3D Printed Stem Cells Could Revolutionize Neuroscience, Aid Treatment and Understanding of Neural Diseases – Science Times

The FET-funded MESO-BRAIN project intends to use 3D-printed stem cells to produce complex shapes that will allow more precise interaction with neurons, effectively revolutionizing neurosciences as we know it.

3D printing has become increasingly more complex and advanced in recent years. What began as a mere hobby for most has now been aiding researchers, doctors, and more in innovating more ways to increase the quality of life for many.

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing works by building successive layers of materials like plastics, metals, and ceramics and has the advantage of producing complex shoes and geometrics that would otherwise be impossible to construct with precision through conventional grinding, carving, or molding.

The technology holds the potential to revamp the healthcare sector. Doctors could use 3D printed products to perfectly match a patient's anatomy, radiologists could print exact replicas of a patient's spine before surgery, and more. Researchers at the MESO-BRAIN project led by Aston University aim to take things further and use 3D-printed stem cells to reinvent neuroscience.

(Photo: Mushroom / Pexel)

According toMedline Plus,stem cells serve as a repair system for the human body. It has the potential to develop into different types of cells within the body. Stem cells are unique to other cells in the human body primarily because they can renew and divide themselves over a long period of time. They are unspecialized, meaning they have no designated function within the body. Simply put, stem cells go where they are needed.

On the other hand, these cells can become specialized like blood cells, muscle cells, and brain cells when needed. Researchers are excited about the cells because they could hold clues to different health and medical research such as explaining serious conditions like birth defects and cancer.

ALSO READ: Breakthrough Discovery of Nerve Cells Sending Information in the Wrong Direction Observed by Scientists

Today, artificial stem cell growth is possible using a flat petri dish. However, this method presents a major confounding factor because it doesn't efficiently mimic in vivo 3D interactions or various developmental cues in real living organisms.

To address the limitations of modern neuronal culturing, the FET-funded MESO-BRAIN project led by Aston University proposes to construct 3D networksthat are not only displayed in vivo neural cultures and allows precise interactions within the cultures. This process would allow the activity of elements to be easily and readily monitored via electrical stimulation.

The ability that researchers could develop human-induced stem cell-derived neural networks and reproducible 3D scaffolds could one day emulate brain activity which will allow comprehensive investigations of neural network development.

The MESO-BRAIN projectfocuses on better understanding human disease progression and neural growth to enable better development of large-scale cell-based assays and test modulatory effects of pharmacological and toxicological compounds on neural activity.

Ultimately, researchers hope that the technology would help in understanding and treating various neurological conditions like dementia, Parkinson's, and trauma. Additionally, More physiologically relevant models will further increase drug screening efficiency and finally reduce need of conducting animal testing.

RELATED ARTICLE: Brain's Memory Center Can Recognize Patterns During 'Infantile Amnesia,' But You Cannot Remember Being a Baby

Check out more news and information on Brains on Science Times.

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3D Printed Stem Cells Could Revolutionize Neuroscience, Aid Treatment and Understanding of Neural Diseases - Science Times

In the War on Cancer, Science Is Winning – The Wall Street Journal

Fifty years have passed since President Nixon declared war on cancer in his 1971 State of the Union address: The time has come in America when the same kind of concentrated effort that ... took man to the moon should be turned toward conquering this dread disease. Today we are closer than ever to that goal.

Cancer killed 10 million people world-wide last year, and doctors diagnosed 19 million new cases. Yet scientists have made startling progress in understanding, preventing and treating it. Ive had an oncologist tell me that this is a very exciting time to have cancer, a medical journalist quipped this month at the Fifth International Vatican Conference, an annual gathering of medical, scientific and religious experts. Panelists described progress on many fronts in the battle against cancer:

New vaccines against human papillomavirus, which causes cervical and throat cancer, are in late-stage trials. Scientists are also testing vaccines for melanoma, leukemia, lung and renal cancers.

In five years there may be a simple blood test costing less than $500 that can detect 70% of all cancers in the earliest stages. When patients with breast, prostate and thyroid cancer spot the disease early, their five-year survival rate is 99%.

New Crispr gene-editing technology deploys a molecular defense system borrowed from bacteria, which use this system to kill invading viral cells by unzippering their DNA to rip it apart. Scientists are using Crispr to repair or rewrite flawed genes. The therapy cured sickle-cell anemia in the first three patients to receive it, and soon it will take on cancer. Many trials of Crispr therapies in the U.S. now are in phase 2 for leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and more. In China, Crispr is showing promise against lung cancer.

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In the War on Cancer, Science Is Winning - The Wall Street Journal

Whats Causing Black Fungus? Here Is What The Doctors Have To Say – The Logical Indian

As of May 24, over 9,000 black fungus cases have been reported in India. In the light of the increasing rise in the number of cases, several states like Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, Telangana and Maharashtra have already declared the disease as an epidemic.

Black Fungs or Mucormycosis is caused due to exposure to mucor mould, which is widely found in soil, plants, manure, and rotting fruits and vegetables. Micromycetes are a type of mould that causes this infection. However, it is not a contagious disease, which means that it does not transmit from one person to another.

Headaches, nasal congestion, facial pain, loss of vision or pain in the eyes, swelling in the cheeks and eyes, and black crusts in the nose are all common symptoms of the Black fungus. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mucormycosis has a 54 percent overall all-cause mortality rate.

1. Weak Immune System

The rare fungal infection primarily affects individuals with a weaker immune system. Since Covid-19 already affects the immune system, they become more prone to Black Fungus. Furthermore, cancer patients who have had an organ transplant or stem cell transplant, neutropenia (low white blood cell count), long-term corticosteroid use, iron overload in the body, skin lesions from surgery, burns or wounds, preterm, and low birth weights are more susceptible to mucormycosis infection.

2. Usage of Excessive Steroids

Experts have mentioned that diabetic Covid-19 patients are at a higher risk of catching black fungus. Since steroids are used in treatment during the second week, if the patient is severe, it makes them prone to the infection. The acidic environment found in diabetic ketoacidosis is ideal for these organisms' fast proliferation. Diabetes is also linked to a weakened immune system, which allows the fungus to evade detection and destroy all tissues.

3. Reusing A Mask

According to medical experts, reusing a mask or remaining in a room with insufficient ventilation has been linked to the development of mucormycosis. "I would reckon is unhygienic practices, like wearing masks over a long time without washing them, or staying in poorly ventilated rooms such as a basement, or less airy rooms. So, I would say, the second factor is also a trigger point for contractor mucormycosis," Dr Suresh Singh Naruka said to Zee News.

4. Antibiotics, Zinc and Steaming

Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, a gastroenterologist, identified three potential causes for Black fungus: antibiotics, zinc, and steaming. Antibiotics, he added, have been proven to exacerbate the fungal infection.

"Fungi thrive in zinc-rich environments, and mammalian cells fight to keep zinc away from fungus to avoid infection," he said, indicating that zinc could be a factor. He explained that excess steam could damage the delicate mucus layer and even produce burns along the mucosa, making it simple for fungus to breach our natural defence. "Burns were responsible for 10-20% of the previous mucormycosis in India," Dr Rajeev told The Print.

5. Cold Oxygen

Cold oxygen is another factor that can contribute to developing Black Fungus. It is extremely harmful to provide cold oxygen directly from the cylinder. "Anti-fungal drug Posaconazole can be given to high-risk individuals to reduce incidents of black fungus," Dr P Sarat Chandra said to Hindustan Times.

Niti Aayog member V.K. Paul, at a briefing on Saturday, said that a link between steroid use for Covid treatment and mucormycosis or black fungus, a disease being widely reported among patients who have recovered from coronavirus, could not be denied.

However, a former president of the Indian Medical Association's Cochin chapter has pointed out that the government must widen its search for the cause of the sudden black fungus outbreak, which has been declared an epidemic by several states.

Also Read: #SaveLakshadweep: Why Are Island Residents Seeking National Attention After New 'Draconian' Bill?

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Whats Causing Black Fungus? Here Is What The Doctors Have To Say - The Logical Indian

University of Pittsburgh Won’t Explain its Planned Parenthood Ties | Opinion – Newsweek

I testified at the Pennsylvania House Health Committee's hearing on "Fetal Experimentation" earlier this month.

Pennsylvania has a pro-life reputation, yet the University of Pittsburgh hosts disturbing and barbaric government-sponsored experiments on aborted babies: infant scalping, exporting fetal kidneys and killing live-aborted infants by organ harvesting. Mounting evidence connects Planned Parenthood to it all.

Despite the serious questions about these experiments and Pitt's inextricable relationship with Planned Parenthood, Pitt stonewalled lawmakers with an unprepared, newly hired witness who could not answer basic questions. Perhaps Pitt could not send a qualified witness to defend these programs, because what takes place in them is indefensible.

In one study published last year, Pitt scientists described scalping 5-month-old aborted babies to stitch onto the backs of lab rats. They wrote about how they cut the scalps from the heads and backs of the babies, scraping off the "excess fat" under the baby skin before stitching it onto the rats. They even included photos of the babies' hair growing out of the scalps. Each scalp belonged to a little Pennsylvania baby whose head would grow those same hairs if he or she were not aborted for experiments with lab rats.

Pitt's explanation? "Lab mice, not lab rats," the university's witness told the committee indignantly.

In fact, the published study used both rats and mice to grow the babies' scalps. How was this paid for? With a $430,000 grant from Dr. Anthony Fauci's NIAID office at the NIH. Pitt's witness implied that government NIH grants somehow did not concern taxpayers in Pennsylvania.

Previously, I wrote about another Pitt scientist who developed a nightmarish "protocol" for harvesting the freshest, most pristine livers from 5-month-old aborted babies in order to isolate massive numbers of stem cells for experimental transplants. This technique calls for aborting late-term fetuses alive via labor induction, rushing them to a sterile laboratory, washing them and then cutting them open to harvest the liver. This Pitt scientist received $3 million from the NIH.

At the hearing, Pitt asserted, without evidence, that this experiment was done only in Italy and ended in 2013. But the Pitt scientist responsible published further research in 2019 and described obtaining the same uniquely massive, two-billion-stem-cell yield from "complete" fetal livers harvested in Pittsburghindicating the same technique he outlined was still being used in America.

Starting in 2016, Pitt received $1.4 million in NIH grants to operate a distribution "hub" for aborted fetal kidneys and other organs in NIH's GenitoUrinary Development Molecular Anatomy Project. Pitt's grant application advertises the university's unique access to a large number of high-quality aborted fetuses and that "collections can be significantly ramped up."

Pennsylvania law makes experimentation on a living fetus or failure to provide immediate medical care to a born-alive infant a third-degree felony. Sadly, fetal experimentation, including on babies delivered alive in late-term abortions, has been documented at Pitt for decades.

Astonishingly, at and after the hearing, Pitt doubled down on a demonstrably false talking point: "There is no procurement relationship for tissue with Planned Parenthood."

Pitt's fetal research projects generally obtain fetal tissue through the university's tissue bank from local abortion providers. Two years ago, sources told me Pittsburgh was one of the major hubs of the FBI's investigation into Planned Parenthood's human trafficking of aborted fetuses. Planned Parenthood Western Pennsylvania (PPWP) abortion providers, who were on staff at Pitt, confirmed this information. When I was undercover, they told me they supply the university's tissue bank.

What is Pitt so afraid of admitting?

Since 2005, Pitt has been a major location for Planned Parenthood's Ryan Residency and Family Planning Fellowship abortion training programs. Some of the most notorious Planned Parenthood abortion doctors came up through the program.

Dr. Jennefer Russo, VP of Planned Parenthood Orange and San Bernardino Counties, supplied the aborted fetuses to the criminal company DaVinci Bioscienceswhich admitted to illegally selling the fetal body parts and was shut down by local law enforcement. She did her abortion training fellowship at Pitt. And there are many others.

Today, Dr. Beatrice Chen, PPWP's medical director, also runs the abortion programs at Pitt. Dr. Sharon Achilles, the laboratory director at PPWP and a prominent Pitt faculty member, is on Planned Parenthood Federation of America's National Medical Committee.

Shockingly, Dr. Chen is also vice chair of the university's Institutional Review Board, which reviews and supervises all fetal research projects. This obvious conflict of interest makes the Pitt-and-Planned-Parenthood lead abortionist a supervising participant in every fetal research project, contravening federal requirements that fetal researchers be separated from clinical abortion practice.

Planned Parenthood Western Pennsylvania, meanwhile, is a "contracted care" site for Pitt, receiving access to medical students, medical resources, medical infrastructure, patient population and referrals at the university.

We know this much, just from public sources: first, Planned Parenthood abortionists supply fetuses to Pitt; second, Pitt uses its access to fetal tissue and organs to get major NIH grant money; third, Planned Parenthood enjoys access to people and resources at Pitt.

Needless to say, a quid pro quo over aborted fetal body parts, funded by taxpayers, would be illegal. If what we know publicly about Pitt is damning, imagine what we do not know. Public officials at every level of government must unearth the full scope of the human trafficking and experimental use of aborted infants, and stop enabling these atrocities.

David Daleiden leads The Center for Medical Progress and is responsible for the multi-year undercover video reporting that exposed the trafficking of aborted fetal body parts at Planned Parenthood and other institutions.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

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University of Pittsburgh Won't Explain its Planned Parenthood Ties | Opinion - Newsweek

Trial treatment with a mythologically-inspired name saves life of young man diagnosed with multiple myeloma – Neos Kosmos

Nikolas Korfias, originally from Kalymnos, had come with his family to the Northern Territory when he was aged 8. By that stage, he had already learnt about Greek mythology, taught in the early years of the Greek education system. He was aware of Perseus, the legendary founder of Mycenae, who had beheaded the monstrous Medusa, the mythical Gorgon known for turning men to stone. Little did he know at the time that three decades later he would battle his own monster, multiple myeloma while being part of the Perseus Trial, and eventually come out a winner so far.

His battle with multiple myeloma began when he came home fresh from a holiday to Greece to see his grandmother in August 2019 where the young entrepreneur, in charge of a transport company, saw a doctor for an ear infection which he couldnt shrug off. I didnt think too much of it, but doctors said my body was fighting something, though levels seemed fine, Mr Korfias told Neos Kosmos.

Tests continued, and it was on a Tuesday after a long weekend in Sydney when he was told that his MRI scan and other tests confirmed he had multiple myeloma.

Id never heard of it before. I didnt know what it was, Mr Korfias said, remembering going home to do a Google search and being in total shock after what he read of the disease which is common for people aged over 60 and rarely appears in those under 40. He was especially sickened by prognostics when it came to the average life expectancy following diagnosis and the fact that there is no cure.

Well versed on multiple myeloma these days, Mr Korfias explains how this type of cancer forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell where cancerous plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow and crowd out healthy blood cells. In laymens terms, bones are weakened, leaving a hole in the centre of the bone.

I didnt know how to take it, he said, adding that denial followed shock.

I was fit, I felt healthy, and nobody in my family had ever had multiple myeloma, or cancer.

READ MORE:Greek Australian mother loses cancer battle, but still finds a way to give back to Hellenism

After the initial shock, Mr Korfias was told that, being in the early stages of the disease, he qualified for the Perseus trial where newly-diagnosed patients in Australia, Greece and other countries underwent stem cell replacement therapy. For one year, from September 2019, he focused on regaining his health, but in the process he lost his business and his hair though Im not sure how my business would have fared with COVID-19 anyway, he said.

You need to focus your energy on recovery. It takes a lot of mental focus, Mr Korfias said, pointing to the medication and steroids he was on and regular visits to St Vincents hospital which left him tired and swollen. You are getting injected daily. It is good to keep your mind busy, but I decided I needed to spend time on myself. To fight and get through it. I focused on training and having a positive mindset.

During his hospital visits, he met other patients, mainly elderly men. I didnt see anybody young with multiple myeloma, though obviously younger people had other forms of cancer, he said, adding that not seeing others his age with the disease makes it harder for a young person to relate to the disease.

He took very well to the treatment and recovered very quickly. Initially, 20 per cent of plasma cells were affected, but the figure is at one per cent at the moment. My goal is to bring it down to zero, he said.

His body is etched with tattoos of Spartan warriors, and it was their spirit he wanted to channel when undergoing the Perseus Trial during the COVID-19 pandemic a time of isolation made even harder. Knowing that a positive mindset was critical to his recovery, he focused on the positives.

My life was always go go go and work work work so I began to reevaluate things, he said. Youve just got to have less stress, enjoy life and live well.

READ MORE:20 months since her diagnosis, Maria Kampyli unites to fight cancer

During the battle, he thought long and hard about what he would like to do once the ordeal was over, and how he would be able to take all he had learnt and implement life changes. It was at about this time that his brother, George, had a health scare with an infected intestine, and they began talking about the system, and what kind of support is necessary. The two brothers got together and laid the groundwork for Partner N Care, an NDIS provider which they created.

When in hospital, my university studies and interest in business kicked in and I looked at my own experience and knew that I wanted to provide a different service to help people, Mr Korfias said. We not only help people who have multiple myeloma, but also those who have other forms of disabilities, such as Autism and Down Syndrome.

Since their first client, Mary, the service has grown. Our goal is to provide a relateable service, NDIS from people who have actually experienced disability from within the system, he said.

This is something I feel very passionately about.

As for the rest, life is good and Mr Korfias is ready to proceed to the next chapter hopefully marriage with his fiance who has stuck with him throughout the ordeal.

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Trial treatment with a mythologically-inspired name saves life of young man diagnosed with multiple myeloma - Neos Kosmos

An unusual addition to Californias 2022 ballot – CalMatters

Good morning, California. Its Tuesday, May 25.

When you get your November 2022 ballot, it might feel as though youre seeing double: For the first time in history, a race for the same California seat in the U.S. Senate will likely appear twice.

Thats because lawmakers are rushing to tweak a piece of Californias election law that experts say could violate the U.S. Constitution. The problem became apparent when Kamala Harris resigned from the Senate to become vice president and Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Alex Padilla to fill the seat through the end of Harris term in January 2023. That apparently put the state in danger of contradicting the U.S. Constitution, which says governors temporary appointees can hold their positions only until the people fill the vacancies by election. And theres an election in November 2022 two months before Harris term ends.

To address the constitutional snag, the state Assembly on Monday passed a bill that calls for an election whenever a Senate seat becomes vacant. It also generally requires that election to be held the same day as a regularly scheduled statewide election, to ensure the greatest participation and to avoid the costs and disruptions of standalone statewide special elections whenever possible, according to the bills author, Menlo Park Democratic Assemblymember Marc Berman.

Therefore, if the state Senate also passes the bill, your November 2022 ballot will contain two elections for the same U.S. Senate seat: One for the remainder of Harris term running from November 2022 to January 2023, and one for the new six-year term beginning January 2023.

But Assemblymember Kevin Kiley, the Rocklin Republican who flagged the constitutional issue for the Legislatures lawyers, told me the bill solves the problem in the most undemocratic way possible and argued Newsom should have called a separate special election for Harris seat much earlier. The latter point was echoed by Christine Pelosi, chair of the California Democratic Party Womens Caucus, in a November San Francisco Chronicle op-ed.

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The coronavirus bottom line:As of Monday, California had3,674,044 confirmed cases (+0.03% from previous day)and61,762 deaths (+0.01% from previous day), according toaCalMatters tracker.

California has administered 36,364,200 vaccine doses, and 49.2% of eligible Californians are fully vaccinated.

Plus: CalMatters regularly updates this pandemic timeline tracking thestates daily actions. Were alsotracking the states coronavirus hospitalizations by county and lawsuits against COVID-19 restrictions.

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1. OptumServe misses vaccine mark

California agreed to pay health care company OptumServe up to $221 million to coordinate and operate dozens of vaccination sites but the company has fallen far short of the 100,000 doses it told the state it could deliver daily, accounting for just 1.1% of shots given in California since January, CalMatters Caitlin Antonios reports. At least 12 counties have complained to the state that OptumServe has hampered their ability to get shots into arms and at least three have stopped working with the company altogether. Yet despite concerns dating back to at least February, California continued to give OptumServe an ever-larger role in its vaccine rollout.

Its the latest example of California or its contractors underperforming amid the pandemic. The states $50 million MyTurn site, billed as a one-stop-shop for Californians to book vaccine appointments, only accounts for about 27% of shots given each day. Only 0.001% of Californians who signed up on MyTurn to volunteer at vaccine sites were actually able to book shifts. And PerkinElmer, which received a $1.4 billion contract from the state to process COVID-19 tests, has failed to meet mandated turnaround times or daily processing requirements. Making matters worse, the lab PerkinElmer runs in conjunction with the state was recently found to have significant deficiencies that could put its license in jeopardy.

2. Follow the money

Monday was a big day for money in California. Some highlights:

3. Community colleges consider ethnic studies

The more than 2.1 million students who attend Californias 116 community colleges will likely soon have a new graduation requirement: an ethnic studies class. This week, the community college systems Board of Governors is holding a public hearing on the proposal and is expected to vote on the change in July, EdSource reports. The move comes amid a push to integrate ethnic studies into several levels of Californias education system: Lawmakers are consideringa billto make ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement, which would likely use a model curriculum recently passed by the state Board of Education after four years of controversy and four separate drafts. Newsom last year also signed a bill mandating California State University students take an ethnic studies course. The CSU system is implementing that as a lower-division class, which thousands of students take at community college before transferring to a CSU. As a result, community colleges are scrambling to hire ethnic studies faculty but a funding source remains unclear.

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CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: Newsom is crowing about giving schools billions of extra dollars, but will he hold them accountable for spending it effectively?

Racism is a public health crisis: My bill would help California identify racial and ethnic disparities while addressing structural racism in state policies and budgets, writes state Sen. Richard Pan, a Sacramento Democrat.

Fix youth mental health crisis: Its stunning to realize how many of Californias children do not receive the mental health support they are entitled to and for which we pay federal taxes, argues Lisa Pritzker of the LSP Family Foundation.

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Podcast: Israeli-Palestinian conflict hits Californias high schools ethnic studies curriculum. // Los Angeles Times

California driver shortage could make trucking school the most lucrative career change. // Mercury News

California is seeing a COVID-19 baby bust. What is causing it? // Los Angeles Times

California prison doctors fear drug treatment program could create new addicts. // Sacramento Bee

Californias stem cell program found a disease cure, but its being blocked by a biotech firm. // Los Angeles Times

San Francisco touts successes in moving homeless off the streets. But the reality is complicated. // San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco ranks near the bottom of U.S. metro areas in home value increases. // San Francisco Chronicle

Apple mega deal: iPhone maker agrees to huge Sunnyvale expansion. // Mercury News

PG&E to sell San Francisco headquarters for $800 million, wants half of the money returned to customers. // San Francisco Chronicle

Amanda Gormans private school: Mix of rich, poor, arts and social action. // Washington Post

See you tomorrow.

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An unusual addition to Californias 2022 ballot - CalMatters