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Robert Gallo of the UM School of Medicine Institute of Human Virology and Global Virus Network Awarded Top Life Sciences and Medicine Prize from China…

BALTIMORE, Dec. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Robert C. Gallo, MD, The Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine, co-founder and director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and co-founder and international scientific advisor of the Global Virus Network, was awarded the "VCANBIO Award for Biosciences and Medicine," a significant and authoritative award in the life sciences and medicine field of China. The elite Prize is jointly presented by the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the VCANBIO CELL & GENE ENGINEERING CORP, LTD to push forward scientific research, technological innovation and continuous development in the life sciences and medicine field of China.

"The Prize also serves to facilitate the industrial development and application of innovative life science achievements,"said George F. Gao, DVM, DPHIL (OXON), Director General of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), Director, CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Professor, Institute of Microbiology, Dean of the Medical School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of China's Global Virus Network Center of Excellence. "Dr. Gallo is a pioneer in virus research and most worthy of this Prize. We are pleased to see him recognized by many members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences."

"Hosted by the Medical School of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, this award commends outstanding and innovative Chinese and foreign scientists, who have accomplished innovation achievements and breakthroughs in the life sciences and medicine field,"said Yiming Shao, MD, the Chief Expert on AIDS, China CDC, Director of the Division of Research on Virology and Immunology, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, China and Member of the GVN SARS-CoV-2 Task Force and China GVN. "I have worked with Dr. Gallo through the decades and admire his intellect and leadership, which have led to discoveries that have broad implications in protecting mankind from viral threats. I am delighted that my Chinese colleagues are recognizing him with this significant honor."

"Prof. Gallo has made a great deal of contribution to promote the Sino-American friendship and collaboration, especially for medical talent training and public health in China,"said Prof. Guanhua Xu, Chairman of the selection committee of the VCANBIO Award for Biosciences and Medicine.

"This is a tremendous and well-deserved honor for Dr. Gallo,"said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor, and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Dr. Gallo has dedicated his career to building international collaborations that have produced major scientific discoveries in human virology, including with leading scientists and academic colleagues in China. As a result, the Institute of Human Virology continues to be recognized as the global leader in the fight against chronic viral diseases."

"I am humbled and honored to receive this esteemed Prize from my colleagues in China,"said Dr. Robert Gallo. "I take this opportunity to stress that it is imperative that government and politics not interfere with science, and that my Chinese and American colleagues, who have a long history of collaborating together and contributing scientific breakthroughs to protect humanity from global health threats, continue to have the freedom to do so and to grow these collaborations."

A Distinguished Scientific Career Advancing Global Health

Dr. Robert Gallo has long believed in the necessity of international cooperation and collaboration in medical sciences in general, and infectious diseases in particular, in part to build global friendships and advance humanitarian principles. Though entertainment and sports facilitate such connections he believes the "knots" are tied best through medical sciences. Throughout his 30 years at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and more recently his nearly 25 years at Baltimore's Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, he has fostered these connections. First, through his pioneering scientific discoveries including his discovery in 1976 of Interleukin-2, the first cytokine, a growth regulating substance now used as immune therapy in some cancers and in autoimmune diseases when suppressive T cells are needed. Then in 1980, the first human retrovirus, HTLV-1, a cause of human leukemia and paralytic neurological diseases as well as severe inflammatory disorders, which is endemic in some regions such as parts of Africa, the Caribbean Islands, Japan, Aboriginal Australians, Iran and South America. Dr. Gallo and his team developed a blood test for HTLV-1 applicable to all countries which protects people receiving blood transfusions that would be contaminated with this virus. Similarly, in 1984, when he and his team co-discovered HIV as the cause of AIDS they also developed the HIV blood test for the world and made their reagents available to all. Dr. Gallo and his team established collaborations in HIV/AIDS research, education, therapy and care for many African countries, particularly in Nigeria and some Caribbean nations. During the current pandemic he quickly became involved in initiating preventive measures against SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 disease through the idea of stimulating innate immunity with "live" virus vaccines such as the oral polio vaccine. Dr. Gallo, abetted by his collaborator, Konstantin Chumakov, PhD, Associate Director for Research for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Office of Vaccines Research and Review and a GVN Center Director and his clinical colleague, Shyam Kottilil, MBBS, PhD, professor of medicine and director of the Clinical Care and Research Division of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and senior advisor at the GVN, are advising on trials in India and in discussion about trials in Mexico, Brazil, Uzbekistan and China. He has also fostered the international nature of his research by hosting students beyond the U.S., including post-doctoral senior scientists from Asia, Middle East, Europe, the Americas and many African nations.

However, nothing demonstrates his concern for medical science cooperation more than when he established the idea for the Global Virus Network (GVN), which he co-founded in 2011 with the late Prof. Reinhard Kurth, MD, formerly Director of the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, and Prof. William Hall, BSc, PhD, MD, DTMH, of University College Dublin. Now, GVN is headed by its President Christian Brchot, MD, PhD. The GVN was formed to advance medical and zoological science without any government influence, giving members of the GVN maximum freedom to speak freely while encouraging all nations to be involved. China, among several dozen other countries, has an active Center of Excellence within the GVN and was the site of the 7th meeting of the GVN in May 2015 held in Beijing and hosted by the late GVN Center Director, Zeng Yi of Beijing University of Technology. Experts shared information on varying viral threats, including those causing hemorrhagic fevers, hepatitis, HIV, measles, influenza, dengue and chikungunya, to name a few. GVN members also reviewed strategies at the center of the organization including the creation of specialized task forces and the launch of training programs to address growing viral threats.

A History with Chinese-American Collaborations

Dr. Gallo had a deep friendship with Dr. Robert Ting who came to the U.S. as a child refugee from Shanghai during the Japanese invasion. As a student, Dr. Ting worked with the famous Italian molecular biologist, Dr. Salvatore Luria at MIT, who won a Nobel Prize. Dr. Ting then went to Caltech to work with another Italian Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Renato Dulbecco and they were joined by two others who were soon to be Nobel Prize winners, Drs. Howard Temin and David Baltimore. Dr. Ting was not just Dr. Gallo's friend but also his teacher by introducing him to Chinese culture and food, tennis, and the field of virology. Soon after meeting Dr. Ting, another Chinese-born and educated young man, Dr. Alan Wu, came to Dr. Gallo's lab from Toronto bringing with him the knowledge and skills of blood stem cells. There were then several other Chinese post-doctoral fellows culminating with Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal from Canton Province and who played a very major role in advancing molecular biology on Dr. Gallo's team for about 15 years. Dr. Nancy Chang, also Chinese, came as a visiting scientist on a few occasions. On one such time she was key to the development of the second-generation HIV blood test used around the world.

In 2009, with the help of a University of Maryland School of Medicine colleague, Dr. Richard Zhao, born in China and educated in the U.S., the Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) announced the establishment of the Shandong Gallo Institute of Virology (SGIV). The announcement was made simultaneously with a ceremony to establish China's first Molecular Diagnostic Center for Personalized Healthcare (MDCPH), which was a joint venture among the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific and SGIV at the Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences. The mission of the SGIV is to promote the basic science of virology especially in the area of HIV/AIDS and other important and emerging viral diseases and to facilitate translational research and clinical trials for related diseases. SGIV also aims to provide molecular-based testing for disease diagnosis, prognosis and treatment in the area of individualized molecular testing for personalized medicine.

Since the founding of the Institute of Human Virology (IHV), Dr. Gallo notes that several of his key science leaders at the Institute of Human Virology came from China, including: Dr. Wuyuan Lu (recent Director of the Division of Infectious Agents and Cancer), Dr. Yang Liu (recent Director of the Division of Immunotherapy), Dr. Pan Zheng (Division of Immunotherapy), Dr. Lishan Su (current Director of the Division of Virology, Pathogenesis and Cancer), Dr. Man Charurat (current Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention and Ciheb) and Dr. Lai-Xi Wang (formerly at IHV and now at University of Maryland, College Park). With each of these leaders also came labs full of Chinese colleagues, who Dr. Gallo states contributed greatly to advancing America's biomedical research. Further, over the past six decades, Dr. Gallo visited China countless times to discuss potential collaborations with public and private sector entities, mentored rising Chinese scientists and facilitated open scientific discussions to advance the field of human virology, among other important things.

About the Institute of Human Virology

Formed in 1996 as a partnership between the State of Maryland, the City of Baltimore, the University System of Maryland, and the University of Maryland Medical System, the IHV is an institute of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is home to some of the most globally-recognized and world-renowned experts in all of virology. The IHV combines the disciplines of basic research, epidemiology, and clinical research in a concerted effort to speed the discovery of diagnostics and therapeutics for a wide variety of chronic and deadly viral and immune disorders - most notably, HIV the virus that causes AIDS. For more information, visit http://www.ihv.org and follow us on Twitter @IHVmaryland.

About the Global Virus Network (GVN)

The Global Virus Network (GVN) is essential and critical in the preparedness, defense and first research response to emerging, exiting and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health, working in close coordination with established national and international institutions. It is a coalition comprised of eminent human and animal virologists from 59 Centers of Excellence and 11 Affiliates in 33 countries worldwide, working collaboratively to train the next generation, advance knowledge about how to identify and diagnose pandemic viruses, mitigate and control how such viruses spread and make us sick, as well as develop drugs, vaccines and treatments to combat them. No single institution in the world has expertise in all viral areas other than the GVN, which brings together the finest medical virologists to leverage their individual expertise and coalesce global teams of specialists on the scientific challenges, issues and problems posed by pandemic viruses. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit http://www.gvn.org. Follow us on Twitter @GlobalVirusNews

SOURCE Global Virus Network

gvn.org

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Robert Gallo of the UM School of Medicine Institute of Human Virology and Global Virus Network Awarded Top Life Sciences and Medicine Prize from China...

Orchard Therapeutics Receives EC Approval for Libmeldy for the Treatment of Early-Onset Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) – GlobeNewswire

December 21, 2020 07:00 ET | Source: Orchard Therapeutics (Europe) Limited

First gene therapy to receivefull EU marketing authorization for eligible MLD patients

One-time treatment with Libmeldy has been shown to preserve motor and cognitive function

Achievement shared with research alliance partners Fondazione Telethon and Ospedale San Raffaele

BOSTON and LONDON and MILAN, Italy, Dec. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orchard Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ORTX), a global gene therapy leader, and its research alliance partners Fondazione Telethon and Ospedale San Raffaele, today announced that the European Commission (EC) granted full (standard) market authorization for Libmeldy (autologous CD34+ cells encoding the ARSA gene), a lentiviral vector-based gene therapy approved for the treatment of metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), characterized by biallelic mutations in theARSAgene leading to a reduction of the ARSA enzymatic activity in children with i) late infantile or early juvenile forms, without clinical manifestations of the disease, or ii) the early juvenile form, with early clinical manifestations of the disease, who still have the ability to walk independently and before the onset of cognitive decline. Libmeldy is the first therapy approved for eligible patients with early-onset MLD.

MLD is a very rare, fatal genetic disorder caused by mutations in the ARSA gene which lead to neurological damage and developmental regression. In its most severe and common forms, young children rapidly lose the ability to walk, talk and interact with the world around them, and most pass away before adolescence. Libmeldy is designed as a one-time therapy that aims to correct the underlying genetic cause of MLD, offering eligible young patients the potential for long-term positive effects on cognitive development and maintenance of motor function at ages at which untreated patients show severe motor and cognitive impairments.

Todays EC approval of Libmeldy opens up tremendous new possibilities for eligible MLD children faced with this devastating disease where previously no approved treatment options existed, said Bobby Gaspar, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer of Orchard. Libmeldy is Orchards first product approval as a company, and I am extremely proud of the entire team who helped achieve this milestone. We are grateful for and humbled by the opportunity to bring this remarkable innovation to young eligible patients in the EU.

With Libmeldy, a patients own hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are selected, and functional copies of the ARSA gene are inserted into the genome of the HSCs using a self-inactivating (SIN) lentiviral vector before these genetically modified cells are infused back into the patient. The ability of the gene-corrected HSCs to migrate across the blood-brain barrier into the brain, engraft, and express the functional enzyme has the potential to persistently correct the underlying disease with a single treatment.

The EC approval of Libmeldy comes more than a decade after the first patient was treated in clinical trials performed at our Institute, and ushers in a remarkable and long-awaited shift in the treatment landscape for eligible MLD patients, said Luigi Naldini, M.D, Ph.D., director of the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget) in Milan, Italy. Our team at SR-Tiget has been instrumental in advancing the discovery and early-stage research of this potentially transformative therapy to clinical trials in support of its registration through more than 15 years of studies supported by Fondazione Telethon and Ospedale San Raffaele, and we are extremely proud of this achievement and what it means for patients and the field of HSC gene therapy.

MLD is a heart-breaking disease that causes immeasurable suffering and robs children of the chance of life, said Georgina Morton, chairperson of ArchAngel MLD Trust. As a community, we have been desperate for a treatment for young MLD patients, and we are incredibly excited to now have such a ground-breaking option approved in the EU.

The marketing authorization for Libmeldy is valid in all 27 member states of the EU as well as the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Orchard is currently undertaking EU launch preparations related to commercial drug manufacturing, treatment site qualification and market access.

Data Supporting the Clinical and Safety Profile of Libmeldy

The marketing authorization for Libmeldy is supported by clinical studies in both pre- and early- symptomatic, early-onset MLD patients performed at the SR-Tiget. Early-onset MLD encompasses the disease variants often referred to as late infantile (LI) and early juvenile (EJ). Clinical efficacy was based on the integrated data analysis from 29 patients with early-onset MLD who were treated with Libmeldy prepared as a fresh (non-cryopreserved) formulation. Results of this analysis indicate that a single-dose intravenous administration of Libmeldy is effective in modifying the disease course of early-onset MLD in most patients.

Clinical safety was evaluated in 35 patients with MLD (the 29 patients from the integrated efficacy analysis as well as six additional patients treated with the cryopreserved formulation of Libmeldy). Safety data indicate that Libmeldy was generally well-tolerated. The most common adverse reaction attributed to treatment with Libmeldy was the occurrence of anti-ARSA antibodies (AAA) reported in five out of 35 patients. Antibody titers in all five patients were generally low and no negative effects were observed in post-treatment ARSA activity in the peripheral blood or bone marrow cellular subpopulations, nor in the ARSA activity within the cerebrospinal fluid. In addition to the risks associated with the gene therapy, treatment with Libmeldy is preceded by other medical interventions, namely bone marrow harvest or peripheral blood mobilization and apheresis, followed by myeloablative conditioning, which carry their own risks. During the clinical studies, the safety profiles of these interventions were consistent with their known safety and tolerability.

For further details, please see the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC).

About MLD and Libmeldy

MLD is a rare and life-threatening inherited disease of the bodys metabolic system occurring in approximately one in every 100,000 live births. MLD is caused by a mutation in the arylsulfatase-A (ARSA) gene that results in the accumulation of sulfatides in the brain and other areas of the body, including the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, and/or spleen. Over time, the nervous system is damaged, leading to neurological problems such as motor, behavioral and cognitive regression, severe spasticity and seizures. Patients with MLD gradually lose the ability to move, talk, swallow, eat and see. In its late infantile form, mortality at five years from onset is estimated at 50% and 44% at 10 years for juvenile patients.1

Libmeldy (autologous CD34+ cell enriched population that contains hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) transduced ex vivo using a lentiviral vector encoding the human arylsulfatase-A (ARSA) gene), also known as OTL-200, is approved in the European Union for the treatment of MLD in eligible early-onset patients. In the U.S., OTL-200 is an investigational therapy which has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any use. Libmeldy was acquired from GSK in April 2018 and originated from a pioneering collaboration between GSK and the Hospital San Raffaele and Fondazione Telethon, acting through their joint San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan, initiated in 2010.

About Orchard

Orchard Therapeutics is a global gene therapy leader dedicated to transforming the lives of people affected by rare diseases through the development of innovative, potentially curative gene therapies. Our ex vivo autologous gene therapy approach harnesses the power of genetically modified blood stem cells and seeks to correct the underlying cause of disease in a single administration. In 2018, Orchard acquired GSKs rare disease gene therapy portfolio, which originated from a pioneering collaboration between GSK and the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan, Italy. Orchard now has one of the deepest and most advanced gene therapy product candidate pipelines in the industry spanning multiple therapeutic areas where the disease burden on children, families and caregivers is immense and current treatment options are limited or do not exist.

Orchard has its global headquarters inLondonandU.S.headquarters inBoston. For more information, please visitwww.orchard-tx.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Availability of Other Information About Orchard

Investors and others should note that Orchard communicates with its investors and the public using the company website (www.orchard-tx.com), the investor relations website (ir.orchard-tx.com), and on social media (Twitter andLinkedIn), including but not limited to investor presentations and investor fact sheets,U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissionfilings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. The information that Orchard posts on these channels and websites could be deemed to be material information. As a result, Orchard encourages investors, the media, and others interested in Orchard to review the information that is posted on these channels, including the investor relations website, on a regular basis. This list of channels may be updated from time to time on Orchards investor relations website and may include additional social media channels. The contents of Orchards website or these channels, or any other website that may be accessed from its website or these channels, shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933.

About Fondazione Telethon, Ospedale San Raffaele and the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget)

Based in Milan, Italy, the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget) is a joint venture between the Ospedale San Raffaele, a clinical-research-university hospital established in 1971 to provide international-level specialized care for the most complex and difficult health conditions, and Fondazione Telethon, an Italian biomedical charity born in 1990 and focused on rare genetic diseases. SR-Tiget was established in 1995 to perform research on gene transfer and cell transplantation and translate its results into clinical applications of gene and cell therapies for different genetic diseases. Over the years, the Institute hasgiven a pioneering contribution to the field with relevant discoveries in vector design, gene transfer strategies, stem cell biology, identity and mechanism of action of innate immune cells. SR-Tiget has also established the resources and framework for translating these advances into novel experimental therapies and has implemented several successful gene therapy clinical trials for inherited immunodeficiencies, blood and storage disorders, which have already treated >115 patients and have led through collaboration with industrial partners to the filing and approval of novel advanced gene therapy medicines.

For more information:

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements about Orchards strategy, future plans and prospects, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as anticipates, believes, expects, plans, intends, projects, and future or similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include express or implied statements relating to, among other things, Orchards business strategy and goals, including its plans and expectations for the commercialization of Libmeldy, and the therapeutic potential of Libmeldy, including the potential implications of clinical data for eligible patients. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Orchards control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. In particular, these risks and uncertainties include, without limitation:: the risk that prior results, such as signals of safety, activity or durability of effect, observed from clinical trials of Libmeldy will not continue or be repeated in our ongoing or planned clinical trials of Libmeldy, will be insufficient to support regulatory submissions or marketing approval in the US or to maintain marketing approval in the EU, or that long-term adverse safety findings may be discovered; the inability or risk of delays in Orchards ability to commercialize Libmeldy, including the risk that we may not secure adequate pricing or reimbursement to support continued development or commercialization of Libmeldy; the risk that the market opportunity for Libmeldy, or any of Orchards product candidates, may be lower than estimated; and the severity of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Orchards business, including on clinical development, its supply chain and commercial programs. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Other risks and uncertainties faced by Orchard include those identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in Orchards quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter endedSeptember 30, 2020, as filed with theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC), as well as subsequent filings and reports filed with theSEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Orchards views as of the date hereof, and Orchard does not assume and specifically disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Contacts

Investors Renee Leck Director, Investor Relations +1 862-242-0764 Renee.Leck@orchard-tx.com

Media Christine Harrison Vice President, Corporate Affairs +1 202-415-0137 media@orchard-tx.com

1 Mahmood et al. Metachromatic Leukodystrophy: A Case of Triplets with the Late Infantile Variant and a Systematic Review of the Literature.Journal of Child Neurology2010, DOI:http://doi.org/10.1177/0883073809341669

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Orchard Therapeutics Receives EC Approval for Libmeldy for the Treatment of Early-Onset Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) - GlobeNewswire

3D Printing Industry review of the year: February 2020 – 3D Printing Industry

The month of February 2020 saw industry leaders come together for TV SDs 2nd Additive Manufacturing Conference, alongside 3D printing-enabled medical breakthroughs and a landmark delivery of 3D printed parts within the maritime sector.

Read on for the standout developments of February 2020, which involved the likes of Renishaw, Wilhelmsen, Formlabs, COBOD, and Evonik.

TV SDs Additive Manufacturing Conference

February got underway with the 2nd TV SD Additive Manufacturing Conference, held in the heart of Bavaria, which brought together 3D printing experts, industry leaders, and academics to share their thoughts on the implementation of industrial additive manufacturing.

During the conference, standardization and digitization were singled out as the gateways to a fully automated additive manufacturing system in years to come in regards to material testing, quality assurance, part certification, and process chains.

Space-time research expands for AM

Meanwhile, researchers from the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) developed a method to concurrently optimize 3D printed structures and the fabrication sequence that creates them, specifically in the wire arc additive manufacturing process (WAAM).

Recently awarded the ISSMO/Springer prize from the International Society of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization (ISSMO), the research can be explained using the example of a robot building a bridge in a futuristic scenario, where the bridge must maintain its mechanical strength as it is being built in order to support the weight of the robot.

Wilhelmsens landmark maritime delivery

Global maritime industry group Wilhelmsen delivered what it claimed to be a landmark commercial delivery of 3D printed parts to dry bulk shipping company Berge Bulk. The delivery was part of Wilhelmsens Early Adopter Program with additive manufacturing service bureau Ivaldi Group, which was launched in late 2019 and involved the supply of 3D printed spare parts on-demand to ships and other vessels.

This is just the beginning of the journey, and we are quickly expanding our offering, together with our key development partners, enabling our customers to benefit from the savings provided by 3D printing, digital inventory and on-demand localized manufacturing, said Hakon Ellekjaer, head of venture, 3D printing, at Wilhelmsen Ships Services.

Research roadmaps and material exploration

Midway through February, a worldwide collective of researchers from various universities and institutions came together to produce a roadmap for 3D bioprinting, which was published in Biofabrication.

Summarising the current state of bioprinting, including recent advances of the technology, present developments, and challenges, the paper envisioned how the technology could improve in the future. Topics covered in the paper ranged from cell expansion and novel bio-ink development to stem cell printing and organoid-based tissue development, in addition to bioprinting human-scale tissue structures and multicellular engineered living systems.

Elsewhere, research coming out of the Tokyo University of Science explored how water molecules react when they come into contact with the surface of graphene, revealing there is much to learn about the interaction between water and 3D printed materials.

Surface water on carbon nanomaterials such as graphene has attracted much attention because the properties of these materials make them ideal for studying the microscopic structure of surface water, saidProfessor Takahiro Yamamoto, leader of the study.

Advancing dental restorations

SLA 3D printer manufacturer Formlabs announced new materials from German dental 3D printing pioneer BEGO were to be used in Formlabs Form 3B and Form 2 resin printers. Using these systems, dental professionals are now able to 3D print temporary and permanent crowns and bridges directly for patients.

Widely regarded as a specialist in the sector, BEGO has been developing dental-specific 3D printing materials for over two decades. Now, Formlabs printing systems will use BEGOs materials to print permanent single crowns, inlay, onlays, and veneers, and temporary crowns and bridges.

Construction printing: Live

Danish 3D printing construction firm COBOD demonstrated its construction technology by 3D printing the walls of small four houses during the international Bautec construction exhibition in Berlin, between 18-21 February. The demo was completed using the companys BOD2 3D construction printer, and aimed to provide an un-cut example of its technology in action to Bautec visitors.

When you print live, it is not possible to hide anything, explained Henrik Lund-Nielson, COBOD CEO. With this live printing, we are documenting that our technology has the quality, robustness and stability to perform hour after hour, day after day.

Evoniks first 3D printing software tool

Towards the latter stages of February, German specialty chemicals company Evonik launched its first software tool for 3D printing, designed to help manufacturers select the appropriate additive manufacturing process for their desired part.

Developed by Israeli start-up Castor, in which Evonik invested in late 2019, the software aids users in their choices by taking into account the designs geometry, material, and financial analysis.

Renishaw lands Parkinsons study milestone

Rounding off the month on a positive note, UK-based engineering technologies firm Renishaw announced a milestone in a medical study seeking to help sufferers of Parkinsons disease, for which it developed a patented intraparenchymal drug delivery device using 3D printing.

Initial results of the study were promising and indicated predictable and accurate placement of the neuroinfuse device, as well as significant efficacy and safety of both the device and the drug, CDNF, which was developed by pharmaceuticals experts Herantis Pharma.

Renishaw has since concluded an extension to the study, which is currently the only platform to facilitate repeated, intermittent infusions into the parenchyma, and enables patients to receive the infusions in an out-patient setting.

Subscribe to the3D Printing Industry newsletterfor the latest news in additive manufacturing. You can also stay connected by following us onTwitterand liking us onFacebook.

Be sure to subscribe to the Another Dimension podcast on your chosen podcast player to make sure you never miss an episode.

Looking for a career in additive manufacturing? Visit3D Printing Jobsfor a selection of roles in the industry.

Featured image showsFabian Meyer-Brtz, head of 3D printing at Peri, showcasing the end result for the printing on February 19, 2020. Photo via COBOD.

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3D Printing Industry review of the year: February 2020 - 3D Printing Industry

Paint it all Pink winner charity donation helps Elizabeth Wende Breast Care Fund – MPNnow.com

Julie Sherwood |MPNnow

Theyve been best friends for over 60 years: Cathie Donner, Lynda Lochner and Sue Simpatico. All 1969 graduates of Nazareth Academy in Rochester, the three havent let the demands of career and family stand in the way of making time for one another. That goes for a tradition started years ago of getting together on the day of their scheduled mammograms at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care.

Donner said they go out for coffee that day and its a good excuse to catch up while they stay on track with their annual breast exams.

It all changed in 2014, when Simpatico was diagnosed with lymphoma and breast cancer. Early diagnosis led to further tests, decisions about options and then treatment that included stem cell replacement, chemotherapy and a mastectomy an ordeal no one ever wants to go through.

Simpatico recovered from cancer, and her experience inspired Donner to donate the charity portion of her winnings in a national contest to the Elizabeth Wende Breast Care Fund. Created at Rochester Area Community Foundation by physicians of Elizabeth Wende Breast Care, LLC in 2008, the fund supports care, diagnostic education and research regarding breast health and cancer.

I am very grateful and thankful, said Donner, grand prize winner of Gannett Media Groups Paint it all Pink contest. Donner received a check for $5,000 and on her behalf, Gannett made a donation of $5,000 to her chosen breast cancer charity, Elizabeth Wende Breast Care Fund.

Contestants took an online quiz about breast cancer awareness. Donner, a Chili resident, said she took the quiz awhile back and didnt give it much thought afterwards. Then she learned she won, her entry having been the first chosen in the drawing.

A lot of patients have said, I am so thankful, and they wanted to do something, said Dr. Stamatia Destounis, a provider at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester. That is what inspired the physicians of Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in 2008 to create the Elizabeth Wende Breast Care Fund at the Rochester Area Community Foundation. Dr. Destounis said that by setting up the fund through the foundation, the monies could support area organizations that promote research and education centered on breast cancer and breast health.

The Rochester Area Community Foundation, in partnership with philanthropists and community partners, works to improve the quality of life in the eight-county Rochester region through leadership and strategic grant-making.

All the monies stay in the community, said Destounis, who completed her radiology residency at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry in 1993. She joined the Elizabeth Wende Breast Clinic and trained with its founder, Dr. Wende Logan Young, completing a breast imaging fellowship of one year and joining Elizabeth Wende Breast Clinic as an attending radiologist In July 1994.

Destounis said organizations that benefit from the fund include Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, the American Cancer Society, UR Medicine Wilmot Cancer Institute's Pluta Cancer Center and Embrace Your Sisters, which provides emergency breast cancer support, among others.

Elizabeth Wende Breast Care began in 1975 when Dr. Wende Logan Young opened the first dedicated breast clinic in the United States on Mt. Hope Avenue in Rochester. One of the largest freestanding breast imaging centers in the nation, it is the largest single-site breast imaging center in New York. Elizabeth Wende Breast Care states its mission has remained the same throughout the years and advances in breast imaging technology, to provide each of our patients with state-of-the art breast imaging, along with compassionate, personalized care.

Five runners up in the Paint it all Pink contest each received $500. One of the runners up is Katie Barnum of Canandaigua. Others are Geri Spera of Pueblo, Colorado; Melissa Dean of Spencer, Indiana; Judy Brazeal of Fayette, Alabama, and Kristina Schlueter of Delray Beach, Florida.

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Paint it all Pink winner charity donation helps Elizabeth Wende Breast Care Fund - MPNnow.com

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections: Purpose & Effectiveness

You may have heard about athletes like Tiger Woods getting platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to help heal an injury. These shots, which are based on your own blood, are increasingly being used to treat sports injuries and to help wounds heal after surgery. Some doctors even use it as a cosmetic procedure to target signs of aging, such as wrinkles. But does it work? Heres what to keep in mind.

Plasma is the liquid part of your blood thats mostly made of water and protein. It lets red and white blood cells and platelets move through your bloodstream. Platelets are a type of blood cell that makes your blood clot. They also play a role in healing.

Doctors may use platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on injuries or damage to tendons, ligaments, muscles, joints, and skin.

To collect plasma, a doctor draws blood from your body and uses a machine to separate the platelet-rich plasma from the rest of the blood. Then the doctor numbs the area of your body being treated with PRP injections. Once youre numb, the doctor uses a needle to inject your plasma into the area of your body being treated.

For example, if youre being treated for a muscle injury, your doctor would inject plasma into several locations in that muscle. In some cases, doctors use ultrasound technology during injections to make sure theyre targeting the right area. PRP injections usually take about 30 minutes, though it depends on the area youre targeting.

Once platelets are in the area thats being treated, they break down and release growth factors, which are compounds that help cells repair and renew. This is thought to trigger your bodys healing process.

PRP injections are used to treat torn tendons, tendinitis, muscle injuries, arthritis-related pain, and joint injuries. Theyre becoming more common for cosmetic procedures, too. For example, dermatologists and hair replacement experts use PRP injections to treat a type of hair loss called androgenic alopecia, also known as male or female pattern baldness, which affects men and women. And some dermatologists provide PRP treatments for the face. (You may have heard these called a vampire facial.)

More studies are needed to see what conditions PRP can work on. So far, research shows that it speeds healing after injury or surgery for certain conditions, like torn tendons. In addition to helping injured tissue heal, some studies show PRP injections curb pain and boost mobility for people with rotator cuff injuries. PRP injections appear to reduce hair loss in people with male or female pattern baldness. But its not clear whether facial PRP injections ease visible signs of aging, like wrinkles and sagging skin.

It can take several weeks for PRP injections to start working. For some conditions, particularly those affecting the hair or the skin, it may take up to 6 months to notice the full effects. For some conditions, including hair loss, you may need to repeat the procedure to maintain the results.

Youll likely need to stop taking certain medications that thin your blood, like aspirin and ibuprofen, before you get PRP injections. You may also need to take a break from certain vitamins or supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids. Your doctor can tell you exactly what you need to do to prepare for these shots.

PRP doesnt usually cause major side effects. But because it involves drawing blood, youll want to make sure you eat before the procedure. That will help you avoid feeling lightheaded when you get PRP injections.

After the shot, you shouldnt wash the area that was treated for 48 hours. You might notice some soreness and bruising in the area that received injections. If you feel sharp or intense pain, let your doctor know.

PRP injections may or may not be covered by your health insurance, so check your plans details. If youre getting it for cosmetic reasons -- for example, PRP injections for hair loss -- your insurance probably wont cover it. Treatment can cost $250 to $1,500 a session, and you may need several sessions to see results.

You cant get PRP injections if you have:

You should only get PRP injections from a licensed doctor.

SOURCES:

Hospital for Special Surgery: Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injection.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP).

Johns Hopkins Medicine: Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP).

Cedars-Sinai: Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy.

American Society of Plastic Surgeons: Platelet-Rich Plasma for Cosmetic Facial Procedures Promising Results, but Evidence Has Limitations.

American Academy of Dermatology: Is platelet-rich plasma the secret to younger-looking skin?

PLOS ONE: A Pilot Study Evaluating the Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy for Treating Degenerative Tendinopathies: A Randomized Control Trial with Synchronous Observational Cohort.

The rest is here:
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections: Purpose & Effectiveness

Business beat – The Spokesman-Review

UPDATED: Fri., Dec. 18, 2020

Spokane Center for Facial Plastic Surgery, a division of Columbia Surgical Specialists, has hired Brittany Martin, MSN, APRN, FNP-C. Martin graduated magna cum laude from Whitworth University and WSU College of Nursing, then completed graduate studies at Gonzaga University and graduated with honors. She is a Spokane native and worked at Columbia Surgical Specialists through her graduate studies. Martin will provide various in-office procedures, including Botox/Dysport injections, filler treatments, miraDry treatments, platelet rich plasma injections and intense-pulsed light therapy. She also will assist with post-op appointments.

Paul Merritt has been appointed as the CEO of Fatbeam, a fiber-broadband internet provider in the Coeur dAlene and Spokane areas. He has nearly 20 years experience in the telecom industry. Merritt recently served in the hyperscalers-business segment for Lumen, formerly CenturyLink, managing strategies for product and solution development and sales performance. Prior to his role at Lumen, Merritt directed all aspects of daily-sales operations for cloud, software, and infrastructure vertical teams at Zayo. He also has served as the regional vice president for Comcast Business and has held various positions with XO Communications, Qwest (CenturyLink), Redapt and Allstream.

Spokane Home Builders Association has hired Jennifer Thomas as the membership services director and Beth Hanson as office manager. Thomas previously worked with SHBAs advertising agency, QUINN, where she headed the digital advertising team. She has also been a strategist for multiple Spokane businesses. In her new role, Thomas will oversee member services, such as recruitment and retention efforts and member benefit programs. Hanson previously worked for Douglass Properties, serving nine years as a property manager and four years as the accounts payable processor, assistant to the financial controller and senior property manager. In her new role, she will handle office operations, database management and financial oversight. She will also serve as a staff liaison for the Finance and Education Committees and the Remodelers Council.

Numerica Credit Union has been honored as Outstanding Community Lender for the U.S. Small Business Administrations Seattle District, which includes all of Washington state and North Idaho. The award recognizes the community bank or credit union which closed the most standard SBA loans in the district during the SBA fiscal year, which ran from October 2019 to September . The award only measures traditional SBA 7 (a) loans, which provide assistance to small businesses. Loans and relief provided by banks and credit unions due to COVID-19 legislation, such as Paycheck Protection Program loans, were not included in the U.S. Small Business Administrations count of standard SBA loans for this award. Numerica is headquartered in Spokane Valley and has more than 158,000 members in Central and Eastern Washington and North Idaho. It manages $2.9 billion in assets.

Inland Empire Property Watch has earned accreditation from the National Home Watch Association. The NHWA is an organization that was founded in 2009 with the goal to create and maintain high-industry standards for Home Watch and absentee homeowner services throughout the United States and Canada. Home Watch is a visual inspection service for homes and other properties available to property owners who are not physically present to oversee their property. Inland Empire Property Watch is owned by John and Shari Miller who reside in Wilbur, Washington. Originally from Skagit Valley, Washington, they moved to Eastern Washington in 2012 and worked at Lake Roosevelt, where they operated the Keller Ferry and managed the Keller Ferry Marina and Campground for several years.

After meeting many seasonal residents in the area, they recently decided to open Inland Empire Property Watch.

The business serves Wilbur, Davenport, Republic, Seven Bays and Grand Coulee. Accreditation through NHWA ensures that owners and operators of Home Watch service providers have passed criminal background checks; maintain insurance coverage for general and professional liability and proper bonding; display truthful website and advertising content; and adhere to the NHWAs code of ethics and mission statement. NHWA also checks on the providers consumer complaints.

Plenty of us will be happy to see 2020 in our rear-view window come Jan. 1.

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Business beat - The Spokesman-Review

Scientists have restored youth to aging eyes in mice – Massive Science

Following the harassment of Christian Cooper in Central Park in May 2020, Black birders created #BlackBirdersWeek to celebrate Black nature enthusiasts and highlight their belonging in outdoor spaces. Since then, dozens of campaigns have emerged to amplify and appreciate Black academics, scientists, and naturalists.

Next up is #BlackInMarineScienceWeek, running from November 29th to December 5th.Led by founder Dr. Tiara Moore and organizers Amani Webber-Schultz, Dr. Camille Gaynus, Carlee Jackson, Al Troutman, Jasmin Graham, Jeanette Davis, Kris Howard, Leslie Townsell, Kaylee Arnold, and Jaida Elcock, this week represents an opportunity for community building and improved representation.

There are few Black folks in ecology and even fewer in marine ecology, says Arnold, a science communicator and disease ecologist. The network that Ive gained through organizing this week is phenomenal. Meeting other Black marine scientists and showing that to the world, especially young Black folks, is a way to say we exist, were here. We have a full day dedicated to young kids, which is unique and exciting.

The organizers hope that the week will help normalize Black folks doing marine research, inspire younger generations, and remind everyone to check their preconceived notions.

"When I say I study sharks people seem concerned about my swimming or my hair, [and] sometimes respond with 'Oh, thats super interesting'... I dont know if that's because it's unusual for people to study sharks or because Im Black and I study sharks, recalls Elcock, an elasmobranch movement ecologist, science communicator, and co-founder of Minorities in Shark Science. Science is for everybody. People say there isn't diversity because [Black] people arent interested... thats clearly not true theres a whole week dedicated [to it]."

Discussion this week will address the fact that exclusion, not lack of interest, led to todays lack of representation. Centuries of segregation and underinvestment in Black neighborhood pools led to, and are perpetuated by, these incorrect and harmful ideas.

My grandparents and my mom said there were just no pools for her to go to... I had a very different experience. Despite people trying to push us out of the water and science, we persevered, and now we get to break down those stereotypes, notes Arnold.

Black in Marine Science Week is here to do just that, showcasing organizers and participants from every imaginable marine science niche, all shaping how society views the oceans and its inhabitants.

There's more Black folks than even we know and are showcasing. I hope that if the media picks up on the number of us as well, and has better representation. Seminar series are extremely white, and now you have a resource of people you can invite instead, emphasizes Arnold, pointing to the necessity of non-Black marine scientists to step up and ensure representation continues beyond this joyous and educational week.

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Scientists have restored youth to aging eyes in mice - Massive Science

Top Technical Advances of 2020 – The Scientist

COVID-19 diagnostics

A mockup of an at-home test

MAMMOTH BIOSCIENCES

Much of the world became aware of the disease now known as COVID-19 in January, and impressively, a diagnostic PCR test became available the same month. Weve since seen an explosion in potential variations on that assay, including saliva tests, which bypass the need for scarce swabs, and a slew of techniques that could be considerably faster and cheaper than PCR, including breath tests, at-home antigen tests, a diagnostic that combines loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and CRISPR, and even an AI model that detects telltale signs of COVID-19 from CT scans.

While diagnostics gave us hard numbers on SARS-CoV-2s devastating sweep, the rapid development of vaccines against it allowed us to imagine the pandemic coming under control. mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna were among the early leaders of the vaccine race, training the spotlight on a newer technique that had been attempted for other diseases but had not yet made it to the market before 2020. The principle is to deliver a stretch of viral mRNA to recipients cells, which go on to manufacture viral proteins from the transcripts, provoking an immune response.

The year also saw researchers experimenting with other innovative ways of producing vaccines. In one examplewhich, unlike with mRNA vaccines, would avoid the need for cold temperatures during transport and storageresearchers showed that a flu vaccine delivered orally as a thin film induced an immune response in mice.

A colony of spotted wing Drosophila flies entomologist Hannah Burrack maintained at home

COURTESY HANNAH BURRACK

The pandemics effects on science were far-reaching, and necessitated adaptation as many researchers were shut out of their labs in a bid to prevent infection. Among the creative means scientists devised to continue their work was Cut&Tag@home, a protocol for profiling chromosome components that Steven Henikoff of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center devised in his laundry room.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have proved a boon to research, but most labs grow the cells in expensive commercial media that require frequent tending to replenish the stock. In a paper at the start of this year, researchers described a DIY recipe for a medium with ingredients that cost a fraction of what commercial alternatives do, and that only needs to be changed every 3.5 days, enabling caretakers to have weekends off.

Neurositys Notion headset, released in 2019, is one of a handful of consumer brain-computer interface devices that scientists are adapting for their EEG research.

STEVE GONG

Collecting data on humans brain activity typically requires researchers to put their subjects into expensive MRI or PET scanners, or to affix wires to their skulls for a traditional EEG setup. But advances in brain-computer interface (BCI) technologymuch of it made with an eye toward the consumer market for devices that could be used for applications such as gaminghold the potential for neuroscientists to gather a wealth of brain activity information as subjects go about their daily activities. The field continued to advance this year with the release of two new BCI headsets, NextMind, which decodes visual attention, and the Neurosity Notion 2, an upgraded iteration of a product that, while designed for coders, can also be used to collect research data.

Read this article:
Top Technical Advances of 2020 - The Scientist

A new psychedelic drug gives psychiatric benefits without causing hallucinations – Massive Science

Following the harassment of Christian Cooper in Central Park in May 2020, Black birders created #BlackBirdersWeek to celebrate Black nature enthusiasts and highlight their belonging in outdoor spaces. Since then, dozens of campaigns have emerged to amplify and appreciate Black academics, scientists, and naturalists.

Next up is #BlackInMarineScienceWeek, running from November 29th to December 5th.Led by founder Dr. Tiara Moore and organizers Amani Webber-Schultz, Dr. Camille Gaynus, Carlee Jackson, Al Troutman, Jasmin Graham, Jeanette Davis, Kris Howard, Leslie Townsell, Kaylee Arnold, and Jaida Elcock, this week represents an opportunity for community building and improved representation.

There are few Black folks in ecology and even fewer in marine ecology, says Arnold, a science communicator and disease ecologist. The network that Ive gained through organizing this week is phenomenal. Meeting other Black marine scientists and showing that to the world, especially young Black folks, is a way to say we exist, were here. We have a full day dedicated to young kids, which is unique and exciting.

The organizers hope that the week will help normalize Black folks doing marine research, inspire younger generations, and remind everyone to check their preconceived notions.

"When I say I study sharks people seem concerned about my swimming or my hair, [and] sometimes respond with 'Oh, thats super interesting'... I dont know if that's because it's unusual for people to study sharks or because Im Black and I study sharks, recalls Elcock, an elasmobranch movement ecologist, science communicator, and co-founder of Minorities in Shark Science. Science is for everybody. People say there isn't diversity because [Black] people arent interested... thats clearly not true theres a whole week dedicated [to it]."

Discussion this week will address the fact that exclusion, not lack of interest, led to todays lack of representation. Centuries of segregation and underinvestment in Black neighborhood pools led to, and are perpetuated by, these incorrect and harmful ideas.

My grandparents and my mom said there were just no pools for her to go to... I had a very different experience. Despite people trying to push us out of the water and science, we persevered, and now we get to break down those stereotypes, notes Arnold.

Black in Marine Science Week is here to do just that, showcasing organizers and participants from every imaginable marine science niche, all shaping how society views the oceans and its inhabitants.

There's more Black folks than even we know and are showcasing. I hope that if the media picks up on the number of us as well, and has better representation. Seminar series are extremely white, and now you have a resource of people you can invite instead, emphasizes Arnold, pointing to the necessity of non-Black marine scientists to step up and ensure representation continues beyond this joyous and educational week.

Read the original here:
A new psychedelic drug gives psychiatric benefits without causing hallucinations - Massive Science

Michigans Catholic bishops say 2 COVID-19 vaccines are OK morally but another is problematic – MLive.com

GRAND RAPIDS, MI Michigans seven Catholic bishops said COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna are morally permissible but raised concerns about AstraZencas vaccine using a cell line that originated from tissue of an aborted fetus.

Pfizer and Moderna have received emergency approval for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Association. Pfizers vaccine has already rolled out across the country while Moderna expects to begin shipping its vaccine on Sunday, Dec. 20.

AstraZencas vaccine along with a vaccine by Johnson & Johnson - is nearing its final trial stage.

The Catholic bishops issued a statement Saturday, Dec., 19, on what they called the morality of COVID-19 vaccines.

It is morally permissible to receive the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna, the bishops said.

Neither of these vaccines have used cell lines originating in tissue taken from aborted babies in their design, development, and production. However, both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccine did use such a cell line in the confirmatory testing. This connection to the abortion is very remote, however, and it is important to keep in mind that there are varying levels of responsibility. Greater moral responsibility lies with the researchers than with those who receive the vaccine, the bishops wrote.

The vaccine developed by AstraZeneca is more morally problematic, however, the bishops wrote.

It did utilize in the design, production, development, and confirmatory testing a cell line that originated from tissue taken from an aborted baby. This vaccine may be received only if there are no other alternatives. If one does not have a choice of vaccine and a delay in immunization may bring about serious consequences for ones health and the health of others, it would be permissible to accept the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Science Magazine said that at least five COVID-19 vaccine candidates use a fetal kidney cell line from a fetus aborted around 1972 or cells of an 18-week-old fetus that was aborted in 1985.

Dr. Deepak Srivastava, former president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, told the Associated Press that the fetal cell lines were vital in developing vaccines for a range of viruses.

They are widely used in many aspects in biomedical science because they are so effective, he said. Whats important for the public to know even if they are opposed to the use of fetal cells for therapies, these medicines that are being made and vaccines do not contain any aspect of the cells in them, Srivastava said. The cells are used as factories for production.

In a column for the Heritage Foundation, which promotes conservative public policy, Dr. Melissa Moschella said she strongly opposes abortion but supported using the cell lines derived long ago from the tissue of aborted fetuses - to develop life-saving vaccines.

Cell lines (from one of the fetuses) are far removed from the unborn child from whose tissue they were initially derived. Such cell lines are immortal, meaning that, once developed, they continue to divide and reproduce themselves indefinitely. This means that the use of such lines does not necessarily create additional demand for new fetal tissue, Moschella wrote.

The bishops said the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith found vaccinations permissible because of the pandemics serious health risks.

Those who do not receive vaccinations have a moral responsibility to take steps to prevent spread of the virus, they said.

At this same time, we join our voices to call for the development of vaccines that have no connection to abortion. Our consciences must not be dulled, nor may we imply in any way that abortion is acceptable, the bishops said.

The statement was issued by Allen H. Vigneron, archbishop of Detroit, and bishops Paul J. Bradley of Kalamazoo; Earl A. Boyea of Lansing; John F. Doerfler of Marquette; Robert D. Gruss of Saginaw; Walter A. Hurley, apostolic administrator, of Gaylord; and David J. Walkowiak of Grand Rapids.

Read more:

Michigan Senate approves $465M for coronavirus response, relief for businesses and unemployed workers

US clears Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, 2nd shot in arsenal

General apologizes for COVID-19 vaccine distribution day after Whitmer blasts Trump administration

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Michigans Catholic bishops say 2 COVID-19 vaccines are OK morally but another is problematic - MLive.com