Author Archives: admin


Austin Aries Announces Position With Stem Cell Therapy Company, Says He Met With AEW Regarding Partnership – LordsofPain.net

Former IMPACT world champion Austin Aries was spotted backstage at Wednesdays taping of AEW Dynamite from Atlanta. Aries later told Bodyslam.net that he was representing the new stem cell therapy he works for, BioXcellerator, and did in fact meet with AEW officials, as well as Diamond Dallas Pages DDPY brand.

I work for BioX. I did have meetings about partnerships and collaborations with both DDP and DDPY Brand as well as AEW.

Aries officially announced his new position, which is as Director of the Athletic Performance Division, on Instagram.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Many of you know that I went down to Medellin, Colombia in December for @bioxcellerator_ #stemcelltherapy, and now after a couple months, my neck and lower back feel really good. I was honestly so impressed with the entire @bioxcellerator_ operation. So much so, that upon returning I had conversations about joining the @bioxcellerator_ team in some capacity. With that, I am EXTREMELY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE that I have officially joined BioXcellerator as Director Of Athletic Performance Division. My role will be to continue connecting high level athletes, entertainers and influencers with all the amazing benefits of @bioxcellerator_ #stemcelltherapy. As someone whose passion is helping people, I couldnt pass up the opportunity to be a part of this company that is changing lives with their cutting edge #stemcelltherapy. So, anyone whos been thinking about, or interested in finding out more about BioXcellerator stem cell therapy, Im your guy! Please DM or email me at Austin@BioXcellerator.com. Heres to all our improved health and happiness in 2020 and beyond!

View this post on Instagram

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!! . Many of you know that I went down to Medellin, Colombia in December for @bioxcellerator_ #stemcelltherapy, and now after a couple months, my neck and lower back feel really good. I was honestly so impressed with the entire @bioxcellerator_ operation. So much so, that upon returning I had conversations about joining the @bioxcellerator_ team in some capacity. . With that, I am EXTREMELY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE that I have officially joined BioXcellerator as Director Of Athletic Performance Division. My role will be to continue connecting high level athletes, entertainers and influencers with all the amazing benefits of @bioxcellerator_ #stemcelltherapy. As someone whose passion is helping people, I couldnt pass up the opportunity to be a part of this company that is changing lives with their cutting edge #stemcelltherapy. . So, anyone whos been thinking about, or interested in finding out more about BioXcellerator stem cell therapy, Im your guy! Please DM or email me at Austin@BioXcellerator.com. Heres to all our improved health and happiness in 2020 and beyond! . . #bioxcellerator #bioxmen #bioxwomen #stemcell #stemcells #stemcelltherapy #medellin #colombia

A post shared by Austin Aries (@austinhealyaries) on Feb 17, 2020 at 8:49am PST

Home NEWS Austin Aries Announces Position With Stem Cell Therapy Company, Says He Met With AEW Regarding Partnership

Go here to read the rest:
Austin Aries Announces Position With Stem Cell Therapy Company, Says He Met With AEW Regarding Partnership - LordsofPain.net

New hope for the healing of spinal column injuries with generally available drugs – The Washington Newsday

A combination of two commonly available drugs may help the body heal spinal fractures.

Scientists have discovered a combination of two commonly available drugs that could help the body heal spinal fractures.

The early-stage research in rats, by a group of scientists led by Imperial College London, revealed two existing medications can boost the bodys own repair machinery, by triggering the release of stem cells from the bone marrow.

The scientists published their research in the journalnpj Regenerative Medicine.

The team says the two drugs (currently used for bone marrow transplants and bladder control) could be used for different types of bone fractures, including to the spine, hip, and leg, to aid healing after surgery or fractures.

When a person has a disease or an injury, the bone marrow (the spongy tissue within bone) mobilizes different types of stem cells to help repair and regenerate tissue.

This image shows repair of the spine three weeks after surgery. The image on the left is with no drug treatment, with the image on the right (b3+AMD3100) showing the effect of the two drug treatments. The red colour indicates calcium incorporating into the bone, which is associated with enhanced healing. Credit: Imperial College London/Beaumont Health

The new research, involving scientists from Beaumont Health in the U.S, suggests it may be possible to boost the bodys ability to repair itself and speed repair, by using new drug combinations to put the bone marrow into a state of red alert and send specific kinds of stem cells into action.

In the new study, funded by Wellcome, the researchers used drugs to trigger the bone marrow of healthy rats to release mesenchymal stem cells, a type of adult stem cell that can turn into bone, and help repair bone fractures.

Professor Sara Rankin, corresponding author of the study from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, said: The body repairs itself all the time. We know that when bones break they will heal, and this requires the activation of stem cells in the bone. However, when the damage is severe, there are limits to what the body can do of its own accord. We hope that by using these existing medications to mobilize stem cells, as we were able to do in rats in our new study, we could potentially call up extra numbers of these stem cells, in order to boost our bodies own ability to mend itself and accelerate the repair process. Further down the line, our work could lead to new treatments to repair all types of bone fracture.

The two treatments used in the research were a CXCR4 antagonist, used for bone marrow transplants, and a beta-3 adrenergic agonist, that is used for bladder control.

The rats were given a single treatment with the two drugs, which triggered enhanced binding of calcium to the site of bone injury, speeding bone formation and healing.

The researchers stress they did not analyze restoration of movement in the bone, or repair to additional tissue such as nerves.

One of the drugs used in the study was found to trigger fat cells in the bone marrow to release endocannabinoids, which suggests they may have a role in mobilizing the stem cells and thereby promoting healing. However, the researchers add that phytocannabinoids (such as cannabis) would not have the same effect, as they act on the brain rather than the bone marrow.

The researchers say the drug combinations now need to be tested in humans.

Dr. Tariq Fellous, first author of the research from Imperials National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) said: We first need to see if these medications release the stem cells in healthy volunteers, before we can then test them in patients with fractures. We have the drugs and know they are safe to use in humans we just need the funding for the human trials.

Dr. Andia Redpath, co-first author from the NHLI, added that repurposing existing medications that help the body heal itself so called Regenerative Pharmacology could have great potential as an efficient and cost-effective approach for a range of diseases. Rather than devising new stem cell treatments from scratch that involve lengthy and expensive trials, our approach harnesses the power of the bodys own stem cells, using existing drugs. We already know the treatments in our study are safe, its now just a matter of exploring further if they help our bodies heal.

This work was funded by Wellcome. Further support was provided by the National Heart and Lung Institute Foundation and the Lumbar Spine Research Society.

Follow this link:
New hope for the healing of spinal column injuries with generally available drugs - The Washington Newsday

Crohn’s Disease Treatment Market Development, Top Trends and Future Scope with Upcoming Opportunities – Instant Tech News

Crohns Disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causing inflammation and damage to the digestive tract usually affecting the end of small intestine and beginning of colon, but inflammation may occur anywhere along the digestive tract. The disease may be hereditary or grow due to the malfunctioning of the immune system. It includes some risk factors, such as genetics, combined with an overactive immune system & the environmental changes, and certain bacteria, like, mycobacterium, etc.

Get Sample Copy Of The [emailprotected]https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/3967

Demand Scenario

The global Crohns disease treatment market was USD 9,674 million in 2018 and is estimated to reach USD 12,834 million by 2025 at a CAGR of 4.12% during the forecast period

Growth by Region

North America accounted for the largest market share in 2018 due to the largest contribution from the growing US market. Growth in Europe is driven by the higher per capita income and strong healthcare penetration in the region. Asia Pacific is likely to create significant growth opportunities for the market players owing to develop infrastructure, R&D activities related to biologics and increase in prevalence of Crohns disease in the region. Emerging countries such as India and China are expected to show the fastest growth owing to increase in R&D investment and healthcare expenditure in these countries.

Request For Report [emailprotected]https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/3967

Drivers and Restraints

The major driver for Crohns disease treatment market is increase in number of people being infected by the disease. Moreover, increase in demand for biologics and high unmet needs within the anti-TNF refractory patient group that presents untapped market opportunities. Moreover, strong pipeline and novel mechanisms to treat Crohns disease are boosting the growth of the market. However, patent expiry of the important drugs, high cost of treatment, high R&D investment for development of biological drugs and unknown aetiology of the Crohns disease are the factors hindering the market growth.

Industry Trends and Updates

In March 27, 2018, Researchers at the University of Alberta (Canada), published the study of the potential biomarkers they have developed to help reduce the suffering of Crohns disease patients. These scientists used high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry and created a profile of potential biomarkers. In April 03, 2018, TiGenix NV (Belgium), a global cell therapy company and Takeda Pharmaceutical (Japan), the largest global pharmaceutical company, together announced approval from the EC (European Commission) for the treatment Alofisel (darvadstrocel) that they have developed to treat the complex perianal fistulae in adult patients with non-active(mildly active) luminal Crohns disease. This is the initial allogeneic stem cell therapy (originating from donor stem cells) to receive central marketing authorisation (MA) approval in Europe.

Make an Inquiry before [emailprotected]https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/checkout/3967/Single

More:
Crohn's Disease Treatment Market Development, Top Trends and Future Scope with Upcoming Opportunities - Instant Tech News

From Germany with love: Alfie, four, meets his stem cell saviour – Express

Alfie Commons and mum Lorna, 40, met Christin Bouvier, 34, for the first time on Wednesday after spending more than two years communicating via anonymous letters due to donation laws.

Alfie, from Toton, Notts, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) at seven months after he had a cold for six weeks.

After chemotherapy failed, Alfie was put on a trial immunotherapy drug which helped him to recover to be eligible for a stem cell transplant.

Unable to find a family match, his family found Christin on a worldwide register operated by blood cancer charity DKMS. She donated her cells in a one-hour op and they were flown to the UK and slowly passed into Alfies body in August 2016.

When the teacher, from Schwerin, Germany, was finally allowed to meet the family at Chiswick Town Hall in west London, the little boy gave a gift of Lacoste Pink perfume.

Mum-of-two Lorna, who works in HR, said: The meet-up was just amazing, it was everything we could have possibly dreamed of there were lots of hugs and tears.

It didnt feel like I was meeting her for the first time because wed been chatting for so long before.

As a family, we owe so much to Christin, words of thanks will never feel enough.

Christin just cried when she heard the recipient was a baby. She said: After I donated my bone marrow and the anaesthetic wore off, I called DKMS.

They told me that Alfie was a small baby and living in the UK but couldnt tell me any more due to the laws. When I found out Alfie was responding to treatment, so many tears of joy ran down my face. I still cant describe that moment.

Its a moment that is always with me. Whenever I feel a bit down, I think back to it as it always brings me so much happiness! She added that the meeting was so amazing. I was very nervous and shaking at first and when we finally met we cried a lot and hugged.

Alfie was shy at first but after a bit of time he became more comfortable and we played with some balloons and had a slice of cake.

After the transplant, Alfie developed a deadly immune condition, but this was controlled by medication. He was given the cancer all-clear in 2017 and has started school.

Lorna added: I just want more people to sign up to become donors theres a match for everyone.

Excerpt from:
From Germany with love: Alfie, four, meets his stem cell saviour - Express

Leukemia: Cancer Of The Blood – Modern Ghana

DEFINITIONLeukemia is a Cancer of blood forming tissues including bone marrow and the lymphatic system.This type of cancer hinders the body's ability to fight infection, leukemia involves the white blood cells.

CAUSES OF LEUKEMIALeukemia can develop due to a problem with blood cell production.

Several factors have been identified which increase the risk of having the cancer:

A family history of leukemiaSmokingGenetic disorder such as Down syndromeExposure to chemicals such as benzeneExposure to high levels of radiationTYPES OF LEUKEMIALeukemia can be Acute or Chronic. In Acute leukemia, Cancer cell multiply quickly while in Chronic leukemia, the disease progresses slowly and early symptoms may be very mild.

Leukemia can also be classified according to types of cells which are myelogenous leukemia and lymphotic leukemia involving myeloid cells and lymphocytes respectively.

SYMPTOMS OF LEUKEMIAExcessive sweating most especially in the nightFatigue and weaknessUnintentional weight lossFever or chillsFrequent infectionsBleeding easily and bruising easilyEnlargement of the liver or spleenLEUKEMIA IN PREGNANCYLeukemia affects approximately 1 in 10000 pregnancies.Women with leukemia have non-specific symptoms and some of them could also be attributed to pregnancy.

The damage in the fetus is correlated with the time of exposition and the fetus is most vulnerable during organnogenesis phase, Although chemotherapy has effect in the fetus, there are reports of cases with successful pregnancy.

It is necessary to study the relation among chemotherapy, the leukemia and the fetus in long term studies where fetus has been exposed to chemotherapy agents and is reported with normal characteristics at birth.

ENZYMES DEFICIENT IN LEUKEMIABlast cells from 100 cases of Acute leukemia were evaluated for the presence of methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAase), an enzyme important in polyamine metabolism.

Ten cases (10%) had undetectable levels of MTAase activity. A relatively high frequency (38%) of MTAase deficiency was seen in all of T-cell origin.

MTAase deficiency occurs in a wide variety of acute leukemia, that the lack of enzyme activity is specific in malignant cells. The absence of MTAase in some leukemia may be therapeutically exploitable.

TREATMENT OF LEUKEMIALeukemia is usually treated by a hematologist-oncologist. These are doctors who specialize in blood disorders and cancer.

The treatment depends on the type and stage of the cancer, the treatment includes the following:

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill leukemia cells.Radiation therapy uses high energy radiation to damage leukemia cells and inhibit their growth.

Stem cell transplantation replaces diseased bone marrow with healthy bone marrow.

Biological or immune therapy uses treatments that help your immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.

Targeted therapy uses medication advantages of vulnerabilities in cancer cells.

See the original post:
Leukemia: Cancer Of The Blood - Modern Ghana

Army spouse dances her way through chemotherapy – We Are The Mighty

It is not uncommon to stumble upon live videos while scrolling through Facebook. And for the hundreds of people who follow Army wife Sofia de Falco who is an adjunct professor of Italian language and literature it is not uncommon to come across her videos where she is smiling and dancing, uplifting them with a joyful and serene expression on her face. As the hundreds of comments on her posts highlight, Sofia is a source of inspiration and a true beacon of light to many.

But in those videos, Sofia is in a hospital room, wearing a shirt that lightly uncovers the right side of her chest, revealing the central venous catheter that feeds her chemotherapy medicine directly into her bloodstream.

In February 2019, Sofia was diagnosed with lymphoma. "I found a lump in my groin," Sofia said. "But I didn't give it much thought because it wasn't the first time. I always had them removed and nothing suspicious ever came of it."

During her Christmas vacation in Naples, Italy where she is originally from Sofia developed a dry and irritating cough. "I decided to go to a local doctor and see if there was anything he could do." After the doctor dismissed her because he couldn't find anything wrong, Sofia made a follow-up appointment with her PCM in Virginia, where she and her family are stationed.

"As I was leaving my PCM's office," Sofia said, "I turned around and told him about the lump in my groin, which had grown in size by then." The doctor had Sofia lie down, checked the lump and told her to see a hematologist and a surgeon. Although he didn't explicitly verbalize it at the time, the doctor suspected Sofia had lymphoma.

He was right. "Since February 2019, I have been going through countless tests and surgical procedures," Sofia revealed. After being told the first round of chemotherapy which she faced in "warrior mode," she said had worked and she was clear, in November 2019 Sofia's positive attitude and bright outlook on life was put to the test again. "The cancer came back," she said. "And this time, I have to fight even harder." Sofia will have to undergo a stem cell transplant and several rounds of high-dose chemotherapy.

Yet, she dances. As if those tubes were not attached to her body. As if the machine next to her was not feeding her chemo medicine. As if she didn't suffer from nausea and migraines. She dances as if she were by the beach in downtown Naples, with a bright sun glittering over the Mediterranean Sea in the background, its warm rays caressing her exposed skin.

"I dance on it," she said. "Dancing makes me happy, so I know it's what I'm supposed to do. My body feels so much better after I get up and start dancing, just like one, two, three, four," she said snapping her fingers as if following the rhythm of an imaginary song.

"Dancing is a way for me to keep away the pain, the sorrow and the negative thoughts," she admitted. "I believe that it is possible to defeat this beast because I believe in the power of hope."

And as her hundreds of followers are inspired by her inner strength that shines through her smile, and as the stunned nurses watch her from outside her hospital room while she dances through chemo, she laughs out loud confessing, "You know, I'm actually really bad at dancing!"

From Your Site Articles

Related Articles Around the Web

Follow this link:
Army spouse dances her way through chemotherapy - We Are The Mighty

Chinese Scientist Unite Together to Tackle With COVID-19 – Benzinga

BEIJING, Feb. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Reported by Science & Technology Daily:

Astothe battle against the COVID-19, Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has been launched the program of "Dealing With the Outbreak of COVID-19 Using Science and Technology", a program including four batches of 20 emergency projects until now. Moreover, MOST re-examining two major scientific and technological projects, including the "Creation of Important Innovative New Drugs" and the "Prevention and Treatment of Severe Contagions", and a series of national essential research and development plans. Recently, some important achievements from these projects have already been implemented in the front line of epidemic prevention and control.

When it comes to drug screening, front-line staff from different research teams collaborated on the basis of existing researches, making great efforts to systematically and massively screen the drugs that have been on the market already or already go into clinical trials. As a consequence, they discovered potentially effective anti- coronavirus drugs, such as Chloroquine Phosphate, Remdesivir, and Favipiravir. Furthermore, in recent days, researchers have urgently launched some clinical trials and the results show that the curative effect of drugs on patients is increasingly obvious.

Based on the R&D level and preliminary accumulation in the field of cell therapy, traditional Chinese medicine and plasma therapy in China, the clinical trials of the three therapies organized by the "Joint Prevention and Control Group" have been gradually carried out, and they are playing significant role in curing critically ill patients.

For the purpose of providing more cutting-edge and effective solutions to the epidemic using stem cell therapy, the leaders of the MOST went to the Innovation Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine of the Chinese Academy of Science to confirm their progressing. A new cellular drug called CAStem supposed to cure COVID-19 was created, and it has already made major progress in the experiment about the treatment of the severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) previously. The research team has applied for emergency approval from China National Medical Products Administration, and it is cooperating with relevant medical institutions. So far, the CAStem has already been approved by the Ethics Committee, and is ongoing clinical observation and evaluation.

An emergency project titled "Clinical Study on the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 by Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine" was officially launched on February 3 with the support from the MOST. "The positive curative effect has been shown in treating COVID-19," said Zhang Boli, the project leader and the headmaster of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was reported that a total of 23patients had been cured and discharged from Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine and Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

With regard to the field of plasma therapy,China National Biotech Group has completed the collection of plasma from some convalescent patients, as well as the preparation of special immune plasma products and special immune globulin of novel coronavirus on February 13. Through strict blood biosafety testing, virus inactivation, and antiviral activity testing, etc., special immune plasma has been successfully prepared for clinical treatment and has already been put into clinical treatment of severely ill patients.

In terms of field of vaccine research and development, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had successfully isolated the first COVID-19 virus strain on January 24, which was recognized by the World Health Organization and other international agencies. Several new type of vaccines for COVID-19 have started the animal testing phase, which bring hope to all.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chinese-scientist-unite-together-to-tackle-with-covid-19-301006701.html

SOURCE Science and Technology Daily

See the rest here:
Chinese Scientist Unite Together to Tackle With COVID-19 - Benzinga

Locking in and preserving your healthy stem cells has never been easier and more accessible as Acorn Biolabs partners with Coverdale Clinics. – Canada…

Appointments for stem cell & DNA collection now available.

TORONTO, Feb. 20, 2020 /CNW/ - With the rapid emergence of regenerative medicine therapies and genetic analysis testing reaching mainstream medicine, consumers are demanding increased opportunities to prepare for their future healthcare needs, including banking a viable source of cells to preserve their current health.

To meet this growing demand, Acorn Biolabs, the leading non-invasive stem cell collection, cryopreservation and analysis company, today announced its partnership with Coverdale Clinics Inc., a premium network of specialty care clinics in Canada. Together, Acorn and Coverdale will help make stem cell collection more accessible and affordable in the West Greater Toronto Area.

Through their partnership, Coverdale Clinics' Oakville location be offering Acorn's non-invasive stem cell collection services. The simple process involves plucking a few hair follicles from a client's head, which are then analyzed and cryopreserved for future use.

Acorn's innovative solution for live cell collection enables the collection of stem cells without the need for surgery or other painful and invasive procedures, making stem cell collection for life-long storage significantly more affordable and accessible for everyone.

"Our partnership with Acorn Biolabs opens up a great opportunity for us to expand Coverdale Clinics service offering into the emerging regenerative medicine and geneticsmarket. We're pleased to be able to leverage our specialty clinic in Oakville to offer a service that improves access to exciting and novel health care technologies," said Chris Dalseg, BioScript Solutions' Vice President of Strategic Growth and Marketing. "We have always been at the forefront of providing innovative health care services to Canadians, and adding stem cell collection services from Acorn exemplifies our ongoing commitment."

Once stem cells are collected, Acorn uses its proprietary capabilities to keep cells alive during transportation before going into long term cryogenic storage. The process turns collected hair follicles into a highly valuable and accessible resource for further regenerative medicine and genetics. Not only are these stem cells securely stored for future use, but the company's scientists will also be able to extract critical genetic information through DNA tests, for clients that want it, that will unlock valuable data about a person's health over their lifetime.

"We are excited to bring Acorn's preventative, personalized healthcare services to more people through this partnership with Coverdale Clinics. The cells collected are a life-long resource for these clients, not only in regenerative medicine, but also for advanced analytics, helping to identify diseases even before the first symptom," said Dr. Drew Taylor, Co-founder and CEO at Acorn Biolabs Inc. "The partnership is an important extension for Acorn to serve health-minded individuals in more geographies, freezing the clock on their stem cells so they can use them later in life, when they will need them most."

Clients can book their non-invasive stem cell collection appointment in Oakville, Ontario through Acorn's website today at http://www.acorn.me

About Acorn Biolabs, Inc.

Acorn helps you live a longer, healthier tomorrow by freezing the clock on your cells today. Founded in 2017 by Steven ten Holder, Patrick Pumputis and Dr. Drew Taylor and borne out of years of research, Acorn is a healthcare technology company based at Johnson & Johnson INNOVATION JLABS in Toronto. Acorn is focused on giving everyone the best chance to experience more healthy years with its easy, affordable and non-invasive stem cell collection, analysis and cryopreservation service. For more information, visit acorn.me.

About Coverdale Clinics

Coverdale Clinics is a premium network of specialty care clinics, providing patients with a safe, comfortable environment to receive specialty medications by infusion or injection. With more than 100 clinics nationwide, our nurses take a personalized approach to patient care that includes education and counselling to better support medication adherence.

About BioScript Solutions

BioScript Solutions is committed to helping patients with chronic illnesses achieve the best possible health outcomes. With our total care approach, we simplify access to complex, specialty drug therapies and deliver full-service specialty care solutions at every stage of the patient's treatment journey. Through our specialty pharmaceutical distribution, pharmacies, patient support programs and clinical services, BioScript has the capability to manage the needs of manufacturers, payors, prescribers and health care practitioners across Canada today, and tomorrow. To learn more, please visit bioscript.ca.

SOURCE Acorn Biolabs

For further information: Press and media inquiries please contact: Sonya Verheyden, E: [emailprotected] C: 226-747-4600

See more here:
Locking in and preserving your healthy stem cells has never been easier and more accessible as Acorn Biolabs partners with Coverdale Clinics. - Canada...

The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund supports cutting-edge research – UM Today

February 21, 2020

Thanks to a grant from The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund, an interdisciplinary team in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences will create heart tissue using a 3D bioprinter to study the development of diabetes.

Dr. Adrian West, an assistant professor of physiology and pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine, said it is truly an honour for his team to receive the first-ever Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund grant.

The fact that The Winnipeg Foundation has the vision to invest in something like this is fantastic for our program because it really lets us develop these unusual ideas and push them forward to the national level, he said. High risk, high reward is always going to be difficult to fund and I think thats the project were doing.

The Winnipeg Foundation committed $1 million last year to give health sciences researchers at the UM the opportunity to work on innovative interdisciplinary research and develop projects to the point of qualifying for additional external funding.

West is collaborating on the project with Dr. Vernon Dolinsky, associate professor of pharmacology and therapeutics, Max Rady College of Medicine, and Dr. Joseph Gordon, associate professor in the College of Nursing and of human anatomy and cell science, Max Rady College of Medicine. All three are research scientists at the Childrens Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.

The project, which was awarded close to $100,000, is looking at the origins of diabetic cardiomyopathy, a cardiovascular disease that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood throughout the body and can lead to heart failure. West said this research is important because 80 per cent of people with diabetes ultimately die of heart disease.

The team will build heart tissue using a 3D bioprinter, which creates the tissue by combining cells, biomaterials and growth factors that imitate natural tissue. West said that 3D bioprinting allows them to create a more realistic environment for cells than in a petri dish.

Cells arent flat, West said. Cells arent squished. Cells are three dimensional in nature and by creating these 3D bioprinted culture models it makes it much like it is in the body.

Theyre building the heart tissue with samples that are exposed to diabetes-like conditions during growth and development to see what underpins diabetic cardiomyopathy. Once theyve developed a model that replicates the disease, they can test a variety of different treatments and scientists around the world can follow their model.

West said that this research will lead to building tissues with human stem cells. The idea is that they will take a cell from a patient, grow it in a dish, build a piece of their own heart and test a treatment that is personalized to them, he said. It will give them the ability to potentially test drugs and treatments on a patients own cells rather than just relying on the results they derive from standard cell cultures and animal models.

Dr. Peter Nickerson, vice-dean (research), Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, said that The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund is unique because it can allow transformative research like Wests to take place.

It is a bit higher risk, but if it pays off, it really will be not just a couple steps forward, but a leap forward from where we are today, Nickerson said. What were trying to achieve with The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund is bringing teams together with really innovative ideas. Well then give them the seed money to bring that idea to life and see if they can get enough of a launch to then apply for national funding to move it to the next level.

The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund grant has already helped Wests team with future funding.

Knowing that somebody had the confidence to fund this project, its already strongly advanced our other grant applications, West said. Just by The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund grant being available has helped us apply for that grant a year, two years earlier.

Matthew Kruchak

Read the original post:
The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund supports cutting-edge research - UM Today

Lung-MAP: A five-year recap on the first master protocol trial in cancer research – The Cancer Letter

publication date: Feb. 21, 2020

Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD

Lung-MAP Study Chair,

Chief of Medical Oncology,

Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital;

Ensign Professor of Medicine and Professor of Pharmacology,

Yale School of Medicine

Lyudmila Bazhenova, MD

Lung-MAP Sub-Study Chair,

Professor of Medicine,Medical Oncology,

University of California San Diego School of Medicine,

Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health

Joel Neal, MD, PhD

Lung-MAP Medical Oncology Chair,

Assistant Professor of Medicine,Medical Oncology,

Stanford Cancer Institute,

Stanford University School of Medicine

Saiama N. Waqar, MBBS, MSCI

Lung-MAP Medical Oncology Chair,

Lung-MAP Sub-Study Chair,

Associate Professor of Medicine,

Director, Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Program,

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

This is a formidable challenge. Cancer trials were, and remain, notoriously time-consuming to launch, expensive to run, and difficult to enroll patients to. A deeper understanding of cancer biology and the genomics revolution in medicine have changed how we approach clinical research.When the Lung-MAP trial was launched in June 2014, the goal was simple: Make drug development faster and more collaborativeand do it for lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

We now have the ability to sequence a patients tumor tissue, determine which proteins or DNA sequences are associated with their cancer, then select a drug designed to attack that type of abnormality in order to create precision, or personalized, treatments. Great news for patients, but tough for researchers.

Once clinical trials incorporate genomic biomarkers, the patient pool splinters. For example, EGFR mutations are observed in 10% to 15% of non-small cell lung cancer patients in the U.S. The ALK gene rearrangement occurs in fewer than 7% of patients, and ROS1 rearrangements are found in only 1% to 2%. In the era of personalized medicine, we are required to sort through a much bigger haystack in order to find much smaller needles.

To address these challenges, the scientific leadership of Lung-MAP adopted an emerging trial design called a master protocolmaking us one of the first to adopt this model in cancer research and the first to do so with drug registration intent.

Master protocols, while complex, are based on the illusion of simplicitymany drugs or patient populations, but only one protocol. No need to open and close the whole trial every time you want to test a new agent or bring on a new group of patients. You simply use the master platform and plug and play independent sub-studies to incorporate promising new treatments.

After an expansion last year, Lung-MAP is open to the vast majority of patients with NSCLC. Its a biomarker-driven protocol that tests several drugs at the same time, a so-called umbrella design. The trial is streamlined, with uniform genomic screening, highly harmonized eligibility requirements, coordinated treatment plans, and consistent endpoints. The sub-studies are also designed to get answers to safety and effectiveness questions quickly and, particularly, to pave the way to regulatory approval.

Finally, because biomarker trials require screening large patient populations, we tapped into the NCIs National Clinical Trials Network. By working within the NCTN, we get access to tens of thousands of lung cancer patients who get their care in more than 2,200 affiliated cancer centers, academic medical centers, and community hospitals and clinics worldwide.

So, here we are, five years after the Lung-MAP launch. What have we accomplished?

Quite a bit. The first NCI-backed precision medicine trial has a track record of accelerating drug discovery and development and fostering innovation in cancer research. We have strong scientific partnerships and a robust drug pipeline. Currently, Lung-MAP has five sub-studies open. In 2020, one more is targeted for activationwith seven others under discussion with pharmaceutical partners. Its our largest pool of potential trial drugs yet.

Lung-MAPs primary mission is to create efficiency and operate collaborativelyall to benefit patients. Weve succeeded on those counts.

Phase II/III trials testing a drug against a biomarker at one or just a few clinical sites historically face slow accrual, especially if the prevalence of the biomarker is low. Similarly, patients with rare molecular biomarkers may have difficulties accessing precision trials due to a lack of comprehensive genomic screening and geographic distance from enrolling sites.

Lung-MAP has opened and completed eight drug-centered sub-studies testing 12 novel therapies since activating in June 2014. Thats 12 new therapies tested in five years. While no comparative studies have been conducted to show how much time master protocols and other innovative trial designs save, we can credibly claim a much faster track record than a typical single drug, single biomarker cancer trial.

Weve also tested a model that was, and remains, a unique public-private partnership. Lung-MAP is a result of years of work by the NCI, NIH, FDA, Friends of Cancer Research, the Foundation for the NIH, SWOG Cancer Research Network and many other research institutions, patient advocacy groups, and industry partners.

This ongoing partnership has been instrumental to fostering innovation and creating a strong value proposition for industry participation. Many Lung-MAP innovations are built into the trial design.

The Lung-MAP leadership team at a Feb. 3 planning meeting held in the Washington, D.C., offices of Friends of Cancer Research

Under Lung-MAP, clinicians have the ability to pre-screen patients while they are on a prior therapy, a feature that shortens the time needed to move a patient into the trial once they progress on front-line therapy. Another innovation: patients who dont qualify for biomarker-driven sub-studies are offered a non-match option. In non-match sub-studies, Lung-MAP patients receive an immunotherapy or another investigational drug expected to work on a range of molecular sub-types.

Additionally, as novel immunotherapies were approved by FDA and quickly became the standard of care in NSCLC, we changed the design in 2015 to allow evaluation of molecularly-targeted compounds to continue in immunotherapy-nave patients, and also provided these cutting-edge drugs as our non-match sub-study for those who were eligible. In 2019, we further revised the trial to allow the addition of sub-studies that evaluate treatment combinations in immunotherapy-resistant patientsan unmet medical need that is increasing as more patients are exposed to immunotherapies.

Drugs and combinations tested on the Lung-MAP trial

Company Names

Drugs Tested

AstraZeneca

AZD4547

AbbVie Inc.

telisotuzumab vedotin

Amgen Inc.

rilotumumab + erlotinib

Bristol-Myers Squibb

nivolumab

nivolumab + ipilimumab

Clovis Oncology, Inc.

rucaparib

Genentech, Inc.

taselisib

Loxo Oncology at Lilly

selpercatinib

MedImmune/AstraZeneca

durvalumab

durvalumab + tremelimumab

Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc./ Eli Lilly and Company

pembrolizumab + ramucirumab

Pfizer Inc.

palbociclib

talazoparib

talazoparib + avelumab

Pioneering the use of next-generation sequencing and the Foundation Medicine platform in a large-scale cancer clinical trial.

Lung-MAP was one of the first trials to partner with Foundation Medicine to use its innovative FoundationOne DNA next generation sequencing platform, now an industry standard (F1CDx) for comprehensive genomic screening of all patients.

F1CDx detects gene substitutions, insertions and deletion alterations, and copy number alterations in 324 genes and select gene rearrangements and can evaluate complex molecular targets (e.g., DNA repair deficiency, microsatellite instability, tumor mutational burden, and loss of heterozygosity.

This broad range of molecular signatures defined from F1CDx are used as the molecular biomarkers for Lung-MAP sub-studies, allowing numerous therapies to be evaluated in a biomarker-driven manner and providing historical and real-time information on molecular target prevalence in study populations useful in future Lung-MAP studiesas well as other drug discovery and development efforts. The short turnaround time established for generating screening results from tissue submission to results reporting16 days or less, with an average of 12 daysis critical to the success of Lung-MAP.

Beyond Lung-MAP, F1CDx-derived molecular signatures are now serving as companion diagnostics for 19 drugs, and F1CDx and other NGS platforms are widely used in establishing genomic profiles and diagnostic signatures in clinical research and practice settings. Even with all this success, Foundation Medicine remains a valuable partner and continuously works with us to adapt their platform for new biomarker-driven sub-studies and provide critical insights on developments in the field.

Increasing the amount of genomic screening data available on lung cancer patients, advancing medicine and science.

As of Feb. 6, 2020, Lung-MAP had screened 2,813 patients and paired 799 patients to some type of trial therapy. Data from these patients are being shared to stimulate research that will further our understanding of common NSCLC mutations and to discover future treatment targets.

Influencing the design of other master protocols within and outside of cancer research.

The Lung-MAP design was a pioneer that paved the way for a dozen master protocol trials to launch in recent years, including the landmark NCI-MATCH and Pediatric MATCH cancer trials.

It has also influenced master protocol designs for other diseases, including infectious diseases and Alzheimers disease. Benefits of the Lung-MAP design were highlighted in an October 2018 FDA draft guidance, Master Protocols: Efficient Clinical Trial Design Strategies to Expedite Development of Oncology Drugs and Biologics.

Establishing a site coordinators committee to provide fast, critical feedback and insights on trial conduct.

Site staff are linchpins to patients when it comes to trial enrollment and management, and we hold their perspectives in high regard when it comes to Lung-MAP conduct.

We selected 12 coordinators based on geography and site-type diversity (e.g. cancer center, community clinic, etc.) to advise us on all aspects of the master protocol to ensure that both patients and staff needs are considered. This committee helps us streamline processes to minimize complexity of the trial.

Providing access to biomarker-targeted drugs and immunotherapies to hundreds of patients, with some success of extending and improving lives.

This broad access is a product of the study design.

As we described above, Lung-MAP patients whose tumor doesnt include a biomarker that matches a trial drug, or who dont otherwise qualify for a biomarker sub-study, still have an option to enroll in a non-match sub-study. These test a novel immunotherapy or other drug expected to have activity across multiple molecular subtypes. Although the squamous NSCLC sub-studies did not lead to the approval of new therapies, it is clear that some patients have benefited from Lung-MAP participation.

For example, about 450 Lung-MAP patients have gotten access to immunotherapies to date. One is Carol Annie Burke, an artist from Savannah, GA, who enrolled on Lung-MAP when she was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell lung cancer at age 56. After chemotherapy failed to stop her cancer from spreading, she was eligible for a non-match immunotherapy sub-study. The cancer in her lungs, and brain, was gone. The Lung-MAP treatment saved my life, she said.

In addition, trial partner SWOG Cancer Research Network has a unique outreach program with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, which is aimed at getting more military veterans enrolled onto cancer clinical trials. The partnership has given Lung-MAP access to hundreds of veterans, who are at higher risk for lung cancer.

Exploring new, less invasive methods for pairing patients with the best treatments.

With the latest revision of Lung-MAP, the team is collecting blood from patients that consent both during patient screening and while they are being treated on study to allow for retrospective circulating tumor DNA.

These results can eventually be compared to the NGS results and build the appropriate evidence for the eventual use of the less invasive ctDNA testing for clinical placement of patient who are not able to provide a suitable biopsy for participation in the trial, as well as potentially lead to the discovery of blood-based biomarkers of response.

If Lung-MAP has taught us anything these last five years, its that even with a master protocol, you cant stand still. The science moves too fast, always changing the drug development and treatment landscape. This is particularly true of the immunotherapies and targeted drugs we test.

Last year, we expanded Lung-MAP eligibility from squamous cell lung cancer patients to patients with all types of NSCLCmaking investigational drugs available to thousands more eligible people and expanding our patient pool exponentially. That decision to expand has, in part, revived the trial, which is surpassing accrual goals and boasting a pipeline of exciting new drugs, including cutting-edge, promising targeted therapies and the already noted treatments for immunotherapy-refractory patients.

Another reason behind the renewed energy is a change in management structure. There are now eight Lung-MAP study chairstwo each from SWOG, the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, and NRG Oncology. This new format of equal representation of all four adult cancer clinical trial groups in the NCI-supported NCTN allowed us to bring in new leaders with broader knowledge of emerging NSCLC therapies, expand access to companies whose drugs are ideal candidates for the trial, and invigorate a broader NCTN commitment to enrolling patients onto the trial.

Continued here:
Lung-MAP: A five-year recap on the first master protocol trial in cancer research - The Cancer Letter