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Scientists Discover New Strategy That May Protect Against Hair-Loss During Cancer Treatments – Good News Network

Scientists have determined a new way to protect the hair follicle from chemotherapy in an effort to prevent hair loss as a result of cancer treatments.

Researchers based at The University of Manchester have discovered a new strategy for how to protect hair follicles from chemotherapy, which could lead to new treatments that prevent chemotherapy-induced hair lossarguably one of the most psychologically distressing side effects of modern cancer therapy.

Published in the journal, EMBO Molecular Medicine, the study from the laboratory of Professor Ralf Paus of the Centre for Dermatology Research describes how damage in the hair follicle caused by taxanes, cancer drugs which can cause permanent hair loss, can be prevented.

To do this, scientists have exploited the properties of a newer class of drugs called CDK4/6 inhibitors, which blocks cell division and are already medically approved as so-called targeted cancer therapies.

RELATED: Scientists Activate Stem Cells to Make Hair Grow

Dr Talveen Purba, lead author on the study explains: Although at first this seems counter-intuitive, we found that CDK4/6 inhibitors can be used temporarily to halt cell division without promoting additional toxic effects in the hair follicle. When we bathed organ-cultured human scalp hair follicles in CDK4/6 inhibitors, the hair follicles were much less susceptible to the damaging effects of taxanes.

Taxanes are very important anti-cancer drugs commonly used to treat, for example, patients with breast or lung carcinoma and particularly cause anxieties among breast cancer patients for the very distressing and sometimes long-lasting hair loss taxanes can induce. Thousands of patients in the US are currently suing pharmaceutical company Sanofi over a lack of warning of the risk of permanent hair loss after treatment with the taxane drug Taxotere.

Dr Purba emphasizes: A pivotal part of our study was to first get to grips with how exactly hair follicles responded to taxane chemotherapy, and we found that the specialized dividing cells at the base of the hair follicle that are critical for producing hair itself, and the stem cells from which they arise, are most vulnerable to taxanes. Therefore, we must protect these cells most from undesired chemotherapy effectsbut so that the cancer does not profit from it.

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The team hopes that their work will support the development of externally applicable medicines that will slow or briefly suspend cell division in the scalp hair follicles of patients undergoing chemotherapy to mitigate against chemotherapy-induced hair damage. This could complement and enhance the efficacy of existing preventive approaches i.e. scalp-cooling devices.

The researchers underscore that more work is desperately needed in this lamentably under-funded field of cancer medicine, where patients have waited for so long to see real breakthroughs in pharmacological hair loss prevention.

Despite the fact that taxanes have been used in the clinic for decades, and have long been known to cause hair loss, were only now scratching the surface of how they damage the human hair follicle, said Purba.

MORE: Broccoli Isnt Just Good For YouScientists Find It Holds Molecule That Could Be the Achilless Heel of Cancer

We also dont really know why some patients show greater hair loss than others even though they get the same drug and drug-dose, and why it is that certain chemotherapy regimens and drug combinations have much worse outcomes than others.

We need time to further develop approaches like this to not only prevent hair loss, but promote hair follicle regeneration in patients who have already lost their hair due to chemotherapy.

Reprinted from the University of Manchester

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Scientists Discover New Strategy That May Protect Against Hair-Loss During Cancer Treatments - Good News Network

Stem Cells May Be Able To Repair The Brain – Anti Aging News

Transplanted brain stems cells have survived without using anti-rejection drugs in mice by exploiting a feature of the immune system, findings may open new paths for stem cell transplants to help repair the brain.

Johns Hopkins Medicine research may have developed a way to transplant certain protective brain cells without the need for lifelong anti-rejection drugs, as published in the journal Brain; the approach selectively circumvents responses from the immune system against foreign cells to allow the transplanted cells to survive and thrive to protect brain tissues long after stopping immunosuppressive drugs.

"Because these conditions are initiated by a mutation causing dysfunction in one type of cell, they present a good target for cell therapies, which involve transplanting healthy cells or cells engineered to not have a condition to take over for the diseased, damaged or missing cells," says Piotr Walczak, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of radiology and radiological science at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The researchers are working on developing ways to stop the immune system responses without side effects, and investigated ways to manipulate T cells which are the immune systems infection fighting force that attack foreign invaders, specifically focussing on a series of costimulatory signals that T cells must encounter in order to begin attack.

"These signals are in place to help ensure these immune system cells do not go rogue, attacking the body's own healthy tissues," says Gerald Brandacher, M.D., professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery and scientific director of the Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation Research Laboratory at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-author of this study.

To exploit natural tendencies of these costimulatory signals that train the immune system to accept the transplanted cells as being part of self the researchers used CTLA4-lg and anti-CD154 antibodies to keep the T cells from beginning an attack by blocking signals.

Protective glial cells that produce myelin sheath that surrounds neurons that were genetically engineered to glow were injected into mice brains so they could be studied. Glial cells were transplanted into three types of mice: those engineered to not for glial cells that create myelin sheath; normal mice; and those engineered not to be able to mount an immune response.

Antibodies were used to block an immune response, stopping treatment after six days, and specialized cameras were used to detect the glowing cells and pictures of the mice brains to look for the presence or absence of the transplanted cells. Cells transplanted into control mice without antibody treatment began to die off immediately and was no longer detected after 21 days; while those receiving antibody treatment maintained significant levels of transplanted cells for over 203 days even in the absence of treatment.

"The fact that any glow remained showed us that cells had survived transplantation, even long after stopping the treatment," says Shen Li, M.D., lead author of the study. "We interpret this result as a success in selectively blocking the immune system's T cells from killing the transplanted cells."

To see whether the transplanted glial cells survived well enough to create the myelin sheath key structural differences were looked at between mice brains with and without thriving glial cells using MRI imaging; cells in the treated animals were found to be populating the appropriate parts of the brain. Results confirm the transplanted cells were able to thrive and assume normal function to protect neurons.

Although results are preliminary the cells were delivered to thrive in a localized portion of the mouse brain. Researchers hope to combine findings with studies on cell delivery methods to the brain in the future to help repair the brain more globally.

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MS News that Caught My Eye: Stem Cell Transplants, Remyelination Agent, Tecfidera Study, Plasma Exchange and Tysabri-linked PML – Multiple Sclerosis…

Its been a big week for interesting stories, as the annual meeting of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) has just concluded. The conference offered much to engage healthcare professionals and researchers, but the following are some presentations that appealed to me as a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient.

The debate continued over the risks versus the rewards of stem cell transplants. Joachim Burman, MD, PhD, a researcher at Uppsala University in Sweden, made the case as to why autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may be the most effective MS treatment so far, and why it should be made widely available. A single administration can yield prolonged benefits, and most patients achieve no evidence of disease activity status for at least five years. But safety concerns exist, and the lack of control groups tempers the positive results in studies.

Stem cell therapy, or stem cell transplant, is an emerging yet controversial treatment approach for multiple sclerosis (MS). While some data uphold it as one of the most efficacious MS treatments, to date there have been no controlled studies comparing it to conventional medicines and providing more robust evidence regarding its safety and clinical benefit.

Under the topic HSCT and stem cell treatment in MS,a group of researchers discussed the promise and current challenges of stem cell transplant at the 35thCongress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), being held Sept. 1113 in Stockholm.

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As those of us who have multiple sclerosis know, finding a way to repair the damage to the myelin that covers our nerves would be like discovering the Holy Grail. This research, which looked into whether a potential remyelination agent is safe and might provide some repair, gives some hope.

Treatment with a potential remyelinating agent called liothyronine was safe and well-tolerated by people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a Phase 1b trial. Preliminary results also suggested benefits in cognition, motor function, and fatigue.

The study, A Phase 1b, open-label study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the putative remyelinating agent, liothyronine, in individuals with multiple sclerosis, was presented today at the 35thCongress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), by Scott D. Newsome, professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

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Out of 618 RRMS patients followed for 10 years, 192 of them were on continuous Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) twice daily treatment throughout that time, and many reported that the disease-modifying therapy (DMT) had helped them. Just over half of these patients remained relapse-free, and 64 percent had no signs of confirmed disability progression over that period. In a separate presentation, researchers found that the DMTs Tysabri (natalizumab) and Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) were better at reducing the annualized relapse rate than Tecfidera.

New 10-year data from the Phase 3 ENDORSE trial confirms the long-term benefits of Biogens Tecfiderafor patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis(RRMS), the most common form of this disease.

Real-world data from another study also showed Tecfidera to be superior to several other disease-modifying therapies for relapsing MS, namely Copaxone (glatiramer acetate), Aubagio(teriflunomide), andinterferon beta.

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Treatment with Tysabri (natalizumab) carries the risk of triggering the often fatal brain infection progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Several treatments have been tried to attack PML, one of which is a type of blood cleansing called PLEX. It was hoped that PLEX would quickly clear Tysabri from the blood, and in doing so, would improve PML survival rates. Unfortunately, this study reports that two years after PML was detected the survival rate of patients treated with PLEX was no different than patients who had not received the treatment.

Use of plasma exchange (PLEX) is not effective for treating progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a dangerous brain infection that has been associated with using the multiple sclerosis (MS) medicine Tysabri (natalizumab), a real-world study contends.

The findings highlight the importance of closely monitoring Tysabri users to detect PML as early as possible.

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Note: Multiple Sclerosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Multiple Sclerosis News Today or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.

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MS News that Caught My Eye: Stem Cell Transplants, Remyelination Agent, Tecfidera Study, Plasma Exchange and Tysabri-linked PML - Multiple Sclerosis...

Tiny ‘envelopes’ show promise for sun-damaged skin repair – Futurity: Research News

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Exosomes harvested from human skin cells are more effective at repairing sun-damaged skin cells in mice than popular retinol or stem cell-based treatments currently in use, according to a new proof-of-concept study.

Additionally, needle-free injections can deliver the nanometer-sized exosomes to the target cells.

Exosomes are tiny sacs (30150 nanometers across) that cells excrete and take up. They can transfer DNA, RNA, or proteins from cell to cell, affecting the function of the recipient cell. In the regenerative medicine field, researchers are testing exosomes as carriers of stem cell-based treatments for diseases ranging from heart disease to respiratory disorders.

Think of an exosome as an envelope with instructions insidelike one cell mailing a letter to another cell and telling it what to do, says corresponding author Ke Cheng, professor of molecular biomedical sciences at North Carolina State University and professor in the universitys joint biomedical engineering department with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this case, the envelope contains microRNA, non-coding RNA that instructs the recipient cell to produce more collagen.

To test whether exosomes could be effective for sun-damaged skin repair, the researchers first grew and harvested exosomes from skin cells. They used commercially available human dermal fibroblast cells, expanding them in a suspension culture that allowed the cells to adhere to one another, forming spheroids. The spheroids then excreted exosomes into the media.

These 3D structures generate more procollagenmore potent exosomesthan you get with 2D cell expansion, says Cheng.

In a mouse model, Cheng tested the 3D spheroid-grown exosomes against three other treatments: retinoid cream; 2D-grown exosomes; and bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exosomes, a popular stem cell-based anti-aging treatment currently in use.

The team compared improvements in skin thickness and collagen production after treatment. They found that skin thickness in 3D exosome treated mice was 20% better than in the untreated and 5% better than in the MSC-treated mouse. Additionally, they found 30% more collagen production in skin treated with the 3D exosomes than in the MSC treated skin, which was the second most effective treatment.

I think this study shows the potential for 3D exosomes to be used in anti-aging skin treatments, says Cheng. There are two major benefits to exosome treatments over conventional treatments: one, you can use donor skin cells from anyone to grow and harvest these exosomesthey arent cells, so you dont run the risk of rejection. And two, the treatment can be administered without needlesexosomes are small enough to be able to penetrate the skin via pressure, or jet injection methods.

Our hope is that eventually people may be able to bank skin samples and come back to them, or use donor exosome treatments that they can administer themselves. We believe that this work is an important step toward potentiating future human clinical trials in the prevention and treatment of cutaneous aging.

The work appears in ACS Nano.

The National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association supported the research, in part.

Source: Tracey Peake for NC State

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Tiny 'envelopes' show promise for sun-damaged skin repair - Futurity: Research News

Hope for Sickle Cell Warriors: A Cure Exists and Support from the Black Community Could Help Save More Lives – EBONY

When Constance Benson* was 25 years old, she was living her dream as a model with a major agency. One day, while receiving treatment for a pain crisis in the hospital, she realized she wasnt well enough to travel any longer so she gave up her modeling dream. As a sickle cell warrior, Constance had already left college because she was unable to keep up with school work as a result of her unpredictable pain crises.

She was uncertain of her future. She recalls feeling tormented by the response of medical professionals who doubted the severity of her condition with one nurse telling her she was too pretty to be sick. Constance considered it divine intervention when she learned that a blood stem cell or marrow transplant could cure her from sickle cell disease. Her parents are both nurses, but it wasnt until her mom was caring for a patient whose son had just had a transplant to cure his sickle cell disease that she learned this was even a treatment option.

To date, hundreds of people in the USA and around the world have been cured of sickle cell disease following blood stem cell or marrow transplants from compatible donors. Like Constance, too often people are unaware that transplant is even an option.

A new day has arisen for sickle cell disease treatment. For the first time, increasingly more medical and research efforts are directed at better understanding and treating sickle cell disease. Historically, progress in developing new treatments for sickle cell disease had been slow. This has been in part due to the complexity of sickle cell disease itself and underfunding compared to other potentially life-threatening genetic diseases.

Among children under the age of 16 battling sickle cell disease, about 95% were cured from sickle cell disease after a transplant from a matched sibling. A blood stem cell or marrow transplant from a matched sibling is now considered a pediatric standard of care by many doctors, and transplant from matched unrelated donors are becoming more common.

Too often people suffering from severe sickle cell disease are unaware of treatments that exist and may be available to them. For example, clinical trials that offer cutting-edge treatment options like blood stem cell or marrow transplantation may be an appropriate path for someone who is not responding well to prescribed therapies. Clinical trials are highly regulated and administered by medical experts. They are designed to assess the safety and effectiveness of new treatments. A benefit of clinical trials includes access to specialized care for your condition with built-in safety measures.

With a transplant, blood stem cells or marrow is extracted from a compatible donor and given to a sickle cell disease patient via IV. The donors healthy blood-forming stem cells, which create healthy red blood cells, replace a patients unhealthy stem cells that made sickled red blood cells. For the person with sickle cell disease, a successful transplant can mean no more sickled red blood cells with no more blocked blood vessels and no more damage from ruptured cells. Some people will even see existing damage improve with the introduction of healthy blood stem cells. Risks do exist for transplant, but doctors can inform a patient about the benefits and risks of such a procedure so that the patient and their family can make an informed decision about proceeding.

Transplant too often is dismissed as an option for people with sickle cell disease by themselves, or by their families, or even by their physicians because of concerns that the financial cost would be prohibitive. There are financial resources available to assist families considering transplant as an option, so it should not be ruled out as a treatment for a person battling advanced sickle cell disease.

As representatives from Be the Match and the Sickle Cell Transplant Advocacy and Research Alliance (STAR), we want to encourage people with sickle cell disease and their loved ones to be empowered to educate themselves about new treatment options, to ask questions of their primary care or hematology providers and to consider participating in clinical trials if other treatments are not working.

Constances younger sister was a perfect match for her. Today, Constance is living free from sickle cell disease after a successful marrow transplant seven years ago. She was able to return to college and obtained her bachelors degree, and she is committed to spreading awareness of the need for more diverse donors on the Be The Match Registry.

Nearly 1 out of 5 people with sickle cell disease will find a match within their family. Those without a match in their family turn to Be The Match, the national marrow donor program, to try to find an unrelated donor willing to help a complete stranger find their cure.

When searches are performed for Black patients, there is a 23% chance of finding a compatible donor on the Be The Match Registry. This is because race and ethnicity play a role in finding a matched blood stem cell or marrow donor. The makeup of each of our cells is as diverse as the places our grandparents and ancestors came from and people of African descent have more unique and complex genes than other races. Currently, only 4% of the 20 million donors on the worlds largest registry are Black or African American. Given all the diversity among persons of African descent, more donors are needed.

This underrepresentation can be improved by more Black donors joining the registry and it only takes a cheek swab to get started. Its important to note that not only people with sickle cell disease, but patients battling blood cancers like leukemia or serious blood disorders like aplastic anemia, also are searching for matches on the registry. There is an urgent need for more racially and ethnically diverse donors to join the registry. Visit http://www.endsicklecell.org to learn how.

A diagnosis of sickle cell disease can mean frequent emergencies, life threatening infections, irreversible organ damage, and even early death. Sickle cell disease frequently denies patients and families what any of us would want comfort, time, growth and financial stability. Sickle cell disease causes excruciating acute pain in children and, as patients age, the pain becomes chronic and debilitating for adults. STAR is comprised of hematologists and supporters of the sickle cell community who are dedicated to advancing research that will help lead to a cure for sickle cell disease. We have partnered with Be The Match to ensure that people with sickle cell have access to free resources, including information about clinical trials, access to certified nurses and patient navigators to learn more about transplant as an option, and a new Peer Connect program that will match existing patients with sickle cell transplant recipients. For more information, call the Be The Match Patient Support Center at (888) 999-6743 or visit http://www.bethematch.org/sicklecell. To learn more about research initiatives and success stories being supported by STAR, visit http://www.curesicklenow.org.

Currently, the only cure for sickle cell is a blood stem cell or bone marrow transplant, but new methods of gene therapy are now also being tested. With more than 100,000 persons with sickle cell disease in the U.S. today, the need for safe and effective treatment options and the need for more donors is high.

We hope that EBONY readers will take action to help address sickle cell disease in the Black community:

Disclosure: Constance Benson and her family have given consent to Be The Match to share her story.

In the USA, approximately 1 in 365 people of African descent will be born with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder where red blood cells are abnormal. Healthy red blood cells are soft and oval-shaped as they travel throughout the body delivering oxygen to organs. Red blood cells that contain sickle hemoglobin can become stiff and crescent-shaped. Sickled cells block blood flow, causing excruciating pain, lung damage and potential strokes. They also rupture, releasing debris that causes damage to blood vessels.

Some people with sickle cell disease manage symptoms as they come. Other patients take a daily medication that decreases the likelihood of forming sickled red blood cells. Still others might receive chronic red blood cell transfusions to reduce the number of sickled cells in their bloodstream. Additional patients choose to participate in clinical trials to pursue new treatments that offer a chance at a cure. Visit http://www.Clinicaltrials.gov to learn about qualifying to participate in a trial.

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Hope for Sickle Cell Warriors: A Cure Exists and Support from the Black Community Could Help Save More Lives - EBONY

Ruth Lehmann elected as director of Whitehead Institute – MIT News

The Whitehead Institute board of directors today announced the selection of Ruth Lehmann, a world-renowned developmental and cell biology researcher, as the institutes fifth director. Lehmann will succeed current Director David Page on July 1, 2020.

Lehmann is now the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Professor of Cell Biology and chair of the Department of Cell Biology at New York University (NYU), where she also directs the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine and The Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Stem Cell Biology. She is currently an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The Whitehead Institute appointment represents a homecoming: Lehmann was a Whitehead Institute member and a faculty member of MIT from 1988 to 1996, before beginning a distinguished 23-year career at NYU.

Ruth Lehmann will continue a line of prestigious and highly accomplished scientist-leaders who have served as Whitehead Institute directors, says Charles D. Ellis, chair of the Whitehead Institute board of directors. She perfectly fits our vision for the next director: an eminent scientist and experienced leader, who is passionately committed to Whitehead Institutes mission, and possesses a compelling vision for basic biomedical research in the coming decade.

I am delighted to return to Whitehead Institute and look forward to joining the illustrious faculty to recruit and mentor the next generation of Whitehead Institute faculty and fellows, Lehmann says. When I was recruited to Whitehead Institute in the late 1980s, David Baltimore took a huge risk in giving an inexperiencedyoung scientist from Germany the chance to follow her passion for science with unending encouragement and minimal restraints. Now I am thrilled to have the opportunity to help shape the future of this wonderful institute that has been at the forefront of biomedical research for decades. I am pleased to become part of the succession of Whitehead Institutes forward-thinking directors, David Baltimore, Gerald Fink, Susan Lindquist, and David Page. I look forward to working with faculty, fellows, trainees, and staff to build a future with ambitious goals that will allow us to reveal the unknown and connect the unexpected in a collaborative, diverse, and flexible environment.

Ruth Lehmann is an inspired choice to lead the institute into the future and I look forward to working with her in that capacity, Page says. Ruth is an internationally renowned and influential leader in the field of germ cell biology, and her outstanding contributions to the field are the product of her sustained brilliance, insatiable curiosity, uncompromising rigor and scholarship, and clarity of thought and expression.Across the course of the past three decades, no scientist anywhere in the world has made greater contributions to our understanding of germ cells and their remarkable biology. Im especially pleased to gain a colleague with such an impressive track record of discovery and institutional leadership.

The new director will have an impressive line of predecessors: Whitehead Institutes founding director was Nobel laureate and former Caltech president David Baltimore; he was succeeded by internationally honored geneticist and science enterprise leader Gerald Fink, and then by National Medal of Science recipient Susan Lindquist, followed by the current director, leading human geneticist David Page, who became director in 2004.

Ruth Lehmann is a brilliant choice as the next director of Whitehead Institute, Baltimore says. She is a world-class scientist and a seasoned leader. Most importantly, she understands the unique nature of Whitehead Institute and will maintain it as a key element of the biomedical complex that has grown up in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ruth Lehmann is an extraordinary scientist, who began her distinguished career here at Whitehead, Fink says.Her innovative work on germ cells, which give rise to eggs and sperm, has paved the path for the entire field. She is an inspiring leader who is an outspoken advocate for fundamental research.We are all delighted to welcome her back as our new director and scientific colleague.

Lehmann has made seminal discoveries in the field of developmental and cell biology. Germ cells, the cells that give rise to the sperm and egg, carry a precious cargo of genetic information from the parent that they ultimately contribute to the embryo, transmitting the currency of heredity to a new generation. Work in Lehmanns lab using Drosophila (fruit flies) has shed light on how these important cells know to become germ cells, and how they are able to make their way from where they originate to the gonad during early embryonic development. Her discoveries uncovering the mechanisms needed for proper specification and migration of germ cells have not only informed our understanding of processes essential for the perpetuation of life itself, but have also made important contributions to related fields including stem cell biology, lipid biology, and DNA repair.

I'm so pleased to be welcoming Ruth back to the community, MIT Provost Martin A. Schmidt says. Her dedication to, and expertise in, basic research will underscore Whitehead Institute's reputation as a leader in this arena.

Susan Hockfield, MIT president emerita and professor of neuroscience, chaired the committee that recommended Lehmann to the Whitehead Institute board. Our committee considered eminent candidates from across the globe, Hockfield says, and found in Ruth Lehmann a person uniquely qualified to guide this pioneering research institution forward.

Lehmann earned an undergraduate degree and a PhD in biology from the University of Tubingen in Germany, in the laboratory of future Nobel laureate Christiane Nsslein-Volhard. Between those programs, she conducted research at the University of Washington and earned a diploma degree equivalent to a master's degree in biology from the University of Freiburg in Germany. She then conducted postdoctoral research at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England. Then, Lehmann moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to become a Whitehead Institute member and MIT faculty member. In 1996, she accepted a professorship at NYU Langone School of Medicine and was subsequently named director of the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine and The Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Stem Cell Biology, NYU Stem Cell Biology Graduate Program director, and chair of the NYU Department of Cell Biology in 2014 (all roles that she continues to hold).

She has served as president of the Society for Developmental Biology, the Drosophila Board, and the Harvey Society; is currently editor-in-chief of the Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology; and will serve as president of the American Society for Cell Biology starting in 2021. Additionally, she has been a council member of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Among her many awards, Lehmann has received the Society for Developmental Biologys Conklin Medal, the Porter Award from the American Society for Cell Biology, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the German Society for Developmental Biology. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization.

Lehmann has also been a committed mentor, having fostered the education and professional development of scores of undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Many of her mentees have gone on to become leaders in the biomedical industry or at academic institutions in the United States and around the world, including Johns Hopkins University, Princeton University, MIT, the University of Cambridge (UK), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Heidelberg, Germany), and University of Toronto (Canada).

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Ruth Lehmann elected as director of Whitehead Institute - MIT News

Latest Report on Stem Cell Therapy Market To Flourish And Reach USD 4759.27 Million By 2024 – News Hours Today

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Latest Report on Stem Cell Therapy Market To Flourish And Reach USD 4759.27 Million By 2024 - News Hours Today

Regulatory heft needed to curb false promises on stem cells, says health law expert – Folio – University of Alberta

The legal and regulatory tools designed to protect the public from the marketing of unproven stem cell therapies will remain ineffective without bureaucratic will and grassroots efforts, according to a University of Alberta health law expert.

There's this perception that stem cells are revolutionizing science and they have transformed medicine already, but that's just not the case, said Timothy Caulfield.

You see the word stem cells being used to sell everything from skin cream to sports recovery tools to supplements, it's absolutely everywhere.

Caulfield, who refers to the marketing of spurious stem cell treatments as scienceploitation, explained there are actually only a handful of such therapies that have been approved for use in a clinical setting.

The most well known is probably the use of stem cells in bone marrow transplants and certain kinds of leukemiabut these therapies have been around for decades, he said, adding other stem cell therapies have shown some effectiveness in the treatment of bad burns and blindness.

But that's it.

In a paper outlining a strategy to combat the spread of misrepresentation within this field, Caulfield and Health Law Institute research associate Blake Murdoch argued the first step is to leverage the powers wielded by the provincial colleges of physicians and surgeons.

We need a more robust response from them because they have the power to stop their members from marketing treatments inappropriately and from offering services that are unproven, said Caulfield.

We haven't seen that, and it really is their role to protect the public.

He added organizations aimed at stopping the spread of misinformation and inaccurate marketinglike Ad Standards, Canadas advertising industry's non-profit self-regulating body, or Competition Bureau Canada, the federal advertising regulatorcan also be more involved.

While the Competition Bureau can only prohibit clinics from using misleading advertising and

not the provision of unproven interventions, this would help to stop the spread of misinformation, which may curtail public interest, said Caulfield.

He added political pressure on federal and provincial lawmakers could encourage change and allow a more comprehensive response, but noted that targeting the marketing of these treatments might be the more politically palatable course of action.

I think a really good logical first step is if you're going to market this stuff, if you're going to offer these services, the information you're using to market the services has to be accurate.

Even as the paper was being published, Caulfield said Health Canada weighed in by stating stem cell therapies need its approval.

Basically, if youre an MD, and you're providing stem cell therapy, you need to get it approved, said Caulfield. In the paper, we said Health Canada has got to get more aggressive, and thankfully, we're starting to see some action in that space.

He said ultimately, however, responses from Canadas regulatory bodies are often triggered by complaints from the public.

I've actually spoken to regulators, and theyre not hearing complaints about people being injured by stem cell treatment, said Caulfield. Of course, just because something is safe, doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Not only have some of these treatments shown to have caused real harm while offering little more than hope, Caulfield said there is a financial exploitation element, all of which can only leave a black mark on the science.

The spread of clinics marketing these interventions may, over the long term, damage public trust in legitimate regenerative technologies, thus adversely impacting their future development, he said. It confuses what is an incredibly promising field.

The most perplexing element of the proliferation of these treatments is the involvement of medical professionals who should know better, Caulfield said.

The team went into the analysis with the hypothesis that alternative practitioners were the ones providing and marketing stem cell therapies. This was true, but Caulfield said they were surprised to find that an MD was often involved.

I've been in the room with these health providers, and you get the sense that many of them believe it works.

Original post:
Regulatory heft needed to curb false promises on stem cells, says health law expert - Folio - University of Alberta

Releases New Report on the Stem Cell Banking Market 2017-2025 – Rapid News Network

The stem cell banking is the practice of preserving blood cell from a new born baby for future use. The preserved blood is used in medical therapies for a variety of diseases, which include conditions such as sarcoma, leukemia, immune conditions, lymphoma, and metabolic disorders. Stem cells are capable of producing blood cells, namely red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells, which are produced in the human body. Researchers have discovered that stem cells can be used for the treatment of 80 different diseases including thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, leukemia, diabetes, and cardiac diseases. The major sources for stem cell bank are storing of peripheral blood and bone marrow, umbilical cord blood (UCB) is by far considered as the largest component for hematopoietic stem cells. In the past few years, donated umbilical cord blood has become a reliable source of stem cells, and is thus considered as a valuable biological resource. The chances of cord blood sample matching with the patients that is closely in relation to the baby whose sample is to be used are 39% more than the sample obtained from the public banks. Stem cell banking services is a promising and fast growing segment in the field of next generation stem cell therapy and national cord blood registries are changing perception and look of the industry.

Rise in incidence of chronic conditions and increase in investments by pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies for stem cell research are expected to drive the global stem cell banking market during the forecast period. Rise in the number of stem cell donors and superior quality of stem cell banking facilities and increase in research & development are expected to drive the global stem cells market. However, high processing & storage cost and lack of acceptance and awareness in developing regions are likely to inhibit the market.

The global stem cell banking market can be segmented based on source, service type, application, end-user, and geography. In terms of source, the stem cell banking market can be categorized into placental stem cells, adipose tissue-derived stem cells, bone marrow-derived stem cells, human embryo-derived stem cells, dental pulp-derived stem cells, and others. Based on service type, the stem cell banking market can be divided into sample preservation and storage, sample analysis, sample processing, and sample collection & transportation. In terms of application, the stem cell banking market can be classified into research applications, clinical applications, and others. Based on end-user, the global stem cell banking market can be segmented into hospitals (medical applications), pharmaceutical research (drug discovery), research institutes (scientific research), and others.

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In terms of region, the global stem cell banking market can be classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of revenue, North America dominated the stem cell banking market in 2017, followed by Europe. North America dominated the global market due to increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and expanding network of stem cell banking services. The market in Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa is anticipated to expand at a high growth during the forecast period due to growth in the health care industry and increase in patient population in these regions. The market in China, Brazil, and India is projected to expand at a considerable pace between 2018 and 2026 due to rise in investment by governments of these countries to improve health care facilities.

Key players operating in the global stem cell banking market include Cord Blood Registry (CBR) Systems, Inc., Cryo-Cell International, Inc. Cordlife Group Limited, Lifecell International Private Limited, Cryo-Save AG, and StemCyte.

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.

The study is a source of reliable data on: Market segments and sub-segments Market trends and dynamics Supply and demand Market size Current trends/opportunities/challenges Competitive landscape Technological breakthroughs Value chain and stakeholder analysis

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The regional analysis covers: North America (U.S. and Canada) Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others) Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia) Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand) Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)

The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.

A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.

Highlights of the report: A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent market Important changes in market dynamics Market segmentation up to the second or third level Historical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volume Reporting and evaluation of recent industry developments Market shares and strategies of key players Emerging niche segments and regional markets An objective assessment of the trajectory of the market Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the market

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Releases New Report on the Stem Cell Banking Market 2017-2025 - Rapid News Network

In Mice and Men, Prostate Drug Reportedly Treats Parkinson’s Disease? – Alzforum

20 Sep 2019

A drug commonly prescribed to keep enlarged prostates in check may hold promise for Parkinsons disease. According to a study published September 16 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, terazosin (TZ), an 1-adrenergic receptor antagonist that moonlights as a glycolysis booster, raised ATP, upped mitochondrial numbers, and ultimately saved dopaminergic neurons from degeneration in multiple models of PD. Led by Michael Welsh at the University of Iowa in Iowa City and Lei Liu of Beijing University, the researchers claim that among men who took terazosin or related drugs to quell prostate hyperplasia, the incidence of PD was low, and symptoms of diagnosed disease were mild.

The researchers uncovered TZs energy-boosting prowess serendipitously, Welsh explained. In Beijing, TZ popped up as a top hit in Lius screen for cell death inhibitors in fruit flies. Flies lack 1-adrenergic receptors so, probing further, Liu found that the drug activates phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), one of two enzymes that generate ATP in the glycolysis pathway (Chen et al., 2015). Since mitochondrial malfunction and impaired bioenergetics are features of withering neurons in PD, the researchers decided to test this ATP-boosting drug in models of the disease.

First author Rong Cai and colleagues began with the MPTP injection mouse model of parkinsonism. Given daily at the time of injection of this mitochondrial toxin, TZ attenuated all core pathologies, including the drop in ATP, loss of mitochondria in the striatum, loss of dopaminergic neurons, and loss of balance. When the researchers delayed TZ treatment until seven days after MPTP injection, the drug still had beneficial effects on dopaminergic function and motor performance by day 14.

TZ similarly protected other toxin models of parkinsonism, including 6-OHDA in rats, and rotenone in flies. In the insects, knocking out PGK1 erased the benefits of TZ, bolstering the idea that the drug fends off a PD-like syndrome via this enzyme.

Shrinking Both Prostate and Synuclein? In iPSC-derived neurons from Parkinsons patients, -synuclein (green) accumulates in dopaminergic neurons (red). TZ treatment reduced accumulation to control neuron levels. [Courtesy of Cai et al., JCI, 2019]

In genetic models of Parkinsons, the researchers saw TZ treatment assuage motor deficits, for example in flies carrying PD mutations in PINK1 or LRRK2. In transgenic mice overexpressing wild-type -synucleinthe primary component of the Lewy body inclusions that define the diseasetreatment with TZ between three and 15 months of age partially protected against loss of balance. Finally, in induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived neurons from two PD patients who carried the G2019S mutation in the LRRK2 gene, TZ increased ATP levels and lessened accumulation of-synuclein aggregates (see image above).

Could TZ really work for people with PD? Because the drug is commonly prescribed for benign enlargement of the prostate in men over the age of 60an age group at risk for PDWelsh reasoned that database sleuthing could begin to answer this question. The researchers first turned to the Parkinsons Progression Markers Initiative database, which tracks symptom progression in people with PD. They identified seven men with PD who took TZ and 269 who did not. Men on TZ had a slower rate of motor decline. Still in the PPMI database, the researchers expanded their query to include related drugsdoxazosin (DZ) and alfuzosin (AZ)which are also used to treat prostate enlargement and contain the same quinazoline motif shown to enhance PGK1 function. The 13 men taking TZ, DZ, or AZ had slower progression of motor decline than those not on the drugs. Crucially, 24 men with PD who took tamsulosin, another prostate drug that antagonizes 1-adrenergic receptors but does not activate PGK1, did not have this relative protection. I just about fell off my chair when I saw those results, Welsh said.

Drugs Help Pee and PD? Men with PD who took TZ, DZ, or AZ had a lower relative risk of 69 of 79 PD-related diagnoses in their charts compared to men who took tamsulosin. Yellow dots represent a statistically significant difference. Diagnoses are grouped into categories. [Courtesy of Cai et al., JCI, 2019]

To expand their search to more people, the researchers accessed the IBM Watson/Truven Health Analytics MarketScan Database for insurance claims relating to PD. They identified 2,880 men with PD who took TZ, DZ, or AZ, and 15,409 men with PD who took tamsulosin. They next selected 79 diagnostic codes related to PD, such as falls, tremor, walking problems, and sleep disorders. They found that compared with men with PD who took tamsulosin, those taking TZ, DZ, or AZ had a 22 percent lower relative risk of having any of these diagnostic codes in their files, suggesting they had milder disease. They also had fewer hospital visits for motor and non-motor symptoms, as well as PD complications.

To see if the ATP-boosting drugs might delay or prevent PD, the researchers identified more than 78,000 men in the Truven database without PD who took TZ, DZ, or AZ, then tracked their files for 284 days. During that time, 118 of them were diagnosed with PD, compared with 190 age-matched men who took tamsulosin instead. This yielded a hazards ratio of 0.62, suggesting that TZ, DZ, and AZ reduce the incidence of PD.

All of this is very encouraging, and indicates that TZ is a strong candidate for clinical trials to see if it can be repurposed for Parkinsons, wrote Chris Elliott of the University of York, U.K. In this TZ joins other drugs (including UDCA and Exenatide) that affect energy metabolism. Howeve, Elliott noted that the mechanism of TZs effects on neurons remains to be ironed out, and cautioned that the drug has risks. It reduces blood pressure, which may already be low in people with Parkinsons, and so careful evaluation of its safety is needed."

Clemens Scherzer of Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston noted that defective bioenergetics is a key pathway in Parkinson's, and that the study points at potential tool compounds to correct these defects. The quinazoline 1 adrenoreceptor blockers, which are used for benign prostatic hyperplastia, could be repurposed for clinical trials in PD or chemically tweaked to develop brain-optimized, new bioenergetics drugs for PD, Scherzer told Alzforum. He added that rigorous population-wide cohort studies and clinical studies will be needed.

Welsh told Alzforum that it is unclear exactly how TZ and related drugs might counteract PD. He noted that recent studies indicate that ATP itself interferes with -synuclein aggregation and liquid phase separation (Patel et al., 2017;Hayes et al., 2018). ATP could also reduce protein aggregation by bolstering the activity of myriad enzymes, including heat-shock proteins, he added. Of course, ATP might enhance all manner of neuronal functions by supplying cells with more energy. Welsh is investigating whether the drugs affect progression or incidence of other neurodegenerative proteinopathies, including AD.

Welsh has initiated a small trial to test TZ in PD patients at Iowa University, and has applied for funding to get multicenter trials up and running. He is starting by dosing patients with 5 mgas prescribed for prostate enlargementbut said dose-finding studies are needed. Complicating matters, the drug had a biphasic dose response on its PGK1 target in cultured cells and in mice, meaning that at higher concentrations, it no longer elevates ATP. Welsh also noted that though the primary use of the drug is for prostate enlargement, it was also briefly used to treat hypertension, and was tested in women as well as men for that indication. He plans to include both men and women with PD in trials.Jessica Shugart

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In Mice and Men, Prostate Drug Reportedly Treats Parkinson's Disease? - Alzforum