Rhode Island Expands Stem Cell Therapy For Cancer Patients With New Approval – Kaiser Health News

The state Health Services Council voted to allow patients from the Lifespan Cancer Institute at the Rhode Island Hospital to take part in an autologous stem-cell therapy program. Meanwhile, Reuters reports on ongoing, controversial investments into adult stem cell research directed at heart disease.

The Boston Globe: Lifespan Cancer Institute Secures Key Approval For Stem-Cell Therapy For Cancer Patients The states largest health care system received approval to operate an autologous stem-cell therapy program at the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island Hospital. The approval, which was granted by the state Health Services Council in an unanimous vote on June 16, will allow patients from the institute who need cancer treatments, such as stem-cell therapy which provides bone marrow transplants for patients undergoing chemotherapy, to receive care with their regular medical team. Rhode Island Hospital is only the second in the state to offer stem-cell therapy. The only other facility providing this treatment is at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence. Rhode Islanders were often also referred to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. (Gagosz, 6/21)

More on stem cell research

Reuters: Years After Harvard Scandal, U.S. Pours Millions Into Tainted Field Mario Ricciardi, a young Italianmolecular biologist,was thrilledwhen he was selected to work with one of Harvard Medical Schools most successful stem cell researchers. His new boss, Dr. Piero Anversa, had become famous within the field for his bold findings in 2001 that adult stem cells had special abilities to regenerate hearts or even cure heart disease, the leading cause of U.S. deaths. Millions in U.S. government grants poured into Anversas lab at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. Top journals published his papers. And the American Heart Association (AHA) proclaimed him a research pioneer. He was like a god, recalled Ricciardi, now 39, one of several scientists to speak out for the first time about their experiences in Anversas lab. Within a year of Ricciardis arrival in 2011, they grew suspicious, the scientists recalled. (Taylor and Heath, 6/21)

In other pharmaceutical and research news

Axios: Cancer Treatment Tool Gets Major Boost In Funding A tool used to analyze cancerous tumors based on algorithms built to map distant galaxies is getting a major influx of funding. The imaging platform called AstroPath is able to pinpoint how certain tumor cells interact with the body's tissues, allowing doctors to potentially learn more about who might respond well to various treatments. (Kramer and Snyder, 6/21)

The Boston Globe: Startup Will Target Cystic Fibrosis With A New Twist On Gene Therapy Gene therapy developers rely on hollowed-out viruses to shuttle DNA into the body, where it can treat or potentially even cure a genetic disease. But most of the dozens of companies in the field use just two kinds of viruses for their DNA delivery. Carbon Biosciences hopes to expand that toolbox. The Lexington, Mass., startup launched Tuesday with $38 million in series A financing to create a new class of gene therapies based on parvoviruses a large family of viruses best known for infecting dogs, but comprised of many little-studied viruses that can infect humans and other animals, too. (Cross, 6/21)

Axios: What Scientists Can Learn From Tracking Disease Outbreaks From Space Scientists are tracking diseases from space and getting a new view of human health. The proliferation of easy-to-use, relatively cheap and more comprehensive satellite data is allowing researchers to get a holistic view of what's happening on Earth during disease outbreaks and possibly learn how to predict the next one. By keeping an eye from above on changes to vegetation and other ecosystem factors that can lead to outbreaks, researchers are starting to piece together correlations between habitat loss and urbanization, among other factors, and infectious disease. (Kramer, 6/21)

Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Researchers Study Prenatal Care. Here's What They Found One mother, worried about being perceived as "an angry Black woman," felt she had to "watch my tone," even while in the pain of giving birth.Another, under anesthesia at the time of birth, didn't know who delivered her baby.One woman asked for help after suffering with a cesarean section incision. She was told nothing was wrong and accused of just seeking pain medication. Later, once it got bad enough that she couldn't walk or hold her child,it was discovered her incision was very infected.Louisville researchers were toldthese and other stories while speaking with recent parents who accessed prenatal care or gave birth in the city. (Ladd, 6/22)

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Rhode Island Expands Stem Cell Therapy For Cancer Patients With New Approval - Kaiser Health News

Ambys Medicines Announces Formation of Clinical and Scientific Advisory Boards with Leading Liver Disease and Cell and Gene Therapy Experts – Business…

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ambys Medicines, a company pioneering cell-replacement therapies for patients with liver disease, today announced the formation of its clinical and scientific advisory boards comprising leading clinical experts in liver disease and hepatocyte transplantation, and world-class scientists pioneering cell and gene technologies.

The clinical advisory board provides guidance on advancing Ambyss lead program, AMI-918, through the clinic and provides critical input on clinical trial design and patient selection. The scientific advisory board will provide a cross-discipline perspective on applying cutting-edge technology to Ambyss cell therapy platform to progress its discovery pipeline of next generation cell therapies.

Were honored to work with such an esteemed and diverse group of experts in liver disease, hepatocyte transplantation, and cell and gene therapies whose collective experience will be highly valuable as we finalize our clinical development strategy for AMI-918 and progress our genetically engineered hepatocyte follow-on programs, said Ronald Park, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Ambys Medicines. Were grateful for the engagement and support from our advisors as we work to bring first-in-class hepatocyte replacement therapies to liver failure patients who currently lack treatment options.

Each of our advisors brings incredible knowledge and expertise in their respective fields that will be instrumental to Ambys as we continue to broaden our pipeline and move closer to becoming a clinical-stage company, said Markus Grompe, M.D., Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Ambys Medicines. Were excited to partner together to realize the potential of our novel replacement cell therapy platform in restoring lost hepatic function to patients with acute or chronic liver failure and genetic liver diseases.

Clinical Advisory Board

Scientific Advisory Board

About Ambys Medicines Ambys Medicines is focused on pioneering cell replacement therapies for patients with liver failure. Ambyss proprietary platform enables the company to be the first and only company able to develop and manufacture functional human hepatocytes at scale. Our scientific approach has the potential to fundamentally transform the treatment paradigm for patients with acute and chronic liver failure and genetic diseases of the liver. Our lead program, AMI-918, is a hepatocyte replacement cell therapy in development to restore lost hepatic function. Beyond AMI-918, we are building a pipeline of next-generation modified hepatocytes that will rapidly expand the range of treatable patient populations. Learn more at ambys.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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Ambys Medicines Announces Formation of Clinical and Scientific Advisory Boards with Leading Liver Disease and Cell and Gene Therapy Experts - Business...

Hotels Are Taking Wellness to Extremes, From IV Drips to MRIs – The Wall Street Journal

Soaking in a porcelain tub with petal-thin lime slices fluttering around my limbs, I cant shake the feeling that Im stuck inside one of those fruit water dispensers that used to proliferate at co-working spaces. Im actually taking the waters, by way of an elaborate DIY Ayurvedic bath ritual now on offer at the Peninsula Hotels. Minutes earlier, the disembodied wellness concierge on the other end of my wellness portal (a text chat with a real live human, just a QR code away) dispatched a spa attendant to bring a flight of lovely-smelling bath-time products to my door. The bath-time accoutrements arrived in tiny ceramic bowls on a wooden tray, like so many banchan dishes at a Korean restaurant, with an instruction card for the bathing and slathering and self-massaging that was to follow. A few hours later, my portal pal is back, this time to check in about my pillow plansfeather, buckwheat or memory foam? The latter,my chatty caretakersays, might be a good option for you to have a restful night with proper neck support to start your day tomorrow with the Physique 57 class!

Ive traveled the 5.8 miles from my apartment to the Peninsula New York to avail myself of the hotel brands Life Lived Best initiative, whose health-oriented offerings are as manifold as its title is ambitious (if vague). The aim is to imbue every corner of the luxury chains 10 properties around the globe with micro-upgrades geared toward the pursuit of well-being. Wellness shouldnt be something you only address when you cross the threshold into the spa, says Gareth Roberts, the hotel groups director of brand and operations support. That outdated concept of Now youre in the World of Wellness? Thats not authentic.

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Hotels Are Taking Wellness to Extremes, From IV Drips to MRIs - The Wall Street Journal