acquisition announcement, CombiMatrix had a market capitalization of approximately $14.4 million.

Acquisition Terms and Rationale

For Good Start, Invitae intends to pay cash of $18.3 million, 1.65 million shares of Invitae stock ($15 million worth) and the assumption of Good Starts obligations, for a total transaction value of approximately $39.3 million.

For CombiMatrix, Invitae intends to pay up to $27 million in NVTA stock for CombiMatrix stock, RSUs and in-the-money options, plus up to $6 million in NVTA stock for Series F warrants, which were originally sold in 2016 as part of an $8 million financing. If holders of less than 90% of outstanding Series F warrants tender, then Invitae has the option to terminate the acquisition.

Notably, the deal announcement states that the cost to Invitae of those warrants may increase as follows,

To the extent the Series F warrants are not exchanged and are either exercised or assumed as part of the acquisition, the consideration payable by Invitae could increase by up to approximately $15.0 million in shares of Invitae, or approximately 1.58 million shares, subject to adjustment based upon a net cash calculation for CombiMatrix at the time of the acquisition.

Thus, Invitae is on the hook for up to an additional $15 million in stock consideration for CombiMatrix pertaining to what the Series F warrant holders choose to do.

So, to sum up both transactions, Invitae is spending $18.3 million in cash, issuing $48 million worth of stock and is potentially on the hook for an additional $15 million in stock, for a total combined deal value of $81.3 million.

Invitaes most recent 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, indicated cash and marketable securities of $96.7 million and total liabilities of $70.3 million, so it appears the company has ample resources to pay for these two acquisitions since they are mostly paid for with stock.

The rationale for Invitaes moves to acquire both companies is to expand its offerings to families both before pregnancy and after childbirth or miscarriage.

This in turn is part of Invitaes strategic approach of providing genetic information to individuals throughout their life span.

As Invitae CEO Sean George stated in the deal announcement,

This is a transformative moment for Invitae, for our industry, and importantly for patients. By acquiring Good Start and CombiMatrix, Invitae intends to create the industry's first comprehensive genetic information platform providing high-quality, affordable genetic information coupled with world-class clinical expertise to inform healthcare decisions throughout every stage of an individual's life. We believe the strength of our existing platform, strategic acquisitions like these and our network of partners will fuel continued growth and further establish Invitae as a leading genetic information service provider.

Invitae management hasnt been shy about acquiring companies as it sees fit. I previously wrote on the companies last acquisition in June in my article, Invitae Acquires CancerGene Connect for Patient Family History Collection.

Invitae appears to be assembling a veritable cafeteria of options for genetic information for consumers, healthcare providers and other market participants.

Investors like what they see so far, although Invitaes stock in the past year has largely moved within a range of $6.00 per share to $11.00 per share. The stock is up 7.75% on the current two acquisition deal announcement:

(Source: Seeking Alpha)

It is likely that both acquisitions will be a drag on EPS in the near term, but promise to increase Invitaes breadth of service offerings as management appears to intend it to become a one-stop shop for genetic information.

The big question is whether or not that is a viable model in the nascent market for genetic information. Acquiring companies on the cheap certainly helps, although Im not convinced that these acquisitions are necessarily cheap.

So, the jury is out, and management will need to prove the value of these transactions over the next 12 to 18 months.

I write about M&A deals, public company investments in technology startups, insider activity, and IPOs. Click the Follow button next to my name at the top or bottom of this article if you want to receive future articles automatically.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Editor's Note: This article covers one or more stocks trading at less than $1 per share and/or with less than a $100 million market cap. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.

More here:
Invitae To Acquire Good Start Genetics And CombiMatrix - Seeking Alpha

MANILA, Philippines - Over two million people nationwide are blind or suffering from poor vision, the Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday.

As of this year, the DOH said an estimated 332,150 people in the country are bilaterally blind while the current number of persons with bilateral low vision has already reached 2,179,733.

Of the total number of bilaterally blind, 33 percent or about 109,609 cases were due to cataract while 25 percent was caused by error in refraction (EOR). Fourteen percent was due to glaucoma.

About 937, 285 or 43 percent of those suffering from bilateral low vision was due to EOR, 34 percent or 741,109 was caused by cataract while the rest was attributed to glaucoma and other eye diseases.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired, with 39 million blindand 246 million with low vision.

Cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness globally followed by glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration asthesecondary causes.

Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Health experts said blindness or severe visual impairment results in reduced functional ability and loss of self-esteem and contributes toward the reduction of quality of life.

The disability from visual impairment has considerable economic implications with loss of productivity and income and can lead to poverty and social dependency, experts said.

To address the problem, the government drafted anew National Policy on the Prevention Program onBlindness that is more responsive tochanging trends in the prevalence of eye diseases.

The DOH also spearheaded yesterday the annual observance of theSight Saving Month with the themeUniversal Eye Health: No More Avoidable Blindness.

Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said this years theme is aimed at strengthening public awareness on the importance of proper eye care andpromote theprevention of avoidable blindness, which is now considered aserious public health issue of global magnitude.

Ubial said early detection and preventive care can help keep the eyes healthy and avoid common causes of blindness.

Thus, the DOHs current thrust isto integrate eye care into public health programs at thelocal government unitlevel for continued advocacy and promotion of comprehensive eye care with focus on avoidable blindness.

She said the development of the Community Eye Health Program (CEHP), particularly at the primary level, district and provincial settings will be able to make most of the shared referral and service delivery network from barangay health stations, rural health units up to tertiary hospitals.

Aside from several provinces in the regions that have adopted the CEHP,the model isbeing expanded to the poorest provinces like Eastern Samar, Leyte andSurigao.

Population and individual eye care services focusing on the prevention and management of avoidable blindness (cataract, EOR, childhood blindness, other emerging eye diseases) at each stage of the life cycle shall be provided through the functional service delivery network (SDN).

Through the SDN, families especially the poor and marginalized are profiled, navigated, referred and arrangements made with health providers at the different levels of care.

I would like to assure the public that DOH is serious in its mandate and commitment to ensure that every Filipino, particularly the poor, indigent and marginalized has access to affordable and quality eye care, Ubial stressed.

Go here to read the rest:
Over 2 million Pinoys blind, sight-impaired - Philippine Star

Dubliner's medtech in focus to save eyesight

Independent.ie

Irish-founded and backed biometric technology business Compact Imaging plans to use its advanced medical imaging technology to reduce sight loss from macular degeneration and diabetes.

http://www.independent.ie/business/technology/dubliners-medtech-in-focus-to-save-eyesight-36003948.html

http://www.independent.ie/incoming/article36004106.ece/6dcd7/AUTOCROP/h342/Depositphotos_12204209_xl-2015.jpg

Irish-founded and backed biometric technology business Compact Imaging plans to use its advanced medical imaging technology to reduce sight loss from macular degeneration and diabetes.

The firm was co-founded in 2003 by Dublin-born UCD graduate and physicist Dr Josh Hogan and is backed by a number of Irish investors, including US-based Irish serial entrepreneur and tech investor John Ryan, as well as the Galway University Foundation and the University of Limerick Foundation, which have small stakes.

To date, the firm has raised around 8m from a group of 24 angel investors plus the two universities. Among its advisors are Prof Martin Leahy at NUI Galway - where groundbreaking research and scientists have been instrumental to its success - and James L Taylor, a former ceo of Carl Zeiss Meditec, a medtech business.

It is talking with potential partners about commercialising the technology, which will likely result in it being incorporated in devices that look similar to virtual reality goggles, ceo Don Bogue said.

People with diabetes, who are at risk of diabetic retinopathy and others at risk of macular degeneration, usually visit their optometrist every month for a test to detect a change in the thickness of their retinas.

However, Compact Imaging's technology would see them use low-cost goggles at home every day.

These devices will record a result and upload it over the internet for the specialist to review. This will save time for both the patient and the specialist as neither will need to attend appointments unless there has been a change, the company claims, resulting in cost and efficiency savings for healthcare systems.

It will also enable any problems to be detected earlier, at which point medical intervention may be able to save people's vision, Bogue added.

The number of people with age-related macular degeneration is forecast to reach 196million by 2020, rising to 288m in 2040, according to research published in The Lancet medical journal.

The numbers at risk of diabetic retinopathy are even greater, with 145m people, out of 415m diabetics having some form of it in 2015. This is projected to rise to 215m out of 642m by 2040, according to figures from the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

The plans have emerged after the company recently became a partner with Stanford University R&D offshoot SRI International in a 10m ($12.5m) contract awarded by IARPA in the US, the advanced R&D wing of its intelligence agencies.

The partnership involves the firm building on its cost and size advantages in multiple reference optical coherence tomography (OCT), considered the world's fastest growing medical imaging technology.

It will apply this to next generation biometric security - fingerprint scanning - for identity authentication. The technology will be incorporated in small, low-cost devices and works by being able to detect deeper fingerprints, known as sub-dermal ones, by looking at the tiny blood vessels that make up the fingerprint, where changes in heart rate, sweating and blood flow can be seen.

According to the US Department of Homeland Security, in 2015 the US Customs and Border Protection Agency processed nearly 400 million people entering the US, of whom almost 40 million required a secondary inspection because of suspicious behaviour or adverse information in the primary screening process when their fingerprints were scanned.

Prof Leahy said: "The security of personal data is a pressing global concern as we are using fingerprints for everything from phone unlocking to security checks.

"Technology developed at NUI Galway is supporting businesses and governments to verify identities more rigorously to make our personal data more secure."

Bogue emphasised the advantages the company has found in working with Prof Leahy at NUI Galway and the availability of PhD researchers to work on its technology, in contrast with Silicon Valley, where it is headquartered.

He said: "For the last two years I've served on the Industry Advisory Board at the Insight Centre for Data Analytics, a Science Foundation Centre of Excellence that brings together the data analytics research capabilities of DCU, NUIG, UCD and UCC.

"Serving on this board has provided a great opportunity for us, as a small and still emerging company, to get into the room with world-class data analytics scientists and researchers, as well as strong commercial players, such as Cisco, IBM, Intel and others.

"In the fields of both biometric security and medical monitoring, these connections ultimately will prove invaluable."

Sunday Indo Business

Read the original post:
Dubliner's medtech in focus to save eyesight - Independent.ie

Cataract is one of the main reasons for blindness and there are a lot of misconceptions about it. Unawareness can be dangerous leading to permanent loss of vision. It is imperative to educate the public about various facts related to cataract. As per World Health Organisation , today there is an estimated 180 million people worldwide who are visually disabled.

Of these, between 40 and 45 million persons are blind and approximately 50 per cent of the worlds blind suffer from cataract. In order to make a concerted worldwide effort, who and a task force of international NGOs have prepared and launched a common agenda for global action: VISION 2020 The Right to Sight - A global initiative for elimination of avoidable blindness.

Cataract nowadays can be treated with advance technology and surgery options. Some of the misconceptions about cataract as a disease are:

Misconception 1: Cataract occurs only among aged people.

Fact: Cataracts can occur even on a year old baby. India is home to around 400 million blind children. But the important fact is that this is preventable. Lack of awareness amongst parents and society at large leads to late diagnosis and therefore poor visual outcomes in these children. The first six months after birth are crucial for development of vision and sight centre in the brain.

During this period, if a child is deprived of vision due to reasons like cataracts, glaucoma or refractive errors which goes unnoticed and untreated, the vision development can be hampered for life.

Modern lifestyles, food choices, sedentary lifestyles and lack of exercise are leading to earlier diabetes and this is the most significant factor that has caused this demographic shift.

Misconception 2:Cataract cures with time.

Fact:This is the most dangerous misconception. Once cataract has occurred, total lens will be affected. If the patient stops smoking, maintains a balanced diet or wear sunglasses to get protection from UV rays, cataract will grow slowly. But there is no chance that it will be cured on its own with time.

Misconception 3: Eye-drops, antiinflammatory drugs and vitamins restrict chances of cataract.

Fact: No drug or eye drops to prevent or restrict cataract has been invented as yet. It is a progressive disease. Surgery is the only effective treatment option for it.

Misconception 4: Fear of losing eye sight post-surgery

Fact: Only surgery can protect from losing eye sight permanently. Modern cataract surgery technology, Femto Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (FLACS), has automated some of the most critical steps in cataract procedures bringing new levels of safety, accuracy, predictability and has gained worldwide acceptance since its inception. The Femto-laser system enhances safety by improving a surgeons performance, and reducing chances of human error. The computer-controlled incisions made by the laser are more accurate than manual incisions, especially in terms of the depth and architecture.These bladeless incisions result in better wound sealing and fewer chances of infections.

Misconception 5: For best surgery results, cataract must develop fully

Fact: A cataract does not have to become ripe before it can be removed. With modern advances, they can now be removed from the eye at any stage of development. The longer a cataract develops, the more it hardens. At advanced stages, it can become difficult to remove. In certain situations, it is safer to remove it sooner rather than later.

Misconception 6: Cataract surgery should be done only in winter

Fact:There is no seasonal difference in the success of surgery.Waiting till the next winter will only harden and advance the cataract further, causing more vision loss and more difficulty in its removal.

Misconception 7: Cataract surgeries are all of the same kind

Fact: The operation of cataract usually ranges up to Rs.1.5 lakh. Most people believe that the pricing is different, but the surgery is the same. Pricing depends on various factors like the type of lens or the kinds of technology being used, to mention a few.

Misconception 8:Cataracts can come back

Fact: In most cases, cataract does not return post surgery. Sometimes a secondary cataract can develop due to cell growth in the artificial intra ocular lens, resulting in blurred vision. But this condition may be corrected with normal laser.

Misconception 9: The eye remains absolutely healthy after cataract surgery

Fact: The eye lens and its problems are one of the most difficult ones; therefore it cannot be assumed that the eye will remain healthy post the surgery. Retinarelated or infection-related problems can occur anytime. Therefore, regular checkup is necessary after the surgery.

(The writer is MBBS, DOMS, MS (IPGMER), Susrut Eye Foundation & Research Centre)

See the article here:
Growing awareness on cataracts - The Statesman

PEMBROKE UNC Pembroke is partnering with Tuskegee University to launch a pathway for UNCP graduates to study veterinary medicine.

The Pre-Veterinary Medicine Scholars Program will serve as a pipeline and inspire UNC Pembroke graduates to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.

The two universities signed a memorandum of understanding during a ceremony at UNCP last month.

At UNCP, we are guided by a set of six core values among them service, collaboration and innovation, said Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings. Those are the values that drive this partnership and all of our efforts to create new Pathways to Success for UNCP students.

Ruby Perry, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Brandon Morgan, director of admissions and recruitment at Tuskegee, made the 450-mile trip to attend the signing ceremony.

You could have signed this agreement from your desk in Alabama, Cummings said. But by making this trip you are demonstrating your commitment to this partnership, to this community and to this region of North Carolina.

And we are grateful.

The program is open to all students. However, the two institutions understand the need to increase racial diversity in the veterinary workforce.

Students participating in the program must meet specific criteria to be eligible for the early assurance of admission at Tuskegee. Students must be majoring in Animal Science, Veterinary Science or Science.

The requirements include completing an early assurance application, interview, and maintaining a specific grade-point average and GRE scores.

Beginning in 2017, students must demonstrate 100 hours of animal experience with a licensed veterinarian and, in 2018, students must demonstrate 200 hours of animal experience with a licensed veterinarian.

This partnership between two great universities, which share a similar history, provides a pathway for UNC Pembroke students with a dream to serve their communities through veterinary medicine, said Jeff Frederick, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at UNCP. At UNCP, we are committed to providing comprehensive academic opportunities on campus as well as looking for partnership pathways with great sister institutions when that is a better strategy.

In January, UNCP signed a similar agreement with the College of Veterinary Medicine at N.C. State University.

Cummings called the collaboration a natural partnership, alluding to significant number of local Tuskegee-educated veterinarians, including Drs. David Brooks, Curt Locklear Jr., Terry Clark, Michael Deese, Melissa Chavis, and Isaac Martinez. Several attended the signing ceremony.

Brooks and Locklear, both UNCP alumni, were the first to carve academic paths from UNCP to Alabama in the early 1970s when they were recruited by Tuskegee alum and professor Ellis Hall. He was the first African American to achieve board certification in the American College of Veterinary Radiology.

Its amazing, the circle this has taken from something that started from a recruiting trip in 1973, said Brooks, owner of Pembroke Veterinary Hospital. I dont think it was coincidental. It was Gods will.

A partnership between UNCP and Tuskegee had been discussed for some time, but, according to Dr. Brooks, Chancellor Cummings served as the catalyst to inking the deal.

This is going to be a symbiotic relationship, Brooks said. Each institution will enhance the other with the ultimate benefit being the students and Gods creatures.

Curt Locklear Jr., owner of Southeastern Veterinary Hospital, said the signing agreement was a proud moment in his life. During the event, he took a trip down memory lane.

I was reminiscing back when Dr. Hall came to Pembroke and recruited us to come to Tuskegee, Locklear said. In my mind, this agreement between UNCP and Tuskegee began in the 1970s.

The finalizing of this agreement is the culmination of that recruitment trip 43 years ago. It made me proud to be American Indian, a UNCP graduate and a graduate of Tuskegee University.

Ruby Perry, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Tuskegee University, left, and UNCP Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings are all smiles after announcing a partnership between in the two institutions in veterinary medicine.

Mark Locklear is a Public Relations specialist for The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Read the original here:
UNCP, Tuskegee partner to produce veterinarians - The Robesonian

Rudi Keller @CDTCivilWar

The University of Missouris College of Veterinary Medicine reversed a planned budget cut after pressure from agriculture interests and veterinarians made it unlikely the move would save any money.

Under President Mun Chois spring directive to find savings and do so without using an across-the-board approach, the college needed to find $2.4 million in savings, former Dean Neil Olson wrote in a memo distributed June 6 to the colleges faculty. To meet that goal, Olson wrote that the college would cut back on its animal reproductive services by eliminating the Theriogenology Service and curtailing companion animal, small ruminant and embryo transfer reproductive services in 2019.

The Missouri Cattlemens Association and the Missouri Veterinary Medicine Association objected strongly to the decision. While training in theriogenology would continue, students would have less hands-on experience if the cut stood, said Mike Deering, executive vice president of the cattlemens association.

They would no longer train veterinarians to specialize in reproduction of our livestock, when that is the bread and butter in our state, Deering said.

Olson left his job on Tuesday. The cattlemens association reported that the cut had been reversed by interim Dean Carolyn Henry in its Friday newsletter. Henry was traveling Friday afternoon and could not be reached.

The industry advocates asking for the cut to be reconsidered made good points, said Tracey Berry, spokeswoman for the college. The cut threatened to disrupt giving to the school, she said.

Her review of the budget situation and the impact of cutting these program led her to believe the net income loss from stakeholders was not going to save us any money in 2019 or beyond, Berry said. That is why she put the brakes on that decision.

The reversal brought praise for Henry in the newsletter.

With only one day on the job as the interim dean, Carolyn Henry recognized the need to keep the program intact and quickly solved a problem, association President Butch Meier said in the newsletter. This is the kind of leadership our future veterinarians deserve.

Missouri is the nations sixth-largest producer of cattle and calves and the seventh largest producer of hogs and pigs, Olsons memo states.

Theriogenology helps animal producers improve strains and maintain genetic purity, Deering said. Embryo transfer is an especially important skill because it allows producers of seed stocks to expand production by placing an embryo from one breed into a female of another. The female becomes a living incubator and the supply of high-quality animals is increased, Deering said.

There are specialists but every single large animal veterinarian has to have some reproduction training, especially on the cow-calf side, Deering said.

Other groups that joined in the effort to reverse the cut included the American Kennel Club and hog producers, Deering said.

Henry was concerned about the industry objections as she reconsidered the cut, Berry said.

It is fair to say our interim dean is supportive of theriogenology, she said. It is an area where we can expand and grow.

The cuts werent intended to save money until 2019, Berry said. By committing to keep the services, Henry can look for ways to collaborate with animal science and biological science research, she said.

It is an area of potential revenue growth, she said.

rkeller@columbiatribune.com

573-815-1709

See more here:
University of Missouri reverses cut to veterinary services - Columbia Daily Tribune

(INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana)The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has named Dr. L. Garry Adams recipient of its 2017 AVMA Award. Adams, who received the award during AVMA Convention 2017 in Indianapolis, is recognized for his leadership and significant contributions to the advancement of organized veterinary medicine.

"Throughout his career, Dr. Adams has played a significant role in supporting and strengthening many veterinary and medical organizations," said Dr. Tom Meyer, AVMA president. "His consistent participation and outstanding leadership have been instrumental in building stronger state and national organizations. I congratulate Dr. Adams on receiving this well-deserved award and I thank him for his tireless efforts and invaluable influence in the advancement of organized veterinary medicine."

For more than 30 years, Dr. Adams has lent his leadership to a wide array of medical associations and professional societies, including among others, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Academy of Pathology, and serving as a Lifetime Member of the AVMA. He has also contributed expertise to a variety of committees and boards, including the AVMA's Council on Research, Council on Education, Committee on International Veterinary Affairs, and the Global Food Security Summit organizing committee. He has been the recipient of many industry awards, including the AVMF/AVMA Lifetime Excellence in Research Award in 2012 and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) 2015 Senator John Melcher, DVM Leadership in Public Policy Award. Dr. Adams received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and Ph.D., in Veterinary Pathology from Texas A&M University. He also holds Diplomate status from the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. He currently serves as Senior Professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathology at Texas A&M University.

Visit avma.org/Awards for more details on the AVMA's Veterinary Excellence Awards program.

Read this article:
Dr. L. Garry Adams awarded 2017 AVMA Award for Contributions to Advancement of Organized Veterinary Medicine - American Veterinary Medical Association

Quality of life and end of life should go hand-in-hand when it comes to caring for older horses, yet a balanced assessment and a final decision can be subjective and highly emotive, making a veterinarians job even more challenging.

The British Equine Veterinary Associations (BEVA) 2017 Congress will devote an afternoon of discussion to this sensitive topic on Friday, Sept. 15, at Liverpool Arena Convention Centre.

Making the decision to end a horses life is probably the most difficult aspect of owning or caring for one, and the process is undoubtedly hard for the attending veterinarian, as well. Nicky Jarvis, BVetMed, Cert AVP (Equine Medicine), Cert AVP (Equine Surgery Soft Tissue), MRCVS, head veterinarian at Redwings Horse Sanctuary, will moderate the end-of-life session at Congress, which aims to explore the major aspects of euthanasia and the implications for owners, veterinarians, and insurance.

Georgina Crossman, MBA, PhD, who coordinated Advancing Equine Scientific Excellences collaborative project considering equine end of life and euthanasia, will commence with a look at owners attitudes to euthanasia. Lesley Barwise-Munro, BSc, BVM&S, CertEP, MRCVS, of Alnorthumbria Vets, a Fdration Equestre Internationale veterinary official, senior racecourse vet, and honorary vice president of the National Equine Welfare Council, will follow with the practicalities of euthanasiahow to perform it well and pitfalls to avoid.

Monica Aleman, MVZ Cert., PhD, Dipl. ACVIM (internal medicine and neurology), associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, will share her knowledge on electrophysical studies of euthanasia. And Karen Cook, a teaching fellow at the University of Surrey School of Health Sciences and a registered adult nursewhos career has been dominated by palliative and end-of-life carewill then draw any relevant comparisons with end-of-life care in humans.

Andrew Harrison, BVSc, CertEP, CertVA, MRCVS, a partner at Three Counties Equine Hospital, will close the session with a pertinent look at BEVA Guidelines and insurance implications of euthanasia.

As vets, we must balance the privilege and responsibility that comes from access to euthanasia when maintaining animal welfare, said Mark Bowen, BVetMed, PhD, CertEM (IntMed), MRCVS, senior vice-president of BEVA. Decisions are currently based upon personal views and experience as well as an awareness of our clients emotional needs and a considerable amount of anthropomorphism when deciding on 'the right time'. In the absence of an evidence-based method for assessing quality of life, this session will review what we do know and how to make this final act as stress-free as possible for all involved.

Organized by horse vets for horse vets BEVA Congress Europes largest equine veterinary conference. This year it will be held at Liverpool Arena Convention Centre, in England, September 13-16. The program will include a line-up of practitioner friendly big cheese speakers, extensive continuing professional development, quality science, and novel demonstrations. Learn more at beva.org.uk/home/education/congress.

Excerpt from:
Equine End-of-Life Session Scheduled for BEVA Congress - TheHorse.com

August 02, 2017

Contact: Anissa L. Riley, Director of External AffairsTuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, 334-724-4509

Students from across the U.S. recently completed a seven-week program, hosted by Tuskegee Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine, designed to prepare them to apply to and succeed in a collegiate veterinary program.

The colleges Summer Enrichment and Reinforcement Program is a long-standing enhancement program that has benefitted students for more than 30 years. This years cohort included 18 students nearing the completion of their bachelors degrees, nearing application for admittance to the veterinary program, and currently enrolled and desiring additional academic enrichment.

SERP has proven to be a very useful program to help motivated students who may need an extra edge to succeed in a demanding veterinary curriculum, said Dr. Roslyn Casimir-Whittington, the colleges interim associate dean for academic and student affairs, and an assistant professor in the Department of Pathobiology.

The program seeks to improve students ability to process scientific concepts, as well as their critical thinking and academic survival skills, which include effective communication, note-taking, time management, and test-taking. During the seven-week, on-campus program, students were introduced to all areas of the veterinary medical curriculum, such as veterinary anatomy, pathology, parasitology, pharmacology, necropsy, large and small animal surgery, and public health. At the end of the program, SERP participants present a clinical case to college faculty, who provide the students with constructive feedback.

During SERP, I learned how to handle a large workload without becoming too stressed. I also acquired techniques to minimize my test anxiety, which will help me as I move forward in my education, said program participant Danielle Bass, a doctoral veterinary medicine candidate from Frankfort, Kentucky.

In addition, the college expanded SERP programming to address a rising epidemic of suicide within the veterinary medical profession. This year, wellness activities reinforced the importance of achieving work-life balance and included mindfulness-focused walking, coloring and meditation; playing golf; and participating in Zumba and tai chi classes.

Health and wellness have become a major focus in veterinary medical education and the veterinary profession, and we are finding innovative ways to promote better well-being among our students, said Dr. Ruby L. Perry, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

To learn more about Tuskegee Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine and its summer programs, visit http://www.tuskegee.edu/vetmed.

2017 Tuskegee University

See the original post:
Summer enrichment program prepares students for Tuskegee veterinary curriculum - Tuskegee University

If you take emotional responsibility for everyone else's problems, putting their monkeys on your back and on your mind, you find yourself home at the end of every day in veterinary practice with no room for your own needs.

(Shutterstock.com)I filmed a video for Firstline a few months ago titled "Not my circus, not my monkeys. (Watch it here.) In it, a veterinarian (played by yours truly) is so buried under psychological "monkeys" from her job that at the end of the day, she doesnt have any room left for her personal "monkeys."

When I made the video, my original purpose was to take a light-hearted approach and raise awareness of a few of the underlying causes of veterinarian compassion fatigue and burn-out in private practice. What I didnt anticipate (my badsorry!) is that the video touched a raw nerve with a lot of our readers, and people were left asking, Yeah. I see that problem, and I have it! Now what? Give me some solutions already!

Over the past 15 years, there has been several things I've learned that have helped my emotional well-being and resilience. While I'm not a perfect monkey manager (who is?), the four activities on the following pages have saved my life. Try them.

Like me, over time you may experience greater practice satisfaction, be able to hand emotional monkeys back to your clients and co-workers and manage your own personal-life monkeys better. In the words of veterinary wellness thinker Kimberly Pope-Robinson, DVM, CCFP, "Nobody wants a monkey farm," so lets tame these little suckers ...

1. Practice self-awareness

The first step of monkey management is awareness of your thoughts and feelings in situations where clients or coworkers try to give you their monkeys. What do you feel when your client is asking you for a discount, trying to project their beliefs about money onto you? How do you feel when you read sad stories from other vets on Facebook? How do you respond when a coworker bullies you, either out-right or by being passive aggressive?

In the moment, you probably feel angry, sad, scared or guilty. You might feel a lump in your throat, or your heart might race, or your face might flush. In this moment, your lizard brain, the amygdala (Editor's note: A veterinary neurologist has a funny anecdote about it, actually), takes over and you've been emotionally hijacked by something that isn't your problem. When you're emotionally hijacked by somebody elses monkey, you let other people project their problems onto you. Fortunately, you also have the ability to deflect monkeys thrown your way.

When your emotions take over, the logical, thinking part of our brain has been overrided, and you're triggered into a fight-flight-or-freeze response. Recognizing the symptoms of an emotional hijacking in the moment can give you the power to stay centered and in control, and less likely to take somebody elses emotional monkey on as your own. Once you've recognized the signs of emotional hijacking, you can take steps to halt it, such as breathing, meditation or just stepping away for a moment before the monkey gets stuck to you and puts you in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

2. Recognize the monkey

When people feel ashamed about something, such as not being able to afford a car payment or to pay for veterinary services, it feels bad. Icky. Embarrassing. Uncomfortable. If they have a low level of emotional intelligence or they themselves have been emotionally hijacked in that moment, they'll look frantically for a target to off-load that bad feeling.

Unfortunately, without good monkey management skills, you're a perfect target for a client in the exam room. If you've practice self-awareness, checking in with yourself and noticing how you're feeling, you may be able to keep your own emotions under control and be in a better position to recognize when people are trying to hand off yucky emotional monkeys to you. Psychologist Dan Siegel from UCLA advises that we "Name it it tame it." For example, in the scene in my video where the pet owner with a puppy with parvo is manipulating the veterinarian with shame, the vet could head the monkey off at the pass by naming the monkey "shame" in her head. This prevents the veterinarian from accepting the monkey and being emotionally hijacked by the clients financial problems.

Monkey management becomes harder when we voluntarily take other peoples monkeys on as our own. In my own practice, I noticed that veterinarians who spent a lot of time reading the posts on the Not One More Vet Facebook page, a support group for struggling veterinarians, started to talk more negatively about the state of our profession. Dont get me wrongthat Facebook group and others like it are a wonderful resource for veterinarians on the brink of suicide or clinical depression, but if your life is going pretty good and you're pretty happy with your career, why on earth would you sabotage your own happiness by voluntarily saddling yourself with the monkeys of other people you've never met?

Positive monkey management starts with being willing to guard our own emotional and mental health. If people you talk to or things you read or places you go bring you down, stop, and take care of yourself right now.

3. Turn down the empathy (just a little!)

The third step of monkey management is cognitive attunement, or perspective taking. If you've been to any of my recent lectures, then you know Im crazy into perspective taking. I believe it transforms your ability to connect with clients and persuade them to follow your recommendations. Perspective taking is also critical in monkey management. Lemme explain.

Veterinarians are some of the most compassionate, hard-working, empathetic people I know. I want to take all of you, tuck you into bed and serve you tea because you take care of everybody before you take care of yourselves. The problem with too much empathy is that it actually inhibits you from doing your best work. When it comes to working with clients and coworkers, veterinarians need to understand the difference between perspective taking and empathy. Empathy is a feeling skill, and when you feel everything your client or coworker is feeling, you're grabbing that monkey off of them and sticking it onto yourself.

Perspective taking is a cognitive skill (and veterinarians are good at those!). You intellectually understand and respect your client's or coworkers perspective (monkey), but you dont take it on yourself. Understanding the monkey gives you clues on how best to interact with your client or coworker. Make sense?

Once you understand that, you can turn down the empathy meter (not a lot, just a little!) and turn up the perspective taking meter.

If you want to learn more about perspective taking and how to be better at it, come see me at a CVC near you.

4. Manage your relationships

The fourth part of monkey management is relationship management. Dan Siegels fascinating work in neurobiology often covers the "social brain." Humans are highly social mammals who've needed a tribe to survive throughout most of human history. In the past, expulsion from the tribe would have been life-threatening. Consequently, to best facilitate the tribe, our brain evolved to allow subconscious connections with other human brains.

One of those connections is found in mirror neurons. Basically, mirror neurons fire in our brain in response to the behavior of others and produce something called "emotional contagion." In emotional contagion, the most powerful person is the person sending emotionsor, in our case, monkeys. One way clients or coworkers unconsciously manipulate is through projecting contagious emotions that our mirror neurons pick up. In the past, picking up these signals was crucial to survival, as the sender was likely communicating that a saber-toothed tiger was about to eat the receivers baby. These days, however, toxic monkeys sent from clients or coworkers may hurt us more than help us. We have to decide what monkeys we let in and from whom.

In my video, the veterinarian had let in so many monkeys during the day she didnt have any space for monkeys from her husband. How many of you can relate to that? I know I can! If you want a quick primer on dealing with a negative coworker in situations like these, check out this Wharton School of Management tip I found helpful.)

Becoming skilled in monkey management provides us with invaluable perspective on ourselves and others. By increasing the awareness and management of our own feelings, we can better understand other people. That mindset sets a trajectory for us to skillfully handle all the monkeys that others throw our way and to stop being zookeepers for other people's emotional monkeys.

Dr. Sarah Wooten graduated from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2002. A member of the American Society of Veterinary Journalists, Dr. Wooten divides her professional time between small animal practice in Greeley, Colorado, public speaking on associate issues, leadership, and client communication, and writing. She enjoys camping with her family, skiing, SCUBA, and participating in triathlons.

Read this article:
4 steps to get those monkeys off your back - dvm360

Bloomberg

China Regenerative's Stem Cell Research Sparks Hope Bloomberg Stem cells can become just about any sort of tissue, if cultivated correctly. With so many potential applications, the companies that perfect the use of stem cells first will stake a claim on massive profits. Hong Kong's China Regenerative Medicine is ... and more »

Read the original post:
China Regenerative's Stem Cell Research Sparks Hope - Bloomberg

Earlier this week, a team of scientists, led by a researcher at Oregon Health and Science University, published a paper showing its possible to alter human embryo DNA to prevent congenital disease. The study shows that CRISPR-Cas9 is certainly powerful. But in the fanfare and controversy surrounding the news, the public may have lost sight that CRISPR is also highly versatile.

Scientists are using the technology to develop effective treatment therapies for a range of diseases, including cancer, diabetes and communicable diseases. Other researchers applygene editing to solve agricultural problems,counter bioterrorism and clean up the environment.

Since CRISPR was first identified, geneticists have been adapting it in the laboratory as a tool that could be used to alter genetic codes of all living organisms. The study, published in Nature on Wednesday has incited a debate about the ethics of using CRISPR technology to alter human genes, which draws attention to the ongoing public fear that humanity will soon have the capacity to build designer babies.

Tech & Science Emails and Alerts - Get the best of Newsweek Tech & Science delivered to your inbox

Newsweek spoke with Jennifer Doudna, a microbiologist at the University of California, Berkeley and co-discover of the breakthrough gene-editing technique, about how quickly the technology is advancing and the progress she expects to see in the future.

What do you make of the findings in the Nature study?

In a way its not a surprising study. Theres obviously been interest in the potential application of genome editing to curing genetic disease. Ultimately, if one could do this in the germline, it would be possible to get rid of disease-causing mutations at the beginning of life.

Whats really interesting here is that the study was conducted in a way that could create a path to the clinic, and to establish a procedure for doing gene editing that would be feasible in these embryos. The researchers largely achieved that.

Whats the one thing you say to people to try to assuage their the worries that were on the path to creating designer babies?

People say it wont happen in the U.S. but what about China? I am asked this question at cocktail parties. What about Asia? What about places that have fewer restrictions, and perhaps fewer cultural feelings against germline editing? Its entirely possible that there will be use of germline editing in those jurisdictions. I encourage the scientific and clinical communities around the world to not rush CRISPR to clinical research because I think it would be a shame if a powerful technology gets a black eye in the public perception, at least in terms of using it inappropriately.

Are there other ways to use this technology in a reproductive medicine setting that dont involve editing an actual embryo?

Perhaps in the not-too-distant future it will be possible to generate gametesmeaning eggs or spermfrom somatic cells in a person. Already it is possible to do this in animals. Once this is technically feasible in humans, doctors could use CRISPR for patients with a known genetic predisposition to something or certain mutations to generate gametes that could be used in an in vitro fertilization setting. This removes the issue of embryo editing, though it doesnt remove the issue of making changes that become heritable in the human germline.

Are you surprised by how fast this research has progressed?

Its been about five years since we published our paper describing the CRISPR system and how it could be used for genome editing. I never imagined back then that I would be reading this headline in the New York Times this week.

What are you working on that shows CRISPRs broad capabilities?

Im leading the Innovative Genomics Institute, a UC San Franciscopartnership aiming to bring genome editing to important problems in human health and the environment, which is aimed at bringing people who do fundamental research like me together with clinicians and plant biologists. Weve teamed up with neurosurgeons at UC San Francisco, and were developing ways to deliver gene-editing molecules into the brain. This has nothing to do with germline editing. This is therapy for neurological disease. Im very excited about the potential to use gene editing to correct mutations that could really benefit patients in the future.

We published a paper in Nature Biotechnology earlier this year showing how we can use CRISPR for editing DNA in the brains of mice. Were focused right now on Huntingtons disease and working in a couple of different animal models toinvestigate whether the approach has a therapeutic benefit in these animals. If that looks promising then we hope to make steps toward clinical trials with our partners at UCSF.

The vast majority of scientists right now who are working with gene editingand CRISPR in particularare focused on this type of application. Researchers are not trying to make heritable changes to DNA in humans. They are trying to make changes to DNA that would impact a patient in their lifetime and have a positive effect.

The rest is here:
Gene Editing Could Stop Cancer, Diabetes and Bioterrorism: An Interview With CRISPR Scientist Jennifer Doudna - Newsweek

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Aug. 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The diabetes drug exenatide (Byetta) may do double duty as a treatment for Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests.

"This is a very promising finding, as the drug holds potential to affect the course of the disease itself, and not merely the symptoms," said senior study author Tom Foltynie, from University College London's Institute of Neurology.

"With existing treatments, we can relieve most of the symptoms [of Parkinson's] for some years, but the disease continues to worsen," he said in a university news release. "This is the strongest evidence we have so far that a drug could do more than provide symptom relief for Parkinson's disease."

Parkinson's is the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide, the researchers noted. The condition results in muscle stiffness, slowed movement, tremors, sleep disturbance and chronic fatigue.

In the study, 60 people with Parkinson's received either a weekly injection of exenatide or an inactive placebo for 48 weeks, along with their regular medications.

At the end of that period, those who took the diabetes drug scored four points higher on a 132-point scale of agility, speech and tremors than those who took the placebo. The difference was statistically significant, the study authors said.

The findings were published Aug. 3 in the The Lancet.

According to Brian Fiske, senior vice president of research programs at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, "Using approved therapies for one condition to treat another, or drug repurposing, offers new avenues to speed Parkinson's therapeutic development." The foundation funded the study.

"The results from the exenatide studies justify continued testing, but clinicians and patients are urged not to add exenatide to their regimens until more is known about their safety and impact on Parkinson's," Fiske said.

Another Parkinson's expert agreed that more research is in order.

"While these are exciting findings, the observed benefit was small and only in one outcome-measure," said Dr. Martin Niethammer, a neurologist at Northwell Health's Neuroscience Institute, in Manhasset, N.Y.

"This might relate to the study being relatively small and of short duration, rather than lack of efficacy [effectiveness] of exenatide, and more study is certainly needed," he noted.

"This trial does provide an excellent rationale for larger and longer trials, and it remains to be seen if exenatide, and drugs like it, truly have a disease-modifying effect or merely improve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease," Niethammer said.

WebMD News from HealthDay

SOURCES: University College London, news release, Aug. 3, 2017; Martin Niethammer, M.D., neurologist, Northwell Health's Neuroscience Institute, Manhasset, N.Y.

Continued here:
Diabetes Drug Shows Promise Against Parkinson's - WebMD

Diabetes symptoms are easy to miss, but it's becoming more vital than ever to recognize the signs. According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30.3 million people in the U.S. have diabetes as of 2015, but nearly a quarter of those people (7.2 million) are undiagnosed. In addition to that, about a third of U.S. adults (84.1 million) have prediabetes, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, yet only 11.6 percent of them reported being told by a doctor that they have it.

However, we know that the overwhelming majority of diabetes cases is type 2, a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar. According to the report, only about 5 percent of U.S. adults are thought to have type 1 diabetes, a chronic condition that typically develops in childhood in which a persons pancreas produces little or no insulin.

Rates of diabetes tend to increase with age. According to the report, 4 percent of adults aged 1844 had diabetes; 17 percent of 45- to 64-year-olds had the condition; and 25 percent of people 65 and up had diabetes. The rates of diagnoses were also higher among American Indians/Alaska Natives, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics when compared to Asians and non-Hispanic whites. New diabetes diagnoses were steady, but the researchers point out that diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2015, which isnt something to take lightly.

Complications from diabetes include heart and blood vessel disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, eye problems (including blindness), and foot damage (even leading to amputation), among other issues when left untreated, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Its likely due to a few reasons, Ann Albright, Ph.D., R.D., director of the CDCs division of diabetes translation and a coauthor of the report, tells SELF. Type 2 diabetes symptoms can be difficult to identify, she says, and initially include increased thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite, and fatigue. Diabetes symptoms often come on slowly and can be mistaken for a lot of other issues. Anybody could think their symptoms are due to something else, Dr. Albright says. What person isnt fatigued?

People also may not visit their doctor as often as they should and, if theyre not being monitored by a physician, they wont know that something is off, she says.

While about 7.2 million people with diabetes dont know they have it, thats better than 20 or 30 years ago when about half of people with diabetes werent aware of it, Robert M Cohen, M.D., an endocrinologist at UC Health and professor of medicine in the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, tells SELF. A lot more people have diabetes butmany more of them know they have it and have the opportunity to take action, he says. Most people who know they have diabetes and are under a doctors care can manage well with the disease, Marc Leavey, M.D., an internist at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, tells SELF. But you have to know that you have diabetes in order to control it," he says.

While genetics can be a factor, type 2 diabetes prevention largely relies on lifestyle. Its important that we as a country take lifestyle seriously, Dr. Albright says.The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends ways to lower your risk, including watching your food portions, exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet thats heavy on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and avoiding sugar-laden drinks like soda and juice. Of course, that can be easier said than done, especially if it means revamping a large part of your current lifestyle habits. But it can be done, and your doctor can help. If you're concerned about your diabetes risk, talk to your primary care physician. They should be able to order testing to see where you're at and proceed with next steps if the diagnosis is positive.

The numbers are startling, Dr. Albright says. We must get a handle on this.

Related:

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

Read the rest here:
Nearly a Quarter of People with Diabetes Don't Know They Have It - SELF

Type 2 diabetes and prion disease seem like an odd couple, but they have something in common: clumps of misfolded, damaging proteins.

Now new research finds that a dose of corrupted pancreas proteins induces normal ones to misfold and clump. This raises the possibility that, like prion disease, type 2 diabetes could be triggered by these deformed proteins spreading between cells or even individuals, the researchers say.

When the deformed pancreas proteins were injected into mice without type 2 diabetes, the animals developed symptoms of the disease, including overly high blood sugar levels, the researchers report online August 1 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

It is interesting, albeit not super-surprising that the deformed proteins could jump-start the process in other mice, says Bruce Verchere, a diabetes researcher at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. But before you could say anything about transmissibility of type 2 diabetes, theres a lot more that needs to be done.

Beta cells in the pancreas make the glucose-regulating hormone insulin. The cells also produce a hormone called islet amyloid polypeptide, or IAPP. This protein can clump together and damage cells, although how it first goes bad is not clear. The vast majority of people with type 2 diabetes accumulate deposits of misfolded IAPP in the pancreas, and the clumps are implicated in the death of beta cells.

Deposits of misfolded proteins are a hallmark of such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimers and Parkinsons as well as prion disorders like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (SN: 10/17/15, p. 12).

Since IAPP misfolds like a prion protein, neurologist Claudio Soto of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and his colleagues wondered if type 2 diabetes could be transmitted between cells, or even between individuals. With this paper, his group just wanted to put on the table this possibility.

The mouse version of the IAPP protein cannot clump and mice dont develop type 2 diabetes, a sign that the accumulation of IAPP is important in the development of the disease, says Soto. To study the disease in mice, the animals need to be engineered to produce a human version of IAPP. When pancreas cells containing clumps of misfolded IAPP, taken from an engineered diabetic mouse, were mixed in a dish of healthy human pancreas cells, it triggered the clumping of IAPP in the human cells.

The same was true when non-diabetic mice got a shot made with the diabetic mouse pancreas cells. The non-diabetic mice developed deposits of clumped IAPP that grew over time, and the majority of beta cells died. When the mice were alive, more than 70 percent of the animals had blood sugar levels beyond the healthy range.

Sotos group plans to study if IAPP could be transmitted in a real world scenario, such as through a blood transfusion. Theyve already begun work on transfusing blood from mice with diabetes to healthy mice, to see if they can induce the disease. More work needs to be done to see if this ever operates in real life, Soto says.

Even if transmission of the misfolded protein occurs only within an individual, this opens up a lot of opportunities for intervention, Soto says, because now you can target the IAPP.

Verchere also believes IAPP is a big player in the progression of type 2 diabetes, and that therapies that prevent the clumps of proteins from forming are needed. Whether or not future research supports the idea that the disease is transmissible, the study is good for appreciating the potential role of IAPP in diabetes.

Read more:
Spread of misfolded proteins could trigger type 2 diabetes - Science News Magazine

Sign Up for

Our free email newsletters

A California startup has created smart glasses that let blind users "borrow the eyesight" of those who can see, said Arielle Pardes at Wired. Aira headsets consist of "tricked out Google Glasses" that beam a visually impaired user's field of vision to a remote Aira agent, who describes the user's environment through smartphone-connected earbuds. So far, the 400 subscribers to the paid service mostly use it for "help with ordinary tasks," like reading a menu at a restaurant, navigating the grocery store, or checking the expiration date on food in the fridge. "One woman regularly calls in to read comic books out loud to her son"; another user relied on Aira for help running the Boston Marathon.

(Courtesy image)

Aira, which charges $199 for 400 minutes of agents' time a month, plans to use AI-powered responses in the future to help clients with sensitive situations, like when doing finances or using the bathroom.

Original post:
These tricked out glasses help blind people 'borrow' eyesight - The Week Magazine

Updated: Saturday, August 5 2017 3:20 PM EDT2017-08-05 19:20:18 GMT

A motorcyclist died after a collision with a truck Saturday afternoonat the intersection of Bell Road and Stewarts Ferry Pike. The police have not released the identity of the motorists involved. Police say the motorcyclist was driving recklessly and passed into the bike lane, hitting the truck as the truck was making a U-turn.

A motorcyclist died after a collision with a truck Saturday afternoonat the intersection of Bell Road and Stewarts Ferry Pike. The police have not released the identity of the motorists involved. Police say the motorcyclist was driving recklessly and passed into the bike lane, hitting the truck as the truck was making a U-turn.

Updated: Saturday, August 5 2017 11:36 AM EDT2017-08-05 15:36:04 GMT

A joint investigation byTBI Special Agents and the Cheatham County Sheriff's Office resulted in the arrest of Angel Scrubbs, 35, of Cheatham County. Scrubbs shot and killed Christopher White, 44, just before midnight on August 4.

A joint investigation byTBI Special Agents and the Cheatham County Sheriff's Office resulted in the arrest of Angel Scrubbs, 35, of Cheatham County. Scrubbs shot and killed Christopher White, 44, just before midnight on August 4.

Updated: Saturday, August 5 2017 11:21 AM EDT2017-08-05 15:21:02 GMT

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released information on a missing child. Nathaniel Brown, 3, of Lafayette, Tennessee has been missing since August 3 when his mother was notifiedvia court orderto place Nathaniel in DCS custody.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released information on a missing child. Nathaniel Brown, 3, of Lafayette, Tennessee has been missing since August 3 when his mother was notifiedvia court orderto place Nathaniel in DCS custody.

Updated: Friday, August 4 2017 11:10 PM EDT2017-08-05 03:10:09 GMT

At Vanderbilt Eye Institute in Nashville, doctors are passing out glasses and spreading the word on how to safely view the eclipse.

At Vanderbilt Eye Institute in Nashville, doctors are passing out glasses and spreading the word on how to safely view the eclipse.

Updated: Friday, August 4 2017 10:40 PM EDT2017-08-05 02:40:45 GMT

At least 200 bags at the Nashville International Airport were soiled after an overflowing toilet leaked through the floor.

At least 200 bags at the Nashville International Airport were soiled after an overflowing toilet leaked through the floor.

Updated: Friday, August 4 2017 10:21 PM EDT2017-08-05 02:21:36 GMT

Authorities in Dickson County and the TBI are investigating a person with a gunshot wound was found in the driveway of a burning home.

Authorities in Dickson County and the TBI are investigating a person with a gunshot wound was found in the driveway of a burning home.

Updated: Friday, August 4 2017 9:48 PM EDT2017-08-05 01:48:58 GMT

The total population of White House is 12,000 people. In just over two weeks, 30,000 visitors are coming for the total solar eclipse.

The total population of White House is 12,000 people. In just over two weeks, 30,000 visitors are coming for the total solar eclipse.

Updated: Friday, August 4 2017 9:47 PM EDT2017-08-05 01:47:18 GMT

Surveillance video shows the hallway of St.Bethlehem Elementary School in Clarksville. Kindergarten teacher Bonnie Conn dragged a little boy out of her classroom by the arm. She then usedher foot to keep out the child with special needs.

Surveillance video shows the hallway of St.Bethlehem Elementary School in Clarksville. Kindergarten teacher Bonnie Conn dragged a little boy out of her classroom by the arm. She then usedher foot to keep out the child with special needs.

Updated: Friday, August 4 2017 8:35 PM EDT2017-08-05 00:35:55 GMT

Tennessee Highway Patrol are investigating a fatal crash involving a car and a motorcycle in Montgomery County.

Tennessee Highway Patrol are investigating a fatal crash involving a car and a motorcycle in Montgomery County.

Updated: Friday, August 4 2017 7:30 PM EDT2017-08-04 23:30:03 GMT

Classes are delayed two days for students at John Overton High School after construction on a $40 million renovation fell behind.

Classes are delayed two days for students at John Overton High School after construction on a $40 million renovation fell behind.

Two city workers thought something was amiss when they saw five children getting into the back of a U-Haul truck at a gas station.

Two city workers thought something was amiss when they saw five children getting into the back of a U-Haul truck at a gas station.

Updated: Friday, August 4 2017 9:48 PM EDT2017-08-05 01:48:58 GMT

The total population of White House is 12,000 people. In just over two weeks, 30,000 visitors are coming for the total solar eclipse.

The total population of White House is 12,000 people. In just over two weeks, 30,000 visitors are coming for the total solar eclipse.

A 4-month-old girl was found dead in Oklahoma after she was left inside an SUV for most of the day, the Oklahoma County sheriff's office said.

A 4-month-old girl was found dead in Oklahoma after she was left inside an SUV for most of the day, the Oklahoma County sheriff's office said.

Updated: Wednesday, August 2 2017 7:26 AM EDT2017-08-02 11:26:05 GMT

A Texas woman shot and killed an intruder during a home invasion, authorities said.

A Texas woman shot and killed an intruder during a home invasion, authorities said.

If you see something, say something. A woman on a Seattle-to-San Jose flight this week took thatlaw enforcement mantrato heart when she spotted a fellow passenger allegedly texting about sexually molesting children, the San Jose police said.

If you see something, say something. A woman on a Seattle-to-San Jose flight this week took thatlaw enforcement mantrato heart when she spotted a fellow passenger allegedly texting about sexually molesting children, the San Jose police said.

Updated: Friday, August 4 2017 4:42 PM EDT2017-08-04 20:42:47 GMT

The 911 call came in just before 4 a.m. Friday ata home on Donald Street.Police said the victim, who has not been identified, died inside the house.

The 911 call came in just before 4 a.m. Friday ata home on Donald Street.Police said the victim, who has not been identified, died inside the house.

Updated: Friday, August 4 2017 6:22 PM EDT2017-08-04 22:22:29 GMT

A Nashville party bike company has cycled its way into a lawsuit. Nashville Pedal Tavern says competitor, Sprocket Rocket Tours ripped off its branding.

A Nashville party bike company has cycled its way into a lawsuit. Nashville Pedal Tavern says competitor, Sprocket Rocket Tours ripped off its branding.

Updated: Friday, August 4 2017 9:47 PM EDT2017-08-05 01:47:18 GMT

Surveillance video shows the hallway of St.Bethlehem Elementary School in Clarksville. Kindergarten teacher Bonnie Conn dragged a little boy out of her classroom by the arm. She then usedher foot to keep out the child with special needs.

Surveillance video shows the hallway of St.Bethlehem Elementary School in Clarksville. Kindergarten teacher Bonnie Conn dragged a little boy out of her classroom by the arm. She then usedher foot to keep out the child with special needs.

Updated: Friday, August 4 2017 10:21 PM EDT2017-08-05 02:21:36 GMT

Authorities in Dickson County and the TBI are investigating a person with a gunshot wound was found in the driveway of a burning home.

Authorities in Dickson County and the TBI are investigating a person with a gunshot wound was found in the driveway of a burning home.

When 4th grader Jack Davis sent NASA a letter responding to their newest position, Planetary Protection Officer, he told them he was a perfect fit.

When 4th grader Jack Davis sent NASA a letter responding to their newest position, Planetary Protection Officer, he told them he was a perfect fit.

"+r+"

Read more:
Vanderbilt doctors urging eye protection, warn of vision loss during eclipse - WSMV Nashville

Mahikeng - A North West man who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer last year and then lost all vision in his one eye this year, has hope for the future again after a R17m Lotto jackpot win.

It couldnt have come at a better time, Netwerk24 reported, because he got his last pay cheque in June this year as he had no sick leave left.

Lotto operators Ithuba said in a statement on Thursday that the winner had spent R45 and as luck would have it, won the Lotto jackpot of more than R17m on July 26.

The winner has been through a difficult time since being diagnosed with the cancer in February last year.

"After finding out that I had an aggressive form of prostate cancer, it felt as if my whole life had come to an end," the man said, according to the statement.

"I started treatment and could just hope for the best."

Then, on May 18 this year, just as he thought the worst was behind him, disaster struck again while he was on his way to work.

"I have to travel a lot for my work and on that day I realised that the vision in my one eye was blurring. I was finding it difficult to see the road.

"I saw a doctor and he arranged for emergency surgery. However, it wasnt successful and I lost all vision in my left eye."

Struggling

He couldnt work anymore and received his last salary in June.

"We were already struggling financially because I wasnt receiving my full salary.

"It was difficult without a stable income and, as the breadwinner, I thought we were going to lose everything."

Then, on July 26, he bought Lotto tickets to the tune of R45 and his belief that he would one day win the Lotto was realised.

Another bit of good news came from the doctor, who said there were no more signs of the cancer.

"Just imagine how I felt! I have the courage to go on again."

The first person he shared the Lotto news with was his wife.

"We both started crying, because we couldnt really believe it."

With the winnings, he can afford to go for a second eye operation.

He plans on enjoying his "retirement", and will be investing some of the money, giving some to his children, and will buy his grandson the car hes long been promising him.

Ithuba helped the winner with financial advice and counselling.

Read this article:
Man battles cancer, loses sight in one eye... then wins R17m Lotto jackpot - News24

Proper eye protection is a must for anyone looking up at a solar eclipse. Eclipse glasses are far darker than regular sunglasses. Joseph Okpako/Getty Images hide caption

Proper eye protection is a must for anyone looking up at a solar eclipse. Eclipse glasses are far darker than regular sunglasses.

When Ralph Chou was about 12 years old, he took all the right precautions to watch his first solar eclipse.

"I did other stupid things, but when it came to looking at that eclipse, I was being very careful," says Chou, a professor emeritus of optometry and vision science at the University of Waterloo, who's a leading authority on eye damage from eclipse viewing.

The upcoming total solar eclipse will be the 19th one he has seen after a lifetime of eclipse chasing. And Chou is worried about first-timers and other folks who might look up at the spectacle without much forethought.

Tens of millions of people are expected to view the first total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States in nearly 40 years.

"Unfortunately, I think it is probably true that during every solar eclipse, there's bound to be somebody who does get hurt," says Chou.

The only time it will be safe to look with the naked eye is during the brief window of so-called "totality," when the sun is completely blocked by the moon. Totality will be visible only from a ribbon of land that stretches across the U.S.; the rest of the country will see only a partial eclipse.

When any part of the sun is uncovered and the eclipse is only partial, viewers need eye protection even if there's just a tiny crescent of sun left in the sky, Chou says.

"That crescent of sun is glowing every bit as brightly as it would on a day when there isn't a solar eclipse," he says. "The difference is that instead of leaving a round burn on the back of the eye, it will leave a crescent-shaped burn at the back of the eye."

Don't think it's safe to take quick, surreptitious glances, he warns.

"Actually, those quick little glances do add up," says Chou, "and they can, in fact, accumulate to the point where you do get damage at the back of the eye."

He says the damage isn't immediately apparent because the light-sensitive cells of the eye will keep working for hours after the injury before finally going kaput. Typically, people go home after an eclipse thinking everything is fine, says Chou. Then they wake up the next day and can't see.

"Everything is really, really badly blurred right in the center of their vision," he explains. "So they can't read. They can't see faces. They can't see road signs."

This kind of vision loss can get better over several months to a year. But about half the time, it's permanent, says Chou.

It's impossible to say exactly how common eye injuries are among eclipse watchers. While doctors report cases in the scientific literature, no one is systematically collecting this information.

But one thing is clear: Demand for eclipse glasses is unusually high, and companies have been cranking them out.

Eclipse viewers on the production line at an American Paper Optics facility. The company says it has already sold 65 million of these viewers for the upcoming total solar eclipse. Courtesy of American Paper Optics hide caption

Eclipse viewers on the production line at an American Paper Optics facility. The company says it has already sold 65 million of these viewers for the upcoming total solar eclipse.

"This eclipse, our goal is to manufacture close to a hundred million glasses," says Jason Lewin, director of marketing at American Paper Optics, which has a manufacturing plant outside of Memphis, Tenn. So far, they've sold about 65 million.

Usually, the company will sell about 5 million glasses for a total solar eclipse. Such an event is visible from somewhere on Earth every 18 months or so. The company started planning for this eclipse about two years ago and hired around 60 additional workers.

"We're going 24/7," says Lewin. "It's been wild."

NASA has been urging people to buy eclipse glasses from a small group of companies whose products are known to conform to international standards written by Chou and others in the field.

The concern is that scammers appear to be selling bogus products.

"We've seen examples of what appear to be ordinary sunglasses being sold as solar viewers, and that's horrible," says Rick Fienberg, an astronomer and press officer with the American Astronomical Society. "Customers are contacting us via our website and telling us, 'I've got these filters and they don't seem right. When I look at the sun, it's blindingly bright.'"

He explains that real solar viewers are thousands of times darker than regular sunglasses.

Fienberg is also concerned about fraudulent products made to look like the ones manufactured by reputable companies. "You can't just tell the public, look for this symbol or that symbol, because some people are printing those symbols on counterfeit products," he says.

His society is contacting vendors and retail chains and compiling a list of legitimate sellers, so the public can buy eye protection that has been independently verified.

He cautions that it is not OK to look at the sun through a telescope or binoculars while wearing eclipse glasses, because those kinds of optical devices need their own special filters.

And no one should try to use makeshift, unsafe filters such as exposed film negatives, smoked glass or the silvery wrappers of potato chips or Pop-Tarts.

Of course, there's another option: looking at a partial eclipse only indirectly. That's what Chou did when he was a kid, when he made a pinhole viewer to project an image of the eclipse onto a flat surface.

"I was a geek. I admit it," says Chou, who notes that despite all the eclipses he has seen, he has never hurt his eyes.

Read this article:
Planning To Watch The Eclipse? Here's What You Need To Protect Your Eyes - NPR